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Support for changes in energy rates
Although our state Legislature is often at odds, I applaud Democrats and Republicans for working together to fix our broken and out-of-date electric rate system by passing AB327 last year.
The current tiered rate structure punishes folks for living inland, where many have to run the air conditioner throughout the year to keep homes habitable, and harms those with large families. The result has been several years of our rates forcing us into tiers that cause bills to greatly exceed the amount it costs for SDG&E to serve us, while subsidizing users in lower tiers. We have to fix this by leveling the field for all users, so customers have accurate price signals based on the costs to serve them.
We may have our problems as a state, and our government may have its challenges. But, rate reform is one area we should be proud of. I look forward to a fair and equitable system that aligns our price for energy with what it actually costs to serve us.
Jerome M. Kern
Oceanside councilman
Address immigration by enforcing laws
We in the United States of America have immigration laws that have served us well for decades, but many voices are clamoring for change that is not in our best security interest during these dangerous times. We need to pay attention to the dangers of 9/11, Boston, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Syria and numerous Jihads to name a few.
But if change is deemed necessary for whatever reason, why not adopt Mexico's' immigration laws. They are strict, onerous and they are enforced.
Enforced is the operative word. Why don't we enforce our own existing immigration laws?
Herb Tuttle
San Diego
DROP program would be good for U.S.
I am a city employee, in the DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Plan), and a political conservative who agrees with most everything on the U-T editorial page.
The Editorial Board says in a March 5 piece ("A sweet deal for San Diego's new chief") that DROP abuses San Diego taxpayers. How does it do that?
In 1997 the city proposed DROP to employees, and it was accepted. How did it become such an evil cancer just a few years later. The city must have thought it was a good thing in the beginning.
Several studies have shown DROP is essentially cost neutral, which means it really does not cost taxpayers. When an employee enters DROP, the city actually saves money, because they no longer put money into the retirement system for that employee, except for a much smaller amount than matches what the employee puts into DROP each pay period.
I believe DROP, which is really an accounting concept, is something that could help the nation, private and public sectors.
The country is facing challenges with people living longer and potentially not having enough to make it to the end. I want to see DROP spread to the private sector where companies could set up a DROP program that does not cost the employer but enables employees to accumulate more for the retirement years. What would be wrong with that?
Harold Ritchie
El Cajon
Constitutional rights should be respected
Why is it some groups believe the First Amendment gives people the right to shout four-letter words around my children, but think the Second Amendment does not allow me to bear (carry) a gun?
As much as obscenities offend me and cheapen society, I understand that is protected free speech. The Second Amendment similarly protects the right to keep and bear arms.
Please let us all respect each others' constitutional rights.
Clay Perkins
Rancho Santa Fe
Roads worse here than back East
As a former longtime San Diego resident, I have seen decline in the city since the military moved us to Okinawa in 2001. From city politics to city streets and roads, the question looms, "Where's the beef?"
We now live in Virginia, where the changes in seasons damage roads, but they are still maintained. What's San Diego's excuse for terrible streets when the weather here is constant?
San Diego should consider paying back taxpayers for the roads they have to traverse daily.
Rosanna Keppeler
Stafford, Va.
Why do owners let dogs bark nonstop?
Is there ever going to be any consideration by dog lovers for neighbors who prefer sleeping over night?
Why do the dog lovers who let (or keep) their dogs out over night allow them to bark incessantly into the wee hours? Why are these dog lovers totally unapproachable unless community service officers knock on their door?
Any dog lovers care to comment?
Kurt Coolman
Chula Vista
Bush apparently circumvented the law
This is in response to the March 13 letter "Feinstein should question president," it seems the true cause of his concern is President Obama and his supposed lack of support upholding the laws of the Constitution.
Obama has issued "21 signing statements affecting 85 specified provisions and making six mentions of unspecified provisions of law in 20 Congressional enactments. Obama has issued eight rhetorical signing statements, 12 constitutional signing statements, and one statement remarking on an "inadvertent technical drafting error" in the affected bill," according to DemocraticUnderground.com.
President Bush, on the other hand, "issued 161 signing statements affecting over 1,100 provisions of law in 160 Congressional enactments. In these statements, the president often said the new laws violate the Constitution and signaled his intention not to enforce certain provisions, despite having signed them into law.
Was the letter writer upset with President Bush when he circumvented the law?
David Bickerton
North Park


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How to mix a drink? Where to start??? The simplest way to start anything is to just start it. I consider mixing to be a more fun and faster alternative to cooking, involving a similar kind of creativity.
Step 1:
To pour is a skill in itself. And it's a skill essential to mixing, so before we mix we must get comfortable with the pour. For practice, you could start with pouring a glass of water from a bottle until you have mastered both; a fast gush and a slow thin continuous trickle of water. Mastering the pour enables better control and steadiness of the hands. It also helps you understand the physics behind liquid in motion, the reaction of liquid upon impact on a surface and the length of a pour at which the water will begin to splatter outside the glass.
Another exercise would be pouring from one glass into another and thereafter from a glass into a bottle. To make it really challenging, try all the above exercises with your left hand (if you're right handed).
Step 2:
Mix well - Once we're accustomed to pouring, we can move on to understanding the perfect balance of ingredients. This we will practice by mastering the Limbu-Pani or fresh Lemonade. Try and find your perfect balance of sweet, sour and salted. Experimenting with different proportions and understanding when the balance goes off is as important as getting the balance right.
"Yummy-ness lies in the tongue of the taster" And it is the mixologist's job to be able to create and re-create his or her idea of Yummy.
Final Step:
Experiment! Play with whichever ingredients are available to you. Explore different combinations to determine which flavors complement each other and which react terribly. Accidents will teach us what not to do.Create your own variations of classic cocktails by substituting one ingredient with another similar ingredient. For example, you could use honey or Jaggery instead of sugar or oranges instead of lemons. Alternatively, you could try to recreate a combination of flavors from a solid to liquid form. For example, you could try to recreate a liquefied version of desserts, fruit salads. The Peruwala had given me a great idea for a drink. Adding some chat masala, chilli, salt and lemon with guava juice gives you a lip smacking drink that goes well with Romanov vodka or Signature whisky. I call it the 'Bombay Masala'.
So observe, taste and play. And make your own rules along the way.
P.S - Here are a few cool tricks for inspiration!
Image credit - georgesatthecove.com
Article by - Ami Shroff

subset: commoncrawl


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The International Academic Program (IAP) of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) in Spain,
organizes and runs programs and workshops in collaboration with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American
Studies (DRCLAS) at Harvard University in the United States.
IAP-UAM sponsors and supports research programs and initiatives in the
broad field of Latin American studies by facilitating exchanges among
Spanish, Latin American and Harvard scholars, scientists, and
professionals. These programs are a meeting place for the exchange of
ideas, scholarship, and experiences between universities across the
» read more


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LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The FTSEurofirst 300 index briefly turned positive and the euro fell on Wednesday, as traders cited press reports saying the ECB's board had proposed a quantitative easing (QE) programme that would see it buy roughly 50 billion euros ($58.16 billion) in bonds per month.
The duration of the reported bond-buying plan was not immediately clear, with the WSJ reporting the purchases would be for a minimum of a year and Bloomberg reporting that they would not start before March and would last until the end of 2016.
The European Central Bank declined to comment. The FTSEurofirst 300 index was back in negative territory at 1502 GMT, down 0.3 percent.
The euro dipped from $1.1640/50 towards $1.1612 after the media reports. Most of the losses were seen against the Swiss franc, with the euro tumbling over 2.5 percent to 0.9846 francs.
"(The 50 billion-euro figure) at a minimum, meets expectations," BTIG's Dan Greenhaus said.
"(But) If this means the ECB is considering, or would implement, an open-ended form of QE, well then that's a whole other ballgame." ($1 = 0.8598 euros) (Reporting by Atul Prakash, Blaise Robinson and Anirban Nag; Editing by Lionel Laurent)


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Welcome to Friday, fellow Idealists! Here is a list of links that kept us thinking and buzzing this week.
- There has been a lot of buzz around empathy and its role in creating lasting social change. Here's how Molly Melching, Founder and Executive Director of Tostan, is leveraging empathy and community-focused philanthropy to drive change throughout Africa.
- We know introverts and extroverts might have different ideas about what makes a fun Saturday night. But what does the difference mean for careers?
- If your organization does good, it's time to tell your story. SmartBlogs.com believes we need to adopt the idea of "story-selling":
That's where I believe a better, more refined approach is needed. I call it story-selling. Take the shoe company TOMS, which donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. A consumer's action caused a reaction. Now that's compelling!
- Fantasize about launching your own organization? Although it might seem like a step back, a full-time job can actually help you become a successful entrepreneur.
- How can you create influence in a world of competing ideas? John Butman, author of "Breaking Out," says the secret lies in what he calls the "idea entrepreneur." Watch the video to here what he has to say.


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Israel's Hospitals Are Overcrowded Year Round, Not Just in Winter
Although the population is both aging and growing, the Health Ministry has added few beds, leaving more patients in hospital hallways.
Winter has struck again in Israel, and once again the newspaper headlines are screaming about the intolerable overcrowding in hospital corridors, emergency...
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Mark Zavada
Strategic Product + Industrial Designer
Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
I am currently seeking a creative position that is both challenging as well as rewarding. I have experience with strategic business growth through innovative product development, project management and consumer research methods. I am very enthusiastic about working within a collaborative team, in addition to learning new and exciting skill sets.
Messenger Bags
Outdoor Pack Ideation Sketches
Daypack Backpack Concepts
Mark Zavada email@example.com 847.946.8268 EXPERIENCE MASCO Design; Chicago, IL 07.2011 – Current: Product Designer, Masco Cabinetry Group •Define, design and develop innovative product solutions across four Masco Cabinetry Group brands. •Lead and initiate consumer focused ethnographic research. •Identify and establish strategic market gap opportunities. •Create product through: brainstorming, sketching, rendering, illustration, CAD data, prototypes. •Collaborate with all facets of cross functional team within organization. •Actively execute development to meet key strategic business directives. •Contribute categorical trend data for departmental trend research. Sears Holdings Corporation; Hoffman Estates, IL 03.2010 - 07.2011: Technical Designer; Hardhome, New Technology & Innovation 06.2008 - 03.2010: Designer; Furniture, Lighting, Casual Furniture 08.2006 - 06.2008: Associate Designer; Kitchenware, Decor, Lighting •Research as well as implement new and upcoming material technologies into exclusive product for Sears and Kmart proprietary brands. •Create design concepts throughout development process from ideation through final production. •Create sketches, renderings and presentation boards for merchandising meetings. •Collaborate directly with both overseas and domestic vendor factory resources. •Collaborate with packaging, branding, trend, merchandising, signage, and sourcing teams to integrate new technology into customer focused assortment. •Gather, analyze and implement comparative market research and sales data. •Establish "Best In Class" product standards as per brand hierarchy. Joss Design Group; Chicago, IL 09.2005 - 08.2006: Freelance Designer 01.2005 - 07.2005: Junior Staff Designer •Collaborated in the design of products from consumer goods to industrial/commercial products. •Developed multiple projects from initial brainstorming through engineering and manufacturing. •Participated in multiple cost reduction and value designed projects. •Multi-tasked several projects simultaneously. •Independently collaborated directly with clients and vendor resources. SRAM Bicycle Components; Chicago, IL 07.2005 - 09.2005: Freelance Consultant •Collaborated with staff designers on pro/engineer modeling techniques. •Participated in product development work flow analysis. •Created product development work flow tutorial for use during product design training. •Participated in week long, third party, pro/engineer wildfire training session. Catalyst Product Development Group; Indianapolis, IN Summer/Winter Internship •Assisted staff designers and engineers throughout the design process. •Participated in the design and development of multiple product categories. •Participated in client meetings and concept presentations. EDUCATION •2004 Graduate: Industrial Design, Purdue University TECHNICAL Adobe Creative Suite, Sketchbook Pro, Pro/Engineer, Keyshot, Rhino, Cintiq format, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Mac & PC format ACCOMPLISHMENTS •CAPS certified (Certified Aging In Place Specialist) •Judge: 2011 International Housewares Show Design Competition •Designs featured in publications such as: The New York Times, House Beautiful, Country Living & Ty Pennington At Home Magazine •IDSA Midwest conference sponsorship chair: Chicago, Wisconsin & Kansas Conferences •IDSA President, Vice President & Treasurer: Purdue University chapter •Team manager 2004 "48:2 design" competition; Purdue University •Recipient 2002 Delta Faucet chrome plating award INTERESTS + ACTIVITIES Cycling, Music, Automotive racing, Nature, DIY Projects, Athletics, Global exploration Mark Zavada References & Recommendations Available Upon Request
Purdue University West Lafayette, IN


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YogAlign Classes, Facials and Body Treatments for Your Well Being
You Deserve Your Health
The Flowering Life
The Waters Edge Building
187 Parfitt Way, SW #G110
Bainbridge Island, WA
"I am so happy to have found Gretchen. I am very impressed with her knowledge of healing the skin and body.. especially how to slow the aging process in a graceful, natural way..she has truly done her research. With her holistic approach, beautiful organic products along with her amazing and loving touch, my skin glows after every treatment! I am so grateful to have found her."
– Kelli K., Massage Practitioner/Doula, Kauai, Hawaii


text: Highly recommended. I don't know how he does it but one day we have a trade and the next thing you know, the stuff is coming through the chimney nicely packed, fresh and clean. You should change your name to Santa Claus !!! Proudly adding the stuff to my collection. Thanks, Craig.


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On the move
Karen Brassfield has been promoted to the position of executive vice president and chief banking officer at La Jolla-based Silvergate Bank, where she worked as chief financial and administrative officer. Previously, she was an executive at San Diego National Bank. Silvergate also has hired Luke Schock as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He previously has worked at Pacific Western Bank and Community National Bank.
Jaisim Shah has been appointed senior vice president and chief business officer, in charge of product positioning and business development activities, at Elevation Pharmaceuticals. Before joining Elevation, he was president of Zelos Therapeutics. Shah also has worked at CytRx, F. Hoffman-LaRoche, Bristol-Myers Squibb and PDL BioPharma.
Elevation, the San Diego biopharmaceutical company, also has hired Pravin Soni as senior vice president and chief technical officer, in charge of device- and drug-development activities. Before Elevation, he was vice president at Alexza Pharmaceuticals after working at Cygnus and Raychem Corp. Soni is a co-inventor on 57 U.S. and foreign patents.
Christy Schmitt has joined Bank of the West's small-business banking group as retail small-business segment manager and senior vice president. Schmitt, who is based in San Diego, provides direction for sales and service activities for retail-sector small-business clients throughout the bank's 19-state service area. Previously, Schmitt worked for Union Bank in several small-business roles.
Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial has hired Ryan Spradling as a leasing and sales specialist in its industrial division. Before joining the San Diego commercial real estate service provider, Spradling was an industrial specialist at Burnham Real Estate, now Cushman & Wakefield, representing landlords, tenants and investors in sale and lease transactions.


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Fans of David
Fans of David is an unofficial fan community. We are not affiliated with David's official management or sites. Send your pictures, stories, videos, ideas, questions, comments, and any David Archuleta news or randomness to us!
Which Archu-gem are you looking for?
Author Archives: Jenny
BEGIN Promo Popping Up; Forevermore Reaches 1 Million Views! Vintage Archie Flashback: This Day in 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008 on FOD.
firstname.lastname@example.com "So many fail because they don't get started – they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin." ~W. Clement Stone (Picture credit Canadian Archie) * * * * * 124 Days In… Day 124, courtesy of a … Continue reading
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More Anticipation for BEGIN; Calendar Fundraiser Ends July 31st!
email@example.com * * * * * "I listened wide-eyed, stupid. Glowing by his voice in the dim light. If chocolate was a sound, it would've been David's voice singing. If singing was a color, it would've been the color of that chocolate." … Continue reading
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Archeologists are digging deeper into one of Georgia's lingering Civil War mysteries.
From September to November 1864, the sloping terrain north of Millen was transformed into a camp for Union prisoners of war evacuated from the crowded and notorious Andersonville Prison.
The new stockade, Camp Lawton was situated to take advantage of Magnolia Springs, a plentiful water supply, and built to hold 32,000 men.
Today, the site is occupied by Magnolia Springs State Park, where Georgia Southern University and the Department of Natural Resources are collaborating on a new exploration.
"It's very promising so far," said anthropology professor Sue Moore, the principal investigator. "We now have actual excavations opened."
During the past five years, studies using ground-penetrating radar indicated the remains of the camp's stockade walls might lie beneath the sandy soil.
"We got what we were pretty sure was the southwest corner of the stockade wall," Moore said. "What we're finding now is just the shadowy outline of posts that have collapsed."
The research will be used to define the camp's borders and features and perhaps clear up discrepancies from accounts of its brief existence.
Records show Andersonville evacuees began flowing in by railcar in September 1864, and by Nov. 8, 1864, Camp Lawton's roster included 10,299 federal soldiers.
One of the site's perennial mysteries involves how many prisoners died and were buried there. Historical records indicate 685 prisoners were buried at Camp Lawton before being reburied at a national cemetery in Beaufort, S.C., after the war.
However, a Union soldier's diaries, which surfaced in Virginia in the 1990s, include anecdotal but firsthand accounts of life at Camp Lawton, including the deaths of 1,300 prisoners buried in linear trenches.
Though it is far too soon to resolve the mystery of how many casualties occurred there, the dig will give investigators a clearer picture of the camp's walls and boundaries, Moore said.
"The different numbers are still a mystery and we haven't tried to work on that at all," she said.
The original stockade walls, she said, were said to be 15 feet above the ground, with timbers embedded five feet into the ground. Finding them has been a challenge, as they were deeper than anticipated.
So far, students assisting in the dig have found very few artifacts.
"A few nails and some bullets -- not much at all," Moore said.
In addition to excavations at the stockade, archaeologists are testing nearby areas of the park to look for more signs of the prison camp, which was said to include numerous outbuildings and other structures.
"We will try to determine if there are any remains of these buildings," Moore said.
Camp Lawton was abandoned in late November 1864 when threatened by Sherman's drive on Savannah. The prisoners were moved to other locations.
On Dec. 3, 1864, Sherman's army captured the camp and the nearby town of Millen. It is believed the camp and its structures were then burned.
The dig has attracted plenty of onlookers, Moore said, and two days have been set aside -- April 17 and May 1 -- to accommodate visitors who want to see the work in progress.
Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and there is a $5 parking fee. More details are available at www.gastateparks.org/MagSpr or by calling (478) 982-1660.


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A sheriff's bomb squad determined a suspicious U-Haul truck parked near the U.S. Border Patrol headquarters in Chula Vista was empty, and not a threat Wednesday morning, police said.
A Border Patrol employee thought the truck was out of place along Boswell Road near Lane Avenue, and reported it about 7:35 a.m., Chula Vista police said.
Portions of Lane Avenue, Mackenzie Creek Road, Fenton Street and Boswell Road were closed until about 10:30 a.m. while the sheriff's bomb squad evaluated the truck.
Meanwhile, police contacted a nearby U-Haul rental lot and found out a customer had rented that truck. The customer told police he had tried to return it after using it, but found no parking at the company lot, so he left it along the curb on Boswell, police Lt. Fritz Reber said.
He said the bomb squad completed its investigation and found the truck was, indeed, empty.


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Man Struggles To Stay Awake As Vice President Biden Speaks [VIDEO]
Vice President Joe Biden spoke Friday at Davidson County Community College in North Carolina. The tour aimed to shine a spotlight on the importance of community colleges in the training of American workers.
Biden said: "Americans are tired of being tired, it's clear that the American people have decided it's time to get up. They're tired of being told that we're in a long, slow drift." As the vice President is speaking keep your eye on the guy behind him, the one on your left.
The guy behind him is definitely tired. See for yourself in the video below.
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Today's Top Story:
| Mark
| Big Brands are Starting To Get It — or is Google Starting to Get Big Brands?
These larger Web sites have all of the natural elements that search engines look for. All they have to do is build a Web site that is remotely search engine friendly and institute some basic best practices for SEO and they'd enjoy the benefits that it has taken smaller firms years to accomplish. With proper consultation, these large brands could begin to dominate the SERPs, if they could just learn to get out of their own way.
» Full story » Print version
Search Engine Watch Experts Columns
| Aaron
| Accessibility Can Be Profitable
More than ever, it's so very important that a Web site be created for everyone, including those who are blind or disabled. Not only will you get more search engine traffic, you'll gain users that may be a valuable part of your revenue stream.
» Full story » Print version
| Ron
| Local Search 101, Part 2
If you want to be found in local search, keep an eye on the growing number of local search directories. You should also consider using social media to both get attention for your business, and to follow other local search practitioners for advice.
» Full story » Print version
| Erik
| Social Media Madness — The Sweet 16, Part 2
In the spirit of College basketball's upcoming March Madness tournament, we've got the second four contenders in the "Sweet 16" of social media. Check out this scoreboard of each company's strengths and weaknesses, along with details on how your company or brand can leverage these social media offerings.
» Full story » Print version
News from the Search Engine Watch Blog
| Social Networking and Blogs Surpass Email in Popularity
Posted by Nathania Johnson Mar 11, 2009
With 67% of the worldwide internet population visiting, social networks and blogs are now outpacing email in popularity. They've become the 4th most popular online category, according to Nielsen Online. "Social networking has become a fundamental part of the global online experience," says John Burbank, CEO of Nielsen Online. "While two-thirds …
» Continue reading
| New Google Analytics Guide Offers Help for Beginners
Posted by Nathania Johnson Mar 11, 2009
Google Analytics has published a guide for beginners who are new to the product. Called the "Getting Started Guide," it's a new section of the Help Center for Google Analytics. In it, you'll find the benefits of using Analytics (perhaps you've heard that you should be doing analytics but have no …
» Continue reading
| Yahoo! Lowers Minimum Bid on Some Keywords
Posted by Nathania Johnson Mar 11, 2009
Yahoo! has announced that they have lowered the minimum bid on some keywords. They were quite vague about which ones. The reason given for the change was the economy and marketers' needs to maximize their budgets. Advertisers will want to check in on their Yahoo! campaigns to see if the minimum …
» Continue reading
| Matt Cutts Revisits 100 Link Maximum Per Page Recommendation
Posted by Nathania Johnson Mar 11, 2009
Matt Cutts took to his blog to talk about just how many links you can include on one page. The rule of thumb for a long time has been no more than 100 links per page, and Cutts says that recommendation hasn't changed. But he clarified that it's not a hard …
» Continue reading
| Google AdSense Releases News Widget
Posted by Nathania Johnson Mar 11, 2009
Google AdSense recently released a new widget that allows sites to place news on their site. It looks like your basic AdSense box, but with "powered by Google News" in the tab at the bottom instead. Take a look: Users can select the type of news they wish to appear on …
» Continue reading
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| Microsoft Adds Maria Klawe to Board of Directors; Announces $0.13 Dividend
Posted by Nathania Johnson Mar 11, 2009
Microsoft has added a new member to their Board of Directors. Maria Klawe, Ph.D., president of Harvey Mudd College since 2006, brings the Board back to 10 members. Klawe was previously dean of engineering and a professor of computer science at Princeton University from 2003 to 2006. "Maria has made significant …
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Search Engine Watch Forum Discussions
| How to set up a Adword account with 2 or more users, separate login Mar 10, 2009
hello, A customer of mine as asked me to set up a Google Adwords account for him. He is a Gmail user so it would make sens to ask him to register and invite me. The problem with this is than on my main email address I already have a Adword account …
» Join the discussion
| Can Google read Javascript redirects? Mar 9, 2009
I have a site that employs redirects using windows.location.replace. Can link equity follow this? If I replace these redirects with 301 redirects, I am afraid that it might take some time for our link equity to catch up. Any advice?
» Join the discussion
| Checking past rankings of a site? Mar 9, 2009
Is there a way to type in a website's address and find out its rankings from the past? (Unfortunately typing in google.com into the waybackmachine from archiveDOTorg doesnt seem to work ;))
» Join the discussion
Related reading
What do you need to know about Chinese search engine Sogou?
A few days ago, the news emerged that Chinese search engine Sogou is aiming to raise up to $585 million in a U.S. IPO. The news has caused a stir among those keeping an eye on the Chinese tech space; but for those of us who might not be up on the state of search in China, what do you need to know about Sogou? And what does a Sogou IPO mean for the wider search industry?
What are the best free SEO resources online?
Whether you are a fresh-faced SEO newbie just starting to learn the ropes, or an SEO veteran who can recite the ins and outs of every Google update ever, SEO is a complex subject. In this post, we share our pick of the best free SEO resources available online.
Seven SEO trends to watch in 2018
As we reach the fourth quarter of 2017, it's time to start thinking about the year ahead and what to expect from SEO in 2018. There are number of search industry trends that we've seen the very beginnings of this year and last, which will come into greater prominence in 2018. Here are seven you should be keeping an eye on.
Amazon SEO: A guide to improving your rankings on Amazon
If you are looking for a launching pad for your products that your target audience likes and finds useful, Amazon is it. To get the most from your listings on Amazon, however, you will need to employ some SEO tactics to showcase your products and business.


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In what might be seen as a sign that he felt stung hard enough to hurt, President Obama on Wednesday blamed Republicans' outspending Democrats as the reason Gov. Scott Walker survived a union-driven recall election in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
Mr. Walker, however, said his victory, in which he topped Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a repeat of their 2010 showdown, should encourage presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to make a play for Wisconsin in the general election.
The state hasn't voted Republican in a presidential election since 1984, but Mr. Walker said while Mr. Romney "is an underdog," he can compete — if he lays out a bold platform.
"Anyone looking at the results last night would also acknowledge that it's now competitive in Wisconsin," he told MSNBC on Wednesday.
The issue before Wisconsin voters was whether Mr. Walker and the Republican state legislature were right to break the public employees unions' grip on setting members' taxpayer-paid salaries and benefits, which the GOP blamed for running up unsustainable liabilities, a problem many other states also face.
Through his spokesman Jay Carney, the president let it be known that he didn't think the fight was fair because the Republicans not only outraised and outspent the Democrats in the state but used corporate and out-of-state money to do so.
"What you had was an incumbent governor in a repeat election that he had won once, in which he outspent his challenger by a magnitude of 7- or 8-to-1, with an enormous amount of outside corporate money and huge donations, and you got essentially the same result," said Mr. Carney, whose boss won the 2008 presidential election while shattering fundraising records and far outspending Republican John McCain.
Mr. Walker had first won the governorship on a union-taming platform in 2010, by a 4-percentage-point margin. Republicans said it was plausible for them to find encouragement with Tuesday's 7-point margin, which could signal a growing unease with Democrats' ties to unions.
But whether the Walker win signals a fed-up-with-union-power trend is sweeping the country is unclear.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich went to the mat to keep his promise to help mop up the state's red ink by signing into law a measure stripping collective bargaining rights from public employees. Ohio voters repealed the law in a referendum by a 2-to-1 margin.
In Wisconsin on Tuesday, a union-backed Democrat unseated a state senator in another recall election, which will switch control of the chamber to the Democrats.
Still, the Walker win will put an at-least-temporary smile on Republicans' faces.
"Republicans walk away with a boatload of enthusiasm and momentum from last night's win in Wisconsin," Bill Palatucci, the New Jersey Republican National Committee member, told The Washington Times on Wednesday.
Exit polling in Wisconsin showed voters preferred Mr. Obama to Mr. Romney, but those same polls also showed a nearly dead-even race between Mr. Walker and Mr. Barrett rather than Mr. Walker's 7-percentage-point margin.
"Wisconsin is likely dead even," GOP pollster Matt Towery said. "Consider the exit polls that showed the gubernatorial race nearly even, and Obama up by 7 percentage points. But then the actual results put Walker up by seven points, suggesting presidential numbers are likely closer to even."
He added that the "most important message from Wisconsin is, if that state is close, then other swing states like Florida and North Carolina are likely leaning more Romney than most polls suggest."
While Republicans in Wisconsin were urging Mr. Romney to spend money in the state this fall, outside analysts were more skeptical.
"I don't see Wisconsin in play," said John Zogby, who conducts polling for The Washington Times. "On Tuesday, voters there chose Obama over Romney and they also chose stalemate.
"Neither side won — both parties climbed a mound of cow dung and are trying to plant a flag. It was ugly," Mr. Zogby said. "Best for Romney to run more quietly."
Where Mr. Romney, the super PACs supporting him and the Republican National Committee choose to concentrate their financial firepower this fall seems less important to Democrats than how big that firepower will be.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel made an emergency plea Wednesday for fellow Democrats to go after big donors the way he said Republicans have with great success.
"The Wisconsin results should serve as a wake-up call for Democrats: on the ground organizing is critically important, but it must be coupled with an aggressive air campaign," Mr. Israel said in an email to supporters, referring to the huge amounts it takes to run an effective TV ad campaign in many key media markets across the country.
Republicans only a few years ago were complaining that deep-pocket Democratic donors outnumbered and outgave their Republican counterparts. Now it's the Democrats who are complaining about the playing field.
"Democratic groups won't outspend Republican groups, but they can keep us in the fight," Mr. Israel said.
Copyright © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC.


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We believe the College of Education dispositions are fundamental to achieving the unit standards of becoming a (1) knowledgeable critical transformative educator, (2) multicultural educator and (3) social justice advocate. Educators' dispositions impact student learning, motivation and development in addition to having an impact on one's own professional growth.
In addition to disposition-related standards already assessed via programmatic key assessments aligned with NCATE, NBPTS, IPTS and the IPSLS, the unit has agreed upon the following professional dispositions that all candidates in the College of Education are expected to demonstrate:


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The Firescape Demonstration Garden is located across from Fire Station 7 on Stanwood Drive in Santa Barbara. The garden is supposed to bring new ideas to avid and beginner gardeners.
The 1.7 acres of model garden demonstrates how to keep a beautiful landscape, even during a drought.
The garden also hopes to teach people the importance of water-wise plants to help avoid wildfires.


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Are there documented cases where a SA pistol was to blame
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November 26, 2012, 12:59 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 11, 2004
Location: Redwood City, Ca.
Posts: 3,357
There is a lot of information available on unintended discharges. The only obstacle here is the specific nature of the question from the op.
The NYPD annually publishes information on unintended discharges. Problem is they do not use single action handguns. Even then the shots fired were the result of poor gun handling, mistakes, etc. and not the fault of the design of the gun.
Here is a link to that information...
However it is clear, over time, that some designs may be more apt to have certain types of "accidents". To quote from the 2011 NYPD report...
Three of the 13 firearms discharged during purely unintentional incidents were weapons that were not the officers' regular service or off-duty firearms—two were perpetrator's weap-ons, and one was an ESU Glock 19 equipped with an under-the-barrel flashlight.
More notably, six of the remaining ten firearms were also manufactured by Glock (three model 19s and three model 26s). In fact, with regard to officers experiencing unintentional dis-charges while loading or unloading their own firearms, 75 percent of such incidents involved Glocks. Their overrepresentation in this category has been seen consistently over the past five years: since 2007, there have been 31 incidents in which officers unintentionally discharged their own firearms during loading/unloading, and 22 of those incidents—71 percent—have involved Glocks. This most likely stems from the fact that a person disassembling a Glock must depress the trigger to do so.
This factual information does not make the Glock a poor design. It does show that when a gun is issued to large numbers of people and you keep track of what "accidents" occur and how, that it can help you pinpoint the areas that need improvement and that is usually in training.
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In selecting the Top 20 Casting Directors for the Films of 2006, Ross Reports took into account both critically-acclaimed and popular films. We considered casts, genres, and challenges that each film presented. Although we made mention of select films, the following casting directors are honored for films released in 2006. The list includes both individuals and partners, film casting directors of dramas, comedies, adventures, studio releases, science fiction and everything in between. Wherever possible, we have included some of their thoughts on the casting process, experience with the films they've worked on, the challenges in casting various roles, and what they seek from actors who might audition for them.
Lisa London, Catherine Stroud (Los Angeles)
Critical Pick: Grandma's Boy
Select Past Projects: Hannah Montana (pilot), Arli$$: The Art of the Sports Superagent
Upcoming Projects: Strange Wilderness
How did you both become casting directors?
Lisa: I worked as a production assistant, so I got to sit in on some casting sessions with the casting directors. I would voice my opinion to Lynn Stalmaster and Toni Howard, the casting directors who worked on the show at the time. It was a pilot called Hotel. While I was a production assistant, those casting directors offered me a job as their assistant casting director.
Catherine: I sort of fell into casting. I went to college as a theatre major to study directing. I met Lisa London, she offered me a job, and I was an assistant with her for two years. I later went to Paramount and worked on The Brady Bunch Movie and Tommy Boy, and then we came back together as partners. By having the directing background and theatre background training, I found out that I was actually pretty good at working with actors and getting good performances out of them in the audition room. So, I guess you can say I sort of found my niche by accident.
What do you love most about casting films, and casting in general?
Lisa: The thing I like the best is when you discover somebody-meeting the actors and finding the talent. That's the most fun for me. That's why I've been doing it all these years.
Catherine: It's breaking somebody out. It's being able to recognize that "it" quality. We found Miley Cyrus-the Hannah Montana star. At the time, the Disney Channel wasn't sure-she
had no credits. She was a complete unknown. She was a little young, and it took us persisting
for months to convince them, and now look at her-she's one of the biggest teen stars out there. We sometimes understand what they want, but we might see something that's not exactly what fits the picture, and it's up to us to be passionate about it, push it, and help them see it.
How do you select the projects you work on, and what do you look for in a good script?
Catherine: We look for the people that are involved-the producers, etc. We like to know what kind of people they are, what kind of company it is, and, of course, the material they want us to cast.
Lisa: On the material, we look for what kind of story it is. Is it funny, or is it inspiring? Is it something that's fun or exciting that we want to cast? If it is, we say, "Yeah, this is something cool and we can do a good job with it."
Catherine: If it doesn't inspire us, then it's hard to inspire others to be in it. If somebody hires
us, we want to do the best job we can. If we don't feel we can do a great job, then we don't
feel we're the right people for the project.
What do you enjoy most about the casting process, and what do you find most challenging about it?
Lisa: For me, the most fun is finding the talent. That's the nicest part of the job. The most challenging is sometimes getting producers or network executives to see your point of view. Sometimes it takes a lot of persistence. Sometimes they may not see what we see in a
particular actor and what they can bring to the part or character. But we see it. Catherine and
I had to persist to get Miley Cyrus hired, and then we persisted with Billy Ray Cyrus, her father, because they weren't sure if he could do the role. They weren't originally going to let him read. So it was definite persistence. We brought Miley in six times. We were kind of like a broken record, but we had the foresight to see Miley was going to be a star. Now they thank us and recognize who she is and all the success she's brought to the network.
What was your experience like in casting Grandma's Boy?
Lisa: It was one of the most fun jobs I have cast in a long time. The script was very funny. It's just great when you can find people who can even enhance the part and make the words even better. Jonah Hill, who played Barry-originally I read him for the J.P. role, and I didn't feel he was right for that role, but I said, "He's so funny, he's got to be in the movie." When I brought him to the producers, they said, "Yeah, you're right, we're giving him this role of Barry." They saw it too!
It was a great collaborative effort.
You really had interesting choices, with Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones and Shirley Knight.
Lisa: In the original meeting, we said the one to play the grandmother is Doris Roberts, and they said she would never do it. We said, "sure, we got you there, but she's perfect, and we're going to pursue it." The producers' response was, "Yeah, but you'll never get her she's won several Emmys and a Screen Actors Guild Award. We said, "Okay, never say never to us, that's for sure." She did have some concerns about the script because it was more racy than anything she'd done before. So she had a meeting and talked to the producers about her concerns. It took a couple
of conversations, and they handled her concerns, but they were always open. Some producers aren't open to change, but these producers were very open. They weren't the kind of producers you work with that are sometimes, "Oh, my God, how can you bring us that person?"
Was there a particular part or character in Grandma's Boy that was difficult to cast?
Catherine: Yeah, J.P. [played by Joel David Moore] because he had to be crazy and you didn't want to like him, but he also had to have a sympathetic side. Also, to an extent, Doris Roberts' character was difficult to cast because the movie's called Grandma's Boy, and if you don't have the right grandma, you don't have a movie.
What do you look for when watching a film cast by another casting director?
Lisa: Just somebody new, that they found and we didn't.
Catherine: We're like, "Why didn't we get them?" [Laughs] No, but seriously, we look for someone that we didn't know, because it's not usual that there's somebody we don't know.
How do you seek new talent?
Lisa: We've done a lot of searches, so we have looked at all kinds of places, like schools, theatre companies, shows, and improv groups, etc., across the country.
Catherine: We will go outside the agency pool depending on what we are looking for-just anywhere and everywhere, as well as out of state and Canada, because we had a lot of success doing that. We enjoy doing it as well.
Lisa: We like to feel like we've turned every stone. If we don't feel like we've turned over every stone or looked in every corner, then you're always thinking, "Well, what if?" So you always want to know, "This is it! This is the person!" It is a great feeling to have that certainty.
What advice would you give an actor who might audition for you?
Catherine: Be prepared, and be prepared to make a strong choice, and go for it. Don't be afraid to take a risk!
Lisa: Yes, being prepared is not just knowing the sides, but knowing the show. Because if you know the kind of project you're going in on, you can play it correctly. Our show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody is a different kind of comedy than, say, a show like The Office. Doing your research is part of being prepared. Don't be afraid to make strong choices and go for it.
Catherine: Even when their impulses are not right. If you go with your impulses, even if it isn't exactly what we want, we can always direct you.
Lisa: We can direct you, but if you don't bring in something, there's nothing to grab on to and direct. Just go for it!
What is your next project?
Lisa: We're finishing the last season of The Suite Life for the Disney Channel, and then we are also waiting to hear on a couple movies. We also have another movie that we cast coming out
in September entitled Strange Wilderness.
Catherine: It's being produced by Happy Madison and Level One Entertainment, and it's another one of those outrageous comedies. It stars Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Justin Long, Jonah Hill, Ashley Scott, Jeff Garlin, and Kevin Heffernan. It has a bunch of really funny people in it.
Bruce B. Morris
Mindy Marin (Los Angeles)
Critical Pick: Thank You for Smoking
Select Past Projects: The Family Stone
Upcoming Projects: Juno, Wanted, 9
When you began casting Thank You for Smoking, were you looking for actors who fit the specifications of the script, or were you open to different interpretations? Did your perception of the roles change at all based on the energy and qualities of the people you auditioned?
When we began casting for Thank You for Smoking, it was in a different incarnation. I had been introduced to Jason Reitman by my friend Jim Lemley, who at the time was working with Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey at Icon. Icon had the rights to Chris Buckley's novel, and Jason had written an adaptation for Icon that was excellent. The process had actually begun four years before the movie became a reality. Jason and I would meet and talk about various cast ideas, mostly for the role of Nick Naylor. Without Nick, there is no there there. As our business is one that often takes years to ignite a project, Thank You for Smoking languished until Jason got a call from a financier saying he had read the script and wanted to fuel it himself. It wasn't until then that the project found its footing. Once we knew that the money was real, it wasn't long at all before the pieces of the puzzle came together.
When films you've cast are nominated for, or win, any prestigious awards (e.g., the Golden Globe, AFI, Oscar), how does that affect future casting jobs?
When films are nominated for awards, it definitely expands the playing field in terms of doors opening. I am still working towards the win factor, but the striving is the magic of the experience. It isn't about the awards, more the rewards of the life one has the privilege of living in this vocation. Awards are the icing on the cake, and certainly I look forward to the possibility of tasting a piece of it one of these days. As far as how it affects other work opportunities, it's human nature to be drawn to the winner's circle, so the notoriety a film gets by virtue of its appeal can be an additional bonus on a resume. I still have to work as hard as the next guy to get jobs out there, though.
What is your general casting process for feature films?
Roles always change and morph as you have the opportunity to meet and read actors. One must always be open to surprise. That is one of the key factors to doing this job. Staying open and imagining that someone you least expect can hit it out of the park. It is because of that reason this job is still compelling to me after all of these years. I love to watch the artistry of acting, and I am always honored when an actor shows up with an angle or interpretation that shows the parallax view. I love my job and feel grateful every day that I have it.
How much of a role does the studio play in casting?
There was no studio involved when we cast the film. It was so liberating to have the opportunity to decide creatively how we wanted to paint the landscape. Jason Reitman, David Sacks, and I would conceptualize and discuss the merits of each casting idea until we decided who to approach. And then we approached them. As the process evolved, so did some of our ideas as to who we wanted. Such is the case with casting: keeping our minds open and creating a space that is compelling to the right kinds of artistry. None of that can take place, however, without a compelling piece of material, which Jason wholeheartedly produced.
The first person we cast was Aaron Eckhart for the role of Nick. Aaron was the perfect mix of devilish handsome, a guy that could sit on the wrong side of the fence, smile, and convince you to join him. I cannot imagine anyone but Aaron delivering all of that clever dialogue in quite the same winning way. He was the first person to commit, and this was after Jason and David Sacks, the financier, flew to Canada to meet him. They called from the airport after their meeting and both agreed he was our man. We cast almost the entire film before the studio came on board.
Who was the most difficult character to cast in Thank You for Smoking, and why?
The most difficult character to cast was Nick Naylor. If we didn't get Nick right, there wouldn't be the bones to hang the movie on. Aaron was really the necessary DNA for building the rest of the cast. One of the most fun roles to cast was Robert Duvall, who is not a man you approach with the no money factor. Nor should he be. Duvall is my all-time favorite, and it was an adventure lassoing him to the project. I have known him from other projects and have loved him throughout the years. I knew that he was a great fan of tango and that we would have to be creative to get his attention on our little film with a big message. Bobby was in Argentina, and I mentioned to one of our producers, David Sacks, how much he loves tango. Coincidentally, David's mother is friendly with a host of well-known Argentine dancers. David and I concocted a plan whereby his mother called all of them and had them sign their photographs to Bobby. We then put a script in a book we made with signed pictures of the dancers and sent a letter to Duvall's hotel inviting him to come tango with us. Happily, he did, and that is how we cast our tobacco king.
What was your favorite memory from making Thank You for Smoking?
My favorite memory from making Thank You for Smoking was participating in all of the activities in Toronto having to do with opening the film. The first screening I saw of it was at a big theater during the Toronto Film Festival in a packed house. It was so enjoyable that during the screening of it, I was so lost in the story it didn't occur to me that I had actually worked on it. I was just a member of the audience along for the ride.
What is your next project?
We have just completed casting on Jason Reitman's new film, Juno, for Mandate films and Fox Searchlight. The next one that begins shooting soon is a very exciting project called Wanted, for Universal and Marc Platt Productions, being directed by a Russian director, Timur Bekmambetov, starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, and Angelina Jolie. I am also producing a project with my friend Jim Lemley, based on a book called Vamped.
-- Bruce B. Morris
Roger Mussenden (with Ann Robinson)
(Los Angeles)
Critical Pick: Superman Returns
Select Past Projects: The Wedding Singer, X-Men, Anger Management
Upcoming Project: Get Smart
For this interview we spoke with Roger Mussenden.
How did you become a casting director?
I was an agent first for about five years and didn't like selling. An actress friend talked me into opening a business being a casting director in commercials. I did that for another five years. Then I decided that I wanted to move into film, so I moved to Los Angeles from New York and got a job with Jane and Janet. And my commercial casting abilities were getting to a lot of people quickly. So I helped them on a couple of searches, and I just kept going from there. I like the movie pace a lot more than the commercial pace. It wasn't about a cookie. You actually had something at the end of the product.
What do you love most about casting films?
The variety. It takes me into worlds that are different. I get to live through them. Live through historical lessons, live through fantasy. It's just fun. To me it's a byproduct of what I love to do, which is go to movies, watch TV, go to plays, and read magazines.
How do you select the projects you work on and what do you look for in a good script?
I relate to them. They come from different points of view. I'm a comic-book geek, so I do always pay attention to the comic-book movies, but I like the reality and I like to hear what the director's take is on the reality — on how he plans on bringing it to life. This brought me to X-Men. I like a comedy and I like to laugh. When I met Adam Sandler, he was a very nice man and looked like a lot of fun. I've been working with him since Wedding Singer. It was just about laughing and having a good time, as well as getting a nice piece of work out there.
What do you find most challenging about it?
You know — when they come up to me and they ask me for a one-legged ancient man to sing and play the ukulele. That's really challenging. And honestly, at certain times, what's really challenging is finding a beautiful, funny woman. It can be as common as that.
What was the experience like in casting Superman Returns?
It was awesome. It was an amazing thing. I grew up reading the Superman comics, so right away I was thrilled to have gotten that job. To me it was a dream come true. All those comic books that my parents yelled at me for reading came to the front. There was a reason for it. It was a team like no other team — an experience like no other experience. Bryan Singer and I had worked on X-Men & X2. This was something that both of us had always talked about, and our dream came true. It was amazing and difficult at the same time.
What made it particularly difficult?
It was just Superman. Finding Superman. I wanted to change the look of Superman — to update him. And Bryan wanted to keep true to the look in the comic book. I wanted to change up the cast a little bit as well. Bryan said, "No we have to stay true to the original, because the comic book core — those that read the comics — are going to want that."
Superman Returns was the first film that continued the Superman theatrical franchise that ended in 1987. Did you refer back to the four films that featured Christopher Reeve, or did you feel you wanted a fresh approach?
I think Bryan referred to the first two only. We didn't even look at the other guys. We figured that this was number three. I didn't refer that much to them because I didn't want to get tainted; I wanted a fresh view in my head. I wanted to keep it clear.
What do you look for when watching a film cast by another casting director?
First and foremost, I go to a film to enjoy it. Then things happen. If I'm bored, then I'll start looking at the cast, or listening to the words, or observing the costumes — I try to find something. If not, then I walk. Certain casting directors have really great taste and I love what they do and how clever they are in casting people in something that you don't normally see them in.
How do you seek new talent?
I go to the theater, I watch TV, I watch commercials, I read magazines, I listen to people, I have a network. I've been doing this for 15 years, so I have people out there with taste that help me do this. I have staff members that are great up-and-coming casting people. We all talk about MTV shows, or bands, etc. They [talent] come from everywhere.
What about showcases?
I don't do showcases anymore, but I make sure other people do them for me.
What advice would you give an actor who might audition for you?
Be yourself and be prepared. Nothing is more annoying someone coming in and saying, "the dog ate my homework." I heard that in high school. Don't come to me then. I'd rather you call me and say, "I can't make it because I have a problem." Then fine, I can reschedule, or I'll say that I can't wait and that you have to get in here. So just be prepared — it's really, really important. And look like your headshot.
What is your next project?
Not really sure, but Bryan Singer may have something coming up or another Adam Sandler movie.
— Eric P. Berger
Richard Pagano (Los Angeles)
(with Coreen Mayr and Heike Brandstatter)
Critical Pick: X-Men: The Last Stand
Select Past Projects: Hotel Rwanda, 88 Minutes
Upcoming Projects: Tortured, A Woman's Secret
Richard Pagano spoke with us for this feature
What are the challenges involved in casting a sequel to a film cast by someone else?
RP: The biggest challenge was that they set a bar that was so high. They cast actors who were not only movie stars, but who were terrific actors: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, etc. So we had to find people who not only looked right for the role, but who also were terrific actors.
Because you were doing a sequel, were there pre-set casting conditions from the previous films to which you had to adhere?
RP: Yes, to the extent that there were characters created in the original comics. Plus, all the guys at Marvel and producers Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner and the other producers had a sense of the style of the piece, so we did have to deal with that, absolutely.
Was there any leniency in casting an actor who came in and gave you an interpretation of a role that was different from what was originally conceived?
RP: Ben Foster, who was cast as Angel, is a perfect example of someone who came in and didn't look like what they had originally thought of for the role and yet was brilliant. But he gave a tremendous reading and got the part.
What did he do that was different from what had been envisioned?
RP: It just may be that some people, like Ben, have a more original, quirkier, idiosyncratic imagination, and they approach all of their work in that way. So I think it has more to do with the particular kind of person that Ben is. I'd like to think that anybody can do what he did, but I don't know. Maybe not.
Does the horror/sci-fi genre present any different kinds of casting challenges versus casting a more typical mainstream comedy or drama?
RP: Well, sure. There's a kind of "Quick, grab the gun!" thing going on. It's my metaphor for what you have to do in these kinds of films. The scenes are often shorter, and sometimes there is action involved. And they're much more difficult to audition for because the actual writing is more compressed, so you don't necessarily have a two-page scene that an actor can use for his audition. You may only have three or four lines. The other thing is that in the case of a film like X-Men III — or any of these really large, tent-pole movies that have a large following — they're often very secretive about how much of the script gets put out there into the world. So the actors don't have the advantage of looking at the full script in advance.
Who was the most difficult character to cast in X-Men: The Last Stand, and why?
RP: Probably Kitty Pryde. I think, in general, that we're always a little tougher on our female roles than on the male roles. Everybody had a different notion of what Kitty Pryde should look like, and we found good actresses who didn't quite look like the role, and we found some people who were terrific and had the right look but were too old for it, etc. We also changed directors in midcourse, so the actresses that the first director liked were not necessarily the choices that Brett Ratner liked. Brett had a whole different vision of it, so we had to go restart our engines.
What was your favorite memory from making X-Men: The Last Stand?
RP: I don't know that I have a favorite memory. Casting a big movie has its pleasures, and one of them is getting the big-movie paycheck! But the truth is that it's just the work, and it's nice to see people. Big movies allow you to meet a lot of actors who are always willing to come in because they know it's a big movie, it's a payday, it's one of the "important" movies of the year, etc. So one of the great pleasures for me was just getting to meet a bunch of actors I knew about but had not yet met. And it's also an opportunity to meet a lot of new young actors, the next generation of young talent.
How much of a role does the studio play in casting?
RP: It's not a secret that the studio has a lot of pull. But it's also true that with a director like Brett Ratner, we end up having someone whose opinion is going to carry quite a lot of weight with the studio. So very often a lot of it was Brett going in and lobbying for the people he wanted. I think it's fair to say that one of the people who was very much in favor of Ben Foster getting the role of Angel, for example, was Donna Isaacson [executive vice president, feature talent, at 20th Century Fox]. She and I both very much believed in him, and Brett loved him too. The question was just whether or not we could make him look a little more like the Angel that the studio and that Marvel had imagined — and I think we were able to do that.
When films you've cast are nominated for, or win, any prestigious awards (e.g., the Golden Globe, AFI, Oscar), how does that affect future casting jobs?
RP: My guess is that I got X-Men III because of the casting on Hotel Rwanda.
Does it bring you another level of awareness within the community of the level of work you can do?
RP: Sure. Of course. But that only lasts a little while. We're only as good as our next film. We used to say that you're only as good as your last film; I think we're only as good as our next film.
What is your next project?
RP: There are a few movies we're working on now: one with Laurence Fishburne called Tortured; another coming in from Europe called A Woman's Secret; a thriller called Casualty; and a film adaptation of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. There's also a movie about the wine industry that we're supposed to be shooting in the Napa Valley this summer, but it's still untitled.
--Terri Roberts


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Legacy. Inspiration. Future.
Dr. Frank D. Sánchez, 10th President of Rhode Island College
Dear Rhode Island College Community,
Words cannot adequately express how grateful I am for the level of support and pride shown for our college throughout the inaugural week festivities. Thank you to the team of talented students, faculty, staff and alumni who put the week together. To all who attended, I thank you for making each event absolutely memorable.
For those of you who were unable to join us, you can watch a video of the Installation Ceremony here. You can also view a gallery of images captured at our unforgettable Gala!
During my Inaugural remarks, I was proud to recognize the talents of all those who contribute making the RIC community a force within the region – students, faculty, staff, administrators, public and private partners, as well as donors. I was also proud to announce the First-in-Family Fund, which will support and honor those Rhode Islanders who are the first in their family to attend college.
Finally, because I believe technology is a necessary and essential element of RIC's future, I introduced to the college A Decade of Technology. As we move through the strategic planning process, I will further elaborate on how RIC plans to embrace technology to ensure the college meets new educational demands of the future.
Yours in Education,
President Frank D. Sánchez


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Communiqués de presse
Banyan Tree et AccorHotels annoncent un partenariat stratégique
Singapour - le 8 Décembre 2016: Banyan Tree Holdings annonce aujourd'hui la signature d'un protocole d'accord conclu avec AccorHotels pour un partenariat de longue durée. Les deux parties s'engagent à développer et gérer les hôtels sous les enseignes de Banyan Tree à travers le monde. Banyan Tree aura également accès à la plateforme de réservation et de ventes de AccorHotels ainsi qu'à son programme de fidélité, Le Club AccorHotels.
Coconut paradise at Banyan Tree Samui
Koh Samui, Thailand - June 2016: Samui can be called 'The Island of Coconuts' as they can be found throughout the whole island and the coconut industry is the second strongest here after tourism. Moreover, locals say that Samui coconuts are the best in Thailand and there are 101 ways to enjoy them!Banyan Tree Samui invites guests to sample the coconut spirit of Samui while relaxing in the comfort of the pool villas set amid the privacy of the resort's bay as well as enjoy pampering at the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa Samui or enjoy delicious cuisine at the resort's signature restaurants.
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts commemorate World Environment Day 2016 with Global Clean-up Initiative
Singapore – May 2016: To commemorate World Environment Day on 5th June 2016, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts invites guests and resort associates to participate in a special project to improve the environment under its global Stay for Good Greening Communities Together initiative. To raise awareness and make a positive impact on the environment and surrounding communities, each hotel and resort will roll out clean-up programmes in their surrounding areas.
Discover Sea Turtle Conservation with Banyan Tree on World Turtle Day
Singapore – May 2016: With resorts located in idyllic destinations around the world, and a philosophy rooted in supporting the surrounding natural ecology, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is committed to the conservation of one of the world's most beloved creatures, the sea turtle. World Turtle Day, on 23rd May, is a worldwide campaign to increase knowledge of and respect for turtles, encouraging them to survive and thrive. To celebrate, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts invites guests to participate in supporting its efforts to protect endangered turtles at its resorts in the Indian Ocean and Thailand.
Give the Gift of a Lifetime this Mother's Day with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
Singapore – April 2016: Those looking to go beyond the standard chocolate and flowers this Mother's Day can take inspiration from Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts with their personalised e-Gift card service. Its swift and seamless process means memories can be created at just the click of a button, allowing sons and daughters to show just how much they care with a choice of unforgettable experiences. Voucher values range from USD $50 – $3,000, allowing endless ways for mothers to enjoy their special gift at a host of stunning Banyan Tree resorts, Banyan Tree Galleries (retail outlets) and Banyan Tree Spas across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Mexico, featuring luxury accommodation to exquisite dining, heavenly spa treatments and inspirational activities.
Balinese Adventures For Active Couples At Banyan Tree Ungasan
Indonesia – April 2016: Bali is the ideal destination for guests seeking a memorable holiday filled with one-of-a-kind experiences. This spiritual island is teeming with cultural diversity, rich landscapes and stunning seascapes; combined with a local culinary tradition bursting with the fresh flavors of nature; and warm, hospitable people. Banyan Tree Ungasan is the perfect base to discover the magic of Bali where action, relaxation and privacy are complemented by the service and comfort for which Banyan Tree is renowned.
Explore the Unexplored with Banyan Tree
Singapore – April 2016: Discovering fascinating places and stories about people, culture and history, and returning home with a tale, rather than a tan, is a dream holiday for many travellers, young and old. Found in some of the World's most beautiful off-the-beaten-path locations, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts offers discerning nomads a window into a world of exotic experiences, many of which are waiting to be explored.
Go off the Beaten Path along China's Ancient Silk Routes
China, March 2016: – Adding to the recent increased flight capacity to Beijing from Birmingham with Hainan Airlines; this summer will see the airline adding new routes from Manchester. Proving that China is becoming a 'must-visit' destination for curious travellers, China's world-famous Silk Road was named a 'destination to watch' in the ABTA Travel Trends report 2016* whilst historian Michael Wood has delved into the fascinating traditions, history and culture of the country in his recent BBC documentary, 'The Story of China'.
Discover Bangkok in style through the eyes of Banyan Tree
Bangkok, Thailand – March 2016 – From iridescent temples and floating markets to dinner on the Chao Phraya River and cocktails overlooking the city; the Thai capital is a bustling, vibrant metropolis waiting to be discovered. Located at its heart is the world-renowned urban retreat of Banyan Tree Bangkok offering guests a base to explore the diverse and lively culture of the city.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba Introduces 'HAAB', a Captivating Outdoor Dining Concept Based on Ancient Maya Traditions and Cuisine
Riviera Maya, Mexico – February 2016 – Banyan Tree Mayakoba, an award-winning resort on the shores of the Riviera Maya, has introduced HAAB', an immersive outdoor dining experience that brings to life the ancient culture, customs and cuisine of the Mayan people. Hidden in the jungle, yet steps from the resort, HAAB' is the first dining experience of its kind, commemorating how the ancient Mayans cultivated their food in agricultural fields and forest gardens, allowing guests to actively participate in the narrative.
Experience the Once-in-a-Lifetime spectacle of Coral Spawning this Easter in the Maldives
Maldives – February 2016 – Every year following the full moon, millions of coral across the Maldives simultaneously spawn and release their eggs creating an awe-inspiring, natural phenomenon and sight to behold. This year the mass coral spawning event is expected to occur during the week after the full moon on March 23rd 2016.
Guests who visit the Maldives during Easter will be able to participate in and observe this spectacle during a special coral spawning night safari arranged by Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. Those who prefer to stay on dry land can watch it directly on the beach via a webcam placed on the house reef.
Banyan Tree Group Bags 8 Awards At The Prestigious 2015 Travel & Leisure China Tourism Awards
Singapore, February 2016 – Banyan Tree Group welcomes the new year by clinching a grand total of 8 awards at the recent 2015 Travel & Leisure China Awards ceremony held in Shanghai at The House of Roosevelt on 26 January 2016.
Established in 2001, Travel & Leisure is dedicated to explore and advocate life and travel. Travel & Leisure organises the annual Tourism Awards, to recognise the best hotels, spas, airlines, destinations, golf and other categories in travel industry.
Discover Inner Serenity under the Stars this Valentine's Day in Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE - January 2016 – Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show loved ones how special they are. This year, couples can get a little help from the pioneers of romance, Banyan Tree and their resorts in Ras Al Khaimah. To mark the special occasion, a series of romantic experiences have been created, indulging in-villa spa treatments, stargazing amongst the sand dunes, or enjoying a romantic alfresco dinner.
Combine a Sense of Romance with a Spirit of Adventure
this Valentine's Day in the Seychelles
Seychelles - January 2016 – Couples seeking a romantic beach holiday this Valentine's need look no further than Banyan Tree Seychelles, a picturesque hideaway nestled along the world-renowned beach of Intendance Bay. Available throughout February 2016, a special experience has been created by Banyan Tree Seychelles, offering couples the opportunity to combine their stay at the spectacular Banyan Tree Seychelles with one night on the nearby, yet other-worldly, Bird Island. Guests who stay a minimum of four nights at Banyan Tree Seychelles between 1 and 28 February on the Sense of Romance package will receive a fifth night complimentary at the special sanctuary of Bird Island (including round trip transfers, domestic flights, accommodation and meals).
London's Cinnamon Club Chef partners with Banyan Tree Bangkok
- Vivek Singh to host live demonstrations & exclusive tasting menu for guests
Bangkok, Thailand – January 2016 – This February, Executive Chef Vivek Singh, renowned for transforming the face of Indian cooking in the UK, will be the chef-in-residence at Banyan Tree Bangkok. Vivek will host an invitation-only, exclusive cocktail reception and live demonstration for select guests at the hotel on 11th February, followed by an imaginative five-course tasting menu paired with wines at the hotel's spectacular rooftop restaurant, Vertigo, from 12th to 14th February, perfect for Valentine's.


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Civil Litigation Lawyers and Law Firms in Mapleton, UT
Civil Litigation Lawyers
Skabelund Wirig & Loos, PLLC
Utah Estate Planning & Business Law Firm(801) 222-9700
Skabelund Wirig & Loos, PLLC is located in Orem, Utah and provides a variety of legal services to clients in Utah County and the surrounding communities. Practice areas consist of estate planning such as wills, trusts, and probate, business law, tax law, family law and divorce, landlord-tenant...
Law Firm's Overview
Jeffs & Jeffs, PC
Provo, Utah Business, Estate Planning & Social Security Lawyers(801) 877-3763
Jeffs & Jeffs Law Office is based in Provo, Utah and specializes in wills & trusts, real estate, business law, guardianship law and social security disability. Our firm was founded in 1957 and we have built our legacy on a foundation of service and commitment. With more than 175...
Law Firm's Overview
Abbott & Associates, P.C.Provo, UT - Law Firm near Mapleton
Utah Serious Injury and Litigation Attorneys(801) 373-1112
Abbott & Associates has offices centrally located in Provo, Utah, allowing us to serve the litigation needs of our clients throughout the entire State of Utah. Our attorneys practice in both State and Federal Courts.; Litigation is the last resort. But when you get to the point that your claim must...
Heideman, McKay, Heugly & Olsen, L.L.C.Provo, UT - Law Firm near Mapleton
Utah Business & Commercial Law Firm(801) 812-1000
At Heideman, McKay, Heugly & Olsen, traditional values matter. Honesty, integrity, perseverance, and empathy for our clients rights are bedrocks of our practice.; Our practice encompasses a full range of business law services that you need most, including:; • Business and commercial law: Including...
Other Offices: Spanish Fork
Jacob S. Gunter - Lawyer at Howard Lewis & Petersen, PCProvo, UT - Law Firm near Mapleton
Personal Injury Attorney in Provo, UT(385) 269-9504
Jacob S. Gunter joined Howard, Lewis & Petersen, P.C. as an associate in 2008. Prior to this he maintained a solo practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan directly out of law school. He is also a member of the Utah National Guard and currently serves as the Command Judge Advocate for the 1st Battalion, 19th...
McKell Christiansen, PLLCSpanish Fork, UT - Law Firm near Mapleton
Utah Personal Injury and Accident Lawyers(801) 798-9000
McKell Christiansen is a Utah law firm providing legal representation to our neighbors in Spanish Fork and throughout the State of Utah. We want to answer your questions about personal injury, bankruptcy, social security disability, and workers compensation. Learn more from our complete list of...


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Spyphotos of what is supposedly the 991 GT3 RS circulated back in February but speculation was that Porsche included air intakes (which they have never done on a GT3 model, only the forced induction Turbo and GT2 models) for racing homologation purposes. There was also speculation that Porsche may not use the new direct injected motor due to these same racing homologation requirements.
Matthias Muller stated with in an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport that they know what is wrong and will make the changes to prevent this happening with the GT3 RS. Additionally, it appears there will be differences between the motors as he refers to the GT3 as having the 'other' flat-6 motor. How different these two motors are is unknown at this time.


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Bufo marinus
- May be rows of warts on both sides of the midline; if present, rows of warts more prominent in males.
Triangular parotoid glands extending down sides of body.
Prominent cranial crests.
Body round and flat.
Dorsal color brown to yellow, red or olive-green.
May have light middorsal stripe.
Bufo marinus is the largest member of the genus Bufo found in Texas, measuring over (10-18 cm (4-7 in) in length.
As adults, females are larger than males and can weigh oup to 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs).
In North America, Bufo marinus is found primarily along the Pacific and Gulf Coasts of Mexico. This species is also found throughout Central and South America and has been introduced to different areas around the world.
Bufo marinus is nocturnal and can be found under stones, logs, or other large objects, or in burrows during the day. The cane toad feeds on insects, invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles. It can secrete a highly toxic milky substance from its skin and glands when threatened.
Depending on favorable weather conditions, breeding in Bufo marinus can take place year-round.
Bufo marinus lives in or near natural pools and streams, as well as man-made impoundments.
The cane toad is not a protected species in Texas and can be legally collected with a hunting license.
In Texas, the range of Bufo marinus is restricted to the southern counties of the state, along the Rio Grande river valley.


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Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Illinois
My uncle has been named executor over the building I reside in. We have a lease but he has told us to move so they can get money for building the railroad is purchasing. Can he make me move before my lease is up?
3 Answers from Attorneys
Without reviewing the lease, it is difficult to say. Generally, he would be required to live up to the terms of the lease.
An attorney will need to review the lease and research the controlling law to answer your question. I would be willing to do so for a reasonable fee. Feel free to contact me directly.
I agree with the others about having the lease reviewed. Sometimes in anticipation of an estate situation, where the property might be sold, a landlord may reserve the right to terminate to free up the building. If you're not sure if this kind of clause is in the lease, it's time to have a professional check.


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" Author: Magnus Mills / Format: Paperback / Date of publication: 16 May 2011 / Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction / Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC / Title: All Quiet on the Orient Express / ISBN 13: 9781408813768 / ISBN 10: 1408813768 "
* Prices may differ from that shown
Magnus Mills follows up his sublimely droll black comedy "The Restraint of Beasts" with another deadpan curio, "All Quiet on the Orient Express". Told from the point of view of a nameless, faceless protagonist, we follow the luckless hero as he manages to ensnare himself in a loop of obligation, misunderstanding and casual work, without ever being rude enough to escape.
Our "hero" is camping by the lakes somewhere up north at the tail end of the holiday season, enjoying a few weeks relaxation before heading off traveling. He is living simply, just him, his vintage motorbike, a small tent, and a tin of beans for his meal.
The weather begins to turn, causing all the other holidaymakers to head home, leaving the hero by himself - suddenly he becomes prone to the attention of his landlord, Mr Parker, and of the locals in the village.
The regulars at the pub he's taken a liking to seem friendly enough, to the point of buying him rounds and even enlisting him on their darts team, but they always seem to know his business and defer to his new "boss", whose bad temper is legendary around these parts.
Mr Parker offers him a little bit of casual work, starting with painting his front gate green. He is interrupted by the local milkman, who is always trying to catch the landlord for a word, but always in vain. The interruption causes the protagonist to spill the can of paint on the driveway, which he decides to tidy up by converting the splash of paint into a square.
"All Quiet on the Orient Express" is a difficult story to summarize. All the incidents and events that take place are so ordinary and innocuous when taken individually and out of context. The hero also gets to saw some wood, paint some rowing boats, replace some planks on a jetty, as well as order some groceries and flirt with Mr Parker's fifteen year old daughter. Yet each incident only serves to draw him further into a situation out of his control.
The story is told in a deceptively simple style, and it is quite easy to dash through "All Quiet on the Orient Express" in one or two sittings. Mills' speciality is to exaggerate the banality of everyday conversation to comic or sinister effect. A typical exchange goes -
"Nice place you've got here."
"Yes," He said, "We like it very much. Of course, I've been here all my life, so I don't know any different."
"Suppose not."
"But everyone who comes here says they like it."
"I'm not surprised."
As an author, Mills seems to have the knack of picking up on the underlying awkwardness in much of English small talk - after all, we are a nation brought up not to talk to strangers, and that advice seems to carry through to our adult lives as well. The stilted conversations always seem to end short or with an unseen "...", which creates the impression that something is being left unsaid, or some ghastly secret is being kept from us or the hero.
Many of the chapters end in cliffhangers, if you can call them that - a typical "cliffhanger" in "All Quiet on the Orient Express" would be "It would seem Tommy Parker had arrived in the top bar."
Gasp! Again, out of context these events seem innocuous enough, but put together have a cumulative effect, a building sense of smothering horror as the hero becomes more and more obligated and trapped.
"All Quiet on the Orient Express" is an engaging read, but it lacks the heart of "Restraint of Beasts". In his debut novel, Mills told the story of two Scottish fence builders down for a job in England with their foreman. They lived together, worked together, went to the pub together...and, in similar style, got trapped in a peculiar murderous situation together.
While the style of the first novel was virtually the same - mundane situations elevated to surreality, humdrum conversations exaggerated for comic effect - it was easier to feel sympathy for the main characters. OK, so they may have been two moronic fencers whose only interest was smoking and drinking, but their affection for one another was genuinely touching, which made it easier to root for them as they became ensnared in Mills' labyrinth.
The hero of "All Quiet on the Orient Express", however, is a victim of his own making, a nameless character with almost no back story, and virtually a cipher for Mills to hang his mystery plot. In fact, he's one of those strange characters in fiction you almost end up relishing the misfortune they encounter - basically, the hero's too polite, and if he actually stood up for himself, then he might stand a chance of escaping.
As it is, he ends up getting sucked deeper and deeper into the work ethic and the politics of a small village, and only stands up for himself once - in a tense and hilarious exchange involving ordering tins of beans.
Aside from the protagonist, the other characters are vague, and deliberately so - the nature of the story means we can only see it from the hero's point of view, and it's important that we don't know what anyone else is thinking. Plus Mills' simple style means he doesn't go in for much physical description, which leaves the reader to fill in the gaps.
"All Quiet on the Orient Express" is an engaging and devious read; while it won't last long in the hands of a regular reader, it rewards numerous re-reads. Although Mills' style is very simple, it's actually packed with detail, and it's fun picking up the clues hidden away which were missed first time around.
It also makes an excellent gift - I am actually on my third or fourth copy of the book, having given previous copies away to friends. It's always interesting to see people's reaction to the book. They're always, "Well, he's painting some boats now." and seem a bit puzzled about what they're reading or why; but something always compels them to carry on to the end...then they get it!
Well, first I have to say that this is an excellent book which haunts the reader almost from the first page. It has the same feeling of the inevitable that Mills' first book had (which IMHO is a much more rounded, better read) and the characters are very memorable. When I first started reading this book, I was put off slightly by the fact that the quotes on the front said stuff about how humourous the book was and so I was naturally assuming quite a few parallels with the other (Restraint of Beasts). The two books are similar, but I feel that this one will haunt me for a lot longer than the first. The reader very quickly builds up an understanding of the narators state of mind and you start to get a building sense of foreboding about the future of the 'hero'. The humour is present in this book, but I didn't find it as obvious as his previous work. I would highly recommend this book to people who have already read the first and enjoyed it, but if you've not read either, I would much rather suggest that you read Restraint of Beasts first as you are almost guaranteed to enjoy that book, and then you will be warmed up for this one.
This is one of the oddest books I have read but rewarding in a way I find hard to explain. The narrator finds himself increasingly drawn into a peculiar and small world of extraordinarily ordinary characters. He takes on jobs through politeness and a lack of anything better to do and finds himself, as a result, more in debt not less so to these people. For a book in which nothing seems to happen you get drawn along quite nicely. Quite what it all means I'm not really sure but it hangs around in your head in a way few other stories seem to.
Bus-driver from the Brixton depot, turns journalist, turns successful novelist. This is not the plot of a novel, rather Magnus Mills' life so far. His novels though are just as surprising, if not as cheery. I've only read this one, published in 2000 but have heard much about The Restraint of Beasts and can't wait to get my hands on it. Dooyoo know what it's like? In All Quiet, the nameless narrator, like Mills, appears to be able to turn his hand to anything. At the end of the season in the lake district, he puts off his motorbiking travel plans and stays on after the other campers have left, doing increasingly difficult oddjobs for the formidable Mr Parker. The tiny community warms to him, as does Mr Parker's teenage daughter. But trouble seems to be looming like the growing gloom in the valley. The book is full of "characters": an anxious milkman, a fella in a cardboard crown, and a terse old man, to describe but a few. We, like the narrator, find the village goings on all very quaint and amusing... at first. Although I had trouble understanding the relevance of the title for a while, I now think it's perfect, implying a lull before the storm, as well as an unstoppable train of oppressive, Christie-esque events. The subtlety of the title is upheld in the book. It works through suggestion and imagination. One last thing. Don't be put off by the apparent "blokiness" of the book. It's darts and DIY for the sensitive soul. Just not too sensitive!
A menacing and yet funny book about a man camping in a lakeside community with more secrets than he realises.


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More stirring stuff from the Biarritz-based Basque choir Oldarra:
The stick is finished with made-to-measure decorative fittings which are cut, carved, braced and decorated pieces of brass, silver, German silver or gold.. The handle is either metal or tightly bound with leather strips and finished with a horn or worked metal pommel. The handle can be easily removed to reveal a forged steel spike. Traditional Makhilas are inscribed with a short verse of the owner's own symbolism in Basque. The making of a Makhila is a tradition passed down from father to son and there are very few Makhila makers left. I know of two - one here in the centre of Bayonne and another at Larressore.
Scroll forward to 10:44 on this next clip to see Makhilas being made at nearby Larressore:
Changing the subject just a little, I noticed the other day that McDonalds here are now selling a McBaguette!
This week's special offer is a free trip over the Pays Basque in a hot air balloon (or un vol en montgolfière as it's known here). It's best in full screen:
Thirty minutes ago at 5pm it was 33½ in the shade in the garden.. phew! The dog's re-discovered the pleasure of lying spread-eagled in all his favourite cool places in the house.
12th May 2012. We had the house double glazed 2-3 years ago by the charming couple who run a company based at St Jean de Luz. (highly recommended) They came and measured up before returning a few weeks later to fit the new windows. They finished in 1½ days and left the house spotless. A couple of weeks ago we received an invitation from them to an apéro-dinatoire to mark their 1st year of business at their second shop they've opened at nearby Anglet. As they know we don't require any more windows it was just a nice friendly goodwill gesture. We went there yesterday evening - there must have been 20 or so other happy customers - and we had a very pleasant evening.. There was a beautifully presented selection of food - plus various drinks - soft drinks, wine, rhum-based punch, whisky, pastis etc etc. When we left, they gave us a complimentary umbrella and a sports cap.
This morning I was all set for an outing in a beautiful Swiss-built wooden shell coxed IV.. we'd got as far as putting the boat on the water and we were sitting in it when someone had a technical problem which meant we had to change boats. The only boat remaining was a glass fibre yolette (left). Wider and heavier than our more usual boats, these are what beginners here usually start in. I have to say I wasn't looking forward to the sortie but once we'd heaved it off its rack, put it on the water and set off I was pleasantly surprised. We were a mixed ability crew - which I approve of - two of the guys had only taken up rowing last October. I was at 'stroke' and as we headed off up-river - the last boat to leave the pontoon by some margin - I was immediately impressed by how solid the boat felt and soon the boat was running free in the water between strokes with that distinctive sound.
|(l to r) Cheryl, Philippe & Geoff
In conjunction with the descendants of those courageous wartime passeurs, the committee has arranged a splendid long weekend that I'm sure all attendees will enjoy. Apparently, the final day sees a climb steeper than anything experienced on the more traditional route. This should put to rest any lingering fears 'out there' that this year's commemorative march will be but a pale shadow of the traditional Ciboure route.


text: I just got done burning a Wii Resort backup and tried it on neogamma R7 for my 4.2 and it doesn't work. The second I launch it, it turns black for 2-3 seconds and just goes back to my Wi Main Menu. What's going on? I need help!! My other backup works!!


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Yesterday Mike Lombardi spoke to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club and fans and media were in attendance as he spent nearly an hour talking about the Browns. He took questions and it seems was intent on explaining how he could simultaneously plan for the future while also not giving up on this year. It isn't an easy thing to explain.
"I'm just saying we're going to build this thing the right way so we can sustain success," he said to the big crowd. "We're certainly, by no means, thinking about giving up on the season – I'm too competitive – Nor, is Rob Chudzinski."
We've heard all that before, but it's been very difficult to sell for the the Browns thus far. Many continue to point to the past record of the team and clamor that adding more talent today is exactly what the Browns should have done in the draft, rather than trade picks for future ones. That's where Lombardi finally gave a glimpse into why he might have been willing to trade for future "value." Maybe, just maybe, he likes a lot of the young players on this team right now.
"We've got some pieces to compete with. This team last year was in a lot of close games had a lot of opportunities in the fourth quarter. I think we can build on that.
There's a lot more from Lombardi in Nate Ulrich's report over at Ohio.com
[Related: Indians weekend, language police, Redskins, Cleveland kidnappings, Gatsby, Goldthwait and more – WFNY Podcast – 2013-05-13]


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news archive
Skin - Material Future
2012|06|28 - 09|16
After its premiere at the Designmonat Graz, an exhibition by the SKIN network called Material Future is being put up at the designforum Wien. Established as a communication platform for designers of all fields, SKIN specialises in the development of new materials, believing in their importance in product innovation. The exhibit shows the progressive modern pieces, all made of pretty extraordinary materials, think wheat bran, reed or sheet metal, so expect anything but the mundane. The designer Sonja Bäumler, who we interviewed, is also included in the exhibit. Unusual but utterly remarkable!
designforum Wien
1070, Museumsplatz 1


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Written on: 01/04/2008
Good Points
I think that the title was very good as it spells backwards 'TORTOISE' and the actual book is about a tortoise and a boy!!
Bad Points
Nothing really...x
General Comments
Overall i think that esio trot is a very good book and i recommend that children between the age of 8-11 should read it !!!


text: Well, Ive made up my mind, I must find someone that plays, and preferably at a higher lever (4.0+) All though it seems the Ratio of Guy to girls is about 10-1. And you rarely see 2 girls hitting, or looking for a pick up game. Usually hitting with their boyfriends. So, How does one go about finding Single female player? Im sure I'm not the only one wondering this?? And are women the same way? I mean if girl is single would she too be looking for a player/partner?? Or do women prefer not to play with guys for the most part?? They have these "social" mixers, but they arent really singles specific, and they really arent THAT social. I mean I might be playing on one court while someone i might like is on another court... so hows that help me?? Now I know being a tennis player isn't the only quality to consider, but it sure helps a lot! Im wondering if most of the realatively younger girls that play are single? especially if they arent playing with their (obvious) BF? Like when Im out playing and the ladies league shows up...:twisted: the floor is open: