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In August 2012, you announced that you were going to stop using incentives and rewards based on customer satisfaction surveys for the dealerships.
Yes, that was an announcement done to refocus the attention on customer service. It doesn't mean that we don't consider the customer's satisfaction to be an important element, but we saw that the way in which we were running the customer standards, as they were called, was really not driving an improvement in the customer experience. There were improvements in the various items, but then we didn't see exactly the type of work [we wanted].
So we moved, in agreement with the dealers, after having discussed it with them. We reviewed the process, and we still have standards, but we created a system where dealers can go and do a more deep analysis of the reason for dissatisfaction and correct the process.
I would say it's a different approach, giving them more empowerment in fixing their processes. The incentives were done at the very beginning to give a boost, but then you can argue that you shouldn't incentify a dealer to treat the customer well. So it was kind of an initial boost that was needed to grab attention, to get attention to the problem… but now it's part of their major targets, to improve their customer satisfaction; it's the only way that they have, to ensure that the customers will return in the future.
We move from being more prescriptive on the specific standards, to be more driven by the analysis of why the customer was dissatisfied and correcting the process. We don't think it's going to be completely different, but it's empowering the dealer more.
The problem with the standards is, you set a standard, you say you need to answer the phone in less than three seconds. You need to have a receptionist. You need to have… you try to find a number of things that are going to give a good customer experience. Then you have cases where the dealer is meeting all these standards and the customer is still unhappy. And that may be because it's more in the soft factors. It's the way the people in the dealership are speaking or the way in which we take care of them.
So the risk when you have these standards is focusing too much on the prescription, but not fixing the root cause of the dissatisfaction. So we agreed with the dealers to go towards using customer feedback to go back and fix their processes.
What have the results been like so far?
I think it's relatively early to see a change. We have seen improvements when you look at some of the statistics in terms of customer satisfaction, I cannot say today that we have seen a trend that is where we would like to be. It's probably a bit too early.
The process of changing the customer attitude is a long process. The customer experience is a long process. What we saw that is very encouraging, is that we get a lot more engagement from dealers. Dealers now, they own the comments, so they have the responsibility to fix the process.
How would you say that Chrysler dealers in the United States fare… how would they handle the customer experience compared to the rest of the markets?
There is no doubt, if you look at some of the surveys, J.D. Power, etc., we are below the average experience. ... [For a mainstream brand,] we are in the middle of the pack, and we need to be much better.
I don't think we are significantly worse or significantly better than the competition, but we want to be better. We want to try to lead in the next three, four, five years to become really leaders for customers. I think our CEO has been outspoken about the fact that that is one of the areas in which we need to progress.
There is a distribution. We have excellent dealers that are doing a fantastic job and other dealers that are less so. I've been dealing with customer care for many years. The process of change – first of all, the dealer is not the only one responsible. We need to agree, it's not just the dealer. It's the complete chain from the manufacturer to the dealer. It would be wrong to say that we are perfect, the problem is the dealer. I mean you need to have good cars because if you don't start from a good product, first of all, you don't get a very happy customer, and I think that is an area where we have done lots of improvements. There is no doubt our cars are significantly better today.
Then you need to have good processes with the dealer so that you support the dealers, you give them all the tools, all the programs to make the customer – to take care of the customer. And then you need them to have the processing inside the dealers. So you need to work side-by-side with the dealers to improve this chain.
We have done things, for instance, at MOPAR recently we have launched the wiADVISOR [née WiTech]. This is a public-based reception system that allows you to do the reception of the car in 15 seconds. You plug a little port into the car and you get all the downloadable information, etc. It's unique. We are the first manufacturer to offer it. There are aftermarket products, but we are the first one to offer something like that as a factory deal. And that will allow a much better reception of the customer. It will allow the service advisor to have all the data on-hand. And these are the kind of things that we do also for the dealers, because at the end, we have to work with them. So while we think wiADVISOR is going to be important.
Do you find that there are some dealers who get it and really want to work with you and improve the process, while others basically say I'm making money, I've been making money, I've been successful this way, and I don't need to do anything different?
I don't think there is a dealer that is saying, "I don't need to take care of the customer." There are dealers who are more sophisticated in the way in which they approach customer satisfaction, and others that are less sophisticated. I have never found a dealer saying I don't care about the customer. You are not in the retail business if you think something like that.
But there are dealers who are more sophisticated. There is also sometimes a problem of limitation and investments. We have very good dealers who are suffering, for instance, from not having enough space. They should expand because you get traffic in the service garage and you cannot really take care of everyone. Sometimes, it's also a better investment.
Instance, in some of the surveys we found out the cashier is the problem. Because the cashier is normally the last chance. It's the guy before leaving the dealer. There you say you really need to change, because he's a nice guy, but he doesn't have the attitude. They say oh yeah, but he's my brother-in-law. He's my brother. So you get some changes sometimes inside a dealership that are very hard to execute.
Then you have some dealers that are more sophisticated and some that are more conservative in changing, not because they don't care, it's simply they don't… it takes some time to understand that you're doing something wrong. It's something that we have also. ... It takes time to accept and say okay, I need to change. I think the problem we have today is allowing that to be more transparent. I mean, the customers are telling you, then you go into the root cause analysis and you say that's the problem. The fact that they are making money, it may be a risk [of complacency] sometimes, but it is also an opportunity because they can invest. Hey, I still prefer a dealer making money than a dealer not making money.
It's always that balance. When you're making money, it's hard to make change a priority.
There is no doubt, this is one of the discussion that there is always… dealers are making much money, they become lazy, etc. Dealers are entrepreneurs, so our responsibility is to help them to understand the reasons to make investments and to change, to preserve the viability of that business.
For instance, with better quality extended maintenance intervals, there is a significant trend in potential reduction of the service traffic, right? Because the warranty was, years ago, 50% of the business, but today it's less than 15%. Maintenance intervals are almost double.
If you want to preserve your service, you need to increase the retention of your customers. So if you were retaining four customers out of ten, now those four customers are coming back at a lower frequency, so it's better for you to retain one more. It was not important before, but it becomes very important.
So you need to have these kind of conversations with them, with the dealers that say okay, I need to make an investment. This is the right moment, I have some money, I need to do that because you're going to allow me to be sure that in the future I have a viable business. And usually, you have a distribution. You have some guys that are more difficult, some that are very advanced, then you have the middle.
Have you been getting fewer letters from angry customers?
As a matter of fact, yes. This is a very good question, because I always try to monitor the number of complaints that we receive. We are also selling more cars, but there is a trend, although I also see that the more Chrysler becomes successful, the more demanding customers are becoming.
We have started seeing a declining trend [in complaints], and also see a significant improvement in the satisfaction of the customers that are calling us to sort out problems. The time to sort out problems, the response time, is becoming much better. So there is a positive trend.
The more the company's exposed to the public, the more people are encouraged to send you a letter or ask you for something, but there is a positive trend. We see a decline in the ratio between the complaints that we receive and the cars that we have on the road. So this is a good starting point. It took a while to get to that point, but in the last 18 months finally the trend is going the better way. Although we know we are still dealing with some cars from the past that didn't have a very good quality.
There's also a counter trend that as you resolve problems, the word gets around that writing to you is effective, and you get more letters. We've been sending people to you and they've been posting your actions.
Also, our CEO is normally very vocal.
Obviously, you cannot sort out every problem. It's always a very tough call. You get the customer that is calling you, he has a ten-year-old car, he doesn't accept that the roads are a problem, right? This car should've lasted 200,000 miles and it's not acceptable. The point is that I understand that, but there are limitations, right? It's not always [possible to help]. We have become more sophisticated in the way in which we look at the problem. So we might say "Here is something that, although it is outside the warranty, outside the normal conditions, we should do something because there was really, for instance, a repetition of the problem, or something like that."
What we are absolutely committed to is that everyone who is writing to us is going to be contacted, the case is going to be analyzed, and there are no automatic answers or no automatic ways of dealing with a problem. We may say no, but that is after a thorough analysis of the case. In most of the cases, we try to take care of the customer in some way. Sometimes it's just closing the loop with the dealership.
We empowered our dealers to be more responsible in processing goodwills [out of warranty repairs that are covered by the factory for goodwill]. We gave them more power to take care of the customer and say, at the end, "I'd rather that you to be allowed to take the decision, we may be having a discussion afterwards, saying 'why did you pay that?'" Even if in 10% of cases I wouldn't agree, I wouldn't have done that, I still prefer to be sure that we can take care of the customer.
So we gave more power to the dealers. The process that we had years ago was more cumbersome. They had to call us for the authorization. I don't want a customer driving into a dealership, then having the dealer say "No, you have to call Chrysler." No, the dealer is Chrysler, so he has to take the decision unless it's something really weird.
I think that is another reason why you see also this increased positive feedback from customers for the way in which we have treated them, when they have called, is that we are more responsible and quicker to make a decision. There are still cases where we screw up, but that's part of life. There's always an opportunity to improve.
We close the loop with the dealers to understand what happened, because I don't take for granted every time I get a complaint that the dealer really did something wrong. There are cases where you get the unreasonable customers. There are cases. But in most of the cases we get, we could've done something better. So if you make a mistake, you pay the bill.
So what do you think of Mopar?
I think that you are moving forward and doing things that I would argue should've been done a long time ago, but other companies aren't doing them — you're still doing them first. When I used to work in consulting, consultants who worked in automotive seemed disgruntled because it always seemed behind; it's like we're catching up with the 1960s now. With giving dealers the latitude to make decisions, I think of the work done in the late 60s and early 70s, and it worked beautifully.
Yeah, I think you touch an interesting point. That is something that I have been very vocal at many interviews and also speaking with dealers. For some reason, automotive – especially in the US, especially in the US – is a retail business that didn't align the processes to the other retail businesses.
When I need to discuss with a dealer to be open on Saturday in the US, as we discussed in our last interview, why should we have that discussion? I mean in the US, it is the country where everything is open Sunday and Saturday. In the country where all the independents are open both Saturday and Sunday.
It's like you open a restaurant that is closed Saturday night. You say all the other restaurants are open. It may be because customers are interested even more than the rest of the week about going out for dinner on Saturday. And I think, I think, it has been because the industry was flourishing so well that they were okay… [they may say] it doesn't matter if they go for oil changes. There is not a lot of money to be made on oil changes if they go to the independents. Obviously missing the big picture, [because] if the guys start going for oil changes to the independent, then after two or three years they go for brakes, they may go there for transmission, they may go there… so you lost not just the oil changes, you lost everything.
After three or four years when the guy's back into the market for a new car, it's [inaudible], right? It's "we're going to buy, so let me go around," rather than keeping the guy connected to your store, etc.
I'm not saying that all the dealers are like that, but when I came on board, less than 60% of the dealers were open on Saturday. Today we are at the moment 80%. Still, I don't like it. I want 90%, I want 100%. But it means that four dealers out of ten, four out of ten…
The crisis was a good wake-up call for most of the dealers. That has been probably changing.
Now, the blame is always 50/50, because it's not just that they were not open, the company was not doing enough to push them to open, right? So then you start to sell so many hours, Express Line or... I don't know, there was a guy eyeing over a car here. "Oh yeah, I need a new car. I need to trade in." [I say,] "Okay, give me your business card. I'm going to give it to the business center; you'll get a car from a dealer." If you are in the retail business, you sell 24/7.
Also see: 2015 Pietro Gorlier interview • Pietro Gorlier on Mopar • Other interviews
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Napoli goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis has praised Juventus Coach Antonio Conte as both sides prepare to face each other in a top of the table clash.
The Partenopei host the Bianconeri at Stadio San Paolo on Friday evening, looking to cut the gap at the top of Serie A to three points.
But the Italy international knows it will be a tough game against a 'major rival'.
"Conte has changed the mentality of this Juventus team," he told Sky Sport Italia. "They are now confident of winning and putting pressure on all their opponents.
"They deserve our respect, but we will be at home so we know we can make it difficult for them.
"Of course we want to cut the distance at the top of the table because they are a major rival of ours.
"We have come back strongly in recent years, and now we're one of their biggest threats."
Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

subset: commoncrawl


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Credits[su_note note_color="#fef5c4″][su_list icon="icon: arrow-right" icon_color="black"]
- Song Name: Roses
- Artist Name / Band Name: The Chainsmokers
- Featuring: ROZES
- Produced By: The Chainsmokers
- Album Name: Bouquet – EP
- Release Date: June 16, 2015
- Genre: Electronic, Pop
- Record Label: Disruptor, Columbia, Sony
- Written By: The Chainsmokers & ROZES
- Performance: Peaked at No. N/A
- Sampled In: N/A
- Cover By: N/A
- Remixed By: N/A
The Chainsmokers Featuring ROZES – Roses Review
The Chainsmokers released their song "Roses" with pop singer ROZES. The song successively peaked to number 71 on the Hot 100. The duo has effortlessly exhibit their talent in selecting female vocalists carefully and gives them a platform to grow. They flawlessly combine indie, pop, trap and dance together to create music indicative and unique of their brand.
The lyrics are about a delicate and careful love; however, seek new ventures to come upon with Rozes herself and her true love. Both the lovers are helpless without each other their love will sync well again once they are together. Their pure innocent love consists of being spontaneous, free, and extemporaneous. Some activities such as smoking weed, getting "drunk", watching an old film, dating are the common notion of young love story.
The Chainsmokers maintained well to release a hit after hit and a single after single. This song is an entangled fusion plus group will incredibly continue to dominate and evolve beyond the music world. Their music is unclassifiable yet wildly distinguishable. The lyrics are familiar in young adults and young lovers these days.


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HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Tiến Minh is the top seed at the Finnish Open badminton tournament, which begins on April 7.
Minh, world No 36, will play the winner of the qualifier in the first round men's singles event.
Among women, Vũ Thị Trang of Việt Nam is the fifth seed. She will face Airi Mikkela of the host country in the first singles match.
Trang's teammate Lê Thu Huyền will also compete in this category, starting with the qualifier in which she plays Mako Urushizaki of Japan. – VNS


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Magic Forest HD Pro Review
Magic Forest HD Pro is a physics-based game for iPad with a lovely sense of style, including eighty unique levels to explore. An iPhone version of this app exists, as do free iPad and iPhone versions with advertising.
There are many variations of this style of game in the iTunes store such Cut the Rope, but I enjoy the look of this app, with backgrounds reminiscent of water color or batik artwork and include forest motifs that I find appealing and a little different from what is commonly found in a game such as this.
Here, one is looking to help these pets into their basket, breaking glass bricks or other obstacles that prevent these animals from typically falling into where they belong.
Many of these levels also include other elements that a small amount of text will explain regarding new game play details such as the use of logs, jelly or balloons as well as other objects that can increase one's score such as candy, gems or coins.
Fun, almost Victorian carnival-like music is included, also adding to the mystical tone that has been created here that may be of interest to both adults as well as older children who enjoy flexing their logic and reasoning abilities as they need to select what bricks or other items to wisely remove first.
I do recommend that if this app is purchased, there is an adult seasoned in games such as this to help out at trickier levels.
It would be nice if a hint button could be included within this application to aid children who come to an impasse so they could get full use from this application, possibly highlighting the object to remove in sequence, walking children through a level if necessary.
Such a button is not traditionally included within these types of applications but would be a worthwhile addition that would make this app really stand out as a good choice when purchasing a physics-based application for children.
The ability to skip a level is included as an in-app purchase - an option that would be nice if hidden so that a frustrated child does not feel the need to spend extra money within a paid application - a great pet peeve of mine.
Instead, I would love to see this app break convention and leave all these levels unlocked, allowing users to skip levels as I have never found being locked out of part of an app ever added to my sense of accomplishment in the least.
Even with these notes, I do really appreciate how pretty this game is and how nice the music is to listen to.
I also enjoy how nature is depicted here very much and although he is young for this app now, I would be happy for my son to spend time figuring out how to get the animals into their baskets.
Nevertheless, I believe my boy would enjoy this game more with hints that he could access himself when stuck instead of asking an adult for help.


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We are on our way to Greece. The land of tzatziki, goat milk and ouzo. It has its own charm with the rugged countryside anchored in azure blue seas, snow-white villages, blue-domed churches, sun-drenched Europeans and dozens of beaches looking like postcard pictures.
We had eight days to explore five different impressions of the Cyclades. We were surprised of the variety found within this island group. Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Ios and Tinos – you can hop on a ferry and go wherever your heart leads you, enjoy long lazy lunches at waterside tavernas, or simply relax at one of beach club's sunbeds. You're living the dream – with a lot of other tourists. If that does not bother you, you have the chance to experience an unforgettable time.
We have arrived in Ibiza, excuse me Mykonos
Mykonos and its rocky landscape is one of Greece's most popular destinations. It is a high-season mix of hedonistic holidaymakers and cruise-ship crowds. Hip hotels like the Avaton, fancy beaches and lovely restaurants. You can drink, you can dance, you can relax or you can enjoy the water side activities at expensive and famous beach clubs. Away from the sunscreen crowd we interrupted our tour with a spiritual sunset party, found on Paraga Beach. Likewise, we had the chance to see the other side of this island with beautiful and stunning sceneries. Cyclades's most famous church named Panagia Paraportiani. The Armenistis Lighthouse, located in Cape Armenistis. The romantic old town with its stunning backdrop is characterised by honking cars, yelping cats, strolling people and flickering street lanterns. It is especially charming when the sun goes down.
Group cuddles and special treatments
Santorini – an island where you can find multi-coloured beaches, hot springs, donkey rides and several couples on honeymoon. The whitewashed villages in top of the cliffs almost look like snow-caps from a distance. Santorini is no secret spot anymore and draws crowds for most of the year – but for few days it is simply amazing.
In Paros you can find some great spots to go kite surfing, when the weather conditions are right. If you follow the uphill dirt road behind Molos, among the cedars, you will see a cove surrounded by high rocks. At a beach called Kalogeros you even have the possibility to get a free natural skin care with clay of which the rocks are made of. We took that chance and pampered our bodies with an extensive treatment.
In the port and main town of Tinos we saw many religious people creeping step by step all the way up to the Church of Panagia Evangelistria. But as soon as we left the crowds in town, this piece of earth is a wonderland of natural beauty with dozens of marble-ornamented villages found in hidden bays and on terraced hillsides. There's a strong artistic tradition, especially for marble sculpting. The food, made out of local products, was some of the best we found in Greece.
Despite the enduring wind from the north of the island's beaches and lively whitewashed towns, you probably need to prefer the commercial side of foreign countries to enjoy your trip to the Cyclades. But overall, we chased a lot of amazing pictures, relished every moment and came back with a glow in our eyes.
Thanks to the team of iTravel, who organized this trip for us and a big thank you to my crew for those incredible days.
Photo credit: Linda Ambrosius, Tobias Schnorpfeil, Florian Kleinsteuber and Marko Roth


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Electromagnetic Acoustic Spectrocopy
VASI and Resonic are focused on comprehensive inspection of safety critical, and specialty metal products. Our NTD systems and process expertise lie in the following areas:
- Continuous inspection of small and medium diameter wire, rod, and tubing
- Automated inspection of forged, stamped, and cast components, fasteners/bolts, and other critical parts
- Bonding/adhesion quality measurement of thin sheet metal and composite assemblies
Principles of Operation
The basic principle of the EMAS or more correctly the RM-EMAT (resonant mode electromagnetic transducer) technique is the creation of a very strong & localised electromagnetic field from a driving transducer (manufactured with the use of ultra strong boron based magnets).
The driving transducer transmits ultrasonic acoustic shear-waves through the field into the metal, and the resonant frequencies are picked up by a secondary transducer. None of the tested components need to be in direct contact with the transducers during the testing. Hence the inspection process is "non-contact", making it the only real NDT system that can be fittet into production lines with continous feed of materials, like wires, bolts etc. The principle of operation is very simply, but ingeniously in the sense that any defects will result in attenuation, dampening or complete disappearance of resonance.
The important distinction between EMAR and traditional Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS or RAS) is in the use of polarised EMAS transducers.
EMAS' are not used to force the entire part into resonance but instead create localized, acoustic fields in the areas directly near the sensor faces. With EMAT; resonance are analysed in a much narrower band and generally at higher frequencies. EMAS' are selective in excitation and detection of resonant modes. They are therefore designed to pick-up modes that contain relevant acoustic information about the materials evaluation task.
Enhanced control over size, band, and modes is the basis for a very low noise and high sensitivity resonance based NDT technique.
Hence the system is ideal for what is also known as spectroscopy of metal and metal products.
The real beauty about the system is the enabling of the observer to literally see through metal without the use of radioactive material or other "none- human friendly" or HSE risky techniques.
The comparison to modern medicine is useful and as any E&R doctor or nurse will confirm;
The use of ultrasonic diagnostic is a cheap and very precise way of determining the presence of defects (ref the increasing use of MR scans). Medical personnel will use expensive x-ray based techniques as CT (computer tomography), CAT etc, only when they need to determine the defects precisely for an operation or treatment assistance.
The potential to do a full imaging with EMAS is already demonstrated, and is used in Resonics systems for scanning high performance engine valves, which are bi-metallic and contains welds. The system can with the new transducer developments be tuned to such perfection that it even picks up hardness differences down to +/-1 RC (if the volumetric properties are constant).
In our bolting/fastener case however, we do not really care if the defect is a crack, inclusion or zone of porosity. When it comes to fasteners we will simply take the samples showing signs of defects out of use, and prevent them from entering the assembly process.
A very important added benefit of the ARIS EMAS systems is the none-contact feature.
Unlike any other NDT inspection method, the transducers, does not need to be in direct contact with the material. They can e.g. sit 0,2-0,5mm (size/componet dependant) from the bolt diameter and still perform a full scan.
This feature is ideal for automated inspection techniques, but it is also essential in bolt inspections for identifying root-cracks in the threaded sections, which we also have proven detection of in our test lab.
In terms of automation this enables automated test systems to perform a pass/fail scan of a bolt sample in seconds.


text: Carolyn Cassady, (Carolyn Elizabeth Robinson), American writer (born April 28, 1923, Lansing, Mich.—died Sept. 20, 2013, Bracknell, Eng.), recounted in titillating detail her involvement in the 1950s and '60s Beat movement and her unconventional marriage (1948–63) to the hard-living Beat muse Neal Cassady—who inspired some of the Beat writers' most iconic characters and persuaded her to embark on a prolonged affair with his friend novelist Jack Kerouac—in the memoirs Heart Beat: My Life with Jack and Neal (1976, film 1980) and Off the Road: My Years with Cassady, Kerouac and Ginsberg (1990). In the latter she excused her husband's many adulterous affairs and focused on dispelling the notion that the Beat Generation—among them Cassady, Kerouac, and poet Allen Ginsberg—had carefree lives. Carolyn earned a B.A. (1944) in theatre arts from Bennington (Vt.) College and met Cassady while pursuing graduate studies (1946–47) at the University of Denver. She and her husband were the inspiration for the characters Camille and Dean Moriarty in Kerouac's classic novel On the Road (1957, film 2012).


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Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability in the world. Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) causes the majority of MDD's disability. Strikingly, 50% of individuals with MDD will fail to remit with two adequate trials of antidepressant medications, thus suffering TRD. Current pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment strategies for TRD are limited in effectiveness so new techniques are needed. This grant is a randomized, controlled trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for the TRD population. MBCT is a new technique that has previously been found effective for prevention of relapse in individuals in complete remission. MBCT is a group-based, 8-week intervention that uses mindfulness meditation as its core therapeutic ingredient. It teaches people to have a different relationship to depressive thoughts and feelings. Three open trials of MBCT, two pilot studies comparing MBCT to Treatment-as-Usual (TAU), and our pilot data, have found MBCT to be effective for TRD. This study will use an active control condition, the Health- Enhancement Program (HEP), which was specifically developed to serve as a credible control for mindfulness interventions. We plan to identify 124 patients with MDD who have failed two or more adequate antidepressant trials documented with the Antidepressant Treatment History Form software. We will then randomly assign patients to two groups: MBCT+TAU or HEP+TAU. We anticipate 100 patients will complete treatment. All 124 patients who enroll in the study will undergo follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months following the 8 week intervention.
The specific aim of this study is to determine the acute efficacy of MBCT in reducing depression in adults with TRD. The study will test the hypotheses that MBCT+TAU is more effective than HEP+TAU in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing remission and response rates using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression over a period of 8 weeks. We will also conduct a series of secondary hypotheses and analyses to evaluate if MBCT+TAU is more effective than HEP+TAU in reducing disability and improving quality of life. In addition we will also evaluate potential mediators of MBCT efficacy: enhanced mindfulness, decreased rumination, and decreased experiential avoidance. Although this is an acute treatment trial of MBCT in TRD, we will also evaluate whether beneficial effects of 8 weeks of treatment persist at 6 and 12 months. Findings from this study would have clear public health significance because MBCT could prove to be an effective treatment for TRD patients, reducing the suffering, disability, and medical comorbidity common in TRD.
Major depressive disorder is the most prevalent mental health problem in the world. This study is a randomized, controlled trial of a new adaptation of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), to the Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) population. Because TRD affects 50% of individuals treated with antidepressants, MBCT has significant potential to help reduce the suffering, disability, and medical comorbidity that often accompanies this disorder.
|Ferri, Jamie; Eisendrath, Stuart J; Fryer, Susanna L et al. (2017) Blunted amygdala activity is associated with depression severity in treatment-resistant depression. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 17:1221-1231
|Eisendrath, Stuart J; Gillung, Erin; Delucchi, Kevin L et al. (2016) A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Psychother Psychosom 85:99-110
|Eisendrath, Stuart J; Gillung, Erin; Delucchi, Kevin et al. (2015) A Preliminary Study: Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy versus Sertraline as First-line Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder. Mindfulness (N Y) 6:475-482
|Jain, Felipe A; Walsh, Roger N; Eisendrath, Stuart J et al. (2015) Critical analysis of the efficacy of meditation therapies for acute and subacute phase treatment of depressive disorders: a systematic review. Psychosomatics 56:140-52
|Eisendrath, Stuart J; Gillung, Erin P; Delucchi, Kevin L et al. (2014) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) versus the health-enhancement program (HEP) for adults with treatment-resistant depression: a randomized control trial study protocol. BMC Complement Altern Med 14:95
|Munshi, Krishna; Eisendrath, Stuart; Delucchi, Kevin (2013) Preliminary long-term follow-up of Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy-induced remission of depression. Mindfulness (N Y) 4:354-361
|Sipe, Walter E B; Eisendrath, Stuart J (2012) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: theory and practice. Can J Psychiatry 57:63-9
|Eisendrath, Stuart; Chartier, Maggie; McLane, Maura (2011) Adapting Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Clinical Case Study. Cogn Behav Pract 18:362-370
|Chartier, Maggie; Bitner, Robin; Peng, Tracy et al. (2010) Adapting Ancient Wisdom for the Treatment of Depression: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Group Training. Group (New York) 34:319-327


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Watch American Dragon: Jake Long
Add to Watchlist
The story of Jake Long is depicted in present day New York City (the borough of Manhattan). He is a thirteen year old skateboarder with the ability to shape shift into a dragon that can fly, breath fire and also displays a enormous amount of strength. It premiered in 2005 and was discontinued in 2007. Recently Disney XD has begun to show reruns of this series during its action hour. With its reoccurring themes of Chinese history, art and action/adventure this television show was nominated for the Best Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production.
The American Dragon story line was based around Jake Long and his family (some which are unaware of his dragon powers). Jake seeks to live a normal life with his two best friends Trixie and Spud. He really loves skateboarding which is shown in almost every episode of the series. Though he seeks to live a normal life, he can not shake the dragon duties presented onto him. He must save citizens of Manhattan from the Huntsmen, who seek to capture and defeat all of the dragons on the planet. Yet, Jake is not the only one with a secret, his long time crush Rose is also apart of the Huntsmen. So during the day they are friends, and at night they hunt one another. There is also another villain called the Dark Dragon who is much more powerful than all the rest. He is a reoccurring villain that causes Jake plenty of problems, both as a human and as a dragon.
American Dragon: Jake Long is a series that is currently running and has 2 seasons (51 episodes). The series first aired on January 21, 2005.
American Dragon: Jake Long is available for streaming on the website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch American Dragon: Jake Long on demand atiTunes online.
- Disney
- 2 Seasons, 51 Episodes
- January 21, 2005
- Kids & Family, Animation & Cartoon
- Cast: Dante Basco, Amy Bruckner, Jeff Bennett, Keone Young, Lauren Tom
Watch Full Episodes of American Dragon: Jake Long
American Dragon: Jake Long Full Episode Guide
- Episode 34 - The Hong Kong Longs
Lao Shi is kidnapped during a trip to Hong Kong.
- Episode 33 - Being Human
Haley takes over the position of American Dragon while Jake is stressed out about his middle school graduation.
- Episode 32 - Furious Jealousy
Spud makes a deal with Fury to win over the affection of Stacey.
- Episode 31 - Magic Enemy #1
Jakes online Journal makes Rotwood the magical worlds # 1 enemy.
- Episode 30 - Bite Father, Bite Son
Mr. Long brings Jake into the office for a bring your child to work day. During the day, a group of vampires attack.
- Episode 29 - Game On
Jake uses cheat codes to make his life easier.
- Episode 28 - Nobody's Fu
Jake gets a helper monkey to replace Fu Dog.
- Episode 27 - Year of The Jake
During Chinese New-year, Jake accidentally cures Lao Shi's shop with bad luck.
- Episode 26 - Shaggy Frog
Spud gets "froggy" powers. He likes it until #88, and #89 go frog hunting.
- Episode 25 - Siren Says
Jake is won at the school's bachelor auction by a pretty girl, and an average girl. Unfortunately, Lao Shi, Trixie, and Fu Dog fear that she may be a siren.
- Episode 23 - Young At Heart
Jake is turned into a 21-year-old man. He enjoys it until he realizes that he has to grow up.
- Episode 22 - A Ghost Story
Jake, Spud, and Trixie become camp counselors. Meanwhile Jake has to go up against Brad, and a clan of vengeful ghosts.
- Episode 21 - Homecoming
Jake and Rose are choosen homecoming king and queen and must stop the Huntsman from reclaiming the last Aztec Skulls
- Episode 17 - The Love Cruise
Jake borrows the Bow and arrow that Cupid left his grand father while going on vacation. Jake decides to use the newly aquired bow and arrow to play matchmaker on the schools 'Love Cruise'.
- Episode 16 - Switcheroo
Haley and Jake switch bodies.
- Episode 15 - Hairy Christmas
Its Christmas Eve and Jake is sick of his families Christmas traditions which he considers to be humiliating. But when he rescues a baby Sasquatch which has been accidentally separated from its family, he begins to learn the value of his family traditions.
- Episode 14 - Supernatural Tuesday
Jake runs for student body president while using a glove that can read peoples minds.
- Episode 13 - Haley Gone Wild
Haley becomes excessively wild after watching a children's show.
- Episode 12 - Feeding Frenzy
Jake deals with Greggy, his annoying cousin, and a water based foe who threatens to flood a majority of North America.
- Episode 11 - Fools Gold
Jake starts to work for an unscrupulous Leprechaun clan and gets drawn into the mobster lifestyle.
- Episode 10 - A Befuddled Mind
After Spud gets a perfect score in a government issued standardized exam, he is sent to a special school called "The Genius Institute." He soon finds out that this school holds more mystery then its secret identity.
- Episode 9 - Dreamscape
Jake begins to use his power to step in to people's dreams, but soon finds he is stepping into more than he can bargain for.
- Episode 8 - Hero of the Hourglass
Jake uses time travel to go back to the year 1986 and tell his father about dragons and the world of magical creatures. His father reacts worse then expected and breaks up with his future mother, meaning that Jake has to work to get his parents back together.
- Episode 7 - Family Business
Things heat up around the Long home when Jake realises that Haley has begun her dragon training.
- Episode 6 - Breakout
Jake is distracted from his work when he gets a bad case of dragon acne. He must also work with Rose when she reveals the huntsmasters evil plans.
- Episode 5 - Something Fishy This Way Comes
Jakes life takes a turn for the worst when his Grandfather starts dating his principal. To make matters worse Jake hears about a fierce beast which is attacking magical creatures.
- Episode 4 - The Doppelganger Gang
- Episode 3 - The Academy
Jake poses as a huntsclan student in order to get Rose
- Episode 2 - Half-Baked
- Episode 1 - Bring It On
Trixie has to go undercover as a cheerleader to get some answers when Jake battles a villain named Fury.
- Episode 21 - The Hunted
Jake reflects upon his relationship with Rose, and is then captured by the huntsclan for the grand equinox hunt. While there Jake has to lead a team of creatures in order to survive the hunting by the huntsclan. What could happen that could prevent a determined huntsgirl from slaying the creature she has been after for ages?
- Episode 20 - Ring Around the Dragon
2 Giants ask for Jake's help when their son runs of to Join the K.E.W.L wrestling company. In order to help them, Jake joins himself as a wrestler. How will Jake cope with Pro Wrestling?
- Episode 19 - Keeping Shop
When Jake and Lao Shi go on a dragon retreat for the weekend they leave Trixie and Spud in charge of the shop. They feel pretty bad for messing up in recent missions. They learn that a group of Trolls have been creating terrorizing Magus Bazaar. Fu makes them a dragon costume and eventually makes them a potion to give them dragon powers in order to deal with the problem.
- Episode 18 - Fu and Tell / Flight of the Unicorn
Fu and Tell Haley in search of attention takes Fu Dog to school for show and tell, where he has a showdown with an old feline adversary.Flight Of the Unicorn Jake, Spud and Trixie go to the carnival. where they find a real unicorn. They know they must get the unicorn back to its heard, but taking a unicorn across New York City in broad daylight isn't the easiest thing to do.
- Episode 17 - The Halloween Bash
- Episode 16 - Hong Kong Nights
After Lao Shi is led away with Chang to uncover the dark Dragon, Jake learns that His grandfather was once a hip young dragon, well respected and known just like Jake. After Jake realizes that Lao Shi has been trapped., he assembles a magical team to go and sniff out the Dark Dragon
- Episode 15 - Jake Takes the Cake
A gremlin who likes to dismantle electric things on on the lose in New York . Jake accidentally lets it escape and it follows him home where Jake's mum is preparing the catering for a celebrity wedding where it starts wrecking everything. Things turn worse when the gremlin multiplies itself at the actually venue and begin destroying everything. Who is left with the blame? Jake.
- Episode 14 - Eye of the Beholder
Panderas the Wizard has invited many magical women to a beauty contest. Jake and the team get word from the Oracle twins that somethings up, so they go there and enter Veronica. But she has an accident so they get the womanizing Fu to enter instead. But something lies in store for the winner and it isn't good.
- Episode 13 - The Long Weekend
Jake, Trixie and Spud go on a camping trip with Mr long. While on this trip, Jake is informed that he needs to protect a magical community of sprites who are in danger from the Jersey Devil. While all this is going on, Haley and Mrs Long's bonding session turns into a nightmare when they accidentally get sent off to boot camp.
- Episode 12 - Ski Trip
Jake's school goes to the snow for a ski trip. Jake decides that it is time to tell Rose that he is a dragon. On this trip though, Rose seems to be acting a little strange and to make matters worse it seems that huntsgirl is also on the Ski Trip. Can Jake face growing fears about the identity of huntsgirl and learn the horrible truth about someone he loved?
- Episode 11 - Shapeshifter
Jake learns that all dragons have natural shape shifting powers and gets Fu to create him a potion that helps him use this ability. But Jake starts misusing these powers and misuse can have bad consequences.
- Episode 10 - Body Guard Duty
Jake must go as a body guard to the Oracle twins when a goblin threatens to capture them and make them give the results of the up coming ogre bowl. Jake also gets tempted by their powers in the process.
- Episode 9 - Dragon Summit
Jake is called for testing by the Dragon council so Jake, Fu and Lao Shi go to Draco isle in order for Jakes tests to be carried out. Jake's early shot for popularity is hindered by a dragon called Fred Nerk, the Australian dragon. In order to pass, Jake must pass 2 out of the 3 tests that the Dragon council has in store for him. A new and more deadly foe then the huntsman also pops up.
- Episode 8 - The Egg / The Heist
The Egg A Griffin egg is laid at the top of the empire state building and its Jake's job to protect it but the mission gets harder when the huntsclan comes after the egg. In the chaos the egg is misplaced, Jake and Fuu have to go around New York City after the egg to make it safe againThe heist Panderus the wizard has stolen a Leprechauns gold so Jake, Trixie and Spud must go in undercover to recover the gold.
- Episode 7 - Professor Rotwood's Thesis
While Jake is fighting the huntsclan, Professor Rotwood manages to take a blurred photo of Jake. Showing it to his mythology class the next day, Prof Rotwood offer a reward of $500 evidence of mythical creatures. Jake decides to Take photos of himself and submit a dragon scale, off of which Prof Rotwood passes off as fake. Finally in a battle with the huntsclan, Jake is knocked into the streets below where Trixie and Spud find him and take him to Prof Rotwood for the money. After this they find out the dragon was Jake, and hatch a plan to rescue him from Rotwood.
- Episode 6 - Adventures in Trollsitting / Fu Dog T...
- Episode 5 - Act 4, Scene 15
Jake enters the school play 'Anthony and Cleopatra' In order to win Roses affection. They both get the main roles, but in the rehearsals during the kiss scene Jake freaks out.. The problem amplifies when a scarab Beetle that Jake is supposed to be looking after escapes, and there is something strange about Rose during this time.
- Episode 4 - The Legend of the Dragon Tooth
Jake is forced to miss an annual hip hop awards festival when he has to babysit his little sister Haley. Things alredy bad enough when Jake learns that a crazy dentist is trying to steal Haley's baby tooth to do evil things with it.
- Episode 3 - The Talented Mr. Long
Spud, Jake and Trixie enter a magic competition as a team, but Jake is forced to turn against his friends when he finds out that the prize is a golden chalice with special properties.
- Episode 2 - Dragon Breath
Jake gets smelly breath known as dragon breath. Whats worse is that the school dance is coming up and Rose seems to be going with someone else. Jake gets Fu dog to set him up for the school dance, but this new girl Jake goes with may have a surprise in store.
- Episode 1 - Old School Training
Jake gets fed up when Grandpa puts him through a series of seemingly pointless training exercises, but when the Huntsclan forces him to battle, will he be able to take all that his Grandpa gave him and use it in time of need?


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About Mr Baldock
Mr Baldock is in his 24th year of teaching. He has taught from Reception up to Year 4 and everything in between. Apart from being a Year 3 classroom teacher he is also the Primary Years Team Leader and ICT Coordinator.
He has been blogging since 2010 and is passionate about using technology to enhance the learning process and share learning with others.
Mr Baldock also administers a website called Primary Edutech. Primary Edutech is a website devoted to primary teachers. It's aim is to collect primary relevant resources from around the web and make them available to teachers in a user friendly environment.
You can contact or follow Mr Baldock via the following links……
Classroom Blog: mrbaldock.edublogs.org
Teacher Blog: primaryedutech.com
School Website: www.nativity.catholic.edu.au


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Sold Out
Let's have a quick, transparent moment, here. Watermelon Jolly Ranchers simply take the number one spot on the best-tasting Jolly Rancher candy list. Simply put, it has the sweet taste, but one that isn't too harsh on your taste buds. This is precisely the reason why it makes a great candy buffet item. But if you would rather take the conservative route, then you may want to treat yourself to one of our other Jolly Rancher candies with this renowned candy, too.
Approximately 76 pieces per pound.
***DISCLAIMER: Color may vary from photographs. Manufacturing process often differs slightly with every batch. NO REFUNDS for COLOR variants.***


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JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The Joplin hospital destroyed by a tornado in May is preparing to open a second temporary hospital, while a hospital that survived the storm is planning to expand.
St. John's Regional Medical Center plans to move this weekend into the temporary hospital at the site of its current mobile medical unit. The medical center was destroyed by the May 22 hospital.
The Joplin Globe reports that the new temporary hospital for St. John's is three times larger than the existing temporary unit. Its current site is in a tent and the new temporary site will have harder walls.
Meanwhile, Freeman Health System will ask the Joplin Industrial Development Authority next week to issue bonds to allow it to open two floors at Freeman Hospital West.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.


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Now that I'm easing myself back into this whole blogging business I wanted to create new content. Travel is going to be a huge part of my life this year and hopefully many more to come. I've been to the states before but only NYC and Boston. Both are incredible cities in very different ways and this Summer I'm spending a few week's exploring the rest of America. By rest I don't mean every single state but a fair amount in my opinion! It is an adventure of a lifetime (you can read up on my initial excitement here) and I've been busy researching various hotspots/bucket list places to visit.
As I'm going to be travelling so much across America I've decided to spilt this post into two parts – East Coast vs. West Coast. Beginning on the East side, I'll be setting up camp in NYC to kick start my adventures. It's my favourite city in the world and I've been to the Big Apple plenty of times before. However there are still key places I love to go back to. Not much of a bucket list for this city due to my previous trips but still worth sharing. Obviously I'm not going to share every single attraction (we'd be here forever) but a few places that I think you'll all like.
New York City:
- Lady Liberty: You can't go to NYC and not by a visit to the main host who welcomes you in. The Staten Island ferry is free (absolute bonus) and a great way to see Downtown Manhattan and other parts of the city from a different angle. New York can sometimes make you feel like it's going to swallow you up so a refreshing off Island boat trip is essential.
- Brooklyn Bridge: An experience that I love doing time and time again. To just people watch on this iconic bridge is so rewarding (it's my guilty pleasure). Again, you get to see the city from a different angle and it's nice to get out of the craziness for a few hours and just breathe.. plus it free too!
- Top of the Rock: I've actually never visited this landmark before so it's 100% a must for me. Last time I was in NYC I ventured to the top if the Empire State Building for a glorious sunset instead. To actually see the skyline including the Empire State will make for the most beautiful photographs and of course, memories.
I also want to go to back Soho and Chinatown. The shopping in Lower Manhattan is something I've yet to experience.. Oh and I want to take a trip on the Skyline drive through the city!
Washington DC:
(Image courtesy of Dominic Morrocco)
- White House: I know the current president is an absolute pratt but I've always been obsessed with American Politics. Therefore it's only natural that I pay a visit to the States very own Fort Knox. It will forever be the Obama home to me and I want to visit it to tick it off my bucket list. Regardless of who currently lives there, I'm super excited!
- Capitol Hill: Purely from watching my favourites, Madam Secretary and The West Wing, I need to visit this iconic attraction. I can't wait to shoot some seriously good photographs when I'm in DC, their monuments are literally like no other. I spent so many hours on Instagram just scrolling through various American photography accounts so it will be good to put my little camera to the test.
- Lincoln Memorial/Washington Monument: Having adored these monuments in so many famous films, I'm so excited to hang out with the 16th US President and others. Of course the Washington monument will be interesting to view especially with the damage it's indured with previous hurricanes and earthquakes. As this trip is going to be no doubt a wild adventure, I'm looking forward to sitting and looking over the Capital with some VIP company!
- Moonlight Tour: The idea of trekking around America's capital on a moonlight tour makes me weak at the knees. I'm counting down the days until I'm going seeing the city during those great American sunsets and full moons. It will be a magical experience and I'll be sure to share it with all of you along the way.
(Image courtesy of Cabin Floor Esoterica)
- Arlington Cemetery: Between road tripping from Washington to Appalachia, we make a stop in Virginia to visit the historic military cemetery. I'm so looking forward to wondering through the tombs and getting to see the eternal flame at JFK's grave. That will without a doubt be such a surreal moment.
- Shenandoah National Park: This is when I need to break out my hiking shoes for some serious outdoor activities. It's from this point on that the true adventure of my travels begins. The most of my holiday consists of fun activities starting with a hike and yet another Skyline Drive through the Appalachian Mountains (deep breaths!).
Nashville/Memphis :
(Images courtesy of Trip Advisor)
- Cowboy bars: Time to get my Levi shorts out to celebrate my inner country and western girl. Upon arriving in the music capital, I'll be hitting the town to party with all of the locals into the early hours of the morning. Maybe learn a few dance moves to take home with me!
- Graceland: Once we've set up camp in Memphis and more specific the Graceland Campground, I will jump in my ride and head straight to the King's home estate. Getting a tour of Elvis Presley's house is so one of those rare occasions in life, I think I'll end up crying. Seeing where he lived, created his music and spent time with his family is insane.
- Rock 'n' Soul/National Civil Rights Museums: Of course I have to throw myself into the magnificent culture with a visit to these monumental museums. The civil rights tour alone is sure to be so hardhitting but incredibly interesting to view – to see Martin Luther King's life work will be truly beautiful art.
New Orleans:
(Image courtesy of Google)
Bourbon Street: As this part of America can be a little crazy, we're going to stay close to the action around our hotel in the city centre. Although we will certainly be cranking up the jazz and spend a WILD evening in the home of Mardi Gras. Along with exploring the French Quarter, we will join the revellers on Bourdon Street to have the ultimate party!
So this is pretty much my East Coast adventures. From New Orleans it's then onto Los Angeles where I will move around the West Coast. I'm still so in shock that I'm spending my Summer doing this, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it. I'll be sure to start working on the rest of my trip asap, keep an eye out!


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Dutch Prince Friso has died nearly 18 months after an avalanche left him in a coma.
Nearly 18 months after an avalanche during a ski trip left him in a coma, Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands has died. He was 44 years old.
In February 2012, the prince was skiing in Lech, Austria when an avalanche left him buried for 20 minutes. Although he was resuscitated at the scene, neurological testing showed that after 50 minutes of CPR and moderate hypothermia the prince suffered massive brain damage due to oxygen deprivation and never regained full consciousness.
Friso's mom Queen Beatrix abdicates >>
The Dutch royal house confirmed Prince Friso died of complications from the accident and said he never regained more than "minimal consciousness," but declined to give more details.
Despite his long coma, his death "still comes as a shock," said Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "Prince Friso was only 44 years old, and until the ski accident, in the prime of his life."
Born in 1968 to the then Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus, he was second in line to the Dutch throne until a scandal involving his wife, the former Mabel Wisse Smit, rocked the royal house.
Originally seen as an ideal fit for the royal house, upon their engagement it soon came to light that Wisse Smit had an unsavory association with an infamous crime lord in college. The then Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende refused to propose the necessary law to admit Friso's wife-to-be into the royal house, and so the couple wed without parliamentary approval.
What's in a name? The history behind Prince George Alexander Louis >>
As a result, Friso was cut from the royal house and line of succession, although he and Wisse Smit were still considered members of the royal family and given the honorific titles of Prince and Princess of Oranje-Nassau. The pair resided in London with their two daughters, Countess Emma Luana Ninette Sophie and Countess Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou.
Known as "Prince Brilliant," Friso had an extensive education and studied at UC Berkeley, the Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, graduating cum laude with degrees in economics and engineering, and later earned an MBA at the INSEAD business school.
Image courtesy PN News/WENN
Read more royal family
Prince Harry passes huge career milestone
Another royal wedding: Prince Albert marries
Sarah Ferguson charges: Is the duchess going to jail?


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During each school vacation, weekends, and during national heritage activities, we propose to visitors of all ages to learn how to use ochre and coloring materials during demonstrations and workshops.
> For childrens/adults from age 6 to 96, if they are interested : theme workshops to vary pleasures according to the seasons.
For adults and teens : workshops to learn how to make natural paints for art and decoration.
>>>call us to know when we are able to receive you or your children in english for these workshops
click here for more informations in english
> group guided tours and activities


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Site Builders or WordPress Page Builders: Which One to Use?
Website builders and WordPress page builders have both been rising in popularity. Owing to the sheer large number of new websites being built, and with more and more businesses now looking to go online, tools and solutions that make it easy for people to build sites are growing in stature.
However, considering the fact that website builders and WordPress page builders serve more or less the same purpose, which one should you choose and why?
Top 10 WordPress Themes for Bloggers in 2017
In today's scenario, best website design is the key element to create the engagements. One of the first and basic thing you need to think about when starting any online business is the looks of your website because it becomes very difficult to engage your audience without attractive website. Further, your website should be very organized, clean and responsive and for this you will need a theme. So, there are various types of new WordPress themes which give a new look to your website and it will also help you to attract more visitors and competitors.
13 Best WordPress Page Builder Plugins with Drag-and-Drop Interfaces
WordPress page builder plugins make it possible for anyone to design and build their very own websites, regardless of their skill level in HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript. More and more theme developers are adding a boatload of options in the live theme customizer of their themes, but nothing compares to the feeling of having full and total control over the elements and designs used throughout your website, especially the homepage.
Elegant Themes Giveaway Winners Announcement
Today we would like to announce the winners of the fabulous giveaway from Elegant Themes. As you will remember you had an opportunity to get one of 3 Developer Accounts worth $89 each.
Review: Divi theme
Elegant Themes has been known for offering high-quality themes for a while now. One of their latest themes is Divi, which they present as "the smartest and most flexible theme in our collection", as well as "the most powerful theme we have ever built, and quite possibly the only theme you will ever need."
Elegant Themes Giveaway Winners
Our recent giveaway of 3 Lifetime passes from Elegant Themes attracted a lot of attention, and rightly so because it's a fantastic deal. You had the opportunity to get access to all of their products forever including updates and support! That's three Lifetime Accounts worth $747! Here are the three lucky winners who have got themselves a lifetime account with Elegant Themes: Mary Wilkinson Blake Hampton Pounds Susan Thanks to everyone who participated in the Elegant Themes giveaway, to those who didn't win I still wholeheartedly recommend buying a membership at Elegant Themes, you will thank us later 😉 If you enjoyed this post,…
Incredible Giveaway from Elegant Themes – Grab 3 Lifetime Passes Worth $747
Today we teamed up with Elegant Themes to give you a great opportunity to get access to all of their products forever including updates and support! Three Lifetime Accounts worth $747 are awaiting for you!


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Youll See Everybody But the Fox at the Marlborough Hunt Races at Roedown Farm
April 4 - 10, 2002
Smarter isnt good at waiting, says Janice Binckley-Cole of her 12-year-old thoroughbred, Older But Smarter. So theyll run the first leg of the relay.
Hes a front runner, she explains. Hell blast off at the start and hold it. Traveling over the mile-long oval course and up and down hills, horse and rider will reach speeds of 25 to 30 mph.
If I have him fit enough, hell last the whole mile, says the horsewoman.
Binckley-Coles husband, Jason Cole, wholl be riding the third leg, is blunter. Its Smarters job to get us a big lead, he says.
Then all that he and Christy Clagett, wholl ride the second leg, have to do is hold onto that lead.
Just as in a human relay race, the riders must pass a baton. Thats what worries Clagett. We have to practice the hand off, she says. If we blow that, well blow the whole race.
The race Clagett fears blowing is the 10th race of the 28th annual running of the Marlborough Hunt Races at Roedown Farm. Its the last event on the card for that Sunday, April 7, concluding an afternoon of races across flat fields and over hurdles by both grown-up and junior jockeys.
The old English tradition of hunting is alive and well in Maryland, and every spring the various hunt clubs put on a series of races across farm fields and hedges. These local races prepare trainers, horses and jockeys for National Steeplechase Association events. As little prize money is awarded at these races, theyre known as the pots-and-pans circuit for the engraved cup or plate winners bring home along with experience. Roedown, the race sponsored by the Marlborough Hunt Club, is different: $12,000 in purse money will be awarded this Sunday.
Hunting is behind the races at Roedown, but race day is not just for hunters. The Roedown Races have become a southern Maryland tradition, bringing out some 5,000 spectators. At this first party of spring, over 300 tailgaters set a quick stage, often geared to a horsy or Western theme, for elaborate feasts. Families picnic on Spectator Hill, which overlooks the entire course, while along the rail, race fans break from partying long enough to cheer the horses as they speed past.
It is, by the way, a real rail, for Roedown is run in the country, on the Davidsonville farm of Jeanne and Hal C.B. Clagett.
Roedown tastes run from beer to Sauvignon Blanc, hot dogs to caviar, cowboy boots to jodhpurs, pick-up trucks to BMWs. Theres a place for everyone, and all are welcome. You dont even have to know anything about horses.
A fun day in the country, thats our goal, says Clagett, who chairs the event.
While the spectators are enjoying the sun and country air, she, Binckley-Cole and Cole will be riding to defend their title for the Marlborough Hunt Club. They won this race last year, and they plan to win it again.
Its fun to win on your home turf, says Binckley-Cole.
Foxhunters Among Us
The tastes of Clagett, Cole and Binckley-Cole run to foxes. Therell be no fox setting the pace for the horses in the 10th race at Roedown, but all those horses will be fairly hunted. In other words, they must have hunted foxes at least six times in the previous hunt season, which ran from October through March.
With April, Roedown begins the hunters summer season of relay races that keep horse and rider in shape for cool-weather hunting. Some of the races run on the flat, like the 10th race at Roedown. Others run over hurdles, and still others take place in the show jumping ring.
Roedowns 10th race is one of seven competitions making up the Foxhunters Relay Race Challenge. Like their horses, all the riders in this race must be hunters. They wear formal hunting attire, and the best-turned-out horse takes home a Groom Award. As the series progresses, hunt clubs acquire points, with the winner claiming the Governors Cup in May.
Its friendly, but very competitive, says Cole. At the end of the season, youre very proud to say that you won the series.
Racing for the Governors Cup is, for the three Marlborough Hunt Club riders, the logical progression of years spent on horseback.
When I was 15 my parents finally figured out I wouldnt give in, and they bought me my first horse, Cole recounts. He now works starting young horses who have not yet been under saddle and training Thoroughbreds to run on the flat and over hurdles.
It didnt take Coles wife so long to wear down her parents. My parents gave me riding lessons for my seventh birthday, she says. They thought I would get it out of my system. It didnt. She graduated at the highest level from the Annapolis Pony Club, a youth equestrian organization, and is now a riding instructor.
Husband met wife when he came to her for riding lessons. By the time she became pregnant with their son, now two years old, she was competing internationally in eventing, a three-day competition in dressage, endurance and show jumping all run on the same horse.
Clagett didnt have to convince anyone to let her ride. Her father raises and trains thoroughbreds, as do her aunt and uncle, who own Roedown Farm.
She has competed on the flat and in steeplechase for 15 years, representing the United States as an amateur racer. In 1995, she was named top North American flat jockey. Shes now retired from competitive racing to her Larking Hill Farm in Harwood, where she carries on the family tradition, working with thoroughbreds.
At the Hunt
This pre-Roedown hunt is scheduled for 10am, a very civilized hour, and with 15 or 20 minutes to spare, the trucks and horse trailers are coming up the drive. They circle and park on the grassy hill. Riders hop out of their trucks and tend to their horses.
Thoroughbreds, quarter horses, a pony of unknown breeding and even a Friesian back off the trailers. They are black, bay, dappled gray and chestnut, tall, short, thick and lanky.
On their necks, backs and bellies, the horses are clipped, but on their legs the winter coats grow long and thick. Theres a method to their cut. Foxhunters might run for a long while, sweating hard when the hounds are in pursuit of a fox, but then slowing to a walk or trot when the scent is lost. Without heavy winter coats, the horses would stay wet longer and chill more easily.
Baying hounds announce the arrival of the huntsman long before his truck appears. He is a professional hired by the club to control the hounds during the hunt. When he opens the door to his trailer, close to 30 hounds jump out. The hill is engulfed in a sea of floppy ears and overactive tails. The hounds roll in the grass, sniff at the ground and the air, howl for all they are worth. They approach the people with interest, but they wont let you pet them.
These are Penn-Marydel foxhounds, a regional variety bred for the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. The first record of hounds being brought to America has them arriving in Maryland in 1650 with Robert Brooke and his family. Thus it seems fitting that a breed of hound should bear the states name.
Most riders, including the Coles, are dressed in tan britches, knee-high black leather boots, white shirt, stock tie fastened with a gold pin, canary yellow vest, black jacket and black velvet helmet. When the riders mount, they become indistinguishable. Its the horses, with their varying colors and sizes, one examines to find a rider.
When Clagett rides over from her neighboring farm, shes easy to spot. Shes in pink, wearing the scarlet coat and white britches of a master of foxhounds. As she canters Run John Run over the gentle hills, horse and rider move as one. Clagett is made for the saddle, and Run John is made to carry her.
Hey, What About the Fox?
Its fox chasing, Clagett insists. We do not kill the fox. We follow its scent, and it plays and toys with us. A healthy fox can easily outmaneuver the hounds.
The Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, an organizing body for hunt clubs, explains on its website that in North America the emphasis is on the chase rather than the kill when hunting fox.
A successful hunt ends when the fox is accounted for by entering a hole in the ground, called an earth. Once there, the hounds are rewarded with praise from their huntsman. The fox is chased another day. When hounds do not account for a fox by chasing him to an earth, the vast majority of times hounds lose the scent of the fox and that ends the hunt.
Fox are killed at times, but normally only a sick animal can be caught by the hounds. Hunters take the view that the fox population remains healthier when diseased animals are removed.
Only the gray fox is native to Maryland. Canada and the upper states were originally the home turf of the red fox. Some red foxes eventually migrated south, but many were imported from England, as was the sport of fox hunting.
In England, where there is no rabies to cull the population, foxes seem as plentiful as rabbits. Due to their attacks on poultry and lamb, they are considered pests and are hunted for the kill. When the English fox enters an earth, terriers dig out the animal. But even in England, fox hunting is under attack. Legislation banning the hunt is pending in Parliament.
The coyote is also hunted in the United States. Coyotes can easily outrun the hounds, but there is greater pressure to hunt them for the kill since they are more destructive to livestock than foxes.
Some hunts do not chase an animal but a scent laid down for the hounds to track. In certain areas, clubs are forced into this approach by the lack of a fox. But in Marylands Foxhunters Relay Race Challenge, the fox is real.
Dont Drop the Baton
When Roedowns 10th race comes around, Well have to be really precise with the hand-offs, warns Cole.
As the horse finishing its leg of the relay comes galloping home, the horse waiting to ride the next leg will want to take off. But the riders have only a 100-foot passing zone to hand off the baton. Its a hunting crop, a short stick with a crooked handle used for opening and closing gates in the field.
Horses from the five relay teams will be running at the same time, all rushing for the passing zone.
In the second leg, it can get pretty crowded, says Clagett.
Binckley-Cole knows that she and Smarter have to get a bit of a lead.
That way, says Cole, we wont have anyone galloping down our necks, well have room to breathe.
The horse waiting to ride the next leg will feel challenged by the approaching hooves and will want to explode down the course, but they cant leave without the baton.
The horses get anxious and want to go, says Clagett. You must hold the horse and time it.
But the horse shouldnt be standing still. Well want the lead horse cantering before the hand off, Cole explains.
This is the third year these horses have run the relay together, but Clagett still worries that one will shy away when the lead rider reaches for the baton.
Its difficult to recover from a dropped baton, Binckley-Cole knows.
The rider who drops the baton will have to dismount, pick up the baton and hand it off while the horse, upset by the change in plans, dances and whirls around the rider all with the other teams galloping down on them.
Once the baton is exchanged, the receiving horse will break into a gallop. With all the excitement in the passing zone, the horse will be wired and want to run too hard too early in the race. Leaning into the bit, hell pull against the riders shoulders and arms.
You have to pace yourself, says Clagett. You have to gauge it because the course has downhills and uphills.
You want the horse to relax so you have something left at the end of the race, Cole adds.
To help the horses, the riders will shorten their stirrups, stay out of the saddle and keep their weight off the horses backs.
Near the end of the mile lap, the riders will ask for more. Smarter will respond to a little bit of drive, explains Binckley-Cole. Ill push him with my legs and hands, moving them with him as he gallops.
Roedown Race Card
k Noon The Raymond R. Ruppert Memorial: Junior riders 15 and under riding ponies one-half mile on the flat
k 12:30 The William H. Brooke Memorial Maiden Flat: one mile for three-year-olds and up (Maidens are horses who have never won a race.)
k 1:00 The John D. Bowling Memorial Maiden Hurdle: Two miles for three-year-olds
k 1:30 The Benjamin H.C. Bowie Memorial Novice Timber (four-foot wooden fences): Three miles for four-year-olds and up (Novices are horses beginning their steeplechase careers.)
k 2:00 The Raborg Maiden hurdle: Two miles for three-year-olds and up
k 2:30 Trident Plate Open Flat: One mile three-year-olds and up
k 3:00 Lansdale G. Sasscer Memorial: Junior riders 15 to 18 racing one mile on the flat
k 3:30 John Murray Begg Memorial Open Timber: Three miles for four-year-olds and up
k 4:00 The Mattaponi Open Flat: Two miles for three-year-olds and up
k Interlude The Houndrace: one mile for the Marlborough Hunt Club foxhounds a first
k 4:30 Foxhunters Relay Race on the Flat: Three miles
Getting There
Picnic Sunday April 7 on the rolling meadows of Roedown while cheering a steeplechase at the 28th running of the Marlborough Hunt Races. Action centers on 10 horse races with purses up to $3,000, but theres heavy distraction from dozens of thematic tailgate parties (alas, private except for the gawking) overlooking the course, all competing to be the best little gala on the hill.
The races, part of the Maryland Governors Cup steeplechase race series, include pony races for juniors; non-jumping races on the flat; 2-mile hurdle races over brush jumps; and 3-mile timber races over 4-foot solid wood. Each year, 5,000-plus spectators come out to frolic. Rain or shine. Bring a picnic. No pets. Gates open 10am; First race noon at Roedown Farm (follow Route 2 to Harwood Road to the farm), Davidsonville. $5 admission; $10 parking: 410/956-1975.
Copyright 2002
Bay Weekly


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Shannon Hanes Returns to The Star as the Head of Advertising DepartmentPost Views 14
It was announced by The Ventura County Star this week that a longtime Ventura County newspaper executive has returned to the paper to head its advertising department. The executive, Shannon Hanes, began her career at the newspaper almost 10 years ago and was working as the advertising manager when she exited from the paper in 2005. She left to join the Los Angeles Times Media Group. Hanes began working with The Star once again on Monday as its vice president of advertising.
"I'm excited about helping the team grow," Hanes said regarding her new job with the paper. "I have a really strong digital background that I'm very proud of … so I'm happy to join an organization that's moving in that direction as well and to help them do that."
Hanes takes over the position for Stephanie Boggins, who left the paper to work as the vice president of advertising for The Commercial Appeal, which is in Memphis, Tennessee. Both papers are E.W. Scripps Co. newspapers. Hanes was chosen for the position following a nationwide search to fill the position, described by publisher Margie Cochrane as a key level management job.
On Monday, Cochrane said that Hanes understands the newspaper's brand and the relationship that it has with the community. Cochrane also said that Hanes' expertise in digital and print industries will provide her with the chance to grab opportunities for the paper and its customers.
While with The Star, Hanes spent 2001 to 2005 as a member of the paper's management team. During that time she worked as the manager of major and national accounts and as a retail advertising manager. Hanes said that when she left the paper, it was in the infancy stages of selling ads on its website.
"It's about listening to your clients and what their needs are and then finding the right solution for them," Hanes said.
While at the Los Angeles Times Media Group Hanes worked as the vice president of advertising and joined the company in 2005. She was in charge of a team of sales directors who were responsible for national and major retail sales for the group's properties for the previous four years.
"Shannon is one of those managers that's very hands-on, not only working with her staff but also directly in front of customers, helping them find the right solutions with their business," Cochrane said.
"It's just beautiful here," Hanes said. "I just really love the community. It's just a great place to live."Shannon Hanes Returns to The Star as the Head of Advertising Department by Harrison Barnes


text:
Padmasree Warrior leads upstart in push for autonomous cars
She regularly graces lists of the most powerful women in Silicon Valley. Her resume includes long stints in the top ranks of Motorola and Cisco. But now Padmasree Warrior is taking her talents on the road.
A year ago Warrior, 56, plunged into the world of automobiles, becoming the CEO of Nio USA, a company formerly known as NextEV which is seeking to make smart, autonomous electric cars. (She's also the chief development officer and a board member of Nio's parent company in Shanghai.)
Dubbed "queen of the electric car biz" by Fortune, Warrior oversees more than 300 engineers at Nio's sprawling San Jose offices, replete with creative touches like a living plant wall and graffiti art, as well as a capacious garage area. Right now Nio, which has a permit to test autonomous cars on California roads, is using "donor cars" tricked out with its sensors and software until its own cars are ready for testing in 2019. And Warrior, because she can't yet have an autonomous Nio drive her around town, has to get behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S.
An engineer at heart, Warrior stays hands-on with everything from where to place the car doors to fabric selection. She joined Nio in December 2015 as the 16th U.S. employee. She worked in a windowless basement office and out of trailers in the parking lot while the 85,000-square-foot building Nio now inhabits was remodeled — a far cry from the executive offices of Motorola, where she spent 23 years, and Cisco, where she worked for seven years before joining Nio.
Nio was founded in 2014 by entrepreneur William Li, the co-founder of Bitauto Holdings, which provides pricing data and other services to car dealers in China.
Press reports say the privately held, 2,000-person company has raised nearly $1 billion. Besides San Jose, where employees focus on user interfaces, it has major offices in Munich for auto design and London, the hub for its high-performance electric race car.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: You could have had any job in Silicon Valley. Why this one?
A: I wanted to go somewhere where a whole industry is at the point of changing. I thought of transportation and education — both had tech at their periphery, not the center. Then I met William. He wanted someone to start a U.S. company that would be part of his parent company. It sounded exciting, so I jumped in.
Q: What is your vision of Nio's product?
A: I think of the car of the future as a robot that looks like a beautiful high-performance car. Fundamentally cars haven't changed in the past 60 or 70 years, other than improvements in fuel efficiency or adding a little more technology. Most people are OK with their cars, but they hate the time they spend in traffic and commuting. We want to give people their freedom and time back.
Q: How will you do that?
A: We are making Car 3.0. We want to make the car your living space and your companion. It should talk to you and understand your needs.
Q: Most companies making autonomous cars expect to deploy them through a ride-hailing service. But you plan to sell directly to consumers. Why?
A: A car is a very aspirational product. For many people, it's an extension of their personal space. I leave my water, bag, gym clothes in certain places in my car. When we have autonomous vehicles, they can be even more an extension of space, like another room, or your office.
Q: What is your timeline and what level of autonomy will you offer?
A: In 2018 we will have vehicles for sale in China. They probably will be Level 2 (see box). In the U.S. market, we will have a Level 4 car in 2020.
Q: When do you anticipate full autonomy with no driver controls?
A: The technology will probably advance fast enough to get rid of the steering wheel and pedals sooner, but regulations and people's views will delay the adoption. Cars with no steering wheels or pedals, around 2025 to 2030.
Q: How will autonomous cars change our world?
A: I think the impact will be bigger than the shift to the mobile Internet and smartphones. The autonomous vehicle becomes a platform for commerce and content. You'll be watching videos and movies in the car; there's a chance for new ad revenue. You'll be more productive, actually working in the car. We won't need parking lots. People can move away from crowded urban centers, live in the countryside and work in the city when the commute becomes a pleasure instead of a pain. The insurance industry will change, (as will) vehicle repair.
Q: Where will you manufacture?
A: Consumer vehicles for the China market will be made in China. For the U.S. and global markets, we are still pursuing different options, looking at the U.S. as a potential place to manufacture.
Q: You're often cited as a rival to Tesla. Who do you see as your competitors?
A: My competition is really the internal combustion engine. It's not Tesla or anyone else. We need people to get comfortable with electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles.
Q: WIll you have a luxury price tag?
A: We aren't targeting just exclusive, super-luxury buyers. (We're making) something reasonably affordable. As soon as the technology costs come down, the vehicle costs come down. We want to make lives better for millions of people around the world.
Q: Why did you create the EP9 race car?
A: Most people think of electric vehicles as not serious cars, very low speed, something to run errands. We wanted to break that myth and show you can have amazing performance. Building an electric vehicle that broke world records established our credibility.
Q: Will you sell the EP9?
A: It's a limited edition, but we've gotten increasingly more interest so we're looking at making a broader platform. It's a $1.2 million high-performance race car.
Q: You originally launched as NextEV and recently rebranded as Nio. Why change your name so early in your company's life?
A: NextEV was about being the next-generation electric vehicle company. We didn't intend it to be the brand name. We wanted a global brand name. Nio can be pronounced in every language and sounds like new day and new beginning. Our logo captures the vision of the company. The arrow at the bottom denotes earth; the semicircle at the top denotes sky. We always talk about the company as blue sky coming.
Q: How does the auto industry differ from the technology world?
A: We're building a complicated machine that moves at high speeds. People's lives depend on it. It's a very different product experience. For consumer products, design and usability are as important as the technology. When you build a router, it's not like a user touches it every single day or sits in it.
Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: email@example.com Twitter: @csaid
Self-driving car levels explained
The federal government and the auto industry have developed ranking systems to describe the levels of autonomous-car technology. Nio and other autonomous-vehicle startups are targeting various kinds of autonomy in their products.
Level zero Driver performs all control functions.
Level 1 Driver performs most functions, but a few — such as driver-assist braking — are augmented by automation.
Level 2 At least two of the car's control functions can work together in automated mode — such as adaptive cruise control combined with lane centering — but the driver still must pay attention.
Level 3 Driver can turn over total control of the car under certain conditions, with the car largely responsible for monitoring for any sudden changes to the environment. Driver must still be available to take control if needed.
Level 4 Car is capable of driving itself but has controls for humans to drive when they choose.
Level 5 Car drives itself, with no option for human driving.
— David R. Baker


text: How to Keep Your Air Conditioner from Failing Posted June 24, 2019 One factor that can wreck a warm summer's day in Lawrence is a failing air conditioner. Your space is usually the cool place you go when you've had enough of the heat outdoors. But when it's actually WARMER inside than it is outside, it can be a pretty sad situation. This situation calls for an air conditioning service, and you've got more fun things to do with your time than wait for your AC to get fixed. So, how can you avoid an air conditioner failure and take full advantage of your summer? The key to preventing a failure and the expected air conditioning service appointment is to be proactive! Instead of an emergency air conditioning repair, why not plan ahead and schedule preventive maintenance? A preventive AC maintenance checkup performed by the pros at Scott Temperature is your first and greatest line of defense against a number of problems that can cause an AC failure—and the resulting miserable summer days. We'll check that everything is operating as it should and monitor for things that could be likely problems later on. We'll take care of those budding problems before they grow into costlier problems that leave you in the scorching heat of summer. Some other tips you can do to help keep your air conditioner operating as it should are: Frequently checking and changing your air filter to keep air flowing efficiently through your space. Confirming your AC equipment isn't blocked by any plant life or debris. Check to ensure that your air returns aren't covered by furniture or drapery or anything else that could affect airflow. The harder your AC has to work, the less efficient it'll be—and the more likely it'll be to break down earlier in its life. Before things heat up this summer, contact Scott Temperature to make sure your AC is prepped for the challenge! You'll be glad you did. Call us at 785-269-0465 to schedule a regular air conditioning service to keep your AC in tip-top shape and to keep your home cool during the summer months. If you find it more convenient, you can also book an appointment with us online. Back To Blog


text: Lillard takes 'Endless Bummer' surfin' safari 5:00 AM PDT 8/22/2007 by Gregg Goldstein , AP FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Empty NEW YORK -- Matthew Lillard will star in the Lighthouse Entertainment 1980s-set teen comedy "Endless Bummer," playing a surf shop owner who helps a group of teens track down a prized stolen surfboard. The actor joins rocker Joan Jett, Khan Chittenden ("Introducing the Dwights") and Jane Leeves ("Frasier") for the feature. He plays a veteran surfer who built the board and joins its current owner and friends on a road trip from Ventura, Calif., to the San Fernando Valley to get it back. "Bummer" is based on the real-life experiences of screenwriter John "J.D." Drury. Lillard joins the production of director Sam Pillsbury's feature this week. Lighthouse's Steven Siebert ("The Darwin Awards, "The Rookie") is producing the film with Drury, Todd Wiseman and John Sclimenti ("Riding in Vans With Boys"). Rosemary Marks ("thirteen") is co-producing. Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman will executive produce with Darren Quon. The "Bummer" soundtrack will include new covers of '80s songs from several Vans Warped Tour artists. "This is a genuine story of a pivotal day for a group of young Ventura surfers in 1984," Siebert said. "We are excited to be working with such a talented ensemble of actors, each of whom brings a unique element to the real-life personalities they are portraying." Other members of the cast include Caitlin Wachs ("Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"), Allison Scagliotti (the CW's "One Tree Hill"), Colton James ("Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"), Ray Santiago ("Meet the Fockers") and Andy Fischer-Price ("Surf's Up"). Lillard recently completed "American Summer," a comedy about a pool boy and gardener who take over a Beverly Hills mansion and become neighborhood pimps, from Warren Zide's Flipzide Studios and A-Mark Entertainment. His other credits include the indie comedy "What Love Is," Warner Bros. Pictures' "Scooby-Doo" films and MGM's "Wicker Park." Lighthouse films include "The Darwin Awards," starring Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes; "A Good Woman," starring Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson; "Cherish"; "Gridlock'd"; and "Rookie." The company has several films in development, including "Straight Camp" and "The Lion's Share." Lillard is repped by CAA, Julie Darmody of Mosaic Media Group and Matt Johnson of Ziffren Brittenham Branca Fischer Gilbert-Lurie Stiffelman Cook Johnson Lande and Wolf. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Gregg Goldstein email@example.com @thr AP email@example.com @thr


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A doctoral dissertation funded by the Federal Government as part of the Stimulus Package has discovered that men like women's breasts.
Dr. Howard Dickwillie of the Nowhere Institute of Technology and Fertilizer Sciences, in an eighteen month study, found out that members of the male gender show interest in the mammary glands of human females. Further, his research discovered that the larger the organs, the higher the fascination and cureousity levels expressed by the males.
When asked to boil down his research to one simple sentence, Dickwillie pointed to the title of his doctoral dissertation and said "It's all there on the top line: Men Love Titties."
Dickwillie was also questioned on why he chose this as the topic of his doctoral dissertation. He responded by saying that "if someone from the gov'ment offered to give you money to look at the boobs of young, hot coeds on campus for a year and a half and write a paper on them, would you turn down the money? Besides, tits are a stimulus all by their own selves."
As part of his research, Dickwillie frequented local bars, night clubs, sporting events ("they bounce really good when female fans get excited and jump up and down"), and movies. He also screened copies of several "Girls Gone Wild" videos for male friends to gage their reactions. "That wasn't too successful since I was usually looking at the boobies and not at my buddys."
When told of the study, members of the media at FoxNews, which is generally quick to react to any wasteful spending by the government, were slow to respond. They asked the new PhD to send copies of his dissertation and his research so that they could make "a well researched and informed statement about this situation."
Liberal MSNBC correspondent and admitted lesbian Rachel Maddow said "hey, what about me! I like a nice set of knockers too! This research is incomplete."


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Ladybug Hair Clippies
Our Ladybug Felt Hair Clippies are the perfect accessory for your little lady.
They stitch up quick 'in the hoop'.
The snap clip cover and ladybug design are included.
The clip cover fits 2" (50mm) snap clips
The printable Ladybug Hair Clippies card is also included.
You can print 4 cards onto 1 piece of cardstock.
They make a great presentation for selling finished clippies or for gifting.
Actual design dimensions
Includes single files for clip cover & ladybug & files with 4 clips & 4 ladybugs that fit within the 4x4 hoop
4 clip cover file ~ 3.39" x 3.31"
4 ladybug clippies file ~ 3.84" x 3.06"
PDF instructions
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