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Pitching Matchups
- Corey Kluber (0-3, 5.16 ERA, 4.01 SIERA) vs. Anibal Sanchez (2-4, 5.29 ERA, 3.79 SIERA)
When the Tigers picked up Anibal Sanchez earlier this year, I thought it a good move. He's a great middle-of-the-rotation starter, had a solid 2011 with 202 strikeouts and a 3.67 ERA (3.29 SIERA) and would be playing in a big park. Granted, Comerica plays about the same as either Marlins Park or ProPlayer/Land Shark/SunLife/Dolphin Stadium, but whatever, it gives the idea of a pitcher's park. The AL Central is also worse than the NL East. Anibal hasn't been that stunning in Detroit, giving up 12.4 hits per nine and he's lasted into the seventh inning only twice. He doesn't walk many but he hasn't been striking many out this year either. Maybe it's a comfort level thing, maybe it's getting used to the DH. Whatever it is, either he or Rick Porcello need to perform for this team to get to the postseason and win anything legitimate. In one of the many bludgeonings the Indians took in August Anibal was the recipient of the win, going six innings and allowing two runs in the 10-2 Tigers win. But it's September now, so the Indians will win. Because why not?
Corey Kluber, what are you? Kluber has shown flashes of brilliance in his short time in Cleveland like his five inning, six strikeout performance against the Yankees back on the 24th. He danced around danger time and again that outing and he's got a good arm. Whether that means he'll rack up more K's in Detroit or those balls will be deposited in the bleachers is the question. He does have a knack for putting the ball right in the hitter's zone a bit much and that's not a recipe for success in the majors, despite the "pitching to contact" mentality some coaches push.
- Justin Masterson (10-12, 4.91 ERA, 4.21 SIERA) vs. Rick Porcello (9-10, 4.57 ERA, 3.88 SIERA)
Porcello is an interesting study. He looks every bit the major league pitcher but seems to scuffle constantly. Consistency is key in this game and at least he's found a niche but you have to think he's got Jim Leyland spending an awful lot extra on cigarettes. His middle name is Alfred. He leads baseball in hits given up with 194 and is striking out only 5.4 per nine yet lasting less than six innings per start. Maybe his 2009 campaign with the 114 ERA+ as a 20-year old rookie was a ruse. Cleveland has a .713 OPS against Rick and that's better than how they've been hitting lately, which is good, or something.
We'll spin this to the positive and note that Justin Masterson's evolution into a dominant, complete starter has been rocky but this year is almost over. Next year he'll know what he needs to do to dominate other teams after seeing what doesn't work this year. MLB.com has noted that he's tied a club record set in 1936 with five starts of eight or more runs given up, plainly this is growing pains. Hideous, painful growing pains. That his last start was against an offensively middling team in the Athletics, and that he was part of what got them on a roll the last couple days, that will be ignored here. At Comerica he's been tagged for 28 hits and 14 earned runs (16 total) with 15 K's and 10 walks. But this is the time he turns it around.
- Ubaldo Jimenez (9-14, 5.61 ERA, 4.74 SIERA) vs. Doug Fister 7-8, 3.67 ERA, 3.48 SIERA)
It's been a down year and injury-plagued season for Mr. Fister but he gets a chance to dominate a struggling lineup here. Whether he can shake the aftereffects of a groin pull from a few starts back is the question, but he's been damn good against the Tribe thus far, a 2.33 over 11 starts. He's logged a 2.61 ERA since the break after a rough first half (4.75) and looks to be the dynamite tandem to that Verlander guy the Tribe gets to avoid. He's fun to watch pitch even if he's shredding your team – where Verlander just makes people look silly he seems a bit more surgical and just induces weak contact. If anything that's more frustrating than getting blown away. He seems to like the heat of the playoff chase, this is one of those games he just goes off and silences the other team.
Well, we spun the wheel on Friday and ended up on "Pretty Good Ubaldo." The numbers tell a worse story than it actually was, but Jimenez pitched 5 ⅔ innings of four-run ball against the Rangers. He dominates Nelson Cruz, and that got him out of a couple jams. The Tigers own a .934 OPS against him at Comerica though, and he's been pretty bad in general his last 10 starts, gangling his way to a 7.79 ERA over that span. It's an interesting matchup between these two though, they were both trade deadline pickups last year that each club hoped would put them over the top. One worked, the other didn't. Such is the nature of baseball sometimes. At least Indians fans get the fun of not knowing.
Playing spoiler is a darkly fun time for the fan of a team. We get to cheer for the other guy's failure as much as our own guys' success. Like I said before, at least the Twins won't embarrass the AL Central, but at this point I'm being selfish—I live in Chicago so I'd rather the White Sox get to the playoffs. Wouldn't a sweep just be silly? The Indians are 7-5 against the Tigers this year, so let's make it a nice .667 record.


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Let... the SAN shine: 2013 – the year of virtual storage area networks
Converged infrastructure – the trend of using one piece of kit for some pretty varied tasks, including networking, computing and storage, software and automation – really took off in 2013, mostly thanks to a group of robust virtual SAN players entering the market. Barring an unexpected new entrant, 2014's big names in the vSAN …
I'd politely disagree about HP's VSA. For small/medium business it's great. It's super cheap, can still scale to a reasonable size and now features tiering. Throw in a few SSDs and turn on AO and performance is pretty decent. Usable space due to network RAID isn't great but I certainly would not put HP's VSA in the same category as VMware's.
Agreed about VSAN though, still far too much of a beta product. However if VMware do something like put it in with the Horizon View bundle then I can see it being really useful in VDI environments (and would be a good extra feature against Citrix).
Not really a Virtual SAN but my favourite Virtual Storage Appliance at the moment is definitely Atlantis (the persistent model). If they expand beyond VDI and bring it to stuff like SQL then it could be really great for certain use cases.
I'd agree, as a virtual SAN the HP one is pretty much right. Pricing starts at free with all the Gen8 servers and it can scale very well if necessary by adding real hardware SANs into the mix.
Personally I think Microsoft will win this one within a few years. Hyper-V is spanking VMware at the moment and they have been busy adding storage features to Server 2012/R2 while also beginning the path to cloud integration with Azure and StorSimple. I'll be amazed if Windows Server v.next doesn't roll a lot of this in to allow scaleable storage on every Hyper-V node with automated cloud archiving and migration. If they pull it off they will probably win by default for the same reason they have with Hyper-V - admins are lazy and it's easier to just use what you've got licences. The product doesn't even have to be better, just look at Hyper-V!
Never been a fan of vSAN's for production..
But recently I've rolled Citrix VDIIAB on VMWare, I can see these type of appliances being very useful in that Arena, I'm very interested in their replication etc, as normal methods (such as CBT) simple won't work for things such as personal disks.
Here's the problem I'm seeing with vSANs (from all the vendors), and that's the node licensing costs, especially in the SMB world. I may only need two nodes to carry all my compute/storage requirements, but from a redundancy standpoint that's not enough. So I pay VMware for more node licenses, more maintenance, etc. just to get vSAN reliability, and I start wondering if all I'm really doing is changing the name on the check.
Re: Licensing
Can't really commit to anything...but watch this space. I am working with some of these folks to get setups even my customers could afford...
Re: Licensing
Not all of them are licensed by node, I can think a couple off the top of my head that are licensed by capacity (HP's VSA and EMC's ScaleIO). Also VSAN licensing is kind of unknown at the moment until VMware bring the product out of beta.
Re: Licensing
Also I would never recommend anything less than a three node cluster in any virtualised environment. If you bring a host down for updates/maintenance then your entire environment will be running only on one box which is never desired. I would always quote three lower specced hosts, in which case quoting three nodes for any virtual SAN is enough to ensure resilience (in the case of quorum).
Re: Licensing
More to the point: 3 nodes is the node count for a VMware Essentials Plus package, which is the more economical virtualisation offering on the planet for SMBs. I include open source in that. I'm rarely one to buy TCO arguments, but [redacted] is vSphere easier to use than the competition.
Great post, Trevor. :-) Have a happy New Year!
Cheers, Jeremiah. Happy holidays to you and yours, too.
What happened to Ceph?
This is a general scalable data store with front-ends to make it act as a block device, a filesystem, or an object store. And it's free.
Or is there some capability which a "vSAN" is supposed to have which this doesn't?
Re: What happened to Ceph?
The "general object store that has a shim to provide NFS and CIFS" market is a whole other ball game. I hope to cover it next year. Short version: speed is the issue. They can't even come close to proper VSANs on IOPS. Not just raw throughput, but latency as well. If anyone has a general object store + shim for which this isn't true, I'd love to take a boo.
The big reason that things like the VSAN sets do so well is the flash acceleration tier to their operation. That, and they share the system they're running on with a hypervisor and so do both virtualised compute and virtualised storage workloads in the same system. At the moment, that looks to be a definably different market from things like Hadoop or Ceph.
I didn't see a mention of vSpex or FlexPod? Both allow a customer to use commodity servers, infrastructure, and templates for storage; and build out a reference architecture without the VCE like premium you say costs a few virgins...
It'll still use the big iron of a VNX or FAS filer, but you have a reference template to build off of that is known to work and can save you a bit of money if you don't need converged support.
Honestly, there are so many virtual storage entrants that to list every single one would be an ebook. I tried to stick to the ones I thought were going to be the major players in 2014.
Zadara Virtual Private Storage Arrays
We're in complete agreement that virtual SANs are poised for a disruptive year in 2014, and really appreciate seeing more attention paid to the virtual SAN space. Perhaps not so humbly :-) we would like to add ourselves to the list of relevant players. We provide virtual SAN and NAS, running on standard, servers, delivered as a service, on-demand and elastically. Our VPSA (Virtual Private Storage Array) service, in full production since Q2 2012, has multiple petabytes of instantly customizable SAN and NAS, with a who's who list of customers. Please feel free to add us as yet another proof point that virtual SANs are already making a significant impact on the Enterprise Storage landscape, on- and off-premise. Happy Holidays, Trevor and all!
Re: Zadara Virtual Private Storage Arrays
Hey Noam. Ping me an e-mail (there's a "mail the author" link in the article, or use the contact form on trevorpott.com. I'd be happy to review your offering and chat with your people about what makes Zadara different and why they might be a contender in 2014.
What is IBM doing in this space ? Hiding under a desk hoping it'll just be a marketing exercise ?
Re: IBM
IBM's storage strategy in the entry/mid-range is Storwize and Storwize. :)
They do modular in XIV but no real virtual SAN offering at the moment.
Re: IBM
IBMer here, speaking for myself not my company of course. IBM is most certainly not simply sitting and waiting for others to innovate in the "virtual SAN" or broader software-defined converged infrastructure space. Unfortunately, Trevor's article mixes some admittedly nebulous concepts together under the overextended umbrella of "virtual SAN", losing some important nuances of each. And meanwhile my employer is not known for amazing product-level marketing like some of our competitors and flashy startups, but we do play well in all the categories the article mentions. Here's my attempt to clarify.
I believe the term "virtual SAN" should be more narrowly described as a specific *type* of software defined storage implementation that can provide some SAN functionality with software running in VMs on ordinary servers, usually (but not always) with DAS behind them. This is an area where IBM has some exciting developments, including our GPFS Storage Server offerings for file-based "virtual NAS" (if you will), FlashCache Storage Accelerator and Easy Tier Server for block-based caching, and lots more in the pipeline. IBM also works with a few companies like Atlantis Computing to provide "virtual SAN" functionality with features that benefit specific use cases like VDI. And of course IBM has a very close relationship with VMware...
BTW, "virtual SAN" is sometimes confused with "SAN virtualization", which I'd argue is a similar but distinct term used to describe the idea of "abstracting traditional storage array functions into a single common control and (sometimes) data plane". Virtual SAN implementations usually have some kind of SAN virtualization features. IBM was one of the *original* innovators in that space with our SAN Volume Controller product, which is now a very mature offering (ten years and tens of thousands of deployments using the technology) with leading features including real-time compression (from our Storwize acquisition), tiering (Easy Tier), and OpenStack integration.
More broadly, some of the companies on Trevor's list cover more ground than either of those buckets - in particular Nutanix and VCE. I'd classify those companies as "converged infrastructure" or (trendier) "software defined environment" players, and IBM plays well in that space with our PureSystems family of offerings. You get integration all the way up to the "business problem" level if you desire, without losing flexibility and choice. That total solution integration is a key weakness in competitive converged infrastructure offerings which are more often than not just a rack of semi-integrated components. But that's a discussion for a broader converged infrastructure article, not just the storage pieces...
Finally, one of my colleagues wrote a good summary of IBM's place in the SDS world which mentions some of these points and has some pretty pictures too:
All that said, tl;dr: Trevor, calling this article a list of "virtual SAN" players is perhaps a bit misleading, and you missed IBM. :-)
Re: IBM
Erik: unless I'm missing a great deal here, IBM's offering isn't a virtual SAN in the commonly accepted sense. There's a lot of weaseling around trying to shoehorn existing product into a new category, but the fact that when anyone I've talked to over the past 8 months talks about a "virtual SAN" they are talking about converged storage and compute where the VMs are being run on the same systems as are providing the storage. Most critically so that one can add both compute and storage to the network simply by adding another node."
Attempts to stretch the definition beyond that, or twist the definition to say "that's not a virtual SAN, this is" are reminiscent of nothing so much as hangers-on putting time and effort into muddying the term "cloud computing" to make themselves seem relevant. They certainly managed to muddy the waters, but...they didn't really win that battle either, now did they?
If IBM actually has something that plays in the area, I'd be more than happy to take a look at what they offer and include them in a follow up article sometime in the next few months. So far I've seen nothing that fits, despite having looked. I'll go look at GPFS Storage Server one more time, but as it was demoed to me before it was emphatically not a virtual SAN.
Also: "virtual SAN" has bloody nothing to do with SAN virtualisation. They are completely distinct concepts. I think anyone serious about storage will be able to tell the difference between A and B here. They aren't "similar" in any way.
Virtual SANs are about A) commoditising storage by making it possible to run it on the commodity compute nodes we already use for visualization and B) increasing speed/decreasing latency by putting the storage a VM uses in the same compute node it runs on while still offering full redundancy equal or superior to that which you would find in a traditional SAN.
SAN virtualisation is about taking a traditional SAN and cutting it up into logical SANs and delivering these logical SANs to compute nodes across the network. It doesn't drive down the cost and it doesn't move the storage closer to the compute.
Again, here I do not see "Pure Systems" as being remotely the same. It's like VCE: old school infrastructure that is shipped as a single blob. It is thus "converged" in enterprise-tech-speak, but is not "converged" in a practical sense, nor does it have any of the advantages of a virtual SAN. It's just...wanting to be VCE. For whatever that's still worth. For my money, Nutanix is going to crush VCE like a bug.
Re: IBM
Trevor, I appreciate the thorough response. I did not mean to kick a hornet's nest here. :-)
I agree with your "virtual SAN" definition as elaborated upon in your comment, and I too hate it when vendors muddy the generally accepted meaning of such terms - it hurts everyone in the industry. I was simply trying to provide more color for the earlier commenter who did not appear familiar with IBM's efforts in the universe of things that some people might associate with the term "virtual SAN".
Regarding your above PureSystems comments: I agree that PureSystems is not (currently) a vSAN play - rather it is a converged infrastructure play (as identified in my comment). But you named VCE as one of "2014's big names to watch in the vSAN space", so surely PureSystems would not be out of place in that list as well... right?
Regarding your above SAN virtualization comments: I never intended to imply that virtual SANs == SAN virtualization technology, but I have encountered many less-than-perfectly-informed customers who mix the two concepts due to lack of knowledge of one or the other, so I tried to clarify that distinction in my previous comment. BTW, since you expressed a dubious opinion about the value of SAN virtualization... actually our SVC virtualization platform does much more than just cut a big SAN into baby SANs, as you imply above. For example, SVC can provide inline real-time compression, which really can save lots of money with the right workloads, even if the SVC hardware and software is an incremental cost above the customer's existing array licensing.
Re: IBM
"But you named VCE as one of "2014's big names to watch in the vSAN space", so surely PureSystems would not be out of place in that list as well... right?"
Honestly, no. As I said in the article, I was highlighting those I thought would be major players. In the case of VCE or Nutanix because of raw market domination. In the case of someone like Maxta because they are fundamentally game changing via commoditisation.
If I tried to list every single CI or VSAN player it would be an ebook, not an article. There are well over 100 at last count; the whole area is growing at a level that makes me think of the mobile device management market. That's why I narrowed it to companies I think would make a bang in 2014 here.
The sad truth is, I just don't think IBM is currently very relevant here, nor do I believe they have anything innovative enough to become relevant in the future. You'll have to forgive me here, but I see IBM's PureSystems setup as a "me too" play that mostly will have negative appeal outside IBM's captive market and stands a damned good chance of having even IBM's captive clients turn to VCE or Nutanix.
As for "SVC is more than cutting a big SAN into little SANs because compression"...I must be missing something. Compression and deduplication were neat in 2006. It was right around then that this "younger, hipper feature" emerged that let people defer SAN refreshes for a cycle. Everyone of any value does this today, it's not exactly a point of differentiation. Indeed, today's deduplication is host-based flash caching: add something like Proximal Data to the host and use it's internal flash to buy you extra IOPS. Ultimately, this can save you from needing an upgrade RFN if you're at the IOPS wall: buy you a year or two to get your act together.
I don't believe there's a "dubious value" in SAN virtualisation...just that SAN virtualisation is pedestrian. I can cut a Starwind SAN into baby SANs, if I massage the interface! It's got HA, deduplication, what-have-you. The past is the past: not only is none of that special, it's commodity now.
Big Blue is many things, but it should never allow itself to become merely pedestrian. Surely a company that creates subterranean seismically-stabilized research labs in order to create atomic-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopes capable of demonstrating the strong force has more virtual confetti and storage oomph than SAN virtualisation and inline deduplication to sprinkle about the holidays!
Your point that people mix the two concepts up, however, is well taken. I really should do an article to explain the difference. It's amazing how much interest this one article has driven. I've a lot of interviews to do next year with both vendors and end users. I look forward to seeing what 2014 brings and to seeing how everything unfolds.
I've no ego in being "right" here. I called the players as I saw them and there is just as much information in being wrong as in being right. If I'm wrong, I'd have no problem saying "hey guys, IBM actually did some decent cleaning up and/or innovating in 2014!" Indeed, insert any name in place of IBM: I've no bias about winners or losers here...but no, I don't think IBM is going to make a bang in this area in 2014.
2014 is going to see the old guard fight viciously to defend their aging product lines and business models as newer, more capable companies redefine entire markets. Cisco will be fighting a noisy rearguard action against all comers; everyone from the OpenDaylight project to Juniper to IBM are pushing SDN offerings that will truncate Cisco's relevance and collapse it's market share.
Microsoft will continue to machine gun itself in booth feet while Oracle doubles down on extracting every single bent copper from it's hostages. EMC will continue to bleed market share to the likes of Nutanix and Tintri while VMware will be forced to completely reinvent their pricing model or die.
None of this will mean the death of giants in 2014...but the giants look ever so much more inflexible today than they did only a few years ago. A sea change is coming. With luck, it will not be a sudden collapse and refactoring of the market like the dot-com burst. Instead, it seems likely that the great behemoths of IT will fade slowly, going quietly into that good night over the course of the next decade or two.
But they have peaked. They have allowed themselves to become wrapped up in pride and hubris; to let innovation occur beyond their borders to an extent that is shocking. Some - like VMware - simply clone the ideas of their own "partners" (the lawsuits once the patents are granted will be hilarious good fun.) Others attempt to buy up these companies one by each and lament their failed integration as the soul-destroying corporate culture of the IT behemoth evaporates the very things that drove innovation in those startups to begin with.
There is a divide here. The staid, high-margin, enterprise-tech-driven model reliant on "services" and 4-hour engineer rollouts is meeting the world of DevOps. Like a freight train meeting a mountain.
In the new order everything is dynamic. Everything is scriptable. This new world sees 4 hours as "not nearly good enough" and requires double and triple redundancy for everything. The new world is burstable. It is programmatic. It is responsive and automated. It is built on commodity everything and change is a feature, not a bug that needs 5 months of change management to plan around.
This is the transition period. It is the time where the old school IT market starts shrinking and the vendors that supply it start winking out one by one: going bankrupt, getting bought, or leaving the market and doing something else. Oracle has proven you can dine on that for some time...but the future is being written by the likes of Puppet and OpenDaylight, not Cisco or VCE.
So, against that backdrop...why would I see PureSystems being a big player in 2014? VCE is the name enterprises and governments trust when it comes to old-school infrastructure. They'll give you a pod of stuff that Just Works and support it in a traditional enterprise fashion. All the big names are on board, it ticks all the old-school CTO paranoia boxes.
Anyone looking for futureproof IT isn't going to be looking at anything VCE like - not from VCE, IBM, Oracle or anyone else - so what chance to any of these other enterprise players have?
IBM's version of "innovation" seems to be "the all flash datacenter." That's great, if you happen to have a continent full of virgins and access to one of the three volcanos on earth with a phonolitic lake. Even for the Fortune 500 that's a bit rich. None of that, of course, addresses how one is to overcome the bottlenecks or latency issues inherent in centralized storage or the transition from North-South networking to East-West networking. (IBM does have some OpenFlow stuff that shows promise, however, it does seem to require that you have a stead supply of virgins to afford it.)
IBM is - to my mind - like the US military. It's really quite spectacularly prepared to fight the last war it was engaged in. Every now and again the R&D department vomits up something truly amazing (like the internet)...but it's the wars of right now, today, that it can't ever seem to quite win. Every now and again both will hold a "Mission Accomplished" ceremony, but disentangling real world victory from meaningless marketing mumbo jumbo designed to fool the plebes is itself a full time job.
IBM is working on hundreds of astonishing new technologies that I think will make the latter half of this decade amazing. (Some of the AI stuff begin done with WATSON, for example.) Storage, however...just isn't one of them. Yet.
Here's hoping that for all the length of that comment, I'm wrong multiple times. Life's far more interesting if you can't predict it quite right. Cheers! Have a great new year. :)
I have commented on Maxta before, but that stuff is great. We have a few clients using it. Still may not be ready for a large scale-out environment, but the product is solid. As pointed out in the article, you can add nodes and storage as needed, they are not correlated. It is basically a hybrid array you can run in sw.
Beware the network guys!!!
*** Disclaimer*** Riverbed employee and formerly at a storage vendor. ***
From Cisco we got the USP platform and that at the last glance (prepared to be corrected) was the market leader in server build out infrastructure.
Riverbed will be pushing Granite hard in 2014 as a storage mechanism where your multi million dollar storage array sits in the DC and services the branch office by projecting the storage out from the DC. No more moving parts at the remote office (Storage vendor OS, firmware, disks, cables, floor space, networks, power...), no more ogranising site visits or trying to get tapes back to the mothership.
Shameless plug? Absolutely. Storage arena game changer? Who knows, but it's worth noting that companies are moving out of there prefered "traditional" territories and looking at other areas.
It doesn't have to be a startup that changes the landscape...
Re: Beware the network guys!!!
@bear_all I agree with you 100% that traditional companies can evolve. Do I believe that 2014 will be the turnaround year for Cisco? No.
The reason for this is that Cisco simply isn't yet willing to cannibalize it's own core competency yet. It's still fighting ridiculous internecine civil wars and is as yet unable to meet the challengers at the gates.
That said, of all the tech giants, I believe Cisco has made the best acquisitions recently, (though I can think of at least five others it needs to make. Preferably now, while the startups are cheap.) What remains to be seen is whether or not Cisco's internal bureaucracy manages to strip away the "souls" of those organizations, or whether it will truly be able to undergo a cultural metamorphosis which allows it to actually become an agile competitor once more.
Cisco has spend the past decade and a half bleeding it's top minds. They have turned around and created the very technologies and companies that will be Cisco's downfall. (Arista, anyone?) They left Cisco for the same reasons that VMware has been shedding bodies for the past 6 years, and why IBM went through yet another purge in the augties: the company culture became staid, stiff, resistant to ideas from "the muck" of the employees.
Workers were to be drones carrying out the grandiose vision of the Supreme Ruler and his core staff of imagineers, not innovating and adapting on their own. Even executives had to cut through red tape with a machete, ultimately leading to a bleed of top talent.
Other companies can do almost all of the things we used to turn to Cisco for...but for far, far cheaper. Cisco's biggest mistake is fighting desperately to keep margin up on those areas. Especially trying to use lock-in tactics and walled gardens to do so. Buyers are wising up to that crap.
For Cisco to keep margins high it needs to be able to find a new market, become the best of the best in it, charge it's margins there, while dropping it's margins elsewhere to "market margins + name cachet". That will give buying into the "complete stack" of Cisco real value. Unfortunately "name cachet" is not the 2x-3x multiplier Cisco believes it to be.
Cisco has been trying to reform. To change this about itself and to expand it's areas of operation such that it will survive the collapse of it's core networking market. Has it done so yet? No. Will it manage it? I honestly can't say. Will 2014 be the year it returns to being an adaptive, innovative behemoth that will redefine markets? I sincerely doubt it.
...but 2015 might. It really just might. Cisco is definitely on my "companies to keep an eye on" list because unlike many of the others it is trying to change. It is simply a question of whether or not Cisco manages to do this before it bleeds all but a hard core of it's customers.
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Posts Tagged 'Best Dressed'
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Beautiful in Blue at the Glamour Awards, in a Mishka Vintage sourced dress. Altered into a new classic.Wednesday, June 4th, 2014
I have long loved this 1960's blue brocade dress at Mishka, and wondered why no-one else has snapped it up. When I took Sophie there for a shopping fest, post-lunch date last week, I was therefore delighted that she saw it's beauty too.
She had it shortened, with it's straps removed by a local tailor, I think it looks heavenly and hope that you like it too…
I wish more people realised that a lovely piece of clothing with potential can be easily altered into something remarkable by a local tailor. My tailor Chris is a legend, often fixing clothes for me, Kentish Town locals and the cast of West End musicals with brilliant skill. But that's another post in the making!..
Love Is A Camera – New Video By Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Sophie's Styling By Me.Friday, May 30th, 2014
Hope you like it, I LOVE it.
Sophie shows a brilliantly dark side!
Such a talented team, great video.
Lacy, gothic, fiercely fabulous.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor: M&S In The Moment – Styled By Me.Tuesday, April 15th, 2014
Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Wanderlust Tour Styling.Tuesday, April 15th, 2014
I worked on Sophie's Wanderlust tour looks.
I had some beautiful sheer dresses made by Shadiye for the discotastic second half.
For the first half, I had Sophie's dirndl dresses adapted by my amazing tailor, Chris and then embroidered by Laura Lees.
All a skip and a hop from my home, until last month in NW5.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor Styled By Me For The Brits 2014Wednesday, February 19th, 2014
Dress: Pierre Cardin from William Vintage
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Sophie Ellis Bextor Styled By Me For The Elle Style Awards 2014.Wednesday, February 19th, 2014
Bush Hall: Sophie Ellis Bextor 'Wanderlust' Album Launch Last Night.Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014
Sophie Ellis Bextor is an absolute delight to work with, as well as being a total beauty, she is talented and generous to those who work with her.
Last night, I was invited to the album launch at Bush Hall, an opportunity for a rare date night with Jeremy. I was thrilled when I saw her beaming onto the stage wearing one of the outfits I had sourced for the album shoot: something Sophie had liked so much, that she had decided to buy and keep it.
The crowd were lovely: all seemed so happy to be there, and Sophie couldn't contain her absolute excitement at sharing her beautiful new work, amazing voice and talented band.
Sophie has a great rapport with her audience and I beamed inside, when she said that everyone working on the project had been her first choice.
Thank you kind Sophie. It's appreciation like that, which makes styling all the more pleasurable.
When she sang a surprise good bye accompanied by a piano to lead us out of the venue, you could hear how beautiful her voice is. I really felt so lucky to have been a part of the Wanderlust team and was thrilled to hear that already it is in the album top ten, within a day of launching.
Sophie Ellis Bextor – My Prettiest Of Dancing Queens. New Visuals – Styled By Me For Her Amazing Album Out Next WeekFriday, January 10th, 2014
Nicole Scherzinger in Zeynep Tosun SS14 Looking Amazing.Monday, November 25th, 2013
A great reaction from The Daily Mail:-
I consulted and styled this collection, working on mood-boards, textiles, plus every area from lighting to music, from hair and make up to running order and casting; so am thrilled to see this fantastic response.


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sneak peak
I'm working on a Megaman clone myself, but you're a lot further than I am. Mimicking Megaman-style movement is proving harder than i thought.
I went hardcore and decided to program in C++ from low level libraries.
I hate my life. 5000 lines of code and the graphics engine isn't completed. Oh well. At least I can actually make Benjamins off this one.
Originally Posted by Fenn


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Keep Chickens!: Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and other Small Spacesby Barbara Kilarski
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
Chickens are hot! Kilarski, a woman with a passion for poultry, offers a handbook that is as practical and encouraging as it is witty and entertaining. This book provides the detailed information every aspiring chicken keeper needs to know. 16-page color insert.
If you find yourself reading up on fancy breeds of chickens, if you've taken to sketching coop designs on cocktail napkins, then you're ready to join the nationwide chicken boomlet! And you need Keep Chickens!
Do you want to keep chickens but don't have much land? In this comprehensive and entertaining handbook, Barbara Kilarski shows you how you can successfully keep chickens in small urban and suburban spaces. She tells you which breeds are happiest in small spaces, shows you how to feed and care for your birds, lists the equipment you'll need, discusses
Includes bibliographical references (p. 142) and index.
About the Author
A paralegal who is passionate about poultry, Barbara Kilarski has published articles in a variety of print and web venues, mainly in the Pacific Northwest. She lives with The Girls--Lucy (a New Hampshire Red), Whoopee (an AustraLorp), and ZsaZsa (a Barred Plymouth Rock) in Portland, Oregon.
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Alert: Trailside Closing
Trailside will be CLOSED Monday through Friday: October 15th through November 24th.
Trailside will be OPEN Saturdays and Sundays during this time period.
During the closing, there will be NO access to Trailside from any point of entry. The closing of Trailside is due to a major construction project at the Pool Bathhouse.
Hikers, please use the blue-blazed bypass trail to stay on the Appalachian Trail. Follow the blue blazes around the outside perimeter of Trailside to reconnect with the white blazed AT.
We apologize for the inconvenience. Please check back for updates.
Boo at the Zoo
Saturday, October 25th (rain date Sunday, October 26th) 10:30 am at the bear den to 3:00 pmTrailside presents a not-so-scary alternative for the spookies of seasons. At 10:30 am, make spooky snacks for the black bears. At 11 am, watch as the zookeepers let the bears loose on the tasty Halloween decorations. Touch real animal skulls, see stuffed specimens in the Nature Study museu, make autumn crafts and learn about bats and our not-so-scry owls and vultures. Lots of family-friendly fun and activities! Parking at Bear Mountain State Park $8/vehicle Admission to Trailside: suggested donation $1/person.
Beary Merry Holiday
Saturday, December 20th (rain date Sunday, December 21st) 10:30 am at the bear denCelebrate the holidays at Trailside! Come to the Bear Den at 10:30 am and make tasty snacks for the black bears. We'll celebrate the holiday season at 11:00 am when we let the bears out to unwrap their gift boxes full of delicious treats! Parking at Bear Mountain State Park $8/vehicle Admission to Trailside: suggested donation $1/person.
Trailside Bears
Follow the NYS Parks Nature Times blog to learn about how Earth Day was celebrated at Trailside and other nature happenings in NYS Parks. http://nysparksnaturetimes.com/2014/05/09/earth-day-at-bear-mountain/
Myth of the Woolly Bear
Click here to watch Science Friday video featuring Bear Mountain's own Woolly Bear and Edwin McGowan, Director of Science and Trailside Museums and Zoo.


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If you need accommodation for any part of the employment process because of a disability, please send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com or call 512.682.4700 to let us know the nature of your request.


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2012-2013 Grad
Adolescent mothers' decisions impacting additional pregnancies
Adolescent pregnancy remains a public health concern despite decades of attempts to prevent it. The United States continues to have the highest adolescent pregnancy rates of any industrialized country (Kost, Henshaw, & Carlin, 2010). While adolescents of all ages (10-21 years) can become pregnant, pregnancy rates are highest among adolescents who are 15 to 19 years of age. Multiple factors have been identified that increase the likelihood of adolescent pregnancy and repeat pregnancy. Often times, adolescent pregnancy is the result of sexual risk-taking, which has been attributed to the changes that occur neurologically, physically, and emotionally (Reyna & Farley, 2006). The antecedents of adolescent pregnancy and repeat pregnancy are often the result of sexual and social decisions made by the adolescent.


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Entering this free agency period, all eyes and ears were focused entirely on the Miami Heat and what their big-time players, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade would be doing. As expected, the three of them decided to opt out of their contracts, making themselves unrestricted free agents, free to test the waters with whatever team tickled their fancy.
However, also as expected, this move was made in order to give Pat Riley and the Heat some cap movement, some wiggle room, if you will. The idea, initially, was that the Big 3 would wait and see what Riley could bring to Miami as reinforcement to the four-time defending Eastern Conference champions.
If they were impressed with the talent the Heat were equipped with — again, the idea behind the whole thing, nothing close to a given — was that those three would sign smaller contracts to make it easier to win another championship together.
We're close to a full week of free agency under out belts and so far Miami has come up short every step of the way. While Riley went all out to bring in rookie Shabazz Napier to impress LeBron, that's the furthest thing from assurance that James, Bosh and Wade need to fulfill the conceived idea of pay cuts.
As of right now, Miami is Norris Cole's team and his alone, as he is the only player currently under contract for next season. That leaves a plethora of holes for Riley to fill.


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"Hitchhiking Prom Queen" Soap: Green apple, red delicious apple, and pineapple; middle notes of tropical peach blossoms, and orchid; all sitting on a fruity, floral musk.
"Shapeshifter": A surprising blending of mysterious things that, magically, smells different each time you sniff.
$3 bar sale!
From tonight until tomorrow afternoon, all stock that is available will be just $3 per bar (plus shipping).
If you're interested, drop me a note or line but, here is the available stock:
Half Baked: Fresh out of the oven cinnamon rolls with sweet glaze (1)
Let Them Eat Cake: Strawberry creme layered between cake batter ice cream. (3)
Pharaoh's Gold: Viva La Juicy dupe (1)
Mama's Pecan Pie: Caramel pecan (4)
Sunday Morning: Fresh brewed coffee (4)
Purple Haze: Relaxing lavender and soft musk (5)
All Jacked Up: Mountain Dew Fizzy Pop (3)
Muffin Top: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin (4)
Luna: A blend of straight from the dryer jeans and sweet bubblegum (5)
You Sexy Thang: Raw honey, cocoa butter and chocolate (1)
All stock is sold on a first come/first serve basis!
This is the current stock!
If anyone is interesting in buying some, or you just want to see some awesome eye candy, come by my Facebook page. (Click through the photo to get to it!)
Design by Simon Fletcher. Powered by Tumblr.
© Copyright 2010


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November 25, 2010
Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery
Community News
Potts Camp News
Temperance Hill Church members attend singing
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We have many blessings God has given us to be thankful for every day!
A large group of members from Temperance Hill Baptist Church attended a singing by the Master's Quartet in Booneville on Nov. 13. Joyce Clayton and her family enjoyed the singing. On Thursday, the daughter of Joyce, Mirian Hunsucker of Ashland, visited her.
We were saddened by the recent death of a friend, Louise Pruitt, who lived here for many years. We send our love and sympathy to her family. She will be missed.
Mary Minor had a nice visit with Estelle Bennett at Azalea Gardens Retirement Home recently. A former third grade teacher at Potts Camp, Mrs. Bennett has been in Oxford for the last five years, moving from Greenville where she and her husband lived for 49 years. She has one son in Texas and a daughter in Oxford. She enjoys hearing from any of her former pupils.
Many of us enjoyed reading and seeing the picture of Lois Swanee Shipp in the Tupelo Daily Journal on Wednesday. She told about how the Marshall County Historical Museum had been restored and about the Christmas celebration they will have there.
Many of us sent pictures and history of our hometown to be viewed at the newly restored museum.
My great-grandfather, Col. E.F. Potts, was the first settler of this area.
1. God made us all with a deep hunger for love; emotions and passion soon pass away, but the love of God never ends. "God is love."
2. Jesus set a good example for us. Even when we were yet sinners, He died for us.
3. The peace of Christ is based on love. He tells us over and over to love each other, and our neighbors as ourselves. When love rules, there is no fear of wars.
Join hands then brothers of the faith whatever race may be, who serves my Father as a son, is surely kin to me.
Pray Daily
Pray without ceasing, God hears what you say from the moment you rise to the close of the day. Don't think for a moment that He turns a deaf ear, trust and have faith and you'll never know fear.
One Who Cares
There is one we can lean on in times of great despair. He knows our many heartaches; He sees our every care. There's one who sees each tear that falls and feels each throbbing pain. He longs to draw us close to Him and revive our soul again.
Prayers Renewal
Free me this day, O Lord, from fears of the future; and all anxiety about tomorrow, all bitterness from anyone, all cowardice in the face of danger, all laziness in the face of work. But fill me with love that has no barrier, sympathy that reaches all, courage that cannot be shaken, wisdom, and power to lift me up. Be with me another day, and use me as thy will.
Wayne Davis of Hickory Flat, who lost his wife, Gussie Davis, recently, called to tell me that my late brother, Rev. Charles Potts, had married him and his wife about 70 years ago, when Lindy was a Methodist pastor at Hickory Flat.
Happy birthday to a grandson, Clark Grayson Hollingsworth, on Nov. 22, a college student. He is the son of Danny and Elizabeth Hollingsworth. Happy birthday to Jason Gurley on Nov. 22 and to Tyler Knight on Nov. 25 and to Charles Gurley on Dec. 4.
Pray for all the sick, Henry Tutor, Charles Henderson, Mary Jarrett, Doris Goode, Joann Potts, Sank Owen, Diane Clayton, Lena Faye Work, Betty Fincher, Edith Jackson Armstrong, Betty Rose Jones, Verla Mae Stanton. We send sympathy to all who have lost loved ones. We send our love and sympathy to Wayne Davis of Hickory Flat and family in the recent death of his wife, Gussie Davis. She has friends in Potts Camp.
Histories and Memories
Potts Camp's Bicentennial
Roger Clayton, mayor of Potts Camp, showed his bicentennial spirit by growing a handsome beard for the town's celebration on July 3. He also served as one of the escorts for the style show that day.
The grounds near the Potts Camp Bank (on Center Street then) were the setting for the Potts Camp Bicentennial. It began at 11 a.m. with A.L. Sanders, school principal, as master of ceremonies. He introduced Rev. Martin Raines, the new pastor of Potts Camp Methodist Church charge, who gave the invocation.
Dallas King led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Then Roger Clayton gave the welcoming address, followed by a brief history of Potts Camp by King. Irene Wilson (now Strickland) led the crowd in the national anthem, accompanied by Jerry Sparks at the piano and Keith Watkins on the drums.
Mitch Stone Jr. demonstrated the shooting of a muzzle loaded gun, a replica of the one used in 1776. Following the opening ceremonies, fund-raising games and exhibits were opened. Arts and crafts were on display. Paintings were exhibited by Marsha Shaw and Bobby Mitchell of Holly Springs, Mrs. Larry Crockett and Charlie Brown of Potts Camp and others. Prizes were given throughout the day. Potts Camp Lions Club, a radio, won by Corbett Marlar Jr. of Potts Camp; Potts Camp Civic Club, a cookware set won by Jimbo Gilliam; Potts Camp Fire Department, a lovely afghan made by Mrs. Fuller, won by Emma Mayer. Both Frank Bennett and H.W. Hanson were awarded prizes in the fiddlers contest. Perhaps the most eye-catching event was the fashion show by Irene Wilson. About 25 women modeled their bicentennial costumes.
The seven escorts were mayor Roger Clayton, James Carl Pipkin, Cary Mayer, Robert Luther, Don Randolph and J.C. Pruitt, all of the fire department, and A.L. Sanders of the Potts Camp Lions Club. A barbecue supper was prepared by chief Pruitt of the fire department was enjoyed by all.
Entertainment by Adaid Dee of Memphis and Dennis Henderson Band of Holly Springs was provided throughout the day. The day was climaxed by an old fashioned square dance by Pop Berryhill of the Bethlehem community. Thanks to everyone who made this special day in our town possible!
Did you know?
Thanksgiving Proclamation 1789
The following is the proclamation, in part, given by George Washington in New York City on the 3rd day of October, 1789.
I will be back with the regular "Did You Know" column and quiz next week.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving Day.
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Any Chowhound-worthy places in North Pinellas or Pasco counties?
Any Chowhound-worthy places (i.e. non-chains) in Land O' Lakes, Hudson, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Odessa, Spring Hill?
My parents live in New Port Richey and no visit is complete without a dinner at The German Restaurant http://www.the-german-restaurant.com
Very friendly owners, great German food (love that spaetzle), very good wine/beer selection.
re: Chris VR
Hey - thanks for the tip! Never knew this place existed. Sounds yummy!
re: Chris VR
I saw the eye-catching German Restaurant over the weekend on my drive up to the newly-reopened Budapest Restaurant on 19, which I highly recommend for authentic Eastern European cuisine (great stuffed cabbage). I plan to make a trip back north to check out the German Restaurant, if for nothing else but its sheer kitchiness!
re: laurie
Oh good- this place really is a find, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I'll tell my parents about Budapest Restaurant- mom loves stuffed cabbage. Where exactly is it?
re: Chris VR
To follow up my own comment, I was visiting my parents last weekend, and saw a booth from Budapest Restaurant at a fair. I picked up a menu and we checked it out for dinner. It was pretty empty at 6pm on a Friday, but it slowly filled up a bit as we were there.
We started with potato cakes, which were very light, fried cakes, with a similar consistency to fried dough. Not at all like the german-style potato pancakes we were expecting, but a hit nonetheless. The chicken soup was very good, a very hearty and strong chicken flavor. The liver dumplings were too liver-y for me, but I could have chosen noodles instead, and would do that next time.
I tried the stuffed cabbage with spaetzle, it was VERY good. Mom had the hungarian goulash, which she liked but had never had before and wasn't expecting so much paprika. She's a spice wuss, so by the time she ate most of it, she said her mouth was burning. The mashed potatoes that came with it tasted like instant, so she wouldn't eat them. Dad had some sort of cordon-bleu-ish thing, with a cutlet, topped with ham and melted cheese. He also liked it a lot. We had to skip dessert but the Crepes Suzette were beckoning to me. Next time!
My parents (not particularly adventurous eaters) were glad to have tried it and would definitely go back again.
We made reservations but it didn't seem like that was really necessary (as opposed to The German Restaurant, where you won't get in without a reservation on a busy weekend night.) Here's the contact info:
Budapest Restaurant
7411 Us Highway 19, New Port Richey, FL 34652
(727) 848-4437
Thanks for the recommendation, laurie!
re: Chris VR
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris! I need to head back that way soon. This time of year makes me yearn for good stuffed cabbage (it was the holiday and comfort food of my youth).
re: Chris VR
My favorite has to be the red cabbage, I pucker up just thinking about it. Oh, and the beer, that's also great! MMmmmmm love that place.
not sure if its chow hound worthy, but I liked Barefoot Gardens on Deltona when my inlaws took us there.
Here is a link: http://www.sptimes.com/2005/01/28/Her...
Make sure you call first, I'm not sure if they are still open. (Inlaws are on vacation so I can't get them to confirm)
re: cherylp3
We liked Barefoot Gardens, too! They have a great variety of delicious food and good prices. They have from home cooking to gourmet seafood, something for everybody. My hubby said the steak was one of the best he's had and the rest of us enjoyed our homestyle meals very much (turkey dinner and beef tips). The service was attentive and friendly, we'll definitely go back. They're at 3480 Deltona Blvd in Spring Hill (across from Hess), phone 352-684-0866. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and are wheelchair accessible.
Let me ask again in case something's been discovered. Any places of note in the far North areas from Tampa? I'm beginning to think people that live up there aren't concerned with quality dining out.
That area is not a hot bed for better dining. There is a place in Brooksville, not too far from Spring Hill, that is CH-worth.
Farmer John's. A great spot for breakfast.
Venture north to Crystal River Wine & Cheese Co., 734 U.S. 19 SE, Crystal River; (352) 795-0008. It is eat-in wine store with good wine/food matches.
Otherwise head south to Pinellas County - to:
Casa Ludovico, 1710 Alt. U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor; (727) 784-7779.
Mystic Fish, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. 727 771-1800
You can't miss it here when amberjack gets seared with apricot curry, salmon is green-tea-smoked, and ice creams and vodka are custom-made.
Kelly's for Just About Anything, 319 Main St., Dunedin;
Mykonos, 628 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs; (727) 934-4306.
Have Greek salad, lean lamb with yogurt on pita or whole fish cooked on the grill with lemon, olive oil and rosemary.
None of the above are too much of a drive except at rush hour.
I would also recommend that you try Benedetto's in Land O' Lakes for Italian (Dale Mabry/41 and SR 54). The Crab Shack in New Port Richey (US 19 on the 'Cotee river) is great for casual outdoor dining on the river and listening to live music. Everything I've eaten there is very good and portions are generous.
re: LTrapnell
It may be obvious but Crab Shacks crabcake sandwich with fries was one of my best lunches in awhile. Kelly's for Just about anything in downtown Dunedian has to die for breakfast fare. Expect a line tho! And Mystic Fish in Palm Harbor, along with Sushi Ren are 2 of my faves!
I've been to Benedetto's and couldn't understand what the hype was about. Anyone been to Splash?
I honestly have not had a chance to try it myself, but I've heard from so many people that I have to try out Rapscallions restaurant in Land O'Lakes. I've been meaning to get over there. Sounds worth the adventure since several people have mentioned it independently - must be something to it.
re: debrolex
Ok...I finally got a chance to get to Rapscallions this past weekend. Upon walking in, the decor was pretty cheesy, but "Key West" kind of cheesy, so it wasn't too offensive. Would've preferred to not have a plastic tablecloth though. Food more than made up for it! My SO had the ribs - which he gets almost everywhere that serves them. LOVED them. Excellent sauce, fall-off-the-bone tender, but not mushy over-cooked. He also got the mashed sweet potatoes - light and fluffy to the mouth, but I have my suspicions the base is canned yams. Everyone at the table tried them - even those that 'don't like' sweet potatoes - and loved them. Bourbon steak was excellent as well, but a bit too much sauce...better if sauce is requested on the side. AMAZING sweet potato fries (Voodoo Stix). Served as an appetizer with a berry sauce (strawberry maybe?) mixed with what I think was cinnamon oil? Dusted with powdered sugar. Addictive! I had the "Sea Monsters" which were large scallops in a tropical fruit sauce & mango relish. I did not like the sweetness with my scallops. I prefer them savoury. Don't think I'd order them again, but the Haitian Peas & Rice (actually red kidney beans, not pigeon peas as is typical in caribbean cuisine) was in an amazing sauce. Would definitely do again. Our friend tried the crab-stuffed grouper and loved it. There was more crab meat in it than grouper - and fresh real crab meat - not a lot of fillers either. I would not recommend the coleslaw. Not enough depth of flavour. Did not try desserts, but the Chocolate Covered Cherry martini is yummy. We also got a pitcher of the sangria, but I wouldn't write home about it. I am looking forward to returning to try some of their other unique dishes. Such a relief to find a place that doesn't serve the 'common' caribbean style dishes. Aces.
re: debrolex
Thanks for posting your review, debrolex, I'm going to try Rapscallions soon!
I'll second the Benedetto's rec. It's really one of the few options for upscale, non-chain dining, and I enjoyed it. There's a live piano player, friendly manager and pretty good food.
Just tried Hungry Harry's BBQ place on US 41 in Land O'Lakes. Not bad. Chopped pork was awesome & they have a good coleslaw (I dislike sweet slaws, so this was a treat for me). SO has the 'sample plate' of ribs, chicken, chopped pork & chopped beef. Ribs were a surprising disappointment and chopped beef didn't have the same quality as the pork. Atmosphere? ...well...extremely casual - and try to ignore the girl bellowing outside orders from the front door to the back of the restaurant. I think next time, we'll just order the pork & cole slaw to go. They do a strong catering business too.
If you are looking for somthing a little more upscale you have to go to Saint Larry's. The food there is great, consistently great. We go for special occasions and are never dissapointed. It is on U.S. Hwy 19 in Palm Harbor(really north Palm Harbor, almost Tarpon.)
I'll second/third Rapscallions. I've eaten there a few times and the place has great quality food. Jamaican Kerk wings are as good as bahama breezes. The Cuban pulled pork is as good as you get in south florida and the pan fried jerk mahi mahi is delicious. I'll agree the decor is cheesy but the place more than makes up for it with the quality of food and view of the Lake.
re: laurie
Finally went to Rest Hapa- worth the wait, but I wish I had been able to go sooner! I was lucky enough that my husband surprised me with a reservation for my birthday Friday night. It is Hawaiian- Asian fusion and was fantastic! We split the scallop appetizer- this amazing dish with sweetness balanced with savory heat. I had the Sea Bass special with pesto and romesco sauce- well balanced, perfectly cooked- very tasty. Hubbie got the spiced rubbed Ahi- also very good. Portion sizes were very generous and we may have skipped dessert if the owner hadn' t come out and offered it complimentary for the occasion. And boy am I glad we got it! We had a sublime honey-pine nut semi freddo on a flat pine nut brittle cookie. Small intimate place (counted 11 tables total), excellent personal service. Menu is not huge, but varied and I believe there are always a few specials. Fair selection of reasonably priced wine. Total for 1 app, 2 entrees, bottle of wine was $120 +tax, but we printed up a gift cert from restaurant.com ($10 for $25 gift cert).
re: Jules M
Add me to the list of those not appreciating benedetto's. You're much better off going around the corner to Villagio.
The BBQ joint on 41 in Land O Lakes is not bad
A recent find is Bocatto's on SR 54, very nice place, very inexpensive spanish. You can BYOB there. The chef/owner came from Vizcaya
re: Jules M
Unfortunately, Alan's is closed.
Pasco County:
Sushi - Kazu's
6317 Tacoma Dr
Port Richey, FL 34668
(727) 842-4477
Zen Forrest
4148 Rowan Rd
New Port Richey, FL 34653
(727) 372-9545
Banchiang Thai
8631 Little Rd Ste 4
New Port Richey, FL, 34654
re: Penelope7
What do you recommend at Zen Forrest?
re: Penelope7
Banchiang Thai is now closed. The lobster ravioli is wonderful at Zen Forrest (special order) and they have a great Satay Chicken Salad for lunch. They have special themed dinners which are also very good.
zen forrest
new port richey, fl, new port richey, fl
re: Penelope7
There's a great review of Zen Forrest at
Zen Forrest
4148 Rowan Rd, New Port Richey, FL 34653
re: Penelope7
everything except the shrimp in lobster sauce. Since they are not a chinese restaurant,they don't do this well. They are really fusion Asian.
re: Penelope7
i used to like Kazu's but have found a few other sushi places i like much better; Mike's Sushi & Sake Bar on 19 & Nebraska in Palm Harbor; and Ichiban in Trinity. Had some issues in the past at Ichiban but it was fine when I was there a few weeks ago. Also have heard Grill 54 in Trinity has great sushi, haven't been there yet. I found nothing at all special about Kazu's and the service left much to be desired.
5555 N Davis Hwy Ste I, Pensacola, FL 32503
Grill 54
10900 State Road 54, New Port Richey, FL 34655
I would definitely recommend Circles - New Tampa Bistro -- off of Bruce B Downs!! One side of the restuarant is bistro like - and the other side is more kid/family friendly. Great menu - starting with Thai specialties, awesome seafood and steaks!
Just moved to Wesley Chapel and LOVE this place!
re: clivengood
I've been wanting to try Circles, but haven't yet. I went once to Pizza Mania and was not impressed, plus it's quite a drive and not sure it's worth it.
re: rikkikm
If it is an extension of Circles in South Tampa, don't bother going. The rice is Uncle Ben's and the pasta is chef boyardee. I ordered Salmon and it was okay. SO and I went there for dinner with a few friends and it was one of the worst meals I have ever had. If I had to go there again, I would make sure to get tanked at the bar first so I would not notice how bad the food is. Sorry to be so mean, but the food really was soooo bad.
re: Everythingirl1
We were invited by enthusiastic (non-foodie) friends to the 'Circles' location in New Tampa on BBD for birthday 2008 and like Everythingirl1 said, it was one of the worst meals my wife and I ever had... Sad, because they were treating...
I faked praise and yum yum noises...
The Carrot bisque soup tasted like hot, thick, carrot juice...
No love, no soul, no creativity...
I was inspired to try it at home and first try mine was 47 billion times better...
My wife and I love Eggplant Parmesan, and she got that...
I was SHOCKED to see 4-5 unconnected slices of fried eggplant fanned out on a plate with some sauce spooned on top and a sprinkling of mozzarella...
Like $15.00... My wife was so deflated...
I still see it when I close my eyes!
Being the birthday boy I went for my top choice---- the Crown Rack of Lamb!
Once I ordered this at Sam Seltzer's and the crust was surprisingly familiar tasting... Soon I realized it was Shake 'n Bake, but even that was a hundred times better than this!
At least that had a crust, mooshy as it was...
I promise I'm not exaggerating...
It tasted like they took a raw factory unseasoned rack of lamb out of the fridge and tossed it right in the oven...
Then, when it was cooked, they spooned Campbell's French Onion Soup concentrate over it as a sauce...
That, being its only flavor element and way too strong...
I scraped that off ASAP...
Maybe if they added some dairy to the concentrate...
The meat was chewey, bland, and minerally, not having been seasoned in love the night before....
I described it to my wife on the way home as tasting like it was cooked on the hood of a Buick on a hot summer day...
I wanted to walk into that kitchen that very night and insist on helping, because the Chef obviously had to split...
The place was very pretty and the chef's wife/hostess, who my friends knew, was very nice...
No doubt, my favorite is Green Springs Bistro in Safety Harbor. The food is spot on. The people are great and the place is a work of art.
I also like:
Fine Dining:
Cafe Ponte, although they are not as great as they used to be...
Z Grille - although the chef is testy/inflexible - DT St. Pete
6 Tables of Dunedin
Island Way Grill - Clearwater Beach
Oystercatchers - Tampa/Westhore
Korean: Rice - Great grill at the table marinated short ribs - Tampa
Thai: Ban Thai (the best is really the Thai Temple on Sundays) - Safety Harbor
Viet: MeKong - Pinellas Park
Sushi: Kinjo - St. Pete
Chinese: ABC Chinese Seafood - St. Pete or Pinellas Park??
Mexican: La Chiquanita - Near DT Clearwater
Indian: Laziz - Safety Harbor
Polish: Perogie Grill - Clearwater
Greek: Costa's - Tarpon
Tapas: Ceviche - Tampa or St. Pete
Breakfast: Lenny's - Clearwater & Yanni's - Largo
Brunch: Don Cesar - St. Pete
re: Chow Harbor
I used to love Laziz; now there are new owners, NOTHING was as good as it was previously. . Haven't been back in over a year.
2475 N McMullen Booth Rd Ste J, Clearwater, FL 33759
I will second the recommendation for
Casa Ludovico, 1710 Alt. U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor; (727) 784-7779
Carpaccio to die for
and will add Vincenzo's on Main St in NPR
Weck's American Grill will open January 10 in Lutz; given the quality of Weck's Deli in Land O'Lakes it should be interesting.
Next to Mystic Fish in Palm Harbor, there was The Blue Heron. If it's still there (I am in Central FL now), order the lamb chops. The Lucky Dill deli on Alt. 19 and Alderman Rd. in PH is a must and if you order an entree the cheesecake is free. Mama's Place on the sponge docks in Tarpon makes the BEST pastitso and baked stuffed vegetables are not to be missed. That's the North Pinellas round-up. Being from Pasco means you want value, not a fuss. People go to Bonefish Grille on 54 for fish and Sam Seltzer's for steak.
re: Sumodo
Sam Seltzer's had what was by far the worst steak i've ever had in my life. I heard they closed. Good!
Zen Forrest is GREAT, just stay away from the shrimp in lobster sauce. They're specials are always wonderful and so are their starters. We've been going there since they opened and have never had a bad meal. Can't understand why they are never crowded.
There's finally a place that serves Vietnamese found in West Pasco. You can get pho and other Vietnamese dishes. They have special phos on the weekends.
Sunrise Asian Restaurant (727) 842-8822 3516 Us-19, Holiday/New Port Richey, FL
Sunrise Asian Restaurant
3516 US Highway 19, New Port Richey, FL 34652


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Pluto Stations Retrograde and Mercury Enters Aries
By Shelley L. Ackerman
[From my 'Shimmering Stars' column in The Westchester Guardian, © 2008]
Chicago is like New York, only better.
Not only is the Windy City cleaner, it's less expensive and far more civilized.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a New Yorker through and through, I was born in Manhattan and will most likely never leave the Big Apple. Besides, I couldn't even if I wanted to: I don't drive and I'd probably die if window-shopping and dropping in for at least one Starbucks a day were removed from my routine. But if I were ever to consider living anywhere else at all, the "Second City" is one very tempting option for sure.
I spent my birthday in Chicago last October (the chart was better than in NYC), and didn't expect to return so soon, but after several attempts I lucked out when a good friend came through with two highly coveted tickets to a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
The good news came by way of an email about six weeks ago which included very clear instructions: My guest and I had to arrive no later than 7 am (some come and line up as early as 4:45 am I'm told). No cell phones, cameras or recording devices are permitted and wearing bright colors are suggested- they're better for the camera. Our bags would be thoroughly searched.
Harpo Studios runs as good as a well-oiled Mercedes Benz. It's a universe unto itself, sort of like Emerald City with staffers of every age and background ready to greet and orient you from your arrival till your departure. My sister and I were especially delighted to see several retirees (at least in their 70's or 80's) on hand working to keep things moving smoothly.
Our coats were checked, bags searched (oddly, my folder of airline documents and other emails were removed, put in a plastic bag, and I was given a claim ticket); then we were seated in a waiting area (filled to near capacity for all of the 315 audience members), and given questionnaires to fill out and releases to sign. The waiting area had several flat screens way above eye level along the sides of the room, streaming montages of Oprah's greatest on air moments of the past twenty two years.
The blue questionnaire cards that we were given were for our questions for Doctor Oz for an upcoming show on the liver and pancreas (and you thought the producers did all the work). The releases we signed granted Harpo productions permission to photograph us and use our image for any reason into perpetuity. We had no idea who the guest was or what the topic would be for the show we were about to see.
The highlight of the pre-show waiting period was meeting Reggie Wells, Oprah's wizard of a make-up artist who's as personable as he is gifted. Reggie's been on the show many times. I adore him and was happy to learn that he's a Sagittarius (Sun/Jupiter conjunction on the ascendant), born on December 2. Oprah is an Aquarian but both her Moon and ascendant are Sagittarius. Reggie is beyond cool, very available, warm and wonderful. Most of Oprah's nearest and dearest are I'm told, which says a lot about who she really is.
About 20 minutes after we were finally seated and warmed up by the producers, Oprah emerged in sage green. She looked beautiful and though she seemed a bit tired, she radiated goodness. I liked her energy very much.
The show, which is scheduled to air April 3, was about a pregnant man who was born female, lost her mom at 12, took testosterone, had his breasts removed, but was still able to conceive. He and his wife went public to tell their story the way they wanted to. After the show, I asked a question about the flexibility of parental/gender roles which Oprah seemed to like, and shared my knowledge of a gay couple (two men) who are the most fabulous parents a kid could have ever wished for.
Oprah spoke of the importance of tolerance and asked, "Who here is part of our web-class or reading "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle?" She seemed disappointed that so few hands were raised and wondered out loud whether it was too esoteric. Too Esoteric? Hardly.
She then said that we owe a debt of gratitude to the Hippies in the 1960's, for they promoted the message of tolerance to the masses. Oprah's an Aquarian (Jan 29, 1954), and though she's reportedly not that into astrology, she was still talking Aquarius talk. Every astrologer worth his or her salt knows that it was the cultural revolution (the Uranus/Pluto conjunction) of the 1960's, depicted in the musical Hair (The Age of Aquarius), that gave rise to the Hippie Movement.
I have always felt that if Oprah were exposed to the way that astrology can contribute to the empowerment of an individual, and be used to serve the cause of tolerance she'd be open it.
After the show, we picked up our belongings and were asked if we wanted to submit questions for next week's show on getting out of debt with tough-talking financial guru Suze Orman.
The line for that was long too.
Chart: Pluto Stations Retrograde
Click for larger view
ARIES: There are six more weeks of Mars in Cancer to endure, and to avoid any and all unnecessary scuffles with family, be extremely clear about the extent of your involvement and overall availability between now and May 9th. On March 30th, keep romance private and a creative venture to yourself. Why even open the door to unwelcome comments or criticism? On April 2nd Mercury enters Aries and the words flow that much easier. Pluto's reversal in your career house begins a five month professional re-evaluation. Take your time.
TAURUS: You're aglow and buzzing: As Venus makes the rounds and conjoins Uranus in your 11th house of group activity, you will find yourself thrust into and at the center of an exciting community that you relish being a part of. And though a partner may be critical and/or jealous, stick with them. You have much to gain and learn from this association. The naysayer will eventually come around.
GEMINI: The last quarter Moon on the weekend could bring a conflict between disparate factions in your life to a head, but it's been a long time coming. Step back and allow the dust to settle. Your ruler, Mercury, is moving at break-neck speed, and so is your mind. And while the manic high feels so wonderful, there's only one place for it to end up, and who needs that? Exercise restraint, stop playing "both ends against the middle", and treat yourself to some bodywork.
CANCER: This week will be anything but boring but you're up for it. The good news is that a partner or spouse is now in a position to offer emotional and financial support for something you want badly, but the Pluto station and reversal will bring up around of second thoughts. Do not be discouraged and do not react. The challenge is to allow him or her to go through their process- you'd want the same courtesy, right? Clear your throat: Mercury enters Aries and you can literally talk your way into or out of anything.
LEO: Pluto and Saturn both retrograde in work/money houses doesn't not have to be a downer, but the overspending has to stop for the time being. This is the perfect time to bear down and break some bad habits once and for all. When Mercury enters Aries (and your 9th house of higher education, publishing and travel) on April 2, the door opens to generating some serious income from that wonderful imagination of yours.
VIRGO: A partner is crazed beyond words and the more you try to rein them in or to understand them, the less you will. But they're having a blast- so try to be happy for them. They'll come back down to earth fairly soon. In the meantime, you have other fish to fry. When Mercury goes into Aries on April 2, make a beeline to your bank, speak to your accountant and file those taxes. Discuss approaching your finances in a different way, and id you haven't done so already, consider forming a company.
LIBRA: Though part of you is an elitist, another part of you identifies just as strongly with the common man and the workers of the world. With Mercury and Venus conjoining Uranus (all in Pisces) in your 6th house of work, service and health, a little volunteerism goes a long way. Through a willing ness to serve others, several career opportunities present themselves. Are you ready to move beyond your comfort zone?
SCORPIO: This week, you have the unique challenge of enjoying yourself to the hilt in a social or romantic setting while playing it very close to the vest. Your ruler, Pluto, turns retrograde in your third house of communication and you won't feel like sharing that much, so don't. In addition, a sibling may be less forthcoming than usual. So the question is: are you capable of fun even when you have a lot on your mind? Why not? Think Clint Eastwood.
SAGITTARIUS: Just when an economic boost looked like a sure thing, there's a big fat block. But it ain't over till it's over, and trust me, it ain't over! The next few months may be sluggish, but there are things you can do and work on till your main ship comes in. Work on your home, your garden, or your apartment to move the energy around and in your favor. Whether you ever needed it or not, it is imperative to put together a bona fide home-office. Prepare to have several income streams
CAPRICORN: In the past two months you've become aware of parts of yourself you didn't even know existed, and as a result, you've begun to test your new wings and have set several new projects in motion. But even the strongest among us must take a step or two backwards to access where we've been and where we're going. From April 2 through Sep 8, Pluto will retrograde first in your sign, and then in Sagittarius. This review period is necessary to prep you for the mammoth out put of energy that will characterize the next 15 years of your life. Don't fight it.
AQUARIUS: The focus is on finance but it doesn't feel like drudgery at all. The meet-up of Mercury, Venus and your ruler, Uranus, in your 2nd house of earnings generates some long-awaited home-improvement. And if your main squeeze is on board, you may even look into buying some property and a reasonable rate. A group purchase with like-minded people is a possibility too. So is the "club house" you've always dreamed about.
PISCES: The combination of Venus, Mercury and Uranus on your ascendant has you wired for sound and up for the game. In this altered state, you easily dazzle and overwhelm the rest of us who are in a very different place. When Mercury goes into Aries (and your 2nd house of income) on April 2nd, see if you can turn some of your ideas into cash. Though you're used to handling this sort if thing yourself, let someone qualified do the talking for you. One of your cohorts would love to help


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Supplemental health insurance that covers In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) does so indirectly. Most traditional healthcare plans will not directly cover the procedure.
Supplemental health insurance for IVF covers the hoped-for result: the pregnancy. It makes a smart purchase for couples with and without direct healthcare coverage – because holes always remain, and supplemental policies are easier to obtain. Many couples find that secondary coverage is their only option.
- How supplemental programs work for IVF
- Paying for In Vitro Fertilization without coverage
- IVF treatments insurers may pay
Supplemental Health Insurance That Covers IVF
Supplemental health insurance that covers IVF works by reimbursing some of your expenses when you conceive and deliver a perfectly healthy baby. This is your objective after all, right? It works in the exact same manner as it does to cover other infertility treatments, but with an important twist.
The financial stakes are often much higher, the information needed to make smart choices is better, and there is a greater diversity of options. Supplemental health insurance that covers IVF may come with different names. Think creatively to pay for your treatments!
Bigger Financial Stakes
Couples considering IVF are often at the end-stage of their journey trying to conceive. They may have tried many other less costly infertility treatments only to come up empty. Many exhausted savings in the process. The procedure is very costly and coverage options are even scarcer. Many couples need to find programs to finance IVF costs in order to have the capital needed to begin treatments.
Lost Income
Remember that success often translates into lost income for mom during her maternity leave. Most families face an unpaid maternity leave. Short-term disability for IVF reimburses a portion of mom's income if she needs bed rest, and while recovering from childbirth. Do not take out a loan to finance your next cycle without securing mom's income first.
Purchasing income protection in advance of a planned disability is the first way that supplemental health insurance that covers IVF works. Make certain you purchase your policy before beginning your next cycle. Coverage must begin prior to conception.
Multiple Births
In Vitro Fertilization is often associated with multiple pregnancies. Your doctor may insert several fertilized eggs to improve your odds of conception. Multiple pregnancies are often high-risk, and deliver pre-term. Your infant(s) may spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and you may be left with extra medical bills.
Supplemental hospital indemnity is an ideal health plan for couples in this situation: it pays benefits for normal delivery, complications, premature birth, with an added bonus for multiples born pre-term. Any couple should consider purchasing a policy before starting their next cycle.
Once you become pregnant, it will be too late to purchase a policy. Purchasing coverage that addresses the exposure to twins or triplets confined to a NICU is the second way that supplemental health insurance for IVF works.
Finding Direct IVF Health Coverage
Supplemental health insurance that covers IVF works when mom gets pregnant. Nobody is certain how many cycles are needed to conceive, or whether conception will even occur. Finding direct coverage will be very difficult, but worth the effort if found. Most carriers will deny your request to pay for any artificial reproductive treatments unless compelled by law. You can find some strategies here.
Getting insurance that covers infertility is more involved than just looking up the laws in the state where you live or researching named companies that cover IVF. These laws mostly regulate group health plans issued in that state. Know your employer headquarter state. Learn how to find employers subject to mandates. Some will succeed, but most will not.
IVF Mandate States
There are nine IVF mandatory states. The mandates apply to certain groups. Mandates apply mostly to group health plans issued in the state. Large multiple state employers headquartered in these states must offer the same options to employees in all states.
Six states specifically exclude In Vitro Fertilization, but may require payments for supporting treatments.
Paying for IVF without Insurance
The vast majority of site visitors may find that have to pay without direct coverage. Purchasing supplemental health insurance that covers IVF adds to your costs of getting pregnant. Make these premiums more affordable by reducing what you pay upfront. If that describes your situation, you may find some assistance in several areas.
IVF Refunds
If you are unable to find a medical plan that covers In Vitro Fertilization, you may need to utilize a refund plan. These programs provide you an opportunity to purchase multiple cycles at a discount, and receive most or all of your money back if you fail to take home a baby. There are two hidden advantages of refund plans. You can lower costs, and provide financial security.
IVF Costs and Success Rates
Supplemental health insurance that covers IVF works best when success rates are high. The reason should be obvious by now. The policies only help offset costs only when mom becomes pregnant. Sometimes you have to make an informed bet. Supplemental programs are a great way to play the odds, but you have to be able to accurately project results.
Find IVF cost breakdowns. There are fees for the implantation, plus fertility drugs, testing, monitoring, and more. The biggest variable will be the number of cycles needed to get pregnant and bring home a baby. Odds go down as your age goes up. Keep more of your money by leveraging the tax code.
Factor in success rates to project what you might spend and make difficult choices about how to spread your premium dollars.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (IUI) is an additional procedures many couples utilize in conjunction with IVF to improve the odds of conception. Your embryologist will take a single sperm and inject it directly into an egg. Your medical plan may not pay for this procedure.
What Insurance may pay for IVF?
Supplemental health insurance that covers IVF works for couples that have direct coverage too. Traditional healthcare plans do not protect mom's income, and leave many unreimbursed medical expenses. Learn what your traditional plan may cover to budget for the additional premiums for your supplemental policies.
If you are one of the lucky few that have healthcare benefits that cover treatments, you will find that there is a great deal of inconsistency. Each state mandate differs in terms of qualifying criteria, waiting periods, number of cycles supported, and more. Below are some of the issues you may encounter, along with some alternatives to explore.
Your traditional healthcare plan may cover the cost of medications. Certain mandates may cover infertility medications. If the drug treats an underlying health condition, then all plans may cover the medication. Be sure to get approvals before beginning a cycle.
Most health plans will not provide benefits for genetic testing. However, that does not mean you cannot make a compelling business case. Learn how to cover pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.
Most plans may cover other forms of testing needed to determine the underlying medical cause of infertility. Work with your clinics financial advisor to submit the appropriate codes to improve the chances that testing is included.
Healthcare benefits for IVF surrogacy has recently improved dramatically. Previously it was difficult to find a plan that would cover the resulting pregnancy. Maternity benefits under Obamacare provide two new angles: maternity, hospitalization, and newborn care are essential health benefits, and the surrogate may qualify for government premium subsidies. Many surrogates may have lower incomes, which allow them to qualify for a larger government contribution.
Couples sometimes choose to leave the country to find lower cost options. Book your trip with a rewards credit card, and get free travel insurance that covers trip cancellations. Read your healthcare plan documents carefully to verify that international care is included before traveling out of the country.


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Explore - Ceramic Design
Amsterdam Retail Therapy
On a drizzly afternoon in Holland's capital city, I took to the streets, armed with a map, a copy of a great little guide book, Amsterdam Made by Hand, and absolutely no problem getting lost along...written by: Jordan Kushinsphotos by: Jordan Kushins06.27.11
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Memphis, fresh off their most impressive victory to date on the first of the month when they defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys, ranked No.5 at that time. The Tigers followed up that performance as they should have, with a blowout victory over Northwestern State.
While a showdown with the ranked Florida Gators awaits them on Tuesday, they will look to avoid the upset against Arkansas-Little Rock. Memphis are favored big, but Arkansas-Little Rock does have talent on its roster. Forward Will Neighbour is currently posting averages of 18.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest.
How to Watch
Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (3-5, 0-0 in Sun Belt) @ #16 Memphis Tigers (6-1, 0-0)
Friday the 13th
8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Picture Box : ESPN3
Should you be watching?
Sure. The only truly appealing match-up on Friday is No.23 Iowa at No.17 Iowa State, and that doesn't tip off until 9:30 PM. Memphis is always an intriguing team, and with Florida finally getting healthy and restoring to full-strength, it will be interesting to see if the Tigers can take care of business early and perhaps get some rest.
Also, as I said earlier, Neighbour is an interesting talent that will never be a household name. Regardless, after he posted 21 against Florida earlier in the season, it will be intriguing to see what he can do against another ranked team.
Tags: Memphis Tigers Will Neighbour