text:
Kenya: Communal violence in the north leads to displacement
|Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC)
|Publication Date
|13 January 2012
|Cite as
|Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Kenya: Communal violence in the north leads to displacement, 13 January 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4f17ff3f2.html [accessed 1 June 2016]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Inter-ethnic violence over water and pasture resources in northern Kenya has led to loss of life and displacement. Violence in Moyale near the Ethiopian border between the Borana and Gabra herding communities has claimed the lives of 46 people and displaced over 6,600, according to a local leader. The violence was reportedly triggered by attempts by both communities, including tribesmen from across the border, to seize grazing land. According to the Daily Nation of Kenya, Government offices and businesses could not open for fear of looting, and the education of some 3,000 children was affected as 17 schools remained closed.
Violence in pastoral areas in 2011 left more than 350 people dead, compared to 179 in 2010, highlighting the impact of the 2011 drought in increasing resource-based conflicts. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission, which the government set up following the post-election crisis of 2008, also linked the ethnic violence to the general election due in 2012. Localised tensions have increased as the move towards devolved county governments has intensified competition for local power and resources.


text:
Chipotle Sliders RecipeRead Reviews Be the first to add a review
5 23 30
This recipe has to be the ultimate in a fast-fixing mini burger with simply fabulous flavor! Creamy mayo and sweet Hawaiian rolls help tame the heat of the chipotle peppers. —Shawn Singleton, Vidor, Texas
- 1 package (12 ounces) Hawaiian sweet rolls, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, divided
- 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
- 10 slices pepper Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Place 2 rolls in a food processor; process until crumbly. Transfer to a large bowl; add the salt, pepper and 6 teaspoons chipotle peppers. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 10 patties.
- Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear. Top with cheese. Grill 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted.
- Split remaining rolls and grill, cut side down, over medium heat for 30-60 seconds or until toasted. Combine mayonnaise and remaining chipotle peppers; spread over roll bottoms. Top each with a burger. Replace roll tops. Yield: 10 sliders.
Originally published as Chipotle Sliders in Simple & Delicious June/July 2010, p33
Sweet Red Wine
Enjoy this recipe with a sweet red wine.
Reviews for Chipotle Sliders
Please Log In or Join to add a rating and review.
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review
Reviewed Jan. 3, 2015
"delicious good bite not to spicy though!"
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2013
"So amazing! You can control the heat with how much chipotle you put in the mayo."
Reviewed Jun. 11, 2013
"One of our favorite summer meals!"
Reviewed May. 25, 2013
Reviewed Jun. 20, 2012
"Great recipe. I always use King's, Hawaiian sweet rolls to make sliders, no mater what the recipe. Great size to serve all your friends(by the bag)."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is a new find at the Artmore Hotel, you know that we are dedicated to classic movies and we felt the fitness center needed a certain.. je ne sais quoi. Clearly this photo of Betty Grable and Errol Flynn needed to happen… the question really is, what took so long? Bonus points to guests who mimic this photo and upload it with the hashtag #artmorehotel!
Did I just see Betty Grable in the Artmore Fitness Center?
September 10, 2013 By


text:
Steve Martin dismisses Father of the Bride 3 rumors
FATHER OF THE BRIDE star STEVE MARTIN has dismissed rumors the film franchise is set for a gay revamp.
On Monday (16Jun14), reports suggested Martin and Diane Keaton were in talks to return for a third installment more than 20 years after the 1991 original hit cinemas.
However, the funnyman took to Twitter.com to dispel the rumors and wrote, "So excited to read I'm doing Father of the Bride 3 since I haven't seen a script or been offered the role!"
Reports suggested the third film would feature the parents, played by Martin and Keaton, planning yet another wedding - but this time, for their gay son.
Grown-up child star Kieran Culkin played the couple's young son in the original Father of the Bride film and the 1995 sequel, Father of the Bride Part II.


text:
Cy's House of Trivia Continues to Grow
AMES, Iowa - Trivia buffs were again treated to an unforgettable fun-filled evening, as the third annual Cy's House of Trivia took place last Saturday night in Hilton Coliseum. Attendance at the event has nearly doubled since 29 teams signed up two years ago. A total of 57 teams and more than 500 people participated in what has become one of the most important social events of the year for all Cyclone fans.
|Complete Post-Event Coverage
"We could not be more pleased with the participation we have received for this event," said director of special events Ryan McGuire. "The impressive turnout speaks volumes how much fun this night is for Cyclone fans. It's a great chance to hang out with your friends while having the opportunity to interact with members of the Iowa State athletics department in a fun, informal environment."
The format of the event was still the same. Tables of eight players answered eight rounds of questions � 10 questions in each round- to see who has the best trivial mind. Categories in this year's contest ranged from "We Are Family," "Don't Forget the Lyrics," "Today in History," "Cyclone Trivia," "Pieces of the President," Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader," "Who's the Boss" and "Murder By Numbers." Cyclone celebrities rotated to each table to give their advice. This year's celebrities included ISU athletics director Jamie Pollard, former letterwinners Bret Meyer and Megan Taylor, as well as head football coach Paul Rhoads and his staff.
"I think the celebrities and coaches had just as much fun as the participants did," McGuire added.
WHO-TV personalities Keith Murphy and Andy Fales were the emcees of the event. The co-hosts of the award-winning Sports SoundOFF show perked the crowd with their humorous antics. The top-three finishers were awarded prizes which included a 2009 football tailgate tent and men's and women's basketball tickets and pre-game parties. All proceeds of the event went to the Cyclone Club.
To get a handle on the excitement of this year's event, click the multimedia link above as cyclones.com correspondents Dani Varley and Sam Neumann give a behind-the-scenes look at the growing event.


text:
What's new in hearing aid technology? We do the research to help you align new hearing technology with your changing needs.
Hearing aids are a big investment. Let us keep you informed on how to keep your hearing aids running at their peak performance.
HearingPlanet is devoted to helping people in all stages of life understand how to protect themselves from hearing loss or damage.
Your quality of hearing directly impacts your quality of life. Improve both by considering your unique day-to-day challenges.
It can difficult watching someone close to you struggle with hearing loss. Let us support you as you support your loved one.
The industry of hearing care is a fast-paced world. We aim to provide the most up to date details about a better world of hearing.
View product videos, testimonials of HearingPlanet customers and more.


text:
Providing Advanced Urgent Care to Saratoga County
Our Emergency Department physicians are now treating patients needing urgent care at Saratoga Hospital's Malta Medical ArtsLearn More
Dr. Christopher King, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine
Christopher King, MD, describes the Emergency Medicine services as well as opportunities for students, residents, and faculty.Learn More
Saving Lives in the 26 County Region
Read about Albany Med's Trauma CenterLearn More
Illness and serious injuries occur when you least expect them. When they do happen, Albany Medical Center is here for you and your family.
Albany Medical Center is one of the busiest trauma centers in New York State. There are approximately 70,000 visits to Albany Med's emergency room each year. As a New York State designated Level One Trauma Center, our emergency physicians and nurses work around the clock to provide the most advanced emergency care found in Northeastern New York.
Working closely with emergency first responders and the Albany Med-based LifeNet helicopter, our emergency personnel care for patients transported from the scene of an accident or transferred from a community hospital. Often patients are transferred to Albany Med because of the specialized level of care that only we provide in the region.
Regardless of the patient's condition, our goal is to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care to ensure our patients have the best outcome possible. And, we take the care of our pediatric patients very seriously. We are the only hospital in the region that provides a dedicated space for pediatric emergencies by offering a separate treatment area with equipment specifically designed for children.
Our physicians are board certified in emergency medicine and trained to handle highly complex, life-threatening cases as well routine medical emergencies.


text:
By Matt Tomsic
Published Feb. 26, 2013
The Boeing Co. is building a "new Dreamlifter Operations Center" on its campus in North Charleston, according to Charleston County land filings.
Choate Construction Co. is managing the project, according to the filing, and construction began Jan. 28.
Boeing is building a Dreamlifter operations center in North Charleston. The Dreamlifter aircraft ferries Dreamliner components to and from Boeing suppliers. (Photo/Boeing)
Details about the size and scope of the project weren't available by Tuesday afternoon, but Boeing is also building a Dreamlifter Operations Center in Washington state on 18 acres at Paine Field, according to Snohomish County Council documents.
The Washington center includes three operational stalls and one expansion stall for the Dreamlifter, a 747-sized aircraft that ferries Dreamliner components to and from Boeing suppliers. It also includes 26,000 square feet of warehouse space, 12,000 square feet of office space and an aviation fueling system.
Boeing estimates the improvements will cost more than $20 million, according to Snohomish County documents.
Gross said the North Charleston operations center is one of several developments at the site, including the expansion of aft-body fabrication and assembly and component paint facilities.
"We are expanding the footprint of our aft-body fabrication and assembly building and our component paint facility," said Candy Eslinger, a Boeing spokeswoman, when the company announced the expansion in September. "It helps us more efficiently achieve production rates that we've committed to."
The aft-body facility is now 467,000 square feet and Boeing will add 276,000 square feet to the building. There, workers build the last passenger section of the airplane, section 47, and build the section that integrates the horizontal and vertical stabilizers and the aft-pressure bulkhead, section 48.
The paint facility is in a separate building that is 66,000 square feet, and construction crews will expand it by 37,000 square feet. The aerospace giant and its contractor, Walbridge Southeast, estimate the construction of the new paint facility to cost more than $12 million, according to a building permit filed in early January.
The facility paints the primer and white coat for the aft- and mid-bodies that are seen on the flight line before the 787s fly to Texas to be painted for the delivery customer. Eslinger said the paint facility expansion has been part of site plans since Boeing broke ground in North Charleston in 2009.
Previous coverage
Boeing looking to purchase 320 acres of airport land
Boeing picks Greenville firm to manage expansion projects
Boeing S.C. upfitting space for labs
Boeing to improve efficiency at S.C. plant


text:
FAIRFAX, Va. (WUSA) - A hit-and-run driver damaged the garage doors at the City of Fairfax Police Headquarters early Thursday morning, according to police.
The driver, a Virginia man, was later apprehended and charged with driving under the influence. Anthony John Skrobacz, 49, of 10705 Bradford Street, Spotsylvania, drove a 1999 Mercury Marquis into the driveway of the headquarters at 3730 Old Lee Highway. Police say he drove through the lowered door of the garage/processing area at about 2 a.m. Skrobacz left the scene after damaging the doors. No injuries were reported, and no contents of the building were damaged.
Shortly after, police responding to a report of an accident at University Drive and Willard Way found the Mercury which was stopped on top of a median in a private parking lot. Police determined that its driver had been responsible for the damage to the headquarters building.
Skrobacz was placed under arrest and charged with driving under the influence of drugs, reckless driving and hit-and-run. His bond was set at $5000.


text: AdChoices Terms of Use Privacy Policy Hide GALLERIES Denise Milani Denise Milani Picture 18 18/30 Denise Milani AskMen Editors June 14, 2007 Share Tweet 0 Shares We can think of two very good reasons why every man should be familiar with Denise Milani. Known to many as "the new queen of eroticism," this outrageously curvaceous Czech has established herself as the planet's most popular non-nude glamour model thank to her sexy photo shoots at www.denisemilani.com and www.pinupfiles.com. Drop by and "Czech" her out today! Better yet, take a closer, more… Continue reading Denise Milani's profile. Next Slide gallery news Comments Share your opinion Your name More Like This Model The World's Sexiest Glamour Model? Read More Celeb Galleries Candace Rae Read More Celeb Galleries Camila Alves Read More Celeb Galleries Holly Weber Read More Celeb Galleries Evan Rachel Wood Read More Celeb Galleries Bianca Beauchamp Read More Around the Web Special Features Gift Guide Top 25 Father's Day Gifts Read More Dating Tips A Guide To Hooking-Up Online Read More


text:
|HES exceeds Penny Harvest goals
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
Every school that participates in the Penny Harvest Philanthropic Foundation fund raiser is given a goal to collect $1,250, or 25 bags or 750 pounds of pennies.
Despite being the smallest school to participate this year, Holyoke Elementary School not only met that goal, "they blew it out of the water!" according to sponsor Tracy Trumper.
The Penny Harvest is a project of the Holyoke High School's leadership class, sponsored by Trumper. The project is focused on teaching youth philanthropy and service learning.
Elementary students were challenged to collect as many pennies as possible within a six-week time period. On Friday, Dec. 12 all the pennies were counted, with the total amounting to $1,712.36. It also equaled 34 bags weighing 1,020 pounds.
For their efforts, the elementary school students will receive $1,000 from the Philanthropic Foundation. The extra money will go into a fund that will help other schools who did not reach their goals.
"So in a sense, we are helping directly the foundation itself, and likewise, helping other schools become philanthropists as well," said Trumper.
When the students return from holiday break in January, they will be planning a celebration to coincide with the presentation of the check. Trumper added the whole school will continue to be involved in researching and narrowing down the choice of what nonprofit organization the students want to give the money to.
This process, she said, will assist students in learning about democratic processes, team building, parliamentary procedure, research, writing letters to non-profits, interviewing techniques and reading proposals.
Checks to the chosen nonprofits are expected to be awarded late in the spring.


text:
KPMG has been recognised for forward-thinking leadership and exceptional commitment to client support.
What start-ups need to consider? Where to get access to information? What events they can consider to attend?
A guide for companies listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which are required to prepare their annual financial reports.
Related links
Subscribe to receive email alerts or e-Newsletters from KPMG China when new updates are available.
Illustrative Financial Statements - A guide for companies listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which are required to prepare their annual/ interim financial reports.
KPMG is committed to helping the CFO achieve a more forward-looking and strategic view of his or her business.
© 2016
KPMG Huazhen LLP — a People's Republic of China partnership, KPMG Advisory (China) Limited — a wholly foreign owned enterprise in China, and KPMG — a Hong Kong partnership, are member firms of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
The KPMG name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.
KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International") is a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm.


text:
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An East Cleveland homeowner was shot in the stomach while trying to protect his family from violent home invaders Tuesday evening.
The homeowner, Jason Smith, used several tactics to create a diversion, allowing his family to escape the home.
The victim's wife and three young girls were were not reported injured.
Smith was both shot with a shotgun at close range and slashed with a knife. He was taken to University Hospital and later flown to MetroHealth Medical Center where he underwent surgery overnight. He is currently in critical condition.
The home invasion was in the 1300 block of Hampton Road just before at 6:40 p.m.
No information on the suspects is available.
The house is about a block away from Chambers Elementary School.
Officerso ask anyone with information to please contact the East Cleveland Detective Bureau at (216) 451-1234 or Crime Stoppers at (216) 252-7463.


text:
Health & Safety Companies in St. Kitts & Nevis
OHAUS Europe GmbH
based in Greifensee, SWITZERLAND
Since 1907, our focus has remained solely focused on what we know best: mass measurement. We have never strayed far from our roots, making it our mission to develop and improve our balances, scales, moisture analyzers and analytical instruments to ensure our product portfolio consists of products that are modern, economical, and easy-to-use. Looking after the world we ...
Kaiser Optical Systems Inc
based in Ann Arbor, MICHIGAN (USA)
Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc. is a world leader in spectrographic instrumentation and applied holographic technology. Our RamanRxn Systems suite of Raman analyzers includes the ATEX certified RamanRxn3 process analyzer for classified installations, the RamanRxn2 Multi-channel analyzer, the RamanRxn2 Hybrid analyzer for large and small area solids & liquids quantitative ...
Applied Chemicals International Group (ACAT)
based in Vienna, AUSTRIA
Our aim is to present technically preselected and innovative products together with well-engineered and practice-related applications engineering to our customers and partners to optimize the process essentially. Our range of products includes paper chemicals for retention and dewatering systems, fixatives and bentonites, and also fine chemicals and minerals for ...
Structural Vibration Solutions A/S
based in Aalborg East, DENMARK
Structural Vibration Solution A/S is a world-renowned supplier and developer of the software for Operational Modal Analysis. We are focused on the mission to be the leading provider of Operational Modal Analysis solution in the world and to follow our vision to develop Structural Vibration Solutions that every engineer can use. Structural Vibration Solution A/S was ...
Forsbergs, Inc.
based in Thief River Falls, MINNESOTA (USA)
Forsbergs, Inc., was founded by Fred Forsberg in 1932 when he designed and built the first gravity separator in Dauphin, Manitoba, the demand for his gravity separator continued to grow. He then moved to Thief River Falls, Minnesota in 1933 and the Forsberg grain cleaning and hulling company was borne. Since then, it has been a history of growth for the Forsberg name. A ...
Auroras Lighting Solution(Zhuhai) Co.,Ltd
based in Zhuhai, CHINA
Auroras Lighting is a manufacturer focus on high quality solar LED street light,LED flood light,LED tube,LED bulb,LED down light,LED industrial high bay lighting fixture.Quality and service comes first,looking for global distributors world wide.
GTS Legionella Laboratory
based in Gaithersburg, MARYLAND (USA)
GTS Legionella Laboratory has been testing for Legionella spp. in water samples from cooling towers and potable water world-wide. This began when the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began referring companies to us for environmental water Legionella testing. We recommend routine testing of warm water-containing equipment that may produce aerosols that ...
iRed Ltd
based in Emsworth, UNITED KINGDOM
iRed's industry-leading team of thermography consultants are global experts on the use of thermography in property, commercial, industrial and scientific industries, providing consultancy, services and training across the UK and worldwide.We use the latest imaging technology combined with decades of skill and experience to deliver a range of services including ...
In-Situ, Inc.
based in Fort Collins, COLORADO (USA)
In-Situ Inc. designs, manufactures, and rents water quantity and quality instrumentation for groundwater, surface water, and coastal waters. Known for innovating top-quality water monitoring equipment, they also provide a full-solution offering for decision-quality data via easy integration with telemetry and data services. For nearly 40 years, In-Situ products have ...
Monitoring Systems GmbH
based in Pressbaum, AUSTRIA
The DioxinMonitoringSystem is definitely the only device for continuous monitoring of dioxin emissions according the European guideline EN 1948-1. All kinds of flue gas and exhaust gas can be monitored. e are manufacturer of sophisticated sampling equipment for persistant organic pollutants, in stacks as well in ambient air, including dioxins, PCB`s, PAH`s and HCB, as ...


text:
|Deadline approaching for disaster assistance
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency administrator Juan M. Garcia reminded producers that they have until Friday, June 7 to apply for assistance for 2011 crop losses under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments program.
The program provides crop disaster assistance payments to eligible producers on farms that have incurred crop production or quality losses.
For more information about the Farm Service Agency's disaster assistance programs, visit a local FSA county office or http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov/.
Holyoke Enterprise June 6, 2013


text:
Latest Headlines
Cooler than average temperatures this week.
A company said it has faced challenges since seeking approval to put a care ...
The No. 24 Arkansas baseball team (21-13) raced out to an early lead Wednesday ...
Due to the threat of inclement weather, Arkansas baseball's series opener with ...
Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - The Memphis Grizzlies inched closer to a
franchise first as they came back and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in
overtime of Game 4, 103-97, to take control of the Western Conference
Mike Conley scored a team-high 24 points while Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol
chipped in with 23 apiece to go with 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively, for
Memphis, which has gone 19-1 at FedExForum in the past three months, including
a perfect 5-0 mark in the postseason.
Two years ago, the Grizzlies blew an 18-point lead against the Thunder in Game
4 of the West semis and wound up falling in triple-overtime to squander a 2-1
lead in a series they eventually lost in seven games.
This time, however, Memphis came away with a 3-1 advantage by rallying from 17
points down to put itself on the brink of its first appearance in a conference
Oklahoma City had five players score in double figures for the first time all
series but shot just 33 percent from the field after the break, including a 1-
for-8 effort in overtime.
Kevin Durant was limited down the stretch but still finished with 27 points,
seven rebounds and seven assists to lead the Thunder, who received 18 points
from Kevin Martin and a double-double from Serge Ibaka.
The Sports Network


text:
Variable MN3D : Blood sample
Type: Continuous
Format: numeric
Width: 1
Decimal(s): 0
Range: 1-9
Invalid: 9
Valid case(s): 707
Invalid: 6570
Minimum: 1
Maximum: 2
File: wm
Women aged 15-49 who gave birth to a child in the 2 years preceding the survey
Source of information
The eligible woman selected for interview
Warning: these figures indicate the number of cases found in the data file. They cannot be interpreted as summary statistics of the population of interest.
Literal question
As part of your antenatal care, were any of the following done at least once? Did you give a blood sample?
Interviewer instructions
Ask about each procedure and record the response before asking about the next one. Circle '1' for 'Yes', or '2' for 'No' in each case. It may be necessary to explain some of the procedures. We want to know whether each of the procedures listed was performed during any of the antenatal check-ups during her last pregnancy. It does not matter if they were performed only once or more than once, or performed in the same visit or spread over several visits. The question asks for the following procedures: D. DID YOU GIVE A BLOOD SAMPLE? A blood sample may be taken from the woman's fingertip or from a vein (usually from a vein near the elbow or on the wrist). The blood sample is used to test for various diseases, such as anaemia, parasite infestations or infectious diseases.


text:
I love your work! Really great stuff.
|Prints / Wins
|Votes Received
|Votes Given
|Shirts Owned
258 Followers
Is there anyway I can get "The Clever Way" t-shirt in 2XL??? One of my favorite tees and I need another. Reprint here or somewhere else possibly??? PLEEEEEEEEAAASE!
great job
i like your work
Join the Facebook group Tee Graphic to improve your sales
you can upload your tee designs and promote them for free
hello friend I have seen your designs are very good and I really like your work. vectorisadas sell your images
The moon is high in the dusk sky, the silence hurts and the gunslingers look like morbid statues, every thing under this light is a lapse of waiting that feels will last forever, there is no tomorrow, and past is just a shadow escaping from this moment, suddenly a sequence of fire break the silence, the black bird screams and many bodies fall inanimated, all is over just for one more day, tomorrow…tomorrow Black Bird will walk again with his eagle for companion and more shadows painting his face and dressing his heart.
Hello, you have supported my work at Design by Humans before and I appreciate it in great manner, I have posted a new submission: http://www.designbyhumans.com/vote/detail/233473 and you can help me just letting me know your oppinion about this concept, as always I thank you in advance for your help and time, because all that you can say will help me to improve my work and make better designs and concepts.
PLEASE....print the first flight shirt in large!!!!
Hi Bro, Please comment or vote on my designs for One Color Only Contest and my other design, Thanks.
Hello Muttley you have supported my work greatly before, thank you for all that support, I am pleased to introduce my new submission here in DBH, I am very excited and happy, it's my first design with zombies, I hope that you like it as much as for me it has been fun and exciting to make.
This is the url to my sub "WALKING WOUNDED": http://www.designbyhumans.com/vote/detail/223933
Please comment or vote on my designs for Bright Futures Neon Art Contest
Voted great works!
check this plz
Thanks for the support!!!
Your shop header image is awesome!
Nice stuff!
I could use your help with my latest design.
Please vote here
bro,, pls support..thank you so much..
I was just going through your entry in The Dark Knight Rises contest and loved your design.. Hats off… so simple yet catchy.. Keep up the good work..
You should definitely take part in this Batman T-Shirt design contest.. I am sure you can design something creative and different from other entries.. Would love to see an awesome design from you..
Looking for t-shirt design for our branding. We are a start up magazine http://thevaultermag.com and we would like to start up a line for pole vaulters. But we would like a sick design.. Maybe you could advertise on our site and our magazine, 30,000 hits a month.
Please let me know,
Sir pls vote my design on Threadless hoody challenge, thanks!


text:
(WUSA9) -- While most of the state would raise its sales tax from 5% to 5.3%, it would go up 6% in Hampton Roads and in Northern Virginia, which includes Loudoun, and Prince William, counties and everything North of there. But that extra money would stay in Northern Virginia.
"What's good about the regional component is that every penny raised in Northern Virginia stays in Northern Virginia," said Senator Janet Howell. She and Delegate Dave Albo were the two Northern Virginia lawmakers on the conference committee assigned to hammer out a transportation funding plan.
Albo calls it monumental compromise.
I credit the Democrats for agreeing to abandon their absolute stance that the general fund could not be touched," said Albo, who also credited fellow Republicans for agreeing to raise taxes.
Statewide, the gas tax will decrease and shift to a wholesale percentage tax on to rise with inflation... plus owners of alternative fuel vehicles will pay a yearly $100 fee. The sales tax on cars would go up from 3% to 4%.
In Northern Virginia, in addition to a higher sales tax, there would be a 3 percent hotel tax, and an increase in real estate sales taxes. Too much for some Republicans.
Del. Bob Marshall, (R) Manassas, said, "If you sell a home, you're going to pay $2000 more, unless you move to Fauquier County. Northern Virginians are getting it six days until Sunday."
But, those Northern Virginia tax collections will add up to $350 million, money Albo says will be guaranteed to go for desperately needed Northern Virginia transportation construction projects.
Also says many people, even lawmakers, do not realize how broke the state is and that there is no money for maintenance.
"If people are wondering why their secondary road hasn't been paved, or why there are potholes in Old Keene Mill Road in my neighborhood, it's because there is no money to do it. We don't even have the money to hang up a new traffic light in the state," said Albo.
The Senate and House of Delegates could vote as early as Friday on the plan.


text:
Stephen King
Birth Name: Stephen King
Born: 09/21/1947
Birth Place: Portland, Maine, USA
Born: 09/21/1947
Birth Place: Portland, Maine, USA
King was born in Portland, ME on Sept. 21, 1947, and spent a peripatetic youth living with different family members in Indiana, Connecticut, and eventually back in Maine, where he graduated from Lisbon Falls High School in 1966. While working towards earning his degree in English at the University of Maine, King wrote for the college newspaper and appeared onstage with the school's dramatic society. He also began his professional writing career in 1966 with his first short story sale to Startling Mysteries magazine. King continued to generate a side income with short stories, and expanded into novels while he worked days as an English teacher at a local public school. King's novel ... Continue Bio >>
Popular Movies:
More Credits >>


text:
No matter where you live, the environment takes its toll on your skin. Intense sunlight, wind and dry air all contribute to the drying and dulling that can diminish the texture and appearance of your face. While nourishing treatments can help reverse these effects, removing the dead, damaged skin from the outer most layers of tissue is vital to an overall transformation from dryness and dullness to radiance. The Caudalie Paris Exfoliators collection was created to assist in skin cell turnover and help you put your best face forward for all to see.
Unlike other products on the market that rely on harmful chemicals to strip away dead skin cells, the Caudalie Paris Exfoliators collection uses natural, safe ingredients that do not compromise skin health and purity. Formulated for use on even the most sensitive skin types, the natural products in the Caudalie Paris Exfoliators line help eliminate dryness and flaking without causing redness or irritation. Discover how the products in the Caudalie Paris Exfoliators collection can give you the sort of soft, silky skin that you never thought possible.
The secret to always looking your best is continually renewing and rejuvenating your skin. The Caudalie Paris Exfoliators collection gently removes the older, damaged layer of outer skin to assist in the natural skin cell renewal process through the power of nature.
Caudalie Gentle Buffing Cream uses grapeseed oil, licorice extract and a host of other natural ingredients to assist with skin cell turnover. The rich cream also doubles as a deep cleanser to capture and wash away dirt that your daily skin regimen might miss. When used once or twice per week, the buffing cream balances the complexion for a glowing, revitalized appearance on the face and décolletage.
Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub unlocks the power of the vine for nourished and fully exfoliated skin. Part of the Vinothérapie Spa collection of luxury beauty treatments, the cabernet scrub features crushed grape seeds and essential oils that combine to not only remove rough, dead skin cells, but also to reduce the appearance of cellulite. When used twice per week, the scrub has a slimming effect that is sure to please.
Another selection from the Vinothérapie Spa collection,Caudalie Merlot Friction Scrub also contains grape seeds and vital essential oils like peppermint, lemon and sweet mint; however, the scrub is formulated to focus on toning rather than slimming as it removes old skin cells. The scrub helps to firm and strengthen the skin to eliminate sagging and wrinkles. The exfoliator also has a more velvety feel than the cabernet scrub.


text:
OK, this is my first submission, I'm not an artist in any way! This is a development of a hand-drawn covenant (home base / castle) for a group of mages in a role-playing game I used to play.
The original version was a circular tower drawn on 1/5/10mm cyan on white linear graph paper. This version was produced in Microsoft Visio Professional 2003. Each level (of which there are about 20 including the caves) was designed from the previous using copy / paste / edit to ensure accurate duplication of features on more than one level (stairs, etc.) and alignment of windows, etc.
The covenant is a self-contained medieval society designed to support its mages, with most of the tradesmen available in a large village and other more esoteric arts such as book-binding and glass-blowing. Mages have a lab and sleep area and there are several communal areas for their support crew.
The advantage of Visio is its ability to handle vector-based images, its biggest flaw is the lack of decent texture or gradient fills for objects, leading to a rather flat appearance in line with modern site and house plans. It has a variety of building elements such as windows, doors, etc, which can be resized, coloured and opened and closed. It's greatest problem is the 'snap-to-object' feature. While this allows the program to merge walls to each other and eliminate the joins between them, it can also put things where you don't want them or jump them from one wall to another.
This plan had various iterations, each representing a stage in the growth of the covenant to its present size, from single tower, through triple tower in 'Mickey Mouse' layout, with others being added over time, including one which climbs the side of the cliff, 'conveniently' the right distance away from the original tower to permit this expansion. It forms the link between the older, lower and upper, newer covenant.
I added caves using the freeform curve tool. It's not great, producing smooth curves representative of overall shapes rather than the roughness of natural caves, but hand-drawn shapes are hard to manage in Visio.


text:
|NHS dodgeball tourney benefits burn victim Jen Struckmeyer
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
Holyoke High School's National Honor Society chapter hosted a benefit dodgeball tournament Saturday, Dec. 1, with funds designated for Wages firefighter Jennifer Struckmeyer, who was severely injured in the Heartstrong Fire in Yuma County last March.
Saturday's tournament featured 17 teams who, from their attire to their antics, provided a great deal of entertainment.
Flavor Savers took first place in the tournament, while runner-up honors went to Saved by the Balls, and best dressed award was earned by Bad Apples. Flavor Savers and Bad Apples are pictured. Members of the runner-up Saved by the Balls team were Edgar Cruz, Fernando Lopez, Avi Turcios, Alex Yanez, Jesus Loya and Carlos Diaz.
—Holyoke Enterprise photos
Jennifer Struckmeyer, who was designated the benefactor of the Dec. 1 dodgeball tourney fundraiser, is pictured at right with members of the first-place Flavor Savers team. Members of the team are pictured from left, Logan Tharp, Wyatt Powell, Trevor Dalton, Alfredo Santos, Brett Cumming, Logan Zeiler and Ryan Parker.
Brett Cumming gets some air as he participates in the championship
HJHS 8th-grader Norman Mendoza goes for the dodge
The Bad Apples dodgeball team, representing Holyoke Elementary School staff, won best dressed honors at Saturday's NHS benefit tournament. Team members are pictured from left, front row, Lynn Schneider, Yesenia Bencomo and Nicole Churchwell; and back row, Natali Juarez, Christina Martinez, Kimberlee Bennett, Marcia Dalton, Aydaly Juarez, Tarah Kasdorf and Brittany Daniel.
Holyoke Enterprise December 6, 2012


text:
May 25, 2016
Associated Press Release
NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Wildlife
Julio Hincapie owns the two lemurs and says he keeps them caged in his backyard, but someone must have broken in and let them out early Monday morning. Hincapie helped capture one of them. Police caught the second after it jumped on top of a police cruiser.
One of the lemurs scratched a 2-year-old girl in the face. She was not seriously injured.
North Miami Beach Police Sgt. Richard Rand says this is the first time he's been "dispatched to a call like this."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Storrs, CT (Sports Network) - Shabazz Napier sparked a 3-point second-half
barrage that propelled the 21st-ranked Connecticut Huskies to a 73-62 victory
over the Stony Brook Seawolves.
Napier, the reigning Big East player of the week, scored 19 points for
Connecticut (5-1), which was coming off Monday's loss to New Mexico in the
championship game of the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
Niels Giffey had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Huskies, whose last
eight made field goals were from behind the arc.
Dave Coley paced Stony Brook (4-2) with 15 points, while Tommy Brenton added
The Sports Network


text:
Summaries of EU Legislation
Summaries of EU legislation: direct access to the main summaries page.
The Rio de Janeiro Convention on biological diversity
The Community approves the Convention on Biological Diversity, which seeks to anticipate, prevent and attack the causes of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity at source because of its intrinsic value and because of its ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic value. The Convention also seeks to promote cooperation among States and intergovernmental organisations.
Council Decision 93/626/EEC of 25 October 1993 concerning the conclusion of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was signed by the Community and all the Member States at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. This Decision approves the Convention on behalf of the European Community.
For many decades there has been a substantial loss of biological diversity worldwide and in Europe due to human activities (pollution, deforestation, etc.). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that up to 24% of species belonging to groups such as butterflies, birds and mammals have completely disappeared from the territory of certain European countries.
This situation is a cause for concern. Adequate biological diversity limits the effects of particular environmental risks such as climate change and parasite invasions. Diversity is essential for the long-term viability of farming and fishing activities and forms the basis for various industrial processes and the production of new medicines. The conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity are essential to ensure sustainable development and the millennium development goals relating to poverty, health and the environment. At the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, the Heads of State agreed on the need to significantly reduce the loss of biological diversity by 2010. The CBD has been recognised as the main means of achieving this aim. In 2001 the Göteborg European Council adopted the objective of halting the loss of biodiversity in the Union by 2010.
States are responsible for the conservation of their biological diversity and the sustainable use of their biological resources.
There is a general lack of information and knowledge regarding biological diversity. Consequently, it is necessary to develop scientific, technical and institutional capacities to provide the basic understanding upon which to plan and implement appropriate measures with a view to maintaining biological diversity.
The CBD is designed to conserve biological diversity, ensure the sustainable use of this diversity and share the benefits generated by the use of genetic resources, in particular through appropriate access to genetic resources and appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and technologies, and through adequate funding.
States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
Subject to the rights of other States, and except as otherwise expressly provided for in the Convention, the provisions of the Convention apply, in relation to each Contracting Party:
- in the case of components of biological diversity, in areas within the limits of its national jurisdiction;
- in the case of processes and activities, regardless of where their effects occur, carried out under its jurisdiction or control, within the area of its national jurisdiction or beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
Each Contracting Party must, as far as possible, cooperate with other Contracting Parties directly or, where appropriate, through competent international organisations both in respect of areas beyond national jurisdiction and on other matters of mutual interest, for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
Each Contracting Party should, in accordance with its particular conditions and capabilities:
- develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity or adapt for this purpose existing strategies, plans or programmes;
- integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies.
Each Contracting Party should as far as possible:
- identify components of biological diversity important for its conservation and sustainable use, having regard to the indicative list of categories set down in Annex I;
- monitor, through sampling and other techniques, the components of biological diversity identified, paying particular attention to those requiring urgent conservation measures and those which offer the greatest potential for sustainable use;
- identify processes and categories of activities which have or are likely to have significant adverse impacts on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and monitor their effects through sampling and other techniques;
- maintain and organise, by any mechanism, data derived from identification and monitoring activities pursuant to the points set out above.
Each Contracting Party should, as far as possible, adopt economically and socially sound measures that act as incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of components of biological diversity.
The Convention makes provision for the following:
- establishment and maintenance of programmes for scientific and technical education and training for the identification, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components and providing support for such education and training for the specific needs of developing countries;
- encouragement of research which contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, particularly in developing countries;
- promoting the use of scientific advances in biological diversity research in developing methods for conservation and sustainable use of biological resources.
Public education should be promoted and awareness enhanced to highlight the importance of biological diversity through the media and the inclusion of these topics in educational programmes.
The Contracting Parties should facilitate the exchange of information, from all publicly available sources, relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking into account the special needs of developing countries (exchange of information on the results of technical, scientific and socio-economic research as well as information on training and surveying programmes, etc.).
The Convention emphasises the role of indigenous and local communities in conserving biodiversity. These populations heavily and traditionally depend on the biological resources on which their traditions are based.
Entry into force
Deadline for transposition in the Member States
Official Journal
Decision 93/626/EEC
25 October 1993
Official Journal L 309 of 13 December 1993CorrigendumOfficial Journal L 82 of 25 March 1994
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of 23 December 2003 "The implementation by the EC of the Bonn Guidelines on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity" [COM(2003) 821 final - Not published in the Official Journal]. The Bonn Guidelines are not legally binding; their purpose is to assist the parties to the CBD when developing and drafting administrative, legislative and policy measures on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing. They also define the role and responsibilities of users and suppliers of genetic resources.
This communication summarises the measures taken by the Community and stakeholders' initiatives as regards access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing (ABS). Material transfer agreements and stakeholders' codes of conduct are singled out as key instruments. The Commission considers that the following measures could encourage users to fulfil their obligations under the CBD:
- the creation of a European network of ABS focal points;
- the establishment of a specific section on ABS in the EC Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism;
- the setting up of a register of stakeholders' groups in this clearing house.
The Communication highlights the possible role of arbitration and of ABS focal points to make it easier to address infringements of ABS arrangements, and the potential role of the EC Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) as a voluntary certification scheme for organisations that comply with the Bonn Guidelines.
In relation to facilitating the implementation of the Bonn Guidelines in third countries, the Communication underlines the importance of the implementation of the EC Biodiversity Action Plan for Economic and Development Cooperation and of the Commission's Communication on Life Sciences and Biotechnology. The Communication also highlights the role of the EC in further developing a transparent international regime on access and benefit-sharing.
Council Decision 2002/628/EC of 25 June 2002 concerning the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety [Official Journal L 201 of 31 July 2002].
The aim of the Protocol is to ensure that the transfer, handling and use of living organisms resulting from modern biotechnology do not have adverse effects on biological diversity or human health, while specifically focusing on transboundary movements.
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 5 February 1998 on a European Community Biodiversity Strategy [COM(98) 42 final - not published in the Official Journal]. The problem of the reduction and loss of biological diversity calls for concerted international action. The framework of this action is based on the Convention on Biological Diversity.
This Communication establishes a general framework in which appropriate Community policies and instruments are worked out to meet the obligations under the Convention. The strategy encompasses four major themes within which the specific objectives are determined and implemented, in particular through action plans.
These themes are the following:
- conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity;
- sharing of benefits accruing from the utilisation of genetic resources;
- research, identification, monitoring and exchange of information;
- education, training and awareness.
See also
The Commission's activities in the field of biological diversity
Last updated: 25.07.2007


text:
Are Personas Still Relevant to UX Strategy?
Published: January 21, 2013
Personas have been a popular approach for guiding the design of Web sites and mobile apps. However, some in the UX community are now saying that personas have been superseded by the availability of more accurate data or by newer UX design and development methods. In this column, I'll give a quick overview of how my team and I formulate personas, then discuss the three reasons I most often hear for abandoning personas as a design tool.
The Early Days of Web Design
During the first wave of Web design, before most people called it UX design, there were few standards or tools to rely on for strategic guidance. One of the earliest tools for introducing strategy into the more or less free-form creative process was the company brand book. A brand book is a detailed description of how to express brand attributes in visual design and content. Typically, a Creative Director would distribute the brand book of a company for whom we were designing a Web site at the beginning of a project and expected all subsequent design work to conform to its standards.
At the time, companies typically created brand books for traditional media like TV and print. They had little or nothing to say about Web design. They went into great detail about typefaces, color palettes, imagery, voice, and tone. But they didn't set standards for interaction design, usability, customer engagement, or on-going customer relationships. The result was that many Web sites were beautiful in appearance, but difficult to use.
Usability testing, a practice borrowed from application software engineering solved this problem on a tactical level. Usability specialists asked users to complete some tasks using a prototype or an implementation of the final design to figure out what was wrong with it. Then the product team fixed the identified problems. Web design professionals eventually realized that a major limitation of this approach was that it didn't actually guide design. Usability testing evaluated designs only to recommend modifications that would improve usability. While very useful, this did not serve as a strategic force to guide designers to an optimal solution from the inception of a project.
Personas as a Design Tool
One of the earliest modeling techniques that UX professionals used on a broad scale to more strategically shape Web design was the persona. Alan Cooper introduced this approach, which Kim Goodwin explains on Cooper's Web site.
"A persona is a user archetype you can use to help guide decisions about product features, navigation, interactions, and even visual design. By designing for the archetype—whose goals and behavior patterns are well understood—you can satisfy the broader group of people represented by that archetype."—from "Perfecting Your Personas," by Kim Goodwin
I have had the opportunity to lead many persona projects for large companies in the US, Europe, and South America. I enjoy persona projects because they allow me to gain a deep understanding of key customer segments prior to designing digital experiences for them. I'm able to explore questions such as the following:
- What makes a brand relevant to its fans?
- Why do different types of customers behave differently from one another when using Web sites or mobile apps?
- What factors influence purchases or other conversion behaviors?
- Which characteristics differentiate one user type from another for the purposes of designing a user experience?
Persona projects allow me to lead team activities that I consider to be fun—such as in-home interviews, video diaries, shop-alongs, and journey mapping. I even enjoy the data analysis phase of persona projects, during which we review all of our videos and code the interview text with tags that reveal themes, opportunities, and patterns that form the basis of persona differentiation. We then post photos, artifacts, and quotations on all the walls of our war room to make sense of the data that we've captured, using a grounded theory methodology.
However, recent developments have led colleagues of mine to question whether personas are still useful as a tool for formulating a UX strategy. They feel there are more accurate, more comprehensive methods than personas. Some consider personas to be an anachronistic approach that we should drop from our UX strategy toolbox. There are three main reasons that people give me for saying that personas are no longer a useful tool for UX strategy:
- analytics
- A/B and multivariate testing
- agile or lean development
I'll discuss each of these three reasons in turn.
Web Analytics
The first reason that people give me for the demise of personas is the availability of detailed Web analytics, as well as the continual enhancement of analytics toolsets. Analytics tools have come a long way since the early versions that simply produced page logs with lists of URLs and the numbers of hits that pages received. Analytics tools currently produce a much more accurate view of user behavior and can provide an aggregate view of data very quickly—with statistical accuracy because of the large number of sessions. Given the correct page coding, analytics can tell us the percentage, or dollar value, of clicks for every design component on a Web site, showing us which design components are working for customers—and which are just there because Marketing or an executive wants them there.
The makers of analytics tools are constantly updating them with new features. With the proper page coding, analysts can map user paths and determine the percentage or value of sessions that have involved those paths. More relevant to our discussion on personas, analysts can define user segments based on certain criteria, then track the behavior of those segments. They can assign a dollar value to each segment and determine what percentage of the customer base a segment represents.
I agree that we should fully exploit the capabilities of analytics tools. In fact, on nearly every project in which I participate, I focus very early on the analysis of any available analytics or other quantitative data. However, there are limitations to the usefulness of Web analytics.
First, even the largest companies seem to have challenges correctly coding pages to produce the wonderful results that the marketing materials for these analytics packages describe. Coding is time-consuming and requires customization. It involves intense, prolonged collaboration between corporate functions that don't typically communicate with each other outside of status meetings. Of course, the analytics companies can produce all the necessary coding, but this value-added service is very expensive.
As a result, I often get the following response when requesting detailed analytics data: "We could conceivably get you that data, if the pages were coded for it, but we haven't gotten around to doing that yet." So, as a consequence, we often don't get the data that we really need. The analytics tool, in such cases, typically ends up being used as a reporting dashboard for executives, showing the total number of widgets in each category that were sold each day, represented in aggregated graphs and charts. However, it provides few specific insights about customer behavior that could really help us formulate a UX strategy.
The other weakness of the analytics-only approach is that it ignores how UX designers work. I have yet to meet designers who eagerly look forward to getting the weekly analytics reports. For one thing, it is like getting a report card on your work, communicating the equivalent of: here's how your designs did yesterday. That's intimidating. Even more daunting is the idea that numbers are telling them what to design. Working with quantitative data is not why they got into design in the first place. They want to be creative. They want to understand design problems and find solutions to them.
That's where the use of personas has been very successful. When a team formulates personas on the basis of real customer data rather than just making them up, personas accurately represent the needs, wants, and cross-channel interactive behaviors of large segments of customers. Designers can internalize the needs of their key customer types, then think of creative ways of engaging them and making them successful at performing whatever tasks they are trying to accomplish. This is a very creative exercise, which validates their problem-solving abilities and professional skills.
So, I recommend a hybrid approach to my clients. We use analytics and all other available customer data to generate a set of characteristics and behaviors to use as raw material for our research protocol. Then, we do a deep dive on developing personas—interviewing customers in their homes, conducting video-diary exercises and shop-alongs, and formulating very robust customer archetypes with actionable, differentiated characteristics. Finally, we work hard to wire these archetypes to analytics, figuring out the distinguishing behaviors that match their attributes, which we can track through analytics. This allows us to measure how many customers match each archetype, how they respond to new design work over a number of releases, and how we need to modify the personas to ensure that they more accurately reflect a real behavioral segment.
A/B and Multivariate Testing
The second reason colleagues give me for the demise of personas is A/B and multivariate testing. They say that the personas approach is fundamentally inaccurate and unquantifiable because personas are based on small sample sizes and designers have to imagine ways to support the personas through design solutions. They say that persona definitions overlap, and the result is that you can't really know which persona a particular design solution satisfies. Their approach is to do testing of actual design variations, get quantitative results, then let the better design win.
I agree that A/B and multivariate testing are very important tools. They show which design out of several options is the best in terms of actual results. However, they don't tell you what the best design solution really should be. You must already have completed the design and developed it to an extent that lets you test it on a live site with users. Therefore, the tests don't provide strategic guidance about what the user experience should be; they tell you only which of the existing solutions works best.
Another problem is that A/B and multivariate testing are expensive. You not only have to set up live tests of completely developed solutions that may fail, but you have to involve quite a few people and expensive software solutions to get them running.
The main weakness of A/B and multivariate testing is that it leads to incrementalism in design solutions. Team leads want the tests to succeed, resulting in a clear winner, so they introduce small design tweaks rather than completely different design concepts. This can lead to highly tactical exercises, producing minor variations on the current design rather than the design of innovative user experiences that result in a new level of engagement for customers. And that's what personas let us do—when they're rigorously formulated based on actual data.
Agile or Lean Development
The third reason colleagues give me for giving up on personas is that agile development processes don't give them the latitude they need to formulate them properly. Personas don't fit into any sprint. UX professionals adapting to agile methods say that they are hard-pressed to keep up with the demands of writing user stories, designing features for the current sprint, and ensuring that key features make it into the prioritized backlog. There's no time for creating deliverables—especially deliverables such as personas, for which many developers don't understand the need.
I understand this argument and agree that UX team members need to figure out how best to bring UX best practices to bear in an agile environment. In fact, I've put together a workshop to teach teams how to do just that. In this workshop, I advocate a modification of the persona process to fit agile development cycles rather than eliminating them to save time. Why? Because product designs are more likely to be successful when we base them on a thorough understanding of customer needs, not on efficiency of production.
While I acknowledge—and even embrace—the benefits that we've gained from the process efficiencies of agile development, I foresee a designer-led response coming. When we realize that many products have failed because of the lack of deep understanding of customer needs and behaviors and how best to meet them, the need for personas will become clear. Personas, or well-defined customer archetypes that we've based on primary data, are a proven method of gaining this understanding. Personas, therefore, remain an important tool for UX strategy.
There have been some who have proclaimed the impending demise of personas as a UX design approach since shortly after their introduction. While the optimal approach to creating and employing personas is still evolving—thanks to more useful data becoming available to design teams and new project-management methods—their usefulness has not yet diminished. If anything, personas have become even more useful because they put a human face on aggregated data and foster a user-centered design approach even within the context of efficiency-driven development processes.
Topic: Columns | UX Strategy | User-Centered Design (UCD)
28 Comments
I agree with all of these points. Another reason I think quantitative results are not the end-all is because they are really good at showing you what is, but are not so great as showing you what might be. Personas are great for considering what might be or even as a representation of a new direction you want to go in.
Only someone who has gone through a lot of Web analytics, A/B testing, and agile methodology knows that every single line in this post is true.
In my humble opinion, this all stems from the lie that we can now measure everything. No, we can't; and the hypotheses and requirements that we create from personas are the best conversion boosters.
PS: A Web analyst
After years of dismissing personas, I finally worked with one that made a huge difference to our thinking. I think the difference is that it was the first time it was deep and insightful enough to matter. People assume that creating a persona is a trivial matter of coming up with a picture, some demographic info and some other fairly straightforward stuff. Not so. It can take months or years of insight and deep expertise to develop it. The persona is the outcome of experience, research, and experimentation.
In my opinion, collected usage data allows us to create more accurate personas, not replace them.
All this new data that we have available mostly gives us data on current usage. However, our current users might not be the user, or persona, we intended to have use our product. This might be a good thing when you're on a lean path to find your product fit, but in other cases, it could be a problem that requires changing things to attract the correct user type. Here personas are very valuable there because they give you a focal point for everyone in your organization or team to work with or toward—or even just as reference to guide the current UX implementation.
What about the action-based segmentation and the way it is used in mental models?
Thanks for the thoughtful article, Paul.
I've had hit-or-miss success with personas over the years, for many of the reasons you mentioned. Part of the problem, I believe, is that our approach to personas examines people the way they currently behave. But what if we instead used personas to describe how our customers should behave in the future?
Personas then become strategic, and no amount of analytics can measure their validity. See my recent post on this topic, "Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become" for more.
Cheers, Jim
I think what distinguishes UX strategy is the >User bit in UX. In other words, doing the user research—amongst other research exercises required for both strategy in general and UX strategy—up front is the value we add by doing this. In my practice, I blend as many forms of user research—both qualitative and quantitative—as possible, because it informs the strategy in a more robust manner.
In a recent project, robust qualitative interviews (130) and quantitative online surveys (3000) painted a picture, expressed through personas, that radically changed my client's understanding of their target audiences and how they develop value propositions. They changed all their marketing and product efforts from classic demographic-based target audiences to psychographic and behavioural persona-based segments.
At the strategy stage in the project, personas were a useful tool to bring this new segmentation model to life, but were not an absolute requirement. I could have found other means to express the segments. Nonetheless, they made the shift more digestible and acted as a bridge, or a golden thread, from user research findings into strategy and through the iterative design and development process that followed.
Personas, more often than not, are for the client, not the UX guy. Why? Because most agencies use them to show the client that they have understood in the briefing what the target group is.
I haven't seen any real budget for finding out who the target audience is—and therefore, in my experience, this information is taken from the briefing. And how should we create personas if we don't get into knowing the real characters behind them?
In a sense, analytics are better than straight personas because it's the real people or visitors of the site deciding.
I had clients who were really proud of a section of a site that no visitor was interested in, and I could prove that through the metrics, so we freed up resources for other parts of the site.
How would a persona have achieved this? An invented persona not interested in a part of the site can simply be rejected my the client.
I agree that a combined approach would be great, but most companies don't collect customer data in a way that is useful to designers—but is to them—and if they have this data and they know their customers well, then the briefing will be accurate enough, and you can use the briefing as personas.
At least, that is my experience working both in agencies and as an internal design team leader.
Personas are one of the most powerful methods in product design—if created and applied properly. The problem is that many self-defined UX experts don't have the expertise and the power to effectively establish this method in the company. Personas are a strategic instrument that can be useful for many parts of the company. A/B testing and Web analytics are additional, but not replacing methods. I think personas fit quite well in agile environments if the team is skilled and understands the benefits of the method.
Thanks for the great article, Paul.
You said, "I advocate a modification of the persona process to fit agile development cycles rather than eliminating them to save time."
Could you say more about this modification? Or point us to any resources that illustrate this approach to personas?
Ditto, Xavier.
After creating personas for years, this year I created them in a most UX-challenging environment: an XP+JAVA development, lean project at an advertising tech startup now 100 strong, and we're getting toward success with them. The knowledge encapsulated and shared amongst the team and stakeholders alike has been invaluable—not only in shared understanding, but also for valuable consensus otherwise lacking—and led us to insights and conclusions that would have been impossible otherwise, I'm quite sure.
+1 for personas.
PS: Quite to the contrary of some no-persona-leaners, Jeff Gothelf, author of forthcoming Lean UX, firmly advocates personas in his workshops.
Content strategy should be done before focusing on IA, UI, IxD, or anything else associated with UX; and a content strategy needs to be informed by users' wants and needs.
If the team can't align to a set of personas, creating a cohesive content strategy will likely prove to be very difficult.
I agree that design might not find personas to be as valuable, but if content strategy is not based on user data, it will set the entire project up for subjective interpretation and could lead to a business-centric product.
It's always better to start being customer-centric; and personas are a valuable way to keep teams focused. Whether it be a flimsy user profile or a full persona and customer journey set, having team alignment tends to make projects run smoother and return a better end-product.
Naomi: Great point. Using data is extremely helpful, but it's kind of like driving using the rear view mirror: it shows you what has been up to now, but not the possibilities of where you could be going.
Xavier: Thanks for the validation. I think personas should accurately reflect analytics, in terms of behavioral segmentation, and be refined over time by using analytics results. But they are also a good way to invent hypotheses that would be difficult to arrive at through looking only at statistics.
Deb: I have had the same experience. Flimsy, conjectured personas turn people off forever to the concept. Our approach of basing personas on quantitative and qualitative data turns personas into realistic customer archetypes that we can measure and refine over time. They engender empathy in the design process for the life context, needs, wants, and behaviors that millions of people experience from a brand.
There is a nail, a head to the nail, and a hammer. You just hit said nail on its head with the aforementioned hammer.
I agree that a blended approach is probably the most effective. You can never go wrong with richer, more accurate data.
I might argue that in many, if not most, engagements, there is no time to do an exhaustive audience segmentation, never mind building them out over months or years. I agree with an earlier commenter that, if the client has any useful, end-user data, that's probably enough to get you pointed in the right direction.
I also disagree with the idea that "small design tweaks" identified during usability testing—A/B or another method—is a negative. In a large project, no matter how well you know the audience, you're likely to have some big misses. Iteration is a major benefit of the medium, allowing designers to reevaluate content strategy or interaction models.
Though I have been surprised in usability testing in the past, experience counts for a lot during the analysis and design process. Traditionally, we know what's worked in the past and when to go out on a limb with a new interactive model or content strategy. If it's a sufficiently different approach—for example, Windows 8—personas will be of little value. The modern interface, for example, would appeal to almost nobody, but I'm sure usability testing helped refine their approach, which still needs refinement.
So, though I'm not opposed to personas as a design tool, I don't see them as a required tool. Perhaps if a project presents itself as a good candidate, I may change my mind. Great article!
+1 for Claire's question.
Could you please tell us more about the modification and the workshop you've mentioned?
Thanks, Ilaria
Great article and good to embrace the discussion.
One thing I see as a problem with personas is that the word is generic and means different things to different people.
If you are doing observational research to build personas with clients that represent real customers' behaviours and needs, then there will always be a need for personas, in my view. The power of being able to bring life to customers to help inform decisions versus subjective guesswork.
Web analytics is a quantitative tool and a very useful tool to use. But data can be misleading and can lead to you to make the wrong assumptions. A good read: "What Data Can't Tell You About."
For me, the greater challenge is differing definitions and quality of personas out there.
David: I agree that personas give people throughout the organization a common focal point for their efforts.
Raphaël: Personas are one work product that emerges from a task-based segmentation, and they provide nuance to mental models. I don't see a conflict.
Jim: Thanks for the confirmation. I'll have to take a look at the post you mentioned.
Jason: I agree that personas need to be based on data to be effective. If possible, the personas should be based on both qualitative and quantitative data—or at least be corroborated through quantitative data. One of their key values is putting a human face on the aggregated data.
derfrankie: Personas are also for the UX guy, because she or he should base their work on all key components of the UX strategy, including target behavioral segments. Otherwise, they are moving in their own direction, which is not constructive for any but the smallest companies. There is budget for target-audience definition, but it has to be justified by compelling results. Analytics are a much better tool for showing current site usage, but analytics do not inspire innovation, as the article explains.
Reiner: I agree that some executives are turned off by personas because the previous experiences they've had were led by people who didn't understand the principles of behavioral segmentation or the intricacies of applying qualitative and quantitative data to a model.
Claire: In our workshop "Optimizing UX for Agile," we start with the notion that linear persona creation—from research to completion—is not feasible in agile environments. Instead, the UX team needs to use a discover track or sprint to develop the personas, and then, in each sprint, overlay the backlog features with a relative value to each persona. This helps prioritize the backlog and also to deprioritize features that do not benefit the most important personas. Each usability test should result in a refinement of the personas, which, when tied to sprints, results in continuously updated personas rather than relegating them to the typical annual personas refresh.
Mike: I'd like to hear more about this process. Sounds like a good case study.
Jordan: I agree with everything except that flimsy user profiles are useful. I find they do more harm than good, because they cause a rationale to be built on false premises or non-representative characteristics.
Sam: I don't think persona formulation should be part of a design engagement. I think they should be formulated for the company as an on-going model of customer behavior, refined over time to account for trends in the marketplace, new technology, changing customer needs, and so on. The problem with existing user data is that it's not in a format that can guide and inspire the UX team or help leaders make a call when considering competing feature sets. A/B testing isn't a negative, but it gives you a read only on designs that already exist, while personas can help you design innovative experiences that nobody has designed or perhaps even thought of. I think personas would be very valuable for creating Windows 8, because it's a deep understanding of customer needs that would help the team avoid the syndrome of simply releasing a bucket list of features dressed up like a product.
Ilaria: The workshop is called "Optimizing UX for Agile," and I would be happy to send you a onesheet describing the workshops if you send your email address to paul at uxstrategy dot net.
Mal: Agreed.
It was good, and it is used many people.
I couldn't agree more with this post.
I have created and used personas very successfully on several projects over the last few years. And, yes, I think they have a clear place in UX strategy.
First, many organisations we work with still have only a superficial and largely unresearched picture of their customers. In those organisations, personas based on user research can have a huge impact. They are often the first crucial step in getting those organisations to start thinking outside in. For most people, they are much more effective at doing this than traditional market research charts and graphs that often feel very abstract and impersonal.
Second, to answer one of the points above, personas are a great repository of your evolving understanding of your customers. So don't create them and forget them. Update them as your knowledge grows and your assumptions are proved right or wrong.
Third, they are primarily about behaviours, not segmentation. So, of course, one actual person can act more like one persona at one time and more like another persona at another time.
Fourth, also of course, personas are not a substitute for hitting the streets and talking to real customers. But in most organisations, not everyone can do that regularly. So use personas as a way to capture and communicate what you do learn.
Fifth, I don't see any conflict between using personas to capture what you learn about customers, as well as using analytics and A/B testing. You can use the insights from analytics and A/B tests to refine your personas and, in turn, define new experiments. If your data doesn't tell you something that you can put in the context of a real user, I would question what you are learning from it.
Sixth, Lean UX thinking has shown how quickly you can craft skeleton personas that capture your current knowledge and assumptions and highlight the areas where you need more research and experiments to expand and test your knowledge. So you can discard the we-don't-have-time-for-all-that-research arguments.
Finally, personas have been described as empathy engines. We should not underestimate the power of that empathy plays in helping shape and drive through a UX strategy.
My understanding is that one of the most common misuses of personas today is to transform them into some sort of false market segmentation—just to make stakeholders happy.
My question: Do any of you have any good ideas about how to present knowledge of users' behaviour to people outside the project team?
I believe that personas don't necessarily work for this kind of knowledge transfer if the reader hasn't been involved in the whole process from the beginning.
Fantastic point, Naomi.
John: Thanks for posting your thoughts. This is a solid set of arguments for continuing to use personas to drive UX strategy.
Jon: The way you communicate user behaviour depends on the role of the people you're communicating to. I think personas are a tool that everyone in the company can and should understand. But I think other documents could also help tell the story. For example, you could include an interaction model that shows how each persona uses the product or site today, with some aggregated analytics, and show how you anticipate they will use future releases in the UX roadmap. You could develop usage scenarios based on user interviews and/or analytics. If you're presenting to marketing, you may want to show what each persona needs in terms of brand communication and strategy to become a loyal fan. If you're presenting to IT, you might show graphs of usage patterns.
Thank you for your answer and for the interesting article.
Personas without scenarios are as useful for UX strategy as linear thinking in a dynamic, disruptive world. With that said, I agree with all four points above. :)
I, too, still have faith in personas—even in a very agile, enterprise development environment. I think the biggest problem I've seen in their use is the inability of many in development to use them to inform design. It seems to take a seasoned UX professional to utilize them well to formulate designs rather than to simply validate designs against them. In addition, typical persona data does not give much information for the visual and interaction design sides of things. You still need top-notch designers in these areas that are aware of current trends and best practices. On top of that, the owners of product definition and features are often not the consumers of personas, which marginalizes their use. These are not flaws in personas per se, but they are misunderstandings of their use and value proposition, which undermine their effectiveness in practice.
Analytics and multivariate tests don't explain why people do what they do. They give only data, a lot of data, but you haven't the why, the needs, and the goals that guide this data. For me, it's impossible to create a design without personas, looking only at the quantitative data.
"I foresee a designer-led response coming." It will have to be a final acknowledgment from division heads and Product Owners, admitting that user stories are just one step removed from an old-fashioned Functional Requirements Document. The user stories may accurately describe the functional requirements, but still produce a mediocre—or even worse!—an unusable piece of software.
Join the Discussion


text:
Things to see and do - Salou
Leaving for Spain
Salou :
Unmissable tourist site
Where to sleep?
Salou Hotel tips
H10 Salou Princess from34 €Book
H10 Vintage Salou from45 €Book
H10 Salauris Palace from50 €Book
Salou Travel guide
Salou : Michelin's recommendations
This delightful town, sheltered by the Cape of Salou, is the Costa Dorada's liveliest resort, offering visitors a choice of vast sandy beaches or small secluded creeks. The busiest part of town is the Passeig de Jaume I, a promenade which runs parallel to the extensive Playa de Levante, where a monument pays homage to the king who reconquered Majorca.
Tourist attractions Salou : Things to see and do
Port Aventura
Av. Pere Molas, km 2 E - 43840 Salou
Port Aventura is a great place to relax and unwind away from the frantic pace of city life. This huge 117ha amusement park enjoys a wonderful natural location in the heart of the Costa Dorada. It is divided into five themed geographical zones (the Me..
Hotels Salou
Ohtels Belvedere
Terrer, 11 E - 43840 Salou
Hotel Belvedere is set next to PortAventura Theme Park, 5 minutes' walk from Llevant Beach. It offers a gym with hot tub and sauna, an outdoor pool, sun terrace and a free Wi-Fi zone. The hotel's air-conditioned rooms feature functional décor and a ..
H10 Salou Princess
Avenida Principat d'Andorra, 15 E - 43840 Salou
Set 10 minutes' walk from Salou's Llevant Beach, H10 Princess Salou is set around a large swimming pool and attractive terrace. It also features a restaurant and rooms with balconies. All of the H10's comfortable rooms have a flat-screen satellite T..
H10 Salauris Palace
Avenida Països Catalans , s/n E - 43840 Salou
H10 Salauris Palace has a lagoon-style outdoor pool with a waterfall and hot tub, a heated indoor pool and a gym with Turkish bath and sauna. All rooms have a private balcony. Each air-conditioned room at the Salauris Palace is bright and spacious. ..
Restaurants Salou
La Morera de Pablo y Ester
Berenguer de Palou 10 E - 43840 Salou
A couple are at the helm in this welcoming restaurant. The completely glass-fronted dining room is complemented by an attractive open-air terrace.
Madrid 8 E - 43840 Salou
La Goleta
Gavina 2 E - 43840 Salou
Peppered with marine details, and surrounded by a glazed terrace with good view of the beach. At its table you will try dishes of regional and international flavour.


text:
Zimbra freakin rocks!! Nice job on everything, the users that are helping me test it out are totally blown away.
I am definitely ready to switch from Mdaemon (which is great but not open source!) and I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good how-to.
I have read about imapsync, and I know that I have to export my account data, but I have custom mailing lists created using ODBC mySQL queries of our custom built online contact management system. Is there any way to make dynamic mailing lists in zimbra, using this information from the db?


text:
Flexibility Profile: Bain & Company Partner Heidi Locke Simon
Heidi Locke Simon, a partner in Bain's San Francisco office has taken advantage of a full range of flexible options, including an overseas transfer, a leave of absence and two part-time arrangements. She currently balances her full-time schedule to accommodate the needs of both her family and clients.
Benefits of this Flexible Arrangement to the Company
Bain & Company's approach to work/life balance has helped attract and retain top talent like Heidi, and maintain a diverse workforce. The firm boasts of being one of the first consulting firms to start offering part-time options for greater balance. The program was designed almost 20 years ago to allow consultants who have been with Bain for more than one year the option to work part-time — spending 50 percent of their time doing client casework and 10 percent of their time doing personal and professional development. The program began as an effort to retain women who were leaving the firm to raise families and foster a greater work-life balance.
Heidi, who has been with Bain for more than 14 years, feels strongly that the company's flexibility and support for her interests outside of work has helped keep her motivated and able to sustain a rewarding career in a demanding industry. By maintaining a rich life outside of work, she feels she brings a lot more to the firm in helping her clients achieve results.
Motivation for Flex Career
Heidi's motivations for flexing her schedule have changed over time. Her situation is an excellent example of how a custom career path may vary over time to balance changing business and personal needs.
Heidi first explored her options for flexing her schedule after the birth of her first child. She and her husband were both managing demanding careers and juggling travel schedules when their daughter was born. Luckily Heidi's husband worked from home when he was in town, and could be very involved. But to best manage the early months, Heidi chose to take a leave of absence for 4 months and returned from that leave to a part-time arrangement for the following 4 months. She was promoted to partner in the year of her return and transitioned back to a full-time schedule for several years while her daughter was young.
When her daughter turned four, Heidi requested another part-time arrangement to have more time at home. Heidi had also wanted to carve out more time to work with a local non-profit organization. After a year on this part-time arrangement Heidi realized that her ambitions were such that she was going to invest a significant amount of time in having an impact in the world, whether she was working full-time or not. And that her daughter wasn't suffering from having such an involved mom. Heidi also realized while working part-time, that at her level of experience, and employing new skills in prioritization and time management, she was able to carry a full-time load with her clients on a schedule that would work for her personally. So Heidi decided to return to her position at Bain full-time, but this time with a commitment to flexing her full-time schedule, to optimize time for work, family and community service. She's been thriving on this model ever since.
How it Works


text: Judi Vaillancourt's 2013 Home For The Holidays decorations for the Worcester Historical Museum's Salisbury Mansion are timely… for the 1860s. This year, experience the wonder of the holiday season with decorations evocative of 1960s and 1860s throughout the period rooms of Salisbury Mansion. See the various ways the holidays may have been celebrated through the Read More »


text:
Just Words
631 Online
Log In to play with your friends
Hello Gamer!
You must sign in to play this game.Sign In
Your high score
Select a Chat Room
Select Room
Players (0)
Hello Gamer!Sign In
There's a bunch of players chatting here, and you're missing the party. Sign in to join the party.
The best way to handle abusive players is to 'Ignore' them.
User you are reporting:xxxxx
Please select the type of abuse:
Please include a comment to describe the incident:
Gift Corner
by Sanzaru Games
Gift Corner is a wonderful, funny game about the quick business of gifts. Boys choose a gift for your beloved Girl!
Report an Issue
Gift Corner
Related Games


text:
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (TV)
Item #: EJ8369
All Products
(10 Total)
View by Size:
Getting , please wait.
11 x 17 TV Poster - Style A $13.49
27 x 40 TV Poster - Style A $24.99
11 x 17 TV Poster - Style A $13.49
|The most powerful man in the universe, He-Man, goes against the evil forces of Skeletor to save the planet Eternia and to protect the secrets of Castle Grayskull.
|John Erwin, Alan Oppenheimer, Linda Gary, Lou Scheimer, Erika Scheimer;


text:
So apparently there was some buzz today about how Larry Lucchino talked about the Fenway Sellout streak in jeopardy this April. I thought the streak was pretty cool back when the record was broken back in '09 (or was it '08?), but ever since then it's become annoying to hear about.
Anyway, on the subject of the Fens, I just wanted to hear some of your best experiences there. I always enjoy hearing others tell their stories about the Park, given all the history that has ever went down in that Baseball Cathedral.


text:
Romeo and Juliet (2013)
Romeo and Juliet SynopsisRomeo and Juliet, William Shakespeares epic and searing tale of love, is revitalized on screen by writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and director Carlos Carlei (The Flight of the Innocent). An ageless story from the worlds most renowned author is reimagined for the 21st Century. This adaptation is told in the lush traditional setting it was written, but gives a new generation the chance to fall in love with the enduring legend. With an all-star cast including Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Paul Giamatti and Stellan Skarsgard, it affords those unfamiliar with the tale the chance to put faces to the two names theyve undoubtedly heard innumerable times: Romeo and Juliet. Every generation deserves to discover this lasting love.
Romeo and Juliet Release Date
In Theaters October 11, 2013
Romeo and Juliet Credits
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Stellan Skarsgard, Paul Giamatti, Ed Westwick, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Christian Cooke, Tom Wisdon, Damian Lewis, Natascha McElhone, Tomas Arana, and Laura Morante
Written by: Julian Fellowes
Directed by: Carlo Carlei
Produced by: Ileen Maisel, Lawrence Elman, Andy Spaulding, and Douglas Mankoff
MPAA Rating: [ PG-13 ]
Distributor: Relativity
Subscribe To Romeo and Juliet Updates
if you're excited for Romeo and Juliet


text: After migrating a few mailboxes from Exchange into Zimbra, I opened Outlook to find that each one of those mailboxes that I migrated had been added to my Outlook tree. I am unable to remove the mailboxes in the traditional way through outlook properties. I am also re-recieving old emails as new all day. When I go to close outlook it freezes in a small window that says please wait while Outlook exits. Is anyone else having this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


text:
I thought The Times was a respectable UK paper, holding themselves to the highest standards of journalism, right?
So consider me perplexed when I stumbled up this article called "View from the Dog Box", a week in the life of Andy Murray's new dog Maggie at Wimbledon. No, you read correctly - ANDY'S DOG.
Anyway, I'll let Maggie do the, eh, talking:
I was having a nice dream when Master Andy came into the kitchen, singing as usual. "Wake up, Maggie, I think I've got something to say to you," he crooned. I gave him a hard stare. He sings a lot - always Rod Stewart numbers. That's how I got this name.
Roger Federer came round to show off his gold-trimmed cardigan. "You wear it well," Andy sang, pouring himself an Irn-Bru. "A little old-fashioned but that's all right."
Andy's first match and he thought it would be a good idea to sneak me into the men's changing-room in his kitbag. "But what about the smell?" Mother Judy asked. "Och, she'll soon get used to that," Andy said.
I watched the Master prepare himself for his opening game. "If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy, come on sugar let me know," he sang and I woofed along in harmony. That's how I got found out by security. "Out," a burly man in uniform said. "There's only one barker allowed in here and that's Sue."
A day off, so Master Andy and I went for a walk on Wimbledon Common. Had a lovely chase after a rabbit. A rather odd rabbit it was, wearing a hat and a scarf. It was carrying a bag of rubbish on its back as well, with the word Orinoco stencilled on it. Anyway, it tasted delicious. Much nicer than the deep-fried Pedigree Chum I usually get.
Watched Andy's second match in the pets' lounge. All the leading players take animals around on tour with them. The Williams sisters have a pair of chameleons that change colour to match their location, Rafael Nadal has a gibbon called Nigel and Roger Federer has a pet cow, Milka (not to be confused with his girlfriend, Mirka), that he was given by his home town in Switzerland after winning his first Wimbledon. He takes it everywhere with him, but it does look ridiculous in a cardy.
I've almost forgiven the Master for telling the media about my toilet problem. I'd like to see him maintain bladder control when watching Maria Sharapova try to hold serve. Andy sat down with Mother Judy to work out a strategy for his third-round match with a German. "I need to be properly Haas-trained," the Master said. You and me both, Andy.
Translated by Patrick Kidd
I didn't add that last line in either. Shocking, I know.
(image via Getty)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Murray's Maggie writing for The Times - did I mention she's a dog?
Labels: Andy Murray, media, tennis, The Times, Wimbledon
4 comments:
That is really dumb.ReplyDelete
It's wonderful. What was that you said about the British? Ah, it's so endearing.ReplyDelete
...What is Orinoco?
- AnonymousJune 28, 2008 at 11:05 AM
this makes jagger's interview in tennis magazine seem like fine literature.ReplyDelete
The Times and respectable? For that fact, any English newspaper and respectable? No such thing!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)