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Meta-design framework for open learning ecosystems at MUP/PLE Lecture SeriesJune 9, 2011
Here is an advertisement to my lecture at MUP/PLE Lecture series podcast, at Open University of London. The podcast will be soon available.
Mash-UP Personal Learning Environments (MUP/PLE) group on TELeurope: http://www.teleurope.eu/pg/groups/681/mupple/.
Lecture text muppletext(should be accompanied by slides):
From last five years, many master courses in Tallinn University, Institute of Informatics have been held as open learning courses using social software. Based on this experience with different learning design experiments, I have generalized the meta-design principles for open learning ecosystems.
My main message is how to overcome the need for the teacher control in self-regulative learning ecosystems by using meta-design principles.
I will start from the analysis of the characteristics of open learning ecosystems, and bring some examples of course designs that follow these characteristics.
As the baseline for the design of the courses in open learning ecosystems I have used the eco-cognitive view of learning. This is based on the ecological psychology foundations defined by Gibson (1977) that focus on the emergent relationships of people with the environment using the affordance concept.
For explaining which affordances each learner perceives and uses when he participates at the open learning courses with his personal learning environment, the activity theory framework developed by Yrjö Engeström (1987) appears useful.
Some central ideas of my approach are borrowed from behavioural ecology, which studies the fitness of individuals to the niches of their species. An eco-cognitive approach explains cognition through distributed representations that are partially offloaded to the ecosystem. I will conceptualize the learning niches and explain how to use them in learning design.
Next, I will introduce some meta-design approaches that involve the end-users to the development of evolving learning designs.
I will explain how the meta-design approach may be used for the course design in open learning ecosystems.
Finally, I will point to some innovative tools that we have used in our open learning master courses, and highlight some existing software limitations for the accumulation and adaptive use of learning niches in meta-design approach.
1. Learning in open learning ecosystem
An open learning ecosystem is a digital (but also a hybrid) learning environment where learners and teachers use personalized social software configurations to organize their learning.
Open learning courses are open to new learners. The learning contents, as well as, the teaching ideas, the design methodologies and infrastructures are jointly developed and openly shared among this community.
This brings variability of tools and approaches to the courses, making the learning environments complex and dynamically changing while learners try to adapt themselves to the course ecosystem.
We use the ecosystem concept, because it allows us to apply the principles of ecology in digital learning environments. If we want to apply the ecology principles in digital systems, we need to find the match between the ecology concepts and the components of digital ecosystems.
Ecology as a discipline deals with different levels of structural elements of ecosystems, both biotic and abiotic.
For example, behavioural ecology focuses on the individuals of the species and their fitness to the niche of their species. Etology studies the interrelations of individuals.
In digital ecosystems we have self-directed individual learners who create personal learning networks with other individuals, using social software, people and artifacts. In order to coexist, they need to monitor each other, navigate across their learning environments, and try to adapt themselves to the other individuals' useful activity preferences within the shared learning niche.
Population ecology studies the variability, the abundance and the distribution of individuals within one species, and how the species adapt to their niches, create and modify these niches.
In digital ecosystems we have people with similar ideas, software preferences and behaviours for learning, who may be identified as one community or "species". They contribute to their learning niche by co-designing and sharing learning contents, and by developing new learning behaviours.
The community ecology focuses on the coexisting communities of species, their composition, interactions, organization and succession, as well as, on the food networks among species.
In digital systems we can find similar self-regulative connectivist networks, and communities that co-exist in the same distributed software ecosystems, but using different, partially overlapping niches of it. This makes borrowing and transforming the ideas across community borders possible and creates the learning power in digital ecosystems.
The most important assumption about open learning ecosystems is that the individuals' self-directed learning behavour, personal learning environment creation, and open publishing causes the ecosystems to be open, dynamic and evolving. At the ecosystem level the accumulation of contents, useful learning behaviours, and ideas causes the changes in the ecosystem and in the community identities, that serves as an evolutionary feedback loop that impacts on individual learners' perceptions of their learning ecosystem.
Two pedagogical paradigms have been highlighted in open learning ecosystems.
Firstly, the Interpretivist learning principles suggest that students should be guided towards becoming independent, autonomous and self-directed learners. Their learning must rise from their own interests and situations meaningful for them.
It is important that they are not isolated but interact with other learners, acting also as teachers to the others. The learning contents, and software usage behaviours are not created in advance but are emerging and co-created as network-like structures. Every learner can contribute with its prior knowledge and experiences to the creation of open ecosystem knowledge, everyone has the voice and ability to influence the ecosystem.
This guarantees the self-regulative and evolving nature of open learning ecosystems.
One example of such course design was done in the European 6th framework project iCamp for the course eLearning. The learners and teachers from different European universities created the mixed learning teams, to learn about open learning designs and create the course prototypes and associated learning resources about their design solutions. The course backbone was run in the Moodle environment, from where the suggested learning resources and weekly activities could be found. However, all learners and teachers entered to the course with different sets of personal tools, which were to be connected into the open learning system for conducting individual and joint activities. The changes and evolvements of the course ecosystem appeared in different teams. The biggest challenge was to design and coordinate the course as an evolving open learning ecosystem.
Another pedagogical paradigm in open learning ecosystems is Connectivism formulated by George Siemens.
Connectivism assumes that:
Learning is primarily a network-forming process, and the dynamically appearing and changing networks form basis for the learning ecosystems
This approach cultivates the ecosystem view of digital systems. I define open and hybrid digital ecosystems based on Boley and Chang (2007). It is an open, self-organizing environment binding geographical and web based locations, individuals, social software based information services, network interaction and knowledge sharing tools along with resources that help maintain synergy among people, where each subject is proactive and responsive regarding its own benefit/profit.
One example master course, "Ecology of narratives" that used the Connectivism ideas was run in Tallinn University (Pata & Fuksas, 2009). The learning design approach was built on the idea of initiating the emergent narrative collaboration using only the self-regulated storytelling activities. The main element of this design was to provide learners with some design rules, such as determining shared tags, and restricting the behavioural rules from traditional pre-decided group collaboration to emergent co-construction in networks. The co-construction emerged due to highly connected networks created among course participants who were using friend-feeds, place-feeds and mashed tag-feeds in various interconnected social software environments.
2. Challenges for learning design
These two examples highlight the main problem in the learning design for open learning ecosystems.
We need the learning design approaches that enable teachers to regain some co-control in the learner-initiated activities and in the appearing open ecosystems for learning.
In one hand we do want learners to be self-directed in creating learning goals, developing learning activities with personal tools, and choosing and constructing learning contents. We wish to promote the bottom-up emergence of the learning ecosystems.
On the other hand, we need to coordinate our courses to some extent at the universities, if we want to use the distributed learning environments.
The theoretical background for designing open learning ecosystems comes from ecological psychology. It is assumed that for interacting with the environment, we need some cognitive anchors. Humans constantly delegate cognitive functions to the environment. We may leave these anchors by ourselves, anchors may be left by other people who interacted with these surroundings before, these may be for example culturally defined. By doing so we constrain the action potentialities of the environment and help to focus on certain action- or emotion possibilities. But it must be admitted, that such cognitive functions are not stabile design elements in the environment – we cannot assume that everyone would perceive these affordances, or that they would afford the same actions and emotions.
3. An eco-cognitive learning framework
Bardone (2011) emphasizes this ambivalence in developing these cognitive functions. He writes that human cognition is chance-seeking system that is developed within an evolutionary framework based on the notion of cognitive niche construction. We build and manipulate cognitive niches to create additional resources for behavior control. These cognitive niches are determined by affordances.
Cognitive niches are distributed between internal mental spaces and external spaces in the environment. Behavioural/emotional constraints and afforded action/emotion potentialities may appear due to previous action/emotion experiences of the learner in this or in similar environment. Learners' actual goals may highlight and actualize some affordances. Some affordances may be embedded/highlighted by teacher through instructions or may appear due to the presence of other learners' activities. Each learner has a different cognitive niche in certain activity, and it may change in the course of action.
This causes high variability of affordances that may be actualized in open learning ecosystem for same learning goals.
Another standing-point to identify, which affordances might be actualized in a personal learning environment, is using the activity system approach (Engeström, 1987).
PLE is distributed ecologically, integrating our minds with the environment. We may assume that at each moment a different configuration of the activity system is active. To reach our learning goals we need to actualize different mediators, such as cognitive concepts, details from artifacts, software, or rely on some community activities. Rules and distribution of labor, common to the certain community, as well as, their personal learning environments, ideas, and the joint ecosystem structural elements may afford different mediators to be available for achieving certain actions or emotions.
Affordances in our cognitive niche form a networked system. They may constrain or actualize each other. Synergy may be arrived from using several affordances simultaneously.
Some affordances may need the presence or the co-activation of other affordances to be used effectively.
An interesting aspect from the learning design perspective is that some of the affordances are offloaded to the ecosystem.
While any individual conceptualizes affordances personally, in a community such perceived and offloaded affordances may accumulate, forming the community's learning niche.
This niche conceptualization is closer to the niche concept in biology. Hutchinson (1957) defined a niche as a region (n-dimensional hypervolume) in a multi-dimensional space of environmental factors that affect the welfare of a species. Niches have been conceptualized as the environmental gradients with certain ecological amplitude, where the ecological optimum marks the gradient peaks where the organisms are most abundant.
So, niche is not the environment itself, the habitat, but what it affords. For example the range of temperature, the length of daylight, the abundance of certain food form the dimensions for a niche for certain species.
In digital systems these dimensions may associate with the properties of certain activity systems: for example complexity of assembling, accumulating, pulling content; degree of reputation, privacy, security, surveillance, interaction, co-construction in the community etc.
Currently, there are no good tools to monitor these affordances, nevertheless the community members perceive some of the learning niche properties
In one of my open learning ecosystem courses (Pata, 2009) we asked students to associate self-defined affordances with social software. We grouped these affordances under some activity types. As a result we could find what types of affordances were more commonly perceived by everyone, and which appeared to be rare. To make a visualization of the community's learning niche we plotted the niche as the map of affordance "mountains". However, this visualization is also a bit misleading – the real niche should be plotted into an abstract multidimensional space. This visualization does not consider the affordances that appear due to the presence of other affordances. For example, some software functionalities (tagging) may make available other affordances only if a community uses them actively (browsing the community members' resources).
We also found in this study, that at different years the community niche of social software affordances appeared similar. On the other hand, for individual and collaborative assignments the niche dimensions were significantly different.
So I propose that the accumulated community niches for different learning goals may indicate the effective affordances for certain communities. The community's affordances may be interpreted and used by each learner to best adapt to the community niche for certain goal-based action. Adaptation is the adjustment of an organism to its environment in the process by which it enhances fitness to its niche.
Such interplay in which each individual contributes to the formation of his cognitive niche, but also to the accumulation of the community's niche, and simultaneously adjusts his affordance perception to his community niche is the central idea in dynamic evolving learning ecosystems.
It is one of the key points in meta-design framework as well.
4. Ecological learning designs as meta-designs
There have been some attempts to use the affordance concept in the learning design principles. This model from Kirchner and associates (2004) determines learners' perceived affordances from their behaviour in the learning system, develops supportive and constraining affordances for interacting with the system and monitors the effectiveness of such affordance-based cognitive tools. However, learner's role in this design approach is passive, the design is created by the teacher. Also, the dynamic evolvement of the learning environment is not expected. So, this model has limitations from the open learning ecosystem design perspective.
Another design approach, that considers adaptive and dynamic nature of the ecosystems is a meta-design framework proposed by Gerhard Fisher (2004) and associates. Meta-design is designing the design process for cultures of participation – creating technical and social conditions for broad participation in design activities. The meta-design approach is directed to the formation and evolution of open learning ecosystems through the end-user design.
The meta-design approach is known as a methodology for collaborative co-design of social, technical and economic infrastructures in interdisciplinary teams in order to achieve synergy similarly to the symbiosis phenomena in natural environments. The meta-design, known from End User Design in computer science, extends the traditional notion of system development to include users in an ongoing process as co-designers, not only at design time but throughout the entire existence of the system.
Autonomous and self-organized designers in meta-design framework can increase the diversity of design solutions in the system, allowing diversity and variability to emerge within the ecosystem.
Hagen & Robertson visualize in their paper some meta-design models as open, community-driven, emergent and iterative activity sequences that are based on user contribution.
For example:
Figure 1. The design solution is iterated through the participation in use. For example the e-learning course may be run at different years, the affordances may be collected post-activity, as in Kirchner's model, and the revisions of the course ecosystem could be made. If letting the accumulated contents and affordances inside the system, the next round of the course may be able to navigate in the ecosystem better than the first participants.
Figure 2. The design emerges into different directions through participation. Such designs in open learning communities may be validated by individuals, and the best, most actively used solutions will become temporally stabile as community niches. This type of design is common in swarming activities.
Figure 3. The initial design may be outsourced to the users, and appears as an assembled collage. This approach is more common in open content creation, for example in wikis.
Figure 4.The design may also be opened to the community participation throughout design, that may gradually shift the perceived niche of affordances. Such design is most common in the stabile open learning communities – some affordances will be discovered, others will be forgotten in time.
Similarly to behavioural ecology principles, in meta-design we can see the interplay between self-directed individual designers (in our case learners), and the niche (the affordances of the design solution) that appears as the result of their activities.
Learning in the cultures of participation may be characterized as the process in which learner and the system (community, culture) detects and corrects errors in order to fit and be responsive.
In this definition, learning and designing process is conceptualized as largely self-organized, adaptive and dynamic.
It may be assumed that such learning and meta-design follows the ecological principles.
Both focuses – the learning ecosystem evolution by end-user design, and nourishing the end-user design process by creating the scaffolds for designing, are equally important aspects of ecological Meta-Design. Such scaffolds may be the visualizations of the emergent community's learning niche.
To make some generalizations from our master courses in open learning ecosystems, the following aspects might be important in the meta-design framework
Learners should be facilitated to be self-directed. For this they are required to keep personal conversational learning contracts throughout the learning process. For example they could map their goals, and how they will achieve these goals, what affordances appeared useful in action.
Learners need to dynamically integrate their personal learning environments with the other learner's environments, in order to perform some joint tasks or allow better awareness of each other's activities. The affordances perceived during the course may change depending of their goals.
In order to better adapt to the digital ecosystem, the learners would need meta-level guidance.
For example, the rules and conditions (shared tags etc.) that facilitate niche accumulation may be determined by the teacher. The nature of activities may be selected such that supports self-regulation-based collaboration (for example swarming activities).
The learners and the teacher should be able to monitor the state of the niche, and can adjust their learning behaviours to the niche.
So, what would the learners do?
In learning ecosystems autonomous learners continuously develop and dynamically change design solutions to support their learning.
They incorporate into their personal learning environments different Web 2.0 tools, networking partners and artifacts, and monitor the state of the whole learning ecosystem to adapt their design solutions and learning objectives to the system and to other learners.
What is the teacher's role?
The teacher creates rules, scaffolds and incentives for the learners' design activities that would foster the accumulation of learning niches
These include:
Possibilities for monitoring the affordances of the community
Providing learners with the options that enhance and speed up the self-directed network-formation process (e.g. tags, mashups)
Analyzing the emerging affordances within the learning community, and providing analytical guidance for them aiding to make design decisions and selecting learning activities (e.g. social navigation, semantic navigation)
Seeding learning activities into the open learning ecosystem that are based on self-organization (e.g. swarming)
Some of these designs are well supported with suitable software for open learning ecosystems. However, there is the need for dynamic accumulation and monitoring systems for learning niche formation to be used by each learner for benefiting from particular open learning ecosystem and allowing them to participate in the course design
Two options may be used:
The affordance informations should be accumulated dynamically, and this information, if well visualized, would help navigation of individual learners in the learning niches
The real-time awareness of the other learners' perceived affordances may appear in the systems where users are constatntly at present (such as facebook wall or twitter), however this is more time-consuming way to deduce the learning ecosystem affordances
References for slide texts
•Bardone, E. (2011). Seeking Chances. From Biased Rationality to Distributed Cognition. Springer, Heidelberg.
•Boley, H., & Chang, E. (2007). Digital Ecosystems: Principles and Semantics, published at the 2007 Inaugural IEEE International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technologies. Cairns, Australia. February 2007. NRC 48813.
•Crabtree, A., & Rodden, T. (2007). Hybrid ecologies: understanding interaction in emerging digital-physical environments. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Online First: DOI 10.1007/s00779-007-0142-7.
•Fiedler, S,; Pata, K. (2009). Distributed learning environments and social software: in search for a framework of design. In Stylianos Hatzipanagos and Steven Warburton (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies. (145 – 158). Idea Group Reference.
•Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by Expanding: An Activity-Theoretical Approach to Developmental Research (http://communication.ucsd.edu/MCA/Paper/Engestrom/expanding/toc.htm).
•Fischer, G., Giaccardi, E. Ye,Y., Sutcliffe,A.G., Mehandjiev, N. (2004). META-DESIGN: A MANIFESTO FOR END-USER DEVELOPMENT. COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM September 2004/Vol. 47, No. 9 (33-37 .
•Gibson, J.J. (1977). The theory of affordances. In R. Shaw & J. Bransford (eds.), Perceiving, Acting and Knowing. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
•Hagen, P. and Robertson, T. (2009Dissolving boundaries: social technologies and participation in design. Proceedings of OZCHI 2009, ISBN: 978-1-60558-854-4
•Kirschner, P., Strijbos, J. W., Kreijns, K., Beers, P. J. (2004). Designing electronic collaborative learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development 52(3), 47–66.
•Pata, K. (2009). Modeling spaces for self-directed learning at university courses. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (3), 23–43.
•Pata, K., Fuksas, A. P. (2009). Ecology of Embodied Narratives in the Age of Locative Media and Social Networks: a Design Experiment. Cognitive Philology, 2, 1 – 21.
•Pata, K.; Merisalo, S. (2010). SELF-DIRECTION INDICATORS FOR EVALUATING THE DESIGN-BASED ELEARNING COURSE WITH SOCIAL SOFTWARE. Dirk Ifenthaler, Dr. Kinshuk, Pedro Isaias, Demetrios G. Sampson, J. Michael Spector (Eds.). Multiple Perspectives on Problem Solving and Learning in the Digital Age (343 -358).Springer
•Pór, G., & Molloy, J. (2000). Nurturing Systemic Wisdom Through Knowledge Ecology. Systems Thinker, 1 (8), 1–5.
•Põldoja, H., Laanpere, M. (2009). Conceptual Design of EduFeedr – an Educationally Enhanced Mash-up Tool for Agora Courses. In: Mashup Personal Learning Environments: MuPPLE 09, Nizza, 29.September 2009. (Eds.) Fridolin Wild, Marco Kalz, Matthias Palmér, Daniel Müller. Aachen (online):, 2009, (CEUR Workshop Proceedings; 506).
•Siadaty, M., Gasevic, D., Pata, K., Milikic, N., Holocher-Ertl, T. (2011). A Sematic Web-enabled Tool for Self-Regulated Learning in the Workplace. iCALT 2011 proceedings (xxx-xxx). Athens, Georgia, USA: IEEE Computer Society Press [in press]
•Siemens, G. (2006) Knowing knowledge. URL. http://www.knowingknowledge.com/2006/10/knowing_knowledge_pdf_files.php
•Zhang, J. & Patel, V.L. (2006). Distributed cognition, representation, and affordance. Distributed Cognition: Special issue of Pragmatics & Cognition 14, 333-341.


text:
of winter,
Dress well and keep warm, and put a thick plaid stole
around the neck......
Maybe red tartan is better than blue gingham which reminds me
of outdoor tables of summer.
Yes, it's very sure that red tartan makes the cold
somehow feel a bit less painful.
plaid stole: Highland Tweeds(here)
top: Forever21(here)
skirt: asos(here)
bag: Saint Laurent(here)
shoes: Burberry Prorsum(option here)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Skating shoes were added to a tight room. Old games were in the works for repairing, while new ones shuffled inside the 2,500-square-foot building. A scaffold lifted a painter who worked on the high ceiling.
SHELBY � Skating shoes were added to a tight room. Old games were in the works for repairing, while new ones shuffled inside the 2,500-square-foot building. A scaffold lifted a painter who worked on the high ceiling.
New owners are revamping a former longtime staple skating rink in Shelby community.
Starlight Roller Rink took over the former Kate�s location in early November. Kate�s had been open in the west Shelby area for more than 20 years.
Husband and wife Susan and Donald Foster are now operating the facility.
�We were impressed by the facility. There�s nothing cooler than a skating rink for kids,� Susan said.
The Fosters, former competitive roller rink skaters, said they brought Starlight to Cleveland County for one reason.
�Where do kids go in Shelby?� Susan asked. �That was a big determining factor for us.�
�We�re glad to be in Shelby�
The couple previously ran a skating location in Charlotte for 11 years.
�We watched kids grow up at that rink. Then, they brought their kids back,� she said.
The revitalized Shelby rink will offer new arcade and classic skating games.
The Fosters plan to offer beginner skating classes in the future. Better lighting in the rink�s parking lot, along with security for crowded skating events, will be available also.
Families are invited to host birthday parties at the facility, and discounts are available for area schools planning fundraisers or field trips.
Susan described Starlight�s atmosphere as a �Chuck E. Cheese�s on wheels.�
The rink plans to host a New Year�s Eve event for children and teens, including a balloon drop at midnight.
�We�re glad to be in Shelby,� Susan said. �We look forward to this being a place for families to come.�
Reach reporter Alicia Banks at 704-669-3338, email at firstname.lastname@example.com and follow on Twitter @TheStarAlicia.
Starlight Roller Rink
Where: South Lafayette Street, former Kate�s Skating Rink location
Prices: From $4 � $7, varies on days
Time: 6-9 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays
Private parties for Tuesdays and Wednesdays
6-9 p.m., Friday
10 a.m.�10 p.m., $7
1 -7 p.m., Sundays
10 a.m.�4 p.m. on �No School� days, including summer vacation
- Rink available for scheduled fundraisers or parties hosted by schools, churches, non-profit organizations, businesses and corporations
- Group rates available
- Different rates for birthday parties, ranging from $100 - $200. Includes unlimited skating for birthday guests and one-hour party table; parents of birthday child skate free
Upcoming Events
New Year�s Eve Skate
When: Dec. 31
Time: 7 p.m. - 7 a.m.
-Big balloon drop planned at midnight
- Visit Starlight Roller Rink on its Facebook page or at www.starlightrollerrink.com for more information, or call 704-480-7555.


text:
AppleInsider: Samsung says it will review 250 suppliers for labor violations
Samsung has said it will investigate 250 Chinese manufacturing partners after a third-party audit found the use of child labor. The U.S.-based operation China Labor Watch found seven children younger than 16 wroking in a factory that makes DVD players for Samsung. The company responded on Monday and said it will inspect 250 Chinese companies […]
Posted in News | Tags: 250, for, it will, labor violations, review, Samsung, says, suppliers | No Comments


text:
Below you'll find the people who help us feel good and look, well passable: hair stylists, manicurists, massage therapists and so forth.
Karen Cazares, Tranquility, La Canada, 818.790.9701. Artful facials, eyebrows, waxing, etc.
Melinda Dely, Madison 101 Salon, 626.683.1188, 427 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena. Fantastic European facial that includes a scalp and foot massage; waxing and brows.
See Waxing below for additional referrals.
Hair stylist
Ben's Barber Shop, 444 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, 626.441.6084. Ben may not be Floyd, but this is a real old-school barber shop, and the cuts are great.
Christopher Carole Designers, 122 N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, 626.836.6733. A highly skilled husband-and-wife team offering cuts, coloring and styling.
Ecco Hair Studio, 1017 El Centro St., South Pasadena, 626.799.6446. Charming old South Pas building, nice vibe, good prices, and great stylists and colorists.
Essence Salon, 100 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena, 626.395.9900. Beautiful salon with many popular stylists, including Eden, CC, and Erica.
The Gates Salon, 2545 Mission St., San Marino, 626.441.1188, thegatessalon.com. A long-established but not stodgy full-service salon: cuts, color, manicures, even makeup.
Gene Martin Salon, 2479 E. Villa St., East Pasadena, 626.792.0817, genemartinsalon.com. A small-town salon whose stylists have big-city skills.
Salon Aguayo, 1202 E. Green St., Pasadena, 626.792.9981, salonaguayo.com. Where some of Pasadena's most elegant and important women go, and for good reason.
Lice removal
The Hair Angels, 626.577.4247, thehairangels.com. Certified, nontoxic, removal in your own home by local moms.
Lousey Nitpickers, 877.456.8739, louseynitpickers.com. It happens to the cleanest kids.
De Lacey Beauty Shoppe, 48 S. De Lacey Ave., Old Pasadena, 626.577.4809. Busy, clean and inexpensive, with good massage chairs.
Han's Beauty Stør, 3849 E. Foothill Blvd., East Pasadena, 626.351.4776; 475 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada, 818.952.9588. Also a beauty-supply store.
Rex Nails, 2667 E. Colorado Blvd., East Pasadena, 626.793.9192. Experienced manicurists, moderate prices.
South Lake Nail Salon, 350 S. Lake Ave. #106, Pasadena, 626.577.9783. Great mani/pedis at low prices.
Massage therapist
PJ Ford, 818.219.8717, 47 W. Bellevue, Pasadena, Deep tissue, reflexology, stone, shiatsu, pre-natal. Call for appt.
Jill McArthur, 818.426.1810. Comes to your house; moderate prices.
Heart and Sole, 163 W. Green St. Old Pasadena,626.578-9933, heartandsolepasadena.genbook.com. Amazing foot massage that really is a fully body massage for $25 for 1 hour. The therapists aren't highly skilled, but their hands are strong, and did we mention that it's just $25?
Sole So Good, 801 E. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, 626.307.1788. Excellent foot massages for unbelievably low prices in a spotless place. Whole body, too.
Zen Spa. 960 E. Green St., Suite 214, Pasadena, 626.796.4472, zenspamanagement.com Med spa setting. $45 an hour for a good Swedish massage; ask for Alem.
Personal trainer
Jake Nelson, 818.434.9120, email@example.com
Brau Haus, 45 E. Union St., Old Pasadena, 626-683-3308. Ask for Zoey. brauhauscosmetics.com.
Rosalina Guzman, the Lake Salon, 502 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena 626.833.2761. Excellent waxing and electrolysis at reasonable prices.
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text:
jutaylor needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 44 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
"Lessons in Leadership" (The Show That Turns Managers Into Leaders)
As a company we like designs that are fun and colorful. Visit http://www.helpmybusiness.com or http://www.gotbiz.tv to see some sample logos.
The Show That Turns Managers Into Leaders.
Former blues musician Ted Koerner wants to help you stop singing the leadership blues.
His philosophy is groundbreaking simplicity:
You manage things. You lead people.
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Whether illustrating a point with a humorous anecdote or dressing up as Captain Kirk, "Lessons in Leadership" is always entertaining, always informative, and always on the leading edge.
So follow the leader. Tune in weekly to "Lessons in Leadership"!
Entrepreneurs; Managers
Description – We are creating a new Web TV show called "Lessons in Leadership" . We need a logo
What I Want – Bold, colorful, fun designs. (See above). It needs to look good as small as 72 x72, SO PLEASE THINK THAT THROUGH.
What I Don't Want – DO NOT INCLUDE THE TAG LINE (The Show That Turns Managers Into Leaders)
Formats - We need to have a vector file (Illustrator).
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
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Sharon is the author of two family history books:
Crossing the seas to build a future : twelve generations of the Seabrook family 2005
Date 11 March 2011
Name Sharon Brennan (Moore)
Hometown Wallangarra, Queensland
Are you a hobbyist or professional genealogist? Hobbyist
What is your day job? Teacher Librarian
How long have you been chasing ancestors? Since I was 10
How did you get hooked on genealogy? My aunt began researching when I was 10 years old and each time I saw her she'd fill me in on her latest finds. After I married, my husband and I walked through the local cemetery and found 2 baby girls who shared his surname. Of course I wanted to know who they belonged to. We purchased their death certificates and off I went on a journey that is still going today.
What are your areas of expertise in genealogy? I have never really given this some thought. Can persistence and perseverance be called areas of expertise? I love the challenge and the hunt. Years of researching has given me the skills I think to know where to go to next and how to fill in the story. I enjoy internet research.
Please outline your involvement in Genealogy Societies and Groups I have at various times been a member of the following societies and groups:
Bourke Family History Society
Armidale Family History Group
Tamworth and District Family History Group
Coffs Harbour District Family History Society
Newcastle Family History Society
Society of Australian Genealogists
What are the lands of your ancestors? Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, England and Scotland. My husband adds German to our children's ancestry.
What Family Names are you Researching? Agnew, Allsop, Birt, Brennan, Cleary, Davenport, Dawson, Fleming, Flynn, Giles, Glock, Halloran/O'Halloran, Hannah, Harrison, Henry, Hope, Kerr, Key, Lagan, Lee/Ley, McColm, McElwee, McInerney, Merchant, Milroy, Moore, Mylan/Moylan, Odgen, Perrott/Parrot, Prince, Ryan, Scheef, Seabrook, Smail, Spatch/Spetch, Squires, Tobin, Waters, White.
Who is your favourite ancestor? Why? It's difficult to choose a favourite ancestor, but I think I would have to choose Dr William Lee Dawson, my great great grandfather. He was born in 1817 in Ireland and studied in Dublin to become a doctor. He worked as a surgeon on a packet ship around the Carribean and then came to Hobart Town as the surgeon aboard the Mooltan which arrived in 1854.
I am very grateful to have the following documents that belonged to him:
* a sheet of paper detailing his birth in 1817
* copies of many certificates pertaining to his medical studies
* a diary written by him while he was a surgeon sailing to the Carribean and then again to Hobart Town
* his notebooks which contained notes of the day to day running of his life as a country doctor
* a large portrait of him in his uniform (found in the back of a cow shed)
* his surgeon's amputation saw
After writing all this I think of others who perhaps should have been mentioned.
e.g. My gggg grandmother Hanorah Flynn who came to Ausralia in 1826 with a young family to join her convict husband Patrick. What courage that must have taken!
What ancestral city or town would you like to visit? Why? Last year I went to Ireland and Britain and managed to visit a few places where ancestors lived. I can't wait to go back to Bellaghy (in the heart of IRA territory during the Troubles) and Ballymoney both in Northern Ireland, Dublin and London and Cork and Cootehill and Stranraer and and and........
What is your favourite resource for genealogy? At the moment it is the internet as I really don't have time to visit because I live too far away from archives and repositories. I quite like Ancestry but don't like the family trees full of errors.
Do you keep your genealogy files on paper? Yes
Do you keep your genealogy files on a computer? Yes
What genealogy software do you use to record your family tree? Reunion for Mac but am seriously looking at The Next Generation. Perhaps that's a Christmas holiday job.
Do you have your tree posted on the internet? No
What Social Networking Sites do you use for genealogy? Ancestry, Facebook, GenealogyWise, LinkedIn, Twitter
Do you have a blog? Yes
What are your blogs' URLs?
What are your Other Hobbies, Activities, Interests? Is there really time for anything else?????
What is your favourite lesiure time activity apart from genealogy? Reading
What is your favourite (non-genealogy) book? I've had to think too long for this question so there mustn't be a favourite. I read lots of books for my day job as a teacher librarian.
1 comment:
I had hoped to get this to Jill before my post but I was too late. I had been thinking about places I would like to visit when I came across this quote in the book I am currently reading.ReplyDelete
"All I knew, sitting there, was that some long-dead Mary Bailey (insert your ancestor's name here) or other had finally found a descendant to go home for her."
Helene Hanff - The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street
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A new dimension of wave propagation and radio network planning
WinProp's highly accurate and very fast empirical and deterministic propagation models are available for a wide range of scenarios: Rural, urban, indoor, tunnel, vehicular. WinProp supports arbitrary transmitters incl. cellular and broadcasting sites, satellites, repeaters, and leaky feeder cables.
Depending on the scenario, predictions are based on topographical (pixel), clutter (pixel - with or without heights & clearance), urban building (pixel or vector), and/or 3D planar objects/walls (vector) databases. For a prediction different types of databases can be used simultaneously and transitions between the databases are computed automatically. Graphical editors, CAD tools, and various converters are available for all types of databases.
WinProp's powerful propagation engines include empirical and semi-empirical models (calibration with measurements possible), rigorous 3D ray tracing models as well as the unique Dominant Path Model (DPM). Besides the prediction of the path loss also the delay and angular spread can be computed as well as LOS/NLOS, directional channel impulse response, angular profile, propagation paths.
In WinProp various air interfaces and applications are pre-defined: Broadcasting, cellular, wireless access, WiFi, Ad-hoc sensor networks, ICNIRP & EM compliance.
Additionally the user can define individual properties of the air interface to adapt it to the requirements. Besides the network planning, the ICNIRP and EM compliance can be analyzed with WinProp.
Depending on the application WinProp offers static, Monte-Carlo, and dynamic network simulators. WinProp allows the planning of coverage and capacity as well as network simulations (performance of algorithms, analysis of delays, etc.). The user can define the (location dependent) traffic for circuit and for packet switched services (incl. the statistical distributions, mobility, etc.).
Different transmission modes can be defined (bandwidth, MCS, data rate, SNIR target, signal threshold, Tx power,...) and the coverage maps (cell assignment, best server, active set, channel quality, Rx power in DL & UL, SNIR,...) are computed individually for each transmission mode. Link adaptation is considered and depends on the channel quality predicted with the propagation models. Maximum received power as well as max. achievable data rates are predicted accurately for each location in the coverage area.
WinProp computes the capacity (throughput, max. data rates, packet delays, QoS,...) of the different radio links and cells in the network based on the coverage analysis and the traffic assumptions. Capacity limitations and overloaded cells can be detected easily and networks can be optimized to provide both high capacity and throughput. Capacity improvements due to MIMO and/or beamforming are modeled accurately because of the sophisticated deterministic propagation models. Arbitrary antenna configurations (linear, circular,...) are possible and their impact on the radio channel - determined during the propagation analysis - is considered in the network planning.
WinProp is a leading software in the domain of wireless propagation and radio network planning.


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Don wrote:Interestingly, neither GM, Ford or Chrysler have any recommended change interval for their vehicles which came factory equipped with DOT 3/4 fluid. GM says that additives in it's Delco DOT 3 brake fluid make it 'essentially a lifetime product'
Modern brake systems are pretty well sealed. While it's true that the glycol based fluids are hygroscopic and will absorb moisture if left open to the atmosphere, any sealed brake system gets contaminated with moisture at about the same rate, no matter what fluid is used . . . . but a percent or two of water in a glycol system is much less of a concern from either a corrosion or a boiling standpoint than same amount of moisture in a silicone system
It appears we have so many folks here who have had such phenomonal success using all types of brake fluid, that no reader should worry a lick about whatever fluid they're using
Brakes, for me, fall into the same category as parachutes and condoms. Failure for any one of them usually has serious consequences, so I do what I can to keep things in good order.
General Motors and Chrysler do not mention brake fluid in their schedule maintenance recommendations, so it is "essentially" a life time fluid. Must be the same stuff Rick has in his 60+ yr old trucks....
The use of the word "essentially" has me a bit concerned though. Much like "life-time" warranty on things that have a 2 yr life expectancy, I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling when "essentially" is used in conjunction with brakes and I'm doing 100 mph approaching a 90 degree corner.
Ford recommends fresh fluid every 36k miles or 3 yr change-out....and replace the fluid at each pad change.
Chrysler does recommend brake fluid change every 2 yrs on their Sprinter vans. Must be a euro thing as Europeans still think brake fluid changes are a good idea:
2 yr. brake fluid change-outs are recommended by Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mini (BMW), Smart, VW, Mercedes and Volvo.
36 month change-outs are recommended by Acura, Honda, Land Rover, Lexus.
Thanks but no thanks Don...... I'll stick with changing my DOT 4 brake fluid every 2 yrs in the vehicles that still have it......but rest assured, when it comes time to do a full rebuild it'll get DOT 5 like the rest of my fleet.
Btw..... looking further into your 17 yr old Miata brake fluid.... "Mazda recommends only that the brake lines, hoses and connections be "inspected" at 30,000 mile/30 month intervals; replacement of brake fluid is not mentioned in the shop manual for U.S specification cars.".......so you are good for another 20--30 yrs it seems.
There was a asterisk to this statement however, ."The Miata Club of America has recommended brake fluid replacement at two year intervals."......so you might want to reconsider your brake fluid situation.
Coming full circle...... DOT 5 beats all these recommendations by years with it's 5--10 yr change out, no harm to paint and plastic when spilled, which is so easily done with bikes......and being non-hydroscopic it doesn't absorb moisture.
My best........ Mike


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So, if a free set of rabbit ears wasn't enough to make you love Time Warner Cable, or at least stop hating it, how about a coupon for a free movie?
As promised last week, the cable operator started sending coupons Wednesday to the 3.2 million customers in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and other cities who've been cut off from local CBS stations for almost four weeks. The coupons can be redeemed for one viewing of a movie on demand sometime in the next 60 days.
Time Warner's effort to gin up goodwill points to at least a couple of the challenges faced by the cable operator as the dispute drags on.
First, it's really hard to put a value on the programming that's been blacked out. While the cable operator can (and is) giving customers rebates for the premium channels they've lost during the impasse, it's not doing so for CBS, which has no individual price tag. Instead, it's offered only in a package with many other channels.
The least expensive of these is the $28 "broadcast" package, which includes at least 44 channels. Time Warner could rebate 1/44th of the tier's monthly price (a whopping 63 cents), but doing so would suggest that CBS is worth no more than the home shopping channel or California Lutheran University's telecasts, whose audiences are, umm, not quite as large as the top-ranked broadcaster's.
Even if it offered to rebate customers the full amount it had been paying CBS for the retransmission rights (reportedly less than $1 a month, although CBS wants to up that to $2), Time Warner still wouldn't compensate the network's viewers for the loss of its unique programming. "NCIS" might seem like just one of many procedural dramas on TV, and "Big Brother" one of many reality shows, but fans of those programs don't feel that way. Ditto for the NFL games the network carries.
Here's the second issue. CBS' programming varies widely in value across the Time Warner subscriber base. Cable networks have fragmented the TV audience. Many of Time Warner's customers are deeply offended by the CBS blackout, but others don't miss the network's shows. Offering the former a $6 movie coupon may seem like an insult, but to the latter it's a windfall. Even if the actual cost of the movie to Time Warner is considerably less than $6.
Time Warner offered this explanation for its decision not to offer rebates for the loss of CBS stations: "CBS is carried as part of a programming package, and the pieces of that package change from time to time. We do not make it a policy to credit customers for any individual channel change, because the whole package continues to provide value."
Meanwhile, in addition to the free movie coupon, it's providing free access to the Tennis Channel for the two weeks of the U.S. Open (which will offer replays of the big matches, but not live coverage -- that's exclusively on CBS) and an extended free preview of the Starz Kids and Family movie channel. It's just another reminder that there are plenty of substitutes for a blacked-out TV channel, just no perfect ones.
Follow Jon Healey on Twitter @jcahealey and Google+


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|Home | WikiLEC | Repairs | Upgrades | Gallery | Buy & Sell | Mountain Chips | Meets & Events | Contact
Moderators: theelanman, dapinky, Elanlover, muley, Enright, algirdas, clemo, nitroman, Specky, GeoffSmith, Nige, Dave Eds, Sy V, DaveT
Rambo wrote:You're correct Fredjohn. It is definitely a Mazda MX-5 Eunos that some saddo has tarted up to look like a Lotus Elan FFS Another giveaway that it is a Jap import is the front indicator lights in the bumper
pineapplecharm wrote:Eunos begins with E so I'm pretty sure it's just a lesser-known Lotus model.
pineapplecharm wrote:Some kind of prototype perhaps?
GeoffSmith wrote:pineapplecharm wrote:Some kind of prototype perhaps?
Scott's latest car customisation project?
GeoffSmith wrote:pineapplecharm wrote:Some kind of prototype perhaps?
Scott's latest car customisation project?
pineapplecharm wrote:Good spot, the badge does say Eunos and it did say "Mazda" on the back but I'm assuming that was just a stupid after-market addition. Eunos begins with E so I'm pretty sure it's just a lesser-known Lotus model.
It also had a sticker saying "Le Mans 2012" so maybe it's a racing prototype?
The car was not much of a looker next to my Elan I have to say. Although I quite like the matt finish and 'earthy' flip in the paintwork.
pineapplecharm wrote:Okay, okay; I'm sorry - this was a joke that got out of control! I spotted the MX-5 belting around Shaftesbury at the weekend and I thought it might give you all good laugh... but I guess enough stupid questions get asked on the Internet that it seemed like a credible inquiry.
My brother had an MX-5 and they're not bad to drive at all.. but they certainly aren't in the same league as a Lotus, green-and-yellow stickers or not.
Thanks for all the helpful posts though; I feel pretty bad about myself! You chaps are excellent fellows and I beg for your forgiveness.
lotusflasherman wrote:I couldn't believe a Lotus owner could be so ignorant of Lotus
lotusflasherman wrote:Now, somebody please tell me those side exhausts on that Volcano Orange Elan have been only been photoshopped on... please, pretty please. That's so wrong I feel GOM coming out.
pineapplecharm wrote:Yeah, don't get too excited. I've been an Elan fan since I was ten and was lecturing my self-confessed car-ignoramus girlfriend about the brand when she asked if all the model names start with 'E'. Twenty five years, from Esprit to Evora and I literally hadn't noticed. So maybe I deserve a little GOM!
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Budget Battles
Chart of the Day: Medicare Part D Enrollees with High Out-of-Pocket Costs
Number of the Day: 18% of ER Visits End with Surprise Bills, Report Says
Employers Are Ready to Step Up Their Fight Against Rising Health Care Costs
Republicans May Understand 'Medicare for All' Better Than Democrats: Poll
Poll of the Day: What 'Medicare for All' Means
Trump Promises 'Phenomenal' Health Care Plan Soon
State Health Care Scorecard: Hawaii Tops the List, Mississippi Last
Is Big Government Making a Comeback?By Michael Rainey
Recognizing a growing hostility toward major social welfare programs, President Bill Clinton famously announced that "the era of big government is over" back in 1996. Twenty years later, Democratic...
Democrats More Likely to Chip Away at the GOP Tax Cuts Than Repeal ThemBy Michael Rainey
While some Democratic presidential candidates have talked about repealing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in full, Bloomberg's Laura Davison says that if the balance of power in Washington shifts in 2020,...
Donations to Charities Drop After Trump Tax LawBy Michael Rainey
Americans gave less money to charity in 2018 and some experts think the GOP tax overhaul is to blame. Total donations fell 1.7% in inflation-adjusted terms to $427.7 billion last year, according to...
Corporate Tax Receipts Continue Their SlideBy The Fiscal Times Staff
"Federal tax payments by big businesses are falling much faster than anticipated in the wake of Republicans' tax cuts, providing ammunition to Democrats who are calling for corporate tax increases,"...
Flush with Tax Revenue, States Prepare for the Next Recession
U.S. states got hammered by the Great Recession, but they're now better prepared than ever for the next economic downturn, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of State...
Biden Slams Amazon as Prime Example of Broken Tax SystemBy Michael Rainey
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took aim Thursday at the way companies pay taxes in the U.S., citing Amazon as an exemplar of a deeply flawed system that allows billion-dollar companies...
How Washington Stopped Worrying About the DebtBy Michael Rainey
A major attitude shift has washed over Washington, The Wall Street Journal's Kate Davidson and Jon Hilsenrath wrote Thursday: "Political support for taming federal debt has melted away." Not so long...
7 Ways to Fix America's Fiscal Mess
Tackling the $22 trillion national debt can be done in very different ways. Underscoring that point, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on increasing...
Did Corporations Really Need the Tax Cuts?By Michael Rainey
Critics of the Republican tax overhaul said they while tax cuts might provide a sugar high for the economy in the short run, large corporations didn't really need the boost since most were already in...
Is It Even Possible to Tax the Rich More?
Proposals to hike taxes on the rich have long elicited a predictable response, New York Times columnist David Leonhardt writes : "It will wreck the economy." That argument has become less common,...
Why Trump's Tax Cuts Failed to Spark an Investment BoomBy Michael Rainey
One major selling point of the Republican tax overhaul, which lowered the corporate tax rate to 21 percent and sweetened the rules for capital expensing, was a promised boost in investment by U.S...
Biden Proposes $1.7 Trillion Climate PlanBy Michael Rainey
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden unveiled a climate plan Tuesday that takes its cues from progressive demands for a dramatic change in environmental policy in the U.S. and promises to go "...
The Poor Are Now Being Audited by the IRS Nearly as Much as the Top 1%: ProPublica
Last year, millionaires were about 80% less likely to be audited by the Internal Revenue Service than they were in 2011, ProPublica's Paul Kiel reported recently, based on government data. Meanwhile...
Trump Tariffs Could Wipe Out Tax Cuts for Most Americans: ReportBy Michael Rainey
The import tariffs proposed by President Trump could wipe out the income gains provided by the Republican tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, Jim Tankersley of The New York Times reported...
Trump Says Top Economist Kevin Hassett Will Leave Soon
Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, will be leaving the administration soon, President Trump tweeted Sunday night. Hassett, who was an economist at the...
Taxes Directory
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BANGOR, MAINE— Two news co-anchors on a Maine television station quit on the air at the end of their newscasts, citing a longstanding battle with management over journalistic practices.
Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio announced their resignations at the end of Tuesday's 6 p.m. newscast on WVII.
They didn't go into details on the air. But they told the Bangor Daily News later that they were both frustrated with management.
The 28-year-old Consiglio started with WVII as a sports reporter in April 2006. The 46-year-old Michaels was the news director and spent six years at WVII. The Associated Press left messages for them.
General manager Mike Palmer says they were on their way out, anyway. He says sometimes people leave their jobs before they're asked to leave


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Disney Magic New Featuresby Disney Cruise Line | 4.26.13
A 3-story slide, a new atrium, the Marvel experience, Oceaneer's Lab and upgraded staterooms
The "AquaDunk" water slide coming to Disney Magic
CELEBRATION, Fla. (April 26, 2013) - There's an extra dose of magic coming aboard the Disney Magic, when the Disney Cruise Line vessel relaunches with new spaces, reimagined areas and exciting additions for the whole family. Guests will experience new adventures from stem to stern throughout their journey on the cruise ship that set the standard for oceangoing majesty and family fun.
From a new grand atrium lobby and a children's area of "super hero" proportions to a three-story water thrill slide and a spa to stimulate the "Senses," there are plenty of new and magical surprises in store for cruise guests. The ship features fun new experiences with Marvel characters - the first time Super Hero icons from the Marvel Universe have been introduced on a Disney Cruise Line ship.
"We have always been committed to reinvesting in our fleet and continuously making shipboard enhancements that elevate the guest experience," said Karl L. Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line. "What we're doing with the Disney Magic is yet another step forward in our commitment to delivering the absolute best family vacations at sea."
"Storytelling is at the heart of everything we do," says Joe Lanzisero, senior creative vice president for Walt Disney Imagineering. "Walt Disney was a master storyteller and knew how to engage people's emotions into stories. Our job is to take what we learned from Walt and apply it to the experiences on board our ships."
Here are some highlights of new "magic" in store for guests aboard the Disney Magic after the "reimagineering" transformation of the ship that takes place during dry dock Sept. 7-Oct. 10, 2013 in Cadiz, Spain:
A Grand First Impression
When guests board the Disney Magic, they enter the grand atrium lobby that is redesigned to be "elegant art deco, inspired by elements of the sea," according to Lanzisero.
"Filmmaking is the history of our company and in film the 'establishing shot' sets the scene," he says. "This is the same with the atrium, as we begin telling our story."
The spacious and spectacular three-deck lobby features hand-tufted, custom-made carpet that dazzles in a palette of vibrant coral, blue and aquamarine seashell-inspired designs. The art deco atrium chandelier is inspired by rays of the sun and the glisten of the surface of the ocean. Opulent furnishings, a grand piano and giant portholes recall the days of early 20th century ocean liners.
The lobby's centerpiece is a cold-cast bronze statue of "Helmsman Mickey," ever-smiling and keeping watch as guests stroll past. The famed statue, which has stood in the atrium since the ship was launched, will receive a special makeover bringing new luster to its golden hue.
Disney, Disney-Pixar & Marvel Characters Join the Fun
Disney's Oceaneer Club, open to 3- to 12-year-old children, is a completely re-imagined area that transports children to the magical realms of brave super heroes, adventuresome toys, fanciful fairies and Mickey Mouse's club for creativity and fun.
With Marvel now a part of the Walt Disney Company family, this will mark the first time the Super Hero icons of Marvel have been introduced on a Disney Cruise Line ship. Marvel and Walt Disney Imagineers have created a new space for children to enter into the Marvel Universe.
Marvel's The Avengers will make their presence known in an epic way aboard the Disney Magic, with Marvel's Avengers Academy calling Disney's Oceaneer Club its new seaward home. Young crime-fighters will be transported to a high-tech command post used by The Avengers for special missions and operations training.
Throughout the base, displays featuring some of the equipment that helps to make The Avengers the earth's mightiest heroes - Iron Man's suit of armor, Captain America's shield and Thor's hammer - inspire super hero "recruits" through their academy missions. Avengers Academy is a multi-day, immersive entertainment experience where children interact with Marvel characters and unleash their inner super heroes.
Adjacent to Marvel's Avengers Academy is Andy's Room, where stars of the Disney-Pixar "Toy Story" trilogy come to life in a multi-level space. Stocked with all of Andy's favorite toys, the room features a larger-than-life Mr. Potato Head, a giant version of the lovable piggy bank, Hamm, and a Slinky Dog slide.
Next door is Pixie Hollow, the enchanted land of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. In this magical forest setting, Tinker Bell's teapot house serves as a costume closet and children can make crafts while sitting on stools shaped like mushrooms and acorns.
In Disney's Oceaneer Club guests will find the Mickey Mouse Club, another new children's area. Inside a room splashed with Mickey's signature colors of red, yellow and black, kids can create crafts and play games on ear-shaped tables. The club also features Goofy Gears, an oversized activity where kids play with wacky, magnetic spinning gears.
But the kid-sized fun doesn't stop there!
Disney's Oceaneer Lab takes 3-to-12-year-old children on a journey of discovery, exploration and adventures. At this new pirate-themed area, children are encouraged to create, play and explore. An animator's studio, a pirate workshop and lab lets kids get hands-on to create experiments and art projects, and Navigator Simulators let young buccaneers steer a ship through the mysterious waters of The Caribbean.
For the youngest cruisers - ages three months to three years - is the new It's a Small World Nursery. Inspired by the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair, this whimsical world is a place of age-specific fun and discovery, with trained counselors.
The upper ship decks of the Disney Magic have been redesigned for plenty of splashtacular fun, with waterful adventures that include a three-story water slide for thrill-seekers and a Huey, Dewey and Louie-themed toddler splash zone for smaller ducklings.
"From small children to teens to adults, everyone will have a space to have fun in the sun and water. We added more water play areas, dynamic slides, interactive elements for the kids, and more shade," says Lanzisero.
Water thrills are found on the AquaDunk, a three-story body slide that begins with a surprise launch. Riders step inside a translucent tube and await the near-vertical launch that takes place when the floor beneath them opens like a trap door. The drop sends guests on an exhilarating, swift and splashy ride in a translucent tube that extends 20 feet over the side of the ship. Guests taller than 48 inches can enjoy the AquaDunk.
Guests can also soak in the sun and the water fun with AquaLab, an interactive water playground open to kids ages 3 and up. In the AquaLab, families can frolic among pop jets, geysers and bubblers in this fun and fanciful 1,800-square-foot space, while the Twist n' Spout water slide gets them delightfully drenched with more than 250 feet of sliding fun of loops and turns. Twist n' Spout is for guests between 38 and 64 inches tall.
Tots up to age 3 can play in the new Nephews' Splash Zone, a splash-a-second area dedicated to interactive fun and starring Donald Duck's mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie. The area features water play with pop jets, squirting figures of Donald Duck's nephews and plenty of high seas hijinks.
Disney Dining With an Extra Dash of Pixie Dust
New restaurants and new technology are on the menu for the restaurants aboard Disney Magic.
Animator's Palate , one of the most popular restaurants on the Disney ships, is updated with all-new, animation-adorned walls and larger high-definition flat-screens to provide the best views of the animation magic that takes place all around.
A heaping helping of entertainment is served up during the brand-new "Drawn to Magic" experience at Animator's Palate. Throughout this deliciously fresh take on Disney Cruise Line's much beloved classic dinner celebration, the restaurant's black and white "blank canvas" explodes into full color as favorite Disney and Disney-Pixar characters, such as Rapunzel from "Tangled" and Remy from "Ratatouille," come to life right before guests' eyes.
On every Disney Magic cruise, guests will have an opportunity to experience the tremendously popular "Animation Magic" dinner show that celebrates the magic of Disney animation and allows families to create and participate in an innovative way. First unveiled on the Disney Fantasy, "Animation Magic" invites guests to create their own characters that magically spring to life, become fully animated and join the show onscreen.
The vibrancy of Rio de Janeiro creates an energetic atmosphere in Carioca's, a new restaurant named after Donald Duck's parrot pal in "The Three Caballeros," Jose Carioca. Festooned with lighted lanterns, the restaurant is designed to be "fun by day, elegant by night," says Lanzisero.
During the day, there's a festival theme and, when night falls, the atmosphere transforms into an after-hours scene of Rio de Janiero, with city-side windows softly illuminated and lanterns flickering overhead. Carioca's replaces Parrot Cay restaurant, currently on the Disney Magic.
Another new restaurant to the Disney Magic is Cabanas, a casual dining experience with food and beverage stations during daytime hours and a table-service restaurant during dinner. The Australian setting of the Disney-Pixar animated classic "Finding Nemo" inspires the décor with hints of the film's fishy and feathered friends throughout the restaurant.
Cabanas, which replaces the current Topsider Buffet, also is expanding. More inside space is being added, increasing the total square-footage of air-conditioned area by nearly 3,400 square feet to more than 9,460 square feet and a total of 455 seats.
Disney Cruise Line's popular Palo restaurant for adults receives a makeover with stylish fixtures, glass artwork and new stone floors. Red and white striped poles reminiscent of those found throughout the canals in Venice are a design feature.
The Fun's Just Begun When Nighttime Comes
After a day of frolicking on the decks and out and about the ship, Disney Magic offers big city-style fun in After Hours, the nighttime adult entertainment district. An all-new lineup of clubs includes venues for dancing, comedy, music and variety shows. After Hours replaces Beat Street, currently on the Disney Magic.
"It's our goal to create a sleek and sophisticated adult experience in After Hours" says Lanzisero. "Each of the three clubs has a different feel that complements the others."
Fathoms night club is a celebration of the sea that utilizes special effects, lighting and sound to create different atmospheres from early evening to night.
"The ocean can sometimes be very calm and sometimes have some big excitement," Lanzisero says. "That's what we wanted to create with Fathoms."
For guests seeking a more low-key nighttime experience, there is Keys piano bar and lounge. Whether guests want to relax with a cocktail and the soft sounds of a piano or "wind down" after an evening of dancing and revelry, Keys provides a refined retreat.
Pub days of olde are recalled in O'Gills, an Irish pub and sports bar designed with traditional decor. Live televised athletic events are on tap for sports-lovers.
Open Up, and Say "Spa"
For the ultimate in relaxation and pampering, the enhanced Senses Spa & Salon offers many indulgences. Redesigned with a sleek and contemporary style, this haven of personal harmony provides an unmatched ocean-view environment. The size of the spa is being expanded by 725 square feet, to a total size of nearly 11,500 square feet.
A new Smile Spa offers teeth whitening services, a new barbershop offers services for the gentlemen and the new Chill Spa provides treatments especially for teens 13 to 17 years of age.
Family Fun in the D Lounge
Another reimagined area, D Lounge, offers a variety of family-friendly games, shows, dances and activities designed for all ages. Colorful and contemporary, this space encourages creative and kinetic fun. Families can enjoy entertainment, game shows and activities together in D Lounge which replaces Studio Sea, currently on the Disney Magic.
Putting more "room" in staterooms
Disney Cruise Line knows that traveling families always need more space, so features are included in each room to provide more usable space. Bed frames are elevated to provide storage space underneath. The bathrooms include the split-bath feature that Disney introduced to the cruise industry - providing even greater convenience to guests.
Are you aware of ? Tell us here: Cruise Forum


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Ouch Clip Of The Week: Magician Fail! (Knife Goes Right Through Man's Hand Live On TV & Tried To Play it Off While Lady Stands Next To Him)
Tha aint funny.
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The Curtain Call
Summer tends to be a time of spectacle in London – massive installations, blockbuster shows, international festivals and grand theatrical events. With smaller galleries closed and many leaving for a break from the claustrophobic city and intellectual rigour, the spectacle is relied upon to attract the attention of the audience who remain. Israeli designer Ron Arad's massive undertaking at the Roundhouse, aptly titled Curtain Call,[…..]


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Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority
Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority as of September 1, 2019
It doesn't matter what kind of car you drive, all vehicles are a potential target of theft. In the state of Texas over 65,000 cars and trucks are stolen and almost 200,000 are burglarized each year. Many jurisdictions report that keys left inside and doors unlocked are major factors in stolen and burglarized vehicles.
Protect your Vehicle
Always lock your vehicle and take your keys.
Never leave your car running and unattended.
Park in a well-lit area.
Take valuables with you when you are not in your vehicle.
Keep valuables out of sight.
Give parking attendants the ignition key only. Keep your trunk and glove box locked at all times. If possible, get separate keys for the ignition and the trunk and glove box.
Install an anti-theft device. Many insurance companies may give you a discount for certain anti-theft devices. Check with your agent for details.
What to do if Your Car is Stolen
Although the rate of auto theft is declining, thousands of Texas vehicles are stolen every year. If your car is stolen, the first thing to do is to remain calm and then follow these steps:
- Immediately contact the police and file a report. Make sure you provide your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) number to help law enforcement agencies locate your vehicle if it has been stolen. If you do not have your VIN number readily available, contact your insurance company or financial lender.
- Report the theft or burglary to your insurance provider. Even if the loss is not covered, reporting the crime will protect you if the automobile causes harm to others after being stolen. If possible, have the vehicle's title, the location of all keys before the theft, a thorough description of the vehicle and any personal property that was stolen with the vehicle.
- Contact your financial institution if the vehicle is leased or still being financed.
Avoid Buying a Stolen Vehicle
Many stolen vehicles are sold to unsuspecting buyers. If you knowingly buy a stolen car, you can be arrested. If you buy a stolen car unknowingly, you could lose the car and your money. To avoid becoming the car thief's second victim, we urge you to keep these tips in mind:
- When buying from a private individual, make sure the title and registration match the name and address of the person selling the car.
- Be cautious of a seller with no fixed address, place of employment or phone number.
- Ask the seller for references about past financing and insurance on the vehicle. Verify the information with the bank, finance company or agent.
- Ensure the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the automobile's dash is present, secure and unaltered.
- Check to ensure the VIN plate has not been repainted and the numbers stamped in the plate appear to be the original factory numbers.
- If in doubt about plate authenticity, check with a new car dealer who handles the same model, or contact a law enforcement agency. (Thieves may remove the VIN plate and replace it with one from a similar wrecked vehicle.)
- Be suspicious of any deal that seems "too good to be true."
Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles - 2017*
1) Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
2) Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)
3) Dodge Pick-Up (Full Size)
4) GMC Pickup (Full Size)
5) Honda Accord
6) Honda Civic
7) Chevrolet Tahoe
8) Toyota Camry
9) Nissan Altima
10) Toyota Corolla
*NICB Hot Wheels report
More Information
ABTPA Grant Application System
ABTPA Motor Vehicle Burglary and Theft Investigator Training


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About Elohssa
I suppose if he meant it literally, it could mean that Snowden had planned this well in advance, and specifically obtained his clearances and sought out that job as part of his plan to expose everything.
We need to hold people accountable for the impact of their behavior, rather than attempting to control the behavior directly.
If you cause an accident in your car due to reckless driving, it shouldn't matter the details of how you are being reckless.
In short, this is already covered in the law, and amounts to CA politicians pointing at nothing and demanding thanks for all their hard work.
BlackBerry obviously has it's priorities in order. That must be why they continue to dominate that market.
I am generally supportive of Anonymous' message, but if they permit this form of jamming, who is to say that I can't use a radio jamming arrangement to block out signals I don't like from my neighborhood?
Maybe I think cell phone users are annoying. Maybe they don't work within a quarter mile of my location until they disable my jammer.
It goes from funny to seriously disruptive awfully fast.
The same dynamic has extended the War on Drugs for decades, and all the benefits go to the drug cartels and federal agencies.
Pearl has to be taken off the streets. That kid is a bad landlady, and a dirty cop!
They think we need them, because they built it, but the Internet community has more knowledge and resources than every government combined, and we act out of love for the technology, not slavish rulelust. They can't stop it. They can barely slow it down.
What troubles me most is the inability to opt-out. I'm under the impression that once they choose you, there is no out, even if you decide not to board your flight, until they check you. This is understandable from their POV, as it would allow trouble makers to test the defenses without being detected, but they need to make it clear when you have been detained by a federal agency.
A big sign and a red line explaining the rights they are about to give up would settle this for me. I will avoid flying until they knock it off. I feel for people who are forced to travel for work, though.
Natch, some terrorist is working on a taint cannon right now, if only to prevent the TSA from becoming rational.
Ben Franklin said it best with the old "liberty\security" blather.
Could this be an attempt to keep things murky, as a legal strategy? U.S. Federal agencies will seize domains without much of an excuse, though I'm not clear on how this would prevent that from happening.
Perhaps accepting this offer creates some potential liability, or places them in an unfriendly jurisdiction?
KO in the 1st round. The crowd goes wild!
I haven't see a beating like that since Tyson-Spinks!
I hope Cable's got a good cutman.
To celebrate, I'm offering a 2 for 1 deal on blindings this week.
This story rings false. The FBI doesn't have time or resources to chase pornhounds, so the porn isn't what brought them knocking, unless it was a wildly unsuccessful sting.
I'd be interested in other charges he is facing, but neither the article nor a brief search reveal anything. Links, anyone?
I don't beleive there was a lobby in the normal sense. I believe that some combination of the White House and the intelligence community decided this would be worthwhile, and the telco's demanded this as the price of cooperation. This was cloak and dangersecret executive order stuff.
I hate the telcos in general, but I don't see them as the culprit on this one, and I don't see the new administration dedicating the next couple years to untangling a mess that will only embarrass the Bush White House, regardless of how unpopular, incompetent, illegal, and dangerous their policies may have been.
This is great news for aftermarket mod retailers.
Your hybrid could sound like a Tie fighter!
"what dip stick believes this 'educational material' will have any impact whatsoever?"
The organizations that are presenting this are sloshing over with sweet cash money, and they are headed by friends of the family (public education unions andor industry.)
And never doubt this all gets filed as a charitable act.
No one cares whether it is effective. The worst thing that could happen would be if the program was too effective, because then it wouldn't be able to justify itself in the future.
After a few (more) large newspapers get slapped by this, maybe they'll wise up.
Sometimes a harsh lesson teaches best.
The Pirate Party can potentially succeed specifically because they are unlike any other party.
Their base IS the Internet community, and that demographic has certain expectations, like any other, which includes cynicism and irreverence. Other parties can only wish they were tapped in to such a powerful, global group of like-minded people.
It does not make us any less serious on issues. It is simply a way that we are meaningfully different from your normal run of politico.
Whether that translates into meaningful policy is another story.
...for other states and organizations to learn a lesson from this?


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Office of the President
Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D., President, College of Saint Benedict
Dr. Mary Dana Hinton became the fifteenth president of the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., on July 1, 2014.
The College of Saint Benedict is a national liberal arts college for women, and one of only three Catholic colleges ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a top 100 liberal arts institution. The college has a unique partnership with nearby Saint John's University for men that expands the resources of both institutions, offering more than 60 areas of study and the distinct benefits of two nationally respected Catholic, undergraduate colleges. The College of Saint Benedict provides a liberal arts education preparing women to think critically, lead courageously and advocate passionately.
The college has achieved national recognition for its strength in international education, with 19 semester-long study abroad sites on six continents, its operating efficiency, and its commitment to community service and solving community challenges. The College of Saint Benedict received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization for excellence in internationalization efforts as evidenced in practices, structures, philosophies, and policies. Cited as an "Up-and-Coming" liberal arts institution by U.S. News and World Report, the College of Saint Benedict has also been recognized as a "Best Value" college by Fiske, Barron's, and Kiplinger's.
College of Saint Benedict students achieve excellent outcomes. Four-year completion rates at CSB significantly exceed averages for private and public colleges regionally and nationally. Fully 99 percent of 2014 graduates reported they were situated within a year of earning their degree, either professionally employed, pursuing a graduate degree or in a full-time volunteer position. CSB has been recently recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and Peace Corps volunteers. Alumna Rachel Mullin '14 was one of 32 Americans who received a 2016 Rhodes Scholarship, widely considered to be the world's most prestigious academic award.
In her first year as the president of CSB, Dr. Hinton led the development of a strategic plan and vision to guide the College of Saint Benedict through 2020. She personally met with over 1,000 faculty, staff, students, alumnae, donors, and friends of the College of Saint Benedict to develop a shared vision. Dr. Hinton continues to work to expand access to liberal arts education, embed the Benedictine heritage into institutional practice and to raise the national profile of CSB. Under her leadership, CSB is undergoing a $43 million campus facilities update, enabling Saint Ben's to provide premier facilities for learning and leadership development while leveraging the historic district of the campus in ways that honor the legacy and heritage of our founding order.
Dr. Hinton's enthusiasm for leading CSB stems from her personal experience with women's residential education at St. Mary's School in Raleigh, NC and her liberal arts education as an undergraduate student. This, along with her professional experience on Catholic college campuses, fuels her interest in integrating a spiritual perspective with a vibrant liberal arts education: the essence of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
Dr. Hinton earned a Ph.D. in religion and religious education with high honors from Fordham University, a Master of Arts degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas, Lawrence and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Williams College. Prior to coming to the College of Saint Benedict, Dr. Hinton served as the vice president for academic affairs at Mount Saint Mary College, a Dominican college in Newburgh, NY. In this role, she provided senior administrative leadership for academic affairs, enrollment management, planning, assessment and institutional research and student affairs, among other areas. Her passion for student retention led to the development of the Center for Student Success, a model program that provides comprehensive academic support services to improve student retention and persistence.
Dr. Hinton is the author of "The Commercial Church: Black Churches and the New Religious Marketplace in America." Her scholarship focuses on African American religious history, religious education, and leadership, strategic planning, assessment, and diversity in the academy. Since 2012, Dr. Hinton has taught in the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education doctoral program in higher education management.
Dr. Hinton, her husband, Robert Williams, and their children, Hallela, Hillel and Hosanna, make their home at the Renner House, the college's presidential residence in St. Joseph, Minn.
Dr. Hinton's Current Professional Service:
- Minnesota Private College Council Board of Presidents (Chair)
- CentraCare Health Board of Directors
- Interfaith Youth Core Board of Directors
- Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Board of Directions
- Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Board of Directors
- University Leadership Consortium Board, United Arab Emirates
- The Council of Independent Colleges, Board of Directors
- Association of American Colleges and Universities Board of Directors
- Lumina Foundation's Quality Credentials Task Force, Member
- Committee on Catholic Education's Higher Education Working Group, Consultant


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Animals most popular hd and wide desktop background photos gallery download. Amazing new wild life animal wallpapers in high quality for laptops, mobile and computer resolution. Most famous animal child images. Free latest cute lovely animals pics. Likeable 720p and 1080p resolutions pictures. hdfinewallpapers.com provide total: 521 glorious superb Animals Wallpapers.
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Red in Oz - Living Life
oh, they are CUTE!
Hi, I am emailing you here regarding your nice comment on my blog about teaching my grand daughters to sew. (Did you realize that you are a no-reply blogger?) Yes, it is fun to sew with all 6 of my little ones....just yesterday, I sewed with the 23 month old on my lap...she loved it! Thanks for coming by my blog....I did a little browsing on yours...your little girls are so cute in their aprons!
Post a Comment


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Pregnancy Meditation MP3 Download Package
After so many requests from my youtube channel related to pregnancy and meditations, Here it is! The long awaited super "Pregnancy Meditation Package" consisting of the best loved pregnancy work on Youtube to help pregnant mothers during and after pregnancy.
This pregnancy meditation package consists of 4 MP3 downloads including the following:
- Pregnancy Guided Meditation
- My First meditation (For baby and you!)
- Zen Mother and Baby Soft White Noise
- Coping with Crying Baby (Hypnosis)
This package is ideal for both pre natal and post natal times.
The package has been designed to cover and help wtih communication between you and your baby, stress and deep relaxation, to help baby sleep and even a hypnosis to use at a later time if you are having trouble coping with your babies crying.
And for $14.95, that works out less than $4.00 per recording. Not bad for peace of mind for you and your newborn.
Click the BUY NOW button below for instant delivery of your new high quality MP3's for your ipod or MP3 player. (Please note: Apple Mac computers – Must be sent to your itunes account before you can play MP3's)
Price: $14.95
File: MP3 instant downloads
#1 Pregnancy Guided Meditation (11 minutes)
A beautifully presented guided meditation by Jason Stephenson to soothe you and your baby. This guided meditation for pregnancy encourages communication between you and your baby.
It even includes a live recording of a heart beat to help you connect with your baby on a deeper level.
You can take a listen to the YouTube version below. Please remember our MP3 versions are of superior quality.
# 2 My First Meditation (30 minutes)
A beautiful music meditation package for baby comprising of ocean sounds with gentle music box lullabies to help baby (and you too!) drift off into a peaceful sleep.
This is the ideal sound recording to play from the moment your baby is born, and well into his or her first years of life.
Here is a sample of the recording here:
# 3 Zen Mother And Baby Soft White Noise
White noise has been helping many of my YouTube subscribers to relax and calm down. Not only that, it's perfect for sleep!
Please play at LOWER volumes. It almost sounds like you're at the ocean or static on a television. The secret is within the sound frequencies that are played throughout the static.
When you continue to listen to it, you and baby will find this white noise so soothing, that you will slowly be drifting off into a deep and pleasant sleep. This can also be listened to as a pregnancy meditation to relax as well. Take a listen here:
# 4 Hypnosis For Crying Baby
Your baby is now born. You haven't slept well for days. Want to stop your baby from screaming and crying? We can't promise that, but we can promise that we can help you deal with your baby crying.
In this guided hypnosis by Tarek Bibi, you learn techniques and ways to cope with your baby crying. Both you and your baby will be able to relax within no time at all.
Take a listen to a preview here:
Price: $14.95
File: MP3 instant downloads
I hope you enjoy this pregnancy meditation package. May it provide much peace and relaxation for you and baby…. for years to come!


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Eastwest Installation Center and Play - Programming Language for Screenreaders
I wonder, in addition to Java, is it possible that Eastwest can incorporate a bit of C++ programming language into the Installation Center and all of the Play Interfaces? In the Installation Center, I can sort of access the buttons and controls, but there are a few that don't read all the way with JAWS. For example, there's a listbox, and when I press Control+Up/DownArrow keys, and it lets me scroll through all the libraries. However, it doesn't announce the name of the one I'm pointing to. It just says something like, "1 of 69", "2 of 69", etc. The numbers are apparently the libraries and software available with Play, then when I tab over, there's a button next to each one, that does one of two modes. On some of them, when I press DownArrow, it says the following choices: "Locate Directory", and "Locate Directory And Reinstall". On others, when I press DownArrow, it says the following choices: "Show Directory", "Deactivate License", "Locate Directory", "Locate Directory And Reinstall", "Download And Reinstall", and "Update Instruments". Even on some libraries, there's a link that says "More Information". How do I tell which libraries are the ones I've purchased, and which are the ones I haven't yet purchased? In each Play interface, I can't seem to access any of the sliders, buttons and dials without sighted help. This is especially where the C++ Programming Language can come in handy.
Music is the key to happiness and Joy. While the home of peace and harmony is The City Of Brotherly Love. Welcome home to Philadelphia!
Rockbox MC5XS Desktop, Intel Core I5 Processor, 3.30GHZ, 500GB Primary Drive, 1TB Recording Drive, 1TB Samples Drive, Motu 896HD Audio Interface, Akai MPK25 MIDI Controller
Windows 7 64 Bit, JAWS (Job Access With Speech) 10.0 Screenreader, Caketalking 8.5 for Sonar Accessibility Software, Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition, Play VST 64 Bit
Eastwest Quantum Leap Instruments:
Goliath, Gypsy, Pianos, RA, Stormdrums 2, Symphonic Choirs, Symphonic Orchestra Platinum, Voices Of Passion
Last edited by Annabelle; 08-22-2017 at 06:08 AM.
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Our new book is out now!
"The Best of Global Digital Marketing: The Storybook" showcases 30 recent award-winning digital marketing case studies from different sectors across the world. Each case study contains exclusive interviews with the creators as well as expert opinions.
More information and buying options from Amazon
3rd of June 2011, in cooperation with Arab Ad magazine
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Side-Effects and Recurrence Rates of Stage 3 Colorectal Cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts,"
I have a question for your panel regarding my father. He is 75 years old and is currently undergoing treatment for a Stage 3 colorectal cancer. The pathology report indicated the tumor to involve the full thickness of the mucosal wall, 2 of 25 local lymph node involved, and the tumor's position just below the peritoneal reflection.
He has been administered 3 cycles of 5FU/ Leukovorin. His oncology team is now suggesting that he combine his next cycle of chemo with radiotherapy, due to the tumor's anatomical position relative to the peritoneal reflection. Can you tell me [approximately, based on current research] the recurrence rate for stage 3 colorectal cancer "just below" the peritoneal reflection when treated with combined surgery/chemo/radiation versus surgery/ chemo alone.
My dad is trying to weigh the potential decrease in cancer recurrence against the additional side effects of the radiotherapy and their effects on his quality of life.
Thank you.
Richard Whittington, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, responds:
The purpose of radiation is to try to clean up the radial margin (area around the bowel that was taken out) that has a 50 to 60% risk of having microscopic residual tumor. The extra peritoneal colon does not have a serosa (lining) like the peritoneum that slows the dissemination of the tumor. This colon is surrounded by fat that allows tumor cells to migrate freely and there is a higher risk of something microscopic being left behind.
The risks of radiation are diarrhea, perianal irritation (Sunburn), bladder irritation (urinary frequency & urgency) and the risk of a bowel obstruction. The skin clears up a week after radiation; the bladder symptoms improve about 4 to 6 weeks after radiation; the diarrhea gets better when chemotherapy ends, and a bowel obstruction can happen up to 1 year after radiation. The overall risk of the bowel obstruction is only about 4%, but it is heavily affected by the prior history of diabetes, prior abdominal surgery, peritonitis, diverticulitis, the skill of the surgeon, and the skill of the radiation oncologist.
The upside to the radiation is that chemotherapy alone will reduce the risk of pelvic recurrence to about 40% and chemotherapy + radiation will reduce it to about 5%. The morbidity of a recurrence is severe with intractable pain refractory to narcotics, incontinence of bowel and bladder and possible fistulae.


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Convert Canon EOS 7D MOV to 1080p AVI/WMV for editing and playing
- The Canon EOS 7D is an 18 megapixel digital SLR camera incorporating a new APS-C CMOS sensor designed and manufactured by Canon. The Canon 7D's 3 inch Clear View II LCD screen with 920,000 dot resolution is used for the camera's Live View and Movie modes, with Full HD 1080 video supported in which the frame rate is selectable from 30, 25 or 24fps. And the recorded videos are in QuickTime MOV format with H.264/MPEG-4 Video Codec and uncompressed PCM audio Codec.
- How good the Canon EOS 7D MOV videos play on your PC depends on how powerful your PC is. Basic editing software may have a hard time with the Canon 5D footage, as it is H.264 encoded high-def streams. If you have a powerful PC with powerful editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro CS 5 (or Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD, Pinnacle Studio) installed, it won't be a problem for playing and editing the 7D footage, otherwise you may get involved in playing back and editing issues. In that case, many people convert the H.264 codec into something more common, e.g. AVI and WMV. The following guide tells you how to convert Canon 7D MOV to 1080p AVI/WMV for editing and playing back.
- Required software: Brorsoft Video Converter.
Brorsoft Video Converter does a good job in converting H.264 .mov files to AVI, WMV formats for editing in sync and not loosing much quality. With NVIDIA CUDA Technology support, the fast video Converter enable uses to convert Canon 7D files in 5X faster speed that other similar video conversion tools.
- Step 1. Load Canon 7D H.264 .mov footage to the best Canon 7D MOV Converter.
Transfer h.264 encoded .mov files from Canon 7D camcorder to computer via USB cable. Download a trial of Brorsoft Video Converter and run the software as the best Canon 7D MOV converter. Click the "Add" button to load .mov videos from 7D camcorder.
- Step 2. Set HD AVI or WMV format as output format for editing or playing.
Click "Format" bar to determine output format. Follow "HD Video" template and select "WMV HD (*.wmv) or "AVI HD Video (*.avi)" as output video format.
- Step 3. Adjust video and audio settings to keep 1080p HD quality.
Click "Settings" button, then you will be able to adjust audio and video parameters on the popup window to customize the output file quality, these adjustable parameters include codec name, aspect ratio, bit rate, frame rate, sample rate, and audio channel. To maintain original HD quality, you may set "original" in the fields of "Size", "Bitrate" and "Frame rate". To downsize the Canon 7D .mov files, just set a smaller bitrate.
- Step 4. Click "Convert" button to convert Canon 7D MOV files to HD AVI/WMV.
Once the conversion is finished by Canon 7D MOV to AVI Converter, you can click "Open" button to get the output files effortlessly. Now you have got it right, just import and edit Canon 7D MOV files with common editing software like Windows Movie Maker or load the EOS 7D clips to Windows Media Player for playback.
- Additional editing features of the Canon 7D MOV Converter:
Trim a section of the 7D clip- click 'Editor', switch to 'Trim' tab, and input time point in start and end box.
Combine Canon 7D MOV footage together- check the files to be merged in file list and check 'Merge into one' box beside 'Settings' button.
Deinterlace- click 'Editor', switch to 'Effect' tab, find 'Deinterlacing' box, and check it to eliminate interlacing lines.
If you want to update EOS 7D cilps to Myspace, Flikr, YouTube, etc, just choose "Flash Video>>FLV" instead.
For Mac users, there is Video Converter for Mac software that converts 7D video to QuickTime MOV and DV AVI formats that are editable for FCP, FCE, iMovie, etc.