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Dec 12, 2016
My long-lost uncle recently passed away and I inherited a lot of money. Not really, but wouldn't that be exciting? I of course said long-lost because if it was someone you were close to this news would be heartbreaking! Ok so I have a lot of money, what do I do with it? Are there certain things that make more sense from a tax standpoint?
What but what should you spend it on? Should you go on a lavish vacation? Well, sure you might as well, but what about something more practical? If you are like most Americans you have debt. You have credit card debt, car loans, a home mortgage, student loans, etc. Remember interest you pay on your credit cards and car loans is not deductible at all on a tax return. Interest paid on a home mortgage is deductible if you are able to itemize your deductions and student loan interest directly reduces your income. Credit cards often times carry the highest interest rates and for your personal situation it would make the most sense to pay off those high interest credit cards. If you can pay off everything then that is great, but if not, make sure you pay the items with the highest interest and the least tax benefit: credit cards and auto loans! Keep in mind if you pay off your house and you previously could itemize, you may not have enough deductions to continue to itemize in the future without that mortgage interest.
Other things to consider doing with the money is fully funding your tax deductible retirement plan, or perhaps donating to charity. Charitable donations are another one of those itemized deductions, so if you have enough money you could consider investing the money and then contributing to charity each year an equivalent amount as to what your mortgage deduction would have been.
Bottom line if you inherit some money, find time to have fun with it, invest it wisely, and make good financial decisions. You do not want to pay off all your debt to later learn you lost a lot of tax deductions and end up paying a lot in taxes. Make sure you contact a CPA and a financial planner if you are ever so lucky!
By: Tara West, CPA, CMA, CGMA


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I'm exploring the web to find sites I like
Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
"Three star? Not even close!"
Posted by: K on Mar 20, 2011
see all reviews
The Playa Naco Golf & Tennis Resort is located right on the golden sand beach of Playa Dorada.
Share your experiences with others. Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form.
"This resort is very relaxed and comfortable."
Posted by:
Cindy and Rocky from New Brunswick on Mar 1, 2009 >
2 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Mar, 2009
441 people found this review helpful
traveled can-jet OUT OF Fredericton...delayed due to weather. other than that it was great. the return was right on time and comfortable. rooms were ready upon check in every one recieved everything quickly. staff were friendly and professional. everything worked! no complaints
newely renovated building we all recieved great rooms air conditioning, and hot water were always available..nice and quiet..keep very clean. grerat view from our balcony of the ocean..and ships on the horizon at night. BEAUTIFUL
Restaurants and Bars
tried cocomo's at the beach, and the carribian grill.. usually used the night buffett..good variety and lots to eat! the beach grill was always great for lunch with lots of favorites to choose from. always quick service at the bars, and quite frequently we were served right at our chairs during the early afternoon on the beach.
the beach is the best on the strip very clean..look for bobby and tip him well he takes care of this 6 days a week, and starts at 3am. never used the pool as i am a beach girl, the grounds are well keep, always work beind done and clean up is a daily event with leaves etc...falling from the trees. lots of beauty all around
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
i get tired of the entertainment..as it seems to be the same..however having said this they work very hard to include everyone. and to keep things fresh and new! jr., antonio, and the paparrzi are great fun!
Other Comments
we have been going to this resort for 10 years and this year we noticed more of the changes that the new owners have been talking about! this resort is very relaxed and comfortable..just what we like when we go away..no stress, no worries, no high formalities! just relaxation and fun...see you all in 2010.
"Basicly a fine old resort in need of repair"
Posted by:
David on Mar 1, 2009 >
22 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Mar, 2009
442 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Feb 17 - Feb 24
arrival and check in was handled professionally by compident staff with the tour company reps in attendence received the rooms I had requested by email as my wife had been to this resort 7 yrs ago
the rooms were clean and cleaned every day but the rooms are tired and in bad need of simple scheduled maintenance plumbing is breaking down and leaking with toilets running all the time hot water depends on which room your in towels facecloths bathmatts are few and far between staff work hard but seem to have little to work with there are three renovated buildings which appear to be getting all the attention
Restaurants and Bars
not enough bars always a line up if it wasn'tout of a frozen despenser or tap beer forget it buffet had repetive items yet of good quality the resort needs at least one more bar the four lacart restaurants are ok but nothing is out standing they are as the rest of the resort making do
poor had very little use all week at some point the swimup bar has been removed beach is wide and out standing the resorts best feature long sandy with light surf grounds are green with established folage not as lush or colorful as our last 3 trips to mexico realy missed the wild life thats not on the resort
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
been here in the Dominican 4 previously so his trip was beach and relax but the plaza is so convient go go often good deals to be had
Other Comments
basicly a fine old resort in need of repair and a motivated staff we have always like this resort and are dissapointed the new owners are so slow in bringing it up to it glory days
"We will return there no doubt"
Posted by:
Gary on Mar 1, 2009 >
6 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Mar, 2009
442 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Feb. 26 - Mar. 08
Arrival went well and on time. Our first room was totally unaceptable.Dirty, black mould on walls. We refused to unpack. We were acommodated quickly by Ramon,the mgr. on duty ,and transferred to a newly renovated suite.
Aside from the original room ,the new room was clean, modern,bright and cool with the a/c. Ask for second key card. The electricity goes off if not inserted into switch.
Restaurants and Bars
Tried the alacarte but preferred the buffet. The beach buffet had great afternoon snacks and pizza.
Beach/Pools/Groundsv Immaculate .Pool clean but cold.The grounds are very well kept
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Always something to do. The activities crew are wonderful.The Jeep tour to the mountain was a waste of money. Note: book locally in R.D. it`s cheaper than with your travel agent and you can barter on the price.
Other Comments
I found it easier and more economical to deal in pesos, rather than US dollars. The rate of exchange varies and the shops at the resort are very expensive compared to town. . We will return there no doubt.
"Over all resort was okay"
Posted by:
Kathy on Mar 1, 2009 >
13 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Mar, 2009
429 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Feb 28 til March 6
No fault to the resort but our flight was delayed 8 hours for repairs. Once arrived at resort put in unacceptable room, but within an hour moved to upgraded acceptable room. thanks to rep named Gustavo. Other staff, friendly and helpful.
First room was awful, doors didn't lock, no knob on adjoining room door. Room was dark, bulbs burnt out. Dirty. If we had to stay in this room we felt as though we would have had to sleep in shifts! And this room was considered a "superior" room. Gustavo with help from the manager of resort put us in an upgraded room that was better. Lots of hot water.( at any time of the day) two large beds, very clean and bright. Lots of towels.
Restaurants and Bars
Only two bars open, not a problem during our week as the resort was not busy at all. Always lots of food at the buffet and much variety. Staff was always friendly.
Beach was totaly awesome, we were able to walk for miles. The beach vendors were there in full force but if you said "no thanks" they didn't bother you.
Grounds were well kept and clean. Didn't try the pool but looked fine.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We walked to the "mall" next door, was great for bargains. We had 3 days of rain so it was nice to be able to go somewhere for something to do.
Other Comments
Please we are asking people not to ride on the horse and buggies! Those poor horses seemed so undernourished and illkept. It was very sad to see the state the animals were in. Hot days they were not even resting in the shade.
Over all resort was okay, yes it is a 3 star! But we are very disappointed with Sunwing!
"A great resort for the price and I wouldn't hesitate to return"
Posted by:
Sylvie on Mar 1, 2009 >
4 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Mar, 2009
441 people found this review helpful
Arrival: February 25 to March 4
Travelled via Sunwing. Free meals and they even offered a free glass of champagne and wine. My sister and I along with our 4 kids started our trip at Paraiso Tropical in Caberete. Due to poor quality of the rooms and lack of air conditioning it was suggested that we transfer to Celuisma Tropical Paya Dorada (same chain), we gladly accepted. The following day the transfer was made without a hitch. The welcome at this Hotel was amazing, 2 of the 3 rooms were ready. The only downside is that we were not on the list for the return trip to the Airport on our last day. It was resolved within 15 minutes.
We were in block 19 and 20. Good size rooms with 2 double beds, we had no balcony but from what we had been given at the first resort we didn't complain. Rooms are extremely clean, air conditioning a bit noisy but at least the rooms were cool. We locked all our valuables in th esafe so we had nothing stolen. We had plenty of hot water. No bugs whatsoever.
Restaurants and Bars
We tried the four A La Carte Restaurants but preferred the Buffet for its freshness and variety. Yes, it is repetitive but we always found something to eat. The Omelettes were great but nothing compared to the cook that always serves them with a smile. We gave him a big tip. No one in our group was sick and we heard of no one on the resort having food poisoning during our entire stay.
Wonderful beach, very clean and plenty of chairs. The sellers can be a nuisance, we just chose to ignore them and the visits became less frequent. The Orange Market is along the Beach, approximately at a 5 minutes walking distance. Great little treasures. The pool is nice and clean but we rarely used it. The water was cold, there are plenty of chairs and tables
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The day trips are very costly so we decided to get our own taxi to Soshua at a cost of 5$ each and then a one hour snorkelling excursion at 15$ each. We didn't feel like being gone all day so this was a great option. The Brugal Rum Factory is at a walkable distance. They offer a free tour
Other Comments
The Entertainment staff is absolutely the best I've seen. They kept our daughters, aged 13, 17, 19 and 20 entertained all week. Thanks go especially to Ratata, Junior, Coco Loco and Paparrazi,the photographer.
A great resort for the price and I wouldn't hesitate to return. Lots of Canadians. We started giving the locals and the resort staff a lesson in Canadian Geography as it is apparent that the Quebecers are telling them that they are from Quebec and not from Canada??? So being French Canadians from Ontario the locals and staff assumed we were from Quebec, how insulting!
"We had a great time"
Posted by:
Brenda on Feb 1, 2009 >
8 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Feb, 2009
413 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Jan 9th - 16th
Excellent service from the airport. Sunwing had a bus waiting for us, but a taxi was also available for $20US We took the bus and arrived at our hotel about 20mins later. Check in was a breeze.
Simple clean, freshly painted room. King size bed, patio on ground level, t.v. with remote that worked. Bathroom was clean and well stocked. Hair dryer, soap, etc. We were in building 11. Room 1110. We had lots of hot water, fresh towels and linen daily. We did tip the maid every morning on our way to the beach. About $4.00 a day. We rented a safe in our room for $15US for piece of mind. Our room was central to the main building, buffet and beach.
Restaurants and Bars:
We were very happy with the restaurants and bars. Buffet was fresh everyday. Lots to choose from. The a la carte restaurants were a nice change from the buffet. We had left the resort to travel for the day and arrived late to one of the restaurants for our dinner (the restaurant was closing) and they happily packed us a wonderful dinner to take with us to our room! There was never any shortgage of alcohol while we were there. Bring your own cooler cup from home as the plastic cups are too small.
Beach was fantastic! (We left -30 and arrived in paradise...) Water was perfect temperature and beautiful grey sandy beach. Pool was clean and well maintained. We jumped in once but prefer the beach. Grounds were well kept.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did go to some of the evening entertainment which was fun. Mostly staff from the resort performing skits and dancing, singing, etc. The fire show at the pool was well done.
Other Comments:
We left the resort a few times and met the local people and took local buses and taxis around. Antonio Nuenes was a local we met at the central park in Puerta Plata. He happily showed us around all of his city. He was great! We took a gua gua (local bus) to Monte Cristi and visited the national park. Beautiful beach there. We did rent a car on our last day and made our way to Sousua. Driving can be a bit crazy!
We had a great time in the DR and would certainly return. The people are wonderful. The weather was perfect!
"We loved the hotel and the WHOLE trip!"
Posted by:
Thomas on Feb 1, 2009 >
5 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Feb, 2009
418 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Feb 8 to Feb 15
We were checked in within 15 minutes upon arrival. The luggage was looked after by the tour company, the luggage and ourselves were delivered to the rooms by tram in only a few minutes.
We had one of the newly renovated buildings. The room was super ultra modern. Beautiful bathroom, hot water ALL the time. Air conditioning was set by us adjusting the thermostat. Cleaned daily. The floors were so clean that your could eat off them. Each unit has a balcony with chairs and tables. Refrigerator in each room with freezer section to keep ice from the bar. The housekeeping staff love hard candy. We were told about this and brought down 5 bags of hard candy. The staff couldn't do enough for you.
Restaurants and Bars
All the alacarte restaurants were open. We were alotted 3 for the week and enjoyed each one. The main buffet dining room was beyond belief. Fresh salads, fresh tropical fruit, fresh desserts, and main courses. Different theme each night. Burgers and hot dogs made to order, both at the buffet or the beach restaurant. The bar served great cold beer. The rest of the shots were watered down. My only complaint was even if you had a double, it was like a single back home. We went on a rum factory tour and the rum purchased there would knock your socks off. The rum at the hotel didn't even create a buzz. All in all the service was great. You tip when you feel the staff were good.
Beach had a shortage of umbrellas. Plenty of shade from the palm trees. Whenever I went down there was always chairs available.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The hotel offered daily activities and the staff went out of their way to ensure you had a good time. We took a trip into Peurto Plata and then to Sosua.
The tour was well organized and lunch was great.
Other Comments
A few things to note. Upon arrival you must fill out TWO immigration forms. You must first pay your $10 US entry fee. Then proceed on to two immigration check points. Upon leaving you need to fill out only one form then go through immigration and before boarding your plane, pay the $20 US prior to boarding your flight. Now NO ONE with either the airlines or the tour operator really tell you where and how to do this, you kind of stumble onto as it happens.
People should also note you are going to a foreign country. Their language is Spanish. It's nice if they speak English, but yelling at them is down right rude. We saw this happen so many times, where someone would say, can you believe they don't speak English? Most operations dealing with tourist have a handle on English, but please don't get upset if someone does not speak your language in THEIR county!
The hotels along Dorada Beach are all a gated community. What fear was there when you couldn't even get into the compound unless passing by security? The rooms offered safes and of course anyone with a brain would pay the couple of bucks and get the key and lock for it. Our patio door would not lock upon arrival and our refrigerator did not work. Both were fixed within 10 minutes of our call to the front desk.
We went down there worried because of some of the bad reviews we read here. Anyone going down relax, great fun, good food and good sense of security We loved the hotel and the WHOLE trip!
"The hotel and staff were great"
Posted by:
Louise on Jan 1, 2009 >
3 contribution(s) United Kingdom
Visited on: Jan, 2009
429 people found this review helpful
Good - arrived on a thursday, not travelling with a tour compnay. Sadly - not hotles fault, they had not received our bookin, but we had receipts and vouchers as proof, and they contacted the booking agent within an hour. we were seated in the reception lounge with drinks while we waited. Given a room upgrade from standard to superior. Driven to our room by freindly staff in a golf cart.
We were Block 15 which was on the beach in a garden facing room wth a balcony. We had a suite - with seperate bedroom, bathroom, vanity unit, kitchenette with fridge, dinning area, and lounge area with sofa bed. Freshly painted, altho as with the rest of the hotel everything was a little tired looking. Room was very clean, and we had towel swans & towel art the whole 3 weeks we were there. Beds goods, linen & towles changed daily.
We had window & patio door "locks" or sorts - basically holes drilled thru the frames with removeable metal rods going thru the holes. We paid for a safe - so i dont understand why people had things stolen from their rooms- i guess they were too cheap to pay for the safe deposit of 15USD ? Theft happens everywhere - do what YOU can to minimise the theifs opportunity - put your valuables in the SAFE
Restaurants and Bars:
Food was very fresh - great selection of fresh fruits, salads etc. Speciality restaurants were ok, atmophere was quieter, but food more or less the same as the main restaurant buffet. Staition in the main restaurant at Breakfast for omelettes& eggs, Lunch - burgers, toasties, hotdogs, Evening - pastas and sauces. Each evening as well as the buffet there was a speciality serving - like a carvery, or paella, & on mexican night it was tacos, fajitas etc. Good selection at all meals. Breakfast was fab, with huge selection of fruits, cereals, cooked fooded bacon / sausage, fried bananas/pineapple, loads of bread, muffins & croissants - also cheeses and cold meats(ham, salami) Drinks were always plentiful - plenty of rum and beer - but as the spec says LOCAL DRINKS - dont expect there to always be tonic etc -they never ran out of anything while i was there, but then i didnt expect them to be stocked like a bar from home.
Beautiful grounds kept absolutely immaculate by the legions of staff. pool cold in temp - but very clean - pool area furniture plentiful.
Beach - not enough umbrellas, but plenty of shade in the trees - typical holiday where youhad to be up at dawn to get either a cabana or a umbrella. they made 4 new umbrellas while we were there - but still not enough. People travelling with children try to bring your own shade umbrella / wotever as the holiday makers have no concern that your child has no shade! as long as they are ok jack!
Beach sellers were everywhere, but a polite no thank you was enough for them to be on their way. NO NEED TO ABUSE THEM - they are trying to make a living too.
SMOKERS !!! - everywhere - get an fing clue, YOUR CIGARETTE BUTTS DO NOT WALK THEMSELVES to the trash can. I cant believe the disgustingness of people ( if there is such a word) Stubbing cigarettes out in the sand & leaving them there - REVOLTING. should my little girl have to dig around in the remains of your cancer sticks - there are plenty of ashtrays on the beach !
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Activites where plentiful - We bougt from the guys at the beach, as you pretty much get the same deal everywhere. We went to ocean world & swam with the dolphins which was amazing. We also took the puerto plata tour - up th emountain ni the cable ccar, to the amber museum and the run factory, and the old fort. GOod trip overall - but also just an excuse for the tour companies to get you to spend more money in the tacky souvenir shops.
we went to paradise island - snorkelling was fabulous as was the drive thru the mountains and plantations to get there- but as for paradise - hhahaaahhahah... its 100 sq mts of sand crammed with 300 people and another excuse for the tour company to try to get money out of you for a ideo of the day and photos etc.
entertainment team at the hotle worked very hard with very little - the shows were good overall - dont expect vegas tho. The fire/ water shows were very good. always stuff to do - games in the pool, activites on the beach, aerobics, dance lessons, spanish lessons etc etc.
Other Comments:
The hotel and staff were great - i dont understand peoples polarized opinions on this place or the amount of complaints - you get what you pay for - if you want 5 star THEN PAY FOR IT. I have travelled all over the world and stayed in backpackers that would make your eyes bleed - and this place while was by no means the best place i have been, but neither was it the worst.
Why complain about not having hot water, or the nosiy air conditioner, or the phone not working . its all stupid small things.. get a grip. This is dominican republic and this hotel is 3 star dominican style. The staff went out of their way to help us, they were polite, and as helpful as could be. The entertainment team worked very hard, and were great fun, trying to give everyone a good time.
If you want hot water - showere before everyone else - we found if we showered at 5 it was ok, but any time after and the hot water was all gone .....
My only complaint was the type of people at staying this hotel - classless; and the fact that there were no NON smoking areas in the restaurant.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Welcome to Tuesday Tots! This week I am featuring some easy Mother's Day Crafts for kids that were shared in last week's link-up and from our own archives! Beautiful flowers, personalized gifts with fingerprints and handprints, and fabulous painted flower pots! These crafts are sure to make Mom smile and warm her heart on


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Spy master le Carre teaches a 'Truth'
John le Carre has been churning out spy novels for more than 50 years. His latest, the characteristically clever "A Delicate Truth," suggests that in an era of stateless terrorists, politically powerful defense contractors and war by remote control, his job is more complicated than ever.
Take his depiction of Toby Bell and Giles Oakley, a pair of sneaky sorts who happen to be among the book's key figures.
"Are Toby and Giles spies?" le Carre asks.
The reader would be forgiven for thinking so. After all, Bell and Oakley conduct top-secret meetings, cling to nuggets of need-to-know information and generally carry themselves like the deep-cover moles in famed le Carre novels such as "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "The Constant Gardener."
Yet, even as they skulk about, Bell and Oakley aren't double agents, le Carre explains, but "blue-chip British career diplomats who have found themselves, like many others, at the trading tables of the free world's vast intelligence marketplace."
For practical purposes, this means that over the course of "A Delicate Truth," both will come to possess the sort of information that can get a man killed — or, if handled cynically, promoted. Bell, the novel's conscience, is the one to watch here.
Not quite the dashing spy-novel archetype — le Carre describes the 31-year-old as "stocky in build, not particularly handsome, with a shock of unruly brown hair that went haywire as soon as it was brushed" — Bell has begun building what figures to be a solid career.
Or so it seems, until he finds himself serving as the right-hand man to Fergus Quinn, a savvy politician who's recently landed a plum Foreign Office post. Paired by the whims of government bureaucrats, the new colleagues never hit it off, largely because Quinn makes it his duty to keep Bell out of the loop.
What's Quinn hiding? His friends and his recent past, for a start.
After some snooping, Bell learns that Quinn's compatriots include a handful of unsavory, if deeply influential, American defense contractors. In addition to taking bribes in exchange for state secrets, Quinn seems to have orchestrated an off-the-books military operation that would surely cause a big scandal if the press ever got wind of it.
The mission, meant to eliminate a suspected Middle Eastern terrorist who made the mistake of setting foot on the British territory of Gibraltar, went terribly awry. Two were killed, neither of them terrorists. A conspiracy to hide all the evidence has managed to keep things quiet.
But now, with assistance from an ex-ambassador named Kit Probynn — one of Quinn's guilt-stricken former collaborators — Bell aims to expose the bungled mission.
Bell is a capable leading man, but "A Delicate Truth" derives its greatest strengths from le Carre's expertise in half a century's worth of spycraft — and his facility for finding inspiration in both contemporary news stories and the cat-and-mouse spy schemes of yore.
This is a novel in which soldiers of fortune — hardened by time on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans, and equipped with all the latest espionage tools and remotely operated killing devices — try to carry out a thoroughly modern military operation. But it also happens to be a book that harbors great affection for the timeworn trappings of another era.
And so it is that le Carre, 81, himself an ex-intel agent with the British spy agency MI6, reserves a special place in his narrative for "(a) Cold War-era, pre-digital, industrial-sized tape recorder — an apparatus so ancient and lumbering, so redundant in our age of miniaturized technology as to be an offence to the contemporary soul."
Lovingly, he goes on at length about the relic: "Like a rusting engine of war on a forgotten battlefield, the ancient tape recorder lies where she has lain for decades, waiting for the call that will never come: except that today it has."
It'd be giving away too much to reveal who uses the recorder, and why. But it's safe to say that le Carre is having great fun here, with a wink and a nod to the tactics and tools favored by some of his most-famous characters. George Smiley — the "Tinker Tailor" hero who was portrayed by both Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman — would be pleased to learn that the old-school ways haven't been entirely forgotten.
While others who write about spies and associated skullduggery are more interested in the technical specs of guns, missiles and other instruments of death, le Carre's heroes still prefer the subtlety of the hidden microphone. Their reasoning is sound: If you catch somebody spilling their guts, you won't have to spill their blood.
Kevin Canfield is a staff writer for the Kansas City Star.


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A project of Wildlife Survival Fund: Investing in endangered species before it's too late.
Africa and Asia
Chimpanzee, western lowland gorilla, eastern gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan, Western Bornean orangutan, white-bearded gibbon, Cao vit gibbon
Endangered or Critically Endangered
Apes—bonobos, chimpanzees, gibbons/siamangs, gorillas and orangutans—are found in 120 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institutions. The primary mission of the AZA's Ape Taxon Advisory Group (Ape TAG) is to coordinate the management of these five taxa within AZA zoos. Specifically, the Ape TAG works with the individual ape Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs to ensure that ape populations in accredited zoos are properly managed to secure their long-term future and physical and psychological health. Additionally, the Ape TAG makes recommendations for how ex situ populations of apes may most effectively serve as ambassadors to educate zoo visitors and contribute to the conservation of their wild counterparts.
Project Mission: To increase the role of zoos in ape conservation by providing long-term, sustainable funding to ongoing projects.
ChimpanzeeUsing Teacher Training Workshops to Conserve Kibale National Park's Chimpanzee (Pan troglodyte schweinfurthii) PopulationOrganization: UNITE for the Environment ProgramLocation: UgandaProtection of West African Chimpanzees in Sapo National ParkOrganization: Wild Chimpanzee FoundationLocation: LiberiaWestern Lowland GorillaCombining Site-based Initiatives and Collaborative Partnerships to Strengthen Conservation Policies and Local Leadership to Ensure the Long-term Survival of Gorillas in the Northern CongoOrganization: Goualougo Triangle Ape ProjectLocation: Republic of CongoEastern GorillaProtection and Monitoring of the Virunga Mountain Gorilla PopulationOrganization: Dian Fossey Gorilla FundLocation: RwandaBornean Orangutan
Securing Orangutan Survival in a Mosaic Landscape KinabatanganOrganization: HUTAN – Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program (WPZ Partner for Wildlife)
Location: MalaysiaSumatran OrangutanAdvocating the Protection of the Leuser EcosystemOrganization: PanEco Foundation – Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP)Location: IndonesiaWestern Bornean Orangutans and White-bearded GibbonsPreserving Apes and Building Capacity Using Participatory Monitoring of Ape Populations Across Complex Ecological LandscapesOrganization: Gunung Palung Ape Ecology and Conservation ProjectLocation: IndonesiaCao Vit GibbonEmpowering Stakeholders to Conserve the Cao Vit GibbonOrganization: Fauna and Flora InternationalLocation: Vietnam
Apes at Woodland Park Zoo
African apes are represented by western lowland gorillas in the zoo's Tropical Rain Forest, while siamangs and orangutans represent the apes of Asia in our Trail of Vines exhibit.
To learn more:
Read the gorilla fact sheet
Read the siamang fact sheet
Read the orangutan fact sheet
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This is the work of my friend M. Dale Prins. For years, I thought his sense of humor was his greatest gift. I was wrong.Spread the word. And stock up on copies for Christmas gifts: http://www.emmanuelshall.com/ … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2009
I know what'll be playing in my home this Christmas.
Bill Hybels: What Bono Taught Me About Fighting Poverty
At U.S. News and World Report, Bill Hybels is talking about Bono.Hybels is the founder of Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago, the fourth largest congregation in the country. He says: Nearly two weeks ago, I stood before 7,000 people—and an additional 60,000 connected via satellite feed—who gathered for the Willow Creek Association's annual two-day conference the Global Leadership Summit to hear from diverse faculty on the subject of how to get better at leading whatever it is t … [Read more...]
Dawn-Treading Where They Shouldn't?
Let's just be clear. These Narnia movies aren't supposed to be based on the books. They're supposed to be based on the filmmakers' *memories* of the books, which they might not have read since childhood. Because, you know, those memories will be so much better than the books. And who could expect a busy filmmaker to actually read the novel he's adapting? … [Read more...]
My Pitch for the Next Tarantino movie
I've been told more than once now that because the Scriptures contain stories of violent revenge and conquest, and since Christ is going to come again to unleash bloody justice upon unbelievers, that perhaps I should question my objections to a movie that invites us to find pleasure in the onscreen disfigurement, dismemberment, and destruction of Nazis.So, here's my pitch for Tarantino's next movie: … [Read more...]
Must-read movie review: Daniel Mendelsohn, "Inglourious Basterds: When Jews Attack"
You must read Daniel Mendelsohn - 'Inglourious Basterds': When Jews AttackI've read a lot of writing about Quentin Tarantino's new film. Some folks seem to be having a lot of fun at the movie. I wish I'd had fun. Mendelsohn sounds like he saw the same movie I saw - the film that made me feel sad and a little sick - and not the joyride that so many other people seem to have enjoyed.I'd encourage you to read it... read all of it... before you go any farther in this post.Okay... … [Read more...]
Browser: Still Walking. Unforgivable Blackness. Joe Henry. Inglourious Basterds.
Hi ho, Jeffrey the Recovering Storyteller here.It's my first real day off since completing Raven's Ladder. I plan to rest. Write reviews. And see movies. 500 Days of Summer and District 9, to be specific. My friend, painter Laura Lasworth, loved the first one, and blogger Mark Shea, who I encountered in the grocery store parking lot yesterday, was very impressed by the second. Can't wait to see them both.But first, some notes... … [Read more...]
Post-"Raven's Ladder" Browser: Catching up. Dawn Treader! Catching up on summer movies. Joe Henry. More.
Having turned in Raven's Ladder, I'm excited, exhausted, and eager to enjoy what little bit of summer remains. I've spent these beautiful months laboring over a hot laptop to finish the third book in The Auralia Thread, and I hope to read some great books and see some great films (not to mention eat great meals and spend time with great people) to re-fuel.So, here's an assortment of news, links, and highlights from my re-entry into "the real world."1.Lo... the Dawn Treader... … [Read more...]
Further Thanks to Christianity Today for a Generous Send-Off
Today's unexpected notes from the team at Christianity Today have been a tremendous blessing to me at the end of a trying week. I am deeply grateful.And thanks to those of you who left comments for me there as well. All I ever did was ramble on, ad nauseum, about an art form that I love. That it has come to anything at all is powerful evidence, to me anyway, that there's a creative, resourceful God in charge of things. I've learned as much from my colleagues and readers on this journey as I … [Read more...]
Congratulations, IMAGE!
Congratulations to Image journal for twenty years of standard-setting work.In the territory where art and faith intersect, no publication has produced a more profound body of work, nor boasted such an accomplished roster of writers and artists.Check out Bearing the Mystery: Twenty Years of Image, the beautiful, "best-of", hardbound anniversary volume. I have a copy already, signed by several great contributors. … [Read more...]
Thanks to the Team at Christianity Today
Just an FYI:Due to my present overload of writing responsibilities and other various pressures and stresses, I've decided to surrender my participation at CT Movies. My latest Through a Screen Darkly column, "Feasting on Films", will be my last contribution there for the foreseeable future (although I certainly won't close the door, as circumstances may change). … [Read more...]


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BVI's Insomnia wakes up UK box office
Buena Vista International (BVI) scored a hit this weekend with its Alaskan-set thriller Insomnia. Opening with an impressive $1.8m (£1.16m) over the three-day weekend, the film saw off all comers to claim the number one slot in the chart.
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Microsoft announced late last night that the Skype acquisition by Microsoft has formally completed and Skype is now a division of Microsoft.
This is an exciting move and it we look forward to see how Microsoft move forward with the unique Skype technology and we are eager to see how this is incorporated in both Windows 8, and with existing video communication and video streaming software and technology Microsoft currently develops such as the Windows Live Messenger and the business communication tool Lync.
This now also means that Skype in itself can continue to move forward with its own developments with the expansive resources of the software giant behind it, helping them to reach their goals of easy, multi-platform and multi-device social communication providing communication between billions of people.
"Will the skype experience change? The answer is an emphatic no." – Tony Bates, Skype President.
It's important to remember in this merger, Microsoft haven't simply expanded their portfolio with a new technology, they too gain the "world-class talent" of Skype. Watch this space, exciting things will be coming from this.


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Classic Lanes' youngest bowler, Colby Pullen, shoots 700
Larry Mason
May 13, 2008 - One of the center's senior statesmen, Wes Campbell, recorded the week's best series, a 744, and he was ahead of five other bowlers who rolled 700s, when he crossed the finish line Thursday night. And while this is quite an accomplishment for one who professes to be "in his early 60s" - only his mother knows for certain - his performance was overshadowed by the performance of the center's youngest bowler, Colby Pullen, who, at the ripe old age of 15, shot his first ever 700 series in league competition, a 719. And, as far as anyone can remember, Colby's 700 is the first rolled by a teenager in a sanctioned adult league in Classic Lanes' history.
Shayne Wilson, James Allen, Tarry Davison and Joe Kirkpatrick also contributed to our week's 700 pool, while David Gholson came within four pins of hitting 700. Wilson shot a 736, Allen 733, Davison 711 and Kirkpatrick 701. Subtract four pins from 700 and one arrives at a total of 696. That's what Gholson rolled.
Jason Keller and Vincent Smith finished in the 680s, firing 684 and 681, respectively. Classic Lanes' new owner, Allan Hague, was in the running as well, finishing Sunday's action with a 688, and Thursday's play with a 673.
On the ladies' side of the book, my friend Krazy Kathy Vansickle led the pack with a 615 series from Monday night's action. And, before we move on, I have to apologize to another of my friend's, Betty Russell, for having overlooked her 614 series shot in the Tuesday Mixed League a week ago. Sorry.
Owen "Wes" Campbell is, or is about to be, 67 years young. I'm allowed to make an issue of his age, because I am "almost" 66 years young myself. But, the thing that separates him from me is the fact he is still bowling, while I am not. If I am correct, and I seldom make mistakes (a little humor, here) Wes is the fourth oldest of our bowlers in the Thursday Men's Commercial league. He follows Nevil Solomon, Cliff Whitney and Turk Morgan on the Thursday seniors list. And, just to keep you informed, the man who sits atop our seniors list is Alton Attaway, one of our Sunday bowlers, who is 81 years young.
On Thursday night, Wes collected his sixth 700 series of the season, shooting the week's best set, a 744, made up of games of 277, 235 and 232. This week's series is not his best of the past 36 weeks, however. His best is a 767, which ranks eighth on the high series chart. Campbell's name appears fifth on the chart, but because Jason Keller has two 800s and a 796, and Tarry Davison has a 799 and a 783, they get credit for the five best series of the bowling season. Jason Parmer's 779 and Darreyl Dixon's 769 come next, followed by Campbell's 767.
On the center's high average board, Wes is in a pack of seven bowlers who hold a 209. They rank ninth. Campbell is tied with Harold McClure on the high game list at 290, one of our 18 single-game honor scores shot during the season. Wes and Harold rank seventh.
While Wes was shooting his 744, the center's youngest kegler, Colby Pullen, was shooting a 700 series of his own, tossing games of 243, 234 and 242, finishing Thursday's play with a 719 - the first 700 series in his young life. He is an eighth-grade student at SSMS. I have bowlers who have been tossing the round ball for more years than Colby is old and who have yet to throw a 700 series. I don't say this to belittle our long time bowlers, but rather, to impress upon all of you the significance of this young man's accomplishment.
Colby's series moves him up the high series chart 29 positions, from 60th to 31st. Sixty experienced bowlers having series from 718 down to an even 600, fall in line behind young Pullen. Mr. Pullen is averaging 190 on Tuesday, 184 on Sunday and 182 on Thursday. His best game is a 269, which ties him for 19th place on the high game list with the likes of Matt Parker, Duane Anspon, Shane Watson and Roy Schutz. Congratulations, Colby.
Greenville's Shayne Wilson gave us our second highest 700 of the week, bowling a 736 on Thursday by tossing games of 277, 239 and 220. Wilson continues to carry Thursday's best average, a 234, which ranks second on the center's overall high average board. Wilson now has seven 700 series, the highest of which, a 754, is the 14th best series of the season. Shayne's best game is a 299 honor score, which ranks sixth on the high game list.
James Allen recorded his fourth 700 of the season, our fourth best of the week, on Thursday, rolling a 733 with games of 266, 264 and 203. Allen's best series, a 753, ranks 15th on the high series chart, and his 203 average ties him with David Vansickle and Becky Bowden for 15th place on the high average board. His best game is a 300 honor score, which lands him in fifth place, in a four-way tie with Michael Carter, Mike Fletcher and Cliff Whitney.� � � � � �
Tarry Davison continued to add to his 700 collection this past Thursday, shooting his 26th of the season, a 711, rolling games of 266, 221 and 224. He continues to be our most prolific shooter of 700s, but finds himself in second place, maybe third, on the high series chart, depending upon how one choose to count Jason Keller's two 800s. At any rate, Tarry's best set is an almost 800, a 799. His 236 average from the Tuesday night league puts him atop the high average board, and his 227 in the Sunday mixed league was that league's best. He also gets to claim first place on the high game list, having produced two perfect games, and two 299s.
Joe Kirkpatrick gave us our final 700 of the week, a 701 he shot on Thursday night. Joe rolled games of 216, 258 and 227 to capture his second 700 of the season. Joe's best set is a 720, which ranks 30th on the high series chart. He is averaging 209, along with those five others tied with Wes Campbell, which ranks him ninth. Kirkpatrick ranks fourth on our high game list with a perfect game, and a 299 to his credit.
Kathy Vansickle gave us our highest ladies series this week, shooting a 615 on Monday, recording games of 225,168 and 222. Kathy's best series of the season, and of her young lifetime, is a whopping 682, third best on the ladies' high series chart. She averages 185 on Tuesday, 181 on Monday and 176 on Sunday. She claimed the highest ladies' average in the Tuesday Mixed league. It ranks third on the ladies' only high average board. Kathy's best game is a 247, fifth best on the ladies' high game list.
And now, we come to Betty Russell. Betty, Betty, Betty, Betty - what can I say but that I am so sorry I overlooked your 614 series from two weeks ago. Betty rolled a 246, a 166 and a 202, and I completely missed it. Betty has a high series of 626 this season, which holds sixth place on the ladies' high series chart. She is averaging 180 on Tuesday and 173 on Monday. Betty's best game of the season is a 246, fifth best on the ladies' high game list. And, I hope Betty is satisfied with my apology, and I hope she will now call off the hit squad I have been told she hired. � �
Summer leagues get underway the week of May 25. If you would prefer an air-conditioned setting, friendly chit-chat and a great snack bar, compared to spiders, snakes, mosquitoes and incessant heat - call now to reserve your or your teams spot at Classic Lanes. � � � � �
Larry Mason writes a weekly column on the bowling leagues at Classic Lanes. His column appears on Tuesday.
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JVG is committed to provide quality professional services targeted at assuring client's confidence, timely job completion and within budget.We treat our Clients as our long term business partners and acknowledge their priorities and needs. We emphasize on team work with our clients and co-consultants and together we will work towards ensuring best value for the development.
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The University Record, June 25, 1996
Three U-M schools share $1.5 million endowment
The Pharmacia & Upjohn Foundation has made a gift of $1.5 million to the University to endow special funds in the Business School, the Medical School and the School of Public Health.
This gift is among those that have helped push the University's Campaign for Michigan past its five-year goal of $1 billion in gifts, pledges and bequest intentions. The campaign total, now standing at $1.02 billion, is the largest amount ever raised by a public university in the United States.
The gift from the Pharmacia & Upjohn Foundation will help to accomplish a number of important goals:
The Corporate Environmental Management Program (CEMP), an innovative, cross-disciplinary program of the Business School and the School of Natural Resources and Environment, will be able to expand such key elements of the program as executive education, summer internships, research projects, seminars by visiting practitioners and conferences on emerging environmental topics. CEMP is designed to equip business leaders to create organizations that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.
Promising graduate students and junior faculty members in molecular medicine will be able to have their outstanding research talent and promise recognized and encouraged as a result of the scientific leadership awards that will be supported.
Biostatistics, which plays an increasingly vital role in biomedical research, will benefit from a research professorship. The professorship will be awarded to support the work of an established faculty member in biostatistics.
"The University of Michigan has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with The Upjohn Company, and I am gratified to know that Pharmacia & Upjohn will continue this valuable partnership, which has helped advance our understanding in many areas of science and medicine over so many years," says President James J. Duderstadt.
"Endowed funds for faculty support, program support and student support ensure the future financial stability of the University. This gift will help provide a permanent and reliable source of financial support," says Donald R. Parfet, president of the Pharmacia & Upjohn Foundation.
Endowment gifts are a major goal of the Campaign for Michigan, which will officially end in September 1997. To date more than $240 million has been raised toward an endowment goal of $340 million. The University's total endowment now stands at more than $1.5 billion.
Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc. is a research-based, pharmaceutically focused company formed through a merger of Pharmacia AB and The Upjohn Company.


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|Ran Tavory <ran...@gmail.com>
|What's using my memory?
|Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:54:01 GMT
I know this subject has been discussed in the past on the list and I've read through all discussions but I haven't been able to find a solution to the memory problems listed below... so here again... It seems that the cassandra cluster I'm using is either leaking memory or just using more mem than I expected it to use. Each host in the ring uses about 12G of ram while in some cases its entire dataset is only 1.5G (take for example .252.124 below with 1.54G) I use extensive row caching so I expect memory consumption to be >= 1.5G but I don't understand why it gets up to 12G. Most of the times I don't care so much since I have plenty of memory however at times this gets me into GC storms and very slow responses. Also, I'd like to be able to load more data to the cluster and I'm hitting the memory wall, which I didn't expect. In the cassandra.in.sh you'd notice that I do provide Xmx=12G but given that there's so little data I wouldn't expect the process to be using all of that. As a matter of fact I wanted to insert more data to the cluster but I stopped since it wasn't handling the load very well. I suppose that at the end of the day I only need to know which knobs configure but after having played with the configuration for a long time I'm a little lost. I'm running a 0.6.2 cluster consisting of 6 physical hosts (some with 16G and some 32G ram) distributed b/w two DCs. RF is 2 (one replica in each DC). HH is turned off. File access is standard (no m-mapped files, I tried that and the system just kept swapping itself to death so I switched back to normal). I've pasted below the output of nodetool ring and cfstats as well as some vmstat and iostat (not that I think it matters...) Also jmap -heap and attached is the jmap -histo so I hope this output can help shed some light on memory usage. Currently the logs don't say anything out of the ordinary so I didn't include them. Thanks :) $ nodetool -h cass99 -p 9004 ring Address Status Load Range Ring 170141183460469231731687303715884105727 192.168.252.99Up 6.16 GB 28356863910078205288614550619314017621 |<--| 192.168.252.124Up 1.54 GB 56713727820156410577229101238628035242 | ^ 192.168.252.125Up 1.54 GB 85070591730234615865843651857942052863 v | 192.168.254.57Up 6.15 GB 113427455640312821154458202477256070485 | ^ 192.168.254.58Up 1.54 GB 141784319550391026443072753096570088106 v | 192.168.254.59Up 1.54 GB 170141183460469231731687303715884105727 |-->| <Keyspace Name="outbrain_kvdb"> <ColumnFamily CompareWith="BytesType" Name="KvImpressions" KeysCached="0" RowsCached="10000000"/> <ColumnFamily CompareWith="BytesType" Name="KvAds" KeysCached="0" RowsCached="10000000"/> <ColumnFamily CompareWith="BytesType" Name="KvRatings" KeysCached="0" RowsCached="10000000"/> <ReplicaPlacementStrategy>org.apache.cassandra.locator.RackAwareStrategy</ReplicaPlacementStrategy> <ReplicationFactor>2</ReplicationFactor> <EndPointSnitch>org.apache.cassandra.locator.EndPointSnitch</EndPointSnitch> </Keyspace> $ cat bin/cassandra.in.sh # Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one ... # Arguments to pass to the JVM JVM_OPTS=" \ -ea \ -Xms4G \ -Xmx*12*G \ -XX:+UseParNewGC \ -XX:+UseConcMarkSweepGC \ -XX:+CMSParallelRemarkEnabled \ -XX:SurvivorRatio=8 \ -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 \ -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError \ -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=9004 \ -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=false \ -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=false" Keyspace: outbrain_kvdb Read Count: 5608010 Read Latency: 8.52211627029909 ms. Write Count: 42794 Write Latency: 0.10353956162078796 ms. Pending Tasks: 0 Column Family: KvAds SSTable count: 11 Space used (live): 9331647391 Space used (total): 9331647391 Memtable Columns Count: 84928 Memtable Data Size: 21400502 Memtable Switch Count: 1 Read Count: 5602705 Read Latency: 2.023 ms. Write Count: 42794 Write Latency: 0.060 ms. Pending Tasks: 0 Key cache: disabled Row cache capacity: 10000000 Row cache size: 698671 Row cache hit rate: 0.5535463700149053 Compacted row minimum size: 391 Compacted row maximum size: 76890 Compacted row mean size: 635 top - 10:23:26 up 96 days, 23:04, 1 user, load average: 5.03, 6.21, 6.08 Tasks: 93 total, 1 running, 92 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 92.1%us, 4.1%sy, 0.0%ni, 1.8%id, 0.0%wa, 0.5%hi, 1.5%si, 0.0%st Mem: 16443880k total, 16357676k used, 86204k free, 43448k buffers Swap: 4194296k total, 13912k used, 4180384k free, 2625024k cached PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND 5757 cassandr 25 0 13.6g 12g 9860 S 197.2 82.3 9445:17 java $ jmap -heap 5757 Attaching to process ID 5757, please wait... Debugger attached successfully. Server compiler detected. JVM version is 16.3-b01 using parallel threads in the new generation. using thread-local object allocation. Concurrent Mark-Sweep GC Heap Configuration: MinHeapFreeRatio = 40 MaxHeapFreeRatio = 70 MaxHeapSize = 12884901888 (12288.0MB) NewSize = 21757952 (20.75MB) MaxNewSize = 43581440 (41.5625MB) OldSize = 65404928 (62.375MB) NewRatio = 7 SurvivorRatio = 8 PermSize = 21757952 (20.75MB) MaxPermSize = 88080384 (84.0MB) Heap Usage: New Generation (Eden + 1 Survivor Space): capacity = 39256064 (37.4375MB) used = 6779480 (6.465415954589844MB) free = 32476584 (30.972084045410156MB) 17.26989236618322% used Eden Space: capacity = 34930688 (33.3125MB) used = 2490360 (2.3749923706054688MB) free = 32440328 (30.93750762939453MB) 7.12943300744606% used >From Space: capacity = 4325376 (4.125MB) used = 4289120 (4.090423583984375MB) free = 36256 (0.034576416015625MB) 99.16178385416667% used To Space: capacity = 4325376 (4.125MB) used = 0 (0.0MB) free = 4325376 (4.125MB) 0.0% used concurrent mark-sweep generation: capacity = 12841320448 (12246.4375MB) used = 10867324872 (10363.888618469238MB) free = 1973995576 (1882.5488815307617MB) 84.62778353679785% used Perm Generation: capacity = 30380032 (28.97265625MB) used = 18100520 (17.262001037597656MB) free = 12279512 (11.710655212402344MB) 59.580319072738305% used
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Daytime MBA
Michael "Miki" Rothschild
Class of 2013
"Fuqua has a fantastic marketing curriculum with some of the best marketing professors in the country and a great reputation in the industry. As someone pursuing product management in high tech, I knew that would benefit my career development and would open great opportunities for me."
My Background
I was born and raised in Tel-Aviv, Israel. When I was 18, I joined the Israeli military for 3 years of mandatory service during which I was a combat soldier, a squad commander, and an operations officer. When I finished serving, I decided to pursue my passion for technology and got a BSc in electrical and electronics engineering. At the end of my second year, I joined IBM's R&D as a Verification Engineer in their Chip Development Group. Towards the end of my studies, I moved to Intel as a Design Engineer in their Mobile Microprocessor Group. I spent 5 years at Intel and worked on various core products including "Sandy-Bridge," which was Intel's main microprocessor for all laptops and desktops in 2012.
I experienced all parts of the product development life cycle and led teams and projects in R&D, but felt I was lacking the business perspective of this industry. Therefore, I thought that getting an MBA would give me the business acumen and opportunity to transition into the marketing and business side of the tech industry. So at Fuqua, I'm completing concentrations in marketing and strategy. Continuing my professional transition, I interned at Microsoft as a Product Marketing Manager, and I chose to take a full-time opportunity with Amazon as a Product Manager.
In my personal life, I am married and we have a pet pug. I love skiing, mountain biking, and running, when I have the chance.
Why I Chose Fuqua
I chose Fuqua for several reasons from professional, personal, and cultural perspectives.
From a professional perspective, I knew that Fuqua has a fantastic marketing curriculum with some of the best marketing professors in the country and a great reputation in the industry. As someone pursuing product management in high tech, I knew that would benefit my career development and would open great opportunities for me.
From a personal perspective, I thought the small, tight-knit community that Fuqua fosters and the high engagement of partners (significant others) in the school would make the MBA experience warm and pleasant for my wife and me. As a foreign couple moving to the U.S., I thought that would help my wife and me have a soft landing in this new environment. Indeed, when we got to Fuqua, my wife was able to connect with other partners during the Fuqua Partners' events and other social activities such as Fuqua Friday.
Finally, I felt that the team culture at Fuqua was a great fit for me. Having worked most of my professional life in teams, I wanted to continue in an environment where I would learn from my classmates just as much as I do from my professors. I knew that the structure of the program and the type of people Fuqua attracts would provide me with such an opportunity.
Leadership Attribute: Team
I think that the best illustration of this characteristic is my leadership team.
You are assigned to a leadership-focused team as soon as you start orientation. This is your team throughout the pre-term and core courses. Every course at Fuqua, especially the core courses, is built on teamwork. Therefore, you spend at least 50% of your day in a room with the people on your team. Quickly, these people become your colleagues, teachers, friends, and family for your time at Fuqua and for the rest of your life.
Luckily, I have the most fabulous team. First, we are a very diverse team, including someone from China, Israel (me), and England, as well as 4 Americans. Each team member came from an entirely different career background, including tech, non-profit, entrepreneurship, finance, and real estate. Second, our strengths are perfectly balanced across the team. Some of my teammates have stronger quantitative skills while others have stronger qualitative skills. Some are extremely good writers while others are brilliant presenters. Finally, and most importantly, we are all good collaborators and love learning from one another. This amazing team environment is what made my academic and social experience far more fun and enriching than I had ever imagined it would be.
Five Random Things About Me
- I am an avid skier. I even lived at a ski resort for 6 months during the winter season following my military service and skied almost every day. The best days of my life (beside my wedding) involve fresh powdery snow and un-groomed terrains.
- Growing up, I never had a pet. When my wife (then girlfriend) brought my dog home, I tried to resist but soon fell in love with him. Today, I can't imagine a life without him.
- My student visa approval was delayed for so long that I almost missed the first week of school and thought I would have to defer my admission. In the end, I managed to get it in at the very last minute and make it to school on time.
- Growing up, I tried almost every sport and played basketball, soccer, and tennis until I realized my real passion is extreme sports. I love skateboarding, rollerblading, mountain biking, and skiing. I also tried surfing, but that didn't work out very well …
- I love coffee. I drink at least 2 cups of espresso on a good day (on bad ones it could go up to 5).
What I Love About Durham
My favorite thing about Durham is the comfortable and relaxing lifestyle, which I find perfect for an MBA. As someone who lived in a big city most of his life, I really like the peace and quiet I have here. It allows me to focus on my MBA experience and build relationships with my classmates. Many of the activities I take part in are within the Fuqua community—even after school. Also, having a big apartment with very affordable rent is very refreshing. Driving anywhere with a car in 5 - 10 minutes without any parking problems is much more convenient than taking a subway or paying a fortune for parking. Don't get me wrong—I am a big city guy and am planning to go back to the big city after B-school, but for these 2 years I think a small suburban town like Durham is great.


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We are lucky to hear wonderful stories and to see great photos from customers all the time. Some stop by the store to share, some e-mail, or call. Some customers post things on Flickr or Twitter or Vimeo. But I recently opened my e-mail and was totally surprised by a delightful — and delightfully odd — video created by some customers: three siblings who are budding filmmakers who all seem to really love smoked fish. In their movie, there is a whole whitefish on a date with a lady. Also, there is some heartbreak!
Aaron Walker wrote,
"I'm a student filmmaker and a huge lover of Russ & Daughters. I put together this slightly absurdist (and funny) little short film. A little bit about myself: I go to Penn. I love cured fish, as do my siblings, with whom I made this short. So, about a month ago, the three of us bought a whitefish, which we had planned on eating. Then — and I believe it was my sister — someone lightbulbed and came up with the very solid idea of, before eating this whitefish, making a short film paean to not just cured and smoked fish, but also the bringer of cured and smoked fish into our lives: Russ & Daughters. This is the least we can do to say thanks! (And rumor has it our next project will involve babka.)"
Submit your own stories, photos, videos to Lox Populi.
- Jen Snow


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WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — BJ's Wholesale Club here last week announced a new sustainable seafood policy that will ensure that all seafood products sold in the company's stores are sourced from suppliers identified as sustainable, or on track to meet sustainability standards by 2014. The program was developed in partnership with leading non-profit groups including the Sustainable Fisheries Partne
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CORDOVA, Ill. - #2 Notes from round 2 qualifying in Mopar Performance Parts Pro Modified at the 21st annual Amalie Motor Oil Summer Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:
Left Lane: Al Billes Runs 6.595/214.42, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.615/215.62, Was #12
Right Lane: Ron Kammes Runs 10.943/77.47, Now #21; Best prior run: 7.539/191.95, Was #21
Billes had some tire shake around the 150-foot mark, but was able to drive through it. Kammes continued to struggle with parts falling off it.
Left Lane: Alan Pittman Runs 6.456/218.09, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.471/215.20, Was #3
Right Lane: Pat Moore Runs 6.449/216.83, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.579/188.04, Was #11
The temperature is 66 degrees, humidity is 89% and the barometer is 29.79 inches. That was a great Pro Mod match up and race.
Left Lane: Troy Critchley Runs 6.336/22.50, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.949/148.40, Was #18
Right Lane: Ed Hoover Runs 6.423/219.33, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.455/216.90, Was #3
Critchley going from outside the show to the top of the heap with a great looking pass. He was glued to the track all the way down.
Left Lane: Mitch Stott Runs 6.608/216.90, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.571/215.20, Was #12
Right Lane: Kevin O'Dell Runs 6.672/206.51, Now #14; Best prior run: 17.530/44.14, Was #23
O'Dell was bouncing and dancing around half track. He then could not get it stopped in time and ends up in the sand trap.
Right Lane: Dale Brinsfield Runs 6.450/217.88, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.477/217.42, Was #7
After a slight delay we are back and Brinsfield launched hard and drove it on through to pick up a couple spots.
Left Lane: Steve Cossis Runs 6.445/218.69, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.502/215.75, Was #9
Right Lane: Carl Moyer Runs 6.655/209.04, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.676/209.62, Was #15
Cossis made the big jump here with a straight pass.
Left Lane: Brian Gahm Runs 6.439/218.94, Now #5; Best prior run: 7.753/120.23, Was #23
Right Lane: Shannon Jenkins Runs 6.386/221.96, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.484/218.12, Was #9
Jenkins got real close to the wall around 1000 feet, but keep his foot in it. He shows us that the nitrous cars can run with the injected boys.
Right Lane: Carl Spiering Runs 6.621/203.49, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.688/211.79, Was #17
Spiering got back into the show with that pass.
Left Lane: Billy Harper Runs 6.422/213.06, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.471/213.47, Was #10
Harper jumped right in behind his teammate with the Dodge Vipers sitting 2 and 3 now.
Left Lane: Fred Hahn Runs 7.885/124.66, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.423/221.05, Was #4
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 6.629/212.86, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.996/203.37, Was #21
Hahn had problems around 300 feet and clicked off. Ashley got into the show.
Left Lane: Quain Stott Runs 6.464/217.81, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.514/198.73, Was #11
Right Lane: Tommy Gray Runs 6.454/216.55, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.526/213.00, Was #12
That was a great looking drag race with Gray moving Stott back one slot.
Left Lane: Ronnie Hood Runs 6.416/217.88, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.847/161.56, Was #20
Right Lane: Chuck Nuytten Runs 6.503/203.37, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.031/169.57, Was #22
A couple of cars that were not in the show and they change that. Hood jumped all the way up to number three, he had it glued to the track all the way down the 1320.
Left Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 6.400/220.26, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.755/168.85, Was #21
Castellana took his 57 chevy to the umber three spot.
Left Lane: Harold Martin Runs 6.552/214.11, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.883/189.95, Was #22
Martin got in just barely on the bubble.
IHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]
Jul 01- IHRA Summit Sportsman National Championship at Farmington Dragway Weekend Recap
Jul 01- IHRA Summit Sportsman National Championship at Piedmont Dragway Weekend Recap
Jul 01- IHRA Summit Sportsman National Championship at US 131 Motorsports Park Weekend Recap
Jun 09- State Capitol IHRA Summit Sportsman National Championship Event Rescheduled for August
May 30- State Capitol Raceway SSNC Postponed until September
May 05- Summit Sportsman National Championship Rained Out this Weekend
Apr 19- RacingJunk.com Named Official Online Classifieds Provider for IRGSE Properties
Apr 10- Dallas Area Track Joins IHRA Family
Apr 10- New Iowa Track Joins IHRA
Mar 27- Trio of Drag Racing Stars Join IHRA Professional Competition Board


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Exercise Bikes - What's on The Market
Martin Smith
There are available two types of exercise bikes. The upright bike is stationary and it resembles a typical road bike. Added stress is put on the joints because the pedals are positioned below the rider. The pedals of the recumbent bike are out in front of the rider so that pedaling is more natural and less stressful on the hips and knees and the seat resembles a chair.
There are other styles of bikes available as well. There are double action upright exercise bikes that have moveable handlebars or arm handles. Your arms as well as your legs are used on this bike. This bike will provide you with aerobic activity and upper body toning. Some variety can be found with resistance bikes also.
The resistance on Direct tension bikes can be adjusted manually. An exercise bike with flywheels has a cycling very much like regular biking. The resistance of air resistance bikes get it by pedaling against the airflow of a fan blade.
Out of all resistance exercise bikes, the magnetic frictionless resistance bikes are the most sophisticated. Resistance bikes are the most advanced resistance bikes. A greater variety of workout levels can be had on this bikes.
The feedback mechanisms show the following readouts: speed, time, distance, total calories and fat burned, program mode, resistance levels, pulse, heart rate, and work out level (RPM, watts, METS, mpm's, and mph/kph). Your needs and wants will determine the bike you choose buy. Your choice of bikes will also depend on the type of workout you want.
You will get a great cardio workout that focuses on the quadriceps. On a recumbent bike you are seated in a reclining position. Your legs are out in front of you and your back is supported by the seat. The hamstrings and the glutes are given a workout. A recumbent bike is much easier on your lower back.
Upright bikes could come with handlebars the move back and forth in a rowing like motion. This motion will work your arms, your chest, your abs and your back muscles. These bikes will give you a terrific cardiovascular workout as well as a calorie burning experience.
Your size should be matched to the bike. Exercise bikes can be easily adjusted for almost any body type. Exercise bikes are used by people for a variety of reasons. In the off season, cyclists often use them to maintain their level of fitness. Because many people feel embarrassed about exercising in front of people they use them at home.
To promote healing and the regaining of the use of knee and hip joints, physical therapy programs also use exercise bikes. They are also used by some cardiac rehabilitation programs to improve endurance and greater cardiac health.
If you go to Wal-mart, Sears, or sports stores and if you look online you will be able to buy an exercise bike. When buying them from a store it's much easier to get a bike that matches your space your budget, and your body size. You might not always get what you want when getting online.
The bike may be bigger or smaller and without the exact specs than what you ordered. Ordering online has another issue, the taking delivery of your order. In most cases the delivery company will leave it at your door and you will have to bring it in and put it together.
Unless you contract with someone to do the entire process including setting it up, this is also true of buying it in a store. Service contracts can be purchased in stores like Sears, in case there is a problem. Regardless of your reasons for buying an exercise bike it will only work if you use it.
As with any exercise program check with your doctor and make sure that you are healthy enough to exercise. Your endurance will improve if you start out slow. Be healthy, have fun, and be safe.
Article Source:
If your looking for tips and advice on Exercise Bikes or fitness equipment in general, Martin Smith had a resource of information available. From
Exercise Bikes
Home Fitness Equipment
you'll find something.
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Exercise Treadmill – Walking to Your Health
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Pro And Home Gym Equipment
Better Youth Baseball Gloves
Exercise Bikes, Which one Should you Choose ?
Marathon Training - All You Need To Run Your Next Marathon
What Is So Special About Bowflex Home Gyms
Is It Best To Exercise At Home Or At A Gym
Find Dramatic Results With Feature Packed Bowflex Home Gyms
Bowflex Equipment Finance Options
Get a Fit Body and Healthy Mind through a Well Equipped Home Gym
Create A Fitness Centre Right in Your Own Home with the Bowflex Home Gym
All About Space Efficient Home Gyms
Why You Should Invest in a Home Gym
Bowflex Home Gyms: A Complete Solution for All Your Fitness Woes
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text:
Oak Haven Resort & Spa is a truly unique combination of cabins, woods and resort-style features. This distinctive Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg area escape rests in scenic Sevierville, with Oak Haven's old-fashioned personal touch. Oak Haven offers authentic luxury log cabins with hot tubs, gas grills, rockers and porch swings - and no extra charges for items like housekeeping or high speed Internet. At the center of the resort is the log day spa - endorsed by Southern Living magazine - and a recreation area with pool, basketball, playground, arcade and more. Oak Haven Resort also has 25 group-ready, lodge-style cabins, some with conference rooms, that are perfect for Pigeon Forge retreats!
- Wifi
- Restaurant Onsite
- Pets Allowed
- Property Size 95 units
- Conference Facility
- Kids Allowed
- Nearby City Pigeon Forge
- Nearby Water Douglas Lake
- Open Dates All Year
Oak Haven Resort provides wonderfully decorated luxury log cabins between the remote woods and the bustle of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, one of America's most family-friendly destinations. You'll find paved, curbed streets, a central recreation center with arcade and acres of natural Tennessee beauty.
Just because you're in a luxury log cabin surrounded by nature doesn't mean that golf isn't just steps away. The "must-play" Eagles Landing Golf Course is just next door to Oak Haven; this Pigeon Forge resort also offers discounted rates to the 7,000-yard River Islands Golf Club just minutes away.
Far from an amenity-free rustic log cabin vacation, Oak Haven offers lavishly decorated, privately-owned Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge cabins, each with its own hot tub and fully equipped with washer/dryers, wireless Internet and every other convenience - plus an Olympic-sized pool, day spa and much more.
If you're thinking about a romantic Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg getaway, consider this example at Oak Haven Resort: a secluded, spectacular one-bedroom log cabin with a game room, wraparound porch and open sundeck, surrounded by natural beauty. And wait until you see the master bedroom with DVD player!
The Spa at Oak Haven invites you to indulge yourself with a rejuvenating facial, relaxing massage, luxurious manicure or pedicure, or one of many other spa packages on your Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge spa vacation. You'll love the cozy, welcoming natural environment at Oak Haven!
Cabins, Cottages, and Chalets
The consistently elegant, privately-owned Oak Haven Resort cabins range from one to seven lavish bedrooms, each with at least one hot tub, porch swing and rocker. You'll get all the features & amenities of home on your TN vacation, including washer/dryers, DVD players, flat screen TVs and much more.
- Basketball Court(s)
- Game Room/Arcade
- Gift Shop
- Swimming Pool
- Mini Golf Course
- Air Conditioning
- Coffee Maker
- Iron/Ironing Board
- Jacuzzi
- Microwave
- Sundeck
- Whirlpool
- Arts and Crafts
- Basketball
- Bumper Boats and Cars
- Go Carts
- Horseback Riding
- Horseshoes
- Kiddie Cars
- Live Entertainment
- Shopping
- Shuffle Board
- Sightseeing
- Swimming
- Theme Parks
- Golf Course
- Play Ground
- Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding
- Fly Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Hiking
- Ice Skating
- Wildlife & Nature
- Whitewater Rafting
- A/V Equipment
- Catering
- Meeting Room(s)
- Fitness Programs
Plan your next group event at Oak Haven Resort.
With the home-like cabin rentals (1-7 bedroom) and all the features of a resort - including large pool & day spa - Oak Haven Resort awaits your TN reunion or group getaway!
For more information please call +1 (800) 652 - 2611 or Send Inquiry.
Nearest Airports
- McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) / 23.3 miles
- Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) / 68.1 miles
- Tri Cities Regional Tn Va Airport (TRI) / 76.8 miles
* Not all airports listed here may be open to public use, or service commercial flights
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text:
The Daily Hotness: So You Think You Can Dance's Robert Muraine
Summer TV usually sucks, but the one show I am always so psyched for is So You Think You Can Dance. Produced by the American Idol team, SYTYCD features some of the most talented people I have ever seen on a reality TV show, without any of the annoying schmaltz. The first episode featuring the first round of auditions and one person who seriously stood out was Robert Muraine, a self-taught pop-and-lock street performer from Los Angeles. His audition was one of the sickest things I have ever seen in my life.


text:
|Chemistry for Everyone as alternate for SpEd science admission requirement
|Submitting Dean
|Dr. Patricia Nelson
|Submitting College
|Education -- Roberta Reese x2114
|Departments Generating the Proposal
|Curric & IS
|Objection Deadline
|April 19, 2007
|Proposal Status
|Final Approval Granted
|Proposal Last Updated
|November 02, 2007 by PR Rex Ramsier
|Effective Date
|Fall 2007
|Brief Summary of Proposal
|Allow Chemistry for Everyone (3150:101) a recognized and documented alternate science course for General Organic & Biochemistry I (3150:110) for admission into the Special Education/Intervention Specialist program in the College of Education.
|Type of Proposal
|Program changes
|Graduate School Endorsement Status
|Not required
|Graduate School Endorsement Updated
|March 09, 2007 by GS Heather Blake
|Institutional Research Status
|IR Status Updated
|April 02, 2007 by IR Dolores Bezilla
|Library Status
|Library Status Updated
|March 12, 2007 by UL Steve Aby
|Distance Learning Review Committee Status
|Not required
|DLRC Status Updated
|General Education Advisory Committee Status
|Not required
|GEAC Status Updated
|September 26, 2007 by PR Rex Ramsier
|Resource Requirements
|No additional resources
|Resource Requirements Updated
|February 23, 2007 by ED dean's ofc Roberta Reese
CPS Menu


text:
Lumb leads Sixers to five wicket victory
A half century from Michael Lumb was enough to help the Sydney Sixers seal a nervous five wicket victory against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Lumb smashed five boundaries and one six during a 55 ball innings which saw him score 61 runs to help the Sixers to chase down the Heats total of 127-9.
Nic Maddinson (17) and Brad HAddin (16) offered support but with wickets falling at regular intervals Lumb saw the visitors home with six balls to spare.
It proved to be a disappointing day for the Heat after they were restricted to a total of just 127-9; Luke Pomersbach (37) and Joe Burns (27) led the way but with a total of just 128 to defend it proved to be in vain.


text:
Voters Want New Library In Irondequoit
(13WHAM ) Irondequoit, N.Y. - A referendum on whether Irondequoit should borrow up to $13 million to fund a new library passed by an overwhelming margin Tuesday night.
The vote passed by a margin of about 1,600 votes. 64 percent of voters (3,651 votes) approved the measure. 36 percent (2,033 votes) opposed the plan.
The bond resolution will allow one large centralized library to be built next to the Irondequoit Town Hall at Kings Highway and Titus Avenue.
Irondequoit currently has two smaller libraries on opposite sides of town and the new library will replace the two.
Under the proposal, taxes for the average Irondequoit homeowner will go up about $29 over the next 30 years.
The final design of the building still needs to be approved and the library board hopes to break ground in the spring of 2014.


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London: Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has commended captain Younis Khan for his leadership qualities saying he has made the 'players gel really well".
Afridi, who is on a charity tour of Britain along with Younis Khan, said the best part of Khan"s captaincy is that he treats every player equally.
"Younis is like an older brother to me and a lot of the younger players. It doesnt make any difference to him whether a player is Punjabi, from Karachi, Pathan or whatever else, he treats everyone the same and really looks after all of us," PakPassion.net quoted Afridi, as saying.
"Younis has a lot of respect for all the guys in the team, whether you are a senior player or new to international cricket. This makes everyone feel welcome and part of the setup and not an outsider and has really made us gel as a team," he added.
Afridi said it was Younis who had made him to do charity work for thousands of people facing several difficulties back home.
"Due to the firing and the bomb blasts, lots of people still don"t have roofs over their heads. Coupled with the problems people face in getting basic daily food and drink, and all just before Ramazan, that"s why we"re in UK," said Afridi, who originally belongs to Swat.
"We need to inform people what is happening in Swat at this moment, where people in their own country are homeless," he added.


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Cat Poop Leads To Violence
A good marriage is built on respect and compromise. And here's a relationship that could probably use a little more of both.
A 59-year-old man in Palm Coast, Florida named Avelino Garon got into it with his wife earlier this month over whose turn it was to clean the KITTY LITTER. (Palm Coast is just north of Daytona Beach.)
Apparently they'd been fighting all day, and the kitty litter thing pushed Avelino over the edge . . . because first he threatened to throw the cat against the WALL. Then he grabbed a knife and threatened to KILL his wife with it.
When police eventually showed up, Avelino explained that he didn't think he'd done anything wrong, because it's his WIFE'S responsibility to clean the litter box.
He was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and later released on $1,000 bail.


text:
Always check the LBP Register to ensure your building practitioner is currently licensed.
We work with:
Kitset buildings » Cabins | Barn style homes | Barns | Designer homes
The Pinecone kitset cabin range has attractive Shadowclad ply with colour steel roof and aluminium joinery. Sizes start from the 8.6sqm "Wainui" home office size, up to a two bedroom self contained cabin. Easily assembled on site, and complying with the NZ Building Code.
The cabin kitset packages are manufactured at our premises at Benmore Cres, Manor Park, Lower Hutt.
The pre-constructed "tri-board" wall panel system makes for simple rapid installation on site. The roof structure is designed to be self supporting allowing for the internal walls to be placed in any position. All models have been designed to go into a very high wind zone.
We can achieve a great finished product to your complete satisfaction. We have many satisfied customers located over the lower North Island, NZ.
The Wainui and Orongarongo Cabins can be fully assembled at our premises. These two cabins do not require permits as they are 10sqm or less, and can be transported to your site by tandem trailer.
Cabins larger than 10sqm require permits.
Pinecone kitset cabin range
Wainui - $8 845 (ex GST)
Orongarongo - $9 445 (ex GST)
The Hutt - $9 945 (ex GST)
Wairau - $10 745 (ex GST)
Waikanae - $12 145 (ex GST)
Otaki - $13 745 (ex GST)
Motueka - $17 145 (ex GST)
Awatere - $19 490 (ex GST)
Optional features
All our cabins can be upgraded with the following optional extras
All prices + GST


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CAIRO (May. 13)
The busy paths of James Baker and Alexander Bessmertnykh crossed for the second time in less than a month Monday in the offices of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at Cairo's Ittihadya Palace.
The two traveling diplomats, who last met April 25 in the Soviet Caucasus, and the Egyptian chief of state smiled happily.
But judging from the substance of their remarks to the news media, their apparent good humor had less to do with progress toward Middle East peace than with the tasty lunch laid out by the presidential chef and the fact that the palace air conditioner was working in the scorching 99-degree heat.
There was no drama. No breakthrough. Only the cautious optimism every diplomat wears like a badge.
At the end of the working lunch, the Soviet foreign minister, usually quite talkative, left the palace without a word to reporters.
Baker appeared on the palace veranda with Egyptian Foreign Minister Esmat Abdel-Meguid at his side. Mubarak, as usual, stayed in the wings for this part of the show.
The American secretary of state summed up what he said were the two major obstacles to a Middle East peace conference:
* The differences between Israel and Syria over U.N. involvement in the conference.
* The nature of the conference, whether it would be a one-time event, as the Israelis insist, or an ongoing forum, favored by the Arabs and the Soviets.
The question of Palestinian participation remains unresolved, Baker reported.
With respect to the first stumbling block, he acknowledged "significant differences" between the Syrians and Israelis, an understatement considering he got nowhere in a six-hour meeting Sunday with President Hafez Assad in Damascus.
Baker was to visit Jordan on Tuesday and fly to Jerusalem later in the day for his fourth round of talks with Israeli leaders.
His Soviet counterpart left Cairo on Monday for Saudi Arabia. Officials of the Palestine Liberation Organization said he would meet PLO chief Yasir Arafat at the Soviet Embassy in Geneva on Tuesday.
Baker intoned the standard note of optimism. There are "far more issues with respect to which there is agreement, than there are issues with respect to which there is no agreement," he said.
He did not estimate their relative weights but said he would continue his efforts to narrow the gap between them.
Baker, repeating a statement which has become the leitmotif of his mission, observed that "nobody can impose peace on the parties. They've got to want it."
Abdel-Meguid told reporters, "There are still, some problems but we don't consider them insurmountable. We think the United States is very serious in its efforts, and we will continue to work hand-in-hand until we see a peace conference start."
But Cairo seems to be taking a passive role at this juncture, being content to play host to the two superpowers and give them its blessing.
Foreign Minister Abdel-Meguid is expected to leave office after he is elected secretary-general of the League of Arab States on Wednesday. Mubarak leaves for Europe on Thursday to discuss ways to repay Egypt's huge foreign debt.
The Egyptian line has been: Let the big guys try to deliver the goods. And if they fail, the blame will certainly fall on the shoulders of Israel.
That attitude was expressed by a cartoon Sunday in the weekly Rose el-Yussuf.
It shows the Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, offering the Arab world "land for peace." His right hand holds a knife and the other points at the piece of land he is willing to offer: a graveyard.