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If you have a summer birthday on your house or are just looking for an excuse to throw a party for the kids, then summer time is the best for it. The reason? You can throw the party outside in summer! With the sunshine and blue skies as your backdrop, you're sure to have an outdoor party that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Not sure where to start with it all, though? Here are some outdoor children's party ideas. Hopefully, you'll find one that will work for you!
image from Publicdomainfiles
Cowboys & Cowgirls Party
A wild west themed party is always a winner, and an excuse to wear your cowboy boots. A miniature petting zoo or pony rides could make this party even more awesome too.
Flowers Party
A party themed around flowers would be a great theme for any birthday girl. It makes decorations easy, right? As you can just use what mother nature has on offer. Pretty cupcakes with floral icing is a good dessert, and you could do a scavenger hunt or flower pressing, as well as party games.
Detective Party
If you have a budding super sleuth, then a party to hone their detective skills could be just the thing. While a murder mystery isn't ideal for a child's party, how about making it into a scavenger hunt to find 'clues' from all over the yard?
Ghostbusters Party
With the new Ghostbuster film last year, it has opened the franchise up to a whole new group of children. Think slime making and silly string fights, as well as making proton packs for all of the guests to wear. It could get a little messy, so keep it outside. If it rains, you could look at steel building systems to see about getting a barn put together. Then you don't have to have the mess inside your house!
Alice in Wonderland Party
If there was ever a story or a movie that was suited to a summer party, then it is Alice in Wonderland. A tea party is the perfect setting for the main event, as well as pin the tail on the white rabbit or pin the smile on the Cheshire cat. There are endless possibilities with this theme.
image from flickr
Wet and Wild Party
Who needs to go to a water park when you can create the fun at home? Make a slip and slide with a plastic tarp and soapy water, get plenty of water balloons for water balloon volleyball, as well as pool noodles or inflatables for other water fun games.
Angry Birds Party
All you need is some blocks and balls, and you can create your own angry birds game. Cake pops or cake with the characters would work well, as well as playing bowling with homemade skittles and pink balls with the pig's faces on. Lots of fun with this theme for sure.
Pirate Party
Shiver me timbers! A pirate party works really well over summer. You could use a paddling pool to form part of the ship and create different games around walking the plank. You could hunt for chocolate coins (treasure) in the yard, and then enjoy some pirate treats like popcorn and hotdogs.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
8 Awesome Outdoor Children's Party Ideas For The Summer
By Prettymom at July 27, 2017
Labels: parenting
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Like many people, the Tories sudden interest in resurrecting Grammar schools baffled me. At first I thought that it was just one of many 'dead cats' that the Tories would be throwing into the room to try and distract from how calamitously ill-prepared and ill-equipped they were for a Leave victory in the EU referendum. As their plans for returning Education to the 1800s, I began to think that regurgitating the Grammar brand was all part of the Tories regressive ideology and wistful return to Empire as a means of shoring up their precipitous vote.
The first rule of Tory Club is … privatisation.
It's so simple really. Whenever the Tories propose anything, ask yourself how it could lead to a transfer of wealth from tax payers to privateers.
I attended the Caroline Benn lecture last year, which was addressed by Danny Dorling, and he made an interesting point. Grammar schools were the goal of middle class parents for their children because they knew that Education resources were focused on Grammar schools, while the rest of schooling was permitted to play a very lowly second fiddle to them. Middle class families feared the education that their child might suffer from if they failed the 11+ and/or missed out on a coveted place at the local Grammar school, not to mention dreaded mixing with the ruffian plebs, so those families would stretch their expenditure to include enrolling their child at the local private school.
If the Tories are permitted to roll out plans for 'grammar' schools we will see them focus the same resources on making them a 'success' as we have seen the Tories focusing resources on making 'free' schools and their program of academisation a 'success'; with the inevitable same results and exposure to fraud that have plagued Education since 2010. But what they will also do is bolster the market for private schools, many of which have suffered since 1997 and have taken £millions since 2010 to convert to 'academies' and 'free' schools. It is probably safe to say that many, if not all, of the private schools that have taken £millions of taxpayers money to convert to academies and free schools will revert back to private schools if the Tory plans to reverse progress in Education and reintroduce mass Grammar schools goes ahead. £millions have already been allocated by the Tories for the Grammar program, I wonder how much of those £millions have already been earmarked for advisor fees.
So, yes, Grammar schools are an inadequate means by which to address education for all; we already have a system for that and it's called comprehensive education, but they are also intended as yet another means by which the Tories will hold the British public up by their ankles and shake out every penny they have. The Tories would like a return to the 1800s because it's a time when Britain worked best for THEM.

subset: commoncrawl


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Canada West
Your tenacity and commitment to your principles is admirable, but your stubborn and unyielding personality can make you difficult to get along with. Even Brown was sometimes capable of compromise for a larger goal, despite finding it difficult to overcome differences of opinion.
You are able to accomplish impossible feats! Others are amazed at your ability to bring about radical change without many allies, just as Brown was able to play a significant role in large coalitions in spite of not always being well-liked.
Most people find you a bit gruff, but underlying this stern exterior is a warm heart, revealed only to your closest friends.
Canada East
You work hard to achieve what is important to you, including the protection of your own traditions, in the same way that Cartier proudly defended French Canadian institutions through the confederation conferences.
Though conservative in nature, you are no wallflower! People find you lively and filled with joie de vivre. Known to spontaneously break into song and pound out a rousing tune on the piano, like Cartier you can always be counted on to lighten the mood with your lively personality.
Sometimes you throw your weight around, but your ability to work well with others reflects Cartier's career-long alliances with significant political partners.
Prince Edward Island
You and Coles share visionary minds and a determined spirit, which mark the makings of a true entrepreneur.
You are a resourceful innovator who may bring about great change, such as Coles did with the Free Education Act of 1852, making Prince Edward Island the first colony in the region to provide cost-free education to its citizens.
An agitator by nature and not one to back down, you nevertheless earn the respect and esteem of your peers. You should be careful, however, that your desire to shake things up does not go too far: Coles, on more than one occasion, challenged his political rivals to a duel.
You conduct your professional life in a disciplined and meticulous manner that reflects that of Colonel Gray, who began his career in the military and made classic discipline a key element of his character and demeanour. You believe that order and obedience extends not only to yourself, but to all of society.
You inspire the respect of those in your presence: Gray's political strengths were not based on his flourishes and flair, but on his practicality and commonsense. The esteem of your peers may provide you with the opportunity to take on significant roles, just as Gray became the Premier of Prince Edward Island, and was nominated as the chair of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864.
New Brunswick
You have a way of captivating your audience and influencing your peers, just as Gray used his polished presence to represent the best interests of New Brunswickers at both the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences.
Your classic tastes may seem old-fashioned but your keen instinct for facilitating changes echoes Gray's long-time support of Confederation, long before it was trendy to do so. Your open-mindedness, however may also lead you to be considered as fickle: this was Gray's greatest challenge.
You are courteous and have a strong sense of duty to your community. Your loyalty to society stems from a feeling of needing to give back, and to support those who are not as lucky as you.
You are consistent in your beliefs, largely because you have a vision for what you want to see in the world. Heath himself had a vision of a great country with confederation, and advocated it consistently to Prince Edward Islanders.
You are refined and feel like you understand your place in this world. Like Haviland, you are able to delicately navigate difficult situations without either offending or giving in to the demands of others.
You weigh your decisions against your sense of honour and public duty; this is integral to your good moral character. Similarly, Andrew saw himself as the representative of his electors and bound himself to vote according to their expressed wishes. His electors were opposed to confederation, so was he.
You are held in high esteem for your talents and integrity, even when others do not give way to your views. Respect for Macdonald, however, did not just extend to his intelligence and honour, but to his moderation in speech and opinion.
You are strong in your convictions and remain loyal to your causes, just as Macdonald maintained composure while retaining the focus and determination to achieve his ideals.
You have a strong vision and are able to achieve your goals, which could be as big as John A. Macdonald's dream to create a Canadian nation.
For you, flexibility is the name of the game. You are a big picture thinker and are only too happy to compromise on small issues to achieve your larger aims. Your challenge will be to find a balance between your principles and your practicality.
Your tact and persuasive charms help you to make alliances and resolve disagreements. Your irresistible charisma sets you apart from others and may lead you to a position of great power, just as Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister and Father of Confederation, remains one of the country's most memorable personalities and leaders.
Like McGee, you have a keen interest in history and literature, and a naturally poetic way with words. You are an excellent public speaker and express your views in an impassioned and enthusiastic manner.
You are not afraid to voice your opinions as you consider both the pros and cons of any situation. Astoundingly, McGee was not only able to completely embrace a position but then - after convincing himself that he was wrong - throw himself into a near opposite position with equal sincerity.
You tend to support causes that you have strong emotional ties with, not unlike McGee in his quest for equal rights for minority groups in Canada.
You have the strength of your convictions and are not easily shaken from your principles. Like Palmer, you would rather be right than popular.
You have a knack for organizing evidence and know how to argue a point. You are likely to get your ducks in a row before you launch an attack.
You are very persistent and rigid: Edward was easily the most disruptive delegate at the Quebec Conference of 1864, continually questioning the benefit of union for Prince Edward Island. Be sure to use tact when advocating for your causes.
You are tenacious and well-informed, and you seldom lose an argument; however, you should be careful that winning arguments does not result in making enemies.
You are an ingenious planner but mostly stay behind the scenes. Like Pope, you often let others take the lead in public.
When you commit to something, you will stop at nothing until you achieve it: Pope himself was unrelenting as he sought to bring Prince Edward Island into Confederation, finally helping to realize this goal in 1873.
Like Samuel "Lennie" Tilley, you have a strong social conscience. You are a debater who relies on cold logic and statistics rather than passionate speech-making; you rarely interrupt discussions, but when you do your comments are never misdirected or frivolous.
You do not shy away from demanding opportunities in life, just as Lennie actively pursued politics while remaining a successful druggist. You are likely to think big!
You have a keen financial sense and are often trusted with monetary issues, not unlike Tilley, who concerned himself with how federal money would be distributed equitably once confederation was achieved.
Nova Scotia
You love a good fight and, like Tupper, you are a bulldog who never gives up. You must restrain your tendency to rub it in when you win.
The combination of your abilities and commanding presence provide you with the influence and skill to get things done. Likewise, Charles Tupper was instrumental in initiating and orchestrating the Charlottetown Conference, stubbornly pushing confederation according to his own objectives.
You like things to be done your way, even if that means going against the flow. Though some thought of Tupper as a bully, the sheer force of his will enabled him to accomplish what may have otherwise been impossible: securing Nova Scotia's entry into confederation, despite the reluctance of its people.
You throw yourself into your causes such as Confederation with your whole heart.
You have learned to rein in your youthful passions and to rely on reason and logic, but you also know how to win people over with a wink and a laugh.
You have the common touch and see yourself as a champion of the under-privileged, as you yourself may have come from humble circumstances.
Be careful not to burn the candle at both ends, as Whelan did, resulting in his early death.
You understand the value of a good education, just as Adams George Archibald had made education one of his main talking points throughout his political career.
You are not afraid of change or of using your power to promote it, just as Archibald gained a reputation as a forward-looking thinker who supported industrial technology, and in particular an inter-colonial railway.
You are a well rounded individual with a broad view of the world, which reflects Archibald's willingness to embrace the concept of Confederation at the Charlottetown Conference.
Your trustworthy personality and great work ethic make you a great confidant.
Your ambition and ability to work in a team have earned you your current success. Rather than remain at the centre of attention, you prefer to strategize behind the scenes, just as Campbell had, making use of his keen observation skills during the confederation conferences.
Like Campbell, you are organized. Your intelligence and attention to detail is a great advantage to not only yourself, but to others around you. Campbell was able to use these assets to become a trusted advisor to John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.
You hold yourself to a higher standard, and this sets you apart from your peers. Once confederation was achieved, Chandler declined a position in the Senate as he had not felt like he had earned it.
Your persistent questioning approach to important discussions brings a new perspective to the table. Chandler was someone who stood his ground; he opposed the idea of a centralized power in confederation and felt strongly about the rights of Maritimers and Acadians.
Like Chandler, your practical skills and keen insights will serve you well in your professional life, so long as they are applied properly. You may one day also be regarded as a champion of the people: Chandler held public office for 53 consecutive years.
Like Dickey, who was a constant advocate for the rights of Nova Scotia during the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences, you are not afraid to stand up for what you believe in.
You are a free-thinker, although your unwillingness to follow the crowd has the potential to hold you back.
Despite many people opposing his views, Dickey stuck to his beliefs. Like him, your determination in life during difficult times may cause some problems. When all is said and done though, you come out on top.
You are the person who will do what needs to be done in order to succeed. Though you may be a bit rough around the edges, you won't let that hold you back.
You are often direct and always get your point across, reflecting McCully's coarse speaking and writing style; he was not one to mince words.
You are determined to get others to see the big picture, just as Jonathan McCully doggedly campaigned for Nova Scotians to see the role and influence the province might have should it enter confederation.
You lead your own path in life and in work, just like William McDougall, who entered the Confederation Conferences with the ambitious goal of an elected Senate responsible to the people Canada. You don't believe in mindlessly following one set of rules or opinions; you will make up your own mind.
You should, however, be careful that your independent streak doesn't invite conflict with your friends as well as your enemies. You have an impressive ability to speak up and defend your grand ideas, just as this Father of Confederation did as he promoted a united Canada.
Like Steeves, your constant, unassuming demeanor will take you far.
Your loyalty and support for your causes may be rewarded, just as Steeves' support for Confederation at the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences earned him an appointment to the Canadian Senate in 1867.
You are selfless in your pursuit of causes that are important to you, just as Steeves advocated for better health care for the mentally ill while he served as a Senator.
Like William Alexander Henry, you are a firm believer in acting for the greater good. You can see the big picture, just as Henry could see the benefits for Nova Scotia of joining confederation: free trade and a railway connecting to the rest of Canada.
You are respected and noted for your ability to accurately put words to paper. Henry was able to use these strengths to assist in framing the language of the British North America Act, which created the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
New Brunwick
Johnson, your way with words has led you to set your sights high on the scale of success.
Although a lack of interest in the small details may cause you trouble from time to time, your spirited sense of humour has earned you many friends. Johnson himself was caught up in a scandal during his time as postmaster-general of New Brunswick; like him, a scandal is something that you can overcome.
His passion for speaking and debating gave him power during the Charlottetown, Québec and London conferences. His idea to support a federal union where legislative power was in control of a strong central government was against his party's position but, like you, he spoke his mind and never gave up.
You are able to naturally persuade others in speech and to explain even the most intricate concepts convincingly and with assurance. Alexander Galt was the money mind at the confederation conferences: he had a great ability to make complicated financial scenarios easy for his audience to understand.
You have an energetic presence and the ability to sway others, and you put this to good use. At the Québec Conference of 1864, Galt was able to leverage his influence to help ensure that religious minorities could retain educational privileges.
You have a strong passion to honour what you consider important. This reflects not only Langevin's commitment to the defense of French Canadian rights during the Confederation Conferences, but equally his commitment to his family.
Although your determination is admirable, like Langevin, you should make a conscious effort not to let yourself become consumed by it. This unending quest to achieve your goals shouldn't keep you from having a little fun every once in awhile.
Your tendency to dream, combined with your decisive influence, may provide you with creative avenues to achieve your own version of success, just as Langevin was able to realize his vision for Canada.
© 2014 Parks Canada. All rights reserved.
Photo Credits: Collections Canada


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Not many metalhedz cross over from the raucous world of thrash to acoustic World musics, but Alex Skolnick, long worshipped by headbangers for his daunting prowess, is among that miniscule coterie. A student of one of what Frank Zappa called "daredevil guitarists" who could "play the impossible parts", Joe Satriani, Skolnick has paid his dues in numerous fashions, including a stint with one of my all-time fave melodic crunch ensembles (Savatage). Now he's stepping out to tackle a highly complex, often high speed version of the evolving World mode, not just one of its splinters but several.
The Carnatic Passage to Pranayama, for instance, sounds as though from Matt Montfort and Ancient Future in that band's prime (which means: from the second it incarnated to this very moment), and Playa la Ropa is a rip-snorter, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Skolnick tearing through trade-offs on steel strung and nylon-strung axes. Alex gets up to DiMeola uber-speed as Gabriela takes a distinctively more Latinate tack, the two at times reminiscent of DiMeola's famed guitar LPs with McLaughlin and DeLucia. Django Tango goes WAY trad, Rachel Golub's violin work hitching the rest of the players to a gypsy caravan trundling over hill and dale, tarn and mountain, town and backroad.
Skolnick purposely selected as many top players as he could over a range of five continents in order to soak this release in highly skilled nuances bridging days of yore with permutations peeking backwards out from tomorrow. Old World Dance is a perfect example of that, everyone putting in heady chops, Vasko Dukovski's clarinet work particularly muscular and exhilarating. Alex is at the top of his game throughout the affair and frequently reminiscent of the period in which DiMeola made his crossover to this style. I'm a tiny bit surprised this didn't emerge on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, but then fans of that imprint already know the reason: FN is mainly tech and shredmetal while this is pre-Raphaelite.


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Beth Rodgers resides in Michigan with her husband, 4 children, and beagle; Lilo. Beth's love for Disney began the first time her parents took her to Disney World at the age of 4. She recalls being enchanted with Disney World: the sight of Cinderella's castle, the music that was played as fireworks lit up the sky and the parade at the Magic Kingdom which she made her parents see multiple times before the end of their trip. It made such an impact on her that she remembers telling a cast member that when she was old enough, she was going to move to Disney World.
During college she made that 4-year-old girl's dreams come true by moving to Florida and completing her internship with the Walt Disney Company. Beth was able to see and take part in creating the Disney magic for countless guests, which she continues to do for the families she plans vacations for.
Beth began helping families make their own Disney dreams a reality in 2013 with Me and the Mouse Travel. She has since then helped plan numerous trips to Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Universal Studios, and Sea World. Having a large family herself has helped Beth in planning vacations for large families or groups. Beth loves using the experience she gained as a Disney cast member, and her love for Disney in helping others plan and experience Disney with their families.
Don't forget, all of Beth's services are FREE to you! Contact Beth today to start planning your dream Disney vacation!
A big Thank You to Beth at Me and the Mouse Travel for planning our entire Disney extravaganza from start to finish. She gave us options she knew would be appealing to Lyndi (who is definitely not a princess girl), planned all our fast passes, chose all our restaurants, and even gave us an itinerary for each park. She fielded every last minute change and question we threw at her with grace, and even resolved issues that came up at the park on the fly. If you're thinking of a Disney adventure, check out what she can do for you!
Very detail orientated! She is always available to answer questions and willing to help make your reservation experience easy! She has a variety of suggestions that suits your families needs. Beyond completely satisfied! In fact I'm mousemerized (lol)!
Beth Rogers was excellent at planning my husband's 60th birthday bash at Disneyworld during Christmas 2016. Our group included our five adult children &4 grandchildren. She informed us of so many things we didn't know ( like renting strollers for the week & a scooter for one daughter who was quite pregnant; these were delivered to our hotel room so we didn't have to waste time in the parks each day getting them). Beth organized our hotel & restaurant reservations & our fast passes. Her expertise helped us to know how to best navigate the parks so each person in our group (ages 15 months to 60 years) could enjoy the experience. We had visited Disneyworld before but this trip was by far the best due to Beth's suggestions and willingness to organize the multiple reservations for us. All we had to do is show up & have fun! We highly recommend Beth!


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The Expert Talk Predictive Analytics
Predictive Analytics in the area of Equipment Reliability has been a key focus area within Enterprise Asset Management(EAM) practice in Infosys. Thought papers, frameworks and real-time project experience to reinforce the subject knowledge did not limit us in our pursuit of seeking the ultimate in this domain. Bringing you one among many such pursuits- our interaction with Yuri Gogolitsyn. Read on as Yuri take us through some un-traversed areas within in the domain of Predictive Analytics.
About The Expert
Yuri Gogolitsyn is an experienced EAI Technical Architect and Consultant who has worked on numerous multinational projects and has substantial hands-on experience with many leading integration technologies with exposure to real-time assignments involving predictive analytics. He is based out of the UK and before moving into the professional IT was doing brain research dealing with statistical processing of the brain electrical signals.
Welcome to the first edition of Expert Talks, good to have your with us today. Could you please share with us your tryst with Predictive Analytics?
Thank you! First of all, I think that Predictive Analytics is still much more a research area than a set of tools or products capable of providing quick and immediate solutions to emerging requirements in various industries.
Quite a while ago, before moving into the professional IT, I was doing a scientific research in the area of the brain science. My main interests were, to state it very briefly, in using statistical methods to detect and evaluate brain electrical responses to various stimuli (pictures, words etc.). As a rule, the responses were tiny and buried in the unavoidable background variations and noise. The goal was to obtain a statistical proof that the response actually exists at all and to provide some estimate of the extent it is consistently repeated when you present the same stimulus under the same conditions. This is just one of the examples of a more general area of Pattern Recognition. I believe that Predictive Analytics belongs to the same general area. This area is really huge both in terms of classes of problems it deals with and methods used.
Brain science and its relation to statistics seems fascinating! Do you think we can relate this concept to an Equipment response as well?
Yes, in fact the concept finds its application in a wider scope. Look around and you will see the science of correlations in all possible aspects of things. For example, when analyzing large amounts of data on the contents of the supermarket baskets the researchers recently found that when a person buys baby's diapers, there is a good probability that this person would also buy some beer. It was a bit of a surprise! An immediate pragmatic recommendation from the study would be to keep both items close on the shelves to make it more convenient for the customers. However, the researchers did some more digging and found an explanation for this unusual effect. It turned out to be due to young fathers whom their wives ask to buy diapers for their baby on the way home from work. It often implies that the husband expects to spend evening at home with his family, so he also buys beer for himself.
An example from a completely different area - the width of the annual growth rings on the tree stumps strongly correlates with the annual number of fatalities from heart attacks. However, there is no causal relationship between the two observed variables in this case. The actual driving mechanism underlying this effect is the annual variations in the solar activity.
In the context of Equipment, an example would be to note a response against parameters such as load, pressure, rotations per minutes etc. and try correlating it with the failure pattern. With the objective of optimizing equipment performance, one can study these specific parameters and try channelizing it towards a safer zone. This way, we essentially work on a need based maintenance as we know whether a failure is imminent and could avoid the pit fall of overdoing the maintenance activity.
If you want to describe the Predictive Analytics to a novice in this field, how would it be?
The logic underlying Predictive Analytics could be outlined as follows. A combination of parameters is repeatedly measured for a system under observation. At some moment in time an important event occurs due to an unknown reason - the system noticeably changes its behavior in some way (e.g., breaks or stops functioning). Over a substantial period of observation a large volume of data on the values of parameters that precede the important event's occurrence has been accumulated. The question to answer is to what extent it is possible to predict that the important event is imminent by looking at the current values of the measured parameters.
One fundamental aspect should be stressed here - the repeatability of the important event. It is impossible to predict events that are unique or occur very rarely indeed - statistical methods just do not work under such scenarios. On a lighter note, this is nicely illustrated by the following joke.
A University professor is conducting a seminar on telekinesis. He explains to his students that telekinesis is an ability to move objects using just one's will power and says:
- Let's now all close our eyes, concentrate for one minute and try moving ourselves outside this room into the corridor.
In a minute they open their eyes and are very surprised to see that one person is missing! The professor, stunned not less than his students, asks them for comments. One of the students is doing a course in statistics. He says:
- I am not sure you would be able to prove that this effect is significant using statistical methods...
Which industry according to you would have the most requirements of Predictive Analytics?
Everyone would like to know the future! The quality of prediction benefits from the careful statistical analysis of the available data. Unfortunately it may often be the case that even the very large volumes of data do not allow prediction with any usable degree of confidence - we do not know if parameters we are monitoring indeed have the required predictive power. You are unfortunately not guaranteed a success when you start dealing with a prediction task. A very good example in this respect is a long history of attempts to predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. We are still very far from where we ideally would like to be in this area. You really need not have to put this in an Industrial perspective.
Based on your experience, could you please tell us about the tools/software widely used in the field of Predictive Analytics? Is there a best -of- breed solution available?
There is a huge number of packages for the statistical data analysis available. You can do a lot in Excel, for example, regression models. You can try the machine learning algorithms or even neural networks. In addition to this, there are online courses available on latest analytics tools such as DataStream, Hadoop etc. which can be tried as well. However, I believe that the tools used should be chosen after considering the nature of the problem in details. You should decide on the approach first, and then pick up the right tool. Also, to work in Predictive Analytics a very good understanding of statistical methods and models is required.
You mentioned about the models, could you please elaborate on this? Is there a best of breed which one can pursue in this regard? According to you, what are the key determinants/factors to ensure accuracy of analysis?
To make a prediction you need a model. A model here is a very general concept. Depending upon the approach and techniques you use the model could be explicitly presented as a formula (e.g., regression models) or, like in neural networks, be not directly visible - embedded in the structure of connections between the neurons in the network. The outline of the general approach used in Pattern Recognition is as follows. Use some part of the data to build a model. Then test the validity of your model by feeding it the data from the other part. The second step shows how good your model is.
In addition to this, The Data to be analyzed needs to represent an actual behavioral pattern or a trend which can be analyzed using a statistical model forming a basis for drawing meaningful conclusions. It is therefore essential to gather data from a real scenario.
The data gathering aspect is becoming more promising as we move towards the Internet of Things. Utility companies have now started offering the home hubs enabling their domestic customers to monitor energy consumption and control home appliances remotely from smartphones, say, switching on the heating some time before arriving home. Actually, Infosys was already involved in integration aspects of one of such projects.
Everyone is talking about the transition to Strategic Maintenance Practices and the Prescriptive Maintenance practices lately, what are your thoughts on this?
If we are talking about Prescriptive Maintenance of some expensive equipment in utilities etc., I think that the organizations that should look in this direction are the companies that actually make the equipment. They are in the best position in terms of being able to collect vast amounts of data from many installed pieces of this equipment. They also should have a better understanding of what needs to be monitored. This increases chances of success.
I am a bit skeptical about quick success in scenarios like "It costs me a lot to maintain my three expensive gadgets/widgets, and one of them failed recently causing me a lot of problems. How nice would it be to use the Predictive Analytics to warn me when one of my gadgets is close to failure? Those guys need to tell me what exactly I should start monitoring. I am sure there are some best practices somewhere".
So quick result is a challenge, what are the other challenges you think one may face while approaching a Predictive Analytics Solution?
From just a task it may develop into a serious research project that would start consuming all your time. Do not expect readily available best practices and universal recipes. You will need to understand a lot about the target process. It takes time and many iterations until (with substantial degree of luck) you arrive to something usable. Furthermore, the most common pitfall I would suggest any analyst is be wary of is generalizing an Asset class, in I think generalizing an Asset class across domains are also not intended. Another common problem I have seen companies struggling with is having huge set of data and having no clue on what to do with them. A predictive data analytic model cannot be generic, it differs case by case. For performing predictive analysis in Asset Management, each Assets specific information needs to be viewed specifically and the asset specific predictive factors determined accordingly.
What are your thoughts on the heavy investments which this area entails? something which Predictive Analytics is infamous for!
I need to make it clear that I am on the side of skeptics in relation to Predictive Analytics, those who tend to believe that the number of scenarios where it is potentially possible to provide a prediction with a reasonable degree of confidence is rather small, definitely much smaller than the number of scenarios where it is not possible. The best negative example we all know about is prediction of the share prices.
The investments in this area should be probably considered as spending on research and development. Usual considerations are valid here - the investments are heavy indeed and in no way they guarantee the desired solution. However, I think that the beneficial side of heavy investments in research is clear - it may lead to better technologies, algorithms etc. that would have much wider usage and substantial benefits.
Besides investments on research, do you think there are other avenues of higher spends which the organization should watch out for?
Certainly the investment cost are higher, the early adopters of predictive analytics would certainly have challenges in substantiating the cost. The investments could range from gathering Instrumentation controls and analytic tools to the company personnel who need to get trained on the using the technology and deciphering the results to act on them. However, looking at the advantages in terms of catching failure before it causes beyond repair damages, the investments seem to be promising.
What would be your advice to Organizations attempting to go the Predicative Analytics route?
Be ready for a trial and error approach albeit at a smaller scale, have some experts who has good qualification in statistical computations. I have often seen companies providing research grants to universities, there is a cost advantage to this. Collaborating with equipment manufacturers also helps as they bring in a consolidation of data to cover the expanse of operational scenario which is a must thing in predictive analytics. Role of Equipment manufacturer and critical component (e.g. Bearing, Bushes) manufacturer are key and should be partnered with, in the journey of Predictive analytics. Every equipment and machine is different and unique therefore developing predictive analytical model would turn out to be very time consuming and costly at times.
Above all, you also need immense patience to succeed in this domain. Never expect to master the art and also do not expect a radical result. Taking things one at a time would help and yeah -All the Best!


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What is Citibank Personal Loan?
Citibank Personal Loan is a product by one of the largest banks in Malaysia, Citibank.
What purpose can Citibank Personal Loan be used for?
You may want to remodel or renovate your home, purchase a financial asset for investment or advance your current qualification to higher academic echelon; whatever personal reasons you may have in mind and heart, as long as it is a reasonable expense for Citibank to stamp "Approved".
Citibank Personal Loan offers an unsecured personal loan on a flat interest rate with flexible repayment terms and higher financing limit. Plus, you don't need a guarantor or to pledge collateral to back this personal loan up.
How much money can I borrow from Citibank?
The minimum amount you can borrow from this personal loan is RM5,000, with a maximum limit of financing capped at RM150,000. You can access a higher financing amount up to 10x your monthly income, if you earn above RM5,000 every month, also subject to Citibank's approval.
Borrow any amount indicated in the financing bracket, enjoy a low flat interest rate of 5.88% - 9.8% p.a. throughout the tenure and stretch your repayment period up to 5 years.
What is my commitment for this Citibank personal loan?
Your monthly repayment begins on the first day of the month following the date you have made full disbursement of your personal loan. You must commit to repaying your personal loan every month until the total outstanding amount of the loan is fully repaid.
If you have extra cash in hand and want to clear your loan, partially or fully, before it is due, you can make an early settlement. However, you should do so after the lock-in period of 2 years as you will be charged with RM200 or 3% of the outstanding balance (whichever is greater) as a penalty.
Who can apply for this personal loan?
To access a higher financing limit of RM150,000 from this personal, you need to be Citibank's holder of credit card, personal loan, home loan or hire purchase for at least 2 years on application.
Any individuals aged between 21 to 60 years can qualify for this personal loan application. Salaried employees must have an annual income of at least RM48,000 as well as self-employed, whose business must be established for more than 2 years.
What are the required documents for Citibank personal loan application?
In order to process your Citibank Personal Loan application, you will be asked to provide some supporting documentation:
Salaried Employee:
- Copy of NRIC (front and back)
- Latest EPF Statement; OR
- Latest 2-months salary slip; AND
Any of the following documents:
- Latest BE form with tax payment receipt
- 3-months bank statements
- Latest EA Form (dated within the last 12 months)
- Copy of MyKad (front and back)
- Business Registration Form; AND
- Latest B Form with tax payment receipt; OR
- 6-months bank statements
Am I qualified to apply for Citibank Personal Loan if I'm blacklisted?
Depending on your credit history with other financial institutions because all these information (outstanding credit card, personal loan, home loan or car loan debts) will be captured in CCRIS / CTOS (a system that collects credit information on borrowers, not blacklisting them).
Assuming you have poor credit standing due to irregular payments, the best course of action would be to break the habit and start making your payments on time to avoid future hurdles.
Citibank is more likely to approve your personal loan application if you can show that you are managing your personal finances, rather than accumulating more debt.


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If you're looking for cost-effective, award winning PR that delivers outstanding results, then Pier is the agency for you. We offer:
- PR and marketing consultancy and strategy development
- Media relations
- Creative campaign development and management
- Social media management
- Copy writing
- Media training
With vast experience in the off shore renewable and green technology sectors Pier's track record demonstrates that we can:
- Successfully launch new products
- Effectively engage stakeholders
- Increase sales pipeline potential
- Build awareness and understanding
Our renewable energy and green technology team has helped numerous businesses grow and flourish, opening up new avenues and engaging new customers, as well as helping our clients attract new investors. Whether you're a large international or regional company, we have the expertise to get the results you need. At Pier we understand the ever-changing media landscape and know how to use it to get the best results.
David Fletcher, managing director of the GEV Group comments: "Having been introduced to Pier through our involvement with SCORE, we knew we were in good hands. Pier started work on a project to launch a new turbine maintenance habitat for the offshore industry. The team quickly exceeded our expectations and is now employed on a retained basis supplying PR and marketing support across the whole GEV Group."


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We hope to meet many of our neighbors and share information about how Home Care Assistance supports health and wellness. Come visit us at Booth #34!
Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 28, 2014
Home Care Assistance, North America's leading provider of in-home care for seniors, will be sharing valuable information about health and longevity at this year's Salute to Seniors Convention, the largest senior-focused event in Colorado. In its 25th year, the event will be held on Saturday, May 31st, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Mile High Ballroom at the Colorado Convention Center. Attendees will enjoy exciting attractions such as a 1960s-era car show and live entertainment with musical hits from the 60s and 70s.
"We are excited to participate in the Colorado Gerontological Society's 25th Salute to Seniors event," said Pete Lane, owner of Home Care Assistance Centennial. "This is not only a fun event with great music and activities, but it is also a great opportunity for attendees to learn about the many senior-related services that are available to them in the Denver Metro area. We hope to meet many of our neighbors and share information about how Home Care Assistance supports health and wellness. Come visit us at Booth #34!"
Though 89% of seniors say they would prefer to keep living at home rather than move to a facility, thousands continue to enter nursing homes every year. With the support of a professionally trained caregiver, older adults can age safely and comfortably in their own homes. Services Home Care Assistance provides include:
- Hourly and live-in care
- Cooking and light housekeeping
- Laundry and change of bed linens
- Grocery shopping and errands
- Companionship and range of motion exercise
- Bathing, dressing and grooming assistance
- Transportation to doctors' appointments, supermarket, pharmacy
- Assistance with walking and transferring
- Status reporting to family
- Medication reminders
With an expertise in holistic care, Home Care Assistance educates its caregivers and the seniors they serve on maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit with age through its proprietary approach to care, the Balanced Care MethodTM. The Method is based on scientific studies of lifestyle factors linked to longevity including healthy diet, physical activity, socialization, calmness and maintaining a sense of purpose.
"I constantly come in contact with seniors who are confused about or unsure of available long-term care options," said Jonathan Wells, co-owner of Home Care Assistance of Douglas County. "Events like this are near and dear to my heart. I am excited to share information about our Cognitive Therapeutics Method, a proprietary cognitive stimulation program. Using this fun, activities-based program our well-trained caregivers engage clients exhibiting symptoms of dementia or other brain-related illnesses and even help delay cognitive decline."
To schedule a free in-home assessment or for more information about Home Care Assistance Centennial and Home Care Assistance Douglas County please visit http://www.homecareassistance.com or call 1-866-454-8346.
Home Care Assistance is the leading provider of home care for seniors across the United States and Canada. Our mission is to change the way the world ages. We provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in Live-In care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. A 2013 Franchise500® and Inc. 5000 Company, Home Care Assistance has received numerous industry awards including Entrepreneur's Fastest-Growing Franchises and Franchise Business Review's Top 50. For more information about Home Care Assistance, our services and franchise opportunities, visit homecareassistance.com or franchise.homecareassistance.com.


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Urban Habitat Design is a young but experienced boutique Interior Design firm focused in providing premium personalised design services to its commercial and residential clients. Our diverse and experienced talent pool is committed to building strong bonds with our clientele by consistently providing professional, reliable and cost effective solutions. We are constantly recalibrating our business operations to add value to our clients.
Website: http://urbanhabitat.com.sg
Tel: 6220 1262
Address: 59 Kampong Bahru Rd #02-01, Singapore 169367
Area: Queenstown, Tiong Bahru
were you able to sign up with them??? have you seen their designs? i hope you don't mind me asking to share your experienced with Urban Design!


text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A state-sponsored study meant to examine potential pollution from the boom in natural gas drilling never actually tested key wastes from the Marcellus Shale formation, according to a West Virginia University researcher who led the effort.Teams performing the legislatively mandated review examined only materials from the vertical portion of wells, not from the horizontal drilling at those same sites, which would have included Marcellus Shale mud and drill cuttings.The omission is important because researchers believe material from the Marcellus Shale is generally more radioactive, and citizen groups are expressing growing concern about the risks of handling and disposal of radioactive drilling wastes.And, the report's major weakness is being highlighted just as the Legislature returns to Charleston for its 2014 session, after hearing throughout the year about studies finding flaws in Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's drilling bill that passed in 2011.Researchers noted the lack of Marcellus data in a 141-page report last February, and the state Department of Environmental Protection mentioned it in a summary prepared for lawmakers by agency officials.But the issue had not received much public attention until a legislative briefing during an interim committee meeting held late Sunday afternoon."We can't dismiss the potential risks," Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of WVU's Water Research Institute, which coordinated the study, told lawmakers. "We just haven't characterized it."In a presentation to committee members, Ziemkiewicz said that the DEP had initially arranged for researchers to obtain Marcellus drilling mud from a Stone Energy site in August 2012. When researchers tried to take samples on three different dates, they were told each time that "drilling malfunctions" made it impossible for them to do so.DEP officials identified a second sampling site operated by Chesapeake Energy, the presentation said. Poor weather related to Superstorm Sandy stopped the drilling there prior to reaching to Marcellus, the presentation said."The company indicated it would notify WVDEP and WVU when drilling resumed," the presentation said. "However, when WVDEP followed up with the company after Hurricane Sandy, the agency and WVU were notified that the horizontal leg was completed and no samples were available."The presentation said that by then, it was early November, and the DEP "had no readily available site and the time required to analyze the samples was between 6 and 8 weeks.""So, no other sites were selected by WVDEP for solid sampling since it would delay submission of the final report beyond the end of December 2012 -- the point necessary in order to provide recommendations to the Legislature," the presentation said.Ziemkiewicz recommended that additional work be done to sample drilling mud from the Marcellus formation. He said the data are needed to ensure that drilling wastes are being sent to appropriate types of disposal facilities and being handled properly."This stuff isn't just dirt that you can apply somewhere," Ziemkiewicz said in a Monday interview. "You can't go around with the assumption that this stuff is innocuous."Reach Ken Ward Jr. at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-1702.


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GFSI Extends its Reach
New North American representative named, local groups being formed.
Providing consumers with safe, affordable and nutritious food is at the heart and soul of the food industry in the United States, Canada, and globally. And each food safety incident is a reminder of the importance of rigorous food safety management systems on the farm, inside plants and wherever food is served or sold. Today's complex global supply chains magnify the importance of such systems, where one faulty actor exposes the vulnerability of many.
In recent years, the work of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has helped to increase consumer confidence in the management systems and practices within the industry by establishing a common benchmark for third-party facility audits.
While many within the industry are aware of third-party audits carried out against GFSI-recognized schemes, to GFSI board members it is about instilling a food safety culture, incident prevention and a continuous improvement in food safety management systems.
To expand its presence in the U.S. and Canada, the GFSI board last June appointed me the GFSI North American representative. I work to heighten awareness of GFSI and to encourage adoption of the GFSI-recognized food safety management schemes in the region. In addition, I join the GFSI board members in discussions with the FDA and CFIA to ascertain the role that GFSI-recognized schemes can play in supporting regulatory organizations to meet their targets in relation to managing food safety risks along the supply chain.
I am bemused by the reference to "GFSI certification," a short-hand reference to the extensive efforts companies undertake to have their facilities certified against one or more schemes benchmarked against GFSI's Guidance Document. GFSI itself doesn't certify sites, it works at the scheme owner level.
International stakeholders involved in GFSI establish high-level scheme management, food safety management, HACCP and good practice criteria in its Guidance Document. GFSI-recognized schemes are based upon guidelines established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, founded by FAO and WHO in 1963 to develop harmonized international guidelines to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
Existing food safety management schemes are benchmarked against these criteria and, when successful, are "recognized" by GFSI. A growing number of buying companies that follow the "once certified, accepted everywhere" approach recognize certification against any of the GFSI recognized schemes from their suppliers. This harmonized approach helps to minimize the number and diversity of audits that any one facility must undertake.
Currently the GFSI work in North America is centered on the setup of a new U.S.-Canada Local Group to help enhance awareness and understanding of GFSI within the industry. The Local Group will be composed of key local industry players who are actively involved in GFSI and who want to expand adoption of GFSI recognized schemes. Group members also want to ensure that small and medium-sized businesses benefit in the long term from certification against GFSI recognized schemes.
To date GFSI has launched two Local Groups – in Japan and in China. These GFSI Local Groups support GFSI's continuous efforts to share knowledge and promote a harmonized approach to managing and improving food safety across geographies at a local level.
Recently, I attended the FDA's two-day public hearing in Washington regarding the agency's Foreign Supplier Verification and Third-Party Auditing and Accreditation proposed rules. The frequent references to GFSI in the hearings and the proposals themselves were gratifying and a testament to the many meetings and long hours that industry experts have donated to the program. GFSI has had its growing pains, but it has come far in a very short time and serves a recognized need.
One of the exciting aspects of our organization is GFSI's Global Markets Program. This voluntary tool supports small businesses/primary producers in continuously improving their food safety programs to achieve food safety requirements in a phased approach. Although GFSI does not engage in training activities, external organizations and businesses have developed training modules against the program that are being used in projects in Egypt, Ukraine, Chile, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Russia, Kazahkstan, Zambia and Malaysia among others. Many of these projects are ventures between buying companies, international organizations, governments and training providers, which speaks to the global collaboration at the heart of GFSI.


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Sometimes trouble comes from every direction in our lives and it feels like we just can't escape it. It's as if every road you turn down is a dead end and you just can't win. You may go through great lengths to try a new treatment plan, but it fails to work. Or maybe you drive all the way to your doctor appointment and … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2017
Learn Their Story
When you look at a person, really look at them. Look into their eyes and learn their story. See the pain they have felt, the tears they have cried, the brokenness they have endured. See the spark in their eyes, the light that shines through them, and the bravery they have built up. Notice the survivor standing in front of … [Read more...]
Celebrate Yourself
Whatever you do, however you feel, make sure you are proud of yourself today and every day. You have gone through things that were meant to tear you down, but have only lifted you up higher and made you stronger. You have encouraged, inspired and motivated others around you to keep fighting and stay strong through their own … [Read more...]
An Imperfectly Perfect Life
Life does not need to be perfect to be wonderful. In fact, life is not going to be perfect, but it's what you make of it. Things will go wrong; You will be caught off guard by life's twists and turns. You'll have ups and downs, but you'll have no choice but to go through it, grow and learn from it. You can choose to rise … [Read more...]
Let Your Worries Expire
When did worrying about something make you happier? When did worrying cause you an overabundant amount of joy? It hasn't and it won't. Worry is the killer of dreams and a poison to our soul. Worry makes a positive view impossible to even the most optimistic eyes. When we receive bad news from a medical report, we worry … [Read more...]
Emotional Rollercoaster
The emotional state you face when being chronically ill is a rollercoaster. Some days you may feel you can handle the whole "being sick for life" thing and everything that comes along with it; the unpredictability, the losses, the changes, the pain and suffering, knowing that it has all shaped you into the person you are … [Read more...]


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Saab Enters Rescue Deal Talks With Additional Chinese Investors
The drama continues for Saab, as Automotive News reports that owner Swedish Automobile announced it was discussing a rescue deal with yet another Chinese player - this time a bank in China. The talks between Saab, Zhejiang Youngman Lotus, and an as yet unnamed Chinese bank would reportedly see both investing parties taking partial ownership of the Swedish automaker.
Though it was originally reported by media outlets that the Bank of China would replace former investor Pang Da Automobile Trade Co, Swedish Automobile CEO Victor Muller told a Swedish news agency today that is not the case. The company did confirm that it's discussing a new deal with Youngman Lotus and a bank in China about an equity interest, but Muller declined to name said bank. The company also declined to say whether Pang Da was still involved in the talks.
"The discussions include a short-term solution to enable Saab Automobile to pay November wages and continue reorganization. The outcome of the discussions is still uncertain," the company said in a prepared statement.
If you haven't been following along with Saab's story, the brand's sale to Chinese automakers Pang Da and Youngman Lotus was effectively blocked last month by General Motors, which still has a preferred stake in Saab. Since then, GM execs reportedly held talks in Detroit with a court-appointed administrator representing Saab. A report from China Business News says that GM asked Pang Da and Youngman to take a stake in Saab, but no larger than 20 percent each. In the previous plan, the two Chinese automakers sought to take complete ownership of Saab. Prior to that, the deal on the table was a combined 53.9 percent in Swedish Automobile between the two, with no stake in Saab.
It's unclear whether the recent involvement of an unnamed Chinese bank will change GM's position on Saab's sale, with intellectual property concerns and potential competition with its Chinese-market endeavors still at the top of GM's mind, but the new deal could satisfy the American automaker's requirements and gain approval if sufficiently revised. For now though, the talks are still ongoing, and Saab lives to fight another day under court protection from bankruptcy.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)


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March 13th:
Steve and I flew to London, walked miles through Heathrow airport carrying our luggage that we needed for this two month trek through Europe. Yes, we are off again thanks to Steve's sabbatical and his lecturing in 13 different European cities. I continue to be a fortunate woman who is lucky enough to be married to a man who is an expert at marketing his skills. Yay for me!
We then flew from London to Oslo. So far stress free if you don't count countless hours of travel breathing in fetid airplane air, being seated next to the plane's bathroom (light on, light off, door slams) and constantly rewinding a scene in my head with Elaine from a Seinfeld episode. We survived and still smiled.
In Oslo we had to get a train to Tonsberg, Norway where Steve will present at a journalism conference. We loaded our 4+ bags and settled in for our two hour train ride when the conductor came on and rattled off something in Norwegian. We thought he was just announcing a stop, but everyone got up and started to get off the train. We sat. A sweet Norwegian woman told us that we ALL had to get off the train and get on buses because there was a problem on the tracks. Clearly this happened often because no one complained. (okay...Steve and I sighed a bit.) We hauled our baggage outside and waited for the bus. Did I mention it was 18 degrees. Oh yes...and it was snowing. This is Norway. Brrrrrrr. (I heard it was 92 degrees today in Phoenix, but a dry heat!)
The bus traveled for close to 30 minutes only to take us to a waiting train that would finally take us to our destination. When we reached our stop in Tonsberg, the conductor announced over the loud speaker that he hoped his American passengers (the Doigs) enjoyed Norway...and to be sure to get off on the right side of the train. Everyone laughed. The Norwegian people are wonderfully nice to Americans.
We arrived at the conference hotel looking quite frightful after 36 hours of travel. We got there in time to join 50 plus people for dinner in a small room with very loud people. We had an incredible dinner (slices of rare roast beef with cherry tomatoes for an appetizer, cod over a pumpkin puree for our main course, and a creme brulee for dessert, and of course, copious wine) and great conversation, although I was afraid at any moment my head would fall in my plate from sheer exhaustion. I dreamed of my bed!
I slept for 12 glorious hours and woke to find a steaming cup of kaffee creme beside the bed. (oh, thank you Steve!). I quickly (okay...slowly) got dressed and Steve and I headed out for the snowy covered streets. He was careful to tell me every five minutes to hold on tight so I wouldn't slip on ice patches. Hmmm, it was Steve that managed to slip twice. Good he was holding on to me :) The weather was brisk and beautiful and Tonsberg, although not the most picturesque town in Norway, is very nice.
|the town square
Among the few sights is a whaling museum and a fortress close to the hotel. The ruins of the old fortress lies on a hill in the middle of the town. You can get a marvelous panoramic view of Tønsberg and its surroundings, and walk among ruins from the Viking era.
|Tonsberg Fortress
However, the purpose of our walk was to find the local bakery and coffee shop. We succeeded! There was no way I would leave without sampling a Norwegian pastry!
Steve chose something that looked like a lemon doughnut frosted with a dusting of coconut flakes and powdered sugar. I opted for a hazelnut, raisin wheat roll with my kaffee. Both were yummy!
Of course, there is ALWAYS a MacDonalds to be found wherever in the world we go. I am only posting this picture for my wonderful friend Bonnie, who can never travel anywhere in the world without eating at this establishment!
Tonight we a nice dinner with Jim Steele (from Barlett and Steele), who is an extremely accomplished investigative journalist and author and David Smallman (attorney for Investigative reporters and editors, attorney for Valerie Plame from the CIA, writer and producer of documentaries) They were on a fascinating panel tonight speaking about the government's mistakes, manipulations and lies leading up to our involvement in the Iraq War. Everyone should check out the link!
Our dinner and conversation was spectacular. We ate at a restaurant called Becks and ate some orgasmic seafood dinner with fabulous wine.
Our dinner and conversation was spectacular. We ate at a restaurant called Becks and ate some orgasmic seafood dinner with fabulous wine.
|our restaurant
|Three of us had this incredible seafood feast in a creamy sauce
|a wonderful Chardonnay, pinot grigio blend from Italy
|David Smallman, Ellyn, Steve, Jim Steele
All in all, a fantastic evening!
Tomorrow Steve does two talks and then we are off to the Oslo airport and on to Paris!!!!!!!


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Joy Behar of ABC's "The View," is accusing President Trump of committing "treason" at the Helsinki summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
When discussing Trump's tweet which claims the writer of the controversial New York Times op-ed was being treasonous, Behar stated, "He's the one who committed treason in Helsinki. He's the one who committed treason."
She added, "You know, this is similar to Nixon, who was very paranoid at the end. He was talking to paintings of previous presidents. I don't know if you remember this, he was speaking to portraits, okay? 'They're all against me.' He had an enemies list. Very similar, this is deja vu all over again for anybody that remembers Watergate. And you know, he had an enemies list, which I didn't make that time, but I'm on this one."


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New video! Here's the official blurb:
Guante & Katrah-Quey's "Our Relationship is a Slowly Gentrifying Neighborhood" features singer (and constant presence at Twin Cities rallies and marches) Jayanthi Kyle lamenting the deeply personal loss of something that used to mean something. While using the standard structure of a love song, the track attempts to explore the human side of an issue that, for too many, is an abstraction, or "someone else's problem," if it's considered a problem at all.
The song exemplifies the philosophy of "Post-Post-Race," an album attempting to grapple with issues of race, racism and solidarity by pushing beyond platitudes and asking deeper, more challenging questions. Over Katrah-Quey's lush, vibrant production, Guante (along with an impressive roster of guests) reaches for root causes, explores his own complicity in the system, and tries to find pathways to action.
The full album is available here
(a portion of the proceeds benefits Twin Cities youth arts/activism organization TruArtSpeaks).
The video is directed by E.G. Bailey, fresh off appearances at the Tampere Film Festival, Riga International Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival, where his short film, "New Neighbors," was selected from tens of thousands of entries. Bailey (along with co-producer Sha Cage) was also responsible for Guante's move to Minneapolis back in 2007, so this video represents coming full-circle, and affirming that community comes first. Full credits:
- Director: E.G. Bailey
- Cinematographer: Anton Shavlik
- Producers: E.G.Bailey & Sha Cage
- Editors: E.G. Bailey & Anton Shavlik
- Costume Design: Trevor Bowen
- First Assistant Director: Sha Cage
- First Assistant Camera: Casey Bargsten
- Production Assistant: Autumn Compton
- Colorist: Anton Shavlik
- Storyboard Artist: Cecilia Hsu
- Titles: Eroll Bilibani
- a Freeztyle film


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iPod Shuffle: The Trumpet Child
I've been meaning to start doing posts about music I'm listening to, music that makes up the soundtrack to my life and music that has a story attached. While musing about this, I got together with a good friend this past week for a listening party and mentioned that I'd really been gravitating toward The Trumpet Child, Over the Rhine's 10th studio album. "Me too," she said. As I mentioned a few titles of songs that were high on my list, she found that those were the same ones she was drawn to. This was too good an opportunity to miss, so, without further ado, I give you the first edition of "iPod Shuffle." I fell in love with the Trumpet Child in concert, on the tour for that album. I was a recently converted Over the Rhine fan at the time, and I wasn't sure what to expect from a live show, though I'd heard that they were even better than their studio albums (which made me cry on a regular basis and started taking up all the spare room in my ears). I think the first song they did was "I'm On a Roll" which was dedicated to their sound tech. That song cheers me up on a hard day, boosts me further on a good day and makes me smile the way my knee high boots do.
"Trouble" gives me the same sort of vibe. I love the smoky, flirtacious feel of the song, almost like you're in a little Southern bar in the Golden Age.
"Entertaining Thoughts", "Let's Spend the Day in Bed","Desperate For Love", "Nothing is Innocent" and "Who'm I Kiddin' But Me?" are some of my other highlights on this album filled with sass, unashamed romance, charisma and sophistication. This record is unlike their other recordings (Keisha and I think it's because of the jazzy feel) but still sounds like Over the Rhine. Whether you're new to them or rediscovering an old friend, give The Trumpet Child another listen.
I think you'll be glad you did.


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Thank you for contacting me about the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. This was debated in the Commons last week, a debate in which I took an active role.
CETA, which provisionally came into force in September 2017, has removed 98% of tariffs and other barriers which British businesses face at the border, when trading and investing in Canada. What is more, estimates suggest that the agreement will, per annum, increase British exports to Canada by £676 million and boost UK GDP by £730 million. This is a boost for our industries, jobs and growth.
The Investor Court System (ICS) protects investors, both large and small, from discriminatory or unfair treatment by a state. The EU has not yet formalised the detail of how the ICS will work and it is not yet in force. The UK Government, in developing an independent trade policy for when we leave the European Union, is looking at a variety of investor state dispute systems which will form the basis of the UK's own investor protection model. A dispute system will protect UK businesses trading in Canada as well as Canadian businesses trading in the UK. The UK has such provisions in over 90 agreements already in place between the UK and other countries, and there has never been a successful investor state dispute settlement claim against the UK, nor have potential claims affected the Government's legislative programme.
I know that the Government is absolutely committed to protecting the NHS (I referenced this in the debate). There is nothing in CETA that will put the NHS at risk. CETA specifically protects the Government's right to regulate and this includes the UK's public health sector. The NHS is protected by specific exemptions in all EU trade agreements, including CETA. As we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that rigorous protections for the NHS are included in all trade agreements it is party to.
Likewise, CETA does not weaken EU environmental standards, nor hold back action on climate change. CETA protects the right of the parties to regulate and would not prevent either side from introducing new environmental and low carbon legislation in order to achieve environmental goals. It specifically prohibits parties from waiving or derogating environmental laws to encourage trade and investment.
Finally, on parliamentary scrutiny, the Government has made absolutely clear that Parliament will have a vital role to play in our future trade policy. The Department for International Trade's White Paper committed to ensuring scrutiny and engagement that is inclusive, meaningful and transparent, and I look forward to scrutinising trade deals as they come before Parliament in the coming years.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.


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Games date
31 January - 8 February 2015
Number of sport categories
9 sports
Number of participants
Québec City hosted one of the largest winter sport events in the world during the second edition of the Winter World Masters Games from 31 January to 8 February 2015. With nine official sports on the programme, the 2015 Winter World Masters Games fulfilled the of excitement of 1500 athletes from 20 countries.
Below, you will find all results sorted by sports to be downloaded to keep a record of your achievements or those of your friends.
Below, you fill find a selection of photos taken during the event. Follow the links to access and download all pictures and videos.
The pictures are sorted by events and sports.
Below, you can download final reports and/or economic impact reports to get a better understanding of the event or find key numbers and figures.
Below, you can download press releases and newsletters from the event.


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- Options
- Detail Images
Item # BCC00DEItem # BCC00DE
Arcylon Long-Sleeve Jersey
The Backcountry Arcylon Long-Sleeve Jersey is named for an iconic trail in the Wasatch that features the drops, jumps, and berms to put it in the books among our favorites in the area. This jersey was created with input from some of the top designers in the industry, and built with feedback from our employee riders to create a functional, comfortable piece that looks as good as it performs.
The Arcylon features a synthetic material that wicks away perspiration and dries quickly to ensure you stay comfortable throughout warm climbs, while four-way stretch construction helps you maintain the mobility needed to float around berms and maneuver through rock gardens. The long sleeves are fitted, minimizing excess fabric that leads to bunching while providing plenty of coverage to protect your skin against overgrowth and spills. Silicone dots secure the hem so even in your most aggressive stance you don't have to worry about losing coverage. An integrated sunglasses wipe helps you keep your lenses clear so you can prepare for the next feature, and the jersey has sublimated print that keep you looking sharp while you execute it.
- Long-sleeve jersey for adventures on singletrack
- Synthetic material wicks away sweat and dries quickly
- Underarm panels increase airflow to keep you cool
- Four-way stretch construction ensures you can move freely
- Silicone grippers keep the hem from riding up
- Polygiene technology resists the buildup of odors
- Integrated sunglass wipe keeps your vision clear
View more Women's Long Sleeve Mountain Bike Jerseys
Reviews & Community
Great long sleeve
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
- Fit: True to size
I got this long sleeve for my wife. She really wanted a longer jersey to keep from getting scratched up on the steeper rides. her elbow pads fit nicely underneath. Its looks great on her.


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Sunday, August 9, 2015
I Need to Take Cooking Classes
Some of them I would rather not repeat. Others were the simple "move out of the basement" insults that people often throw around to make themselves feel better about their own personal situations. Then there is the "you don't understand because you are an elitist" while in the same post I had someone else tell me "you don't understand because you are a scrub". How I can be both bad and good is interesting, but actually fits perfectly because I have always called myself the average player.
I've had a fair deal of disagreements over the years and usually they end up with a debate where I am too bullheaded to change my mind and the other person is just the same and we agree to disagree. Sometimes I have been wrong and admitted it, sometimes I was right and did not gloat. Either way, it is the conversation that always fueled my passion to respond to the people that post here. For better or worse, this is a tiny little community of its own here in grumpyland.
Bottom line is that anyone who disagrees with your opinion and does not want to exchange intelligent conversation about it is going to come up with some sort of way to make themselves feel better and usually that is done with an insult. Insults do not need to be true, they just need to be said in a way that the person intends for them to be hurtful to another. They throw those insults because for some odd reason me stating an opinion that differs from their own is taken as an insult to them and they feel the need to fire back because my post insulted them by disagreeing with their opinion.
As I am the "grumpy" elf I make it a habit of writing posts that play to my character, grumpy, and as such a lot of those topics end up pissing in someones cheerios. Like the topics with flying that had a lot of anger flowing in some replies. So people disagreeing with my opinion is not anything out of the ordinary.
But in all my years of writing this blog, and the many years before it writing other things online, never has anyone said something that actually make me laugh that I am sure was intended to insult me. I was told I need to take cooking classes because they disagreed with my opinion. Not exactly sure how "you should take a cooking class" is an insult, but it was funny.
Now please tell me I am not the only one that finds that to be funny?
8 comments:
well, I truly hope anything I have said over the years has not been disrespectful. Sometimes I do throw that "elitist" badge (but you are as you see things from a raiders point of view 99% of the time) out :) And a damned good raider too, I must add. And one of the best players I know, well, read about anyway.ReplyDelete
Between you, Anon your former guild leader, Jaeger, Tig, and a host of others, I can see your viewpoints, and I do learn. Hell, it seems I am having to re-learn every other day, but that is besides the point.
From the title I thought you were yakking about a super duper new way of leveling one's cooking from 0 to 700
-roo I can make toast!Replies
Classifications get thrown around all the time. It is almost natural. Anyone more advanced than you is an elitist, anyone less advanced is bad. It is just the nature of the game.Delete
Cooking, like everything now this expansion, is easy to level. Just get crescent saberfish and go from one to 600 and then mix and match stuff to 700. They ruined all professions this expansion.
Wouldn't have you any other way Grumpy :)ReplyDeleteReplies
It was a classic line.Delete
- AnonymousAugust 11, 2015 at 7:57 PM
Oh, the community of dungeon finder suprises me each time! I'm the commenter back from the post where you mentioned your old once-raider friend. Due to me playing either tank or healer (I'm a glutton for punishment, obviously.) and being a bit slow, I have received some really spectacular insults ranging from "You tank like a chick." (But... I AM a chick.) to "Go milk a cow." which just left me baffled.ReplyDelete
My favourite one has to be the guy who, after I asked him to please stop pulling everything, told me that my mother's money was well-spent because I sure do speak English better than I tank. Thank you?Replies
I got a laugh out of the "you tank like a chick" one. You should have said, thank you. lolDelete
Some people come up with weird things intended to insult. Go milk a cow is a good one, that has to be up there with the get cooking lessons for being really confusing.
my things have been like "how in the hell did you get silver", "You suck", and my favorite was "why did you guys rush thru this, you locked out Tamhais who is better than all of us!" (ROTLK, in one of the first dungeons, where you run this long path and when you activate the boss, a web goes up all around, not letting you leave or anyone in) (they all the died so when we did it a 2nd time, I was there and we all lived. go figure)ReplyDeleteReplies
Have to love those tanks that pull everything super fast and do not let people catch up. When I heal and see a tank like that I tell them, I stop to loot. If you run ahead without me and die, that is your problem, not mine.Delete


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Matthew Morrison, the versatile Tony, Emmy, and 2x Golden-Globe nominated actor/singer, will be joined by a top-flight jazz band, as he performs an evening of standards and favourites. An artist which The New YorkTimes calls "a hard-driving musical frontiersman".
Matthew will take the audience through a career retrospective as he performs selections from his past productions, including Glee, Hairspray, Finding Neverland, South Pacific, Light In The Piazza and more.
On coming to London, Matthew said "London holds a very special place in my heart. It's a city I love exploring and drawing inspiration from. There's a sense of nostalgia and longing that this city brings to me, and a lot of the music I'll be performing holds that same sentiment. To perform at such a place as the Hippodrome, where greats like Sinatra and Judy Garland graced the stage, is truly a career highlight that I look forward to sharing with those in attendance".
Hippodrome CASINO
The concert room will be set out in unreserved theatre style seating, each show is limited to an audience size of 200 people.
Clicking below will take you to the Hippodrome website to purchase tickets - please check carefully the show date and time. Also strictly over 18s only. Our over 18's policy is here
Hippodrome Casino, nearest tube Leicester Square


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Surviving Identity Theft
Recovering from identity theft can be frustrating, complicated, and tiring. You may experience anger, fear and helplessness. These are normal reactions for people impacted by crime. Your recovery may be further complicated if the perpetrator is a family member or if you are also in the process of recovering from other violent traumas. Our advocates are here to help.
The following are initial steps for you to consider if you suspect your personal information could be compromised. Because these are very basic steps and do not cover all ways an identity theft could occur, we encourage you to contact an NVRDC advocate for further assistance as needed.
Step 1: Call the companies where you know fraud occurred.
- Ask for the fraud department. Explain that someone stole your identity.
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- Follow up in writing. Ask the company to send you their fraud dispute forms. If the company doesn't have special forms, use the Sample Letter To Company Disputing Charge For Existing Account to dispute the fraudulent charges or debits.
- Include a copy of any billing statement you have marked to show the inaccurate information.
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Step 2: Place a Fraud Alert and Get a Copy of Your Credit Reports
- Place a free, 90 day fraud alert by contacting one of the three credit bureaus below.
- It may also make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. When you have an alert on your report, a business must verify your identity before it issues new credit in your name.
- Experian.com/fraud
- 1-888-397-3742
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- Get your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Go to annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. Did you already order your free annual reports this year? If so, you can pay to get your report immediately. Or follow the instructions in the fraud alert confirmation letter from each credit bureau to get a free report. Please know that might take longer.
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Step 3: Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.
- Complete the online form or call 1-877-438-4338. This form + your police report will create what is known as an "Identity Theft Report," which is important in asserting your rights as a victim of identity theft. More about this is in the next step.
Step 4: File a report with police.
- Report the crime to the Metropolitan Police Department. In DC, Maryland, and Virginia, you are entitled to file a police report in the area in which you live. This means you do not have to travel to the area where the crime occurred to file a report in cases of identity theft.
- When you make a report, have ready:
o a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit
o a government-issued ID with a photo
o proof of your address (mortgage statement, rental agreement, or utilities bill)
o any other proof you have of the theft (bills, IRS notices, etc.)
o FTC's Memo to Law Enforcement
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Please contact us if you need additional support in your recovery.


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Here's a tweet from @AP: AP PHOTO: Petraeus biographer Broadwell, whom FBI probe finds carried on affair with CIA chief, officials say
Whom, of course, should be who; the pronoun is the subject of the clause in which carried on is the phrasal verb: "FBI probe finds [that] she carried on an affair with CIA chief," to use the old reliable pronoun-substitution method of working the syntax out.
Sentences like this with interpolated attribution and and understood that are often the occasion for journalists, and civilians as well, to mistake a subject for an object. They are also an example of how native speakers are losing their grip on the who/whom distinction.
For anything but formal academic or legal contexts, it's worthwhile to ponder just giving up on whom. Journalism in particular now aims to be conversational, and who as either subject or object is increasingly well established in conversation, and it doesn't appear to confuse anyone.
It might get us both drummed out of the Sticklers Club, but, frankly, some of the members have grown a bit frowzy.


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Last months mass shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood left Republicans in a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, they dont want to take ownership of the shooter, but on the other, they cant stop focusing on one of the few issues they have: the war on women.
Since the shooting, most Republicans have tried distancing themselves from the shooter. Ted Cruz even said he was a transgendered leftist activist. He wasnt and isnt. He was a right-wing gun nut who talked about baby parts as he was setting down his gun.
This is a sure sign that he was reacting to the falsified video of Planned Parenthood supposedly selling baby parts and of Republican politicians rhetoric surrounding it.
One lawmaker in Colorado isnt even trying to distance the video from the shooting and the shooter. Adams County state Rep. JoAnn Windholz flat out blamed the reproductive health care provider. From Raw Story:
Violence is never the answer, but we must start pointing out who is the real culprit. The true instigator of this violence and all violence at any Planned Parenthood facility is Planned Parenthood themselves. Violence begets violence. So Planned Parenthood: YOU STOP THE VIOLENCE INSIDE YOUR WALLS.
Planned Parenthood has no shame. These facts and overall mission of the abortion industry would easily send anyone over the hill who wasnt rational.
When a violent act happens at a Planned Parenthood facility, the left goes on auto-pilot blaming everyone in sight when they should be looking in a mirror.
This type of rhetoric is nothing new for Republicans. If the media really had any courage, they would be calling it out for what it is: stochastic terrorism:
Stochastic terrorism is the use of mass communications to incite random actors to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable. In short, remote-control murder by lone wolf.
In other words, we already know that there are a number of lone wolf crazy people who are just waiting for an excuse to grab their guns and blast away and Republicans are all too willing to give them that excuse. No one is suggesting that most anti-choice people are violent, but when enough of them are using words like murder to describe abortion it becomes irresponsible and dangerous. Its terrorism.
Featured image via JoannWindholz.com


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The cookie cutter jumperskirt designs, the same recurring color palettes, the routinely accepted outfit coordinations, and the disdain for new ideas. I no longer wanted to participate in a niche fashion that would not let me express myself to the fullest. I wanted more choices, variety, and to be myself not a clone. I find the most enjoyment from my outfits when everything is not from a preplanned matching set.
I will no longer have limited clothing choices. The only fashion I am following is my own. The only fashion rules are the ones that I make. Brand labels will no longer dictate if my ensemble is first rate. It's exhilarating and frightening to separate from the crowd. But as I said previously, after ten years it is time to move on. I feel nostalgic as I sort through my closet, but I know my future wardrobe will be even better.
My current goals are to:
❤ Work on defining my style.
I loved the lifestyle, elegance, and sweetness of lolita. I love the sophistication, femininity, and simplicity of ulzzang and some korean fashion. I love the adorable accessories and playfulness of himegyaru. I love the pastel hues of sweet gyaru. My new style choices will include a mixture of these elements. I want a life of pearls, bow accessories, rose deco nails, feminine heels, pastel clothes, and adorable eye make-up. I am no longer limiting my fashion choices to one classification label. And there will no longer be a separation between my in-style fashion and any lackadaisical fashion days.
❤ Wear clothes that fit my body, not adjusting my body to fit the clothes.
One of the major issues I experienced with lolita, is the fact that I am 9 or more inches taller than the marketed target group. I am also very plus sized. I was displeased with the limited selection of brand items that were available in my size. I refuse to using binders or slouching to make the clothes fit to my measurements. I will focus on weightloss only to become healthier and not because it will also allow a skirt to fit more comfortably.
❤ "Fashion changes, but style endures." ― Coco Chanel
Following my own style allows me to leave all the trends and fads behind. I will only focus on the trends I truly like and be less compelled to buy into the ones that I will ignore after a few months. I will be able to fully enjoy my style without feeling a season behind everyone because of the presence or lack of a certain article or accessory. Besides I want to develop a style I will love for a very long time, if not for the rest of my life.
❤ "Never step out of the house wearing something U wouldn't want to be photographed in." ― RuPaul
Never again will I have to awkwardly try to explain my clothing choices to others. I will no longer have to worry if friends or family members feel embarrassed to be near me in public. Contemplating if a certain print or dress pattern would be too juvenile will no longer be an issue. Since there will be no distinct difference between my in and out of fashion wardrobe there should never be a moment when I am embarrassed by my clothing choices. I want to take more pictures and I think a wardrobe change will definitely make be feel more confident.
I wish everyone luck with their clothing adventures as well.
image from: Day to Be You