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iPlace India's Football Team Winners Hammer Swiggy by 5-0 to Clinch the Super Division Finals
March 22, 2016 – Pune, India: Our iPlace India's football team was crowned the champions of the Super Division knockout finals in the inaugural Freekick Futsal Frenzy 2016 after a thrilling 5-0 win over Swiggy. The championship game was at the newly-laid Freekick – The Football Factory pitch, Mundhwa on Saturday, March 19, 2016. The Freekick Futsal Frenzy is an inter-corporate football tournament played between the top companies in Pune.
Team iPlace had a great victory against Swiggy. Our strategy for the game used every trick possible. Our players showed off their talents by playing a strong defense partnership, preventing the opponents from scoring. The spectators couldn't take their eyes off the game even for a second.
Our big win was powered by a brace from iPlacer Sylvester Francis (2), as Abhijeet Yadav, Elkins Fernandes and Glen Godfrey chipped in with one goal each. Special kudos goes to winners Prashoon Sharma who was awarded the trophy for Best Goal Keeper, and Sylvester Francis who was awarded the trophy for Best Player.
Team iPlace – we are so proud of your hard work, dedication, teamwork and talent! The football team is an employee powered initiative of iPlay, started as part of the iMakeaDifferenceProgram. iPlay engages iPlacers in team initiatives and encourages us all to play, have fun and work together in a new way. Congratulations again. Fingers crossed for many more wins. Hip, hip, hooray!!!
Team Line-up: Abhijit Yadav, Pratish Swaminathan, Prashoon Sharma, Gurjot Wasu, Akash Clifton, Sylvester Francis, Glen Godfrey and Elkins Fernandes
Jeanne Heydecker
Chief Strategy Officer
About iPlace
iPlace is a global recruiting company with headquarters in McLean, Virginia, USA and an international recruiting center in Pune, India. iPlace enables companies hiring in America to expand their sourcing and recruiting bandwidth with high quality and at low cost. If you are interested in learning more about how to take advantage of affordable recruiting solutions for your business contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
Visit our website at: http://iplaceusa.com


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Scott Williams is cucurbit and leafy global breeding lead for Monsanto Vegetable Seeds. We get his take on all things vegetable-related, including the one he'd rather not have on his plate.
Seed World: What are you reading?
Scott Williams: Currently, I'm reading "Thank You For Being Late," by Thomas L. Friedman. It's a non-fiction piece on technology and society today. It discusses how fast technology grows and changes our lives, and also how to deal with that.
Seed World: Why did you choose plant breeding as a career?
SW: My career in plant breeding genetics was inspired by my love for nature and science, and for being outside as a child. I had parents that supported my love for nature and my curiosity, and grandparents that lived on a farm at the edge of town. Once when I was visiting, they gave me a handful of seeds to plant, and told me to just plant them and see what grew — I was hooked. As an adult, I still love being outdoors, camping and hiking. In college, I worked for a professor in the agronomics department who was a wheat breeder. I decided to become a breeder myself.
Seed World: Favorite vegetable?
SW: My favorite vegetable to eat is lettuce. I try to eat very healthy, which includes at least one salad a day, usually for lunch. I like all vegetables, except okra — never been an okra fan.
To work with, cucumbers are my favorite. Most people do not have any idea how many different types of cucumbers are out there in the marketplace, and the work it takes to create them. There are so many varieties, and it is fun to breed and work with them to meet market demand.
Seed World: What's the biggest success you've had in your work?
SW: Training new breeders, working with the next generation in our business. Prior to vegetables, I was mainly a corn breeder, and I developed great market products — ones that are still used and are considered commercially successful. But helping people develop careers and seeing their success, I would say that's my real success. We feed the world and I see this career as a real way to give back to society; it's why I became a plant breeder. Working with other plant breeders, together we give back and are creating more and better food for people around the world.
Seed World: What's the biggest challenge you face?
SW: Time management. It is always a challenge to find enough time in the day to do everything. Every morning I create a to-do list; however, there are always problems that pop up throughout the day and need immediate attention. Also, most of the team that I work with are in Europe, so when I come into work in the morning, I address those items first, as they are nine hours ahead of me.
Seed World: What do you want people to know about the vegetable breeding industry?
SW: What people need to understand about vegetables is that it is very difficult to breed a new variety. Field corn is a little easier; at the end of the day, it's just a grain. Vegetables are much more complex because you have a lot of people to please. Manufacturers need to have the ability to grow the variety, growers need to be satisfied with the disease resistance package offered, the grower/shipper needs to be pleased with how it handles and ships, all while keeping in mind the consumer preferences that also need to be addressed. Maybe the packer/shipper wants a tough skin on a melon so it doesn't bruise, but the consumer wants a softer skin to cut into — you balance those traits. There are so many data points to analyze before a solution can be formed, taking all preferences and needs into consideration.
Seed World: Biggest misconception about vegetables in general?
SW: The biggest misconception people have is they think vegetables are easy to produce. Buy local is a little bit of a deceptive message — most stores can't sustain a year-round supply, unless you are in a semi-tropical environment. In California, maybe most of your vegetables can be local year-round. Somewhere else, probably not. We always have a good variety of food available everywhere, and how it is produced and grown isn't thought of. There's a lot more science and education that go into how you grow great product for the market.

subset: commoncrawl


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As this blog is for the most part concerned with Medieval History, you would be forgiven for thinking that this post might have been about Welsh Mercenaries as Owain Llawgoch and Gruffydd who led Welsh Mercenaries to Flanders, but no! Wales does not have so many military adventurers as do the Irish and Scots, following the medieval ''Golden Age'' of Welsh Mercenaries. Although there quite a few who pop up in the 16th Century, ones that will be a big suprise to most of you. However, I am still researching these Welsh ''Wild Geese'' so best left until I can tell you much more, so remember become a regular viewer of I'R Gad blog for the unknown as well as the generally known.
The 18th Century produces one of our greatest Military Adventures, the Welsh Jacobite Hugh Lloyd, see link > Henry Lloyd (soldier) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Henry Humphrey Evans Lloyd (c.1718 – 19 June 1783) was a Welsh army officer and ... With the rank of captain, Lloyd then accompanied the 1745–46 Jacobite ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lloyd_(soldier) - 32k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this. Then lets not forget the failed Welsh Military Jacobite Adventurer but by no means coward who died most coragously for his beliefs on the executionors Gallows, poor David Morgan long forgotten by his country men. Not quiet, I have visited site of his execution 29 July 1746 (Tartan Taffs note, why not adopt this day and sponsor annual commemoration) close to Kennington common and have placed flowers there in his memory.
For more on David Morgan, the best information is in NLW National Dictionary of Biography via the web. Of course in this Welsh Jacobite connection there are a number of Welsh Maritime Adventurers such as the famouse Pirate Howell Davies. This whole Welsh Jacobite period and people involved begs to be really comprehensivelly research and a book written up and published, as at moment one must really dig around for fuller information on the subject. Myself am more of a Jacobin, at at present am helping someone with research in that direction, but would be quite happy to help out anyone who wants to dig deeper into the detail of Welsh Jacobitism. Indeed, I think I would actually prefer doing living history re-enctment in period of Welsh 'Jacobites & Jacobins' than the medieval, yes! heresy I know but a change is as good as a rest.
A great period for Military Adventures is the 19th Century, not least in South America 1800 - 1830, not least post 1815. Following on the Napoleonic wars, many vets were recruited in a British Legion that went out to fight in the wars of Latin American Liberation, most famouse of this time is of course Garibaldi but there was also, of Irish descent Barnado o' Higgens and the famouse Scotsman Sailor Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald. I am at present breaking ground on a Welshman who served in the Brazilian Navy in the 1830's. In later wars, as example the Amrican Cilvil War you will find a number of Welshmen serving in the ''Privateer Navy'' of the Confederacy whilst in the Boar war it is Owen Rhoscomyl who stands out as the most well known ''Military Adventurer'' of those times.
That is until John Humpries really come up with a ''buet'' of a story concerning one Caryl ap Rhys Pryce. This followed on his excellent book 'The Man from the Alamo', the story of the Welshman who fought for the Independence of Texas and participated in the Newport Rising of 1839. His latest book on Caryl ap Rhys Pryce goes beyond his earlier work, in the sense it delivers an an account of ''Military Adventurism'' in a period and place, most will be aware of regards the Mexican Revolution but then does he add something extra. I am going to say no more other than this is a ''must buy book'', to read and keep on your book shelf to read again some time. This and other excellent Welsh History books can be obtained from Glyndwr Publishing, see link > Publishers Glyndwr Publishing (Wales Books) ... USA: Pelican Publishing. Date company established: 2000. Contact: Terry Breverton, Editor ...www.academi.org/publishers/i/129378/ - 13k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
The only problem with Owen Rhoscomyl and Caryl ap Rhys Pryce was that they were ''Brits'', and that Wales never had much in way as the Irish Wild Geese, see link > Flight of the Wild Geese - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 2:19pmThe Flight of the Wild Geese refers to the departure of an Irish Jacobite ... More broadly, the term "Wild Geese" is used in Irish history to refer to Irish ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_the_Wild_Geese - 41k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this In later Irish associated history there is the involement of Irish Military Adventurers and ''Foreign Volunteers'' in South America , as in Venuzual, see link > Irish Legacy in the Venezuela's Independence war The unruly assortment of volunteers from Ireland, who had joined Bolivar's ... But, many of the Irish to reach Venezuelan shores, scarcely made it off the ...www.simon-bolivar.org/bolivar/won_by_the_irish.htm - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this . Then not least in Mexico, see link >San Patricios - The Irishmen who died for Mexico - 2 visits - 4:32pm The Saint Patrick's Battalion in the US-Mexican War, has placed the Irish ... like O'Dunn and McMurphy are changed to American-English "Dunn" and "Murphy. ...vivasancarlos.com/patrick.html - 10k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this .
Ireland is lucky to have in existence an excellent Military History Soociety that deals with all periods of such history in all theatres of wars, see link > Military History Society of Ireland The Military History Society of Ireland was founded in 1949. The aim of the Society is to promote the study of military history, and in particular the ...www.mhsi.ie/ - 6k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this . I tried to get the Curators of British Army Welsh Regimental Museums in Wales, at Cardiff (Welsh Regiment) , Brecon (SWB) and Caernarfon (RWF) interested in a similar Military History Society of Wales but not go! None were interested in Medieval Welsh Warfare or Welsh Medieval Mercenaries etc, only in the British Army Connection. Generally these Museums are quite happy to just link with the National Army Museum in Chelsea, excellent museum and in fairness to they, they did contact me for information on Welsh Jacobitism when they did an exhibition on the Jacobite Rebellion few years back. So, that's that but anyway I plod on regardless but my campaigning is coming to an end game situation, if the proposed I'r Gad - Welsh Battlefield Campaign - Mis Mehefin - Month of Action, does not rise to occaision of urgency and achieve gain forward ground, then fin! I shall not surrender but will stick my sword in the thatch, for posterity to pick up the pieces? However, I shall sustain the blog, even though not campaigning I shall post stuff from time to time of Welsh Medieval but also looking to future, later and broader Military History.
Even Welsh Military experience in the British Army, after all it is an hard fact of history but one cannot get away from. After all my Grand father fought in WW I was wounded and gassed, my Father worked on Aircraft Maintenance re Anti - Submarine patrols. My Uncle served in the SWB in Eritrea and has wrote a fascinating account of his time there, I have also met up with a fella who was in the SWB in Cyprus during the Emergency there, and rioted when EOKA shot a Women from Morriston. I know a young fella whose Dad was in the British Palestine Police and has passed on some really blooody ''Tit for Tat'' tales of Jews and Arabs going for each other in awful ways. I often frequent cemetaries, carrying out research and what one often sees his a recorded record in stone of the Sons of the Welsh Gentry and Middle Classes who die by the score during WW I in all theatres of action, makes interesting reading. These names certainly do spell out an ''Old Wales'' that comes to revival in 1905 and all but a ''Golden Sunset'' with the great Cardiff Pageant of 1909 but then between 1914 - 18 starts dieing away in the ''Killing Fields'' of France and further afield.
I do not intend however, to repeat the work of Welsh Regimental Museums, nor glorify the British Army but rather seek out more personal Welsh stories of a more enquiring interest. Looking at the Welsh loving affair with the Britain/England/Empire via connection with the British Army. In our times, that film ZULU did not exactly do Welsh Nationalism any favours, ironic too, as we now know better, that the regiment involved was not particularly Welsh. Niether was that ''Welsh'' protestant RWF too Welsh in it's make up, at least not at the beginning. I have not yet however had time to read what looks to be a good book, see link > Fusiliers, by Mark Urban - Reviews, Books - The Independent 25 Nov 2007 ... As Mark Urban tells it in this sharply original and well-researched book on the Royal Welsh Fusiliers' involvement, this may also be why the ...www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/fusiliers-by-mark-urban-760032.html - 88k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this . Ironically, or perhaps not, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers is one of the most popular re-enactor Regiments in America today, see link > Urwin/RWFiA As such, the reenactor unit is designated the Royal Welch Fusiliers in America (RFWIA). Our members have the privilege of belonging to the Colwyn Bay Branch ...astro.temple.edu/~gurwin/Urwin_RWFiA.html - 11k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this and what about this, amazing, see link > MySpace.com - Royal Welch Fusiliers in America 23rd Regiment - 55 ... - 3:19pm MySpace profile for Royal Welch Fusiliers in America 23rd Regiment with ... me its about YOU and if you would like to join a Historial reenactment group. ...profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=141937754 - 160k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this .
Wow!!! and we have nothing comparable in our Welsh History that would be a more patriotic, nationalist opposition to all this Protestant Welsh - British Loyalism, so guess I/we? will have to invent one over at the ASSYRIAN ROD http://assyrianrod.blogspot.com/ . How about a 'Welsh Jacobite Army' welcoming bonnie Prince Charlie to Wales as 'Prince of Wales', to see off the Brit Prot Establishment, that's one for Wrexham, given it's connection to Welsh Jacobitism and contemporary ''Tartan Taffery''. For the South, based in Glamorgan what about a ''Welsh Jacobin Army'' allying with the French landings at Fishguard to set fourth to Liberate Wales and declare a Welsh Republic. Truth hurts, so fantasize in some Alternate Welsh History over at ASSYRIAN ROD and have some fun, a different kind of fun for a change.


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What Is a Nutritionist?
A nutritionist is an expert in the relationship between food and health. These professionals work with patients to apply principles of nutrition for disease prevention and to promote healthy lifestyles. Read on to learn more about this occupation, its education and licensure requirements and its economic outlook. Schools offering Fitness & Nutrition degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Job Description
Nutritionists work with individuals or groups to plan healthy diets. In addition to helping patients plan meals, these professionals provide nutrition monitoring and make any necessary changes to the plans. There also responsible for keeping track of each patient's progress. Nutritionists may work one-on-one with patients who face specific health concerns, such as diabetes. They may also work with food service providers to create healthy meal plans for large groups in schools, long-term care facilities and other settings.
Some nutritionists also provide educational services or programs to inform the public on strategies for healthy eating, or they might consult with food manufacturers that are developing nutritional products. Most nutritionists work in hospitals and other clinical settings where they coordinate food service programs or work with patients on developing nutritional programs. However, others work in public health departments, community organizations and private practices.
Important Facts About Nutritionists
|On-the-Job Training
|Key Skills
|Communication, empathy, problem-solving, analytical
|Continuing Education
|Required to maintain state licensure and/or professional registration
|Similar Occupations
|Health educator, rehab counselor, nurse
Education and Certification
Most nutritionists earn a bachelor's degree in food and nutrition, dietetics or a similar field. These programs provide a background in biology, nutrition and chemistry, and students often do an internship. Many nutritionists also complete graduate study. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) lists accredited programs in nutrition and dietetics on its website.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that licensure is usually required in most states. In addition to having a bachelor's degree, nutritionists need to take an exam and have some supervised work experience to gain licensure. Although not required, many nutritionists also become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). The ADA's Commission on Dietetic Registration awards this credential to those who meet its educational requirements and pass an exam. There are also specialized certifications available.
Job Outlook and Salary
According to the BLS, dietitians and nutritionists will see faster-than-average job growth of 15% between 2016 and 2026. This growth is attributed to an aging population and increased awareness of healthy eating for disease prevention. The BLS notes that having certification and graduate education can improve job prospects.
Dietitians and nutritionists earned $61,210 on average annually in May 2018, reported the BLS. The bottom 10% of workers were paid $38,460 or under, while the top 10% earned $84,610 or more per year.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:


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|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00042536
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : August 1, 2002
Last Update Posted : March 4, 2008
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the drugs yohimbine and naltrexone in treating men with erectile dysfunction (ED) (the inability to achieve or maintain penile erection for satisfactory sexual performance).
ED is a medical and psychological problem that is usually associated with increased age. Evidence suggests that specific neurotransmitter systems are involved in the regulation of sexual function. Yohimbine and naltrexone are drugs that may influence these neurotransmitter systems. This study will use different doses of yohimbine and fixed doses of naltrexone to determine their effectiveness in treating ED.
Participants in this study will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, blood and urine tests, and an electrocardiogram (ECG). The study will consist of three outpatient visists.
|Condition or disease
|Erectile Dysfunction
|Drug: Naltrexone HCL/ Yohimbine HCL
|Study Type :
|Enrollment :
|40 participants
|Official Title:
|Effects of Alpha-2 Adrenergic and Opiate Receptor Blockade on Sexual Function in Healthy Male Volunteers
|Study Start Date :
|July 2002
|Study Completion Date :
|April 2004
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Older Adult
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Subjects must be medically healthy and free of mental illness, take no medication, and must report no problems with their sexual function. They are required to be sexually active, including successful penetrative sexual intercourse acts.
For assessments of sexual function before and after the study subjects are required to complete a detailed daily diary recording their erectile activity for 7 days before the first study session, and for 7 days after completion of the study.
Persons having taken antidepressant or other medications likely to alter monoamine neurochemistry or cerebrovascular and cardiovascular function within 6 months prior to the study will be excluded.
Individuals will also be excluded if they have: a) evidence for an axis I psychiatric disorder (DSM-IV criteria), b) medical or neurological illnesses likely to affect physiology or anatomy, c) a history of drug (including BZDs) or alcohol abuse within 1 year or a lifetime history of alcohol or drug dependence (DSM IV criteria), d) smokers, e) diagnosis of a sexual disorder, f) criminal history.
Persons must exhibit no or only moderate alcohol use. Persons with current or previous regular use ( more than 4 weeks) of BZDs and excessive use of alcohol (more than 8 ounces/day) in the past or presence are ineligible to participate, as such drug use confound the results.
Individuals beyond age 50 are excluded because subjects beyond age 50 have a far greater likelihood of showing subtile, albeit clinical irrelevant disturbances in erectile function.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00042536
|United States, Maryland
|National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00042536 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|August 1, 2002 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|March 4, 2008
|Last Verified:
|April 2004
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):
Sexual Function
Erectile Dysfunction
Alpha-2 Adrenoreceptor
Opiate Receptor
Male Impotence
Healthy Volunteer
Normal Control
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Erectile Dysfunction
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
Genital Diseases, Male
Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
Mental Disorders
Alcohol Deterrents
Narcotic Antagonists
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Sensory System Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents
Autonomic Agents
Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists
Adrenergic Antagonists
Adrenergic Agents
Neurotransmitter Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Urological Agents


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Part I : Prepare yourself for travelling to high elevations
Basic Concepts
It is well kown that at high elevations, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere, percentage-wise, is the same as at sea level. But when barometric pressures diminish, so does the pressure of oxygen present in tissues (thereby causing Hypoxia).
This physical phenomenon explains why the quantity of oxygen molecules per breath inhaled is lower at higher elevations than it is at sea level. Faced with this type of challenge, individuals evolve acclimatization procedures that engage most of their systems: respiratory, blood & circulatory, renal, and nervous. The evolved physiological mechanisms tend to normalize the amount of oxygen in their tissues.
For there to be normal activity, an adequate supply of oxygen must first be secured. Peripheral chemoreceptors, or nerve endings, serve as sensors of the amount of oxygen that enters into the bloodstream. Nerve endings swiftly react to changes of oxygen pressure in arterial blood, and inform the nervous centers that control breathing and cardiac cycles. This information brings about a progressive increase in pulmonary ventilation, which can be observed during the first few days at high elevations (03 to 05 days). This process is called "Ventilatory Acclimatization." Concentrations of Non-adrenaline and Adrenaline in the blood increase. This brings about a rise in cardiac frequency, regardless of whether the individual is in repose or working out.
If the exposure to high altitudes is long enough, the first adaptation strategies – respiratory and cardiovascular adjustments – give way to less strenuous mechanisms – mainly an increased production of red blood cells – that improve the transport of oxygen from the environment into the tissues. Adaptive reactions to high elevations may cause certain disorders, however, either by the over-functioning or under-functioning of the mechanisms involved in the acclimatization to high elevations.
These disorders can be avoided by following the recommendations set forth im the article about The Soroche. The time and quality of the acclimatization process varies from person to person. It has nothing to do with previous physical training, or the number of times a person has been in high elevations.
If you have to travel to elevations higher than 3,500 meters (11,480 feet) above sea level and have to stay there, it's very important to prevent the onset of two distinctive pathologies produced by high elevations: pulmonary edema or brain edema.
These pathologies can manifest themselves in people intolerant to high elevations – mainly the first week – but can be avoided by being aware of what their initial symptoms are, and stopping them from fully developing.
MEDICATION (Always better to ask your personal doctor)
Acetazolamide (NC.Diamox)
1 tablet every 12 hours, 24 hours before the trip.
Half a tablet every 12 hours until the third day in high elevations
1 tablet every 8 hours, in case of headache.
1 400 mg pill before the trip and in case of headaches that don't lessen with Paracetamol, take one Ibuprofen every 12 hours after meals (it may produce stomach ache).
In case of continued altitude sickness, seek medical help. You must receive oxygen or be promptly removed to a lower elevation.


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N. Byron
In renewing forest policy the bottom line is to ask, "What would be in the best long-term interest for the whole society, not just for a specific industry or sectoral group?"
Neil Byron is one of five independent commissioners who advise the Australian Government on reform of economic, social and environmental policies.
This article was adapted from a keynote speech presented at the Expert Consultation on Establishing a Regional Forest Policy Network for Asia and the Pacific, held by the FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission in Manila, the Philippines, 2–3 March 2006.
Forest policy-making does not start from a blank sheet of paper. Almost every country has a formal written forest policy statement, even those that do not have de facto policies. Many important matters derive from such a policy: legislation and regulations, government structures, research facilities and educational centres, industry organizations and professional bodies. At the most basic level, the issue is, "Who will manage forests, for what purpose?" "Who" might be government agencies, private companies, community groups, indigenous people or private individuals, or in most cases some mix of all these. In many countries, "for what" has conventionally been predominantly or solely industrial timber production. However, ecosystem services (including biodiversity conservation, watershed management and recreation), which have been locally important in some countries for centuries, are increasingly becoming of greater and wider importance, especially in the more affluent countries. Rural development and poverty alleviation are increasingly recognized as important in the less affluent countries, with widespread realization that the so-called "minor forest produce" can be of huge significance to hundreds of millions of people (Byron and Arnold, 1999).
Whatever the official forest policy is today, one can ask:
Is it effectively a timber supply policy – an arrangement between the government forest service and the wood industries? Or is it a policy about how forests will be managed, by and for whom, to provide the best possible mix of social, environmental and economic benefits in that jurisdiction? Does it recognize that even well-informed and well-intentioned people will have different priorities and preferences at any given time and place, and that those priorities change with time and place?
|In responding to the best interests of their constituency, policy-makers need to address the question of whose interests count
Policy decisions are made by governments responding to what they believe is in the best interests of their constituency. The constituency has at least two elements:
One hallmark of effective policies is the commitment of the whole government. For example, an examination of Australia's water policy revealed that there are many vitally interested stakeholders apart from irrigators and engineers, and the country's policies and procedures for historical heritage conservation have run into conflict with building safety, energy efficiency and access for disabled people, as well as property owners' rights. The railway policy, which ignored the interests and actions of road, air and shipping transport, was useless, ineffectual and often counterproductive. Some countries' official forest policies seem to be like that. If a national forest policy is going to be effective, it should not just come from the department or ministry responsible for forests, but must have the commitment of the whole government and society-wide support.
The world is continuously changing economically, socially, demographically and even climatically. But policy, by definition, is fixed for years, perhaps decades, until something triggers a serious re-evaluation. Potential triggers can be categorized in three groups: implementation failures, changes in social priorities, and new opportunities.
Implementation failures eventually become impossible to ignore; reality catches up to rhetoric. One personal observation of this was when the Planning Commission of Bangladesh discovered through satellite imagery that 90 percent of the plains forests in Bangladesh had no trees. Perhaps naively, the national policy and funding programmes had assumed that there were trees to be managed and protected, and that "National Forest" did not simply mean areas of bare land or farmlands, theoretically administered by the Forestry Department. Many forest policy statements could win prizes for science fiction because they are so filled with fantasy: guesses about growth rates; assumptions of zero encroachment; assumptions that the only logs ever removed were those where a permit had been issued and the appropriate fee paid; assertions that a country had 10x ha of forest plantations after ten years of replanting the same x ha that failed every year – when in fact there were still no plantations.
Two other personal observations have provoked assessment of the relevance and efficacy of conventional forest policy frameworks and institutions:
These anecdotes call into question whether it was appropriate or possible to transplant to newly independent countries the western model of managing large areas of valuable government-owned forest by a staff of highly educated and trained public servants. Was this model, which has worked well in the United Kingdom, North America, Australia and Western Europe, for example, really applicable in Indonesia, southern Africa, India, Bangladesh or Solomon Islands? Are the institutional arrangements set up in the colonial era consistent with the reality on the ground in those countries? Like oil, gold and diamonds, forest wealth can create a desperate scramble for cash, so the people guarding the "treasury" need to be well funded, well paid and well supervised. How can a forestry agency exert effective management control over valuable but remote forests when it is small and underfunded and has a poorly trained and underpaid staff? If the public and political support (and sufficient financial and staff resources) to implement a policy properly are lacking, then perhaps a different, more realistic forest policy is needed. Wouldn't it be better to have a simple but adequate policy that is robust and workable, than to have an elegant, complex and sophisticated policy and institutions that are impossible to implement in the field?
Priorities change when the values of a majority of the people have changed or when people with certain values have found a stronger and more effective voice. Two areas where people's priorities have particularly influenced forest policy change are environmental and poverty issues.
Examples of environmental concerns that have triggered major policy change include:
Repudiation of the extreme poverty of people living in or near forests is the other common social trigger. Up to 500 million people may be considered forest dependent, but many of them would probably rather not be (Byron and Arnold, 1999). Dependence on non-wood forest products (NWFPs) in developing countries has often been described by anthropologists as a livelihood of last resort. A person who has no agricultural land, no buffalo or livestock, no skills or education and no other way of earning a subsistence wage goes into the forest and ekes out the little he or she can get. So policy-makers need either to look for ways of making forest-based livelihoods (based on sustainable use) more rewarding, or to help people who are in that situation find exit strategies to move to other sectors or other locations. This is what Wunder (2005) calls "conservation by distraction": giving the people somewhere else to go, away from the forest, should leave the forest suffering less impact.
New opportunities for policy reform sometimes emerge, particularly when large amounts of new or additional external support are offered, as in payment for ecosystem services (e.g. biodiversity conservation, catchment management, carbon sequestration) or donor assistance programmes for fuelwood, poverty alleviation or relief from HIV/AIDS (discussed further below).
In reflecting on examples like those cited above, it can be important to distinguish the publicized or immediate reasons given for policy change from underlying reasons that often are not discussed. A sudden event may provide the spark – sometimes even a false or irrelevant one – where there is plenty of dry fuel just waiting to be ignited. Sometimes various organizations want the forest policy (or forestry institutions) to change for quite different reasons. The demise of the New Zealand Forest Service, for example, was the outcome of an unlikely coalition of interests between fiscal conservatives in the Treasury concerned about imbalances in the national budget and, at the opposite political extreme, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) concerned about logging in natural forests. Similarly, although there may have been no evidence proving that logging caused landslides in Thailand or the Philippines, it provided a convenient reason or pretext for politicians to take strong actions that were already being considered for other reasons.
|An example of a public environmental concern that triggered major policy change: protecting the habitat of the endangered spotted owl in the northwestern United States
|Immediate trigger or underlying cause? Although there may be no proof that they are caused by logging, landslides could provide a pretext for strong actions that were already being considered for other reasons
|The extreme poverty of people living in or near forests is a common social trigger for policy change, aimed at providing more rewarding or alternative livelihoods
Since this article is concerned with the formulation and reform of public policies, it is necessary to understand how these are delivered through public organizations (such as a Forest Service which exists to implement forest policies and programmes). Every organization has a structure, functions and principles. A public organization receives inputs (resources) and is expected to deliver outputs and outcomes that are useful and worthwhile to society. Sometimes society may decide (via the government that represents its interests) that change is needed because, for example:
So the government may opt to change:
Alternatively, a government may choose to change forest policy to affect the private sector or semi-public institutions such as universities, but in this discussion the focus is on direct reform of government agencies.
If the values and principles are not changed, changing the structure and designated functions may have little effect. Fisher (1991) has written about "institutional incompatibility", where an organization is simply inappropriate for the tasks it is expected to undertake. On the other hand, when the new Indian state of Chhattisgarh was created in 2000, its Forest Department was deliberately set up to have a completely original set of objectives and desired outcomes, accompanied by novel approaches to the who, what, how, why and with whom. Incentive structures were carefully crafted to change the values and behaviours of officials in such a way as to reinforce the new government's social and environmental goals. As the behaviour of the officials changed, the attitudes and behaviour of the beneficiaries of the department's activities also changed, as relationships of mutual trust developed.
Beyond the national perspective, what is the role of external or international agencies, concerns and interests in defining, implementing and redefining forest policies?
In the past 40 years or so, international forestry and related development assistance have gone through a number of different phases. The focus has moved from forestry for industrialization, job creation and foreign exchange earning through exports in the 1960s; to forestry for local community development, putting people first, fuelwood for the rural poor and forestry for basic human needs in the 1970s (Westoby, 1987); to watershed management and environmental forestry in the 1980s and 1990s. The interest in fires waxed or waned depending on El Niño. In other phases, international forestry specialists and advisers concentrated on institution building: capacity development, human resources, improved planning, forestry education and research. All of these are important, and attention to them has been variously mixed at various times in most developing countries.
Peters, Gentry and Mendelssohn (1989) broke new ground by arguing that it would be more profitable to retain the Amazon rain forest than to log it, if all the NWFPs and all the ecosystem services were valued; and that the non-industrial, conservation-compatible uses of the forest provided great benefit directly to the local people. The implication was that if ways could be devised to capitalize on all the unpriced global environmental services such as biodiversity and carbon sequestration, both social and environmental objectives could be achieved simultaneously. This idea led to a multi-billion dollar investment over the past 15 years in integrated conservation and development projects. The general consensus now is that few of these projects have lived up to expectations. Most achieved some local socio-economic benefits, but few achieved much extra conservation of forests. Basically, the underlying concept was flawed, but had profound impact anyway, because it was grasped by so many people who wished it were true.
The point is not that fashions come and go in forestry development assistance, but that donors (and often recipient countries too) seem unable to focus on more than one dimension at a time, when in fact the problems are complex and multidimensional. The focus reflects the dominant concerns and perceptions of the donors. For example, when some industrialized countries suffered an energy crisis (oil shortage) in 1973–1974, developing countries received energy programmes (fuelwood plantations and more efficient wood stoves) from 1975. When developed countries focused on biodiversity conservation, aid programmes did the same. After spectacular failures of corporate governance in some developed countries (e.g. the Enron scandal in the United States), developing countries are now being asked to improve their governance and transparency, including in forestry.
Changes usually take time to have an effect, and the sequencing of reform matters. It is often asserted that scientific advances and policy reforms take longer in forestry than in most other sectors because trees grow slowly. Yet workers in international forestry frequently conclude after only a couple of years that an initiative did or did not work and move on accordingly. On the other hand, while trees grow slowly, deforestation can be very rapid. The failure of a policy to address an urgent issue may be apparent within a few years, while a successful forest policy reform might take decades to prove its worth.
Since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), forest policy-makers have engaged in seemingly endless consultations, discussions and debates about forest principles, criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management and the pros and cons of a legally binding global forest convention. But how much has changed out in the forests as a result? For most countries, the deliberations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) in Geneva and New York do not appear to have changed very much, and it is not clear how a new international treaty on forests or forestry would lead to more effective, efficient and equitable forest management in any specific country if national legislation has consistently failed. Some countries may be "jurisdiction shopping": those that fear that rulings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) or the World Trade Organization (WTO) might have disagreeable impacts on forests and forestry may want to establish a different multilateral body that is more likely to give the desired rulings, even if the rulings of the different international treaties dealing with various aspects of forests turn out to be incompatible or inconsistent. Assistance to national forest programmes for specific or shared problems is more likely to help than new international forest law.
|International influence on forest policies has tended to reflect the dominant concerns and perceptions of the donors: the focus moved from industrialization in the 1960s, to local community development in the 1970s, to watershed management and environmental forestry in the 1980s
|FAO/FO-0866/S. Braatz
FAO/CFU000238/R. Faidutti
FAO/FO-0246/T. Hofer
|While trees grow slowly, deforestation can be rapid – the failure of a policy to address an urgent issue may be apparent within a few years, while a successful forest policy reform might take decades to prove its worth
Challenges in forest policy reform are not new. A meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in 1992 reviewed forest policies, policies in other sectors (agriculture, environment, fisheries, tourism, industries, flood control, rural development, etc.) and possible forest policy reforms for 14 Asian countries (FAO, 1993). Some national policies that appeared very strong then have been discarded as failures. Problems identified by some countries more than a dozen years ago are now being repeated by others.
FAO's Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission has proposed a regional think-tank or network to help countries share experiences and analyse what has been tried and what has or has not worked well and why. This would provide opportunities to avoid mistakes and to benefit from others' lessons. It would not address only the problems that all can see – the continuing or worsening forest depletion and degradation; or the expensive projects that do not yield useful results. Sectoral outlook studies undertaken by FAO at the regional level, and by some countries at the national level, can also make a major contribution, if their scope is wide and their ambitions high. Perhaps the biggest failure is the failure to achieve the potential contribution that forestry could have made to society, the environment, rural development and economies, but sometimes has not, because of opportunities not taken.
It is essential to be explicit, at the outset, about the reasons for policy reform. Why is it necessary? Who will benefit and how? What will it cost, and to whom? Will the losers (there are always some) be compensated or accommodated? Who will be responsible for implementation of the reform, and what resources or authority will they need to achieve results? Who will be held accountable for non- compliance or non-achievement? What arrangements will be made to monitor and assess performance to see if the direction and magnitude of the innovation are still on track after five years or so?
Forests and forestry cannot single-handedly eliminate poverty and injustice across any country. Better forest policies are not going to bring misgovernment, corruption or anarchy to an end overnight. The rule of law, well-defined property rights and well-functioning markets are prerequisites to successful sustainable forest management, not attributes achieved as a result of it. Forestry programmes based on sound biophysical and socio-economic research can ensure that very poor rural people in and around forests do not become even poorer, but have opportunities to improve their standard of living while maintaining the forest such that it continues to enhance their quality of life and provide local and global ecosystem services.
An economy- and society-wide approach is key. When forest policies are analysed, formulated or implemented, they should always be integrated with the related sectors, and be realistic and practical. Offering policy outcomes that cannot be delivered will inevitably undermine the credibility and legitimacy of forest management.
Byron, R.N. & Arnold, J.E.M. 1999. What futures for the people of the tropical forests? World Development, 27(5): 789–805.
Byron, R.N. & Shepherd, G. 1998. Indonesia and the 1997–98 El Niño: fire problems and long-term solutions. Natural Resource Perspectives No. 28. London, UK, Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
FAO. 1993. Forestry policies in selected countries in Asia and the Pacific. FAO Forestry Paper No. 115. Rome.
FAO. 2005. Forests and floods: drowning in fiction or thriving on facts. RAP Publication 2005/03, Forest Perspectives No. 2. Bangkok, Thailand, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Fisher, R.J. 1991. Studying indigenous forest management systems in Nepal: towards a more systematic approach. EAPI Working Paper No. 30. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, East West Center.
Peters, C.M., Gentry A.H. & Mendelssohn, R.O. 1989. Valuation of an Amazonian rainforest. Nature, 339: 655–656.
Turvey, N. 2006. Rainforest wars. Brisbane, Australia, Interactive Press.
Westoby, J. 1987. The purpose of forests: follies of development. Oxford, UK, Blackwell.
Wunder, S. 2005. Paying for environmental services: some nuts and bolts. CIFOR Occasional Paper No 42. Bogor, Indonesia, Center for International Forestry Research.


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Learn to craft powerful vinyasa sequences, lead a room and guide students on their physical & emotional
journey into yoga.
UPDATE: Our last training session sold out. We are currently planning the dates + times for Winter 2020. Please email us to get on the info list for our next session.
Whether your goal is to step right into teaching or you simply want to deepen your personal knowledge of yoga, this program, is meant to be both an exploration and education, enabling you to take the next step in your practice.
Tap into your personal power. Deepen your knowledge. From learning the asanas to delving into deeply personal goals, the teacher training journey is meant to help you uncover your potential... ON and OFF the mat.
You will dive deep into:
History/Philosophy of Yoga
Breath, Meditation, Mudras
The Asanas (Poses) of the Yoga Practice
Teaching and Creating Powerful Sequences
Getting Comfortable with Sanskrit
Energetics & Chakras
Alignment, Anatomy & the Art of Assisting
Restorative Practices & Recovery Techniques
The Business of Yoga
The Ethics of Teaching
Create community. Connect with like-minded individuals. Open new doors for yourself and others.
Training to be a teacher means becoming a change agent and a guide.
No matter where your yoga practice takes you, no matter what you choose to do after training, you will develop skills to be a better, more connected individual. Join us.
September 2018 - January 2019
Training begins September 10th
We have required + recommended readings. The below books are required.
The Yamas + Niyamas - Deborah Adele
Perfectly Imperfect - Baron Baptiste
Teaching Yoga - Mark Stephens
Journey Into Power - Baron Baptiste
Functional Anatomy of Yoga - David Kiel
Reach out for an application.
BUT WHAT WILL I actually learn?
Learn how to manage energy, craft powerful sequences and impact fully share the joy of yoga with those around you.
Whether you plan to teach or simply want to train for a deeper knowledge of the practice, this training will help you gain clarity of purpose and the tools to share the practice with others.
The teacher training journey is not only an inquiry into the yoga practice but an inquiry into self. From a heightened awareness of the workings of your body to a greater connection to your purpose, the goal of this immersion is to spark change, growth and inspiration. Learn to connect what you see with how you teach.
Learn from the issues in your body, and those of your fellow trainees. Explore how these translate into issues your students encounter and solve from there.
From the history and philosophy of yoga to preparing you to be a strong teacher guiding a room, our goal is to help you step into your power. From this place of personal knowledge + strength, you can more competently guide students on their own journey.
By committing to this training you are making an investment in yourself.
Worried about how to make it happen? Please reach out. We have flexible payment plan options and are committed to helping each person interested in training be able to attend.
Deposit: $350 (applied to tuition)
Payment plans available.
Stand in your power and dive in. Teacher training is a commitment to BIG personal development and changes.
Click below to submit your $350 non-refundable deposit.


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I missed Lowdown. Well, I caught a touch… they're a young, mainstream rock act. I think. The singer can sing. I love to see a musician looking like they're having as much fun on stage as the bassist appeared to be… but ultimately not my thing at all.
I've met Tyler once before, and he cornered me after the gig tonight. He plays drums in Tuskar. He sings. He wanted to know what I thought of his band. Why? My opinion is everything, I buy that, but kinda only to me. One might argue my opinion is nothing.
I started talking. He seemed to think I wasn't overly impressed. I'm not one to bullshit what people want to hear. I could've just said "really great, man, loved it!" and I wouldn't have been dishonest, but me and my big gob tried to be more honest… and it's hard to get across exactly what you wanna say, especially briefly and when you're knackered and you've just had a few drinks watching a couple of fuck off noisy metal / doom / sludge / whatever bands.
I was happy to be cornered. I love talking music. I enjoyed Tuskar a lot. Sludgey, doomy shit, heavy-as guitar / drums two-piece. Someone – someone who knows a load more than me technically – said three things. Tyler is a fucking good drummer. Tuskar have developed as a band to a point well ahead of their years. They convince.
I buy these assertions 100%. They are a 'proper band'. Some bands sound more like musicians playing together, especially when they're young and starting out. Tuskar are a proper fucking band.
I don't see tons of ACM stuff, and what I do see is mainly the noisier end, so I'm probably missing loads of good bands over the last few years… but Tuskar are only the third name on my list of "proper bands" I've seen live coming out of ACM over the last few years. Following Foxes, Who Saw The Light, Tuskar. I have no doubt Blackwaters could be added to the list but I ain't seen them live.
So, what could have made me go "fucking amazing" without a fraction of second's hesitation when Tyler asked what I thought?
(1) If I was more of a sludge / stoner / doom expert then I'd have a better idea of just how good they are in the context of the style of music they make. But I'm not. All I can really say is that it's a style I really like, they do it well and I look forward to seeing them again. But I have no real idea where they sit in the genre, who are most similar to them, how good they are in comparison to their closest rivals.
(2) Here's where things get tricky. Songs. There's loads of bands locally who I really love going to see live. Tuskar can be added to the list. The main thing that they don't tend to have – that the very best bands do – is fucking great songs. Songs that get in your head damn quick and just stay there. It might be kinda obvious, it might go without saying, but my advice (easier said than done) to just about every band I go see is "give everything you've got to writing the best songs you can. I know you're not pop, but catchy is generally good, and I'd advise you to take something from pop." As I say, easier said than done. That said I really need to listen to the ep [Tuskar – Arianrhod] half a dozen times and see them live a few more times before I really judge the songs… but pretty much every band on the planet could do with a few better songs.
(3) Innovation. The greatest bands were innovators. Black Flag and The Melvins are two bands I fucking love – they are both great, they both have great songs… but most impressively they have helped create genres and influence thousands of bands (probably tens of thousands of bands!) There is nothing wrong with finding your niche and trying to play a certain style or combination of styles well, but set your sights at the stars, and try to find a way to take it – your music – no not just your music, music generally – to the next level.
When I go see live music in small venues I'm kinda judging every band against both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand I can love a band simply because they put a smile on my face, get the foot tapping or rock hard. On the other, to be great they need to do what the likes of Blacks Sabbath and Flag did. Write numerous great songs that have not only been loved by fans across the world, but which have influenced the course of music history. I don't fuck around, I demand a lot.
TLDR – I really liked Tuskar, look forward to seeing them again and seeing them get better… but I wanna see them write their own Feel Good Hit of the Summer and change the course of metal history, and they ain't getting 100% praise til they've done both those things. Now fucking get to work.
I could say many similar things about Who Saw The Light, but there's a couple things that have that do make them stand out. There have a sense of anarchy, chaos and danger that is very difficult to pull off. Their somewhat eclectic, all-over-the-fucking-place-style is much less easy to pigeonhole, and easier to picture developing into something that not only rocks but also influences others.
Two fine fine bands.
Check out Who Saw The Light again at the Star tonight. Get there early – its an all dayer. Check out Tuskar's ep.


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With a peak heat output of 21.6kw and an average high burn output of 14.6kw, the Kemlan XL is sure to impress with its powerful performance pedigree. The large viewing area which remains clean throughout the length of the fire and large firebox with 6mm and 8mm steel robust construction ensures your Kemlan XL will keep you warm and cosy for many years to come.
- Clean burning 2.0gms/kg emissions
- High efficiency average 61%
- Comes in standard colour of Black and Charcoal
- Heating capacity app 25-35 squares
- Complies with AS 2918 and AS4013
- Proudly made in Australia with a 10 year warranty


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, NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 13 – Sidian Bank has turned to IBM Cloud and Cognitive solutions to fuel its digital transformation.
The solution will help the bank provide its customers with faster access to services like debit and credit card processing, bank account opening and teller services.
The Bank's Chief Executive Titus Karanja says this is the first collaboration of its kind and will support the institution's growth strategy.
"It not only cements our partnership with the IBM, but also enhances the efficiency of our entire banking infrastructure," said Karanja.
The cloud solution will also free up to 40 percent of the Bank's typical business day's working hours which is spent on problem isolation.
"Today, however, through infrastructure as a service and cognitive management, the system can learn from past incidents and resolve 56 percent of any difficulties with minimum human intervention. This has enabled the bank realize 34 percent savings in capital expenses and a 60 percent improvement in transactional times across all ATMs and teller counters," said Nik Nesbitt, General Manager for East Africa, IBM.
It additionally enables the bank to improve IT staff productivity by 30 percent, freeing its technology team to focus on their core business.


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Hosted By: ASME
Dates: September 24, 2019 - September 25, 2019
Creep is the time-dependent deformation of a material under load. It is a generally slow developing form of degradation occurring in metals under stress and higher pressures. The amount of creep deformation that will be experienced is highly dependent upon the level of stress, level of temperature, and material properties of the metal. Deformations caused by creep eventually cause damage that may result in a rupture of the affected equipment components. Commonly susceptible equipment includes nozzles and other components with high tri-axial loading on some catalytic reformers, furnace components, and dissimilar metal welds.
Inspection for creep damage is not straight-forward and may require several techniques to be used in combination. While the use of ring gauges for bulges in furnace tubes is fairly widespread, in other cases, a combination of surface and volumetric NDE may be required, along with metallographic samples (destructive & non-destructive) to verify the presence of creep damage.
Is this definition incomplete? You can help by contributing to it.
May/June 2019 Inspectioneering Journal
By Greg Garic at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
This is the first of a two-part column on "Creep". It presents an engineering overview of the phenomena, answers the question: "What is Creep?", and provides readers with foundational knowledge for evaluating and managing remaining equipment life.
July/August 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Greg Garic at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
API 579-1 is a complex document covering several different types of equipment that may contain flaws or damage. Due to its complexity, this article condenses it into six things you need to know.
September/October 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Arun Sreeranganathan at Stress Engineering Services Inc., and John Norris, P.E. at Stress Engineering Services
Fired heaters are among the most critical equipment in refineries and chemical plants. This article provides an overview of what a fired heater tube mechanical integrity program should include.
July/August 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Mark Geisenhoff at Flint Hills Resources, Jonathan D. Dobis at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc., Phillip E. Prueter at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc., and Dr. Michael S. Cayard at Flint Hills Resources
This article summarizes a recent finite element analysis (FEA)-based study that employs creep simulation techniques to investigate the elevated temperature response of piping with peaked longitudinal weld seams.
January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Pamela Hamblin at Thielsch Engineering, Inc.
Avoiding cracking under pressure when managing high-energy piping systems is common subject matter in the power industry. Just as high-energy piping can give way to pressure, stress and fatigue, so can the people in charge of operating them when trying to determine what to inspect, where to inspect, and what to do with those inspection results once they have them.
Partner Content
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January/February 2014 Inspectioneering Journal
By Antonio Seijas at Phillips 66 Company
Fired furnaces in the petrochemical and refining industry are critical pieces of equipment that can have a major impact on process unit safety, reliability, and economics. They are complex pieces of equipment, where tubes and other pressure boundary components might fail due to relatively short periods of upset conditions.
September/October 2005 Inspectioneering Journal
By John Reynolds at Intertek
Metals will slowly deform under stress and higher temperatures by the mechanism known as creep. The amount of creep deformation that will be experienced is highly dependent upon the level of stress, level of temperature and material properties. It is vital that any component operating in the creep range have Integrity Operating Windows (IOW's) established where upon operators are required to make adjustments if certain temperatures are reached.
November/December 1999 Inspectioneering Journal
By Richard D. Roberts at Quest Integrity Group
Steam reformers are an integral part of ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, and gas process plants around the world. THey are one of the highest cost, both in capital and maintenance, pieces of equipment in the plant. Typically, reformers contain several hundred vertically oriented straight tubes, referred to as catalyst tubes. These tubes represent a significant cost for replacement and can be a major source of plant unavailability if unplanned failures occur.
May/June 1997 Inspectioneering Journal
By John Brear at ERA Technology Ltd., John Williamson at ERA Technology Ltd., and Bobby Wright, P.E. at Becht Engineering
Reformer catalyst tubes are commonly manufactured from high strength, creep and corrosion resistant alloys. They are relatively thick walled and are usually produced by centrifugal casting. Their lives are limited by creep, driven by a combination of internal pressure and through-wall thermal stresses generated by operational transients. The typical composition for alloys for reforming service is 25/20 Cr/Ni with the generic reference HK40.
This publication outlines 101 Essential Elements that need to be in place and functioning well in order to effectively and efficiently preserve and protect the reliability and integrity of pressure equipment (i.e. vessels, exchangers, furnaces, boilers, piping, tanks, and relief systems) in the refining and petrochemical industry.


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It is the week before July 4th and that means food!! And not just any kind of food, when it is hot outside I love a cool dessert: ice cream, pie, and this time I am trying pavlova.
Pavlova is a meringue style dessert with fruit and cream, was developed in the 1920s and named after the ballerina Anna Pavlova (there is some controversy over whether it originated in New Zealand or Australia). It is gluten free, light and airy, and paired with fresh whipped cream and bourbon sweet freckles cherries--this pavlova has a unique flavor all its own. It is a perfect summertime dessert, and while it is baked--the temperature stays at 250F so the oven won't warm up the kitchen too much!
Pavlova with Whipped Cream and a Bourbon Cherry Sauce
serves 6-8
pavlova recipe adapted from Alton Brown + foodnetwork.com
5 egg whites, room temperature (I used large, range free brown eggs)
Pinch of salt
1 cup cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 heaping teaspoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Bourbon Cherry Sauce
1 cup fresh Sweet Freckles cherries pitted and halved (about 10)
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup water
1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Use a plate and pen to trace a 8-9" circle on parchment paper, then flip over the parchment paper (lines will show through).
2. Place egg whites and pinch of salt in mixing bowl and whisk at high speed 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add sugar over 2 minutes. Stop and scrape sides of bowl, then mix sugar and egg white mixture on high for 6-7 minutes. Mixture will be smooth and glossy with stiff peaks. Turn off mixer and add vanilla, vinegar, and cornstarch. Mix with spoon just to combine.
3. Sprinkle water onto parchment paper (this will help prevent sticking), then spoon pavlova mixture onto parchment and spread to fit the shape of the circle. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in oven until completely cool and meringue is dry on the outside (at least 3 hours).
4. Mix whipping cream until fluffy, then stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread onto top of pavlova.
5. Add cane sugar, bourbon, water, and fresh cherries to a heavy bottom skillet. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low-medium for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to soften cherries. Mixture will thicken as it cooks. Pour cherry sauce over whipped cream and pavlova.
Cooking down the sweet freckles cherries was my favorite part of the process. The fruit is beautiful to look at and pleasantly sweet!
This pavlova recipe is light and fresh, and can easily be modified to use your favorite fresh fruit. The trick is following each step, and allowing the meringue to fully cool.
Have you ever made a pavlova?


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These are becoming more popular due to their consistent low moisture content. Our logs are very high quality and ideal for woodburners and open fireplaces.
Welcome to A&C Logs
Handily located between Bath and Frome, we provide Kiln Dried Seasoned Firewood (Logs). We offer Single/Double loads delivered to your door. Let us know what size logs you want and when you want them!
Contact us on:
These are becoming more popular due to their consistent low moisture content. Our logs are very high quality and ideal for woodburners and open fireplaces.
Why we sell by the cubic metre
In our opinion, firewood should always be purchased by volume and not weight. Wet logs will be much heavier than dry logs, so not only will you get a lot less for your money you could well get a poorer quality end product delivered.
Also, every type of wood has a different density and weight, therefore the size of the loads will vary depending on the species of tree used.
Finally, how can you tell when a vehicle turns up at your house if they have the specified weight in the back? By dealing in volume (cubic metres) it removes all the ambiguity around these three points and allows the purchaser to know exactly what they are getting for their money before they arrive on or at their property.
Ideal for those who have restricted storage space. These handy nets measuring 48cm x 78cm contain approximately 12 logs. Minimum order 10 nets.
Great value large net of kindling. Net measures approximately 45cm x 60cm.
We deliver our kiln dried seasoned logs in two trailor load sizes, these are referred to as a 'single load', or a 'double load'.
These pictures give an indication of their size but if you'd like more information before you order please contact us at any time.
Natural Firelighters
These firelighters are made from natural, renewable, untreated wood shavings dipped in fully refined paraffin wax. Great for Wood Burning Stoves, Open Fires, Pizza Ovens, Charcoal barbecues, Chimeneas and Camp Fires. These natural firelighters come in packs of 24, 50 and 200 so click below to order yours today.
100% Wood from
well managed forests
Literally born into a family who have always been connected with trees and wood.
His late grandfather started his career as a Forester on the Longleat Estate and Franks' father by trade was a carpenter and joiner. His firewood career started in the early seventies selling firewood to both the local villages and businesses in and around Bath.
He can never recall a time when the family have not chopped wood and owned a chain saw, axe and processing equipment, indeed the picture shows Frank chopping wood with his late grandfather's axe, first used to fell trees on the Longleat estate.
Frank prides himself on a good service, punctuality of delivery and an excellent product line, backed up with a family history of the wood trade with total commitment. "To all customers old and new - Thank you for your trust and support"
Frank Shellard MI Agri Eng
Please use the email order form opposite or contact at the address below:
Little Horse Croft Farm
07860 838788


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Margaret Cho gives it good at Humphreys
by Renee Westbrook
San Diego Local Music Examiner
Margaret Cho can't help but be brutally honest. It's her nature. But there's something else about her the audience clung to Friday night at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay; something that keeps gay, straight, young and old people of all races coming back for more.
It's generosity.
Whether she's talking about "spit roasting", a sexual act that involves at least three people or her feminine nether regions being the site of Oprah's newest school, Cho exudes generosity.
Opener John Roberts is no stranger to that artistic altruism. Dressed like a gay Gallagher, his multi-character Carrot Top with wig props routine was just enough to get the audience in gear. Looking a bit worn when she took the stage, she kicked off the show talking about the difficulties of being a competitor on "Dancing With The Stars", a bit that wouldn't be complete without the voice of her mother chiming in, "Ohhhh, it so haaaaaaaaaard."
Sex and politics are major staples of her act. She touched on gays in the military and Proposition 8 then offered the audience a glimpse of her many "fellationships" and sexcapades including accidentally sexting Mrs. Cho.
Probably the most poignant bit of the night came when she spoke about her grandfather, a man she says suffered disfiguring facial burns when he rescued his adoptive children from a burning building.
Grandpa was her biggest fan. The cancellation of her 1994 sitcom "All American Girl" took a toll on him and he died shortly thereafter. In true Cho fashion, that moment went from poignant to gut busting funny when she told the story of how at Grandpa's funeral several of his grief-stricken girlfriends jumped into the casket with him.
Because it's still early on in the tour and the act has not quite settled into its groove, songs from her musical comedy CD "Cho Dependent" gave the unsteady show a much needed balance.
By far the highlight of the evening was Cho singing the song about the human male genitalia. She brought in the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus to sing backup and with a ton of heaping liberality shared her dance partner Louis van Amstel with the audience.
Cho is not a woe-is-me kind of comedian. She's the kind whose entire show subtext simply offers this: I
stand before you fearless and steady, anchored in my experiences, ready and willing to share with you exactly who I am.
You may wince and cringe at the overt vulgarities, but once acclimated you'll double over with laughter and be grateful you spent an hour and a half accepting her generosity.


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• Read the main story about the charges and find links to all the coverage.
• Explore all of The Plain Dealer's continuing coverage of the county investigation.)
COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is still reserving judgment on the
involving top Cuyahoga County Democratic officials but said he won't have sympathy if they are guilty.
During an interview on the state budget, The Plain Dealer asked Strickland, a Democrat, about the corruption charges filed today in U.S. federal court against
, a former county employee and Parma school board member who is at the center of a public corruption probe.
The paperwork identifies -- though not by name -- auditor Frank Russo and commissioner and Cuyahoga County Party Chairman Jimmy Dimora -- as being involved in public corruption. Neither man has been charged with a crime.
"When wrongdoing like that is identified and confirmed, it needs to be dealt with in a swift and severe way, in my judgment," he said.


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GAZA, March 24 (UPI) -- U.S. envoys Elliott Abrams and David Welch arrived in Ramallah for talks with Palestinian officials on Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank.
Abrams, deputy national security adviser, and Welch, head of State Department's Middle East desk, met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and several other Israeli officials Wednesday, seeking clarification of Israel's proposal to build 3,500 new housing units between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adomim.
In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said the Israelis told them "no final decision" had been made on the issue.
At Thursday's meeting with Palestinian leaders, sources said Abrams and Welch discussed the proposed settlements and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
Palestinian sources said the Palestinians urged the United States to stop Israel from "expanding settlements that would harm the peace process."
Ereli called the talks "good" and "full."
He said Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, Security Minister Mohammed Dahlan, Foreign Minister Saeb Erekat, Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, Minister of Interior and National Security Nasser Yussef were involved in the meetings.


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We are investigating background drawing issue on iOS 5.
Update: Version 1.3 has been sent to Apple to address this issue. It will be available on the App Store in 1-5 days. Thanks for your understanding and sorry for any inconvenience.
Update 2: New version is now available.
Update 3: Updates of old versions (original, Advance, Bravo, including HD versions) has been sent to Apple.
Update 4: Updates of old versions are available.


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Key To Music Grades
A - You will never be whole without it
B - Highly recommended
C - Flawed, but still pretty good
D - It's your money, not mine
F - Why couldn't this have been burned in Fahrenheit 451?
B - Highly recommended
C - Flawed, but still pretty good
D - It's your money, not mine
F - Why couldn't this have been burned in Fahrenheit 451?
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The Police - Ghost In The Machine (1981)
In honor of my going to see these guys on Sunday at the Meadowlands, I've decided to review one of their discs. Choosing, again, was difficult, so I've decided to go with one of their more contentious albums, the one where the band began to disintegrate and not jive as well musically. During this time, Sting supposedly was more in favor of coke than he was in his band-mates, and poor Andy was feeling a bit flustered from the sudden emergence of saxophones and synthesizers, which predominately fill the record. This is not to say that the record is awful because of this -- far from it -- the musicianship is solid; it's the tunes that don't quite feel right -- perhaps I would like to say 'too poppy.' See, The Police are an interesting band insofar as they play more or less pop tunes with a ridiculous set of chops; they kind of straddle the line, but no one would ever accuse them of being poseurs, nor would anyone classify them as art rock or prog rock. This album, I think, crosses that line.
The album opens with "Spirits In The Material World," a strong song featuring the first manifestation of keyboard-driven melodies and Sting's lyrical pop sensibilities. Next, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is a little more mid-tempo and has more piano and synth, and -- where the hell is Andy? This is what I thought at this point. I mean, when you have a power trio format, you want to hear each member, right, especially when each member is fantastic? All of those synth lines are distracting me from hearing the guitar notes (if there are any)! Andy is noticeably relegated to bit-player for most of this album, and Stew's frenetic energy seems subdued overall as well. "Invisible Sun" is the absolute highlight here, I think; definitely one of my faves. "Rehumanize Yourself" sounds like it got left off Outlandos; it's a nice little Police thrasher; if that's allowed. "Ωmegaman" and "Demolition Man" are good tunes as well, whereas "One World" and "Darkness" are pretty awful. Really, though, for all my little critiques, the album is still very good, but it's still one of their weaker albums. Essential? Oh yeah. What you're looking for? If you like the dreck that embodies the 80s, some of that horrible contemporary sound seeps in here, so a yes for you. For me, it's just a B+.
Posted by The Mad Hatter at 4:03 PM 2 comments:
Labels: (B+), The Police
Monday, July 23, 2007
Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 (1972)
I'm choosing to comment on Vol. 4 for the following reason: back when I was of a lesser musical pedigree, Master Cianan and I used to frequently mull over our favorite Sabbath tunes. Every time, he would mention "Supernaut" with its spectacular opening riff and asked me if I had it. No, I always replied, consequently disappointing him, and leading me to inquire from what album this legendary song came. This ritual continued unchanged every time, and neither could he ever remember the name of the album, nor could I feign attempts to having tried to find it. This is strangely fitting, considering that Vol. 4 seems to be the black sheep among their first five albums, perhaps for its lack of 'popular' tracks, but certainly not for its lack of menace or musical maturity. Even the album title is short of frills, denoting little that is particularly memorable. Hell, Supernaut would have been a great album title; if I had a child, I might name them Supernaut. I'm serious -- just not the part about having children.
So ado without much further of it, let's commence: "Supernaut" is not the only reason you should buy this album, but yet, it really is the reason you should buy it. The main riff is otherworldly, a testament to Iommi's terrific knack for sublime riffage. SUPER FUCKING TASTY is another way of putting it.
Otherwise, the album features vintage heavy tracks: "Snowblind," the album's original title that was changed due to the cocaine allusions; "Cornucopia" and "St. Vitus' Dance" are some wicked numbers indeed; and most importantly, for contrast, "Changes" is a purely piano-driven ditty with my favorite-instrument-which-is-not-the-guitar, the Mellotron, as well as "Laguna Sunrise" being a nicely sequenced track with overlaying acoustic guitars. Overall, though, the album is frenetic, heavy and downright scrumptious. One problem: "FX" is stupid. Supposedly, the sounds are achieved through an echo effect made by Iommi's crucifix banging up against his guitar. How novel, but it's a silly addition to an otherwise flawless album. Still, I won't hold it against the lads. A
Posted by The Mad Hatter at 10:43 PM No comments:
Labels: (A), Black Sabbath
Thursday, July 19, 2007
U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
This is sacrilege, I know, but I don't understand why this album receives as much praise as it does. I chock this up to our singles culture wherein people only remember the name of an album because of how many singles it produces. In this case, "Where The Streets Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Without Or Without You," In God's Country" and "One Tree Hill" where more or less the releases in the US, UK and abroad. The first three singles are purely indicative of why U2 are truly great tunesmiths; the rest is truly unremarkable filler. Interestingly enough, these same three singles open the album; therefore, after "Bullet The Blue Sky," the fourth track, the album significantly plummets into oblivion. That was too abstract. It basically takes a sloppy wet shit. "In God's Country" tries to stop the bleeding, but let's face it, this album signifies the incontrovertible fact that U2 were too lazy to arrange the songs better, knowing quite well that the enormity and brand of their name alone would guarantee that people would listen to this album no matter how the songs were arranged. Then again, sorting five songs among eleven wouldn't make that much of a difference. It's a shame, really, because The Edge has some tasty riffs. C+
Posted by The Mad Hatter at 4:57 PM No comments:
Monday, July 16, 2007
Fantômas - Delìrium Còrdia (2004)
The only reason I still own this album is because Fantômas is an otherwise fantastic band. Not having it amidst their other worthwhile efforts is simply illogical. That said, it still sucks. Let me explain. I love Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Tomahawk, etc. I love Mike Patton. MIKE PATTON IS GOD. Just kidding. But he can still sing, scat, screech, or rap with the rest of them; hell, when he does that rapturous polyphonic overlay of banshee-like widows with just a mic on Adult Themes For Voice, the man regularly averts the impossible and tells it to go fuck itself. Everything he touches turns to wackadoo. Lovely tottering brain-spewing wackadoo. This album, though, is either so beyond my mental faculties of apprehension and appreciation or it's just a terrible amalgamation of sound made manifest in pure concocted drivel and noise. The only positive thing I can say of this mess is that it's carefully concocted drivel and noise -- like an artist who chooses to paint his magnum opus on loose-leaf with crayons. The timbre of a dreary piano, muffled chanting, occasional aimless riffage and the most anti-climactic final eighteen minutes of nothing but old-school record crackling and silence. This is straight out of Brian Eno's head during a nightmare. Landscapes of wackadoo à la Patton. Oh, and Dave Lombardo generally rules, but he's entirely underused here. A meaningless A for effort; F for everything else.
Posted by The Mad Hatter at 4:22 PM No comments:
Friday, July 6, 2007
Deep Purple - Made In Japan (1972)
This is the greatest live rock 'n' roll album ever by pound-for-pound one of the greatest musical lineups ever. Period. Funny thing is, Purple could have just aped these songs on stage and no one would have thought any less of them -- simply because these songs stand up for themselves as classic rock gems. Thankfully, every member was a virtuoso in their own right and brought so much intensity and bravado to these performances that, indeed, you truly wish you could have been there for such remarkable improvisation. Frampton Comes Alive! can kiss it.
The album opens with a frenetic high-octane version of "Highway Star" that otherwise invalidates the studio original. Here, organist Jon Lord butchers his keyboard with furious speed and power, and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore lays down a staggering set of notes while strangling his whammy bar.
The next track, the classical vignette "Child In Time," features Ian Gillan in his uppermost vocal register, an explosive four-minute fret-fest from Mr. Blackmore and then booms to conclusion with some tasty Roger Glover bass. Oh yeah, and Ian Paice rules too. (Drummers simply don't get the credit they deserve.) Next is "Smoke On The Water" -- yeah, the one with one of the great meat-and-bone guitar riffs of all time. Gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh, as Alex would say. "The Mule" has a nice long drum solo from Paice and then afterwards we are treated to an intense jam version of "Strange Kind Of Woman" that features Gillan imitating Blackmore's guitar sequences note for note. Pure awesomeness. "Lazy" is such a swaggering romp it makes no pretense of being otherwise and "Space Truckin'" is a near-twenty minute opus consisting of dueling organ and guitar solos; this is more or less one of the most satisfying finishes to an album ever, and your ears are sure to feel exhausted and battered afterwards. Of course, for some, this album does not end there because in the expanded 2-disc set, we are fortunate to be given three more glorious versions of "Speed King," "Lucille" and "Black Night" not included on the original release. I daresay anyone should have a problem with that. A+
Posted by The Mad Hatter at 10:01 PM 2 comments:
Labels: (A+), Deep Purple
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If you agree aquarium tanks are only used to hold fishes, reconsider that thought. They give the hamster a living area which is draft-free. Glass will also help to keep temperatures better than the other choices. These are generally perfect for cooler parts of the country.
A different type of hamster habitat that is very common is the wire mesh cage. This cage is hassle-free to maintain and clean up and is very economical. Regrettably, when compared to the aquarium tank, harsh breezes will be able to get into the enclosure. Moreover, this habitat is better meant for the larger Syrian hamsters for the reason that dwarf hamsters could certainly get out.
Plastic aquariums appear similar to glass enclosures but also come with a handful of different characteristics. If you think glass aquarium tanks tend to be difficult to clean and arduous to lift up, perhaps a plastic aquarium is designed for you. Another advantage is it is not going to break as easily and it is considerably more affordable. Often times though, because of cheap materials hamsters may easily scratch the habitat and you will probably have to buy a new one a lot faster than usual.
If you're a inventive person, then tube cages will be perfect for both you and your hamster. By means of attaching different kinds of pipes, you'll be able to personalize your very own hamster habitat. Several models may also be remade and changed occasionally.
Get access to more hamster articles by visiting hamsterhelper.com for more articles like this.


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Friday, 29 March 2013
Back in the saddle
My wrist has been out of plaster for three weeks now, but I'm only just reaching the point where I can type with two hands, though only for a short time as it is still stiff and painful and aches after a short while. It's not healed as well as I would have liked and there's still a possibility that I may have to have an operation. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next few weeks will see a marked improvement.
Having spent eight weeks unable to sew I'm really pleased to be getting back to it. My left hand has twisted around enough now that I can use the sewing machine, though using my rotary cutter is still painful and I don't have enough strength to hold the ruler firm. Luckily, I have several tops that need quilting so I'll be getting on with those, as well as catching up with a couple of Sugar Club BOMs.
I've thoroughly enjoyed keeping up with the blogs I read, though I got rather jealous sometimes!
This little quilt is something I finished just before I broke my wrist.
We had been doing some fabric weaving at the City & Guilds course, and I decided to experiment with a circular weaving. I liked the look of it so much that I continued and completed it and gave it to Christopher as a Valentine's gift.
Over the last week I've finished a quilt top that I started several months ago and hope to quilt it over the next few days. So I should be able to share that then.
Posted by Amanda at 13:33
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After five years at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham, Jasper's Head Office team officially moved this week into fabulous new offices in Sutton Coldfield.
The Head Office team supports the Jasper's network of franchises, through a central bank of business account managers who take orders, deal with queries and any concerns that customers may have. Also on site in the new offices are the Directors, Nathan Siekierski and Paul McMahon, as well as quality assurance, sales, franchise recruitment and marketing personnel.
The move has provided more space for the team to grow as the Jasper's franchise network expands. It has also enabled an entire floor to be devoted to training facilities and a test kitchen.
Co-director Nathan Siekierski said: "We are thrilled with our new home, it has given the whole team renewed drive and motivation. Our customer service staff have settled right into their open plan office and we are all enjoying the perks of a relaxing lunch area, smart loos, professional meeting rooms and our own car parking spaces.
"When franchise owners and guests come to see us we are confident they will enjoy the views and ambience of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, it's a fantastic place to be.
"The greatest benefit of our new offices though is the upstairs which will enable us to train and present to all our network on site at one time. The development kitchen alongside this will make things much easier for us to develop new products and share these.
"These are exciting times for Jasper's; our new base reflects our aspirations and our company culture perfectly."


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As I look back through the blog of our life for the past 5 years, I can say that it serves as a great scrapbook! I have pictures of fun events and major life changes. I have recaps of parties and trips, and I have a timeline of the girls growing up.
In typical fashion, Kate has a lot less posts. She's the second baby and even though I said I wouldn't do it… I am guilty of not having my camera flashing 24/7.
I am guilty of not spending the time on writing posts because I would rather spend the time playing.
I am guilty of doing 19208583 other things in the few minutes of nap time I have, mostly because we need to function. And although the blog is wonderful, it doesn't help our daily life function. 🙂
I wish it did. I wish it did dishes and laundry and cleaned floors. Some days I wish the blog could play dress up and dolls.
So I wanted to spend a minutes to share a few pictures of how Kate is growing up before our eyes.
Kateorade, as we call her on a daily basis, is a whopping 15 lbs at over 9months old (that's tiny).
She is pulling herself up to stand at any chance she gets.
She is eating anything she can get her hands on. From salmon to cauliflower, green beans to tofu, she loves it all.
She has almost started whipping up her own creations!
Driving the cul-de-sac is one of her favorite outdoor activities.
And being cute, also comes in high on the list of things Kate does well.
She is "Super Baby" everyday.


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This post is sponsored by CSN Stores.


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This past weekend, I rented a Porsche Cayman in LA with my girlfriend. We spent two days just cruising around checking out some local restaurants and some potential apartments followed by a third day of Canyon carving out to Malibu. This car served us quite well and made the trip more enjoyable for sure. The thing I liked the best was just how solid the car felt and that the suspension was not uncomfortable but still handled really well. Steering, clutch, and throttle inputs were all as responsive (or more) than my Miata, which I typically never get out of rentals. The biggest thing I noticed though was the perception of speed in this car.
For some reason, the Porsche never actually felt much faster/quicker than my own car. It didn't have mind-melting acceleration or brutal delivery of power. But it certainly is significantly faster, louder, and meaner. This car is like a Miata, but with balls. However, if I paid attention to the speedometer rather than the feel of the car, I could quickly notice how the car got to 80mph much faster than anticipated and still had plenty to go. This car begged to be beat on to get up to speed and it truly performed when not babied around.
Since the car is mid-engined, there actually was a front trunk and a rear trunk so it was quite practical for grocery shopping. I went into the trip thinking that the car would be harsh, have no space for things, and just be a frivolous car to to enjoy for the weekend. But I learned that this could really be quite the practical daily driver (assuming it's reliable enough). No idea on the gas mileage since it wouldnt fill past 3/4 tank but it couldnt have been that low.
There were some other odd things about the car. Like the power-retractable spoiler on the rear, left side of the steering wheel ignition cylinder, and that weird button thing on the roof. Still no idea what that did. I did click the buttons but nothing seemingly happened. It was also odd having reverse Up and left on the shifter, I did mix up first and reverse a couple times in parking lots leading to confusion momentarily. Overall though, it was a normal sports car and provided a wonderful driving experience.


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NEW LONDON, Conn. – A balanced offensive attack led the Mitchell College women's volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Newbury College on Wednesday night in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
The Mariners won by set scores of 25-19, 25-27, 25-11 and 25-23 to improve to 2-4 in league play. Megan Elphick led Mitchell with a career-high 11 kills and added five service aces. Myia Williams also finished in double digits with 10 kills while Marissa Sweeney and Ariana Carter each added nine and Italia Krick pitched in with eight kills, 10 digs and six aces.
Stephanie Rheaume paced the Nighthawks with match highs of 14 kills and 16 digs. Julia Leggett also chipped in with 11 kills and 10 digs while Marlen Reynoso finished with 21 assists and 14 digs.
Mitchell trailed 16-14 in the opening set before rallying for eight straight points behind the serve of Laurissa Amaker to take control. Carter supplied two kills during the spurt as the Mariners raced out to the early 1-0 advantage.
Newbury battled back from a 21-16 deficit to claim the second set and even up the match. The Nighthawks ripped off five straight points to pull even at 21-21, and later it was 25-25 when Reynoso and Leggett rallied for back-to-back kills to clinch the set.
Mitchell led 14-9 in the third set and widened the margin thanks to seven straight points on the serve of Krick, who supplied three aces during the stretch. Sweeney and Williams each tacked on four kills in the frame as the Mariners went on top 2-1.
In the fourth and final set, Mitchell trailed 13-9 before Elphick swung the momentum from the service stripe with four straight aces. From that point on neither side led by more than two, and the Mariners sealed the victory by winning three of the final four points to close out the match.
Lauren Tompkins finished with 33 assists to fuel the Mitchell offense, which finished with 52 kills in the match. The Mariners also hit a team-high .273 on the night.
Mitchell (2-16 overall) will close out the regular season at Becker College on Saturday, October 28 at noon. Newbury (2-22 overall, 0-6 NECC) returns to action at Bay Path University on Saturday at 1 p.m.