text:
By Bill Hudgins
"What trucking needs," declared my friend and ace gearjammer Rufus Sideswipe as we ate our lunch at a truck stop, "is to be more like the military."
My fork fell from my hand, landing noiselessly in the lake of white gravy atop my chicken-fried steak. "What? How do you figure that? How would you DO that?" I asked, incredulously.
"Look at it like this: We all know how important trucking and truck drivers are to the economy, the way we live, and even our security," he explained. "It used to be regulated, and that was a bad thing. Now it's a lot less regulated, and that ain't working out so hot either, is it?
"We been complaining about conditions for years, everything from waiting to getting screwed over by lumpers to breathing diesel fumes and pollution. Congress can't fix it, the unions can't fix it, and by ourselves we can't fix it. So we are mad and sad and getting nowhere fast."
But maybe if trucking was elevated to the status of one of the armed services, things might start to change. He even had a name for it – the United States Motor Carriers Corps, or USMCC – which, for me, is too close to the Marines' USMC. But Rufus was on a roll, so I didn't interrupt.
As he sees it, the USMCC would be led by a Trucker General, whose oath of office obliges him or her to look out for the welfare of all sides of trucking, not just the carriers or the drivers.
But below the top brass, organizing such a diverse industry left Rufus scratching his head. He is leaning toward treating the big companies like traditional military units — divisions, regiments, battalions, etc. Owner-operators and independents would form up more like the Reserves or the National Guard grouped under state units.
If you're an owner-operator or an indy contracting with a bigger carrier, you'd be considered as "attached" to that carrier, just as in the rest of the military.
Rufus says one of the best parts about this idea is that all truckers would get far more training than they do now. Meaningful training, not just holding a wheel or bonking a tire, but also skills to make them more successful.
The training would include business basics: bookkeeping, management and customer service. Because we are talking about a vital industry here, there might even be incentives for improving one's overall fitness and physical condition.
Of course, truckers wouldn't have roll call, and it is probably impractical to think about uniforms. However, Rufus – who has lately been cleaning up his image – thinks some kind of basic "uniform" wouldn't be at all bad for truckers' image. It could be as basic as work pants and shirt – but none of those Barney Fife caps of a generation or two ago.
That's all well and good, I said, but so far you've just talked about truckers, I pointed out. What about the other side of the equation?
"Glad you asked that," he said. "You make trucking an official national resource like an Army or Navy, and you can put some real teeth into rules and regulations for dealing with us.
"We could regulate loading and unloading of cargo. I bet there are a hundred thousand reefer drivers who'd like to be inspector general for that! Truck stops would have to meet standards for cleanliness and service, and they'd be more like PXs than high-priced monopolies. And we'd come up with some way to clean up parking lots for good," he predicted.
Somehow, I don't think Rufus' vision would ever fly. The independence of trucking, or at least the illusion of independence, is too powerful a drug to give up for a more regimented and controlled situation, even if it might go a ways toward fixing some of our many problems.
Still, the vision of truckers, committed and re-energized about themselves and their jobs – isn't that an inspiring vision? And is there really no practical way to realize that? LL
Bill Hudgins can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
- Proceedings
- Open Access
Reproducible Clusters from Microarray Research: Whither?
- Nikhil R Garge†4,
- Grier P Page1,
- Alan P Sprague2,
- Bernard S Gorman3 and
- David B Allison†1Email author
© Garge et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2006
- Published: 15 July 2005
In cluster analysis, the validity of specific solutions, algorithms, and procedures present significant challenges because there is no null hypothesis to test and no 'right answer'. It has been noted that a replicable classification is not necessarily a useful one, but a useful one that characterizes some aspect of the population must be replicable. By replicable we mean reproducible across multiple samplings from the same population. Methodologists have suggested that the validity of clustering methods should be based on classifications that yield reproducible findings beyond chance levels. We used this approach to determine the performance of commonly used clustering algorithms and the degree of replicability achieved using several microarray datasets.
We considered four commonly used iterative partitioning algorithms (Self Organizing Maps (SOM), K-means, Clutsering LARge Applications (CLARA), and Fuzzy C-means) and evaluated their performances on 37 microarray datasets, with sample sizes ranging from 12 to 172. We assessed reproducibility of the clustering algorithm by measuring the strength of relationship between clustering outputs of subsamples of 37 datasets. Cluster stability was quantified using Cramer's v 2 from a kXk table. Cramer's v 2 is equivalent to the squared canonical correlation coefficient between two sets of nominal variables. Potential scores range from 0 to 1, with 1 denoting perfect reproducibility.
All four clustering routines show increased stability with larger sample sizes. K-means and SOM showed a gradual increase in stability with increasing sample size. CLARA and Fuzzy C-means, however, yielded low stability scores until sample sizes approached 30 and then gradually increased thereafter. Average stability never exceeded 0.55 for the four clustering routines, even at a sample size of 50. These findings suggest several plausible scenarios: (1) microarray datasets lack natural clustering structure thereby producing low stability scores on all four methods; (2) the algorithms studied do not produce reliable results and/or (3) sample sizes typically used in microarray research may be too small to support derivation of reliable clustering results. Further research should be directed towards evaluating stability performances of more clustering algorithms on more datasets specially having larger sample sizes with larger numbers of clusters considered.
- Cluster Algorithm
- Real Dataset
- Cluster Solution
- Simulated Dataset
- Microarray Dataset
Cluster analysis is a statistical approach used in microarray research that identifies genes within a cluster that are more similar to each other than genes contained in different clusters. By grouping genes that exhibit similarities in their expression patterns, the function of those genes which were previously unknown may be revealed. There are two groups of clustering methods, hierarchical and non-hierarchical. Non-hierarchical algorithms require the number of clusters (k) be pre-specified. Non-hierarchical algorithms can run multiple times with different values of k. The user can then choose the clustering solution that is logical to address the problem of interest.
If we consider each gene as a point in high dimensional space, then "clusters may be described as continuous regions of this space containing a relatively high density of points, separated from other such regions by regions containing a relatively low density of points. Clusters described in this way are sometime referred to as natural clusters" [1].
Despite the use of cluster analysis in microarray research, the evaluation of the "validity" of a cluster solution has been challenging. This is due, in part, to the properties of cluster analysis. Cluster analysis has no null hypothesis to test and hence no right answer, which makes the testing of the validity of specific solutions, algorithms, and procedures difficult [2]. A second challenge encountered is that genes may not "naturally" fall into clusters separated by empty areas of the attribute space in genome expression studies. Hence, genome-wide collections of expression trajectories may lack a "natural clustering" structure in many cases [1]. Third, the result of gene clustering may be "method sensitive". That is, gene clustering depends on several methodological choices, including the distance metric used, the clustering algorithm, and the stopping rule in the case of iterative partitioning methods. Hence, it is important to evaluate the stability of any specific derived cluster solution and the general performance of clustering approaches.
According to McShane et al., "Clustering algorithms always detect clusters, even in random data and it is imperative to conduct some statistical assessments of the strength of evidence for any clustering and to examine the reproducibility of individual clusters" [3]. Roth et al. defined stability as "the variability of solutions which are computed from different data sets sampled on the same source" [4]. It has been noted that a replicable classification is not necessarily a useful one, but a useful one that characterizes some aspect of the population must be replicable [5]. The concept of a replicable cluster is defined as reproducible across multiple samplings from the same population. Thus, some methodologists have suggested that the validity of clustering methods could be defined as the extent by which they yield classifications that are reproducible beyond chance levels. Most recently, Tseng et al. [6] identified stability of clusters in a sequential manner through an analysis of the tendency of genes to be grouped together under repeated resampling. Famili et al. [7] summarized the related work as follows:
Zhang et al. [8]proposed a parametric bootstrap re-sampling method (PBR) to incorporate information on variations in gene expression levels to assess the reliability of gene clusters identified from large-scale gene expression data...Smolkin et al. [9]assessed the stability of a cluster using their Cluster Stability Score, by which a cluster's stability is calculated through clustering on random subspace of the attribute space...Ben-Hur et al. [10]proposed a stability-based re-sampling method for estimating the number of clusters, where stability is characterized by the distribution of pair-wise similarities between clusters obtained from sub-samples of the data...Datta et al. [11]formulated 3 other validation measures using the left-out-one condition strategy to evaluate the performances of 6 clustering algorithms...Giurcaneanu et al. [12]introduced a stability index to estimate the quality of clusters for randomly selected subsets of the data.
Clusters that produce classifications with greater replicability would be considered more valid [5]. The objective of this paper is to determine the performance of commonly used non-hierarchical clustering algorithms and the degree of stability achieved using several microarray datasets.
Real datasets
List of microarray datasets considered for the study. Table 1 contains two columns of datasets. Each dataset is described by its name, source, and sample size (n). Table 1 shows 39 datasets. The first 3 columns list 19 datasets and last three columns describe 18 datasets.
Name of the dataset
Sample size (n)
Name of the dataset
Sample size (n)
Leukemia dataset
Medulloblastoma Data Set
Prostate Cancer dataset
Gaffney Head and Neck data
Affymetrix Hu133A Latin Square
CNGI design experiment
Paired pre and post euglycaemic insulin clamp skeletal muscle biopsies
Simulated datasets
List of simulated microarray datasets. Table 2 show the details of simulated datasets. Each of these datasets has clustering structure k = 6 (six clusters) with correlation ρ set to (0.33)1/2.
Dataset Name
Sample size
Number of genes
Preprocessing of data
Microarray datasets may contain unobserved expression levels termed, i.e., missing values. The first stage of our preprocessing handled these missing values and then a second stage standardized the variables to mean zero and unit variance as explained below.
Missing values
If we represent microarray data as a matrix with rows representing genes and columns representing chips or samples, we filtered out all rows which contained at least one null expression or missing value because we do not know the exact source(s) for the missing/null value observation. Missing data can be due to array damage, transcription errors, etc. Conventional algorithms for clustering require complete datasets to run and extending these clustering routines to accommodate missing data was beyond the scope of our inquiry.
Variables such as gene expression values measured on different scales can affect cluster analysis [14]. The main purpose of standardization is to convert variables measured on different scales to a unitless standard scale. One might question the reason to standardize genes when microarray dataset represents expression levels of various genes. But a level of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) expression (for a given gene) responsible for triggering specific biological activity can be different for different genes. Therefore each gene vector (expression values of a gene across samples) may be a measurement made on a different functional scale. To address this issue, we standardized each gene vector (expression values of a gene across samples) and replaced expression values by Z scores before clustering genes. Z scores were computed using the following formula [15–17]:
Where Zij = Z score computed for expression level observed for gene i in sample/subject j, = intensity measured for gene i in sample j, and = mean intensity of gene i across samples, = standard deviation of expressions of gene i across samples.
Clustering methods
- 1.
Begin with an initial partitioning of the dataset into a specified number of clusters (k) and thereafter compute the centroids of these clusters.
- 2.
Allocate each data point to the cluster that has the nearest centroid (except Fuzzy C-means where data points belong to a cluster that is specified by a membership grade).
- 3.
Compute the new centroids of the clusters. Clusters are not updated until there has been a complete pass through the data.
- 4.
Alternate steps 2 and 3 until no data points change clusters.
We consider the following four iterative partitioning methods, which are commonly used in the literature. The algorithms for them are freely available in R statistical package.
In K-means clustering, one decides on the number of clusters and randomly assigns each gene to one of the k clusters. If a gene is actually closer to the center of another cluster, as assessed by variety of similarity metrics (i.e., Pearson's correlation or Euclidean Distance) the gene will be assigned to the closer cluster. After assigning all genes to the closest cluster, the centroids (centers of clusters) are recalculated. After a number of iterations, the cluster centroids will no longer change and the algorithm stops. The K-means clustering is described in detail in [18]. However, the efficient version of the algorithm is presented by Hartigan and Wong [19] which is implemented in R (publicly available software). This version of K-means assumes that it is not practical to require that the solution has minimal sum of squares against all partitions, except when M (number of genes to be clustered), N (number of chips or samples) are small and k = 2. For details of this algorithm, please refer [19].
Self Organizing Map (SOM)
Self Organizing Map (SOM) is a clustering algorithm [20] used to map high dimensional microarray data onto a two-dimensional surface. It is similar to K-means, but instead of allowing of centroids to move freely in high dimensional space, they are restricted to a two-dimensional grid. Grid maps considered by us are 1 × 2, 1 × 3, 1 × 4, 1 × 5, 1 × 6, 1 × 7, 1 × 8, 1 × 9, 1 × 10 for k = 2 to 10 respectively. We did not assess stability for other grid structures to see if we obtain similar stability scores, because assessing stability on 37 datasets with different set of grid structures for k = 2 to k = 10 involves impractical computations. The grid structure implies a relationship between neighboring clusters on the grid. The resultant map is organized in such a way that similar genes are mapped onto similar clusters (nodes) or to neighboring clusters. Hence, the arrangement of clusters reflects the topological relationships of these clusters.
Clustering LARge Applications (CLARA)
The clustering algorithm PAM (Partition Around Medoids) works effectively for small datasets but does not scale well for large datasets [21]. To deal with large datasets, a sampling-based method, called CLARA (Clustering LARge Applications) can be used. CLARA [22] is carried out in two steps. First it draws a sample of dataset, applies PAM algorithm on the sample and finds k representative objects of the sample. In PAM, one considers possible choices of k representative objects and then constructs the clusters around these representative objects. A set of k representative objects is selected which gives minimum average dissimilarity. PAM algorithm is explained in detailed in [23].
Once the k representative objects are selected, then each object not belonging to the sample is assigned to the nearest of the k representative objects. This yields clustering of the entire dataset and measure of quality of this clustering is obtained by computing the average distance between each object of the dataset and its representative object. After five samples have been drawn and clustered, the one is selected for which the lowest average distance was obtained.
Fuzzy C-means
Fuzzy C-means is a data clustering technique wherein each gene belongs to a cluster that is specified by a membership degree. Membership degrees between zero and one are used instead of crisp assignments of the data to clusters. This technique was originally introduced by Bezdek [24]. In our methodology we use crisp assignments of genes to clusters. Hence, in Fuzzy C-means we assign every gene to a unique cluster – the one showing maximum degree of membership for that gene. One may question why K-means is considered different from Fuzzy C-means if we do not assign genes to more than one cluster in Fuzzy C-means? In K-means [19], an early assignment to a given cluster may preclude a gene from being considered to any other cluster. Crisp assignment (in K-means algorithm) may prematurely force a gene into a cluster. Fuzzy C-means on other hand can be considered more "global" where a gene is assigned to more than one cluster with some membership degree (0 to 1) and then we convert the fuzzy membership into crisp membership by assigning the gene to a cluster showing maximum degree of membership. The above two approaches may produce different clustering solutions and hence Fuzzy C-means without fuzziness is not same as K-means.
Similarity Metric
The similarity metric allows us to compute the distance between two objects to be clustered. Two of the more common similarity metrics are: Pearson's correlation coefficient and Euclidean distance. A correlation coefficient evaluates the direction of change between two expression profiles. It is described as a shape measurement, which is insensitive to differences in magnitude of the variables. The value of correlation coefficient ranges from -1 to +1, and values of zero indicate a random relationship between profiles [5]. Euclidean distance is a dissimilarity measure, that is, a high distance implies low similarity and measures both magnitude and direction of change between two expression profiles. It can be shown that correlation and Euclidean distance are equivalent after standardization [16]. For our studies, we use Euclidean distance which can be calculated as:
Where, d ij is the distance between genes i and j (across N samples), and g ik is the gene expression value of the kth sample/subject for the ith gene.
Pearson's correlation coefficient can be defined as:
Method used to compute cluster stability
We quantify stability/replicability using Cramer's v 2 . Cramer's v 2 makes use of χ2 statistics. If we classify data by two systems simultaneously, the result is a two-way contingency table. One can analyze data of this type using the classic χ2 test, an inferential test of the null hypothesis, which states there is no association between the two classification schemes (for details, refer [25]). One can also compute measures that quantify the degree of association in such tables [26]. One such measure, Cramer's v 2 is the squared canonical correlation between two sets of nominal variables that define the rows and columns of the contingency table. It indicates the proportion of variance in one classification scheme that can be explained or predicted by the other classification scheme [25]. It ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating no relationship and 1 indicating a perfect reproducibility.
Where χ2 = is the ordinary χ2 test statistic for independence in contingency tables [27], N = the number of items cross classified (i.e., total number of genes to be clustered), and k = the smaller of rows or columns in a two way contingency table, in our case, k is the number of clusters extracted.
Algorithms and implementation
We implemented the algorithms explained in this section using R, a computer language designed for statistical data analysis. All four clustering techniques are implemented in R.
Approach to compute cluster stability
Algorithm to split dataset into two halves
We evaluated stability performances on 37 real microarray datasets (Table 1) and 8 simulated datasets (Table 2).
Results on real datasets
Table showing stability results produced on a real dataset of sample size 16. Table 3 shows stability scores produced on a given dataset of a sample size of n = 16. We split the dataset into two halves each containing 8 subjects. The left dataset is resampled 6 times producing 6 samples of sample sizes 3 to 8, respectively. Similarly the right dataset is resampled to produce 6 samples. We measured the strength of the association between the clusters produced on every pair of samples (one sample from left and other from right dataset both of same sample size) using Cramer's v 2 . Columns in the table represent number of clusters (k) and rows represent sample sizes. Stability score quantified for k = 10 and sample size 8 is 0.3699. This table shows there is 37% agreement between the clusters produced (k = 10) on pair of samples (a sample from left dataset and other from right dataset both of sample size 8).
Results on simulated datasets
Different algorithms showed different stability behaviors until sample size reached n = 100. K-means showed high stability at smaller sample sizes as compared to the other methods.
K-means, Fuzzy C-means and SOM showed fluctuation in scores even at large sample sizes, whereas CLARA showed consistent behavior (constant level of scores) at larger sample sizes.
CLARA maintained 100% stability for larger sample sizes (300–500) whereas, SOM and Fuzzy C-means failed to reach 100% stability, even at large sample sizes. K-means showed stability scores between 0.7 and 1.0 most of the times for larger sample sizes.
Figure 4 suggests that K-means shows replicable performance than other non-hierarchical clustering algorithms considered (SOM, CLARA and Fuzzy C-means). Also, CLARA is a good choice for datasets of larger sample sizes.
We determined the performance of commonly used non-hierarchical clustering algorithms and the degree of stability achieved using several microarray datasets. We assessed cluster stability as a measure of replicability. We agree that replicability is not the only criteria for measuring cluster stability. However, a useful classification that characterizes some aspect of population must be replicable [2]. The most critical finding of this research was low stability achieved for all four clustering algorithms even at the elevated sample sizes of n = 50. This suggests that in general, given sample sizes up to 50, if the clustering algorithms we studied are applied, it is highly questionable that the results obtained will be meaningful. The extent to which these results apply to other clustering algorithms remains open to question, but we believe that the "burden of proof" is now on those who use clustering algorithms on microarray data and claim that such analysis produce replicable results.
Figure 3 and Figure 4 suggest that K-means shows replicable performance than other clustering algorithms considered (SOM, CLARA and Fuzzy C-means). K-means and SOM showed similar behavior in real datasets because they are closely related to each other. In K-means, centroids move freely in multidimensional space while they are constrained to a two-dimensional grid in SOM [28]. In SOM, the distance of each input from all reference vectors is considered, instead of just the closest one, weighted by the neighborhood kernel [29]. Thus, the SOM functions as conventional clustering algorithm if the width of the neighborhood kernel is zero [29]. Low stability achieved on all four clustering routines may also suggest that microarray datasets, in general, lack natural clustering structure. We do not claim that these results can predict the exact stability nature of a given dataset of a specific sample size, since these are generalized on a large number and variety of datasets. Nonetheless, the researcher should consider performing cluster analysis on large sample sizes to obtain more stable clustering solutions. Our research suggests a statistical criterion for selecting an appropriate number of clusters (k) for a given microarray dataset. This may be accomplished by computing Cramer's v 2 on various values of k and selecting that value of k which provides a maximum stability score for a given dataset.
We also evaluated stability performances on simulated datasets. Simulated datasets helped us understand the stability behavior at large sample sizes (300–500). Datasets were structured for 6 clusters with a correlation of (0.33)1/2 within clusters. All four clustering algorithms showed similar stability behavior in real and simulated datasets until sample sizes attained n = 50. K-means showed greater stability scores as compared to other methods at smaller sample sizes in both real and simulated datasets, indicating that K-means appear to be a better choice for datasets of smaller sample sizes. K-means and CLARA maintained 100% stability for large sample sizes (300–500), whereas SOM and Fuzzy C-means showed stability scores below 1, even at larger sample sizes (refer Figure 5).
Our methodology to compute stability used crisp assignments of genes to clusters. Hence, in Fuzzy C-means we assigned every gene to a cluster showing maximum degree of membership. We acknowledge that the above process of crisp assignment may affect the stability scores produced in Fuzzy C-means and hence expect it to produce low scores before hand. In SOM, we found that the choice of two-dimensional grid structure influences the stability scores produced on simulated datasets. For a same number of clusters (k) considered, we can create a two-dimensional grid in more than one way. Choosing the right grid structure for a given value of k to produce stable clustering solutions is beyond the scope of this paper and will address it in future investigations. Currently we limit the value of k (clusters) to 10; hence, if a real dataset has natural clustering structure for k greater than 10 (say k = 17), then this observation is not captured. We will consider measuring stability scores for higher values of k as an extension of this research. In conclusion our research suggests several plausible scenarios: (1) microarray datasets may lack natural clustering structure thereby producing low stability scores on all four methods; (2) the algorithms studied may not be well suited to producing reliable results and or (3) sample sizes typically used in microarray research may be too small to support derivation of reliable clustering results.
We thank W. Timothy Garvey for providing the data in human skeletal muscle and biopsies before and after hyperinsulinemic clamp studies. We thank all the members of Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham for giving us some constructive comments and suggestions during the course of our research. This research was supported in part by NIH grant U54CA100949 and NSF grants: 0090286 and 0217651.
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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James Aylett wrote at 03/12/98 07:23 >Really? Can you see hyphenation appearing in microkernel operating systems >such as might be used to build hand-held devices? It's not an operating >system feature at all - but (and I hope that this is what you meant) it >should be a shared resource. Brief reply, as I'm away from "home". I think hyphenation (in a browser) should be a "drop-in" module, which should allow for a user "dictionary" much like spell-checkers do. I think it's a little difficult to decide what are and what are not core OS functions these days (ie Apple thinks text processing (ATSUI) is, Microsoft thinks a web browser is), certainly hyphenation should be a shared resource. I'll make the effort to find out if ATSUI deals with this at all. -- CliveReceived on Monday, 7 December 1998 02:10:08 UTC
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The joys of feeding your soul at The Brooklyn Star
19 Jul 2011
Williamsburg in Brooklyn has a number of great places to eat Southern/soul food. One of these joints, The Brooklyn Star had come recommended by my friend Robyn (also known as The Girl Who Ate Everything) and was right on the street where we were staying. Opened by Joaquin Baca, (a protégé of Momofuku's David Chang) I was more than happy to have yet another encounter with some good rib sticking soul food so we decided to pay a visit one evening.
The ribs looked great though weren't as flavoursome or tender as I would have liked. Still, the sucker I am for ribs in general, I still enjoyed them.
Cornbread was another soul food first for me! At The Brooklyn Star it came hot and fresh from the oven. I loved it. So light, so fluffy, so morish!
On a similar note the buttermilk biscuits were also great in that comforting, fresh baked, fluffy kinda way.
The decor was simple with booths and wooden family kitchen style tables (which we were told we might need to share if they got busy). I particularly adored the jam jar water glasses and vase, and the bear shaped squeezy honey bottle. Robyn explained that honey could be used as a condiment on pretty much everything – advice which I took literally as I doused my entire plate with it.
A little nod to health (just a little one) came in the form of kale and cheddar, of which the latter appeared to have been baked in some way to render it crispy. And also a bowl of sprouts which had been nicely pan fried and served with ham, apple and some tangy, spicy chow chow.
Then back on board the fatty train as we tucked into a skillet of mac and cheese so creamy, soft and squidgy in the middle and crispy on the outer edges that it would easily rival Spuntino's without breaking a sweat.
And then onto another new one for me, fried sweetbreads with hominy and ramp mayonnaise, consisting of three elements to which I was a complete noob. I can't believe I've never tried sweetbreads before. "Tasty globules of joy" might have been Robyn's description of them if I recall correctly. And so they were, like tender meat puffs in a crispy crumb coating.
The hominy was a strange one, almost like a form of soft, puffy corn. Not bad but I'm sure I much prefer the sweeter, juicier, un-nixtamalised version of corn kernals! And ramp is a native North American variety of onion. Not really sure what I was looking for at the time, I failed to detect it in the mayo.
And lastly came the country fried steak (also known as chicken fried steak). What a crazy dish this was! A tenderised slab of steak coated in the same coating you would use for fried chicken (think KFC), and then pan fried. If this wasn't enough, the whole thing is then drowned in more of that delicious, fatty, white gravy I'd so come to admire upon my visit to Egg, then served with mashed potatoes and slaw. Wowee… a meal and a half if ever I saw one!
And finally onto the dessert! Oh how I adored this. A Granny Smith apple crumble with whipped cream and cheddar cheese! Some may find it strange but to me it was a little tribute to my teenage years when I became obsessed with making apple turnovers with cheddar cheese. The sweetness and tartness of the apples and crumble, the touch of cinnamon, the creamy whipped cream, all enhanced by the melty, joyous, savouriness of the cheese. Swoon.
We had a great time at The Brooklyn Star and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. It really hit home that London is missing out when it comes to soul food. This city needs that kind of comfort. With the typical London weather being what it is, you know it's true! If only The Brooklyn Star were more accessible to me, I'd totally go back. Oh how I'd go back! In my near future though, I may find myself baking an apple crumble… with cheddar cheese of course!
The Brooklyn Star
593 Lorimer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211


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Techniques and Methods 5-B3
Determination of Semivolatile Organic Compounds and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Solids by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Steven D. Zaugg, Mark R. Burkhardt, Teresa L. Burbank, Mary C. Olson, Jana L. Iverson, and Michael P. Schroeder
April 2006
A method for the determination of 38 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and semivolatile organic compounds in solid samples is described. Samples are extracted using a pressurized solvent extraction system. The compounds of interest are extracted from the solid sample twice at 13,800 kilopascals; first at 120 degrees Celsius using a water/isopropyl alcohol mixture (50:50, volume-to-volume ratio), and then the sample is extracted at 200 degrees Celsius using a water/isopropyl alcohol mixture (80:20, volume-to-volume ratio). The compounds are isolated using disposable solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges containing divinylbenzene-vinylpyrrolidone copolymer resin. The cartridges are dried with nitrogen gas, and then sorbed compounds are eluted from the SPE material using a dichloromethane/diethyl ether mixture (80:20, volume-to-volume ratio) and passed through a sodium sulfate/Florisil SPE cartridge to remove residual water and to further clean up the extract. The concentrated extract is solvent exchanged into ethyl acetate and the solvent volume reduced to 0.5 milliliter. Internal standard compounds are added prior to analysis by capillary-column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Comparisons of PAH data for 28 sediment samples extracted by Soxhlet and the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) method described in this report produced similar results. Extraction of PAH compounds from standard reference material using this method also compared favorably with Soxhlet extraction. The recoveries of PAHs less than molecular weight 202 (pyrene or fluoranthene) are higher by up to 20 percent using this ASE method, whereas the recoveries of PAHs greater than or equal to molecular weight 202 are equivalent.
This ASE method of sample extraction of solids has advantages over conventional Soxhlet extraction by increasing automation of the extraction process, reducing extraction time, and using less solvent. Extract cleanup also is greatly simplified because SPE replaces commonly used gel permeation chromatography.
The performance of the method (as expressed by mean recoveries and mean precision) was determined using Ottawa sand, a commercially available topsoil, and an environmental stream sediment, fortified at 1.5 and 15 micrograms per compound. Recoveries of PAH and semivolatile compounds in Ottawa sand samples fortified at 1.5 micrograms averaged 88 percent ± 9.4 percent relative standard deviation, and calculated initial method detection limits per compound averaged 14 micrograms per kilogram, assuming a 25-gram sample size. The recovery for 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene is less than 60 percent; thus, the concentration of this compound will always be reported as estimated with the E remark code.
The analysis of 25 alkylated PAH homolog groups also can be determined with this method with extra data analysis and review, but because of the lack of authentic reference standard compounds, these results are considered to be semiquantitative. The PAH homolog groups are quantitated using the response factor of a parent PAH method compound, if available. Precision data for the alkylated PAH homologs detected in a marine sediment standard reference material (SRM 1944) also are presented to document and demonstrate method capability.
This report is available on the USGS Publishing Network.
VIEW the report.


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We are pleased to announce that Leamside Academy are now a licensed riding centre!
Leamside can now offer lessons on our experienced schoolmasters from 12.2hh to 16.3hh. As well as lessons on your own horse.
We offer individual or shared lessons to ensure you gain the most out of your experience and can truly progress at your learning level. So wether you are returning to riding from a break or want to gain some experience riding the higher levels of dressage or it is all new and something you have always wanted to do, our experienced team are here to make your riding experience a great one!
Julius, our dressage simulator, is also a great tool for improving your level of understanding and performance where we can work with you directly on your posture and understanding of movements to target weak areas. We would encourage an early assessment on Julius to compliment your riding programme.
The riding sessions are carried out by highly skilled individuals who have ridden and coached to a high level sharing their knowledge to benefit your overall education.
*Our riding academy is currently full. We still have limited lesson space available on your own horse, advanced work on our 16.3 schoolmaster or on Julius the simulator*.
Please enquire for further information – 0191 607 5900 or email email@example.com


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12/9: Author Spotlight
Kim Kash
Genre: Mystery
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Friday, May 11, 2012
review of Helen Forsey's new book
Writing Eugene Forsey: Canada's Maverick Sage (Dundurn, 2012, ISBN 978-926577-9) was a project that extended over seventeen years for author/activist Helen Forsey. Her father, Senator Eugene Forsey, (1904-1991) is still remembered and quoted as an authority on Canada's constitution, but, as this biography shows, he addressed many other matters of concern to Canadians. Appointed to the Senate in 1970, he used his office as a platform to address issues ranging from world poverty to aboriginal rights.
Helen Forsey has taken a thematic approach to her father's life because of her conviction that his ideas are relevant today. She begins, however, with a short, chronological biography. Born into a well-known Newfoundland family, Eugene Forsey came to Ottawa as an infant with his young widowed mother, and grew up in her family's home. Since her father was Chief Clerk of Notes and Proceeding in the House of Commons, young Eugene became aware, early on, of the importance of Parliament.
Educated in Ottawa schools, then at McGill and Oxford Universities, Forsey was brought up with a sense of duty toward those less fortunate. As a lecturer at McGill, he was appalled by the human suffering unleashed by the crisis in capitalism that began with the 1929 stock market crash. He became involved in a number of progressive organizations working for social change, including the Student Christian Movement, Canadian Forum magazine, and the League for Social Reconstruction. He attended the founding convention of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation Party (the CCF, fore-runner of the New Democratic Party) in Regina.
Subsequently, as head of research with the Canadian Council of Labour in Ottawa, he supported workers' rights while opposing communism in the trade union movement. He became known as a witty, scholarly pundit. In 1956 he spoke out against the St. Laurent government's use of closure in Parliament to force passage of the Trans-Canada Pipeline bill, which involved massive give-aways of Canadian taxpayers' money to American private enterprise. Throughout his life, Forsey was wary of American influence on all aspects of Canadian life.
The 1926 King-Byng constitutional crisis had such an impact on young Eugene Forsey that he wrote his thesis on the subject. In 1926, when Prime Minister King, facing defeat in the House of Commons, asked that an election be called, the Governor General, Lord Byng, decided to let the opposition Conservatives try to form a government, rather than going to the people. King made an issue of the decision, claiming imperial interference in Canadian democracy. The Conservative government that replaced him soon fell, and King won the subsequent election by beating the drum of nationalism. Forsey believed that King should have respected the governor-general's decision, as it was quite within the Parliamentary tradition. In Forsey's view, King had disrespected both the Crown and Parliament.
Respect for Parliamentary democracy and the Crown were interrelated with other themes in Forsey's life and work. He believed that the monarchy is key to the functioning of our Parliamentary system, and is also a non-partisan force that can speak for the citizenry as a whole. Civility, and respect for rules and procedures, were important to him. The need for the public to be well-educated in language use, civics and history tied in with his other themes.
Christianity had taught Forsey that people have an obligation to take care each other in society. He believed that a uniform social safety net, equally accessible to all Canadians, could best be provided by a strong federal government. Decentralization to the provinces, he belived, would lead to inequalities. He did not subscribe to the "two nations" view of Canada because he felt it privileged Quebec, and was also unhistorical and divisive.
Many of his issues are still current. The frequent use of closure and other limitations on Parliamentary debate would shock Forsey, who was fond of explaining that "Parliament" was derived from the French word, "parlement", meaning "talking". Only through a thorough airing could all the implications of a piece of legislation be explored. Prime Minister Harper's use of proroguation in 2008, rather than facing an opposition coalition prepared to replace him in office, would have met with Forsey's disapproval. He would have been shocked by a number of recent instances in which cabinet ministers have demonized people and groups who disagree with them.
The Attawapiscat crisis, and the plight of other First Nations communities, much in the news in the winter of 2011-2, would probably have moved Eugene Forsey, if he were alive, to speak out in support of aboriginal rights guaranteed in treaties with the Crown. The economic crisis of 2008 and its aftermath are sadly reminiscent of the malfunctioning of capitalism which brought about the Great Depression of the 1930s, in which Forsey was radicalized.
Some of Eugene Forsey's views and causes, however, seem unlikely to be revived. He left the newly formed NDP in 1961 because it espoused the "two nations" view of Canada. One wonders how he would have reacted to the "orange wave" of 2011 in Quebec which swept the New Democratic Party into the role of Her Majesty's Opposition. There is little active opposition today to the "two nations" concept, except for those who point out, rightly, that the aboriginal people were here before the French and English and are our "First Nations." Helen Forsey notes that her father, though fluently bilingual and fond of living in Quebec, never quite grasped the visceral, emotional aspects of Quebec nationalism.
Eugene Forsey's calls for clear writing and thorough research are as timely as ever, but some of his pet ideas about word choice are unlikely to be revived. He liked the phrases "Dominion of Canada" and "Dominion Day", pointing to their Biblical origin. Unfortunately, in recent years, opponents of the environmental movement have claimed that the Lord gave Man "dominion" over the land and other living creatures, in the sense of "developing" or "exploiting" them. "Dominion" is fraught with negative connotations these days.
Regarding the monarchy, which Forsey strongly supported, a 2012 Angus Reid poll showed theat 37% of Canadians support the idea of an elected head of state. Certainly, the structure of Parliamentary democracy seems to require a figure like the governor general, but would this head of state have to be a "viceroy" - a representative of the Crown? For some Canadians, the idea of monarchy harkens back to an archaic, undemocratic system, even though they like the young attractive royals who come to visit us.
It seems pretty clear, too, that, for better or for worse, the prime minister has become our de facto head of state and that our governor general will go along with the prime minister's wishes when it comes to calling elections or proroguing Parliament.
While Senator Forsey's books and other writings are undoubtedly national treasures, his life experiences also convey interesting lessons. One is that, when you "cut your losses and move on", it may hurt. As Helen Forsey puts it:
"In the business of fighting things out with friends and comrades, anguish and loneliness often seem the only recompense. The questions don't go away: when to challenge and when to concede; how to be simultaneously frank yet caring, open-minded yet firm; and - sometimes most painful of all - when to cut your losses and move on. Time and time again my father experienced all these dilemmas. When core principles were at stake, he did not shrink from battle. But although his anger and determination might mask the depth of his struggle, those close to him knew the anguish these choices cost him."
As an example, Helen Forsey cites her father's connection to the CCF-NDP. After having been a CCF member for over twenty-five years, Eugene quite the newly-formed NDP in 1961, over the "two nations" issue. Aftrer accepting an appointment to Canada's Senate by Prime Minister Trudeau, Forsey sat as a Liberal, although he later said he should have sat as an Independent. Later, when invited to the NDP's fiftieth anniversary celebration, he declined, saying that his presence wouldn't be welcomed.
Over the years, in my own little life, I have quit things on principle; for instance, I took a rest from being a card-carrying NDP member during Bob Rae's premiership of Ontario, and I have quit writers' organizations when I felt they were benefitting the executive more than the membership. It's a relief to see that a "great person" suffered the same sort of inner turmoil as I did over this kind of decision.
Helen Forsey's account of her parents' long (and, over-all, happy) marriage interested me. I have always felt that it's awfully hard for a couple to have an egalitarian marriage when everything in society works against it, and the Forseys' example reinforced this impression.
"Neither he nor my mother was entirely immune to the sex role expectations of the 1940s and '50s, nor did they escape the practical limitations that those norms imposed," writes Helen Forsey.
Both Harriet and Eugene Forsey were well-educated and mature when they married. Harriet had a Master's Degree and was, like her husband, interested in social issues. (She too wrote for Canadian Forum, for example.) She remained Eugene Forsey's first editor and critic throughout their years together. In an era of limited modern household conveniences, compared to nowadays, they tried to share housework and child care. Indeed, in a letter to Arthur Meighen, Eugene Forsey wrote that he didn't know when he would ever read a certain book that Meighen had recommended. "Even when I finish my share of the evening's work fairly early, I am usually too exhausted for anything but sleep," he said.
As traditional roles became more entrenched in the 1950s, Harriet Forsey, who excelled at everything she did, threw herself into her domestic role, but found it limiting. Meanwhile, Eugene became increasingly in demand and well-known as a writer and speaker. Helen Forsey mentions her mother broaching the subjecd about returning to university for her Ph.D. During the discussion her mother burst into tears, possibly because there were so many factors against this aspiration.
Raised by strong, achieving women, Eugene Forsey was "puzzled, hurt and defensive" when women began claiming "an identity and perspective different from men," Helen writes. Both Eugene and Harriet Forsey encouraged their two daughters in all of their pursuits, including rugged outdoor sports and non-traditional fields of study, but Senator Forsey was, at the same time, "blind to the sexism all around him", in Helen's words. Her account of her parents' domestic life reinforced my feeling that women should never give up the struggle for equality but should never imagine that it will ever be easy.
Helen Forsey shows in this biography how her own views, influenced by her father's, have expanded as a result of her ever-increasing knowledge and life experience. She has grappled successfully with the task she set herself in undertaking to write about "Canada's maverick sage".
Posted by Ruth Latta at 9:36 AM
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Thursday, March 22, 2012 | 4:39 p.m.
The Cosmopolitan announced today that it will open an EA Sports Bar at the hotel and casino on March 31. The new lounge-style venue will offer patrons sports video games to play, as well as traditional sporting events broadcast by the bar.
The new 25,000-square-foot venue, which will hold as many as 125 guests, is born from a partnership among the Cosmopolitan, EA Sports, PlayStation and Sharp. It will feature Sony PlayStation 3 consoles, a selection of EA Sports games such as Madden NFL 12, FIFA 12 and golf against Tiger Woods, and six high-definition televisions to broadcast daily sporting events.
The sports-bar-meets-lounge is designed to have an intimate "living room" feel with nine seating vignettes featuring leather chairs and sofas, as well as an antique foosball table. It will serve bottled beers and snack food and include a retail area selling clothing, gifts and video games.
EA Sports Bar will be open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to midnight and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Follow Andrea Domanick on Twitter at @AndreaDomanick and fan her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AndreaDomanick.


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Outboard Servicing
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Marine Electronics
With extensive knowledge of how to operate and install all marine devices, we're your one-stop-shop for all electrical equipment for your boat. We can offer the latest range of GPS units, fish finders, marine radios and more.


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Country Club Coup d'état
by Matthew Dexter
Miss Anthropy
by Devon Robbins
Alone at the End
by William Lapham
We bid adieu to Volume 2.
Featuring the return of Matthew Dexter and work by first-time contributors Devon Robbins and William Lapham, Issue 2.24 aims each Titleist at her skull, throws up half a fifth of cheap undigested whiskey, and squeezes off a few rounds.
Be among the first writers to be featured in Volume 3. Get your stories submitted today.
– Josh Goller


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This pediatric auscultation trainer with listening points at the correct anatomical locations also has heart sound at different rates for comparison. Heart sounds, including Eisnemenger's syndrome, Ebstein's Anomaly, and more, can be heard at 75bm and 90bm.
- Also includes heart lung sounds, palpatation, pediatric breath sounds, and pediatric bowel sounds
- Customized volume adjustments
- On-line student learning and assessment modules
- Classroom or auditorium ready
- Variable heart and respiration rate


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'The Great Tribulation'
2Thess 2:9-10 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Thess 2:9-10 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
As the Antichrist prays in the temple of God, a large black cloud with lightnings and thunders will hover over Jerusalem. Immediately after his prayer, fire from heaven will come down to consume thousands of animal sacrificed, while powerful lightnings and loud thunders will be seen and heard in Judea. (Devil will make these events more dramatic than those during Solomon's time, so that as many as possible will witness his lying wonders). All those watching TV or from afar will see the cloud with lightnings and thunders descending down covering the whole temple.
2Chron 7:3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever."
Similarly, the people (deceived) seeing all these signs and wonders will immediately fall to the ground and worship God whom they tnink has come down to dwell amongst men.
Cloud, Lightning enter Temple
All the Jews Priesthoods (some came out earlier from the cloud filled temple), the 10 kings (false prophets), Christian leaders (false christs) and all the other heads of their respective religion (false servants of God) standing behind the Antichrist will all be covered with cloud, lightnings and thunders. The cameras in the Holy Place and also those directed at the mercy seat of God will be black (completely filled with smoke). As the clouds, lightnings and thunders enter into the Holy Place, these will be detected by the cameras.
As the Cloud Clears Up
As the clouds begin to clear in the Holy Place, the Priesthood followed by the 10 kings and all the heads of religions (with Antichrist missing) will enter the Holy Place. All these happenings will be seen by all watching TV. As the cloud begins to thin in the Most Holy Place and whenever there is lightnings, faintly there will appear an image of a person seated on the mercy seat upon the Ark of Covenant (throne of God). As the clouds slowly disappear everyone will see the Antichrist seated on the mercy seat and immediately the Jewish Priesthood, Christian leaders and others will bow down and worship him as God. Many watching TV will also bow down to worship the Antichrist (the beast, lawless one, man of sin, etc.)
Rev 4:9-10a Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
How sad it will be for our Father to see His children fall at the last hurdle by worshipping the Antichrist (beast) because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. The lack of faith and love of truth kept them from learning His words esp. end-time prophecies and events.
Brethren, Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Thess 2:3-4)


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The need for Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods has again been brought to the frontburner with the Managing Director of Nigeria Gas and Steel Ltd (NGSL), Hasib Moukarim, adding his voice to the call.
Moukarim, who made the call in a chat with journalists, said substandard steel pipes and tubes from Europe have flooded the market edging out higher quality local products.
Imported substandard building materials, Moukarim said, have been the major cause of collapsed buildings that dot the nation's landscape as most Nigerians go for them (substandard materials) because they are cheap compared with the ones manufactured locally.
"Due to the cost of manufacturing, most of our local manufacturers have either packed up or are producing at costs higher than the imported ones. Some of the imported materials do not conform to any form of standard specifications.
"Most of the materials are made to European standard and, therefore, unsuitable for the tropical climate in sub-Saharan Africa. In most cases, "C" grade materials, which are very close to their expiry dates, are imported by unscrupulous businessmen who are ready to make huge profits at the expense of the lives of Nigerian users," he said.
Moukarim charged the Federal Government not to succumb to the pressure by selfish industrialists to drop the quality of construction steel.
He said there was a need for the government to intervene to enable the sector maximise its potential and boost trade and employment.
Building professionals, such as architects, structural engineers, fabricators and consultants, said Moukarim, could help to reduce the high cost of locally-made building materials by considering cost advantage.
His words: "Access to decent accommodation in Nigeria will continue to be elusive until the scarcity and prohibitive cost of conventional building materials and components are checked. Stakeholders need to look for cost advantage in soliciting for building material for clients. By soliciting the right steel for housing construction of warehouses and buildings, the client gets the cost saving and the professionals get the credit."
He said foreign products are not in any way near the recommended international standard by the Steel Tube Institute of North America which recommended ´Hollow Structural Sections´ (HSS), a type of steel tube that has greater strength to weight ratios than wide flange beams.


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Lakshami Kaudi-Yellow Kaudi - 11 pcs
Yellow Kaudi is auspicious for worshiping goddess Lakshamiji and Lord Vishnu
Many spiritual and tantrik pooja processes are completed successfully with the aid of Yellow Koudi. Yellow Koudi is used to balance the planetary effect of Jupiter and the malefic effects of Ketu and Rahu.
Keeping 11 Yellow Koudi Peeli Koudi in one's place of wealth bestows the blessings of Lord Kuber and goddess Lakshmi. On the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras and Akshay Triteeya, Yellow Koudi must be kept at pooja place after wrapping in yellow cloth. This ensures a smooth flow of money in the family.
You can place yellow Kaudi in a cash box or safe for financial luck
People suffering from minimal savings despite good earnings must keep 11 pieces of Yellow Koudi in the north-west part of their room.
Highly recommended by Vastu Consultant


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Sally was born in Nebraska, and moved to Coronado, California, in her early teens. In 2004 Old Hickory, Tennessee, become her home. Art has always been a part of her life from her early school days. Sally continues to educate herself with classes and workshop, with well- known artists. Focusing on water media and drawing her work is truly unique.
Sally has shown her work at the following locations:
Donelson YMCA
Vanderbilt University Club
St. Stephen Catholic Community Fine Art Festival
Mt. Juliet Public Library
Tennessee Art League
Sally enters juried shows and has received many awards:
Tennessee Art League Membership Show
Wilson County Fair
Tennessee State Fair


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Behind the little fib about the worst debt crisis in British history, lurks the real whopper - the claim that when Labour left office Britain faced a debt crisis. This has been Chancellor Osborne's consistent narrative for the last two years. A debt crisis happens when a government can borrow only at ruinously high interest rates.
So here is the recent history of the interest rates paid by the British government:
Can you see the surge in interest rates during the "debt crisis"? Nor me.


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Our innovative child care programs that integrate technology-filled classrooms, highly trained educational staff, and an accreditation from APPLE (Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment) set us apart from a typical daycare. Our elite Learning Academy offers child care and educational programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, pre-K, and before/after school care. All of our childcare options work to establish a firm foundation that will set your child up for a lifetime of success! Our programs are designed to give your child a foundation for a lifetime of success! We service Disney, Kissimmee, Hunter's Creek, Saint Cloud, Lake Nona, Meadow Woods, Buena Ventura Lakes, Celebration and Boggy Creek.
Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy provides a secure, nurturing, and educational environment for children. Our school is a place for children to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society.
Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy wants all children to have the opportunity to grow physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually by playing, exploring, and learning with others in a fun, safe, and healthy environment.
As a family-owned and operated school, Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy welcomes positive family involvement and encourages a parent-teacher approach where the needs of every child come first!


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Happy Diwali 2017 : Poems On Diwali, Best Diwali Poems In English Hindi For Kids For WhatsApp Status Facebook Update: Hello friends, first of all, let us wish you all a very Happy Diwali. We wish that you get all the happiness and blessing of your parents and family on this day with lots of love from your kids and friends. Dussehra and Navratri time is over now, and it's time to celebrate the festival of light, Diwali. If you are looking for some Poems On Diwali for your kids or students, then it's the perfect collection for you. In this fast running time, Young kids forget the history and knowledge of their much celebrated and valued festivals.
Diwali Poem With Images In Hindi And English 2017
So, to keep reminding them the value of these festivals that relate to our religion's best history, we have to give them some Happy Diwali Poems to sing. Up to 10 years, age-old kids will surely love these beautiful Diwali in Hindi languages. We are also sharing Diwali Poems In English for kids and students if they want to sing in the school program. You can share these Diwali Poems 2017 on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. with your friends and family. So, they can also make a good use of it. Below is the collection of best poems for Diwali in Hindi and English language.
Poems On Diwali
Pretty diyas light up the place,Rockets vanish without a trace,Be it night or be it day,It's crackers, sparkles all the way!Diwali is the festival of lights,Filled with fun and happy sights,The festival mood is in the air,Lets burst those crackers, but take care,Diwali is that the time of the year,We visit both far and near,Wearing all our grandest clothes,Diwali must come twice a year.
It's the "Festival of Lights" today,It's again the day of Diwali,It's time to dress up folks,It's time to adorn the thali.It's the occasion to throng the temples,Pray to the Gods and give them offerings,It's an opportunity to entreat the deities,To bless us all and rid us of sufferings.It's the day to light the diyas,Ignite the rockets and burst crackers,But it's also the time to be safe,From the fireworks and all the sparklers.It's the season to pay a visit,To all our friends and relations,To hand them over sweets and presents,Diwali is our splendid chance.
Happy Diwali Poems In English
The clear blue sky,The scent of flowers,The colours of Rangoli,And the sound of crackers.The gifts and sweets from dear ones,And the getting of their love,The light of the candles below,And the dazzling fireworks up above.Lighting lamps at our homes,Making the less fortunate smile,Putting on new apparels,Show our friends some style.Paying respects to the gods,And decorating for them the thali,This is what the occasion is all about,This is the spirit of Deepavali.
The sweet smell of flowers
The array of colours
Diwali is here
Firecrackers are heard
Candles are lit
Children play
Presents are given
We pray to the gods
Diwali is here.
Happy Diwali Poems In Hindi
Aayaa Tyohaar Diwali KaAayaa tyohaar Diwali kaBachcho ki khushhali kaBablu kahate papa seMujhako PC lana haiguriya kahati mammi sehame sitar bajana haipapa bare achambhe me haiye mausam kangali kaAayaa tyohaar diwali kaBibi kahati pati dev seJab bonus tum paayogeSabse pahale haar sunaharaLa mujhako pahnaao gePati dev to mook bane haiRupaya denaa udhaari ka Aayaa tyohaar diwali kaSab ki farmaish se tang huye haiBablu guriya ke papa jiPatni to sir chadh kar boleKabhi na kahati aao jiAb bhaag na sakate papa jiJo theka liye rakhwali kaAayaa tyohaar diwali ka
दीपों का त्योहार दीवाली।खुशियों का त्योहार दीवाली॥वनवास पूरा कर आये श्रीराम।अयोध्या के मन भाये श्रीराम।।घर-घर सजे , सजे हैं आँगन।जलते पटाखे, फ़ुलझड़ियाँ बम।।लक्ष्मी गणेश का पूजन करें लोग।लड्डुओं का लगता है भोग॥पहनें नये कपड़े, खिलाते है मिठाई ।देखो देखो दीपावली आई॥
Diwali me kahin pa gayiBilli ek patakaDiwali me kahin pa gayiBilli ek patakaBoli mem bi aaj karoongiGhar mem dhoom dhadakaBoli mem bi aaj karoongiGhar mem dhoom dhadakaHuva dhamaka billi uchaliJaise ghendh uchhalthiHuva dhamaka billi uchaliJaise ghendh uchhalthiUska chotta bachha darkarBhaaga jaldi jaldiUska chotta bachha darkarBhaaga jaldi jaldi
We hope that you will like and share these Poems On Diwali, Happy Diwali Poems, Diwali Poems In Hindi Language, and Diwali Poems In English with your friends and family.


text: Payment gateways are an integral part of today's e-commerce. It's not just an option for businesses but should be part of any brand's financial matrix. A payment gateway is defined as an e-commerce service that facilitates the processing of credit card payments for both physical stores and online businesses. Payment gateways are able to swiftly process these transactions through transfers of data in between websites/mobile devices that serve as payment gateways and the bank. First, it does the encryption of data sent in between the vendor and the sales website. The gateway will then transfer transaction information to the payment […] Read More


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City of West CovinaMenu Home
Newly Approved Apparatus 2016
The City of West Covina City Council has approved the purchase of two new Pierce Fire Engines and one new Pierce Quint Aerial Truck Company. Pierce Manufacturing, located in Wisconsin, will be building the custom fire apparatus which will significantly improve and update the current Fire Department fleet. When received the new fire engines and quint aerial ladder truck will be placed into service as front line units. Upon their arrival, the new fire apparatus will add to the amount of reliable apparatus for use in a reserve capacity. Reserve apparatus are vital to maintaining the department's ability to respond and provide service when frontline fire apparatus are taken out of service for maintenance. The extensive process of building the new fire engines and quint aerial ladder truck can take over a year and the West Covina Fire Department expects to be place the new units into service in early 2017.


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MARKHAM, ON (November 1, 2016) – Honda Canada today reported an increase of 2% in October, on sales of 17,270 units by the Honda and Acura divisions combined, posting a new overall October sales mark. The Honda Automobile Division set a new October record, gaining 1% on sales of 15,304 units. The Acura Division reported October sales of 1,966 units, up 12% over last year.
"Breaking 10-year-old sales records for the third consecutive month, Ridgeline delivers new levels of versatility, capability and comfort to Canadians coast to coast," said Dave Gardner, Senior Vice President of Operations, Honda Canada Inc. "The all-new 2017 Civic Hatchback was added to the Civic family and inserts a fresh dimension to an already robust car lineup. The expanding 10th generation Civic roster brings new energy to the car side of our business, even as our trucks continue with steady gains."
"Acura's truck lineup of products equipped with advanced technology systems and confident Super Handling All-Wheel Drive performance, traditionally resonate with customers in the fall and winter months, pushing the brand's October sales growth," added Gardner.
October Highlights:
• Honda Canada Inc. sales rose 2% to set an October record with 17,270 units sold
• Honda Division saw its best October ever with 15,304 units sold versus 15,169 units in 2015
• Honda CR-V topped a monthly record for the fourth consecutive month with 4,404 units sold versus the previous best October in 2015 with 3,630 units sold
• Honda Ridgeline broke a 10-year-old monthly sales record for the third consecutive month with 471 units sold
• For the fourth consecutive month, Acura RDX set a monthly sales record with 829 unit sales versus the previous best October in 2015 with 624 units sold
About Honda
Honda Canada Inc. (HCI) was founded in 1969 and is the parent company for both Honda and Acura vehicle brands in Canada. The company has produced more than seven million cars and trucks since 1986 at its two manufacturing facilities and builds engines at a third manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ontario. Both manufacturing facilities are extremely flexible and currently build Honda Civic and CR-V models. Honda Canada has invested more than $3.9 billion in Canada and each year it sources nearly $2.1 billion in goods and services from Canadian suppliers. Honda Canada has sold more than four million Honda and Acura passenger cars and light trucks in Canada.


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WHAT PLANES CAN I "SEE"?Magical Conductivity score (see
1 - 3: None whatsoever. May not use spells in any form. No witchsight. However, +5% resistance to a Battle of Wills from an enemy spell caster. May not be a Mage.
4 - 7: Very little. No witchsight. May not use spells in any form. May not be a Mage.
8 - 12: Average. No witchsight. May become a Mage. May not learn spells unless a Mage, but may cast spells from scrolls, books, magic items with embedded matrices, etc.
13 - 15: Good. Witchsight onto Second Plane. May become a Mage. If not a Mage, can learn up to 1 spell, and has 25% chance of knowing one spell already that does not count towards total (flip a coin - heads, the player may choose, tails select the spell randomly). May cast spells from items.
16 - 17: Superb. Witchsight onto Third Plane. If not a spellcaster, can learn up to 2 spells. 50% chance of already knowing one spell that does not count towards total, and 25% chance of knowing two (flip a coin for each - heads, the player may choose, tails select the spell randomly).
18 - 20: Overwhelming. Witchsight onto Fourth Plane, plus 1d3-1 more. If not a spellcaster, knows 2 random spells, and 1d2 more of the player's choice.
Anybody (mortal) can see (and feel) the First Plane. It is the Plane of the Material and of Sensations. It's the normal plane that we mostly interact with. Things appear as they are according to physical laws, and sensations are experienced by living things through processes such as light diffusion interacting with retinas and being transmitted to the brain via electrical signals. These physical phenomena are easily influenced by magic. Glamours are easy to produce, and many creatures are not detectable at all on the First Plane because they do not have corporeal bodies capable of effecting physical phenomena.
"Witch Sight" displays things closer to their True nature. The more common varieties of spirits will be visible, floating in incandescent masses around certain locus points. Beings may glow with auras that correspond to their emotions or desires. Most magical items will be noticeable. You will be able to see many invisible things. It requires more effort to create glamours that extend to each subsequent Plane. Note that cats can see onto the Second Plane, and many dogs can smell onto it.
More powerful spirits are visible only on the Third Plane. Normally only powerful or paranoid humans will extend glamours past the Third Plane. You will be able to see most invisible things, including some truly bizarre images that do not match the physical world in any way. This character can also sense other magicians or people with great Power or a great capacity for magic. They will somehow signify their ability - perhaps they glow brightly, have a third eye on their forehead, perhaps they look exactly the same on all planes, etc - it may or may not differ from person to person.
The Fourth Plane is where the most powerful spirits reside. Here, shapes are bizarre and mirror the true forms of the things within. Those with sight onto the Fourth Plane can begin to see sapient beings as they truly are, usually through obtuse symbolism. You will be able to see almost all invisible things and note almost all magic items. You will also be able to quickly identify other mages or great beings by their Power or Magical Aptitude. You will also be able to gauge their power relative to your own. People with great Power will be like beacons in the night, visible from far away.
The Fifth and Sixth Planes bear very little resemblance to the 1st, such that it can be difficult even to relate them to normal experience. The air, sky, ground and other creatures are all perceived differently in a way that is so alien to normal human thought as to defy imagination. The air will be thick with near-True "shapes" of all the myriad spirits of every dimension - both those of the underworld and elsewhere.
Beyond this exists the God-Realm and the Hero-Realm, which are not so much simultaneous overlapping dimensions but separate realms of the unconscious mind.


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On Thu, 4 Mar 2010, Dominique Hazael-Massieux wrote: > Sounds good to me, although I think I would also rephrase somewhat the > algorithm, à la: > * the URI's scheme component is the same as scheme; and > * if subdomains is false or if the URI's host component is not a domain > name (as defined in RFC1034), the URI's host component is the same as > host; or > * if subdomains is true, the URI's host component is either the same as > host, or is a subdomain of host (as defined in RFC1034); and > * ... I didn't check if the clarifications of RFC1034 added by RFC2181 applies to your case, but it is worth checking. (Cf: [1] and [2]). Cheers, [1] http://www.dns.net/dnsrd/rfc/#rfc1034 [2] http://www.dns.net/dnsrd/rfc/#rfc2181 -- Baroula que barouleras, au tiéu toujou t'entourneras. ~~YvesReceived on Monday, 29 March 2010 14:25:41 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Friday, 27 October 2017 07:26:23 UTC


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Our master bedroom makeover is moving along (in my head, anyway). To refresh your memory, this is a "before" (i.e., current) shot of the space:
This is what I'm envisioning:
The biggest challenge here is the promixity of the window to the wall (on the right) and the door to the new closets (on the left). Actually - the new closets on the left side of the room have created symmetry in the space - which I always crave. But, unfortunately - this means on both sides, we will have curtains/valances awkwardly pressed up against the wall/closet. I'm hopeful that if it's hung high enough, it will not interfere with the closet door opening fully (on the left). I feel really strongly about doing the curtain/valance window treatment as a way to warm up the room, add some height and provide balance to the dark and heavy headboard.
(In case you were wondering, the door leads to a flat roof that is only accessed for gutter cleaning, so I'm not concerned about interfering with easy use of the door. Also, the blobs next to the bed are meant to be sheepskin rugs.)
My to do list is a bit daunting, but I'm really excited to start pulling this together and to finally have a grown-up bedroom.


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Have a great idea for an app?
Have an amazing idea that you want to launch into the world, or a neat concept to streamline business processes? Futura Digital is happy to provide a free 1-hour consultation to help evaluate your idea either at a café, over the phone, or by virtual meeting (we are based in Newcastle but work with customers everywhere). If you'd like to organise an NDA / Confidentiality agreement beforehand let us know and we'll send an agreement electronically.
Getting started
During an initial consultation we'll ask the following important questions:
- How would you summarise your app in just a few sentences?
- What is your goal/business objectives?
- Who are your target users?
- Who will you app compete with?
During an initial chat, our project team will help evaluate the potential of your idea and help compare your absolute requirements with 'nice to haves' to help maximise the potential of your minimum viable product (or MVP). Creating an MVP is an approach designed to help you launch quickly so you can begin getting feedback from your users right away.
Completing a detailed evaluation of competitors in your space is another critical step. Keep in mind that there may be no direct competitors with exactly the same idea, but they might be addressing the same problem in a different way.
After a consultation with the team, we'll provide a free proposal and estimate to develop your minimum viable product.
What budget do you have in mind?
Building an app requires a budget… and we're not talking a few hundred dollars. Even mapping out the architecture for a basic app with a couple of core features can set you back a few thousand dollars. To complete a complex business application, the price is more likely to be something like 20-50K. Games and complex apps that work across a number of platforms can cost up > $100k. You also need to factor in ongoing costs like hosting (often $200 a month) and subscriptions. If you are publishing outside of the App Store, you may also need to organise your own Terms of Service and/or insurances.
If you'd like to see some our recent projects please head over here.
Other options to fund your App
Most people don't have bags of cash sitting around for an app project, but luckily there are other ways to get your idea off the ground. Here are just a few ideas…
- Government Funding – in NSW Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Grants are available – designed to support promising technology startups with the funds needed to gather customer feedback and test their underlying business model.
- Seed Funding – there are a growing number of Accelerators or Funds that will back good ideas. Often all you'll need to apply is some branding, a 10-page pitch deck, some artwork concepts. Camplify pitched to a Slingshotters with an idea only, and is now a successful company with operations in Australia, the UK and Western Europe. A list of Australian Startup Incubators is available on The Fetch, F6S and Business Review Australia.
What happens next?
If you'd like to know more about how we develop apps please check out Our Process. If you would like to arrange a time for free consultation please contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a native app?
A native application is a program that has been developed for use on a particular platform or device, for example, an iPhone.
The answer is usually no. Unless your app has a location based component, uses the accelerometer (to detect movement), requires access a voice activation library, or needs to render complex graphics, you probably don't a 'native app'. To be clear, we're not trying to talk you out of the idea completely… but often you might be better off considering a web application for your MVP.
Certain ideas are more effective if they're built first as a mobile app, but the development overheads are usually greater (and it can take much longer to ship your idea). There are times when creating a mobile app makes complete sense, but even if it's the best route for your app, it doesn't always mean you need to start there!
Creating a web application first can help you validate your idea, help you to define your product's features and functionality, and help save you money while you doing so (it's more expensive to build a mobile app that works across multiple mobile devices compared to building a single web application).


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Granada is considered one of the most beautiful locations to visit while traveling to Nicaragua. It's the last colonial city dating back to when the Spaniards arrived and settled here. It's been preserved with the colorfulness it once did from when it was the capital.
But that's not the main attraction! The 365 islets that are off the coasts of this little gem is what really beckons the families. Each island is tiny with it's own character. Over 25,000 years ago the neighboring volcano went book and created these islands which now have some of the most luxurious mansions and restaurants. But you can also visit monkey island and a fort that the pirates once used to protect the area.
Marina K. Villatoro is an expat living with her family and traveling in Central America. Nicaragua is home to some of Central America's finest resources.


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Dr Gemma Hamilton is a dentist who enjoys getting to know her patients, having a good chat and making them feel comfortable so that a visit to the dentist is an enjoyable experience.
Gemma graduated from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England in 2006. Gemma is originally from Scotland and has been living in Australia since 2007 and is now an Australian citizen and here to settle on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and dog, Dusty!
Gemma enjoys treating all family members from children to great grandparents! Gemma strives to provide good quality dentistry in a friendly and approachable manner to provide a dental experience you will be happy with and recommend to family and friends. Gemma takes the time to ensure you fully understand any treatment recommendations and all your questions are answered.
Outside of work, Gemma enjoys stand up paddle boarding, running, playing golf and generally keeping fit and active!


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She'll apparently take a 'leadership role' similar to Samuel L Jackson in 'The Avengers'
Glenn Close is the latest big name to sign up for Marvel's new superhero movie Guardians Of The Galaxy.
Guardians Of The Galaxy will follow a team of superheroes – including Star-Lord, Drax The Destroyer and Rocket Raccoon – who appear in a 2008 comic book series of the same name. Marvel is hoping the film will kickstart another big screen franchise like The Avengers.
According to Deadline, Close will appear in a "leadership role" roughly equivalent to Nick Fury, the character played by Samuel L Jackson in The Avengers. She joins a swelling ensemble cast that already includes Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt from Parks And Recreation, The Walking Dead's Michael Rooker and John C Reilly.
The film is being directed by James Gunn, whose previous credits include Super, the 2010 superhero comedy starring Ellen Page and Rainn Wilson. Shooting is due to begin next month (June) and Marvel has set a release date of August 1, 2014.
Close, 66, notched up her fifth Oscar nomination for her most recent film role as a 19th century cross-dressing butler in Albert Nobbs. She's currently shooting an indie romcom called 5 To 7 with Star Trek's Anton Yelchin and Frost/Nixon actor Frank Langella.


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Summit Express is a premium dry van/blanket wrap carrier and only hires the best, most qualified drivers to haul our new equipment. If you have what it takes to be a part of a winning team, Summit wants you!
Long Haul/OTR
- Competitive mileage pay; average 2,900 miles per week
- Stop pay/accessorial pay
- Performance bonus – paid quarterly
- Clean, light freight
- Coast-to-coast lanes
Midwest Regional
- Home weekly
- Indiana/Michigan/Ohio/Illinois/Kentucky
- Mileage pay or hourly
- New Equipment – Freightliners, Volvos, Kenworths
- Health Insurance – four plans to choose from
- 401K plan
- In-cab scanning/imaging for Bills of Lading
- Weekly pay via Direct Deposit
- In-cab Navigation available
- Paid vacations and holidays
Driver Requirements
- Class A CDL with two years verifiable OTR experience
- Must be 23 years
- Current DOT physical
- Good safe driving record


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ANAGNORISIS "Beyond All Light"
Year: 2013
Genre: Black Metal
Country: USA
Track List:
- Eulerian Path
- This Cursed Blood
- Death Mimics Life
- Abyss
- Bountiful Godless Life
- Forever Night
With this masterpiece, USBM band Anagnorisis has reset the bar for what black metal should sound like in America. The music is features aggressive, thundering riffing, driving percussion, and the vocals of Zachary Kerr (which feel like they are shredding your soul) who became almost instantly one of my favorite black metal vocalists. I was first introduced to this band this summer at the Gilead Media Fest where they filled a last minute opening left by another band dropping out. Their live set was intense. It felt uncomfortable in the best kind of way. Though I haven't been able to confirm their political leanings (they may not identify specifically as leftist), I feel that their two key themes of anti-civilization and anti-theism make them a good fit here. As an interesting side note, on their first release Austin Lunn (of Panopticon) was a part of this project. Check them out at their Bandcamp page below.


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Sep 14, 2015
England announce team to face Fiji
BEN YOUNGS will win his 50th cap when England kick off Rugby World Cup 2015 against Fiji at Twickenham Stadium on Friday.
The Leicester Tigers scrum-half, first capped in 2010, lines up for the opening game of the tournament in an unchanged XV from the side that beat Ireland. There is one change on the replacements' bench with Rob Webber (Bath Rugby) replacing Jamie George (Saracens).
England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said: "The squad is massively excited to start the World Cup. Everyone has worked incredibly hard over the last three months and we are ready.
"All the players have put their hand up in training and the internationals we have played this summer and we are blessed to have such a strong squad to select from against a skilful and powerful Fijian side.
"Friday will be a great occasion for the whole squad and for the country. We are in a unique position to be playing in a World Cup on home soil and to have the support of a nation behind the team. That support will be a massive factor and we don't underestimate its importance.
"I'd like to congratulate Ben Youngs on his achievement. To win 50 caps for your country in such a relatively short period of time is testament to Ben's dedication and commitment."
England (v Fiji, Twickenham Stadium, 8pm BST, Friday September 18, 2015)
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins, 39 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
13 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 13 caps)
12 Brad Barritt (Saracens, 23 caps)
11 Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 16 caps)
10 George Ford (Bath Rugby, 13 caps)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 49 caps)
1 Joe Marler (Harlequins, 33 caps)
2 Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 24 caps)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
4 Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs, 25 caps)
5 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 40 caps)
6 Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 38 caps)
7 Chris Robshaw (capt, Harlequins, 39 caps)
8 Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby, 29 caps)
16 Rob Webber (Bath Rugby, 13 caps)
17 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 23 caps)
18 Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints, 12 caps)
19 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 24 caps)
20 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 19 caps)
21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 23 caps)
22 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 31 caps)
23 Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)