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Computer Science
Earth Science
Social Science
Reported January 2011
ATLANTA, GA (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- From professional athletes to weekend warriors, doctors see more than 95-thousand ACL injuries every year. If its injured or torn, surgery may be needed to repair it, but studies show as many as 30 percent of ACL repairs fail, keeping athletes from getting back to their pre-injury levels. Now, one doctor thinks he has the answer to get these players back in the game.
When 28-year-old Lisa Kilpela tore her ACL three years ago, she thought surgery would be a permanent fix. Then, her knee problems came back.
"It felt really unstable, when I'd step on it, my knee would slip a little bit, Kilpela told Ivanhoe. I would straighten it out and it would get stuck or I would bend it and I would have trouble straightening it back out.
"You can have what appears to be a perfectly done ACL that has healed and has undergone perfectly good rehab and yet fails to control the knee, fails to provide stability to the knee," Spero Karas, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Emory Sports Medicine.
Doctor Karas says traditional ACL repair can restore front to back stability, but that may not be enough.
"A upright or vertical graft allows rotation of the knee which is the more typical reason ACL's fail," Dr. Karas said.
Dr. Karas is pioneering a significant change to ACL surgery instead of the traditional approach, creating one vertical ACL tunnel on the tibia and the femur; he now creates two tunnels on each bone.
You can put the tibial tunnel in a perfect position and you can put the femoral tunnel in a perfect position which puts the entire graft in a perfect position, Dr. Karas said.
Biomechanical studies show this repair means more stability, and less chance of failure.
By bringing the graft through an independent femoral tunnel low on the wall, now you can control not only anterior to posterior translation but you also control the rotational stability of the knee, Dr. Karas
I think I'm still a little hesitant to all out really plant on it, but otherwise it feels pretty good, Kilpela said.
One year after surgery, Lisa's hitting the court with more confidence and it's an active young woman whos definitely back on her game. Dr. Karas and other surgeons at Emory Sports Medicine believe this new technique will mean more anatomical ACL repairs, with better long-term success.
Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:
Spero Karas, MD
Emory Sports Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia
A new eye treatment could save the vision for thousands of people who are going blind or have already lost most of their ability to see
Each year, more people die from lung cancer than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined. A new test is now able to detect what doctors cant even see and get patients treated much faster than ever before
Its one of medicines biggest challengesfinding new treatments and a cure for cystic fibrosis. A simple new test may help patients get the treatment they need, when they need it
Could there be life on other planets? To find out, were going to have to live in spacebut how do you do that if theres no food? Researchers have found a way to grow tomatoes and other vegetables that defy gravity
Each year thousands of people get sick from tainted tomatoes and bad peanut butter. Now, astronauts are working to find ways to stop salmonella once and for all.
The second leading cause of all spinal cord injuries happens while teens and young adults are playing sports. But first responders may be putting these athletes at risk just by trying to help them
More than 95,000 people experience an ACL rip or tear while hitting the playing field, baseball diamond or tennis court. More than 30 percent of all repairs fail. Now doctors know why and have found a better way to get people back on their feet.
Each year twenty million Americans undergo a surgery. Check out one of four state of the art operating rooms that will change the way all surgeons operate.
A powerful laser can transform metals and pull liquids uphill. This new technology could change the way blood is drawn.
Every twenty minutes a child in the US is diagnosed with Autism. A new therapy combines jump shots robotsand a careful eye to help these kids live a better life.
Not all scientists are PhDs, old and grey. Two young girls are showing us what theyre made of and theyre helping change science along the way
His students call him the singing professor. You have got to hear how this teacher is getting kids involved and interested in his class


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This is a special order item and may take up to 2 weeks for delivery.
The RAM X50 training pistol is made in the likeness of a sidearm carried by officers and agencies like the secret service. This RAM pistol is authentic in weight, feel, and action, even down to the realistic kick of its blowback slide. This Real Action Marker can effectively fire .43 caliber paintballs or rubber balls at a range of 50-70 ft. The X50 training pistol can also be used as a paintball pistol and features an integrated accessory rail and a drop-out 9-shot magazine. The X50 RAM pistol is powered by a single 12 gram CO2 cylinder located in the grip of the airgun.
CO2 not included.
Uses 12 gram Co2 Cartridges
Single and Double Action
Acts Just Like a Real Fire Arm
Intense Blow Back Action
Integrated Picatinny Weaver Rail
Doesn't use metal cartridges
Caliber: .43
Action: Semi-Auto
Power: Co2
Capacity: 8-Shot
Total Length: 7.8"
Weight: 2.1 lbs
Velocity: 250 FPS
Package Includes:
RAM X50, foam-lined hard gun gase, 1 magazine
- ManufacturerRAM Paintball
- Caliber0.43 cal
- Velocity250 fps
- ConditionNew
- Ammo TypePaintballs
- Fire ModeRepeater
- Loudness3-Medium
- MechanismCO2
- Warranty1 Year Limited

subset: commoncrawl


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Download How to Mix Sound in Audacity | Recording Tutorial video
Download How to Mix Sound in Audacity | Recording Tutorial video on savevid.com
Download How to Mix Sound in Audacity | Recording Tutorial streaming video in flv, mp4, avi formats direct easily on Savevid.com.
How to Mix Sound in Audacity | Recording Tutorial
- Provider: YouTube Link:
- Rate: Please rate this video Views: 2 Downloads: 8
This Audacity tutorial shows how to mix two tracks in Audacity.
Thank you to our subscriber FishyFoxyFishyFoxy for this question. Be sure to subscribe to keep up on upcoming Audacity tutorials.
Mixing in Audacity is quite easy. The most important thing is your ears -- if you don't like what you hear, change it. Audacity will probably do exactly what you want.
For this exercise we will use 2 audio tracks in Audacity -- one voice and one music. In many cases you would want the music playing quietly in the background and the voice in the foreground. To do this we need to adjust the gain levels on both tracks.
Load up both your tracks in Audacity. On the left margin of each track you will see two slides: one for balance (pan) and one for volume (gain). We need to adjust the gain.
On your music track you want to lower your gain slide quite a lot. When you have adjusted it, click play to here what you have. Make more adjustments until you have the levels you like. Make sure you don't raise the gain too much in either track. You could cause some distortions or peaking in the track.
When you are done you can go to FILE -- EXPORT and safe as a WAV, MP3, etc.
Happy recording,
- Tags:
- Category: Flag video


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March 5, 2012
Fresno State's Dani Yoho qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials on Saturday after swimming the 50 Freestyle in long course with the time of 26.39, the exact time needed to qualify.
Yoho, a junior from Sugar Land, Texas, swam in the Fresno State Time Trials on Saturday earning a time that will bring her to Omaha, Neb. in June to compete in the 2012 Olympic Trials against some of the fastest swimmers in the country.
This speedy time was a life time best for Yoho in the long course 50 Freestyle and it has been a long time goal for her to break this time and qualify for the Trials.
Other nominees:
"We Are Your Team!" You can stay connected with Fresno State Athletics on Facebook and Twitter.
2011-12 Archive
Sysco Central California is proud to honor the Fresno State Athlete of the Week, just as we're proud to serve our local foodservice industry with integrity, trust and a commitment to a healthier community. Since 1938, Sysco has partnered with Central Valley businesses with the goal of helping them flourish and succeed - often keeping family businesses strong for generations. At the same time, we support the people and organizations that make Central California such a special place to call home, including Fresno State and the student athletes who share Sysco's passion for excellence.


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Levels for this Course
Beginner A1
Elementary A2
Pre-Intermediate B1
Intermediate B1+
Challenges 2 Workbook and CD-ROM Pack
Series: Challenges
Author: Harris, M et al
Publisher: Pearson ELT
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: 2007
Price: £16.20
Availability: In Stock Usually Ships in 6 Working Days
Level: A2 Elementary
Description: Teenagers want to be challenged and motivated. This puts a lot of pressure on you. Challenges will take that pressure off your shoulders by helping you meet the needs of demanding teenagers. You can do it!
Your students will...
get a clear sense of progress through materials that can be completed in one year
get really involved in their learning with the wealth of information and interesting topics
get a deeper understanding of language through the unique activities on word building and sentence patterns
regardless of their activity, be motivated and kept on track thanks to the interesting activities in the magazine section
always have vocabulary support on hand with the Picture Dictionary in levels 1 and 2
take control of their learning through tips and strategies throughout the course
Teacher Support
Promote positive values in your students with the carefully crafted characters in the Students' Book
Keep your lessons inspiring and on track with the all-purpose Teacher's Handbook
Be confident in your teaching with the support of the Total Teacher's Pack
Have total control of classroom assessment with the Test Master CD-ROM (including placement tests)
|... More Recently Published Titles


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Tallon confirms Olesz done for season, Higgins broken thumb and Kennedy will play for Cats this season
Just got off the phone with GM Dale Tallon who joked he's going to have his Blackberry surgically removed from his ear at 3 p.m. on Monday.
Some news: Rostislav Olesz is indeed done for the season with a serious knee injury. Another awful year for Olesz.
Chris Higgins has a broken left thumb and won't return until his pain tolerance allows. Two more forwards coming from Rochester on Sunday because they play tonight.
Tallon's high praise of Marty Reasoner, a UFA, tells me that he will be re-signed to a new deal. With alt. captain Stillman and capt. McCabe gone, that makes Stephen Weiss the obvious choice for the big C. Tallon said there's plenty of leaders in the dressing room, including Weiss, Reasoner, Bryan Allen and Mike Weaver.
Tallon is thrilled to have 10 more draft picks next year.
He also said that he wants Tim Kennedy to play for the Panthers this season as kind of an audition. He will try to sneak him thru re-entry waivers. He added that Kennedy can only play in the NHL this season for the Panthers. If another team steals him he'd have to report to the minors. It sounds almost like a gentlemen's agreement among GMs.
He added that he is never done with the rebuilding process so more deals could be in the making. Tomas Vokoun?


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One shoulder red dress from ASOS – Men's watch from Daniel Wellington* – Damas Camper shoes (this style is no longer available but they make new versions with the same sole design every year.) – Silver bangle from Mama Smaggle for my birthday – Hoop earrings from India (Kelly found them and practically hurled them at my head knowing they were just what I was looking for! xxx)
Dermalogica Oil Free Matte Sunscreen* (this stuff is awesome for hot days because it totally mattifies all the grease and shine) – Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer – Garnier BB Cream* – Maybelline Pot Liner (Bobbi Brown gel liner is my favourite but it's pretty expensive here in Australia so I grabbed this to try and I really like it. Great for waterlining.) – Natio concealer (this stuff is the bomb, cheap as chips and blends like a dream) – Benefit Oh La La Lift (I swear by this stuff, just dab it on under your eyes AFTER concealer to brighten it all up. Makes any cover job look heaps more natural.) – NARS Blush in Orgasm – Maybelline Great Lash Mascara – L'Oreal The Falsies Mascara – Body Shop Brow Kit
This outfit was worn for a super productive day of photography and writing and a way less productive walk to the post office. It amazes me that every time I give one of the staff my collection slip, they stare at it like I've just given them a handful of worms. It just cannot be as consistantly confusing for them as it appears to be. I know this because I used to work in a post office. It's pretty straight forward. End rant.
P.S Any item marked with an asterisk* was provided for editorial consideration… but if I didn't like it I wouldn't write about. I'd just awkwardly email the company and be like 'Sorry but that thing you sent me sucked'.
12 Comments
I love that you look so glam to work at home and go to the post office. I usually wear track pants and a tank top. Even better if it's clean (unlikely). But I will resolve to do my eyebrows and wear something other than lip balm, even if it does look like pipstick on… errrr… a pig…
K xx
Or lipstick, even…
- Author
Thank you love! I always think about who I'm going to run into before I leave the house. 🙂
You are rocking that blush! Looks fab!! x
- Author
I friggin love it! I missed for the week that I thought I lost it. 🙁
WHOA MAMA! That dress is amazing on you, I bet your man can't keep his hands off you when you wear it!!!
I love the cheeky name of that blush, it looks gorgeous and I just want to get some so that if someone asks me about the blush I"m wearing I can make them really awkward when I say what the shade is called 😉
Okay this is weird, but just as I was about to click "submit", my boyfriend brought in the post and guess what was in it!!! I am so excited to try everything out! You are beyond fab, thank you a million times <3
- Author
You are welcome my love! Thanks for being so supportive! x (and yes… he does tend to cop a bit of a feel in this dress!)
Your makeup looks so pretty in this post! The dress is awesome too!
- Author
I've been making more of an effort with my makeup this year! Glad you like it!
Absolutely gorgeous!
- Author
thank you love!
You look wonderful!


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Multiasking products in the summer are essential. We're all so busy doing all of our usual summer things who has time to do full-on makeup?
Three Custom Color Lip & Cheek Color, Poppy
This gorgeous little red orange pot serves double duty as a lip and cheek cream. When used on the lips it creates a nice little stain. When applied on the cheeks, blending out with you fingers, it adds a great natural flush. Plus this color is so on trend right now! It's sheer, but buildable and looks fantastic with a tan. Available at Three Custom Color for $22.50
MAC Fix+
This isn't your usual multitasking product. Keep it at your desk for a refreshing mid-day pick me up. On the hottest days, keep it in the fridge for even more refreshing boost. In a pinch you can spritz it in your hair for a little re-stying. Dampen your makeup brush with a little squirt to foil (apply wet, for a metallic look) your eyeshadows. Spritz your face before applying your moisturizer to seal in some extra moisture. Use it to sheer out foundation by spritzing a little on your foundation brush. Shall I keep going? Because I can. Spritz a few sprays on your face after you're finished with your makeup application to reduce any powdery look. Last but not least, it can even be used as light moisturizer for hot night when you don't want to overload your skin with any heavy products. Available at all MAC's Online shop as well as all stores and counters $10.
Dr. Jart+ Waterfuse Beauty Balm
The ultimate multitasker for skin, this stuff is truly amazing. Rarely does a product show up twice on this site (besides nail colors) but this stuff is so amazing it had to be on the multitasking picks. Full review here. PS. I'm KIND OF obsessed. Available at Sephora for $32.
What are your favorite beauty multitaskers?


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PULLMAN, Wash. ?- For the first time in nearly five years, the Arizona women's basketball team fell to Washington State, losing 84-76 at Friel Court this afternoon. With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 7-14 overall and 3-8 in the Pac-10.
Late in the game, senior Natalie Jones scored her 1,000th career point, making her just the 14th Wildcat ever to do so.
"Their post players combined for 52 points, and that's where we lost the game," Head Coach Joan Bonvicini said. "Ch?© went out early, and it showed. We're not very tall and that makes it tough."
Arizona shot 39 percent from the field, 26 percent from beyond the arc and 88 percent from the free throw line on the game. Washington State connected on 52 percent from the field, 27 percent from downtown and 77 percent from the charity stripe on the game. The Cougars also out-rebounded the Wildcats 42 to 32. The only statistic Arizona won was the turnover battle, as the Wildcats forced WSU into 20 miscues while committing just 10.
Jones led Arizona with 28 points, 19 of which came in the second half. She also added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. "Natalie played her heart out," Bonvicini said. "I can't ask her to do any more."
Junior Joy Hollingsworth and sophomore Ashley Whisonant added 15 points apiece. Freshman Malia O'Neal dished out six assists in the loss.
Arizona started out slow, making just one of its first 10 shots, which allowed the Cougars to take an 11-2 lead. The Wildcats clawed back, going on a 13-4 run to tie the game at 15. Washington State responded with a 6-0 run to go up 21-15. Arizona then went on a 12-0 run to take a 27-21 lead.
The Cougars answered with a 10-2 run to take the lead back, 31-29 and went into the locker room at halftime up by five, 38-33.
Arizona shot 41 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free throw line on the half, compared to the 50, 43 and 64 percent, respectively, of the Cougars. Washington State also out-rebounded the Wildcats 19 to 16. Hollingsworth paced Arizona with 12 points, while Jones had nine points and a team-high five boards.
In the second half, Washington State quickly extended its lead to 13 (50-37), but Arizona wouldn't give up, using a 10-2 run to cut it to five, 52-47. The Cougars moved the lead back to 10 (61-51), but the Wildcats kept fighting, cutting it to six on four occasions.
Late in the game, Arizona scored five straight points to make it a five-point game, 78-73, but that was as close as they would get, as the Cougars went on to the seven-point win.
Arizona returns to McKale to host USC at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Feb. 2.


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Home spun
Rebecca Sullivan
By Chris Jay 10/27/2011
Crowded house
For a newcomer to the always-crowded local singer-songwriter scene, it's incredibly hard to stand out. Zoey's, unquestionably the premier venue for acoustic music in the county, is inundated with booking requests from performers of all levels. While that may be exciting for fans of acoustic music who are routinely treated to amazing national talent, it's not necessarily a plus for someone in the process of just starting out. This is partially the reason Zoey's created its Ones to Watch Singer-Songwriter series last year. A bi-weekly open-mic meets American Idol contest that runs from late summer through fall, it's given new singer-songwriters the chance to perform. So far this year, one of the showstoppers has been Thousand Oaks' Rebecca Sullivan, who, despite a late start in songwriting and performing, has a background interesting enough to write some truly original material.
A world of possibility
Born in New Zealand, Rebecca Sullivan spent her childhood bouncing from city to city. When her father, a successful doctor and apparent travel enthusiast, finally settled down in one spot, it happened to be Thousand Oaks. Sullivan was already in her late teens. Through all the moving, school hopping and start-up/shut-down friendships, her love of music was a consistent and comforting part of her life. Having always participated in choir and spent time in the arts-heavy music hotbed city of Santa Cruz (where she attended college before ultimately graduating from UCLA with a degree in history), it wasn't until her mid-20s that she started experimenting with her own music. At the time she was given a guitar for a Secret Santa present in 2007, she was married and a young woman raising two very young kids. "There was a lot I needed to get out and express," she says. Given her background, some might have found her decision to pursue a career as a professional singer-songwriter to be misguided, but they didn't know Sullivan's tenacity.
Turning heads
Making a commitment to play guitar for an hour every day, it wasn't long before all the experiences in her life came pouring out into her songs. Over simple chords but with great melodies, Sullivan delivers some truly impressive and clever lyrics. With subjects ranging from the benefits of chocolate to love, or what crosses your mind during a final cup of coffee with your soon-to-be ex, there's an underlying intelligence reminiscent of Regina Spektor or Joni Mitchell.
It's a breath of fresh air in a genre that's known for generic relationship song after generic relationship song. Her naturally gifted vocals, which can change from a breathy Ani DiFranco to a booming Alanis Morrissette, don't hurt, either.
The times they are a-changing
Sullivan is wrapping up the recording of her debut full length Silver Slippers, set for a March 2012 release and next week will debut the video for the record's first single, "No Regrets," online. Then she'll be thrust into the singer-songwriter rat race of booking the right venues and building a loyal fan base. In the meantime, you might want to stop by Zoey's on Tuesday, Nov. 4, for the last regular week of competition. Sullivan will be performing as usual, and rest assured she's not long for the open-mic world. As one of the area's most promising new voices, the future looks awfully bright for the unlikely but talented singer-songwriter who came a long strange way to be exactly where she needs to be.
Rebecca Sullivan's music can be found online at www.rebeccasullivanmusic.com and www.facebook.com/rebeccasullicanmusic.
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Thanks Chris!
The link to my facebook page is actually www.facebook.com/RebeccaSullivanMusic
awesome article about an amazing person and singer! if you have the opportunity to go and see rebecca sing, you won't regret it. :)


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Committee Members
Sandy Ross, Chair (2015) Jose Arguello (2016) Otonye Braide (2017) Silvia Cavagnero (2016) Candice Etson (2016)Ernesto Fuentes (2017) Angel Garcia (2015) Alemayehu Gorfe (2015)
Ruben Gonzalez (2016) Princess Imoukhuede (2015) Luis Marky (2015) Ishita Mukerji (2015) Ivan Rasnik (2016) Chandran Sabanayagam (2016) Santiago Schnell (2016) Kandice Tanner (2016) Michael Jarstfer and Barry Lentz, Summer Program Co-PIs
The Committee for Inclusion and Diversity's, formerly the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), charge is to increase the number of minority biophysicists and enhance the visibility and career opportunities of existing minority biophysicists, and to involve them in Society affairs. The Committee aims to foster a community for minority biophysicists through programs at the Annual Meeting and the Summer Research Program. A major focus is to reach minority students and beginning investigators and interest them in biophysics via the Annual Meeting.


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When thinking of a name for their Tumblr account, sisters Donne and Ginny Geer agreed that "Hey, nice nails!" was the best compliment a woman could get. The blog got so popular that these sisters decided to open a salon together after finding they couldn't both be hired to do nails at the same location. While completing their first book, Nail Candy, the Geers transformed a 1920's building into a hip nail salon in downtown Long Beach's arts district. Hey, Nice Nails is now more than just a compliment, it's a haven for nail art junkies around the world.
> The Geers are the only two techs working at the salon, so nails are done by appointment only. However, they have instituted a guest artist program in which a visiting nail tech sets up shop in their space to do nail art for walk-ins for a limited time.
> Most clients know the Geers from their Instagram (@heynicenails) and Tumblr accounts (heynicenails.com). As a result, nail art is by far their best seller. Hey, Nice Nails does offer a full menu though. All services are done by hand filing only, no e-files are used.
> The sisters share an office that sits alone on the second floor and is lined with mannequin hands in the window. Hundreds of polish and gel-polish from indie brands to Yves Saint Laurent to Gelish create bands of color along two walls. A magnetic board behind the techs' tables is where containers of embellishments can easily be pulled on and off. Charms are displayed in frames by the tables and glitters and powders peek through cupboards. The Geers' sketchbook is also on the wall behind them for those who want to sample one of their ideas. Nail art pens and prints from Etsy are available to be included on clients' nails as well. The amount of supplies and color present in this salon make it clear that anything a client could ask for is possible.
Male Nail Art11 photos
Nail Art at Premiere Orlando 201622 photos
A cream or liquid made of calcium, sodium thioglycolate, or sulfates used to remove body hair.
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- Why Your Kid Will Never Ask You for a Stereo
Getting "a good stereo" was one of those rites of passage into adulthood when I was young. You got your own place, and the stereo was usually the highest priority after a bed and things to make food with. Sometimes higher.
No more. The stereo, the boom box… Dead. Over. Gone the way of the transistor radio. As this (politically incorrect by American standards) ad I saw in a French subway station says:
Image: Ad for Beats Pills bluetooth speaker by Radio Shack (it gets better — or worse — so keep reading).
Nowadays, it's all about mobile and bluetooth. Bottom line: a portable bluetooth speaker is what your kid will want for Christmas. And you should get one too. Your kid will think you're cool(er). These speakers are the must-have, 21st-century device for playing music. No muss, no fuss, you simply take it wherever you go, send the music on your mobile device to the wireless speaker via bluetooth and — instaparty. You can use them at home too, to play the music on your computer and other things, which I'll go into later. There are tons of bluetooth speakers out there, with a wide range of sound quality, features and aesthetic appeal (mostly lack thereof, if you ask me).
I became a true believer just a few weeks ago in a Swiss train station…
Across from me in my train to Lausanne were two handsome, well-dressed men talking tech in English. So of course I eavesdropped on the whole conversation, being a tech blogger and lover of serendipity. And handsome men.
As we got off the train, I smiled and said to Handsome #1, "You never know when you'll be sitting across from a tech blogger in a train in Switzerland. So whatcha got?" At which point he smiled back gorgeously and opened his dufflebag to produce a cute and curious object. I never get excited about gadgets, but for some reason, I found this one very appealing, and I'm sure it wasn't only because of the adorable retro elephants… Seriously, though, I'm a sucker for good design, and the object he was holding (the UE Boom), definitely had that delectable Euro high-design look to it. In a word: #class.
Image: Rory Dooley, Senior VP Ultimate Ears, holding the limited edition "Tippsy" model UE Boom featuring cover design by Jason Maloney.
Then Rory placed the object in my hands… The look of the gadget had already piqued my interest, as you know. Holding it, I could feel the quality; it was solid, but not too heavy to carry in my purse. And handling it was a tactile delight, thanks to the texture of the unique material covering the speaker and the attractive and functional rubber strip that runs the length of it. Rory took out his iPhone, tapped here and there, and suddenly my hands and the entire station were filled with rich, loud sound. It turned heads. It was awesome.
I'd heard and held a bluetooth speaker for the first time just a few months before this. It was light and flimsy and had such tinny, weak sound quality that I dismissed the whole concept. At home, I AirPlay the music on my iPhone through the set-top box to my TV (which is connected to "the good stereo"). I sometimes listen to music on my iPhone with my earbuds when I'm out and about. But at my age, I couldn't really see myself needing one of these toys; it's not as if I often feel the need to pull a speaker out of my purse and start an impromptu rave in a park in Paris…
Since Switzerland, however, even if I don't hold a flash rave, I can see myself taking a bluetooth speaker on a picnic. Or to the bathroom for a long, hot soak (I've lost more than one pair of earbuds to the tub). Or into the basement if I need to be digging around in there for a while. Or on the road to use in my hotel room. Or to the house of my friend who had the sucky bluetooth speaker. Endless possibilities, as you can see.
Unfortunately, gadget-makers seem to be unaware that women buy tech.
I know one of the reasons I'm not into gadgets is that they're generally just too dude. Too butch. Too ugly! Manufacturers of gadgets seem to completely disregard the WAF ("Woman Acceptance Factor" on French and German wikipedia, but "Wife Acceptance Factor" on the English one, hello #everydaysexism), and the fact that we spend tons of money on tech and toys.
We are essentially invisible to them. In an article I wrote here not too long ago, I touched on the fact that "women's" magazines neglect tech, and that tech journalism neglects women (although Mashable has come a very long way in just a couple of years, to become my favorite tech lifestyle blog). And just the other day, in The Guardian, I read Women's magazines ignore technology and demean women, which expands on the topic of the glaring absence of tech in women's mags:
Women spend more on smartphones than men, they spend one and a half times as much on technology and influence 57% of new technology purchases. The glossy mags have yet to acknowledge that women are now fully involved as technology consumers.
It's easy to see who the target for bluetooth speakers is if you look at the marketing: it's the 18-35 year-old male, of course. But makers of tech toys need to wake up, which the Atlantic article Sorry young man, you're not the most important demographic in tech makes crystal clear: "it actually turns out the majority of technology users are women in their 40s, 50s and 60s." (Hey, that's me! Hear me roar! We are here!)
Imagine how much adopting we'd do if these companies actually acknowledged our existence…
And also, gadget companies, you need to reflect on the implications of the 36% of young adults ages 18-31 living with their parents (Pew research study, August 2012). Mom is present. Mom is paying attention. Mom should be your sweet spot. Or at least one of them.
Even more unfortunately, gadget-makers seem to be unaware that women are people.
Now, before you write me off as some frigid, man-hating prude, please note how this article began. But I have a bone to pick with the people marketing these gadgets. So to speak.
Let's take a look at Beats Pills from the boombox ad above, for example, and their lingerie-clad babes with open mouths and large red cylindrical objects, etc.:
I don't really need to comment, do I? Didn't think so. And guess what else, Radio Shack? Your "#uwantit" hashtag promotes rape culture and I'm #notbuyingit.
(Who the hell raised the boys who are making these ads? Do they have daughters? Would they watch their own garbage with their little girls?)
I was dismayed to find that the UE Boom campaign targeting the US market was worse… The premise for this series of videos was that music can start a party anywhere and do other things for you, including "get you laid." But in the "Can music start a party anywhere?" video (I didn't — couldn't — watch them all), it was less about the music than it was about the — how should I say this — set decoration…
In the video the shots below were taken from, UE leaves the realm of metaphor altogether and unabashedly instrumentalizes women. In the first image, some guy is essentially using a thong-and-wet-t-shirt-wearing woman as a device to clean a windshield.
In this next shot, it's pure, gratuitous objectification. This poor girl, a gadget herself, rather than a human being, is doing what I can only describe as a spread-eagle handstand twerk in some guy's face. (I'm sure there's an industry-specific term for this move, but I don't know it). In a laundromat. And there was a kid in that laundromat, a boy of about 11. What are you teaching little boys? Shame on you. And what, pray tell, does any of this have to do with the quality of your speakers??
UE was somewhat redeemed in my eyes, however, by its European marketing, which takes a radically different tack, with a nice young man who goes around doing things like getting seniors to sing and make beatbox noises while he plays his Boom. The more people he can get to play along, the more points he gets. Again, #class.
(These two video campaigns emphasize some drastic cultural differences between the US and Europe… America, it looks like you have some growing up to do. And some manners to learn.)
Sex sells anything, quality sells itself
Ultimate Ears may not have had women or their tastes in mind when they designed their lovely gadget, but they do have an Italian woman designer doing the color design. Despite the demographic their website clearly targets, their product has wide appeal for the same reasons that Apple products do: looks, quality, class. I'm sure the brand will ultimately benefit from having had the guts to break out of "the boy's row" and create an object that appeals to discriminating people of either gender and all age groups who have good taste and demand quality.
Now if only they'd fire that "music can get you laid" guy (and give someone like me his job instead).
What can we do?
Should we buy products whose advertising denies our existence or even treats us all like blow-up dolls? Probably not. But how do we make our objections known without denying ourselves things we may want or need? The boys aren't going to change their puerile ways if we leave them to their own devices… That's why organizations like The Representation Project exist, and why we should support them.
I admit I want a UE Boom. It's the only gadget other than the iPad mini that has ever made me drool. It's the only portable bluetooth speaker you can use in stereo: get two of them and turn them into a pair of speakers using their iPhone app. It's the only one that can be used as an alarm clock (after that party in your hotel room, you can set it to wake you up with a song from your phone or your preferred streaming service). And it's the only one featured in this year's Apple gift guide (which tells me I do, indeed, have a good eye). If you want more details, the ladies at ChipChick did a nice review.
Chances are I'll get one. Or two. But if I'm going to be a sheep led to the consumerist slaughter, at least I won't go quietly. Both of those handsome men will read this article. And lots of other people too…
- You Will Be Mesmerized By These XBox And PlayStation GIFs
As much as the consoles change, the controllers really stay pretty much the same. These hypnotizing GIFs from the folks over at Gadget Love prove it.
Many gamers will remember the monolithic controller of the original Xbox that shipped with the system in 2001. Microsoft slimmed it down for Xbox 360 and the current Xbox One version features only incremental changes. These include a more responsive D-Pad, better textures and grip on the analog sticks, and impulse triggers that feature unique vibrations.
PlayStation on the other end, made their biggest jump with the PlayStation 4 controller since they introduced the DualShock controller during the original PlayStation's run in 1998.
Unlike the Xbox — which axed the black and white buttons and added the left and right bumpers — the PlayStation's buttons have remained uniform. For the PS4, Sony's biggest addition was the multi-touchpad along the front of the controller, with smaller things such as a headphone jack for quieter late night gaming sessions coming as welcome tweaks.
And Nintendo…well who can keep track of all those controller changes?
- The Bright Side of Telephone Metadata
Since the exposure of the NSA's data collection tactics, telephonic metadata has become an unlikely star in the popular press. The Verizon order leaked by Edward Snowden has prompted a critical public education about how much can be learned from the information routinely recorded by our phone companies. But the same data currently playing a sinister role in national security surveillance is also fueling a wave of new research that will help international aid organizations save money and lives.
Global Pulse, a United Nations initiative, recently released a primer showing how cell phone metadata about the placement of phone calls and the location of the cell phone user can be mined during periods of crisis. A leading example comes from Haiti. When the devastating earthquake hit Port-au-Prince in 2010, cell tower geo-location data created a more accurate record of the destinations of evacuating city residents than the estimates of the Haitian government. Moreover, the destinations of the fleeing residents could have been predicted in advance: when disaster strikes, people go where they have social networks, and their social bonds are revealed through calling patterns that preceded the disaster. Thus, with some rudimentary network analysis, aid organizations can figure out where to send help before the emergency migrations are complete. Metadata can get the right amount of aid to the right places, faster.
Similar studies linking calling network data to migration patterns have been used to track the spread of Malaria in Kenya , and to validate Mexico's containment efforts during the H1N1 flu epidemic. So far, the research has been retrospective, but in the future cell phone data could be used to control the spread of disease in real time, with as few restrictions on mobility as possible.
Cell phone metadata also can be used as an indirect measure of a community's economic health. A 2010 study of UK cell phone data confirmed that areas placing and receiving calls from more diverse geographic locations are more prosperous, and have more economic opportunities. Knowing this, humanitarian groups can use aggregate calling patterns to monitor an area's financial security. They can also gauge whether development efforts in a particular region have worked.
These promising programs are a helpful reminder that mass data collection can be used in socially desirable ways, and that the NSA is not the only institution with an interest in this data. Of course, Global Pulse's data mining differs from the NSA's in one important respect: traceability. Cell phone metadata prepared for research purposes has been de-identified, and researchers are usually obliged to refrain from re-identifying any of the subjects. In contrast, the very goal of criminal and national security investigations is to identify, and possibly seize, the subjects of investigation. But the larger implication of data-driven humanitarian aid is that data collection is not inherently bad.
Global Pulse's projects are antidotes to the tired parade of New York Times articles generically criticizing modern data collection practices. Productive discussions of data policy should not attempt to reverse the ever-increasing reserves of data that accumulate in modern life. Instead, since data continually surprises us with new uses and insights, information policy should align incentives to increase socially valuable uses of data (like the ones described here) while decreasing uses that lead to adverse consequences.
- Tweet vs. Weeb: Twitter Valued 3x China's Weibo
We all know what a Tweet is… so what's a Weeb? Weeb is my term for what people in China are doing on Weibo, the Twitter-like service for Chinese.
For those new to Weibo it's pronounced "we bow." But does Wall Street? Bow, that is. Not yet it seems.
Let's take a closer look at each, especially in two ways: 1) what they mean for media and 2) the value compared to each other. How they stack up on Wall Street among investors.
When I first went to China in 1998 there were 6 million people online — in the whole country, and most of them were government researchers or university students.
Today there are about 800 million, many connecting via mobile.
Most of them are Weebing or using something similar using other services from Tencent or others. But my focus is these two head to head: Twitter vs. Sina's Weibo. Twitter (NASDAQ:TWTR) went public last month and has had a rollercoaster ride so far but up significantly from its $26/share pricing.
First off, I think the short and snappy bleating (the goat sound) both do is the future of media and marketing. The world of Information is free and accelerating. I also see the short form media becoming more widespread vs. the TV/radio/newspaper formats. I Tweet, therefore I am… all in 140k, or less.
Point two, how do these two compare in valuation? Investors value a Tweeter more than 3x that of the Weeber. The interesting thing is that both companies have about the same level of annualized sales if we take the most recent quarter and annualize it.
Let's go to the tables and charts, made with painstaking care:
(all $ in millions, except market cap ratios)
Note that Weibo is only a part of Sina (NASDAQ:SINA) but for sake of value it only emphasizes the gap even more with Twitter. All of Sina is valued about 80% less.
I don't own shares of either company. In terms of market I believe China's consumer and ad market is very attractive. Income is growing in China, people are buying gadgets and cars. Just ask any commuter in Beijing stuck in traffic with their smartphones.
We are entering the micro-media age. Welcome. Or should I just say 😉
- In the Throes of an Inflection Point
"The jobs are not coming back," said Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, to President Obama when asked about why Apple products cannot be made in the U.S. It was a dramatic moment: cold reality had just reverberated at the highest level. Everybody already knew that the U.S. economy had been hemorrhaging manufacturing jobs since the early 2000s. It was alarming to hear that high-tech has also been following suit. And once they go, it is hard to bring them back. It is a lose-lose situation. We are not only losing the jobs, but also the accumulation of expertise, which may otherwise have led to other innovations.
The invention of the printing press and injection moulding gave rise to a few great works of literature as well as affordable furniture and appliances for the masses. Today we are in the throes of another inflection point in the ease of materializing and exploiting new ideas. The global proliferation of the Internet and mobile computation devices has brought about cloud services, mobile app stores, and crowdfunding. It is now possible to go from ideation to prototype in a few days and sign up paying customers before building products. All one needs is a new idea, the will to create and enough domain knowledge to get the ball rolling.
For instance, you could have an idea on a Friday afternoon, throw together a quick prototype of the interaction model in AngularJS or JQuery that evening, get a bunch of friends to try it out on Saturday so you can iteratively demonstrate product-market fit, build a scalable and reliable back-end for the data using AppEngine or AWS on Sunday, and on Monday morning you can launch a KickStarter project to build mobile clients for it.
With unemployment riding a plateau, many young people find themselves with ample time to brainstorm new ideas and hack on them. What they don't necessarily have is the requisite skill to forge the initial prototype that gets people fired up about their vision. That's where massive open online courses (MOOCs), YouTube videos and the like can help. But sometimes there's no substitute for the immediacy and simplicity of an actual human expert on site. That's where ScriptEd volunteers are making an impact in classrooms, sharing the fruits of their training and experience with the next generation of movers and shakers.
Instead of putting students through months of mathematical rigor before they feel the power and joy of creating new software, ScriptEd has them writing code on day one. Sure, they will make mistakes. But even the best software engineers make mistakes; learning happens best through experimentation! More importantly, seeing their code result in visual artifacts before their eyes gives students a taste of what is possible with the skills they are picking up and inspires them to play around instead of plodding through a series of assignments.
In the spirit of quick experimentation, hackathons have been growing in popularity at college campuses across the country. As the term might suggest, a hackathon is a marathon hacking session during which a small group of avid programmers combine their talent and efforts to build something from scratch. Hackathons vary significantly in theme and scope but the notion of banding together to quickly solve a problem using technology remains a central tenet. Not all the results are shining examples of engineering but some of them do go on to improve lives in nontrivial ways, much as Kitty Hawk paved the way for the 747.
If programs like SciptEd succeed then humanity will reap the benefits of a population that doesn't care about unemployment levels and corporate ladders because they know how to build stuff that other people want instead of waiting around for HR departments to call them back. We may see groups of people coming together to invent new products and then scattering to form new alliances later. The future looks promising.
December 9-15 is Computer Science Education Week. On December 11, ScriptEd will host an Hour of Code event at Harlem Village Academies High School in New York City. On December 14, ScriptEd's students will put their programming skills to the test in ScriptEd's December Hackathon.
To learn more, go to ScriptEd.org.
- Husband Told To Choose Between Wife And Harley Is Selling Both On Craigslist
Given the choice between a motorcycle and a spouse, what would you choose?
Bob White of Virginia is letting the Internet decide for him. The Charles City man is selling his Harley Davidson motorcycle or his wife on Craigslist for $5,900.
According to the ad, posted on Richmond's Craigslist this week, he'll consider the best offer — for either the bike or his wife — and will also except trade-ins. In the humorous posting, White, who owns a motorcycle repair company, gives a rundown of both the 2006 XL1200L Sportster's and his wife's features.
"Sportster: Beautiful bike… pearl white with black and orange accent strips," the Craigslist ad reads. "Wife: Beautiful edition… white with a mean streak."
The Virginia husband isn't the first biker who's put his Harley up for sale because of his wife, but we think White's tongue-in-cheek ad has some better selling points.
Unfortunately, the ad seems to have been removed from Craigslist, so prospective buyers will have to look elsewhere.
- Obamacare Website Races To Catch Up
WASHINGTON (AP) — It looks like President Barack Obama's fickle health insurance website is finally starting to put up some respectable sign-up numbers, but its job only seems to have gotten harder.
Two months in and out of the repair shop have left significantly less time to fulfill the White House goal of enrolling 7 million people by the end of open enrollment on March 31. Signups were just over 100,000 nationally as of the end of October. The 36 states served by the federal government's website accounted for a paltry one-fourth of that, fewer than 27,000 people. But officials now say an additional 29,000 people enrolled through the revamped HealthCare.gov in just two days at the start of this week, despite heavy volume that not long ago would have caused the system to lock up.
HealthCare.gov is the online portal to subsidized private health insurance for people who don't have job-based coverage. Though it's too early to say whether the corner is being turned, Obama is inviting consumers to give the website a second chance. Here's a look at the changes you can expect:
Independent testers question the blazing Internet speeds claimed by techies at the Health and Human Services Department but say there's been noticeable progress.
"The trend is in the right direction … but there are still things they can do to make the user experience better," said Michael Smith, a vice president of engineering at Compuware Corp., which helps companies monitor the technical performance of their websites.
As of Thursday morning, the number of states where consumers are experiencing unacceptably long wait times had been cut in half, down to 13 from 26 states in late October.
Compuware defines "unacceptable" as more than 8 seconds average response time to load the home page. The government claims a response time of less than 1 second. But Smith says that is likely being measured from computers with fast Internet connections and doesn't account for the experience of consumers with less than ideal access, which is incorporated in his company's testing.
HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters acknowledged: "As with any website, the response times for individual consumers will vary depending on their computer's performance and the speed of their Internet."
Compuware says availability — a measure of consumers' success accessing the site — is up to 98 percent, close to the standard for commercial websites.
Many consumers were puzzled and frustrated when the federal website went live because it would not let them browse health plans without first setting up an account. That's the opposite of how e-commerce generally works. Most websites ask consumers to open an account after they're ready to purchase.
The flaw drove many people to an accounts creation page that turned out to be riddled with bugs and contributed to the system's early woes.
On Monday, HHS announced the deployment of a window-shopping function that lets prospective customers see plans and prices in their area, including previously unavailable details such as deductibles and cost-sharing, as well as provider networks.
People who got stuck in the system can now zap away their old applications and start over.
To do that, you log into your account, select the application in progress and hit "remove."
You have to follow that by closing and reopening your web browser. Then you log back in and start a new application.
The reset process may not be entirely foolproof because HHS advises consumers to reach out to the call center at 1-800-318-2596 if they have trouble.
To help stave off problems during periods of high user volume, the website now has a queuing system. Consumers can request email notifications of when is a good time to come back. The feature kicked in this week as people flooded back to check out the revamped website.
The site can now handle 50,000 simultaneous users. Each visitor spends an average of 20 to 30 minutes on the site. In theory, the site will support more than 800,000 consumer visits a day.
The big spikes in traffic are still to come. Expect that to happen after the middle of this month, since Dec. 23 is the last day that people can apply for coverage that will take effect Jan. 1. Even heavier volume is likely toward the end of open enrollment March 31, as procrastinators jump in.
Confident that the site is stable, the government is emailing people who got stuck in the system and inviting them back.
Still, reaching the goal of 7 million sign-ups seems like a tall order. The government's initial projections estimated that 1.2 million people would have enrolled by the end of November, and the number is likely to be only a fraction of that.
And the March 31 deadline doesn't mean that enrollment comes to a full stop.
That's because under the law, people who experience a significant change in their life circumstances can still get coverage after the open enrollment period is over. Such changes include divorce, the birth of a child, loss of coverage, moving to another state or losing a job.
Rick Curtis of the nonprofit Institute for Health Policy Solutions estimates that as many as 20 million people could become eligible for coverage later in 2014, though it's not clear how many of those would enroll.
"About as many people will become eligible over the course of the year as are eligible now," Curtis said.
- AT&T Says It Doesn't Need To Disclose All NSA Data Requests
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — AT&T, under fire for ongoing revelations that it shares and sells customers' communications records to the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence offices, says it isn't required to disclose to shareholders what it does with customers' data.
In a letter sent Thursday to the Securities and Exchange Commission, AT&T said it protects customer information and complies with government requests for call records "only to the extent required by law."
The telecom giant's letter was a response to a shareholder revolt sparked on Nov. 20 by the New York State Common Retirement Fund, the ACLU of Northern California and others. The groups are demanding that AT&T and Verizon be more transparent about their dealings with the NSA.
In the letter, AT&T said information about assisting foreign intelligence surveillance activities is almost certainly classified. The company said it should not have to address the issue at its annual shareholders meeting this spring.
Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties policy director at the ACLU of Northern California said AT&T has overstepped its bounds.
"It's outrageous that AT&T is trying to block the shareholder proposal," she said. "Customers have a right to know how often their private information is ending up in the government's hands."
After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, U.S agencies established a warrantless program to monitor phone calls and e-mail between individuals in the United States and other countries who are suspected of having links to terrorism. But disclosures in recent weeks from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have exposed the breadth and depth of U.S. government surveillance programs on the Internet and over other telecommunications networks. The Washington Post reported this week that the NSA tracks locations of nearly 5 billion cellphones every day overseas, including those of Americans.
Companies are responding to the revelations in a variety of ways. Tech firms including Yahoo and Google are pushing back, adding encryption, filing motions in the FISA court, and arguing that the NSA is overstepping its bounds.
But telecommunications firms appear to be cooperating fully.
"AT&T has not made it clear to investors or customers what data it shares or with whom. Customers should not be the last to know how their personal information is being used by governmental agencies," said New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
DiNapoli co-signed the AT&T shareholder resolution on behalf of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which holds assets totaling about $161 billion. The fund owns more than 15 million shares of AT&T valued at roughly $517 million.
"Customer trust is critical for any business, but nowhere is it more so than for those corporations that handle our personal data and communications," DiNapoli said.
Follow Martha Mendoza at https://twitter.com/mendozamartha.
- Shopping Season
The holidays are right around the corner. It's no wonder I've got shopping on the mind. And as with the contagion of Christmas music in a mall, I can't help but join the carol of intrigue surrounding the new health care marketplace.
The health insurance exchanges are open. Unfortunately, we can't really shop there. No, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon and killing the government for 'technical glitches.' The exchanges' fits and starts may very well impact which party takes seats in the legislature and wins out in the court of public opinion, but will not likely be the undoing of the exchanges or their promise. However major, the kinks will be worked through and when thought about in the context of what has been spent to date in comparison to the size of the health care market itself, the dollars against the rework are pedestrian. The real reason we can't shop on the exchanges is because they are not true marketplaces with choice. In our normal everyday shopping experiences, American consumers are accustomed to choice. We can splurge for the deluxe version, or go for the budget option. We can buy from the local guy, or from our favorite national chain. With shopping, we can always go elsewhere, or if we're not satisfied with the options, we can give up on the shopping adventure entirely. These are the fundamental principles of shopping, and Americans have mastered them. So how can we have designed a national storefront for health care that offers no real choice or the freedom to navigate within a truly open market?
On the plus side, with the insurance exchanges the government has dipped the health care industry's toe into shopping. Despite an inability for most to get from look-see to sign-up, HealthCare.gov has seen more looks than the most popular kitten video on YouTube. Any new online retailer would be thrilled to attract that traffic. Of course, having shoppers turn up en masse is certainly easier to achieve when the alternative is a federal fine. Regardless, the entire country is talking about HealthCare.gov (we are engaged), and the needle has been moved in the right direction in terms of focusing the American people on health care plans, policies, and enrollment. That's good news. However, the popularly-held belief that the "glitches" are the hurdle the exchanges need to overcome to truly be impactful is shortsighted. Sure, the glitches have prevented the all-important front-door from opening for too many, and there are back-end issues that need resolve; still, I can't help but focus on how we missed the mark on introducing the fundamentals of shopping. It's an opportunity wasted in the exchange setting, and as an example to be set for the broader health care marketplace. It is this – the lack of true shopping – that may prove the undoing of the exchanges, or in the very least will severely diminish their impact on reshaping health care.
The limited choices offered within the exchanges remind me of Wendy's 1987 "Russian Fashion Show" commercial. Remember it? "Daywear!" "Eveningwear!" "Swimwear!" And they were all the same despite some cheesy accessory. The current reality of the insurance exchanges is a less humorous illustration of how illusory "choice" can be in an unimaginative and over-regulated environment. Government tells sellers what they can offer and what they can charge, and buyers what they are allowed to buy.
To get shopping to work in health care, we need to create real market dynamics, with many sellers constantly bumping up against one another to compete for the customer. Right now, all four medal plans (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) that the government allows on the shelves are wearing the same gray uniform – all required to offer the same roster of "Essential Benefits." Everything looks the same because the scope of benefits is the same.
In the rest of our dynamic economy, disruptive innovations frequently change the game, making incumbent players compete harder to sustain brand leadership and customer share. Until the exchanges can move beyond the government's oversight of who can sell what, to whom, and how, we'll never see truly disruptive health plan offerings that are necessary to stoke competition and change the landscape of shopping today. The role of government is to protect power from concentrating in market, not to define the boundaries and players of a market.
For the exchanges to become 'true' marketplaces a few things need to happen. Neither of which expressly focus on getting the technology right. We will assume that happens on whatever timetable a mulligan of this magnitude takes, December 1 or thereafter.
First, insurers must be allowed and incented to compete on policy design and on price. For that to happen, more variation in plans must be allowed. We need more players and products, which requires a reimagined definition of what an insurer is and can be. I am but one example, but I'd love the plan that doesn't cover in vitro fertilization (I have five kids), leaves me high-and-dry if I get stage four cancer (because I'd want to die at home), doesn't support primary care (because I'm willing to manage this on my own), but covers me from sunrise to sunset on pharmaceutical alternatives and natural remedies. I can't buy this today.
Second, we need to get a handle on the subsidies. Right now the very subsidies that allow the masses to get insurance also obscure the total cost from too many consumers. As a result, "shoppers" on the exchanges behave much like "shoppers" before the exchanges, making decisions primarily on convenience rather than the ordinary metrics of shopping: price and quality. We need to arm patients (shoppers) with real data so they can direct where they go for care – where they send their health care dollars.
Nobody who exists in our current economy today would argue with the proposition that technology can be a powerful enabler of shopping. And I'm willing to bet the majority of the millions of people who have tried to enroll or window shop in the insurance exchanges these last two months would agree that the intent of the exchanges is good, but the service delivery and product design is bad. I deeply admire the well-meaning social good and zealous intent of the exchanges, but if the exchanges are to survive and truly make a difference not only must the storefront improve (and it will), but as important, the merchandise must become distinguishable, the seller bench must grow, and buyers need a clear window into price and quality. By bringing these elements that revolve around creativity, personalization and 'informed' choice to the fore, we can make shopping for health insurance as American as shopping for cars, jeans or a new tablet computer. With any luck, by the time the holidays roll around next year, it will be easy for a loved one to give a custom gift of health insurance.
Jonathan Bush is CEO and president of athenahealth, a provider of cloud-based services for electronic health records, practice management, and care coordination.
- Increasing Innovation by Removing Patent Threats
Yesterday I was proud to support H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act, which will help to rein in patent trolls, which have seriously damaged American businesses and consumers.
Patent trolls are companies or individuals who obtain overbroad patents, and then send letters to actual innovators alleging infringement — often without clearly identifying themselves or the patent at issue — to demand money. If they sue, they may deliberately run up discovery costs to pressure the defendant into a settlement. Patent trolls may use shell companies in order to obscure ownership of the patent, sensing a large return on investment from threatening lawsuits against small entities that cannot afford to defend themselves in court.
Organizations of all sorts are being targeted by patent trolls and face costly but unwarranted licensing fees and settlements. This is affecting non-profits that have been asked for $1,000 per employee just for using scanners, and thousands of small businesses that have received letters seeking licensing fees simply for providing wifi to customers.
These businesses and organizations are either faced with the choice of not providing certain services or charging customers exorbitant costs for their use. In most cases, the targeted small organizations cannot afford to go to court to defend themselves. But when they do, the trolls lose over 85 percent of the time — indicating that most of these lawsuits are not legitimate. In our current system, however, it is too costly and time-consuming to defend against their attacks.
Sadly, the impact of patent troll activity is estimated to be $29 billion per year. This is money that could be better spent by Silicon Valley innovators on research and development, and by small businesses on improving customer service or expanding operations. Patent trolls are stifling our economy.
I cosponsored and support the Innovation Act because it is an important first step toward addressing this problem. It will allow the targets of patent suits to know what they are alleged to be infringing and who is bringing that allegation forward. It will shift the costs of litigation to patent trolls who lose cases that are deemed to be not reasonably justified, making it easier for defendants to fight off attacks. It will change the rules of discovery so that defendants will not be subject to wide-ranging requests that run up costs and drag out the process — an effort to drive frivolous cases to settlement. And it will allow manufacturers to step in and assist their customers who are accused of infringing on a patent simply for using a product they purchased off the shelf.
H.R. 3309 enjoys broad, bipartisan support because it will make the patent system stronger, stop abusive behavior that has hampered the system, and save the court's time and limited resources. It passed the House easily, and I look forward to working with the Senate so that we can send a bill to the president and remove the threat of patent trolls from the American economy.
- 3D Virtual Simulator Shows What's Happening Inside A Mother's Body During Birth
By: By Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer
Published: 12/05/2013 02:09 PM EST on LiveScience
It seems there's almost nothing computers can't simulate these days: Now, a new computer program simulates human birth using 3D virtual reality.
The simulator is the first of its kind to take into account factors such as the shape of the mother's body, and the shape and position of the baby. It could help doctors and midwives prepare for unusual or dangerous births, according to the researchers in England who developed it.
"You can't see inside during a live birth. The simulator shows you what's happening inside," said Rudy Lapeer, a computer scientist at the University of East Anglia, leader of the research that was presented Nov. 22 at a conference on E-Health and Bioengineering in Romania. [Blossoming Body: 8 Odd Changes That Happen During Pregnancy]
Hospitals have used models to simulate the birthing process since the 1800s, Lapeer told LiveScience. But whereas most current simulators are based on known scenarios, the new simulator models the physics of childbirth — the basic forces exerted by the cervix, abdominal muscles and the doctor or midwife — so it can simulate an unfamiliar birth scenario.
The simulator is also designed to be patient-specific. Doctors can scan a pregnant woman, and then adapt the simulator to her anatomy. They can run through a number of scenarios based on previous births.
For example, in macrosomia, in which a baby weighs significantly more than average, doctors could use the simulator to determine whether the baby could be delivered vaginally or would require a cesarian section to prevent shoulder dystocia (when a shoulder gets stuck in the birth canal), for instance.
The simulator can also be used for training. Currently, doctors or midwives must learn on mannequins or by watching live births, but these don't let them see how the baby is moving inside its mother.
The computer program is limited in that it doesn't include movements of the perineal muscles of the mother's pelvis, nor does it include movements of the fetus. And it currently only models one baby, and one pelvis.
During the vast majority of births, the baby performs a distinct set of seven movements. Currently, the simulator can reproduce three of them, Lapeer said. But he hopes the system will be able to simulate all of these movements within a year.
Ultimately, imaging technology will enable doctors to run the birth simulator during the birth itself. That kind of "augmented reality" would allow doctors to see how the baby is positioned, and adapt the delivery procedures accordingly. That technology is probably at least a decade away, Lapeer said, "but ultimately, we will get there."
Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ]]>
- The Toxic Smog Cloud Hanging Over Shanghai Looks Just As Bad As It Sounds
Shanghai is notorious for its terrible air quality, but the smog in this Chinese metropolis just hit absurd levels. The government's air pollution monitoring site records the level of PM2.5, particulate matter hazardous to health, at 477 as of this writing, one of the highest pollution levels ever recorded. The World Health Organization recommends an average PM2.5 level of 20 or below.
A fetid product of industrial pollution, car exhaust and particulate matter from coal burning, this blanket has been left to fester in the city's streets due to a bout of cold and still weather. It makes the city a dangerous place to be a living, breathing human right now. "Severely polluted" air, the government site states, puts residents at increased risk of cardiopulmonary diseases, and it's suggested that everyone in the city avoid outdoor activity.
This is a clear day in Shanghai:
And this is Shanghai at all-time high levels of air pollution:
Oriental Pearl Tower. Range: about 400m. (No filter) pic.twitter.com/IlbqlDopER
— John Ruwitch (@jruwitch) December 6, 2013
Shanghai this morning, AQI in the 400s, worst air pollution I've seen in the city. Air filters on high. pic.twitter.com/To6tQAAnOh
— Rob Schmitz (@rob_schmitz) December 6, 2013
Wow, Shanghai looks like Cloud City. Except those clouds are made of death. pic.twitter.com/R5c108PkzJ
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) December 5, 2013
Air pollution creeps indoors as smog hits new record in Shanghai. http://t.co/iwCkl058Ng pic.twitter.com/ENo8QT71I3
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) December 6, 2013
Google Maps currently showing half of Shanghai covered in smog pic.twitter.com/2o7HiZgMM9
— Bridget O'Donnell (@bridgers) May 13, 2013
A Reddit user posted photos taken on Thursday and Friday, showing the dramatic change:
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described Shanghai as the capital of China. That would be Beijing.
- Steeri, The World's First Driverless Car App, Will Definitely Wreck Your Car
Think an app that drives your car for you is a great idea? Good luck with that.
- 'Today' Show Remembers Nelson Mandela In The Entirely Wrong Way
Media outlets around the world are offering inspired remembrances of Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday at the age of 95.
And then there is NBC's "Today" show.
For some reason, "Today" asked writers for Fast Company's Co.Design website to "live-emoji" Friday's show — that is, to interpret segments of the morning news program though emojis, the cutesy Japanese cousins to emoticons.
Here, courtesy of the "Today" show's website, is how these design wizards noted the passing of Mandela:
According to the "Today" show's key, the emoji people are, from left to right, Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Matt Lauer and Al Roker.
This groan-worthy commemoration isn't entirely out of left field for Co.Design, which has in the past used emjois to interpret news, movies, TV and books. Most of the time, it's just a fun use of a messaging medium that is becoming popular in the U.S.
But maybe some topics are not quite right for emojification.
Digest powered by RSS Digest


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There's a saying that goes "life comes at you fast," that we often hear or even say. When you think you may have things figured out, in the blink of an eye, it can all come crashing down. One of the most important things I can attest to is, if you can't change the outcome change your outlook. Life can fly by so fast if you allow it. We need to stop wasting precious time on regrets, doubts, anger, hurt, and confusion.
Focus on the good in life and make this ride in the fast lane a premium experience. Take time to experience life through mind, body and spirit. Don't get lost in the fast lane!
Chondra K.


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Justin Smillie and Stephen Starr Partner Up
They're opening a restaurant inside the former Manzanilla space.
After he leaves Il Buco Alimentari in mid-June, Justin Smillie will collaborate with Stephen Starr on a new Mediterranean-style restaurant inside the sprawling Manzanilla space. Starr recently told Grub, "For our company and our brand, I think it's important to establish meaningful restaurants in New York," and he's also working on a restaurant here with Peter Serpico. Smillie's project is set to open in the fall. [Earlier, NYT]


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Boulder Cyclocross #1
We are back for our 11th straight year of quality cyclocross racing. We have five races lined up for the 2011 season. Come play on the best courses where the racers promote the races!
Location: Xilinx
$ Over $5,000 in cash and prizes $ *For overall series ranking.
Registration: Race Day Registration Only Non ACA licensed riders must purchase one-day license, $10 fee. Annual license NOT available at race site. Registration opens at 7:40am, closes 20 min before race start. Call-ups 10min before start &1strace based upon '09 series overalls. 2nd race $10. Race will proceed rain or shine! No refunds. ACA Racing Rules apply. MTB's allowed, no bar-ends. CX age based on age as of 12/31/2011 (add one year to your road racing age). CR: Tim Madden. Kids races free, at every race, separate course.
Directions: Xilinx HQ: 3100 Logic Drive, Longmont. Follow the Diagonal northeast from Boulder towards Longmont for approx. 8 miles Just before entering Longmont make a left on Fordham Rd heading north. Race parking is on the second left behind the Xilinx building. Follow signs to parking.
Questions: Brian, 303.981.7342, firstname.lastname@example.com
1 Comment
Submitted by Ritual Chocolate (not verified) on
Don't forget! There's gonna be waffles! Belgian waffles!


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Stephanie E. Workman and Todd G. Baize, both of Amarillo, were married Saturday evening at St. Stephen United Methodist Church. The Rev. Rusty Sieck officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Jelaine and Keith Workman of Amarillo. Grandparents of the bride are Bill and JoAnn Beall of Mesa, Ariz., and Bobbye Workman of Olton, all of whom attended the wedding, and the late Bob Workman.
Parents of the groom are Rene and Van Baize of Bowie. Grandparents of the groom are Gayle and Earlene Baize of Coleman, both of whom attended the wedding.
Matron of honor was Vanessa McFaul of Amarillo. Bridal attendants were Vanessa Baize, sister of the groom, Christy Clark and Rachelle Knapp.
Best man was Russell Woollard. Groom's attendants were Andrew Neighbors, Joel Brooks, Mitch Workman, brother of the bride, Justin Wesbrooks and Jason Wesbrooks.
Junior ushers were Reid Beall of Mesa and Bobby Wayne Workman of Olton, both cousins of the bride.
Flower girl was Olivia Beall of Mesa, cousin of the bride.
Candlelighters were Kaci Workman of Olton, cousin of the bride; and Mark Everett Knapp.
Kathy Clark and Mitch Workman provided special music.
The bride wore a linear design of embroidered soutache and Venice lace, which accented the short-sleeved bodice of the off-the-shoulder formal gown. Hand beading of Austrian crystal rhinestones adorned the rich Italian dulciana satin. The snugly-fitted basque waist and deep "v-" back neckline accented the bouffant skirt and semi-cathedral train, which was caught up with a unique bustle bow.
The color theme was ice blue and white. The bride chose white roses, carnations and daisies as her floral selection.
The wedding reception was held at Fletcher Fellowship Hall. Reception attendants were Amanda Barrick, JoAnne Baumgardner, LaDawn Baten, Alicia Baker, Denise Webb and Khristi Jones.
The couple plan a honeymoon to Jamaica.
The bride graduated from Amarillo High School and attended Amarillo College. She is a customer service representative at Amarillo National Bank's Coulter Financial Center.
The groom graduated from Wheeler High School and earned a bachelor of arts degree from West Texas A&M University. He is a credit analyst with Amarillo National Bank.
The couple will reside in Amarillo.
Amarillo Globe-News © 2016. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy / About Our Ads


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27 Jun 2016 10:58:10pm
The video was interesting and revealing but some of the solutions suggested to solve problems of scarce resources were as alarming as the problems themselves.
I was surprised to learn just how uneconomical, in terms of resources, our farming methods are but I was equally surprised to hear Rosemary Stanton suggest we attack the problem by raising the price of food so farmers will not have to export and thus lessen the resource drain. Now, I agree that most farmers, ie all but the big guys, should get a better return for their work but a better solution would be to cut out the middle men. After all, it is the middle men who are hijacking the farming profits, not the consumers. What we need is a lot more farmers markets in the cities as well as the country, where we can buy directly from the farmer. Farmers markets were suggested in the video, I think by a member of the audience, but did not get anywhere near the time and credit given to increased food prices which was recommended over and over again. I think most pensioners and all the homeless in the country would agree with me that cutting out the middle men is a much better solution than increasing prices.
The other alarming suggestion, made by Dana Cordell, was that we all store tank loads of our pee under our houses as a solution for the problem of dwindling supplies of phosphorus. She recommended a toilet with an outlet for pee which is already being used in, I think she said Switzerland. She claimed this would be safe because the pee is separated from the poo and pee is sterile. Well I can only say that anyone who supports this idea must never have suffered from diarrhea or even loose bowels. A member of the audience suggested a much better solution that has been tried and tested before and worked beautifully for centuries. This is the old practice of rotating fields. For example, if a farmer has three fields he puts cattle on the first field. Then the next year he moves the cattle to the second field. The first field supplied with phosphorous by the cattle can then be planted with crops. The third year he moves the cattle to the third field, plants crops in the second field and leaves the first field fallow. The fourth year he moves the cattle to the first field etc.


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Launched last year, the Suunto Ambit brought a new level of functionality to the GPS watch market. Not only could its GPS keep tabs on your speed, distance and vertical, but it allowed for full navigation functions, routing you in and out of the great outdoors. Suunto has now revealed the second generation of Ambit watches with something for both explorers and athletes. Read More
Given the ubiquitous nature of smartphones and the ever-increasing megapixel count of their onboard camera sensors, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the compact digital camera may have snapped its very last snap. Sony believes that its new Cyber-shot HX50V superzoom will make you think again. Claimed to be the world's smallest and lightest 30x zoom camera currently available, the low light sensitive 20-megapixel camera features both Wi-Fi and GPS, high-speed AutoFocus, optical image stabilization, and boasts an impressive battery life.Read More
With government encouragement, London is seeing more cyclists taking to the road, which is great for the environment and public health. Unfortunately, London's roads were built for oxcarts, not bicycles, and certainly not cyclists and lorries at the same time. Sat nav company Navevo, in association with Transport for London (TLC), is trying to make this combination a bit safer with Navevo's ProNav HGV Cyclist Alert software, which provides visual and audible warnings of junctions and stretches of road with heavy cycle traffic.Read More
TomTom is a name that sometimes gets lost in the GPS market amidst the Garmins and Magellans. The company is hoping that it will stand out against those names in a new segment of the market: fitness watches. Its new range of GPS-powered fitness monitors is designed to provide a sleeker look and fit while giving athletes all the information they need to perfect their training. Read More
The Global Positioning System (GPS) has proved a boon for those with a bad sense of direction, but the satellite-based system isn't without its shortcomings. Something as simple as going indoors or entering a tunnel can render the system useless. That might be inconvenient for civilians, but it's potentially disastrous for military users for whom the system was originally built. DARPA is addressing such concerns with the development of a self-sufficient navigation system that can aid navigation when GPS is temporarily unavailable.Read More
Mapping environmental threats in GPS-inaccessible locations – such as underground installations, or the passageways of ships – can certainly pose some challenges. While there are robotic systems that can do the job, robots aren't necessarily the best choice for cramped quarters or uneven terrain. That's why a team of scientists at Johns Hopkins University have developed the backpack-mounted Enhanced Mapping and Positioning System ... or EMAPS. Read More
Bicycles are a notoriously easy target for thieves, but technology is here to help in the form of a new device that promises to help cyclists safeguard their property and recover it if stolen. Currently seeking funds on KickStarter, the Chicago-based BikeSpike team has designed a GPS tracker that features a built-in antenna, an on-board accelerometer and a connection to a GSM mobile phone network that allows users to keep tabs on their bike via a smartphone or computer.Read More
Todd Humphreys and his students at the University of Texas in Austin are tired of waiting for augmented reality that meets the promise of the technology we've been hearing about and seeing in science fiction for years now. So they set out to build it themselves, and presented a very rough prototype for the first time at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW) in Austin on Friday.Read More
Many of us use our vehicle navigation systems on a daily basis, and as self-driving cars come into common use – assuming they do – such systems will become even more important. Unfortunately, however, the GPS technology that's integral to vehicle navigation can be thwarted by obstacles such as tall buildings. A team of researchers at Spain's Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) are attempting to address that problem, with a system that is said to drastically boost GPS accuracy in city driving. Read More
Researchers at Scandinavia's largest research organization, SINTEFF, have been trialling a prototype GPS application to track dementia sufferers living at home, in institutions, and in other forms of shared accommodation facilities. The project has seen more than 50 dementia sufferers using the system for periods of up to a year and according to the researchers, people equipped with it felt safer, had more freedom to move around and enjoyed better quality of life. Read More
See the stories that matter in your inbox every morning


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Shop for Discount Ceramic Floor Tiles. Price comparison, consumer reviews, and store ratings on Shopping. How can I fix my kitchen floor? I have a ceramic tile floor and all are cracked. large ceramic floor tile. How can I fix my kitchen floor? Discount Porcelain Tile And Bath Products. You want a spectacular bathroom, a stunning kitchen, or fabulous floors, but you don't want to pay luxurious prices. The tiles generally used in the bathrooms are ceramic and the ceramic tiles are made out of clay, shale or porcelain.
Save up to 80% off Ceramic Tile and Porcelain Tiles. Discount designer ceramic subway ceramic tile in a range of stylish designs and colors from Anchor Bay Tile to meet all of your ceramic tile needs. Here you will find a huge selection of ceramic tiles for bathrooms. We have a large selection of different colors and styles of ceramic tiles for bathrooms. Ceramic tile ranges in color from white to black. We feature a wide variety of over 5,000 ceramic tile types ranging from 4×4 pieces to 20×20. American Olean Satinglo Ceramic Mosaic Tile Chili Pepper 2in x 2in is master-set mounted on 24in x 2in sheets.
Buy one inch ceramic tile at BizRate, the best price comparison search engine on the web. Shop, compare and save when you buy online. Ceramic floor tiles are promoted on wide scale in the present scenario, different designs, shapes and varied colors are available of these tiles. your source for floor Wall ceramic tile, mosaic tiles, Tools. Laminate flooring is relatively inexpensive, mimics the look of real hardwood floors and is easy to care for.
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Buy 1 inch ceramic tiles from top rated stores. Comparison shopping for the best price. With the RotoZip XB-FT1 Floor Tile XBIT, you can make intricate and detailed cuts in porcelain, granite, slate, glass and ceramic floor tile. Posted By admin on August 7, 2010. Tile Stone Forums > Cleaning, Restoration and Sealing Hi folks, been a while anyways, what product do I use to clean a very old white Steve. Posted By admin on July 22, 2010. Posted By admin on July 22, 2010. White Ceramic Floor Tiles. How do you get white oil-based paint off of dark brown ceramic tiles and grouting?
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Home Remodeling Guide >> Designing With Materials>> Ceramic and Porcelain Tile >> Tile Installation Patterns. Tile Stone Flooring – Top Notch Ceramic Tile and Stone Brands for Tile Floors: Tile flooring comes in two popular choices, ceramic and stone tiles. Improve Your Home When Using Creativity. It is important that you have a creative impulse when you are thinking about making home improvements. com: Installing ceramic floor tile depends heavily on the ceramic tile floor layout. Ceramic tile adhesive is also important.
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The following images were done using a Hasselblad 500 c/m, a Diana+ and a Lubitel2. At the time I was learning how to come to terms with my agoraphobia. Being outside was never easy but having one of my cameras with me helped immensely.
I preferred taking the middle format cameras with me, not just because the results are perfect. Let's be honest, I love the suqare format more than anything. But I also took them, because I look at the world differently when looking through their viewfinder.
What you see on the following pages are the results of these excursions and me claiming back my outdoor life.
I'm a freelance photographer focusing on portraits and animal photography. Whenever I work on projects I work with analogue cameras (old SLR from my dad, a Diana+ and soon my very own Hasselblad). // Ich bin freiberufliche Fotografin. Neben klassischen Portraitaufnahmen, widme ich mich gerne der Tierfotografie, sowie Fotostrecken zu verschiedenen Themen.
Comment posted.
sapata says
Lovely book !
Great pictures from two complete diferent cameras... very well done !
posted at 06:35AM Jul 13 PST
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My Plastic Year 2011 Published December 13, 2011
365/2010 Published December 02, 2011
Cats and Dogs -a journal Published October 09, 2011
my journal Published October 09, 2011
Year of the Forest Published May 22, 2011
the World entire Published January 28, 2011
365 One Year with Wesley & Leeloo Published February 21, 2010
Atemzuege / breath Published November 05, 2009


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Weed Identification
Australia > > Leucaena
Notes: Cultivated for fodder and widely planted in tropical and sub tropical Australia. Leucaena is a serious environmental weed that forms dense thickets excluding other plants. Plants contains mimosine and are toxic to stock if eaten in large quantities. Plants grow in areas with over 650 mm rainfall per year, are frost and fire sensitive and prefer deep, well drained slightly acid to alkaline soils. Two subspecies (ssp.), ssp. glabrata (the preferred fodder ssp.) with hairless new growth, and ssp. leucocephala with hairy new growth, are grown in Australia. Both ssp. are weedy.
Pod and seeds, Charters Towers, Qld
Tree growing in Darwin, NT
This weed has been included in the WEEDeck field guide as card T20
Australia > > Leucaena
National Weeds Strategy
Telephone: (03) 6344 9657
Fax: (03) 6343 1877
Email: email@example.com
|Site Design - Computer Support Tasmania
|© Australian Weeds Committee


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Win a family forest break
We've teamed up with Forest Holidays to offer two lucky readers a three-night weekend or a four-night midweek stay for up to four people at any of Forest Holidays' sites. Locations include the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, Strathyre in Perthshire, Argyll, Cropton and Keldy in North Yorkshire and, from March 2012, a new site in Sherwood Forest.
The lucky winners will enjoy a break in a luxury Silver Birch cabin, complete with an outdoor private hot tub, a master bedroom with sumptuous soft furnishing and a huge floor-to-ceiling window offering beautiful forest views.
These peaceful sites are in the heart of some of the most secluded woodlands in Britain, where their natural character is preserved and nurtured by the Forestry Commission.
And even if you don't win, you can save 15 percent on a weekend break commencing 23 December 2011, and you can extend your stay for four more nights between Christmas and New Year and receive 50 percent off. A 15 percent discount is also available for January bookings.
To claim this offer go to the Forest Holidays website (www.forestholidays.co.uk/countryfile) and quote 'Countryfile' when you make your booking. Offer ends 23 December 2011.
To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, just answer this question:
Which of these forests is also a national park?
A Forest of Dean
B Sherwood Forest
C The New Forest
Subscribe to BBC Countryfile Magazine today and you can enjoy generous savings from the shop price plus, Free UK delivery and discounts off special editions and back issues.


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This Wednesday, April 11, Archiver's stores are offering 43% off on all stickers and embellishments. As shown on the Archiver's website, this sale "Includes everything from Jolee's stickers to rub-ons, buttons, ribbon, flowers and SO much more!"
Now would be a great time to stock up on the beautiful and unique embellishment items offered at Archiver's. In the Denver area you can shop in Aurora, Highlands Ranch or Westminster. Set your clocks. All stores open at 10 AM and close at 9PM, plenty of time for you to get shopping and add the latest embellishments to your crafting stash.
Happy shopping!


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Providing the best information, resources and support for Cessna owners and Cessna pilots worldwide.
Member Benefits include:
The Best monthly magazine for Cessna owners and pilots
bringing you first-run informative articles with stunning photography and layout
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Fast, friendly response to your technical question
Our aviation experts are here to help you.
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