text:
|By Jim O'Neil
Article Rating:
|August 30, 2012 12:23 AM EDT
The Big Picture
The concept of periodic notifications is a simple one: it's a publication/subscription model. Some external application or service creates and exposes a badge or tile XML template for the Windows 8 application to consume on a regular cadence. The only insight the Windows 8 application has is the public HTTP/HTTPS endpoint that the notification provider exposes. What's in the notification and how often it's updated is completely within the purview of the notification provider. The Windows 8 application does need to specify the interval at which it will check for new content – selecting from a discrete set of values from 30 minutes to a day – and that should logically correspond to the frequency at which the notification content is updated, but there is no strict coupling of those two events.
Take for instance, a Windows 8 application for Chez Contoso (right), a local trendy restaurant that displays its featured entrée on a daily basis within a Start screen tile, trying to lure you in for a scrumptious dinner. Of course the chef's spotlight offering will vary daily, so it's not something that can be packaged up in the application itself; furthermore, the eatery may want to have some flexibility on the style of notification it provides – mixing it up across the several dozen tile styles to keep the app's presence on the Start screen looking fresh and alive.
Early each morning then, the restaurant management merely needs to update a public URI that returns the template with information on the daily special. The users of the restaurant's application, which taps into that URI, will automatically see the updates, whether or not they even run the application that day.
Using Windows Azure Storage
Since the notification content that needs to be hosted is just a small snippet of XML, a simple approach is to leverage Windows Azure blob storage, which can expose all of its contents via HTTP/HTTPS GET requests to a blob endpoint URI.
In fact, if Chez Constoso owned the Windows Azure storage account, the restaurant manager could simply copy the XML file over to the cloud (using a file copy utility like CloudBerry Explorer), and with an access policy permitting public read access to the blob container, the Windows 8 application would merely need to register the URI of that blob in the call to startPeriodicUpdate (along with a polling period of a day and an initial poll time of 9 a.m.). There would be no requirement (or cost) for an explicit cloud service per se: the Windows Azure Storage service fills that need by supporting update and read operations on cloud storage.
Unfortunately, there is a catch! By default, the expiration period for a tile is three days; furthermore, if the client machine is not connected to the network at the time the poll for the update is made, that request is skipped. In the Chez Contoso scenario, this could mean that the daily dinner special for Monday might be what the user sees on his or her Start screen through Wednesday – not ideal for either the restaurant or the patron.
- The good news is that to ensure content in a tile is not stale, a expiration time can be provided via a header in the HTTP response that returns the XML template payload, and upon expiry, the tile will be replaced by the default image specified in the application manifest.
- The bad news is that you can't set HTTP headers when using Azure blob storage alone, you need a service intermediary to serve up the XML and set the appropriate header… enter Windows Azure.
Using Windows Azure Cloud Services
A Windows Azure service for a periodic notification can be pretty lightweight – it need only read the XML file from Windows Azure storage and set the X-WNS-Expires header that specifies when the notification expires. Truth be told, you may not need a cloud storage account since the service could generate the XML content from some other data source. In fact, that same service could expose an interface or web form that the restaurant management uses to supply content for the tile. To keep this example simple and focused though, let's assume that the XML template is stored directly in Windows Azure storage at a known URI location; how it got there is left to the reader :).
With Windows Azure there are three primary ways to setup a service:
Windows Azure Web Sites, a low cost and quick option for setting up simple yet scalable services.
Windows Azure Virtual Machines, an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas) offering, enabling you to build and host a Linux or Windows VM with whatever service code and infrastructure you need.
Windows Azure Cloud Services, a Platform-as-a-Service offering, through which you can deploy a Web Role as a service running within IIS.
I previously covered the provisioning of Web Sites in my blog post on storing notification images in the cloud, so this time I'll go with the Platform-as-a-Service offering using Windows Azure Cloud Services and ASP.NET.
Getting Set Up for Azure Development
If you haven't used Windows Azure before, now's a great time to get a 90-day free, no-risk trial.
As far as tooling goes, you can use Visual Studio 2012, Visual Studio 2010, or Visual Web Developer Express. I'm using Visual Studio 2012 for the rest of this post, but the experience is quite similar for Visual Studio 2010 and Visual Web Developer Express.
Since the service will be developed in ASP.NET, you'll also want to download specifically the Windows Azure SDK for .NET (via the Web Platform Installer). In fact, if you don't have Visual Studio already installed, this will give you Visual Web Developer Express automatically.
Creating the Service
In Visual Studio, create a new Solution (File>New Project…) of type Cloud:
When you create a new Cloud Service, you get the option to create a number of other related projects, each corresponding to a Web or Worker Role that is deployed under the umbrella (and to the same endpoint) of that Cloud Service. Web and Worker Roles typically coordinate with other Azure services like storage and the Service Bus to provide highly scalable, decoupled, and asynchronous implementations. In this simple scenario, you need only a single Web Role, which will host a simple service.
For the type of ASP.NET MVC project, select Web API, a convenient and lightweight option for building a REST-ful service:
Coding the Service
At a minimum, the service needs to do two things:
- return the tile XML content within a predetermined Windows Azure blob URI, the same one that is updated by the restaurant every morning at 9 a.m.
- set the X-WNS-Expires header to the time at which the requested tile should no longer be shown to the user. In this case, let's assume the restaurant stops serving the special at midnight each day, and you don't want to show the tile after that time.
To create the API for returning the XML content, add a new empty API Controller called Tiles on the ASP.NET MVC 4 project (or you can just modify the ValuesController that gets automatically created):
In that controller, you'll need a single Get method (corresponding to the HTTP GET request that the Windows 8 application will make on a regular basis to get the XML tile content). That Get method will access a parameter indicating the name of the blob on Windows Azure that contains the XML. For example, a URL like:
will access the blob called dinner in a Windows Azure blob storage container called chezcontoso. The api/tiles segment of the URL is controlled by the ASP.NET MVC route that is set by default in the global.asax file of the project, so it too can be modified if you like.
The complete code for that Get method follows and is also available as a Gist on GitHub for easier viewing and cutting-and-pasting. Note, you will need to supply your own storage account credentials in Line 5ff (see below for a primer on setting up your storage account).
1: // /api/tiles/<tilename>
2: public HttpResponseMessage Get(String id)
3: {
4: // set cloud storage credentials
5: var client = new Microsoft.WindowsAzure.StorageClient.CloudBlobClient(
6: "http://YOUR_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_NAME.blob.core.windows.net",
7: new Microsoft.WindowsAzure.StorageCredentialsAccountAndKey(
10: )
11: );
13: // create HTTP response
14: var response = new HttpResponseMessage();
15: try
16: {
17: // get XML template from storage
18: var xml = client.GetBlobReference(id.Replace("_", "/")).DownloadText();
20: // format response
21: response.StatusCode = System.Net.HttpStatusCode.OK;
22: response.Content = new StringContent(xml);
23: response.Content.Headers.ContentType =
24: new System.Net.Http.Headers.MediaTypeHeaderValue("text/xml");
26: // set expires header to invalidate tile when content is obsolete
27: response.Content.Headers.Add("X-WNS-Expires", GetExpiryTime().ToString("R"));
28: }
29: catch (Exception e)
30: {
31: // send a 400 if there's a problem
32: response.StatusCode = System.Net.HttpStatusCode.BadRequest;
33: response.Content = new StringContent(e.Message + "\r\n" + e.StackTrace);
34: response.Content.Headers.ContentType =
35: new System.Net.Http.Headers.MediaTypeHeaderValue("text/plain");
36: }
38: // return response
39: return response;
40: }
42: private DateTime GetExpiryTime()
43: {
44: return DateTime.UtcNow.AddDays(1);
45: }
And now for the line-by-line examination of the code:
|Line 2
|The Get method is defined to accept a single argument (this will be of the format container_blob) which is automatically passed in by the ASP.NET MVC routing engine to the id parameter. This leverages the default route for APIs as defined in the App_Start/WebApiConfig.cs of the ASP.NET MVC project, but you do have full control over the specific path and format of the URL.
|Lines 5-11
|This instantiates the StorageClient class wrapper for interacting with Windows Azure blob storage. For simplicity, the credentials are hard-coded into this method. As a best practice, you should include your credentials in the role configuration (see the Configuring a Connection String to a Storage Account in Configuring a Windows Azure Project) and then reference that setting in code via RoleEnvironment.GetConfigurationSettingValue.
|Line 14
|A new HTTP response object is created, details for which are filled by the rest of the code in the method.
|Line 18
|The blob resource in Windows Azure is downloaded using the account set in Line 5ff. The id parameter is assumed to be of the format container_blob, with the underscore character separating the distinct Windows Azure blob construct references. Since references to containers and blobs in Windows Azure require the / separator, the underscore in the parameter value is replaced before the call is made to download the content.
You could alternatively create a new MVC routing rule that accepted two parameters to the Get method, container and blob, and then concatenate those values here. I opted for the implementation here so as not to require additional modifications in other parts of the ASP.NET MVC project.
|Line 21
|A success code is set for the HTTP response, since an exception would have occurred if the tile content were not found. It's still possible that the content is not valid, but the notification engine in Windows 8 will handle that silently and transparently and simply not attempt to update the tile.
|Line 22
|The content payload for the tile, which should be just a snippet of XML subscribing to the Tile schema, is added to the HTTP response.
|Line 23
|The content type is, of course, XML.
|Line 27
|To guard against stale content, the X-WNS-Expires header is set to the time at which the tile should no longer be displayed on the user's Start screen, and instead the default defined in the application's manifest should be used. Here the time calculation is refactored into a separate method which just adds a day to the current time. That's actually not the best implementation, but we'll refine that a bit later in the post.
Note that the time is formatted using the "R" specifier, which applies the RFC1123 format required for HTTP dates.
|Lines 31-35
|The exception handling code is fairly simplistic but sufficient for the example. If there's any problem in accessing the blob content, a HTTP 400 status code is returned. The notification processing component of Windows 8 will realize there's a problem and not attempt to modify the tile. The additional information provided (message and stack trace) is there for diagnostic purposes; it would never be visible to the user of the Windows 8 application.
|Line 39
|The HTTP response is returned as the result of the service request.
|Line 42-45
|GetExpiryTime calculates when the tile should expire and the default tile defined in the application's manifest should be reinstated. In the code embedded above, the tile will expire one day after the content was polled versus the default of three days. The Gist includes an updated version of that calculation that I'll discuss a bit later in the post.
Testing the Service
The Windows Azure SDK includes an emulator that allows you to run a Windows Azure service on your local machine for testing. You can invoke the emulator when running Visual Studio (as an administrator) by hitting F5 (or Ctrl+F5). For the service application we're working with, that will open a browser to the default page for the site. That page isn't the one you want, of course, but since the tile is available via an HTTP GET request, simply supplying the appropriately formatted URI should bring up the XML content in the browser.
After confirming the service works, it's time to give it shot with a real Windows 8 application that leverages periodic notifications. If you've got one coded already, then all you need to do is provide the full URI to startPeriodicUpdate. If you haven't written your app yet, the Push and periodic notifications client-side sample offers a quick way to test.
When you run that sample, select the fourth scenario (Polling for tile updates) and enter the URL for the service you just created. Then press the Start periodic updates button.
As for all periodic updates, when startPeriodicUpdate is called, the endpoint is polled immediately, so you should see the tile updated on your Start Screen along the lines of what is shown to the left. If you were to manually update the tile XML in blob storage, you should see the new content reflected in about a half-hour, since that's the default recurrence period specified in the sample application. For the actual application, a recurrence period of one day makes more sense; additionally, you'd set the startTime parameter in the call to startPeriodicUpdate to 9 a.m. or slightly after to be sure that the poll picks up the daily refreshed content.
Deploying the Service
When you're satisfied the application is working with the local service, you're ready to deploy it to the cloud with your 90-day free Windows Azure account (or any other account you may have). You can deploy the ASP.NET site to Windows Azure directly from Visual Studio by selecting the Publish option from the Cloud Service project (right).
If this is the first time you've published to Windows Azure from Visual Studio, you'll need to download your publishing credentials, which you can access via the link provided on the Publish Windows Azure Application dialog below.
Selecting that link prompts you to login to the Windows Azure portal with your credentials and download a file with the .publishsettings extension. Save that file to your local disk and click the Import button to link Visual Studio to your Azure subscription. You only need to do this once, and you should then secure (or remove) the .publishsettings file, since it contains information that would enable others to access your account. With the subscription now in place, you can continue to the next step of the wizard.
You may next be prompted to create a storage account on Windows Azure. This account is used to store your deployment package during the publication process, and it can be used by all the services you ultimately end up deploying. As a result, you need only do this once; although, you can change the default storage account used at a later stage in the wizard. To create the account enter a storage account name, which must be unique across all of Windows Azure, and indicate which of the eight data centers should house the account.
If you have existing services deployed, you'll have the option to update one of those with the build currently in Visual Studio, or as in this case, you can create a new Cloud Service on Windows Azure. Doing so requires supplying (1) a service name (which must be unique across Windows Azure since it becomes the third level domain name prepended to the cloudapp.net domain which all Windows Azure Cloud Services are a part of) and (2) the location of the data center where the service will run. As you can see to the left, I chose my service to reside in the East US and be addressable via periodicnotifications.cloudapp.net.
If the service name is valid and not in use, the Common Settings and Advanced Settings options will be populated automatically and allow some customization of how the service runs and what capabilities you have (e.g., remote desktop to your VM in the cloud, whether to use a production or staging slot, if Intellisense is enabled, etc.) The defaults are fine for our purposes here, but you can read more about the additional settings on the Windows Azure site.
At this point the Next button brings you to a summary screen which indicates that your choices will be saved for when you redeploy, or you can just click Publish to deploy your service to Windows Azure now. Within Visual Studio you can keep tabs on the deployment via the Windows Azure Activity log (accessible via the View->Other Windows menu option in Visual Studio) – note that it may take 10 minutes or more the first time you deploy to a new service; subsequent updates are generally much quicker.
Now that the service is fully deployed to the cloud, you can revisit the sample tile application and provide the Azure hosted URI (versus the localhost one used earlier when testing) to see the complete end-to-end process in action!
Tidying Up
Earlier on, I mentioned I'd revisit the tile timeout logic, namely the implementation of GetExpiryTime in the code sample; it's time to clean up that loose end!
Since Chez Contoso updates its menu daily at 9 a.m., it seems quite logical to have the tile expire on a daily basis (which was the default implementation I introduced above), but that creates a less than satisfactory experience:
When users fire up the application for the first time, the URI will be polled for the tile and by default the tile will expire 24 hours from then. If a user should first access the app at 8:45 a.m. and then disconnect for the rest of the day, they will continue to see the previous day's special on their Start screen! I'd say that if the restaurant stops serving at midnight, no one should continue to see that day's special beyond that point.
To address that scenario, here's an updated implementation of GetExpiryTime:
1: private DateTime GetExpiryTime()
2: {
3: Int32 TimeZoneOffset = -4; // EDT offset from UTC
5: // get representation of local time for restaurant
6: var requestLocalTime = DateTime.UtcNow.AddHours(TimeZoneOffset);
8: // if request is hitting before 9 a.m., information is stale
9: if (requestLocalTime.Hour <= 8)
10: return DateTime.UtcNow.AddDays(-1);
12: // else, set tile to expire at midnight local time
13: else
14: {
15: var minutesUntilExpiry = (24 - requestLocalTime.Hour) * 60
- requestLocalTime.Minute;
16: return DateTime.UtcNow.AddMinutes(minutesUntilExpiry);
17: }
18: }
The basic algorithm here is to convert the time the request hits the server (in UTC) to the equivalent local time. Here, I'm assuming the restaurant is on the East Coast of the United States, which currently is offset by four hours from UTC (Line 3). One disadvantage of this particular approach is that the conversion to Standard Time will require a change to the algorithm. That could be alleviated by moving the offset to the services configuration file (ServiceConfiguration.cscfg), but it would still need to be updated twice a year. A more robust (and likely complex) implementation is almost certainly possible, but I'm deeming this 'close enough' to illustrate the concept.
Once the representation of the time local to the restaurant is obtained (Line 6), a check is made to see if the time is before or after 9 a.m., the time we're assuming management is prompt about updating the coming evening's special.
If it's before 9 a.m. that day (Line 9), then the tile is set to expire before it's even delivered, because the current contents refer to the previous day's special entrée. This does mean that the tile is delivered unnecessarily, but the payload is small, and the Windows 8 notification mechanism will honor the expiration date. An alternative would be to return an HTTP status code of 404, which may be more correct and elegant, but require updating a bit more of the other code.
If the request arrives after 9 a.m. Chez Contoso time (Line 13ff), then the expiration time is calculated by determining how many minutes are left until midnight. Once that time hits, the tile on the user's Start screen will be replaced with the default supplied in the application's manifest, which would probably include a stock photo or some other generic and time insensitive text.
Final Design Considerations
Congratulations! At this point you should have a cloud service setup that can service one or many of your Windows 8 applications. Before signing off on this post though, I wanted to reiterate a few things to keep in mind about periodic notifications.
- If the machine is not connected to the internet when it's time to poll the external URI, then that attempt is skipped and not retried until the next scheduled recurrence – which could be as long as a day away. The takeaway here is to consider expiration policies on your tiles so that stale content is removed from the user's Start screen.
- The polling interval is not precise; there can be as much as a 15-minute delay for the notification mechanism to poll the endpoint.
- The URI is always polled immediately when a client first registers (via startPeriodicUpdate), but you can specify a start time of the next poll and then the recurrence interval for every request thereafter.
- You can leverage the notification queue by providing up to five URIs to be polled at the given interval. Each of those can have separate expiration policies and also provide different tag value (X-WNS-Tag header) to determine which tile of the set should be replaced with new content.
This section is a primer for setting up a Windows Azure storage account in case you want to follow along with the blog post above and set up your own periodic notification endpoints in Windows Azure. If you've already worked with Windows Azure blob storage, you won't miss anything by skipping this!
Getting Your Windows Azure Account
There are a number of options to quickly provision a Windows Azure account. Many of these are either free or have a free monthly allotment of services - more than enough to get your feet wet and explore how Windows Azure can enhance Windows 8 applications from a developer and an end-user perspective:
- Free 90-day trial
- MSDN subscription
- Microsoft Cloud Essentials (via Microsoft Partner Network)
- Microsoft BizSpark benefits
- Microsoft WebsiteSpark benefits
- 6-month and pay-as-you-go plans
Creating Your Storage Account
Once your subscription has been provisioned, log in to the Windows Azure Management Portal, and select the NEW option at the bottom left.
From the list of options on the left, select STORAGE and then QUICK CREATE:
You'll need to provide two things before clicking CREATE STORAGE ACCOUNT:
- a unique name for your storage account (3-24 lowercase, alphanumeric characters), which also becomes the first element of the five part hostname that you'll used to access blobs, tables and queues within that storage account, and
- the region you'd like your data to be stored, namely one of Azure's eight data center locations worldwide.
Once your account is created, select the account in the portal, and click the MANAGE KEYS option at the bottom center, to bring up your primary and secondary access key. You'll ultimately need to use one of these keys (either is fine) to create items in your storage account.
Installing a Storage Account Client
The Windows Azure Management portal doesn't provide any options for creating, retrieving or updating data within your storage account, so you'll probably want to install one of the numerous storage client application out there. There is a wide variety of options from free to paid, from proprietary to open source. Here is a partial list of the one's I'm aware of – I tend to favor Cloudberry Storage Explorer when working with blob storage.
- Cloudberry Explorer
- Cerebrata Cloud Storage Studio
- ClumsyLeaf CloudXplorer
- Azure Blob Studio 2011
- Azure Storage Explorer
Regardless of which you use, you'll need to setup access to your storage account by providing the storage account name and either the primary or secondary account key. Here for instance is a screen shot of how to do it Cloudberry Explorer:
Creating a Container
Windows Azure Blob storage is a two-level hierarchy of container and blobs:
- a container is somewhat like a file folder, except containers cannot be nested. This is the level at which you can define an access policy applying to the container and the blobs within it,
- a blob is simply an unstructured bit of data; think of it as a file with some metadata and a MIME-type associated with it. Blobs always reside in containers and are accessed with a URI of the format https://accountname.blob.core.windows.net/container-name/blob-name (http is also supported).
You can create a container programmatically of course, and the 3rd party notification service could do so, but it's likely you'll set up the container before hand and let the service simply deal with the blobs (XML files) in it. Depending on the storage client you're using, creating a container will be very much like creating a file folder in Explorer. Here's a snapshot of the user interface in CloudBerry Explorer.
Note that I've set the container policy to Public read access for blobs only, which would allow the storage account to be a direct endpoint that a Windows 8 application can subscribe to for periodic notifications. That's a supported, but less than ideal approach as the body of the blog post above explains. A service-based delivery approach would allow a more stringent access policy of "No public read access," since the storage key could be used by and secured at the service host.
Read the original blog entry...
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Nov. 26, 2014 02:00 PM EST Reads: 1,608
Explosive growth in connected devices. Enormous amounts of data for collection and analysis. Critical use of data for split-second decision making and actionable information. All three are factors in making the Internet of Things a reality. Yet, any one factor would have an IT organization pondering its infrastructure strategy. How should your organization enhance its IT framework to enable an Internet of Things implementation? In his session at Internet of @ThingsExpo, James Kirkland, Chief Architect for the Internet of Things and Intelligent Systems at Red Hat, described how to revolutioniz...
Nov. 24, 2014 07:00 PM EST Reads: 1,715
Bit6 today issued a challenge to the technology community implementing Web Real Time Communication (WebRTC). To leap beyond WebRTC's significant limitations and fully leverage its underlying value to accelerate innovation, application developers need to consider the entire communications ecosystem.
Nov. 24, 2014 12:00 PM EST Reads: 1,617
The definition of IoT is not new, in fact it's been around for over a decade. What has changed is the public's awareness that the technology we use on a daily basis has caught up on the vision of an always on, always connected world. If you look into the details of what comprises the IoT, you'll see that it includes everything from cloud computing, Big Data analytics, "Things," Web communication, applications, network, storage, etc. It is essentially including everything connected online from hardware to software, or as we like to say, it's an Internet of many different things. The difference ...
Nov. 24, 2014 11:00 AM EST Reads: 1,739
Cloud Expo 2014 TV commercials will feature @ThingsExpo, which was launched in June, 2014 at New York City's Javits Center as the largest 'Internet of Things' event in the world.
Nov. 24, 2014 09:00 AM EST Reads: 1,777


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Where to Buy Garcinia Cambogia Extract
Garcinia Cambogia is the most talked about weight loss supplement today. The extract of this super fruit contains Hydroxycitric Acid, which is a natural ingredient that can help individuals burn fat. Garcinia Cambogia can be found in parts of India and Southeast Asia. It has long been used for its potent health benefits. Many people claim that this super fruit can be the answer to anyone's weight loss woes. Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract claims to deliver fast, safe and effective weight loss without having to hit the gym.
How does it work?
Garcinia Cambogia works as an appetite suppressant. While taking this supplement, you will not experience any food cravings that can ruin your diet. This stops your sweet tooth from acting up during the day by balancing out hormones that can affect your eating habit. Emotional eaters or those who binge when they are stressed usually have fluctuating hormone levels which cause them to crave for certain types of food. Garcinia Cambogia can effectively help you manage your stress by increasing your Serotonin levels. This is good news for those who find it difficult to get a good night's rest. Not only will you lose weight, you'll feel better and more energized during the day. This supplement is great for your overall health.
Where to Buy Garcinia Cambogia Extract
When looking for an effective weight loss supplement, you need to take note of any nasty side effects. Garcinia Cambogia only contains natural ingredients, meaning it is safe to consume. It is best that you take the supplement as instructed and that you drink a lot of water along with it. The Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract is 100% natural and was made in a GNP certified lab. Other supplements might not deliver the same results as this because you need at least 60% HCA included in the mix.
Customer reviews
Before purchasing a product, it is important to know what other people are saying. Many people claim that Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract is the only supplement that has ever worked for them. The great thing about this diet pill is that it will not leave you feeling exhausted at the end of the day. You won't experience horrible energy crashes, nor will you go through undesirable side-effects. This diet pill really delivers what it promises to do – stops your body from storing fat and decreases your appetite.
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There are too many weight loss supplements in the market today that promise the same thing – fast and effective results. Unfortunately, a lot of people buy into flashy advertising and pushy salesmen just to end up with zero results. Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract is not like your every day weight loss supplement, it is all natural and very safe. While taking this diet pill, you don't need to worry about hitting the gym or constantly counting your calories. You can shed weight fast, minus the scary side-effects. You can't compromise your health just to shed a few pounds. Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract supplements allows you to lose weight safely.

subset: commoncrawl


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GreatSchools Rating
Teacher quality
Principal leadership
Parent involvement
Since the new Principal and Dean have come on board this year the school has been running in tip top shape. You can tell that there was a large problem in previous years and it apparently stemmed from the top down. I have been nothing but happy with the new changes that both the Principal and Dean have put into affect. They truly care to make a change - and for the better! I'm sad that one of my kids is leaving after this year for middle school; however I feel she has been properly prepared for what is ahead. I have absolutely loved all the teachers my children have had throughout the years. They have all gone above and beyond and some have become like family to us!!!! I feel blessed to have my kids attending this school.
My son is a kindergartener and we have had several problems with the current principal. It seams like the teachers only notice when son misbehaves but when it comes up to my son letting then know what other students do stuff to him, his problems aren't important. I've hd my son come home with scratches on his face and no note from nurse. My son has told me several times that when he tries to let the staff know about his problems he is told, "only tell us big problems, not small problems." He has also been called a "snitch" when he tells them he will tell his parents. I made the principal be aware of this but she didn't make me feel any better. All I got was that the staff would NEVER use such language...
Star Lake is a wonderful school; the teachers and staff are excellent and committed to the children. The mixed age classrooms have been a wonderful match for my child. The dean and principal have always been available and willing to listen to my concerns.
Star Lake has an amazing staff. Teachers are friendly and highly dedicated to helping all students become successful. Some of the teachers are the best I have ever seen. Office staff and playground supervisors do an amazing job of including students in helping the school run smoothly and feel like they matter every day. I highly recommend this school if you want your child to be taught by the best. Students are well cared for and are a part of a family!
The administration at this school has been a nightmare to work with and many of the support staff have horrible attitudes towards their jobs including a recess supervisor who bullies children through physical and verbal intimidation. Despite my evidence of this, the principal consistently defended this individual and ignored my numerous documented concerns. I have never worked with a more arrogant and self-righteous principal. I speak as a foster/adoptive parent and someone who cares deeply about our communities most vulnerable children. I plead with you that If you have special needs children/children with behavior problems, PLEASE avoid this school. The only redeeming quality of this school are that some of the teachers are stellar and care about the children in their care. However, this was not enough and for the safety of my children, we had to finally leave this school. We are now at a new school and the difference is night and day. Bottom line, if you have high achieving and perfectly conforming child, you will probaly not despise this school, but if your child has any behavior problems and you have to advocate for your child, you will experience nothing but problems.
not so good...the principal has repeatedly treated me like a child. she even repeated something I said about a teacher to him! the truely sad thing is she only had half the story to pass on as i was stopped in the middle of expressing my thought, when she insisted that I not talk about my concerns in front of my son. Then she quick runs and tells the teacher what I said, even though she did not yet have the full story! I found out what she had done when my son and I stopped to talk to his teacher about something else entirely and there she was, and there he was all offended! Am I crazy? this just doesn't seem right to me!
Star Lake won performance-based awards both this year and last. There are some amazing teachers and staff at this school, and an excellent principal who is very attentive and responsive to the needs of students and families. There's also a strong sense of community which is fostered through several evening events for students and families. We're a family who is highly concerned about education, and we're very pleased.
Great school great teachers but, this year new principal and I don't feel she has good communication with the parents at all. Not like last years principal.
Great school! Wonderful teachers, they have great communication with parents. The PTA is very easy to work with, and fun to be involved in. The principal is an effective leader, and wonderful with the kids.
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
The Community Rating is the school's average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
4014 South 270th
Kent, WA 98031
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It was not untill the spring of 2008 when a large radio crew was formed in Thessaloniki giving birth to Paranoise Radio. Using Internet, the ... See more
Athens - Attica, Greece - English
Songs playing in Paranoise Web Radio


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stop looking at my siggy
here welcome to: forums > dear dish-it > style > i look sick
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Need style tips or makeup advice? Have fashion questions? Not sure what to wear or how to wear it? Post your comment here!
A great online version of the famous Candy Crush. This is the best game launched...
Have you ever fancied being a ranger like those fantasy characters you love so m...
Millions of Students will be doing an Hour of Code with Tynker December 8th-14th...
You run across the city in a car chase with the police officers.
The evil master kidnapped all of your friends!


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Guitarist wiz Nels Cline says he used to envy people who could stick to one genre, like musicians who'd say, "All I do is play swing, or all I do is play bluegrass, or all I do is play prepared guitar." But for Cline, due tonight at Dazzle, focusing on one style has never really been his bag. His fa ... More >>
Grab the Guinness Book of World Records, because we've got a ridiculous tale to tell. Earlier this week, a man in Australia purchased a Led Zeppelin T-shirt for $10,000, making it the largest sum anyone has paid for a vintage band shirt. That doesn't mean there aren't shirts that are valued h ... More >>
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge)Montreal's Arcade Fire, whose Grammy-nominated 2004 debut LP Funeral was the indie hit of the last decade, throws somewhat of a curveball on its new, sixteen-cut album, The Suburbs. Thirty-year-old Win Butler earnestly -- and patiently -- comments on modern ... More >>
Phish, which kicks off its summer tour in June, is slated to play back-to-back dates at Telluride Town Park on Monday and Tuesday, August 9 and 10. An online ticket request period is currently underway and ends March 26. After that, tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday, Ap ... More >>
From Wilco to fronting his own band, this forward-thinking guitarist is happy about the shape he's in.
Except for Nels Cline occasionally singing through a tiny toy megaphone into his guitar pick-up, there aren't any singers in the Nels Cline Singers. Rather the instrumental trio, which also features bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Scott Amendola have been traversing the lines of jazz, free improvis ... More >>
Dylan, McGuinn keep the fires burning
The Court and Spark unearths country rock's past to find its future.
For Maraca Five-O, instro-rock means catchin' an asphalt wave.
Former Byrd Roger McGuinn wants to keep folk aloft.
Mary Lou Lord is smarter than the average busker.


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That, "stylish black ensemble", she has been wearing looks more like a baggy pair of Ho Chi Minh pajama´s designed by Omar the Tentmaker.
Click Here if you Like this Comment 28 persons like this.
I´m so glad that they are having such a good time. They really deserved this free vacation, after all their hard work for us. I noticed not a single other tourist on the Great Wall. I´m sure all of the people who had saved their money for years to come see this, but were not allowed in, don´t mind, since it was all for the good of our Queen and her lovely children.
Click Here if you Like this Comment 14 persons like this.
I would love to visit The Great Wall of China... Wish I had money to travel. I am paying higher costs on food, shelter, clothing, and health insurance.BTw, I don´t see stores flooded with Mitchel´s style.
Click Here if you Like this Comment 20 persons like this.
I wonder if Michelle will come back to America and thank the American taxpayers for her trip to China.
Click Here if you Like this Comment 10 persons like this.
I would like to know who the other 66 people are that are on the tri. They couldn´t all be secret service.
Click Here if you Like this Comment 12 persons like this.


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text:
Hold On Lyrics - Tom Waits
Review The Song (1)
They hung a sign up in our town
"if you live it up, you won't
live it down"
So, she left Monte Rio, son
Just like a bullet leaves a gun
With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips
She went and took that California trip
Well, the moon was gold, her
Hair like wind
She said don't look back just
Come on Jim
Oh you got to
Hold on, Hold on
You got to hold on
Take my hand, I'm standing right here
You gotta hold on
Well, he gave her a dimestore watch
And a ring made from a spoon
Everyone is looking for someone to blame
But you share my bed, you share my name
Well, go ahead and call the cops
You don't meet nice girls in coffee shops
She said baby, I still love you
Sometimes there's nothin left to do
Oh you got to
Hold on, hold on
You got to hold on
Take my hand, I'm standing right here, you got to
Just hold on.
Well, God bless your crooked little heart St. Louis got the best of me
I miss your broken-china voice
How I wish you were still here with me
Well, you build it up, you wreck it down
You burn your mansion to the ground
When there's nothing left to keep you here, when
You're falling behind in this
Big blue world
Oh you go to
Hold on, hold on
You got to hold on
Take my hand, I'm standing right here
You got to hold on
Down by the Riverside motel,
It's 10 below and falling
By a 99 cent store she closed her eyes
And started swaying
But it's so hard to dance that way
When it's cold and there's no music
Well your old hometown is so far away
But, inside your head there's a record
That's playing, a song called
Hold on, hold on
You really got to hold on
Take my hand, I'm standing right here
And just hold on.
Click here to submit the Corrections of Hold On Lyrics
Please Click Here to Print Hold On Lyrics
Thanks to email@example.com for submitting Hold On Lyrics.
Unsurpassingly beautiful | Reviewer: Felix Culper | 7/18/13
Love in a firefight, Hold on is arguably Tom's best love song and paean to hope, rivalled only by You Can Never Hold Back Spring. It is enchantingly beautiful, perfect gutar parts, 'charcoal eyes and Monroe hips' is such a complete, perfect, description in five words. Thanks Tom, trenscendent.
The following area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of Hold On Lyrics.


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Environmental Indicators
• The 2009 edition of the World Development Indicators, the annual World Bank statistical flagship publication, includes an updated and expanded set of 16 tables on environmental indicators covering some 150 countries. Its accompanying CD-ROM includes time series data for more than 200 countries.
Priority objectives:
• Development of core environmental indicators for monitoring progress toward the international development goals adopted by the World Bank, United Nations and the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD.


text:
New York has developed new market mechanisms intended to effectively incorporate large amounts of renewable energy in the future — up to six times the current levels of intermittent energy without...
Electric Vehicles: The Case for (and Against) Incentives
mind. For example, feebates could be selected to 1) reflect the relative emissions from the different vehicles, 2) to boost EV sales to a particular target, or 3) to ensure that revenues from fees would cover rebates paid to EV owners.
Feebates are attractive in theory, but it is important to look closely at the practical aspects of running a feebate program from one year to the next. In a 1995 article in System Dynamics Review, I looked at feebates through the eyes of a California state official who would face the challenge of running such a program. The article describes a model developed to simulate the impact of feebates on vehicle sales, on the utility system, and on the emission of air pollutants. The computer simulations showed that a simple feebate could put the state government in financial trouble. The simulations also showed that California would find it extremely difficult to dig itself out of the financial hole by adjusting feebates after problems arose.
Nevertheless, computer simulations indicate that these difficulties can be avoided if the state is willing to give the fund manager some latitude in running the program. It should be possible to keep a feebate program in the black if the state allows the fund manager to build a cushion in the early years of the program. The state must also allow the fund manager to alter the size of the fees or rebates on an annual basis. And finally, the state should not expect that the fund manager will necessarily keep the sum of the fee and the rebate fixed at an estimate of the environmental value of the EV. The most important conclusion from the feebate analysis is that it is possible to control a feebate system using readily available information. In other words, "crystal ball" forecasts of EV sales are not required for the state to run the program.
In sum, feebates have drawn praise by energy experts for their flexibility in a market marked by rapid technological change. Utility managers and regulators who are reluctant to see higher electric rates from utility incentives would do well to support feebates as an alternative approach to encourage the sale of cleaner vehicles. t
Andrew Ford is associate professor of environmental science and regional planning at Washington State University, and has worked extensively in simulation modeling on energy and environmental issues in the West. Dr. Ford initiated the research described here while at the Systems Management Department of the University of Southern California.
1. California Air Resources Board, Mobile Source Division (Staff Report), "Proposed Amendments to the ZEV Requirements for Passenger Cars and Light-Duty Trucks," Feb. 9, 1996.
2. Cross, Phillip S. "NGVs-Are Ratepayer Subsidies Appropriate?" Public Utilities Fortnightly , May 1, 1995, p. 42.
3. Dabels, John, General Motors Corp., "Environmental Requirements and the Impact Prototype Vehicle," International Conference on the Urban Electric Vehicle, Stockholm, May 1992.
4. DeCicco, John, "Feebates for Fuel Economy," report of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, September 1992.
5. Evolution, Monthly Newsletter of the Electric Vehicle


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Stick to the ice-cream section of the menu and ditch the savouries
See http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2012/12/swensens-united-square.html for the full review
The ice-cream sundaes are still good, but the food pales in comparison with the main attraction of this old-school American-styled diner.
The Meatballs in Pepper Sauce ($8.90) was the only passable dish of lunch, even if it was a bit generic. Meatballs were chunkily textured and the pepper gravy was smooth and spicy but the potato mash was reminscent of the instant powdered mix variety.
Prawn & Fruit Salad ($11.90)...


text:
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Now is the time to plant hedgerow, helping our wildlife and the environment
For the 13th year running we have a special offer on hedgerow. Available to Order now.
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Can we jettison misguided and dangerous recommendations on fat and heart disease – please?
It's not often that the mainstream media notices an academic meta-analysis, or study of studies – particularly if it goes against the tide of prevailing dietary advice. But that's what happened with a recent Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The BMJ paper was an update of a previous meta-analysis by the same investigators, looking at the consequences for cardiovascular health of replacing dietary saturated fats (i.e. butter) with polyunsaturated, omega-6 fatty acids (PUFAs). This time around, the group reassessed the results of the Sydney Diet Heart Study (SDHS), a randomized, controlled trial involving 458 patients that compared the rates of cardiovascular disease among subjects who increased the amount of omega-6 PUFAs – specifically, linoleic acid from safflower oil – in their diet with patients who continued their normal diet. As well as reanalyzing the results, the investigators incorporated them into their previous meta-analysis.
The SDHS results were clear: replacing dietary saturated fats with omega-6 PUFAs increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and mortality from coronary heart disease. Not only that, but, "An increase of 5% of food energy from [omega-6 PUFAs] predicted 35% and 29% higher risk of cardiovascular death and all cause mortality, respectively". Similarly, the updated meta-analysis found that increasing dietary omega-6 PUFAs in isolation was associated with increased mortality risk from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease overall. And Omega-6's are the main components of polyunsaturated fats in the Western diet – and they are found in vegetable oils and margarines — the very things we started to eat more of forty or so years ago when we were warned saturated fats would give us heart disease!
By contrast, the SDHS found that when dietary omega-3 PUFAs were increased alongside omega-6 PUFAs, to more closely resemble the 1:1 ratio enjoyed by our ancestors, both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease risk were reduced.
According to the prevailing dietary wisdom, this shouldn't have happened – and the usual suspects are busily trying to pretend that they haven't, although it's notable that they can't present a unified front on this one. Current mainstream recommendations hold fast to the 'lipid hypothesis', which proposes that the cholesterol found in saturated fats raises blood cholesterol, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) or 'bad' cholesterol. Because the mainstay of the theory is that raised blood LDL-C is a major contributor to atherosclerosis and heart disease, statin drugs can be considered the 'golden child' of the lipid hypothesis.
Experts like Dr Dwight Lundell have for some time pointed to oxidation as the true culprit in atherosclerosis and heart disease. According to this alternative theory, dubbed the 'degenerative hypothesis', LDL-C only becomes a problem when it becomes oxidised. In fact, LDL-C is a misnomer, since all LDL molecules contain cholesterol. Far from being 'bad' in any way, LDL is absolutely vital for life, since the body uses it to transport important nutrients, including cholesterol, from the liver to tissues and organs.
Lipoproteins, such as LDL, consist of a core of fats (triglycerides) and fat-soluble vitamins (Figure 1), surrounded by a phospholipid membrane penetrated by cholesterol molecules. In this way, water-insoluble cholesterol can be transported around the body in water-soluble lipoproteins. Some of the membrane lipids are delicate PUFAs, and these can become oxidised – and toxic – in people who eat a poor diet or don't exercise, among other factors. Not only is oxidised LDL a sensitive marker for heart disease risk, it is strongly implicated in the development of atherosclerosis.
Figure 1. A lipoprotein molecule
Clearly, then, it follows from the degenerative hypothesis that a diet high in antioxidants will protect against LDL oxidation. Integrative medicine practitioner and 'paleo diet' advocate Chris Kresser describes the antioxidant glutathione as the 'bulletproof vest' that protects against dangerous oxidation. Glutathione-boosting strategies include exercise, cruciferous vegetables, sulphur-containing foods like garlic and onion, nutrients including alpha-lipoic acid, selenium, vitamins B12 and B6, folate and glycine, and botanicals such as milk thistle, cordyceps, gotu kola, and broccoli seed.
Also, since it is the delicate PUFAs in the LDL membrane that become oxidised, a diet high in PUFAs will increase the risk of oxidation, since more PUFAs will be available to be packaged into LDL membrane. This is especially true in modern, Western diets with their high omega-6:omega-3 PUFA ratios. On the other hand, saturated fats may well be protective, since their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to oxidation.
This new thinking is a long way from the theory that arteries are like pipes and cholesterol is sticky gunk that accumulates and eventually blocks them up. As an hormone precursor and constituent of cell membranes, cholesterol is vital to life, as is the crucial transporter LDL. Surely, it can't be long before the medical establishment – or even dieticians – begins to take notice and catch up.
ANH-Europe homepage
ANH Food4Health campaign page
Updated: 13 Feb 2013
Meta-analysis? Seriously..? "Oxidation of LDL is the culprit" hardly disproves that excessive intake of saturated fat does not play a large role in increasing LDL. Am I wrong to think that if you have a higher LDL you have a more chances for the LDL to oxidize? You have thousands of holes in your arguement that unfortunately the average person cant spot. Do the world a favor and let more educated people analyse the information.
Hi Nathan, thanks for commenting. The major point of the article was that saturated fat has not only been unfairly demonised as the prime culprit in cardiovascular disease, but that – according to the degenerative theory – it may also act as a protective agent against oxidative damage to LDL. Interestingly, a newly published report suggests that oxidized LDL may even be beneficial, showing just what a developing field this is: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140904121247.htm. We weren't aiming to disprove the links between saturated fat intake, cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. We'll leave that to experts like Dr Malcolm Kendrick – http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/the-great-cholesterol-con/ – Dr Uffe Ravsnkov – http://www.ravnskov.nu/uffe.htm – Dr Aseem Malhotra – http://anh-europe.org/news/saturated-fat-myth-busted-in-british-medical-... – or some of the maverick doctors covered in our earlier article – http://www.anh-europe.org/news/anh-feature-medical-mavericks-and-heart-d.... The first two are featured in the documentary $tatin Nation, which we'd strongly recommend: http://anh-europe.org/news/blowing-the-lid-on-statins-and-the-cholestero....
Eye opening stuff. I always thought that a balanced diet with exercise was the best answer. I always had a gut feeling that whipped cream was good for you!
At last, things are starting to move in the right direction. Although the studies included in the meta-analysis are observational, when you bring a number of these types of studies together, they start to offer some useful insights.
I hope that things are going to turn round quickly and people can start to eat real food and regain their health.
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main index
A two-volume light novel series of the .hack franchise.The first volume is one of the first entries chronologically, taking place before .hack//SIGN and after .hack//Epitaph of Twilight. It follows a solo player, Albireo, as he encounters a strange female NPC in an otherwise average dungeon in The World. The NPC seems quite abnormal - it's voiced, and acts as if it can respond to his speech. Compounding this oddity is his being forced into a party by a manic girl named Hokuto during an invasion event in a root town. With that, he has to find a way to finish the NPC's quest.AI Buster 2 is a collection of short stories which pertaining to both the original AI Buster and Legend of the Twilight:
.hack//AI Buster contains examples of:


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July 20-24, 2015
CDF Haley Farm
Clinton, Tennessee
Join clergy, seminarians, Christian educators, young adult leaders and other faith-based advocates for children at CDF Haley Farm in Clinton, Tennessee, for five days of spiritual renewal, networking, movement building workshops, and continuing education about the urgent needs of children at the 21st annual Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry.
|Marian Wright Edelman
Children's Defense Fund
|Dr. Otis Moss, III
Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago
What better place to renew our spirits, refocus our vision, and strengthen the movement for children than CDF's Haley Farm? Once home to the late Roots author Alex Haley, CDF Haley Farm is the spiritual home of the children's movement. You will feel the spirit of this special place as soon as you enter the gates and take in the gentle green fields dotted with rustic buildings and graced by the Langston Hughes Library and the Riggio-Lynch Interfaith Chapel designed by Maya Lin. On the porch of the Lodge, pull up a rocking chair bearing the name of one of the many heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, and get to know other participants who share your passion for justice.
Whether it is your first visit or one of many, you will be greeted with the words, "Welcome Home," and we trust that you will find in this place a sense of home and family among kindred spirits who, like you, won't quit until we end the violence of guns and child poverty and realize God's vision of bringing joy and justice to the lives of all of our children.
Hear what these 2014 Proctor participants say!
"There is only one place to meet other child advocates, learn spiritual and advocacy skills to help child advocates stand firm and effective on hallowed ground—the Children's Defense Fund's Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry." Christine Kloker Young, participant since 2002
"Proctor is a loud voice in the wilderness that reminds me that grace abounds. It will inspire you and renew your hope and reassure your spirit of the fact that the world is in the capable hands of our young people." First-time participant
"If you want the opportunity and the chance to meet, hear, and see history in the making, come to this Institute. It opens your mind, heart, and soul to issues you didn't think were important or relevant and drives you do to more and better." Joi Adams, first-time participant
"If you care about the plight of children and the future of this country you must come and learn to be an advocate for the rights of all God's children!" The Rev. Dr. Robert E. Walker, Jr.
"Haley is a place to rest and renew your spirit, challenge your faith, establish friendships with kindred spirits, hear great preaching, and then be ready and willing to go home and speak out and stand up for children!" Steve Wiard, nine-year participant


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KPMG in the UK embarked on a journey of transformation during 2013, in pursuit of our strategic goal to dominate professional services. Our Annual Review highlights how we bring real benefits to our clients, our people and society as a whole.
After seven years of turmoil, the banking sector can finally shift focus from cleaning up the debris caused by the financial crisis and start making steps towards delivering sustainable growth and profitability.
Explore why technology firms should choose to invest in the UK. We consider what the UK currently has in its favour as it battles for technology investment.
Technology has revolutionised the day-to-day lives of individuals and organisations alike. But if we're to continue to benefit and to profit from it, and if we're to minimise the potential downsides, we're going to have make some choices.
We help our clients understand current issues and future trends in the world of work, and identify how they can enhance organisational performance through their people.
Explore the opportunities available for school and college leavers at KPMG.
Find out about careers for graduates from all degree disciplines in Audit, Tax, Advisory, Technology, Marketing and HR.
Keep up to date with the latest news and views from KPMG in the UK by following our twitter feed.
KPMG's leadership blogs brings you insight, opinion and debate from our senior partners and industry experts.
KPMG has now completed the consolidation of its five London buildings into two and our staff are now located in either 15 Canada Square or 8 Salisbury Square.
This has been a significant move, combining the very best of KPMG's main offices in the City with a brand new, purpose-built office in Canary Wharf. The opening of our new building at 15 Canada Square in November 2010 by The Queen was a key milestone in the firm's history that has far-reaching benefits for our people, our clients and for the way we do business. 15 Canada Square is a flagship example of a 21st century 'green' building at the forefront of environmental efficiency. We applied extremely strict carbon criteria throughout and have incorporated a range of best practice sustainable features within robust financial criteria. It provides a flexible workspace for 4,000 of our people and an environment that both welcomes and supports our clients.
A further 1,500 partners and staff work from our Salisbury Square premises in the City where teams focus on working with clients from the UK national and mid market sectors.
By consolidating our property portfolio in London into two buildings, we are providing a stronger community feel for our people whilst maintaining a presence in both the City and Canary Wharf to deliver the highest standards of service to our clients.
8 Salisbury Square London EC4Y 8BB
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15 Canada Square London E14 5GL
Tel: 020 7311 1000View map (PDF 1.34 MB)
For recruitment related queries please see our careers website
Need some advice or just to talk about the latest trends? Take a look at our dedicated High Growth Technology Group based across the UK.
© 2014
KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International") is a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm.


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The torrid growth of exchange-traded funds is as clear a trend as you get in financial markets. Investors poured a record $191 billion into ETFs last year, driving 18% asset growth (27% including performance gains). One niche, though—commodities—has been somewhat sleepier. The nearly $11 billion that went into this group, though respectable, made for 10% growth, showing that investors are not as enthusiastic about commodity ETFs as they are about stock or bond ETFs. There are good reasons for that.
First, consider the macro picture: Eric Weigel, director of research at the Leuthold Group, notes that the broad-based inflation that typically drives prices higher is nowhere in sight. Plus, commodities haven't yet shown they're unlinked from recent years' tight correlation with stocks, reducing their use as diversifiers.
Even when the bigger picture changes, commodity ETFs will still be a difficult breed. For one, commodity investing requires a higher level of sophistication. Many energy and agriculture ETFs deal in futures contracts, and don't track spot commodity prices. Others invest in companies that produce or process commodities—technically they're stock funds. Each type has its pros and cons, and sorting them out can be tricky.
Start with the closest thing to investing in an actual commodity: so-called physical funds—most of which are precious-metals funds—that hold the commodity in a vault. The two biggest in this area are the $72 billion SPDR Gold Trust GLD -0.1906742936384122% SPDR Gold Trust U.S.: NYSE Arca 115.16 -0.22 -0.1906742936384122% /Date(1417039200195-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 3150258 AFTER HOURS 115.28 0.120000000000005 0.10420284821118445% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 33759 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (ticker: GLD) and the $12 billion iShares Gold Trust IAU -0.1721170395869191% iShares Gold Trust U.S.: NYSE Arca USD11.6 -0.02 -0.1721170395869191% /Date(1417039200140-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 1701293 AFTER HOURS USD11.65 0.0500000000000007 0.43103448275862066% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 63600 P/E Ratio 10.265486725663717 Market Cap 6163660000 Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (IAU). The simplicity and tight link to spot prices are big draws (though gold's 12 straight years of price gains hasn't hurt). Look for JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock's iShares to take a similar approach with copper ETFs as soon as this year.
YOU CAN'T STOCKPILE OIL or cattle the way you can metal, so most commodity funds turn to the futures markets. As ETFs "roll" through their holdings as contracts near expiry, it creates costs as funds fight contango or backwardation—scenarios in which the price of futures contracts rises (contango) or lowers (backwardation) ahead of actual spot prices. Two popular ETFs, the United States Oil Fund USO -0.4637887977167321% United States Oil Fund LP U.S.: NYSE Arca 27.9 -0.13 -0.4637887977167321% /Date(1417039200183-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 14663092 AFTER HOURS 27.86 -0.0399999999999992 -0.14336917562724014% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 330284 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (USO) and United States Natural Gas Fund UNG -2.0381036774479395% United States Natural Gas Fund L.P. U.S.: NYSE Arca 22.11 -0.46 -2.0381036774479395% /Date(1417039200184-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 14379004 AFTER HOURS 22.1 -0.00999999999999801 -0.045228403437358664% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 45147 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (UNG), have seen outflows in recent years, as investors have favored funds that try to minimize roll costs. The broad-based PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund DBC -0.2331002331002331% PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund U.S.: NYSE Arca 21.4 -0.05 -0.2331002331002331% /Date(1417039200261-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 2360323 AFTER HOURS 21.4 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 28 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (DBC) took in about $1 billion last year. There are new options, too: Two months ago, Royal Bank of Scotland teamed with commodity investor Jim Rogers on a series of exchange-traded notes that use a few different means of fighting the curve.
Some investors prefer the simplicity of stocks of companies in the commodities business. The FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Index GUNR 0.029585798816568046% FlexShares Global Upstream Natural Resources Index Fund U.S.: NYSE Arca 33.81 0.01 0.029585798816568046% /Date(1417039198533-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 1246711 AFTER HOURS 34.1 0.0200000000000031 0.8577343981070689% Volume (Delayed 15m) : P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield 2.056163856847087% Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » fund (GUNR), which owns stocks such as Monsanto MON 1.1634720013392483% Monsanto Co. U.S.: NYSE USD120.86 1.39 1.1634720013392483% /Date(1417039346506-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 3408555 AFTER HOURS USD120.86 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 25295 P/E Ratio 23.197696737044147 Market Cap 58505062839.4 Dividend Yield 1.621711070660268% Rev. per Employee 707500 More quote details and news » (MON) and BHP Billiton BHP 0.3261460409494474% BHP Billiton Ltd. ADS U.S.: NYSE USD55.37 0.18 0.3261460409494474% /Date(1417039368896-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 1826427 AFTER HOURS USD55.12 -0.25 -0.4515080368430558% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 133705 P/E Ratio 11.041624552122677 Market Cap 89207086944.6846 Dividend Yield 4.478959725483113% Rev. per Employee 1422740 More quote details and news » (BHP), was one of the most successful ETF launches in recent years. Unlike hunks of metal, executives who lead public companies can make poor decisions, as did the many gold-mining companies that dragged the Market Vectors Gold Miners GDX -1.4222658165767532% Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF U.S.: NYSE Arca 20.1 -0.29 -1.4222658165767532% /Date(1417039200194-0600)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 30737429 AFTER HOURS 20.11 0.00999999999999801 0.04975124378109453% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 5905596 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield 0.9502487562189055% Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (GDX) down 9% in 2012, even as gold rose 7%. Investors gain the simplicity of stocks at the price of trusting the companies that issue them. But it's a surefire way of avoiding futures.
Comments: email@example.com; www.twitter.com/bconway; http://blogs.barrons.com/focusonfunds


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As a superhero people often forget there is a man underneath that mask and cape. Behind closed doors our superhero is a man just like everybody else, he worries about life in general, friends, bills, plans for the weekend, and the opposite sex.
A Trip Down Memory Lane: Dance 360 [Video]
I can remember Hip Hop group Onyx being one of my favorite rap groups, and Kel Mitchel being my favorite out of Kenan & Kel.
After this show came out I would run home everyday after school and make sure to turn my television to now defunct network UPN.
Kid Ink Feat Young Jeezy & YG Bossin' Up [Audio NSFW]
West Coast rapper and RCA records artist is at it again with a new song that was released today.
His new single is a remix which features Young Jeezy and YG.
Bad A$$ Kid [Video, NSFW]
I have always said there is no such thing as bad kids but just bad parenting.
Maybe I spoke to soon, or maybe I was right because this child has a foul mouth on him.
The worst part of this video is that he is encouraged by this behavior, so he keeps going on, acting worse.
Weird Commercial From Thailand [Video]
I know once in awhile you get commercials that advertise that seems to have nothing to do with the product.
I thought this was only an American thing, but this trend seems to have gone world wide.
Tom Brady Has a New Best Friend [Video]
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the best friend of a superstar?
In this sketch an employer begs NFL superstar to pretend to be his friend so he can impress his girlfriend's parents.
This "Dick's employee goes to great lengths to make himself look good by making Tom Brad look bad.
Local Newscaster Draws Hilarious Picture During News Report [Video]
Siobahn Riley has a very interesting way of drawing a picture during her traffic report.
I try to watch the news as much as I can, trying to get recent and up to date reports.
Tone The Cheifrocca-One Hit Wonder [Video]
Everyone has a dream and everyone has the right to at least try to make their dreams come true.
Whether you are good or bad at it, you should at least make an effort for it to come true.
Local rapper from Inglewood, California Cheifrocca wants to be a one hit wonder.
Football Player Gets Drunk and Uses Racial Slurs [NSFW,Video]
Racism in America has been going on for centuries, and even though things have turned around it still reveals its ugly head from time to time. One of the last places you think you would hear racial slurs is from an NFL player who is the minority in a mostly all black league.
Sparky Sweets Drops the Thug Version of 'The Catcher in the Rye' [Video]
One of my favorite things to do to calm down or just to pass time besides going to the movies is to read. There is nothing more relaxing than to sit in a quiet room and reading a good book. Whether it is reading a classic historical book like the biography of Abe Lincoln or reading a Scifi book like The Walking Dead or Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, this is something that I love to do.
MC Hammer & Gucci Mane Together [Video]
No matter how bad you hate on MC Hammer you cannot deny his talent, and no matter how hard you claim to be you have to admit you were probably a fan. You can be probably be one of the most well known hardcore rappers over the last decade, and that still wouldn't hide the fact that you wore hammer pants.
Jon Connor & Freddie Gibbs 'F'N Right' [Audio]
What does it take to be great at your craft. No matter what field you are in entertainment, sports, business or selling ice cream in the summer the answer is always the same 'hard work and consistency


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Written on: 29/07/2013
I have always loved Moon Pig but for the past 6 months I have been having problems,mostly steming from your IT Department. Check my record, I have made many calls regarding this issue. Presently, I still cannot send cards. I have been on the telephone several times during the past few days. I feel I am an excellent customer with over 400 people in my address book and frequently do large mailings, not only personal, but for my business.
I've spoken to Joanna, Miele, who now I understand is back in Austraila and Stacy or Tracy as recemtly as yesterday. I still cannot send cards.
Please look into this matter.
Helen L. Ross
As rated by real users
" Cant open the Advent Calendar " Read More
" Awful customer service " Read More
Written by Decomarco
" Easy way to send late birthday cards to Australia or anywher " Read More
" Signed up for ecards for less than 30 days & cancelled membersh... " Read More
" Tried FREE Trial, CHARGED DESPITE TIMELY CANCELLATION " Read More
Written by NatureGirlLA


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Schools tour with ZoieLogic Dance Theatre
By dancewoking | Monday, February 17, 2014, 10:24
Dance Woking is an innovative dance organisation which provides high quality opportunities to
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watch, perform and take part in dance, providing new experiences that we hope inspire artists,
audiences, participants and communities.
On Thursday 13 February Dance Woking set off on a mini schools tour with two male dancers
from ZoieLogic Dance Theatre Luke & Sam and Dance Woking's team made up of Lauren
Straker, a student at Chichester University who is currently on a work placement with Dance
Woking; Sameena Iqbal, recently started as a Communications Apprentice and Executive
Producer Sam McCaffrey.
The first school visited was Kings International where 32 students plus two dance teachers
took part in the workshop and then enjoyed 12 minutes of an exert of 'Murmur'. The workshops
were highly energetic and involved contact and balancing exercises. The pupils were really
inspired and mesmerized by the structure that is Murmur!
Next stop was Woking College, due to the building works the college could only host a
workshop, however the 11 students participating were put through their paces trying out some
company repertoire as well as some partner contact and balances. The students finished off
the session with a question and answer session with ZoieLogic dancers.
Finally the tour went to Winston Churchill, an after school session with 22 gifted and talented
pupils. Once again the pupils showed how they were able and wiling to try out some typical
ZoieLogic moves to great effect. The day finished with another short exert of 'Murmur'. Of the
day one parent wrote: Just wanted to say a big Thank You for organising the Dance Workshop
that my son took part in today. As soon as he got home his first comment was "Oh my god the
dance workshop was amazing!" Throughout the evening he has continued to give his
enthusiastic account of every moment, along with a couple of demonstrations too!! We are now
going to bed with headaches!! Thank you again for what was clearly an inspirational workshop.'
With 65 participants the day was very inspiring; Dance Woking look forward to welcoming the
company back to Woking on Friday 4 April when they perform Stolen Wishes in a DOUBLE
BILL at Rhoda McGaw Theatre alongside Second Hand Dance performing 'Dad Dancing'. For
further information visit: http://www.wokingdancefestival.co.uk/pages/DOUBLEBILL


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Dolph ZigglerNicholas Theodore Nemeth
- Birthdate: 07/27/1980 (age 34)
- Height: 6'0"
- Weight: 213 lb
Nemeth signed a development contract with WWE i...
On a New Trick For The Rumble: I am working on something special for the Rumble. I can't say what it is. Hopefully, it will be perfected by then because I don't do things halfway. I go all the way with it.
On Taking Pride in His Matches: That is a huge point for me. I really want everyone looking at me at all times. I really want to be the best. I want to show people that I can do two matches in a night in a pay-per-view and not just go through the motions but have better matches than everybody else. It's not just to prove to everyone else, it's to me. If I don't do that and deliver every night, I lay in bed awake waiting for the next show so I can get back out there and switch it around.
On Getting Pumped Up Backstage Before Matches: That's absolutely true because I love it. I'm still a fan and I always will be. I'm always excited for the show. I'm excited for people to do well. I want people to do great so I can push myself that much more to be the best match and I think competition makes everyone else work a little bit harder. So I'm constantly pushing for everyone to do well and giving pointers where I can and just hoping that everyone does well so they can kind of start to hang with me and that pushes me to be even better on the show.


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I create a lot of content for clients and run into the same issues over and over. One problem is that the kind of content that gets results has an edge to it, but the client usually does not want content that has an edge to it, they just want to sell … [Continue reading]
BBC Recycling Own Blog Posts
This was the most read shared on the BBC today, note the date of publication. Since this was first published I have read this twice before. I wonder how much of the content on the BBC is reused. It does make sense to reblog when you have great stuff … [Continue reading]
Newsjacking for Australians Who like to take the piss
I feel a bit guilty over the British team's celebration over beating the Aussies in the Ashes, which if you didn't know is a cricket game and if you don't know what that is, I wouldn't worry about it. This from the BBC The England team have … [Continue reading]
SEO is Dead Headline Inspiration
To help people write their "seo is dead" blog post I offer headline help to inspire you. Seo is dead Why seo is dead Seo is dead again Seo stubbed my toe Seo is walking dead Seo is breaking bad dead Did Rand Fishkin kill seo How social media killed … [Continue reading]
SEO is Dead
There has been a lot of navel gazing within the SEO industry this year. You couldn't move without someone numpty publishing an SEO is Dead post This is mostly because the landscape has changed. The way Google ranks its results has changed. What was … [Continue reading]
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Dr. John Pappas graduated from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in 1987. Dr. Pappas has two offices in Texas.
Specializing in the field of Cardiology, Dr. Pappas is prepared to provide specialized care for the heart and cardiovascular system in patients. Some of the conditions treated by Dr. Pappas may include high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, complications of diabetes, heart disease and defects, general chest pains, and other cardiovascular conditions.
Dr. Pappas works with thirteen doctors including Dr. Robert Ball and Dr. Ildiko Agoston.
Deals with conditions, abnormalities and diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine