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Sleeps | 6 |
Bedrooms | 2 |
Bathrooms | 2 |
Property type | condo |
Minimum Stay | 3 nights |
We are proud to be able to offer you some of the finest lodging in Vancouver. This luxurious 1200 SF Olympic Village furnished condo is located in a high rise on False Creek with stunning views from every room. It features a 400 square foot wrap around balcony with a fantastic panoramic view of the Park, False Creek and downtown Vancouver. Situated next to a park and waterfront it is tucked away from the city bustle with unobstructed views from every window.
Bright, open & airy define this space with over height ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and an open concept layout.
The condo is modern, spacious and comfortable - perfect for a family holiday or a busy executive looking for a quiet, conveniently located work space.
Top of the line finishings throughout include designer fixtures, Eggersman cabinetry, Sub Zero fridge & Miele stainless appliances, a gas range, granite counter tops, and soft-closing cupboards.
The bedrooms are located on opposite sides of the suite, each with their own private access to the balcony, and private balcony seating. Queen beds in each bedroom have top-of-the line mattresses with memory foam topping and luxurious sheets and duvets. The master bedroom features a wall mounted smart tv, a walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom with his and her sinks, bathtub and shower. Bathroom amenities, towels, hair dryer, iron and ironing board are provided.
The bedrooms have personal audio system alarm clocks (docks for ipod or iphone) and LED lighting for comfortable night time reading.
There is a large flex room converted to an office space with a custom built desk and shelving.
The wrap around balcony has two seating areas with comfortable deck furniture and a stainless steel webber gas barbeque. Enjoy the morning sun on the east side and gorgeous sunsets on the west.
The living room has a leather couch and two unique swivel chairs that fold into a chaise for relaxing or twin beds for sleeping.
Original artwork from artist Andrea Olund highlights each room.
The unit is equipped with a 47' 3D Smart TV Blu-ray Disc/DVD player (including movies and 4 3D glasses), fibre optic high speed Internet, and a compendium of modern appliances (blender, wok, toaster, kettle, rice cooker, tassimo coffee maker etc) for the imaginative cook.
There is convenient in-suite laundry, a fitness center, and an interior courtyard with a children's playground. Guests have private access to Club Millennium, which includes an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna/steam room.
Underground parking is provided for one vehicle.
The condo is situated beside 6 acres of green space and a waterfront urban plaza abound with local eateries, grocery stores, and shopping venues. It is just steps from the Creekside Community Centre, Science World, Roger's Arena, BC Place, Edgewater Casino, the Sea Wall, Granville Island, downtown Vancouver and public transportation by bus, skytrain or seabus.
Situated in Olympic Village, it has more green building innovations than any other residential development -- which is why it is touted as the 'greenest neighbourhood on the planet.' The condo has extraordinary sustainability features. To keep it cool, a cooling system utilizes cross ventilation from the surface water of the ocean. SunShades on the extended deck automatically raise and lower to maintain temperature. The roof has been designed to capture and divert rainwater into large underground cisterns, providing 'recycled' water for use in toilet flushing.
No smoking and no pets please.
We are busy professionals who love the outdoors and adventure. Our favorite activities are sailing, kayaking, biking, jogging, hiking, skiing, live theatre and the opera. This luxurious condo allows us instant access to all our favorite activities. We are happy to be able to share it with you.
Sandy and Hal Hirtz purchased this condo in 2013
Rate Period | Nightly | Weekend Night | Weekly | Monthly * | Event | ||||
Summer Vacation
Jun 19 2015 -
Sep 8 2015
3 night minimum stay
My Standard Rate
3 night minimum stay
Refundable damage deposit | C$500 |
Tax Rate | 3.0% |
Notes | Rate is based on 4 guests. Additional adult guests are $75 per night. |
* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.
Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency (CAD) unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.


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HeLa cell protein digest standard for mass spectrometryOur new Pierce HeLa Protein Digest Standard is a highly validated tryptic digest of HeLa cell lysate for quality control and system testing in mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of complex proteomic samples. The protein digest standard is derived from a well-established adenocarcinoma reference HeLa S3 cell line, which expresses over 15,000 proteins with relevant post-translational modifications. The cell lysate has been digested with both LysC and trypsin to minimize tryptic missed cleavages and improve protein sequence coverage. The product meets stringent quality testing specifications, including peptide quality, digestion efficiency, and lot-to-lot digest uniformity. Highlights:
View Products: |

subset: commoncrawl


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Litex Outdoor Wall Light Fixture Aged Bronze Coach Lamp 2-pack
Item #807271
Whether you want to enhance your home's curb appeal, brighten a front porch or back doorway, provide added security around a garage or shed, or create nighttime illumination on a patio or deck, you'll find this weather resistant fixture can become the ideal asset. This lighthouse style fixture features a vintage Edison Base "Squirrel Cage" historic antique light bulb. These timeless filaments generate a beautiful and gentle warm glow and project a distinct light pattern when illuminated. The downward-facing fixture directs light out and down, making it a resourceful choice for illuminating any area around the home.
- Aged Bronze Finish
- Single Light with Cage Frame
- Uses 1x60 watt max. Edison Base Bulb (Included)
- Ceramic Socket Material
- UL Listed for Outdoor Use (Weather Resistant – Rust Proof)
- Canopy & Back Plate Material: Galvanized Steel Sheet
- Item Package Quantity: 2
- Warranty Description Limited One Year
- Voltage/Hz: 120 / 60
- Product Weight: 4.73 lbs.
- Product Dimensions: L 12" X W 9.5" X H 12"
Brand: Litex
*Delivery is available to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. An additional Shipping and Handling fee will apply to shipments going to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico. This fee will be quoted at checkout. Additional transit time may be required.
Costco.com products can be returned to any of our more than 600 Costco warehouses worldwide.
Merchandise: We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund. The following must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a refund: televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, touch screen tablets, MP3 players and cellular phones.
How to Return: For an immediate refund (including shipping and handling), simply return your purchase at any one of our Costco warehouses worldwide. If you are unable to return your order at one of our warehouses, please email customer service or call our customer service center at 1-800-955-2292 for assistance. To expedite the processing of your return, please reference your order number.
If you request an item be picked up for return, the item must be packaged and available for pick up in the same manner as it was delivered.
If your order was delivered "curb side", it will need to be available for curb side pick up.
If the item arrived to you in a box, it will need to be in a box at the time of pick up.
For information or a written copy of the manufacturer's warranty, please contact us at: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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With the first cool front of the season approaching, do you water your plumies or keep on dry side? I always water my other tropicals, but seems to me I read somewhere to keep them on the dry side. What do you think? It's too early to move them in for the winter if needed at all. Thanks!!! ~MJ |
Follow-Up Postings:
I would water them if I had to but why not wait a day or two. Worse that can happen is to loose a few leaves and that's going to happen anyways. |
Darn it, what happened to my 60% chance of rain? I didn't water because I was waiting for the good stuff to fall from the sky today and it never did. MJ, I usually water right before a cool front. If nothing else the wind dries out their foliage so badly in these fronts that they seem to really need the added moisture. Gotta go dig out some sweaters now. Sheesh. |
- Posted by funinthesunincl Z9 TX Gulf Coast (My Page) on Thu, Oct 27, 11 at 23:11
It is raining cats & dogs over here!!!! WOW!!! |
- Posted by loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach V (My Page) on Sat, Oct 29, 11 at 4:14
Hello Everyone, MaryJane, We are having a cold front approach here as well...temps are hitting down to 45 tonight.... My trees are all moist and actually wet. I would rather them stay like that for the days of the front to pass, so they will remain heavy and then once the front passes, they will dry out pretty fast. I do want to start to dry them out to prepare them to be brought inside, but i did have to bring in some that were pretty moist. Most are inside except four huge trees, and with the rain they are way to heavy to lift. So they will stay out until this front passes and have a chance to dry out!!! Good Luck down there!!! Jen...I hope you finally get some rain!!! You have really had a time with this... North of us...snow!!! Glad im off for the next four days!!! Things could get pretty nasty up in the north east!!! UGGGG! Take care, Laura in VB |
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Marketing Services Providers: Separating the Contenders from the Pretenders
May 2014 By Erik Cagle, Senior Editor"This can be done by anybody, but you must have the creative ability to perform these tasks," Schnoll adds.
The options for an MSP wanna-be are ample. A printer can open its own marketing department and hire/develop the core marketing competencies. It can merge with or purchase an existing agency, or it can strike up a business agreement to work together while maintaining the status as independent concerns.
MSPs Must Walk the Talk
John Foley, CEO of interlinkONE and Grow Socially, plus the author of "Business Transformation: A New Path to Profit for the Printing Industry," has witnessed the avalanche of traditional printers that now characterize themselves as MSPs, yet do little or nothing to justify this distinction. True justification involves a plan; it entails new products and services; and it involves a sales staff that understands how to sell solutions and is adept at consultative sales.
"The most successful folks I see have identified that they need a plan, can execute the plan, and that they require the right staff," he says. "With that, they've changed messaging, are doing a better job in inbound and outbound marketing, and they're wrapping their hands around their Website and content marketing. Those are early adopters.
"The people who failed (as MSPs) added it the same way that they add equipment," he notes. "Take personalized URLs. They bought software because they thought it would be a magic bullet to produce revenue. It's a value-added service, it's relevant…so how come it never took off? Because they just took people, sometimes prepress staff members, and said 'OK, you're going to make the landing pages.' But you need different skill sets."
Foley sees pros and cons in aligning with existing marketing firms, and he feels there can be opportunities for printers that aren't afraid to have people work remotely. From a capex standpoint, adopting marketing capabilities, depending on a company's current level of marketing engagement, could run between $20,000 and $150,000, according to Foley. A strategic road map to a successful conversion could take as long as two years.
Foley takes issue with a print shop that acquires a digital press and instantly declares itself a marketing services provider. Do they know data, and can they operate within the discipline of variable data printing? A digital press is a good start, he says, but not a means to an end.
In general, it's not only important to extend the messaging regarding your capabilities to your customer and prospect base, it's also vital to ensure that everyone in-house is attuned to what your organization is trying to accomplish. Keeping employees in the loop and part of the change that's permeating your organization can help to avoid the "this isn't the way things are done" internal protests.
One organization that took the "home grown" approach is The YGS Group, a firm which breaks down its offerings into three buckets: marketing services, publishing solutions and printing. Jim Kell, CEO of the York, PA-based operation, notes that his marketing department started out as one person roughly 10 years ago. Today, the marketing arm of YGS consists of more than 40 employees.
An important distinction, Kell says, is that conversations with clients are never led by "what is your printing need?" Rather, echoing Foley's sentiment, it concentrates on consultative selling and drilling down to discover what message the client is ultimately looking to deliver. "We talk only about their goals to sell more products, services, memberships, and increasing attendance or responses."
During the 10-year process that has brought The YGS Group to this juncture, the company experienced a number of challenges. They include:
- Training traditional salespeople to sell entirely differently and to become proficient in areas other than printing. Kell says this took many years.
- Hiring the right people for the job. Kell points out that qualified marketing professionals are more expensive and harder to find than production plant personnel. "An MSP should be prepared for higher payroll costs and should not try to take the cheap way out," he adds. Marketing professionals routinely earn in excess of $50,000 per year.
- The marketing culture is a different animal, quite different than that of a printing atmosphere. "Everything—from personalities, dress styles, office requirements and environment, headphones, cell phones and work hours—is different. But it's very important they work together and that the cultures blend."
- It takes time, according to Kell. MSPs will spend time and money for years before they are likely to see a return on investment.
While The YGS Group was still in its growth phase, the company would outsource marketing work in areas where he felt his company lacked sufficient expertise. It was a practice that diminished over time as The YGS Group built its marketing core. He also points out that an MSP will have to outsource some editorial and content writing in order to find experts within a customer's field.
Kell's advice to newcomers is to not take the marketing endeavor lightly. "You need to have the expertise for a complicated multi-channel marketing project," he stresses. "Your customers need to see that you're serious or you'll never get a shot at their lucrative campaigns and programs. Otherwise, you might find yourself stuck designing postcards and competing on price against the designer working out of a garage."
One Midwestern printer found marketing to be the key to extending its relationships with current clientele. GLS Cos., the pride of Brooklyn Park, MN, relishes its ability to problem solve for customers, but Jayme Wisely—president and COO of the firm—admits GLS was a little shy when it came to shaping strategy at a higher level.
Now, more than a year after acquiring marketing specialist Next Communications (now called Next), GLS Cos. has shifted its value proposition to the ideas-through-implementation mantra, where it can help global clients coordinate and execute campaigns through any channel necessary.
The timing was critical, Wisely says, as many existing clients and prospects emerged from the 2008-2010 super slump much smaller in manpower, particularly within their marketing departments. But, they still craved the ability to drive their brands and messaging. GLS Cos. can provide that guidance, help deliver results by leveraging the power of social media or search engine optimization (SEO) and the many newer channels that are being exploited to help embolden message delivery.
"The communication channels are more fragmented today," Wisely notes. "There are a lot more ways of communicating, but how do you know if they are effective? So, out of that greater need for brand messaging and improved ROI, we launched into becoming an MSP/global solutions provider."
Next brought a wealth of capabilities to the fold, including strategy, creative, content, publicity, digital media, social media, SEO, media placement, metrics and reporting—all as it relates to execution of the strategies. It also boasted 20 years of experience in helping well-known brands in the marketplace achieve their goals.
For Wisely, it made more sense to bring aboard an existing marketing expert as opposed to spending the time necessary to get a greenfield operation thriving. "If you find the right person to lead that organization, it's 24 to 36 months before you get any real traction. Then, the sales cycle is a 12 to 18 month proposition. Basically, you're now out there five years and the marketplace might blow right past you."
In the final analysis, Wisely says, it's not just about having a set of capabilities; it takes a company that can strategically weave these capabilities together in the name of a marketing plan. Early in the process, GLS realized it didn't have the mindset to think like a marketer or an agency. It needed to bring that capability in-house.
"I've seen too many company Websites where they claim to be an MSP, but it's not authentic," he says. "It's just a facade they're putting out there to say they can do creative, Websites or whatever. The integration of the marketing strategy, from beginning to end, is very fragmented and, over time, customers will sniff that out. They'll figure out you don't really have your act together." PI


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TOEFL Tip #216: Say what you've LEARNED, not what You've HEARD
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 22, 2014
The Speaking section of the TOEFL asks you to orally summarize short reading passages as well as conversations and lectures. But almost every test-taker has the wrong idea about what the content of that summary should be. The biggest error is that they want to repeat the same words that they heard in the lecture or read in the passage. Understandably, they think that if they use the same words, then they will be proving to TOEFL that they have covered all the lecture's or passage's points. But there are many drawbacks to repeating the exact same words.
First of all, there is the idiomatic nature of language. If you heard:
"Carbohydrates are vital nutrients for a growing body to maintain optimal health."
and you wrote down:
"Carbo, vital, body, optimal"
then you might try to string these SAME words together like this: "Carbohydrates make vital the body for optimal condition."
And as we say in English, "Close, but no cigar." This is "close" because you have used the same words as you heard, but it is "no cigar" (you didn't win the prize) because you got the English all wrong. For example, the body cannot be "made vital". Again, "for optimal condition" is not really an English phrase. A listener can figure out what you mean, but he/she will also figure out that you don't know English well enough to know that this is not really an English phrase.
So what is the solution to this problem?
Don't repeat what you HEARD, repeat what you LEARNED, and—-most importantly—-in your OWN WORDS.
A summary like this would be much better and score a lot higher: "Carbohydrates are very important. Kids need them in order to stay in the best possible health."
The complaint that this advice usually receives is: "But what happened to those advanced vocabulary words like 'vital' and 'optimal'? I need those advanced words to prove to TOEFL that I understood what I read/heard and to prove that I'm smart!"
In brief: No. You. Don't.
TOEFL wants to hear natural English delivered in an effortless stream of fluid prose. The level of the vocabulary doesn't really matter. By the very nature of the topic they give you to summarize, you'll be forced to use some advanced words. Let's face it, you really can't talk about the biochemistry of nutrition without using some big words. But the best answer will be the one that relies on your own vocabulary as you explain what the materials taught you about the topic. If you focus your attention on proving to TOEFL that you learned something from the reading and listening passage, then the language will take care of itself!
TOEFL Tip #215: You're a Storyteller, Not a Theorist
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 12, 2014
Let me give you two prompts. You decide which to answer:
1. Tell me a children's story.
2. Tell me the general theory of relativity.
You have ten seconds to prepare . . .
Let me guess, you decided to answer the first prompt. Why? Because it is much easier to tell a story than to describe a theory or concept. And yet, most TOEFL takers do exactly that. When asked to respond to a relatively simple prompt or lecture, suddenly these test takers try to appear as Nobel laureates.
ETS is not judging how smart you are, but how well you can speak English. Period. But most TOEFL takers try to 'wow' the graders by showing their elaborate reasoning skills.
You are only given thirty seconds for your response and not even the smartest among us can create a good theoretical outline in that time.
So make it easier on yourself and the grader. Be a story teller.
The very first things we read as children is stories because they are easy to comprehend. We also create our own stories at a young age for that same reason. All of us, no matter the cultural background, know how to tell a story. You probably have shared one or two with a friend today.
Take all that training and use it to aid you in the TOEFL. This skill will most certainly help you in the first two speaking questions, and can often help you even in trickier lectures.
Here is an example:
TOEFL Speaking Question 1: For many people living in countries that have a natural coastline, laying and playing on the beach is a main past time. What is a main past time in your country and why? Use examples to aid in your response.Theorist:
People in my country of America like to go to shopping malls. I believe this is mainly due to…um….the high number of commercials shown on television. They…uh…watch television and then think about the products so much that they…uh… go to the mall because of their desire to own the products they…uh…have seen.
Story Teller:
People in my country love to go to malls. For example, when I was a small child growing up in Boston, my mother took me to the mall every Friday. During cold months, the mall was often very warm, and in warm months it had an air conditioner. So the mall was very comfortable for us. Moreover, it also let my mother and I have a great time together eating at the restaurants and playing in the video arcade.
See the difference? Even if you could construct that theory in fifteen seconds, you would be hard pressed to give it clearly. So next time, think like a storyteller, not a theorist.
TOEFL TIP #214: Strictly English's TOEFL Guarantee Program
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on October 3, 2013
Have you taken the TOEFL multiple times, only to be a few points away from the score you need? Are you wondering what it will take to get those last few points?
Strictly English has a new program that will help you get the scores you need – the TOEFL Guarantee. If you have a TOEFL score from within the past 3 months, and you know that the score you're trying to reach is no more than 4 points higher per section than your current score, this program is designed to work with you until you pass.
Working with dedicated tutors, you'll take 3 classes per week, and a third-party practice test (such as from ETS or Testden) every 2 weeks. Once you reach the score you want in one section of the exam, you'll keep studying for the other sections until you pass all sections. Send your test scores directly to Strictly English so we can keep track of your progress!
We guarantee that we'll keep tutoring you until you pass, for ONE flat price!
For full details, including pricing, visit the TOEFL Guarantee Program page. Ready to enroll? Contact us today!
Categories: Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,Writing
TOEFL Tip #213: Inference Is King!
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on July 26, 2013
An important key for doing well on the TOEFL exam is understanding how the exam is set up. TOEFL is NOT designed for test-takers to find information as if the exam were an Easter egg hunt with relevant information scattered throughout it. Instead, it's designed for you to derive information through critical thinking skills.
We know there are fact questions and inference questions, and to the native speaker these are starkly different. Fact questions for a particular passage are similar to an Easter egg hunt. Like Easter eggs hidden in tall grass or behind a rock, the answers to fact questions are in the passage, but may be tricky to find. If you look carefully enough, however, you will be able to locate them. Inference questions require critical thinking skills. You have to put together pieces of information in the passage to infer something that the passage does not directly state. For example, if the passage states that the weather has been rainy for several weeks, and that it's spring, you can infer that spring has rainy weather.
But sadly, only the most fluent of non-native English speakers will find FACT questions as simple as looking for a truth that is explicitly stated on the page. To be sure: the truth IS THERE, but it is buried under tricky vocabulary, confusing phrasal verbs, or advanced grammar. So it's a fact question for a native Speaker, but ultimately it becomes an inference question for anyone who doesn't know all of the vocabulary or who has never encountered the idiomatic expressions used.
Consequently, even though there may be only 1 or 2 questions per passage explicitly identified as INFERENCE questions (those are the ones that have the word "IMPLY" or "INFER" in the question), there might be 8-10 questions that require the same critical thinking skills as does a question explicitly identified as "inference."
Therefore, studying critical thinking skills and lateral thinking skills will be very useful when preparing for the TOEFL. Our recent posts about absolute modifiers in general and modal verbs in particular demonstrate how critical thinking can help you to choose the correct answers. Similarly, this post on the limits of memorized answers points out the need to evaluate the information on the TOEFL exam, rather than attempting to memorize answers that you can plug into the prompts for the Speaking and Writing sections. This Wikipedia entry describes lateral thinking, and here are some exercises to challenge you!
Categories: Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing,Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,Vocabulary,Writing
TOEFL Tip #212: Avoiding Absolute Modifiers: Modal Verbs
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on July 21, 2013
In last week's post, we talked about the importance of avoiding absolute answers on the TOEFL exam. TOEFL wants to avoid making its answers too easy with choices such as ALWAYS or NEVER. Instead, TOEFL wants test-takers to have to think carefully about the question and evaluate which answer is the best choice.
In addition to adverbs like "always" and "never," English grammar also uses modal verbs to indicate a suggested or required action. A "modal verb," sometimes called a "helper verb," is a word that adds further meaning to the primary verb in a sentence. The main group of modal verbs is can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, would.
So how can you use modal verbs to avoid choosing absolute answers, and increase your chances of picking the correct answer? Think about the modal verbs on a sliding scale, with suggestions at one end, and requirements at the other end.
On this scale, "can" and "could" are at the suggestion end of the scale, indicating that it is possible to take the action of the verb, but not indicating whether the subject will do it. Think of these as a 20% requirement.
Other modal verbs on the sliding scale increase the necessity for the sentence's subject to do what the verb says. "Might" indicates that subject has a choice about whether to do the verb's action, perhaps a 40% requirement. "Should" and "ought" are very strong suggestions, with a sense of obligation to do what the verb says – 80% requirement. "Must" indicates a required action, one that the subject has no choice about; it's a 100% requirement.
Here is a series of example, using illnesses:
If you feel dizzy, you CAN lie down for a few minutes.
If you have a sinus infection, you MIGHT want to see a doctor.
If you have the flu, you SHOULD go to the doctor.
If you have cancer, you MUST go to the doctor.
Since the TOEFL exam avoids answers that indicate 100%, definitely avoid answers that use "must." Because "should" and "ought" are strong suggestions, you probably want to think carefully about choices with those words. "Should" and "ought" could be the correct answers if the issue in the question is serious enough. Use your judgment, but in general, "might" and "could" will be safe bets.
Categories: Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,Writing
TOEFL Tip #210: Paraphrasing Out Of Order Is Easier
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 29, 2013
As we've noted before, paraphrasing is an essential skill on the TOEFL exam. You need to be able to rephrase ideas you read and hear on the exam to avoid repetition and to demonstrate your mastery of English.
Today's post focuses on word order when you are paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is not only about replacing one word with another in the same sentence structure. Good paraphrasing preserves the meaning of the sentence while also rearranging and changing its grammar.
Paraphrasing is easier if you can separate the parts of the sentence and recombine them. Trying thinking of the elements in a sentence like playing cards that can be shuffled:
1. Identify the KEY WORDS in a sentence (verbs, negatives, subjects, and direct objects). Do not focus on grammar elements (prepositions, articles, suffixes, etc).
2. Write each keyword on separate pieces of paper.
3. On the back side of each piece of paper, write a synonym for that word.
4. Shuffle your papers with the key words, and lay them out in a random new order with the synonym side facing up.
5. Try to write a sentence using this new order and conveying the same meaning.
6. Shuffle the papers again and make a second paraphrase.
Here's an example from the beeoasis.com article, "Simplifying Complexity."
"We're discovering in nature that simplicity often lies on the other side of complexity."
1. The key words are "we," "discovering," "nature," "simplicity," "often," "lies," "other side," "complexity."
2. Index cards are great for this exercise, but any small pieces of paper will do.
3. Synonyms could be "scientists," "finding out," "natural world," "simple" "frequent" "exists" "opposite side" "complex"
4. New shuffled order, using the synonyms: natural world frequent finding out scientists simple exist complex opposite
5. A paraphrase based on this new order: "In the natural world, a frequent finding by scientists is that simple things exist as complex things' opposite side." (Notice that the verb "finding out" has been switched to the noun "finding," so that the sentence is grammatically correct.)
6. Shuffle again, and a second paraphrase: complex simple natural world scientists frequent finding out opposite side exists
"The difference between something that is complex and something that is simple in the natural world, scientists are frequently finding out, is that these are opposite sides of existence." (Again, notice that the form of "exists" changes to suit the new sentence.)
Shuffling the synonyms and making a new sentence with the words in a new order will challenge your grammar, and will strengthen your ability to think of several ways to express one idea. How many different paraphrases can you make with one sentence? Give us your examples in the comments!
Categories: Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,Writing
TOEFL Tip #209: Compare The English in Different News Stories on the Same Topic
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 22, 2013
Strictly English is a strong proponent of using news sources to improve your English. You can improve your listening and reading skills by reading the news. The more you immerse yourself in English, the more thoroughly English will become your second language.
This post expands on an idea mentioned in our discussion of using 360 Research to improve your English. As you read about one news story in a variety of sources, observe the level of formality for the English used in each source. A story in The New York Times, for example, will use formal English, but someone's blog post will likely more causal. Twitter or Facebook are even more causal.
How can you know if a writer or speaker is using English formally or informally?
Look at the grammar and word choice. Formal English doesn't use contractions or slang expressions; sentences are always complete, and the vocabulary is sophisticated. Informal English often uses contractions, text-speak abbreviations (LOL), and other slang phrases. Sentences may not be complete, and vocabulary is often simple.
Also, context is often useful for understanding how formally or informally someone is speaking or writing. Writing a blog that your friends will read is different from writing a newspaper story for the general public. The blog might make jokes, or exaggerate a particular aspect of the story, or use colorful vocabulary; the newspaper story doesn't. Understanding the differences between those two audiences will help you to notice the different levels of English.
This is important for the TOEFL exam because you should be using a fairly formal level of English in your written and spoken answers. This shows stronger mastery of English, and an ability to choose the right level of English for the right audience.
So, as you are reading and listening to various sources of English, be sure to take note of how the writers and speakers differ from each other.
Categories: Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,Vocabulary,Writing
TOEFL TIP #208: Crossword Puzzles Improve Your Vocabulary
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 14, 2013
Crossword puzzles are great tools for building your active vocabulary. A crossword puzzle is a grid with blank spaces to fill in words across (left to right) and down (top to bottom). Each word has a clue, and as you fill in the crossword, the letters from one word help you to fill in another word that intersects with it.
The daily crossword puzzle in The New York Times is well-known, and Monday's puzzle is the easiest. By contrast, the Sunday Times puzzle is famous for its difficulty! With the following rules, a student with intermediate-level English can do a New York Times Monday puzzle. Practice vocabulary with a crossword puzzle to vary your study routine!
1. Know the crossword puzzle rules:
- Answers are the same grammatical form as the clues. A plural clue will have a plural answer, so you can put an "S" in the answer's last box.
- Similarly, tenses must match, so a past tense clue must have a past tense answer.
- Remember phrasal verbs, so a clue for "dispersed" could have the answer "handed out."
- Abbreviations in clues means the answer is an abbreviation, so a clue of "Headed the CIA" would be "JEH" for J. Edgar Hoover.
2. When it's just a fact – especially a person's name – use Google! So a clue, "Won the swimming gold in 2012″ can be found in Google, and that will help you fill in some letters for words that "cross" the Olympics answer.
3. Look at word patterns instead of the clue. The clue "gregarious" may not help you very much, but if you have some letters already filled in, then you might figure out the answer. For example, this answer might be partially filled in as:
t a _ k _ t i v _
and we know that TALK is a common word in English, and we know that TIVE is a common suffix in English. And we know that the letter between the "K" and the "T" has to be a VOWEL (a, e, i, o, u).
The best part is that the New York Times repeats words often, so you see them again days later, which helps you to remember them! For example, you'll see ALOE at least 5 times within the first month of doing crosswords, so you'll be sure to remember what it means!
Categories: Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,Vocabulary,Writing
TOEFL Tip #207: Active vs. Passive Vocabulary
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 7, 2013
Whether you speak only your native language, or have learned a second (or third, or fourth …) language, most people know a lot of words.
But the real question is, how well do you know them?
The words that you recognize in context when you read or hear them are your passive vocabulary. You understand what these words mean, and can follow what's being written or said. Whether you've seen and heard these words a few times or repeatedly, the words in your passive vocabulary are familiar when other people use them, but you yourself don't use them.
The words that you use in your own speaking and writing are your active vocabulary. You not only understand these words, but you can also call them up from memory and use them accurately. Most people have a larger passive vocabulary than active vocabulary, and use somewhat different sets of words when speaking or when writing.
Here's an example of passive vs. active vocabulary. When you read a newspaper item or listen to a radio report, you're probably using your passive vocabulary. You can follow the news item because you recognize the words in context. When you tell someone else about the same news item, you use your active vocabulary. For example, if the news item is about a natural disaster in which people died, your passive vocabulary would make it possible to understand "devastation" and "death toll;" you would then use your active vocabulary to refer to the "large amount of damage" and "number of people who died" when you talk about the event with someone else.
One goal of learning a new language (or improving your skill in your first language) is to convert as many words as possible from passive into active vocabulary. You can do this by studying the vocabulary you recognize, and making a specific effort to use it in conversation. In the above example, you would say "devastation" and "death toll" as you talked about the natural disaster. You might struggle to remember the correct words at first, but the more you do it, the more words you will add to your active vocabulary.
Next week, we'll talk about another technique for converting words from passive to active vocabulary: crossword puzzles.
Categories: Listening,Reading,Speaking,TOEFL for Pharmacy,TOEFL for University,TOEFL Preparation,TOEFL Vocabulary Questions,Vocabulary,Writing
TOEFL Tip #205: Translation vs. Transliteration
by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on May 25, 2013
For non-native speakers of English who are studying for the TOEFL exam, the gold standard is being able to think and communicate entirely in English, without reference to your first language. But that's really something that only fluent English speakers can do. For most non-fluent English speakers, ideas start in their head in their own language, and then the speaker / writer goes through a process of turning those thoughts from the native language, say Japanese, into English.
Turning thoughts in native language into English can happen in two ways: through transliteration, and through translation.
Transliteration involves one-to-one substitution between two languages. The most common form of transliteration is to substitute letters of the Latin alphabet – the alphabet used for English – in place of non-Latin letters, such as Russian's Cyrillic alphabet. More generally, transliteration switches between languages word by word. Some common problems with this technique include leaving out articles necessary in English when transliterating from a language that doesn't use articles, such as Japanese or Russian; redundant doubling of nouns and pronouns in English when transliterating from a language that uses pronouns in combination with verbs, such as Spanish or Italian; and misplaced adverbs of frequency (such as hourly, monthly, sometimes, often) when translating from German and related languages.
Translation, on the other hand, takes the non-English sentence and reinvents it in English, using English grammar while reproducing the meaning of the original sentence as closely as possible. Translation requires creativity, since idioms, slang, and other language variations often do not have exact parallels in other languages. Capturing the meaning of the original sentence when translating it into English may result in using words that aren't in the original sentence but whose English meanings are closer to that original idea.
The difference between transliteration and translation has a significant effect on TOEFL Speaking and Writing scores. Transliteration results in English-language sentences that are based on a non-English grammar system. Such writing and speech can be difficult to understand and do not display mastery of English. Translation often expresses ideas with more polish because these writers and speakers are paying close attention to grammar as well as to the content of what they're writing or saying. TOEFL-takers who transliterate receive low scores in the Writing and Speaking sections, and those who translate receive higher scores.
The more you can translate your ideas into English, the better.
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1221 S.W. 4th, Room 240
Portland OR 97204
(503) 823-3589
Mt. Tabor Q & A
Utility OversightBlue Ribbon Commission
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Village Market
Age Friendly Portland
Zenger Farm
Nick attended a number of fun events over the past few days, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, joining the African American Health Coalition walk, and visiting a benefit for the Linnton community. The slideshow below has photos from the Habitat for Humanity event - visit our Photo Gallery for pictures from the rest of the weekend.


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Real reviews, from customers like you.
Not as expected not private at all ... Would not class it as vip.
We enjoyed our week but there are a couple of issues. The heating is very difficult to understand ; instructions or an orientation should be provided. We did also complain to the office that the main settee in the lounge was not fit for purpose. It was broken in the middle and extremely uncomfortable. We had to squash tougher on the smaller seat. Very uncomfortable. The office said they would try an replace it but we never heard back from them. They also said the reason the furniture was so basic was because the lodge we were in was the only one they rented out for guests with pets. Why give that one to us. We were very disappointed especially compared to lodge 4 that we rented the previous year.
It was the best holiday we have had everything about it made for s grest Christmas. We enjoyed all the facilities especially the hot tub.thank you.
It was a great place- highly recommended although the restaurant on site was one of the worst experiences an would not recommend it to anyone
very nice environment, the lodge was very comfortable and extremely well thought out. However I found that the settee were stained and not clean
a good relaxing and enjoyable long weekend break.
Comfortable stay, very good location and good quality furnishing
I was.ok about the holiday but couldnt work the heating so was freezing asked a member of staff who said they would get someone over waited they didnt turn up.... was in the hot tub and at 10.30 in evening was told to keep noise down by a member of staff because we were talking and laughing ..so was not impressed after paying so much money.....in fact been meening to make a complaint just have been very busy
Went for a relaxing break before Xmas work madness, lovely to be able to sit in a hot tub and hear the birds chattering. Only a 10 min walk then on a 40 min train in to London for the night. Sunday lunch in any of the three local pubs is only a 25 min stroll away.
It is a beautiful, well-managed place and excellent in every way. I have relations in various parts of Essex and access to these was easy. The people in the village shop were also very welcoming, in fact, although I have stayed in various lodges over the years, this was easily the best.
Absolutely beautiful. Everything you could want. Hot tub was very relaxing too. Only thing was the narrow road but that is out of their control. Brilliant would defo recommend
This was my second visit can't wait till my third security very friendly and helpfull
Very in comfy bed in master bedroom of lodge. Reported it and reception staff said they will investigate it. Ive stayed here previously and will continue to come back I'm sure. Thankyou for a good stay.
If you are looking for isolation, being , somewhat , in the middle of nowhere , to sit back for the duration of your stay and literally do nothing , then Roydon marina village is the perfect choice. During my weeks stay, I Payed for the VIP lodge and it did live up to it's standards. The lodge was spacious modern and very well kept apart from a Nick and dent here and there but I put that down to "being lived in". Apart from that it was a bad placement in a baron location with nothing really to do. A memeber of staff informed me of a new restaurant on site thatsenu consisted of the vast choices of steak or pizza. I ordered the rump steak which cost around £15 , baring in mind Iv had better steaks for a lower cost, and for that. Price you'd expect the waiter/ waitress to ask how I would like my over priced steak to be cooked,which didn't happen , Infact I had to remind the waitress twice as the language barrier was too complicated for her to understand "medium rare" , not really tough when all you serve is steak and pizza. In the bright side it was presented very well and the lasagne my partner ordered said her food tasted freshly cooked by the chef andnot of your typical weatherspoons "microwave technician " standards. Overall I do believe the cabin was worth the money but lack of facilities and location let it down. I probably would stay again if there was a bit more variety on site.
Relaxing place to stay.


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Griffith, D(avid) W(ark)
Griffith, D(avid) W(ark)
biographical name(born Jan. 22, 1875, Floydsfork, Ky., U.S.died July 23, 1948, Hollywood, Calif.) U.S. film director. After acting in touring stage companies, he sold film scenarios to the Biograph Co., which hired him as a director (1908–13). In over 400 films for Biograph he developed filmmaking as an art form with techniques such as the close-up, the scenic long shot, and crosscutting, and he collaborated with cinematographer Billy Bitzer to create fade-out, fade-in, and soft-focus shots. He nurtured the careers of future stars such as Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Mack Sennett, and Lionel Barrymore. His epic dramas The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916) greatly influenced later filmmakers. After cofounding United Artists Corp. in 1919, he directed Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), and Orphans of the Storm (1921). His last films were Abraham Lincoln (1930) and The Struggle (1931). He is regarded as one of the seminal figures in the history of motion pictures.
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on Griffith, D(avid) W(ark), visit Britannica.com.
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Hope – Community – Empowerment – Progress
2015 Endorsements
Snohomish County
- County Executive John Lovick
- County Sheriff Ty Trenary
- County Assessor Linda Hjelle
- County Councilman Brian Sullivan, Dist. 2
- County Councilwoman Stephanie Wright, Dist. 3
Snohomish Democrats Twitter Feed
After some raging debate the @washdems pass Res. 711 supporting the Super Bowl Champion @Seahawks!!! #GoHawks #GoDems
This weekend, I invite all Democrats coming from Snohomish County to count the WSDCO Hospitality Suite as the... fb.me/30jJxEyOH
Fired up! fb.me/2bOBsjKXB
RSVP for the SOTU address and find all of your related charts, graphs and multimedia at the link. fb.me/2Jz849jj6


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I am an artist who occasionally makes fancy cakes, mostly for charity fundraisers. Most of my cakes generate about $1,000 each and thus it allows me to donate a significant amount to charitable organizations by making four or five cakes a year. I find that working with fondant is somewhat akin to working with clay, although they have quite different properties. I am an amateur cake maker and enjoy this site as I have much to learn. |
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A question of profits
Business Maxims Operating a business through a company can be a great idea when starting out. But the tax benefit can be outweighed when profits have built up.
Tax tactics: what to claim when you work from home
Business Maxims Q. I run a plumbing business from home. What can I claim?
Super savings total $1.5b over four years
Federal government to reduce what it gives to low and middle-income earners through super co-contribution from mid-2012.
How to write off business costs
Business Maxims Q. We recently set up an office - can we claim painting and other costs?
Keeping your lenders in the loop
Tony Kaye Having a better relationship with your bank could save you if push comes to shove. Here's how to do it.
Can't pay the ATO? Don't do a runner
Max Newnham Often the first financial commitments that cash-strapped businesses ignore are payments due to the tax office.
We owe ourselves salaries
Business Maxims Q. Can we claim our salaries - which we don't have the money for - as a tax deduction?
The ABCs of GST
Max Newnham When you own a business there are countless rules and regulations that must be met.
Accountants still a trusted source of advice, say SMEs
Alexandra Cain Most small business owners still rely on their accountant rather than their lawyer, bank, business coach or financial planner, according to a survey of Australasian small business owners.
Business alert: no dividends in skipping super
Ruth Williams Small businesses struggling with tight cash flows have been warned not to fall behind on employee super payments
How do I get rollover relief?
Max Newnham Q. I'm a physio doing home visits and need better equipment. Could I claim these under CGT rollover relief?
Mark Bouris
Profitability always a cash-22 situation
Mark Bouris Make sure you know your customers and be clear on what they look for from you.
Don't get caught without cover
Business Maxims There are many ways to own and operate a business. Some of them are simple, such as a sole trader or partnership, where the owner earns income as a share of profits.
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Christopher Niesche Succession is a vital, often overlooked, part of self-employment.
Mark Bouris
Small and non-bank lenders worth a look
Mark Bouris The truth is that you can't influence a rate cut, but you can look for a better deal.
Mark Bouris
Marketing a matter of timing and target
Mark Bouris Mark Bouris answers letters to guide you through a marketing minefield.
SMEs in the demographic age
Christopher Niesche Small businesses cannot afford to ignore the challenges and opportunities that come with Australia's ageing population.
Undervalued: why less is risking more
Christopher Niesche The increased cost of construction brought on by the carbon tax and the soft economic conditions mean many more small businesses are taking the risk of being underinsured, an insurance consultant...
Cash splash: 12 ways to beat the taxman
Annette Sampson Another financial year done and dusted. Well, almost. With a little more than four weeks to go until June 30, it is high time to get in some last-minute tax planning.
Special Report
How to negotiate a wheel deal
Steering your fleet towards the right policy can be tricky, but here's some advice to smooth the way, writes Marcella Bidinost.


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Jailed: burglars whose violent raid on London home left professor 'unrecognisable'
Four Polish burglars who took part in a raid which left a university professor "savagely" beaten have been jailed.
North Korea's citizens "will be better off with more cellphones and an active internet" and the secretive regime should invest in that by putting its nuclear missile programme on hold.
09 January 2013
Elisabeth Murdoch faces a grilling this morning when she takes part in a question-and-answer session only hours after she made a rare public speech at a TV industry get-together.
24 August 2012
Those who wonder where real power resides in today's internet age should head to The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire's rolling green hills next Monday and Tuesday.
18 May 2012
Google and Sony have joined forces in a bid to bring the internet to millions of televisions.
15 February 2012
26 August 2011
Google's London subsidiary generated almost $1 billion in revenues in the first three months
of the year as it continues to grow at double-digit pace - up 15% on a year earlier.
15 April 2011
21 January 2011
10 November 2010
01 October 2010
15 September 2010


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Program Director
Assistant Professor
(619) 260-6810
Office: SCST-266
Office Hours: M 11-2 T 11-1 F 11-1
Drew Talley, PhD, teaches a variety of courses including Introduction to Physical Oceanography, Biological Oceanography, Graduate Statistics and Experimental Design, and Life in the Ocean. His overall research focuses on understanding connectivity across habitat boundaries, and assessing how that interdependence between systems changes with anthropogenic influence both locally (e.g., through habitat loss) and globally (e.g., through climate change).
Professor of Architecture and Director of the Architecture Program.
Chair of the Department of Art, Architecture + Art History
(619) 260-7987
Office: Camino Hall 33A
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:20pm - 6:00pm, Fridays 9:00am - 12:40pm (please sign up using posted sign-up sheet on office door)
Can Bilsel is an architect and scholar specialized in modern architecture, museum displays and archaeological reconstructions. Bilsel received his Ph.D. in the History and Theory of Architecture at Princeton University. He holds a Master of Science degree from MIT School of Architecture, and a professional Bachelor of Architecture from Middle East Technical University in Turkey. He joined the faculty of the University of San Diego in 2002 where he is currently the Chair of the Department of Art, Architecture + Art History. Dr. Bilsel is also the founding director of the University of San Diego's Architecture Program.
(619) 260-6882
Office: SCST382
David O. De Haan, PhD, came to USD in 2001 from Lyon College. He teaches technology-rich courses in analytical and environmental chemistry. His undergraduate research group is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the chemical changes occurring in clouds and aerosol. As part of this project, USD students are identifying and quantifying new, previously unknown sources of urban haze. He has worked with USD's Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) to create a greenhouse gas inventory for San Diego County and to outline ways to meet state targets for greenhouse gas reductions by 2020.
Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Director, Center for Inclusion and Diversity
(619) 260-7464
Office: Maher Hall 253
Office Hours: Contact the Center for Inclusion & Diversity (x7455) for availability and appointments.
Esteban del Río is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego and currently serves as the Associate Provost for Inclusion and Diversity and Director of the Center of Inclusion and Diversity. He earned a PhD in the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, working in the area of media and cultural studies. del Río teaches Introduction to Media Studies, Media & Conflict, and International Media.
(619) 260-4843
Office: Olin Hall 110
Kokila Doshi is professor of Economics in the School of Business Administration. She joined the USD in 1988. Professor Doshi has developed two new international courses in the area of Asia-Pacific Business and Development. Recently, she also introduced another course in Tourism and Travel Economics. Professor Doshi's interest in applied economics and regional development is reflected in her economic impact studies. She conducted regional economic impact analysis of the X Games, the Rock 'n' Roll marathon, and the PGA International Golf Championship. Professor Doshi has published several scholary articles in economics and business journals. Her research interests focus on the privatization of public enterprises saving rates and economic policies of the Asian-Pacific countries. Professor Doshi has served on committees and task forces administering Irvine Grants for Cultural Diversity and Improvement of Statistical Instruction.
Assistant Professor
(619) 260-7429
Office: Founders Hall 173B
Halina Duraj joined USD after receiving her Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah in 2010. She also holds a B.S. in biological sciences and an M.A. in creative writing from the University of California, Davis. Her debut collection of short stories, The Family Cannon, won Augury Books' Editors' Prize and was published in 2014. She teaches literature and creative writing and also directs USD's Cropper Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writers Series.
Associate Professor and Chair
(619) 260-4039
Office: KIPJ 263A
Office Hours: Fall 2014 TR 4:05-5:00 W 12:00-4:00
Colin Fisher has been a member of the USD history department since 2002. He teaches classes in U.S. environmental history, environmental visual culture, history of food, and history and memory, among others. He also teaches the senior thesis sequence required of all history majors. His research centers on minority cultures of nature in the United States.
Associate Professor
Marine Science Graduate Program Director
(619) 260-5904
Office: SCST 274
Office Hours: M 1:30-3:30 T 3-5 F 11:30-12:30
Ron Kaufmann, PhD, joined the USD faculty in 1997 and currently serves as director of the Marine Science Graduate Program. His areas of specialization are ecology and environmental biology, and his teaching includes courses in biology, environmental studies and marine science, as well as interdisciplinary courses that are team-taught with colleagues in the humanities. Kaufmann's scholarship focuses on biological communities and their dynamics as well as their responses to changing environmental conditions. He has studied marine communities in extreme environments such as the Antarctic and the deep ocean.
Preceptorial Assistants
Russ Adwan
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: North Bend, WA
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Biochemistry major, Biology Minor.
Campus Involvement: I'm a member of the Ambassador's Club, as well as the Science, Faith, and Reason Club.
Fun Fact: I can ride a unicycle backwards (and forwards too).
Katie Donoho
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: Ripon, CA
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Business Economics, minor in Marketing and Philosophy
Campus Involvement: Alcalá Club, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Economics Council
Fun Fact: I have run a half marathon.
Rani Kumar
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: Boulder, CO
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Environmental Studies and Spanish double major
Campus Involvement: PAC, Outdoor Adventures Guide, Biology lab technician assistant, SIBC project leader, Honors Program, Sustainability Club
Fun Fact: I went scuba diving with sharks in Panama.
Katie Modesitt
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: San Carlos, CA
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: History and Political Science
Campus Involvement: Panhellenic Council, College Republicans and Students for Life
Fun Fact: I travelled Vietnam this summer
Katie Moser
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: La Crescenta, CA
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Communication Studies
Campus Involvement: USDtv Chief of Staff and Producer/editor, Ambassadors Club, Intramural Soccer, PA :)
Fun Fact: I have been to the castle that the Disney Castle is based off of, the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. There was definitely a mural of Bambi inside.
Luke Schleier
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Economics, minors in Law and Ethics and Business Administration
Campus Involvement: Honors Program, Club Soccer, Ambassadors Club, German Club
Fun Fact: I played club soccer for 16 years and won 6 state championships.
Emma Uriarte
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: Redondo Beach, CA
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: English, Environmental Studies minor
Campus Involvement: Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Ambassador's club, Student Alumni Association
Fun Fact: I was personally victimized by Regina George.
Angela Vanella
Preceptorial Assistant
Hometown: Temecula, CA
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Architecture major, Art History minor
Campus Involvement: Founders Chapel Choir, Basement Society, Students for Life, Work-Study student for the Department of Art, Architecture, and Art History
Fun Fact: I can sound like a siren (the kind on firetrucks and police cars)
Resident Assistants
Shanna Florence
Resident Assistant
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: English/Art History
Campus Involvement: Kappa Delta Sorority, University Ministry & Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Residential Hall Association, Emerging Leaders, and I work in the SLIC!
Fun Fact: I have an irrational obsession with the South Eastern United States.
Ryan Keaton
Resident Assistant
Hometown: Turlock, CA
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Accounting
Campus Involvement: Coaching Corps, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, Black Student Union, Residential Hall Association and Intramurals.
Fun Fact: I love High School Musical
Jane Henderson
Resident Assistant
Hometown: St. Louis Park, MN
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Undeclared
Campus Involvement: Black Student Union, Alcalá Club, USD Acapella
Fun Fact: I modeled for a Target car seat ad as a baby
Madison Abron
Resident Assistant
Hometown: Grapevine, TX
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Electrical Engineering/Mathematics
Campus Involvement: Founders Chapel Choir, Society of Women Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Youth to College tutor (CASA)
Fun Fact: My dream job is to be a Disney Imagineer!


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Massachusetts can do betterAug. 21, 2013 |
"Ours is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people," in the words of Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Is this true today? Has the role of people diminished? Are all age groups involved in the political process? Unfortunately the younger generation, the hope of the future, lacks a basic understanding of American government. According to the results from a national survey administered by the Department of Education, more than one-third of the country's high school seniors do not understand the fundamentals of our government or the role that citizens play in it. For example, 30 percent of high school seniors understand that the Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of laws. And only 9 percent of the seniors surveyed could give two reasons why it is good to take part in a democratic society. In addition, the average college senior knows little about government and international relations. Their average score on the Civic Literacy Test was 53.2 percent, according to the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy. Improved civic learning goes hand in hand with more active citizenship. Citizen participation is the foundation of any democracy. We can do better. Programs such as the Model Congress at American International College involve students in mock House and Senate sessions. Similarly, the Washington Close-Up Foundation, among other Washington programs, helps students develop a better understanding of our government. We can do better. Connecticut, among other states, requires a half-year course in Civics/American Government as a condition for graduation. The result is an increase in voter registration and voter participation for the 18 to 24 year old age group. Massachusetts would be wise to follow the lead of Connecticut. We can do better. In the Civic Mission of Schools report, educators are reminded that their central responsibility is to prepare competent and responsible citizens. Responsible citizens are informed and thoughtful; have an appreciation of history and American democracy; understand public issues and think critically; participate in their communities; act politically through group problem solving and voting; have concern for the rights and general good of others; responsible citizens have the capacity to make a difference. The Civic Mission of Schools Campaign suggests promising practices for schools to follow as we prepare such citizens: effective instruction in government, history and economics; classroom discussions of current issues; service learning and internships; participation in school government; active learning in the political process. As Charles Haynes and Terry Pickeral of the Civics Mission Campaign wrote: "Reading and math are important – very important. But if we care about the health of our nation, then we must be more concerned with what kind of citizens do the math and read the books." Citizenship skills are as important as any of the skills we teach in our schools. Massachusetts can do better. We can do better, and surely we must try. Michael J. Harrington East Longmeadow |


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byJoseph F. Kovar on
Toronto-based Asigra showcased cloud backup deployed as a virtual appliance and demonstrated its use to protect and recover mobile device data. Asigra Cloud Backup provides end-to-end device agnostic data protection across a wide range of platforms and physical, virtual and cloud computing infrastructures. Smartphone and tablet PC users can now use it to backup and recover their data anytime and anywhere with Asigra Cloud Backup, which the company said meets stringent compliance regulations. Asigra mobile device protection supports both Apple iOS-based and Google Android-based tablets and smart phones.
The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2015
The 2015 installment of the 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors highlights the best of the best in platforms and development, security, infrastructure, storage and software.
Here are 10 recent searches by CRN visitors.


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I have fallen in love with a sheer silk remnant. The pattern is a check / plaid in greens, yellows, and soft reds. I think the fabric would look great as curtain panels in my family room, as a change from my heavier lined panels, for spring & summer.
Of course, there isn't enough fabric to make full length panels. Do you think it would look odd to add a 12" border at the bottom in a solid yellow silk? The 12" border would line up with the windowsill. Plus, the border may help add weight to the sheers and keep them from blowing around as much. I have seen sheers with borders on houzz, but the ones that I have seen there are solid sheers with the same color border (i.e. ivory sheer with an ivory linen border at the bottom) I'm just not sure about the patterned sheer with a solid bottom. I tried to lay it out in the store, and I think it looked fine, but I'm afraid to trust my judgement after my recent front door snafu :) Thank you in advance for your opinions! |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by stitchin1950 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 16:49
I have made lots of window treatments for my home and I think your design would be great. If you love the plaid silk it will work! I think a solid would look good at the bottom especially since it would align with the windowsill. Go for it! |
- Posted by Sugar-Plum (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 18:49
Stitchin1950, thank you for the encouragement! Because I am sometimes Miss Impatient (and I had a 50% off coupon), I went by the store just as they were closing this evening and purchased the plaid silk sheer remnant (9 1/4 yards) plus a 2 1/2 yard remnant of solid yellow silk for only $56.18 total! I will post pics after I have them together and hung! |
- Posted by lazydaisynot (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 21:07
Sugar Plum, I'm impressed by the way you tackle tasks and jump right in. Looking forward to seeing the curtains, which sound very pretty! Great price, too. |
- Posted by Sugar-Plum (My Page) on Fri, Mar 23, 12 at 21:26
Lazydaisy, thank you! I'm thwarted a bit on my door re-paint project because it is currently raining here, and the forecast calls for rain through tomorrow night :( I am so glad I found this forum! I have gotten so many good ideas, plus wonderful encouragement, in the short time that I have been here. |
I think a bottom border would certainly work. My only concern would be that the yellow would be the first thing you would notice. Would it work to have a wide border on both sides of the panels instead? Or, you could consider adding the solid panel at the top. |
Sugarplum, try les917's suggestion about side borders. Perhaps you can split a length of plaid down the middle and skimp a bit on fullness to get the length you need if you use side panels in yellow. What size is the window? Will the border be at the floor? Silk is usually a very easy fabric to work with, if a bit slippery. You mention that a border may add weight to the curtain and thus stability. Is the yellow the same sheer weight as the plaid? Sheer silk is very soft and billowy, which I think is a lovely effect at an open window. Perhaps you can add hem weights or chains to reduce the effect if you like. |
- Posted by Sugar-Plum (My Page) on Sat, Mar 24, 12 at 10:41
The window is a triple window, 94" wide. The current panels that I have up are 92" long, and they hang from 2" rings on a wooden rod. The current panels are stationary, only one fabric width wide. I had planned to make these sheers two fabric widths on each side to for fullness. Because I only have 9.25 yards, (which would only give me 83" or so in length) I would have to add something at the top or bottom to get the 92" length I need. Les and Sherrmann, I could only do panels that are 1 1/2 widths of the plaid fabric, and not border the bottom. I don't think a yellow border would dominate the panel, however. The fabric is a fairly soft yellow/gold, and my couch is in front of this window (about a foot out from the window) so you would really only see the bottom border from some angles in the room. The yellow solid silk is slightly heavier than the plaid sheer. My concern about billowing is because there is an outside door to the deck about 12" to the right of the window. We use that door multiple times per day letting the dog in and out, and I can see my less-than-observant son shutting the curtain in the door if it blows around a lot. I could always tack or pin that side down to the baseboard if it becomes a problem. New question: should I do the curtains two fabric widths as I planned, or will that be too much fabric? If I go with 1 1/2 fabric widths, will that be full enough? My current panels are about 48" wide, but are pinch pleated, so they appear narrower when hung. They aren't fooling anyone that they could actually close / cover the window. This window, to our back yard, is completely private, so I don't have the need for blinds, etc. It faces east, however, and on weekend mornings the sun can be a bit intense for a short time. I would like to be able to close the sheers occasionally to cut down the glare (not really block the sun). This would probably only be a couple times per month - most of the time the sun isn't an issue because we are at work / school, etc. We had houseguests a few weekends ago, though, and trying to sit in the family room for morning coffee was a bit of a challenge for a little while. Mostly, the panels will be decorative rather than functional. Thank you for your help! |
I am sure they will be beautiful, but I have one caution...sun is especially hard on silk. I have cranberry red silk dupioni drapes over white silk sheers in my north-facing bedroom. The lead edge of the red dupioni silk is faded almost white and shredding, and I will have to replace the sheers because they, too, are shredded almost completely. I had never seen a ray of sunshine in my room, and there is an overhang and trees, so when I noticed the shredding I investigated. There is a bit of morning sun in winter that touches the drapes for a little while. When I redo them this summer, I will add a shade for sun protection. Seems that even a little sun is very hard on silk. |
- Posted by Sugar-Plum (My Page) on Sat, Mar 24, 12 at 11:15
What a shame about your drapes! Good to know about the sun's effect on silk. My previous panels had some fading, but the fabric was intact, they were up for about 4 years. The current panels (my 'winter' look) have only been up since October, and haven't faded. Neither were silk, however. I will watch these carefully. The back of our previous couch faded a bit also. Our current couch is a solid cream textured material (and I chose it both for it being a neutral and for its fade-resistance). I have been concerned about our cherry hardwood floors (down about 18 months), but so far there doesn't seem to be any fading there. The sun can be so destructive - to our skin, to fabrics, etc., but I love the sunlight that pours into my kitchen and family room in the mornings. |
With a sheer fabric, it will take more of it to get the look of fullness or weight on either side. But keep in mind that the more fullness or gathered the fabric is, the more you will lose the effect of the plaid. I would try gathering it in your hand, perhaps rubber banding it, and throwing it over the rod to see what it looks like. It sounds very pretty, but being gathered like that may change the overall effect that you are seeking from the fabric. How wide is the fabric - 54 or 60? If I am figuring correctly, you need about 196 inches for double fullness (2x94 + 8 for hems on both sides of two panels)and the fabric is 60" wide, at 9+ yards that will give you 180 inches of width and more than three yards ((108 inches) in length, leaving you about 16 inches lacking in width for double width. By adding borders on each side of two panels of about 8 inches (to allow for seam allowances), you would end up with two panels that are about 82 inches of sheer fabric with 6 inches on either side of solid, and more than enough length. Now, I don't sew much, so perhaps I am calculating this incorrectly? Seems to me that you have a length issue, tho. |
I love borders on curtains and almost everything else. Interestingly, I don't have a single border in my home or on my clothes. (In the Madmen era, when I was a kid, borders on skirts were a big thing.) I read some of the posts above that were concerned about a wide yellow border calling attention to itself rather than to the plaid silk you love. How about this: Make your yellow border and then put a narrow strip of the plaid down an inch or two, or whatever looks best, from the top of the yellow all the way across the border. My mind's eye picture says that's gorgeous. And I can't wait to see how your door turns out once the weather clears up. |
- Posted by Sugar-Plum (My Page) on Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 9:13
I worked on my panels a bit yesterday in between my normal Saturday errands and housework catch-up. Here's what I decided to do - I'm going with a double width panel. Because I'm not lining the curtains, I am doing a french seam to join the panels and a narrow hem on each side. The fabric is 54" wide, and I won't lose much width because of the narrowness of the seams & side hems, so I will still end up with about a 104" wide panel on each side of my 94" window. I lose a bit of length matching up the pattern (I hadn't taken that into consideration before) but I still will end up with about 80" length of the silk sheer and will add 12" of the solid yellow as a bottom border. I think I'm going to pinch pleat these panels, so I can reuse the rod / rings that I currently have on that window (adding more rings for the additional panel width). Gotta do some calculations for the pleats and spacing, but I usually wait until the panels are done before I map that out. Susanka, I love the idea of adding the narrow strip, and I too can 'see' it looking great on another project. I may have misrepresented the sheer fabric - it is more of a buffalo check, a large plaid with 2" sheer color blocks with 1/2" of really sheer framing each block. Because of this large scale, I can't really add the strip because it wouldn't represent the fabric (probably only be one color, if that makes sense). So today, I have my front door to worry about, and I'm anxious to get sewing now that I have everything layed out! Hopefully I will make progress on both projects - and I'll post final pics as soon as possible! Thanks to you all! |
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"The making of..."
This picture shows how I approached this album. I collected a bunch of colourful autumn leaves that were lying around outside my house and glued them onto an A3 piece of card, then shot a 24-exposure roll of film zoomed in on various parts of the leaf collage. (There were originally a lot more leaves on the card, but many had fallen off in the wind by the time I took this, the final shot on the roll.) After that, I rewound the film and reloaded it (trying, not completely successfully, to align it in exactly the same position as the first time I'd loaded it - this is a technique I still have to master, so any advice is welcome, please!), then went for a walkabout shooting the random stuff you see as the second layer. A simple but pretty effective technique, especially when using such a vibrant colour film as the Kodak Ultramax 400 I used here. Hope you like the shots - I sure had fun making them!
Taken by buckshot with a Nikon F100 loaded with Kodak Ultramax 400 (35mm) film in Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom. These tags describe this photo: diy, technique, collage, bricks, wall, double exposure, doubles, leaves, and autumn. Date: 2012-11-01. Time: Morning. This photo can also be found in the album Autumn colour-explosion doubles.Please login to get more out of this site
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Liking photos helps us to present the best ones to you and others. 25 people like this photo. 25 people like this photo: z790406, ivegotjewels, maria_vlachou, amedejulie, pearlmsqueaks, naomac, meryl, lawypop, kangiha, clickiemcpete, i_am_ni, hhjm, blurry, aanum, catarinasalgado, lokified, andrejrusskovskij, wolfinthewoods, nostalgina, grazie, dida, weleasewoger72, rik041, vici, and emkei.
22 comments
P.S. The colours were a lot more vibrant on my PC screen than they look on my iPad... hmmm.
I know! My new x-tungsten album looks perfect in photoshop; but then, loaded and viewed here my pictures look overly vibrant, not a pretty as they really are. I wonder if lomography automatically displays our pics with an extra, vibrant glow... apart from that my monitor at work shows colors differently than my laptop at home. I suppose they all have different settings.
Anyway Buckshot, this is a lovely album and I really appreciate the "how to's". -
Great album! I love it :-)
Brilliant!! I wish I had had this idea before all our leaves had dried up and blown away. I must remember for next year!! Thanks again for sharing your brilliance. ;-)
Great album Buck! The best way to align the film correctly is to draw a line on the film exactly where the film leaves the cannister. After you rewind the film just pull it out until you see the line again. Works for me anyway! (3 masks coming your way real soon).
really nice ;)
great album buckshot!
Great album. When I rewind film for use in another camera I never care about aligning. I like the overlap. If I don't want overlap I use a Nikon F5. Instead of pushing R1 and R2 (D2 (wohaa)) You just press R1 and rewind manually. You will see the digitscount back. The pics are always perfectly aligned. I tried the same with the F4 and it only works sometimes. Since you have an F100, This should be possible !
@weleasewoger72: That's exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for - thanks a million! (And thanks in advance for the masks...!)
@gauthierdumonde: I quite like the overlaps too, but it causes a headache for the people in the lab. (I still don't have my own scanner.) Thanks for the likes and advice - I'm gonna try Woger's trick first.
Woger's trick works if you rehearse a little :). If you need your scans from a lab:; that's trouble. When you have your own scanner yo can decide where you frame it. I already shot a roll today !
@gauthierdumonde: Me too - finished off the Mat test roll I started yesterday. Now I'm gonna shoot another Sparklesprocks album. I love holidays...! ;-)
@weleasewoger72 and @gauthierdumonde: Well, I tried Woger's technique in my latest album and the results are in: http://www.lomograph(…)rklesprocks I swear to God I aligned that sucker to within a micron of a gnat's ass but there's still a very wide gap. I think the problem is that there's probably some slippage before the take-up sprockets engage with the sprocket holes. Will try this technique again because it makes inherent sense, but will tape the film leader to the take-up spool too, to see if that solves it.
This sucks because I still not quite sure how to do personal responses! I forgot to mention I always tape the film to the take up spool. It's so much easier to align that way.
@weleasewoger72: Am on it...
@vici ha! Now, everybody know here that you're looking at your photos at your work place ! (a thing that, of course, a french guy like me will never do). ;-) @buckshot : for aligning the first shot without any overlap, when first loading the film, put a mark with a felt pen on the right edge of the first frame (the one that you must shot blind insofar as it had taken the light); at the end of the first serie, rewind gently avoiding the film to go back entirely into the cartridge; then reload the film in the camera, inserting accurately the sprockets so that the first shot will be perfectly aligned on with the mark that you once had made on the first-frame right edge; then shot again your film; then tell me whether or not this works inasmuch as I never tried before.
Anyway, this is a fantastic album and an excellent idea that I will again steal from you! Napoléon - 1 / Nelson - 1
@jean_louis_pujol That's exactly what I did in my most recent album here: http://www.lomograph(…)rklesprocks But it didn't work. Will tape the film to the take-up spool next time.
Great album!
beautiful album!
I sometimes shot the first time in a panorama camera sprocket rocket then transfer the film over to me LC-A then no gaps but might be a problem for the lab, you will have to get a scanner.
another great album you are full of ideas.


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Why Are Women Attracted To Men In Uniform?
By Dawn Turzio
Rachel Russo, Matchmaker and Relationship Coach, explains this behavior:
"There is definite appeal in camaraderie. For many women, it is nice to see a man who can make a real commitment and be there for another person. Male friendships can touch a woman's heart—especially if the man has commitment-phobic tendencies. It is truly beautiful to see the growing rapport among these men, as they are often willing to put their life on the lines to protect their friends."
Being in the uniformed dating trenches, however, isn't always easy. Because of the risky nature of their work, their return home can be challenging. When the uniform comes off, oftentimes so does the persona. I've discovered that beneath the extraordinary armor are ordinary guys, sensitive people who want someone to lean on. 5 Types of Guys Women Can't Resist
"I love my husband," said one military wife when asked about her relationship with a Corporal in the Army. "Like anyone, we have our fair share of ups and downs. But, being married to someone with a dangerous job takes tremendous effort. It's almost like living with two different people—my hubby the super hero, and my hubby the mush."
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To ensure you steer clear of this danger zone, here are some tools I've used for my own husband in uniform, that you can apply when playing house with Sergeant Sexy:


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World English Bible (WEB) | New International Version (NIV) |
13 Yahweh will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up [his] zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yes, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies. | 13 The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. |
The World English Bible is in the public domain. (The World English 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) |