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Trying to Get Back On Track
Originally posted on Losing A Part of Me.
Originally posted on Losing a part of me:
The last couple of months have been a disaster with regard to the weight loss and all. I am trying to get back on track… and there are days of brief success. However I am trying to integrate little things into my routine that will work for me.
Four days a week I take the GO Train into Toronto to work, which of course means that those same four days I take the train back home to Burlington. Aside from the walk to and from the train station (on the work side… I have to drive to the station in Burlington) is a good walk (and especially invigorating when it is Holy Crap Degrees Below Zero, as it was all last week), but I decided to add a bit to that.
I am not sure why I started… it could have been the bitter cold and trying to keep my…
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Watching TV…
When I moved into my condo in September I made a conscious decision to not subscribe to cable TV. The decision had nothing to do with reducing the number of hours I spend watching TV, it was simply a question of money… I had been unemployed for eight months, and although I was earning a salary again, television was a very low priority for me. Instead I did exactly what I did when I was in Japan… I downloaded the shows I wanted to watch.
On the advice of a friend of mine in Australia, I decided to go out and buy a little computer that runs XBMC; on an impulse I walked into Canada Computers with my son, and we walked out with a XIOS DS Media Play NUC (Next Unit Computer). The price tag was $99.99, but I got an open-box special for about $65. Of course, the open-box special meant that the sale was final.
This is the first Android device that I ever owned. That was five months ago, and I have to admit that it was not a positive experience.
Having watched a few reviews and read a few tutorials on-line, I know that I could extend the functionality of this device; however I spend the vast majority of my life working with computers, and when it comes to watching television I just want it to work. So while I am sure it is a decent solution for some people, I never got to like it. Even so, I spent five months with it… crappy remote, beta software and all. Had I not made a quick stop in at the Microsoft Store in Yorkdale last week, I would still be using it.
That is not entirely true… I posted recently that I was waiting for tech support at the Apple Store in Bellevue, Washington. I decided to check out the Apple TV. It is sleek, exciting, and does just about everything you could ask for… as long as you are an Apple person. Unfortunately the sales guy told me that I could not use it to stream videos from my Windows-based PC. While I am sure there is a way to jailbreak it to change that, I was not interested.
I did not go to the Microsoft Store to buy anything; I had a meeting, and I was waiting for it when I noticed a little device called a Roku Streaming Stick. I asked one of the sales associates and he told me that it did everything I wanted – play music (both from the Internet and from my PC-based collection), watch videos (same), and even a few things I hadn't tried with the Xios, such as Netflix (there is an app on Android, but like I said, I didn't want to spend my time off figuring that all out) and YouTube. There are even some live channels that stream to the device, such as news and sports. Price tag? $49.99. For reasons I won't go into I had a gift card in my wallet for slightly more than that, so I bought it… knowing full well that if I didn't like it i could return it without a hassle the next week.
It took five minutes to realize I was going to like this device better than the Xios.
Let me be clear: it is not that the Xios was a bad device, it is that I did not spend the time learning it… and patching it, and figuring out how to download the apps that i wanted. Because I never did any of that, I did not like the experience of the device… that, and the flimsy remote control was not very comfortable… or functional. For a lot of the things I needed to do (often… such as shutting down XBMC and restarting it because it arbitrarily lost network connectivity to my computer) I needed to use an external mouse, and was relieved that I had an extra one lying around.
I plugged the Roku into the HDMI port of my TV, and then into the USB port for power. Immediately the screen lit up with the purple splash screen. Things were happening.
To this day, if you turn on the Xios it flashes you warnings about it running beta software. The Roku informed me (once I connected it to my wifi network, which was only long because I needed to navigate the on-screen keyboard to enter my password) that it was downloading the latest patches, and would reboot itself once that process was done.
I should mention here that I did shortly thereafter have to check for more updates, which was easy as pie. There was an error installing almost any of the built-in apps, but a quick check on-line reassured me that this was related to my Canadian IP address, and had already been resolved with an extra patch.
The remote control felt a lot less flimsy, and because this is not a computer that is also a media center, I didn't need a keyboard and mouse to get the full experience. That's a good thing too… because there is nowhere to plug them in!
The on-screen experience is a breeze… it is much more user friendly than XBMC, and when you add to that there is nothing else (a truly KISS experience) I was hooked.
Yes, I am using apps… I connected the Netflix app and YouTube apps to my account, and watched a few minutes of Sky News on that channel. From top to bottom it has been a positive and enjoyable experience; the only scare was that when I connected it to my TVersity Server (which runs in my Surface Pro 3, and which shares videos from external hard drives) every video I tried to watch appeared to be lost or corrupted. Then I realized that my Surface was not docked as usual, but was sitting with me on the couch. Of course it couldn't find the files… the external hard drive was disconnected!
The Microsoft Store also sells the next model up – the Ruku 3. I am sure the device is better in all sorts of ways… but from what I can tell, for the things that I want to do, the Roku Streaming Stick does them all, and probably does them as well. So I am not going to be returning it for exchange this week… even though I told the sales associate that if the cheaper one didn't do it for me I would.
The website claims an added benefit – I can take it with me when I travel; the device needs precisely two things to work – an HDMI port and a USB port (or I can plug the micro-USB charger into the wall). However knowing me, I will leave it plugged into the TV at the first hotel I use it at. thanks, I think I'll pass.
Now that I am making a little more money I haven't decided if I will subscribe to a cable package or not… It is not an immediate expense I want to take on, but maybe eventually. The Roku however has made my cutting the cable experience a lot better than it was!
Thank You For Lousy Customer Service!
When I moved into my condo I bought a refurbished Cuisinart coffee machine. You know, the type that brews Keurig coffees. It was my first purchase for the condo, and I was very proud of it. Why? Well for one thing it is a very nice machine, and for another… well, mornings are just better with coffee.
A few weeks later it started leaking. I was busy with other things, but in December I looked into it and sure enough it had a 90 day warranty. I called Conair Cuisinart Canada because by now it was probably Day 89, and they told me to ship it to them and they would honour the warranty, and I would have the machine back within 10 business days.
I shipped it out on January 2nd.
After a month I called and by chance reached the same rep I had originally spoken with, and he told me that they were replacing it, but they had been out of stock of the refurbished machines which explains the delay. 'Don't worry Mr. Garvis, the machines are now in, and we are sending it out to you today. You will have it by Friday.
Friday came and went. So did next Friday.
I called back and was told by another rep that the machine had definitely not been shipped, and that they were out of stock. I asked to speak to the supervisor. I was transferred to a voice mail box, and left a message.
The following day, fully twenty-seven hours after leaving the voice mail, I called back. After nearly an hour on hold I reached a rep and I immediately asked for the supervisor, but not their voice mail. I won't bother to explain the ridiculous conversation that followed, but in the end I was at last speaking with the supervisor… the same man who had told me to ship them the machine and that I would get it back in 10 days; the same supervisor who told me two weeks prior that my machine was being shipped out that day. The same supervisor who, in my eyes, had lied to me, and had no credibility.
'I have great news for you Mr. Garvis! We still don't have the refurbished machines in stock, so a decision has been made to send you a new one. You should be thankful that I was able to arrange this… we don't do this often!'
I should be thankful.
Over the eight weeks that I was without my coffee maker I bought a cup of coffee nearly every day; assuming that I only bought the one cup (probably not true, but let's average it), then at $2.36 per cup per day, I spent $132 on coffee… an operational expense that I originally bought the coffee machine (capital expense) to avoid. And while a simple search of BestBuy.ca (and without doing any comparison shopping whatsoever) shows that the exact model I bought sells for $199.99… but another simple search of eBay shows I can get a new one for $79.00… not to mention that my refurbished one originally cost me $65.
All of this to say that with the $132 I spent at Starbucks since December, I could have bought myself another machine… and had plenty of money left over.
…and yet, I should feel thankful that they sent me the new one (which of course will only come with the warranty for a used model).
Had I had that conversation in December I would have just gritted my teeth and called it what it is… what we get in a day and age where customer service is not considered important, and companies are unwilling to spend the money to go the extra mile to retain their customers. However two incidents in January showed me that there are some companies for whom customer service is extremely important, and customer retention is everything. They both happened on the same day in the same mall, from two very different companies.
Story 1:
When I came back from Japan in January, 2014 I needed a new cell phone, and rather than selling my soul to my cell phone provider, I bought a used iPhone 5 from eBay. I don't remember what I paid, but it was reasonable. From what I could tell the phone was a little over a year old, and worked fine… for now.
Over time though some issues arose, but I would just live with them. The first was that the power button stopped working. This is less of a game-stopper than you might think, because the only time my phone is off is when the battery dies, and when you plug it into a charger it immediately turns on again.
I noticed the battery life diminishing… so I went to speak to a 'Genius' at the Apple Store in Square One mall and he told me that I should be getting at least eight hours out of it… as long as I turned off vibrate mode. As for the power button… well they could take it in and ship it out to be fixed at my expense, but I would be without a phone; I decided to use the phone until it was no longer useable, then get something else.
I woke up Monday morning in Bellevue, Washington the second week of January, and my colleague and I went to the Microsoft Store to look into an issue with my corporate laptop. We had to wait a couple of hours for the appointment, so we were going to find somewhere to sit and talk when my phone died. It was 10:15am, I had charged it overnight, I was not awake two hours, and the battery was dead.
I said 'You know what, we have time to kill… let's go into the Apple Store and see what they tell me.' We did just that, and yes we had to wait in line for a 'drop in' appointment.
The Genius who helped me was a nice enough guy, and after I explained the situation he examined the phone and then he asked me something that surprised me:
"Your phone is registered in Canada with Rogers, so if I replace it for you it will not activate until you get back to Canada and it can connect to a Rogers tower. Would you be okay with that?"
The phone was nearly 18 months out of warranty, purchased from a different company, in a different country. And yet Apple was willing to replace the device for me. I was shocked, and told him yes, I would be okay with that.
He was wrong by the way… the phone activated on my Rogers account as soon as it connected to the AT&T network, and I was not without my phone for any period of time.
They owed me nothing… I have in my lifetime bought a grand total of one thing from an Apple Store, and I sold it on Craig's List three months later. The Apple Store could very easily have said 'Yeah… you're not really our customer, but here are a bunch of devices you could buy from us to replace your device that has clearly been used into an early obsolescence. Instead, he pulled out a refurbished iPhone 5 that was identical to my old one, and gave it to me.
That is Customer Service. THAT is a company that wants to earn or retain my loyalty.
Story 2:
Michael and I left the Apple Store in awe, thrilled by the customer service that I would never get in Canada, and he doubted he would get in Japan. We went back to the Microsoft Store.
My corporate laptop is a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, i7 model. It is certainly a Microsoft product… but it was purchased from another company in Japan, re-imaged, and was not working the way it was supposed to. We were hoping the technicians at the MS Store could tell us what was wrong with it, but we assumed it was going to have to go back to Japan. Michael and I had even discussed how we would do that – he would give me his identical device, take mine back to Tokyo, and have it dealt with. It would not be convenient, but that's the price of doing business sometimes.
The technician spent thirty minutes trying to resolve the issue. I confess, I sometimes find it tedious watching retain technicians work through all of the troubleshooting steps I have already followed, but this time I was glad for it because Michael and I actually had business to discuss. He tried this and that and the other thing, and for love or money he just was not able to resolve the issue.
"Mr. Garvis, we know this device has your corporate image of Windows 8.1 on it, but I would like to replace it for you because I cannot resolve the issue. Is that a problem, or do you need the corporate image? If you do, I can send it in and they can fix it."
Once again… the device was nearly a year old, bought from another company, in another country… and yet the Microsoft Store was willing to replace it for me with a brand new device. Oh, the best part:
"Look, normally we would give you a refurbished machine, but in this case we don't have any refurbs in stock so I'm going to give you a new one."
In the event that the corporate image had been important, Michael had the ability to image it in his hotel room… but it wasn't – I was able to install all of the necessary software on the Microsoft image… and it works great.
That is Customer Service. THAT is a company that wants to earn or retain my loyalty.
I do not know if the customer service issue is a Canadian thing, or if it is just that I was dealing with a bad company or a bad department or a bad rep. Whatever it is, Here is a lesson for Cuisinart Canada. The next time I buy a smartphone it will probably be an iPhone; the next tablet I buy will absolutely be running Windows, and there is a very good chance that I will buy it from Microsoft. And the next time I buy a kitchen appliance it will not be a Cuisinart.
But how can I say that? After all, they did send me a brand new coffee maker, even though I had sent them a refurbished one.
It's not that the device was defective. Welcome to Earth, sometimes consumer products don't work and have to be fixed or replaced. Hell, look at my Surface Pros and my iPhone. The reason is not only that I was lied to repeatedly (but I was); it's not that Cuisinart makes bad products (they don't); it's not even that I had to sit on hold for nearly an hour each of the five times I called regarding this issue (I did).
It's simple… After all that, Cuisinart wanted me to be grateful for what they were doing for me. They felt they were doing me a favour, and I should be singing their praises. That is not what customer service is supposed to feel like. I shouldn't have to genuflect because you helped me – you are customer service and that is what you are supposed to do.
Microsoft and Apple both demonstrated to me that they wanted me as a customer, and even though they are two of the biggest companies in the world, they need me as a customer. Cuisinart thinks I need them more than they need me… and in this case, to fix or replace my coffee maker they were right. However in the grand scheme of things, I do not have any need to be a Cuisinart customer. I have two of their appliances, and I think that is just enough.
Free E-Books… Way beyond PDF Files!
Back in 2013 I published an article about free e-books from Microsoft Press, and I got some great response to it. Why? My readers love books, and everyone loves getting something for nothing. That is just simple math.
I was having a conversation with my team last week, and they told me they did not have the budget to purchase the reference materials they needed to properly learn the servers they were deploying. That reminded me of the free books, and I decided to go on-line and see what was currently available.
There are a few categories that I will call out because they are the areas of focus that I touch on (namely infrastructure), but I can assure you the list for developers and end-users it there too.
Now here's the best part: If you have an e-book reader such as a Kobo (or any of the others) then there is a very good change you can download these books for that platform directly from your merchant's on-line store. For example, a quick check of www.kobo.com finds Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2 available as a free e-book.
This will not be comprehensive, but fortunately for us Kobo owners you can also download the e-books and side-load books to your device. (Full disclosure: I am on contract to Kobo, so yes I favour them over the competition)
So without any more fanfare, here is a list of titles currently available:
- A Guide to Claims-Based Identity and Access Control, Second Edition
- Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2
- Introducing Windows Server 2012
- Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2
- Migrate Roles and Features to Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012
- Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions: From the Desktop to the Datacenter, Second Edition
- TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows
- Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 TechNet Library Documentation
- Cmdlet Reference for App Controller in System Center 2012 SP1
- Introducing Microsoft System Center 2012 R2
- Microsoft System Center: Building a Virtualized Network Solution
- Microsoft System Center: Cloud Management with App Controller
- Microsoft System Center: Configuration Manager Field Experience
- Microsoft System Center: Designing Orchestrator Runbooks
- Microsoft System Center: Network Virtualization and Cloud Computing
- Microsoft System Center: Optimizing Service Manager
- Microsoft System Center: Troubleshooting Configuration Manager
- Technical Documentation for System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager
- Administrator's Guide for Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0
- Administrator's Guide for Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring 1.0
- Administrator's Guide for Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 7
- Administrator's Guide for Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 8.0
- Administrator's Guide for Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) 1.0
- Deploying Windows 7: Essential Guidance
- Developing an end-to-end Windows Store app using C++ and XAML: Hilo
- Developing an end-to-end Windows Store app using JavaScript: Hilo
- Introducing Windows 8.1 for IT Professionals
- Prism for the Windows Runtime: Developing a Windows Store business app using C#, XAML, and Prism Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Programming Windows Store Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Second Edition (Second Preview)
- Autoscaling Application Block and Transient Fault Handling Application Block Reference
- Building Elastic and Resilient Cloud Applications – Developer's Guide to the Enterprise Library 5.0 Integration Pack for Windows Azure
- Building Real World Cloud Apps With Windows Azure
- Building Hybrid Applications in the Cloud on Windows Azure
- Cloud Design Patterns: Prescriptive Architecture Guidance for Cloud Applications
- Create Your First Application – Node.js and Windows Azure
- Developing Multi-tenant Applications for the Cloud on Windows Azure (3rd Edition)
- Deploy SQL Server Business Intelligence in Windows Azure Virtual Machines
- Drupal on Windows Azure
- Introducing Windows Azure for IT Professionals
- Exploring CQRS and Event Sourcing: A journey into high scalability, availability, and maintainability with Windows Azure
- Migrating Data-Centric Applications to Windows Azure
- Moving Applications to the Cloud, 2nd Edition
- Moving Applications to the Cloud on Windows Azure (3rd Edition)
- Rethinking Enterprise Storage: A Hybrid Cloud Model
- Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable your iOS Apps
- Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable Your Windows Phone 8 Apps
- Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable your Windows Store Apps in C#
- Windows Azure and SQL Database Tutorials
- Windows Azure Prescriptive Guidance
- Windows Azure Service Bus Reference
- Deployment Guide for Office 2013
- First Look: Microsoft Office 2010
- Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime
- Microsoft Office 365 for professionals and small businesses: Help and How To
- Security and Privacy for Microsoft Office 2010 Users
- 5 Tips for a Smooth SSIS Upgrade to SQL Server 2012
- A Hitchiker's Guide to Microsoft StreamInsight Queries
- Books Online: Backup and Restore of SQL Server Databases
- Books Online: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) Reference
- Books Online: Data Mining Extensions (DMX) Reference
- Books Online: Data Quality Services
- Books Online: High Availability Solutions
- Books Online: Master Data Services
- Books Online: Monitor and Tune for Performance
- Books Online: Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Reference
- Books Online: SQL Server Distributed Replay
- Books Online: Transact-SQL Data Definition Language (DDL) Reference
- Books Online: Transact-SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) Reference
- Books Online: XQuery Language Reference
- Data Access for Highly-Scalable Solutions: Using SQL, NoSQL, and Polyglot Persistence Extracting and Loading SharePoint Data in SQL Server Integration Services
- Integration Services: Extending Packages with Scripting
- Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
- Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012
- Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2014
- Master Data Services Capacity Guidelines
- Master Data Services (MDS) Operations Guide
- Microsoft SQL Server AlwaysOn Solutions Guide for High Availability and Disaster Recovery
- Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services Multidimensional Performance and Operations Guide Multidimensional Model Programming
- Optimized Bulk Loading of Data into Oracle
- Planning Disaster Recovery for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services in SharePoint Integrated Mode
- QuickStart: Learn DAX Basics in 30 Minutes
- SQLCAT's Guide to BI and Analytics
- SQLCAT's Guide to High Availability Disaster Recovery
- SQLCAT's Guide to Relational Engine
- SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services – Data Mining
- SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services – Multidimensional Modeling
- SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services – Tabular Modeling
- SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Reporting Services
- SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Writing Transact-SQL Statements
- SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Technical Guide
- SQL Server Community FAQs Manual
- Transact SQL by TechNet WiKi Community
- Troubleshooting SQL Server AlwaysOn
Now go forth and learn, study, and implement!
Time for a change…
It's not what you're thinking… I am still doing what I did professionally, although I did have a bit of a hiccup in my schedule today.
I live in a condo building in Burlington. I have been here since September, and while I try to be friendly, it doesn't seem that many of the neighbours know each other. I know the people who live right next door to me – they have a puppy named Steeler who is absolutely adorable, and does not seem to bark. I don't think that I actually know anyone else. In fact now that I think of it, I know the dog's name, but not them or their children.
I know the cars that park next to me in the lot; to my left is a young lady in a Toyota Echo, and to my right is a Lincoln Navigator… or at least I think that's what it is. I think he has a Mustang that he drives in the summer. I had seen the owners of the cars a couple of times in passing, but not often.
One afternoon this week I was about to go to Taekwondo. It was not my night to work or for class, but I was going to go see my son; Gilad goes Tuesdays and Thursdays, and so I go for his class even though I am off duty. However when I got to the car I checked my cell phone, and there was a message from Theresa that Gilad did not want to go this evening – he was dealing with a stomach bug, and we both understood.
As I was about to get out of the car, my neighbour (the young lady in the Toyota) pulled into her spot… and her car was hissing at me. As I didn't think I had done anything to upset it, I asked (the driver) if everything was okay. She said she had just run over something and she thought she might have blown a tire. As we watched the tire go flat, I could see her spirits go down with it. "Well, I guess I have to call CAA and they will change the tire for me."
I thought about it for a second and offered to do it for her. "No, that's why I have CAA! I don't change tires… I wouldn't even know how to start."
"Look," I said. "If you call CAA, they will come in the next hour (or two), they will put your car up on the jack, take the tire off, put your 'doughnut' on, take it down, and tell you to go to the tire shop to get a new tire. By that time, the stores will be closed, and you will have to do it tomorrow morning. If I do it for you, it will be done in ten minutes, you can go to the store, and you don't have to take half a day off of work."
She asked if I was sure, and was very appreciative. Seven minutes or so later the spare was on tight, the flat was in the trunk, and she was asking if she could bring me a cup of coffee or something.
I didn't want anything in return… although I suppose if she had invited me out for coffee I would accept because she is cute. I was just glad to be able to do a good deed, and told her that the next time she has the opportunity to offer to help someone, she should do it.
Of course, I won't be able to wear these pants again until they get washed, and my gloves are a bit dirty… but I put a smile on the face of a woman in need, and that's not all bad.
Happy Friday!
Apple Dongles… Dangling functionality in front of you!
"Just remember Mitch… you are coming into an environment where people love their Macs and their Linux. As long as you don't come in and try to convert them, you will do well here."
Yes, when I had my initial conversation with the leadership at Kobo I was told something very much like that. Obviously with my history as a Microsoft Evangelist that could be a concern, and I was glad to reassure him that I was not coming in to change anyone… at least, not on the desktop side.
Funny enough, the only reason I was excited that head office had assigned me a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 was because I would be able to carry it in my messenger bag, and would not need to start carrying a larger bag. Yay.
On my first day in the office we realized I was missing a couple of things, all of which might be easily resolved. For one, I needed a USB Ethernet dongle to connect to the corporate network. The only problem: they were out of Windows-compatible dongles… all they had left were a few white ones with Apple logos on it. We tried it out, and sure enough… nothing. Windows did not even detect it.
There was a time when that would have been the end of it; however as hardware becomes more and more compatible between the two platforms, I decided to see if there was a solution to be found.
It didn't take long to realize I was not the first person to encounter this issue, and there was a known solution: Boot Camp.
Five years ago I bought a MacBook Pro, and I wrote a series of articles on installing Windows 7 on the device. The best solution at the time was a piece of software called Boot Camp, which allowed you to create a dual-boot partition, and then install Windows.
The relevant part of the discussion is that the Boot Camp Support Software (a free download at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1638) includes all of the drivers necessary to run Apple hardware from within Windows (because it is obviously not included in the default Windows 8 installation).
It was different five years ago, but with today's smaller computers (including the MacBook Air) dongles are a big part of day to day functionality. While the Boot Camp support software assumes you will be running Windows on Mac hardware, all it really knows is that you are running Windows and need a driver for the dongles.
So we downloaded the support files (currently version 5.0.5033), and then followed the following steps:
- We extracted the Boot Camp package on the Surface Pro 3;
- We navigated to the directory <root>\BootCamp5.0.5033\BootCamp\Drivers\Asix
- We executed the package AsixSetup64.exe.
It took less than a minute, and it worked!
When I first got my Surface Pro 3 (mine, not the corporate device) I was told that I needed to buy all of the Surface branded dongles. Before I spent the money I tried out a few of my own dongles (some Lenovo branded, others generic) and was delighted to see that they worked. It was not a stretch to assume that the Apple dongle would work too, but since Apple very often uses their own proprietary hardware, it stands to reason that you would have to download a driver. I am glad that the two platforms work, and I can use the dongle as hoped… and who cares if it is white?
Whisky is Wonderful, but…
If you know me, you probably know that I am a whisky drinker. Had you asked me eighteen months ago I would have said I am a scotch drinker, but that changed when Michael Kulwicki joined the Rakuten End User Technology team in October of 2013.
Michael is Scottish, but is living in Tokyo with his wife Noriko. He joined the EUT team and we worked very closely together for the next three months. During that time we became friends. Although it is easy to think that we were the only two Anglo-Saxons working at a Japanese company and so we naturally hung out together, that would be a wrong assumption. We had a lot of common interests, ranging from IT to James Bond and other literature to – you guessed it – scotch.
Being married to a Japanese woman, and having lived previously in Japan teaching snowboarding, Michael has several distinct advantages over me, not the least of which is that he speaks Japanese, as well as reading it. He reads and writes it, and when we were out and about he was an excellent companion for many reasons, one of which was his ability to translate the world in a country that is quite unilingual.
Knowing that I enjoyed scotch, he started talking to me about Japanese whisky, from the history and how a gentleman names Masataka Taketsuru (and his Scottish wife) brought the whisky-making process to Japan, to different distilleries and expressions available to us today. We made sure to look for decent bottles whenever we were out and about, and we found quite a few.
The best of the expressions that I would eventually discover though was not with Michael, rather at one of the myriad Duty Free Stores at Narita International Airport. These stores will allow you to sample several of the whiskies that you are considering, which is, for someone like myself, a very smart way to get my business. You see, I am always loathe to buy a bottle for ¥8,000 (at the time around $75) blind for a bottle that I might love… or not. And so it was on my way home to Canada that I first experienced the YOICHI 15 year old expression from Nikka Whisky. It is, in my opinion, the best whisky that I have had for less than $100 for a litre.
I was excited last April when another colleague – Ross Cavanaugh – was coming to Toronto from Japan. I was going to pick him up from the airport and bring him to the Kobo offices in Toronto… and while I would have done so anyways, I was especially eager because he was bringing me a bottle of my favourite expression. Of course, he was not flying straight from Tokyo – he flew to New York and then to Boston, and only then did he come to Toronto. As you can see in the photo above, the bottle did NOT get here safely. I hope the TSA Agent at Boston Logan enjoyed it as much as I would have
In January I started a new contract back with Rakuten, which was very exciting for several reasons – not the least of which that I would once again be working with Michael. The first day of the contract found the both of us landing in Seattle for a week of meetings at Microsoft. Not one to miss out on an opportunity, I asked him to bring me a bottle, and of course he did. However the bottle (pictured above) is not what touched me, not what I will treasure forever.
Michael and Norkio frequent a bar in Tokyo where the bar allows you to buy a bottle of your favourite spirit, and they will keep it for you. They would put a name tag or label on the bottle I suppose, and when you came in they would pour it for you. I don't know all of the specifics, but it sounds simply marvellous to someone like me who does not usually go in for the whiskies that most bars keep on hand. I promise you the next time I am in Tokyo I am going to try to go to this bar though to experience it for myself.
At some point, it would seem, the bar owner decided to make special name plates for his patrons. He cut a piece of wood, painted (caligraphied) the patron's name on it, then ''chopped" it – signed it with his personal stamp. Noriko and Michael asked if he would make one with my name on it, and he did. When I opened the box that contained the whisky, the name plate was around the neck of the bottle.
I was thrilled to get the bottle, don't get me wrong. While I do not drink a lot or often, I am very happy to have the bottle back in my bar. However bottles come and bottles go… this name plate means so much more to me than that, and it will be with me for a very long time to come.
Now, for those of you wondering "What if it doesn't really say Mitch?" I have a simple way of being sure. When I was in Japan I asked someone to type my name in Japanese so that I could add it to my e-mail signature. Even for the year I was not working with Rakuten, I maintained it… I thought it was a nice touch I suppose. So when I was back in my hotel room I went to my Outlook and I checked. Sure enough: ミッチ. The characters matched up perfectly!
(Does it strike anyone else as odd that the middle character of my name looks like a happy face emoticon? ッ
Of course, even if they didn't, I would keep it… I just not plan to display it prominently on my 'bottle of honour' for the rest of my life!
Thanks Michael, and thanks Noriko. This means so much more to me than the bottle or anything else I got in Japan. It is personal, it is meaningful, and there is a story behind it that I will never forget.
Of course, Michael did not only bring the single bottle to Seattle; he brought one for his own enjoyment as well: A Taketsuru Pure Malt 21 Years Old. Although it is a pure malt (malt whisky from several distilleries vatted together) it was still excellent, and when I am next in Japan I am not sure that I won't bring one of these back. I'm not sure yet, because there are a few others I want to try… probably the Yamazaki or Hakushu Distiller's Reserve or the Single Malt Miyagikyo 15 Years Old. We'll see, I have a few months before that trip so I have time to decide.
And with that, my friends, I think I am going to pour myself a drink! Enjoy your week.


text:
2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500 Repair and Maintenance
A guide to problems, costs, maintenance and repair for your 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500
- Brake Pad and Rotor Replacement $521 - 903
- AC Compressor Replacement $1,007 - 1,487
- Water Pump Replacement $646 - 1,075
- Drive Belt(s) Replacement $126 - 267
- AC Condenser Replacement $497 - 641
- South Side Auto Service Inc. (718) 305-4810 | 7.91mi
- Ray & Dana's Inman Auto Care (732) 703-7919 | 3.46mi
- Zaloom's Auto Repair (646) 663-5728 | 8.95mi
- Route 1 Sunoco (732) 253-4623 | 8.11mi
- Carracino's Auto & Truck (908) 364-5589 | 8.49mi
2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500 Problems
The engine may develop a stalling and/or no start condition due to a failed crankshaft position sensor.
Electrical switches in the door latches can fail, causing the door locks to rapidly actuate up and down multiple times when the locks are activated by either the keyless remote or door lock switch. A new door latch will need to be installed.
The power steering return hose may leak at the radiator cooler fitting. If the clamp is not properly tightened, the hose can blow off, causing increased steering effort and a mess under the hood.
2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500 Questions
the rear left..driver side turn signal will not work...what can the problem possibly be?
leaking power steering rack, technician ask to change the rack & pinion. what is the cost on that.
Why when I put the car on Drive, it stays not only in Neutraul for about 10 seconds then switch to drive. what is the cause?
2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500 Reviews
Hello, my engine light want go off , I had the brakes changed, which the computer said the light was on. but the light stayed on still. Could you please help me? hank-You so much. Debbie Jenkins 423-355-4790
Do not buy this car. Research ML500 and problems on google. You will be glad you did.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Orange Suit | Narenji Poush
Sunday Sep 07 04:00 PM
Wednesday Sep 10 07:30 PM
Friday Sep 12 01:00 PM
Doris Duke Theatre
Museum members: $8.00
General Admission: $10.00
About the Film:
Persian Screen Film Festival Presented by:
Directed by Dariush Mehrjui. Iran. 2012. 107 mins. Persian with English subtitles.
Iranian New Wave icon Darius Mehjui's quirky black comedy is about Hamed (Hamed Behdad), a photojournalist who becomes obsessed with cleaning up the streets of Tehran after reading a book on feng shui. Realizing that his photo essays are not having the desired impact, Hamed gives up photography to become a street sweeper, donning the titular garb of public-works officials. When his wife, a brilliant mathematician (played by Leila Hatami, who worked with Mehjui on 1998's Leila), returns from her studies abroad, Hamed faces tough decisions about his family and his newfound cause. Mehjui's perceptive comedy was a huge box office hit in Iran and won the award for Best Director at Fajr International Film Festival.
- Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
- A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
- Ballet on Screen: Don Quixot…
- Stage on Screen: Great Expec…
- Opera on Screen: Arabella • …
- Namets! • Yummy!
- Family Film Sunday: Azur & Asmar
- Third is My First • 1st Ko si 3rd
- Manny
- Mariquina
- K'na The Dreamweaver
- That Thing Called Tadhana


text:
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Michael and his girlfriend were nice and gentle...the communication was smooth at all times with them. They left the apartment in optimal conditions and were respectful of the rules.
We got on very well with Mike and his wife ....we were on holiday and had time . It was great to help Catlyn become a passionate cross-country skier!
Michael and his girlfriend was really lovely ! It's was so nice to have them at home ! A little sad to let them go but I will be happy to have them again at home ! :) I hope everything will be fine for them !
very very very nice persons ,,, clean and very friendly ,, thanks guys for stay in home ,,, hope to see you again in Bcn !!!!


text:
Giant Asteroids Battered Early Earth
An artistic conception of the early Earth, showing a surface pummeled by large impacts, resulting in extrusion of deep seated magma onto the surface. At the same time, distal portions of the surface could have retained liquid water. Credit: Simone Marchi/SwRI.
New research shows that more than four billion years ago the surface of Earth was heavily reprocessed – or melted, mixed, and buried – as a result of giant asteroid impacts. A new terrestrial bombardment model, calibrated using existing lunar and terrestrial data, sheds light on the role asteroid collisions played in the evolution of the uppermost layers of the ...August 6, 2014 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice
Mars 2020: SHERLOC Instrument
Illustration of the mechanism and conceptual research targets for SHERLOC. SHERLOC will provide fine-scale imaging and use an ultraviolet laser to determine fine-scale mineralogy and detect organic compounds. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Last week, NASA announced seven instruments that will make up the payload of the Mars 2020 rover. Among those instruments is SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals).
SHERLOC will provide fine-scale imaging, and will also use an ultraviolet laser to study mineralogy and search for organic compounds. SHERLOC will be used to detect molecules that contain rings of carbon atoms. Such molecules may ...August 4, 2014 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal
Mars 2020 Rover Payload Announced
An artist concept image of where seven carefully-selected instruments will be located on NASA's Mars 2020 rover. The instruments will conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet as never before. Image Credit: NASA
NASA has announced seven carefully-selected instruments that will make up the payload of the next rover being sent to Mars. The Mars 2020 rover is based on the successful design of Curiosity, which is currently exploring the martian surface. The new rover's payload consists of upgraded hardware and new instruments that will study geology and the potential habitability of the martian ...August 1, 2014 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal
Enceladus in 101 Geysers
This view looks across the geyser basin of Saturn's moon Enceladus, along fractures spewing water vapor and ice particles into space. Cassini scientists have pinpointed the source locations of about 100 geysers and gained new insights into what powers them. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI
Source: [astrobio.net]
Two papers published in the Astronomical Journal represent the first comprehensive study of the connections between geysers, tidal stresses, and thermal emissions at the south pole of Enceladus.
In the first study, researchers used 6.5 years of data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft to identify 101 geysers erupting from the ...July 30, 2014 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal
Hubble Finds Three Surprisingly Dry Exoplanets
This is an artistic illustration of the gas giant planet HD 209458b (unofficially named Osiris) located 150 light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. This is a "hot Jupiter" class planet.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have gone looking for water vapor in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun — and have come up nearly dry.
The three planets, HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b, are between 60 and 900 light-years away. These giant gaseous worlds are so hot, with temperatures between 1,500 and 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, that they are ideal candidates for ...July 25, 2014 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice
Biomarkers of the Deep
Due to its high iron content, the acidic Río Tinto river flows like red wine through a multicolored and rocky landscape. The Río Tinto has an average pH of 2.3, which is acidic enough to eat metal. Image credit: Leslie Mullen
Source: [astrobio.net]
Astrobiologists have outlined how geochemistry and metabolism are connected in subsurface microbial ecosystems beneath Spain's Rio Tinto region. The Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in the Río Tinto area is the largest known deposit of sulfide on Earth, and for decades it has been a field-site for scientists studying chemolithotrophic microbes.
In the early 2000 ...July 24, 2014 / Written by: Aaron Gronstal
Tuscon Astrobiology Conference: Recorded Sessions Available
Motivated by the rapidly increasing number of known Earth-sized planets, the increasing range of extreme conditions in which life on Earth can persist, and the progress toward a technology that will ultimately enable the search for life on exoplanets, the Vatican Observatory and the Steward Observatory conducted a major conference entitled The Search for Life Beyond the Solar System: Exoplanets, Biosignatures & Instruments in March, 2014.
All the sessions were recorded and are archived here.
The conference brought together the interdisciplinary community required to address this multi-faceted challenge: experts on exoplanet observations, early and extreme life on Earth, atmospheric biosignatures, and ...July 18, 2014 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice
When Life Went Global
Just like Earth, Venus and Mars may once have been watery worlds. Image Credit: ESA
Source: [astrobio.net]
"An origin of life is not the same as an origin of a biosphere—that's an important distinction," says David Grinspoon, planetary scientist, curator of astrobiology for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and the first Baruch S. Blumberg NASA-Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology.
To illustrate the concept Grinspoon offers a simple analogy. Say you're starting a camp fire. It's easy to get it to spark up, but you have to tend it first or it may just ...
James Webb and the Search for Life Beyond Earth
A sunflower-shaped 'starshade' launched to space with a simple telescope could help scientists on the ground hunt for another Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech
Source: [astrobio.net]
Before the invention of the telescope, before every continent was on a map, even before the revelation that Earth was not the center of the Universe, humans have wondered at the possibility of life beyond our planet. Now, scientists know there are 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone (one of 10 billion galaxies in the mere observable Universe), and 10-20 percent of these stars could have earth-size planets within the habitable zone ...
Data Management in Astrobiology
Data management and sharing are growing concerns for scientists and funding organizations throughout the world. Funding organizations are implementing requirements for data management plans, while scientists are establishing new infrastructures for data sharing. One of the difficulties is sharing data among a diverse set of research disciplines. Astrobiology is a unique community of researchers, containing over 110 different disciplines.
In this new study, the results of a survey of data management practices among scientists involved in the astrobiology community and the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) in particular are presented. The results of the survey show that the astrobiology community shares ...July 14, 2014 / Written by: Daniella Scalice
Astrobiologists Set UV Radiation Record
The Licancabur volcano (5,917 m elevation – 19,800 ft) from Bolivia. Photo Credit: The High Lakes Project: The SETI Institute Carl Sagan Center/NASA Ames/ NAI
Source: [astrobio.net]
Astrobiologists from the United States and Germany have recorded the highest level of UV radiation from the Sun yet known at the Earth's surface.
You might expect the highest radiation levels of this type on Earth to be somewhere in Antarctica – underneath the hole in Earth's ozone layer. This layer of Earth's stratosphere contains higher concentrations of ozone gas (O3) than the rest of the atmosphere, and ...July 11, 2014 / Written by: Aaron Gronstal
Leading Space Experts to Discuss the Search for Life Beyond Earth
NASA Television will air a panel discussion of leading science and engineering experts on Monday, July 14, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT, who will describe the scientific and technological roadmap that will lead to the discovery of potentially habitable worlds among the stars.
The public is invited to attend or view the event, which will take place in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street SW in Washington.
Space and ground observatories are cataloging and characterizing hundreds and what is expected to eventually be thousands of potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy. NASA space-based observatories ...July 10, 2014 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal
Finding Alien Life: On Earth, on Mars, and Throughout the Cosmos
How do we define "life?" This fundamental question has remained largely philosophical, because it has been asked for so long, by so many, and with so few concrete conclusions.
In this seminar, produced by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, Dr. Steven Benner takes a different tack. He shows how laboratory studies can create a second example of life, helping us develop a firmer scientific understanding of what life is. The challenge of "synthetic biology" is on!
Dr. Benner discusses how we are hitchhiking on rockets, rovers, and telescopes to find life elsewhere in the Solar System, and describes how his research ...July 9, 2014 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice
Nigel Goldenfeld: We Need a Theory of Life
In this fascinating interview, the Huffington Post's Suzan Mazur talks with NAI Principal Investigator Nigel Goldenfeld, of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. They discuss the emergence of a new theory of life, the nature of the evolutionary process, the origin of life, and more.
"Our collaborative position was that the Modern Synthesis is simply not enough," said Goldenfeld, "population genetics is not a full account of the evolution process because it manifestly does not describe evolution before genes, it does not describe evolution before there were species and the lineages. The Modern Synthesis wasn't designed to do so ...
Not a Planet After All
View of the possible inner planets of the Gliese 581 system along with their star, a red dwarf. Credit: Lynette Cook
What astronomers thought were a pair of potentially life-friendly alien worlds are illusions, apparitions conjured up by a star's intense magnetic activity, a new NAI-funded study suggests.
These new findings could one day not only help astronomers dispel more such illusory exoplanets, but discover worlds that would otherwise remain hidden, scientists added. A new video about the possible cosmic illusions also details the finding.
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 1,700 planets beyond the solar ...
- March 30 - Abstract Submission Deadline for Geobiology in Space Exploration (GESE) Workshop on Extraterrestrial Subsurface Exploration
- March 31 - Application Deadline for 2014 Nininger Meteorite Award
- March 31 - Abstract Deadline for 2nd Planetary Data Workshop
- March 31 - Application Deadline for 2015 Santander Summer School - The Origin of Life: From Monomers to Cells
- March 31 - NASA Office of Education Scholarship and Research Opportunities
- March 31 - Abstract Submission Deadline for The Origin of Life - Second Conference on History and Philosophy of Astrobiology
- April 1 - Application Review Begins for Postdoctoral Teaching Associate in Mineralogy - University of Tennesee
- April 1 - Grant Applications for Young Participants (PhD. and Postdocs) Due for IAU XXIX General Assembly
- April 1 - Application Deadline for the Spring 2015 Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund Travel Grants
- April 1 - Abstract Submission Deadline for iCubeSat 2015 - 4th Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop
- April 1 - Application Deadline for the NASA Astrobiology Program Student Early Career Collaboration Awards
- April 2 - Abstract Submission Deadline for Goldschmidt 2015
- April 3 - Abstract Submission Deadline for 12th International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW-12)
- April 7 - Workshop on Venus Science Priorities for Laboratory Measurements and Instrument Definition
- April 9 - Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) MEETING #12
- April 13 - Abstract Submission Deadline for NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) 2nd Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF)
- April 24 - Abstract Submission Deadline for 2nd International Congress on Stratigraphy (STRATI 2015)
- April 29 - Abstract Submission Deadline for European Planetary Science Congress 2015
- April 30 - Abstract Submission Deadline for 3rd International Workshop on Microbial Life Under Extreme Energy Limitation
- April 30 - Abstract Submission Deadline for Comparative Climates of Terrestrial Planets II: Understanding How Climate Systems Work (CCTP2)
- May 3 - Joint Assembly AGU, GAC, MAC, CGU
- May 4 - Comparative Tectonics and Geodynamics of Venus, Earth, and Rocky Exoplanets
- May 13 - Abstract Submission Deadline for 78th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society


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Expected in May 2015 ready to go in July 2015 Beautiful all white Bichon Frise. Home born and raised. Happy and Healthy, shots and worming done. Hypo-allergenic non shed. Comes with collar,leash,toys,food,registration papers, health record, blankle and more.
Call for an ...
Mar 31 -
Baltimore :
Baltimore - Dogs & puppies
My name is Donna, I've been breeding Bichon Frise pups for almost 10 years. My puppies are born and raised on the premises and are healthy. They love to rump around and are easily trained. They are also hypoallergenic. If you are interested, feel free to contact me at:410 ...
Mar 28 -
Baltimore :
Edgewood - Dogs & puppies
Looking to purchase (for a reasonable price) a Peekapoo. I am also interested in Bichon Frise (incl. mixes), Shih Tzus (incl. mixes), and Yorkie mixes.
Must be good with children, as I have a young daughter.
Please contact me if you have any of these breeds for sale. ...
Mar 24 -
Frederick :
Hagerstown - Dogs & puppies
I have two teddy bear puppies born on February 8 2015. Both puppies are female. Mother is a shih-tzu father is a Bichon frise. Asking $800.00 txt 4016173074. Only txt please
Mar 24 -
Rhode Island :
Pawtucket - Dogs & puppies
Beautiful guardians of angels born 2/14/15 around 8:15 both parents 100%Bichon Frise for more info please call 876-six eight seven nine.
Mar 15 -
Central New York :
Galeville - Dogs & puppies
Adorable male Bichon frise puppies call for more info 315) 876-six eight seven 9
Mar 12 -
Central New York :
Liverpool - Dogs & puppies
New litters have both males and females born September 30, 2014, and October 4. . AKC parents, Males $875., Females $925, If you would like to be placed on a wait list, please
make contact. Those that tender deposits are on
the priority wait list, others are on the regular ...
Mar 7 -
Boston :
Revere - Dogs & puppies
These adorable puppies will be available Sunday afternoon. Mom is a Bichon Frise and dad is a Cocker Spaniel. Brown pup is a male, and two others are females. Will have vet records indicating vet wellness exam and first round of shots. Born January 10, 2015. Located ...
Mar 6 -
Hagerstown-Martinsburg :
Cross Junction - Dogs & puppies
Meet Jenny, our adorable purebred Bichon Frise. Jenny comes from a loving home, has been raised indoors, & has been snuggled since birth. She comes with her shots, wormed,and has a excellent record of health from our local vet. She is available now! We would be happy to have ...
Feb 25 -
Dutch Country PA :
Narvon - Dogs & puppies
Hi my name is Jessie and I am looking for someone great to adopt who love dogs just as much as me!!! I've had my girl bichon dog for about 5 years, she's great from me working so much I took in a male of the same breed to keep her company.... As much of a dog lover I am ...
Feb 23 -
Philadelphia :
Philadelphia - Dogs & puppies
Bichons Frise Puppies 1 girls left This breed is extremely lovable and will warm your heart. They are great with children and other animals. They are hypoallergenic so people with allergies won't be affected. Also they do not shed and are very smart. They are registered A.C ...
Feb 18 -
Baltimore :
Westminster - Dogs & puppies
Does Fido need a home to stay while your on vacation and away? ! If your dog can not come with you then board him with us! Your dog is guaranteed to be in loving hands! Located in Lodi, NJ we are a cage-free boarding facility. When boarded with us your dog(s) have absolute ...
Feb 16 -
Northern NJ :
Lodi - Animal services
Selling a 3 month old male purebred Bichon Frise puppy. He is a non-shedding, adorable, fluffy, sweet, and playful puppy that needs a warm and loving home.
He will come with a plan for free examinations and health plan for five years from Howard Beach Animal Clinic. He ...
Feb 7 -
New York City :
Fresh Meadows - Dogs & puppies
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Stanwell Park
Beaches in Stanwell Park
Stanwell Park is a small coastal town with a glorious surf beach. It's set dramatically against the steep, forested escarpment cliffs.
Must Do
About Stanwell Park
Stanwell Park is the first of several pretty coastal towns south of the Royal National Park, on Lawrence Hargrave Drive. It's a popular beach for surfing and picnics and an easy day trip from Sydney.
The hills that rise sharply from the coast to the escarpment and the strong air currents make Stanwell Tops a prime spot for hang gliding. Local adventure tour operators can take you along for the ride of a lifetime on a tandem flight; alternatively sit back and enjoy the panoramic views from Bald Hill Lookout. The Grand Pacific Drive passes through Stanwell Park on its spectacular route along the coast to the South Coast. Stop at Sea Cliff Bridge, located between Coalcliff and Clifton, for a walk along this engineering masterpiece.
EventsView all
- There are no events listed
It's ON! in Wollongong
Wollongong's events calendar heats up over the warmer months!
Watch hotly contested sporting battles play out on the beach, take part in athletic challenges or enjoy great family days out.
Stay in town or by the beach with great accommodation deals starting from just $150 per night.
Click to view Wollongong accommodation deals.
Hang gliding at Stanwell Park. Image Tourism Wollongong
Couple at Stanwell Tops overlooking the beach. Image Hamilton Lund
Hanglider's view over the beach at Stanwell park.
Hang glider with sweeping coastline views at Stanwell Park, Image Tourism Illawarra


text:
DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel Los Angeles - Norwalk
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Sun, Sand, Skating, Scammed
... br>
Venice Beach and Boardwalk is a surreal experience where people from all walks of life come to hang out from the truly destitute to the extremely wealthy right down to the occasional celebrity (p!nk who rode by us) to the self proclaimed "freaks" to the "average Joe". The boardwalk is truly an electric gathering of sights, sounds and smells all while having the beach as its backdrop.
First Impressions -LA the Bali of America
... eat after walking up and down the boulevard for an hour. Jake just had a Starbucks coffee in the end and I had subway and we have just walked back to our room for a nap and a shower before going out this arvo. Thinking of going to hooters for dinner and seeing a movie at the theatre tonight but not sure yet. Perhaps everything will look will look better at night? More updates to come soon Katie & ...
USA - Los Angeles & surrounding areas
... place where we could spend the rest of the night. We found the official camping place a few kilometers further.
Day 7: September 26, 2014
We woke up at about 8.15 and headed to a small oceanside city called Carpinteria. Gonzalo�s family was very excited about its beautiful sand beach. Unfortunately the water was too cold (like in most parts of California at this time of the year) so we didn�t feel like bathing. We just had breakfast and walked along ...
Hooray for Hollywood...
... and we think it's going to take some getting used to. Michael is in his element - almost every bar that we've been too has about 20 different big screens, with a huge range of different sports showing. Me? I've just been looking for people with red hats! I'll try my best to post some photos soon, but for all the reasons mentioned above, i cant guarantee the quality... and apologise for any typos or autocorrect fails! More ...
Universal Studios
... was room for us.
Unfortunately, the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard were closed again for another damn movie premiere. This time it was "Hercules" at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Really, who do these people think they are? So Mark found a short cut that happened to pass a small confectionery that sold our favorite ice cream bars, the magnificent Magnums. Yum! That hit the spot. BTW, you can purchase Magnum bars at most grocery ...


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Older guy sucks his cock while he chows down on her snatch
Bonn ist super
anal sex with clit stimulation
Blondes doing what they do best, sucking and fucking. (Clip)
Guy fucks hot blonde in odd little toy car room
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Making sure she gets those hard to reach places get clean
Blonde Tranny Joins Couple For Threesome
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I am very excited to officially announce I am now represented by Redeye. I spent the better part of six months doing an extensive search, including, meetings, phone calls, interviewing art buyers, etc. After all that, the stars aligned and I knew I wanted to be working with the wonderful people at Redeye. If you haven't worked with Maren or Stephanie yet, you will love working with them. They are super lovely! I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such hard working, fun loving, personable and honest people. Here is to a great year ahead, and thanks to everyone for your ongoing support and interest in my work.
Now Represented by Redeye
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under News
We Roofin'
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under Ad Campaign, BTS
I feel like I am beginning to repeat myself a little, because each ad campaign I have done this year feels like one of those dream jobs. This one for Washington Healthplanfinder was no exception. With Obamacare rolling out I got to work with the folks at GMMB on this hilarious ad campaign. If these images don't convince you to get yourself some health insurance, I don't know what will.
The first shoot (the seagull attack) took place on our own private ferry at 4:30am on a beautiful Sunday. It was maybe one of the coolest things I have done on a shoot. Drifting around in the Puget Sound at sunrise. Beautiful!
The next shoot was a 4:00am call time, which feels so early to me! Not a morning person, but the show must go on. The skateboard crash was the hardest and most technical of all the shots. Although my assistants might disagree since I have no idea how they managed a 12×12 and two 7 ft. softboxes on a windy ferry.
The roofing accident shot was at the end of a very long 12 hour day, but it was so fun. The talent with the nail gun, Gabriel, had us all dying with his dialog. I like to give people scenarios to work with when shooting this type of work. I find it helps me work through the situation, and also helps the talent get into character and make the image more believable. There are a lot of little details to think about on a shot like the roofing accident. What are these guys doing? What is happening on and off camera that I want the viewer to think about? Are the interactions of the two guys on the roof believable? And so on.
So for this shot, I explained to Gabriel:
You are putting a new roof on your home before the winter hits, and your good friend is helping you because he owes you a big favor (You traded him Russell Wilson for Trent Richardson in your fantasy football league.). You are almost done with one side of the roof, when your neighbor walks by and see's you up there. He gives you a puzzled look because he knows you are not the handiest guy on the block. Hey, what the heck are you doing up there!? he yells. Gabriel looks back at his neighbor with a big smile, and says… And this is where Gabriel took over with his improv. "Oh, we roofin' man! Yeah, we roofin'!" "What's it look like we doin' up her man, we roofin'!" You might think over an hour of this might get old, but somehow it didn't. We just laughed, took pictures and, yeah, we roofin'.
Here are some of my favorite behind the scenes images from this shoot. Big thanks to my new rep Redeye, Kontent Partners (who are super amazing people, and amazing at what they do), GMMB, Gigantic Squid, Cara Aeschliman, Gregg White, and so many more. I am blessed to work with such fun people.
PDN Faces 2013 Winner
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under Celebrity, Contest
I am so proud to be included in the 2013 PDN Faces contest. Both of these portraits were selected and are in the September issue of PDN. I know what you are thinking. That is a whole lot of fur…
I first photographed Macklemore and Ryan Lewis two days before the Heist was released. It's hard to believe that was a year ago now. A lot has changed since then.
My other furry friend is Colonel Meow. If you are not familiar with him, he is only one of the most famous cats on the Internet. So there you have it. That being said, he was terrible to work with. He showed up late, was rude and inconsiderate, and he reeked of Scotch. I have nothing kind to say about him. But I do like this portrait, and I am glad I won a contest with it.
Mullet Man
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under Blog
Silver Bowllet ya'll. Now I can add barber / hair stylist to my resume. Let me know if I can update your look for you. We still have a few spots open this month. By appointment only. No walk ins…
If you spend some time snooping around my site, you will probably find 4 or 5 pictures of Brian disguised with various different hair styles. All the credit for this hair style goes to Brian and Jess. Love you guys.
Jeff Garlin for NY Times Magazine
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under BTS, Celebrity, Editorial Work
I am a huge fan of Jeff Garlin. I really liked his work going into this shoot for NY Times Magazine, and I am an even bigger fan after working with him.
My friend Sara Coates was recently cast in a movie called Laggies. They just wrapped up filming, so it should be in theaters next year. On one of the first days of filming, Sara sent me a text message with a picture of Jeff. "I'm acting with Jeff!" I immediately thought to myself, "I would love to photograph Jeff Garlin!!!" That was a Sunday night. The next day, I got a call from my rep Julia, and she asked me if I wanted to shoot an assignment for New York Times Magazine. The answer to that question is always yes, and then she said, "It's actor Jeff Garlin." No joke!
This is actually the 3rd time this has happened to me in my career. Anthony Hopkins, Annie Leibovitz, and now Jeff. So naturally I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking, and "putting it out there". I always tell my daughter, you'll never know unless you ask. And now, she has learned the benefits of asking for stickers at any store we walk into. Who knew Chevron had stickers. But that's another story. I can't take all of the credit for many of the great opportunities I have had come my way, but this is the type of job where you have to make things happen, and tell people what you want. Even if it's just declaring to your wife on a Sunday night while watching Netflix that you want to photograph one of your favorite actors.
Jeff walked into the shoot with a Leica around his neck, and I knew right away this was going to be fun. Thank you New York Times Magazine, Gabrielle Plucknette, Clinton Cargill for a wonderful assignment, and thank you Jeff for bringing the magic!
Here is the photo and interview of Jeff Garlin that ran the NY Times Magazine. I was thrilled they chose my favorite image.
Bring Your Dog To Work Day
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under Blog
A couple weeks ago we had the sudden urge to wrangle 20 pups into our studio for a day of doggy photography. Here are a few of the outtakes. For more, check out the dog portfolio on the website. It's been a fun challenge working with animals these past few months. I also just shot my first major dog food ad campaign, so more on that shortly. For now, enjoy!
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under BTS, Editorial Work
Wait! You mean, there is a 3rd cosmonaut outfit? I'm going to need to wear that… It only makes sense. It will help me understand my subjects and connect with them better. I'm a method photographer, what can I say.
It seems like it was just yesterday I was in this very same room at Wexley School For Girls with Cal and Ian for my first shoot with them. They were flexing on the white baby grand piano. It was magical. Since then, we have done I don't know how many shoots together, but this is definitely one of my favorite ones.
Thanks to AdWeek for a fun assignment, and thanks to Wexley for keeping the magic alive.
I'm On TV
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under News
Click the image above to watch the full interview.
It's those three words every mother dreams of hearing. Well, maybe not in all cases, but this time its pretty exciting. And I'll admit, I am still pretty giddy about this opportunity. Thursday of last week, I was featured on New Day NW (King 5), along with Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, and designer Jonathan Adler. Thank you to Su Ring, Meeghan Black, and Mark Klebeck for your amazing support and interest in what I do!
Thanks for watching everyone! Hopefully next time I am on TV, I will be talking about my new iPhone Portrait book. :)
Me and my girl on our way to the King 5 studio.
With Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman backstage.
On Having My Picture Taken
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under Personal Work
A few months ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I accidentally started a new photography project when I snapped a portrait of a friend with my iPhone. Since that first iPhone portrait, I have photographed over 100 people with my iPhone, and my excitement for this project continues to grow (you can see some of the images on my Instagram stream as well as under the Projects section). I was in Hollywood for work last month, and I photographed my cousin's roommate Jordan while staying with them. Jordan wrote a short story about his experience of being photographed, and I am so excited to share it with you. Please enjoy, and thank you Jordan!
On Having My Picture Taken
There are certain people that like having their picture taken. They enjoy it because they are good at it. They remember to smile and lift chins so they don't look fat. They can look happy even if they are not happy. It is comfortable for them to hang arms over the shoulder of the person they are standing next to. When people tell them to scoot closer, they do it happily.
I am not one of those people.
Not that I don't want to be one of those photogenic people, it just doesn't come easy to me.
I come home tired from my job and commute. There's an air mattress in the living room, which seems vaguely familiar. I am struggling to remember something that my roommate Lonnie had told me about–something about someone staying with us for a little while. It is all fairly hazy–I dunno, I've been drinking too much lately.
I pour myself some cold coffee left over from the morning pot. I look through the kitchen window and see Lonnie with another guy, presumably our houseguest, and our downstairs neighbor. They're all talking at the picnic table in the backyard.
I go out and meet John. John is Lonnie's cousin. Like Lonnie, John is a photographer. I shake John's hand. I'm trying to be friendly. Lonnie asks me how work was. I growl that it was rough and excuse myself to do some chores. I don't totally nail being friendly.
Then I'm sorting through a bunch of dirty clothes, trying to break out of my 9-5 work headspace, and getting ready for the writing I'm going to do this night.
Lonnie knocks on my door. This sort of uncommon at our place.
Lonnie asks,"Hey man, would you mind having your picture taken?"
I open the door. Lonnie explains, "My cousin John is a photographer and he really wants to take your picture."
I say yes, because only celebrities can say no to having a picture taken of them. And also, no one has ever seen me and said, "I want to take your picture." I can't quite escape the mixture of compliment and embarrassment that goes along with this.
John is enthusiastic. He has already shot Lonnie earlier in the afternoon. He tells me about this iPhone portrait project he's been working on as he looks at my shirts–not the dirty ones on the floor, but the few that are still hanging in my closet. I push for a red Pendleton camp shirt, but he isn't interested in it. He knows what he's looking for. So I put on an old 70s polyester flannel, which I like, but it is missing the third and fourth buttons from the top. I am slightly worried about this, but it doesn't seem to bother John.
I follow John around the apartment as he looks for the lighting he needs, which is in Lonnie's room. I sit on Lonnie's army cot. John and I talk as he holds his iPhone with both hands. He stares intently at the screen. He puts the phone close to my face, about twelve inches, maybe sixteen inches away from me.
It's got to be a delicate thing, the iPhone portrait. Like everybody else, I'll snap off some pictures with mine, and occasionally they'll look alright, but it's just a phone, and I don't care too much. But John's really working here, looking for a specific thing to show up on his screen. He gives directions like: shoot your chin forward, or look at the top of the phone, or look off to one side. I move my head a centimeter one way, then the other. Later, we move around the room, chasing the light.
John takes, I dunno, less than a thousand photos but more than five hundred. They're all about the same–I'm not doing much here, just sitting and doing what he asks me to do. At some point, he tells me to look concerned. And my eyebrows squeeze together a bit. Later, he asks me to pretend like I'm about to say something.
At some point, I try to smile, because it's a photo, and you're supposed to smile in photos. John immediately tells me to cut it out.
Eventually, John decrees that we've gotten it and he says thank you and I say thank you and that's it.
Later that evening, he shows Lonnie and I some of the shots he had taken that afternoon.
We see the photos from Lonnie's shoot. They are great, unmistakably great. Lonnie looks earnest and charming, like he might be on his way to sail to Patagonia or propose to his girlfriend.
We look at my photos and they're the best photos I've ever seen of myself. The lighting is warm, my shirt looks better than it looks in real life, all of what anyone could ask for in a portrait, anything you could possibly want. But I look very unhappy in these pictures. My looks range from concerned to sad to angry. I look like someone I do not want to be. John, in the few minutes I had known him, had keyed in on this emotional thing inside me. This was me on a Monday after work.
I thought about this a lot. Weeks later I quit my job, not exactly because of this, but certainly because life's too short to be a miserable Monday-hating-sonofabitch.
Jordan Jolliff
Miss Sara Coates
Posted by John Keatley / Filed under Celebrity, Personal Work
This picture just makes me happy. I feel like I say that a lot, but I have been staring and laughing at this portrait for weeks now. I don't think Nichelle is going to let me frame it in the house just yet, but I figured I could at least share it with you on the blog. This is one of those images that I don't really want to talk about very much because I feel like it is enjoyed best as it is, without spoiling it with too much information.
A very big thank you and congrats goes out to my wonderful model in this portrait and my good friend Sara Coates. Obviously she is extremely talented, but she also just landed her first major roll in a major motion picture called Laggies. Go Sara!


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Fantabulous Follies 2015
Fundraiser show proceeds to benefit Port Townsend High School drama program.
Going from Vaudeville to the Silver Screen, with lots of toe tappin' mixed in - we dare you to try and NOT sing along at the 10th annual Fantabulous Follies presented by the O'Meara Dance Studio. This, our final year, Artistic Director Joan O'Meara has put together a "fabulous" production of numbers to the theme of "Puttin' On the Glitz"; destined to delight audiences.
Performances are: Friday, March 13th, 7 PM, Saturday, March 14th, 1 PM Saturday, March 14th, 7 PM Port Townsend High School Auditorium
Tickets at the door: $10 Adults - $15 Couples - $5 Seniors
Victorian Heritage Festival
Join us March 20-22, 2015, for a celebration of our region's 19th Century history
Kick off Friday night with our pub crawl - featuring saloons, "shanghai tunnels," and fine vintage cocktails through a staggering selection of Port Townsend's (in)famous watering holes.
Saturday looks back to Port Townsend's maritime tradition along Water St. As always enjoy the stunning Victorian Fashion Show and the Grand Victorian Ball.
Concerts in the Woods:
Saturdays from March to May, 07:30pm - 09:00pm
Concerts are for all ages, featuring the best of folk, Americana, singer/songwriter, Appalachian, bluegrass, Celtic, blues, country and more! Admission is by donation.
Complimentary Coffee and Cookies are served at intermission and we encourage visitors to hang around after the show to talk to the bands.


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OP Senior Member
BIllings MT
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Join Date:Joined: Oct 2011
Before I start, I am getting HSPA+ speeds of around 12MBps, I have full working data, text, calls, and MMS. At the moment I haven't been able to get the tethering to work, wifi or otherwise.. says number not found. I assume that means its checking to see if its available for a plan that allows it via AT&T.
APN settings I used are as follows.
Name: ATT HSPA+
APN: phone
Proxy: <Leave in Blank>
Port: <Leave in Blank>
Username: <Leave in Blank>
Password: <Leave in Blank>
Server: <Leave in Blank>
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
MMS port: 80
Authentication type: <Leave in Blank>
APN type: default,supl,mms,hipri
APN Protocol: Leave it to the Default one
Bearer: leave it to the Default one
For those of you unfamiliar with how to change the APN settings: apn settings for Android - For Android, you should go to Settings > Wireless Connections > More > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names.
Its fairly straight forward. Make sure that once your finished adding the apn info you hit your menu key and save, then back out and select the apn you want to use.
APN setting source: http://apn-settings.com/us/att-apn-settings/
There are a couple video's on that site as well if you need a walk through.
I take no credit for the video's or the website, I am only relaying some useful information that I had trouble finding.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by BiasedThunder; 19th March 2014 at 12:50 AM. Reason: Update


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Allegiant adding flights from Grand Forks to Orlando
Allegiant Air sent out an e-mail to air travelers this morning announcing that it is adding non-stop flight service between Grand Forks and the Orlando area starting on Nov. 17.
The leisure carrier's Web site also lists Orlando-Sanford airport (SFB) as a destination from Grand Forks beginning in November.
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US Department of Energy Recognizes Navy's Energy Efforts
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Story Number: NNS140815-12Release Date: 8/15/2014 2:52:00 PM
By Don Rochon, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Two Navy energy programs and two specific energy projects were recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as winners of their 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards, Naval Facilities Engineering Command announced Aug. 15.
The awards recognize individuals, groups and agencies for their outstanding contributions in the areas of energy efficiency, water conservation and the use of advanced and renewable energy technologies at federal facilities.
"We are extremely pleased and honored to be recognized by the Department of Energy for our energy accomplishments," said Rear Adm. Kate Gregory, commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command. "Energy conservation is a high priority at all of our bases, and these programs reflect our ongoing commitment in meeting the secretary of the Navy's energy goals."
Energy programs at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Naval District Washington (NDW) were recognized as among the best of all federal agencies. Specifically, NAS Oceana's program was singled out for reducing overall energy consumption by implementing a variety of energy efficiency initiatives, including retro-commissioning heat pumps and installing energy efficient upgrades to base lighting.
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, NAS Oceana reduced energy intensity by approximately 52 percent below the FY 2003 baseline. Water intensity was reduced by 24 percent from the FY 2007 baseline.
To achieve these reductions, the NAS Oceana energy team primarily focused on implementing new technologies to improve existing systems and by increasing equipment performance to further reduce energy consumption.
Of special note was NAS Oceana's Distributed Energy Teams (DET) program. It's an innovative energy awareness strategy that is expected to encourage competitive energy conscious behaviors. The DETs are organized in ways that encourage a natural, friendly, competitive environment and each DET will have on its team a junior officer, as well as a Sailor from the commands senior enlisted leadership. The DETs consists of tenant commands, squadrons, departments, activities or even special events like 5k runs or base-wide picnics. The program seeks to infuse the energy awareness program with interesting, informative, and diversified activities to maintain program interest and command involvement and, at the same time, to be self-administered and self-sustaining.
The other Navy energy program singled out by the DOE was NDW for its reduction of a nearly 19 percent energy intensity reduction and 13 percent water intensity reduction. NDWs comprehensive energy program focuses on five energy pillars: energy security, energy information, energy efficiency, renewable energy/alternative fuels, and energy culture. NDW executed and evaluated a variety of promising initiatives in FY 2013 to reduce energy, water and fuel consumption.
These initiatives included: deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart grid technologies to collectively and precisely monitor, predict, control and respond to building and utility management systems; standup of a mobile retro commissioning team and deployment of renewable energy teams throughout NDW to help activities reduce energy (which created 50 megawatts of potential renewable energy opportunities); standup of a transportation working group that focuses on fuel data collection, analysis and reduction; and the standup of a Shore Operations Center that conducts and coordinates system monitoring, staff administration, and dispatch.
"Deploying new energy technologies is only part of the answer," said Gregory. "Instituting programs that change our behavior and culture, like those at Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval District Washington, is another critical component in achieving our energy goals."
One of the specific energy projects recognized by the DOE was a 13.78 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California. It's the largest solar plant in the Navy, and by using high-efficiency solar panels, generates more than 30 percent of NAWS' annual energy load.
The plant is the first 20 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) awarded under federal legislation 10 USC 2922a. The third party developer is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the system. Under the agreement, NAWS will purchase $80 to $100 million worth of energy at a negotiated price during the next 20 years. The project provides approximately $13 million in energy cost avoidance and requires no start-up costs from the Navy.
To make this project possible, an extraordinary level of effort went into market research, technical analysis, industry partnership, navigation of multifaceted regulations and incentives and preparation of complex acquisition documentation. During 18 months of discussions, the NAWS energy team successfully negotiated the terms and conditions that satisfied both government and private financing requirements for a PPA. Using the knowledge gained from the experience, the Navy will now be able to streamline the approval process and pave the way for new PPAs.
The other energy system recognized was the energy generation reconfiguration savings project at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Camp Lemonnier generates all of its own power from diesel generators. In FY 2013, the camp reconfigured energy production by removing its least efficient generators, connecting their two power plants, and when electrical loads permitted, by giving preferential operation to the most efficient power plant generators. In addition, air conditioning units were replaced with high efficiency units. These projects saved 61,000 British Thermal Units (MBTUs), a nine percent energy consumption reduction, with a cost avoidance of $2 million annually. Annual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions amounted to almost 4,760 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.
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SKU Biscay-Bed-Set-FR5934-SS14
A homage to the stylish French Atlantic coastal town, this Biarritz Biscay bed set is charaterized embroidered borders of Sangallo lace applied to swathes of smoothest cotton sateen. Embroideries, designed exclusively for Frette, have a summery combination of dot and dune flower motifs. Set comprises top sheet, bottom sheet, two pillowcases. Fillers not included. 100% Cotton. Made in Italy
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Season's Greetings
If you've been disappointed by your favorite TV shows of late (sorry, but even the hunky male cast can't give True Blood back its bite), head to the Paley Center, which as part of the weeklong "Paley Fest: Fall TV Preview Parties" unveils the networks' latest sitcoms and dramas. Previously previewed shows such as Two Broke Girls, Hart of Dixie, Nikita and Raising Hope have gone on to ratings gold. Tonight, Fox hosts a party, followed by screenings and discussions with the cast and crew of Ben and Kate, a brother/sister comedy; The Mob Doctor, a mafia-meets-medical drama; and The Mindy Project, the much-buzzed-about rom-com starring The Office actress, writer and producer Mindy Kaling about yet another 30-something professional looking for love. Paley Center for Media, 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills; Mon., Sept. 10, 5 p.m.; (310) 786-1091, paleycenter.org.
Mon., Sept. 10, 5 p.m., 2012
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Toss the chicken pieces in the sauce and coat well.
Place in a casserole dish and cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove the foil and continue to bake, basting frequently, until wonderfully golden.
As the sauce breaks down, the natural sugars will make a thick, crusty gravy.


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Updated: 08/26/2014 4:36 PM
Created: 08/26/2014 2:30 PM KSTP.com
The Minnesota Timberwolves held a press conference with the players acquired in the Kevin Love trade at the Minnesota State Fair Tuesday.
The Minnesota Timberwolves began a new era by officially announcing Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young as the newest members of the organization. The Wolves traded away Kevin Love, Alexey Shved and Luc Mbah a Moute in the three-team deal that included the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wiggins was the first overall selection in the 2014 NBA draft. Wiggins, a former highly touted high school recruit, played one year of college basketball at Kansas before declaring for the NBA draft. Wiggins has the potential to be a great defender in the NBA due to his size, speed and athleticism.
"I'm situated in a spot I know I'm going to be in for a very very long time," Wiggins said.
Bennett was the 2013 first overall selection in the NBA draft from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Bennett played in 52 games last season, averaging 4.2 points per game.
"I just want to have fun with these guys and the coaching staff," Bennett said. "I just want to come out here and play hard."
Wiggins and Bennett are both Canadian born first overall selections. Wiggins seemed to be very excited about the future and the group of young players the Wolves have on their roster.
"We're young, athletic, we have a lot of freaks on this team ... I think it'll bring us to a whole different level," he said.
Young, acquired from Philadelphia, is expected to replace Love at power forward in the starting lineup. Young has played all seven NBA seasons with the 76ers before being traded to Minnesota, averaging 17.9 points per game.
"I think it's going to be an easy transition," Young said. "As far as us going to the post season it's going to take some work, but I think we got a good core group of guys ..."
Young is going to have to be a leader on this young Timberwolves team along with PG Ricky Rubio, who is only 23 years old. Young was the 12th overall selection by the 76ers in the 2007 NBA draft.
KSTP's Chris Long caught video of Wiggins and Zach LaVine going down the slide at the state fair.
|Shoreview Man Accused of Kidnapping 15-Year-Old Girl to Marry Her
|Thunderstorms Expected to Move Through Minnesota
|Rochester Police Search for Missing 21-Year-Old Student
|Mpls. Police: Video Shows Missing U of M Student Went into River from Bridge
|Man Found Dead in South Minneapolis after Report of Gunshots


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