text:
Please enter a valid mileage
Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2016 Mazda MAZDA3
By KBB.com Editors
KBB Expert Rating: 8.2
Mazda's Zoom-zoom tag line isn't just a hollow advertising gimmick. It really does describe the attitude behind every car they build. Perhaps the best example of Zoom-zoom can be found in the 2012 Mazda3, a fun and efficient vehicle that's available as either a 4-door sedan or a 5-door hatchback, as well as a high-performance turbocharged terror dubbed the Mazdaspeed3. The various versions of the Mazda3 all offer great driving credentials, a long list of high-end features and appealing good looks. Oh, did we forget to mention the very affordable price tag? Yeah, the 2012 Mazda3's got that, too. This year, Mazda has restyled its popular compact car, toning down the awkward wide-mouth, grinning grille and adding new wheels and interior features. The most appealing new Mazda3 addition is the all-new Skyactiv 4-cylinder engine, a high-compression engine capable of producing 155 horsepower and a 40 mpg highway rating. With the 2012 Mazda3, you no longer have to sacrifice good fuel economy for a fun ride, or great high-end features for a good price.
Great gas mileage and an enthusiast-oriented chassis are fused with a premium interior and dynamite styling to form the 2012 Mazda3 sedan and hatchback. If you thought you couldn't have all this in a small affordable car, Mazda just proved you wrong.
If your next car must have all-wheel drive (AWD), the Subaru Impreza or Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart are better choices. Smartphones are killing in-dash (and on-windshield) navigation systems, and the Mazda3's tiny hard to use view screen won't convince you to ask for a reprieve.
The 2012 Mazda3 gets a freshened front face and a new instrument panel with a blue background and white lettering. Also new is the fuel-efficient 2.0-liter Skyactiv engine. Cars equipped with the Skyactiv engine are fitted with a choice of two new 6-speed transmissions, either manual or automatic. In addition, there are a number of equipment changes across the numerous trim levels.
Driving Impressions The beauty of the 2012 Mazda3 is that no matter which model you choose, it will be equipped with a fun to drive spirit. The variation comes in the rate...of acceleration and the tenacity of tire grip. The Mazda3's stiff body helps impart a feeling of solidity and safety. Mazda engineers focused their attention on making the Mazda3's body as stiff as possible and its suspension both agile and compliant. Models with the 148-horsepower engine offer spirited performance and good fuel economy, reaching 33 miles per gallon in the government's highway test. The new Skyactiv 2.0-liter pumps out 155 horsepower and achieves an astounding 40 mpg on the government's highway cycle. The standard six-speed manual is a delight, mirroring the marvelously fluid manual transmission found in the Miata MX-5. While the Skyactiv 2.0-liter engine delivers good performance, its not going to be winning any SCCA races. If you want the ultimate performance (not counting the turbocharged Mazdaspeed3), it's the s trim's 2.5-liter engine you'll be seeking. With 167-horsepower, this little 4-cylinder delivers strong acceleration and still gets reasonable good fuel economy. While carving up a twisting mountain road we found the driver-selectable stability and traction control granted us plenty of fun before stepping in to save us from ourselves. Our Grand Touring trim's front seats provided plenty of thigh and lateral support and the overall feel inside the cabin is one of sophistication and attention to detail. For the ultimate in performance driving, there is the 263-horsepower Mazdaspeed3, which features a performance suspension, sport seats and more torque steer than a front drive car has a right to.
Adaptive Front Headlamps
Mazda says this is the first application on a compact vehicle of the swiveling blue-white bi-xenon high- and low-beam headlights. (Bi-xenon means there are two headlights on each side – one for high beam and the other for low beam.) The inner beams can rotate up to 15 degrees in order to look deeper into dark corners. They are self-leveling to prevent dazzling on-coming divers.
Skyactiv 2.0-liter engine
Utilizing direct fuel injecting and with a 12.0:1 compression ratio, the Skyactiv engine is both powerful and incredibly fuel efficient. Better still, the Skyactiv engine runs on regular 87 octane fuel.
The 2012 Mazda3 sedan and hatchback share the same, feature-rich interior, highlighted by stylish instruments and soft touch surfaces. A 3-zone philosophy places all the vital controls in way that helps the driver focus on the road while operating the audio and climate control. For the most part, we like what Mazda has done with the Mazda3's instruments and dash, but the poorly placed screen displaying the HVAC and audio readouts has too many functions crammed into its small window. The optional navigation screen is also too small and difficult to understand, but that probably won't matter as most Mazda3 buyers will likely use their smartphones for navigation. S trim models get a multi-talented steering wheel that houses controls for the audio, cruise, navigation and Bluetooth. The available Bose audio system sounds fantastic. The Mazdaspeed3 gets a more aggressive set of bolstered front bucket seats and an LED turbo boost gauge.Exterior
The 2012 Mazda3 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback draw on the original 2004 Mazda3 for inspiration, but take its styling to a more dramatic place. A new front grille dissected by a wide black bumper strip and a new lower air intake help improve a weak spot on the previous year Mazda3's exterior. The Mazda3 features bold front fender flares straddling 16- and 17-inch wheels. Next to a conservatively styled Chevy Cruze or Toyota Corolla, the Mazda3 looks downright awesome, and Mazda's color palate blows its competitors out of the water. The s Grand Touring trim's available adaptive swiveling front headlamps are just one of the many Mazda3 features that are rare at this price point. You don't have to spend a lot to get a lot with the 2012 Mazda3 compact, because even the base model comes with 16-inch wheels, color keyed mirrors, and halogen fog lights. The Mazdaspeed3 expresses itself with an active front hood scoop, 18-inch wheels and ground effects.
The 4-door 2012 Mazda3 is available in six trim packages, starting with the base i SV, and moving upward with the i Sport, i Touring, i Grand Touring, s Touring and s Grand Touring. The trim levels for the five-door hatchback (or, if you prefer, wagon) are i Touring, i Grand Touring, s Touring and s Grand Touring. Even the base 2012 Mazda3 i SV sedan has impressive standard equipment, which includes electronic stability control, a tilt-telescoping steering column, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio, power windows and mirrors and variable intermittent wipers. The i Touring adds cruise control, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power locks with keyless remote and Bluetooth connectivity. The i Touring and i Grand Touring trim gets the new Skyactiv 2.0-liter engine mated to 6-speed manual in the i Touring and a 6-speed automatic in the i Grand Touring. The s levels have the more potent 167-horsepower 2.5-liter engine, 265-watt Bose audio system, a power moonroof, Advance Keyless entry with push-button start, 17-inch alloy wheels, and dual-zone automatic temperature control. Grand Touring trims also feature navigation, leather seating surfaces, an 8-way power driver's seat, heated side mirrors and 5-position heated front sport seats. The Mazdaspeed3 comes only in the Touring trim.
The Tech Package available on Grand Touring trim includes auto-leveling Adaptive front HID headlamps, blind spot monitoring, rain-sensing wipers, and anti-theft alarm. The i Touring trim offers the Moonroof and Bose package containing a 265-watt 10-speaker Bose Surround Sound Centerpoint audio system and a power glass moonroof. The Mazdaspeed3 offers a Mazdaspeed Tech Package which is the same as Tech Package only with Advance Key and navigation added to the list.
Three engines and three transmissions are part of the 2012 Mazda3 lineup. The 4-door i models (SV and Sport) are equipped with a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that can be teamed with a 5-speed manual transmission or, except for the base i SV, a 5-speed automatic. The i Touring and Grand Touring are fitted with the Skyactiv 2.0-liter engine, which makes 155 horsepower and is mated to a new 6-speed manual. The i Grand Touring offers a 6-speed automatic. The more powerful s models have a 168-horsepower 2.5-liter powerplant paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. The Mazdaspeed3 uses a 2.3-liter gasoline direct injection turbocharged MZR engine good for 263 horsepower and 280 pounds-feet of torque. The Mazdaspeed3 is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission.
2.0-liter in-line 4
148/144 horsepower (Federal/PZEV) @ 6,500 rpm
135/132 lb-ft of torque (Federal/PZEV) @ 4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/33 (manual), 24/33 (automatic)
2.0-liter Skyactiv 4
155/154 horsepower (Federal/PZEV) @ 6,000 rpm
148 ft-lb of torque @ 4,100 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/39 (manual sedan), 28/40 (automatic, sedan), 27/38 (manual, 5-door), 28/39 (automatic, 5-door)
2.5-liter in-line 4
167/165 horsepower (Federal/PZEV) @ 6,000 rpm
168/167 lb-ft of torque (Federal/PZEV)) @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/28 (manual), 22/29 (automatic)
2.3-liter turbocharged in-line 4
263 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
280 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/25
To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Mazda MAZDA3 vehicles for sale near you.
Based on 386 Ratings for the 2010 - 2013 models.Review this car
By vikoky on Sunday, December 27, 2015
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 47,000overall rating 9 of 10rating details
Pros: "zoom zoom, accurate, stable, reliable"
Cons: "SkyActive first gen, cosmetic failure"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9
"I own a Mazda 3 SkyActiv 2.0 since March 2012. This engine is truly amazing even if it is the first generation. The good is the solid 36 MPG average 30MPH average (a lot of traffic in Austin,TX). The cons are a sensitive electronic / engine to bad quality fuel, rarely a random light caused by rapid temperature change. It was a really modern looking car in 2012. In 2015, I have a hard time to find better style. The driving is excellent, it is a really good car for 20k$. And, Mazda service is truly excellent on overall. The only hiccup is a dashboard that melt under Texas heat. But it might happen to any car while the sun heat over 100F."
1 person out of 1 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By Joe on Sunday, December 20, 2015
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 96,000overall rating 9 of 10rating details
Pros: "fun to drive"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10
"Love this car. Great driving and very reliable during first 100,000 miles. Good gas mileage. Next vehicle for me will be another, really like it."
1 person out of 1 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By Mazda Not worth it on Saturday, November 07, 2015
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 40,000overall rating 5 of 10rating details
Pros: "Hard to find one."
Cons: "Cheap, cheap, cheap, low quality."
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1
"Bought this car brand new with 350 miles on it. Ran great had excellent gas mileage and was the perfect car for traveling on the road with. At 30K miles the headlights started flashing when I would hit the breaks. Took it in and they reset the computer at no cost. This fix lasted until 37K miles when the dealership told me the warranty was expired since the warranty only convers electronics up to 36K miles. The seats are cheap... really cheap. The interior is beige and I keep my car spotless, but the seat is discolored from bluejeans. The car now gets about 33MPG on the highway compared to the 38-40 it got before, and I've had all maintenance done on the car, even an extra tune up. This car doesn't struggle up hills, but the RPM's will fly to 4,500+ if you don't use the manual mode. Mazda's are not cheap to maintenance, at the dealer at least. The 25K mile maintenqance cost me about $400, the 30K maintenance cost another $250. So now I have a car with 40K miles on it that has flashing headlights (interior lights/dash lights now too), sub-par gas mileage, dirty interior that doesn't shampoo clean, and can;t wait to get rid of it and get back to american made.... Oh but it's value in 2013 when i bought it was $24K and 2 years later with $40K miles the value is down to $10.5K. I did a lot of research before buying and was sold on the "low maintenance cost", suposid "high Quality", and most importantly for me the "great gas mileage"."
12 people out of 24 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By Codyak on Thursday, November 05, 2015
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 72,000overall rating 9 of 10rating details
Pros: "Reliable, Fun, Quick"
Cons: "Small interior"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10
"Has great suspension for this kind of car. Really hugs the turns, the engine is quite good with the 2.5l it has some good low end torque and good pulls on the freeway. The car is very reliable, not a single issue. Just maintenance. The hatch is really convenient. The inside space is kinda small though but that dosnt bother me, just an observation. Car is great on gas, its really just a smart purchase. Im really surprised by how it corners and the power. I used to own a mustang GT, cobalt ss supercharged."
2 people out of 2 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By schoolboss on Saturday, September 19, 2015
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 50,000overall rating 3 of 10rating details
Pros: "Looks cool - I get lots of complements"
Cons: "constant battery and tire issues"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1
"I've had the car for 3 years and have had to get two batteries because the car draws down the battery too fast and if you leave the dome light on when you go to a restaurant for dinner the battery will be dead by the time you get back. I bought a charger from Costco because it happens much too often. The car comes with low profile tires that are really terrible for two reasons. One they are difficult to replace and they are crazy expensive and two if you hit a pothole the tires will blow. I'm looking at KBB today because I can't wait to get rid of this car. I also have an Expedition. I love my Expedition. The Expedition is a reliable car, the Mazda looks cool in your driveway - just don't drive it anywhere."
4 people out of 28 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By MazdaPower on Wednesday, September 09, 2015
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 80,000overall rating 10 of 10rating details
Pros: "Fun to drive"
Cons: "Small back doors"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10
"This was my first car and I'm so happy it was. I have loved every moment with this car. It handles unlike any car I've driven and you can't beat the gas mileage. I'm looking forward to staying with Mazda to get the CX-9."
8 people out of 9 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse


text:
On the 88th floor of the headquarters of Shanghai television, Drs. Jeffrey Grilliot, Heinz Bulmahn and Rodney Rogers (third, fourth and fifth from left) get a view of the city with BGSU alumnus Ma Xinle and Yuankai Chen, a lead manager at the station and former WBGU-PBS visiting scholar.
BGSU strengthening connections, forging new ones in China
While many U.S. colleges and universities are rushing to China in the wake of the tremendous economic boom that is making headlines worldwide, "Bowling Green has been there since 1985," points out Dr. Rodney Rogers, dean of the College of Business Administration.
Having those connections, both with Chinese universities and the many successful BGSU alumni from China, positions the University well to provide further study and research opportunities for students and faculty, according to Jeffrey Grilliot, director of global initiatives. (See related story.)
BGSU wants to expand its long association with Xi'an International Studies University and Shandong University as well as create new partnerships with other universities. It has entered into a collaborative agreement with the nonprofit SEED (Strategic Education and Economic Development) Corp., along with the University of Toledo, the Toledo Port Authority and area businesses, to further its educational and economic development mission.
"Economic development at BGSU must have an international focus. China is the most rapidly growing economy in the world and, thus, we want to bolster our actions and activities there," said Dr. James Michael Smith, vice president for economic development and regional growth. "Student exchanges, faculty exchanges, language development opportunities and the actual creation of business partnerships with Chinese organizations are all in the best interest of Bowling Green State University. I certainly look forward to seeing these initiatives grow and develop. I also look forward to upcoming trade visits to China that will include involvement by myself and others actively engaged with economic development here at BGSU."
As part of an initial group visit earlier this month, Rogers traveled to China with Grilliot, representing Continuing and Extended Education (CEE), and Dr. Heinz Bulmahn, dean of the Graduate College and vice provost for research, along with other SEED members. Based upon what they learned, they will make initial recommendations to Smith for possible avenues BGSU could follow.
Though all three BGSU representatives had been to China before, they reported being amazed at the amount of development and growth that has taken place in the past few years. "It takes your breath away, the investments that are being made," Rogers said. "It's a stunning, growing economy and we need to give students and faculty a better sense of what is happening there."
China has become a land of great opportunity not only for business but for higher education as well, with benefits for BGSU extending to faculty, students and the University itself. "It's a country on the move," Bulmahn said.
Addressing the Chinese need for education
The rapid construction of new campuses and universities and the recent surge in the middle class—now estimated at 150-200 million people and expected to double within five years—have created a great demand for faculty and curriculum in China, Rogers said. In addition, the group learned, the Chinese still value an American degree.
"There are many opportunities for us to provide education," Rogers said. "There is an emerging middle class that want their children to be well educated." Helping the Chinese staff their new universities and develop academic programs could be mutually beneficial, he added, in that it would bring resources to BGSU that could be reinvested here.
In addition to the English language instruction BGSU provides at Xi'an, the Center for International Programs in CEE is building an Intensive English Program in response to contacts in China. Distance education opportunities shared between Shandong and Xi'an in crucial majors such as education and travel and tourism are being explored by IDEAL (Interactive Distance Education for All Learners) staff.
BGSU has a number of Chinese faculty, Rogers said, noting for example that the business college has one or more Chinese-speaking faculty members in all but one department. Before the SEED trip to China, current BGSU faculty from the Shanghai region were contacted to develop an educational plan for Shanghai. The Bowling Green delegation also met with representatives from Shanghai Normal University and the University of Shanghai to discuss establishing an exchange with the German, Russian and East Asian languages department.
Creating globally competitive students
With China becoming a major force in the world economy, it is imperative that U.S. students comprehend that "this is what they will be competing against," Rogers said. "I tell my incoming freshmen that they must understand the global economy because they must compete with people from China, other areas in Southeast Asia, South America and eventually probably Africa."
"It's important for our students today to go not only to Europe but to China," Bulmahn said. "We need to position our students to be able to take advantage of these opportunities."
In addition to traditional, semester-long study-abroad programs, the business college is looking at intensive "mini-trips" as a way to familiarize students with Chinese culture, Rogers said.
Faculty connect with faculty
China's emerging economy presents many interesting research projects for faculty, Rogers said, and BGSU would like to foster faculty exchange programs.
"Our involvement before has been mainly instructional, but it is moving now toward research," Bulmahn said. "These must be initiated by faculty and then they can explore where there might be intersections of interest."
Rogers agreed, saying, "The faculty must get to know one another and build relationships of trust and respect in order for these to be successful."
Building on existing relationships
Reconnecting with its existing partners, the BGSU group met with leaders at Xi'an University in southern China, with which Bowling Green has had exchanges since 1985, and Shandong University in the east, which began partnering with BGSU in 1993.
Because of the great need for speakers of English in China today, BGSU has been exchanging faculty and students with Xi'an. Last year, Dr. Ellen Williams, intervention services, taught the first graduate class by a foreign faculty member at Xi'an, which has recently built an entire new campus on the outskirts of the city. Bulmahn and Grilliot visited the university to discuss expanding the collaboration.
The partnership with Shandong, one of the premier research institutions in China, has been primarily based on the sciences, especially photochemistry. With six campuses and more than 50,000 students, Shandong is in the top 10-15 institutions in China and is a leader in alternative energies. Last year, Barbara Toth, coordinator of the Writing Center in the Office of Academic Enhancement, helped set up the first writing lab at Shandong. BGSU now has a visiting scholar from Shandong, Shen Xiang, who is its director of distance education. Shandong has offered to help BGSU become a trilateral partner with it and the Chinese equivalent of the National Science Foundation. Rogers also met with representatives of the business and economics departments to discuss exchanging research agendas.
Making new contacts
Some of the other universities visited by Rogers to explore possible connections for the College of Business Administration include East China University of Science and Technology, Northwest Polytechnic University and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Smooth, confident, professional sounding voice-over services. Versatile in manner, easy to work with, and efficient with timely projects, as well as reasonably priced, and flexible in rates, according to project lengths. My goal is to please my clients in the quickest turnaround time possible, with high quality recordings, and still meet different budget demands. While I am not affiliated with any unions, I am willing to take on union jobs
English (North American), English (British), English (Australian)
Mid-Atlantic sound profile (UK native, resident of United States for 30 years), passable Australian accent
Middle Aged
Audiobooks, Business, Cartoons, Documentaries, Educational, Internet, Movie Trailers, Music, Podcasting, Radio, Telephone, Television, Videogames
I have been fortunate to work on a variety of different projects, which is both entertaining and educational. I have done some animation (for foreign studios), English dubbing for foreign documentaries, radio commercials for local/regional markets, e-learning modules, web videos/promos, and marching band projects. I love this job, and want to do all types of projects, narrations, audiobooks, TV, radio, promos - love it all. * You can check out some of my completed video projects on my Facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/VictorsVoice
College Degree (BA) majoring in Political Science, with a Business Minor
Mojave MA-201 FET and Electrovoice RE20
MAC with Pro Tools
Source Connect (certified) capable, Phone Patch (JK Audio AutoHybrid), Grace Pre-Amp, MBox2Pro mixer
Email, YouSendIt (aka Hightail), FTP, regular mail
Dependent on situation, but can be within hours of original request
The most important thing for me, as a voice-over artist, is to do a great job, and make my clients completely happy with my work. I want my clients to consider me as their employee while I am working on their projects. While I bring my experience and expertise to the project, the most important thing is what my clients want and need. This is my pledge to anyone that would consider hiring me as their "voice" to their employees, public etc. I am very easy to work with, communicate with clients excellently, and am very flexible with my availability - I can record at my home studio on any day, at any time (usually), and I am also willing to work in recording studios (which I have enjoyed doing in the past, and will continue to do so). Tell me what you need, and I will do everything I can to provide it to you. If I need to invoice you, I will do so via PayPal, where you can choose to pay via PayPal, or use the option to send a payment directly to me - instructions will be provided on my PayPal invoice.
Catherine Hunter - Voice Over ArtistHunter Voice
Taproot Pictures (Grand Rapids, MI)
Performance Solutions International (Randolph, NJ)
Illumina Interactive (Boston, MA)
Laureate Educations (Los Angeles, CA)
PFM Studios (Paris, France)
Hire Victor for voice-over work. Payment is made through Voices.com SurePay, an escrow service that guarantees your work is done to your satisfaction. Send payment securely by Visa, Mastercard or PayPal through Voices.com then download your files from the website.
Watch a video to see how to make a payment
To contact Victor Farrow about your project, request a quote today. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step. It's fast and easy.


text:
Release date:
Studio: N/A
Director: David L. Cunningham
MPAA Rating: N/A
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Duration: N/A
Copyright Holder: N/A
Copyright: N/A
Plot Summary:
GiantKiller Pictures' historical action film "Day of War" is an adaptation of the first book in Cliff Graham's biblically set "Lion of War" series. Graham's books will re-create the early life and adventures of David before he became king of Israel. The "Lion of War" series includes "Covenant of War," "Song of War," "Fires of War" and "Twilight of War."


text:
I assume that's the smaller Cadet?
Type: Posts; User: GoGators
I assume that's the smaller Cadet?
Thanks guys, this helps!
My wife and I are due in 4 weeks - let's get this thing done!
My wife has officially highjacked my Co-Pilot so now I need a new bag. I am eyeballing a new Synapes 25 backpack - mainly for personal travel, carry on, etc., but we have a baby due soon and I think...
Even the 13/15 cadet is a small bag. I'd go with the larger one, but if you were intent on a smaller one, I'd get a Co-Pilot.
Surprised to see this, and it it was about GWB (I assume it was), that's inappropriate whatever your political leanings are. Oh well, hope it boosted sales.
I have a Co-Pilot, which came with zipper pulls, and just bought a cadet, which didn't. I guess it's my fault for not reading the description fully as it did say they were not included, but,...


text:
With 1.7 million freelancers, we'll match you with the perfect talent.
The client has made the following changes to the job.
Client prefers freelancers from:
You are still able to submit a proposal for this job.
The client prefers freelancers from
a different location.
Im in need of assitnace with Data Base management and lead generating and follow up. this will require communicating with exsisting clients and help establish new clients. Experience with Hubspot or other online inbound marketing tools is essential
Sign in or Register to see more


text:
The magazine for Minnesota philanthropists
MNSights magazine is the flagship publication for Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. In it, you will find news, information and resources to help you be an effective philanthropist. The magazine is published in April and October.
We work closely with Philanthropedia, a national research organization acquired by GuideStar in 2011, to bring you high-impact nonprofit organizations doing great work. Philanthropedia interviews scores of Minnesota experts to identify nonprofits making a significant difference in an issue area, and we highlight their work in MNSights. To view Philanthropedia's complete research results, visit myphilanthropedia.org.
Fall 2015
Finding a Way Home: How Minnesota's nonprofits support housing access.
Spring 2015
The Future of Aging: As demographics shift, nonprofits offer vital support to Minnesota's aging population.
Fall 2014
Animal Instinct: Why it's important to care for all creatures great and small.
Spring 2014
State of minds: How Minnesota's nonprofits support mental health — and how you can help.
Fall 2013
How local nonprofits are helping at-risk youth chart a new course to educational succcess.
Spring 2013
How to bring healthy food to all Minnesotans, plus 15 expert-recommended nonprofits making a big difference.
Fall 2012
Local experts tell us which nonprofits are improving arts access for all Minnesotans — and how you can help.
Spring 2012
Local experts tell us which nonprofits are giving a great boost to the state's workforce — and how you can help.
Fall 2011
Local experts tell us which nonprofits are doing the most good for the environment.
More from MNSights
Subscribe today
We provide MNSights free of charge. Sign up today for a subscription to the magazine or our e-newsletter.
The magazine is published in April and October, and the e‑newsletter is published six times a year.


text:
In Watch Dogs, you are Aiden Pearce, a former thug that's able to hack into anything and turn Chicago into your ultimate weapon!
We're here to help 24/7
Video Chat
The store associate cannot see you.
Text chat
Call us 24/7
Store sale and customer support:
For products bought elsewhere:


text:
GOF: Cedric by SangzHimeWatch
©2004-2016 SangzHime
This my first ever pic of Cedric. This is how I imagine what he would look like judging by reaction from Kathie & Angelina, the two Griffindor chaser.
done in 30 mins by jel pen.
done in 30 mins by jel pen.
Now THAT is sexy! *dies from sexyness overload*
*Cast revive* There, there, you ok? ^^
he look so smooch~!! [dunno what it mean but I feel like saying that ]
You mean you want to him him and....other perv stuff???
yay! Cedric! looks great!
30 min?
thats incredible!
His face and hair are so good
I envy your skill
thats incredible!
His face and hair are so good
I envy your skill
Usually I didn't work that fast, but tonight is exception. I'm really into the mood of drawing. Thanks for drop by.


text:
View courses in
- All Departments
- All Departments
- African American Studies
- American & New England Studies
- Anthropology
- Arabic
- Archaeology
- Astronomy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Chinese
- Classical Studies
- Cognitive & Neural Systems
- Comparative Literature
- Computer Science
- Earth & Environment
- Economics
- Editorial Studies
- English
- Hebrew
- Hindi-Urdu
- History
- History of Art & Architecture
- International Relations
- Japanese
- Korean
- Linguistics
- Marine Science
- Mathematics & Statistics
- Modern Languages & Comparative Literature: German
- Modern Languages: Language Learning & Teaching
- Modern Languages: Portuguese
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry
- Persian
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychological & Brain Sciences
- Religious Studies (including Religion)
- Romance Studies: French Language & Literature
- Romance Studies: Hispanic Language & Literatures
- Romance Studies: Italian
- Russian
- Sociology
- Study Abroad
- Turkish
- Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
GRS AA 716: African Diaspora Arts in the Americas
Study of the transmission of African artistry in the Caribbean, South America, and the United States from the period of slavery to the present. Topics include Kongo and Yoruba arts and their influence on the arts of Santeria, Vodun, and carnival. Also offered as GRS AH 716.
GRS AA 808: Seminar: Ethnic, Race, and Minority Relations
Formation and position of ethnic minorities in the United States, including cross-group comparisons from England, Africa, and other parts of the world. Readings and field experience. Also offered as GRS SO 808.
GRS AA 871: African American History
The history of African Americans from African origins to present time; consideration of societies in West and West Central Africa from which enslaved Africans originated, slavery and freedom in colonial America, Civil War and Reconstruction, freedom and struggles in a globalizing America from Reconstruction to Civil Rights and beyond. Also offered as GRS HI 698.
GRS AA 882: History of Religion in Pre-Colonial Africa
Study of the development of religious traditions in Africa during the period prior to European colonialism. An emphasis both on indigenous religions and on the African roots and the growth and spread of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the continent as a whole. Also offered as GRS HI 749 and GRS RN 682.
GRS AA 885: Atlantic History
Examines the various interactions that shaped the Atlantic World, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas between 1400 and 1800. Begins by defining the political interaction, then emphasizes cultural exchange, religious conversion, and the revolutionary era. Also offered as GRS HI 750.
GRS AA 888: Black Radical Thought
Black radical thought in America, Europe, and Africa since the eighteenth century through writings of abolitionists, leaders of revolutions and liberation movements, Black nationalists, and Black socialists. Emphasizes the global nature of the "Black World" and its role in world history. Also offered as GRS HI 761.
GRS AA 901: Directed Study in African American Studies
Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor.
GRS AA 902: Directed Study in African American Studies
Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor.
GRS AH 713: Imperial Reflections: Early Modern Islamic Art and Architecture
Architecture, manuscripts, textiles, metalwork, and ceramics of the Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid Empires. Focus on the formation of imperial styles, intersections between art and politics, and the importance of the arts in dynastic legitimization.
GRS AH 716: African Diaspora Arts in the Americas
Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Study of the transmission of African artistry in the Caribbean, South America, and the United States from the period of slavery to the present. Topics include Kongo and Yoruba arts and their influence on the arts of Santeria, Vodun, and carnival. Also offered as GRS AA 716.
GRS AH 726: Colloquium in Japanese Art
The arts of Japan from prehistory through the twentieth century. Painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and architecture (including landscape architecture) are emphasized, but attention is also paid to wood block prints, ceramics, lacquer, and metalwork.
GRS AH 731: Arts of Archaic Greece
This colloquium (paired with CAS AH 331) considers special topics in Greek Archaic art.
GRS AH 742: Colloquium in Latin American Art
Case studies designed to explore the main aesthetic, social, and historical discourses surrounding image production in Latin America while familiarizing students with main scholars in the field and their methodologies.
GRS AH 782: Colloquium in Nineteenth-Century Architecture in Europe and America
Dilemma of style in nineteenth-century architecture; study of the relationship of architectural theory to the changing philosophy and aesthetic theory of the period. Development of functionalist theory.
GRS AH 786: Colloquium in Twentieth-Century American Painting
The colloquium, which accompanies the lecture course for CAS AH 386, focuses on critical and theoretical readings that relate to twentieth-century American painting, photography, sculpture, installation and performance art, and criticism.
GRS AH 798: Colloquium in Twentieth-Century Architecture
In conjunction with the CAS AH 398 lecture course, this colloquium focuses on main figures, events, artifacts of twentieth-century architectural history.
GRS AH 802: Seminar: A-H Writing
This seminar will consider the history and methods of art history through the writings of Vasari, Bellori, Winkelmann, Kant, Hegel, Wolfflin, Riegl, Warburg, Panofsky, Gombrich, among others.
GRS AH 820: Seminar: Asian Art
Undergraduate Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Topic for Fall 2014: Kyoto: Art, Architecture, and Urbanism. This seminar explores the art, architecture, and urbanism of Kyoto, the Japanese imperial capital from the late eighth century to the mid-nineteenth century. Analyzes major artistic and architectural projects sponsored by generations of emperors, aristocrats and warriors.
GRS AH 822: Seminar: African Art
Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
In-depth discussion of special topics in the study of African art and architecture. Topic for Fall 2013: Post- Colonial Theory and Visual Culture in Northwestern Africa. This seminar underscores the continuing importance of post-colonial theory to understanding the history of African art, concentrating on historic and contemporary visual culture in Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Mali, and Niger.
GRS AH 846: Seminar: Romanesque and Gothic Art
Topic for Spring 2015: Romanesque and Early Gothic. Explores the art and architecture of Romanesque and Early Gothic Europe. Topics include attitudes to the body, the representation of women, saints, and heroes; the impact of monasticism; grotesque imagery and whimsy.


text:
David Stone
Utility company executive David Stone is the only candidate on the ballot for CBJ Assembly seat representating District 1.
Recent headlines
Justice Antonin Scalia, Known For Biting Dissents, Dies At 79Scalia was perhaps the leading voice of uncompromising conservatism on the Supreme Court. In his 29 years on the court, he achieved almost a cult following for dissents.
Watch: Red Carpet Concert with Sophia StreetAnchorage-based singer-songwriter Sophia Street and James Goodreau dropped into KTOO's arts room to play a Red Carpet Concert.
Leverage your leopard: The biz behind Alaska's only zooIf you've ever wanted to feed a snow leopard, a moose, or a pack of wolves, this year you've got a chance. Albeit, for a tidy sum.
Bumps likely in the long road to a new Tongass plan?The transition started early in the Obama administration. There could be at least three more presidents before it becomes a full reality.


text:
Hello dear readers! I thought I'd let y'all know there's a new video clip up on Shellie TV. It's a Toilet Booger story I shared with the Cowgirl Convention in Tyler, TX!. I hope y'all enjoy! Do feel free to share and warn your loved ones of the dangers lurking out there. Hugs, Shellie … [Read more...]
Bless Their Hearts
Hey y'all, I'm super excited! Should have the new All Things Southern "Bless Their Hearts" t-shirts available by the end of January! Hope to have them at the book table when I speak at the Texas Cowgirl Convention! I'm planning to offer them in dark chocolate, hot pink, lime green, and this gorgeous blue! Oh, I'm also bringing back the "If You're Southern and You Know It, Say Amen" design, as it was the big seller from the last season I did shirts. What 'cha think?H Hugs, Shellie … [Read more...]
"Plant the Seed" Austin Moody to visit ATS LIVE today, Monday 24th!
I'm in a full-out run today, laying tracks here at home for the taped radio segments that air daily on my affiliates in what I fondly call the "Redneck Radio Studio" (I really must document it with pics soon) -- and then it's on to Monroe for errands and this afternoon's production of ATS LIVE the Radio Show! My special guest today is Austin Moody, son of Kingsport, Tennessee and rising country music star. If you haven't been turned on to Austin's music yet, scoot over to his website and listen to a clip of his new single, "Plant the Seed." You'll be charmed by his smooth, deep vocals (and ladies, I promise he won't hurt your eyeballs, either!) Afterwards, make plans to join us this evening. ATS LIVE is aired locally on KMBL Talk50 and streams LIVE through this listening link on my … [Read more...]
My Happy First Day of Autumn Present to Y'all!
The Lucy Cookbook is a labor of pure love. It's all of my mother-in-law's recipes bound into one keepsake, pulled together by my sister-in-law, Sandy. Mawmaw Lucy had lost her battle with Alzheimer's by the time the project was finished, making the handwritten recipes that much more of a treasure to all of us. The other night I pulled it out and began browsing the familiar pages again. It felt like Lucy was right here with me, especially since the recipes, well-- some of them are hard to decipher. As I joked that evening, "The woman never could pass on a recipe." The best cooks can't, you know. Take for instance the Cheese Krispies here. I've had a hankering for them for two days now. I was in the middle of making them this afternoon when I realized that MawMaw mentions garlic in the … [Read more...]
2nd Pew Left Hand Side, VBS & Deep and Wide
I'm sitting beside Mama's hospital bed watching her sleep and thinking about the heritage of love and self-sacrifice she's given this family. Maybe it's the nostalgia of the moment, but I keep thinking about some words I wrote this week about family. It has me wanting to share them with any of you who may not follow Southern Belleview. (FYI, Southern Belleview is a site where I join four other authors who are "down write southern" in a weekly free-for-all on whatever topic we decide to launch. I would love it if you would sign up over there, too!) This week we did an exercise where you develop your unique biography by filling in the blanks of a template. Here's mine. Where I'm From I am from gumbo thick farming ground running alongside the Mississippi River, from Pixi Stix Candy Straws … [Read more...]


text:
Cute stars gravity wallpaper WallpaperBy | Category: Art, Colors & Patterns, Miscellaneous, Android, Cartoons
Wallpaper Description
This Amazing live wallpaper gives you unique experience of having live wallpaper: "snow globe".
This little stars change color and react to gravity and there for makes your mobile phone in virtual "snow globe".
Touching the screen makes gravity reverse... What was down... goes up.
It was created with famous ANDENGINE that gives you real 2D physics just like in real world.
This live wallpaper is batery optimized.
Background photo was made by geishaboy500.
Your phone must support live wallpaper.
Any question, problem or ideas please send us on mail.
Creating an app takes time and money, In order to keep creating great (and free!) apps, we are using a new search service to monetize our apps. With this service we are able to create more great apps for you guys. This option bundles a few search points (icon, bookmark and homepage) for you to use. You can erase these easily and with no effect to our app. Thanks!
More Wallpapers
Reader comments
Cute stars gravity wallpaper
Total of 2315 Wallpapers!
- Celebrities (128)
- Alcohol (15)
- People (109)
- Art (517)
- Animals (121)
- Babes (may be NSFW) (169)
- Colors & Patterns (493)
- Flags (21)
- Holidays (104)
- Military (54)
- Nature (385)
- Sports (148)
- TV & Movies (150)
- Music (83)
- Food (19)
- Miscellaneous (699)
- Techy Stuff (302)
- Travel Destinations (127)


text:
With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
The USB Bike Generator is a small bike mounted electricity producing device optimized to provide power for two USB ports. There are so many small electronics that can ...
If you only want to learn how I built the USB Bike Generator and not why the BikeGen system wasn't the best, you can skip this step. In ...
Below is a list of most of the tools and parts I used to build the USB Bike Generator. Tools Soldering Iron Solder Solder Sucker Desoldering Braid Digital ...
There are three major parts to the electronics of the USB Bike Generator, the stepper motor, the rectifier and the voltage regulator. Stepper Motor The USB Bike Generator ...
To mount the stepper motor to the bike I used a method very similar to the BikeGen instructable. A small wheel was attached to the stepper motor and ...
Before I did the final assembly of everything I tested the performance of the new stepper motor, diodes and switching regulator. I used a dead 5V 1000maH battery ...
158,044 views
408 favorites
Ultimate 10 Watt USB Bicycle Generatorby Solarcycle
Bicycle Solar/Dynamo USB Charger + Tail Lightsby Solarcycle
Voltage Regulated [5v] Bicycle Dynamo Light & USB Chargerby sgomes3
Dynamo powered LED without making a circuitby vukx
Bike Dynamoby Fat Bagel
Join 2 million + to receive instant inspiration in your inbox.
Download our apps!
© 2015 Autodesk, Inc.
Enter the email associated with your account and we will send you your username and a temporary password.
Not a member? Sign Up »
Already a member? Login »
That's a pro feature!
Want to go pro?
First step is to sign up.
By clicking "Sign me up!" you are indicating that you have read and agree to the Terms of service.
Already a member?" Login »


text:
Latest Updates
Local educators, legislators give thumbs up to ISTEP changes
Indiana state representative Matt Lehman pronounced ISTEP testing dead in the water in an interview last week and said that house legislation recommending a committee to rethink a more effective form of testing for Hoosier schools has been passed on to the Senate. "It (ISTEP) was a mess," said Lehman. "ISTEP is dead. It's time to develop something much more acceptable and practical for Hoosier schools." House Bill 1003 would prevent ISTEP or A-F grades from negatively affecting teacher pay for one year. State Senator Travis Holdman said that Senate Bill 200 would provide that a school or school corporation's A-F performance rating for the 2014-2015 school year cannot be lower than the assigned grade for the 2013-2014 school year. "These bills are the result of collaboration among legislators, the governor, the Department of Education and State Board of Education," said Holdman. "These bills provide fairness for students, teachers and schools that had to deal... Read More >


text:
As the beautiful and peaceful world of Lagendia plunged into disarray, the only source to make it right disappeared. You must find the missing grail and restore harmony to the world once again...
The free MMORPG Dragon Nest takes you to a world overrun by evil dragons which are preventing you from finding the poisonous grail and saving the Goddess Altea. The call for heroes has gone out and you must rise to the challenge.
Dragon Nest features a large number of quests that will take you to the ends of the world and back again. On your adventures, you have to find the enchanted Power Stones which allow you to communicate with the prophets who will help you save the lost Goddess.
With four different classes to choose from, Dragon Nest offers many different ways to experience the world. The swift warrior takes the fight to his enemies with cold steel while the tempting sorceress bends forces of magic to her will to unleash her fury upon her enemies.
As you progress with your character in Dragon Nest, you will be able to improve your abilities and skills. By doing so, you will be able to make your character even more powerful. If you master these skills, you will be nearly unstoppable.
Dragon Nest features hundreds of players online at the same time. You can team up with others from around the world to take on some of the most powerful creatures in the game. If you are in a guild, you can partake in epic guild versus guild territory wars and show everyone that your guild is a force to be reckoned with.
The world of Lagendia is in need of heroes and the Goddess Altea has called for your help in bringing down her evil twin sister. Gather the Power Stones to speak with the prophets who will guide you on your journey and restore harmony to the world once again.
Dragon Nest is a free-to-play client game. All you have to do to delve into the fantastical world of Lagendia is visit the homepage by clicking on the green button below, register an account, and download the client. There are no hidden fees!
18/05/2013 09:18 - When your hero enters a dungeon in Dragon Nest, you will notice delicious food dropping from monsters. Munching on snacks and...more
17/05/2013 10:26 - There is literally nothing more frustrating than boss monsters that drop nothing but trash loot. Fortunately, the fantasy...more
16/05/2013 11:16 - Dragon Nest is all about exploring unknown territory and slaying monsters that give you valuable loot. In this fantasy roleplaying...more
11/09/2013 11:48 - Unification, merging, assimilation – call it as you may, but the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Dragon Nest is undergoing a major...more
03/07/2013 09:40 - Sometimes, game designers like to surprise their community with little tidbits of joy. Whether it's random drops or special events...more
21/06/2013 12:22 - In almost every game, there comes a time when you don't have anything left to do. Trust us, this happens to even the most...more


text:
By Bill Ver Steeg, Distinguished Engineer, Cisco Systems
We are proud to put down in writing what we believe to be the first Reference Design Kit (RDK)-based deployment of IP video. Oh, and it is the first IPTV system running on IPv6. And one of the first based on a combination of premises based products and cloud-based services. And it all went from concept to turn-up in 50 days!
The deployment happened in Europe, but if you're in Las Vegas this week at CES, we will also be demoing it for customers at The Wynn Hotel.
What was involved:
Our customer wanted to showcase its brand new IPv6 network by delivering a world-class IP video experience. An all-IPv6 IP video system had never been deployed before, so this was a non-trivial challenge. We chose to use the leading edge components in RDK in the IPv6 environment. Our challenge: they wanted it in and complete in 50 days, from project start to subscribers using it. To meet this challenge we turned to a combination of our new Videoscape Cloud Services SaaS offerings and premise based solutions.
Let's talk about the toolkit that allowed us to deliver this customized solution in such a rapid timeframe. First and foremost, the delivery required all of the components to work in IPv6–only mode. It's no great secret that Cisco is highly focused on IPv6 (understatement), and our RDK based systems are no exception. As our customers migrate from IPv4 to Ipv6, all of our video products are being widely deployed in mixed IPv4-IPv6 environments worldwide. As can be imagined, there were considerable production, testing and integration challenges with working in a pure IPv6 deployment.
We started by Read More »
Tags: ip video, IPv6, rdk, Service Provider, videoscape


text:
urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community - Tags - smarter-planet The IBM Software blog promotes thoughtful discussions and perspectives on how software is changing the way we live and do business. 11 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 IBM Connections - Blogs urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-5d57b8e0-9331-49e8-8bd8-cb1a381db465 Picture Story: Fixing Things Before They Break Chris Luongo email@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2014-10-29T07:41:08-04:00 2014-10-29T07:41:08-04:00
 The small city of Cambridge, Ontario faced a ticking infrastructure time bomb and city leaders needed to act fast.

 The small city of Cambridge, Ontario faced a ticking infrastructure time bomb and city leaders needed to act fast. 0 0 2351 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-a2e180e8-471b-490e-beae-ed033d32b7bf FOAK Tales: A Smarter Water System in Sonoma Valley Chris Luongo firstname.lastname@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2014-02-13T11:37:43-05:00 2014-02-13T11:37:43-05:00
 Here's another true story from IBM's First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) program, which pairs IBM researchers with clients to bring incredible discoveries and possibilities into view.

 Here's another true story from IBM's First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) program, which pairs IBM researchers with clients to bring incredible discoveries and possibilities into view. 0 0 2695 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-5f91b1c3-d2da-4b4e-a37b-02c4fd77bbbc Behind the Strategy: Commerce and the Connected Customer Chris Luongo email@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2011-09-20T13:56:00-04:00 2011-09-22T09:32:10-04:00

 Just like the Internet transformed retailing, media and entertainment in the 1990s, social networking and mobile communications are now putting even more power in the hands of individuals.

Today, 70 percent of a customer's first interaction with a product or service takes place online, 64 percent make a first purchase because of a digital experience and of the two billion people connected to the internet, more than 600 million are on Facebook. This is compounded by an explosion of mobile purchases, which is tripling annually to $119 billion this year alone. Think of this as the era of the connected consumer.

The shift is a good thing. It means consumers know more than ever about their choices and can comparison shop for the best price with ease. They get what they want when they want it. And they can make their opinions known — positive or negative — to thousands or even millions of other consumers.

The power of the connected customer

This big shift in how customers connect brings profound consequences – redefining the term "commerce." What used to be seen as a flow of goods from manufacturers through a distribution chain to customers has become an interactive feedback loop, where consumers, producers, distributors, the media, and marketers all have new roles to play. Smart companies see "selling" not so much as a traditional function of their organization but rather as an ever-evolving set of services they perform for their customers — performed in concert with their business partners.

Toward that end, organizations are getting more intelligent, so that vast amounts of customer data — from demographics, to product-purchase histories, to online conversations — can be analyzed and turned into real value in real time.

They are getting more interconnected, so that customer insight can be fed into every point in the process – from design to distribution. And they are extending this network of insight to suppliers and partners, because no business can innovate alone.

And they are getting more instrumented, so every item of inventory can be tracked; every interaction with customers can be understood.

Smarter Commerce at work

Leaders in every industry are turning to dynamic business networks that span human, digital, social and mobile modes.

For example, an electronics retailer is using seemingly unrelated purchasing events to get the products its customers want on the shelves when they want them, and make the whole shopping experience seamless across all channels – from brick-and-mortar, to the Web, to mobile.

An automaker is continuously improving its products by infusing customer feedback and reviews into the design process, and pulling in the best parts, suppliers, and assembly expertise without disruption as market needs continuously change.

A bank lender is taking a 360-degree view of its customers using predictive analytics to determine which types of products might interest a patron and even when, where and how to approach them — putting customers at the center of its strategy for what new services are introduced.

 The complexity of the task
 Building dynamic business networks that span human, digital, social and mobile access modes isn't easy. Businesses often find themselves with too many siloed systems, and too many unique processes that don't share information or integrate very well.

But now there's new technology that enhances and automates the way businesses connect – across the wide range of systems and activities flowing between departments, businesses, and into the cloud. There's also clever analytics software that can turn vast streams of data into a narrative that people can understand and put to use.

Defining a new market

Powerful software tools and services are available from IBM to help companies to better address the connected customer.

In 2010, IBM added to its own WebSphere Commerce software platform with three related acquisitions — Sterling Commerce for order management and supply chain optimization; Coremetrics for analyzing customer behavior; and Unica for managing marketing campaigns from beginning to end. Together, they address a broad spectrum of enterprise commerce activities – new ways to buy, sell and secure greater customer loyalty in the era of mobile and social networks.

In March 2011 IBM debuted its Smarter Commerce Initiative with new software solutions designed to help companies intelligently automate supplier and trading partner interactions, automatically turn marketplace insights into marketing and sales actions, and seamlessly connect online, mobile and social channels to physical stores. IBM is defining and leading this new market, which is expected to grow to a $20 billion opportunity in software alone by 2015, driven by demand from clients that must bring new levels of automation to marketing, selling and fulfillment, and managing brands.

IBM has also put together a robust consulting services practice and a "university" program to teach commerce skills to clients. It's packaging all of these capabilities together and presenting them as an integrated set of technology and business solutions. And now with IBM's help, leaders in every industry are serving the connected customer's needs at every turn.

At it's first Smarter Commerce Global Summit this week in San Diego, CA, IBM announced new software and services that address a broad spectrum of enterprise commerce activities — new ways to buy, sell and secure greater customer loyalty in the era of mobile and social networks.

 Just like the Internet transformed retailing, media and entertainment in the 1990s, social networking and mobile communications are now putting even more power in the hands of individuals. Today, 70 percent of a customer's first... 0 0 5612 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-06eb8c68-9a45-49ad-97bf-62a5cb8148b2 Night At The Intelligent Building Management* Noah Kuttler email@example.com 110000SVNJ active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2011-06-22T10:12:42-04:00 2011-06-22T10:12:42-04:00
While most of what I know about art preservation I learned from watching Ghostbusters II, I do know that it is a difficult task. Art needs to be viewed/shared with it's audience and yet must be properly preserved so that it is not irreparably damaged and lost to future viewers.

Years of reading comic books has taught me that ink/paper tend to deteriorate at a rapid rate. It is very rare to find "Golden Age" comic books in pristine condition, and comic books only go as far back as the 1930's. So you can imagine what a difficult task museums have with paint/canvas that dates back into the hundreds (and even thousands) of years. Museum visitors line up every day to see these paintings. Up close and personal.

Art, like so many things, is stored in buildings and it is the environment of these buildings which must be regulated and controlled so as to properly preserve the art.

Which is why one of the coolest things to come out of our Smarter Buildings event on June 9th was how IBM is partnering with, "...Metropolitan Museum of Art to test a wireless environmental sensor network--dubbed, unsexily, the Low-Power Mote--in the museum's Cloisters, a section that holds 3,000 works of art from medieval Europe. The works, which include paintings, tapestries, and illuminated manuscripts, date from the 12th through the 15th century." (Fast Company).

Here's the official press release and Karl Helbig posted about the actual solution we announced called Intelligent Building Management (Announcement Letter 211-206).

Buildings are essential to a Smarter Planet and it's one of the areas we're focusing on with our industry solutions.

Using buildings to help preserve the art that they house is one way that our customers are leveraging Intelligent Building Management solutions, but we also had another great customer at this event.

Tulane University is another customer with whom we are partnering, and they are certainly at the forefront of helping to create a Smarter Planet with ...[their] first IBM project is helping to transform the home of Tulane's School of Architecture, the century-old Richardson Memorial Hall, into a "smarter building living laboratory," using IBM Intelligent Building Management while maintaining respect for its historic status. The school aims to arm a new generation of architects with techniques that will allow historic buildings to be more efficiently adapted for modern use.

Here's the official press release and there's also a great video (YouTube link) that we did them.

<object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QBGyAM9KpQ0?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QBGyAM9KpQ0?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></object>

Please comment below. Are you and your company working towards intelligent building management? Have you been following any projects similar to Tulane and the MET that you want to share with the community?

*yes, "Intelligent Building Management At The Museum" would have made more sense, but when have I ever bothered to make sense?
 While most of what I know about art preservation I learned from watching Ghostbusters II , I do know that it is a difficult task. Art needs to be viewed/shared with it's audience and yet must be properly preserved so that it is not irreparably damaged and... 0 0 2719 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-78a513e0-27e8-424a-9359-dc65fee3b7b6 Picture Story: Intelligent Infrastructure at Work Chris Luongo firstname.lastname@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-11-29T06:48:39-05:00 2010-11-29T06:53:56-05:00
Today we're seeing the coming of age of a whole new generation of intelligent systems and technologies -- more powerful and accessible than ever before.

 Oil exploration, earthquake prediction, water conservation, and traffic management all are using smart systems to find the big answers to the big questions.

 IBM Software has a long history of helping clients transform their organizations,integrate their business and IT environments, and operate diverse objects and platforms — from production facilities to electric grids to pipelines and railways.

 Now its technologies are being used to make these grids, infrastructures, facilities and products more intelligent so as to save money, improve operations, manage risk, and better manage the use of natural resources.

 Click on the image to open the picture story:

  Today we're seeing the coming of age of a whole new generation of intelligent systems and technologies -- more powerful and accessible than ever before. Oil exploration, earthquake prediction, water conservation, and traffic management all are using smart... 0 0 2769 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-1f28fe87-7c8d-415d-8ab3-6fadf9b77eb2 How Smarter Industries Work Chris Luongo email@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-11-10T08:10:56-05:00 2010-11-10T09:02:27-05:00 In today's tough economic environment, companies in all industries are feeling the pressure to respond in real time to whatever the day brings — a change in supply or demand; a shift in the preferences of buyers; the vagaries of capital markets; an explosion of information; and a web of disconnected systems and processes.

IBM's strategy is to approach clients with a clear understanding of their needs, demonstrating that we have the expertise and technology specific to their business.
First we ask: What are they trying to accomplish within their industry? Then, we look at how different technologies can be used to meet their needs.

At its first Smarter Industries Symposium starting today in Barcelona, Spain, IBM is bringing together industry leaders to share best practices on how they are setting new standards, pioneering new innovations, and transforming the complex systems that undergird specific industries . The industries these leaders work in are the driving forces of a smarter planet. Energy, automotive, telecommunications, retail, healthcare, banking and others thrive on the competition and innovation that is helping to build a better world.

Click on the image to open the picture story:

IBM's focus is on on helping clients from various industries build, deploy and manage applications that integrate their processes and information specific to their needs. From there, it is all about creating complete solutions and help these clients get to a smarter and much more efficient way of doing business: from making everything occur in a seamless flow; to making collaboration a fundamental part of how work is done; to quickly pulling together and making sense out of any type of information and data.

The dynamics of the healthcare sector are not the same as those facing financial services companies. The issues confronting major retailers are different from those faced by clients in transportation and government. Simply put, different industries are diverse in nature and needs but all require solutions that provide them with a smarter and more efficient way of doing business.

That is why IBM has created industry frameworks — collections of industry specific data and process models, middleware, servers and storage, design patterns, and other assets that have been proven to perform well in prior customer engagements.

A framework is like a supporting structure around which something can be built. Like building blocks, they enable teams to put into practice technologies that can be reused throughout the enterprise, making it easy to tackle the critical issues on a client's plate.

 In today's tough economic environment, companies in all industries are feeling the pressure to respond in real time to whatever the day brings — a change in supply or demand; a shift in the preferences of buyers; the vagaries of capital markets; an explosion... 1 0 2916 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-b8c56f6d-7dba-42c7-baa2-ff41c2faf7c5 Students and Cities at Work Chris Luongo email@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-11-01T11:15:47-04:00 2010-11-10T08:55:32-05:00
Take a closer look at any large city today and you'll find another city pulsating within it, made up of interconnected systems of many different functions and activities.

Similarly, educational curriculums are being redesigned to provide students from all disciplines with the tools they need to thrive in this technology-rich, dynamically networked world — and make a difference in our cities.

For example, analytics is no longer the domain of just mathematicians or statisticians. Employers are looking for graduates who are well-rounded and adaptable in many areas, for example using analytics to help modernize health care systems, making older buildings more energy-efficient, and designing public transportation systems that run better.

IBM knows that in order to help cities tackle thorny challenges — from traffic congestion, to energy use, to the building of sustainable communities — a new set of skills is required. IBM is partnering with colleges and universities to give students access to the technologies and training needed to learn new skills and put them to work in our cities.

In Chicago, IBM and DePaul University recently opened a data mining and analytics center to train students in predictive analytics, a skill increasingly in demand by employers in cities around the globe.

And at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, a new Smarter Infrastructure Lab will be a place for IBM researchers and students from the engineering, architecture, public policy, and business schools to come up with ideas for building smarter cities.

Non-profits also play important roles in education innovations of all kinds. IBM recently announced a series of software, services and consulting grants to help local nonprofit groups better connect with communities and students in need. These Trailblazer grants are already making a difference in improving education systems in cities around the U.S. — from Philadelphia, to Milwaukee, to Boston.

Cities are vibrant, living systems that thrive on human and economic diversity, creative thinking, and new forms of commerce, culture, science and society. And to make them truly smarter, students need to have keen eyes for they way cities work.

Click here for a larger view of the picture story:

  Take a closer look at any large city today and you'll find another city pulsating within it, made up of interconnected systems of many different functions and activities. Similarly, educational curriculums are being redesigned to provide students... 1 0 2567 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-e8c57ff3-3c37-4ec2-b19f-64a10ffb40d4 Following the IOD Conference and Business Analytics Forum online Tiffany Winman email@example.com 12000065XB active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-10-25T11:49:23-04:00 2010-10-25T13:09:04-04:00
This week the Information on Demand and Business Analytics Forum kicks off in Las Vegas. Here are a few quick tips on how to follow along and participate in conference conversation online.

Delaney Turner wrote a great blog on this topic: 10 ways to prepare for the Cognos 10 launch.

Adam Gartenberg also wrote a blog: How to follow the Information on Demand Conference from home. Some of the key resources he mentions include:

Information On Demand 2010 Social Media Aggregator
 This site will bring all conference-related content from Twitter, registered blogs, Flickr, YouTube and Livestream into one place. Use #iodgc and #baforum in your tweets for your content to appear here.
 http://www.ibm.com/social/informationondemand

 Live from Information On Demand 2010
 The live stream video coming from Las Vegas
 http://livestream.com/ibmsoftware

After the conference, you can find archived content here:
http://www.livestream.com/ibmsoftware/folder?dirId=add716e6-047a-4e49-a94f-adc1148de8c8

 Video on Demand from Information On Demand 2010
 View all of our video content, at your leisure. Videos updated daily. http://youtube.com/iodgc

 <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="340" id="lsplayer" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=ibmsoftware&autoPlay=false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="340" name="lsplayer" src="http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=ibmsoftware&autoPlay=false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" wmode="transparent" /></object>
Watch live streaming video from ibmsoftware at livestream.com

Here are a few more links:

The official IOD conference Twitter handle: IODGC2010

Find a list of people tweeting on the conference by using Twazzup: #IODGC tag: http://ow.ly/2YVvN and #BAForum: http://ow.ly/2YVxX

Group photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/iodgc/

Foursquare check-ins for IODGC

Facebook

LinkedIn

A few key bloggers at the conference:

Todd Watson

Scott Laningham

Delaney Turner

Adam Gartenberg

Other bloggers at IOD conference

 <object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fgroups%2Fiodgc%2Fpool%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fgroups%2Fiodgc%2Fpool%2F&group_id=1453672@N21&jump_to=&start_index=" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fgroups%2Fiodgc%2Fpool%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fgroups%2Fiodgc%2Fpool%2F&group_id=1453672@N21&jump_to=&start_index=" height="300" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" /></object>
I hope you enjoy the conference. Stay tuned for more to come.

 This week the Information on Demand and Business Analytics Forum kicks off in Las Vegas. Here are a few quick tips on how to follow along and participate in conference conversation online. Delaney Turner wrote a great blog on this topic: 10 ways to prepare... 0 0 4295 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-9e37f3ac-2c8e-441e-9927-82bb0e1b03f5 Information and Analytics at Work Chris Luongo firstname.lastname@example.com 060000C6S6 active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-10-25T08:30:13-04:00 2010-11-10T08:31:09-05:00
Today information pours in faster than we can make sense it. It's being authored by billions of people – and flowing from a trillion intelligent devices, sensors and all manner of instrumented objects. And with 80 percent of new data growth existing unstructured content – from music files to 3D images to medical records to email keystrokes -- the challenge is trying to pull it all together and make sense of it.

But what if you could tap into this information to uncover lucrative business opportunities? What if you had the "inside information" you needed to retain customers or improve research? What if you could inject certainty and predictability into the decision-making process?

Participants at this week's Information On Demand 2010 forum in Las Vegas are asking these questions, and they're finding highly intelligent and profitable answers in clever analytics software that can organize, store and mine all of the information scattered throughout their organization and provide customized intelligence to gain faster insight from this information.

Click on the image below for a larger view.

  Today information pours in faster than we can make sense it. It's being authored by billions of people – and flowing from a trillion intelligent devices, sensors and all manner of instrumented objects. And with 80 percent of new data growth existing... 2 0 2839 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-aecab8d4-bf06-456e-89de-ff4a0082f209 What's hot in social circles around IBM Software: IBM Start, mobility, analysts, Innovate, user experience Tiffany Winman firstname.lastname@example.com 12000065XB active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-09-11T15:15:25-04:00 2010-09-13T13:27:13-04:00

It was a food fest of social conversations and activity around IBM and Smarter Planet this week! It's times like these when I want to leave my day job and spend the whole time participating in conversations and activities on how to make the world a better place. Fortunately, I work at a company that gives me lots of opportunities to do just that even during my day job. While I'm on this topic, and before I get to the business at hand, quick shout out to the IBM launch of People for a Smarter Planet on Facebook this month.

According to Twazzup, the top six links shared around "<wbr /><wbr /><wbr />ibmsoftware" in social media circles today revolve around:

Webcast on September 14: 6 ways to accelerate Android mobile application development

Livestream: Overview: Systems engineering for building smart products

Blog on 3 analyst white papers: Analysts weigh in favorably on IBM Software

The IBM Innovate Virtual Conference on September 14

AMA Webinar on September 21 with IBMers Kristen Lauria and Peter Loo: "The Online Customer Experience: Make it Exceptional"

Livestream: HRH The Prince of Wales at the IBM Summit at Start

The links above give you a hint of how busy next week is going to be! While all the topics are excellent, the one that will consume my passion and attention the most is the IBM Summit at Start online activity. Start is a United Kingdom initiative by The Prince's Charities Foundation to promote and celebrate sustainable living.

 <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fedp-c3Cri8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fedp-c3Cri8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" /></object>

From September 8-16, IBM is sponsoring a nine-day summit at Start in London to convene business, industry, and academic thought leaders to discuss challenges and next steps to enable economic, environmental and societal sustainability. If true change is going to happen, it's going to take groups like this and YOU and me, of course, to make it so. Below are some of the videos and photos at the event and a few other links if you'd like to follow the online conversation.

IBM Start on Twitter

Start UK on Twitter

Online press room with photos, videos, blogs, and more

IBM Start on Twazzup: Anyone using #ibmstart

Library of IBM videos in the United Kingdom on Livestream

IBM Summit playlist on YouTube

 <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="160" id="lslibrary" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSLibrary.swf?channel=ibmuk&browseMode=true&browseMode=true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="160" name="lslibrary" src="http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSLibrary.swf?channel=ibmuk&browseMode=true&browseMode=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" /></object>
Watch live streaming video from ibmuk at livestream.com

 Photos: IBM Start on Flickr

 <object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F52514995%40N02%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F52514995%40N02%2F&user_id=52514995@N02&jump_to=" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F52514995%40N02%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F52514995%40N02%2F&user_id=52514995@N02&jump_to=" height="300" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" /></object>

 It was a food fest of social conversations and activity around IBM and Smarter Planet this week! It's times like these when I want to leave my day job and spend the whole time participating in conversations and activities on how to make the world a... 0 2 5583 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-692a1431-e2d8-4487-82a3-63fa054e1ad0 What's hot in social circles around ibmsoftware today: BPM, CityOne, awards, Impact, speed, Business Partners Tiffany Winman email@example.com 12000065XB active bcde08b8-816c-42a8-aa37-5f1ce02470a9 Comment Entries Likes 2010-09-04T01:10:17-04:00 2010-09-04T01:18:29-04:00
According to Twazzup, the top six links shared around "<wbr />ibmsoftware" in social media circles today revolve around:

Analyst report: Forrester Research catapults IBM WebSphere BPM to a preeminent position in the market

CityOne--a Smarter Planet game for urban planning

Nominate IBM for Forrester Groundswell awards: IBM developerWorks and Ecosystem social explosion

IBM Impact 2010 goes virtual: Get content from keynotes, breakouts, demos, and more

IBM to ship world's fastest microprocessor in new zEnterprise system

New tool: Find an IBM Business Partner around the world or across the street

Here are few of my favorites that didn't make the list, but I find particularly interesting as they relate to social media:

Minority report allusion: IBM customer Richard Whybrow submits video entry for the "IBM Tivoli Software Products Rock" contest

IBM Helps Tennis Fans "See Through Walls" with Augmented Reality

Top 10 tips for writing successful Software as a Service

  <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_sUhT_0jIlc?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_sUhT_0jIlc?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" /></object> According to Twazzup, the top six links shared around " ibmsoftware " in social media circles today revolve around: Analyst report: Forrester Research catapults IBM WebSphere BPM to a preeminent position in the market CityOne--a Smarter Planet... 1 0 4712 urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-97050e2c-bec8-4274-a3ee-4432f0a1f4bc IBM Software Community 2016-02-01T04:55:17-05:00


text:
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
9 comments
so.......wow, thanks to everyone who left kindness and support.
sometimes it gets so hard and you get so bitter.
i had an okay day today.
i babysat the nephew, for ... Read more
Monday, January 04, 2010
10 comments
in 2008, i began this weight loss journey. i went from 284lbs to the 230s from february of that year to december, getting stuck in the 230s for 4 months.
in 2009, i got dow... Read more
Thursday, December 10, 2009
9 comments
not a good day at all today.
i only got in two hours on the bike due to a migraine.
im not used to them in the winter. seems like every single day i have one now. ... Read more
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
2 comments
only got in four hours biking today. wanted to do five, but i wanted to do three hours tomorrow so ill just bump that to four hours and we're square.
i have 61 miles to g... Read more
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
1 comments
have been doing okay on the exercise front. yesterday i got in five hours bike, the day before none.... i was alone all day but couldnt muster up the motivation to get off the ... Read more
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
8 comments
well, i had planned on staying here today, getting my 50 miles in. actually, last night the boyfriend and i had talked, and he said i should do 60 miles.
so that was my goa... Read more
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
8 comments
ive had amazingly productive days, i guess you could say.
im not sure when the last i blogged was. monday before thanksgiving, looks like.
thanksgiving was good. foodwise,... Read more
Monday, November 23, 2009
2 comments
this is not my photo, but it is of the whale shark at the georgia aquarium that my cousin took for me.
i woke up extremely sick to my stomach today and went shopping wit... Read more
Sunday, November 22, 2009
5 comments
tomorrow is my bird's birthday. i wish i realized when i was younger the importance of watching someone grow up. i would have done so many things differently. i know he will n... Read more
Friday, November 20, 2009
3 comments
so i went to the dr. today regarding the b/c...
last time i was there--three months ago to the day--i was 30 some pounds lighter.
the dr. was completely ..flabbergasted.... Read more
Thursday, November 19, 2009
1 comments
i went shopping with my mom today. had a good time like usual.
got rid of all the cookies from last night. when r. came home, he ate most of them and the ones he didnt, ... Read more
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
2 comments
got in four hours today on the bike. yay for me. only 44 miles, though. was hoping id get to 50 but didnt and tonite i had to make cookies and therefore didnt have the time--o... Read more
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
1 comments
my little walter.. i LOVE this photo of him.
only got in two hours today. after my really off night last night, and not sleeping well, i was in a fog. plus, we had to be... Read more
Monday, November 16, 2009
3 comments
got in four hours today.
i did 40 minutes on the treadmill--2 miles--and the rest was biking. i really enjoy biking. i wanted to do two hours treadmill but i just couldnt b... Read more
Sunday, November 15, 2009
1 comments
got in three hours on the bike today. not good enough.
i wanted to do four hours--two treadmill, two bike but it didnt work out.
very strange day. only had 700 calori... Read more


text:
As part of its Customer and Community Appreciation Day Celebration being held this Saturday, Nov. 6, Ben Weitsman of Syracuse will donate $5,000 dollars to be shared by two local church organizations to help feed the hungry on Thanksgiving.
On Saturday at 11 a.m., recently re-elected Town of Geddes Councilor Paul Valenti will present a check of $2,500 to Father Amedo Guida of St. Cecilia's Roman Catholic of Solvay and a check of $2,500 to Pastor Andy Race of the Vineyard Church of Lakeland. Both institutions operate food banks to assist needy individuals and families. Both have said they are extremely excited and appreciative of the kindness.
Ben Weitsman of Syracuse, a scrap metal dealer and recycler, was established in Solvay last December when Upstate Shredding - Ben Weitsman acquired the business and assets of Matlow Company Inc. in an all cash transaction. Adam Weitsman, President of Upstate - Ben Weitsman commented on the donation. "We are very thankful for the way the community has welcomed us here. We could think of no better way of showing our appreciation than by helping those in need to have a hearty Thanksgiving dinner and no better way to get the food on the table than through these fine two churches."
Weitsman also reiterated his invitation to customers and local area residents to join in the Saturday celebration being held Nov. 6, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Ben Weitsman of Syracuse, 333 Bridge Street, Solvay, New York. There will be a free luncheon provided by the Dinosaur Barbeque restaurant of Syracuse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Four radio stations will provide music, broadcast live remotes from the event and offer prizes to call-in listeners and attendees. John Maczko, TV and feature film actor, and spokesperson for Ben Weitsman's popular "Metal" radio commercials will be there to greet guests. Many other surprises are planned for the event.
The Syracuse facility will be open to receive metals from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and visitors will be paid a special bonus price for any scrap metal or catalytic converters delivered that day.
In August, Weitsman purchased the landmark The Krebs restaurant in Skaneateles, New York with the unique plan of renovating the restaurant and donating 100 percent of the profits to Onondaga County charities to help children and to feed the hungry.
More like this story
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
New Paths 8: The Trickster (PFRPG) PDF
Andrew Boucher 88
Pathfinder Comics Subscription
New Paths 8: The Trickster (PFRPG) PDF
Pathfinder Module: The Dragon's Demand (PFRPG)
Pathfinder—Hollow Mountain #3 (Standard Cover—James Boyle)
Marco Massoudi
54 posts. Alias of Black Dow.
Björnhildr Helsingrdøttir
Female Human (Ulfen) Druid (Bear Shaman) 2 1340 XP
N Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +6
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, Hide Armour)
HP 25 (2d8+9) (+4 Con, +2 Favored Class (druid), Toughness)
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5
DR 1/cold iron
Spd 20 ft.
Melee: MW Scythe +6 (2d4+6/20/x4) and Club +5 (1d6+4/20/x2)
Ranged: Spear +2 (1d8+4/20/x2)
Special Attacks: Spells (CL 1, +4 melee touch, +1 ranged touch);
1 Frostbite, Produce Flame, Keen Senses, Magic Fang (D) (DC 15)
0 Create Water, Guidance, Purify Food and Drink, Virtue (at will) (DC 14)
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 7
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Druid Weapon Proficiencies, Fey Foundling, Toughness
Traits Killer
Skills Climb +9, Knowledge: Geography +6, Knowledge: Nature +6, Perception +7, Survival +7
Languages Common, Druidic, Skald
SQ Nature Bond: Animal Domain (Fur Sub-Domain), Nature Sense: +2 Knowledge: Nature and Survival skill checks
Combat Gear MW War Scythe, Club, Spear (6); Other Gear Backpack, Cold Weather outfit, Explorer's outfit, Holly and Mistletoe, Holy Symbol, common, wooden: Gozreh, Pouch, belt (2), Spell component pouch, 5 gp, Encumbrance 84 lbs (light load)
Predator's Grace 0/5
Spear - 0/6
Predator's Grace (Su): grant +10' to speed for 1 rd as a swift action
Wild Empathy (Ex): 1d20+1 to influence animals
Woodland Stride (Ex): Move through any sort of woodland undergrowth at normal speed (with no penalties or damage)
Totem Transformation (Su): a bear shaman may adopt an aspect of the bear while retaining her normal form. She gains one of the following bonuses:
•Movement (+10 enhancement bonus to land speed, +4 racial bonus on Swim checks)
•Senses )low-light vision, scent)
•Toughness (+2 natural armor bonus to AC, Endurance feat)
•Natural weapons (bite [1d6] and 2 claws [1d4] for a Medium shaman, +2 to CMB on grapple checks)
While using totem transformation, the bear shaman may speak normally and can cast speak with animals (mammals only) at will. Using this ability is a standard action at 2nd level.
Age: 20, 6'6", 230 lbs, Platinum blond hair, Grey eyes, Tanned skin
©2002–2015 Paizo Inc.®. Need help? Email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 425-250-0800 during our business hours: Monday–Friday, 10 AM–5 PM Pacific Time. View our privacy policy. Paizo Inc., Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, GameMastery, and Planet Stories are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc., and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Tales, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Online, PaizoCon, RPG Superstar, The Golem's Got It, Titanic Games, the Titanic logo, and the Planet Stories planet logo are trademarks of Paizo Inc. Dungeons & Dragons, Dragon, Dungeon, and Polyhedron are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and have been used by Paizo Inc. under license. Most product names are trademarks owned or used under license by the companies that publish those products; use of such names without mention of trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such status.


text:
Push-Ups 4 Parkinson's Challenge
Date: May 01, 2015
A Fun & Friendly Challenge to Flex Some Muscle for Parkinson's
Cardel Homes is partnering with the Parkinson Association of the Rockies in a push-up challenge to raise funds and awareness to fight this debilitating disorder that affects over 4 million people worldwide.
Participants are asked to challenge one another to do push-ups (creativity is highly encouraged), record it on video and post it on the Push-ups 4 Parkinson's Facebook page with the hashtag #pushups4parkinsons and then donate a desired amount to their local Parkinson's organization.
Cardel Homes will also match contributions made to the Parkinson Association for this campaign dollar-for-dollar, for up to a total of $25,000!
Check out info below to help you get your "guns" ready…the Push-ups 4 Parkinson's Challenge kicks off May 1 and runs for 60 days.
It's as easy as 1, 2, 3… Video | Donate | Nominate
1. Video yourself doing push-ups (creativity encouraged) and upload it to Facebook with the hashtag #pushups4parkinsons
2. Donate to your local Parkinson's organization
3. Nominate friends (one or many) to take the Push-ups 4 Parkinson's Challenge
Click here for more information.
Click here to donate.
How Your Home can WORK for you?
Date: 01.02.2013
Do you ever get the feeling that you are working for your home? I am not talking about the many years you spend paying for your home. The question is how often do you find that your home makes every day life easier for you?
What is Palliative Care?
Date: 03.28.2013
When the doctor first utters the words hospice or palliative care, many people freeze. No one wants to hear those words used in reference to their loved one. It's scary and often families have no idea what this means. Instead of feeling relieved and empowered, families often feel anxious. Many people don't actually know what palliative care is and how it can help a loved one achieve a better quality of life.