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Showing 289-384 of 960 items found in Places to Stay
Howard Johnson Inn and Suites
Newly rennovated hotel with meeting facilities for groups uo to 200 people, outdoor pool, studio suites, free parking and scenic setting.
CITY: Springfield
Paradise Inn - Effingham
Paradise Inn is a clean, well-maintained hotel. The hotel allows small pets, has cable and bus parking, and is adjacent to restaurants.
CITY: Effingham
House of Blues Hotel
Opened 1998. 367-room eclectic hotel with design influences from Morocco, Thailand, and the Old South.
CITY: Chicago
Fairfield Inn
Marriott's award winning economy hotel lodging features clean, convenient, quality accommodations for a great value.
CITY: Champaign
Stevenson Inn
Free continental breakfast, HBO with 50 cable channels, dataport phones, jacuzzi rooms, restaurants within walking distance.
CITY: Springfield
Hampton Inn & Suites - Hoffman Estates
Comfortable guest rooms or spacious two room suites, fitness room, cable television, meeting room (15 to 20 persons).
CITY: Hoffman Estates
America's Best Value Inn - Cheekwood Inn
Located at exit #18 off I-57, offering 40 modern rooms with inside corridors and an indoor swimming pool.
CITY: Ullin
Red Roof Inn - Bloomington
Clean, comfortable, efficient and a great value, the Red Roof Inn is conveniently located on I-55 and I-74 at Exit 160 on Bloomington's west side. The Red Roof Inn features free continental breakfast daily, free wireless internet, and weekly rates. All guest rooms have high speed internet, Cable TV and data ports. Connecting rooms are available. Hair dryers, irons and ironing boards are available at the front desk. One well-behaved family pet per room is welcome.
CITY: Bloomington
Sycamore Motor Lodge
2-story facility. Upper level is three efficiency units equipped with microwave, refrigerator, and stove. Monthly and nightly rates available.
CITY: Havana
Red Lion Motor Lodge
Rooms equipped with queen sized beds, cable TV, and free local calls. Ground floor building.
CITY: Havana
Drury Inn & Suites
Fairview Heights is known for its close proximity to St. Louis and its very own Drury Inn and Suites. At Drury, we offer clean rooms, friendly service and a stunning amount of free amenities. We offer free wireless Internet, free hot food and cold beverages at the 5:30 Kickback®, free popcorn and soda in the lobby, free long distance calls and our free hot breakfast. At Drury, that means Belgian waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and sausage.
CITY: Fairview Heights
Super 8 Motel - Aurora/Naperville
This Super 8 has 66 rooms with whirlpool suites available and offers free deluxe complimentary breakfast, an indoor pool and spa, exercise room, free local calls and cable TV.
CITY: Aurora
Wingate by Wyndham
Every room at the Wingate by Wyndam is designed to cater to our guest's needs. Rooms are well-appointed with amenities like complimentary wired & wireless high-speed internet, in-room safe, iron and ironing board, refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker in every room. Additionally, the property also features leisure amenities like an indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, fitness room, business center and sundry shop. We offer a free hot breakfast buffet from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in our hotel lobby daily as part of your stay.
CITY: Champaign
Five Star Motel
Small 27-unit motel, cable TV with free HBO.
CITY: Greenup
Heritage Grand Inn
Very nice lobby with fireplace, coffee, juice, and continental breakfast, tearoom on premises.
CITY: Canton
Candlewood Suites-Northbrook Wheeling
An extended stay property for the leisure or business traveler. Full kitchens, free local calls, free high speed internet access; weekly maid service, complimentary guest laundry, comfortable accessible rooms.
CITY: Wheeling
Hilton Northbrook
Luxurious accommodations and exquisite hospitality await you at the Hilton Northbrook on Chicago's North Shore. 248 guest rooms offer deluxe amenities designed to pamper you. Enjoy remarkable cuisine in the award-winning Allgauer's on the Riverfront or relax in the indoor pool, whirlpool spa and sauna. The Hilton is ideally located just north of Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Ravinia Festival, Chicago Botanic Garden, Six Flags Great America, and spectacular shopping.
CITY: Northbrook
Hilton Garden Inn Naperville/Warrenville
DuPage County, Chicago's Western Suburbs - Close proximity to local businesses and attractions makes the Hilton Garden Inn an ideal spot for both business and leisure travelers. Rooms have a spacious desk, ergonomic chair, free high-speed internet, flat screen HD TV, microwave and refrigerator.
CITY: Warrenville
Americas Best Value Inn - Normal
Americas Best Value Inn offers comfortable accommodations, affordable rates, and a friendly front desk staff to help you feel at home. Enjoy a refreshing swim in our heated indoor pool and step into the privacy of your own guest room with amenities including free wireless high-speed Internet access, coffeemaker, cable TV with ESPN, hairdryer, desk with lamp, clock radio, free local calls, and wake-up service. A microwave and mini-fridge are included in our suites and available upon request in our guest rooms. Children age 18 and younger stay free in their parent's room with existing bedding. Attractions nearby include The Corn Crib, Heartland Community College, Lincoln College-Normal and the Constitution Trail Center.
CITY: Normal
Comfort Inn & Suites
Luxury at a moderate price, the Comfort Inn is conveniently located in Bourbonnais off I-57, near Olivet Nazarene University, Legends Sportsplex and Northfield Mall. With 114 new guest rooms, complimentary hot breakfast, free WiFi and onsite meeting room facilities, this property is ideal for business guests and leisure travelers.
CITY: Bourbonnais
Route 50 Motel
Welcome! At the Route 50 Motel you can easily find us after a long day of driving. We are located on the highway and easy to spot. We offer fresh coffee as well as an outdoor pool, cozy beds and all the necesities you need. 96 rooms. Outdoor pool. Free HBO and ESPN
CITY: Bourbonnais
Hampton Inn and Suites - Aurora
127 rooms with a 5,000 sq. ft. conf. center. 6,000 sq. ft. indoor pool complex with game room and fitness center. Free high-speed internet.
CITY: Aurora
Super 8 Motel - Alton
Super 8 Alton hotel lets you make the most of your time on the road. Located on Illinois Highway 3 close to Route 67 and Interstates 55 and 270, our Alton, Illinois, hotel is just 30 miles from downtown St. Louis and convenient to popular area attractions, including the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway.
CITY: Alton
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Ideally located 2 miles from historic downtown Sparta, our friendly Sparta accommodations offer travelers easy access to a number of local businesses, restaurants and attractions. Just minutes from our hotel near downtown guests can tour the Misselhorn Art Gallery, attend events at the Randolph County Fairgrounds, golf at the Sparta Country Club or watch a tournament at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex. Visitors can also enjoy local restaurants. During your visit to Sparta, enjoy the free, wireless Internet access & complimentary breakfast bar. On-site amenities such as a heated indoor pool & whirlpool, 24-hour Business Center, a well-equipped Fitness Center & 24-hour convenience store are also provided for your convenience. Consider our Sparta hotel's choice amenities and excellent rates as you start planning your trip today.
CITY: Sparta
Blackhawk Motel
Located in the heart of Northwestern Illinois and close to the Mississippi River, we are a sportsman's dream lodging location whether you are hunting, boating, fishing or bird watching. We are handicap accessible and offer queen and double beds and direct TV. Just 4 miles north of the Mississippi Palisades State Park.
CITY: Savanna
Prairie Inn
Galesburg's only 3-diamond full service hotel on 10.7 acres, indoor swimming pool and whirlpool, meeting rooms, state of the art fitness center.
CITY: Galesburg
Comfort Suites O'Hare Airport
All suite hotel with 160 two-room suites; 7 whirlpool suites. Suites include refrigerator, microwave, PPV movies, playstation and 60+ cable channels including HBO. Irons/boards and hair dryers. Complimentary continental breakfast, on-site fitness center and complimentary wireless high-speed Internet. Comfort Suites O'Hare Airport has 5,200 sq. ft. of meeting space for up to 350 people. Legends Sports Bar & Restaurant has a great menu and fun atmosphere. Evening room service is also available. Located just 2 miles from O'Hare Airport and one mile from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center offering complimentary 24-hour shuttle transportation to O'Hare Airport and a 5-mile radius of the hotel. Americans with Disability Act compliant.
CITY: Schiller Park
Ramada Limited South - Joliet
Close to Hollywood & Harrah's Casino's, Rialto Theatre, First Midwest Bank Amphitheater and Route 66 Raceway. Ask about special rates.
CITY: Joliet
Baymont Chicago Glenview
This three-story hotel offers 142 guestrooms accessible via interior corridors. All rooms at the Baymont Chicago offer work desks with ergonomic chairs and phones with voice mail. Wireless Internet access and local calls are complimentary. Located eight miles from O'Hare International Airport. The hotel provides 24-hour front desk, free continental breakfast and a gym/fitness center. Near I-294.
CITY: Glenview
Hillcrest Motel
Featuring 10 rooms with new electric heat and air conditioning for very reasonable prices. TV in each room.
CITY: Rochelle
Comfort Inn O'Hare
The Comfort Inn® O'Hare hotel is conveniently located less than two miles from the O'Hare International Airport, Allstate Arena and the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. This Des Plaines, IL hotel is also close to the Rosemont Theatre, the Woodfield Mall and Arlington Park horse racing venue. The Comfort Inn O'Hare hotel offers a prime location for business and leisure travelers. Make us your home away from home when visiting the Des Plaines and Chicago areas.
CITY: Des Plaines
Tri-Manor Motel
19 rooms, restaurants nearby, non-smoking rooms, free movie channel.
CITY: Decatur
Country Inn & Suites - Decatur
72 rooms, restaurants and shopping nearby, conference facility, small meeting rooms, free movie channel.
CITY: Decatur
Decatur Inn
45 rooms, non-smoking rooms, free breakfast, and pets allowed.
CITY: Decatur
Super 8 - Fairview Heights
81 rooms, pets allowed, complimentary breakfast
CITY: Fairview Heights
Comfort Inn O'Hare
150 total rooms. 8 suites. One restaurant. High speed internet access. Lounge. Valet/Laundry. Business center. Room service. Complimentary breakfast. Located near Chicago O'Hare Airport, Des Plaines/Rosemont shopping malls.
CITY: Schiller Park
Best Western Plus Chicago Hillside
238-room full-service hotel conveniently located between O'Hare and downtown. Outdoor pool, fitness center, 24-hour restaurant, lounge, room service, fax and copy service. 14,000 sq.ft. of meeting/banquet space.
CITY: Hillside
Howard Johnson
Howard Johnson Hotel in Addison has two meeting room. The largest is 500 sq.ft., Smoking rooms available; continental breakfast included in rate; free shuttle to/from O'Hare airport; free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly.
CITY: Addison
Baymont Inn & Suites
At the Baymont Inn & Suites you'll enjoy a relaxing stay with our luxurious pillow-top mattresses, hot breakfast, and complimentary amenities. Our friendly staff is waiting to show you what Baymont's signature brand of Hometown Hospitality is all about.
CITY: Champaign
Kaskaskia River Motel
7 rooms, Non-smoking rooms, credit cards accepted, and cable television available
CITY: Baldwin
Super 8 Hotel - Aurora
65 rooms, indoor pool and spa, continental breakfast, HBO cable.
CITY: Aurora
Chicago Marriott Schaumburg
Upscale 398 room, full-service hotel. Indoor/outdoor pool. Near Woodfield Mall. Newly renovated ballroom and guest rooms.
CITY: Schaumburg
Comfort Inn North - Joliet
Indoor pool and hot tub. Fax, copier, business classroom, 24 hour coffee.
CITY: Joliet
Country Inn & Suites - St. Charles
Convenient to area restaurants, downtown St. Charles shopping. Each guest room includes a mini-fridge and microwave. New executive suite wing.
CITY: St. Charles
Comfort Inn - Galesburg
Completely renovated - offers data ports in all rooms - copy and fax machines available - complimentary continental breakfast
CITY: Galesburg
Four Points Sheraton
Whether you are hosting a Board meeting, regional sales meeting, or training conference our 12,000 square feet of meeting space can accommodate any event. Our outstanding staff will service your every need.
CITY: Schiller Park
Fairfield Inn by Marriott - Glenview
At Fairfield Inn,® you'll be surprised at how comfortable a room can be at a price that's friendly to your budget. Enjoy extra space, crisp linens, free high-speed Internet access, complimentary breakfast plus ergonomic work areas.
CITY: Glenview
Days Inn Naperville
Clean, comfortable rooms at an affordable price. Within walking distance to restaurants and shopping. Near high-tech business area.
CITY: Naperville
Holiday Inn Express & Suites-Shiloh
80 room hotel, small meeting rooms, indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness room, restaurant within walking distance, complimentary breakfast.
CITY: Shiloh
On west side of Lincoln near many restaurants, includes semi truck parking, accepts all major credit cards, no pool, and no personal checks please only business checks.
CITY: Lincoln
Wyndham Garden Hotel - Buffalo Grove
Two story, garden style property perfect for business or leisure traveler.
CITY: Buffalo Grove
Hampton Inn - Marion
Relax in our comfortable Marion hotel with a choice of thoughtful extras included with every stay. Our stylish guest rooms feature flat-screen TVs and free WiFi throughout the hotel. Enjoy a tranquil night's rest in a clean and fresh bed and start your day right with Hampton's free hot breakfast. Even if you're in a rush, grab a free Hampton On the Run Breakfast Bags, available Monday through Friday, for a quick, healthy meal to go. Cool off in our refreshing pool or work out in our well-equipped exercise room. Located close to a number of businesses, this charming Marion hotel offers a range of professional services. Catch up with work in the business center and make use of professional services including print, fax and copy facilities.
CITY: Marion
Motel U.S. Grant
Experience a fun, comfortable stay. Free continental breakfast. Clean rooms, affordable rates.
CITY: Mattoon
Comfort Inn - Dixon
Located near the intersection of Interstate 88 and Illinois Route 26 in Dixon, sits along the Ronald Reagan Trail, the historic Lincoln Highway and the Northwest Passage Heritage Corridor, a collection of eight counties with fascinating histories. This Dixon, IL hotel is located midway between Chicago and the Quad Cities. Area attractions include the Franklin Creek Historic Site, the Dixon Theater, Bureau County Fairgrounds, the Loveland Museum and Lowell Park.
CITY: Dixon
Days Inn Morris
Business or Pleasure you will be treated to all the standard Days Inn extras that make your stay more enjoyable, like our FREE Daybreak Breakfast, refreshing SolTerre shower experience, free WI-FI in every room. Plus, if you are a Wyndham Rewards member, you will continue to receive Wyndham Rewards points for all eligible stays.
CITY: Morris
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago O'Hare Airport
Grand Opening in March 2009, the newly built Holiday Inn Express & Suites will feature 135 rooms, including 25 suites perfect for business or leisure travel. Hotel has indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi tub.
CITY: Hillside
GuestHouse Inn
A Comfortable and Affordable Lodging Experience The Guesthouse Inn & Suites Salem IL hotel offers the convenience of a Denny's Restaurant and Cocktail lounge on site. Our Salem Hotel offers a 24 hour front desk service, free local calls, parking, USA Today Newspaper, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and complimentary popcorn. We are a pet friendly Salem Inn, pet fee apply.
CITY: Salem
Marriott Townplace Suites Joliet
All suite hotel featuring our "Morning Break" breakfast, "In a Pinch" market, and complimentary high speed wireless internet. Our Suites are 30% larger than a standard hotel room and feature fully equipped kitchens.
CITY: Joliet
Fairfield Inn Galesburg
This Galesburg IL hotel by Marriott offers comfortable guest rooms at a superior value for both business and leisure travelers. Free continental breakfast, including fresh-brewed coffee, cereal and fresh fruit.The hotel is conveniently located across the street from Carl Sandburg Mall which features JC Penney, Sears, K-Mart and Bergner's. This Galesburg hotel just minutes from Knox College, the Galesburg Railroad Museum and offices for BNSF Railroad. We also have free passes to the YMCA down the street for guests looking to utilize a fitness center. We will get you started each day with a delicious deluxe continental breakfast featuring fresh home made Belgian waffles, freshly brewed coffee, pastries, fresh fruit, two kinds of juice and much more. Restaurants nearby include Applebee's, Perkins, Sirloin Stockade and Sully's Pub
CITY: Galesburg
Ramada Plaza Hotel O'Hare
Full-service aiport property offering newly-renovated Plaza guest rooms and all those amenities geared towards the corporate business traveler.
CITY: Rosemont
Super 8 Motel - Bourbonnais
41 comfortable rooms including free continental breakfast, an indoor pool and suites available. Close to I-57 exit 315.
CITY: Bourbonnais
Microtel Inn & Suites
Inviting 64-room inn located at Stevenson Drive exit off I-55, with indoor pool, continental breakfast, guest laundry, smoke free environment.
CITY: Springfield
Concorde Inn & Suites
Concorde Inn & Suites is Pekin's only full service hotel that is locally owned. The Concorde has 119 guest rooms, including two room suites. Amongst our many amenities we offer complimentary continental breakfast, free wi-fi, fitness center, guest laundry, business center, free guest parking with separate lot for larger vehicles. McCritter's restaurant and lounge is accessible through the hotel lobby. Concorde Inn & Suites is the only hotel in Pekin, Illinois that has a large outdoor pool.
CITY: Pekin
Budget Inn - Lincoln
This motel sets away from all the rest, they also accept all major credit cards, and semi truck parking is available. Checks are not accepted.
CITY: Lincoln
LaQuinta Inn- Peru
Indoor pool and spa. Complimentary continental breakfast. Business center and fitness room. Free high speed wireless internet. PPV available along with free HBO. In room safes.
CITY: Peru
Candlewood Suites - Rockford
All studio-room hotel convenently located off I-90 and State Street (US BR20). With easy access to I-39 and US Routes 20 and 43/Wisconsin, Candlewood Suites-Rockford is perfectly located near business and entertainment centers. Near Magic Waters water park, CherryVale Mall, and numerous golf courses. Located adjacent to Van Galder Bus Terminal with 24 hour shuttle service to O'Hare and Midway Airports. All studio-rooms have kitchens with full refrigerators. "Candlewood Cupboard" offers frozen entrees, breakfast items, snacks, 50-cent soft drinks, personal items, etc. Complementary High Speed Wireless Internet.
CITY: Rockford
Hilton Garden Inn Chicago/Oak Brook
128 newly renovated & spacious guest rooms with coffeemaker, refrigerator, microwave & complimentary high speed Internet. Adjacent to Drury Lane Theatre & Conference Ctr; within one half mile of Oakbrook Center; Great American Grill Restaurant & Pavilion Pantry.
CITY: Oakbrook Terrace
La Quinta Inn - Hoffman Estates
A great place to unwind. Rooms have enhanced lighting and expanded bathrooms. King plus rooms offer recliners. Free local calls. Children uner 18 free in parent's room.
CITY: Hoffman Estates
Best Western Annawan Inn and Banquet Center
Conveniently located off of Interstate 80, Exit 33 with a friendly and personable management team. The facility offers 62 spacious rooms with a refrigerator, microwave and 25" television in every room. Select from a standard king, standard double, handicap accessible and extended stay rooms. Complimentary hot continental breakfast and free wireless Internet access. The Banquet Center has seating capacity for 450 people. It also has the ability to host three-break out rooms seating 75 each and hotel offers 1 meeting room seating 45. A Banquet Center adjoins hotel with for groups 400 maximum seating. Catering available.
CITY: Annawan
Best Western Geneseo Inn
Conveniently located just minutes off of Interstate 80; near downtown Geneseo offering many shopping opportunities. Located only 20 minutes from the Quad City International Airport.
CITY: Geneseo
DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago - Schaumburg
Our warm and relaxing guest rooms feature DoubleTree Sweet Dreams Experience Bedding®, high-speed internet access, a large working desk, cozy office chair, coffee maker, and the signature DoubleTree radio with MP3. Indoor pool, cafe, lounge and room service. $3 million renovation of all guest rooms completed in Sept. 2006.
CITY: Schaumburg
Extended Stay America - Skokie
The hotel, conveniently located off I-94, is designed for America's "Road Warriors" and available for overnight or long-term visitors. Rooms are approximately 300 square feet with room to spread out. Accommodations include well-equipped kitchens.
CITY: Skokie
Days Inn - Benton
Quality rooms with competitive prices located off I-57. Close to all the activities at rend lake with restaurant and lounge on premises.
CITY: Benton
Red Roof Inn Springfield
Two buildings with drive-up rooms on two floors.
CITY: Springfield
Hampton Inn- Ottawa
Interstate I 80 and 90. Indoor pool and whirlpool. Free hot breakfast. free local phone, in room movies and abusiness center.
CITY: Ottawa
Courtyard by Marriott Glenview
The newly remodeled is located off I-294 and is 15 minutes from O'Hare International Airport. Courtyard Chicago Glenview puts you within easy reach of area businesses, local attractions and downtown Chicago. A complete hotel renovation unveils a "reinvented" Courtyard designed to meet all of your travel needs with 137 guest rooms and 12 suites, Free WI-FI Internet access, HD televisions and free in-room coffee. Heated indoor pool and whirlpool.
CITY: Glenview
Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago/Naperville/Warrenville
DuPage County, Chicago's Western Suburbs - At the newly renovated Residence Inn Naperville/Warrenville, we combine all the comforts of home with Marriott's passion for making every guest feel welcome.
CITY: Warrenville
Hampton Inn & Suites Deer Park
Our promise to you includes a clean, comfortable hotel room. In fact, we have 104 of them! If you're traveling with your family, you may opt for a room with two beds. Or, if you're here by yourself on business, why not book a room with a plush, king-sized bed so you can stretch out and relax?
CITY: Deer Park
Best Western Joliet Inn & Suites
Green Eco-friendly practices, complimentary hot breakfast, new indoor heated swimming pool area, spa, large atrium with a sundeck, retractable roof, a meeting room for up to 40 people, spacious rooms with microwaves, refrigerators and free high speed wireless internet access.
CITY: Joliet
Budget Lodge - Alsip
Nice, clean, newly decorated rooms. Cable TV and very low rates. Easy access to highway and restaurants nearby.
CITY: Alsip
Presidential Inn & Suites Motel - Alsip
This inn offers spacious standard, double, queen and king guestrooms. Non-smoking rooms available.
CITY: Alsip
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham - Decatur
60 all suites hotel, each providing a fully equipped kitchen, sofa bed and desk, 24 hour courtesy van available, full hot breakfast, and business center.
CITY: Decatur
Holiday Inn Express
The Holiday Inn Express Rochelle is conveniently located to many of Rochelle area attractions and cities. We are the choice of many visitors who want to be near the cities of Rockford, Sycamore, Dixon and DeKalb, Illinois, which are only a short drive away. The hotel is also only minutes away from many area attractions including Northern Illinois University, Kishwaukee College, Magic Waters Water Park, Rochelle Rail Fan Park, and some of the best golf in Illinois.
CITY: Rochelle
Classic Inn
28 rooms
CITY: Dwight
Cooper Motel
Small hotel located near the outlet mall. Pet friendly.
CITY: Tuscola
Best Western Inn And Suites - Midway Airport
The Best Western Inn and Suites- Midway Airport is located in Burbank only 2 1/2 miles south of Midway Airport. Enjoy our indoor pool, whirlpool, exercise room, and breakfast room.
CITY: Burbank
Hilton Garden Inn & The Regency Conference Center
Relax at our hotel overlooking a lovely six-acre lake with an exquisite fountain, the Hilton Garden Inn St. Louis Shiloh/O'Fallon hotel is an excellent introduction to the region. If you're visiting for business, we provide versatile meeting venues and close proximity to local companies, universities, and military installations such as Scott Air Force Base. Take some time to explore area attractions that include Gateway Grizzlies Park and the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta. Wrap up a day of work or leisure by relaxing in our indoor heated pool and whirlpool - followed by a wonderful meal in our restaurant and bar. With 128 spacious rooms and suites, and signature Hilton services, we're an attractive departure from surrounding O'Fallon and Shiloh hotels.
CITY: O'Fallon
Stardust Motel
70-room property with clean and comfortable accommodations. Featuring coin-operated laundry facilities, remote controlled TV, Free HBO, SHOWTIME and ESPN. Free local calls
CITY: Naperville
Courtyard By Marriott - Deerfield
Located in the center of an ideal area filled with shopping, restaurants, entertainment and minutes walking from Metra for trips to the city. Close to Gurnee Mills, Six Flags, Ravinia Music Festival, and Chicago Botanic Gardens. This hotel features rooms and suites from 350 sq. ft to 600 sq. ft., with the suites having separate living, dining and outside areas. Enjoy a reasonably priced breakfast buffet in the on-site Courtyard Cafe restaurant. Two meeting rooms totaling 1,574 sq. ft. help bring visions of extraordinary reality to joyous celebrations, small fairytale weddings, and business meetings.
CITY: Deerfield
Homestead Studio Suites - Schaumburg
Your home away from home features a kitchen in every room, free local calls, and more.
CITY: Schaumburg
Super 8 Motel - Jerseyville
Get the rest you need after a long day on the road at our Super 8 Jerseyville hotel. Located on Illinois State Route 109, less than one hour from St. Louis, MO, our hotel makes it easy to enjoy small-town charms with convenient access to big-city excitement. Enjoy queen size beds, recliners in most rooms, satellite TV, free local calls, jacuzzi bathtubs in selected rooms.
CITY: Jerseyville
Hampton Inn I-80
Newly remodeled hotel features expanded lobby, fitness center with Precor equipment, pool, and whirlpool. Enjoy our complimentary hot "on the house" breakfast & complimentary wireless internet.
CITY: Joliet
Value Place
Value Place provides everything you need for an enjoyable stay. Our furnished studios include amenities such as kitchens with full size refrigerators, stove tops and microwaves, allowing you to save money by cooking in the comfort of your own room. Access to in room high speed internet and on-site washers and dryers makes life away from home feel like home. In Addition to our furnished studios, we provide our guests with bi-weekly housekeeping and expanded cable TV with at least one premium movie channel.
CITY: Champaign
Hilton Garden Inn - Hoffman Estates
Hilton Garden Inn hotels offer spacious guest rooms full of thoughtful amenities complemented by friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. 184 guest rooms, breakfast cafe, pavilion lounge, 24-hour pavilion pantry convenience mart. 2,000 sq ft of meeting space
CITY: Hoffman Estates
Candlewood Suites Chicago – Hoffman Estates
All suite hotel with 24 hour convenience pantry and laundry facilities. Pet friendly Hotel.
CITY: Hoffman Estates
Hilton Garden Inn – Chicago O'Hare Airport
251 rooms – Featuring the Great American Grill & Lounge along with 6,900 square feet of divisible banquet and meeting space. Located adjacent to Des Plaines Casino.
CITY: Des Plaines


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The first step in data mining images is to create a distance measure for two images. In the intro to data mining images, we called this distance measure the "black box." This post will cover how to create distance measures based on time series analysis. This technique is great for comparing objects with a constant, rigid shape. For example, it will work well on classifying images of skulls, but not on images of people. Skulls always have the same shape, whereas a person might be walking, standing, sitting, or curled into a ball. By the end of this post, you should understand how to compare these hominid skulls from UC Riverside1 using radial scanning and dynamic time warping.
But first, we must start from the beginning. What exactly is a times series? Anything that can be plotted on a line graph. For example, the price of Google stock is a time series:
As you can imagine, time series have been studied extensively. Most scientists use them at some point in their careers. Unsurprisingly, they have developed many techniques for analyzing them. If we can convert our images into time series, then all these tools become available to us. Therefore, the time series distance measure has two steps:
STEP 1: Convert the images into a time series
STEP 2: Find the distance between two images by finding the distance between their time series
We have our choice of several algorithms for each step. In the rest of this post, we will look at two algorithms for converting images into time series: radial scanning and linear scanning. Then, we will look at two algorithms for measuring the distance between time series: Euclidean distance and dynamic time warping. We will conclude by looking at the types of problems time series analysis handles best and worst.
STEP 1A: Creating a time series by radial scanning
Radial scanning is tricky to explain, but once it clicks you'll realize that it is both simple and elegant. Here's an example from a human skull:
First we find the skull's outline. Then we find the distance from the center of the skull to each point on the skull's outline (B). Finally, we plot those distances as a time series (C). The lines connecting the skull to the graph show where that point on the skull maps to the time series below. In this case, we started at the skull's mouth and went clockwise.
Skulls from different species produce different time series:
Take a careful look at these skulls and their time series. Make sure you can spot the differences in the time series between each grouping. Don't worry yet about how the groupings were made. Right now, just get a feel for how a shape can be converted into a time series.
Another example of radial scanning comes from Korea University. Here we are trying to determine a tree's species based on it's leaf shapes:2
The labeled points on the leaf at left correspond to the labeled positions on the time series at right. Radial scanning is a popular technique for leaf classification because every species of plant has a characteristic leaf shape. Each leaf will be unique, but the pattern of peaks and valleys in the resulting time series should be similar if the species of plant is the same.
We can already tell that the graphs created by the skulls and the leaf look very different to the human eye. This is a good sign that radial scanning captures important information about the objects shape that we will be able to use in the comparison step.
STEP 1B: Creating a time series by linear scanning
Some objects just aren't circular, so radial scanning makes no sense. One example is hand written words. The University of Massachusetts has analyzed a large collection of George Washington's letters using the linear scanning method.3 4 In the first image is a picture of the word "Alexandria" as Washington actually wrote it:
Then, we remove the tilt from the image. All of Washington's writing has a fairly constant tilt, so this process is easy to automate.
Finally, we create a time series from the word:
To create this time series, we start at the left of the image and consider each column of pixels in turn. The value at each "time" is just the number of dark pixels in that column. If you look closely at the time series, you should be able to tell where each bump corresponds to a specific letter. Some letters, like the "d" get two bumps in the time series because they have two areas with a high concentration of dark pixels.
We could have constructed the time series in other ways as well. For example, we could have counted the number of pixels from the top of the column to the first dark pixel. This would have created an outline of the top of the word. We simply have to consider our application carefully and decide which method will work the best.
We now have two simple methods for creating time series from images. These are the simplest and most common methods, but the only ones. WARP5 and Beam Angle Statistics6 are two examples of other methods. Which is best depends—as always—on the specific application. Now that we can create the time series, let's figure out how to compare them.
STEP 2: Comparing the distances
The whole purpose of creating the time series was to create a distance measure that uses them. The easiest way to do this is the Euclidean distance. (This is the normal that we are used to.) Consider the two time series below:7
To calculate the overall distance, we calculate the distance between each corresponding point in the time series. Corresponding points are connected by black lines. Notice that the first blue hump corresponds to a flat red area, so this causes the black lines to be shorter. The second red hump corresponds to a flat blue area, so the black lines are longer. Everywhere else, the two time series line up fairly well, so the black lines have a mostly constant height. (Normally, we would start the two time series at the same height, so the first black line would be zero; however, the time series have been moved apart to make the black lines easy to see.)
More formally,
where is the height of the red series at "time" , is the height of the blue series at "time" , and is the length of the time series. This is a simple and fast calculation, running in time .
A more sophisticated way to compare time series is called Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). DTW tries to compare similar areas in each time series with each other. Here are the same two time series compared with DTW:
In this case, each of the humps in the blue series is matched with a hump in the red series, and all the flat areas are paired together. Notice that a single point in one time series can align with multiple points in the other. In this case, DTW gives a distance nearly zero—it is a nearly perfect match. Euclidean distance had a much worse match and would give a large distance.
For most applications, dynamic time warping outperforms straight Euclidean distance. Take a look at this dendrogram clustering:
The orange series contain three humps, the green four, and the blue five. But the humps do not line up, so this is a difficult problem for straight Euclidean distance. In contrast, DTW successfully clustered the time series based on the number of humps they have.
That's great, but how did DTW decide which points in the red and blue time series should align?
Exhaustive search. We try every possible alignment and pick the one that works best. This will be easier to see with a simpler example:
To perform the search, we create an x matrix. Each row corresponds to a time along the red series, and each column corresponds to a time along the blue series. The value of each cell is the distance between and . This effectively compares every time in the red series with every other time in the blue series. Then, we select the path through the matrix that minimizes the total distance:
The colored boxes correspond to the colored lines connecting the two time series in the first image. For example, the four light blue squares in the top right are on a single row, so they map one point on the red series to four points on the blue one.
Using dynamic programming, DTW is an algorithm, which is much slower than Euclidean distance's . This is a serious problem if we want to use the algorithm to search a large database.
The easiest way to speed up the algorithm is to calculate only a small fraction of the matrix. Intuitively, we want our warping path to stay relatively close to a diagonal line. If it stays exactly on the diagonal line, then every red and blue time correspond exactly. This is the same as the Euclidean distance. At the opposite extreme would be a path that follows the left most, then top most edges. In this case we are comparing the first blue value to all red values and the last red value to all blue values. This seems unlikely to make a good match.
There are two common ways to limit the number of calculations. First is the Sakoe-Chiba band:
The second method is the Itakura parallelogram:
The basic ideas behind these restrictions is pretty straightforward from their pictures. What isn't straightforward, however, is that these techniques also increase DTW's accuracy.8 DTW was introduced to the data mining community in 1994.9 For over a decade researchers tried to find ways to increase the amount of the matrix they could search because they falsely believed that this would lead to more accurate results.
We can also speed up the calculation using an approximation function called a lower bound. A lower bound is computationally much cheaper than the full DTW function—a good one might run 1000 times faster than the time of the full DTW—and is always less than or equal to the real DTW. We can run the lower bound on millions of images, and only select the potentially closest matches to run the full DTW algorithm on. Two good lower bounds are LB_Improved10 and LB_Keogh.11
Finally, there are other methods for comparing time series. The most common is called Longest Common Sub-Sequence (LCSS). It is useful for matching images suffering from occlusion. 12
When to use Time Series Analysis
Time series analysis is only sensitive to an object's shape. It is invariant to colors and internal features. These properties make time series analysis good for comparing rigid objects, such as skulls, leaves, and handwriting. These shapes do not change over time, so they will have similar time series no matter when they are measured.
Time series analysis will not work on objects that can change their shapes over time. People are good examples of this, because we have many different postures. We can walk, sit, or curl into a ball. Another distance measure called "shock graphs" is better for comparing the shapes of objects that can move. We'll cover shock graphs in a later post.Footnotes
- Eamonn Keogh, Li Wei, Xiaopeng Xi, Sang-Hee Lee and Michail Vlachos "LB_Keogh Supports Exact Indexing of Shapes under Rotation Invariance with Arbitrary Representations and Distance Measures." VLDB 2006. (PDF) [↩]
- Yoon-Sik Tak and Eenjun Hwang. "A Leaf Image Retrieval Scheme Based on Partial Dynamic Warping and Two-Level Filtering" 7th International Conference on Computer and Information Technology, 2007. (Access on IEEE) [↩]
- Rath, Kane, Lehman, Partridge, and Manmatha. "Indexing for a Digital Library of George Washinton's Manuscripts: A Study of Word Matching Techniques." CIIR Technical Report. (PDF) [↩]
- Rath, Manmatha. "Word Image Matching Using Dynamic Time Warping," the Proceedings of CVPR-03 conference,vol. 2, pp. 521-527. (PDF) [↩]
- Bartolini, Ciaccia, Patella, "WARP: Accurate Retrieval of Shapes Using Phase of Fourier Descriptors and Time Warping Distance" IEEE Transactions of Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol 27 No 1, January 2005. (PDF) [↩]
- Arica, Yarman-vural. "BAS: a perceptual shape descriptor based on the beam angle statistics." Pattern Recognition Letters 2003. (PDF) [↩]
- Keogh, "Exact Indexing of Dynamic Time Warping" (PDF) [↩]
- Ratanamahatana, Keogh. "Three Myths about Dynamic Time Warping." SDM 2005. (PDF) [↩]
- Berndt, Clifford. "Using Dynamic Time Warping to Find Patterns in Time Series," KDD 1994. (PDF) [↩]
- Lemire, "Faster Retrieval with a Two-Pass Dynamic-Time-Warping Lower Bound," Pattern Recognition 2008. (PDF) [↩]
- Keogh, Ratanamahatana. "Exact indexing of dynamic time warping," Knowledge and Information Sytems 2002. (PDF) [↩]
- Yazdani, Meral Özsoyoglu. 1996 Sequence matching of images. In Proc. 8th Int. Conf. Sci. Stat. Database Manag. pp. 53–62. [↩]
11 comments
Trackback link: http://izbicki.me/blog/converting-images-into-time-series-for-data-mining/trackback
This is great.
This might be out of the scope of the blog, but how simple is it to implement these kind of things in R or MatLab?
I'm a biologist who's interested in this stuff, but know nothing about how it works. Just wanted to say that I thought it was an excellent, clear intro.
Excellent post. I've used radial scanning in different forms, but I never knew other people used this method in the same manner. A few months ago I created a time series algorithm for image recognition, which at the time I dubbed "radial frequency". I was working on a machine learning algorithm to do supervised learning on a variety of similar Google image results.
During the development I used several different photos of apples and oranges, with a goal of teaching the learning algorithm how to accurately and precisely recognize whether or not a photo was featuring an apple or an orange.
My method used a k-means cluster algorithm to first organize 2d points on a brightness map of the original image. I would then overlay the 2d points back on the original image and transform them to 3d by converting the underlying pixel's color to a value based on the greatest distance between any two points in the collection.
If that distance was 50 pixels, then the z value for the new 3d point would be a -25 to 25 value based on the position of the pixel's color value on the visible color spectrum.
With a collection of 3d points ready for time series analysis, I perform a spherical radial burst at the arbitrary origin coordinate and plot the collisions as a time series.
To improve the time series comparison, perform a radial scan on the 2d points to be used in conjunction with the data captured on the 3d radial scan.
Thanks for writing this! I've been learning haskell and came across your blog while looking at the HLearn library.
I've heard of DTW before, but never took the time to understand it. After reading your beautiful explanation, I've realized it's the perfect solution to a problem I've had at work of comparing high frequency financial market data.
Great idea.
How would you deal with unequal time series lengths?
Thanks for this great post! I have few queries though. I am trying to implement this in MATLAB. I believe I have the "distance matrix". What I wish to attempt is to obtain the warped signal. SO basically, I have a reference signal and another signal and I apply DTW to obtain a kind of a generalized signal. Do you get the idea? I hope I am not misinterpreting the concept.
Also, what if I have suppose 5 signals that I need to apply this to at the same time. What would you recommend in that scenario?

subset: commoncrawl


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Personal Injury Claims
It can be very stressful if you ore those close to you have suffered a personal injury that isn't your fault. It's only fair that you are able to receive the best possible treatment for your injuries, the highest level of support and excellent aftercare. However more often than not, the financial implications of the treatments may make them unreachable to you.
Electric Shock Injury Claims
When working with or interacting near electricity and power sources it is essential that you act responsibly as you could easily receive an electric shock and it could be fatal. However, sometimes accidents do happen and you could receive an electric shock due to the negligence of someone else. Perhaps a copper wire was left exposed or a circuit wasn't properly constructed. If this is the case you could have valid grounds to make a personal injury claim.
Injury Claims for Burns
Burn injuries can vary in severity. Therefore all burn injury claims are extremely different and the compensation you receive depends on a number of factors. If you would like to make a personal injury claim for burns you will find this section extremely useful.
Chemical Poisoning
Chemical poisoning is extremely rare but can also be extremely detrimental to someone's health. Chemical poisoning is usually caused by ingestion, inhalation or absorption of a toxic chemical agent. It could be intentional or unintentional but if you have chemical posioning due to the fault of someone else, they are liable and you could make a claim.
Dog Bite Claims
Dog's are generally care free and friendly animals. However, sometimes they can be a fiesty and cause an injury to someone. If you have sustained an injury due to a dog bite then you could make a personal injury claim.
Food Poisoning Claims
Food poisoning varys depending upon what you have eaten. Sometimes you could have a bad stomache for a few days but in more serious cases you could find you self in pain for weeks. If you want to make a claim for food posioning you need to talk to a personal injury solicitor and they will be able to tell you exactly what you can claim for.
Medical Negligence
Medical negligence is essentially where you have sustained an injury due to the negligence of a doctor or nurse. This could be by them performing the wrong procedure, carrying out a procedure incorrectly or any instance where they don't carry out a task safely. If you have been a victim of such a situation then contact a specialists personal injury solicitor who can then help you to make a claim for medical negligence.
Personal Injury Claims for Children
We understand that children will have the odd accident in the playground, after all how many of us can say that during our childhood we never grazed our knee or had some form of accident. However there are accidents that we cannot put down to children being children. If your child has sustained an injury due to the fault of someone else, they could well be eligible to make a personal injury claim.
Sports Injury Claims
Whilst we are aware that when you partake in a sport there is a risk of injury, there are some inncidents that could be avoided and arent due to the negligence of someone else. For example, the provider of the event has to ensure that the facilites and equipment are safe to use. For example if you play a football match and trip and cut yourself on a broken glass bottle, you could make a claim as it is the provider's responsibility to ensure that the pitch is safe.
Criminal Injury
Claiming for a criminal injury is slightly different to most personal injury claims. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority pays out compensations to victims of a violent crime who have been physically or mentally injured. They also provide some useful advice on how to make a claim for a criminal injury so be sure to get in contact with them.
Catastrophic Injury
You may hear the term catastrophic injury when making a personal injury claim. A catastrophic injury is quite simply when the injury has such an impact on a person's life that it is going to have an on-going and long term affect. A prime example could be when you fall off a horse and remain largely paralysed as a result.


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We had a blast putting pen to paper and stylus to tablet to make the handdrawn in-store posters of Payless come to life. These two promos for the 5-Day Sale at Payless were directed, edited, colored, and animated all at Optimus. The challenge was to take flat art and make it come to life in 3D space with a cel-animation look. Different techniques were tried, but in the end all elements were re-traced in After Effects to ensure consistency of line weight. Then we did it all again in spanish.
These projects work best when the talent really seems to react to the art around them. Director Brian Johnson coached just the right amount playfulness out of the performers to compliment the fun typography and accent doodles. Later, we were able to add little details like a star burst as she turns her heel on the word "sandals." Be sure to watch the Hispanic version for the adorable little wave as she gets into her car and "heads on down" to Payless.
Client: Payless
VP Creative: Dan Zigulich
Creative Director: Jeff Vandeven
Senior Designer: Jimmy Guerrerro
Producer: Bruce Montgomery
Creative Director: Donnie Bauer
Animation Director: Morgan James
Design & Animation: Luis Mayorga, Mark Butchko, Mark Walczak, Donnie Bauer,
Morgan James
Family Illustration: Jesse Hora, MAKE
Production Company: One at Optimus
Director: Brian Johnson
Producer: Sarah Slevin
Editor: Julie Kravitz
Assistant Editor: Tim Cahill
Producer: Nora Carney
Assistant Producer: Maria Hinders
Colorist: Joel Signer
Audio Engineer: Joel Anderson


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TNT Skips Out on Geena Davis Bounty Hunter Project TVLine
TNT has decided not to move ahead with Geena Davis' bounty hunter pilot, in which the Oscar-winning actress was slated to play the main character, reports TVLine.
The series would have brought Davis, who starred in "Commander in Chief," back to television. Marsha Mason of "The Middle" was slated to play Davis' mother, who would work with her daughter on jobs, while Scott Bakula of "Quantum Leap" was cast as Davis' ex-husband.
Davis won an Oscar for "The Accidental Tourist" in 1989.
Geena Davis


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Reaction to Lou Dobbs Town Hall on Broken Borders
by DMIer, Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 07:27:34 AM EDT
Wednesday night Lou Dobbs held a town hall style show on the "broken borders" issue live from San Antonio, Texas. To his credit, his guests included folks from both sides of the debate. Although hostile to their views and at time unbelievably patronizing, he did give airtime to proponents of comprehensive immigration reform as well as to the hardliners for border control. The show hit on a number of issues, so let's look at them one at a time.
Undocumented Workers and Native Wages: Lou Dobbs has a knack for characterizing this issue as one that should make the public angry. In fact, he said last night that employers, when they hire undocumented immigrants, are blatantly discriminating against U.S. citizens. The segment addressed some legitimate concerns of U.S. workers including contractors who cannot compete with businesses that hire undocumented immigrants and outbid competitors who don't. Mr. Dobbs took issue with the argument that immigrants fill jobs that Americans don't want. The narrator of this particular segment said to the contrary, "Americans are not lazy, Americans are willing to work hard...for a fair wage." This is exactly the argument that DMI has outlined in our report "Principles of an Immigration Policy to Strengthen and Expand the American Middle Class" In the report, we argue that because undocumented immigrants live here under a constant threat of deportation, their ability to enforce their own workplace rights and demand fair wages and fair treatment is greatly diminished. As a result, the situation threatens to push wages down across entire industries. The only way to address this issue is to strengthen the workplace rights of these vital workers, who we need to keep our economy strong and growing, and thereby raise wages for all workers. We agree that the middle class should be angry about the dismal state of wages and the ability to earn a living as a worker in this country, the question is whether an enforcement-only immigration policy will raise wages.
The Border Fence: The enforcement-only agenda of Congress will not address the issues discussed in the previous section. History has taught us that building a wall will not keep out workers that our economy relies on to the degree that it currently does. With the Secure Fence Act of 2006 set to be signed into law today, it seemed Mr. Dobbs was much more focused on conjuring up supportive votes for the Republican Congress than with realistically looking at both sides of this issue. In fact, he mentioned the fact that elections are a mere two weeks away numerous times throughout the show. When talking about the bill signing event he even said that Republicans wanted a high profile event before the elections. So, even Lou Dobbs admits that the Fence bill is more of an election-year strategy to mobilize voters than to tackle the real issues that Americans are concerned about --how to reform our broken immigration system.


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Funds Hub
Money managers under the microscope
Morning Line-up
Hedge fund stories from the past 24 hours from Reuters and elsewhere:
Myners defends hedge funds against EU directive - Daily Telegraph
2009 gains do not guarantee performance fees for hedge funds - Wealth Bulletin
Hedge fund lawyer dies in Russian jail - Guardian
Fight Fight Fight!
For those tiring of the squabbling over the European Union's AIFM directive, at least the rhetoric continues to impress.
The EU threat has certainly made pension funds more bullish, and this week they were threatening to gang up on "arrogant" hedgies to force through far stricter terms on performance fees. "Institutional investors are totally disillusioned with funds not delivering what was on the tin," Philip Read, chairman of the British Coal scheme, told chastened managers at the Hedge 2009 conference.


text: Quote:I am wanting to use some kind of device that detects the sky quality and can display it over time. that way I can review the sky quality over the night and predict the upcoming quality with some degree of accuracy. there isnt a clear sky chart for my location. hoping maybe I can make something or spend $100 or less.


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Carlyle Group LP
News about Carlyle Group LP, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Renovations Slated for Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery
A $5.4 million gift from David M. Rubenstein will help to pay for renovations to the Renwick.
June 24, 2014, Tuesday
Goldman and Bain Settle Suit on Collusion
Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital have agreed to pay a combined $121 million to settle a lawsuit that accused them and other firms of colluding to drive down the prices of takeovers before the financial crisis.
June 11, 2014, Wednesday
Carlyle in Talks for Majority Stake in French Campsite Operator
The Carlyle Group is in exclusive talks to acquire Homair Vacances from its French private equity owners, Montefiore Investment and Naxicap Partners.
June 4, 2014, Wednesday
Can Andreessen's View Justify $3.2 Billion for Beats?
Richard Beales of Reuters Breakingviews is skeptical of the argument that huge companies can "attach" the products of smaller ones, making them worth far more than traditional analysis would suggest.
May 12, 2014, Monday
Carlyle's Finance Chief Named a President of Nasdaq OMX Group
The leadership shuffle puts Adena T. Friedman, who has stepped down as chief financial officer of the Carlyle Group, in a position to potentially succeed the Nasdaq OMX Group's chief executive.
May 12, 2014, Monday
Beats Deal May Turn Heads in Private Equity
The Carlyle Group paid $500 million for its stake in Beats Electronics in September; it could triple its investment if a deal to sell to Apple is completed.
May 9, 2014, Friday
K.K.R. Seeks to Attract Investments as Small as $10,000
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is working with another firm to allow smaller investors to gain exposure to its private equity funds, part of a broader push by the industry.
May 1, 2014, Thursday
Profit at Carlyle Falls 18% as Real Estate Investments Underperform
Private equity may be a booming business, but the Carlyle Group was weighed down by declines in its global market strategies business and real assets segment.
April 30, 2014, Wednesday
Private Equity Takes Steps Toward Wooing Smaller Investors
A plan envisions a market where investors in private equity funds can sell their stakes to individuals whose net worth falls far below the usual threshold.
April 25, 2014, Friday
Highbridge Capital Hires a Trader in London
The hedge fund Highbridge Capital Management, which recently hired away two portfolio managers from Steven A. Cohen, has recruited a portfolio manager in London from Claren Road Asset Management, a division of the Carlyle Group.
April 7, 2014, Monday
Copyright © 2008. Quotes and other information supplied by independent providers identified on the vendor disclosures page.
Beneath the Suit, a Melodic Champion
Chris Ullman is a mild-mannered executive at one of the world's biggest private equity firms. But beneath the facade lurks an unorthodox musical virtuoso. DealBook's Kevin Roose investigates.
It's Time to Make the ... Coffee?
As Dunkin' Donuts prepares for an initial public offering that will likely raise more than $400 million, it is coffee sales that are the key to possible expansion.
'The Deal I Missed': David Rubenstein
Like die-hard fishermen, serious investors are all too familiar with The One That Got Away. David M. Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, talks to Andrew Ross Sorkin about the deal he missed.
Carlyle Chief on Private Equity's Pain
CNBC spoke with David Rubenstein, a co-founder of the Carlyle Group, on the challenges facing private equity and strategies for fixing the banking system.
Rss Feeds On Carlyle Group LP
Subscribe to an RSS feed on this topic. What is RSS?
Get Alerts On Carlyle Group LP
Receive My Alerts e-mails on topics covered on this page.More Alerts >>


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In the week beginning 21st of July 2014, 6 deals were announced. Here are our top 3 picks. To read more about the transactions please visit our blog.
Momentum Partners provides management consulting services, KPMG is a multidisciplinary consultancy. Momentum's consulting experience in mining strategy and operations blends well with KPMG's productivity and innovation strengths.
Both companies provide marketing services. The acquisition is in line with CHR's growth strategy.
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Our clients span 27 countries and we have representatives in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Australia and Turkey.
We are famous for our Equity Growth Wheel software, which is used to benchmark the equity value in a consulting firm and produce a plan to improve it.


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1. Reno / Tahoe Skiers Score Winter Olympics Medals
The Reno / Tahoe region was represented by several athletes at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Our local Olympians competed in alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding events. We saw Olympic veterans like Daron Rahlves and Julia Mancuso, along with first timers Tim Jitloff of Reno and Errol Kerr, who trains at Alpine Meadows but represents the Jamaica Ski Team. In summary, we witnessed some great performances, with skier Julia Mancuso making Olympic history and bringing home two silver medals.
2. Harry Reid Re-Election
Despite the polls right up to election day saying he was going to lose, incumbent U.S. Senator Harry Reid beat challenger Sharron Angle by a comfortable margin in the November 2010 mid-term election. To win a shot at Reid, Angle rode tea party support to pull out a surprise win over front-runner Sue Lowden in the Republican primary in June. With accusations flying in both directions, it was one of the nastiest campaigns I've ever witnessed.
3. Governor Jim Gibbons Loses Primary Bid
Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons made history by being the first sitting governor in Nevada history to lose a primary election and run for a second term. He was soundly defeated by Brian Sandoval, a long-time Nevada politician who resigned from a lifetime appointment as a federal judge to seek the governor's office.
4. Brian Sandoval Becomes Nevada's First Hispanic Governor
Besides beating the incumbent governor, Brian Sandoval will be making more history when he becomes Nevada's first Hispanic governor. Considering that the Hispanic population in Nevada is around 25 percent, you wonder why it's taken so long.
5. Nevada Leads the Nation in Unemployment and Foreclosures
This dubious distinction started in 2009 and continued right on through 2010. In November, Washoe County's unemployment rate was 12.8 percent and Nevada's overall unemployment rate was 14.3 percent. On the foreclosure front, one in every 99 homes in Nevada is in foreclosure. For metro areas nationwide, Las Vegas led the pack. Reno-Sparks is eighth.
6. Wolf Pack Beats Boise State
In the biggest big game in years, Nevada's Wolf Pack football team beat Boise State in a home game at packed out Mackay Stadium. Nevada came from behind to tie it up 31-31 in regulation play and won 34-31 with a field goal during OT. It was Nevada's first win over Boise State since 1998 and Reno celebrated for days. The win gave the Pack a 12-1 overall season record (lost to Hawaii) and 7-1 in the WAC. On January 9, 2011, Nevada will play Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
7. New City Manager for Reno
In May, the Reno City Council appointed his Chief of Staff Donna Dreska as interim manager while a search for a permanent replacement was conducted. Dreska initially said she did not want the position on a permanent basis, but after some apparent arm twisting by Mayor Bob Cashell, she was hired in July to replace Charles McNeely.
8. Former Governor Kenny Guinn DiesOn July 22, former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn died in an accident at his home in Carson City. Guinn served two terms as Nevada's 27th governor and was one of our most popular and well-respected politicians. According state Senator Bill Raggio, as quoted in the Reno Gazette-Journal, "We've lost one of the greatest Nevadans we've ever had. It's such a tragedy. He's probably one of the best public servants se've ever had."
9. James Biela Guilty in Brianna Denison MurderIn May, the jury in the James Biela murder and sexual assault trial returned with a verdict of guilty on all five charges. The Brianna Denison case brought the community together and there was a collective feeling of justice being done when Biela was convicted. In the June penalty phase of the trial, Biela was sentenced to death.
10. Nevada State Budget
The ongoing erosion of sales tax and gaming revenues continued in 2010. These factors have contributed to further belt tightening by local governments in Washoe County and across the state and will be the #1 issue to be dealt with during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature. Depending on who you ask, lawmakers will be dealing with a shortfall of somewhere between $1.5 and $3 billion. It's not going to be pretty and I think Nevadans are going to be mighty unhappy when they realize what state services will no longer be there. It will be interesting to see if Governor Sandoval is able to make this work and still stick to his no new taxes pledge. Maybe he has painted himself into a corner.
11. Nevada Gets a 4th Seat in Congress
According to the 2010 Census, Nevada's population grew by 35.1 percent from April 2000 (1,998,257) to April 2010 (2,700,551). With the U.S. House of Representatives fixed at 435 members, the formula for divying up the pie gives Nevada one more seat and one less in a state where the population fell. The new district will undoubtedly be carved out in the Clark County area of southern Nevada, home to the bulk of the state's residents. After the budget, this is the most important task facing the 2011 Nevada State Legislature.
12. October Rainfall Sets Record
It started raining in October and basically stayed wet through the end of 2010. A rainfall record of over 2.20 inches was set, topping the previous 2.14 inches from way back in 1945. It also started snowing in the Sierra, with a series of storms creating the heaviest snowpack and best early season ski conditions in decades. The year ended with a frigid blast from Alaska bringing more snow and below freezing daytime temperatures all the way down to western Nevada's valley floors. At the end of 2010, precipitation was way above average in local drainages - 209 percent at Lake Tahoe, 194 percent for the Truckee River, and 197 percent for the Carson River drainage.


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The following information was supplied by the St. Charles Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.
- A $200 cell phone was stolen during an incident at S. 5th Street on Feb. 7.
- A vehicle was broken into and a purse with credit cards were taken. The estimated property loss is $715. The incident occurred at West Clay Street on Feb. 7.
- A Google Nexus Tablet and Kindle Nook were taken from a vehicle on Mexico Road. The vehicle was broken into while parked at the rear of the store. The incident happened on Feb. 7.
- A wallet and debit card were taken from a car at Edinburgh Court between Feb. 6 and Feb. 7.
- Heavy copper ground wire from electric substation, estimated at $100, was stolen from at Ameristar Blvd between between Feb. 7 and Feb. 8.
- At N. 6th Street on Feb. 7 $10 worth of vehicle parts, a trailer plate, was stolen.
- At Westbury Drive between Jan. 25 and Feb. 8 a company cell phone, valued at $100, went missing.
- The victim's stepson stole a checkbook and forged numerous checks. The suspect arrested and confessed to crime. The incident took palce at Homewood Avenue between Dec. 28 and Feb. 7.
- Between Dec. 23 and Dec. 26 an unknown suspect obtained the victim's checking account number and passed forged checks in Columbia, Mo.
Urinating in Public
- A subject was urinating in the parking garage and North 2nd Street on Feb. 8 and relased with a summons.
Careless and Imprudent Driving
- At S. Main Street and S. Riverside Drive on Feb. 8 subjects were involved in road rage incident against one another.
Driving While Intoxicated
- At Perry Street on Feb. 9, a vehicle was observed failing to maintain single lane. An investigation revealed driver to be intoxicated.
- Police responded to a burglary 1st in the 600 block of Timberidge. A basket, money, TV, clarinet, coin purse, check book, gift cards, prescription medication, credit cards, video camera, camera and iPad were all taken. The total estimated property loss is $3,160. No suspects at this time.
For questions about this blotter, email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec
- April 01 - 08
- April 09 - 15
- April 16 - 22
- April 23 - 30
Dates are subject to change without notice.
- April 26, 2012
Velvet Sessions
Rock & Roll Happy Hour held the last Thursday of the month at the Hard Rock Hotel, Universal Orlando.
Admission charge varies according to the month's theme.
- April 26, 2012
Open Mic Night
At Uptown Altamonte from 7 - 9 pm perform or enjoy an interactive evening of music, dance and spoken word. Sign up begins at 6:30.
Free admission
- April 27, 2012
Friday Night Live
Friday nights at Uptown Altamonte, from 7 - 9 pm enjoy outdoor entertainment in a beautiful setting. Local artists perform Jazz, Pop, Big Band and Contemporary music weekly.
Free admission.
- April 27, 2012
Sanford Art Walk
On the 4th Friday of the month, Historic Sanford Welcome Center presents a monthly juried art show. Stroll through the art venues of Historic Downtown Sanford as you mingle with the artists and enjoy live music, food and art.
Free admission.
- April 27, 2012
Harbor Nights Primavera
Food, Wine and Jazz featuring select wines, gourmet food samples and live jazz. A romantic evening under the twinkling lights of the Harbor Piazza at the Portofino Bay Hotel.
Admission charge.
- April 27 - 29, 2012
Festival of Chocolate
Tastings, sales, kids workshops, demonstrations. This year's event is at the UCF Arena.
Admission charge.
- April 27 - 29, 2012
The Great American Pie Festival
Celebration Town Center Saturday 11:00am - 7:00pm & Sunday 12:00pm - 5:00pm. Enjoy a weekend all about pies. The will be plenty of entertainment, children's pie making sponsored by Crisco and cooking Demonstrations. Make sure not to miss the Never-Ending Pie Buffet, featuring award winning pies, ice cream, toppings and beverages.
Free admission to event, charge for pie buffet.
- April 28, 2012
Doggie Derby at Baldwin Park
Annual charity event that takes place each year on the morning of the Kentucky Derby. The event is a single elimination head-to-head competition with dogs divided into four weight classes. From 9:00 am - 2 pm. Admission charge to admit your dog.
Free admission.
- April 28, 2012
Celery City Cruisers Car Show
On the last Saturday of the month in Downtown Sanford, take part in the events of one of the oldest car clubs in Central Florida.
Free admission .
- April 29, 2012
Israel Independence Day Celebration
Community event celebrating Israel's 62 birthday will be held at the Eddie Rose Amphitheater at Cranes Roost Park at Uptown Altamonte. There will be carnival games, Middle Eastern food, a rock climbing wall, bounce house and much more. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of Central Florida.
Free admission.
- April 29, 2012
Music at the Casa
At the beautiful Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum in Winter Park, enjoy an open house with live music on Sundays from 12 - 3pm.
Free admission.
- April TBA, 2012
Orlando Restaurant Week
Special Prix Fixe menus at Orlando area restaurants.


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RFE: Conference Listings
This service is joint project of RFE and EconBiz.
- CESifo Group Munich
|July 18-19, 2012
|CESifo Venice Summer Institute 2012 "The Economics of Long-Term Care"
|Island of San Servolo in the Bay of Venice, Italy
|In most OECD countries the era of long-term care (LTC) has arrived. More than two out of five people aged 65 or older report having some type of functional limitation (sensory, physical, mental, self-care disability, or difficulty leaving home). A few years from now, the ageing trend will accelerate, fueled by the large ĺŇbaby-boomerĺÓ generation, and the relative importance of people aged 65+ will more than double by 2050. This CESifo Venice Summer Institute Workshop will welcome theoretical and empirical contributions dealing with the economics of LTC. Specific topics include (but are not limited to) the role and design of social LTC insurance, the operation and failures of private LTC insurance markets, provision of LTC within the family (motivation, potential of crowding out by alternative sources of provision), trends in the demand of LTC services, health economics aspects of LTC, etc. [gemĚ_ĚŮ den Informationen des Anbieters - according to site editor's information]
|JEL Code:


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Houzz is the new way to design your home.
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Whether you need them to contain a pet, to secure a pool or just to add a decorative flourish to your garden or landscape, fences and gates play a dual role. Not only do they serve an important function, but they also are a big part of your Cohoctah, MI home's exterior appeal. From simple chain-link fences to custom-crafted wrought iron gates, a fencing and gate contractor can help you choose and install something that suits both roles. More
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"Many people die with their music still inside them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out."
—Oliver Wendell Holmes
What do you keep talking about and not doing?
Where are you selling out on yourself?
What do you really, really, really want for your life?
I invite you to:
- Explore your passion for writing with Author Your Brilliance™
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- Purchase my bestselling book, Waiting for Jack
- Find out the inside scoop on the Publishing world with Imbue Press
- Invite me to speak at your event or company
Drawing on 22 years in the field of personal development, my own personal journey and professional path – I am a fierce advocate that people everywhere live lives they love!
Don't be a statistic—you don't have to die with your music still inside you. It's time to stop waiting and start living NOW!
Your partner in disrupting the ordinary,
Kristen Moeller, MS


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Desktop Curtain
Desktop Curtain is a simple tool to hide the clutter on your desktop, and help you focus on the task at hand. It's perfect for teachers, presenters, writers, developers, and anyone else that hates clutter and/or needs to take screenshots with clean background images.
Why waste time moving files and folders on and off of your desktop when Desktop Curtain can make things look spotless in a jiffy?
Desktop Curtain lets you set images via drag-and-drop or the standard file dialog, and it will remember your 10 most-recently-used images.
You can also control at what "level" the image floats (and hence, how much stuff it covers), and whether it affects all monitors or just one (the same for Spaces, too).
You can use Desktop Curtain to focus only on the frontmost application, too -- or even the frontmost window, to really narrow your focus.
Desktop Curtain also runs in three modes, including a fully-invisible mode perfect for those who take screenshots.oh
What's new
• Fixed a display glitch where some hot keys were displayed with a single "FN" modifier instead of their actual modifiers in menus on Mountain Lion
• Fixed an issue that could cause curtains that show the desktop image to not properly update after changing Desktops
• Fixed an issue that could cause the curtain to vanish when switching Desktops
Share with Others
- Last changed:
- Oct 23, 2013
- Category:
- Productivity
- Developer:
- Many Tricks
- Version:
- 3.0.1
- Size:
- Current Version Average Rating:
- 5.00 (1)
- All Versions Average Rating:
- 4.50 (63)
- Other Apps By This Developer
• Key Codes
• Keymo
• Moom
• Name Mangler 3
• Time Sink
• Usher
• Witch


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Topical skin care formulations
How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents
1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored.
3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords.
Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Topical skin care formulations or other areas of interest.
Previous Patent Application:
Method of ameliorating oxidative stress and supplementing the diet
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Albumin fusion proteins
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Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
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GLOBE Restaurant...Have you eaten there?
Appertizers are very nice there, love the Trout tartare with blinis as the blinis smells very good, a good match with the tartare !
Duck is so-so, too rich with the risotto, but the cod is very well-cooked.
Shoofly cake, which tastes like a carrot cake, do not really like it.
Overall, good food, good atmosphere, good service, good value ! Recommend !
re: skylineR33
re: pearlD
re: pearlD
The meal was terrific, particularly mine which was the Cod, my husband had the Beef topped with foie gras (he raved about it) The person who had invited us had the Chicken and also enjoyed hers very much. I felt letdown in the dessert area..I had the 'sho fly cake' which was boring and we also had the Lemon Tart (which may have been a leftover, the filling quite 'solid' but the taste was fabulous! I would certainly go back without a doubt! One thing I appreciated was that the waiter did not go overboard 'selling' either the Meal or the Wine..My husband is a non drinker, prefers carbonated water to alcohol and my friend and I each had a glass of a very nice summer Rose. The service was excellent and the waiter was well informed about the various menu choices but not 'pushy'. A return visit for certain!
I went once last year, soon after it opened. Thought the decor was fabulous, a lovely, upscale addition to Danforth. The food was good, but I haven't been since. They were doing inventive things like goat cheese foam, but it didn't really work for me. I'll stick to tried and true.


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Show your student you care with a Finals Week Care Package! The Linfield Student Alumni Association [SAA] will be taking online orders from now until Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving). The care packages are $25 and include a variety of snacks, beverages, necessities for studying, and an option for a personalized note from you. Care packages will be available for pick up from the [SAA] on Friday, Dec. 6 (Reading Day). The students will receive a note if a care package has been ordered for them.
The Care Package order form has closed. For more information, email email@example.com.


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In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization with the strong support of a Democratic President and Republican Congress. Before the ink was dry on this free trade agreement, China began flooding U.S. markets with illegally subsidized exports while the big multinational companies that had lobbie...
<p>War is declared on the off world settlement. Everyone from suburban homemakers to super scientists are uniting to deploy an army of the giant killer robot Attackazoids.
The subprime crisis has shaken the world economy to its core. This is the story about how a few leaders of Wall Street...


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1 3 dimethylamylamine, also known as Geranamine , Forthane, or methylhexaneamine is a powerful CNS stimulant, suitable for recreational use as a legal substitute to amphetamine and BZP.
Don't risk buying illegal street drugs any more! Save money, stay legal, and know exactly what you are getting. Get you pure 1 3 dimethylamylamine today. DMAA is a very potent chemical, only a small amount, 25mg, is needed. Each 1g bag is sufficient for 40 doses. Do not exceed 90mg within 24hrs doses above this can cause adverse side effects.
A component of geranium oil, 1,3-dimethylamylamine is a sympathomimetic amine, meaning it mimics norepinephrine, which revs up the metabolic rate of muscle cells, increases fat mobilization and kicks up alertness. DMAA is now the world's best legal alternative to amphetamine. DMAA resembles the body's own chemical messenger, epinephrine.
Some users can take up to 200mg without any bad side effects but some people may feel a bit of nausea after taking more than 90mg DO NOT exceed 90mg in a 24-hour period.
Stimulants can interact with medication. Please do not take this product if you suffer from mental illness, heart conditions and high blood pressure or have any medical condition at all.
DMAA is an extract of geranium. Geranium is approved for use in foods, therefore is classified as a dietary supplement. Just because this product is legal, doesn't mean that you shouldn't use caution, and take in moderation. This is the pure synthetic DMAA over 200 times the strength of oil this is why you only need 25mg.
Pure DMAA powder is suitable for use in capsules or mixed in a drink.


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There's more to the work than Bangle laying out a potential future of transportation via the Teufel character's story. The prologue contains descriptions of six different kinds of vehicles, and Bangle wants readers to draw those concepts and submit them. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to the studios of Chris Bangle Associates (CBA) in Italy or €2,000. Ten other winners will have their designs showcased on the CBA site and published in the second edition of the book.
A cynic might suggest that this is merely a ploy to get readers, but you can read and download the text for free – and Bangle's interest in the future of the automobile is nothing new. The contest is open to "design students of all disciplines" who are not paid professionals.


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Sony's HDCAM SR high definition tape comes in lengths from 6 minutes to 124 minutes. HDCAM SR tape uses a higher particle density tape and is capable of recording in 10 bits 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 RGB. HDCAM SR's 4:4:4 mode is the most advanced metal particle tape in Sony's ½" broadcast family of professional tape products. We offer Sony HDCAM SR videotape and HDCAM tapes in all lengths.
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Copyright ©
Electric Picture Company, Inc.


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"Yo, are you tired of eatin' at the crib? Come on down to… 'Picnic in the House'!"
That's how Charles "Big" Hill (aka 'Big Hill') set the stage for his four fellow Beckley Academy of Careers and Technology students who joined him in bringing down the house — from a culinary management perspective, that is.
Their restaurant concept, a hypoallergenic restaurant alternative to the traditional outdoor picnic, aptly named "Picnic in the House," took top honors for the Management portion of the West Virginia Department of Education's Office of Hospitality Education and Training (WV HEAT) ProStart Hospitality Cup competition, held earlier this month in Morgantown.
Teamwork and a shared sense of direction have positioned the quintet well for nationals, the 12th Annual ProStart Invitational happening April 19-21 in Baltimore. Until the ultimate competition, they'll be working with local professionals to perfect their presentation for capturing their share of thousands of dollars each in culinary school scholarships, adding to the approximately $5,000 apiece earned as a result of their state win.
"I am allergic to everything. To trees, grass, animals. I can't go on picnics," admits Woodrow Wilson High School senior and ACT student Cailee Goddard. From her condition came the concept for Picnic in the House, chosen from among the class entries by ACT culinary program adviser, Lesa Spears, to advance to the state competition.
Goddard is quick to volley back praise, crediting her team with development and the courage it took to present before an esteemed group of judges, among them hospitality king and former director of Food and Beverage at The Greenbrier resort, Chef Rod Stoner.
"We were sitting in chairs before we got up to present. We all held hands and prayed," recounts Goddard.
Spears points out Stoner's comment following judging, which summarized common opinion of their winning restaurant concept: "I want to go there."
If the average brainstorming session equates the need for an umbrella, these students demand an ark. A repurposed Victorian-style house will do. Picnic in the House, by student design, would serve food in picnic baskets from a set menu of modestly priced picnic fare — fried chicken, sub sandwiches, BBQs as entrees, along with the customer's selection of sides, like macaroni salad and baked beans. Food could be enjoyed inside a refurbished home-turned-restaurant (hence, In the House) or grab-and-go style for outdoor picnicking.
Two detailed floors include an event room and game area with corn hole and ladder ball and other activities, paying the greatest attention to hypo-allergenic materials and flourishes with a light footprint, such as bamboo utensils.
"The restaurant is really a way to bring the community together — a place for everyone to enjoy, where they can go and hang out," student Angelina Johannesen explains.
Chef mentor Kris Siuta, who has worked with Spears and with the ACT ProStart students for eight years, is proud of the program, of its history of competitive wins at the WV HEAT competition, but is especially honored by the group's most recent coup.
"We've taken first place in the culinary competition twice, but this is the first time we've won the management portion."
The Beckley ProStart students have received medals in the top three for either competition each year he and Spears have been involved. He estimates the total scholarship money generated for local students through ACT's participation in the competition at over $2.5 million dollars.
"The scholarship potential is huge, including full rides to the top culinary schools in the nation. I can't wait for paybacks one day from one of these guys," he adds, laughing.
The best way to describe the national ProStart Invitational to someone unfamiliar? What you get when you cross the high school equivalent of Bocuse d'Or with the television show, Shark Tank, only the buy-in is in the form of education dollars.
"The judges have to really want it to be a restaurant. The students have to prove they are ready to build this thing tomorrow."
Winning teams at the National ProStart Invitational will walk away with their share of $1.4 million in scholarship dollars.
"It's a very big deal," Siuta states.
Siuta remembers high school as the time he was first inspired to become a chef, a decision reaping continuous and gainful employment since graduation.
"In the '80s, before Food Network, a short man in funny pants came out on the stage at my high school. He asked a question: 'Where in the world does somebody not eat?' I realized if I could cook a piece of chicken in China, even if I didn't speak the language, I'd have a job. That sparked in my mind that in culinary, I'd have a job for the rest of my life, wherever I would go.'"
Presently a Sodexo Certified Executive Chef at Raleigh General Hospital, Siuta says both provide him time and
resources to mentor future foodservice professionals.
Siuta and Spears also
appreciate ACT Principal Charles Pack for his contributions. "He is a huge supporter and is always there for us," says Siuta.
Siuta suggests the Beckley community also get behind the team by helping prepare, if honing a presentation is within their expertise. Local interior designer Margaret Rader has mentored the look of the restaurant within the presentation model.
"We have other pros helping us to tweak it. But we need to take it to the next level. There will be a team there from Nevada (Las Vegas), where they have some of the best chefs in the world helping them. Anyone interested should contact me to see how they can help us."
About ProStart
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's ProStart
culinary and restaurant management program for students enrolls 95,000 high school students across the nation,
providing them with training to be successful in the restaurant and foodservice industry.
For more information on the ACT ProStart Program, visit www.wvact.net
To learn about how to support/help students with your presentation, graphic design or culinary skills, contact ACT at


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Friday night marks the first time Quince Orchard's varsity football team takes the field since an overtime defeat to Old Mill in the 2011 state championship game. Cougars' head coach Dave Mencarini spoke with Patch to preview the season. In Part I of our Q&A (below) Mencarini reflects on last season and looks at the competition in Montgomery County for this season.
In tomorrow's Part II, the QO coach looks at his roster and discusses his team's goals and expectations.
Gaithersburg Patch: You're coming off a great season in 2011, falling just short of the state title. What do you hope your returning players learned from the run last season that they carry over to 2012? What are some things you hope to improve?
Quince Orchard Head Coach Dave Mencarini: I'll start by answering the second part of your question. I think to improve upon, I just think that I heard this quote from a friend of mine who's a college football coach. He said "football is kind of like snowflakes. They come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes they stick on the ground and sometimes they don't." Even though we have a lot of players back from that team, every year is different. Especially in high school football. I think that's more so than any level of football just because you might have X number of starters returning and all those other things.
I think I want this team to realize that every single day in practice they have to earn, there's an opportunity to get better. We are, by no means, a finished product now from last year. Anything anyone is going to write about us at this point in this season has to do with the 2011 season. The 2012 team, there's nothing. I don't say it in a negative way but the kids need to understand that whatever someone says about you in a newspaper in August is irrelevant. It's what they say about you in November and December that really matters.
So we've got this humble, hungry attitude that we try to teach and then my other thing is, you always worry about complacency of a group. [Kids say] 'Well we fell just short of a state title and we have some great players back.' It's kind of a sense of entitlement that you worry about as a coach, our guys thinking that they just show up and have 'Cougars' across their chest and that means anything. I think our kids have a hard time understanding that we get everyone's best shot every Friday night. We play a very, very difficult schedule, so we don't talk about going undefeated, we don't talk about wnning a state championship. Our goal is to be the best we can be each and every Friday night. And I know that sounds like a cliché but it's really something I preach about.
Patch: Your team is a perennial preseason favorite, but it appeared some teams, particularly Churchill, are closing the gap. Who do you see as your biggest competition in the Montgomery region?
Mencarini: That's a tough question. I think that's tough, because if you're playing 4A in Montgomery County and you get a 3A game with Seneca Valley, there is very little margin for error. Closing the gap, here's the problem I think, and I'm not saying your question is a problem, but we've had so much success for such a long period of time that the expectation is basically just to show up and blow everyone's doors off and win by 35 points and dominate every Friday night.
You have to keep in mind these are 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kids. If you can relate, and I can relate, you never know what's going to happen with a 15-, 16-, 17-year-old regardless of talent and ability sometimes. I think, what I appreciate about what has happened in the past and what I hope will happen this year, is some victories are going to be hard earned and some victories aren't and some losses are going to be great learning experiences and some will be more frustrating. It doesn't really matter what the score is because at the end of the night someone has a "W" and someone has an "L" so I don't really care. I really don't. We win the regional championship over Churchill with seven seconds left against a Churchill team was the best team we played all of last year. I can't believe the game was that close, but you don't end up in the playoffs, you don't play in the postseason unless you're good. That's the way I look at it.
I think key to that is perspective as it relates to the competition. When you open up with a Sherwood you can't worry about anyone else. You're talking about two of the, I haven't done the research, but I would think us and Sherwood have won more games than anybody the last eight years. So when that's you're opener, you don't really think about what lies ahead.
Check out the to vote for Quince Orchard's season opener against Sherwood.


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Brian T. Watson
The Salem News
---- — This has been a very tough four years. We've endured the bursting of the housing bubble, the subsequent Wall Street meltdown, a dramatic reduction in consumer spending, severe contractions in industry and employment, and an ongoing foreclosure crisis. Our country is still struggling to right itself.
And, like a perfect storm, at the same time that large pieces of the private sector — housing, corporations, banks, and insurance and mortgage companies — were facing performance crises, the government was caught in an unhealthy, unsustainable financial condition.
Though the crisis in the private sector is not wholly unrelated to the crisis in the public sector — for example, was there too little regulation or too much? — nonetheless, either sector is free to perform honestly and superlatively despite shortcomings in the other.
But although private enterprise is slowly stabilizing, and although most private sector financial indices are moving in the right direction (at least partly in response to helpful government policy), government revenues and expenditures and future commitments are insufficiently coordinated and — taken as a simple math problem — pose an enormous challenge as we take the measure of what will be required, eventually, to bring revenues and expenses into rough balance. And longer-term, to slowly reduce the national debt of $17 trillion.
Those who believe in the American government as a mostly positive force (and I do) and believe in the unique tasks that it can achieve, and the unique, indispensable role it alone plays in our democracy — vouchsafing the values and aspirations of an egalitarian society — have the biggest reason to hope that Washington's politicians can successfully fashion a rational, compassionate, fair, "grand bargain."
It is a mammoth task. A "grand bargain," which you've heard President Obama, Congress and any number of special commissions talk about, would be a 10-, 20- or even 30-year plan that provides support to those who need it, facilitates the things that the private sector does best, funds the obligations and agencies of the government, and makes sense economically; that is, it would create a sustainable financial course with respect to revenue, expenditures, program costs, inflation and myriad global realities.
And if all of that were not daunting enough, at the same time that the grand bargain must satisfy an accountant's audit, it must also select wise policy paths. This is not just an option, or a bonus. It is unavoidable. For woven into every program, every budget line item, every government commitment, every subsidy (or not) to the private sector, every tax code provision, every piece of legislation, and every action by both the public and private sectors are assumptions, values and visions that inform the choices within those categories.
Furthermore, there are contradictory short-term and long-term needs. For example, long-term — meaning 15 to 30 years out — we need to have accomplished changes to Medicare and Social Security that will allow them to service the enormous baby-boom bulge that is now reaching old age. The demographics are formidable: Today, there are 45 million people receiving Social Security. In 2030, there will be 73 million. And today, there are 49 million Medicare users; in 2030, there will be 80 million.
And worse: In 1960, there were 5.1 workers per retiree. In 2030, there will be only 2.2 workers per retiree.
Short-term — meaning right now — the economy could benefit from additional, strategic government spending; more private investment; and more consumer spending and investment generally in initiatives that are needed, productive, sustainable, possess jobs and have a financial multiplier effect. Spending on infrastructure needs, green energy paths and global problem-solving are examples of this. These choices involve setting long-term policy goals and picking winners and losers, but government does that all of the time with every tax provision, subsidy and deduction allowed.
The good news is, there are many possible, smart ways to reduce government spending over the next 30 years. With careful reforms, we could preserve a safety net for the needy, maintain a capable military and preserve the government's formidable capacities, and still get reasonably close to a balanced budget by, say, 2025. We'll also be working down the size of the total national debt.
Another positive thing to remember is that roughly one-third of the annual federal deficit in 2012 was a result of the large unemployment we still have. The combination of laid-off workers paying reduced taxes, but using more safety net programs, hurts the government balance sheet. So getting people back to work will help us immensely.
There is a wealth of reforms and improvements that can be made in the public sector. People like Harvard professor Linda Bilmes and Paul Volcker, chairman of the Fed from 1979 to 1987, have offered many smart, doable ideas. Bilmes' ideas extend to reforming the budgeting process itself.
Two things are absolutely clear though, and nobody will like them. One: Some spending cuts and program reductions are necessary, and some additional revenues (higher taxes) will be required. No solution is feasible without both of those parts.
Two: For a 25- or 30-year grand bargain to occur — one that works financially and programmatically — every member of Congress and the president will have to compromise — and compromise significantly — to reach an agreement on the deal that this country needs.
Brian T. Watson is a Salem News columnist. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.