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Damage Resoration Services
Property Restoration Experts in Houston, TX
At Clean Air Restoration, our specialists believe in providing our customers with premium property restoration throughout the Houston DMA. We take care to ensure our employees adhere to the highest standards. Our standards include using only state-of-the-art technology to perform our responsibilities. Additionally, our company is licensed, bonded, and certified by the State of Texas.
Clean Air Restoration Cares About Your Property
Our clients trust us to provide exceptional building restoration throughout Houston. Our employees are capable of helping you out of a variety of tricky situations because we are a versatile company filled with years of experience. Our major services are:
Due to how quickly water damage can spread, our technicians arrive at your residential or commercial property quickly. We'll call you 30 minutes before we come and get to work fixing the problem.
Our employees possess the specialized training and certification needed to perform fire and smoke damage restoration projects. We're available 24/7 for immediate response, and our technicians have been extensively trained by Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).
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If you've suffered a fire at your commercial or residential building, it's essential you deal with the problem as quickly as possible. Your bottom line is severely impacted each day you're out of commission. We're quick, courteous, and certified, so you can trust us to get the job done.
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Clean Air Restoration is proud of the reputation we've built over the years. We're careful about who we hire, training each of our employees extensively, and only using equipment that meets or exceeds industry standards. To learn more, contact us today.


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Thirty Tons of Car-Crushing, Awe-Inspiring Entertainment
Robosaurus is a marvel of engineering—a robot T-Rex that travels the country in the form of a futuristic trailer on the back of a semi-truck. Once it's show time, Robosaurus transforms into a 30-ton fire-breathing colossus in less than two minutes flat.
Seeing Robosaurus in action is like watching a big-budget Hollywood movie come to life right before your eyes.
The Power of Robosaurus
Cars and even planes are no match for Robo: its 28,000 pounds of biting force per square inch crush them like toys. Flames shoot from its nostrils in twenty-foot bursts as audiences go wild.
Robosaurus can lift 4,000 pounds and his booming voice is powered by a 6,000 watt onboard sound-system. He's controlled by a specially trained pilot strapped inside his cranium, who manipulates 18-hydrolic functions simultaneously.
Where You Can Find Robosaurus
Robosaurus can be found almost anyplace a crowd has gathered looking for big time entertainment. He's wowed audiences at motorsport events, air shows, parades, promotional events, theme parks and more.
Robosaurus has been featured on talk shows, in movies and at major sporting events including appearances at Universal Studios Florida theme park, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ESPN cable sports network, a date with Super Dave and a starring role in an NBC movie, "Steel Justice." He was also seen in "Waking Up in Reno" starring Billy Bob Thornton, Patrick Swayze, Charlize Therone and Natasha Richardson and "The Recycler" starring Hank Williams Jr.
Robosaurus, in conjunction with The Portland Rose Festival, even received an award from the International Festivals and Events Association for "The Most Creative/Effective New Stunt."
As a Headline attraction, Robo has broken attendance records at venues such as The Superdome in New Orleans, The Kingdome in Seattle and other airshows and motorsports events across the country.
Email us today to find out how you can bring Robosaurus to an event you're hosting!

subset: commoncrawl


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Round Cross Totem Sterling Silver Christian Pendant - Jesus Boat Jewelry
Code: rncrossss
Our Round Cross Totem sterling silver Christian Pendant is a unique, beautifully designed jewelry piece that would make a wonderful conversation piece. Length: 44 mm | Width: 22 mm | Weight: 8.2 g 925 Sterling Silver The Jesus Boat Legacy is a site dedicated to the Jesus Boat, also known as the Sea of Galilee Boat. This line of jewelry, which includes Biblical Bliss, has been exclusively licensed by the brothers Lufen, who discovered the actual Sea of Galilee Boat in 1986. They own the preservation materials containing wood and other substances from the Boat. This material is known as the Connective Element which has been incorporated into a range of hand made Christian jewelry. Whether you buy it for yourself or give it as a gift, you will love this reminder of God's goodness and unfailing love. It makes a great way to share your faith and anyone who receives it will treasure it.
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Natural Ways to Keep a Healthy Prostate
Are you a man who is wondering how to stop nighttime urination? Are you urinating so frequently that it disrupts your work or your life? These are typical signs and symptoms of prostate problems. Fortunately, there are natural ways to keep a healthy prostate.
You know, it can take months to fully recover from the surgical removal of an enlarged prostate gland. Most conventional ways of dealing with prostate issues have unpleasant side effects.
They generally are not effective in reversing the enlargement but only relieve the symptoms for a time. This could, for example, lead to a dependency on medication. Unfortunately, all drugs have side effects. That's why we choose natural ways to keep a healthy prostate!
How to Keep a Healthy Prostate
Do you believe you might have an enlarged prostate? Watch this video to discover 6 natural ways to treat an enlarged prostate:
Adding a good amount of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits to your daily meals and snacks would be a good way to ensure that your prostate stays healthy, especially those rich in vitamin C and zinc. Other examples of foods that promote prostate health are avocados, nuts and healthy oils (e.g. organic olive oil).
Cancer of the prostate is also one of the most common types of cancer in men.
Best Natural Supplement for Prostate Health
Global Healing Center have perfected a natural cure for enlarged prostate called Prostrex, which is a blend of prostate-loving organic plant substances:
- Pumpkin seed
- Saw palmetto
- Pygeum bark
- Stinging nettle
- Turmeric
- Smartweed
- Pine bark
- Fulvic acid
Prostrex has all the nutrients your body needs to enable your prostate to function in a normal, healthy way. They help to shrink an enlarged prostate naturally. The result is that you should in time be able to urinate normally. Results will differ from person to person. Some notice an improvement within days, others within a couple of months. Consult a naturopath or your MD if your problem persists.
Here are some user testimonials:
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You can see all the user testimonials here.
Best Supplement for a Healthy Prostate
Although some users found Prostrex to be "a little pricey", the results of taking it should far outweigh any financial constraints. Its formula is specially targeted to provide optimal support for your prostate. The ingredients are not only natural, they are also organic.
Prostrex dosage is simple: 1/4 teaspoonful in the morning and another 1/4 teaspoonful at bedtime.
As one of the natural ways to keep a healthy prostate, Global Healing Center's Prostrex would be excellent value even at double the price. Considering its value in results, it can't be beaten.
Essential Oils for a Healthy Prostate
Rosemary – Rosemary oil is believed to be able to discourage prostate cancer. High-quality rosemary essential oil can be diluted with an equal volume of a carrier oil (such as olive, coconut or almond oil) and applied to the skin right below the genitals twice a day.
Frankincense – It's well known that frankincense oil is excellent for relieving pain and reducing inflammation, as well as suppressing cancer cell activity. This makes frankincense essential oil especially beneficial for relieving the effects of prostatitis. You can apply it to the skin right below the genitals twice daily.
Myrrh – Myrrh oil can provide relief for prostate enlargement as it is helpful in relaxing the muscles. We also know it has anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties. As with frankincense oil, you can apply myrrh essential oil to the skin below the genitals twice a day.
Other Natural Supplements for Prostate Health
Selenium – There are a number of ways in which a selenium supplement can benefit the body. It can boost immunity and lower the risk of cancer. A university study has shown that a daily dose of 200mg. of selenium actually reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 67%.
Vitamin D – Many people today have a deficiency of vitamin D. Many do not spend enough time in the sun, which is a great source of this important vitamin. Getting an adequate supply of vitamin D is especially important for men, as research shows that it could decrease the risk of prostate cancer developing at an earlier age.
Zinc – Zinc plays an important role in prostate health. Bad diet, stress and infection reduce zinc levels in men who have issues such as prostate cancer and BPH (increased prostate size in older men). Zinc supplementation could help to ensure healthy levels of this important mineral.
Fish Oil – Inflammation is known to be the underlying cause of most diseases. When inflammation is present, it increases the chances of the development of prostatitis and prostate cancer. A good fish oil supplement can help to reduce or avoid inflammation that could lead to prostate issues.
Prostate health is a major issue for many men, especially older men. Always consult your doctor before undertaking any self-treatment. However, be vocal about your desire to follow natural ways to keep a healthy prostate.
Global Healing.com


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Thursday, January 15, 2009
13 comments:
- JamesChanceOfficial said...
Hey Ken - Got your comment on that photo - thanks. I appreciate you checking out Stupefaction and share your stuff often from my Google Reader.
- January 15, 2009 at 11:28 AM
- Stefan Jansson said...
No facts about the bridge?
- January 15, 2009 at 11:50 AM
- boweryboogie said...
i think i see my apt...
maybe not.
- January 15, 2009 at 2:16 PM
- SAPhotographs (Joan) said...
Now that is a familiar sight!! :)
- January 16, 2009 at 5:20 AM
- sonia a. mascaro said...
Wow! Great photo! I would love to know NY!!!
- January 16, 2009 at 6:11 AM
Great reds and blues in this shot.
The Blue Ridge Gal
- January 16, 2009 at 9:34 AM
- tr3nta said...
great capture.
- January 21, 2009 at 8:24 AM
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- April 27, 2009 at 11:47 AM
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- December 10, 2009 at 9:30 AM
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VOINJAMA, April 3 (LINA) - Lofa County Superintendent, George Dunor, has restated his leadership's recognition and appreciation of the contributions of traditional authorities in the reconstruction and development of the county.
He is, therefore, calling on chiefs, stakeholders and civil society groups to continue to play their roles with diligence and without fear.
Speaking in an interview with the Liberia News Agency Thursday, Superintendent Dunor said his leadership would continue to contact traditional rulers, stakeholders and civil society organizations in the county, on all issues of development.
The Lofa County Superintendent is, meanwhile, calling on all Lofians to forge a united front, noting that with unity and effective collaboration among traditional authorities, stakeholders and civil society organizations, the county would witness rapid socio-economic development.
He assured the people of Lofa County that his administration would shortly implement new policies and programs to deepen the "better Lofa development agenda for 2014".


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Savory Tarts - with ease if you please Recipe
What is it about savory that we just can't get enough of? When done right, it just doesn't get any better. The wonderful thing about savory is that no matter where you live, there are a bounty of recipes that will satisfy those cravings. And what do we usually do when we crave savory? Well, most of us don't do it right. We want it quick and easy; however, so many times quick and easy means running to the freezer or convenience store and grabbing a frozen packaged precooked item, popping it into the microwave and two minutes later, presto! It's ready.
The next time you settle for "presto", think about reading the nutritional facts on the back of the package. When was the last time you read that label that should sometimes come with a skull and cross bones with a warning, that gives you the good and bad news about what you're about to consume? Can we talk sodium? Some servings of those savory, quick foods can contain nearly an entire day's worth of sodium, an ingredient that can be more dangerous to your health than fat. It's also amazing to note the amount of sugar contained in some of those quick fixes for cravings.
All in all, you know you can do better in the kitchen with minimal effort and ingredients to fulfill the need to satisfy your savory cravings. And the fact that you have control over and know what's going into your creation, is all the better for you and your health. With proper fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices, you can turn a savory tart for example, into a not-to-bad-for-your-health dish. About the only thing you have to worry about is the puff pastry, which admittedly, is a bit over the top in regards to fats; however, with careful planning, you can counter the bad with the good you put into your filling. Using herbs instead of salt will minimize the sodium intake. Using low fat or part skim milk cheese will balance out the added fat in the crust. And using tasty vegetables, properly prepared, will provide a wonderful bouquet of savory flavors. Roasted red peppers, olives, shallots, and garlic offer wonderful taste enhancers that will satisfy your yearning for a savory bite.
This vegetable tart is a wonderful idea to satisfy you taste buds. It's also easy to prepare, doesn't take but a bit of time to cook, and certainly will be welcomed open mouth by your loved ones. These tarts are great because you can prepare variations of the one you're about to be presented with. The sky is the limit as to what ingredients work well.
First things first, thaw out 2 sheets of puff pastry for about 2 hours. You will want to gather all your ingredients and cooking hardware together, called "mise en place" in the culinary world. This will make for an easy time in the kitchen. Next, take out a nice chilled bottle of white wine of your choice and pour yourself a nice glass. This will make for a happy time in the kitchen (one can't forget the well being of the chef). Finally, preheat your oven to 425 (210c) about 20 minutes before your tarts are ready to be baked. As for the hardware, here's what you want:
1 frying pan (9 inch diameter)
4 tart pans (4 to 6 inch diameter)
1 cookie sheet (to set the tart pans on) or foil sheet
1 stirring utensil
1 cooking brush
1 medium cutting board
If you don't have tart pans, don't fret. You can simply prepare the tarts directly on the cookie sheet. It won't look as pretty and round, but it'll work. Tart pans are relatively inexpensive and you can usually purchase them in sets of 4 for less than $20. It's something you should add to your kitchen if you don't already own some. Purchasing different sizes allows you to have plenty of flexibility when preparing dishes like this, as well as sweet dessert creations.
- 2 puff pastry sheets (thawed for 2 hours)
- 4 roasted red peppers *(see note below)
- 3 medium sized shallots, finely chopped (1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped)
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of dry basil flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup of low fat or part skim, shredded Parmesan cheese (or Gruyere, yum!)
- 1/4 cup of that white wine you're drinking
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to coat the frying pan)
- 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons of water (beaten with the egg)
- *Regarding the roasted red peppers, you can go through the labor of roasting them yourself; however, it is preferable for this recipe to buy yourself a jar of roasted red peppers. It may actually be less expensive that purchasing 4 peppers to begin with. A jar will run you about $5.00. Spread the red peppers on a cutting board and julienne them lengthwise, strips being about 1/2 inch wide.
- The egg wash needs a footnote as well. If you want to keep the cholesterol down, you can omit the egg yolk and just use the white; however, the amount of yolk you will end up using has about 100 mg of cholesterol which comes to about 25 mg per serving, not enough to worry about.
- Another note to add regarding sodium. Did you notice this preparation doesn't call for any salt? The ingredients will provide the full flavor you want in a savory dish. The Dijon mustard is great to use in this case. It has no sodium, no fat, much healthier than mayonnaise, and will provide wonderful flavors!
- You can begin the preparation of the vegetables about an hour before the pastry is thawed. It will take about an hour to prepare, cook, and cool, which will be just about the perfect timing.
- Heat your frying pan over medium high heat, adding the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, making sure the entire bottom of the pan is nicely coated. Fry your shallots (or onion) for a couple of minutes until they start getting slightly browned. Now add the garlic, stir and continue frying for another minute. You don't want to burn the garlic.
- Now add the 1/4 cup of white wine, basil flakes, and pepper. Stir well and shut the heat off. Remove pan and allow to cool to the touch (usually about 5 to 10 minutes)
- We are now going to prepare the puff pastry shells. Remove and lay out 1 puff pastry sheet on the cutting board. Take your fingers and smooth out the folds. Cut the sheet diagonally so that it makes 2 triangles. If your tart pans are nonstick, place a triangle in each pan so that the bottom is completely covered, the pastry going up the sides of the tart pan, and the ends of the sheet are hanging over. Don't worry about how far they hang over because you're going to fold them back in. If your pans are not nonstick, spray a bit of cooking spray in each pan.
- Now brush a nice coating of the Dijon mustard on the bottom of each sheet. Set them aside while to prepare the second pastry sheet the same as you did with the first. You now have 4 ready to fill tarts.
- Take the cooled fried ingredients, the roasted red peppers, and the shredded cheese and separate each into 4 equal parts. Begin filling the shells by placing the shallot mixture at the bottom, then sprinkling the cheese over the shallots, and finally adding the julienne red peppers on top of the cheese. Don't over fill the tarts with the peppers. Usually 5 strips will work fine, a couple more if you want.
- Finally, fold the overhanging ends of the pastry over the top of the roasted red peppers loosely. Don't pat it down. Be artistic if you want. Finish by brushing the egg wash over the top of the puff pastry. Place the 4 tarts in the cookie sheet and bake in your 425 preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until they have puffed up nicely and are medium brown and shiny. Keep a close eye on them while baking, as you certainly don't want to burn the tarts.
- When finished, remove tarts from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes before removing the tarts from the tart pans. You can serve these wonderful tarts with a nice tossed salad of mixed greens to make this a nice lite lunch or service them alone as a nice appetizer or an afternoon snack. Bon appetit!
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Nutrition Facts
|Amount Per Serving
|Serving Size 140g
|Recipe makes 4 servings
|Calories 107
|Calories from Fat 74
|Total Fat 8.35g
|Saturated Fat 1.36g
|Trans Fat 0.0g
|Cholesterol 47mg
|Sodium 106mg
|Potassium 230mg
|Total Carbs 6.58g
|Dietary Fiber 2.2g
|Sugars 2.69g
|Protein 2.88g


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Los Angeles Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti takes will be sworn in on Sunday, and KPCC journalists want to hear from you. What is the issue that matters most to you?
Scroll down to share your insights and concerns with KPCC journalists. And we'll present some concerns to the candidates between now and the run-off election.
We read every response, and nothing is published or shared without your permission.
Here are two more ways you can participate:
Tweet the following fill-in-the-blank: "#DearMayor, please improve _________" or tweet a photo or Vine video of a sign with your thoughts and the hashtag #DearMayor.
Post your image on our Facebook page. We'll highlight some of the best posts!


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At a private M Division gathering in Munich today, BMW has revealed a bevy of limited edition models including the one-off M3 Pick-up (see previous story) and a very special M3 Saloon that is said to make use of some parts from the track-focused M3 GTS.
More details will be available later on today, including whether it will be fitted with the standard M3's 4.0-litre V8 or a detuned version of the 4.4-litre V8 as fitted in the GTS. Power is rumoured to be mid-way between the M3's 414bhp and the GTS' 444bhp and the production model is expected to be launched at the forthcoming M Festival 2011 on 23rd – 26th June at the Nürburgring – the same weekend as the actual 24h Nürburgring race.
The M Festival is being used to celebrate BMW's outstanding performance at the Nürburgring 24 hours last year, where the BMW team secured overall victory, 10 class wins and represented 63 out of the 198 cars entered.
Admission to the M Festival event will set you back € 269 and you can find out more details at BMW's m-power website.
As the images show, the car will be fitted with CSL/GTS alloys, black kidney grilles and a boot spoiler. Outgoing M division boss Dr Kay Segler has hinted that it features a special lightweight construction and several other surprises. We'll share more details once we hear them.


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University of Sydney
Codrington Street, Darlington
$16.4 million
Lump Sum
University of Sydney
Codrington Street, Darlington
$16.4 million
Lump Sum
The Economics Building is a seven level building used as offices, a graduate research centre and computer laboratories,
The offices are naturally ventilated by the use of operable windows and atrium air transfer plenum with a ducted heating system.
The environmentally responsible design incorporates energy efficient building services, including the chilled beam system imported from Germany, sun shading of the facades, wet wall facade system and the deluge fire protection system are also incorporated in the Economics building.
"Lipman have worked very hard at building a solid relationship between all of the parties, their subcontractors, themselves and us as the client and that's really paid off in being able to discuss all sorts of issues and definitely in being able to deal with the changeover of builder where Lipman took over one of our projects in midstream. It enabled us to speak frankly and with trust and know that we were entering into a relationship that was going to be positive. They're now delivering the product, they have taken months out of the project and the quality of the product is magnificent.
They just recognise that clients are looking for different things these days. They're about the relationship, about making the job work and they're serious about what they do. They give everybody a go and that goes from the site staff all the way up to the MD. It's been good working with all of them and they have all had that same positive attitude, the culture of the organisation is continuous all the way through and it's just a delight to work with them.
The relationship is such within the site team, that they actually all go and have a meal together at 'smoko' and lunch each day. There is always plenty of laughing and carrying on coming out of the lunch room and that's the site staff and the office staff; 'the whole shooting match'. I think that really develops a one family sort of approach and I know its supported all the way through the organisation"
Chris Milne – Project Manager at Baptist CareView All Testimonials
+61 2 9955 7000
Level 6, 66 Berry Street,
North Sydney
Locked Bag 2106
North Sydney NSW 2060
Builder's License 27970


text: Dancehall MC Stylo G was born Jason McDermott in Jamaica's Spanish Town. The son of Poison Chang and the brother of Kodi Starr (Crazy Cousins), Stylo G moved to London, England when he was 14. His first significant release was "My Yout," a grime-oriented track issued in 2004 — while the MC was still a teenager — with features from Sickman and Ice Kid. He continued to make moves with his fusion of Jamaican and U.K. sounds and scored another underground hit with "Call Me a Yardie" in 2011. After he linked with the 3beat label, he released the Diztortion-produced "Soundbwoy," which reached the Top 20 of the U.K. pop chart in 2013. ~ Andy Kellman


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The FDA is growing more concerned about medical device security and is now working with other agencies to develop a coordinated response plan in the event of a large and serious device hack, reports The Hill.
Security vulnerabilities have been reported in several wireless controller insulin pumps and cardiac implants, although there have been no known cases of medical-device hacking causing patient harm. Nevertheless, the FDA has instructed manufacturers to consider the cybersecurity of their medical devices during design of the devices and post-market.
More broadly, the Department of Health and Human Services is also looking into patient data security, after some 113 million personal health records were reportedly stolen in 2015, up nine-fold over 2014.


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Chang Kwung is recalling a dietary supplements sold under the brand name Lightning Rod 500 mg per capsule packaged in 3-count, UPC 6 89076 20257 2 and 12-count bottles, UPC 6 89076 20297 8.
The company was notified that the product contains an analogue of Sildenafil, the active ingredient in an FDA-approved drug used for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (ED), making it an unapproved new drug. The active drug ingredient is not listed on the label for this product.
Use of this product may pose a threat to consumers because the analogue may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
The firm says it has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall or is aware of any illnesses associated with this product.
Lightning Rod capsules are sold nationwide via internet in 3 capsule count and 12 capsule count bottles between August 2012, and May 3, 2013.


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Lanzarote, Canary Islands, SPAIN , August 3, 2006 – This summer the volcanic island of Lanzarote is showcasing a retrospective of the early work of its most renowned artist, and throughout the year, visitors can see the living "art" that the native son carved out of this Spanish island which has been recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.*
Lying 60 miles off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean and looking like something out of a sci-fi movie, Lanzarote is all black lava, dramatic cliffs and lunar landscapes. With little rainfall, the virtually treeless island offers only cactus, prickly pear and some palm trees to relieve the barrenness. César Manrique saw something more.
After spending time on the Spanish mainland and in New York, Manrique returned to his native island and dedicated himself to preserving both its traditional architecture and its natural environment. Realizing early on that mass tourism could overwhelm the unspoiled Lanzarote, he had the foresight, combined with the abundant artistic gifts, to identify specific sites around the island and enhance their intrinsic beauty. This painter, sculptor, ecologist, preservationist, landscape architect, urban planner restored historic forts, built striking houses and restaurants, designed miradors, gardens, pools and used the island as his canvas, creating works of art out of its dramatic landscapes. And thanks to his efforts, Lanzarote has no building higher than a palm tree, no billboards mar the views to the sea and the white washed houses trimmed in green have remained an integral feature of the island's distinctive architectural style.
From now through September 10, "César Manrique 1950-1957" will be on view at the Fundación César Manrique (FCM) presenting the early stages of the artist's evolution from figurative colorist to abstract modern painter. As he experimented with textures and color, Manrique began to create his own visual mythology from the natural beauty – the palms, cacti and volcanos – he saw around him.
Lanzarote has three hundred volcanos and the ones that devastated the island in the 1700s – there were six consecutive years of eruptions – are now one of its key attractions. Visitors can walk or take a camel ride up in the 20-square mile Timanfaya National Park along the ruta de los volcanes through craters and over petrified lava flows to the Fire Mountains or Montañas del Fuego and stop for lunch at a Manrique-designed restaurant.
In Lanzarote's modern capital city of Arrecife, Manrique renovated the 18th century Castillo de San Jose converting it into a museum of contemporary art which displays several of his paintings. Teguise, a city of wide cobble stone streets and 18th century mansions and the island's capital until 1852, now boasts art galleries and wine bars along with its historic churches. Halfway between the two lies Manrique's striking home, now the Fundación César Manrique. Out of five large natural volcanic bubbles, the artist-architect carved rooms, pools, gardens and several underground chambers or jameos – all decorated in high style circa 1970.
The other five Centres of Art, Tourism and Culture designed by the artist are:
¨ Jameos del Agua – Arguably his most spectacular design, Manrique fashioned bars, restaurants, a nightclub and a 600-seat auditorium from this meandering 3.7-mile succession of caves created by the lava flow of a dormant volcano. An underground lagoon is home to a unique species of blind albino crab. In the complex, a subterranean amphitheatre is the stage for the annual Visual Music Festival of Lanzerote (the 13th edition takes place in October.)
¨ Cueva de los Verdes – Nearby, this cave offers more adventurous visitors a chance to hike a section of the 4.3-mile-long Atlantida volcanic tunnel – said to be the longest in the world. An auditorium here serves as a second venue for the music festival and provides ideal audio conditions with its ceilings 80 feet high in some areas.
¨ Mirador del Rio – High on a 1500-foot mountain top, visitors can take in breathtaking views of the ocean and a 9-mile-reef off shore from a once-inaccessible precipice. The less adventurous may look through panoramic windows safely inside the cliff. Manrique's innovative creation – with cliff side walkways and whitewashed caves complete with a restaurant – was named one of the four "best buildings" in the world in 1973.
¨ Casa Museo – His belief in safeguarding traditional Lanzarote architecture is on display in this farm building with pitched roofs, patios to catch rain water and details such as a Moorish chimney and a Canarian balcony. High ceilings keep the interior cool, white stonework reflects the warm sun and the green trim evokes the island's fishing boats. Manrique's monument to the island's peasant farmers is nearby.
¨ Jardín de Cactus – His last work, the 16,400 square-foot Cactus Garden boasts over 10,000 cacti of more than 1,100 varieties.
In 1987 Lanzarote was declared a model of sustainable development by the World Tourism Organization and in 1993 it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
The museum at the Fundación César Manrique has works by other artists of Manrique's generation and contemporary Canarian painters and from July 1 to October 31 is open from 10 AM to 7 PM. From November 1 to June 30, the hours are Mondays to Saturdays 10 AM to 6 PM and Sundays from 10 AM to 3 PM. "César Manrique 1950-1957" runs through September 10. For more information, go to www.fcmanrique.org and for information about Spain, contact your travel provider or the Tourist Office of Spain in New York (212-265-8822); Miami (305-358-1992); Chicago (312-642-1992) or Los Angeles (323-658-7188) or go to www.spain.info


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Georgia To Test Kindergartners For Promotion
Georgia will become the first state in the nation to require all school districts to consider kindergartners' scores on a standardized test in deciding whether to promote them to the 1st grade, under a new policy set by the State Board of Education.
Pupil scores on the California Achievement Test will be only one of several factors used in reaching promotion decisions. Nevertheless, the board's action has drawn fire from leading early-childhood-education experts, who argue that testing at such an early age is inappropriate and frequently counterproductive.
Some school districts elsewhere--most notably, the Minneapolis Public Schools--have approved testing requirements for promotion to 1st grade. But prior to the Georgia board's decision, no state had adopted such a plan, experts say.
Under the plan, which was approved Feb. 11 on a vote of 7 to 1, the cat will be administered to the state's 93,000 kindergarten students this spring.
The 90-minute examination--in which students fill in answer squares in response to teachers' questions gauging sound and visual recognition as well as simple number concepts--will be factored in with teacher evaluations to determine which students can proceed to 1st grade.
When test results and teacher recommendations conflict, districts will be required to base promotion decisions on a third, locally designed assessment.
Although the state board and education department have not yet set guidelines for that assessment, officials said it could include other readiness and diagnostic tests, as well as recommendations by professionals and parents.
"We are not trying to set up a gate or a bar," said Werner Rogers, state superintendent of schools. "The goal is to identify as early as possible areas of need that students have and get into the process of remediation."
Students not promoted to 1st grade will be placed in transitional or remedial programs offering extra or individualized instruction.
Mr. Rogers said the testing mandate, which implements a provision of the state's sweeping 1985 school-reform law, is part of a broader effort to spot and address students' learning problems early in order to curb the dropout rate.
Plan Criticized
Early-childhood experts contend, however, that it could unduly boost kindergarten failure rates and result in the mislabeling of children as slow learners.
About 10 percent of the state's kindergartners are expected to score below the cutoff level specified by the board, according to data provided by the education department.
Use of the cat "could get some of these kids channeled off into programs for exceptional children when they don't necessarily need them," said Kathryn P. Jasper, the sole board member to oppose the measure. "I don't want them to fall in those kinds of cracks and be labeled so early."
Ms. Jasper, who taught and supervised early-childhood programs for 40 years and was principal of an elementary school for 10 years, said she supports assessments to identify children's learning styles and needs and to help plan curricula.
But a battery of diagnostic measures would better serve that aim than an achievement test, she said.
Although diagnostic tests could figure in promotion decisions under the board's plan, "I wanted to know specifically what those instruments were going to be before we approved it," she said.
'Psychologically Harmful'
Many early-childhood experts maintain that standardized tests are an unreliable predictor of achievement for young children, who, they say, are unschooled and erratic test-takers.
A group of early-childhood consultants in state departments of education and a California commission on school readiness have recently4drafted statements critical of standardized testing for young children. (See Education Week, Feb. 10, 1988.)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children is expected to release a similar statement this month, according to Susan Bredekamp, director of the n.a.e.y.c.'s national academy of early-childhood programs.
The statement, said Ms. Bredekamp, is based on a "strong body of research" showing that kindergarten retention is "educationally and psychologically harmful" to young children, and does not appear to improve their chances of school success.
Although Georgia officials say8they intend to provide some form of special assistance to failing pupils, rather than require them to repeat a regular kindergarten program, critics contend that channeling young children into such programs would have the same psychological effect.
"It's a matter of semantics," Ms. Bredekamp said. "Regardless of the nomenclature, children are really aware that that's the dummy group."
"Tracking" students into remedial programs in kindergarten can "really stack the deck against them," said Asa G. Hilliard, Fuller E. Calloway professor of urban education at Georgia State University.
Mr. Hilliard, who offered expert testimony in Larry P. v. Riles, a California lawsuit that resulted in a ban on intelligence testing for black students in that state, said such promotion policies typically have their greatest adverse impact on minority children, who are less likely to have attended high-quality preschools.
But the three-tiered assessment leaves sufficient room for professional judgment "to ensure that students who should be promoted are not held back," argued Mr. Rogers.
"We have to do more than just love them and put them in the 1st grade," he said. "We have to have some kind of assessment of their ability to do the work."
"The very best time for a student to have additional time to grow is in the early part of his school career," said Paul Vail, Georgia's associate superintendent for evaluation and personnel development. Experts have indicated, he said, that "if a youngster needs attention, the earlier he gets it, the better off he will be."
Mr. Vail also noted that the cat measures skills taught under the state-mandated kindergarten curriculum, and has been used "historically by local school districts" as a factor in promotion decisions.
Jim F. Smith, chairman of the Georgia board, said the test should be considered no more than a "minimum checkpoint" to measure certain basic skills.
Mr. Smith, who noted that his own son repeated kindergarten and went on to graduate from high school with honors, added that the experience, if handled properly, does not have to stigmatize the child.
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Droëwors (AKA Beer Sticks) are spiced air dried minced Beef sausage. The spices are different to that which is used for biltong. Dried lean beef sausage with a selection of spices - contains about 5%-10% fat. Our spices are mixed by ourselves and comprise salt, pepper and roasted coriander, nutmeg, clove and allspice. There is NO added MSG, Sugar or Gluten added in any of our Droewors - chutney has sugar in it's manufacturing process. Various flavours are available, from our most popular own plain flavour, through to our tasty garlic or chutney versions and not forgetting our delicious spicy mild to medium chilli and chilli n garlic.. Delicious when washed down with a glass of wine or a cold beer watching the sunset - (when we get a bit of clear sky!!)
Approx 250g beef is used to make 100g dried product and is approx 45% protein 360 kCal per 100g dry product. Our Droëwors is all semi vac-packed in 250g packs in either Mylar / Kraft or strong plastic bags in an oxygen free environment.
Banting Droëwors - Low Carb High Fat.... All our Droewors is perfect for the dieters on the LCHF diet as no added sugar in the recipe with the exception of our Chutney which does have some sugar in the process of manufacturing the chutney.
We are now proud owners of a Great Taste award (1 star) for our Plain Droëwors


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Top 'o the mornin' to ya! It's St. Patrick's Day at Fancy That and we've got the perfect décor to pinch proof your party. Plates, napkins, pompom garlands, adorable paper straws, hanging decorations and more! All in lovely shades of green and gold.
Speaking of gold, a fancy little leprechaun stashed her very own pot of gold here in our shop. We found it and would love to share! Lucky day, lucky you! Stop in for a golden treat while you shop and get a chance to win extra savings with a fun scratch it giveaway! All of our green and gold party supplies are 15% off beginning and ending on March 17th. So hurry in before your luck runs out! Let us help make the most of your festivities this St. Patrick's Day.
May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart, and warmed by the smiles of the people you love!
Shamrock On!


text: Fruit & Veggie Power Juice Fusion Juice Containing both fruit and vegetables, this smoothie is a powerhouse of healthful nutrients. Serve this juice over ice, just as the popular juice bars do. Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 0 min Ready In: 5 min Serves: 2-3 Ingredients: 1/2 tart green apple, cored 1/2 small orange, peeled 1/4 carrot, peeled, cut in chunks 2 ripe tomatoes, cored, cut in half 1 small cucumber, peeled, cut in chunks 1 green onion, quartered 1/2 cup fresh kale, roughly torn 1.5 cups filtered water Pinch kosher salt Crushed ice for serving Facebook Pinterest Twitter Google Plus Directions: Place the ingredients in the blender jar and select Auto 3 Blend until smooth. Strain and discard solids. Pour the juice over ice to serve. Recommended Product: The BLACK+DECKER Performance FusionBlade Blender


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Even sautéed cauliflower feels decadant in this cheesy-crunchy baked pasta from Ina Garten. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Slideshow: More Cauliflower Recipes
How to Make It
Preheat the oven to 400°
Fill a large pot with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the instructions on the package. Since it will be baked later, don't overcook it! Drain and pour into a very large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat, add half of the cauliflower in one layer and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the florets are lightly browned and tender. Pour the cauliflower, including the small bits, into the bowl with the pasta. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan, add the remaining cauliflower, cook until browned and tender and add to the bowl.
Add the sage, capers, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl and stir carefully. Stir in the Fontina. Transfer half of the mixture to a 10 x 13 x 2–inch rectangular baking dish. Spoon rounded tablespoons of ricotta on the pasta and spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top. Combine the panko, Pecorino, parsley and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and crusty on top. Serve hot.


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1. Industry Application
Industrial facilities are usually large factories, and have great demand for electricity, heat and cold, such as pharmaceutical plants, chemical plants, paper mills, oil and coal enterprises, wood products factories, etc
By implementing Smart Action cogeneration (CHP) system with clean pipelines and natural gas as fuel, many industrial facilities such as industrial facilities and district heating plants can reduce operation cost. The Smart Action gas generator not only provides electricity to meet the demand for electricity, but also produces heat to meet the heat demand within the industrial facilities. A single grid and gas boiler can provide only less than 50% of the efficiency, while the Smart Action cogeneration project can provide:
Ø Above 80% efficiency of energy
Ø The cost of energy is lower than single heat or electricity system
Ø Exhaust is less than single heat or electricity system
Ø The unit system of complete solution supply, simple operation and maintenance
Ø Occupied small area
Ø Low noise, not influenced the daily life and work
Ø The solution is like a container, easy installation and operation.
When the waste heat recovery is not feasible, for many industrial facilities, the distributed generation (DG) or emergency standby power station that is locally generated to meet its own needs is still a more economic option. In the case of any of the following cases, the same is true:
Ø The local power grid is unreliable
Ø Gas is cheap alternative of grid electricity
Ø May used on the peak hours for avoiding high cost electricity
Ø Having a large number of biogas produced while producing itself
2. Characters and Advantages
Ø Total efficiency achieved above 80-90%, generating efficiency achieved 40%, the heat produced could used on heat supply of buildings, heating drink water and living hot water etc.
Ø The cascade utilization of distributed energy: the different utilization of all kinds of heat like high temperature, middle temperature, low temperature etc., to ensure the high efficiency. The high temperature is converted into electrical energy, medium temperature for refrigeration and heating steam, low temperature by using for heating water and dehumidification.
Ø High economic efficiency: produced the same value of heat, the cost of gas is lower 30-50% than petrol and diesel; the cost of electricity is lower 40% more than electricity of power grid.
Ø The CHP unit: in addition to providing electric energy, combined with other heat resources and refrigerator equipment to achieve the supply of cold, heat and electricity, which meet the needs of heating living water, steam and refrigeration.
Ø Energy security: diversification of energy, relatively independent energy supply, and reduction of dependence on large power grids
Ø Environmental impact is low: Smart Action cogeneration unit emissions of sulfur dioxide and solid waste are almost zero, carbon dioxide is reduced by more than 60%, nitrogen oxides are reduced by 80%, and the area and water consumption are reduced by more than 60%. Low noise can also be achieved through combined noise reduction measures.
3. Solutions
The CCHP system is an energy supply system based on gas energy, through the use of the hot water and hot gas, in order to achieve the needs of cold, heat and electricity, usually by generators, lithium bromide refrigeration device, heat exchange device, making the gas cogeneration energy is fully utilized, greatly improve the comprehensive utilization of energy efficiency.
The photo is the sketch map of a chemical factory for the distributed energy application. The scheme takes energy saving, economy, low carbon and environmental protection as the starting point, adopts the technology of gas energy and improve the comprehensive utilization rate of energy. The project adopt 2MW gas generations, the total cold capacity is 6.42MW, heat capacity 3.37 MW, low temperature of waste heat can supply clean hot water 70t/d.
The scheme adopts gas CHP and direct fired engine in the form of using of gas for cold, heat, electricity trigeneration. The high temperature flue gas and high temperature cylinder liner produced by the internal combustion engine enter the flue gas hot water direct fired lithium bromide unit for refrigeration steam and heating so as to meet the basic demand of cold and heat load. According to the characteristics of the load and the characteristics of the energy price, the selection of equipment and the design of the operation amount are designed to minimize the cost of operation. The system gives priority to the use of generator waste heat for cooling and heating. Only when the waste heat is fully utilized, the value of the triple supply of cold ,heat and electricity can be fully reflected, and the utilization rate of waste heat can be greatly improved. The power generation waste heat of this scheme is completely used for refrigeration and heat production.


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The White House said on Tuesday that advisers to President George W. Bush would recommend that he veto a Senate bill aimed at preventing home foreclosures stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis.
If the bill "were presented to the president, his senior advisors would recommend he veto the bill," said a statement from the Bush administration.
With a housing market slump threatening to tip the economy into recession, the Senate was expected to debate a bill this week that would let bankruptcy judges erase some mortgage debt and provide more money for fixing abandoned properties.
Democrats drafted the bill amid election-year concerns about falling home prices and a surge in home foreclosures.
The Bush administration said it opposes the bill's provision to spend $4 billion helping state and local governments redevelop abandoned and foreclosed homes. The proposal would be "extremely costly" and "a bailout for lenders and speculators, while doing little to help struggling homeowners," the White House said.
The administration also said it opposed "providing bankruptcy judges with power to modify the terms of mortgages for debtors in bankruptcy proceedings."
It said such a change to the bankruptcy code "would undermine existing contracts, leading to contraction in mortgage credit availability and affordability."


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About Us
Established over 34 years ago, the Masson Joinery is a family-run business that has grown as a result of our strong dedication to craftsmanship and the joinery trade, through apprenticeships and the passing on techniques from generation to generation.
We've built solid and long lasting relationships with many of our clients, many of whom we have worked with through referrals and repeat business since our Joinery began.
The team
Between us, as designers and master wood-craftsmen, we combine architectural ingenuity with a strong commitment to creating wooden furnishings that are designed to complement their surroundings as well as function smoothly.
Our values
- Reliable
- We've been doing reputable business for a long time and our work has always been made to last for generations
- Sensible and aware
- We understand and respect the environment and take utmost care to be clean and safe
- Respectful
- We're understanding of our customers' needs and aim to exceed their expectations
- Creative
- We come up with sensible ways to overcome the most extraordinary challenges
- Knowledge building
- We collaborate and share our knowledge to move with the times
- Responsible
- Our materials are hand-selected for their quality and durability and our timbers are from sustainable sources approved by the FSC.
At Masson Joinery we respect your privacy. You can download our privacy policy here:


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I think it's a really nice idea to get pjs or robes for you and your bridesmaids for the morning of your wedding, it can be a really nice gift and also you get some really nice pics.
I have been asked a lot where I got the robes from myself and my bridesmaid's for the morning of our wedding. I had shopped around a good bit to find ones that I liked and found many places to be quite expensive however I then discovered The Lovely Little Label
I really liked the range on offer as they weren't too 'weddingy' which meant you could wear them again on a weekend away or around the house. The collection they have available includes a number of floral light robes in a range of colours and a white floral one for the bride. I went with the navy floral as my bridesmaid dresses were navy and they looked fab.
I loved the white floral one that comes with the set for the bride and fully planned on wearing it but I actually wore a bridal robe from Boohoo.com instead as it was bought for me. I now wear the white floral one at home and I love it 🙂
The Lovely Little Label have kindly offered all Beauty Dial readers 20% off using the code 'TheBeautyDial20' so take advantage and make sure you and your bridal squad are looking fantastic on the morning of your wedding 🙂
The white 'Bride' one I wore was a satin one from Boohoo.com that is no longer available but they do have some very similar ones.


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A Question of Confidence
'I just need more Confidence'
This is probably one of the most common statements I've had from racers when we've explored what they think they need to improve their performance. But what does it mean?
We all have a sense of what it is like to have confidence in some area of our lives, and sometimes this is total confidence in the bike. Strangely enough though, confidence in one area of our lives doesn't necessarily translate to others. We don't have a magical confidence dust that spreads its joy throughout our entire lives. Shame.
Confidence as defined by Sport Psychology is basically a belief in one's ability to do something, which sounds pretty good. Surely if I believe in my ability to race my bike, or win, that's a good thing, right? That means I'm going to be confident and thus more likely to make it happen. This is quite a common way of thinking which is reflected in the wider definition where confidence means being sure about the correctness of a prediction or a decision and outcome of action.
Personally, I've always struggled with the concept - I actually don't really understand it from a practical perspective. Confidence and how it really helps, that is. Why?
If you have read Into the Unknown, you will already be familiar with the fact that we cannot predict the outcome of a race. Having confidence in this prediction then seems to be a bit of a waste of time. In fact, there are now many studies that show how terrible we are at predicting future events and even when we study historical outcomes and have confidence in the prediction, it makes no difference to the reality. What we actually do is tell ourselves that it is a good idea to be confident despite evidence to the contrary.
Next is the fact that confidence is based upon belief. This puts it on some very shaky ground. You only have to watch X Factor to know how wildly unreal some people's beliefs can be. I can also tell you that I have come across trackday riders who have more confidence in their riding ability than some MotoGP riders. I have also held conversations with club racers who, when we have talked about certain elements of riding, have simply replied that they're confident they're already doing it. I'm of the view that the last thing you want to do when you're doing something dangerous is try and convince yourself of some unverified belief.
I'll illustrate a little more. It was during one week where I had conversations with two different riders, both of whom said to me they needed more confidence. With both of them I asked if we could explore the notion a little bit further. With number 1, the concept of confidence came down to feel for the bike. With No.2 there was a little more to it. We'd been doing some work and he'd improved his results. He'd hit a barrier to getting into the top 10 which was quite curious. When we scratched the surface it turned out that he didn't feel like he belonged in the top 10 so he pretty much backed off when he got close. He couldn't allow himself into this group of riders.
With No.1 it is less complex. Confidence depends upon feel for the bike, which is not down to belief, and it is fairly straightforward to deal with.
With No. 2 it is more complex. It wasn't that he didn't believe that he was good enough to make the top 10, he could do that. It was an intricate social situation where he was essentially contained. This is an example of where wider enironmental situations can influence performance and results, which ultimately isn't about confidence either.
So when you get to the point you feel you need more confidence, it's time to look a little bit further. Perhaps by starting to ask yourself what confidence actually means to you.
(Image credit:Marco Simoncelli and Jorge Lorenzo Silverston GP 2011 by ALTOWN licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)


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Email: email@example.com
On June 1, 2004, Prof. Mark Keppler was named the Kenneth L. Maddy Professor of Public Affairs and the Executive Director of the Maddy Institute.
As the Executive Director, he is the Institute's CEO and is responsible for the overall management of the Institute, including preparing and implementing the Institute's budget; seeking grants and other funding; hosting both the Maddy Report (tv) and the Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition (radio & podcast) programs; publishing the Maddy Daily e-newsletter; coordinating the Institute's Citizenship Academy and intern-scholar programs in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and political offices throughout the Central Valley; as well as organizing the Maddy Associates Speaker Series, forums and round table discussions and various training programs designed for government leaders.
In addition to his work at the Maddy Institute, Prof. Keppler is a labor-management arbitrator with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and a civil rights mediator for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has also served as a Judge Pro Tem with the Fresno County Superior Court.
Prior to joining the Maddy Institute, Prof. Keppler was the Director of Graduate Programs at the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno from 1998 through 2003. He continues to teach employment law, industrial relations and ethics at the Craig School. Before joining the Craig School in 1987, he was a labor-management attorney on the East Coast.
Prof. Keppler earned his bachelor's degree (magna cum laude) with a major in business administration and a minor in economics from the State University of New York, as well as a master's degree in industrial relations and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin.
His awards include the Clovis Citizen of the Year, California Department of Transportation Excellence In Transportation Award, Faculty Advisor of the Year (twice) from the Society for Human Resource Management – Region VI, Duncan Enterprises Faculty Award and the School of Business Faculty Award for Classroom Excellence.
He is currently the Chair of the Clovis Community Foundation.


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Norweco is the premier waste water treatment solution provider in America. We are an authorized provider of the Norweco Singulair waste water treatment system. For people wanting the best septic tank installation company and the best septic tank solution in Santa Fe they need to turn to us, Richardson's Excavation LLC.
The smart alternative to using a septic tank to manage waste water, the Singulari system uses an extended aeration process as it processes waste water. The plant, housed in a single precast concrete tank , handles waste through flow equalization, pretreatment, aeration, clarification, a tertiary filtration and an optional chemical addition. The systems uses a fractional horsepower aerator that is certified to run 30 minutes per hour. The companies patented Bio-Kinetic device is a built in component that all waste water that goes through the Singulair system is equalized and 100 percent treated.
We are the go-to-guy professional septic tank installation company in Santa Fe. Call us today at 505-455-2293 for a quote to install a Singulair water treatment system for your home today.


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There I was, letting myself get excited about possibility of HTC acquiring Palm. I mean, can you imagine webOS on HTC-made hardware? I'd buy one for each hand. Alas, those hopes and dreams have been dashed.
According to Reuters, HTC took a look at Palm's numbers and decided that it wasn't such a good deal. Along with whatever bits of webOS they kept around, HTC's purchase of Palm would have also earned them one of the biggest, most insurmountable patent catalogs in the industry, thereby securing themselves against future lawsuits from Apple or anyone else. For HTC to give that up because of the numbers doesn't make the numbers sound too great.
Oh well – there's always Lenovo.


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Today is the 70th anniversary of the wedding, on 20 November 1947, of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. These were their arms at that time :
The arms of the Duchess of Edinburgh (Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom), granted in 1944, i.e. the UK royal arms and supporters, each differenced by the addition of a label charged with a Tudor rose between two St George's crosses. No crest, of course, under English rules, but a coronet showing that she was a royal princess.
The arms of the Duke of Edinburgh (Sir Philip Mountbatten, né Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark), granted in 1947, i.e. his paternal arms (Greece with an inescutcheon of Denmark), differenced by the addition of the escutcheon of his maternal great-grandmother Princess Alice (one of Queen Victoria's daughters). His dexter supporter came from the Greek royal arms, while the
crest and sinister supporter were derived from his maternal Battenberg arms.
Neither bore these arms for very long. The Duke obtained new arms in 1949 (which are discussed here), but kept the crest and supporters. When the Duchess became Queen in 1952, and stopped using the title of 'Duchess of Edinburgh', she dropped the label from her arms and supporters, changed from a lozenge to a shield, assumed the royal crest, and replaced the coronet with the royal crown.
(These contemporary emblazonments by Franz Sedivy are from the armorial of the Danish Order of the Elephant).
Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's arms
The discussion board for all things concerning heraldry which falls under the jurisdiction of The College of Arms
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Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's arms
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Gurdjieff International Review
Excerpts from
Prospectus Number 1
During the existence of the Society, its members undertook many very difficult journeys, mostly in Persia, Afghanistan, Turkestan, Thibet, India, but also in other countries. They also undertook a good deal of work of various descriptions in connection with their object, which involved much labor and organisation.
Throughout the period of travel and work many of the Societys members lost their lives, while others from time to time abandoned the task, and only a small number returned to Russia in 1913, under the leadership of Mr. Gurdjieff.
[The complete text is available in the printed copy of this issue.]
Copyright © 1923 G. I. Gurdjieff
This webpage © 1997 Gurdjieff Electronic Publishing
Featured: Fall 1997 Issue, Vol. I (1)
Revision: January 1, 2000


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Hoya pubicalyx 'Speckled' | Speckled Wax Plant
Regular price $ 12.99
$ 0.00
Hoya pubicalyx 'Speckled' has white speckles on a green leaf. This plant makes a wonderful low light houseplant and if given the right conditions will have bundles of unique pink flowers.
What You Will Receive Plant grown in a 4" container
Light Lower light house plant. Happy anywhere from low to bright light, avoid direct sun.
Water Water when dry. Drought tolerant. Do not over-water.
Color Green, White
Shipping Because of USDA regulations all plants are shipped bareroot
Shipping Monday - Wednesday
Shipping All plants shipped with heat pack November-March. Buyer pay $2 for heat pack, included in shipping cost. No exceptions.
All Plants are Craft Grown, Naturally and with Great Care by Groovy Plants Ranch


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Future Mobility: JinSik Kim's Aluminium Foam
In the lead-up to each magazine issue, Frame challenges emerging designers to answer a topical question with a future-forward concept. As Google, Tesla, Ford and Apple test self-driving vehicles, Space X founder Elon Musk envisions Hyperloop highways and Uber dreams up a network of flying cars, for Frame 118 we commissioned five makers to conceptualize and visualize their idea of the vehicle of the future.
Leveraging his background in design research and his professional experience in luxury design, JinSik Kim confronts sustainability issues in the automobile industry with aluminium foam: a light, strong, porous material that can function as a car's frame and surface, thus reducing the number of components needed for car production.
You want to eliminate the waste involved in car production?
JINSIK KIM: Absolutely. There are currently far too many components used in building a vehicle. Car brands need to work out how to produce a more efficient vehicle with fewer parts, and designers need to collaborate with materials engineers to explore new production methods.
You've focused on a particular material to achieve that goal . . .
I propose using aluminium foam [Kim's term is 'foaming aluminium'] for both structure and surface. This will make the vehicle significantly lighter and more compact – and that's good. However, developing a vehicle that is made predominately of empty space and aluminium will require car manufacturers and creatives to invent a new design language.
What does the material look and feel like?
It depends on where you're at in the production process. At first, the foam will expand inside a mould, much like dough rises in an oven. Once the foam sets, it will be similar to bone. It's a fascinating material, because it's light, strong and sound-absorbing.
Was your choice of aluminium foam driven by functional or aesthetic concerns?
Both. As I've said, the idea is to use aluminium foam for the vehicle's frame and surface, which significantly reduces the number of materials needed for production. Furthermore, as I foresee people using their cars primarily for short journeys, the interior will be very simple – resembling that of today's public transport – with a minimum of materials. Aluminium foam is also suitable for car interiors, by the way.
Will people be able to customize the interiors?
Yes. Aluminium foam will be available in various textures and colours. Customers will be able to enjoy all the luxury and choice they now have with leather, wood and carbon fibre, but in a more sustainable form.
A material this light could prompt your concept to take off in a new direction.
A very lightweight car might be able to fly as well, but that's a long-term application. More important is that a compact car uses far less fuel than a larger car, making my concept highly efficient in terms of energy consumption.
Finally, you've thought of a happy ending for every car made from aluminium foam.
Yes. One of aluminium's biggest advantages is its complete recyclability. Instead of relegating old cars to the scrapyard, automotive manufacturers can recycle the vehicles and turn the material into new cars.


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Jeff and I have really fallen into the take out trap ever since we brought Nicholas home from the hospital. I love the convenience of having dinner already made, however, it is not a habit I want to get into simply because of the extra calories and expense that comes with it.
I made it a goal of mine to start cooking again and decided to start with one of my tried and true favorites...Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Casserole. This meal is so easy and delicious, I am sure it will become a favorite in your home too!
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 packages of Success Rice
2 eggs
2-3 boneless chicken breasts - defrosted
1 package Steamfresh Broccoli florets
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
Pinch of garlic salt
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 cups of shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350. In a large pan, saute onions with a little butter until caramelized. Defrost the boneless chicken breasts and cut them up into bite size pieces. In a stove top skillet, cook your chicken (using a little butter or oil if you choose) until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. While your chicken is cooking, you may want to also cook the rice and broccoli to save on prep time.
In a large bowl, mix your chicken, rice, broccoli, soup, eggs, and one cup of cheese. Spoon mixture in a casserole dish. Cover with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
At this point, you can cover it well and freeze it, unbaked. Or you can cover it and refrigerate it, unbaked, for up to two days before baking. To enjoy now, bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes until hot and bubbly in the center.


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post5935091658363339907..comments2020-10-15T12:58:40.326-05:00Comments on Stitched Together: The Janie Dressrachelhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-71467613864538167592017-02-07T22:09:03.621-06:002017-02-07T22:09:03.621-06:00This is a lovely dress! Those colours really float...This is a lovely dress! Those colours really float my boat. I'm with Inder, in that I photograph and document everything but just can't hang on to it. I love the idea that my hand me downs are making memories for some other kids somewhere.
I remember dresses from my childhood and there's a few I'm itching to recreate one day...Lightning McStitchhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-43017443986197362772017-01-30T08:56:02.530-06:002017-01-30T08:56:02.530-06:00This dress is perfect for Indigo! (who is turning ...This dress is perfect for Indigo! (who is turning into such a lovely young lady!!) I am awful about estimating as well. A girlfriend told me that the proper formula is to take how long you think it will take, then multiply by 9 and that should be about right ;-) I don't think I am normally *quite* that far off though... I love that what you've sewn for her can help remember who she was and how she felt when she wore it. Precious!! I recently joined instagram - I will have to find you there :-)
many blessings ~ Tracythe mommahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-26351396680403532572017-01-29T10:10:21.808-06:002017-01-29T10:10:21.808-06:00Big likes for this dress!Big likes for this dress!eva mariahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-41591463365432726832017-01-26T18:38:39.983-06:002017-01-26T18:38:39.983-06:00Such a beautiful dress with the perfect collar. An...Such a beautiful dress with the perfect collar. And lovely to know that the things we make can hold memories for our children......Marinahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-13907776721429492752017-01-26T14:10:42.499-06:002017-01-26T14:10:42.499-06:00That is so beautiful, Heather! Thanks for sharing...That is so beautiful, Heather! Thanks for sharing! <3rachelhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-53218548232172452752017-01-26T14:09:50.890-06:002017-01-26T14:09:50.890-06:00Eva - You go, girl! And yes, making the puzzle fi...Eva - You go, girl! And yes, making the puzzle fit! I almost said those exact words in this blog post! {{high five!}}rachelhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-25444364396040941302017-01-26T14:09:04.861-06:002017-01-26T14:09:04.861-06:00That is amazing! What a treasure that quilt will ...That is amazing! What a treasure that quilt will be someday! Brilliant!

And thank you for the kind words about my blog! It brings me so much joy to read them! <3rachelhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-25896751490012731922017-01-26T13:42:36.921-06:002017-01-26T13:42:36.921-06:00What a perfect dress!! I love the burgandy collar!...What a perfect dress!! I love the burgandy collar! It's an unexpected but very elegant color. The fabrics are very understated, overall, something that you do so well!

Ah, that makes me feel a little guilty about passing all of Maggie's dresses onto friends instead of keeping them! But we don't have a basement or garage for storage, so I just don't have the space to keep them. Maybe photographs will serve as a similar reminder. Indigo is a wise young woman. Inder-ifichttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-61832203569710249742017-01-26T09:57:48.826-06:002017-01-26T09:57:48.826-06:00This is a really nice post. I often think about t...This is a really nice post. I often think about the positive energy I put into my garments, and I love when I pick up other people's makes and feel their energy. They invoke memories. It's also why I store my mother's knitted gifts: I can feel her with me when I hold them. Heatherhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-36261518784885278932017-01-26T03:16:26.226-06:002017-01-26T03:16:26.226-06:00That quilt is such a cool idea! I'll have to k...That quilt is such a cool idea! I'll have to keep that in mind for when I have kids myself.
And about the fabric cutting / dishwasher loading: Rachel, we are so alike! Making the puzzle fit is my source of happiness ;) With love - by Evahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-37656948439158036362017-01-26T02:25:52.334-06:002017-01-26T02:25:52.334-06:00I love this dress and the fabric you chose! I want...I love this dress and the fabric you chose! I want to make one for blandine and hope to tackle it during winter break. I loved what Indigo said about her dresses. Isn't it so moving? I think it is so true and I think it is one of the reasons why I love sewing for my family too. Fabrics, colors, textures and the love that it takes to make clothes or quilts will never be forgotten. sophiehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-63755681574640779962017-01-25T18:16:38.719-06:002017-01-25T18:16:38.719-06:00I love this dress on Indigo, it's the perfect ...I love this dress on Indigo, it's the perfect mixture of elegant and sweet just right for her age!Janehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-66983934085859279722017-01-25T16:30:02.369-06:002017-01-25T16:30:02.369-06:00I am currently sewing a skirt I was going to make ...I am currently sewing a skirt I was going to make last year 😉 I too think I can whip something up in one evening and then it takes me a week, a year later 😆 Indigo's dress turned out lovely. You obviously possess awesome ninja and sewing skills. Good call on the skirt.Jenya @ While she was sleepinghttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7512686951576132673.post-71837146305739756502017-01-25T15:38:28.768-06:002017-01-25T15:38:28.768-06:00Oh, what a lovely story. It's because of that ...Oh, what a lovely story. It's because of that that I save a 2,5-2,5 inch piece of everything I sew for my daughter. One day it will be a Quilt to remember her childhood... and I will sew and finish it in about 3 hours. I swear! Ninja skilz included.
The dress is lovely. What a beautiful fabric! And the pattern pairs so nicely with it! I'm so sorry that my elder daughter is growing out kids pattern now. No Janice Dress for us over here in freezing cold northern Germany...
Love your blog! It's such a joy to me when I hop over and find a new post!Glückskindhttps://email@example.com


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Alight Dance Theater: Stargazing and other stories
October 17-18, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Location: Washington, DC
Blending narration, dance and live music provided by local music group Harp 46, Stargazing unfolds in three sections that range from telling the mythical origins of the Pleiades star cluster to a visually striking exploration of the life cycle of a red giant star. Performances will be at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 17, and 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 18, at the Dance Place in Washington, DC. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning August 15.
Learn more


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My Family makes it easy to build healthy bodies and a healthy planet with portioned controlled Reusable Slidelock Bag food storage solutions for ultimate flexibility and variety. From your baby's first solids through to elementary school, My Family lunch solutions will inspire parents to pack healthy lunches with kids excited to find the treats packed for them!
Combo includes:
+ 2 x Reusable Slidelock sandwich size bag
+ 2 x Reusable Slidelock snack size bag
Key Product Features
- Our slides and latches are designed for little fingers – easy to open and close!
- Latches will not break!
- Full starter set for a full day of lunch + morning tea + afternoon tea
- Premium quality, BPA Free food grade long lasting materials!
- Part of a full matching food storage range
- Premium food grade PEVA is used in our Reusable Slidelock Bags.
- Use from 12 months with self feeding recommended from 24 months.
- The highest quality food-grade stainless steel is used in our 100% leakproof Food Jars, which means food stays warm and safe for 10 hours as you packed it!
- Safety and quality are our priority with all materials tested to be BPA PVC and Phthalate free.
- Manufacturing is to the highest standards so you can be sure our products are drop proof and kid tough. Our lids, sporks, slides and latches are designed for little fingers – easy to open and close!
- Like all My Family products, theReusable Slidelock Combo is the perfectly coordinated solution to keeping your growing bundle of joy grazing on healthy food all day.
- At the end of the day, simply hand wash the Reusable Slidelock Bags and air thoroughly.
- Our range is built to last and all items come with a 12 month defect and mold warranty*.
- Combo Packs includes $50 off the '5 Minute Healthy Lunch Box System TM eCourse.
- Food stays fresh and leak into lunchbox or into other food even with kid rough treatment.
- Makes packing a super nutritious lunch and snacks super easy and fun.
- 12 month warranty*, reusable, kind to planet, and super safe!
- Makes days out with your family fun and gorgeously coordinated!
Matchy Matchy
In addition to our Reusable Slidelock Bags having gorgeous matching (and super safe reusable) stainless steel drink bottles, (10 hour hot) food jars, backpacks, bento lunch boxes and lunchbags, we will soon be launching a whole range of other accessories to take the fun into everything that your little ray of sunshine does. Follow us on Facebook so that you don't miss the launches!
Slidelock Snack - 12cm x 10cm
Slidelock Sandwich - 18cm x 18cm
Quality Warranty
Our range is built to last and all items come with a 12 month defect warranty*. Scrapes aren't covered as we can't guarantee that our products can withstand tantrums or being dragged across concrete playgrounds.
The Reusable Slidelock Bags are safest when they transported in the matching My Family Lunchbag. The lunchbag and other matching drink bottles, bento lunchboxes, food jars and backpacks are available separately.
*12 month defect warranty excludes slidelock bags.
|My Family Kids Brand


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Four civilians were killed by an unidentified shooter in the Samran neighborhood of southern Arish on Saturday, the latest in a string of violent incidents to occur in North Sinai this past week.
Although the identity of the shooter remains unknown, local sources who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity believe military personnel shot the four civilians at a nearby checkpoint, suspecting they posed a security threat.
Ahmed Hassan al-Shatla, Ahmed Ramadan al-Milqah, Mohamed Nabil Attwa, and Medhat Saleh Nawara were transferred to Arish Public Hospital on Saturday evening after sustaining gunshot wounds, according to a medical source in North Sinai who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity.
The medical source added that three of the four victims were dead on arrival, and the fourth died shortly after being transferred to the hospital.
The local sources told Mada Masr that the four men were steel workers from the Fawakhariya tribe, one of the largest tribes in Arish. They had left their workplace and were walking in the Samran neighborhood when they were shot, according to the medical and local sources, some of whom said they believe the gunfire came from a nearby military checkpoint.
In an unrelated incident, one citizen was injured by an anonymous shooter near the dam area of Wadi al-Arish on Saturday and was transferred to Arish Public Hospital in critical condition, according to another medical source in the hospital who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity.
These incidents took place against the backdrop of Operation Sinai 2018, which was launched in February of this year. While the military campaign purports to "end terrorism" in the northern and and central parts of the peninsula, attacks against military personnel have continued.
Most recently, a number of Twitter accounts concerned with following the news of the Islamic State-affiliated Province of Sinai reported on Saturday that the militant group had claimed responsibility for a sniper attack on a member of the Armed Forces near a military base south of the city of Sheikh Zuwayed, although the date of this incident remains unclear.
This news came a few days after a woman was killed and her husband was critically injured on October 18 when their home in the North Sinai city of Sheikh Zuwayed was hit by artillery shelling.
Past months have also seen a sharp uptick in the number of targeted attacks on civilians near their homes. Since June, seven people were shot dead by masked gunmen, all under similar circumstances in the governorate capital.


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Introduction to E-Counselling Skills
16 hour self study course £ 210
"The Introduction to E-Counselling Skills is in four parts, which must be completed in sequence. It introduces you to e-counselling using both text, via email and IM (instant messaging) plus webcam. The learning is self-directed. This means there are few time restraints and you can pace your learning to suit your other commitments.
The workshop requires approximately 16 hours to complete. This is divided between researching topics relevant to e-counselling, security and safety, online supervision plus assimilating and expressing your learning on this workshop through completion of an electronic questionnaire. This allows for practice email responses in addition to noting of thoughts and reflections. When the completed electronic questionnaire is received, your Workshop Tutor will read and assess the answers.
The workshop comprises 16 Study hours. We don't believe its suitable for a therapist to deem themselves qualified, it doesn't offer a roleplay, however we will accept successful completion of the Intro as a route to our Diploma in Online Counselling."


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Photo Tip of the Week
Lightroom Process Version 2012: The Case of the Disappearing Recovery and Fill Light Sliders
No, "Process Version 2012" isn't a Mayan prediction of the end of the world hidden inside Adobe Lightroom 4, but it does spell the end of the Recovery and Fill Light sliders in the Lightroom Develop module. Here the explanation.
Edits in Adobe Lightroom are nondestructive. That means they don't actually change any underlying pixels. Instead they get saved as a list of instructions alongside those pixels. In their quest to provide us with ever better software, Adobe sometimes tweaks things, including the set of instructions that are possible in that list, and exactly what each one means.
Back in the first version of Lightroom, the raw conversion engine was inherited from what had previously been available only in Adobe Camera Raw. When Lightroom version 3 came out, it sported an updated conversion engine that complicated matters somewhat because those updates could affect the appearance of existing images. The list of instructions for each image could get interpreted differently with the new method than they did with the old. The initial beta release called these "Process Version 1" and "Process Version 2" but the names got changed to in the final code for Lightroom 3 to refer to the year each was released. Version 1 became "Process Version 2003" and Version 2 was labeled as "Process Version 2010," the year Lightroom 3 came out.
Along the way, Adobe added more controls to Camera Raw and Lightroom such as Vibrance and Clarity. As such, the possible types of conversion instructions any given image might have grew. Last year's Adobe Lightroom 4 introduced a newly revamped conversion engine known as "Process Version 2012" that rethought how all these sliders interacted. In doing so, the engineers at Adobe Labs revamped the list of available controls and decided to do away with the Recovery and Fill Light sliders. Recovery and Fill Light controls hadn't always existed of course, being introduced in Camera Raw for Photoshop CS3 about the time the initial version of Lightroom was released. With Lightroom 4, Adobe concluded that changes they were making to other controls meant these popular adjustments were no longer needed.
The explanation that Adobe gave is that, when overdone, Recovery can result in muddy looking images and that Fill Light can create halos around high-contrast edges. Both criticisms are valid, but controllable by keeping the setting for each within reason. What was probably more relevant for new users was simply that the sliders available interacted in confusing ways. There were just too many ways of making an image brighter or darker. Instead, Adobe went back to the basics and decided it was better to fix the limitations of some controls rather than continually adding new ones to modify their behavior. The improved Highlights and Shadows sliders in Process Version 2012 are inherently optimized better for high contrast images and produce smoother gradations in highlight and shadow areas with better roll-off that better avoids loss of detail.
If you open an image in the Lightroom 4 Develop module that had previously been edited in an earlier version you'll be greeted by an exclamation point icon in the lower right corner of the image preview. If you hover your mouse over it will show the tool tip "Update to Current Process (2012)." If you click on that icon you'll see a dialog to guide you through updating either that one image or all the images in your filmstrip display. The dialog warns you that if you choose to update, "moderate to significant" visual changes may occur. In my experience, this is all too true, but the results can still be worth it. Since not all the old controls can be mapped to new ones, Lightroom guesses on some and defaults others. Along with other possible changes, you will likely see increased detail in shadow areas and perhaps highlight areas. Generally, the changes will be limited to tonal shifts rather than color changes, but it may look like colors shift as brightness changes accentuate certain image areas more or less than in the old Process Version. With this in mind, it's a good idea to update images one at a time so you can see what happens to each and modify them as needed.
As I wrote recently, nature photography can benefit from having actual shadows, black areas that hide all detail in order to accentuate detail in what you want a viewer to see. Indeed, the human eye almost expects shadows in nature. But apparently Process Version 2012 doesn't expect shadows as it is almost too good at restoring detail to them. After converting an image to the new process version expect to have to make changes to restore true shadows where you want them. The defaults introduced by most of the other changes can often be improvements, but I do find that it can be too aggressive in restoring unwanted detail in shadows.
If, after converting an image to the new Process Version, you decide to change an image back to the way it was, you'll find an "Undo Update to Current Process (2012)" option under the Lightroom Edit menu. You can also change the Process Version used for any image by expanding the Camera Calibration section at the bottom of the right-hand modules panel.
If you use Photoshop via Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom, make sure you have upgraded ACR to at least version 6.7 since earlier versions of Camera Raw aren't compatible with Process Version 2012.
All this may sound like more bother than it's worth, but if you're tempted not to update your existing images I'd encourage you to at least give it a try. I'll go through the controls for the new Process Version 2012 next week.
Before and After comparison for an image comparing Process Version 2010 and 2012.Note that the increase in shadow detail makes it look as if the image has an added blue cast when it actually doesn't.Both images are just as blue, but one is brighter.
Date posted: January 27, 2013
Copyright © 2013 Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light - all rights reserved.Permanent link for this article
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