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I thought I'd introduce this subject with a photo of a fabulous horse-drawn hearse that I saw in Granada, Nicaragua. The coffin rides like Sleeping Beauty inside the glass compartment, and you'll notice that the horses are draped with crocheted blankets. "Why?" I asked. "Because this is a very serious time," I was told.)
My husband claims that I've been preparing for death ever since my twenties--over 40 years ago. I guess that's what you get when you marry a hypochondriac with a gloomy Scandinavian background. (Remember in "Annie Hall" when Diane Keaton and Woody Allen were breaking up and sorting out their books? She said something like: "All the books with 'Death' in the title are yours." You should see my library.)
So about death. Like everything else, dying has apparently been transformed by the creation of the internet. I think we're all familiar with on-line memorial pages where mourners can post their condolences and memories of the dear departed.
In today's New York Times (Jan. 25) there's a front-page story reporting that funeral homes are now offering bereaved families the opportunity to invite friends and relatives who can't make it to the actual funeral to watch the services live on the computer and then re-view the tape over and over again. Some of the companies offering this service to undertakers are FuneralOne, and Event by Wire. Even the famous Frank E. Campbell funeral chapel in Manhattan is introducing a webcasting program.
Some funeral directors offer the on-line funeral service for free, according to The Times, and others charge $100 to $300. A family can make the funeral broadcast open to the public or issue invitations along with a password. (I wonder, does Evite do funerals?) This service has allowed the military colleagues of a Marine killed in Afghanistan, for instance, to view his hometown funeral including the arrival at the airport, the graveside ceremony and the 21-gun salute. The father of the young Marine said he watches the funeral over and over again on the computer. "I don't know why, but I guess it's healing."
Two weeks ago, the cover story in the Sunday New York Times Magazine of Jan 9, 2011 --"Ghosts in the Machine"-- was all about what happens to the words and images of yourself that you've posted on the internet—after you die. Will you be remembered by your last foolhardy Tweet? By those embarrassing photos on Facebook? Entrepreneurs, according to The Times, are popping up who will manage your digital afterlife for a fee—acting as a virtual executor who will categorize, file, organize or just do away with your on-line self.
Andy Fish, the artist and instructor who taught me about blogging and Photoshop and computer illustration, says that he plans another kind of digital immortality—in which he can communicate with his fans from beyond the grave. Andy often writes a week's worth of posts for his blog, www.AndyFishWrap.blogspot.com , and then schedules the dates on which they will be posted on Blogspot. Using that facility, he plans to post an annual message on his birthday well into the next century, even if he's already gone to his reward.
Death, of course is one of life's major passages. So why not make some plans for it ahead of time?
For a woman's group I belong to, with a different topic for discussion every month, we once wrote and read aloud our obituaries. It was a worthwhile exercise. Leaving a draft of one's obituary probably would be helpful to survivors as part of your internet estate unless, like my husband, you already have an up-to-date bio on your computer for public appearances and press coverage.
(One of Nick's colleagues at The New York Times back in the day was the head obituary writer. He was always amazed that he could get in to see anyone—no matter how important—by mentioning his job. Every big shot cares about what his Times obituary will say about him.)
Speaking of life passages, daughter Eleni Gage just launched her blog "The Liminal Stage", on New Year's Eve, which she calls "The most liminal night of the year". The subtitle is: "Navigating a modern world with the help of time-tested traditions."
"Liminal" comes from the Latin word for "threshold" and Eleni has packed several liminal moments of her own into the last year: getting engaged, then married and moving from Manhattan to Miami.
Here you see her at her wedding in Corfu, Greece, about to toss a decorated wedding bread to the single ladies behind her (a Corfiote twist on throwing the bouquet.)
Eleni majored in Folk Lore and Mythology at college and, like me, she really loves learning about traditions, rituals, superstitions, divination – in all cultures. She writes on her blog:
"It's precisely because people get anxious around liminal stages, and the questions they raise, that cultures develop rituals designed to bring comfort, protection, and luck…My family is Greek so we throw pomegranates on our doorstep to invite abundance, and sit down to a meal in which a lucky quarter (wrapped in tinfoil for hygiene) is hidden inside a meat pie. …Whoever finds the quarter is guaranteed a good year, an extra little burst of confidence with which to face the unknown future. That's the point of rituals, and of this blog–to invite luck, to celebrate a given moment, and to use traditions to do what they always have–to give yourself the tiniest sense that you can control what happens to you, even if that's just an illusion."
You can find Eleni's blog at www.TheLiminalStage.com or by clicking on the title in my blog list to the right.
Great photos! I participated in an elaborate Granada funeral while I was there, which was an amazing experience, and one which the normally easy-going Nicaraguans did take very seriously. From the solemn wake in the street outside her house the night of her death, to the formal mass in the Cathedral, to the procession behind the hearse (perhaps this exact same one) to the ancient cemetery, to watching the coffin be sealed within the crypt, it was a beautiful and solemn experience.
This is absolutely fascinating. You've offered a totally new perspective to possibilities of Internet use I never even considered. Getting messages from a deceased one on his birthdays sounds eerie, but there's something for every enterprising mind. I didn't know what 'liminal' meant, thank you for teaching me something new.
Why bother? We have so little control on our lives while we are alive, even less once dead. The Queen Mother orchestrated her funeral to the minute detail and made it as grand as she could. She is now remembered for that, for her penchant for alcohol and for having been bombed at home during world war II. Trivia at best.


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What I loved about this DVD was seeing some of the former contestants from my favorite show, The Biggest Loser, doing the moves right along with me. Who can forget Season 5's Bernie, the at-home winner, and Ali Vincent, the overall winner? Both are right there doing the downward dog with you.
Don't fool yourself though, this isn't a cake walk (mmm...cake) - this is a real workout that had me sweating within the first 10 minutes. Bob Harper sure is cute but even his good looks didn't stop me from cursing his name after my first set of push-ups.
If you're looking for a traditional, meditative yoga DVD, this is not the one for you. If you are, however, looking for a beginners' yoga DVD that will also raise your heart rate, you may just fall in love.

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US 5139798 A Abstract A sucrose-containing chewing gum ingredient is prepared by codrying sucralose with a codrying agent and homogeneously mixing about 50 to about 97 parts by weight heat-softened polyvinyl acetate with about 3 to about 50 parts by weight of the codried sucralose. The mixture is then cooled. A chewing gum is prepared by mixing the sucralose-containing ingredient, gum base, a bulking agent and flavor to make a chewing gum composition.
Claims(22) 1. A method of producing chewing gum comprising the steps of:
a) providing a blended sucralose-containing ingredient by i) codrying sucralose with a codrying agent; ii) homogeneously mixing about 50 to about 97 parts by weight heat softened PVAc with about 3 to about 50 parts by weight of the codried sucralose; iii) cooling the homogenous mixture; and b) mixing i) about 0.02% t about 20% by weight of the chewing gum of the blended sucralose-containing ingredient, ii) about 5% to about 80% by weight of the chewing gum of a base, iii) about 5% to about 80% by weight of the chewing gum of a bulking agent, and iv) about 0.25% to about 5% by weight of a flavoring agent to make the chewing gum composition. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the PVAc is softened by heating the PVAc before mixing it with the codried sucralose.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the PVAc is softened by heating after being blended with the codried sucralose.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of sizing the blended sucralose-containing ingredient to a particle size small enough to be unnoticeable when mixed into a chewing gum composition.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the blended sucralose containing ingredient has a sucralose level between about 3% and about 50%.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the blended sucralose containing ingredient has a sucralose levvel of between about 15% and about 35%.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the blended sucralose containing ingredient has a sucralolse level of between about 20% to about 30%.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the PVAc has an average molecular weight of between about 7000 MWU and about 100,000 MWU as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the PVAc has an average molecular weight of between about 10,000 MWU and about 50,000 MWU as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sucralose is codried by spray drying it with the codrying agent.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the sucralose is codried by granulating it with the codrying agent.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the sucralose is codried by freeze drying it with the codrying agent.
13. The method of claim 4 wherein the blended sucralose containing ingredient is sized to less than about 420 microns.
14. The method of claim 4 wherein the blended sucralose containing ingredient is sized to between about 80 microns and about 400 microns.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the level of sucralose in the gum is between about 0.01% and about 0.5%.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the codrying agent is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, hydroxy propyl methy cellulose, gum arabic, modified starches and hydroxy propyl cellulose.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the level of sucralose in the codried sucralose is between about 20% and about 80%.
18. A method of making a sucralose-containing ingredient for chewing gum comprising the steps of:
a) codrying sucralose with a codrying agent, b) homogeneously mixing about 50 to about 97 parts by weight head-softened PVAc with about 3 to 50 parts by weight of the codried sucralose, and c) cooling the homogenous mixture, leaving a blended sucralose containing ingredient. 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of sizing the blended, dried ingredient to a particle size small enough to be unnoticeable when mixed into a chewing gum composition.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the PVAc is softened by heating the PVAc, before mixing it with the codried sucralose.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the PVAc is softened by heating after being blended with the codried sucralose.
22. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of claim 1.
Description This application is a continuation-in-part of Application PCT/US89/05296, filed Nov. 22, 1989 and titled Method of Controlling Release of Sucralose in Chewing Gum and Gum Produced Thereby, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The present invention relates to chewing gum, and more particularly to the use of a polyvinyl acetate encapsulated, codried sucralose in a chewing gum. Chewing gums comprise many ingredients, including sweeteners. Sweeteners suitable for chewing gums include both natural and artificial sweeteners. Recently, high-intensity sweeteners have been the focus of investigation for use in chewing gum. High-intensity sweeteners may be hundreds of times sweeter than natural sweeteners such as sucrose and glucose. High-intensity sweeteners of recent interest include aspartame, acesulfame K, cyclamates, saccharin, and now sucralose. Sucralose is a new, high-intensity sweetener which is a tri-chlorinated sucrose derivative and is about 400-800 times sweeter than sucrose. Sucralose has been reported to be cheaper than aspartame and at least 3 times sweeter. Compared to some other high-intensity sweeteners, sucralose has a sweet taste more similar to sucrose. Chemically, sucralose is known as 4,1',6'-trichloro-4,1', 6'-trideoxy-galactosucrose, or alternatively 1,6'-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-(β)-D-fructofuranosyl 4-chloro-4-deoxy-(α)-D-galactopyranoside. The United States Food and Drug Administration is now considering sucralose as a food additive. The manufacturer of sucralose is Tate & Lyle, Inc. in the U.K. Sucralose is marketed in the United States by McNeil Specialty Products Co., Skillman, N.J. Its use to sweeten substances, including oral compositions, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,343,934 and 4,389,394, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. The use of sucralose as an artificial sweetener is also disclosed in U.K. Patent Nos. 2,065,646; 2,065,648 and 2,153,651. The use of sucralose in chewing gum has been disclosed in other patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,170 discloses sweetener mixtures for use in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals but not specifically chewing gums. The mixtures are of sucralose and aspartame, saccharin, and acesulfame K. U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,394 discloses the use of artificial sweeteners in chewing gum to prevent dental caries. Chlorinated sucrose derivatives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,435,440; 4,549,013; and 4,612,373. U.K. Patent No. 2,154,850 discloses beverages sweetened with sucralose and cyclamate (among others). U.K. Patent No. 2,185,674 discloses combinations of thaumatin and sucralose (among others) to stimulate growth of farm animals. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,528 discloses co-dried sucralose and acid saccharin to prolong sweetness release. One of the limitations of chewing gum is that the sweetness and flavor are rapidly lost during chewing. Thus, chewing gum producers are constantly trying to extend the time in which a consumer of chewing gum can enjoy its flavor and sweetness. Patents disclose how a sweetener like aspartame can be physically modified to control the release rate in chewing gum. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,970 to Sharma et al. teaches a process for producing an agglomerated sweetener wherein the sweetener is dispersed in a hydrophobic matrix consisting essentially of lecithin, a glyceride, and a fatty acid or wax having a melting point between 25 and 100� C. The method disclosed uses a spray-congealing step to form the sweetener-containing matrix into droplets, followed by a fluid-bed second coating on the agglomerated particles. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,769 and 4,386,106, both to Merrit et al., teach a two step process for preparing a delayed release flavorant for chewing gum. In this process, the flavorant is prepared in an emulsion with a hydrophilic matrix. The emulsion is dried and ground and the particles are then coated with a water-impermeable substance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,687 to Sair et al. teaches a process for encasing an active ingredient to achieve gradual release of the ingredient in a product such as chewing gum. The method described involves adding the ingredient to an encapsulating material in the form of a viscous paste. High-shear mixing is used to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of the ingredient within the matrix, which is subsequently dried and ground. U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,639 to Bahoshy et al. teaches a process of "fixing" aspartame by co-drying (by spray drying or fluid-bed coating) a solution containing aspartame and an encapsulating agent, such as gum arabic, to thereby surround and protect the aspartame in the gum during storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,004 to Cea et al. teaches a method of encapsulating aspartame with various solutions of encapsulating agents using various encapsulation techniques, such as spray drying, in order to increase the shelf-stability of the aspartame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,593 to Stroz et al. teaches a method for producing controlled release sweeteners for confections, such as chewing gum. The method taught therein involves the use of an insoluble fat material which is mix mulled with the sweetener. PCT Publication WO90/07859 discloses a number of techniques, including encapsulation techniques, for delaying the release of sucralose from chewing gum. In example 18 of the publication, sucralose is mixed with polyvinyl acetate and the combined material is added to other gum base ingredients and made into gum. It is known that the sweetness and flavor can be extended in chewing gum by using high levels of high intensity sweeteners such as aspartame. The extension properties of those sweeteners, however, are limited by their release characteristics during chewing of the gum. Providing a chewing gum having improved sweetness and flavor extension is one object of this invention. Sucralose, when modified according to the present invention and incorporated into chewing gum, gives a chewing gum having a controlled-release sweetener. A higher quantity of sweetener can be used without resulting in excessive initial sweetness, but instead having a delayed sweetness release, giving a highly consumer-acceptable chewing gum product. The present invention includes sucralose-containing chewing gum ingredients and methods of making the ingredients. The methods include the steps of codrying sucralose with a codrying agent, homogeneously mixing about 50 to about 97 parts by weight heat-softened polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) with about 3 to about 50 parts by weight of the codried sucralose, and cooling the homogeneous mixture, leaving a blended sucralose-containing ingredient. The invention also includes chewing gum compositions containing the sucralose-containing ingredient and methods of making the gum. The gum making methods include the steps of providing the sucralose-containing ingredient as outlined above, and mixing the same with gum base, a bulking agent and flavoring agent to make a chewing gum composition. It has been found that the sucralose incorporated in chewing gum using the sucralose-containing ingredient of the present invention is surprisingly slow to release from the gum. Thus the invention provides a very simple but effective delay release mechanism for sucralose. As used herein, the term "chewing gum" includes chewing gum, bubble gum and the like. Unless specified otherwise, all percents used herein are weight percents. The first step in preparing the sucralose-containing ingredient of the present invention is to codry the sucralose with a codrying agent. Codrying is a general term for a process in which an active ingredient and a carrier or codrying agent are dissolved or suspended in a liquid carrier which is then evaporated to produce an intimately mixed, dry combination ingredient. Specific processes for carrying out codrying operations include the well known processes of spray drying, freeze drying and moist granulation. The moist granulation process has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Applications Serial Nos. 06/921,753 and 06/921,754. U.S. Patent No. 4,863,745, incorporated herein by reference, also discloses moist granulation processes. Any codrying method can be used, with spray drying and moist granulation being preferred. With some codrying agents, freeze drying may also be suitable. The most preferred codrying agent is maltodextrin. Other preferred codrying agents include hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose, gum arabic and hydroxy propyl cellulose. The ratio of sucralose to codrying agent in the codried product is contemplated to be between about 20% and about 80%. Levels of about 35% to about 65% are preferred, with 50% being most preferred. The next step is to homogeneously mix heat-softened PVAc and the codried sucralose. The PVAc used in the present invention will be a food grade polymer. The molecular weight of the polymer is not believed to be critical to working of the invention, but certain molecular weights may be easier to use to produce the blended ingredient and others may be more effective at extending the release rate of sucralose. Specifically, lower molecular weights of PVAc tend to be easier to mix and reduce the effort necessary to clean out the mixing apparatus afterwards. However, there is some evidence that higher molecular weights provide slightly slower release. The contemplated molecular weight range of PVAc usable in the present invention is from about 7000 to about 100,000 molecular weight units (MWU). The preferred range is from about 10,000 MWU to about 50,000 MWU and most preferred are polymers of about 15,000 MWU to about 32,000 MWU. (The preceding molecular weight numbers are based on average molecular weight as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography. Other methods of measuring molecular weights of polymers may give substantially different values.) The level of codried sucralose used in the PVAc blend can vary greatly. An upper limit would be just below the amount where the sucralose loading is so high that the PVAc can no longer form a film upon cooling. Levels of sucralose in the final blend in the range of about 3% to about 50% are specifically contemplated, while about 15% to about 35% is preferred. The most preferred level is about 20% to about 30%. The exact level chosen will depend on the intended usage level of this ingredient in the final gum composition. A variety of methods of preparing the PVAc/sucralose blends of the present invention are contemplated. A fiber spinning method as disclosed in U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 07/418,662 and 07/340,384, incorporated herein by reference, may be used. The PVAc/sucralose blend may also be mixed in a conventional sigma blade gum mixer. Any other type of mixer suitable for the task may also be used. Usually heat will be used to soften the PVAc to aid mixing. Preferred temperatures for mixing are in the range of 100 to 212� F. In mixing process, the PVAc may be softened before mixing it with the codried sucralose. Alternatively, the PVAc and codried sucralose may be mixed together and then heated. After the mixing process, the blended ingredient must be cooled. After cooling, the ingredient is preferably sized, usually by grinding and/or sieving to provide the desired particle size. The particle size should be small enough so as not to be noticeable in the finished gum. Excessively fine particles may lose some of the slow release benefit, but in practice, this is not a serious problem. The preferred particle size is less than about 420 microns. Usually a size range of about 80 microns to about 400 microns is desirable. The usage level of the encapsulated ingredient in gum will vary with the active level of sucralose in the encapsulation. In general, the usage level will be calculated to give a desired level of active sucralose in the gum. Usage levels of the encapsulated ingredient of about 0.02 percent to about 20 percent are therefore contemplated. The actual optimized usage level may be higher than might be theoretically calculated due to the slower release rate of the blended ingredient. Depending on the desired sweetness level and the presence of other sweeteners in the gum, the active sucralose level may vary from about 0.01% to about 0.50% or even higher. In general, a chewing gum composition typically comprises a water-soluble bulk portion, a water-insoluble chewable gum base portion and typically water-insoluble flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion dissipates with a portion of the flavoring agent over a period of time during chewing. The gum base portion is retained in the mouth throughout the chew. The insoluble gum base generally comprises elastomers, resins, fats and oils, waxes, softeners and inorganic fillers. Elastomers may include polyisobutylene, isobutylene-isoprene copolymer and styrene butadiene rubber, as well as natural latexes such as chicle. Resins include polyvinyl acetate and terpene resins. Fats and oils may also be included in the gum base, including tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and cocoa butter. Commonly employed waxes include paraffin, microcrystalline and natural waxes such as beeswax and carnauba. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insoluble gum base constitutes between about 5 to about 80 percent by weight of the gum. More preferably the insoluble gum base comprises between 10 and 50 percent by weight of the gum and most preferably about 20 to about 35 percent by weight of the gum. The gum base typically also includes a filler component. The filler component may be calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, talc, dicalcium phosphate or the like. The filler may constitute between about 5 and about 60 percent by weight of the gum base. Preferably, the filler comprises about 5 to about 50 percent by weight of the gum base. Gum bases typically also contain softeners, including glycerol monostearate and glycerol triacetate. Further, gum bases may also contain optional ingredients such as antioxidants, colors, and emulsifiers. The present invention contemplates employing any commercially acceptable gum base. The water-soluble portion of the chewing gum may further comprise softeners, sweeteners, flavoring agents and combinations thereof. Softeners are added to the chewing gum in order to optimize the chewability and mouth feel of the gum. Softeners, also known in the art as plasticizers or plasticizing agents, generally constitute between about 0.5 to about 15.0 percent by weight of the chewing gum. Softeners contemplated by the present invention include glycerin, lecithin, and combinations thereof. Further, aqueous sweetener solutions such as those containing sorbitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, corn syrup and combinations thereof may be used as softeners and binding agents in gum. The sucralose-containing ingredient of the present invention will most likely be used in sugarless gum formulations. However, formulations containing sugar are also within the scope of the invention. Sugar sweeteners generally include saccharide- containing components commonly known in the chewing gum art which comprise, but are not limited to, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, fructose, levulose, galactose, corn syrup solids and the like, alone or in any combination. Generally sugarless sweeteners include components with sweetening characteristics but which are devoid of the commonly known sugars and comprise, but are not limited to, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol and the like, alone or in any combination. These sugar and sugarless sweeteners often also serve the role as bulking agents in chewing gum. The bulking agent generally comprises from about 5 percent to about 80 percent of the gum composition. Depending on the particular sweetness release profile and shelf-stability needed, the sucralose-containing ingredient of the present invention can also be used in combination with uncoated high-potency sweeteners or with high-potency sweeteners coated with other materials and by other techniques. In particular, sucralose treated to increase its release rate as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/376,037, incorporated herein by reference, may be used in conjunction with the present invention. A flavoring agent may be present in the chewing gum in an amount within the range of from about 0.1 to about 10.0 weight percent and preferably from about 0.25 to about 5 weight percent of the gum. The flavoring agents may comprise essential oils, synthetic flavors, or mixture thereof including, but not limited to, oils derived from plants and fruits such as citrus oils, fruit essences, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, clove oil, oil of wintergreen, anise, and the like. Artificial flavoring components are also contemplated for use in gums of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that natural and artificial flavoring agents may be combined in any sensorially acceptable blend. All such flavors and flavor blends are contemplated by the present invention. Optional ingredients such as colors, emulsifiers and pharmaceutical agents may be added to the chewing gum. In general, chewing gum is manufactured by sequentially adding the various chewing gum ingredients to a commercially available mixer known in the art. After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the gum mass is discharged from the mixer and shaped into the desired form, such as by rolling into sheets and cutting into sticks, extruding into chunks or casting into pellets. Generally, the ingredients are mixed by first melting the gum base and adding it to the running mixer. The base may also be melted in the mixer itself. Color or emulsifiers may also be added at this time. A softener such as glycerin may also be added at this time, along with syrup and a portion of the bulking agent. Further portions of the bulking agent may then be added to the mixer. A flavoring agent is typically added with the final portion of the bulking agent. The entire mixing procedure typically takes from five to fifteen minutes, but longer mixing times may sometimes be required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations of the above described procedure may be followed. The blended sucralose-containing ingredient may be added at any point in the gum making process. The preferred point is with the first bulk sweetener addition. Very early addition into hot base is undesirable since the PVAc may soften or melt. A spray dried sucralose composition was prepared by dissolving 800g of sucralose and 800g maltodextrin in 2400g of distilled water. The pH of the water was adjusted to 5.9 by addition of 10% citric acid solution. This solution was heated to 95� F. and fed into a Niro spray drier. The inlet temperature was 195� C., and the outlet temperature was 80� C. The nozzle was in a counter-current position. The run took 27 minutes. The spray dried sucralose was next used to prepare a PVAc blend. Ground PVAc having a molecular weight of 15,000 was dry blended with the spray dried sucralose in an 80:20 ratio (by weight PVA: spray dried product). The dry blend was added to a sigma blade mixer at 130� F and mixed until homogeneous, about 10 minutes. The mixture was then cooled and ground in a Fitzmill grinder with a 0.109 inch screen. The product was then sieved and the fraction between 40 and 325 U.S. Standard Mesh size was used. The product contained 10% sucralose by weight. The method of Example 1 was repeated except that the ratio of PVAc to spray dried material in the PVAc/codried sucralose blend was 70:30. The product contained 15% sucralose by weight. The method of Example 1 was repeated except that the ratio of PVAc to spray dried material in the PVAc/codried sucralose blend was 60:40. The product contained 20% sucralose by weight. Chewing gums were made according to the following formulas (in percent by weight). ______________________________________ Example 4 Example 5 Example 6______________________________________Sugar 53.455 53.555 53.605Base 22.255 22.255 22.255Corn Syrup 5.130 5.130 5.130Glycerin 2.000 2.000 2.000Calcium Carbonate 2.000 2.000 2.00010% Salt Solution 0.100 0.100 0.100Dextrose 13.410 13.410 13.410Spearmint Flavor 1.350 1.350 1.350Ingredient of Ex. 1 0.300 -- --Ingredient of Ex. 2 -- 0.200 --Ingredient of Ex. 3 -- -- 0.150 100.000 100.000 100.000Active Sweetener 0.0300 0.0300 0.0300______________________________________ The gums of Examples 4, 5, and 6 were chewed by several individuals for 0, 2, 5, 10 and 20 minutes. The cuds were collected and analyzed for residual sweetner to determine the release rates. The results are tabulated below. TABLE 1______________________________________Chew Out Test Results Level % of Orig. (%) Remaining______________________________________Example 4 (10% Loading):Theoretical (0 min.) 0.0300 --Analyzed (0 min.) 0.0190 100 2 min. 0.0127 67 5 min. 0.0088 4610 min. 0.00060 3220 min. 0.00029 15Example 5 (15% Loading):Theoretical (0 min.) 0.0300 --Analyzed (0 min.) 0.0184 100 2 min. 0.0129 70 5 min. 0.0090 4910 min. 0.0062 3420 min. 0.0031 17Example 6 (20% Loading):Theoretical (0 min.) 0.0300 --Analyzed (0 min.) 0.0169 100 2 min. 0.0137 81 5 min. 0.0105 6210 min. 0.0065 3820 min. 0.0038 22______________________________________ In previous tests with similar gum formulas, with crystalline sucralose mixed directly into the gum, some of which are disclosed in application Ser. No. 07/376,0337, the gum retained approximately 20% of its original sucralose level after 20 minutes of chewing. Ethanol and aqueous solutions of sucralose mixed directly into gum produced gums that retained less than 10% of their original level after 20 minutes of chewing. Thus, in comparison, the results in Table 1 show that the codried and encapsulated sucralose of the present invention has a comparable delayed release from chewing gum when compared to mixing crystalline sucralose directly into the gum. However, the sucralose containing ingredient itself has better storage stability than dry, crystalline sucralose. Also, it exhibits slower release than prior art spray dried and solution forms of storage stable sucralose. In addition to slowing the release rate of sucralose from gum during chewing, the present invention offers certain other practical benefits. The volume of material added is increased by the bulking effect of the PVAc, allowing easier and more homogeneous mixing into the gum. The codried sucralose is stable, allowing long-term storage of the sucralose in this form prior to manufacture of the PVAc blend. This is in contrast to pure, crystalline sucralose, which is somewhat unstable. The PVAc/sucralose ingredient is also stable, both when stored as an ingredient and in the gum. It should be appreciated that the compositions and methods of the present invention are capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments, only a few of which have been illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. Patent Citations
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We've ranked the top hotels in Ottawa based on an unbiased analysis of awards, expert recommendations and user ratings. Out of six luxury hotels, two made the U.S. News list of the Best Hotels in Ottawa. The highest ranked hotels are Hilton Lac-Leamy and Fairmont Château Laurier.
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Named one of the U.S. News Best Hotels in Ottawa for 2014
This Hilton outpost sits about 5 miles north of downtown Ottawa in Gatineau, Quebec. Guests appreciate the views of Lake Leamy, but ... continue »
Welcoming visitors since June, 1912, the Fairmont Château Laurier was built to resemble a French Renaissance castle, with a copper roof dotted ... continue »
The Westin's Ottawa earns heaps of praise from recent guests, who say that the hotel's convenient downtown location makes an ... continue »
The Minto Suite Hotel wows guests with its excellent service. According to travelers, everyone — from the bellman to the sales manager — greets ... continue »
From its perch on Slater Street in downtown Ottawa, ARC The.Hotel exudes a modern feel with its contemporary lobby and its ... continue »
Towering 29 stories above Kent Street in downtown Ottawa, this Marriott property affords its guests sweeping views of the city. Recent lodgers ... continue »
Enjoy this award winning 4 star hotel while staying in Gatineau and taking the opportunity to visit Downtown Ottawa. The Ramada Plaza ... continue »
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text:
Position lightweight cameras or camcorders on almost any surface with the OmniPod flexible support. A 1/4"-20 threaded mount with a hard-rubber flange attaches the camera to the center of the beanbag, and the bottom surface features a flexible no-skid surface to secure the assembly on inclined surfaces.
- Support lightweight cameras or camcorders on almost any surface
- Adjustable strap provided to secure or suspend bag
- 1/4"-20 Threaded mount with hard rubber flange
- Flexible no-skid beanbag bottom secures camera on inclined supports
- Measures 9.0" x 5.0"x 1.0" (22.8 x 12.7 x 2.5 cm)
- Weighs just 1.5 lbs (0.7 kg)


text:
How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement
By Rudy Karsan; Kevin Kruse; Lloyd James (Narrator)
(Tantor Media, Compact Disc, 9781452631325)
Publication Date: March 2011
Other Editions of This Title: Hardcover, Compact Disc, MP3 CD
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We sketches the landscape of today's changing job environment and gives managers and individual employees alike a road map to full engagement.
Rudy Karsan is cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Kenexa, a global provider of business solutions for human resources. Kenexa studies human behavior and team dynamics in the workplace and, using software solutions, content, and services, helps organizations improve business outcomes through human resources. Under Rudy's leadership, Kenexa has received multiple awards and has been named to the list of Forbes Fastest Growing Technology Companies. Kevin Kruse is a serial entrepreneur, CEO of Kru Research, and cofounder of the e-Patient Connections conference. He lectures to organizations around the world on business excellence and the new world of work. He lives with his family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Lloyd James has been narrating since 1996, has recorded over six hundred books in almost every genre, has earned six AudioFile Earphones Awards, and is a two-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award. His bestselling and most critically acclaimed performances include Elvis in the Morning by William F. Buckley, Jr., Ben Hur by Lew Wallace, Searching for Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitskin, and Mystic Warrior by Tracy and Laura Hickman. Lloyd's background as a performer includes extensive work in classical theater and folk music. He lives in Maryland with his wife and children.
"Karsan and Kruse show the power of having engaged employees for business success and provide practical guidance for how to achieve it." ---Peter Cappelli, PhD.


text:
Relájese en el Paraíso! Disfrute de un cóctel en nuestra exuberante piscina tropical. Disfrute de su desayuno en el porche amplio y tranquilo. La experiencia de Key West la forma en que está destinado a ser, y cuando esté listo para ver los lugares de interés que usted está a pocos pasos de la bulliciosa calle Duval! Nuestra casa histórica Conch data de 1894 y fue completamente renovado en el verano de 2011. Las habitaciones están bien decoradas y cuentan con baño privado, mini-nevera, Key West Aloe comodidades, café en la habitación y tabla de planchar, así como televisores de alta definición. Happy Hour se sirve todas las tardes y por supuesto, el desayuno cada mañana! Su estancia en la casa del artista en Fleming será todo lo que siempre has soñado!
Puntuación basada en
29 Comentarios
4,0 en enero 27, 2015
I visit Key West frequently, service and value of the Artist House on Fleming is outstanding. Rooms were clean, excellent breakfast, and very helpful and friendly staff. I recommend to anyone thinking about a stay in Key West. Very quiet location but easy to get anywhere in Old Town by foot.
5 en enero 23, 2015
This inn is amazing in so many ways. The owners and staff allow you to feel like you are in your own home, but someone is always available to "take care of you." Breakfast was perfect with fresh fruit, eggs, baked goods, and great coffee. The room was comfortable, but the bed was delightful! Such a positive vibe all around.
4,8 en enero 21, 2015
My husband and I enjoyed our stay at The Artist House on Flemming. The location was great. Our room was clean, comfortable and there was plenty of room. The breakfasts and happy hours were terrific. It was a quiet and restful place to stay. i enjoyed the pool a great deal. Morning and evening swims were great. Privacy is important to us and we had that as well. Parking was available and we had no issues finding a space next to the house. The staff was great also. Very enjoyable and we would recommend this establishment.
4,4 en diciembre 18, 2014
This B&B was exactly what we wanted for our stay in Key West. Several blocks from Duval (the main street) yet close enough to walk to Duval and the piers. Exceptional dining was nearby for our evenings. Perfect location. The B&B itself was clean, the personnel were very acocommodating and the whole experience was very relaxing, which is exactly what we had sought. Would recommend and would use them again.
5 en noviembre 29, 2014
Wonderful and quiet location, charming house and rooms! Staff incredibly friendly! Best and huge breakfast of our whole journey although it was the smallest hotel! Coming back for sure :-)
4,0 en noviembre 12, 2014
Our week at the Artist House was fantastic! Location was perfect. Easy walk to excitement but far enough away for quiet. Our third floor room was nice and secluded. Breakfast was nice and relaxed. Cindy and David were very helpful. Would go back again!
4,8 en noviembre 08, 2014
I have stayed at the Artist House on Fleming twice...We are always treated like royalty... The staff David, Chris and Sondra (especially) were perfect hosts and were there all day if we needed something. The room was kept spotless and the service was impeccable..GREAT BREAKFAST ..... We are coming back....THX a bunch Michael and Gretchen
3,6 en octubre 30, 2014
We had a great time in Key West in no small part due to our hostess Jo, who was incredibly helpful. From fabulous restaurant recommendations (Santiago's Bodega!) to booking our tours and giving us great advice, she really helped make our trip so easy and enjoyable. Breakfast was plentiful and the happy hour is a really nice touch. We highly recommend it.
3,4 en octubre 29, 2014
Loved it! Its a bit further from the 'action' of KW but it makes it a quiet retreat. I would enjoy to return.
4,6 en octubre 09, 2014
I had planned a trip to Key West with my boyfriend only to break up a few weeks prior to the trip and was able to grab a girlfriend and go on the trip anyway! What lovely accommodations for someone in sort of a sour mood (me). We met some lovely people at the dipping pool the evening we arrived at the daily happy hour at the bed and breakfast. It was so nice and chill near the pool and on the patio. David, the manager, was very nice and full of great suggestions on how to get around the island and places to check out. We stayed in the Hemingway room and it was very spacious and clean and comfy. The beds and bedding were super luxurious too. I appreciated everything the staff and Artist House had to offer as it was a much needed break for me and provided the rest and relaxation I really needed. Thank you...I would definitely recommend to anyone traveling to Key West. It was just close enough or far enough from the "action" of the party scene of Key West.
Stately king bed with pillow-top mattress on first floor. Handicap accessible.
Queen Bed with pillow-top mattress on the 2nd floor interior. Can be adjoined with The Whitehead Room.
King bed with pillow-top mattress surrounded by Dade County Pine. This large suite is accessed via the deck and is located on the 2nd floor. Room contains a sofa bed that can accommodate up to four for an additional fee. Can be adjoined to The Gato Room. Children age 5 and over are welcome to share this room with use of the sofa bed. Extra person fees apply.
Queen bed with pillow-top mattress and spacious bath located on the first floor of the house.
Once a cabin room, this 2nd floor room is accessed via the back deck and features Dade County Pine Walls. Queen bed with pillow-top mattress, bathroom with Tub/Shower combo. Can be adjoined with The Truman Room.
Located on the 3rd floor, this large suite features 2 bedrooms-the first with a king bed with pillow-top mattress, the latter with a double. Room has private bath that is accesed via the 2nd bedroom. Please add $20/night for use of the second bed if only 2 people in room. Rate will be amended after reservation made. Children age 5 and over are welcomed in this suite. Extra person fees apply. *Please note: use of extra bed without prior extra-person fees will result in a charge of $100/night.
King 4 poster bed with pillow-top mattress on first floor with private exterior entrance to the garden. Bath has a tub/shower combo.
Queen Bed with pillow-top mattress located on the second floor. Bath has a tub/shower combo and the room can be adjoined to The Hemingway Suite.
Located on the 3rd floor, this spacious Suite has 2 bedroom, the first features a king bed with pillow-top mattress, the latter contains a double. Private bath is accessed via the 2nd bedroom. Please add $20/night for use of the second bed if only 2 people are in room. Rate will be amended after reservation made.Children age 5 and over are welcomed in this suite. Extra person fees apply. *Please note: use of extra bed without prior extra-person fees will result in a charge of $100/night.
sereno y tranquilo, Ciudad pequeña
Key West, FL (EYW) 2 miles
Al entrar al entrar en la isla, continúe en EE.UU. 1 Norte hasta la calle Duval. A la derecha en Duval y una derecha en la calle Fleming. La casa está ubicada en 1016 calle Fleming y estará a su derecha.
Compra de Antigüedades, Acuario, Galerías de Arte , Playa, De Interés Histórico, Música en vivo, Cine, Museo, Parques Nacionales, Área natural, Océano, Teatro, Área de picnic
Bed and Breakfast
Fotocopiadora, Chimenea , Piscina en la propiedad
Aire acondicionado, Despertador, Productos de Cortesía, Ventiladores de techo, Instalaciones para café/té, Refrigerador , Secador, Tabla de planchar, TV, Wi-Fi
Alquiler de bicicletas, Pasear en barca, Pescar, Jugar al golf, Pasear en kayak, Navegar, Comprar, Visitar lugares de interés, Nadar, Piscina, Deportes acuáticos
Continental Plus
, Happy Hour


text:
Hebrew Names Version (HNV) | New International Version (NIV) |
7 and delivered righteous Lot, very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked | 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men |
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain. (Hebrew Names Version - The Holy Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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Time off from all work, without a long-term plan. Ever do it?
My wife and I, now around 30 each, have contemplated going away for a month. I'd be leaving a well-paying contract job (that sucks the soul out of you) and I have no plan on what I'll do when we return. I make a little money from my Web sites through advertising, at least enough to pay the mortgage.
The plan is to take in some theme parks, concentrate on writing my book and just get away from the world for a bit, in another state. I'll likely acquire some debt, but nothing crushing, and if I can't really make a go of it on my own, there are a lot of jobs in my area.
Have you ever done something like this? How'd it go for you?
Microsoft haters, categorized
I love it when people talk about Microsoft haters, then get responses from said people that illustrate their point. Good times. John Topley has this round.
The stuff about squashing competitors is something I never get. I mean, can we just for a moment consider the possibility that those "squashed" had inferior products or poor business models? That's usually what comes to mind when I think of Netscape.
Exhibit 13
The Blue Man Group live rock tour was on the "free view" channel on DirecTV. Pretty intense show. I picked up the CD, also good stuff.
They ended the show with "Exhibit 13." I think you'll figure out what it's about.
CSS will be the death of me
You know, I really like CSS, and it makes live easier in so many ways. Unfortunately, because I haven't spent a ton of time with it, it's also a pain.
Formatting is easy, and works predictably across all browsers. It's the layout stuff that often frustrates me. This time around, I'm trying to plug in POP Forums into an existing page. I thought the CSS I ship with the UI was pretty easy going, and I've dropped it in other layouts before, but it's not cooperating with my current project. The biggest concern is that setting the forum tables and/or divs to 100% makes them 100% starting from the left margin, which means they bleed off the right side.
I know it's something simple, but like regular expressions, I frequently can't concentrate long enough to get the right formula!
Externalized rules and generated code
Another team at the company I'm contracting for just did some of the first work in creating a new system (it will take years to complete, replacing a COBOL system). They did a little performance testing and they were surprised when it reached only 10% of its target performance metric. Ouch.
A lot of what they're doing is rule-based. The rules are created with a tool developed in-house, and code is generated from it.
Aside from this kind of development being less fun (in my opinion anyway), it absolutely scares the hell out of me that this is the kind of performance they've encountered. It's pretty scary even. One of my theories is that none of the data being moved around is strongly typed, so all of that casting (especially with tons of ArrayLists abound) is bad news. I'm not an expert in that area though, and can only repeat what I've read in various performance texts.
I do really think that externalized rules are a good idea. I'm just not entirely convinced that they can be converted into fast, efficient code, and frankly I've not read any research on the topic one way or another.
Help on class design patterns
Having gone to college for journalism and not anything computer related, I've been exposed to various class design patterns in various books, none of them really jumping out at me as, "Wow, that deserves its own name and maybe a book!"
What are some broad object-oriented class design patterns that you follow? If you happen to see any good write-ups on them, I wouldn't mind seeing that as well.
I'm a total slacker
Maybe that's not being fair to myself. But I started uberasp.net in early January, blasted up some articles and started linking to newsworthy ASP.NET stuff. Then it stopped.
It stopped for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the contract gig that is sucking the life out of me. Add in the volleyball coaching (my girls come second only to my wife), the planning and accounting for two forthcoming CoasterBuzz Club events, nice weather, the last episodes of 24 and Alias, a small site development contract and a super-secret project to replace one of my other sites (oh, and I still want to do a junior Olympic volleyball community site), and you can see where my time goes. Now I've got my book to write as well.
The difference in this site is that I need to feed it regularly. Sites like CoasterBuzz, with 10,000+ visitors every day, feed themselves with contributions from its community.
All this stuff interferes with other things too. My diet is at a stand-still since I started this job. I'm not concentrating on eating right or exercising. I'm not cleaning the house regularly like I should be (a problem for marital relations to be sure).
There is an upside though... I'm not one of those people who pours 50 hours a week into that job. Billing hourly, I do the 40 hours and pursue the other things I enjoy. It'll be interesting when they decide to offer a full-time gig, to see what they offer. My other pursuits are finally starting to generate a little revenue, and I might decide to instead pursue those so "the man" is me. Exciting times!
Standard yet proprietary?
Help me out here... "proprietary XML schema?"
How is an XML schema proprietary? I mean, XML is XML, and the whole point is that it can describe pretty much any data. Yes, Microsoft obviously has IP rights to a schema, but I don't see how it's "proprietary."
Wow I'm bored today...
Community development and getting questions answered
Josh Ledgard made a brilliant post where he took inventory of the issues surrounding the Microsoft community. I'm glad to see this because I think we're at a critical point in the .NET world where we're hitting critical mass and we need more qualified people to work. People get qualified by working in community, in my opinion. Josh's observations need to be looked at, so that we don't end up with another "look at me" Channel9 thing (days later, I'm still not impressed, but they also had a save the world hype to live up to).
Two generalizations hit me as most relevant. The first is that too much volume is bad. I think when you run or lead a community you frequently forget that, but it's not a contest. The ASP.NET forums have almost too much volume, unfortunately. I would be curious to know, however, what percentage of visitors there post or just read. I know from my experience at CoasterBuzz, which is just social and not technical, that not all 10,000 daily visitors are posting. It probably isn't more than a hundred.
The other thing that stands out is that, the way Josh sees it, there should be some kind of better medium that is a cross between Web forums and Usenet. I personally have never liked Usenet much, at least not since the proliferation of Web forums, but there are some obvious aspects of the two that could be combined into a better product. That's stuff I think about a lot, but my disregard for Usenet has kind of prevented me from seeing that.
One other thing I guess is that online communities, regardless of the topic, need to breed a culture or protocol where people do actually search for an answer before asking the question. You'd think that since people land in these communities from a search engine that searching them would be obvious, but I know in practice that it's obviously not!
The coding models in Whidbey
I'm loving all of the discussion about how we "should" write code in our ASP.NET apps in v2.0. I guess the shocker is that a ton of people are open to the inline code and partial class/code-beside model (Andy Smith got me thinking about this).
Whenever someone brings up the topic, the "purists" of course speak up and talk about how code-behind is proper or whatever. Like Andy said, I've been saying for years that the alleged code separation this model provides is a fallacy. He also said what I've been trying to put my finger on for a long time: The model suits the tool, Visual Studio, not the platform itself. Very insightful.
Between my book and thinking about POP Forums, I'm interested to see what people will consider the best practice, especially since "best practice" is part of the book's working title. My developing opinion is that the code-beside method, with the page linking to a partial class, is the best method for development in the event that you have designers and coders working separately. I think in good app design you do all of your heavy lifting in totally separate classes anyway, so I would expect that your partial classes, the glue between UI and logic, would be fairly light in code.
However, if you're a one-person development team, then I don't see any reason not to just use the inline code. Again, your code there should be minimal anyway. In fact, if you decide to get into the declarative model of coding, as the ASP.NET team seems to advocate with all of the new controls, you might have even less code on your page. Using the forums as an example, what if I had a control that you declared in the page that got a list of topics to bind to a repeater?
It's very exciting. It challenges what we've been doing, and improves on it. It gives us the options to not change at all, if that's what you're about. I can't wait for this stuff to be licensed live.
Reboots suck
When is Microsoft going to figure out how to roll-out patches that don't require reboots? It's hard to pitch the reliability of Win 2k3 Server when you have to reboot every couple of months. It gives the Linux nuts a reason to kick sand in your face too. Granted, it pulls my sites off the air for all of two minutes, but that's two minutes too long.
The longest I went was three and a half months on my current box, no problem. Everything still appeared healthy and I didn't need to cycle any services or anything. It would've been cool to go longer.
Back off Liz... let the consumers decide on Gmail
A California senator (will I ever be able to see that name without thinking "cal-ee-fown-ia" again?) wants to legislate blockage against Google to prevent them from launching Gmail.
Now, let's ignore for a minute whether you think they're violating privacy or whatever (and I still think people are over-reacting). Why does someone need to legislate this? I know it might come as a total shocker, but consumers might actually be able to decide for themselves whether or not they want to use the service when it's open for business.
Personally, I plan to use it. Hotmail and Yahoo are just too graphic intensive. I could care less that a machine is scanning my email, and I really don't buy into the black-helicopter-conspiracy theories that Google is up to something sinister. If it turns out they give me reason to suspect that, then I'll stop using it at that time. I just don't need some legislator in California deciding for me.
System.Web.Mail in v2: Ditching CDO?
I haven't had a reason to use it yet, so I have to ask... Is System.Web.Mail actual .NET code in v2 of the framework or will it still be a wrapper around CDO?
Back in the day, circa 2001, I guess I didn't care one way or another, but I was just reading in a forum about how someone was having problems with their Win2k3 config and couldn't send mail. Relatively easy as it is to write networking code (and semi-easy to speak SMTP), I don't understand why this wasn't just its own self-contained code in the first place.
Writing the book
Got the contract to a place I'm happy with it, and it's time to get beyond the three chapters I have so far and write an ASP.NET book! I'm looking forward to the entire process.
One thing that I hope to stay mercilessly focused on is the target audience. This is going to be an ASP.NET book that targets Web jockeys with a script background that might not think in terms of overall application design (read: OOP design). The first three chapters are pretty critical to setting all of this up, which is why I wrote them as part of the proposal. So far, so good, showing them to people I've worked with that I'd consider the target audience. Now the challenge is to deliver that throughout. It has to not only explain the concepts, but sell them.
If the thing sells 10,000 copies, I'd be thrilled. If it can see print before the end of the year, I'd be even more thrilled. We don't have a solid time table yet, but as long as it beats the Whidbey release, I'll be pleased. That would give it a shelf life of maybe two years if I'm lucky.
You know, it'll be the most real when it has an ISBN number. :)
No more Leo on TechTV
Leo Laporte, of TechTV fame, said last Friday in his blog that he no longer works there. That's a real bummer. Sounds like the former owners (they were just bought by Comcast) tried to hold his earned shares hostage if he didn't agree to a better contract.
I have to admit that at times he'd get on my nerves because he wouldn't always let people just talk. Aside from that though, he is credible, personable and obviously loves technology. He is the real thing, and the only true "TV star" on that network.
Hopefully when Comcast has set up shop, they'll realize the network needs him. Or they'll decide to make it Morgan Webb 24/7, which would also be OK.
Tampons, Google and privacy
So I'm reading all of this stuff on ABCnews.com (from AP) about how Google will be "reading" e-mail to serve ads and that it's bad, immoral and will lead to the spread of Ebola or something. Wow do people need to get a grip.
You know, my mail server reads my clients' e-mail all of the time for the purpose of weeding out spam. Come to think of it, so do the other free e-mail services. But now, it's bad because the same process is being used to serve relevant ads to you. Huh. I'm not seeing the connection there to how this will contribute to the fall of Western Society.
Have you watched TV lately? Probably, I should think. I've seen a lot of tampon commercials. I've seen a lot of pad spots too (with wings). The funny thing is that I have wrinklies, and as such have no need for these feminine products. The advertiser has wasted money on pitching a product that I don't need or want, and all I get out of it is an opportunity to make jokes about it on my blog.
To date, Google has offered advertising that is relevant in the context of the content you're viewing. It's pretty cool when I look at, say, a motherboard review, and the ad has links to a vendor that has it at low, low prices. Very convenient. Sure beats the tampon ad. In fact, advertising isn't that evil when it sells something that appeals to me. I like to buy stuff. Who doesn't?
The application of the same concept to my e-mail isn't offensive to me (though I can see already that, the way my friends think, I'll get a lot of sex ads, assuming Google allows them). I'm guessing that Google isn't going to ask me for my social security number or my address, so even if they profile "me" via e-mail, a la Doubleclick back in the day, who cares? There is no human intervention, and it's not like someone is gonna stop me at the mall and say, "Hey, you and your friends have a dirty mind. By the way, did Amazon handle that return adequately for you?" No person at Google is going to say, "We've got that Jeff Putz guy now! We'll expose him as a pervert and frequent Amazon merchandise returner!"
People get all freaked out by the most ridiculous things.
Fanboys, a better Microsoft and Channel9 revisited
I got exactly what I expected when I called Channel9 stupid. Heck, it even got Scoble to notice. So now that someone is listening, let me go deeper. (Also... a shout to G. Andrew Duthie for mistakingly identifying him a 'Softie. My bad! For some reason I thought you were part of the team, but then I get a lot of people confused because a lot of authors, ASPInsiders and such have pretty good access to what's going on.)
First off, let me say I used "stupid" intentionally get actual discussion started. It's a strong word, but people react strongly to strong words. I'm not out to poo-poo someone's idea just for the sake of doing so, but all of the me-too's were, well, I guess kind of annoying. Contrary to what Colin Ramsay says, I'm not shortsighted and it has nothing to do with my testicular fortitude or comfort level with the community at large. Come on... I'm only 30, and not ready to be set in my ways.
I'm pleased to say that some people see what I'm getting at, and furthermore got me thinking about additional things. There were also a great deal of fanboyisms that don't really help, like, "Nobody is forcing you to visit Channel9."
No one responded to my initial point that the kingdom fragments around Microsoft lack cohesive vision, and that's a problem. Demonizing "marketing" and repackaging it as "communication" or "evangelism" seems kind of silly to me, yet that's what the "Channel9 Doctrine" essentially is.
Developers are notoriously poor at marketing. Maybe there's some psychological nonsense or personality typing that explains this, but if you've ever had to interview IT people, you know what I'm talking about. It's not a flattering stereotype, but these otherwise brilliant professionals suck at selling themselves. They suck at selling their best ideas to managers, and thus, managers make bad decisions that don't make sense that the developers then have to implement. If you've worked in any corporate environment, you know this to be true.
Getting beyond this in the corporate environment requires people who are brilliant developers and brilliant marketers. They're a rare breed, and I don't think I qualify for the title either. I've worked for them before, and they've convinced CTO's, COO's and CEO's to take a path that makes the most sense from our keyboards, not what some quasi-tech savvy manager thinks.
The division between marketing and developers isn't a surprise at all. We've all had to meet impossible expectations sold by sales and marketing people. We live at separate ends of the hall or in entirely different buildings. Half the time they end up making more than us. No wonder people think marketing is a dirty word. (You might also chalk it up to the brilliant folks who slapped ".NET" on every other product a few years ago.)
Getting back now to my last post, there eventually has to be some kind of overseeing direction to guide the ship. Google seems to be pretty good at this. They have all kinds of entrepreneurial efforts, some of them public, but at the end of the day they have to tie into the big picture to be viable. That's why Gmail will generate revenue on ads, just like their search results, news and Usenet access.
Channel9 is another effort that isn't part of the big picture because there isn't a clear big picture.
As an aside, the content strategy is kind of poor as well (as Jerry Pisk mentions). That's something I'm not shy about agreeing with because my background is broadcast video, from long before the Internet lured me away with dollar signs (and unemployment checks). If I excuse for a moment the horrible sound and lighting, the medium is not well suited for a development community. I don't watch the other streaming programs onilne (MSDN, Rocks!, etc.) either because, as Jerry put it, "You can't consume the information at your own pace, you can't search it, you can't quickly find what you need, you can't link to a specific piece of information in it." Maybe some day we'll get to a point that has changed, but we're a long way from it.
The most useful applications of online video, news and porn, are mostly pay services now, because they're valuable to their respective audiences, enough so that people will pay for them. I can't think of any other video I'm interested in seeing online (not that I'm looking at porn ;)).
In the roller coaster enthusiast community, Cedar Point reigns supreme as the most popular roller coaster-oriented park in the world. People like me are accused of being fanboys all of the time when we stick up for the park and justify its popularity. However, its biggest fans are also its biggest critics, myself included. I'm a Microsoft fanboy. The difference is that I'm not going to let something I care about just go through the motions of being great when it's not. The Java community has been doing this for years, and it's not helping them. If you've lived with the crap that is the Visual Studio ASP.NET designer for two years and not said anything, you're part of the problem.
Do your fanboy duty and think about it before you say, "Me too."
Why Channel 9 is stupid
Yeah, that's right, I'm not going to fit in with all of the "me too" crowd. Channel 9 is stupid.
I mentioned awhile ago that GotDotNet has been a failure of sorts, partly for technical reasons, but partly because it's another fragmented kingdom at Microsoft. In addition to GDN, we have ASP.NET and WindowsForms.NET. All three went off to do their own thing, and clearly never talked to each other.
Now we have this Channel 9 thing, which is supposed to offer some kind of insight into how Microsoft's developer folk work, and allow us to talk back to them. Sounds pretty good in theory, right? I don't think so.
I can't really speak for all areas of development, but right now I think that I get a pretty good insight into how things in the ASP.NET are going on via the blogs of people like Rob Howard and G. Andrew Duthie, as well as a number of non-MS bloggers who also participate in the forums at ASP.NET.
Should I now go to this new site (with the ridiculous avatars down the left side) because it looks cool and trendy, and everyone thinks it's a good idea? Is there a mandate that the people in the ASP.NET sphere go there and participate? If there's not, then it's just one other place I'm really not that interested in going. I can barely keep up with the other content I want to read.
They post that they want to "move beyond" newsgroups and blogs or whatever. That's a joke. The protocols change, but when you stop and look objectively at the Internet today, we're just using rich text editors now to post to Usernet and .plan files. Let's not kid ourselves.
Here's the thing, for years we've complained about marketing getting in the way of the real point and purpose of product. That's a valid concern, and certainly the only problem marketing causes these days is delays (because we shouldn't need to wait for Whidbey). However, now with Microsoft fostering this entrepreneurial spirit, kingdoms rise from the dark corners of Redmond without any regard to what's already going on elsewhere. For all the evil that marketing allegedly is, at least there's some kind of coherent strategy there. But then again, they post right on Channel 9 that marketing has no place there.
It could get more ridiculous, or the kings of these kingdoms could all sit down together, put their egos aside, and decide how to consolidate their resources and serve the market segments they cater to more affectively. That sounds like marketing, I know, but modern marketing is more of a two-way street than it ever has been, especially since that Internet thing came along.
I am an author!
It's official... I'm getting a contract for my book proposal today, and with the publisher that I think is tops in .NET books right now. Even more exciting is that their marketing people think it will be a big seller. How cool is that? I hope I can deliver on that.
So I'm wondering if, as a first-time author, I should take what they give me (provided it's reasonable, and yes I've read Scott Mitchell's advice) or if I should negotiate something more. It's not my intention to get rich off of this thing, because I know how realistic that isn't, but I do want to get a fair deal. Just having something on the shelf at Border's with my name on the spine is good enough for me, and it'll certainly help establish a little credibility.
I feel pretty good about the project and what it will contain. Right now I'm trying to spend more quality time with Whidbey because it does offer (not exactly change) a lot of different ways to do things in ASP.NET.
Two and a half chapters down, about a dozen to go!
Breaking ObjectSpaces out of .NET Framework
I noticed a string of posts today about breaking out ObjectSpaces from Whidbey (I happened to see Paul Wilson's first). That's an interesting development.
I guess I can understand why. It really does tie a major feature to a specific database, and doing so would probably fuel an already hot fire about Microsoft and bundling. As long as it's still available, I guess I can't say I'm really bothered one way or another.
O/R Mapping is fascinating to me. Personally though, I happen to think you may get better performing code if you have some kind of code generation tool writes classes that map to data. I don't have much experience with code generation, but it sounds like a neat idea. That said, O/R mappers offer you a great deal more flexibility in terms of keeping your database schema more fluid when you're prototyping or taking the guerrilla approach to writing code (which I'm guilty of doing).
Contemplating declarative controls
I was thinking last night about all of the new declarative controls in ASP.NET v2. Things like the data source I find fascinating, because they require even less code to deal with. Putting aside the debates about the "right" way to separate your application layers, I think these are great for John Q. Programmer Jr.
So naturally this got me to thinking about the UI for POP Forums. I was excited in the last version to have a nice class library and totally separate UI. I'd like to think the entire package is pretty easy to modify and tweak in whatever manner you like. The downside is that there's still a lot of code.
Certainly I thought at various points about building my own data-driven controls that you could just drop in the page, but then I'd be where the asp.net forums were, and that is not beginning to mid-level developer friendly. That forum is a nightmare to maintain and decipher if you're not familiar with building your own controls.
So I started to think about building my own version of the data source controls, dropping them on a page and binding them to a control on the page, like a DataGrid or Repeater. This starts to sound good because it puts the "heavy lifting" of the UI in a control without tying you to a certain format. That repeater could be templated any way you want. The net effect is that there's even less code.
This is all just fanciful speculation about stuff at this point, but what do you think? If you put your architectural philosophies aside for a moment (something I have a hard time doing myself), is this kind of thing a good idea?


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The National Equine Resource Network (NERN) held seven low-cost gelding clinics in California this March and will be traveling to Arizona and Colorado in May and Oregon in June. The group continues to expand their campaign to reduce the number of unwanted foals born each year and reduce the burden on horse rescue groups.
Gelding services are offered at NERN clinics for a fraction of the usual cost. Horse owners pay $75 towards the procedure, which can typically run $150 to $325.
"Reception by local horse owners has been overwhelmingly positive to these clinics," said Shirley Puga, head of the nonprofit organization. "There are a lot of responsible people out there who want to do the right thing by their horses, but they are just struggling financially. In fact, we are getting calls and emails daily from desperate horse owners and rescuers, asking us to host a clinic in their community. We are working diligently to expand the program to address as many areas as possible."
NERN will be offering additional clinics in California later in the year.
Another benefit of the clinics is to provide training for interns, vet students, vet techs and vet tech students, said Puga. Under careful, direct supervision of a veterinarian, the volunteer interns and vet students receive valuable "large animal" experience by administering medications or vaccines, inserting IVs, and performing routine castrations. Techs and tech students provide assistance at the clinics to keep things flowing more smoothly for the vets.
NERN also offers "hay" assistance to owners who struggling to keep their horses fed, but they have to have stallions gelded and take other measures to reduce the chances of their animals becoming a burden on the community.
"The bottom line is that there are more horses in this country right now than there are adequate homes for them. A goal for the castration clinics is to decrease the numbers of horses by castrating stallions from rescues or those owned by people facing financial challenges. This helps because the number of stallions is directly correlated with the number of mares bred. Reducing the number of foals being born over the next few years will be a major factor in alleviating this problem," Puga said.
GreaterGood.org supports NERN's commitment to proactive programs to reduce the number of horses abandoned or turned over to rescue groups through the Gifts That Give More program.
Photo courtesy of NERN.


text: 1937 Elgin Robin Posted on August 26, 2007 by mr.j.c.higgins and viewed 3381 times Posted in Pre-War Balloon Tire Bicycles Tagged Elgin, Robin, Sears, Westfield Manufacturing Company permalink Original unrestored bike. Entry Submitted by Aaron Thomas Elgin X-Pert speedometer, made by Stewart Warner. Vintage bicycles and parts for sale on eBay! VN:F [1.9.22_1171]Is this cool? Does it stink?Please give it a rating!please wait...Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) Other bikes you might like: 1937 Elgin Robin 1935 Elgin Robin 1938 Elgin Robin 1936 Elgin Robin 1938 Elgin Robin


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i love IT!!! the guys are really hot. . . .(drool down the chin)!!
im really bad at starting theese, i look and i always have 0 replies... anyways, what do you think of gilgamesh? some people iv talkd to hate it, but some love it. ive only seen the first episode, but i really liked it.
i love IT!!! the guys are really hot. . . .(drool down the chin)!!
[QUOTE=Zackraa]I enjoy the original ancient story
never heard of an anime Gilgamesh[/QUOTE
yea, the epic of gilgamesh right? well the anime is neweri think, its set in the future and it has a cool sounding plot. if you like any scifi, fantasy, action animes you should check it out, its kinda dark, but not morbidly so
Grumble Grumble Grumble
I've seen the first two DVDs that been released. The series tries to setup a mysterious atmosphere, but after the first two DVDs, hasn't done much to explain the plot or the motivations of the characters. Only try this series if you can tolerate long slow story lines...
Official ADV Films Gilgamesh Website...
FAVOURITE THREADS EXPLAIN why, or risk an infraction.Rantings of a Grouchy Old Anime Otaku


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Total Time:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
45 mins
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15 mins
dayla's Note:
This is a copy cat recipe from Todd Wilbur and his www.TopSecretRecipes.com site. I made these for my husband and I and they are just like the ones from Chili's. So good, I am sure you will enjoy them. It is a little time consuming but worth every second.
My Private Note
Units: US | Metric
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- 4 -6 cups vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (Crystal or Frank's Louisiana)
- 1 tablespoon margarine
On the side
- bleu cheese salad dressing (for dipping)
- celery rib
- 1Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
- 2In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
- 3Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces.
- 4Preheat 4-6 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
- 5One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
- 6When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
- 7When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes or until each piece is browned.
- 8As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and margarine in a small bowl.
- 9Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the margarine is melted, then stir to combine.
- 10You can also use a small saucepan for this step.
- 11Just combine the hot sauce and margarine in the saucepan over low heat and stir until margarine is melted and ingredients are blended.
- 12When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple paper towels.
- 13Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a large jar with a lid.
- 14Pour the sauce over the chicken in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce.
- 15Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side.
Browse Our Top Lunch/Snacks Recipes
Nutritional Facts for TSR Versionof Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings by Todd Wilbur
Serving Size: 1 (687 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 2
- Amount Per Serving
- % Daily Value
- Calories 398.0
- Calories from Fat 119
- 30%
- Total Fat 13.3 g
- 20%
- Saturated Fat 4.8 g
- 24%
- Cholesterol 110.0 mg
- 36%
- Sodium 3234.2 mg
- 134%
- Total Carbohydrate 54.7 g
- 18%
- Dietary Fiber 2.0 g
- 8%
- Sugars 0.6 g
- 2%
- Protein 13.9 g
- 27%
The following items or measurements are not included:
chicken breast fillets
Ideas from Food.com


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The Advocate Ranks 50 Most Influential LGBT People In Media
God Bless Rachel Maddow! The Advocate today released it's list of the Top 50 Most Influential LGBT People In Media and the out journalist grabbed the number one spot. As the… More
God Bless Rachel Maddow! The Advocate today released it's list of the Top 50 Most Influential LGBT People In Media and the out journalist grabbed the number one spot. As the… More
NEW YORK — If you see Alec Baldwin, better watch your step. He has a volatile personality, the 54-year-old actor says in a Vanity Fair cover story. It leads him… More
Ever since Warner Bros. sent former "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen a cease-and-desist letter after they found out he was using a "Men" photo to promote his new comedy "Anger Management," Sheen has been on the warpath. Now he's after Ashton Kutcher.
Jeffrey Ross (Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images) It's an embarrassment of riches! Comedian – and former "Dancing With The Stars" contestant — Jeffrey Ross says he has so much material for… More
Boxing heavyweight champion and pigeon enthusiast Mike Tyson can add a new item to his resume: professional roaster. Iron Mike will step into the ring to skewer Charlie Sheen on… More
The best reality show in the world isn't on television, it's on Twitter. Yesterday, co-stars Melissa Gilbert and new resident twitsmith, Kirstie Alley, in between tweets about working out and… More
Your hub for all the personal finance news that affects you and your family.
A blog about health, food, beauty, fitness, fashion, parenting and travel focused on how we, as individuals and as a society live our lives.
A blog keeping you up to date on the most popular news across the web.
An up-to-the-minute blog covering celebrities, gossip and entertainment news.
Covering the latest news, opinions and analysis across the world of sports.
A blog about television, characters, programming, actors, and the business of the small screen.
A blog about movie news, movie stars, movie premieres and the business of the big screen.
About music, artists and the news that envelops the industry.


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I didn't get results....I kept breaking out! I switched to apple cider vinegar, and I'm much happier with that, so I'm going to stick to it.
I have sensitive skin and this is great and so gentle on my skin...it does have a bit of refreshed to almost tingling sensation but it is doing its job. I don't really like the smell...but it is something j deal with because of its benefits of controlling oil on the tzone and I've seen much improvement in my husband t(oily skin).... Another thing is the price!!! I've seen toners that are maybe like 10x the price! Super inexpensive and very effective!
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More reviews by RebeccaKathryn
I love this!!! This is the most affordable, natural toner you can find and it works so well! I gave it four stars because I can't really use it in the winter when my skin is much drier. I do love to use it during the warmer months when my skin is much more oily. I find that it does a great job of removing any excess oil or grime on your skin and it helps to prevent and sooth any acne you may have on your face. Overall I highly recommend this to people with oily skin. Not so much to people with normal to dry skin.
More reviews by makeupmistress666
I first heard and about this product about 6 years ago from someone on youtube. I have been using it on and off since. I have only ever used this and Lush's toners and I prefer this one. (I felt that the Lush ones did nothing for my face.) For reference, I have very sensitive dry skin. I use it as a toner and to remove makeup. This does not irritate my face at all and I find it refreshing. I put some on a cotton bad and gently wipe. It costs about 5 USD for a big bottle so it is a great value. The smell is a little odd, but it's very faint so it does not bother me.
i absolutely love this toner! it is very cheap ($5 for a bottle), helps my oily skin, very refreshing, it has an odd smell but this doesn't bother me, and it has helped clear up my pimples! this product is my HG!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I've heard about witch hazel's acne-fighting benefits, so I picked up a bottle for $4 at Walmart. I've been using it for about a month or so, and I don't see a difference in my acne yet, but my oiliness hasn't been so bad lately. I wouldn't say it's because of this product alone, but it definitely helps. I switch off between witch hazel and my SkinFood Tomato Whitening toner, and they both help with oily skin. The only thing I don't like about witch hazel is the smell. It's a strange smell that isn't exactly pleasant to me.
More reviews by GlamorousScholar
I have been working in the beauty industry for quite some time now and always find myself using witch hazel instead of the more expensive brands that promise miracles. By far this is the best solution out there for acne-prone skin and women who are simply attempting to get a beautiful glow. It's inexpensive, works great and will beat any toner out there.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
More reviews by courtinkerbell
There's really nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. This is the best toner I have ever used and my skin has never looked better. Love it
5 stars across the board! I really love Witch Hazel. I have oily skin and moderate acne (black heads and a few cystic bumps). I actually got the off brand Witch Hazel oppose to Dickinson's because even though the bottle says 100% Natural, the ingredients on the back only list as 86% Witch Hazel. The off brand was the same way with the other surprise ingredient being alcohol.
I actually use this as a make up remover before I cleanse since make up wipes are way expensive, and then after I cleanse as a toner. I have seen a gradual improvement in tone and softness of my skin since using. This stuff is dirt cheap and works. Use it.
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This is definitely an HG product for me! I use it for everything!! It is super inexpensive which is great because I go thru it so fast! The main reason I got it of course is for my face! Best toner ever! Best part is it's natural. (Every toner you get has witch hazel in it anyway, just mixed with a bunch of crap!) Witch hazel has amazing effects on the skin. Dries up pimples, brightens my skin tone, tightens pores, removes oil, and I swear it even helps with black heads on my nose. It is drying so be sure to moisturize after! My second favorite use for this is to apply to my bikini area after shaving. It helps to reduce razor burn!! Works amazing for this use! Helps to also moisturize so that it doesn't get irritated from the shaving! Buy this stuff!! I have been using it for a couple years! You won't regret it!
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Mild weather this winter may be just what restaurants ordered, one analyst told CNBC on Friday. Here are his top picks.
NFL investigators indicate that the New England Patriots used under-inflated footballs in Sunday's AFC championship. NBC News reports.
Every year, first-time advertisers gamble millions in hopes of scoring big on game day and long afterward, but many come up short.
Jeff Gordon has earned $146 million in his career on the track in NASCAR races. 2015 will be his final season.
The multi-platinum recording artist is giving away 50,000 CD copies of his new album to AARP The Magazine readers.
The NBA has seen an estimated jump of 74 percent in team valuations over last year. Here's why.
A team of researchers in Scotland found that changing the shape of light can slow it down, meaning the speed of light is not as constant as thought.
Monthly rent prices continued rising in December, with these two cities experiencing over 10-percent price increases.
Millions were braced for disruption as two East Coast winter storms threatened to dump up to 10 inches of snow in some areas, forecasters said.
A 22-year-old Australian entrepreneur has netted $85,000 for the sale of a prank website after its viral success overwhelmed him.
An association of top scientists has moved the hand of the symbolic Doomsday Clock, over the threats of nuclear weapons and warming climates.
A Texas storm will soak the Southeast before curling north, dumping rain and snow on the Northeast, according to NBC News.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady denied adjusting last Sunday's game balls in anyway, saying he "would never do anything outside the rules of play."
Hong Kong tumbled down a ranking of the world's most livability cities, widening the gap with regional rival Singapore, which claimed the top spot.
Real Madrid topped the soccer money-making league last season, with the U.K.'s Manchester United coming in second, says a new report from Deloitte.
The IRS has auctioned off for $1.3 million a part of Darryl Strawberry's 1985-90 contract with the New York Mets.
Motley Crue is calling it quits on Dec. 31, and they want to be remembered for going out on their own terms, singer Vince Neil told CNBC.
NY Giants co-owner Jonathan Tisch reveals what it was like to host Super Bowl XLVIII and if NY/NJ ever hopes to win another Super Bowl bid.
A British father-of-three's comical description of a green buggy for sale on eBay has gone viral, which could make him a wealthier man.
Alcohol makers add nutritional value to their drinks in order to curb calories and alcohol content, the New York Times reports.
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes tells CNBC he gave his cellphone number to relatives of victims because he wanted to help comfort the families.
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In an effort to provide college personnel and students an opportunity to complete their educational goals, Faculty have the ability to use the Testing Office at specified times to administer make-up exams. They must fill out an Exam Information Form per student and submit it at least 24 hours in advance. Students are required to present a picture ID at the time of the test.
The Testing Office offers reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities by providing the following services:
For questions regarding special testing arrangements, please contact the Assessment Office at (210) 486-4346. For additional information on what services Northwest Vista College provides for students with disabilities, please contact the Access Office by phone at (210) 486-4466 or by email at email@example.com.
NOTE TO STUDENTS: Instructor Exam Schedule for Spring 2015: Monday - Wednesday 8:30AM - 4:00PM Thursday 8:30AM - 6:00PM Friday 1:00PM - 4:00PM 1st Saturday of the Month 9:30AM - 12:30PM Schedule is on a walk-in basis, and all exams must be completed by end times listed above. PLEASE NOTE: All examinees will be required to put all unapproved items in a locker. This includes purses, book bags, laptops, cell phones, books, etc. These items will not be allowed in testing rooms. A limited number of lockers are available, but are not guaranteed. Testing Office cannot be responsible for holding any items while testing. We ask that you make arrangements to not bring any unapproved items with you to take the test. If you have any questions, please contact the Testing Office @ 210-486-4346 or email@example.com
Instructor Exam Schedule for Spring 2015:
Monday - Wednesday 8:30AM - 4:00PM
Thursday 8:30AM - 6:00PM
Friday 1:00PM - 4:00PM
1st Saturday of the Month 9:30AM - 12:30PM
Schedule is on a walk-in basis, and all exams must be completed by end times listed above.
Phone: (210)486-4346Fax: (210)486-9049Email:email@example.com
Location: Cypress Campus Center, 2nd Floor - Room 207
Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Sunday - Closed
**(Please note, General Office Hours differ from actual exam hours. Please refer to the exam schedules for testing times.)**
Please note that any unapproved items for your exam will not be allowed in testing rooms; purses, cell phones, books, etc. It is advised to leave these items in a safe place while testing. Coin return lockers (quarter) are available on a first come first serve basis, and are not guaranteed. Testing staff is not responsible for holding items and you will not be allowed to test with any unapproved items in testing room.
A photo ID is required for all exams.
All Exams must be completed in one sitting, and by end of scheduled test times. (please refer to exam schedules)


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Energy Events
Environmental Film Festival Screening: The Green Revolution in Cuba
March 17, 2006 // 11:00am — 1:00pm
Environmental Change and Security Program
At a screening of the unfinished documentary, The Green Revolution in Cuba, David Suzuki discusses the "true green revolution" that took place in Cuba, as well as the energy efficiency of consuming local food.
Investing in the North American Electricity System
March 02, 2006 // 7:15am — 10:45am
Canada Institute
The Canada Institute hosted a select group of Canadian and U.S. government and industry representatives to discuss the cross-border electricity market. This program considered policy, regulatory, and technical challenges for expanding electricity generation, transmission, and distribution in North America.
Discovering the Possibilities of North American Petroleum Production
October 17, 2005 // 8:15am — 11:30am
Canada Institute
At the 4th Cross-Border Forum on Energy Issues, "Discovering the Possibilities for North American Petroleum Production" participants addressed the outlook for non-traditional sources of energy in North America, with a specific focus on Canada's oil sands.
Implications of China's Energy Growth
October 05, 2005 // 9:00am — 11:00am
China Environment Forum
To fuel the country's economic boom, China is building a new 1,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant every week, and the country is consuming half the world's cement, a quarter of all steel, and two-fifths of all copper. Not surprisingly, fifty percent of China's outward FDI is in extractive industries.
Book Launch: Energy and Security: Toward a New Foreign Policy Strategy
September 12, 2005 // 2:00pm — 5:00pm
Kennan Institute
Experts launch new Kennan Institute book. Video is available.
Book Discussion: Winning the Oil End Game: Innovations for Profits, Jobs and Security
July 22, 2005 // 10:00am — 11:30am
Africa Program
A Director's Forum discussion with MacArthur Fellow and physicist Amory Lovins, about his recently published book, Winning the Oil Endgame: Innovations for Profits, Jobs and Security.
Freedom: A Power for Environmental Stewardship
June 08, 2005 // 10:00am — 11:00am
Environmental Change and Security Program
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton says freedom—combined with private property rights and respect for the rule of law—creates an atmosphere conducive to environmental cooperation and security.
The Role of the National Oil Companies in China's International EnergyPolicy
May 26, 2005 // 2:00pm — 4:00pm
China Environment Forum
The China Environment Forum and STAGE co-sponsor a seminar on China's national oil companies and energy cooperation in Northeast Asia, featuring researchers from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, Scotland.
Environmental Advocacy and the Movement for Nuclear Safety in Kazakhstan
April 26, 2005 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
Kennan Institute
Kaisha Atakhanova, Director, Karaganda Ecological Center, and 2005 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner from Asia, describes how the people of Kazakhstan were able to successfully resist a proposed law that would allow foreign countries to dispose of nuclear waste products in Kazakhstan.
Meeting Rising Community Expectations: From Landslide Prevention to Harbour Enhancement in Hong Kong and Three Gorges Project in Mainland China
April 22, 2005 // 10:00am — 11:30am
China Environment Forum
Featuring Professor Lee Chack Fan, University of Hong Kong.


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There are standing desks, there are even treadmill desks, but the Kickstand Desk is one of the first workspaces that incorporates a bicycle to encourage staying active during typical sedentary times. Interestingly enough, the Kickstand Desk doesn't actually sport a built-in bike. The standard desk's dimensions have simply been tweaked so that the user's own bike can fit beneath it comfortably.
Conceived by Dan Young, who as a result founded Kickstand Furniture, the Kickstand Desk is manufactured in Cleveland. According to Young, "The real mission was to build a line of furniture geared toward the avid cycler. I love bicycles and if I had my way I'd be riding them every day. Now I can." Mission achieved.