text:
Passionate art lovers enjoy visiting Winterowd Fine Art, a premier contemporary gallery on Canyon Road.
Welcome to Loretto's Santa Fe Blog
Welcome to our Santa Fe Blog. We've created a place for our guests to share their favorite Santa Fe and Inn and Spa at Loretto memories. In addition, they can catch up on Santa Fe events, enjoy restaurant recipes from The Living Room and Luminaria Restaurant, read about spa innovations, and much more.
Read, post, share, and become a part of the Loretto community.
Post an Entry
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
Restaurant Recipe: Pan Seared Pekin Duck Breast, Braised Beluga Lentils, Grilled Asian Pears and Mushrooms and Red Wine Reduction
Destination Hotels & Resorts has challenged their chefs across the country to take part in The Destination Dish. Each month one ingredient is selected for the chefs to create a recipe around the chosen element and to incorporate it into their restaurant menu. Be sure to check our blog each month for a new delicious recipe you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home or in Luminaria.
THIS MONTH'S featured Ingredient is Lentils!
Pan Seared Pekin Duck Breast, Braised Beluga Lentils, Grilled Asian Pears and Mushrooms with a Red Wine Reduction
Serves 4 People
4 7-8 oz boneless (skin on) pekin duck breast
12 oz wild mushrooms, quartered
2 Asian pears, peeled and wedged
braised beluga lentils, recipe below
red wine reduction, recipe below
Braised Lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c diced white onion
1/2 c carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 c celery, diced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 c black lentils
2 c chicken stock
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Heat sauté pan over med-high heat; add olive oil and butter, sweat onion, carrot, and celery until onions are translucent. Add thyme and cook for a few minutes more. Add lentil, stir then add chicken stock. Bring to boil, turn to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. (Add more stock if needed.) Season with salt and pepper, add vinegar and chopped parsley.
Red Wine Reduction
1 large onion, chopped
2 small celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bottle red wine (750 ml)
1 bottle ruby port wine (750 ml)
Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in six quart pot over moderately high heat, stir until golden, about 10 minutes. Add wines and simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduced to 1 quart, about one hour. Pour through sieve into saucepan and simmer until reduced to two cups. Reheat reduction and season with salt and pepper.
Pan Seared Pekin Duck Breast
Heat large sauté pan over low heat, score (crisscross) fat on duck breast, season with salt. Cook skin side down until fat is completely rendered, ten minutes. Turnover and sear for another four minutes. Rest before slicing, reserving fat for mushrooms.
Grill pears on each side over med-high heat until grill marks appear. Set aside.
Reheat sauté pan, cook mushrooms over high-heat until caramelized, season with salt and pepper.
In large bowls, place heaping scoop of lentils on bottom; sliced duck breast on top and top duck with pears, mushrooms, red wine reduction. Enjoy!
Posted by Brett Sparman, Executive Chef
Guest Review: Comfy, Quiet and Friendly
This place went the extra mile to make us feel welcome. The staff was very friendly and the spa treatment my wife received was like no other she's experienced. I had to find a Walgreens at 2 am and the security guard was super helpful with my car and directions were waiting for me at the desk. The beds are comfy and the rooms are adequately sized to make any romantic getaway good. The location is obviously premium at Loretto and you can get anywhere within a 5 or 10 minute walk. One thing to note, if you show up in a Eco vehicle, parking is free!!
Posted by Sandra Morello, Posted on Behalf of Trip Advisor Guests
A Sweet Rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
This holiday season the Inn and Spa at Loretto brings the ageless magic and splendor of the North Pole to the Land of Enchantment. Childhood memories inspired, we've showcased the true spirit of Christmas with our candy rendition of the legendary Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Friends.
For many years, Rudolph has been a treasured holiday classic and our sweet rendition captures the personalities of each character and brings back good old fashioned holiday nostalgia.
Passing the grand tree and entering the lobby, guests can view Pastry Chef Andrea Clover's 5th annual holiday display now thru New Year's Day.
The following items were used in Chef Clover's creative construction -
- 14 lbs of rice cereal
- 192 egg whites
- 25 lbs of sugar
- 48 lbs of powdered sugar
- 33 lbs of chocolate
- 12 lbs of marshmallows
Andrea Clover is an award winning sugar expert, baker, chocolatier, and chef. You can see her compete on Food Network's "Sugar Dome" episode that debuts in January.
Posted by Sandra Morello, Marketing Coordinator
Wintertime Tips for your Skin from the Spa at Loretto
Winter season is a time of shorter, colder days and nights. At this time of year, our skin can become drier and more prone to irritation in which special care is needed. You can help your skin feel better by following the tips below.
- Moisturize. Use a moisturizer that will provide extra hydration. This is also a good time to use a more concentrated moisturizer at night to keep your skin soft. A moisturizer that contains oils, such as avocado oil, will help to provide a barrier on the skin's surface to prevent moisture loss. Don't forget your hands and feet, they need special attention too.
- Use Sunscreen. Sunscreen is a must all year around. You can apply sunscreen directly or a purchase a day moisturizer or foundation that contains SPF 15 to 30.
- Humidify. Purchase a humidifier and use while sleeping, especially if you live somewhere with a dry environment like Santa Fe. This helps moisten the air and prevents moisture loss in the skin.
- Exfoliate. Make a habit of using a gentle product to exfoliate your skin, including dry heels and elbows. Depending on your skin type you should exfoliate at least once a week. The less dead skin you have, the better your moisturizers will work.
- Avoid Hot Water. Hot baths and showers tend to dehydrate our skin. Use lukewarm water when bathing and washing your face.
- Hydrate. Drink plenty of water or herbal teas to keep your body hydrated from within.
The Spa at Loretto has a variety of skin care products to help with your skin's special winter needs. Please call or visit and let one of our amazing aestheticians help you create a personalized skin care regime to fit your needs.
Posted by Suzanne Chavez, Spa Director


text:
The Institute of Historical Research have run History Research Seminars since its foundation in the 1920s. 90 years on we have begun to podcast a selection of these seminars and, on occasion, stream these seminars live across the web. The link to this weeks slide show is here: http://www.slideshare.n...
There are no videos in the library at this time.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Observation Acquisition and Management: the Model
|1. Individual Contributor
The flow of data acquisition and management by a single individual: The contributor uses various applications to get records into the database. Each contributor is responsible for (owns) a set of records in the database. Some of these may be unpublished (if the contributor is still working on them), and some of them may be published, or available for all Calflora users to see via the various applications.
Typically a contributor gets unpublished observations into their account via Photo Upload or one of the phone applications, and then corrects them and fills in missing information using the My Observations web application. When an observation is ready the contributor publishes it, at which point other Calflora users can see it through a variety of web applications.
|2. Several Contributors Working in a Group
Data acquisition and management when a group is involved: In the picture, there are three hypothetical contributors who belong to the same group. Each contributor uses various applications to get records into the database, and if the records are unpublished, only the contributor can see them. When a contributor assigns an unpublished record to a group, then the other members of the group can see it. Thus, the members of the group can see each others' records before they are published.
In the simple case, if you are a member of a group, you will be able to see -- but not edit -- unpublished records contributed by others and associated with the group. However, the owner of a group can also assign certain members the Data Czar role. A member with this role can edit any record associated with the group.
Extra Exercises:
|3. Example of a Data Acquisition Project
Central Coast Invasive Species Action Network group (anyone can join this group)
Published observations from this group
(NB: this search will not work unless you are a member of this group)
1. Preparation for Fieldwork
2. Fieldwork
3. in the Classsroom after Fieldwork
4. Extra Exercises
|Relevant Calflora Tools
Plant Lists
The Comment System
Observation Hotline (map, photos, other data sources)
Plant Distribution
Checklists (Places to view native plants)
|Take Home Points
More Information:


text:
Paul By Paul Smith Womens Multi Colour Zebra Print Mini Skirt
- Paul Smith Zebra Print Mini Skirt
- 100% Cotton
- Side Zip and Button Fastening
- Graphic Print
- Darted
Paul by Paul Smith presents clothing that alongside its usual humour allows women to express their individuality through fun, fresh prints and fabrics in feminine easy to wear manor. Known for his ability to start trends and influence Paul Smith's Paul range adds a youthful approach, integrating classically traditional designs with contemporary styles. This stunning skirt has a playful, all over graphic print and a side invisible zip with single button fastening. It has been darted at intervals along the waistband to create volume from the waist to accentuate your natural curves.
Product Code: PKXP F107 P6789-PAUL-MUL
Rating of Psyche, calculated from over 1300 customer reviews.
UK Delivery (click here for full details)
Orders authorised before 3.30pm Monday - Friday are eligible for Same Day Dispatch.
ROYAL MAIL - Standard Delivery (2-3 days) £3.99
Fedex - Next Day Delivery - £4.99
FedEx Saturday delivery delivery £12.99
European and International
Delivery available from £14.95
We understand that there may be a need to return goods for a refund or exchange, so we have made the process as simple as possible.
We aim to process returned items within 1 working day of receipt of arriving on our premises.
Our site uses the latest 128 bit SSL security, complying with and exceeding all necessary security requirements to protect your details. We do not store any sensitive information (card number, etc).
SSL encrypts your order online to avoid any decoding of that information of anyone other than the necessary processing parties. To check the security of your connection, look at the status bar of your browser window after accessing the website. If you see an unbroken key or a closed lock then, depending upon your browser, SSL is active. You can also double check by looking at the URL line of your browser - while accessing a secure server the first characters of the address will change from HTTP to HTTPS.


text:
- Description
- Fitment
- Specs
- Reviews
- Catalogs
World's Largest Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts and Accessories Superstore!
Know Your Part Number?
Input the part number and quantity to add a part directly to your cart.
Everyday Low Price: $169.99
Gold Club Price: What's This? $152.99
J&P Part: 691-429
This item qualifies for free ground shipping
joe1952 Posted:
I bought the vest as an accessory for my attire i wear when playing music in a classic rock band the vest looks sharp and is very well made and the reversable orange feature is great when i go for a ride on my orange Roadglide for all of this the vest was well worth the price i paid
Requires Adobe Flash Player
Call Us 24/7 1-800-318-4823


text:
Manicures 101: Top Tools and Tips
Get gorgeous fingernails with these professional nailcare solutions
By WomansDay.com Staff
Manicure 101
Pretty, groomed fingernails and toenails are the ultimate accessoriesoften making the difference between looking good and looking truly put together. Those of us who live in big cities are usually able to get our digits done at an affordable price ($7 to $10), but this option isn't available to everyone. Thankfully, there are plenty of tools that make tending to your own nails a cinch. Whether you use them for DIY manicures or want to assemble a personal salon manicure kit (which significantly cuts down on bacteria), these tools and tips from Creative Nail Design Education Ambassador Shelena Robinson will have you on your way to looking more polished than ever before!


text:
0cart: $0.00
Previous Page
[x] Close Window
Send your friend(s) a link to this product along with a personal message!
Your Name:
Your E-mail:
To: (your friend's email)
Your Message:
Cc me
Please enter the text below:
Overall Rating:
Read all reviews |
Write a review
Item #: 220987
In stock
2 Reviews - Overall Customer Rating:
Show all reviews |
Write a review |
Show reviews with photo(s) |
Show reviews with video(s)
Reviewed by: Funone
(Read all my reviews)
Location: Atlanta, GA
Title: Exactly What I Was Looking For
Date: Jul 10, 2012
I am going to a brown & pink theme baby shower and I looked at what seemed like a hundred local stores for solid brown wrapping paper so I could wrap my gift in brown and tie with a pink ribbon to match the theme and I finally found it on Celebrate Express and got it fast - just in time for the shower!
Report this review as Inappropriate
Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
Reviewed by: B33g33s
Title: AWESOME!
Date: Jul 09, 2012
Loved the product! Came is ssoo quickly and wrapped to perfection! Better than what I expected! Thanks so much!
Show all reviews
© CelebrateExpress.com. All Rights Reserved.CEWEB01


text:
Personal Memories
I was born when my family lived in the 6500 block of 9th Street but they moved when I was 2 to 909 69th Street in 1940, a seven-bedroom house that my father bought for $7,000. That house can be seen in the center of the photo below. It had a library, stain glass windows and a grand staircase. All the bedrooms connected from within or through the two bathrooms on the second floor. The third floor had three rooms and a bathroom with claw foot tub. The previous owner had a maid who probably lived on the third floor who could be summoned by a bell from the kitchen to the upper floor. The house was one of four like designs in a row. Three were field stone to the second floor and one was stone up to the third floor. In the 1930 census, George Read lived at 913 with his wife and adult son, Merle. George was born in 1861 and died in the late 1940s. He was a jewelry salesman who in summer wore blue seersucker suits and straw skimmer hat. His son was a pencil manufacturer. The house was sold to a Naumann family, a middle aged man and wife and her mother. He was a rose fancier. After moving in he had the house repainted in the interior and did a lot of work outside as well. One night he invited my father over for a drink. I don't know any details except my father recalled Naumann's concern about his furnace. At any rate after my father departed, Mr. Naumann must have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette that started a fire in the living room. The newly oil painted walls probably fueled the fire. Mother woke all of us up in the middle of the night fearful that our house would catch on fire. Fortunately the wind was coming in from the north and the flames shot out toward the street. Mr. Naumann died, his mother-in-law was severely burned and his wife survived unharmed. They were able to get out by the back stairs and rear porch. The house was restored. The house at 905 on the other side was owned by a Mrs Lynch. In 1930 she had seven boarders. She died about 1945. I watched men take a mattress out and thought the body was in it. The next house down was owned by the DiVincenzos mentioned above.
Kids growing up in Oak Lane in the 40s and 50s had pretty much free roam of the neighborhood. At age seven I was down on Cheltenham Avenue chasing after WW II propaganda leaflets that were dropped from planes. Certain colored leaflets were more desirable but I don't know why. I saw one across the avenue and I went after it without looking. Fortunately I hit the car instead of the other way. I had a small wound on my forehead but did I bleed and my mother said she had to treat the driver more than she had to attend to me.
There was a kind of divide in Oak Lane at least in the area around Oak Lane Avenue among kids: those who went to Elwood and those who went to Holy Angels. Eddie O'Boyle's mother across the street admonished him not to play with the Protestant kids. But he did anyway. There were a few Jewish families in that particular area. Kids played lots of the games in the alley between Verbena and 9th Street or on 9th Street itself. Classes at Elwood were probably half Jewish and I think most lived down near Chelten Avenue. There was one black kid who lived on 10th Street who we would see from time to time but he never got involved in our games. I don't think we had anything against him.
The business center at 8th and Oak Lane Avenue was where we kids would hang around and even get jobs. I worked for the pharmacy behind the soda fountain delivering prescriptions all over the neighborhood. Frequently I delivered prescriptions to the Carmelite Monastery at 66th and York Road where I had to pass them through a revolving wooden conveyance keeping me from seeing the nuns and their seeing me. I also delivered to Mabel on 5th Street around 68th Street who lived alone in a big house that was dark and dingy and smelled of cats. She signed her checks with a wooden pen dipped in ink and did so with a palsied hand. One year, a bunch us worked at Franklin Field during the Penn football games serving hotdogs and cokes. We got to watch the games between the quarters and half time. At that time Penn was a football powerhouse that played Penn State, Notre Dame, and University of Southern California among others like Harvard and Yale. Star players were Reds Bagnell and Chuck Bednarek, the latter a long time player of the Eagles.
I delivered groceries by wagon for customers of the American Store and I delivered beer to houses and bars for the beer distributor. The business district was self-contained but did not have a hardware store. My father saved every nail, straightening them if necessary and saved every paint brush. He had to walk to Old York Road and Cheltenham Avenue to buy a bottle of liquor. I went with him and found the State Liquor Store to be an austere place. The neighborhood had a pizza parlor in the early 1950s probably the first anywhere outside of South Philadelphia.
Eddie the barber took over from Pete about 1950. We stopped going to Pete because his haircuts were terrible. I then had to go to York Road to get a haircut at my father's barber. Anyway Eddie changed all that. And he stayed at barbering at that location probably for 40 years or more. We had a neighborhood reunion at Larry Wentz' house in around 2002 and Eddie was there. He was retired at that time. He must have unparalleled stories about that neighborhood.
The part of Oak Lane that centered on 8th and Oak Lane Avenue was mixed in terms of income, education and status. My father was a bank analyst, Larry Wentz' father owned an insurance brokerage. One father was a scientist at the Navy Yard. One ran a skee ball concession at Wildwood NJ. Jim Saddington worked for the Reading Railroad. The 1930 census showed a number of merchants, engineers, architects and people in sales and publishing. But other families were wage earners. Mr. Mack who lived at 1001 69th Avenue bought a new Cadillac every couple of years. He walked to and from the train and tipped his hat when passing women. The woman who lived in that grand house on the southeast corner of 10th Street and 69th Avenue had a gray Lincoln driven by black chauffeur.
In those days Martin's Century Farms milk straight from the dairy was delivered to the house with the cream naturally separated in the top. We had oil heat but many houses still got coal deliveries and had to put ashes out periodically, using them on the sidewalks when it got icy. The ashes were picked up by horse drawn metal bins that when full were taken to long bed trucks that could fit three bins on the back to haul away. Many houses still had iceboxes and ice was delivered by horse drawn wagons. Kids used to get pieces of ice during the summer and even caged rides on the back of the wagon. The street-lights were gas illumined and every couple of weeks a man came by with a small ladder and cleaning equipment to clean the large globes. Those globes got shattered every so often from an errant ball but there was little deliberate smashing of them.
It was a neighborhood of contrasts in housing, row houses mixed with single standing houses. Big houses mixed with small. On 69th Avenue, the first block up had had nice brick row houses on one side and elegant duplexes on the other. After that the houses were mostly, single, three storey, of field stone construction from about 1900. The houses on 69th Avenue from 10th Street to 12th were referred to as "Battleship Row" because of the immensity of the houses, some actually having fourth level attics. Ninth Street had modest twinhouses mixed with the Gudis' mansard stone house and the Thalheimers beautiful gothic house hidden down behind the hedges toward Verbena Avenue. The alley behind the row houses on 69th Avenue and 9th Street were the main play areas for the neighborhood and the play included Softball, Simon Says, Johnny Johnny Jump, Capture the Flag, Hop Scotch, Jacks, Stickball, Hide and Seek and just hanging around. In many respects the neighborhood was like a small town.
The police station was referred to as the Branchtown Station. There were never any neighborhood gatherings or celebrations except for V-J Day in August 1945 and when the Phillies won the pennant in 1950. What a bitter disappointment when the Yankees swept the World Series. On V-J Day I helped deliver a special magazine put out by the Evening Bulletin that traced the course of the war with photos. The Reformed Church had a Strawberry Festival every spring and Sturgis Field on 5th Street had Memorial Day remembrances with Root and Birch Beer.
We went to movies at the Lane Theatre on York Road at 66th Avenue and Erlen Theater on Cheltenham Avenue in West Oak Lane. The shows consisted of previews, newsreels, serials (people falling off a cliff at the end of the previous episode), a cartoon and then the movie. The Erlen had a blue dome ceiling like a darkened sky with a fake brick wall around the cornice. It had two aisles. A few times I got to got to the Mastbaum Theatre downtown and saw on one occasion Samson and Delilah with Victor Mature and Hedy LaMarr.
Next to the alley there were maybe a dozen brick garages but no one ever parked their cars in them. Their ownership was unknown but the Hall brothers used them for pigeon coops and escaping from the police through preconstructed tunnels. The garages were torn down and for a time the space was a pile of bricks. Out of the bricks some of us built a candy store, bought candy at the store and set them out for sale. A kid from 7th Street promised to watch the store while the boys went home for lunch. The candy was gone on return.
The Halls, father and sons built a sailboat in the garage. The boys also built a tree house using the discarded garage doors from the torn down garages. It meant using pulleys to get them up the tree selected on a vacant lot on Lawnton Avenue. Why the police didn't chase them away from this perilous enterprise seems amazing today. They also built a small cabin at Rocky Gulch that Boy Scout Troop 173 used on weekends in the Fall and Spring. And they built a plywood jeep that looked real. Once they rigged a rope swing from the southwest side of the railroad bridge that went out way over Cheltenham Ave. I didn't have the nerve to swing from the fence but did so a little bit down. That was my only ride because a police car had pulled up under the bridge. I swung back and we all ran.
Oak Lane Presbyterian Church was where I was sent every week for Sunday School. Sometime I had to go to the Church service. Mr. Maussert was the organist and the same four people constituted the choir who I think were paid. The Minister early on was Dr. Beale who was succeeded by Dr. John Strock's whose sermons, were dry, boring and beyond us. I sat there dreading the sermon that always took 20 minutes and might as well been a lifetime. The Doxology meant it was over.
During the war, my father was an air raid warden who when the sirens went off had to go out in a white helmet to tell residents to turn off the lights or pull down the blackout shades. Who ever thought that the Germans could possibly bomb Philadelphia. During the blackouts we listened to the radio in the dark to programs like Inner Sanctum with the squeaky door, Suspense and the Shadow with his
insidious laugh. My older brother took great pleasure in scaring me in the dark. On the vacant Hall Murcer lot at Oak Lane Avenue and 10th Street many "Victory Gardens" sprouted up and all kinds of drives took place to collect rags, newspapers and metal objects.
We regularly burned trash in the back yard and then put the charred residue in a metal can to be picked up. Friday was pickup time but one old black man high on a horse drawn wooden wagon came by on Thursday night picking over the trash for goodies. The kids in the neighborhood did the same and found some good stuff.
We did not just have Halloween. It was preceded by Mischief Night, Soap Night, and Chalk Night. It's a wonder that people passed out candy and such. A candy bar was very much desired, but ginger snaps and apples were not nor were handsful of candy corn. We liked to go to the Apartments by the Oak Lane Station because through one door one could knock on four apartments at a time.
After the war, we took excursions from downtown on a river boat to an amusement park south of the city. The river really stunk in those days. Shibe Park was the place to watch the Phillies in their red, white and blue uniforms and the A's in plain blue trim. One took the subway to Lehigh and walked west to about 21st Street. One passed through a neighborhood of row houses and on game days or nights the porches were always occupied watching the passers-by or even trying to sell something. One afternoon my brother and I watched a Phillies game on television at a neighbor's. We did not have television. The family was having a picnic in the side yard but Mr. Eberz said to tell him if anything unusual happened. An opposing hitter lined a shot to centerfield and it appeared to us and to all at the park that Richie Ashburn had made a shoestring catch. The umpire ruled it a hit and the park went berserk with fans throwing bottles of beer onto the field. (Since then fans get beer in a cup) Players and umpires had to hide in the dugouts. It went on for a time and the game was forfeited to the opposing team 9 to 0. The game was over. We walked out of the house and Mr. Eberz asked who won. We told him it was a forfeit and he was stunned we hadn't called him in.
Boy Scout troop 173 was founded about 1920 about the time the entire organization was founded and met in the basement of the Methodist Church at 12th and Cheltenham Avenue. John B (Doc) Chubb, a dentist, was the scout master. In the spring and fall we regularly went to the troop's camp ground on the Nashaminy Creek, actually it consisted of crude cabins with pot belly stoves. It's a wonder we didn't burn them down and we with them. We also went to Hart Scout Reservation up near Lansdale where we all stayed in a lodge. And in the summer we went to Treasure Island, always the first week because our scoutmaster found the latrines then to be a little more bearable. Dan Leary and John Neff on 7th Street were the only Eagle Scouts I recall. Most of us were content with 2nd Class although I managed to the rank of Life Scout. In 1953 I discovered the charms of girls and Boy Scouts lost something for me.


text:
Husky is the operator and majority owner of the White Rose field and satellite extensions. The original White Rose field was developed using subsea technology, consisting of three drill centres tied back to a Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. Production is provided by subsea wells in the Southern and Central drill centres while surplus gas is re-injected into the Northern Drill Centre for future extraction. In May 2010, production commenced from North Amethyst, the first of a number of potential subsea tie-ins to the main White Rose field.
The current focus of the White Rose Extension Project is on accessing the resources of the West White Rose pool. Subject to final Company, partner and regulatory approvals, Husky is exploring the option of developing this resource using a wellhead platform (WHP) tied back to the existing SeaRose FPSO.
The WHP option will consist of a concrete gravity structure (CGS) with a topsides, including drilling facilities, wellheads and support services such as accommodations for up to 144 persons, utilities, flare boom and a helideck. The primary function of the WHP will be drilling. There will be no oil storage in the CGS. All well fluids will be transported via subsea flowlines to the SeaRose FPSO for processing, storage and offloading.
The CGS will be constructed in a purpose-built graving dock at Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador and the topsides structure will be fabricated in an existing fabrication yard(s). The completed WHP will be installed in the western portion of the White Rose field and tied back to the SeaRose FPSO.
Further information on the project can be found at http://www.cnlopb.ca/pdfs/whiterose/projdesc.pdf
Husky is working to increase employment opportunities for members of designated groups (women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities). We also encourage corporations or cooperatives owned by designated groups in the supply of goods and services. You can learn more about Husky's diversity plan for the White Rose Extension Project here.
White Rose Extension Project co-venturers include


text:
Are you bored of the same look? Wish you had long healthy, luxurious, silky hair but are tired of waiting for your hair to grow? Or do you want to add highlights and/or lowlights without the damaging effects of chemicals? Or maybe you are seeking a fresh new image. Women throughout the world are remarkably unique. They're professionals, they're athletes, and they're mothers. Some are students, some are survivors. But in the end they all have one thing in common... they are amazing! Here at Rain Hair Extensions, our goal is to offer hair extensions that are as remarkable as the women who wear them. Whether you are looking for tape-in, fusion or micro rings, at Rain Hair Extensions you find the highest quality hair and the most fashionable styles at reasonable prices. Beauty salons tend to charge exorbitant rates because they buy from suppliers, we buy directly from the manufacturers and so there is no middle man. Rain Hair Extensions is a mobile hair stylist with over 8 years' experience. Our goal is to provide the best hair extensions service possible. Satisfaction of each and every one of our clients is our number one priority.
Top Seven Benefits to Getting Hair Extensions:
1. Add instant length, volume, and thickness to the hair.
2. Cover up a really bad haircut, or you got it cut too short (perhaps for a modeling job).
3. You want to add subtle or bold highlights to your hair without chemical processing.
4. Add instant health and shine to damaged hair.
5. You need a different look for a special occasion (wedding, prom, formal event, even a new job).
6. Just for fun. You can get an instant new look - one that you've always wanted.
7. Look more beautiful and feel more self-confident.
Instantly improve:
* Length
* Volume
* Texture
* Quality


text: Im having a hard time trying to find a beauty and the beast Belle dress for dd. She is going to BBB in November and wants to be made into Belle, i thought the dress would be cheaper to buy here rather than while we were at the boutique but there doesnt seem to be hardly any about - even on ebay! Having said that, she is likely to change her mind about which princess is her favourite before we go! How much do you think the dress will be if we get it at Disney? Will it be cheaper in the shops rather than the boutique? Thank you!!


text:
Please excuse the blog silence. I've been trying not to beat myself up about it! So many things have been happening (along with many sicknesses) and sometimes, just sometimes, the internet world and the real world do not get to collide for a while. But!! If you've stuck with me, thank you. I've had an […]
Subscribe by Email
Tagsbathroom Before and After birthday black and white cabin Cameron Chico christmas diy fall family Food gold gray green greeting card harvest holiday Home home tour instagram Interior Decorating lance letterpress life is beautiful living room local national stationery show outdoors paint pie project recipe red remodel sneak peek spring Stationery Stationery Preview Studio summer things I love travel weekend yellow


text:
Chief Boima Readies New Album for Dutty Artz
- Words: Taylor Fife
Chief Boima's initial splash on Dutty Artz came in the form of African by the Bay, a 2009 remix EP of mainstream rap tunes, including one from Bay Area heavyweights The Jacka and Andre Nickatina. Since then, he's relocated from Oakland to the Big Apple, and will be unveiling his newest release, fittingly titled African in New York, on February 21. There won't be any remixes of Nas or Jay-Z on his latest effort, but it will feature a refix of Cajmere's classic "Percolator" and a collaboration with NYC tropical-bass mainstay Uproot Andy. Take a look at the artwork and tracklisting below, and head here to check out Chief Boima's rework of "Without Money No Family" by Sierra Leonean blind thumb piano player Sorie Kondi, with whom he will be playing at SXSW.
1. Intro
2. Danza Street Makossa (prod. by Banana Clipz)
3. Last Night of Your Life
4. Without Money No Family feat. Sorie Kondi
5. Decolator
6. Yoam Wara Yoam Remix
7. Sina Makossa (prod. with Uproot Andy)
XLR8R Downloads Player


text:
Version History and References | Disclaimer
The atomic weights are available for elements 1 through 118 and isotopic compositions or abundances are given when appropriate. The atomic weights data were published by M.E. Weiser1 and M. Berglund2 in Atomic Weights of the Elements 2007, and the isotopic compositions data were published by J.K. Böhlke3, J.R. de Laeter4, P. De Bièvre5, H. Hidaka6, H.S. Peiser7, K.J.R. Rosman8, and P.D.P. Taylor9 in Isotopic Compositions of the Elements, 2001. The relative atomic masses of the isotopes data were published by G. Audi10, A.H. Wapstra11, and C. Thibault12 in The 2003 Atomic Mass Evaluation.
These data have been compiled from the above sources for the user's convenience and does not represent a critical evaluation by the NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory.
Development of this database was funded in part by NIST's Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications (SIMA) Program.
NIST Standard Reference Database 144
Rate our products and services.
Online: September 1999 - Last update: July 2010
Karen Olsen


text:
Rick Owens
Padded Cotton-Blend Bomber JacketWas $2,285 Now $1,599.50 30% off
Editors' Notes
Editors' NotesOriginally designed to give extra warmth to pilots in WWI, whose planes did not have enclosed cockpits, the bomber jacket is a classic menswear style. Rick Owens' charcoal version is padded with soft feathers and down for superior insulation and has a ribbed-knit wool collar and cuffs. Cut long in the sleeves for a slouchy feel, it will work with all your urban essentials. Shown here with a James Perse T-shirt, Rick Owens trousers and Guidi shoes.
Size & Fit
Size & Fit
- Fits true to size. Take your normal size
- This jacket is designed for a semi-fitted cut, and is particularly long in the sleeves
- Model wears an IT 48
- Model measures: chest 39"/ 99cm, height 6'1"/ 185cm
Details & Care
Details & Care
- Charcoal cotton-blend bomber jacket
- Padded, zipped sleeve pocket, two front snap-fastening pockets, ribbed-knit trims, two internal zipped pockets, fully lined
- Zip fastening
- 53% cotton, 48% nylon; trims: 100% wool; padding: 70% down (Goose), 30% feathers (Goose); lining: 100% cotton; sleeve lining: 100% rayon
- Dry clean
- Made in Italy
- Designer colour: Dark Dust
Free Delivery & Returns
Free Delivery & Returns
Ground shipping anywhere in the US is free
Please try items in the comfort of your own home. If you don't like them, or they don't fit, we'll happily collect them from your home or office for free.


text: What made you smile today???? Nov 23, 2012 12:55:15 GMT -5 via the ProBoards App Quote Select PostDeselect PostLink to PostMemberGive GiftBack to Top Post by Sully on Nov 23, 2012 12:55:15 GMT -5 Someone caught up to me on the freeway and followed really close for a minute. I saw a flash and realized they were taking a picture of my awesome license plate.


text:
Multicultural Women's Health Australia (MWHA)
Multicultural Women's Health Australia is the national arm of MCWH. It provides national leadership in immigrant and refugee women's health, operating through a network of likeminded organisations across Australia to improve the capacity of immigrant and refugee women to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health.
The program was launched on Thursday 17 November at the 2011 Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) Conference by Honorary FECCA President Ms Voula Messimeri. This video commemorates the rich history of MCWH health education and advocacy from which the MWHA program has grown.
|Home | About MCWH | Contact Us | Health Promotion Programs & Projects | Professional Training | Leadership & Advocacy | Library & Resources | News & Events
©2010 Multicultural Centre for Womens Health
Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Copyright, Credits, Feedback


text:
Torch Magazine
New Media
A Look Inside AETC
Commander's Page
Fact Sheets
Join the Air Force
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Story at a Glance
The Defense Department wants to make certain all service members and civilians are held accountable when it comes to sexual assault awareness and prevention.
Related Links
Women Speak Out Video
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Posted 4/1/2011 Updated 4/1/2011
Email story
Print story
by Dianne Moffett
AETC public affairs
4/1/2011 -
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas
-- Sexual assault can happen to anyone. Your gender, age or relationship status won't change that.
The Defense Department wants to make certain all service members and civilians are held accountable when it comes to sexual assault awareness and prevention. The slogan
Hurts one. Affects all." exemplifies the service member's responsibility to protect its own.
Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy agree, "Every Airman has the moral obligation and professional duty to intervene appropriately and prevent and eliminate sexual assault from our Air Force."
The first step to eliminating sexual assault is to accurately define it. The Defense Department defines sexual assault as "intentional sexual contact, characterized by the use of force, physical threat or abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot consent."
Under the DOD's definition, sexual assault includes rape, nonconsensual sodomy (oral or anal sex), or indecent assault (unwanted, inappropriate sexual contact or fondling).
In an effort to educate the community in sexual assault prevention, the Air Force adopted its own motto, "Real wingmen act!" to oblige Airmen to intervene and prevent a crime from happening in the first place.
According to Chris Burnett, Air Education and Training Command sexual assault response coordinator, prevention is the ultimate goal. Ms. Burnett says prevention is best achieved, "by energizing the community through education and training, by promoting positive bystander intervention and by making people more aware of a potentially dangerous situation."
The Active Bystander initiative provides three important components for intervention:
- Assess for safety. Assess whether the situation requires calling authorities.
- Be with others. Your safety is increased when you stay with a group. You will maintain a greater influence over the people who are involved when you work with several people.
- Care for the victim. Ask if the victim of the unwanted sexual advance, attention or behavior is okay. Does he or she need medical care? Does he or she need to talk to a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator to report the incident?
If you have experienced an assault or know someone who needs help, Ms. Burnett says, "The Sexual Assault Response Coordinator is there to assist and offer support. The base SARC is the single point-of-contact who tracks victim services from initial report through final disposition and designates a victim's advocate if the member requests one."
SARCs and victim advocates inform the victim of the right to choose restricted or unrestricted reporting and they provide the victim with medical, spiritual and psychological counseling.
"If the victim chooses restricted reporting, the incident is not reported to the commander and investigators. This allows the victim to focus on getting medical, spiritual and psychological attention without initiating an investigation," says Ms. Burnett and added, "Only Active Duty Service members have this option."
Unrestricted reporting allows the victim to focus on getting medical, spiritual and psychological care while initiating an investigation.
As wingmen, Airmen are responsible for one another. Practice responsible alcohol consumption, take the initiative to help someone who might be in trouble or help prevent someone who is under the influence from becoming a victim or perpetrator of a crime.
In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, Randolph AFB presents Dr. Christopher Kilmartin:
"Leadership and Sexual Assault Prevention,"
April 5, 2011, 10 a.m., Randolph base theater. For more information, call (210) 652-4386.
SARCs and victim advocates are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week at every installation. Contact your base SARC for more information. The Randolph AFB SARC, Jacqueline Shiflet may be reached at (210) 652-8787.
Secure and confidential support for the DOD community can be found at Safe Help line
or by calling 877-995-5247.
For more information on sexual assault prevention, awareness and training, visit MyDuty.mil at
No comments yet.
Add a comment
Inside AETC
View All RSS
The Official Web Site of Air Education and Training Command
Site Map
Contact Us
Security and Privacy notice
Suicide Prevention
Accessibility/Section 508
No FEAR Act


text: 19 March 2014 Save the Florida Panther Posted by: Elizabeth Fleming | 7 comments | Share: The population of the critically endangered Florida panther is estimated at 100 to 160 adults. Once ranging across the Southeastern United States, the panther is confined to south Florida in a single breeding population. These wild cats face serious threats to their survival from destruction and fragmentation of their habitat to make way for residential and commercial development, roads, agricultural and mining operations and other forms of land conversion. Wide-ranging panthers have to cross dangerous roads and highways in their search for territory, food and mates and collisions with vehicles take a toll on the small population and prevent range expansion. And one of the greatest obstacles for panther recovery is people's intolerance for living with a large predator. Sometimes people who live in close proximity to panthers and other wildlife are unaware of actions they can take to help protect these wild cats. Reaching out at festivals and other locals events gives us the opportunity to talk directly to people who live in panther country about how to coexist with panthers. This month we have been especially focused on increasing awareness about panthers. Exhibiting at festivals and other local outreach events allows us to provide information on panthers and their conservation challenges and speak directly with people who live in panther country about how to coexist with the big cats. In 1990, the Florida Legislature designated the third Saturday of March as Save the Florida Panther Day at a time when the panther population was estimated at only about 50 panthers. This year, Governor Rick Scott issued a proclamation declaring March 15, 2014 the official day. To celebrate, last weekend the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge hosted its annual Open House. Along with Defenders' Southwest Florida Coexistence Coordinator Lisa Östberg and volunteers with our Panther Citizens Assistance Taskforce (PCAT), I helped provide information about living with panthers and other wildlife at the open house. The refuge is not normally open to the public, and the event provides visitors the opportunity to explore panther habitat through swamp buggy tours and guided walks. We've been a part of several events like this lately. Lisa and PCAT volunteers demonstrated the mobile predator-resistant livestock safety enclosure and provided outreach materials at other recent community events, like the Swamp Cabbage Festival in rural Hendry County and the Collier County Fair. These events attract thousands of attendees and give us the opportunity to educate residents and visitors about how to avoid human/panther conflict. They also allow us to interact with homeowners who may need our assistance in building an enclosure. Our team took a rare buggy ride through part of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. We also handed out information about panthers at the Florida Panther Day event at the Naples Zoo on March 1st. This event attracts more urban residents and out-of-state visitors, and several thousand people stopped by to meet panther field biologists, engage in children's activities and learn about opportunities to engage in panther conservation. We've been happy to be able to take part in so many events, and are grateful to all our volunteers who participated in this important work. By working together, Florida wildlife advocates help people and panthers coexist in Florida, and ensure these unique big cats survive and thrive. Elizabeth Fleming, Senior Florida Representative 7 Responses to "Save the Florida Panther" janery March 19th, 2014 Thank you for your good work. ♥ Reply Susan Reimer March 19th, 2014 They are beautiful animals! Thank You. Reply Lois Perkins March 21st, 2014 Please help these beautiful panthers, there are fewer and fewer of them and you cohey are looking for foodnstantly hearing about one being killed or injured. Animals are mistreated and killed so much in florida. I hope something can be done to help stop this, after all they were here first. They have nowhere to go as cities get bigger and the first people thing is kill them . Animals have very little rights down here. They really need this help. Reply Rev. Leta Rosetree April 6th, 2014 We humans have disrupted several balanced ecosystems (which until recently, kept wildlife populations in balance naturally). What is more perfect than an enemy/prey balance resulting from hundreds of years of natural selection, including survival-of fittest and redistribution of resulting life? Why do we not understand: when ONE PART OF NATURE'S millennia-old balance is disrupted, ALL LIFE TOUCHED BY THAT PART IS AFFECTED; WE CAN NOT TOUCH ONE PART without affecting the whole. It's a toxic element that affects all that it touches: that food-chain, ANYWHERE in its IS its balance…there NEED TO BE natural enemies included in the food chain. Reply DOREEN June 1st, 2014 THANK YOU , JAMIE AND IDA FOR THE BEAUTIFUL WORK THAT YOU DO. Reply jeremy June 13th, 2014 that is good to here Reply Post Your Comment Click here to cancel reply. Name (required) Mail (required) (will not be published) You May also be interested in Caribou and Climate Change: Santa's Reindeer Face an Uncertain Future The Arctic is warming faster than any other part of the world, and reindeer are feeling the impacts in all seasons. Wolf Weekly Wrap-Up Wolves on the Move in Oregon; Another Mexican Gray Wolf Found Dead in Arizona – Poaching Likely; We're Almost There! Combatting Anti-Wolf Propaganda in Washington; Public Comment Period Open on Rule Designating the Red Wolf as a State-Listed Threatened Species and Setting New Rules on Coyote Hunting in Red Wolf Reintroduction Area New record set for panthers killed on roads Last November, the death of a young Florida panther broke the all-time record set in 2012 of Florida panthers killed on roads.


text:
Browse more:
Flat tip delivers paint to larger areas and the 100% pure red sable hair is an outstanding multimedia material. Long black lacquered handle offers superb control and includes a white tip. Seamless nickel ferrule.
Canister Set of 72 — The value pack canister includes a total of 72 brushes, 12 each of sizes, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.
® Dynasty is a registered trademark of FM Brushes.


text:
I was talking to my friend Eve a few days ago about magazines we love, their coming and going, and of course, we ended up talking about the iconic magazine that was The Face. To my surprise, Eve (who works in music journalism) said that they are in discussions about bringing it back in some form or another! This excited me at first, and then slightly worried me... I do hope, if they bring it back, that it is as good (is better possible?) as it was in its heyday.
Anyway, today I suddenly thought about my favourite issue of The Face, which had a cover shot of Macauley Culkin. I remember drooling over this as a teenager. I thought you might enjoy the history lesson :-) Unfortunately, I could only find these two photos.
Btw, is it wrong to still kind of fancy him in the smoking shot?


text:
Spectrum Health Targets ED Frequent Fliers for Primary Care
"Once we get them into the center they stay because they realize the approach we take is different," he says. "We don't fire them and we tell them straight up we don't care what they are doing that may have irritated other doctors in the past. We just need to know it so we can come together with a plan."
The center's treatment team uses addiction specialists, psychologist, RN case managers, and social workers to confront not only the medical issues—often pain, addiction, or both—that are driving these patients into the ED, but also the psychological and social issues that may be exacerbating the problems.
"Most of these patients don't know what do to. They really want someone to guide them through this," Waller says. "There are times when the RN case manager or social worker is able to guide them better than I do. We work together with each of the patients after we do our intake. Any plan I come up with has to be in line with the psychological side and the social side. We manipulate our plans so they work together and we present that to the patient before we finalize the plan."
Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
Deb McMaster (8/31/2012 at 8:09 PM)
This shouldn't be considered a one-size fits all approach. Therefore, assumptions should NOT be made about individuals that are taking prescription pain medications.
Ryan Nastaj (2/9/2012 at 1:17 AM)
Those os you who have posted, and there are currently two ahead of me, have not read the whole story behind this movement, This Dr. is a life saver, trust me when i tell you this, becuase i happen to be a patient there at the Integrative Medicine Group, the article left out the following, Dr. Waller is a Pain Medidcine Specialist, and addiction specialist and Emergency Room Doc also. The place doesnt only treat addictted patients to narcotics etc..it serves as a place to start then they transfer you to a regular primary doctor etc..So what the article said was he is an addiction specialist, thats is true but also treats Chronic pain and they do have other staff from network 180 which is a community or a place for the community to go for mental health , addiction stuff etc..when you go in you meet with several different people, from net 180 , dr. waller, a nurse, etc.. and they target your issues form various aspects. So thisis not just a place for addicts...just thought id let you know the truth
Cathy Martin (1/25/2012 at 9:23 AM)
I applaud Spectrum's concept. I think it will provide a very proficient way to ID patient's that will benefit from the program and give a very holistic approach to their care. However, I would caution that a program of 6 weeks is still in a honeymoon phase. I am a very "the glass is half full" person, but I don't belief that in 6 months to a year you will be seeing a sober rate as stated -"More than 90% have stayed clean since they started treatment here," he says. I would be interested in an update on the program's progress at 6 months and one year. I am hoping that Spectrum will share their program as a model for others and have great success with it as well.
- 'Mega Boards' Could be Rural Healthcare Disruptor
- 1 in 5 Eligible Hospitals Penalized for HACs
- 12 Hires to Keep Your Hospital Out of Trouble
- Meaningful Use Payment Adjustments Begin
- HL20: Lee Aase—Who's Behind @MayoClinic
- No Boost to NFP Hospital Bond Ratings from Medicaid Expansion
- Ratcheting Up Patient Experience Has a Downside
- HL20: Peter Semczuk, DDS, MPH—Taking on the Big Challenges
- HL20: Rebecca Katz—Cooking Up Sustainable Nourishment
- Top 3 Nursing Lessons of 2014


text:
Open Enrollment |
Subscribe to Printing Impressions HERE
Follow us on
America's Most Influential and Widely Read Resource for Commercial Printers
Industry Centers
Workflow / Web-to-Print
Digital Output
Digital Printing
Wide-format Digital Printing
Production Inkjet Printing
Offset Printing
Color / Quality Control
Sheetfed Offset Printing
UV Printing
Web Offset Printing
Binding & Finishing
Mailing / Postal
Business Operations
Business Management
Mergers & Acquisitions
Productivity / Process Improvement
Sales & Marketing
Master Specifier
Binding & Finishing
Computer Management Systems
Inks & Coatings
Mailing & Fulfillment
Paper & Other Substrates
Prepress & Platemaking
Press Accessories & Supplies
Printing Presses & Repro Equipment
Products & Services to the Trade
Printing's Best Blogs
Job Site
Binding & Finishing
Business Management
Digital Printing
Package Printing
Print Production
Printing Processes
Sales & Marketing
Real World Digital
By Noel Ward
About Noel
Noel Ward is Managing Director of Brimstone Hill Associates, which specializes in marketing communications in the printing industry, including video production. He can be reached at 603-672-3635 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.com. His website is
, and he has a
YouTube channel
E-mail Noel
RSS Feed
The Finish Line
How Many Binders Do We Need?
Dec 22, 2014
RSS Feed
Five Gifts to Give Yourself for an Awesome 2015
Dec 19, 2014
RSS Feed
M&A Directions
Pick What You Want—and Go for It
Dec 19, 2014
RSS Feed
Perceptions from a
Print Pro
The State of the State of Print Buying
Dec 17, 2014
RSS Feed
Smart Marketing Insights
Why Mobile Matters
Dec 18, 2014
RSS Feed
The Sales Challenge
A Simple Sales Choice
Dec 16, 2014
RSS Feed
Profitable Printing Relationships
How You Can Be Firmer with Customers
Dec 11, 2014
RSS Feed
Margie's Buyer Insights
How You Serve Print Buyers: Make This List and Check It Twice
Dec 10, 2014
RSS Feed
Systemic Success
The Incentive Plans of Mice and Men
Dec 8, 2014
RSS Feed
Inkjet Genie
Media (Not Size) Matters
Dec 3, 2014
RSS Feed
Building Brands
Nothing Succeeds Like a Failed Strategy
Nov 25, 2014
RSS Feed
Business Sense & Sensibility
We Reap What We Sow – Honesty Rules
Nov 25, 2014
RSS Feed
Two Sides to Sustainability
Let's Get the Story Straight on the State of North American Forests and Deforestation
Oct 31, 2014
RSS Feed
Perception IS Reality
Do or Do Not: There Is No Try—Sauers' Sign Off
Oct 14, 2014
RSS Feed
Making the Grade
'It's Okay To Leave Them Hanging' Paper Promotion (Includes Video)
Oct 1, 2014
RSS Feed
View from Mount Olympus
A Solid Business Footing: The 7Ps – That's Right, Seven! (Part IX of IX)
Jul 18, 2014
RSS Feed
Printers' Pulse
Crossover Points Between Digital Cutsheet, Sheetfed Offset
Jun 2, 2014
RSS Feed
Against the Grain
Lunch and Sterling Premium Paper
Apr 22, 2014
RSS Feed
Paper Guru
Even the Rolling Stones Like Print
Jan 21, 2014
RSS Feed
Converging Technologies and Print
New Year, New Blog
Jan 6, 2014
RSS Feed
Pressing Ahead
Five 'Must Haves' to Win Big Deals
Nov 6, 2013
RSS Feed
Nick's PrintSpective
A Student's Perspective: Entering the Printing Industry
Jun 24, 2013
RSS Feed
Print Confessions
Kick Off 2013 by Focusing on Your Clients' Growth
Jan 10, 2013
RSS Feed
Speak Your Piece
Print Management Is Friend, not Foe
May 3, 2012
RSS Feed
DMM and Profit Optimization - Guys that Get It, Part 2
By Noel Ward
| Posted on July 12, 2010
Share & Save
Text Size
Mark Cloutier likes to talk about profit optimization. It's part of what his company's mix of skills and services delivers for customers by focusing on understanding their needs and building lifetime customer value.
We were chatting while I was setting up lights for a video I was doing at his firm for one of my clients. He was juggling a couple of calls and emails with customers via his iPhone while we talked. He described what was going on as he wrapped up a deal and how he viewed the process.
"Profit optimization is not about printing," says Cloutier. "It's how we can deliver complete solutions that save a customer money overall, add value to their documents and make them more efficient."
As any print service provider knows, it's easy to be viewed as an expense. And that makes one vulnerable if a customer is choosing suppliers based solely on price. But when you can show a customer how the services your company provides add value—and profits—that changes the game.
"You can still lose out on some business," admits Cloutier, "but if you're delivering real value that a customer can measure, you come out ahead in the long run and you build a stronger, deeper relationship with the customer."
Cloutier is head of sales and client services at
, a 25-year old family-owned firm that began with one employee and now services regional and national customers from a three-building campus in Scarborough, ME. Its services span direct mail, statement rendering, database marketing, packaging, fulfillment, Web-based solutions and more.
The company is a avid adopter of digital print technologies and has two Xerox iGen3s, one iGen4, a couple of DocuPrint 115 printers and an Océ PageStream. Inkjet print heads are used for addressing in part of the mailing operation. Document composition software and other tools from GMC Software Technology orchestrate and drive much of the printing done on these machines.
The full range of services and deep technical skills at DMM fight the wannabe competitors that compete on price. Still, on some price-sensitive work where fractions of a cent influence the purchase decision, DMM has seen customers leave. This is a common event for small- and mid-size service bureaus these days, as small commercial shops poach what appears to be lucrative direct mail and transactional business. A customer may leave for a lower price. Then reality sets in.
"They usually come back," smiles Cloutier. "We recently had one leave and after only two or three mailings they're coming back. The low-priced guys just came up short on some critical things like postal discounts; items that make a big difference in total costs."
Knowing which technology to use and being able to implement it to serve a customer's needs is a key differentiator for DMM. It might be postal sortation or meeting demanding SLAs (service level agreements). Or having the right print technology and workflows to implement a campaign quickly and the data analytics to measure its effectiveness. DMM focuses on developing the skill sets within its staff to help understand customer needs and anticipate how it can address them. Together, this strengthens relationships and helps make DMM a trusted partner.
I work with a number of mid-size marketing and print/mail operations like DMM and Datamart Direct, the one I mentioned in my last post in this space. The companies I consistently find are the most successful are those offering not only a full range of services, but that leverage all their skills in ways that deepen customer relationships and—whether they use the term or not—provide profit optimization.
This seems like an obvious approach to take, but given the number of print providers that have closed their doors in recent years, it's a concept apparently lost on many print shop owners who often focus more of price. Like other guys that get it, DMM and Datamart take a holistic view of the entire print and mail process, from document creation through print and mail to data analytics, seeing how every element adds value for their customers. They know value that customers can see and measure is a clear differentiator and helps their businesses prosper.
Companies Mentioned:
GMC Software Technology
Xerox Corp.
Industry Centers:
Business Management
Share & Save
Share & Save
Click here to leave a comment...
Comment *
Name *
E-mail *
Why are we asking this?
Remember Me
Most Recent Comments:
« Prev
Next »
Privacy Policy
Click here to view archived comments...
Archived Comments:
Is Saturday Delivery Making a Comeback?
National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers Joins Two Sides
Making Direct Mail Lists & Checking Them Twice
Is Facebook Trying to Save Face With Publishers?
Fire Up your Brand with Customized Hot Sauce Labels
A Simple Sales Choice
More Blogs
November 2013
September 2013
June 2013
May 2013
February 2013
January 2013
November 2012
October 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
January 2012
October 2011
September 2011
June 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
Editorial Staff
Editorial Calendar
Order a Reprint
List Rental
Advertising Info
Site Map
Printing Impressions
is a publication of North American Publishing Company (NAPCO)
Commercial Printing Resources
Printing Impressions
In-plant Graphics
Printing's Best Blogs
Marketing Industry Resources
Retail Online Integration
Direct Marketing IQ
eMarketing & Commerce
FundRaising Success
Target Marketing
Who's Mailing What
Publishing Business Resources
Book Business
Publishing Executive
Gold Ink Awards & Banquet
Integrated Marketing Conference
Inkjet Summit
Copyright ©2014 |
North American Publishing Company (NAPCO)
| All Rights Reserved
1500 Spring Garden Street, 12th Floor
(215) 238-5300
Send Questions/Comments to
Privacy Policy


text:
You are fat and useless.
Nothing you say makes sense, they are not laughing with you darling.
Did you think they were?
Oh bless you, you thought they liked you.
They do like me don't they?
Stop staring, they are talking about you now, they see right through you.
They see under all your nice person crap, they see you are worthless, and annoying.
Stop talking for god sake, just stay quiet.
But look happy, keep smiling, nobody wants to have to ask you if you are ok.
They think you are an attention seeker.
'Lexy, are you ok?'
See, now you are forcing them to be nice.
How dare you force them to be nice!
I'll say I am great, it will be fine…
Stop lying, stop smiling, god you are so fake!
Do you think they are unable to see how utterly fake you are, bitch?
You are not 'great', they know you are lying, now they think you are rude!
Just do something normal you idiot!
I am trying, Ok I will be honest…
They are bored with your drama, they wish you would just die.
Die? That would be peaceful. But, I don't want to think like this…
You are destroying yourself again.
Everything you have worked for.
You are a failure.
Again, you are a failure again, you are a waste of blood and organs.
A complete waste of everybody's time.
oh god.
Why can't you just be normal???
How much money have they spent on listening to you spout your crap?
How many people have taken the time to be there?
And look at you.
Look at how disgusting you are.
How could you ever be happy with yourself?
You look like the hulk.
Look at your double chins, your spotty face, your idiotic big toe.
My toe? What is wrong with my toe?
You are a cretin.
How old are you?
And look at where you are.
You made too many mistakes.
Big ones, small ones, irretrievable ones.
You will rot in hell.
There is no wonder you have gone crazy, you have sent yourself crazy.
Sweep it under the rug Lexy, move on.
Come on girl, ignore what I am saying, you can do this.
Come on you insignificant little twat, stop shaking and live your life.
I am running out of patience with you.
Oh my god, you are cutting again?
Are you seriously going to take that knife and…
Oh you pathetic little toilet germ.
You are cutting again.
How old are you? 13? Get a grip you slob, you have a son.
Oh the state of me, I am pathetic.
Life doesn't revolve around you, you know.
Think of your son.
I hate you Lexy.
I hate everything you are.
Me too.
'What do you want for tea babe? Did you have a nice day?'


text:
Communication error please reload the page.
Padraig Harrington hits a shot off the fairway on the ninth hole, Singapore Open, Sentosa Golf Club, Serapong, Singapore, November 10, 2012
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
We use cookies and other technology that recognise you to improve your online experience. By using this site you consent to this use in our Cookies Policy.


text:
In the last day I drained 4 wallets, 2 of which were done in the early hours of the morning, so My sleep cycle is all screwed up now. Not that I mind that – I'm a night owl anyway and I do enjoy taking money from stupid sloshed wankers at weird hours.
I had one of them chugging beer and tributing every time I took a sip of water, and I went through 3 glasses of water with him. he got a lil drunk and sloppy, even tripped on his way to get another beer, but he kept right on tributing like a good lil piggie.
I decided one piggie's new name will be cash-point, since he loves being treated like My personal ATM, and he's english, and in England they call ATMs cash points. haha! I know cash-point is probably getting a cheap thrill out of being called out in My blog, but that's ok. I'll just extract more from him next time. teehee
Another asked for a lil CBT so I had him swinging a bottle of water from his balls and beating his pathetic lil pecker while chanting "no cummies!" over and over. LOL
Moving on, tonight the boyfriend is bringing Me chocolate and the wonder cock. I'll see what I feel like getting into with him as the night unfolds. haha
Since I won't be online much this weekend, you losers can sit home alone wanking to My latest videos, and of course there is the Weekend Wankathon set for you chronic masturbators. Now get busy and click pay stroke!
All videos are 960×540 high quality.
Countdown to RUIN -Findomme JOI Ruined Orgasm
I am a greedy bitch and your lil $200 cash tribute is not good enough for Me! In this video I tell you exactly how worthless you are, humiliate you for not bringing Me enough money, make you get naked and beg to jerk that pathetic lil cock in front of Me, laugh while you do so, give you a countdown, but then ruin your orgasm, laugh at you even more, and finally order you to go get Me more money.
I flaunt the cash I've just taken from you in your face, show you how little I think of it, and even slap you in the face with the cash to make My point.
This clip is priced at triple the usual rate because you need to tribute Me, and I'm adding it into the price. you can also tribute more, but this is just a start…
Financial domination, humiliation, JOI, ruined orgasm, begging, verbal abuse and insults.
your pecker is too small! -Small penis humiliation SPH
Verbal assault on your tiny pathetic excuse for a penis. you think you're fooling people, pretending to be a real man, but you're not fooling ANYONE, especially not Me. That thing will never please a Woman and I'm telling you all about it. Then I see how it makes your stupid d1ck hard so I make you wank it in front of Me while I laugh at you. Ewww! Get the video NOW, loser!
Small penis humiliation, SPH, verbal abuse, insults, tiny pecker insults
Watch as I admire My beauty in the mirror, apply lipgloss to My luscious lips, fire up a Virginia Slims 120 cigarette, text with My girlfriends to plan a night out, and talk about what puppets men are for Me. I don't care that you're there, but at the end I do flip you off with a big FUCK YOU. haha!


text:
Readin & Watchin?
Find a Conversation
|Fri, 12-28-2012 - 9:23am
What 'cha been reading & watching lately?
I'm reading a Linda Castillo book called "Overkill".... pretty good too ;O)
Last night dh and I watched an old film, The Firm (Gene Hackman and a young Tom Cruise).
It was good ..... based on a John Grishom book .
Downside was : we watched it on TV, so had to suffer thru commercials... ugh...
|Fri, 12-28-2012 - 3:13pm
I'm reading the latest in the Madeline Dare series by Cornelia Read called Valley of Ashes. So far it's not as good as previous books in the series. In my car, I'm "reading" The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. So far, so good.
I'm not watching much on tv lately. Just waiting for my favorite shows to come back after the holiday specials and reruns (which I don't watch). I recently watched The Dark Knight Rises and Trouble With the Curve on DVD. Both were not as good as I thought they'd be.
|Fri, 12-28-2012 - 10:43pm
Hi....Reading The Year She Fell by Alicia Rasley...pretty good family drama....
Watching...Just watched Sherlock Holmes on Television....Enjoyable!
Only took me 4 tries signing in....woo hoo...lol....
|Sat, 12-29-2012 - 10:03pm
|Sun, 12-30-2012 - 2:53am
Teri Hi!
It worked, hope you can read this from your side! (hope you got my email too from a couple weeks back). Great to see you and hope your Cmas was fun.
I'll have to look into "Room",,,, always looking for a new author to read. I like to watch The Good Wife,, (I like Eli !! ) Our new season shows start in January, not sure what will be shown though,, hoping for Downton Abbey,, it's on the German Channel but I'd rather watch it in English.... (picky picky)
Talk to you soon and hope you can keep posting... gotta go let Coffee in , it's cold outside but she's chasing squirrels (no snow today)... LOL
|Sun, 12-30-2012 - 2:55am
|Sun, 12-30-2012 - 2:57am
|Sun, 12-30-2012 - 8:53am
|Sun, 12-30-2012 - 9:10am
Suzan: The Dark Knight Rises was sooo long, for one thing and went into a lot of unneeded back story, dragging out those parts way too much. I want superhero action and cool "toys" when I watch a movie like this and I just didn't feel I got enough Batman scenes. I liked the ending though. It had a nice twist and would work either as the end of the series or leave the possibility of another sequel.
I'm sorry to hear The Hobbit got bad reviews. I loved the book and really want to see the movie. The only thing is, when I saw the ads for it, the character of Bilbo Baggins didn't look like I pictured him in the book. I wonder if others thought so and that affected the movie?
I like listening to books in the car. I don't think it's any more distracting than having someone talking to you as you drive. It doesn't work well in situations that need more concentration, though. If I'm lost or in heavy traffic, I tend to lose track of the story, so if I notice that happening I turn the book off till the stress is over. But for long, monotonous drives it really passes the time. It's a little tricky sometimes to change disks when driving, though. I can do it, but need a long straight stretch with no traffic (or, in town, a stop light) to do it, lol.
|Sun, 12-30-2012 - 2:29pm


text:
Start Your Shower Installation Project Today
Modern Hotel Bathroom Renovations
Made of quality stainless steel, the complete shower conversion kits are easy to install and are designed to be both visually attractive and highly efficient in draining water from the entire shower area. This top-of-the-line bathtub replacement kit makes it easy to install a a custom shower drain for any space. This includes rear drain showers, low profile shower or any other type of specialty shower conversion. The ProLine shower conversion kit allows you to design a custom shower base that drains water through any variety of outlets including side outlet shower drains or a back outlet with no penetration.
If you are representing a developer and you need quality materials that easily convert tub to showers within a hotel or similar establishment, the ease of installation of a ProLine shower drain system offers great advantages. Less time needed to install these means you can complete your job much faster – which is always an advantage for everyone.
The popularity of tub replacement shower projects today means there is higher demand for tub to shower conversion kits. Quick Drain USA provides contractors with the best solutions and support for these projects. Recognized with awards and industry accolades, each easy-to-install tub replacement shower drain is fully manufactured in the USA of only the highest quality materials and workmanship. Providing solutions for custom shower drains and particularly tough to convert tub to shower jobs are our specialty.
The ProLine system has earned the trust of the industry leaders in both health and architecture. The system won the Nightingale Award at Healthcare Design 2009 for its functionality, quality, style, environmental sustainability, and pricing. The famous Michael Graves of the DIY Network also gave his recommendation and accolades for the ProLine shower drain system.
These approvals mean that these components are not only great for shower conversion but also for building a shower room from the ground up. When installing low profile shower bases or a low profile shower tray our products are the perfect solution. Bathtub replacement shower pans and low profile shower trays are easily integrated to create a total shower drain kit solution. You will find that shower base construction for a tub to shower conversion in small, tight and otherwise inaccessible areas is greatly simplified with our shower drain system. ProLine's built-in height adjustments add the benefit of easily adjusting the drain height during installation of a tub to shower conversion.
The benefits of using these shower conversion kits from Quick Drain USA make it the best choice for contractors and even for DIY enthusiasts. The quick installation process makes it even more appealing for contractors looking at a massive or even a slightly large tub to shower conversion project. With our ProLine system's help, developers can complete any tub replacement shower project with ease allowing them get more jobs done in as little time as possible – translating to higher profits.
For any questions about our bathtub replacement shower pans and the whole ProLine system in general, do not hesitate to contact us today. Our sales representatives are always ready to answer your inquiry regarding the use of our products and other questions.


text:
Alternate Download
All of your OTTER information is in a file named otter32.mdb (for master database), which can be found in C:\Program Files\Otter32 on Windows XP based machines.
the computer you are transferring from is a Windows Vista or Windows 7
based machine, the otter32.mdb file will be located in C:\Users\*Your Username*\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (or x86, if present)\Otter32.
Please note that this file location is hidden within Windows by default, and must be un-hidden by opening "Computer" on your Desktop -> clicking "Organize" in the upper left portion of the window -> going to the "View" tab -> and selecting "Show hidden files and folders" from the list of options. Click "OK" to apply the setting.
Navigate to the location of the otter32.mdb file and insert a USB flash drive into your computer. Copy the otter32.mdb file to the USB flash drive and bring it over to your new computer. On your new computer:


text:
Posts tagged job
Nightwish Edmonton Show Review2
Wow this took awhile to get around to doing. This past weekend I had the chance to check off the third of my five favourite european metal bands off my "I must see these bands" list. I was truly surprised to find out that Nightwish was coming to Edmonton to play a sold out show at the Starlite room. I was surprised that they were coming, and I was also surprised that they sold out faster than the other two bands I saw: Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius. Maybe it's the female singer that makes them more attractive to more people. Not sure.
Anyways, Diane and I arrived a bit late to the Starlite room, and already an impressive looking line had formed all the way down the block. So there was nothing for us to do except go to the back of the line and wait for about 35-40 minutes to get in. Such is the state of going to the Starlite, since that has been the way of things in the past. On the plus side, the weather was beautiful so waiting in line wasn't a big deal.
While in line the opening band started up. It didn't really look like we were missing anything, and I didn't even bother to find out who was playing. Then again, it's really hard to tell since the volume was turned up so loud. *sigh*. The problem with live concerts.
So Diane and I found our spot on the right side of the venue on the stairs descending to the floor. It was packed in there though, so it took awhile to squirm into a good spot. It took a long time, as usual, for the main band to have all their gear setup and sound tested, but after the long wait Nightwish finally came on stage.
Nightwish has undergone a bit of turmoil in the recent months. They fired their distinctive lead singer after the band decided that they were not on the same page concerning the direction of the band (or something, I'm not really familiar with the situation). This made for some troubling times as the band tried to find someone to replace her. I'm not sure they ever would've found someone with quite as deep and powerful a voice as Tarja, but they did find someone who does a pretty darn good job. The new vocalist didn't sing too many classic Nightwish songs, but the ones that she did do she did pretty well I'd have to say.
Here's the setlist for the night:
- Intro + Bye Bye Beautiful
- Dark Chest of Wonders
- Who ever brings the night
- The Siren
- Amaranth
- Islander
- The Poet and the Pendulum
- Come Cover Me
- While Your Lips are Still Red
- Sahara
- Nemo
- 7 days
- Dead to the World
- Wish I had an Angel
All in all the show was amazing. The various members of the band are quite good at their respective intruments. The keyboardist isn't as flashy as the one in Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica, but that's okay. One of the guitarist's sported a rather epic beard/hair combination.
It's been a few days since the event, so I don't remember too many details. Also I wanted to get this post up before I forgot about it entirely. I took some video that I'd like to share, but I need to post process it so I can upload it somewhere useful (I was thinking flickr). That might take a little while.
Anyways, it was a pretty good show, and I was quite happy that I got the chance to go!
Ireland Bound0
Just a quick note to tell anyone who reads this blog who doesn't know already – I got the job with Pocketkings in Dublin (pending a successful work permit application of course). So in addition to everything else that's going on this summer (getting married, honeymoon, computer bot competitions), Diane and I have to pack up our lives and move them overseas for my August 1st start date.
Does anyone have experience in moving overseas (or know someone who does?). If so, I wouldn't mind chatting with people about good shipping options for the stuff we want to send over to Ireland.
Should be an exciting summer!
Week of Busy0
It's been pretty busy the past few days. In the evenings after work I spent a large amount of time uploading backlogged photos to Flickr. I've gotten pretty far into my backlog, and I've almost got caught up to the point where I can start to post new photos again (and I've got a few to upload already).
I've been forced to change my focus though. Diane and I are headed to Ireland next week so I can meet some people at Full Tilt and hopefully get myself a job. I've been thinking for awhile what I could do for a demo if such a thing were called for. I was fast running out of time to make something brand new since that would take a lot of effot over a very short time period. Plus I didn't really have any good ideas for stuff to do.
I remembered though that I had my lose-checkers program from my search course a couple years ago. So I've resurrected that, and my little demo program is one that utilizes sockets to play one program against another. It's not all that flashy, but it was a really good review of socket programming for me. I've got the basic code working and will be testing it and adding a few features over the next couple days before we leave on tuesday night for Ireland.
I'm getting pretty excited about the trip. I don't know what to expect, but it should be cool to see Dublin and meet some people working in a field that I'd like to be a part of.
Wish me luck!
It's been quite awhile since my last general update, so I figured I'd give a quick update.
The interview process is still underway. I'm not entirely sure what the status is, but it looks like I might be scheduling a visit for Diane and I over there to check out the office and have a chance to meet people and show off what I can do. It's a little nerve wracking not knowing whether I've got a job or not, but it should be cool to meet some of the people face to face.
Outside of that, the poker group is gearing up its significant resources prepping for the upcoming AAAI poker bot competition. We've got a couple new tricks up our sleeves which hopefully will be enough to secure some more first place finishes. We're also hoping to put together another man-machine challenge. There's some tentative support here, so it might actually happen, but I don't really know the details. As soon as I can share details about that, I will. I'm really hoping it happens. In my ideal world, I'd get a nice job offer from FT so I could breathe easy about that. Then the man-machine match would go ahead and we'd play some high profile players in Vegas during the WSOP. Then I'd get a bit of holiday time to honeymoon with Diane before moving to Ireland to start work at FT. It seems plausible to me!
Speaking of honeymooning and wedding stuff, the wedding is getting close to two months away. That's a bit scary … the time has never gone slow that's for sure. There's probably a bazillion little things we should be organizing for the wedding, but it feels like we've got most of the important details done. Probably the biggest remaining thing is to arrange a list of volunteers for various tasks at the wedding. We'll probably be compiling a list of things that need doing and call for volunteers over at minoragenda.com.
I've been pretty busy working, so I haven't had much time to put into poker. My 200NL experiment went pretty well, although I'm pretty sure I was running hot. I'd like to get a chance to play some more soon, but my evenings seem to be full of too many things. In other poker related news, I've been playing in the World Rec.Gambling Poker Tournament (WRGPT). This is a large play-by-email poker tournament that predates online poker. This is the first year I've competed in the tournament since I only learned of it last year but I missed the registration that time. I'm doing not too shabby in this tournament, although I've gone pretty card dead over the past couple rotations. Then this hand happened. Woohoo flush! I now sit in ~60th or so place of ~180-ish remaining players. I still have a shot!
So that's a pretty decent update of what I've been up to. Lots of stuff going on, not a lot of time to update the blog. Hopefully I can get more regular updates in the next little while.
Interview Stage 20
Well it didn't go too bad. I think. It's hard to say.
I … was a little nervous. This was the first real set of interviews I've had since I interviewed for a internship between my third and fourth years. I had a couple interviews then – one on the phone with IBM that went disastrously, and one with the math department that went far better, but they didn't give me the job. To be fair, the IBM interview was after a week of final exams where I had 4 exams, one on each day at 9am.
So yesterday morning I waited for my 9am phone call. Well, even that was complicated. They were calling 4pm their time 9am our time, but with the daylight savings time changed this past weekend I figured they might've not remembered we switched time. So I did the "math" … and got it wrong. So I was ready for an 8am phone call that didn't come. Then half past nine I finally looked it up on the internet and found that it was wrong and that 4pm Dublin time was 10am our time. Well, that was a good start to my interview.
I don't want to go into tremendous detail about the interview here. I kind of feel like I'm not well-suited to interviews. I have this tendency to guard everything I say with conditionals, even if I'm relatively certain of the answer.
The interview consisted of talking with a total of 5 people. I first was asked questions from one pair of developers, one of whom did his masters on Poker in our research group. Then I talked with another pair for awhile, followed by the head of the IT division. The last part of the interview was the most pleasant, partially because he wasn't grilling me but partially because it was kind of cool to talk about shared interest in the computing area.
I have mixed feelings about how the interview went. I kind of feel like I didn't do well, but at the same time I think I didn't give any wrong answers and not too many blank answers. I stumbled through some questions, and I probably didn't sound very confident on the other end, but we'll have to see what they say in the next couple days. Hopefully at the least I've managed to earn another interview, if not an offer.
In the meantime, I've got a bunch of cool things to work on for work so I have some interesting stuff to occupy my time with in the meantime.
Interview Step One0
Well today I was a nervous wreck. For quite some time I've been considering applying for a job with pocket kings — the company that writes and manages the software and details behind full tilt poker. A couple of former UofA grads have got prominent positions there and they've been making the case that I should go join them.
It took me awhile to come around to their case. It's an awfully large amount of upheaval to move to a country so far away from home. I sort of feel though that it's coming to a time in my life where I need to get up and experience the world a little more than I have been. I've finally started to admit that I'm too much of a homebody, and I need to get out of my comfort zone a bit.
Ireland has a lot of appeal. It's situated in a spot where Diane and I could take frequent traveling trips to see Europe. Dublin is a youthful city with a huge amount of IT people flocking to it. The opportunity to head to out and see the world while having an exciting job seems to good to pass up. The downside is I'd have to leave a significant number of family and friends behind, and that might be harder than I am willing to admit just yet.
So, after thinking about this for quite some time, I've started phase one of applying. I had my first phone interview today with one of their lead server guys. It went … decently well I think. The topics ranged widely, and I learned a fair amount about the company that I hadn't managed to glean from my other contacts there. I was asked quite a few questions about several things that he thought was of interest on my resume. I gave the best answers I could — I don't believe I perform all that well under intense scrutiny like that, but I didn't do badly. The only question I botched was when he asked me to come up with an example of deadlock. It wasn't until I had hung up the phone and muttered to myself about it for a moment or two before I came up with the answer. It's so simple too! For those who aren't into systems stuff, deadlock is when two processes or threads try and access sections of code that you deem need to be run or used by only one process at a time. So an easy way to create a deadlock situation is to have a process that grabs the lock for resource A and then the lock for resource B, and another process that attempts to acquire locks in the reverse direction. That way, it can happen that the first process acquires the lock for resource A, but blocks because the other process has acquired the lock for resource B which is blocked because the first process already has that lock. Thus … deadlock! *sigh*.
Other than that, the interview went alright. I answered his questions to the best of my ability and only stumbled a few times. It's interesting trying to pull pieces of my memory out from the last few years of work that I've done. As the interview progressed, I began to pull more and more pieces of details that I hadn't thought about in awhile. My maxflow algorithm implementation, my adding additional functionality to openssh, my building a user registration system for westgrid, and the details of the Trellis file system that I hadn't thought about in ages.
So I gather I'll be getting another phone interview sometime in the near future where I get to be "grilled" to find out how knowledgeable I am. I'm super nervous about that one. Anyone have any good interview questions that I can ponder as practice?
Sonata Arctica Show Review0
This was a long time coming. I've been so busy this last week that I haven't had a chance to talk about the latest Sonata Arctica concert here in Edmonton.
SA made their second appearance in two years at Edmonton's Starlite room last week. I was able to get tickets and go, so I continued to support the band's efforts to increase their North American fanbase. If they keep coming back they should do just that … this show was sold out!
My only real complaint about the show was that it was too short. They got on stage late due to the doors opening at 8:00pm, and two opening bands on the slate. The first opening band "The Order Chaos" was not too bad. They only played three songs, but I might have to look into their music a little more to see if I like it. The second band was called "Sanctity", and they were … almost as different from Sonata Arctica as you could get and still stay in the same genre of music. Sure they had metal riffs on the guitars, but where Sonata Arctica is classy, melodic, and appealing, Sanctity was rude, crass, and unappealing. I couldn't wait for them to get off the stage.
It's too bad SA couldn't play a longer set. They totally have the repertoire to play a two hour or longer set, but because of the late start there was no way that was going to happen. Still, they did play a good set, and I enjoyed getting the chance to try and take some band-in-action photography and video with my P&S camera. I think I did a decent job!
Big news as well, Edmonton… Nightwish is coming to town to play the Starlite room! I've already bought my tickets (you can get them in a presale from a link off their webpage). So once I see them, then all I've got to see is Kamelot and Rhapsody and I'll have seen my top 5 favourite metal bands! How exciting!
Transition complete0
Just a couple of notes to update what I'm doing with the site. I have now removed the old layout and blog content for http://heraldk.ca/blog. That address is still valid, but it points to this blog. WordPress does a pretty good job of acting as the main page for a website, so I see no reason to keep wordpress sequestered in a /blog directory. Very little for this webpage has changed.
I hope to spend some time on the template to make it look prettier. Instead of doing it myself this time, I think I'll probably steal/use one of the free ones from the wordpress templates site and modify it using my own images. Hopefully I get around to that sooner rather than later.
I had the pleasure of being one of the few people invited to the recent wedding of my friend and colleague Darse to his Alexandra. I was quite honoured to be there since it was a minimal wedding. I was there to document it through photography, and I think I did a fairly decent job for my first wedding shoot. This photo is Alexandra overlooking the river valley. They had chosen a really beautiful location not far from the royal museum. Hope you like the photos that I'll upload from their wedding!
Final Vacation Day1
Well Diane and I head back to Edmonton tomorrow. It's been a good trip!
Before I get in to today's activities, let me first say that I missed a highlight from yesterday. When we hopped on a bus to take us to robson street to have dinner yesterday, we were on the bus and were standing by the back door ready to get off at our stop. But something different happened this time than normal — the doors opened presenting us with a problem in dismounting the bus: a row of three newspaper boxes were perfectly lined up to block our exit. One enterprising individual hopped over the mailboxes, but he was the only one to move fast enough. His buddy waited yelled to have the bus driver move up a bit, but evidently the bus driver didn't hear. So we were carted up further. To make matters worse for us, no one pulled the wire to say they wanted to get off at the next stop, so we went 4 blocks past our stop before we were let off. Diane and I and 3 or 4 more people got off the bus giggling a little at what had just transpired. Okay, so I thought it was funny.
Anyways, to today! Diane and I got up, and had to furiously pack our things in order for them to be moved. Apparently the B&B we were staying at needed our room for some incoming guests so they were upgrading us to a new room (which is pretty nice, I have to say!). Anyways, after our packing we hurried over for breakfast with minutes to spare (they stop serving breakfast at 9:30am, so we needed to hurry). After yet another lovely breakfast, we waited around and got the keys for our new room but were told we needed to wait for the people to leave before going in. So instead we decided to leave after they offered to install our bags in our room. Our first stop today was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen classical Chinese garden. Not knowing what we were doing, we walked right in — but apparently the part we entered was the free portion. We wandered for awhile and enjoyed the calm quiet that the garden offered. We met a guy at the entrance that was using a lens to burn designs in some wood. I got a couple of pictures of this feat — it was really rather cool! I was quite impressed with his craft.
Anyways, after wandering around for awhile and taking a look at a nearby giftshop, we discovered the actual entrance to the garden. Hmmm … well Diane figured we'd had a chance to see some of the garden anyways, so we decided to wander off to another destination. *shrug*. We weren't in a big hurry, but we got some value for no cost so we couldn't really complain!
So after that, we headed back to Granville Island since the first time we were down there everything was closed. The market is a pretty lively place when it's open. We walked along admiring the fruit and some of the various merchandise people had to offer. We got some bubble tea from one place, and sat down by the harbour to enjoy the scenery and people/bird watch for awhile. It was strangely calming, despite the frantic movement of people. It felt kind of cool to relax and just observe people moving fast around you.
After awhile, we got up and wandered some more. There's a lot of neat shops around, but there really wasn't anything interesting enough for me to actually buy. We did discover a couple of neat things. The first was a guy selling fold out 3d cards. He was making them by hand, and I asked him how long it took him to make each one. His answer was about an hour each, except for rare ones which take up to 3 hours, and he pointed to one of some wisteria. The cards were amazing, and I almost bought one of some staircases that roughly resembled some of Escher's work. I refrained though because I wasn't really sure what I'd do with it … It'd probably sit on my shelf for awhile and collect dust. It was really cool though!
The other cool person we saw was a violinist who was playing some cool classical music … the music attracted me over and her sign said that she had just graduated from Juilliard and had been offered a job as a concertmaster somewhere, but that she was raising money for a car for commuting. I don't know if her story was true … but I was far more inclined to believe her than a guy we met in the Chinese park earlier that day with a story of how he got robbed and needed money to stay at a hostel. Huh. Yeah the girl's story was far more believable since she obviously had some talent.
Anyways, we wandered around for awhile more before deciding to have an early dinner at Bridges which is a restaurant right beside the water on the island. The food was pretty good, though pricier than the meals we'd had earlier in the week. That being said, I've been kind of shocked at how cheap the meals have been here, so one more expensive meal certainly wasn't going to break the bank.
After dinner Diane and I caught a bus back to our fancy B&B room. It's got a private entrance to a bathroom (shared with one other room), and a fridge, and it is rather big and comfy. I'm quite happy with our upgraded room for the last night of our stay!
Anyways, that's where we're at. We're gonna have to get up a little early to catch some transportation to the airport in the morning (and make sure that we've got enough time to eat some wonderful breakfast!), so I think I should head off now! This time tomorrow, I'll be back in E-town wishing I could still eat fresh seafood. *sigh*.