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About "Recessionopoly" by Mr-R
Design by Mr-R
COLORS: 8 T-SHIRT COLOR: Any
Production, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment, investment spending, capacity utilization, household incomes, business profits and inflation all fall during recessions; while bankruptcies and the unemployment rate rise.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Excellent!
hahaha awesome!!!!!!
nice work
Nice Job
I love it
awesome concept! 5$
excellent! a print 5$
Thats great! Its so well done and super clever how you incorporated all of the game pieces into the design.
Looks like a print to me, 5$!
great work!
There's no WAY they can pass this up. Very timely concept, METICULOUSLY executed. So many details to look at! One of my new faves!!!
lol~ Awesome!
Thank you all! @ ibyes
Currently the monopoly game has twelve (12) metal token as playing pieces, which are: a wheelbarrow (1937b edition) a battleship a sack of money (1999–2007 editions) a man on horseback a car (race-car) a train (Deluxe Edition only) a thimble a howitzer better known as a cannon an old style shoe or boot a Scottie dog an iron and a top hat
I just used the ones on bold to make the main idea pop-out more. Besides I couldn't think of any way to incorporate the other and even if I could it would have been a total mess :)
Again... thank you all!!!
well thought!
This will print. Awesome work!
This is all kinds of awesome! Congratulations on this printing :)
fantastic linework
So good dude, myself and others are working on a Monopoly sub as well as I speak, this has rightfully stolen a lot of its eventual thunder.
All the elements are there to make this a perfect statement on our times and the Parker Brothers world.
Well done!
Excellent $5
Wow! Greatness! $5
Perfect. The logo is very cool too :)
This is T-riffic - and the halftoning is superb!
Way awesome dude!!
hahahaha GREAT!!!
I'll take a chance and score this 5
I'll pass go and collect some $
anyone who disagrees can go straight to jail!! :)
Soon to be spoiled !
ha ha ha ha this is genius love it $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Awesome concept and execution! I love the use of the playing pieces.
Awesome Drawing!
Yes, this is great!
Super awesome work!!! Great idea $5
very nice, great detail and linework...and idea too!
@ FRICKINAWESOME Thanks... thats great that your working in a Monopoly sub, I look forward to it. I'm sure it would be an excellent piece of work!
Wow man this is a sure fire print. Excellent work.
Nice work
Great art, love the way you worked in the game pieces.
haha this is too cool 5
really great!!!! 5$
Genius. $5
great! 5$
5 for sure.
beautiful style
Man, you deserve to be printed real soon! I hope it's already happened and we're just waiting for the good news!
sure fire print 5
coolest thing i have seen in awhile, nice job!
Great job! You put effort on this, and deserve to win5$
Great design! Love it
brilliant concept n execution
perfect tee design. 5$
Awesome $$$$$$$$$$$$ 5 :D
I'm un(self)employed right now...This is soooo clever and couldn't come at a better time. Definitely want this printed on a tee. It'd be worth me eating p.b.j. for a week to own.
(_/) (^_^) (___)♡
perfect irony!
Print! $5
Cool concept!
very very nice! 5
Simply amazing! What program/technique do you use for your halftones?
@ Wheels03 I use Photoshop CS2 to make all my designs. For the halftones I use the Bitmap conversion from gray scale to turn the gray tones to halftones. Hope I answer your question! :)
There are 4 days left for voting and I'm already seeing the final score... thats weird...
Whoa, killer score already..it's a glitch (we hope) with the current system on Threadless...hope it clears up soon, but that's an awesome score...it'll probably go higher before the end of voting!
@ FRICKINAWESOME Thanks for the info man :)
This is awesome man... PRINT.
I had something similar in mind, but this looks just awesome! I'm pretty sure it will get printed.
best ever! print!!!
Dear Pacghost
If you continue to make comments in this fashion I will be forced to restrict your account privileges in accordance to our code of conduct which applies to any area of the site.
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Beautiful illustration!! 5!
Whoa, great well deserved score and a future print!
print for sure !
This is getting printed! $5!
Haha, funny, clever and critical... this will be printed for sure!
super witty, definite print. 5
Great one!
love it 5
what an awesome idea!!! well done
This is a very well done piece.
so appropriate
so appropriate
Very well done. Can see this as a print.
lol, love it
Thanks for all your comments!!!
Congrats on the print man!
i'm sorry i missed to score this Congrats on your first PRINT dude!!!!!!!
seeing a few congrats on the print... Did I miss the spoiler when's this getting printed? This is awesome and needs to get printed soon.
Missed the voting, but saw the wip on your blog! Print!
Congrats, awesome design
Congrats. I knew it was only a matter of time till this got printed. awesome work.
I knew this would print ! Congrats
YES! congrats!
Knew it, congrats!
So rad... I wish the logo were on it somewhere though!
ah missed to score.....congratz!!
Thank you all for making this happen!
great tee!! congrats!!!
Brilliant work and a well deserved and overdue 1st print.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi Friends.
I need your opinion on my latest project, I have worked hard for this project but because of quality reasons, it was rejected. As i want to improve this project, I need your suggestions. Please guide me. Below is the link.http://youtu.be/njQ0RuXICv4
Warm Regards. Tj
Hi, I cannot face anything too obvious here, I don't like the overall timing, though. It can be a bit faster and more dynamic, I guess. The typeface is not so nice, in my opinion.
Thank You Sir.
Timing means, Is it slow or not going with the music. What i felt after it was rejected is maybe the transitions are simpler and are same.
Thanks Tj
I'm not very good in pointing out what's wrong, so I hope some other authors will answer, too.
I was not referring to the music. But for example, at 0:40 the text writing on is too slow for me. The banners should already have the text written on as they appear so you don't have to wait till you can read it.
Thanks a Lot, You are right, Here i was confused, i have done unnecessary animation and out animations.
As Creattive said, I think the main problem is it's not dynamic enough. Try blend the animations and make them faster / react to one another.
Another example, in some cases you used the "Vegas" effect and rotated it – which is good, and in some cases it's not moving at all..
I would change the colors as well..maybe something bright in the background?
Some basic design concepts are missing here: Another example at 01:04 – the placeholders & title should be centered. Now there is a blank space above it and it looks unprofessional…
I don't know a lot about typography but I hope I helped
This thread is now in › Item Discussion
Thanks a lot Ghos Team sir, One more thing i wanna ask, Is the the concept of script, good for the project. or we should use the text like " this place is for this". etc.
Best wishes, Tj
The script is great, no need to overthink this…be focused on the animation
Thanks Sir, I have concluded the points..
Improvise Timing Faster & Dynamic Animation Improve Typeface Animation should react to one Another Improve background Focus on the Animation
My next project will include all of this written above.
Thanks for your Time and suggestions. Best Wishes Tj


text:
A Cold But Great Nite At Paula Gretzinger's Parents Of The Year Awards [AUDIO]
I guess it's just the ham in me, but I actually like "MC"ing. I got the opportunity to do that at Paula Gretzinger's Parent of the Year Awards presentation. The awards were of course the main thrust of the evening, but that's not all that everyone was talking about. It was soooo cold! How cold was it?
First let's find out just how cold it really was, and then I will list all of the proud award winners.
I walked around, recorder in hand at the beautiful Mohawk River Golf Club in Rexford and asked some folks to comment on this abnormally frigid winter in upstate New York. Here are their very descriptive answers
mp3 version (right click to save)
Wow – I'm so glad I brought my snare drum and cymbol so I could give them the "rim shots" ~! Nice job, folks!
And now here's a list of winners from the evening. Congratulations to all for being the kind of parent that we all should aspire to being.
- from Parentology with Paula website
Sugar Bear– PARENT OF THE YEAR (DAD)
Tracy Bove– PARENT OF THE YEAR (MOM)
Dominik Centurioni– PARENT OF THE YEAR (SINGLE DAD)
Anne Ryan– PARENT OF THE YEAR (SINGLE MOM)
Tara Ham– PARENT OF DISABLED CHILD
Lisa Sweet– GRANDPARENT AWARD
Rachel Anderson– STEP PARENT
Brian Brosen– SAME SEX PARENT
Lori Hammond– ADOPTING PARENT
Nellie Ackerman– ENTREPRENEUR PARENT
Laura Anello (Kathleen)– ENTREPRENEUR PARENT
Sharon Mack– MOST ORGANIZED
Bob Fitzgerald– THE CHEF- cooks homemade meals everyday
Louise & Kurt Lamp– INSPIRING AWARD
Laura Henniger- THE JUGGLER
Kelly Gruppe– MOST POSITIVE
Peggy Kownack – NEIGHBORHOOD PARENT- (person who is a parent to a group of children in the neighborhood
Charles Patricelli– NEIGHBORHOOD PARENT
Nancy Whitmore– SWEETHEART AWARD- (Parent that has been married for longer than 20 years and has more than one child from the same marriage)
Karen & Abed Al-Mawla Jandali– LOVE & HONOR AWARD- (Couple that has been married longer than 20 years and has 4 or more children from the same marriage.)
Anne Dennett – SURVIVOR AWARD- (Parent that has been through a lot of struggles and managed to get up and keep going)
Wade Abott– THE CRAFTY AWARD- (Parent that is always coming up with creative projects for kids)


text:
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Watch Tower of Druaga Sword of Uruk Episode 1 English version online and free episodes. Anime Episode guide, Chapter Tower of Druaga Sword of Uruk Episode 1 English dubbed The Tower of Gilgamesh Six months have passed since the defeat of Druaga, with King Gilgamesh falsely claiming all credit for the act and the tower being renamed the Tower of Gilgamesh. Jil, Fatina and the other surviving Climbers have been living in Meskia and while most of them have moved on with their lives, with Fatina becoming a tour guide, Kelb running a tavern, and Utu becoming a wrestler, Jil is still burdened with the betrayals of Neeba and Kaaya. In an effort to cheer him up, Fatina invites him out to see a play and then to see a wrestling match, only for the pair to run into trouble when a mysterious little girl comes to them after being chased by the King's soldiers. With Utu's help, Jil and Fatina escape with the girl, who reveals herself to be Ki, the first priestess of Ishtar and Gilgamesh's queen, and demands that Jil take her to the top of the Tower, or Kaaya will suffer a terrible fate.


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PROVIDENCE (Oct. 18)
The Jewish community here has been the target of extensive anti-Semitic graffiti over the past week.
Fluorescent orange swastikas were discovered over the Columbus Day weekend. The swastikas had been spraypainted onto the walls of two synagogues and two Jewish-owned businesses. Last Friday, another swastika was chalked onto the entrance to Providence's Jewish Community Center. All of these incidents took place in the heavily Jewish East Side neighborhood, in the environs of Brown University.
The anti-terrorism division of the providence Police Department is investigating the incidents. The major clue as to the identity of the perpetrators is the fact that alongside the swastikas painted on the CVS Pharmacy on Thayer Street, was the phrase "Skins Rule." This has led some to believe that there may be some association between the graffiti and a local version of the type of gang known as "skinheads".
Jewish leaders here expressed concern about the extensive coverage that the anti-Semitic incidents have received in the local news media. Samuel Shlevin, chairman of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith said he suspects the chalking of the swastika on the Jewish Community Center on Friday was a direct result of the news attention that the earlier graffiti received.
Concern mounted after the Boston Chapter of the Jewish Defense League announced plans to stage a demonstration here Sunday protesting the appearance of the swastikas. Some Providence Jews fear that the appearance of the JDL would heighten the tension in the neighborhood rather than alleviate it.
Spokespersons for the JDL have announced that they plan to form neighborhood watch patrols in the East Side neighborhood, in order to prevent further incidents.
The JDL demonstration was scheduled to take place outside of the Conservative synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, one of the sites of the recent graffiti. The other targets were the Orthodox Temple Beth Sholom, the CVS Pharmacy and the East Side Prescription Center.


text:
Mental Health
Have Mental Health Questions? Ask a Psychiatrist Online
Hello I am having trouble sleeping. I have had trouble sleeping for about 3 weeks now and have had weeks of no sleep in the past. Can you provide a suggestion for getting to sleep? I do have hypothryroid and hypoganidism and am treated for both. I also have anxiety issues. I am not that comfortable with Melatonin. Is there anything that you can suggest to aide me to getting to sleep?
Hello I believe I can help you with your concern
I am so sorry that you are having difficulty sleeping, I can imagine how that can distress you.
Hello and thanks for taking my question
I understand that you would not like to take Melatonin, but are you willing to consider other possible medications to help you sleep or are you looking for non-medical interventions only?
I am really not sure. I spoke with a primary physician before who suggested melatonin but I saw some negative comments about that on Dr Oz web page. Either will suffice
Well this is a good non-medication way of helping to get better sleep, but I think since this has been happening for 3 weeks, I will suggest some medical ones that can help too.
Benadryl is a good over the counter medication that can help. Although you mentioned that you may have anxiety, so I would suggest an over the counter supplement called St. Johns Wort that can lower your anxiety and may help you sleep more.
For prescription medications, I would recommend Trazadone, Gabapentin, or Seroquel. These can all be used to reduce anxiety and help cause a sedative effect to help you sleep at low doses, so there should be no major side effects for you
Oh OK. Are these the mainstream meds to help with sleep as first line?
Well the Ambien is the first-line prescription medication to help with sleep, but it will not help with anxiety at all and I wanted to recommend one medication that can do both for you
Question. Who gets prescribed sleeping pills like Ambien or Lunesta?
You can get prescribed those two medications for you sleep issues, but like I said it will not help with your anxiety and usually doctors would want you to try the over the counter medications first.
OK is it worth it as a first line to go to the Dr and ask for Ambien?
Also Ambien and Lunesta can be addicting too. You can try going and asking the doctor for Ambien too
OK so is Benadryl a much safer way to start?
When you say addicting does that mean that I will want to pop them just "because" ?
I think it is definitely a safer way to start. You can use that and the St. Johns Wort too at the same time as well.
Oh OK. What dosage ?
Addicting means that you cannot go off them abruptly after using them for a sustained period of time or you will suffer serious withdrawal effects (e.g. anxiety, delirium, shakes, etc..).
50mg to start should be good for you.
It sounds like you are assuming that my primary physician will start me off with Benadryl
I use the Androgel medicine that absorbs through the skin for testosterone. Is it true that Benadryl constricts capillaries? If that happens wont I absorb less androgel through the skin the next day? Is there a safe time until using androgel ?
Usually most doctors will start off with over the counter medications before the prescriptions, but some may go straight to the prescriptions if you are insisting.
Also, Is melatonin one of your choices ? Is that safe?
I use melatonin and I think that is the safest actually because it is a natural supplement.
I have gone 3 weeks without sleeping in the past. I have not had a full night sleep in months and have gone about 5 days so far with out any sleep at all.
Since I have what they've called a lazy pituitary I worry that taking a hormone could be problematic. Does that make any sense from your point of view?
Well for that I would use a prescription medication to help you get some sleep. But like I said if it is related to anxiety, I would use Trazodone first.
Oh OK. Are you using for sleep issues or just to get better sleep?
It does make sense, the melatonin should not have any major effects in that area because it is a small dose.
I use it for better sleep, but I dont have the sleep issues that you are having currently.
OK so should I start with Benadryl ? Or, should go to the Dr office and ask for Amien?
You can start with the benadryl, but I do not think it will be that effective for you since your lack of sleep is considered moderate-severe.
Ambien will help you sleep, but will do nothing for anxiety
OK but both will assist with getting me back on a sleep schedule I assume?
Thanks for your patience
I will need to leave work tomorrow to see the Dr and am wondering if I should. I never feel confident that I will fall asleep and the weekend is starting tomorrow
Yes they should both help you getting back to sleep.
I am so sorry, I think seeing the doctor would be best or at least saying that your sleep is very moderate-severe and that a prescription may help more than an over the counter.
Is there any time frame that you would consider dangerous for lack of sleep?
Well if you literally got no amount of sleep in the last 5 days, then you are at risk for psychosis.
But I assume that you got some cat-naps to help you get some sleep here and there, but not enough for a full rest.
OK I believe I experienced that in the past. I went over 2 weeks with no sleep at all.
I think the longest someone has gone without sleep is around 15-17 days
Really, then yes psychosis would be present, anxiety, high blood pressure, etc...
I went to the hospital and they said no one ever died from insomnia and I left. My dr prescribed Seroquel and I did not take since I did not like what I read about it.
If you have had these issues with insomnia in the past, then I definitely think that a prescription medication is right for you.
OK but in the mean time if I can not get to the Dr office I should try Benadryl?
I just called the Dr office and they said I will have to be seen
I understand your reluctance about the Seroquel, but it would be at a low dose and the major side effects are very rare.
Yes try the Benadryl
I do have severe OCD and GAD. I was advised by a Psych to try Luvox days ago. I am still not sure about it since I experienced side effects on it as well as others
The side effects for most SSRI antidepressants are temporary as your body adjusts to the medication, they usually only last 4-6 weeks on average.
OK. Could the Benadryls action interfere with absorption of Androgel through the skin because of how it shrinks the capillaries?
What deters me with luvox is the apparent increase in Prolactin. I was told that it increases serotonin which decreases dopamine which increases prolactin.
I doubt it will because it is such a low dose. And here is a good link showing that there are no major interactions between the two.
Oh that is good to know
Well the choice of the medication is up to you, if you want to take it or not. Have you tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) instead for your symptoms of GAD and OCD?
I do want to take something. I need to. I have tried CBT twice.
The last CBT Therapist no longer took my insurance and I discontinued.
The psych dr that I just spoke with said that CBT does not work very often with OCS
I understand, you can also use the CBT techniques at home through books and a website I know.
It works very well for OCD actually, CBT is the mainstream treatment for OCD.
Here are some good CBT books as well that can help you with OCD and GAD
OK. I will go ahead and look for a new therapist as I need this but I immediately would like to get real sleep. I forget what sleep feels like
Try the Benadryl, but I think a prescription is going to be best for you.
Thanks for that.
Anytime, I am always happy to help.
So I should go to the appointment tomorrow ? Should I ask for Ambien?
I think the an anti-anxiety medication with sedative effects would be better for you. I would recommend the Trazodone or Gabapentin. But the Ambien will help you sleep though
So I should try the Benadryl and if it does not work I should go to the appointment ? If Benadryl works should I continue taking it each night?
You also mention St Johns Wort
If it does not work go for an appointment, and if it does you can safely use it each night.
So tonight I should try Benadryl alone or both?
OK. I am thinking of starting with 25 MG
of Benadryl
St. Johns Wort can be used together with the Benadryl, the only side effects may be increased dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating, but these are usually minor and most likely will not happen at a low dosage.
OK and lastly. Melatonin
Is melatonin that safe in your view?
You can try the 25mg, but I would go no higher than 100mg a night
Is melatonin safe with Benadryl?
Yes it is safe in my opinion
What dose would you recommend for someone like me? it says 3 mg
Could Benadryl 25 and Melatonin 3mg be taken together?
3mg is fine for melatonin to start with and you can use it with the Benadryl, but it may cause excessive drowsiness.
Great hopefully that will knock me out
In your view would that be a safer route for the body than something like Ambien?
I think it would be safer, yes
Also I have done exercising at night. Is that a bad Idea for sleep issues?
I would not exercise 2 hours before planning on going to sleep
OK so I should not expect any hormonal interruptions with melatonin and Benadryl. I have enough of that
With such small doses, I do not believe you will have any hormonal issues at all
so 3mg is a small dose?
from what I hear melatonin is meant to be taken daily for best results over time
3mg is a standard dose, but it is low in the way melatonin effects the body's hormones.
That sounds like committment
I just get worried that I will suppress my bodies ability to produce it
No you do not have to take it daily, it is fast acting and does not accumulate much in the body
No that will not be a problem with the melatonin, there are no physical addictive elements to melatonin
I see that you are a Psychologist. Are you able to prescribe medicine or do you focus more on research?
I have a post-graduate degree in Psychopharmacology, so I am only able to prescribe medications in 2 states currently. Only Nurse practitioners, Medical doctors, and Psychiatrists can prescribe medications in all 50 states.
Thanks. People with OCD like myself need reassurance that something is safe enough. And you are saying that melatonin does not accumulate and will not be harmful. Also that it can be taken along side Benadryl. Is this a combination that people use with success?
Most individuals will try one or the other for the sleep aids, not both together, but there are no major issues taking it together. You can see on this link there are no major issues
Also melatonin has a half-life of 35-50 minutes, so that means within 8 hours the melatonin supplement has completely been excreted through your urine.
I see that you are offline right now, but if you would like to discuss this question further please feel free to respond in the chat box and I will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. If I answered your question satisfactorily I would very much appreciate if you could rate my performance in helping you so that I can get credit for this question. Thank you very much
I see that you are back online, did you have any other questions or concerns?
Yes it is doable and safe as well for you
Try that first and if it does not help then go to your doctor and ask for a prescription
Well it can cause sleep walking, talking, and other sleep related behavior (e.g. chatting on email, etc...) I have seen people use it and report doing all of these things while they sleep.
And like I said the withdrawal effects after extended use can be bad, so you must wean off it carefully
Here a list of common and rare side effects associated with Ambien
Most rare side effects only happen in less than 1 percent, so I think Ambien is very safe and very effective in helping you sleep. If you wanted to try other sleep aids that may be more safe than ask for Trazodone. This is used in all hospitals and is not addictive as well, unlike the Ambien
Try the Benadryl and Melatonin first then go on to the prescritption medications. Your choices are Ambien or Lunesta, or Trazodone, Gabapentin, or Seroquel.
This is your best gameplan.
Then stick with that
You will not need prescriptions
Okay, I will have to go to a meeting now. Did you have any last question or we can continue this chat at a later time if you like?
It is very safe, you should not be worried about it
Anytime, happy to help. Best of luck to you and I hope your sleep issues resolve swiftly. My goal is to provide you with excellent service, so if you ever have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at anytime.
Dr. Z. OK I am all set. I am going to use 25 mg Benadryl and Some Melatonin. Should I use half the melatonin to be safe? Also, is 5HTP a good option for me in place of St Johns Wort? I really don't know enough about the two.
OK. I am really focusing on this issue but I do have another question. lf I had just asked you for your program of sleep aids getting to sleep without mentioning any of my preference could you tell me what that would be? Would Melatonin be first on your list?
Also should any of this have any kind of effect on testosterone. I get that tested regularly as I am treated for low testosterone. Lastly does it make sense to go speak with the GP tomorrow anyway ?


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Intelsat 515 ( 19772 ) observed flashing in a cloudy sky, wrecking the view. http://www.kfetter.com/satvideo/flashing-geosat/19772.wmv Area of sky 13 h 06 m R.A +0 deg 39 deg Dec Hard to say at this time, what it's flash period is, as I could have missed some. Kevin 44.6062 N 75.6910 W __________________________________________________________________ Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr! http://www.flickr.com/gift/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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|fresh words market - print $15
time for another adventure.
40 comments
I would love to get back to the south of France for longer than 2 weeks this time. It seems like the perfect place to get lost!ReplyDelete
Nate and I just went to Thailand forReplyDelete
our honeymoon (pics soon!) and it was fabulous. My travel list is pretty long ... would love to go to: Argentina, the South of France, Milan, Greece, Spain, Ireland and Hong Kong to name a few!
Once you travel, you catch the bug!
Italy would be so beautiful! I'd love to visit there and England some day.ReplyDelete
So fun! You two definitely deserve it!!!ReplyDelete
You must visit Cinque Terre when you make it to Italy. The place is magical!ReplyDelete
I am having serious wanderlust lately, just went back through all my photos from Europe and so sad that it's over! I am dreaming of Germany and Scotland!ReplyDelete
Italy is amazing. I'm so thankful I got to go and see my hometown prior to the floods in the Cinque Terre. I'm already lusting over Paris and need to go ASAP.ReplyDelete
xoxo Jessica
ahhh so jealous of you! I think either place would be amazing! I went to Europe after college with some of my best girl friends, and we had such a wonderful experience. I'm so wanting to go back!! My husband isn't quite sold on the idea though... can't wait to see where your next adventure is!ReplyDelete
ahhh so jealous of you! I think either place would be amazing! I went to Europe after college with some of my best girl friends, and we had such a wonderful experience. I'm so wanting to go back!! My husband isn't quite sold on the idea though... can't wait to see where your next adventure is!ReplyDelete
LOVE Italia. My parents and brother and sister-in-law are going in June. So wish we could join! My favorite spots were Piedmonte and Cinque Terre! :)ReplyDelete
you are going to LOVE it missy! :) i'm dreaming of a trip somewhere tropical, or even a little jaunt a few hours away. it's fun to just get lost somewhere!ReplyDelete
I was thinking of writing up a similar post soon! Traveling is such a passion of mine.ReplyDelete
Anywhere in the rural areas of Europe. I'm a city girl from California so I always love going to rural, quiet areas with lots of empty land and nature. So, an Italian countryside sounds pretty perfect to me.ReplyDelete
I completely understand your desire to get away- and always be dreaming up new places to go! My bf and I are the same way. It's so much fun to see new places! I'd like to visit Denmark and Amsterdam.ReplyDelete
Italy and Paris are top of my list!! :)ReplyDelete
love italy i have only been once but i am dying to go back!ReplyDelete
xx Katie Carlin-Daily Crush
I would take anywhere in Europe really. Lately we have been talking about Greece. :)ReplyDelete
I would also love to go back to Italy- I went in high school & think it would be a slightly different trip w/my husband versus my parents.ReplyDelete
And in general I'm always up for France!
the south coast of france...ahh, a girl can dream! xoReplyDelete
Italy is my #1 choice as well. Choosing a city to visit in Italy is another story. Lol.ReplyDelete
i could definitely go back and get lost in italy.ReplyDelete
I have been dying to plan an international vaca for 2012...I absolutely adore Italy, and would love to go back to Europe! I'm also contemplating planning a trip to Israel because I think it would be super interesting! :)ReplyDelete
I would love to go back to Italy. It's the most beautiful place I've ever been to. Definitely plan a trip!!ReplyDelete
I am the same way, I'm always planning trips. As of lately I've beenr eally wanting to just drop everything and backpack across europe, not that I would actually pack back(i have too many outifts for a tiny backpack!) but I plan on something similar soon!ReplyDelete
i've got the travel bug too and i have always wanted to go to italy. i imagine beautiful scenes of Tuscany and seaside cocktails in Capri. ahhhh.ReplyDelete
Rome and Milan!? I'm in!ReplyDelete
I'm day dreaming about Cuba these days - hoping to go in the next year or two before it gets too touristy :)
take me with you! i am dying to go back to italy!ReplyDelete
these pics are so gorgeous! i would loooove to go to the amalfi coast. maybe for our one year anniversary :)ReplyDelete
You're going to have such a great time in Italy! When in Rome (he he) you should rent an apartment. Totally the cheaper and more enjoyable way! I can give you the email of people who rented to us for 3 days. It was seriously the best experience!ReplyDelete
Italy is SO very wonderful and I miss living there. One of my other favorite places is New Zealand. I'd pack up and move there in a heartbeat!ReplyDelete
Milan is one of my very favorite cities-it's so gorgeous! I dream about warm beaches, lots of sand and no wifi!ReplyDelete
Do both, it's only a few hours train ride! Milan is beautiful but there is so much more to see and do in Rome.ReplyDelete
Can you do both? My vote would be for Rome - more to see and do, and a perfect jumping off point for weekend adventures!!ReplyDelete
Milan is one of my favorite places in the entire world. It's such a beautiful city and someplace I could definitely imagine myself living. Definitely make it up to the top of the Duomo, even if you pay to take the elevator. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Alps and it's absolutely breathtaking. Plus it's a lovely place to take a nap in the summer sun.ReplyDelete
couldn't you just travel ALL THE TIME???!!! it would be a dream come true :) until then, i'll just keep dreaming! italy would be amazing... gorgeous photos! XO brynnReplyDelete
it's such a great country with such beautiful peopleReplyDelete
These photos are stunning, and I have been dying to go to Italy for some time now. Greece and Italy are next on my list.ReplyDelete
I just LOVE how you both are always planning your next trip!! Such ambition and passion! Hope to make these kinds of dreams come true for myself one day ;)ReplyDelete
Ohh Italy is stunning and the food is amazing there as well. Ohh now I am daydreaming about it too:) Muah sunshine.ReplyDelete
we just bought tickets for a Europe expedition in may! and i think i'm most excited about Rome! i hope you get there too!! xoxoReplyDelete


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Taking a page out of the Japanese car makers' playbook, Polycom is looking to offer customers high-end videoconferencing equipment for corporate boardrooms with the release of two new products.
Polycom is beefing up its product line with the new ViewStation FX and VS4000 systems to offer what it calls near-TV quality video and audio for large conference needs, such as boardroom and distance learning applications. Previously, Polycom has served the middle-market arena, selling sub-$10,000 conferencing systems for desktops and small conference rooms.
"Think of this strategy like Toyota introducing Lexus -- it's luxury, but not as expensive and does everything and more [than the higher-priced competitors,]" says Jason Ader, research analyst at H.C. Wainwright & Co. in Boston.
With four times more processing power than its predecessors and the ability to transmit at over 1M bit/sec across T-1 connections, the new units should offer "superior video," says Andrew Davis, managing partner at Wainhouse Consulting Group in Brookline, Mass.
"We've been able to include more annexes to the H.263 standard for better motion handling and background cleanup," says Jennifer Sigmund, group marketing manager for Polycom's video division.
The units feature a four-port bridge that will host four participants at up to 384K byte speeds or three participants at 512K bytes and can stream conferences across the Internet in either Real G2 or Cisco IPTV formats. They also support H.323 (Internet), v.35 (ISDN) and primary rate interface (satellites, frame relay) calls within the same unit. Both new products can interface with room-based remote control units and interface with XGA high-resolution video projectors.
The ViewStation FX is a standard unit with built-in camera and audio equipment, while the VS4000 is a rack-mount system designed to fit in a closet and be used for custom videoconferencing systems. Both support the use of a second camera, dual microphones and remotes, as well as other inputs for mixing audio and data.
Both products will be available in Q1 of next year and are priced between $17,000 and $19,000.
While Polycom claims that this isn't a huge market area for them, it is an expansion of their existing product line that will allow their distributors (the company does not have direct sales) to sell from top to bottom in a company. "This announcement shows the company has its sights set on the whole pie, not just the slice they dominate," Davis says. "If anyone had reasons not to buy Polycom, those reasons have evaporated."
Polycom also announced recently that it signed a deal with Lucent, making it the exclusive provider of videoconferencing equipment to all Lucent's new customers. In 1998, Lucent sold some $20 million in PictureTel equipment, one of Polycom's biggest competitors, says Ader.
The deal also calls for the two companies to jointly develop products in the IP market, such integrating multipoint and other network capabilities into Lucent's next-generation PBX equipment.
This story, "Polycom targets high-end videoconferencing market" was originally published by Network World.


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From today, the BBC iPlayer will link to catch-up TV services from rival broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C, as well as content on SeeSaw.com and MSN Video Player.
The move, first mooted in May last year, was originally due to happen by the summer of 2010, but has only now come to fruition.
"It's been a while in the making, but this has been an extremely ambitious and technically complicated project," says BBC Future Media & Technology head of audience-facing services Paul Clark in a blog post.
"More broadly, we think BBC Online should serve as a hub to support other UK sites and want to double the traffic we send externally.
"Given the popularity of BBC iPlayer, we hope this feature will support fellow broadcasters and boost the overall uptake of video on demand."
More after the break
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter


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[USA UNDER-14 BOYS] The U.S. under-14 boys national team drew twice with Croatia in Zagreb, rallying for a 2-2 tie on Monday and then earning a 1-1 tie two days later.
Timothy Weah, the son of former Ballon d'Or winner George Weah, set up Chris Goslin for the equalizer after Croatia went ahead with two goals following Jake Artega's early strike.
In the second match,
Tristan Weber (with an assist from Jalen James) had the U.S. goal.
The trip concludes with friendlies against NK Krsko of Slovenia
on Thursday and a Croatian regional team on Saturday.
May 19 in Zagreb
Croatia 2
USA 2. Goals: Franjic 42, Petrivoc 65; Artega 41, Goslin 76.
USA -- Budnik; Bailey, Vaughn, Lindsey, Perez, Arteaga, Goslin, Lederman, Sahagun;
Akinola, Carleton. Subs: Weber, Muchnick, Weah.
May 21 in Zagreb
Croatia 1 USA 1.
Goals: Mohorovcic 59; Weber 52.
USA -- Pinho; Weber, Asensio, Edwards, Foe Nuphaus; James, Lemoine, Muchnick, Acosta; Weah, Dias. Subs: Bailey, Lindsey, Sahagun.


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Schools' Registration
Members' Registration
Campaign Demands
Take Action
In Your Country
Photo Gallery
Since 2000, the world has made good progress in getting tens of millions of children into school – but in 2008, that progress stopped. Today, 132 million children remain out of primary and lower secondary school, with little or no hope of ever learning how to read or write, with little or no hope of breaking the cycle of poverty.
The single biggest thing we can do to give these children a chance to realise their right to education is make sure each and every one of them has access to a trained teacher.
However, there is an acute shortage of teachers. To get every child into primary school, we need 1.7 million more teachers – 1 million more in Africa alone.
In addition, we must ensure that each new teacher - and each existing teacher - has quality initial and ongoing training. Training of teachers is absolutely vital to ensure that being in school also means 'learning', but right now many of the children who have made it into a classroom may well be there with poorly-trained teachers – and could well leave primary education barely able to read or write.
Chad has just one pre-primary teacher for every 1,815 children of this age group
Tweet this
Niger reports just 1,059 trained lower secondary school teachers in 2010 – compared to 1.4 million children of lower secondary school age – meaning only one trained teacher for every 1,318 children.
Tweet this
In Mali, only half of all primary school teachers are trained – and only a quarter of these have had training lasting six months or longer
Some countries count those who have completed primary school and a one-month training course as trained
Thirty one countries report that fewer than three quarters of teachers are trained (to any accepted national standard).
We need to make sure that all teachers – new recruits as well as those already in classrooms – are well-trained, have access to ongoing training and are treated as professionals – with decent pay and conditions.
If governments truly value learning, then they must value teachers. The Global Campaign for Education wants world leaders to acknowledge that Every Child Needs a Teacher, and to take firm action to make this a reality.


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Worst Christmas Gifts Ever!
On Thursday morning(12/19), Lou and I will talk about "The worst Xmas present you've ever gotten." You can post yours here on my Ethan Carey page or on the Ethan and Lou FB page.Here are some of Reddit.com's favorites:
1. "I got a used gift card with only $3.75 left on it"
2. "When I was seven my grandma bought my cousin a Play Station 2 and got me a Shrek lunchbox."
3. "I was unemployed and got a large, gift wrapped box from my parents filled with a stack of job applications."
4. This could be the winner!!………."My great aunt had a live-in caretaker who unexpectedly died. The next year, when I was seven, I got a VHS copy of his funeral for Xmas."
5. "One year my grandpa gave everyone in the family bright orange rape whistles for Xmas…..even the men." What's the WORST Xmas gift you've ever received? Call The Ethan and Lou Show in the morning…..203-775-9595.


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A ROCK 'n' roll pioneer is coming to Grays in his 58th year of performing.
Marty Wilde, father of pop star Kim Wilde and singer of 1959 hit A Teenager in Love, will be playing at the Thameside Theatre on May 31.
Born in London in 1939 and beginning his career in 1957, as a teenager he was one of the first British singers to play a leading role in the development of rock 'n' roll this side of the Atlantic.
After a string of hits stretching into the late 1960s, he began to work as a writer, penning a number of songs for daughter Kim Wilde including 1981 international hit Kids in America, as well as Lulu and Status Quo.
Now , at the age of 75, he is back touring with his band The Wildcats in a show that combines old hits with new material.
"This is a completely different show in so many new ways," he said. "I can honestly say hand on heart, that it is one of the hardest shows that I have performed for some time."
To book a ticket, priced £22, call the Thameside 0845 3005264 or visit www.thurrock.gov.uk/thameside-theatre


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This event is in the past.
March 5, 2013 | 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Category: Concert
Location: Schaver Music Recital Hall | Map
4841 Cass
Detroit, MI 48201
Detroit, MI 48201
Cost: free
Audience: Alumni, Community, Current Graduate Students, Current Undergraduate Students, Faculty, Parents, Prospective Students, Staff
Daniel Greig, choral conducting
For more information about this event, please contact Music Dept. at 7-1795.


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Browsing MWP Working Papers by Author "ZALUSKI, Wojciech"
Now showing items 1-3 of 3
Title:David Hume on Norms and Institutions. Conference Proceedings Editor(s):ZALUSKI, WojciechDate:2009Type:Working PaperSeries/Number:EUI MWP; 2009/40
Title:Models of the Origins of Law. An Attempt at Appraisal from the Perspective of Evolutionary Theory Author(s):ZALUSKI, WojciechDate:2008Type:Working PaperSeries/Number:EUI MWP; 2008/12Abstract:In this article I make an attempt at evaluating in the light of evolutionary theory various models of the origins of law proposed in philosophical literature. I start by presenting a classification of the models. As a ...
Title:Evolutionary View of Human Nature and the Goals of Law Author(s):ZALUSKI, WojciechDate:2008Type:Working PaperSeries/Number:EUI MWP; 2008/07Abstract:In this paper an attempt is made to show that evolutionary theory may be used to define the goals of law. While addressing the problem of defining the goals of law, one can use evolutionary theory in two radically different ...


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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Covers Kelly Clarkson & Lady Gaga in Karaoke Session (VIDEO)
The actor sang both Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" and Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory" as if he was Guns & Roses frontman Axel Rose. For his Gaga performance, Joseph was joined by late night host and friend Jimmy who was impersonating David Bowie. Jimmy also sang "Bowie's" version of Foster for People's "Pumped Up Kicks."
This isn't the only music Joseph, 30, has been making!
Celebuzz caught up with the actor at the NYC premiere of 50/50 Monday night and he was excited to talk about his production company hitRECord's Fall Formal coming up next month, Oct. 10 in Los Angeles.
"It's hitRECord's biggest show ever. We're gonna dress up, probably nicer than this," the actor revealed while all suited up. Joseph in a tux! Yes please! "We're going to have a bunch of music, it's going to be beautiful! It'll be really special."
In the meantime, hitRECord has come out with an anthology where Joseph sings, writes and even plays drums on some of the tracks. He also recently performed Nirvana's hit song "Lithium."


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Kanye West to Radio Deejays: "Shut the F**k Up!"
He loves to dish it out, but when it comes to receiving criticism Kanye West isn't always the best at handling himself.
During his concert in University Park, Pennsylvania last night (February 13), the "No Church in the Wild" rapper had a strong message for radio deejays who call him out- "Shut the f**k up!"
West declared, "If I go to a radio interview, SHUT THE F*** UP!!! ... Diss me, talk sh*t. What the f*** did you do? What have you done with your motherf**kin' life, Charlemagne? Sway?"
It seems Kanye was referring to a couple of tough interviews with Charlemagne Tha God and Sway, both of whom openly criticized him for his braggadocios tendencies and egotistical attitude.


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150 new beds each year needed for elderly in homes - Mario Galea
Malta needed 150 new beds each year for elderly care in homes to cover the needs of the aging population, Community Care parliamentary secretary Mario Galea said.
Speaking during a press breakfast on elderly people and domestic violence held to mark the European year for combating poverty and social exclusion, Mr Galea said that there were at this point close to 4,000 beds for the elderly in the 37 homes run by the government, the church and the private sector.
Mr Galea pointed out that there were some 95,000 holders of the kartanzjan, issued to people on their 60th birthday.
Stephanie Xuereb, the director of the Elderly and Community Services at the Health Ministry, said that last year the Electoral Office processed 9,452 cards for new kartanzjan holders.
Throughout that year 76,607 meals on wheels were delivered to elderly people and an average of 70 calls a day were received by CommCare unit, that delivered nursing care in the community.
Dr Xuereb said the ministry was exploring ways of ensuring that the 17 day centres were used to help elderly acquire new skills, such as computer literacy, that would help them remain independent.
Maryanne Gauci the service manager of Appogg's Adult and Family Services, said that about 300 children could be witnessing domestic violence at home at this point in time, according to snapshot statistics taken by Appogg two years ago.
The figures showed that in September 2008 the Domestic Violence Unit at Appogg dealt with 337 children who were seeing a parent being abused. Snapshot statistics taken a year earlier, in November 2007, showed that 301 children witnessed domestic violence that month.
Although such figures were not calculated for 2009, data showed that, that year, the unit worked on 1,030 cases - increasing from 972 cases in 2008.
Ms Gauci explained that all these cases were handled by five full-time social workers with full caseloads, a part-timer as well as a team leader and coordinator.
She stressed on the need for more resources to help victims of domestic violence and that included the children who were witnessing the abuse.
See our Comments Policy Comments are submitted under the express understanding and condition that the editor may, and is authorised to, disclose any/all of the above personal information to any person or entity requesting the information for the purposes of legal action on grounds that such person or entity is aggrieved by any comment so submitted. Please allow some time for your comment to be moderated.


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Chic black sleeveless bodycon dress featuring a curved front hem, with geometric cutouts on the chest and mesh detailing along the front and back. Zipper back closure.
Color: Black
Front Length: 31.5"
Back Length: 33.5"
Fits true to size - Model is wearing a size small
Measured on a size Small, dimensions may vary with size
Available in sizes: small, medium, large - Please note size in PayPal
Shipping Carrier - USPS
Handling Time - 1 Business Day
If you would like Express shipment, please order through our website: www.seekersofstyle.com


text:
This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Recent environmental problems and societal concerns associated with the disposal of petroleum based plastics throughout the world have triggered renewed efforts to develop new biodegradable products compatible with our environment. This article describes the preparation, characterization and biodegradation study of poly(lactic acid)/layered double hydroxide (PLA/LDH) nanocomposites from PLA and stearate-Zn3Al LDH. A solution casting method was used to prepare PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites. The anionic clay Zn3Al LDH was firstly prepared by co-precipitation method from a nitrate salt solution at pH 7.0 and then modified by stearate anions through an ion exchange reaction. This modification increased the basal spacing of the synthetic clay from 8.83 Å to 40.10 Å. The morphology and properties of the prepared PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile tests as well as biodegradation studies. From the XRD analysis and TEM observation, the stearate-Zn3Al LDH lost its ordered stacking-structure and was greatly exfoliated in the PLA matrix. Tensile test results of PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites showed that the presence of around 1.0–3.0 wt % of the stearate-Zn3Al LDH in the PLA drastically improved its elongation at break. The biodegradation studies demonstrated a significant biodegradation rate improvement of PLA in the presence of stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanolayers. This effect can be caused by the catalytic role of the stearate groups in the biodegradation mechanism leading to much faster disintegration of nanocomposites than pure PLA.
Nowadays a great amount of various petroleum based polymers such as polyolefins, poly(vinyl chloride) and polystyrene are used. It is estimated that their production exceeds 108 t/a [
Biodegradable polymers are referred to as those environment friendly polymers that can be enzymatically or hydrolytically degraded after a limited time of exposure to humidity, light or microorganism without releasing any toxic or noxious gases [
Factors such as the chemical structure and the molar mass of the polymers, the rigidity of the polymer chain, the removal and dissolution of fission products from the surface, the surface activation of the enzyme, the kind and value of the microorganisms existing in the environment,
Depending upon the nature of the biodegradable polymers, their degradation might take three to twelve months [
Aliphatic polyesters are a main category of biodegradable polymers. The degradation of aliphatic polyesters is a complex process, which consists of mainly four phenomena: water absorption, ester cleavage and formation of oligomer fragments, diffusion of soluble oligomers and solubilization of fragments [
The biodegradability, thermoplasticity, transparency and fabricability of PLA as well as its high strength and high modulus make it a promising material for tissue engineering, service wares, waste-composting bags, mulch films, controlled release matrices for fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides [
The effect of the montmorillonite (MMT) silicate layers on the biodegradability of aliphatic polyesters has been an interesting aspect of the research in the field of polymer/clay nanocomposites [
LDHs or hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTs) are anionic clays which can be represented as [M(II)1−
LDHs are composed of octahedral M2+(OH)6 brucite-like layers which are positively charged by the partial substitution of M3+ for M2+. Thus, anions are intercalated into the interlayers to achieve charge neutrality [
Anions are typically intercalated into LDH interlayers by three approaches [
The interest in using LDH as a filler for polymer matrixes is given by some advantages of LDH which are lacking in more common fillers from the smectite group mineral compounds such as montmorillonite (MMT). Some of these specific advantages of LDH are: its higher ion exchange capacity, its highly tunable properties like particle size and aspect ratio, and its positively layered charge that can be modified with anionic surfactants [
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns in the range of 2
X-ray diffraction patterns of the stearate-Zn3Al LDH, pure PLA and PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites containing various amounts of stearate-Zn3Al LDH are shown in
The investigation of the internal structure of composites using XRD alone can often be misleading, since the XRD technique cannot detect layers that are in relatively disordered patterns in exfoliated nanocomposites [
The dependences of the tensile strength, elastic modulus and elongation at break of the PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites on the stearate-Zn3Al LDH content are plotted in
However, a further increase of the stearate-Zn3Al LDH content decreases the elongation at break. A high content of stearate-Zn3Al LDH can induce agglomerations of the filler that can cause reduction of elongation at break [
Another factor that may be associated with biodegradability improvement of the PLA nanocomposites is the faster degradation rate of stearate groups in the nanocomposite films than that of the PLA matrix. Therefore the PLA matrix will be broken down into smaller particles, resulting in an increased disintegration rate of nanocomposites films containing stearate-Zn3Al LDH than that of neat PLA film.
The biodegradability of the pure PLA and PLA/Zn3Al LDH composites in the soil for up to seven months is shown in
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements were carried out to obtain information on the thermal stability of the nanocomposite samples.
The TGA and differential thermal analysis (DTA) curves of the pure PLA and its stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites are presented in
Aluminium nitrate nonahydrate was supplied by HmbG (Germany). Zinc nitrate hexahydrate was purchased from Bendosen Laboratory Chemicals (Malaysia). Sodium stearate was purchased from R & M chemicals (UK). Sodium hydroxide pellets and chloroform were obtained from Merk (Germany) and Polylactide resin 4042D (92% L, 8% D) was supplied by NatureWorks LLC (USA). All the above-mentioned commercial chemicals were used as received.
The Zn3Al LDH was prepared by adding drop-wise a solution of NaOH (1 M) into a 250 mL solution of 22.30 g Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and 9.38 g Al(NO3)3·9H2O (with the mol ratio of 3 to 1) until pH 7 was obtained. The resulting suspension was shaken at 100 rpm and 70 °C for 16 h. The slurry was filtered, washed thoroughly with deionized water and dried at 60 °C for 24 h to obtain the Zn3Al LDH.
The stearate-Zn3Al LDH was prepared by replacing nitrate ions in the LDH layers with stearate ions using the following procedure. One gram of the dry Zn3Al LDH was first transferred into 750 mL of 0.003 M solution of sodium stearate solution and stirred at room temperature for 24 h. The white solid obtained was then filtered, washed with deionized water three times and dried in a vacuum desicator at room temperature.
The nanocomposites of PLA with different amounts of stearate-Zn3Al LDH were prepared by a solution casting method. The desired amount of stearate-Zn3Al LDH in 40 mL chloroform was first sonicated for 3 h, transferred into a solution of 10 g PLA in 200 mL chloroform and refluxed for 24 h. The viscous suspensions were casted in a glass petri dish and dried in the solvent atmosphere to obtain the sample sheets.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the LDHs and composites were recorded using a Shidmadzu XRD 6000 Diffractometer at 30 kV and 30 mA with Cu-Kα radiation of the wavelength of 1.5405 nm.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were obtained using a Philips XL30 Environmental scanning electron microscope. The clean and dry samples were first coated with gold using a Bal-Tec SCD 005 sputter coater.
The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were obtained by employing a transmission electron microscope Hitachi, H7100 with an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. The samples were dispersed in chloroform and diluted to the right concentration. The suspension was then dropped on to the TEM sample grid and allowed to dry. The very thin layer on the grid was observed on the microscope.
The pure PLA and its nanocomposites were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis using Perkin-Elmer Thermal Analyzer (model TGA 7). The tests were carried out under a nitrogen gas atmosphere with a flow rate of 20 cm3·min−1 using a scan rate of 10 °C·min−1. The temperature range of 40 to 800 °C was used to study the thermal decomposition of the samples. The weight of each sample was about 30 mg. The weight loss of the samples during heating was automatically recorded and plotted as a function of temperature.
Tensile tests were performed by using a Universal Tester, Instron–4302, LEO. Tensile tests were performed according to the guidelines of ASTM D-638-V. The samples were cut into dumbbell shapes using a dumbbell cutter (Die BS 6476). The thicknesses of the samples were measured using a thickness gauge. A load cell of 1.0 kN was applied at a constant crosshead speed of 10 mm/min at room temperature. The reported results were the average of at least five measurements of tensile determinations (in duplicate).
Biodegradability of the samples was studied by measuring the weight loss of the thin-plate specimens buried in soil. Samples of 30 × 30 × 1 mm were weighed and then buried at a depth of 15 cm in the garden pots with an approximate capacity of 15 L and some holes at the bottom of the pots. The soil used in the tests was fertile soil for gardening without any pretreatment. The pots were placed in an uncovered gazebo with the temperature varying from 20 °C to 30 °C and a humidity above 80%. The buried samples were taken out once a month, washed in distilled water to remove the soil, dried in an oven at 60 °C for 24 h and the weight of dry samples was recorded. Based on the sample weight before and after degradation, the average percentage of weight loss for each sample was calculated. Weight loss of the specimens with time was used to indicate degradation rate in the soil burial test. The soil burial degradation test started on 5 October 2009 and ended on 5 May 2010.
Stearate-Zn3Al LDH, which was prepared by co-precipitation and ion exchange reaction, was used as nanofiller in a poly lactic acid (PLA) matrix. The internal structure of the nanocomposites in the nanometer range was established using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope analysis. The effect of stearate-Zn3Al LDH loading on tensile properties and soil biodegradation was studied. Significant improvement of elongation at break was observed as a result of the addition of 1.0–3.0 wt % of stearate-Zn3Al LDH to the poly lactic acid. The presence of stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanolayers increased the rate of degradation of PLA in the soil. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that the presence of modified LDHs nanolayers does not lead to any improvement in thermal stability of PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites.
The authors thank the staff at the Institute of Bioscience Universiti Putra Malaysia for their support with SEM and TEM instruments.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of (
XRD spectra of (
Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of PLA/stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites with (
Tensile strength and elastic modulus of PLA with different stearate-Zn3Al LDH content.
The elongation at break of PLA with different stearate-Zn3Al LDH content.
The fractured morphology of pure PLA (
Weight losses of pure PLA and its stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites in soil for up to seven months.
Weight losses of pure PLA and its Zn3Al LDH macrocomposites in soil for up to seven months.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) thermograms of the pure PLA and its stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites.
Differential thermal analysis (DTA) of the pure PLA and its stearate-Zn3Al LDH nanocomposites.


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On Tuesday, American Eagle Outfitters posted sharply lower quarterly profits, sending AEO stock slumping more than 5% in pre-market trading.
AEO stock sank after the apparel retailer said it earned just $10.5 million during its fiscal fourth quarter, a drop of 89% compared to the profit of $94.8 million it turned in the year-ago period. Adjusted EPS came in at 27 cents, a penny above the earnings of 26 cents a share that the company had predicted in January, the Wall Street Journal noted.
Same-store sales tumbled 7% during the quarter, though its AEO Direct online division saw sales climb 8%. Overall, AEO reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.04 billion, which narrowly beat analysts who were looking for $1.03 billion.
AEO interim CEO Jay Shottenstein called AEO's performance for 2013 "highly disappointing," conceding that AEO "fell short of expectations" in both customer experience and merchandise.
For the current quarter, anticipates break even adjusted earnings per share. Analysts have estimated earnings of 13 cents per share for the fiscal first quarter.
AEO stock closed at $14.21 a share on Monday. Over the past 12 months, AEO stock has fallen more than 30%.


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On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 09:46:03 -1000, Jim Thompson <jim at netgate dot com> wrote:
> >
> It uses the rtl8180 chipset, which you may find challenging to use with
> FreeBSD.
> You've got a couple options. "Project Evil" (FreeBSD for
> "ndiswrapper") has reported some success:
> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-mobile/2004-March/003323.html
I have a Linksys card with the rtl8180 chipset, using the NDISulator
on my FreeBSD 5.3 laptop. Works more than well enough for that
purpose, but given the amount of coaxing it sometimes takes at the
command line to kick it into shape, I would never put one in an
embedded device. Seems to be pretty slow too, maybe 2-3 Mb, though I
haven't done any good testing on it. It's fine for irc'ing and web
surfing which is all I use it for anyway. It just happened to be
laying around when I needed a card for my 5.3 laptop, so I gave the
NDISulator a shot for fun. I wouldn't have actually bought the card
for that purpose.


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Ask an Eye Doctor and Get an Answer ASAP
Hello, Welcome to Just Answer
Are you available for chat now?
It is true that intraocular pressure(IOP) can rise with the use of steroid eye drops.
whenever the IOP rises it can cause corneal edema which results in blurring of vision.
well I've been off steriods drops for over 2 mths
What'sthe Predizone suppose to do
Your doctor has given the correct drops by giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops along IOP reducing eye drops. Tab.Prednisolone is oral steroids and 10 mg a day is not a high dose. Lutein vitamins are good and have anti-oxidant properties which are beneficial to the eye.
didn't know predizone was a steriod, is it suppose to help
Yes, it is a steroid with very strong anti-inflammatory effect.
Oral form does not rise the IOP as much as topical eye drops would.
still can't figure out why I am on steriods and an anti flammatory drops
Corneal grafts can be slow to heal and can sometimes take 6-12 months to clear up completely.
Anti-inflammatory eye drops or oral tablets are given following any intraocular surgery so as to keep the operation induced inflammation under control.
WEell when I had it done he told me 4 to 6 weeks
It is given routinely after all intra-ocular surgeries. Yes the usual duration of treatment is 4-6 weeks but in some individuals it may take more time .
why is that?
It would be very difficult to know whether the rise in IOP in your case due to the inflammation directly or was steroid induced. So either ways the treatment would still be IOP reducing eye drops and minimal use of steroid eye drops.
is there anything that I'm doing that could be restricting the healing process
No, I don't think the healing would have been hindered by any of your activities at all.
Well I also take a depressiant drug called Klonopin
Just have patience and follow your doctor's prescription. I am sure he would be as concerned as you regarding the corneal graft and is trying to clear up the corneal edema with the required medicines.
that's my problem I think he's going overboard on things
No, Klonopin would not have any effect on the eye.
well its something to do with nerves, and I thought this might restrict the healing process
But I guess this corneal edema has to be treated now that it has occured. And so far the plan of treatment has been right.
thanks for chatting and reassuring me the doc knows what's he doing
My pleasure.
Bye.Thank you and best wishes.If you are satisfied with the answer , please press the accept button so that I get my dues.A bonus and/or positive feedback are welcome.Views expressed are for information purpose only and cannot substitute a visit to an ophthalmologist


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Katrina Bowden Covers Maxim February 2013
With her hit TV series "30 Rock" resuming it's seventh season on January 10, Katrina Bowden heated up the February 2013 issue of Maxim magazine.
The 24-year-old actress showed off her sexy figure in lingerie from Kiki de Montparnasse for the Matt Jones shot front page while opening up about topics including her most embarrassing moments to the future.
Highlights from Miss Bowden's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to pay a visit to Maxim!
On seeing herself on TV:
"Now that we're syndicated, there are reruns, like, three or four times a night. It's crazy! It becomes this weird timeline where I can tell what point of the shooting process we were at based on how everyone looks, like, did I have bangs? Or what baseball cap Judah Fredlander's wearing.
On her most embarrassing moments on set:
"There were moments where I didn't get references because I was younger. One time we filmed an episode at Kenneth's apartment, and Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, had filled it with real photos of his family and also decades of TV memorabilia he'd collected. So I picked up this photo of four old women and ask Jack if they were his aunts, and Judah, who was there, was like 'Are you serious? Those are the Golden Girls!' I was like 'Oh, my God, I guess I really am a lot younger.'"
On her future:
"I don't know, but I'm definitely excited for a new chapter. I'd love to do a completely different kind of show, like 'Breaking Bad' or 'Homeland'. I'm really open to anything whether it's TV or more films.
Photo Credit: Matt Jones for Maxim


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325i engine with 330i engine?
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 162
My Ride: 2003 BMW 330i
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Originally Posted by
You are almost certainly running lean. Get the 330 injectors and 330 MAF.
330 tune is programmed with larger injectors in mind. So it fires them at durations intended for that specific size. If you were to install smaller injectors, it'll still open the injectors for the same duration. Net result is less fuel. The restriction of your current intake setup is not enough to account for the reduced fuel.
Further more, the 325 and 330 MAF almost definitely don't have the same calibration. So the DME thinks its getting X kg/h, while in reality it's getting Y.
Basically your engine has no idea how much air and fuel it's getting. As you can imagine, those are very important parameters to running an engine. It can correct based on lambda values, but that'll be less than optimal. Also the lambda is ignored at WOT -- so your car can be downright dangerous to drive at full load.
ok i wont WOT it, so leave the normal intake on? i have a buddy that blew his 330 and got a whole engine for his and he has all the stuff i can grab the maf, injectors and intake.
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Atlanta Reef Club ConstitutionArticle I: Name
Section 1
The name of the Club shall be the Atlanta Reef Club.
Section 2
The name of this Club shall not be used by any individual, or group for self representation, or self gain.
Article II: Purpose
Section 1
Atlanta Reef Club is a non-profit organization of marine hobbyist brought together by the desire to promote a better understanding of the life we keep in our home aquariums. Our focus is increasing the longevity of marine life in a controlled environment and to encourage that life to propagate freely. Education may be disseminated, but is not limited to, the maintenance and dissemination of information located on the clubs website, the clubs General Meetings and marine-related speaking engagements sponsored by the club. Only through education and the sharing of ideas can we expect a future for our hobby.
Section 2
Under no circumstance may any part of the income of this Club be used to the benefit of any Officer, Trustee, or Member.
Section 3
Under dissolution of this Club, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Club, equally distribute the assets of the Club to the members in good standing.
Article III: Term
Section 1
The term of this Club is to be perpetual.
Section 2
The physical year of the Atlanta Reef Club shall be January 1st, through December 31st. The Trustees shall audit all accounts and a complete financial report must be presented to the Board of Directors no later than 90 days following the close of the fiscal year.
Article IV: Membership
Section 1
Membership in this organization shall be open to anyone who, by proper application, meets with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 2
Proper application for membership and amount of these shall be established by the Board of Directors of this Club and shall be set forth in the By-laws of this organization.
Section 3
The Atlanta Reef Club shall consist of six (6) classifications of membership. Charter, Regular, Student, Commercial, Honorary, Sponsor.
Section 4
The Atlanta Reef Club reserves the right to revoke the membership of any member due to conduct considered detrimental to this Club. This action shall be carried out by the Board of Directors.
Article V: Meetings
Section 1
General membership and Board of Directors meetings shall be held as determined by the Board of Directors. General membership meetings will remain open to the public regardless of membership status.
Section 2
The Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly to transact any club business. The President may, at his discretion, call such meetings more frequently.
Article VI: Officers and Elections
Section 1
Elected Officers of the Atlanta Reef Club shall consist of the following and shall be elected every one (1) year: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
Section 2
There shall be four (4) trustees. The outgoing President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary shall automatically become such trustees for the year following the end of their term provided that they are in office at the end of their existing term and are in good standing as defined by Constitution of the Atlanta Reef Club, Article VI, Section 4. Any officers not meeting these requirements or outgoing officer vacancies or redundant Board of Director members (e.g. outgoing Vice President elected to be the new President) will be appointed by the newly elected President and subject to the approval of the newly elected officers.
Section 3
Elections shall take place in the month of November of the election Year. The newly elected officers shall assume office on January 1st of the next year. Nomination for officers shall take place in the month of October of the election year. At this meeting the president or chairperson will ascertain from the Secretary and Treasurer that all those nominated are qualified to run for office in accordance with the by-laws of this organization.
Section 4
Only members in good standing who have attended at least two (2) meetings in the preceding 12 months are eligible for office.
Section 5
Only members in good standing are entitled to vote at the annual elections as stated under the bylaws of this organization. Commercial, Sponsor, Regular, and Charter members will be sent only one ballot regardless of the number of membership cards issued.
Section 6
A member may serve in the same office for three consecutive terms. The member may run for another office not currently held.
Article VII: Board of Directors
Section 1
The duly elected Officers and four (4) Trustees as set forth in Article VI, Sections one (1) and two (2) shall comprise the Atlanta Reef Club Board of Directors. Each member of the Board of Directors shall have an equal vote in the business of the society. However, in the case of a tie, the President shall have the power of one and one-half (1.5) votes.
Section 2
It shall be the Function of the Board of Directors to transact all business of the club and make reports to the General Membership.
Section 3
Any Board Member who misses three (3) consecutive Board Meetings may be replaced by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. If it is an elected office, the President shall appoint an interim replacement until the next scheduled elections.
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Lynette W. Lissin, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease
(Board Certified in Cardiovascular Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology and Internal Medicine)
Accepting new patients
87 Encina Avenue
Encina Building, Level 1
Palo Alto, California 94301
View Mapof 87 Encina Avenue, Encina Building, Level 1, Palo Alto. Opens in new window
(650) 853-2975
301 Industrial Road
Level 2
San Carlos, California 94070
View Mapof 301 Industrial Road, Level 2, San Carlos. Opens in new window
(650) 596-4110
Patient Satisfaction Rating
95 Patient Ratings
Learn More
Practice Information
Office Hours:
Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Medical Affiliation(s)
Hospital Affiliation(s)
Education & Training
Professional Interests
Adult congenital heart clinic, Atrial septal defect, Cardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular imaging and diagnostic services, Congenital heart disease, Congestive heart failure, Echocardiogram, End-stage heart disease, Heart failure, Heart transplant, Hypertension, Non-invasive cardiac testing, Non-invasive cardiology,
See more + Click to expand Professional interests
Additional Information
Spoken Languages
Spanish (Fair)
Community Activities
1999-2000 -- American College of Cardiology/Merck Fellowship Award
2000 -- American Heart Association/Wyeth Ayerst Women in Cardiology Travel Grant
1999 -- Helena Anna Henzl-Gabor Young Women in Science Travel Grant
Member: American College of Cardiology; Adult Congenital Heart Association; American Board of Internal Medicine, consultant
Personal Interests
Physician Web Link
Philosophy of Care
The opportunities to initiate early prevention, use state-of-the-art treatments, and give plenty of attention to healthy lifestyle choices, offer many chances for me to help keep patients healthy and active. I believe in providing a lot of information and appropriate choices to patients, providing ongoing updates to current understanding and treatment of heart conditions and helping patients put all the information they've gathered from a variety of sources into perspective. I appreciate the opportunity to help patients manage their most precious resource -- their health.


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Lady Luck! The Best Celebrity Las Vegas Weddings (PHOTOS)
Stars like Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie have all walked out with more than just casino chips in hand—they left town with a new husband!
Love it or hate it, many celebs have hit up Sin City to get hitched. What celebrity couple has been married for over 30 years? Who's marriage only lasted 55 hours? Click through our gallery to find out!
And if you've got a wacky relationship story of your own, Miracle Whip wants you to sound off for a chance to win $25,000!
We know there are Miracle Whip people and non-Miracle Whip people in the world. The question is: can they be together? Share how Miracle Whip impacts your relationship with your loved one for a chance to score some big bucks! Check out more contest details and submit your stories here.
The top prize is some serious cash that can be put towards your dream wedding (or those nasty divorce fees)!
Be sure to follow Celebuzz on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for all your celebrity relationship news!


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Harold Clapton Brookfield1
Harold Clapton Brookfield was born in 1895 at Tillsonburg, Ontario.1 He married Clara Leone Woolley, daughter of Charles Elgin Woolley and Ann Jerusha Moe, on 30 December 1922 at Oaklawn Farm, Charlotteville Twp, Norfolk County, Ontario. (notes: 015752-23 Charlotteville Twp., Norfolk Co. December 30, 1922, Harold Clapton Brookfield, machinist, bachelor, age 28, Methodist, residing Simcoe, born Tillsonburg, parents Charles McCain Brookfield and Margaret M. Clapton. Clara Leone Woolley, age 31, Methodist, born and residing Charlotteville Twp. Parents Charles Elgin Woolley and Annie J. Moe.Witnesses: Effie L. Moe, 17 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario; John E. Brookfield, Bridgeburg, Ontario. At Oaklawn Farm, Tp. Charlotteville, Norfolk Co. Clergyman: Thomas Green, Box 354, Simcoe, Ontario, Methodist.).1 He died on 2 August 1994 at Unionville, Ontario.1 Harold's obituary states that he was a veteran of World War I and that he was a Vimy Ridge.1
Last Edited=9 Nov 2007
Children of Harold Clapton Brookfield and Clara Leone Woolley
- [S1] Robert Coleman, 2009.


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Rio Surf n Stay Hostel
Rua Raymundo Veras, 1140 Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Atmosphere 93%
Cleanliness 85%
Facilities 84%
Location 88%
Safety 90%
Staff 87%
Value 84%
- Air conditioning
- Free Breakfast
- Free Wi-Fi
- Lockers
- Self-Catering Facilities
- Airport Transfers
- Bar
- Bicycle Hire
- Board Games
- Cable TV
- Ceiling fan
- Common Room
- DVDs
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Hot Showers
- Housekeeping
- Internet Access
- Linen Included
- Outdoor Terrace
- Steam room
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels Included
- Towels for hire
Important Information
NOTE IMPORTANT- For Carnival and New Years packages we will require a 50% deposit in advance to confirm your booking. Please contact us for further details on how to complete your booking.
Check-in / Check-out
Earliest check-in: 00:00
Latest Check-out: 12:00
- Credit Cards Accepted
- No Curfew
Group booking?
Group of 15 or more traveling to Rio de Janeiro?
Shared Rooms
Standard 6 Bed Mixed Dorm
Sleeps 6
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Basic 6 Bed Mixed Dorm
Sleeps 6
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Standard 4 Bed Mixed Dorm
Sleeps 4
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Private Rooms
Basic Single Private Ensuite
Sleeps 1
Room types
Private Room
Private Bathroom
Standard Twin Private Ensuite
Sleeps 2
Room types
Private Room
Private Bathroom
Standard Twin Private Shared Bathroom
Sleeps 2
Room types
Private Room
Shared Bathroom
About Rio Surf n Stay
Our Surf Styled Hostel - Surf Camp is a spacious house only 1 min walk to the Macumba beach in Recreio, it's a hidden gem set in beautiful natural landscape with tropical paradise surfing beaches. It's the perfect spot to relax in a hammock after a day of surfing and other adventures.
We are centred in the midle of 7 different surfing beaches on the outer skirts of the Rio City, 40min drive down the coast from Ipanema. Easy to access by local buses, we can arrange you a pick up from the airport, bus station or hotels and hostels in the city.
The hostel is mixed with a surf camp concept that was created and put together by a young couple from New Zealand and Brazilian. Both being well travelled surfers; they have put this interesting house together for you to fall in love with.
- Buffet Breakfast included
- Self-service Bar- Beers, Sodas and bottled water, Caipirinhas
- Free Internet access and Wi-Fi
- Laundry Service offered
********* Surf Camp Facility's *********
- SURF BOARD RENTALs -all types and in good condition. 2 Hours R$30 - Half day R$45 - Full Day R$55
-SURF LESSONS- Beginner and novice 2 hrs lessons in English, Portuguese or Spanish.
All equipment is provided; soft boards, leashes and rash guards. Instructors are certified and we promise you will stand up and progress. Great location to learn with warm waters all year round. Group Lesson - R $80.00
-Surf Packages with discounted prices, ask on arrival or email us.
- Pick-ups for 1 day Surfing Tours with us are also offered from anywhere in the city
Languages spoken at reception - English, Portuguese, Spanish, French.
Accommodation Information
All rooms are spacious with ceiling fans.
4 x deluxe double with air con, ensuite with hot water showers.
2 x Twin Room (for friends) with en-suite and air con.
2 x 6 bed shared dorm rooms (with a air con and towel).
Camping site area in the front garden with outside toilet and showers.
Buffet breakfast daily with fruits, cakes, and breads with ham, cheese and jams. Also a selection of juices, teas and coffee.
Special seasons: please contact us.
Important- prices are different to normal, due to high demand all bookings must be confirmed by email to Rio Surf n Stay with a deposit of 50% to make a complete booking confirmed.
Location Information
This area is ranked the best and most consistent surf beaches in the Rio City. We hold the world circuit tour and world qualifying series for the men and woman.
The secluded beaches Prainha and Grumari have amazing jungle mountain backdrop with no development. Grumari is where the beach scene from the movie city of god was filmed.
These are the safest, cleanest and most relaxed beaches of the Rio City. Stay with us, the only hostel / surf camp in the area of Recreio and be able to experience an island style feeling close to the city.
Rio city sight seeing tours can be arranged at the hostel so you can experience it all.
We have no curfews and give every customer their own key to the gate, so you can come and go as you please.
Cancellation Policy
Customers can cancel their reservation free of charge up to 1 day before arrival. After this date, charges will be applied by the property up to the first nights cost of the reservation, unless otherwise stated in the property's conditions. Deposits paid are non refundable.


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Shadow People Optical Illusion
Tim Noble and Sue Webster are at it again – making art installations from junk results with more than plain garbage in their case. Just look how naturally all three shadows came to life! Both british artists have been working together since 1986 when they first met at their art school. More similar art can be found behind appropriate #shadow tag.


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The Ghost of the Mary Celeste: A Novelby Valerie Martin
A captivating, atmospheric return to historical fiction that is every bit as convincing and engrossing as Martin's landmark Mary Reilly.
In 1872 the American merchant vessel Mary Celeste was discovered adrift off the coast of Spain. Her cargo was intact and there was no sign of struggle, but the crew was gone. They were never found.
A captivating, atmospheric return to historical fiction that is every bit as convincing and engrossing as Martin's landmark Mary Reilly.
In 1872 the American merchant vessel Mary Celeste was discovered adrift off the coast of Spain. Her cargo was intact and there was no sign of struggle, but the crew was gone. They were never found.
This maritime mystery lies at the center of an intricate narrative branching through the highest levels of late-nineteenth-century literary society. While on a voyage to Africa, a rather hard-up and unproven young writer named Arthur Conan Doyle hears of the Mary Celeste and decides to write an outlandish short story about what took place. This story causes quite a sensation back in the United States, particularly between sought-after Philadelphia spiritualist medium Violet Petra and a rational-minded journalist named Phoebe Grant, who is seeking to expose Petra as a fraud. Then there is the family of the Mary Celeste's captain, a family linked to the sea for generations and marked repeatedly by tragedy. Each member of this ensemble cast holds a critical piece to the puzzle of the Mary Celeste.
These three elements—a ship found sailing without a crew, a famous writer on the verge of enormous success, and the rise of an unorthodox and heretical religious fervor—converge in unexpected ways, in diaries, in letters, in safe harbors and rough seas. In a haunted, death-obsessed age, a ghost ship appearing in the mist is by turns a provocative mystery, an inspiration to creativity, and a tragic story of the disappearance of a family and of a bond between husband and wife that, for one moment, transcends the impenetrable barrier of death.
Editorial Reviews
Martin (Property) uses one of the most baffling maritime mysteries of all time as the starting point for a complex exploration of several different characters, including Arthur Conan Doyle. The melancholic and moving prologue, set in 1859, foreshadows the disaster that befalls a ship named Early Dawn. In 1872, the brig Mary Celeste, en route from New York to Genoa, is found floating at sea, no one aboard, and no real clues as to what happened to its crew of seven, including the captain, Benjamin Briggs; his wife; and his daughter. A decade later, Doyle, who has not yet created Sherlock Holmes, writes a fictional account of the ship's fate, in which a lunatic passenger is responsible for a massacre of the others onboard. "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" elicits strong reactions from those who knew the Briggs family. Martin is less concerned with exploring theories about what actually happened than in the repercussions of the baffling disappearances, in a manner that will remind some of the Australian writer Joan Lindsay. (Jan.)
"Martin, who won Britain's Orange Prize for her historical novel Property, slips into the 19th century with the ease of a time traveler. Her period set pieces are superb. . . . The mystery remains, but thanks to Martin's ingenuity, the narrative possibilities seem endless." —The Boston Globe
"Fact and fiction meld so neatly that it seems as if every character is drawn from real life — a compliment to Martin's able research, psychological acuity and verbal finesse. Given such favorable winds, the novel — unlike the Mary Celeste — sails home with flying colors." —The Seattle Times
"Valerie Martin is a writer of immense talent and insight. Her latest novel weaves a beautiful tale of loss, love, and the connections that link us. One moment we're aboard the doomed ship and another we're in the pages of a diary. The Ghost of the Mary Celeste offers readers a riveting cast and evocative prose." —Yann Martel
"Valerie Martin has written a splendid, mysterious and beautiful new novel. She writes about great ocean voyages and storms that tear apart both ships and hearts. She tells a seafaring tale in the tradition of Melville, and conjures up a mystery worthy of Arthur Conan Doyle, who actually appears as a character and plays a vital role. She writes about spiritualism with both clarity and skepticism, and in Violet Petra she has created a woman for the ages."—Pat Conroy
"The Ghost of the Mary Celeste is a wonderfully ingenious novel, compelling, convincing and exciting."—John Banville
"[A]long with a satisfying ghost story, [Martin] gives us the soil from which its central mystery grew. . . . [I]n a masterpiece of fine detail and intense reimagining, Martin evokes a world suspended between faith and reason, in which 'the other side' is quite real – and always beckoning." —The Guardian
"[A]n unusual page turner." —The Independent
In 1872, the sailing ship Mary Celeste was discovered off the coast of Africa fully equipped, fully intact, and uninhabited. The crew had disappeared forever, and the mystery has not been solved. Martin perches her story atop this truly fascinating tale, adding two additional strings from that time in history: self-professed spirit mediums were increasingly patronized by the wealthy, and a man named Arthur Conan Doyle was beginning to make his mark as a writer. With tales from the sea, there is always loss; with spiritualists, there is always skepticism; and with the creator of Sherlock Holmes, there are always surprising twists and turns. Populated with delicate women, strong women, and adventurous men, the seemingly disparate plotlines are skillfully woven together to create a novel that is well crafted, intriguing, and suspenseful, perhaps as a homage to Sir Conan Doyle himself. VERDICT Martin's seafaring story contains history, suspense, and heartbreak in equal measures as it slowly builds to an enigmatic conclusion. Highly recommended for all readers who appreciate quality historical fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 7/22/13.]—Susanne Wells, Indianapolis
Martin (The Confessions of Edward Day, 2009, etc.) offers a complex, imaginative version of historical fiction, playing literary hide-and-seek with the unsolved mystery surrounding an American cargo vessel found abandoned in the Azores in 1872. Martin follows a linear chronology. In 1860, Benjamin Briggs, who will become the Mary Celeste's captain, courts his cousin Sallie Cobb, somewhat to the chagrin of her younger sister Hannah, a spiritual rebel who drifts into reveries during which she has visions. In 1872, the ship is found seaworthy but abandoned, with no sign of the crew, the captain, or his wife and infant daughter, who accompanied him on the voyage. In 1884, Arthur Conan Doyle, a young doctor and aspiring author, writes a fictional (and racist) solution to the mystery of what happened to the Mary Celeste that is heavily colored by his own less than happy trip to Africa three years earlier. The story, which captures the public's imagination and launches his career, is assumed factual by many but not by Philadelphia medium Violet Petra, who readers will immediately realize is Hannah Cobb, who long ago ran away from home and assumed a new identity. Violet is being dogged by reporter Phoebe Grant, who initially wants to expose Violet as a Spiritualist fraud but finds the young woman more victim than victimizer. On an American tour in 1894, the now famous Conan Doyle meets Petra, and she impresses him with a message from his long-dead father. He invites her to London. She disappears en route but not before giving Phoebe a document that only complicates the mystery of what happened to the Mary Celeste. And really, that mystery is the least compelling element of a novel that sheds unromantic but not unsympathetic light on 19th-century New-Age spirituality and feminism while beaming a less sympathetic focus on brilliant but highly unlikable Conan Doyle. It is Violet, the lost soul, whom readers will not be able to forget. Martin has wound the disparate threads of her novel into a haunting personal drama.
Product Details
- 9780385533508
- Publisher:
- Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
- Publication date:
- 01/28/2014
- Pages:
- 320
- Sales rank:
- 1,373,982
- Product dimensions:
- 6.50(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.60(d)
Meet the Author
VALERIE MARTIN is the author of nine novels, including Trespass, Italian Fever, The Great Divorce, Mary Reilly, and the 2003 Orange Prize-winning Property and of three collections of short fiction.
Customer Reviews
Average Review:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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Hard to keep up with who was who. Story wasn't finished,left you hanging
Hyped by the NY Times as having some similarity to "Rebecca", this was a wandering description of the family aftermath of a ship lost at sea. The "sea" portion was probably less than 40 pages. I think the whole story could have been said in about 20 pages. Disappointed