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HighlightsQuito | Galapagos Islands | Lima | Amazon Jungle | Cuzco | Sacred Valley | Inca Trail or Quarry Trail | Machu Picchu | Lake Titicaca homestay
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? email@example.com
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Small group adventureWhat is a small group adventure?
It's a great way to travel! Whether you are traveling on your own, with a partner or with friends, a small group trip is a fantastic way to see the world. You'll travel on a fixed itinerary that has been designed to help you discover the best of region. From the known highlights, the hidden gems that you won't find in the guidebooks.
Itineraries run on set departure dates, accompanied every step of the way by an English speaking local group leader. You chose the itinerary and the date that suits you best and you book on.
Why travel on a small group adventure?
Small groups allow us to explore where larger tour groups can't. Our maximum group size of 16 travelers allows us to use local transport to get from A to B, to visit rural villages, spend time with the locals and even stay at a local home overnight, and it allows us to give our travelers genuine, real life experiences of the countries we are visiting; what you'll be doing and how you'll travel depends entirely on your chosen itinerary.
Is an adventure right for me?
The word adventure means something different to everyone, and our range of trips reflects that. Whether you want to explore local markets, visit out of the way temples and meet local people or go on an early morning safari drive searching for the 'big five', we'll have a trip for you. If you are looking for a physical challenge such trekking the Kokoda Track or summiting Kilimanjaro, we can help with that too.
So what can I expect on this trip?
This is a classic style of small group adventure. You'll find your trip combines a good mix of included activities and free time, with some meals included as per your itinerary. We don't want you to feel chaperoned, it's your vacation not ours. Your group leader will be on hand to assist with organising anything you might wish to do in your free time, but how you spend it is up to you. Anything listed as included in your itinerary will be included in trip price; whereas anything listed as optional will be at an additional cost should you wish to take part.
These trips are great value, including things that you would struggle to organise independently, such as a night at a homestay in a remote village, or local guides around a remote place of interest. Transport will be a combination of private vehicle and public transport, whichever is the most appropriate for the route we are traveling; this might include train, plane, camel, tuk tuk, bicycle, boat
On a majority of these trips you'll stay in 2-3 star accommodation, locally owned and reflective of the region you are traveling through. All solo travelers will be automatically roomed on a twin share basis with another group member of the same sex, unless you opt to pay for your own room at time of booking. There are no compulsory single supplements for solo travelers willing to share. Single rooms aren't available on camping trips, and you will be expected to help out with camp tasks such as setting up and breaking down your camp.
Can I book my flights with you?
Yes! We are a fully ATOL bonded tour operator meaning that we can book flights from the UK as part of your vacation package. Just ask us for a quote including flights when you make your inquiry.
Responsible tourism
Galapagos, Bolivia and Peru tour
Carbon reduction
Your vacation will help support local people and conservation. We must also reduce CO2. Learn about the CO2 emissions of this vacation and how to reduce them.
The very ethos of our style of travel is responsible; small groups on fully escorted tours, experiencing the very best of a region, a culture and a landscape, with a friendly local hand guiding the way. Our itineraries are designed to give our travelers real life experiences without compromising the part of the world we are exploring; to travel responsibly is at the heart of our commitment as a global tour operator.
This trip to the Galapagos and onto the highlights of Peru has been designed to run with minimal impact on the regions we are visiting and to ensure that any effect our trip does have on the region is positive. We want our travelers to engage and interact with communities (during our stop en route to Ollantaytambo for example), not change them and we do everything we can to ensure that the financial benefits from our travels find their way to local businesses and community initiatives, rather than larger corporations.
Our staff on the ground are all recruited locally, from your group leaders who will accompany each leg of your trip, to the porters who will support and assist you should you opt to trek the Inca Trail. In the jungle we have additional local guides accompany us who are experts in the local flora and fauna as well as traditional medicinal uses, and your guide on the Galapagos will be a qualified Naturalist trained by the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park.
In the jungle we stay at an eco friendly lodge which combines low impact architecture with the traditional native style. The group will overnight in traditional family homes on Lake Titicaca, spending time with our host families and maybe picking up some of the local language, Quecha while learning about daily life. On the whole our accommodations will be in smaller, locally owned properties, always reflective of the local style. Camping will be basic for those trekking to Machu Picchu.
On the Galapagos Islands we support the work of The Galapagos Conservancy, the largest source of private support for conservation efforts in the region. The 11,000 Friends of Galapagos are individuals and institutions who care deeply about the Galapagos Islands, and understand the scientific importance of preserving this one-of-a-kind ecosystem. Funds raised by the Galapagos Conservancy support the core operations of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) which will be visited on Isla Santa Cruz. In Peru we recommend a visiting two eateries that donate their profits to great causes. Hearts Café in Ollantaytambo donates its profits to Living Heart (a project we support) and raises awareness of the plight of impoverished Andean communities above the Sacred Valley. We also recommend Yanapay restaurant in Cusco which uses all its profits to support children in Cuzco through an organisation called Aldea Yanapay and its social projects.
Throughout your trip you will be encouraged to take steps to ensure that your journey is as environmentally responsible as possible. We encourage all travelers to be respectful of their environment at all times and follow their leaders instruction with regard to interacting with the wildlife on the Galapagos and when venturing into the Amazon, stick to the marked trails.
Your group leader will be on hand to assist with the appropriate disposal of rubbish en route, recycling wherever possible. There are no recycling facilities on Isabela Island, so we ask that plastic rubbish is taken with the group when we leave. On similar lines, group members are encouraged during the trip to use refillable water bottles with purification tablets rather than contributing to the rapidly escalating problem caused by the copious number of plastic bottles discarded globally on a daily basis.
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Emmert International's success in providing services in the Oil, Gas, and Chemical (OGC) markets is attributed to our world-class innovation and safety. On the ground our field personnel are known industry-wide for exceptional planning and the safe execution of projects required to work in some of the most hazardous conditions.
Emmert International has been designing and implementing engineered transportation and heavy rigging systems for the OGC industries for generations. Our integrated manufacturer-to-rough-set approach has enabled us to move some of the largest equipment, from supplier to foundation. Our dedicated and professional management, logistics personnel, and responsive safe crews have exceeded deadlines during the most critical equipment change-outs and shutdowns, resulting in significant savings to our customers. Emmert International has successfully completed projects for numerous OGC companies, earning the respect and repeat business of our clients.
Safety and reliability are a must when providing engineered transportation and heavy rigging services. Over the years Emmert International has proven to be an innovative leader in safety and reliability. Our reputation is backed by proven performance that has earned us the repeat business of the nation's largest OGC companies.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you hear hooves behind you, don't turn around and expect to find a zebra. It's an old adage, essentially meaning that common diseases are common and rare diseases are rare.
But if you're a medical professional working in the field of rare diseases, the zebra is exactly what you want to find.
When diagnosing a patient who is 'tired all the time', you might first think of anaemia, or low mood, stress, or hypothyroidism. The list of common causes is very long. But what if the diagnosis is none of these? What if the case is particularly difficult? How does the medical professional hunt down the zebra?
FindZebra is a search engine for rare diseases – and carries a warning that it is a research project only to be used by medical professionals. "Rare diseases are especially difficult to diagnose and this online medical search engines comes in support of medical personnel looking for diagnostic hypotheses," says the FindZebra website.
If I consult Dr. Google about being tired all the time, this brings up the common causes. But a search for tired all the time on FindZebra brings up some rather more obscure examples. Alexion's stomping ground of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria is first, followed by idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis, and Legg-Calve-Perthes syndrome a bit further down the list. The search engine indexes over 31,000 documents covering rare diseases, and gives the professional information about the disease and a link to further information. It's a very clever idea, and could indeed be very helpful "when the equine turns out to be a zebra."
Do you think this search engine a useful tool that will make the diagnosis of rare diseases easier, or is it just a hypochondriac's nightmare?


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You hear all the stories about finding your passion. Yes, me too. Then one day as I worked on a project for a large company I realized that the best part of that project was spent building simple experiences, fun gatherings, weekend workshops, sharing business strategies and helping each other learn how to use the tools in their small businesses and blogs. It was the one job I wasn't hired to do on that project, yet it was the one that brought joy simply by solving the problems at hand. The problem I keep facing is one that I believe many women face…how so many smart women are clever about the needs of their loved ones, work, and even neighbors…but clueless on how to be good to themselves. I love gathering women to share time creating together. Sometimes its something as simple as a craft, other times its gathering for conversations and lifelines together. We all have so much to share, I wanted to be intentional in as the my 2014 year of allowing comes to a close to create a space in my life, in my practices, to share with others….to throw caution to the wind and dare whimsy…to find time to live in that space of fellowship and expectancy of the joy of gathering friends.
A life long learner and educator, Dare Whimsy is my indulgence of activities I love to do with fabulously gifted women who share, care and teach each other as we share life! Gathering women and daughters puts a smile on my heart. It's a joy to keep working with people as a strategist creating solutions for their business or project needs, but personally I want more…more fun, more fellowship, more flights of fancy that can be done on a frugal budget. As a wife, mother, stepmother and woman who owns a business or three, I know the value of fellowship, of sanity found by the insanity shared and the joy of laughter among friends near and far. The writers here range from East coast to the West, from young twenty year olds to young at heart fabulous fifty and splendidly sixty year old gals, the wealth of every age is valued here.


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The turquoise killifish is largely unremarkable except for how fast it ages . In just three months, it goes from a spry, young fish (left) to a decrepit, old one (right). For scientists who study aging, the turquoise killifish could be the key to their future experiments.
An interesting read via Gizmodo


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Phone Consultation
We offer phone consultations for those who have a dog with a behavior or training problem, but cannot work with us in person due to distance or logistical constraints. Our consultants have extensive knowledge and hands-on experience with dog training and dog behavior problems. Phone consultations with our expert consultants are an effective tool in getting help for you and your dog.
Here are some of the many behavior problems that we can help with via phone:
- aggression (toward people, dogs or other animals)
- anxiety (separation or generalized)
- sound phobias (thunderstorm, etc.)
- new puppy concerns
- destructiveness
- house training
- crate training
Phone consultations are typically around one hour in length and are $95/hour pro-rated. Please call our office at (608) 277-1339 or send an email to Aimee Moore.


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Here's a question for you. Can you remember the first vehicle that you drove? Or if you grew up on a farm, do you remember the first tractor that you drove?
For me, my first vehicle was a truck. A 1982 Datsun extended cab truck to be exact. Automatic on the floor, four cylinder asperated engine, the truck was silver with a black hood and roof. No air conditioning, just the heater that had to be worked on a couple of times. I don't think Mom was thrilled that I picked a truck as my first ride. Guess that's the "tomboy" in me. I never did care for driving a car. To this day, I prefer trucks over cars.
The first tractor that I drove was my grandpa's Massey Ferguson 165. It's the same tractor that sits in the shed today. It still amazes me that this tractor and I have come this far in life. How many people do you know can honestly say that he or she still has the family tractor?
I'm sure people can relate to the phrase, "I wish I had it back." In a way, I do wish that I had that Datsun back. Datsun isn't made anymore and I'm sure that if I could fix the few rust patches on it and give it a nice new paint job, it would turn a few heads at the local shows. Oh well. Hindsight is always 20/20. Life goes on.
I've always envied those who can afford to restore an antique car or truck. I would love to have one of my own someday. Perhaps something built between 1950 to 1970? Of course, the ones from the 1930s and 1940s are real eye catchers.
Someday is the key word. I hope my life doesn't end before I get to that point. I'm in no hurry to leave this life. For now, I'll have to be content with the memories of my first truck.


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Hi Florent, The NOTICES file has: Copyright (C) 2007-2009 Norman Walsh Portions Copyright (C) 2008, 2009 Mark Logic Corporation Portions Copyright (C) 2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. which does, I believe, apply explicitly apply to Calabash. However, this does conflict slightly with the header that is attached to (most of) the source files, which is: /* * Copyright 2008 Mark Logic Corporation. * Portions Copyright 2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc. * All rights reserved. * * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of either the GNU * General Public License Version 2 only ("GPL") or the Common * Development and Distribution License("CDDL") (collectively, the * "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the * License. You can obtain a copy of the License at * https://xproc.dev.java.net/public/CDDL+GPL.html or * docs/CDDL+GPL.txt in the distribution. See the License for the * specific language governing permissions and limitations under the * License. When distributing the software, include this License Header * Notice in each file and include the License file at docs/CDDL+GPL.txt. */ I believe that Norm's said in the past that Calabash is licensed under CDDL+GPL, which would make the source file header the correct information, and that the "CDDL" part of the license is due to some historic Sun licensing. Inigo > > On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 10:40 AM, Florent Georges <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I am probably looking at the wrong place, but I can't find any >> licensing information for Calabash. The docs/ directory contains >> the GPL.txt and CDDL+GPL.txt files, but it is not clear they >> apply to Calabash itself. >> >> What license is Calabash released under? >> >> Regards, >> >> -- >> Florent Georges >> http://fgeorges.org/ >> >> >Received on Tuesday, 23 November 2010 11:01:04 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:03:07 UTC


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Matchmaking for Beginners was free on Kindle Unlimited and while I had plenty to read, I just needed an unscheduled stop somewhere. This book is an excellent mental palate cleanser- like a sorbet for the mind. That doesn't mean it is forgettable or not worth it. I remember exactly what pineapple sorbet tastes like and I've … Continue reading New Review: Matchmaking for Beginners
Tag: Fiction
New Review: Varina
Book: Varina Author: Charles Frazier Format: audiobook Access: library I listened to Varina as I drove from Alaska to Montana. It was interesting to contemplate the life of the wife and widow of Jefferson Davis as I watch Canadian prairie rolling past my car windows. The conceit of the book is that James Brooks- a man who … Continue reading New Review: Varina
Audiobooks for Kids
My present life involves a lot of driving. Most of that driving involves my children in the car. Since they are 9 and 5, we usually listen to things in the car. I tend to choose words over music, for some reason, and we have a significant list of podcasts (mine and theirs). My children … Continue reading Audiobooks for Kids
New Review: The Great Alone
This review may contain SPOILERS!! You've been warned. I kicked this book down the road for quite a while because it's just not in my usual genres. As an Alaskan, I also have a real fear of reading books that take place in Alaska because of what might be mis-portrayed or annoying in them. The Great … Continue reading New Review: The Great Alone
Bullet Review: Girl in Translation
Read for: Book Club (personal) Read time: 2 days Grade: B For me: engaging read fairly smooth writing style consistent characters (until last 40 pages) information about an experience other than my own close mother and daughter relationship Not- so- much for me: Kim's character focus really seemed to drop in the last chapter … Continue reading Bullet Review: Girl in Translation
New Review: Lincoln in the Bardo
It is unusual for me to read a book of this type (mainstream fiction, well-publicized, unusual structure) in close proximity to its initial release. This just isn't my genre. However, I kept hearing so much about Lincoln in the Bardo in my various podcasts that my curiosity was piqued and I had to look. I did … Continue reading New Review: Lincoln in the Bardo
Bullet Review: Out of Play
I received a free copy of Out of Play by Joy Norstrom from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Liked: lots of humorous moments good secondary characters with their own realistic plot lines the female protagonist is not a fully reliable narrator, but the author fully discloses why- which makes the character continually compelling- even … Continue reading Bullet Review: Out of Play
Commentary: In A World…
Content note: sexual assault I'm recovering from surgery. My inability to concentrate has actually been overcome by being sucked into Shelly Laurenston's Pride Series. Yes, I love a shifter romance with snappy dialogue and excellent world-building. And did I mention strong female characters. That's important. There are VERY strong female characters. I adore the consistency … Continue reading Commentary: In A World…
Commentary: Normalizing
I recently read three books that are entirely unrelated in subject and yet I find myself thinking of them all together. In writing, as with other art forms, authors have the opportunity to normalize behaviors that are rare, unusual, or underground. While we often think of this in a negative way, normalizing certain topics in … Continue reading Commentary: Normalizing


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It's the second week in a row of a 3-Friend double-decker sandwich! Too bad they forgot their time management skills...
We're back uninterrupted this time with another feature-packed episode of Wrestling with Friends. Beginning with the news as always, the Friends discuss recent happenings in the WWE such as Roman Reigns, Goofball and the debut of .....*heavy breathing*..... STARDUST! There's up to and including 3 talking points for TNA as well this week, rendering the discussion a success for the first time in a while, as well as a rallying cry for ROH heading into their first ever LIVE Pay-Per-View, Best in the World!
Blake then brings his Wild Card topic to the table: a discussion on 3 favorite things in wrestling today, and 3 nostalgic items we miss from the current product. It's a cathartic discussion that also allows for some praise towards our favorite fake sport, meaning you won't any of that negative hoo-haw here! Not anticipating a discussion that lasts into the wee hours of the wrestling night, however, the Friends end up holding off on their Top 100 List discussion, but we still think your wrestling appetite will be fulfilled!
Join Blake, Andy & Erik, just a couple of friends chatting about wrestling. Won't you be our friend?
or Direct Download: Episode 26 - Hallucinating Canadian Mounties
0:00 - 36:22: Intros & Current Promotion News
37:57 - 1:48:40: Wild Card: Top 3 Highs & Lows
Final Song - Squeeze, "Slap & Tickle"
Remember! We want you, our wrestling friends, to send us feedback on any of the segments we cover. E-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter (@wrestle_friends)
Also, subscribe to us on iTunes or find us on Stitcher Smart Radio. While you're there, we'd sure think it sweet of you to leave us a little review. Thanks, friends!
Friday, June 20, 2014
Labels: best in the world, dixie carter, ecw, house of hardcore, matt hardy, nwa, rest holds, roh, roman reigns, stardust, the mountie, tna, tommy dreamer, wcw, wrestlemania, wrestling stables, wwe, wwf
1 comment:
- AnonymousJune 23, 2014 at 6:04 PM
You can tell Lana is not Russian because she mispronounces Putin EVERY...FUCKING...TIME. It's pronounced more like Pee-U-tin. Not Poo-tin. Do you think she'll ever wrestle in the Diva's Division?ReplyDelete
I don't know or care. Because all I care about is my Peeps and my Freaks. Holla if ya hear me....
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Monday, September 1, 2008
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About Me
- Megan
- Northern Kentucky
- I have been mulling over starting this blog for a while. In line with the rest of my life, I loved the idea but did nothing. Today I start taking actions, be they baby steps, at least they're movement. I feel like I am surrounded by an entire album of before shots. I even see a before when I look in the mirror. I have been inspired by all that I'm seeing in blogland and I am ready to start creating my own afters. I am going to make a commitment to be as real as possible in my befores. Right now my house looks like something from a tv show like Mission Organization or Clean House. Seriously. But that's a whole other post. I am going to start with taking part in a couple blog parties. I think the regular posting and party dates will help keep me motivated and gaining momentum. Come back and visit again or follow me to see how it goes! I've got plenty of befores- I'm ready for the afters!


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The creation of new knowledge has become a global project, but Africa's voice is often missing. If it is to take control of its own future, Africa must generate its own knowledge and, in doing so, make global contributions.
Researchers at UCT are committed to bringing African knowledge and expertise to the challenge of solving the world's most pressing problems. International collaboration is key to achieving this goal, and we have developed a large and vibrant network of partnerships across the globe.
As one of the leading universities in Africa, UCT can play a vital role in connecting institutions in the northern hemisphere with networks across our continent. It can draw international expertise here to ensure that an African voice is present in global debates.
UCT is driven to become a vibrant centre of knowledge production on African issues, with both African and global partners, and to produce research of the highest international standards.
Our research snapshot gives an overview of some of UCT's partnerships in Africa.
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (UN) focus on the world's most intractable problems. The UN recognises that the goals cannot be met by people working in isolation, and has included "partnerships" as the 17th goal.
Download the Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals booklet.
Formal international research networks are multiplying as research itself has become globalised. Universities around the world recognise the need to create ways to organise funding and support for collaborative research. These formal networks have a number of advantages. Perhaps the most significant is the establishment, over time, of trust between the institutions involved that can underpin on-the-ground collaborations and encourage the nurturing of further collaborations.
UCT is a member of several carefully selected formal networks, each established with specific goals in mind that bring different and distinct strategic benefits to its members.
These networks include:
UCT's formal networks are managed by Wilna Venter, research collaboration specialist.
African Research Universities Alliance
African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), a partnership of research universities in Africa, was launched in early 2015 in response to the growing challenges faced by African universities. The alliance forms a hub that supports centres of excellence in many universities across the continent. The focus is on building indigenous research excellence to enable the continent to take control of its future and assert itself as a powerful global force.
There are four main thrusts to ARUA's work:
ARUA in the news:
International Alliance of Research Universities
The International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), established in 2006, is a network of 11 international research-intensive universities from 9 countries. UCT was invited to join in 2015 and formally took up membership in 2016. IARU members work together to address the major challenges of our time, providing opportunities to students and staff and promoting joint projects at various levels between member universities.
One of IARU's flagship projects is the Global Summer Program offered between June and September every year. Each member university presents modules that students from other IARU universities may apply to join. One of the aims of the program is to give international students an experience of different cultures.
Find out more about:
IARU in the news:
Worldwide Universities Network
The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) is a leading higher education and research network made up of 24 universities across the globe. Together they work to drive international research collaboration and address issues of global significance. WUN has 90 active research initiatives, engaging over 2 000 researchers and students.
UCT joined WUN in October 2009 as part of the university's strategic goal to increase international research collaboration.
UCT has ring-fenced funding to enable researchers' participation in the WUN Research Development Fund, which provides grants for research projects that include at least 3 member universities and span at least 2 geographical regions.
Find out more about:
WUN in the news:
Australia Africa Universities Network
Australia Africa Universities Network (AAUN) is a group of leading universities in Australia and Africa, connecting researchers and academics through institutional partnerships in order to address challenges facing both continents. AAUN's objectives are to develop institutional research partnerships and capacity-building and training programmes.
AAUN supports projects that focus on of food security, public health, public sector reform, education, mining and economic development.
Find out more about:


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If you're developing a library or a utility module, you'll often you need to make it work with different types — including types that you don't know about at build time. In many cases, you can handle this with .NET generics, but sometimes you need to work with the specific features of types, without knowing what those types are. For example, in LightSpeed, we need to be able to set the fields of an entity from a database, without knowing what those entity fields are. Or if you're writing a generic Clone method, you need to be able to copy fields from one object to another. You can't do this with generics because you need to access the specific fields, whereas generics only allow you to access stuff in interfaces or other constraints declared at design time.
The traditional solution to this is to use Reflection. Reflection gives you a way to enumerate and invoke methods, properties, constructors and fields. It's pretty easy to write the 'set all fields' or 'copy all fields' code this way. However, the big problem is that it's slow. Horribly, horribly slow.
If your code runs only occasionally, this may not be a big deal, but if you're working with a lot of objects, Reflection code quickly becomes a bottleneck. At this point, it's worth looking at an alternative: runtime code generation.
The idea of runtime code generation goes something like this.
At first this may sound crazy. Running a code generator and compiler sounds like it will be even slower than using Reflection. And won't the code generator have to use Reflection to get the details of the user type anyway? Yes and yes. But the code generator and compiler have to run only once per type. They produce a compiled method, and we can call that method again and again, without needing to regenerate or recompile it.
Okay, so maybe it's not crazy, but isn't it fearfully difficult? Well, it can be, but it certainly doesn't have to be. We'll look at three ways, starting out at the highest level and gradually dropping down to the lowest.
Generating code using a high-level language
The easiest way to generate code is as C# or Visual Basic! For example, you could build up C# code as a string, either by concatenating strings or by hosting a templating engine such as T4. You can then compile the generated code using CodeDom.
This is pretty easy, though it requires careful attention to detail. However, CodeDom is quite heavyweight and slow, and you have to basically compile an entire assembly, which means you incur even more overhead creating classes and locating your generated method in the assembly. Since we're doing this for performance reasons, this often makes CodeDom a somewhat unattractive choice, but for some scenarios it can be excellent.
Generating code with expression trees
Expression trees were introduced as part of LINQ in .NET 3.5. An expression tree is like an abstract representation of a piece of code, not bound to any particular language. Usually the compiler creates expression trees for you as part of a LINQ expression, but you can also create them yourself using the expressions API, and (tada!) you can compile them to delegates.
The trick to runtime code generation using expression trees is to figure out what your desired code would look like as a lambda. For example, suppose you want to generate a method to instantiate objects of an unknown type — basically the same as Activator.CreateInstance, but fast. (I'm going to ignore the possibility of using generics and the new() constraint, which would solve this problem in many, but not all, cases, because I want to show you expression trees, and this is a nice simple example.) Here's a lambda that would do that:
Func<T> creator = () => new T(); // usage: T instance = creator();
How can we create a corresponding expression tree for a type? Fortunately, the expressions API corresponds pretty closely to the constructs we used in our lambda:
var lambdaBody = Expression.New(type); // this corresponds to "new T()" var lambdaExpr = Expression.Lambda<Func<object>>(lambdaBody); // this corresponds to "() => ..." Func<object> creator = lambdaExpr.Compile();
The flow here is a bit tricky to read because it's inside-out rather than left-to-right. We first create an expression representing the body of the lambda: "new T()". Our body is so simple we can do this using a single Expression.New call. Then we wrap it in an Expression.Lambda, which roughly corresponds to sticking the "() =>" on the front. .NET requires the Expression.Lambda instead of allowing us to compile the body directly because in the more general case the lambda might have parameters.
If you're wondering whether this is worthwhile, calling the "creator" delegate is now about five times faster than calling Activator.CreateInstance (at least on my machine). If the delegate were replacing more Reflection calls — as in the object cloning example — then the savings would probably be even greater.
Expression trees are reasonably easy to write, reasonably safe, and quite efficient. For many runtime code generation applications, these could well be the sweet spot.
Generating code using dynamic methods
Expression trees are spiffy, but have some limitations. One of these is that in .NET 3.5 you are limited to simple expressions. (This limitation is greatly relaxed in .NET 4, which provides new expression types to represent things like loops, if statements and goto. Yes, all this whizzy modern technology, and it still has goto.) Another is that you can't use an expression tree to generate a member method, which is important if your generated code needs access to private members of the user type, as in the cloning example which needs access to private fields. For that, you need to drop down to the lowest level: generating IL directly using dynamic methods.
(By the way, dynamic methods aren't the only place you can use the direct IL generation technique. If you need to generate an entire class or assembly, then you can't use expression trees for that, so you have to either move up to CodeDom, or down AssemblyBuilder, TypeBuilder and related Reflection.Emit classes, in which case you'll be generating IL into the method bodies. I'm not going to cover that here; maybe some other time.)
Setting up a dynamic method is pretty easy. Here's one for the 'instantiate a new object' example we had for expression trees:
// using System.Reflection.Emit; var dynamicMethod = new DynamicMethod( "create_" + type.GetName(), // name of the dynamic method typeof(object), // the return type new Type[0], // the dynamic method has no parameters type); // which type it's a member of // TODO: create method body Func<object> creator = dynamicMethod.CreateDelegate(typeof(Func<object>));
You just need to provide a name for the method, specify the signature (parameter and return types), and say which type the method is a member of, though this is usually only an issue if the method needs to access private members such as fields.
The tricky bit is generating the IL for the dynamic method. No friendly expression trees or C# compiler to help you here: just man versus IL opcode, two enter, only one leaves. This means you have two alternatives: (1) learn IL or (2) cheat.
I'm not going to talk about option 1.
To cheat, you write an example instance of your dynamic method in a high level language such as C#, baking in an example 'user type' you have created for the purpose. You then compile this in the usual way to produce an EXE or DLL. (Make sure you compile in Release mode — if you're in Debug mode then the compiler will emit all sorts of extra nonsense which is no use to you.)
Now open your compiled EXE or DLL in ILDASM. Yes, that's right, ILDASM, the application you last looked at in 2002 and which you thought had been completely superseded by Reflector. ILDASM will show you the IL op codes that your example method compiled to, and all you need to do is copy those op codes into your DynamicMethod, replacing specific references to fields, types, etc. of your example type with dynamically-generated references to the fields, types, etc. of the type for which you are creating the DynamicMethod.
For example, here's what ILDASM shows for new-ing up an object:
We can map this across pretty mechanically to IL op code objects in the System.Reflection.Emit.OpCodes class, and thereby generate the equivalent IL into our dynamic method.
var constructor = type.GetConstructor(new Type[] { }); // we want to call the default constructor var ilGenerator = dynamicMethod.GetILGenerator(); ilGenerator.Emit(OpCodes.Newobj, constructor); ilGenerator.Emit(OpCodes.Ret);
Obviously, in most cases, the code generation would be more complex: for example, in the object cloning scenario, you'd loop over the fields you wanted to copy, emitting a Ldfld (load field) and Stfld (store to field) op code for each one until you'd built up the entire dynamic method.
IL generation is low-level, but that makes it very efficient. There's no extra compilation step as there was with expression trees. If you have to generate a lot of dynamic methods, then IL and DynamicMethod could be the way to go.
Most applications don't need runtime code generation — either they know everything they need to know at compile time, or the performance considerations are such that Reflection is good enough. However, if you're running a lot of Reflection code, then replacing it with type-specific code generated at runtime can give you a big performance boost. You'll need to figure out how to trade off difficulty (and hence maintainability) against performance, but I hope this article gives you some idea of what the options are and what tradeoffs you're making with each one. Have fun!
Reflection, performance and runtime code generation…
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Thanks mate its really useful post to understand what the reflection is.
W.r.t the last option, have a look at RunSharp that provides an nice, intuitive API on top of Reflection.Emit. We used this to build a Rule Engine that compiles the rules entered by our end-users into IL. Some more info about this approach can be found at http://fromthedevtrenches.blogspot.com/2010/08/runsharp-il-generation-for-dummies.html
[…] Reflection, performance and runtime code generation – Ivan Towlson discusses the use of reflection and code generation with regard to the performance of code where you need to work with types you don't know at compile time. […]
[…] Reflection, performance and runtime code generation (Ivan Towlson) […]
[…] Reflection, performance and runtime code generation […]
[…] week I discussed how you could use runtime code generation to create fast methods to replace slow reflection code, even when you didn't have the target types to compile against. But runtime code generation […]


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First we heard that Fox was making the New Girl series premiere episode available for free on iTunes, hoping to cash in on some social media buzz, and wondered whether it would help or hurt the ratings.
Now I find out (from alert reader Paul) that the CW's The Secret Circle is available for free on iTunes (maybe old news, sue me).
Edit: I also got information that Hart of Dixie was available, but now that I look on iTunes, it's not there. Will edit again if it is.
Is this more social media ratings pump priming?
Or just a Fan Excuse Bingo square already covered? Will this be our first TSC fan comment on September 16?
"Of course the premiere ratings are terrible, a squinty jillion people already watched it on iTunes!"


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Meeting Space
The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is located in the heart of Lake Placid, making it the perfect place for groups to travel to. We have space for groups to meet or gather. We are also located across from the Lake Placid Conferenece Center which has many options for very large groups.
The Four Seasons Lakeside Room
Classically appointed in cherry wood, this 3,000 sq. ft. banquet hall will provide the perfect setting for meetings and receptions. The divider wall makes this room ideal for both large meetings and small dinners. Access to Mirror Lake provides a great spot during breaks. Generations Restaurant provides gourmet catering for each event.
The Blackforest Room
The Blackforest Room has a quaint intimate ambiance perfect for hosting receptions & luncheons with an unbeatable view. The room features a picture window directly overlooking the shores of Mirror Lake. There is access to the beach for group barbecues!
The Boathouse
Our boathouse on Mirror Lake is a wonderful place for a social event or meeting with your group.
Generations Tap & Grill
Generations Restaurant has many different areas to meet depending on how large or small your group is. The Private upstairs dining room can be situated many different ways to your liking.
Click here to view the layout of Generations Tap & Grill.
Conference Center at Lake Placid
We are a 2 minute walk to the Conference Center at Lake Placid, Click here to visit their website and see what kinds of space they have to offer.


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Grand Inner City Tour
Grand Inner City Tour
The only daily guided tour in Copenhagen that covers the whole city and its major sites. Perfect if it is your first time in Copenhagen
One of our local guides will drive you around in a minibus and show you all that is worth seeing in Copenhagen. As we go in small groups, the tour is personal and relaxed and you see a lot more than you see on a hop-on hop-off or larger group tour.
The tour is designed to show you as much as possible as efficiently as possible but without pacing you. That is why we use a minibus and do not just walk.
The tour includes a full visit to these sites (and more):
Canal Tour
Sailing around the old idyllic canals for an hour you get a fantastic view of the old city from the sea. You will see the famous Little Mermaid Statue from the boat.
Read more
Christiansborg Palace
The largest castle in Scandinavia and the center of power in Denmark. Home to both the Parliament, the Government and the Supreme Court. Full of world class decorations, tapestries and spectacular paintings from the 1800's.
Read more
Amalienborg Palace Square
This is where the royal family lives. And it is probably the most beautiful place in Copenhagen. The royal guards will protect us as we tell you about the German occupation of Denmark during the second world war and about Denmark being the oldest kingdom in Europe.
Read more
Rosenborg Palace
This is one of the most well preserved Renaissance castles in the world. We see all of it. Both the magnificent rooms and the impressive Danish crown jewels and other treasures in the basement.
Read more
You also see…
Nyhavn (New Harbour), Christianshavn, The Opera House, the Old Stock Exchange, Kongens Nytorv (King's Square).
Starting point
H.C. Andersens Boulevard between Tivoli and City Hall (On the Tivoli side)
Pick-up from hotels
Can be arranged free of charge for hotels in inner Copenhagen. You can book the pick up here on the website when buying tickets for the tour. The pick up time will be written on your confirmation email and will be before the start of the tour. Please call us if you have questions. If nothing has been arranged with us, we expect you to be at the starting point of the tour in the morning.
Group size
Never more than 16 people. On average 10 – 11 people
The castles are big, old and without elevators. It takes good legs to go through them and there is a walk of approximately one kilometer from Amalienborg to Nyhavn during the day. So we must apologise that the tour is NOT suited for people that do not walk well and impossible to take in a wheelchair
At a nice and inexpensive local café.
You pay for what you order. (Not included in the price.
Cash (DKK, EUR, USD)
VISA, MasterCard or American Express


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Accon is Scandinavia's leading supplier of industrial packaging.
Long experience has given us a significant knowledge and expertise in the material handling industry.
We have sales offices and warehouses in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Estonia. Our production of big bags is located in Kokkola, Finland, and we work with carefully selected producers around the world.
Accon is a supplier of packaging and industrial equipment around your packaging solution. Accon ensures that everything from the podium to the final sweep of your goods is ready.


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What to Do When You Are Picking Up On Intuition-Based Information With Your Clients
All healers receive messages or information from the body while you work
— but have you been stumped by what to do with it?
Join Host and author of de-mystifying … Medical Intuition, Lori Wilson and learn how to take your intuitive connection with your client's body to a whole new level.
- Are you receiving information from the client's mind or their body?
- Find out where this information is coming from and why.
- Learn how can you frame your intuitive perception.
- What do you say to your clients?
- Medical Intuition tools can be honed to an impeccable level to serve your existing clients. Bring your questions to discover if this type of an extensive Training is a good fit for you.
Enjoy BONUS TIPS on what to say to let your clients know you are receiving intuitive information while you work!
Lori Wilson M.S.W.
Lori Wilson B.A., M.S.W., is a social worker, author, trainer and founder of Inner Access 101 and AcccessMarketPlace. Lori has been providing channeling, regression, medical intuition, business intuition and traditional counseling in a successful private practice since 1983. Her background in community development provide the tools and framework for the unique business model for her company. Lori holds her B.A. Specialized Honours Degree in Psychology and Family Studies from the University of Guelph and a Master of Social Work Degree from Sir Wilfrid Laurier University.
A key influence in shaping the foundation skills and values of Lori's specialization in intuition is Grandmother, the ancient Shoshone spirit guide that Lori has been consciously channeling since 1989. Grandmother came gently into her awareness through journal writing and has since been a key inspiration to hundreds of thousands through her daily and monthly focus, books, radio shows and teachings for individuals and larger audiences. You will find endless opportunities to learn from this wise teacher throughout the classes here On-Line.
Much of the material taught in the foundation training, Access Intuition 101 is based on Lori's years of blending firsthand, client-driven social work experience with a solid apprenticeship with Grandmother and the spirit world. The training in Medical Intuition, Business Intuition and Artist Intuition have grown from the stellar intuition, tracking and sourcing skills that are the signature foundation in all of Lori's work.
Lori currently has 6 active Trainers who teach her classes through Inner Access 101. This Education & Resource Network, run with her husband Stewart Hope, brings the exciting tools of intuition-based training to an ever expanding market. A visionary and self-professed "mother-bear", Lori's passion to spread inner trust is evident in all she does. The mission is "Changing worlds with inner trust."


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Staff Directory
E. Ashley Dean
Director of Corporate Development
Ashley is an avid sports enthusiast and is an athlete for life. Its no surprise she has remained in the sports industry for over 17 years. Her experience has ranged from Collegiate Volleyball Coach and Youth Development and Program Director to most recently General Manager and her current role as Director of Corporate Development.
Ashley's focus is on engaging in meaningful relationships and strategic alliances with individuals and companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area and beyond- evaluating partnerships/sponsorships and value-based growth opportunities for Sports Academy. When not busy with her 'day job', Ashley serves as Director of Academy Volleyball – the developmental volleyball program at SA, which brings her great joy and content during her time on the court.
She resides in Thousand Oaks with her wife of seven years. Both are avid sports enthusiasts and enjoy road biking, mountain biking, hiking, yoga and spending time with family and friends.
Passion Statement
Life is about being a part of something greater than myself; being a contributor, a thought leader, a mentor, a friend, a role model. I believe the journey one takes through sport is a catalyst for developing greatness: the dedication, the will, the challenge and ultimately, the growth.
- Women In Sports and Events (WISE LA) – Board Member
- 2017 Conejo Valley 40 Under 40 Honoree
- 2017 Start Up Weekend Conejo Valley – Planning Committee Member
- 2017 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) – Volunteer
- 2016 -2017 Leadership Conejo Graduate – Class 15
- 2015 -2017 General Manager, Sports Academy
- Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, MA
- Certificate of Training in European Business and Global Strategies from Emlyon Business School in Lyon, France
- Bachelor of Arts in American Government from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
- 4 yr. NCAA Division I Volleyball, Dartmouth College
- Two-Time Captain & Three-Time All Ivy League Selection, Darmouth College
- Fifteen plus years of national and international volleyball coaching experience at the youth, junior and collegiate level.
- U.S. Sports Envoy Program – (2008 – Recife, Brazil and 2011 – Peru): Taught foreign youth about American sportsmanship through the universal language of sport.
- Nine years of experience as a Youth Program Director and Curriculum Coordinator at the private and non – profit level
- Amateur Athletic Union -Positive Coaching Alliance – Level Three Certification
- USA Volleyball – IMPACT Certification, CAP I Certification
- Co-Founder and Co-Owner of All Seasons Event Planning in Sun Valley, ID
- Five years of experience in the event planning and event specialist industry
- American Rental Association – Certified Event Rental Professional
- Social Intelligence – Adaptability to a variety of group situations. Intuitively aware of people's motivations and feelings, which leads to honest relationships.
- Enthusiasm & Energy – Life is an adventure. Inquisitive by nature, exploration and discovery are consistently pursued.
- Teamwork – Thrives in group settings where collaboration around common goals is targeted.
- Learning from others guides behavior to put group objectives before individual wishes.
- Leadership – As a role model, motivating individuals to achieve team aspirations through the building of self-confidence guides my leadership.
- Genuineness – As a values-based leader, I wear my heart on my sleeve as a genuine expression of self. Behavior is predictable and reliable.


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The Lust List: Swing Coats
November 17, 2011 by Cori Sue
It's about to get really cold and dreary, ladies. Scratch that, it's already cold and dreary.
Why not add some color and class to your outerwear? There's nothing that brightens up a cold winter's day like a pop of color—and that color's even better when it's on your coat.
Swing coats are my new lust; they add a ladylike, but playful feel. Cut in an A-line shape, swing coats came into vogue in the 1940s to enable women to put their coats over their full-skirted dresses (which were over petticoats, I'm sure).
A swing coat compliments all figures, and the volume can minimize your upper body if you're top heavy. Pair the coat with a streamlined bottom half—say black tights or black leggings with black shoes—and you'll elongate your figure.
I love a swing coat with tights and ballet flats, perhaps even a beret, for a Parisian chic look, a la Audrey Hepburn. Here are my top picks for this winter …
Cherie Coat, $695, Kate Spade.
London Coat, $368, Emerson Made.
Academy Coat, $325, J.Crew. (Comes in 4 colors)
Swing Coat, $248, Boden. (Comes in 3 colors)
Ascot Swing Coat, $168, Anthropologie.
Eastward Dress Coat, $79.95, Anthropologie. (Steeply discounted on sale).


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In France, thousands of public service workers walk off their jobs and flood the streets of Paris in protest over working conditions and austerity plans.
Police officers, hospital workers, teachers, taxi drivers, farmers and those working in the aviation industry were among people taking part in the demonstration dubbed Black Tuesday. The strike led to the cancellation of one in five flights from Paris.
Earlier on Tuesday riot police clashed with protesting farmers who blocked a street. Demonstrators are angry at labor reforms proposed by the French government in September.


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Welcome to the RCSS E-Multilogue!
Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), since its inception as an independent think tank, has sought to encourage research, dialogue and deliberation on a broad range of conventional and non-conventional sources of conflict. Over the years it has endeavored to bring together scholars, academics, practitioners and civil society, in the context of addressing a wide range of issues prevailing in the international system and providing them with sustainable solutions.
To this end, RCSS is pleased to launch the RCSS E-Multilogue.
Audience and Aims
This multilogue aims to engage with a wide cross section of individuals, in order to discuss and share thoughts, opinions and knowledge on contemporary international events and issues. Furthermore, it provides the perfect platform for undergraduates, scholars, practitioners and all interested groups to convene and remain abreast of the most current and trending topics in South Asia and beyond.
The moderated blog specifically aims to create multiple conversations and discussions on a series of topics which can be approached by different lenses, perspectives and stakeholders. This multilogue also hopes to connect young students and practitioners with senior scholars and academics, with the broader purpose of stimulating critical discussion, creating interaction, building networks, and contributing towards the wider expansion of knowledge in the field of international relations.
Please send any queries and/or articles (600-800 words) that you may have to: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Every other Monday, RCSS will announce a theme for the week, and publish a short think piece with a series of questions, in order to prompt discussion on a selected contemporary issue of regional and/or international significance.
- All interested parties are invited to comment on the 'topic' and post their own thoughts and views on the specific topic, or write articles related to the broader identified forum theme, as a separate topic. Upon moderation, these replies/ new topics, related to the theme, will be published on the site.
- Students, scholars, and practitioners are invited to respond to the think piece, comments, or articles for the duration of the week. All participants must include their names and affiliations. Anonymous posting will not be approved.
- In parallel to the discussions, opinion polls would be conducted on critical questions related to the identified topic, as well as provide an opportunity for participants to determine topics for the upcoming weeks.
- Comments should not exceed 200 words, and articles should not exceed 500 on the given topic area. Particularly stimulating and/or insightful articles, or comments may be highlighted and published in RCSS' quarterly newsletter.
- Articles should be original pieces of work. Plagiarized, and/or materials that have already been published elsewhere will not be accepted.
- Please note the blog aspires to publish only constructive analysis and criticism, excluding insult and hate speech, in order to maintain a level of academic vigor and positive engagement of the site.
Recent Posts
Redefining National Security with Chinese CharacteristicsNo CommentsThis paper examines the Chinese Non-traditional security policy and its influences in South Asia. Non-traditional security (NTS) threats have become common issues in almost all parts of the world; both domestically and internationally, that originates from various fields such as ecological degeneration, drug trafficking, nuclear proliferation, internet hacking and transnational crime. The objective of this […]Read More
Aloko Udapadi: Reconstructing King Walagamba as President Mahinda RajapaksaNo CommentsBefore anyone starts jumping into conclusions just after seeing the title, the fact that this article wants to highlight is how the present influences the reconstructions of the past or in other words, how the presentness embodies in the reconstructions of the past. In this regard, I will analyze the reconstruction of the past in […]Read More
Combating Violent Extremism and Terrorism in South AsiaNo CommentsSouth Asia is a region which is important for its various resources. This includes both natural resources and human resource, which collectively contribute positively to human and environmental security if they are managed appropriately. Though human resources can be used wisely for the region's socio-economic development, the growing numbers in population and finite land […]Read More
A Year in Review: Sri Lanka 09/01/17-23/01/17No CommentsSri Lanka, though a small island state, lies at the tip of the South Asian subcontinent and at the center of the Indian Ocean. In a vastly interconnected world, the sweeping effects of globalisation; China's economic downturn; growing discontent and de-stabilisation in the West; and India's enhanced involvement in the region as an emerging power, […]Read More
Mobilizing the Contemporary SAARC: Economy, Youth and Politics 19/12/16-02/01/17No CommentsThe South Asian Association for the Regional Cooperation has been established as a regional organization among the countries of South Asia for a long time now. It is as old as other regional organizations and instruments such as the NAFTA which has been excelling in terms of trade for the North American Region in the […]Read More
The Problem with Minority Rights 21/11/2016-05/12/20161 Comment"Minority rights" is an idea that is today omnipresent in the liberal discourse on South Asia. The existence of specific rights protecting ethnic or religious minority communities and granting them some degree of autonomy as against majority rule has come to be considered an essential component of liberal democracy and "good governance". What has been […]Read More
Will Inland Navigation Shift South Asia's Water Discourse Positively? 10/10/2016-24/10/2016No CommentsIt is rare that a jaded water expert feels elated after a river conference: very often the same hackneyed thoughts are re-circulated by the same lot of seminarians one meets again and again. This time, however, the mid-July NADI 2016 festival in Shillong/Meghalaya was different and very pleasantly so: it was one that can truly […]Read More
The growing need for a SAARC-ASEAN platform in the Asian Century 15/08/16 – 29/08/16No CommentsToday, as the center of global economic gravity shifts towards Asia, regional cooperation and integration becomes critically important for Asia's march towards prosperity. Thus, the need for a comprehensive multilateral platform comprised of Asian countries is felt more than ever before. In this regard, an effective and efficient SAARC-ASEAN platform would provide an ideal multilateral mechanism for […]Read More
The Unconventional Classroom 04/07/16 – 18/07/16No CommentsRows of benches tightly packed, facing a blackboard, where the teacher lectures and the students quietly and rather passively listen to the teacher – such is the face of the conventional classroom. Of course, there are bellwether indications of shifts away from convention in a good number of classrooms around the world, but overall, the […]Read More
Gender in South Asia 20/06/16 – 04/07/16No CommentsI could squander my meager word quota on a miserable litany of evils but I will not. Let me instead list a few regional positives and identify a few points of joint action on issues that fall within the very broad rubric, "Gender in South Asia." "Gender in South Asia" is not a static, stagnant […]Read More


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Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) improves the health of British Columbians by seeking province-wide solutions to specialized health care needs in collaboration with BC health authorities and other partners.
Improving care for people with mental health and substance use problems is one of the goals identified in B.C.'s 10-year mental health and substance use plan.
We are committed to a patient-centred model of health care, and understanding patients' needs is a key part of this commitment. This province wide survey, the first of its kind for this sector, was designed to support accountability, quality improvement, and help government and health authorities respond to the health care needs of British Columbians.
From October 12, 2010 to April 11, 2011, the Ministry of Health, through participation of all six health authorities, surveyed mental health patients and substance use clients over the age of 13 who received short stay inpatient care and services at 102 service locations across British Columbia.
Provincial results, other health authority results, and a descriptive summary report can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
The PHSA report highlights results for youth, 13-17 years-old, in mental health short-stay inpatient care. Within BC Mental Health & Addiction Services, an agency of PHSA, Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry, Eating Disorders Inpatient Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency are included in the PHSA report.
PHSA-specific survey results are impressive; 88% of inpatient short stay youth mental health patients rated their overall quality of care as good, very good or excellent.
Patients also gave top scores in key areas of feeling safe in the facility, feeling respected (not feeling stigmatized), and having their spiritual needs met.
The high level of satisfaction reflects the excellent work of our health care providers in the mental health.
Copyright ©
Provincial Health Services Authority. All Rights Reserved.


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Why We Give
I am incredibly grateful to be part of blended family; a family who has always included me in their familial traditions and culture since I was a young child. We share these same traditions with my own children so that they learn to honor a culture of which they are so very much a part of, but to which they simultaneously do not belong. When we sat down to discuss design, it was second nature to suggest a design based on the intricacies of Otomí embroidery and the beauty of hand cut papel picado. These have been a part of my everyday visual culture ever since I can remember. Pavo is, first and foremost, a family business. Our design decisions are not made in a vacuum. Designing wraps based on traditional Mexican artwork was a way for me to honor my family; it was a way to visually acknowledge their importance and how much they mean to me.
We consider charitable giving a private act, one not done for accolades, but because it is a key tenet of our shared philosophy of valuing the social good which can be accomplished by ethical charitable giving. The new year is a time for reflection however, and we thought we would offer some insight into why we give, what organizations benefit from our giving, and which of our products make it possible for us to donate.
Before our version of Otomí went on the loom, we considered how to best make use of the funds from the sale of the wraps; we knew we couldn't share our appreciation for the skilled and complex textile design of Otomí embroidery without giving back to the communities that are responsible for creating this artwork. We decided, before Otomí was even woven, to give 100% of the proceeds to an organization that could reach the Otomí people. We had a difficult time finding an organization that had the necessary economic tools and resources to funnel large sums of money directly into the hands of Otomí women in a way that was both culturally sensitive to the dispersal of money in these communities and that would also insure that women were being aided in way that was safe and empowering. It wasn't until Otomí was woven and after much consideration and input from friends, family, and good old fashioned research, that we decided to donate to the International Development Exchange, with the specification that it be donated to those projects aiding and empowering indigenous women in Mexico. With the release of Otomi, we realized that we could make an even greater impact by also donating funds from Unicornio and De La Sol to IDEX. The money from these releases allows us to continue to donate to IDEX and other organizations, such as Grassroots International. We are in communication with IDEX and receive regular updates on the work they are doing. We are deeply invested in the work IDEX does, particularly the work they are doing to insure economic parity for indigenous women in Mexico.
Going forward we will work with our family members and artists in Mexico to generate artwork for our next generation of wraps. We will continue our charitable contributions which have made a great impact on the work IDEX is able to accomplish for indigenous crafts women in Mexico. Donating is not simply our desire; it is our ethical obligation.
Our search for charities remains ongoing. We are always open to new suggestions, if you have a found a reliable way to directly donate to Otomí women, or if you have another cause close to your heart you think one of our patterns could support, we would absolutely love to hear from you. You may contact us here.


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Register fast for the reduced fee before April 15th!
Golden Gate Systema is hosting a Systema (Russian Martial Arts) seminar on Saturday May 8th, 2004 by certified instructor Kwan Lee, personal student of Vladimir Vasiliev and Mikhail Ryabko.
Vladimir highly recommends Kwan as an outstanding
Systema instructor!
The seminar will cover the basics of Systema, the
four cornerstones of the system, and defense against
knife and multiple attackers!
Seminar will take place in the city of San Francisco.
Time: 10am - 3pm
Discount price if registered before April 15th!
to Register for the Seminar visit:
and click BAY AREA SEMINAR INFO
*****Number of students is Limited - Register now to
secure your place at this great training


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Advanced Micro Devices has reported earnings sharply below analysts' estimates, blaming the numbers on weak flash memory and programmable logic device revenues and high costs from its K6 launch.
For the second quarter ended June 29, AMD posted sales of US$594.6 million, a 31 percent increase over the same period last year and an eight percent increase over this year's first quarter, officials said. More than $100 million in sales of the K6, AMD's MMX-enhanced, Windows-compatible processor, helped boost revenues, officials said.
Net income during the quarter was roughly $10 million, or 7 cents per share, officials said.
While that's an improvement over the same period last year the results fell sharply below analysts' 22 cents per share expectations, according to First Call Corp., a Boston-based investment research firm that compiled estimates from 23 brokers. In the same period last year AMD posted a loss of $34.7 million, or 26 cents per share,
The second quarter earnings also slumped compared to the first quarter this year, when AMD posted net income of roughly $13.0 million, or 9 cents per share.
Despite the strong K6 sales, AMD expected earnings to lag somewhat, given costs associated with ramping up K6 production, marketing, and advertising, said Scott Allen, AMD spokesman.
AMD's weaker performance in flash memories and in its Vantis programmable logic business unit came as more of a surprise, however, Allen said. Flash memory unit sales actually rose, but competitive price cuts led to a drop in revenues, he said.
The company also expected slower sales from its non MMX-enhanced K5 chip.
In the first six months of this year, AMD posted revenues of $1.1 billion and net income of $22.9 million. During the first two quarters last year, AMD's revenues were $999.3 million and its net loss was $9.3 million, or 7 cents per share.
For the third quarter, AMD expects to see a sharp increase in K6 sales, up from 350,000 in the second quarter to 1 to 2 million units, Allen said. It is expecting only nominal growth in its non-microprocessor business units, however, since the third quarter is traditionally a slow one for those products.
AMD, in Sunnyvale, California, can be reached on the World Wide Web at http://www.amd.com/.


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The conventional wisdom among those who study the border is that following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States unilaterally imposed significant additional security requirements on the management of the U.S.-Mexico border, and that the measures taken to meet these requirements have made the border more difficult to cross for not only illicit but also licit traffic, including the trade and travel that is the lifeblood of cross-border communities. There is much truth in this interpretation, but it largely portrays Mexico as a passive receptor of U.S. policy, which could not be further from reality.
Rather, the increasing relevance of transnational non-state actors—terrorist groups, organized crime networks—posing border and national security threats in the region have demanded increased international cooperation to monitor and mitigate the risks. At the same time, the U.S. and Mexican economies have become ever more deeply integrated, causing significant growth in cross-border traffic and placing the efficient management of the U.S.-Mexico border as a first-order national interest for both countries.
The post-2001 border management framework has pushed away from the traditional understanding of the border as a line in the sand and moved toward an approach that seeks to secure and (in the case of licit travel and commerce) facilitate flows. This focus on transnational flows has expanded the geographic scope of what were traditionally border operations and thus required an internationalization of border management, the development of partnerships and cooperative methods of border administration.
Over the past decade and a half, the United States and Mexico have transitioned from largely independent and unconnected approaches to managing the border to the development and implementation of a cooperative framework. With contributions from government officials and other top experts in the field, this collection of essays explores the development of cooperative approaches to the management of the U.S.-Mexico border. The essays were released individually throughout the fall of 2015 and published as a volume in early 2016.


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We sure did start 2018 with a bunch of new adventures, maybe a bit too many? For some kind of reason, we started enjoying the planning of our Victoria adventures a bit too much. Result; having the feeling that you are on a pre-booked, well-planned & structured tour. At a certain point we both didn't get why our schedules were so busy!
So here's a small snippet of what we did on this five star tourist tour around Victoria; we surfed in Warrnambool, drove along the Great Ocean Road together with everyone else, got a heatstroke in Rye, were hanging out with the hipsters in Fitzroy, cried because Roger won the AUSOpen, did some walking in Wilsons Prom, ate the best Fish & Chips we've had in Port Albert, tried to fish in Lakes Entrance, saw a woodchopping event Marlo, were swimming in the Snowy River & got hail 5 minutes after that, ended the tour with a stroll around Walhalla, a town where time stood still. So, if you have a lot of energy, motivation and you don't want any time for yourself contact us and we will organize a tour for you!
If you had to take a couple of breathers when you were just reading the previous 'sentence' you can imagine how we sometimes felt. And don't get me wrong, we enjoyed it! But there were times when I thought well am I really carrying a heavy backpack AGAIN, am I really walking in a rain forest AGAIN, am I really looking for a private place to go to the toilet in the bushes AGAIN. Where is my couch, my television & my bag of crisps? (At this point Remo looked at me and said; you are such a saw!*)
So, before we left for Tasmania, our end station of our trip, we spent some time with family and took a breather. Much needed. The result was that we drove onto the Spirit of Tasmania on the 2nd of Feb with new energy and motivation. We were on our way to Devonport! 8 hours of chilling on a boat. Sounds relaxing but 8 hours is long. Especially when you get to the open sea and the boat won't stop rocking (again, being a saw!).
We have been roaming the west coast of this Island that we will be calling home for 5 months for the a week now. It's hard to describe how beautiful it is. There are so many kinds of landscapes. You easily get goose bumps everyday about something new that you have just seen. We've also discovered the app WikiCamps, allowing us to do some free camping along the way and save on some much-needed dollars. Remo also found another app, Petrol Spy's. Sounds fancy huh? It's an app where you can check how cheap/expensive it is to get petrol somewhere. Fabulous, we are so good in saving money! Especially when you end up doing extra miles just to get to that one petrol station. Oh and the joy of discovering that, that one petrol station you have been looking for was closed 2 years ago! Exactly what happened to us when we really needed that petrol because the car was making noises to let us know he could only go for an extra 30 kms. Well let me tell you this, a ford falcon that is built in 2004 is lying at that point! We were slowing down and coming to a halt on the freeway because yes, we passed a couple of petrol stations because we were looking for that one cheap one. What to do now? Stay calm and put the petrol that you use for your gas stove in the car (take a gas stove with you on your next trip). It will give you that little bit of extra time, so you can go to that one petrol station in the middle of the night where you can hopefully pay with a card. This is us arriving in Hobart.
Very curious to see what the next weeks will bring. But we will be under parental guidance (Lisa's parents). Extra set of brains to think logically, Hurray!


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"Thank you for making our reception so special, you lifted the early evening lag from our crowd after a heavy meal, got them all laughing and by the time you'd finished they were up on their feet dancing, a perfect warm up for our DJ to take them into the night"
– Wedding Groom
Civil partnership
Available for bookings on the cabaret circuit, as well as weddings, christenings, funerals, hen nights, birthdays and bar mitzvahs!
a cabaret artist, can host any party, corporate event or function that you may require.
DJ… Specialising in current chart music, classic 60's beatles, motown etc thru to just plain camp pop! A great mix when attempting to cater for all ages and tastes such as weddings and family parties.
Cabaret… 45 minute to 1 hour shows in which she will share some of the most intimate details of her love, life and aspirations with you, presented in a comedic fashion with live vocals, a splash of stand up comedy and audience interaction.
Club/Bar Cabaret
Comedy Nights
Charity Event Hosting
MC at Events
Cabaret Shows
Cabaret Theatre
Ladies' Nights
Show Format Options
Every show is different, and I'll work with you to make yours be as spectacular as it can be.
Some standard formats include:
1 hour cabaret show
2 x 30 minute cabaret sets
4 hour DJ set
I've worked the pubs, clubs, bars, working mens clubs and hotel cabaret scene for 14 years to great acclaim, and in all parts of the world.
I've has won awards for my brand of comedy, and regularly performs at British Armed Forces bases.
There truly is no crowd this queen can't handle.
"Fast and efficient on communication, so much so it begs belief. He was accommodating and flexible with needs and requests i made in advance on the planning of the party [this made my life so much easier]. We worked together with information or requests to aim for a successful as required evening. He was considerate understanding other entertainers and other activities were going on whilst he needed to set up. Pleasant, professional, efficient, polite and a generally nice person to communicate with.
Her entertainment, also hosting and DJ-ing for the evening was in my long experienced opinion having seen many Drag Queens, Entertainers, DJ's etc one of the most accommodating professionals I have ever had the pleasure to have watched, worked with in planning, and enjoyed.
She obviously amended her own material to suit the audience, her entertainment was spot on, funny and a great balance to not offend any of the audience. Ages from 5yrs old to 95 but still keeping the material inventive with some rehearsed and also spontaneous results that were a great proof of her professionalism and skill.
I actually don't have the words to describe everything I feel and how I appreciate how this entertainer was as a person, an entertainer, host and DJ.
Faultless is one, professional, efficient, funny, great singing, great DJ-ing, She is SUBERB. I would recommend to anyone.
The party was on the 23rd July, and is still being talked about. That's how much an impression was made on that night in this village and she was a massive part of that event."
– Ian Dickerson
Village Hall/50th Birthday


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Hingala – 'a song for cheerful days', written in the 3/4 time signature – was a campfire tune I would sing for years as a scout. It tells the tale of a sullen shepherd, abandoned in the mountains, and reminiscing about love and better days through song.
Having practically forgotten about it, I recently stumbled upon the song on YouTube, and it took me on a roller coaster ride down memory lane. The decision to arrange, sing and play it on my guitar was instinctive and instantaneous.
The sad, yet almost paradoxically positive composition was a joy to 'rework' and include on my upcoming, second solo album, Man Who Sold Eldunya. Produced in collaboration with Carl Ferneine (Loopstache) and Fadi Tabbal (Tunefork Studios), Hingala is the first Armenian tune I record as Gurumiran. My previous Armenian reworks include Zartir Vortyag, Dele Yaman, and Aravod from Eileen Khatchadourian's debut album Midan.
Mastered by Vitor Hirtsch in New York, Hingala is available on YouTube as of July 1, 2017. The recording also features the voice of Sandra Arslanian (Sandmoon) while Ahmad Elkhateeb plays the riq – or Armenian daf. My longtime musical partner and violin player from NYC Delaney Stockli features too as I was lucky to steal her away for a couple of hours and lock her in the studio to lay down some tracks.
Here's a rough translation of the song in English, taken from Michael Whitney's es hay em, I am Armenian.
The shepherd forlorn in the mountains,
Played a song of love
A song for red cheeks, a song for warm eyes,
A song for cheerful days.
And came a new spring
With the beautiful flowers,
Flowers of eerie color, I love, ha, ha, ha
Flowers of every color.
But this is your lot poor shepherd
To be abandoned in this deep valley, hingala, hingala
A song for red cheeks, a song for warm eyes,
A song for cheerful days.
Wishing you cheerful days - M


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I believe that communities thrive when there is an interdependent culture and we're all looking out for one another. I give back because I am able to and hope to ensure others in similar positions to do the same so that we can work together to help alleviate poverty.
Meet Alex Grams
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I'm a mechanical engineer, I have what my co-workers have described as a hilariously positive outlook on life, and I'm always looking for my next challenge or adventure. I'm a very active person and tend to have a lot on the go — I'm currently working on my MBA through evening classes, I'm partway through building a table, and I'm enjoying the warmish weather while golfing and playing tennis.
How long have you lived in Edmonton?
Born, raised, and educated locally — proud to be Albertan! I grew up in Leduc, just south of Edmonton, and moved into the city eight years ago for University.
Tell me about some of your hobbies and interests.
I'm a very active person and love to be outdoors, during the summers I spend as much time as I can outside paddleboarding, fishing, golfing, hiking and playing tennis. During the winters I'm a very avid curler and skier.
What is something that you are most proud of?
I got into woodworking last year and was able to design and build a bed. Last summer my youngest brother and I hiked the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island.
What is your approach to philanthropy and community?
I believe that those in a position to give back (even if you can't afford much) should give back and I am passionate about building the community. No one deserves to live in poverty, yet so many in our city end up in poor situations often due to events very much out of their control. As a city and a community I believe we need to band together to raise these people up!
Why do you support United Way?
I'm continually inspired by the passion of the United Way team and feel that they are directing funds to the highest need areas to achieve the greatest impact in the fight to end poverty.
What inspired you to give?
I learned through my company of the great work that United Way was doing in the community and wanted to be a part of it. I participated in a painting day at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers a couple years ago and was very inspired by the dedication and passion of the United Way coordinators and other volunteers.
How long have you been supporting United Way?
Four years.
Why is it important to give back to your community?
I believe that communities thrive when there is an interdependent culture and we're all looking out for one another. I give back because I am able to and hope to ensure others in similar positions to do the same so that we can work together to help alleviate poverty.


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LightSquared: Another Solyndra?
In two separate rulings, the FCC favorably approved LightSquared requests: on March 26, 2010, and on January 26, 2011. The rulings allowed the company to switch from a satellite company to a wireless system based on 400,000 towers. The tower system could interfere with many GPS signals.
GPS proponents have been dismayed by the quick FCC rulings. "The whole process has been highly unusual," said Dale Leibach, a spokesman for the industry group Coalition to Save Our GPS . "The FCC typically doesn't act quickly on matters before them, and they acted with great haste and lightning speed" on LightSquared.
Like solar energy, Obama has pressed for a bold agenda for universal broadband availability. In his 2010 State of the Union address, the president became a big cheerleader for the idea. The president demanded that broadband be given to 98% of the American people. In February 2010, Obama released a bill called the American Jobs Act which called for universal coverage. He told a group of college students: "This isn't just about faster Internet or being able to find a friend on Facebook. It's about connecting every corner of America to the digital age."
The president wasn't only intellectually involved. Investment manager George W. Haywood steered Obama toward putting some of his personal money into the wireless company. Obama bought into it with a $50,000 investment, according to his 2005 Senate financial disclosure form.
Haywood has remained close personal friends with the president. Haywood and his wife attended the first White House state diner and a Super Bowl party at the White House in 2009.
In February 20, 2010, Haywood and Genachowski together met at the White House. A White House spokesman said the two men watched the NBA All-Star Game with Obama in the White House residence quarters. "That was a poker game," said Haywood. "It was poker, pizza, beer and the … game."
Obama explained during the 2007 campaign how he invested in the wireless company. "After I got my ($1.9 million) book contract, I had money to invest," he said, referring to his second book, The Audacity of Hope. He said he wanted "a more aggressive strategy than the normal mutual funds."
"I thought about going to Warren Buffett and I decided it would be embarrassing with only $100,000 to invest to ask his advice," Obama told reporters. Instead, Haywood recommended a UBS stockbroker, who bought more than $50,000 in stock in SkyTerra Communications, which would become LightSquared.
For quite some time Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) has been trying to get the FCC to disclose information about LightSquared's investors and their relationship to the White House. His office says they have had no success. Grassley asked:
Are there ties between the investors and the administration that might lead to the perception that the administration is biased toward approval? ... In the absence of transparency, the perception might be that the FCC is rushing the public's business to help a friend in need, regardless of the consequences for the public and the economy.
Thirty-four senators, including eight Democrats, wrote Genachowski in May of this year asking the commission to rescind LightSquared's waiver. "GPS is integral to the functioning of our economy, and is essential for public safety." Until the company can prove that its wireless system does not affect GPS use, "we request the Commission rescind LightSquared's waiver."
On May 31, Genachowski said he would not permit LightSquared to go into commercial service, but he did not rescind the waiver.
On June 23, the House Appropriations Committee passed a resolution to halt FCC expenditures on the LightSquared project until there are assurances it won't disrupt GPS signals.
The LightSquared case has been quietly simmering in the background for years within the telecom community. But now with possible tampering of a four-star general's testimony, the episode should get a greater public airing.
If so, in addition to a sinking economy the other narrative that might emerge is that the Obama administration -- which promised openness and integrity in governance -- is an administration full of insider dealings, political favors, and deceit.