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Santa Barbara City Guide
Henley Vazquez
We're excited to announce our new Santa Barbara guide! Two hours north of LA, this seaside town rocks our world with activities for minis and moms alike. From vineyards to surf shops, mountain hiking to beach bumming, Santa Barbara has four-season appeal but is particularly rad come summer. Check out our Santa Barbara guide now and start California dreamin'.
There are many fabulous places to rest your head in beautiful SB, from ranches to resorts we have you covered.
Bacara Resort
8301 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara
- Set on 78 acres of prime Santa Barbara coastline, the Bacara scores bragging rights for some of the area's most extensive amenities, from three golf courses to a two-mile private beach.
- The 358 rooms and suites have an updated traditional look, plus spacious marble bathrooms from the entry-level options to the Signature suites.
- Bacara takes food seriously, and there are frequent culinary events and weekend specials; plan at least a few meals "on campus."
- Every room, from the least expensive to the most, has a private patio or balcony, meaning mom and dad can sip a glass of wine al fresco after kids have conked out for the night.
- Don't like to drive? No sweat. With so many activities at the resort, there's no need to leave.
- The Monarch Kids Club accepts children ages 5 to 12 so parents can dig some downtime.
2844 State St, Santa Barbara
A breakfast institution; order at the counter and try to grab a table outside to enjoy freshly baked scones and scrumptious eggs benedict.
Lucky Penny
127 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara
Wood-fired pizza, salads and sandwiches that the whole family will love, in downtown Santa Barbara. They also serve breakfast and you can grab take-away for a meal on-the-go, or stay a while and enjoy lunch on their sunny patio.
The Stonehouse
900 San Ysidro Ln, Santa Barbara
Plan a romantic night out at San Ysidro ranch's fine-dining eatery; outdoor tables are the pick in warmer weather, but the cozy indoor space sets a baby-making mood as well thanks to a crackling fireplace and beamed ceilings.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center
211 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara
Located on Steams Wharf, the Sea Center is a must-do for all ages and so hands-on that parents might get nervous (editor's advice: don't). Kids can crawl through a tide pool tank, touch sharks, and get hands-on experience with a variety of odd sea creatures.
Funk Zone
Santa Barbara
This former industrial area has transformed into one of the most happening parts of Santa Barbara. Look for galleries, eateries (including a few of our favorites), wine tasting rooms and boutiques tucked into revitalized warehouses.
Channel Islands
Take the ferry over for a day trip exploring the Channel Islands. There's great kayaking to explore the marine reserve (which includes all eight islands and the surrounding seas) plus resident colonies of sea lions and colorful fish species.
Santa Barbara Public Market
38 W Victoria St, Santa Barbara
This is the spot for local produce, artisanal ice cream, and sustainable seafood, and it also features a kitchen for cooking classes and winemaker dinners. If you're a fan of San Fran's Ferry Building Marketplace, you'll love SB's version, too.


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2008's numbers, plus a glance at 2009's goals
I made it well known that when this year started that I didn't really have specific goals with anything since I started '08 injured. So with that being said, I don't want to analyze my year too much -- I just want to put the numbers out there and let them be. I may sneak in a run tomorrow, but it will be minimal with my dog if I do. Can't you tell I'm just ready to get this year over with?
I've also added my 2009 goals based on my post from a couple of weeks ago using the "10 percent" rule. What actually happens will depend a lot of how the first quarter of the year goes. If all goes well with my planned 10 miler, my running miles may be closer to 2007 totals where I fell less than 50 miles shy of 1,000 miles. For now, it's best to just take things a month at a time and see what happens. I do know that cross training is now very important to my routine, so it'll continue no matter what.
Total running miles - 640.2
Best running month - August, 107.4
Worst running month - April, 22.6
Average per month - 53.35
2009 goal ('08 plus 10 percent) - 704
Walking miles (Garmin only) - 290.6
Biking miles - 232.3 (March-December)
Best month - October, 49.1
Worst month - August, 8.2
Average per month (9 months) - 25.8
2009 goal (9-month average times 12 plus 10 percent) - 340
"Other" miles (mostly elliptical) - 37.8 (October-December)
December total - 24.3
Average per month (3 months) - 12.6
2009 goal (3-month average times 12 plus 10 percent) - 166
2008 combined miles - 1,200.9
Average miles per month - 100.075
Best combined miles month - August, 148.4
Worst combined miles month - January, 63.1

subset: commoncrawl


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The single biggest problem for managers embarking on, or undertaking a PLM initiative is the justification for project funding. As PLM leaders we have all been there, working on slide packs to demonstrate the future benefits when successfully implemented, or bringing a new board member up to speed on the PLM project to ensure a continuation of funding the for next budget year….. Every year the invoice for PLM software maintenance lands, and generally there is a new colleague who has appeared in the finance approvals process, who cannot believe the costs compared to other enterprise software deployed within the organisation. Like most projects, managing a PLM project is a constant exercise in business justification and demonstrating continued benefit.
Often executive leadership teams were presented with business cases including eye watering figures to implement PLM and completely reorganise the data silos and business processes, with a good dose of change management thrown in. Vendors and System Integrators were invited in to bring credibility to the figures and convince the leadership that the organisation needed to undertake the initiative to stay competitive in a global market. You can understand why many executive teams wanted to start small and measure the ROI to ensure that PLM was delivering on the promises, or simply said no until they could see evidence of competitors investing in PLM.
The PLM implementations where project funding has not been such a combative subject, are those that continue to provide excellent data analytics and business intelligence to the organisation. In fact, when planners, managers and leaders can see the number of duplicate fixings in a product, or the numbers of ECR's running through the approvals processes they tend to ask more questions. These questions can either be answered through introducing a new data point or report within the existing PLM system or involve a conversation such as; "Well if we integrated the ERP system with PLM we could look at getting you that report".
Providing rich data analytics or information that managers can act upon, drives the continued adoption of the PLM system. The leaders that are asking why they, "cannot see a report on all the materials in the product and see visually in 3D where they located on the product", are engaged in the investigation of data and will therefore support any additional PLM investments to get the information required. I have seen occasions where reluctant Heads of Manufacturing have been urged to engage with the PLM projects as the executive team have understood how better integration will expose more data for analytics.
The PLM vendors have been developing capabilities to view analytics within the context of the assembly to provide greater decision making intelligence. The ability to see visually where the most expensive components are in a product or which areas are overdue in the design signoff approvals has provided great insight for many organisations. The trend is to offer a lighter browsing experience with fully featured reporting tools to an enterprise user such as Purchasing, Management and Executive Leadership. This information is also driving the push into Virtual or Augmented Reality (VR/AR) systems, taking the interactive experience to a new level. Ensuring you offer a great in-context data analytics capability across your PLM system will drive adoption through to more areas of the business, it often turns from a push to a pull from the business as they can visually see the benefits.
PI specialise in peer-led conferences on PLM and related technologies, join us in Fort Worth this October for PI PLMx Texas 2017. At our Texas event, we have a number of great presenters, including Johnson Controls discussing how they are using analytics to support Business Growth and Product Offering Diversification. PI events are focused on networking with the opportunity to request meetings with delegates, speakers and sponsors. This year we are excited to announce our PLM Vendor panel (Dassault Systèmes, Aras, Oracle, SAP, Siemens); providing an opportunity to ask and challenge the speakers on key strategic trends such as the future of Business Intelligence and Data Analytics.
At Product Innovation a CIO-led learning community for manufacturers, over several years we have captured through interviews and recorded presentations, how leading organisations have understood the importance of data analytics and actionable intelligence to drive business adoption. This content is available through our PI membership community, with curated content ensuring that both new and existing manufacturers tackling the challenge will gain insights into effective strategy, implementation and the inevitable pitfalls that exist in getting there.


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Blackpurl support centre
With Blackpurl you get free, unlimited support from real people. Simply let us know how we can help you?
Whether you're getting started, setting up your customers, adding new parts, creating kits, or using any of Blackpurl's features, you'll find a complete and comprehensive set of help guides in our community.
Join our community to create a support request, ask a question or to share your experiences & solutions with other Blackpurl users.


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Media Scene
Charlotte's Ruth Castleberry honored for advertising skill
Charlotte advertising pioneer Ruth Castleberry made her reputation by figuring out what sparked people to buy things and framing ad campaigns around it.
When she was handling advertising for Charlotte-area Subway franchisees, executives at the restaurant chain's headquarters noticed that the region's shops were outperforming those in the rest of the country. They came down to find out why.
Subway had been founded in Bridgeport, Conn., as a sub shop for college guys and aimed their marketing at young men. But Castleberry wondered if that was on target.
She came up with a questionnaire that required people to fill out cards for a drawing and noticed that half the entries were from working women. She found out they were attracted to fresh ingredients.
So Charlotte-area stores began stressing that in ads and marketing to women, and sales surged. Subway executives changed their marketing strategy nationwide. Soon Subway's slogan was "Eat Fresh."
Last week, Castleberry, 69, was honored with the silver medal from the American Advertising Association Charlotte, the ad club's highest annual honor.
"Ruth is among the most forward-thinking agency owners Charlotte has ever had," said Bo Haynes, creative director at Parsons Corp. She brought unprecedented research and analytical methods to the local advertising scene, he said.
"American business goes about some things backwards," said Castleberry – it figures out what it wants to make, then starts thinking about how to market it.
Castleberry was always curious about what motivated consumers and tailored her pitches to that. "You just have to figure out why consumers are buying what they're buying," she said.
Reta Thorn, a former silver medal winner, said Castleberry was a pioneer in using psychographic targeting to reach customers. She was also a mentor to young account executives.
"Ruth encouraged many young salespeople to step outside of the box and think creatively," Thorn said. "She showed them how to write proposals, how to tie into the creative process, and how results would be measured."
Castleberry's first campaign was for homebuilder John Crosland Jr. in 1975. It was a tough market – interest rates were high and the economy was uncertain.
Castleberry called recent homebuyers to find out what made them choose a house then designed a campaign based on her findings.
It showed a glass of Alka-Seltzer and proclaimed the "four-way relief" offered by Crosland Homes – they'd help with loans, allow people to rent with an option to buy, buy back the home if people lost their jobs within two years and would purchase the former homes of buyers like car dealers allow a trade-in.
Crosland sold 160 homes in 14 weeks.
"It really is about understanding why people buy," she said. "I love what I do because if you can figure it out, it works."
She keeps her hand in the business through her company, Castleberry Consults. She is selective about picking clients and does pro bono marketing for the YWCA.
Advertising seems tougher now because the channels to reach potential buyers have fragmented. "It's hard to break through," she said, "because people are inundated so much."
Mark Washburn: 704-358-5007, email@example.com, @WashburnChObs


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Eight Reasons Why You Need a Business Coach
"You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or is discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."
~ Dale Carnegie
Eight Reasons Why You Need a Business Coach
By Andrea Novakowski
When I started my coaching business, one of the first things I did was get a coach of my own. I purposely chose someone who had built a successful coaching business herself. After all, why reinvent the wheel? I wanted to benefit from the expertise and support of someone who had already done what I was trying to do.
Later on, after my business was established, I was ready to develop another part of myself. So I found a coach who could help me grow my spiritual side.
My current coach is helping me change some behaviors that are no longer working for me. I'm learning to be less analytical and structured in situations that don't require it, and having more fun in the process. I picked each of these three coaches based on what I needed at a certain point in my business and in my personal life.
It's lonely out there, but a good business coach can make it feel less lonely. Have you been feeling burnt out or stuck? Tired of trying to solve every problem yourself? Here are eight things a coach can do:
- Provide an outside perspective. If your work situation is muddied with internal politics and history, your coach can give you guidance based on what happens in the real world. At the same time, she can use her experience to help you navigate tricky political waters.
- Save your marriage. You know how when your spouse tells you something, it may not sound like a good idea, but coming from a professional it suddenly makes sense? Run your thoughts and ideas by your business coach – and take your spouse off the hook.
- Give you a safe place to let your hair down. Go ahead, tell your coach the real story: she has no ulterior motives, nor any agenda except your agenda. Her feedback comes without strings attached. She has no stake, emotional or otherwise, in what you do with her suggestions.
- Offer you her undivided attention. Your coaching session is a regular segment of time when you focus only on what is most important to you. It's all about you and your success. Let's be honest: where else in life can you find that?
- Be your creativity partner. Often, when we're faced with a problem, we get caught in the trap of circular thinking. Recycling the same ideas over and over. A good coach will bring a fresh set of insights. She'll ask what you want to do with your ideas, and she'll give you the motivation to move out of your head and into action.
- Encourage you to dig deeper. It's easy to get lost in the minutiae of a situation. A coach will help you get to the root of an issue by asking you what you're not addressing – and what you're going to do about it. She'll keep you focused on the big picture.
- Break a problem down into manageable action steps. As we all know, goal achievement never occurs in a straight line. If you've wandered off course, your coach will remind you of your desired goal and help you do a course correction.
- Help you troubleshoot obstacles and challenges before they arise. Your coach has walked this road before, so she can point out possible stumbling blocks you might encounter.
Looking for a business coach? Seek out someone, as I did, who has expertise in what you want to accomplish. Then schedule a preliminary interview to make sure you're comfortable working together. You'll know when the chemistry is right between the two of you!
Coaching Call To Action
Is it time for you to stop doing it all alone? List the top 3 ways you would benefit from hiring a coach. What is that support worth to you? If you'd like to explore this further, call me at 508-231-0766 or email me at email@example.com.


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Free Music in the Park Continues this July in Ridgway, Colorado!
Summer in Southwest Colorado is filled with wonder and beauty. What better way to celebrate the season than by dancing blithely at the base of the San Juans.
As the music takes you away, The majesty of the mountains and scenery create an almost surreal sense of oneness with each other.
Children run about, dancing to the tunes, and enjoying the many activities, while parents can enjoy a cold craft beer as they tap their way to the center field or sit in lawn chairs and on blankets, just soaking it all in.
The month of June brings a variety of great talent to Ouray. Fellin Park is filled with joy and music every Thursday night. But the music goes on.
The Ridgway Concert Series invites you to celebrate summer concerts for another month in a new park!
Featuring a diverse range of national bands, with awesome local and regional bands as well, the Ridgway Concert series will once again offer a total of five concerts every Thursday in July, featuring a variety of genres from bluegrass to jazz, and everything in between!
The July Line up is as follows:
Thursday, July 2, 2015 – Sol Driven Trai, with Blair Crimmins and the Hookers
Sol Driven Train is comprised of a group of friends hailing from Charleston, who for the past 14 years have steadily developed a following of music fans eager for a new upbeat sound. Named "2011 Rock Band of the Year" "2012 Jam Band of the Year" and "2013 World/Groove/Reggae Band of the Year" by the Charleston City Paper, and "On the Verge" by Relix Magazine in January 2012, Sol Driven Train is an independent band breaking into the national spotlight.
Bringing a modern sound with a 1920's Dixieland Jazz style, Blair Crimmins and the Hookers are a band to be heard. With a blasting of saxophones and trombones, you will be transported to a time when music was all about moving.
Thursday, July 9, 2015 – Humming House, with Intuit
As complete as they are in the studio and on record, Humming House is fundamentally and emphatically a live band. With scarcely a tube's worth of amplification or electricity and a drum kit's worth of percussion distributed among the band members, they emit force on stage and demand attention. They've rocked rooms of all sizes and played Forecastle Festival, Bristol's Rhythm & Roots Festival, and the Cayamo Cruise with the elite of Americana.
Boulder based Intuit creates a sound all their own with roots in Reggae, Funk, Jazz, Blues, Hip-Hop, Folk and World Music. Lyrics to every song are filled with their message of love for the Earth and all of her creatures as well as a dedication to building a community and growing together.
Thursday, July 16, 2015 – The Congress with the Blackberry Bushes
Founded by Scott Lane and Jonathan Meadows in Richmond, VA, The Congress brings notions of genuine musicianship and inventive songwriting to a modern world of dubious, cosmetic sound. Their brand of Rock & Roll is neither nostalgic nor progressive; It occupies the space between vintage sounds and the hyperbolic cynicism of our post-modern world.
Originally from Puget Sound in the Appalachian Mountains, the Blackberry Bushes base their Americana sound on a variety of genres and locales. Elements of jazz, classical, pop and gospel saturate this modern string band sound that is buoyant, bold, and like their thorny namesake, rooted and growing, growing, growing.
Thursday, July 23, 2015 – Roxy Roca, with Mipso
Hailing from Houston, Texas, Roxy Roca made their debut at an ACL Festival after-party. The wait was worth it. The band exploded out of the gate firing on all cylinders. They recently wrapped up production on their new record, "Ain't Nothin' Fancy," recorded at EAR Studio in Austin with producer Lars Goransson at the helm and are looking forward to its release on February 24, 2015 on Stag Records. The band also recently announced signing with Hoplite Music booking agency for exclusive North American representation.
Formed in Chapel Hill in 2010, the members of Mipso are doing their part to take three part harmony and Appalachian influences into new territory. These North Carolinian s are currently touring to support their 2013 release, "Dark Holler Pop".
Thursday, July 30, 2015 – The Steep Canyon Rangers, with Front Country
When the time came for the Steep Canyon Rangers to record the follow-up to 2012's Nobody Knows You, they headed north to Woodstock, NY, to Levon Helm's famed studio with Grammy-winning producer Larry Campbell and engineer Justin Guip. This was a departure for the band, and they gave Campbell full control over the recording rather than act as their own co-producer.
Formed in 2011 as a collective of the Bay Area's finest young acoustic talent, Adam Roszkiewicz, Jacob Groopman, Jordan Klein, Leif Karlstrom, Melody Walker and Zach Sharpe joined forces to play a monthly gig with friends in San Francisco's Mission District. 2013 and early 2014 has seen Front Country break onto the national scene with festival performances at Rockygrass, Old Settlers Music Festival, Wintergrass, Grass Valley Bluegrass Festival and many others along with headlining performances at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
As you can see, the line-up is pretty spectacular next month in Ridgway.
Always family friendly, everyone can enjoy these free concerts in the park, and as always, there will be local beer on tap, margaritas & wine, as well as great food, drinks and snacks from local vendors!
Don't wait til the end of summer! Plan a trip to the Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs for a summertime event that will have you ready to stay for more!
Leave a Reply


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Styling Skorts
Skorts are crazy versatile. I especially love the so called "origami design" when it comes to these skirt-shorts. Skorts come in all kinds of colours and prints, I chose to style one in black because I thought it would be more versatile for an everyday outfit. I love how skorts make dressing up effortless because the design is so timeless. It's simple yet unique that even pairing it with a graphic tee would make you look like you spent a few hours trying to put the whole outfit together.
I paired my basic black skorts with a textured cropped sweater and one of my chunky slip ons. I made no effort to accessorise it because I was going for the minimalist. If you want to jazz things up, you can always pair it with a fancy sheer blouse and heels. For a more street look, a simple muscle tank and converse/sandals should do the trick. There are a ton of ways you can experiment on skorts so feel free to explore.
Sweater : H&M
Skorts :
Shoes :
Hair & make up by : Me
Photography & editing by :


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I have a lot of sleep anxiety. There are some nights when I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow, but many other nights where I lie awake unable to turn off my mind. I've found a few tricks that (when I remember to do them) work every time.
- No screen time for at least an hour before bed. Studies have shown that exposure to back-lit devices surpresses the production of melatonin, which make it harder for your brain to turn off. This means no cell phone, no iPad, no TV, no laptop… Everything gets put away. No, seriously.
- Tidy your house for 10 minutes before getting into bed. There's something about putting the dishes in the dishwasher and putting your shoes in the closet that feels calming. Perhaps it's just one less thing to check off the to-do list in the morning.
- Count backwards by 3s starting at 5,000. This one you have to be mindful about; it's not a test or a contest to see if you can get all the way to zero. You just have to let your brain get tired of all the math and give into it.
- Relax each part of your body from your toes up. Try to send your full attention to each body part, focusing on relaxing each muscle as you go.
- Take the pressure off. Sometimes when I'm awake in bed, I get myself so wound up about still being awake, there is no way I will fall asleep. When this happens, one of the best tricks for me is to tell myself that I don't need to fall asleep. What's the worst that can happen? I will just be tired in the morning and that's okay. Somehow releasing myself from the "ohmygod I'll never fall asleep" pressure helps me let go and finally get some Z's.
Do you have other tips for falling asleep quickly? Share them in the comments below!


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We know that technology is constantly changing, and our children are moving from tool to tool more rapidly than we can realistically hope to keep up. This session will highlight the ways that you can stay current with the tools and apps that your children are using, with simple strategies that also promote great conversations and quality time with your children. We'll also highlight some of the ways that we manage the rapid rate of change as teachers, and learners, here at NIST.
This session has been developed, and will be facilitated by:
- Kim Cofino, NIST Consultant in Residence
- Ben Sheridan, NIST Digital Learning Coach
- Common Sense Media Family Media Agreement
- Family media agreement example from Ben
- This is the article we read: Generation X More Addicted to Social Media Than Millennials, Report Finds
- This is the book by Jane McGonigal we recommended for parents interested in the learning value of gaming: Reality is Broken, her related TED talk, she also has a new book, SuperBetter.
- This is the podcast Kim loves: Note to Self, and this is the episode with Jane McGonigal (listen to any episode, though, it's outstanding, and almost every episode I've listened to is absolutely relevant for parents.
If you liked those, I promise you will find these interesting:


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Are you using AT&T Motorola Atrix HD MB886? Androidbiits.com brings a stunning news for Atrix HD MB886 users. Android 5.0 Lollipop CyanogenMod 12 Nightly [mb886] Custom ROM is released for Motorola Atrix HD MB886. Previously, I have discussed about the tutorial for updating T-Mobile LG G Flex D959 to KitKat 4.4.4 with the help of CM11 [Beta]. Now the stunning news is that Atrix HD MB886 users can test CM12 Nightly [mb886]. Today, I will discuss about the step-by-step instructions for updating AT&T Motorola Atrix HD MB886 to Android 5.0 Lollipop using CM12 Nightly [mb886]. This is really a stunning news for Atrix HD MB886 users who are bored with the old firmware.
I am hoping that Atrix HD MB886 owners will be able to install CM12 Nightly [mb886] easily without having any difficulty after following the steps posted in Androidbiits.com. Dear Atrix HD MB886 user, CM12 Nightly [mb886] needs rooted MB886, so it is necessary to root Motorola Atrix HD MB886. Oh yes, the crucial thing is CWM recovery installation on Atrix HD MB886 before installing CM12 Nightly [mb886]. You can perform all these tasks after unlocking Atrix HD MB886 bootloader. You may face some bugs on Atrix HD MB886 after installing CM12 Nightly [mb886]. Androidbiits.com recommends that Atrix HD MB886 users must save their data before installing CM12 Nightly [mb886], as there is a chance of losing all files from Atrix HD MB886. The important thing is Atrix HD MB886 USB driver installation on your desktop.
Below are the step-by-step instructions using which you can install CM12 Nightly [mb886]. Androidbiits.com will not be responsible if Atrix HD MB886 got corrupted during this process. MB886 battery percentage must be above 92% before following these steps.
How to Install Android 5.0 Lollipop CM12 Nightly [mb886] Custom ROM on AT&T Motorola Atrix HD MB886 [Tutorial]
1. It is the time to download CM12 Nightly [mb886] for your Atrix HD MB886.
2. Now, it is the time to download Gapps for your MB886.
3. It is the perfect time to go to the settings of Atrix HD MB886 and then you have to choose USB debugging.
4. Now, you have to attach Atrix HD MB886 with your computer using USB cable.
5. Once you have successfully attached your Atrix HD MB886, it is necessary to transfer CM12 Nightly [mb886] and Gapps ZIP file to MB886 memory card.
6. Now, it is the perfect time to power off your Atrix HD MB886.
7. After switching off Atrix HD MB886, it is necessary to remove the USB cable.
8. Now, it is the perfect time to put your Atrix HD MB886 into Recovery Mode.
9. Now, it is the time to choose "wipe data/factory reset" on MB886 screen.
10. Now, it is necessary to tap "wipe cache partition" on MB886 screen.
11. Now you have to choose "install zip from SD card" on Atrix HD MB886 and then it is necessary to choose CM12 Nightly [mb886] and Gapps ZIP file from MB886 SD card.
12. Now, it is the time to install CM12 Nightly [mb886] and Gapps.
13. Now, it is the time to go to the main menu of MB886.
14. Now you have to choose "reboot system now" on MB886 screen.
15. It is the time to wait until your MB886 reboots.
After your Atrix HD MB886 is restarted, you can test CM12 Nightly [mb886]. Dear friend, if you are experiencing any issue while installing CM12 Nightly [mb886], then you must share your problem with Androidbiits.com.


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Zero Punctuation: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
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No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
This week, Zero Punctuation reviews No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle.
Give'em hell Rebecca!
i dont miss the sandbox really. it was unnecessary the first time around.
I...I'm sorry about your containment tube...
Suda 51, as much as I enjoyed both NMH games to some extent, will never top Killer 7.
Slow gaming week. :(
Want to get this game! I loved the first one! Great Review!
Great review, not that it would be hard to know what you would say about it:D
well it's about time how long did it take them to release it in Australia ?
There are titties in my containment tube, no wait, those are my man boobs.
Now that's just disappointing. This is the first I've really heard about NMH2, and while this is Yahzee's paid-to-insult commentary, it really does sound like the game's gone downhill. Oh, well. I don't have my friend's wii to borrow any more, so I guess by the time I get to play it, it will be cheap enough to be worth my money.
YAYS FOR JIGGLE PHYSICS!!! \^o^/
Shame Really. Currently loving plowing through NMHeroes 1 and was looking forward to what the second could offer. oh well. Still cant beat a good pair-o-titties (Sorry Miss Mayes please don't shiv me!).
will probably rent this for a while for the new boss fun and robot battles!
The Rebecca Mayes joke was just perfect.
Great review :)
Probably going to buy this game. Good review though.
I like this review because of all the funny jokes. I don't really care about this game in general though
Since this review was No More Heroes 2 after all, I'm to assume that the next one will be Split/Second?
Oh goody, another grindalicious game. When will developers realise that that's not a good way of extending a game? :sigh: Oh well...
Star Wars the Clone Whores. It'll be the next big thing!
If Rebecca didn't have a problem with your immaturity beforehand Yahtzee, It's best not to compromise your integrity
Great review, loved the shot at Rebecca Mayes there haha
Ooo.. think someone might have watched Rebecca's vid/song
I chuckled a lot more about this one than many of the recent ZPs. Less out-and-out guffawing. Can we get the chuckle-to-guffaw ratio worked out properly, Yahtzee?
The RMM comment was the only thing that made me actually laugh.
Hrm. Overall, a quality submission. Have to watch it a few more times I think. And I suppose that *is* really your nefarious purpose...
It was a funny review, and I laughed a fair bit, but I disagree with a lot of the complaints. I found all of the NES style minigames to be very fun, and the exclusion of the sandbox was only a good thing, really.
No joke about the developer's "desperate struggle" to make this game work or something? I did like the reference back to Rebeca Mayes' song.
hahaha the end credits were hilarious!
Great review as always, I dont own a wii, but if No more heroes were for the 360 I might think getting it.
D'aww...you should have told me not to bring my titties. Can I still get in a containment tube anyways?
....I need a holiday. ._.
There were a couple places where it was obvious that he spliced two voice clips together. Moreso than I remember ever seeing before. I realize he has to do that sometimes, but I'd have thought he'd just do another take if he couldn't get it to mesh the first time.
Fantastic review as always.
Yeah, he watched it when it came out. They even had a little twitter back and forth, but now I think they're both content to snipe at each other from their respective perches, professionally of course. (Not that I claim to understand the British mind)
Anyhoo, I was a bit underwhelmed with the ranking fights in this one. My favorite was the astronaut, and even he was a little simplistic in the end.
Then of course there was the second part of the last boss fight which is SO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE that whoever came up with the idea of the tornado punch should be sectioned. The final part was so much easier.
Grr grr.
As usual, release dates get screwed over =/
Hilarious vid as usual XD I agree with the point about the 50 ranks thing though, I was so disappointed with that.
Taking away from a game does not make it better. Check.
Oh well, I hate my Wii.
When I logged on, there were no comments. In the time it took me to watch the video, there are now twenty. Yahtzee certainly is popular these days.
I love how he wears the beret on top of his trilby.
And there aren't many titties in my containment tube either.
lol well no review of rebbeca muse but the joke was pretty well placed!
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Retro Charlotte
The Mayes House
I pass this gorgeous house on my way to work - a handsome anomaly on the hill above I-277. Maybe you've seen it on East Morehead Street, across from the YMCA. Thanks to an important vote in 1991 the Mayes House was preserved; it's been renovated, and is now home to a law firm. Observer reporter Gail Smith describes the key decision by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission:
"In the 1920s, the Mayes house stood majestic on East Morehead Street, commanding attention along with the prominent homes of power-company president W.S. Lee and architect C.C. Hook. Today, the vacant shingle house stands solitary across from the Central YMCA ... the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission voted unanimously Monday night to seek historic designation for the house, which would delay possible demolition.
"The commission and its consultants said the house is a real find, with a commanding view of the uptown skyline. 'It probably looks much like it did when the owners lived in it,' said commission consultant Nora Black. 'It's just an incredible house.' The 88-year-old house has unusual features, such as a pedestal sink, cascading staircase and maple floors. A wooden dressing-room floor is pocked with marks left by a woman's sharp high heels. Downstairs, the living room features a large fireplace of highly detailed terra cotta and glazed brick. ... The Mayes house, now unoccupied, was most recently used as a halfway house for young people. The house has withstood many occupants. It was built about 1903. Two years before that, John Henry Mayes bought the northeast corner at the intersection of East Morehead and Caldwell streets from W.B. Ryder for $2,000. Mayes worked as a traveling salesman for Stuart Cramer, a textile magnate who made his fortune selling textile equipment. But in the mid-1920s, Mayes no longer worked for Cramer and went into debt. The house was sold in 1926 to J.W. Barber, vice president of Cathey Lumber Co. According to a 1929 map, the Mayes house was surrounded by homes, and next door was the home of W.S. Lee, well known as president of Southern Power Co., the forerunner of Duke Power Co. Today, the Mayes house stands alone, overlooking the concrete expanse of I- 277. The homes of Brooklyn residents to the east were razed years ago during urban renewal. The other substantial homes along Morehead were torn down for roads or commercial development. 'What looks like an isolated house was really part of an entire neighborhood,' Morrill said. 'At one time this would have been one of the absolute most fashionable streets in Charlotte.' The house is one of the few intact shingle-style houses in Mecklenburg, which also makes it significant."
(Can't see captions? Depending on what device you're on you can hover your cursor over a photo, or look for a letter 'i' in a circle under the photo and click on that.)


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We recently told you about Coca-Cola Australia's plans to unveil a "transparency campaign," along the lines of what the soda giant did here in the United States after a New York Times exposé disemboweled the Coca-Cola funded front group Global Energy Balance Network.
The full list of Coca-Cola's partnership and research funds has been unveiled.
Today's Sydney Morning Herald has additional details.
- "Over five years Coke, or its foundation, has spent $1.72 million funding research relating to "nutrition and health or to physical activity" and "well-being programs". Organizations receiving money from Coke include the University of Sydney, Nutrition Society of Australia, Ted Noffs Foundation, Bicycle Network, Sports Medicine Australia, University of Queensland, David Wirrpanda Foundation, police citizen youth clubs, Australian Paralympic Committee and the Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association."
- "Unless directly related to health, the list does not include donations to Indigenous organizations, such as the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, or to environmental organizations, such as WWF and Landcare, which all receive funding from Coke."
- "$375,540 listed as going to the University of Sydney for a workplace health program for Coke employees went to the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders."
- "Professor Steve Simpson, academic director of the Charles Perkins Centre, said: "This health program was accepted as a contract for services prior to the establishment of the Charles Perkins Centre, when the Boden Institute existed as a standalone body. The Charles Perkins Centre has never accepted funding for research from Coca Cola, and maintains strict guidelines for engagement with industry to protect the integrity of the centre's core mission to improve public health." (DFPI ADDS: Note how this academic director acknowledges the need for *strict* guidelines to protect integrity and improve public health).
Over on Australia's ABC network, Professor Tim Olds from the University of South Australia — who received $400,000 from Coca-Cola for an international child obesity study — had this to say about conflict of interest concerns:
"I think frankly this is an example of old-style, superannuated chardonnay socialism. I think it's very old-fashioned, I think it hasn't come to terms with the modern world. We're not going to have a world in which there's no private sector funding of public sector research."
A strawman argument, a tone-deaf response (if anything, it's "old-school" to stubbornly hold on to the status quo of working with industry), and dismisiveness of legitimate concerns all in one!


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Does So. Caribbean out of San Juan sound good to anyone?
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December 20th, 2012, 05:19 PM
Junior Member
Familiar Face
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Edwardsville, IL
Posts: 21
My thoughts on San Juan cruise.
There are three choices out of San Juan: Carnival Victory, Celebrity Summit. and Royal Caribbean Brilliance. Carnival is the cheapest but I think I would rather do one of the others. My budget and backpacker mentality guides me to the cheapest room. I've seen some great prices at the agency that works with Delta employees ... my son is a Delta pilot. Should get a new price list tomorrow, the 21st. Will propose dates then.
I will go down to PR early to check out the places where I worked and lived in '75-'76. I'll rent a car. There is a hostel in old San Juan but two could stay as cheaply near the Condado beach and airport.
I planned to rent a bike on each island. Not necessarily cheap, but far less costly than ship tours ... and no customs worry.
If you want to talk about it let me know and I'll send my phone number in a private message.
View Public Profile
Send a private message to hytenjr
Find all posts by hytenjr


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Macomb Business Academy (MBA)
...a new approach to gaining knowledge and information
"By investing in our workforce and our infrastructure today, we can build a strong foundation to support tomorrow's progress" - Author Unknown
For over 30 years, the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce has offered the highly successful Community Leadership Academy (CLA). As times have changed, we have found that members are looking for a different level of infromation and, in particular, a different way of receiving that information. After much research and discussion, we have transformed CLA into the the Macomb Business Academy, or MBA.
Through a series of thirteen sessions, which includes our annual Legislative Lunch, participants will have the opportunity to see first-hand how our community works. Each week will feature frank and honest discussions with community leaders on a variety of topics, tours, and behind-the-scenes looks into many of Macomb's institutions.
MBA meets on a weekly basis during the session for participating individuals.
Check back here for future updates on class registration.
Contact Us
Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce
214 N. Lafayette St.
Macomb, IL 61455
(309) 837-4855


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It's a legitimate question.
Here's why:
The relationship between plastic surgery and self-esteem has always been intriguing. Numerous physicians and scientists have conducted studies to examine it.
Results vary.
Until recently.
Several new studies suggest that rhinoplasty can boost self-esteem. This boost can lead to increased confidence and quality of life. The study's findings are quite impressive. Here's everything you need to know:
Dr. Joseph F. Sobanko of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania wanted to examine the self-esteem and quality of life benefits following rhinoplasty's (nose jobs), eye lid lifts, and Botox injections. He and his team gathered and reviewed 16 relevant articles. Their findings showed that patients reported a higher self-esteem and improved body image following nose jobs specifically.
Following his study, Dr. Sobanko did emphasize that the findings of his study only suggest the above mentioned improvements. In order to come to a definite conclusion, more studies would need to be conducted.
So, how does this study pertain to you?
Well, the results can benefit you in a couple ways. They can:
Help You Make an Informed Decision
If you're interested in a nose job procedure, the study's results can give you answers to some of the questions you might be on the fence about.
- Will a nose job decrease my self-esteem? No, none of the study's findings suggested a negative impact on self esteem
- Can a nose job improve my self-esteem? The study suggests self-esteem can be improved
- Can a nose job help me in other areas of my life? Yes, the study suggests that other areas of your life can be improved as a result of increased self esteem
- Can I find additional information that might support the findings of the study? Yes, a consultation with Dr. Mardirossian can be of tremendous benefit in this regard. You can sit down together and discuss any and all questions and concerns you might have. In addition, he can give you examples of the self-esteem results he's seen and provide patient testimonials to back them up.
Put You at Ease
If you've already made the decision to undergo a nose job procedure, the results of the study can put you at ease. Decreased self-esteem is something you don't need to be worried about. Increased self-esteem and confidence, and improved quality of life can occur. You should feel good about your decision.
As previously mentioned, a consultation with Dr. Mardirossian can be of tremendous benefit. He'll patiently listen to your desires and develop a treatment plan centered around them. He'll also give you his expert advice, and provide before and after photos showing remarkable results. If you're interested in patient testimonials in regards to increased self-esteem, he will gladly provide them. Know that you're in good hands, and your decision—whatever it might be—will always be supported.


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The Tech Track 100 offers a fascinating annual snapshot of this country's vibrant technology industry. But a quick look over the ranking since it was first published at the height of the dotcom bubble in 2001 gives us an insight into how Britain's tech sector has changed.
"The term 'tech company' is a catch-all term," says Titus Sharpe, CEO of MVF Global, a digital marketing agency that came top of the 2013 Tech Track 100. "It can mean any business that puts technology and innovation at its core."
Tech Track celebrates innovation, featuring firms that have developed or applied new technology to change the way in which their chosen industry operates. For example, this year's list includes hi-tech manufacturing firms such as Cobalt Light Systems, whose scanners can detect liquid explosives, EV, which designs video camera systems for gas and oil exploration, and Chargemaster, which designs and supplies charging points for electric cars.
Market disrupters
Other firms in this year's ranking are using technology to disrupt their markets. The number-one firm in this year's list, LMAX Exchange, is an online currency-trading platform, whose clients range from major banks to fund managers, brokers and day traders. Other financing firms that also feature in the list include vehicle-financing firm Car Loan 4 U and peer-to-peer lender Zopa are similar.
Companies that have previously featured on the ranking – including online grocer Ocado, the fashion and beauty e-tailer The Hut Group, Lovefilm and Just Eat, the takeaway food ordering service – have moved out of the technology space into the mainstream, having used their online business models to carve out a niche for themselves alongside more traditional competitors in their chosen markets.
Should we even consider these to be tech firms? For MVF's Sharpe a "true digital business puts digital marketing, software engineering and data analysis at its core. If a traditional business does a bit of digital marketing but doesn't optimise its processes through software engineering, then I would say it is not a digital business."
The rise and rise of consumer-facing technology
One of the most notable trends in the evolution of Tech Track since 2001 is that whereas companies offering tech solutions to business customers dominated earlier rankings, today's lists feature many firms that interact directly with consumers. That's not surprising considering the UK's transformation into a nation of online shoppers.
The rise of smartphones has created a marketing revolution, in which marketers understand people's buying habits and interests, enabling retailers and manufacturers to interact directly with consumers via their mobile devices.
"Digital media companies are a component of the technology industry," says MVF's Sharpe. Firms in this sector make up almost a fifth of this year's list, including Mobilewebadz, Somo, Potato and Crimtan.
The risks have grown
But the net has a growing dark side, seen in the string of recent high-profile cyber attacks on major firms such as eBay that I've written about in the past. Online security firms have featured prominently in past Tech Track 100s, including Sophos, Kaspersky and MessageLabs. This year's ranking includes Hide My Ass! which encrypts the identity, location and activity of subscriber web users.
Today's tech firms face growing risks other than from the threat of hackers. Many of the firms on this year's list combine consultancy services with innovative programs and apps, advising clients on their strategy through analysis of customers' behaviour.
Innovative, yes, but this too opens firms up to new types of claims, both from unhappy clients if they don't deliver what's expected or if their advice backfires, or if there's a glitch with their custom-made software.
Many of the Tech Track firms trade internationally, because their businesses are based on software or online platforms which can be easily replicated in other markets. But they can easily fall foul of a complicated patchwork of foreign laws on data security.
What of the future?
What can the Tech Track tell us about the shape of tomorrow's tech sector? Its 'Ones to Watch' list includes two firms focused on the health sector: Elucigene Diganostics, a genetics testing technology firm, and TrialReach, which has developed an online platform for clinical trials.
Hi-tech manufacturer M Squared Lasers is featured, along with online marketing agencies, games and software developers, as well as a couple of companies that help firms to sharpen their customer-relations performance.
They are a vivid illustration of the breadth and depth of this country's tech industry, as well as proof that if you have a good idea it's possible to grow rapidly, no matter what the state is of the general economy.
For video interviews with leading Tech Track 100 companies and further analysis, click here.


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I need to test a Web application on different versions of IE (IE9, IE8 & IE7).
I found that IE9 provides the compatibility view for IE8 & IE7 so I had installed IE9 in my test system.
There is one header META tag "X-UA-Compatible" by which you can set the compatibility view But in my case we don't have access to the source files.
If some how from selenium or by any other way if we can dynamically set the "X-UA-Compatible" tag then It can resolve my problem. Please let me know if there is any good way to Test the WebApp in different version of IE (7,8 & 9) from Single windows machine/instance.
Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Please do share your experience with this.


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Autumn on Grandfather Mountain,
Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
As we near the first official days of the fall season, it seems that winter may have come early here in Alberta. It's already below freezing and snowing out! In the spirit of Autumn, I thought I'd share an experience from 2 years ago in the Blue Ridge Mountains…
Autumn is a fleeting time of year. One day the humid forest is thick and green, and seemingly the next day, it is chilly and blanketed in vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange. This "peak" in color usually comes in mid-October and lasts only a day or two before the leaves turn brown or are blown off the trees by heavy winds, leaving a forest of grey skeletons. Those winds, along with a sharp drop in temperatures, signal the coming of winter. Autumn triggers a hurried response from wildlife and humans alike to prepare for the long cold months ahead.
I was buried in images from my October 2016 trip to Iceland when I realized I only had a couple days left to photograph the fall colors in the Blue Ridge. I decided to take a break and drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway and hike up the steep and craggy trail at Rough Ridge just before sunset. I knew it would be crowded with visitors even though it was a random weekday evening. I envisioned an image of the golden light of sunset blanketing the lower mountains below Rough Ridge to the east, but every possibly decent spot to set up had several selfie-taking tourists already hunkered down for what was clearly going to be an amazing sunset. I suppressed my irritation. I have no more right to be there than them, and who could blame anyone for wanting to see this spectacular Fall foliage at sunset?
I abandoned my original plan and set up on the only rocky outcrop that was vacant. It pointed toward the eastern face of Grandfather Mountain- opposite of where I had planned to point my camera. The sun was about to set behind the mountain. I set up, composed, and waited for a few minutes for the sunset colors to intensify. It was a tricky scene to meter; high contrast scenes always are. I used a polarizer to help intensify the colors and darken the sky a bit and used the lightest edge of my graduated neutral density filter to balance out the sky with the dark mountain.
I usually shoot with my white balance set to "daylight", but chose to shoot this scene in "cloudy" to further intensify the warm colors in both the sky and forest (though, because I shoot in RAW format this is easily changeable in post). I bracketed several exposures to make sure my histogram was balanced and I hadn't plunged the shadows and blown the highlights. A tripod was completely necessary for stability. This shot required a narrow aperture for increased depth of field, a low ISO for decreased noise, and so a long shutter speed was the result. No hand-holding this shot! I used the camera's two-second timer to reduce the likelihood of blur. Only a slight levels and contrast adjustment was required in post to bring this image back to life the way I remembered it.
I'm glad I took that evening off and hiked up Rough Ridge for this shot during peak Autumn color. Only a few days later, the trees on Grandfather Mountain became brown and nearly bare. Soon after, the landscape was virtually colorless for 6 months until spring.
"I stand for what I stand on." - Edward Abbey


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Finally a book with some real take-a-ways
In my quest to get myself back on track and learn something new I have been listening to "Mistakes I made at work by Jessica Bacal on Audible. The book interviews 25 successful women and asks them about what mistakes they made in their climb to the top. The women are diverse and speak candidly about the things they would tell younger women about the many pitfalls they found themselves in professionally.
I found this interesting because telling people how you screwed up is never easy. Lots of the lessons were things we have heard before – things like speak up, ask questions, and be yourself. But there were a few things that I did not expect to learn that I thought were game-changing for career girls of color today.
The Glass Cliff. At the start of the book, Bacal talks about the "Glass Cliff" and it is as terrible as it sounds. It is basically the thought that women are looked at as incompetent for making the same mistake as men.
I was reading this and shaking my head. As black women, we often find that even more than white women, we cannot take risks that will leave us open to our colleagues thinking less of us in any capacity. I have found that doing the extra work of creating the right relationships can combat this but that does not mean it does not piss me off all the same.
Take Charge of Your Narrative. I have only begun to really dig into this one in my own work life. Like many hard-working girls, I always thought my work would speak for its self. Nope. Yes, do great work but be very careful how you talk about yourself. If someone says, "You did great on that presentation, I can tell you worked really hard on it", DO NOT say "It was nothing or I can do it in my sleep" or anything of the like. Even if it was easy for you now, getting to that place took skills and if you are like me battle scars from all the losses it took getting to a place of easy. Do not be modest, confidently say "Thank you" if you are at a loss for words.
Also, do not wait on anyone to "big you up", self-promotion matters. Let it be known when you come up with a great idea, save the company money or have some rock star results. I do not mean just in the review, talk yourself up when you see a window to do so. It is all about controlling people's perspective of you. Many of us do not talk to leadership day to day, so when they hear about you make sure it is tied to a win as much as possible.
You Cannot Ignore Office Politics. I am rolling my eyes at this one because as much I hate it …. it is so damn true. ARGH! We gotta play the game more. I have worked with many talented black women… I mean girls who work not just hard but smart and I have seen them let go just because other people were "just not into them". I am sure I will have more to say about this in its own post but for right now, I will say again… work is not about work as much is about how people feel about you personally. Play the game and keep how you really feel in the black girl group chat. #Shoutouttothegroupchat
Treat Every Job Like Freelance. This is my favorite advice to give everyone. We know that it is unlikely that we will have one job for 40 years and retire. We also know that companies are looking more at experience than education. Because of these two facts, every job is a chance to grow your skillset. I like to think of work like getting paid to learn and add to my toolkit. Personally, I love being a marketer. It is a key component to any business I may want to have in the future so I look at any opportunity to get better like a chance to master a craft that will help me do anything else I want to do in life. Turn the tables on how you look at your job and it will help you pay a lot less attention to all the petty BS that is bound to happen anytime a group of strangers are forced to work together.
You Need a Professional Sister Circle. You need a group of women who know you and your motivations professionally. I can personally attest to this one. Our personal sister circle is great for overall well-being but having a few great people on the side who know what you do and are in the industry help to gain perspective. As a marketer, I enjoy calling up another marketer and spitballing next moves, working through problems, and trading know-how.
Do Not Be Afraid to Quit. Are you also a queen of the safe footing only club? I hear this lesson but it is hard. I have no problem making a strategic move but just giving up because it is hard is just not my style. But I have learned that sometimes trying to prove you can take it only drains you of your energy. Learn when to stay the course and when to step off the course and have a seat. You do not have anything prove (I am saying that to both of us btw)
Overall Jessica Bacal's "Mistakes I Made at Work" was pretty good. It is rare to hear professionals talk specifically and frankly about all the errors that made and continue to make at work. We live in a world that awards the perfectly polished picture more than the one we are all living.
I have made many errors at work and some of them are still happening. I often fail to ask for help and I make the error of thinking I can avoid "playing the game", both are constant lessons.
What kinds of mistakes have you made and are still making at work or in your business that we can learn from?


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Two airlines announce new service from BWI: Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines announced Tuesday that it will start twice-daily nonstop service on Sept. 6 from BWI to Fort Lauderdale and daily nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth. On Monday night, Condor Airlines began its seasonal service to Frankfurt, Germany.
Chance for severe weather returns Tuesday, Wednesday: A mass of hot air that remains over the eastern half of the country is fueling increased chances for severe storms to crop up during Fourth of July celebrations Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Maryland Live Casino makes big money in first month of operation: The casino, which opened the evening of June 6 at Arundel Mills mall, brought in $28.5 million during its first 25 days of operation.
Actor Andy Griffith dies in North Carolina: Actor Andy Griffith, whose portrayal of a small-town sheriff made "The Andy Griffith Show" one of American television's most enduring shows, has died at his North Carolina home.
- Continuing coverage of the cleanup from Friday's storms, including how it has affected nursing homes, tree trimming companies and insurance companies.
- A local National Guard unit is returning just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday after a tour in Afghanistan.
- A Columbia couple both turned 100 this year and are celebrating 71 years of marriage.
- Ian Rush, general manager of the Liverpool soccer club, talks to the Sun about coming to Baltimore later this month.
- This week's Taste section offers recipes on gourmet ice pops to cool down from the heat.
- This week's issue of b delves into the food offerings at local strip clubs.


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|Strike a pose, there's nothing to it: Vogue!
When I finally met the chuckling man at the door, I was still in slippers and pajamas, because I am not a morning person by nature. I thought it would make me a virtuous woman if I forced myself to be up and about in the morning. After babies didn't turn me in to one of these bright and happy sunrise people, I turned to more hard-core hobbies whose crying you can't fix by rolling over and shoving a breast at it: cows and chickens. (Full Disclosure: I don't actually know how they would respond to that.) But instead of turning me into a better person, I've just invented clever and humane ways to not have to deal with them until after the kids have launched, my tea is fully sipped and I've read the obits, the comics, the dog ads (I have no idea why I read those. I think I just like the pictures and imagining breeders and what they are eating for breakfast and what they are wearing: sweats and wife-beaters?) and completed the sudoku in pen (to add some challenge to the paper's idea of a puzzle). And then I pull on the cover-alls over my pajamas and head out for the "morning" chores. So that is why I met the man dressed like that.
What attracted them to his farm was the only fully functional bull for many miles around. He'd spent much of that morning already, while I was crapping and making lunches and setting timers on children to brush their teeth, trying to separate my obstinate cows from his young bull.
We agreed to meet up again at 10:30 while he went to breakfast and I repaired my fence and drove to town for some cow-provisions.
As my body was busy prepping the farm and running errands, my mind remembered, in sympathy with the cows, the time I snuck out in the middle of the night with my friend. She lived in town, so after sneaking out there was actually some place to go. We chose the wild and crazy park, obviously, and sat on the swings in the middle of the night in November and looked at the stars and giggled about our bad-ass selves. Then these guys showed up. Big guys, chatting us up. And so we decided we would rather be home again, because these guys were neither cute nor interesting nor really in our age zone. Just as we were leaving, the men following a creepy twenty feet behind us, the entire park filled with light from all sides. I thought I may have died, that's how bright the lights were. Bull horns instructed us to stay where we were, which was not what I expected in heaven. German Shepherds descended, also from all sides, into the park which was just a sunken triangle of grass and a few toys. The large pack of nazi-dogs strained at their leather harnesses, followed by an even bigger pack of cops. I might have been relieved, a little, since those boys were so strange. We were interrogated under flashlight, names, numbers, parents were called (mine were on vacation and this was not the first phone call they had received about their children and they were already starting on their way home to try to salvage what they could after the house fell victim to a teen kegger. They did not think any of this was as hilarious as their children did.)
Already a political being, I thought, My god, is this how we spend our tax dollars? Chasing down kids on swings who didn't read the "Park closes at dusk" sign? Seemed a little over-kill and for we two girls, it was. But for the boys who'd joined us, it wasn't. Arrests were made of the Most Wanted Men and we were let free after assuring the cops we had no idea who they were. I think we should have received community service awards and rewards instead of community service because we were the jail-bait that lured those men into the awaiting hand-cuffs of the po-po. Without oblivious us, those men might still be on the lam, menacing society. And that is my memory about sneaking out in the middle of the night.
Later, on his 4-wheeler, the neighbor herded our cows to the edge of his field. I opened the gate and we marched them down the road. Of course, at this moment, the arborists arrived to slaughter my neighbor's willows, all big trucks, cherry pickers and chippers and beeping backing up in the middle of the road. And so the cows bolted and ran and leaped over fences. And so did I. And then suddenly (and tragically for the typical and satisfying Greek trajectory of "the story,") the whole episode ended quite quickly and safely with cows back home, pacing around rehashing their totally awesome adventure while Jim and I chatted about the pleasantries of farming, ie: how many coyotes he shot (ack!) and dead calves and vultures and mice. And I tried to offer to return the favor some day without sounding like a hooker for cow-herding help.


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The application forms for the new intake of students in the International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE), are available online for a few more weeks!
Submission deadline: 9 January 2015 for scholarship applicants and 30 April 2015 for self-sponsored applicants.
The programme runs between September 2015 and June 2017.
To the application forms!: http://www.imfse.ugent.be/index.asp?p=620&a=620


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What you get as a Puppet Test Pilot
- Direct access to Puppet designers and product owners.
- Invitations to test new features and share how you use current ones.
- Opportunities to tell us about problems you've experienced and how you're solving them.
- Opportunities for discounts on Puppet trainings.
- *Offerings like Amazon gift cards, exclusive Puppet Test Pilot merch, and other Puppet gear.
Fill out the form at right to join us.
*Varies by session
Okay, but what is a Puppet Test Pilot?
At Puppet, we strive to build tools that you'll love. A huge part of making great products is direct feedback from people like you, the user. By joining Puppet Test Pilot's you'll become part of the team that helps shape the future.
As a Test Pilot, you'll be invited to engage in research sessions and subject-specific conversations with the people who design and build our features. You can choose what you want to participate in and we'll work with your schedule to make it happen. The end result could lead to new and improved Puppet products which is good for you and great for everyone else.
Did we mention being a Test Pilot is fun and rewarding, too? Check out the testimonials below.
"It's really great to see how things work within the Puppet design process."
- Jeff Goldschrafe, systems and storage manager
"I'm happy to be part of any process that helps improve Puppet. It's a tool I swear by and use all the time."
- Jeff P., Systems Engineer
"I had even more fun than you with testing the new functionality. I appreciate the opportunity to shape the product features and eventually receive a product that serves my needs better. Not even to mention the head start I am getting from this exposure. I am looking forward to next engagements with you! "
- Alex A., Member of Technical Staff, IT Engineering
"These sessions are always a lot of fun for me."
- Michael H., System Administrator


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Some of our staff and board members are headed to SXSW Interactive in Austin this week. We're proud that they'll be speaking on panels at the fest. If you're also there, stop by these panels to meet the DIY Girls team!
Friday, March 13th 3:30pm
(Austin Convention Center Ballroom F)
Sylvia from our team will be representing us on this panel focused on how Latina moms can encourage their kids to be interested in creating with technology.
Sunday, March 15th 3:30pm
(Austin Convention Center Room 12AB)
Our Board Chair, Megan Westerby (VP of Marketing, SideChef) will be on a panel titled "YouTube Grows Up" that will explore the variety of paths new content creators can and are taking to building their communities and creativity.
Monday, March 16th 9:30am
(Austin Convention Center Ballroom F)
Board member, Liliana Monge (Co-Founder, Sabio), will be leading a discussion on Latino Opportunities with Technology. The presentation will specifically focus on new opportunities Sabio sees for Latino and female talent in the decade ahead.


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Elspeth Shannon
Elspeth Shannon was born in 1954 in New Zealand and finished a BFA (hons) at Massey University of Wellington in 2007. Elspeth's paintings explore the complexity of relationships. Certainties of identity, progress and rationality are brought into question as the separation between animal and human diminishes from an absolute biological distinction to an increasingly delicate web of ecological, social and personal relationships. No imagery is innocent however banal. The mundane is not the same as the trivial. Her work investigates that space between outward appearance and internal structure and considers the complex mechanisms through which our personal and public identities are created, the resulting pictorial dimension lies somewhere between reality and imagination.


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Is it too much to ask to have a device that simply does all the things? You know, all the things. It can plug into the wall for power, store 6000mAh worth of juice when an outlet isn't close by, function as a hotspot for nearby devices, and serve as a personal cloud that shares USB storage wirelessly. This sounds like a great thing to have while traveling, so seriously, is wanting one too much to ask?
Wait, you're telling me that such a gadget exists? Huh, look at that. The HooToo TripMate Elite does all of these things, and it goes for a relatively decent price of $46.99 on Amazon.
The TripMate has an Ethernet port, which allows you to convert a wired connection into a wireless one for your other devices. Beside this are two USB ports. One provides 1A of power and can share USB storage with your other connected gadgets. The second port goes up to 2A. There's a microUSB port that you can use to return power to the TripMate at times when you don't have a wall socket to plug into. An indicator on the side will show how much battery life there's left to work with.
Before you purchase one, let us help you take a bit of the edge off. You can save $5 by entering the coupon code ANDROIDP at checkout. Yup, that's Android P, for Android Police. You will see our name show up right before you finalize your order.
You have until November 30th to utilize this coupon code before it expires.


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|I wish this was the news every day.
Getting Going
With WeaRSS you get news updates by following RSS feeds. In case you're not fully up on the nerd lingo, RSS feeds are a standardized to share up-to-date web content. You can find a pretty good explanation here. Most websites with regular updates have one or more RSS feed - just poke around on the home page and you'll likely find an "RSS" link.
To get things going you just type or paste in RSS urls from your favorite websites to build a list of feeds to follow. In a future blog post I'll go over the process for getting RSS feeds into the app. Add as many feeds as you want! Once you have your feeds, WeaRSS will start pushing news headlines to you at regular intervals.
|Following some feeds - add your own!
- Setup how frequently the headlines are fetched and synced to your wearable.
- Set how many headlines from each feed will be sent with each update.
Voice Control
You don't have to wait for the sync operation to read through the headlines on your wear device. You can open the app using voice control - just say "OK google, start app my headlines." The app will open showing you the headlines that were most recently synced. You can also hit the refresh button on the companion mobile app to get the latest and greatest.
I've got a lot of ideas about where to take the app in future releases, but I want to find out what other people want. Leave a comment or send me an email and let me know what you'd like to see in the app.
I hope you find the app useful and it makes your Android Wear device just a little bit better!


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Silver Falls (All Years) — photo 1 of 158: The north parking lot at the North Falls Trailhead in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. As you can see, at 7:00 AM my 2009 Toyota Tacoma was the only vehicle there — the early Byrd gets the parking place ... and avoids the crowd and the afternoon heat! Autumn equinox 2016.
This photo is originally from the album Silver Falls Autumn Equinox 2016 (opens in new window).Camera used: Olympus OM-D E-M5 with Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm f/2.8 zoom lens.
For further details about the story behind this photo, see the related article Silver Falls Autumn Equinox.


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Back in the early 1990s, de Boliva Ice Cream was known as Cinxana Ice Cream, a small home-based ice cream factory that catered only to friends and families. It soon flourished and grew bigger as a result of words of mouth and praise.
In 2000, a young entrepreneur had the insight to develop the ice cream business and created the new brand name "de Boliva Ice Cream." From the start, the ice cream produced by de Boliva Ice Cream has used only the finest and purest ingredients, and this has helped cement its success.
Boasting high quality ice cream with unique tastes that meets international standard, de Boliva Ice Cream started out with basic flavors like vanilla, mocha, chocolate and strawberry. However, through many experiments and mix and matches it came up with its own unique and distinctive blends and tastes. Its specialty includes the mixing of ice cream and liquor, which is a favorite among customers. de Boliva Ice Cream's Marinelli blends mocha ice cream with Kahlua and Baileys, while its refreshing Margarita is a mixture of fruit sorbet, another distinct creation of de Boliva Ice Cream, Tequila and ice.
The de Boliva Ice Cream brand quickly acquires a loyal following. Customers' preference to this brand results from the fact that unlike any other ice cream brands it has low content of fat and calories. Ice cream lovers now recognize the de Boliva Ice Cream brand as the "Great Taste with Low Fat" ice cream.
Its first outlet at Jl. HR Muhammad 360, which opened in December 2001, proved to be quite a success. Here, customers can feast their eyes, ears, and taste buds as they enjoy the flavorsome ice cream while listening to some great music and indulge themselves in the building's serene setting. As the number of customers keeps growing, it is only natural to open the next outlet. In May 2003, de Boliva Ice Cream and Cafe started to operate at Jl. Raya Gubeng 36, boasting a bigger premise with a capacity of 100 customers.
To keep up with increasing demands and the positive trend in food industry, de Boliva Ice Cream tries to create its own specialty fusion food, marrying Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, and Japanese flavors in its menu. While the various kinds of ice cream are still the first choice for customers who come to visit, these selections of dishes are also popular with customers wanting a bite for lunch or dinner. The opening of de Boliva Kitchen and Lounge at Jl. Raya Gubeng 66 to replace the old outlet at Jl. Raya Gubeng 36 in September 2005 sees a more contemporary 2-storey building that can seat up to 200 people.


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What's So Hard About Teaching Truth?
Wow, sometimes post topics just fall into my lap -- or, fall into my Facebook, to be more accurate. Seriously, what did we all socially write about before people's Facebook comments, status updates, and links? This one comes courtesy of a simple comment about "Columbus" (this being, ya know, Columbus's big DAY and all....)
A friend status-ed about loving Columbus. So, I bit, and commented that I hope my friend loves the day off and not actually what Columbus did. That led to the response that the teacher does teach a socially responsible unit on Columbus (yay!! Give it up for one more teacher who teaches the truth!). Another person then asked what Columbus did. I, unable to resist, simply stated that "Columbus gets credit for discovering a place that already had people, language, culture, traditions, etc. That would be like me walking into your apartment, saying that I founded it, and then making you go get me a drink."
A response came along -- the kind you hope for when you're in a blogging rut -- with something like this: "Yeah, but how much violent-invading history are we really gonna teach 3rd graders, or their parents, who want everything to be sugary and nice?" I actually agreed here because I thought the commenter was heading in the "yes, and therefore we shouldn't teach Columbus=Discoverer". But, alas, the commenter wasn't making that point. The commenter then proceeded to say that the "(n)ative (p)eople in Plimouth were rude and off-putting with their political agendas worn like a giant chip on their shoulders." I swear, I can't make this stuff up....
Giant.Chip. On.Their.Shoulders? Yeah, there sure is a chip; and that chip is called "we were having a grand old time, then random people came, stole our land, killed our people, and then told stories about how we shared some turkey, jokes, and smiles." I'd be rude, too, if kids dressed up like my people, athletic teams mock my elders, and people took tours of my land every November to see a rock.
But, really, my question goes back to this statement: "How much violent-invading history are we going to teach 3rd graders?" Right, exactly. So, let's not teach it. If you don't want to teach the true history of the First People, then at least let's not teach Columbus=Savior. Okay, if you don't want to teach the atrocities of the Pilgrim/Native times, at least let's stop teaching that the Pilgrims saved the Native people.
You can teach the truth in age appropriate ways. After all, those populations and peoples are/were MORE than the events that happened to them. Teach the cultures as they existed before colonization. Do work beyond what is given in just the most basic (and empty) of textbooks. If you teach 3rd grade, then make sure you do your own age appropriate (adult) homework. Pick up Howard Zinn's book. Read Ronald Takaki's work. If you teach, read James Loewen. Challenge the education that we received growing up. Teach that Columbus didn't end up where he thought he was, and that's why he landed where he did, calling Native people "Indians." (Heck, I'm pissed that the nickname my sister gave me when I was 7 years old has still stuck with me; Imagine being stuck with the same nickname for, oh, 500+years!) Teach that Europeans did not discover the world; that people existed long before colonization; that colonization, itself, relates to a lot of the playground antics that exist outside during elementary school recess.
So, what's so hard about teaching the truth? These days, teaching the truth takes some effort. While many textbooks are finally telling stories other than just European history, many still do not. And, for most teachers in my generation and older, we grew up on a very different telling of history. We were educated during a time when social perspective was rarely challenged. But, today, now, there is an emphasis on teaching the truth. And, indeed, as most historical truths are a result of "violent-invading-forces", we need to teach that there exists different truths. Don't we always tell our kids there are "always two sides to every story?" Playground rules, right?
Teaching the truth also teaches our children to think critically. They learn that there is a perspective other than their own. They learn to think bigger than a situation. They learn to seek the truth rather than just accept the truth. By learning both/all sides, they learn to engage in conflict resolution and mediation.
My kids are little. At least few times a day, they grab from one another, they tease one another, they take credit (or blame) from one another. They trick one another into doing their chores. If someone gets a treat, a sibling will almost predictably try to distract then steal a piece of that treat. And, at least once a week, one of my girls will kick the other girl out of their shared room. Sound historically familiar?
We end up having talks about these actions. And, I know they won't end anytime soon (after all, puberty and teenage years are still a bit away...). The lessons learned don't involve violence. Rather, we talk about respect. We talk about fairness. Justice. Equality. Kindness. Why can't these truths be taught in terms of history?
They can.
They should.
They must.
So, let's realize that teaching the truth is possible. Let's realize that we can teach a sugary version of the truth that is also historically responsible. Let's realize that the "chip-on-the-shoulder" is usually a result of the truth being withheld. If people were spreading lies about you, about your friends, about your family, you would be pretty pissed off, too. When you hear that a people/person is pissed off about something that historically has been misrepresented about them, ask why. Listen to the answer, and you likely will be listening to their truth.
(hat tip to my friend Jenn who teaches with this book to help her students understand the different stories surrounding Columbus)
What are some age appropriate specific resources that other anti-racist parents and/or responsible educators are using in their homes or classrooms? Please share! Make teaching the truth a whole lot easier!


text: This post was sponsored by Tai Pei, all opinions expressed in my post are my own. We are trying to stick to a real grocery budget this year (it's about time!) and with that, we're trying to cook more and eat out less. That's not always easy. We try to eat dinner together as a family when my husband is… Read More


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Grade 11 Academic Mathematics Final Test (Math 536)
This is the 2008 Quebec Final Evaluation for academic mathematics students. The Quebec course code is Math 536. There are a number of very good problems in this evaluation that could be easily modified for Ontario math students. Download for Word: MAth536.E58
Download as PDF:
- Part 1: MAth536.E58 1
- Part 2: MAth536.E58.2
- Part 3: MAth536.E58.3
Here are screenshots of all the pages of this document. Click to enlarge.