text:
As part of its quest to recognize innovative educational initiatives that have had a transformative impact on societies, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) has selected Perimeter Institute Director Neil Turok and his AIMS Next Einstein Initiative as one of six winners for the 2010 WISE Awards, from more than 300 applications spanning 89 countries. Each winner will receive US$20,000 towards their project.
2010 WISE Award laureates (left to right) Tove Romsaas Wang, Neil Turok, Cecilia d'Oliveira, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, Ayla Goksel, and Mushtaq Chhapra are joined onstage by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned (fourth from left), the Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation, and His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani (far right), Chairman of WISE.
WISE is an initiative of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Now in its second year, it will host a three-day summit in the capital of Doha from December 7 – 9, drawing more than 1,000 participants from around the globe to discuss creative approaches to education. The summit will include a gala dinner at which Professor Turok, who founded the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Cape Town, South Africa in 2003, will accept the award.
Professor Turok said, "We are thrilled with this recognition from WISE and very much looking forward to meeting world-leading educators at the summit in Doha. AIMS has succeeded through the combined efforts of many people and organisations. WISE represents an opportunity to extend our partnerships around a simple agenda: to enable Africa's brightest scientific talents to flourish and, ultimately, to transform Africa's future. We hope our success in Africa will inspire similarly creative efforts elsewhere."
Arun Sharma, AIMS-NEI's Project Director (Africa), added, "AIMS is working to transform education in Africa every day, and as we approach the launch of our next AIMS centres, recognition of the innovativeness and efficacy of the AIMS model from the world-class jury behind the WISE awards is an honour. At the summit, we look forward to making new partnerships and launching new collaborations to improve our own work at home in Africa."
Other winners of the 2010 WISE Award included The Citizens Foundation of Pakistan, Turkey's Mother Child Education Program, the Smallholders Farmers Rural Radio in Nigeria, MIT OpenCourseWare in the United States, and UK-based Rewrite the Future. WISE is planning to launch a blog to allow people to follow the developments of all the winning projects, as well as the six winners from 2009.
In addition to the WISE Award, Professor Turok was recently honoured by the South African Mathematical Society (SAMS) as co-winner of the SAMS Award for the Advancement of Mathematics 2010. He shared the honour with Professor Fritz Hahne, founding Director of AIMS-South Africa, for their instrumental roles in the creation and growth of AIMS, which Deputy President of SAMS Jamshid Moori said was responsible for rejuvenating the mathematical sciences in South Africa.
About AIMS and NEI
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a globally recognized centre of excellence for postgraduate education and research based in Cape Town, South Africa. Its mission is to rapidly and cost-effectively expand Africa's scientific and technological capacity by providing advanced training to exceptional African graduates. Since its establishment in 2003, 305 students, 33% of them women, from 31 African countries, have graduated from the AIMS centre in South Africa. Their track record is outstanding, with over 95% continuing to Masters and PhD degrees and the vast majority remaining in Africa to apply their skills in African universities, research centres, government, NGOs and industry. The Next Einstein Initiative (NEI), stemming from Neil Turok's TED Prize wish that "the next Einstein be from Africa", is a strategic plan to build on the success of the first AIMS centre and create a coordinated pan-African network of 15 AIMS centres by 2020, producing 750 well-qualified graduates per year.
The Role of PI Global Outreach
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI), in Waterloo, Ontario, is a leading international centre for research in foundational physics. PI's Global Outreach program, with AIMS-NEI as its centrepiece, is devoted to promoting and sharing expertise with emerging centres of excellence in physics and maths worldwide. PI Global Outreach serves as the North American coordinating partner for AIMS-NEI, facilitating the participation of other public and private partners in that endeavour.


text:
Filming animal documentaries must be gratifying, but there's always that risk of a giant rhino goring you and knocking over your truck. Instead, why not use some graceful little drones? This is a much more pleasant application than killing people.
The nimble Microdrone MD4-1000 quadrotors helped film this pretty great footage in Kenya, where they're able to hover above herds from a vantage point us mere humans can't pull off. I'm sure the critters notice them, but the view is terrific. Now if only they could make one that would drop little giraffe treats, too. [via IEEE Spectrum]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Turns out it doesn't take much to monkey around with an orangutan.
That much is clear in a YouTube video posted Monday that's already been seen by over 500,000 people, according to TODAY. In it, an orangutan from the Barcelona Zoo cracks up over a simple magic trick.
In user Dan Zaleski's video, the orangutan watches with interest as a man places a nut in an empty cup. When he sneakily slips the object out of the cup and shows the monkey there's nothing inside again, the monkey rolls over laughing, like the zoo resident were at a taping of "Saturday Night Live."
Watch the full video on TODAY.com.


text:
STARmeterSEE RANK
Up 37,812 this week
Ludwig Stössel (1883–1973)
Born in Austria in 1883, Ludwig Stossel was an established theater presence (from age 17) in both his homeland and in Germany for decades, performing at one time or another for both Max Reinhardt and Otto Preminger. He made a handful of German silents beginning in 1926 and had moved with ease into sound pictures. The Nazi invasion of Austria forced... See full bio »
Died:(age 89) in Hollywood, California, USA


text: Magis is an Italian furniture company founded in 1976 by designer Eugenio Perazza. Their modern and contemporary designs are the work of leading global designers and feature smooth, clean lines and geometric forms. With indoor furniture, outdoor furniture and a kids' line called Me Too, their innovative and creative pieces have won many awards and are in the permanent collections of contemporary art museums.


text:
SIMAYAL, India — They come together each morning from the sloping forests. Some walk for more than an hour along muddy footpaths past terraced farms stacked like soft green steps. Some race their new motorbikes down narrow, cracked roads cut into the hillsides.
The team of young men and women wear ID cards on lanyards around their necks and have that rarest of commodities in rural India, a company job.
They work mainly in data processing for a 3-year-old business called B2R that is using the spread of the Internet to transport India's outsourcing boom from metropolitan Bangalore and the suburbs of New Delhi to this speck of a farming village in the Himalayan foothills.
Before B2R arrived, Simayal was being drained of its bright young men as they left for cities to search for work. Its women had little option but to wed right out of school. Nearly everyone's survival was tied to the whim of the rains and prayers for a strong harvest.
Now, men are staying. Some who left have returned. Many women have put off marriage to work and are helping to support their families. Other new businesses are opening up.
The 50 new jobs B2R created brought a "glimmer of hope" to the 110 families in this cluster of farming hamlets barely touched by India's economic transformation over the past two decades, said V.K. Madhavan, who has spent the past eight years running Chirag, a local development organization.
Deepa Nayal's two sons persuaded the 47-year-old widow to retire from her 1,890 rupee ($38) a month teaching job after they got hired. Mohan Singh Bisht, 20, helped his family build a six-room house. Khasti Fartiyal, 22, started paying for one of her sisters to go to college and bought an essential, expensive piece of gold jewelry for another sister's wedding. Many bought refrigerators, new clothes and motorbikes. Many are proud just to help buy food.
"There's a buzz around the place that didn't exist before," Madhavan said.
The B2R staff in Simayal work above an old flour mill in a maze of rooms that had been intended as cramped housing for poor families. In the narrow, long central office, staffers sitting at small computer desks lining the walls work on a project for a legal publisher turning scans of court cases into searchable databases. In another room, women take calls on behalf of a family planning group. In another, staffers collect sales data for cellphone companies. The kitchen has been turned into the server room.
Outside, a steady procession of women looking aged beyond their years and dressed in threadbare clothes walk by carrying on their heads immense stacks of firewood and animal fodder they collected during hours of foraging in the forest. Their husbands and fathers tend to the apple and pear orchards.
B2R and a handful of similar firms are trying to offer an alternative road map for Indian economic growth. With nearly 70 percent of the population — 833 million people — living in rural areas and its cities already overburdened, there is a limit to how quickly the nation can urbanize.
In the meantime, rural youth need jobs and poor infrastructure makes it difficult for manufacturers to deliver them. But with an Internet connection, outsourcing companies can work anywhere.
"You get work over the Internet, you work it over the Internet, you send it back over the Internet," said Dhiraj Dolwani, CEO of B2R. "It's a window to the world."
Less than 5 percent of rural Indians have ever used the Internet and many have never even heard of it, according to a recent study by the IMRB market research firm. Half the staff in B2R's office here said they had never seen a computer before this job.
The government is trying to change that, spending $6.5 billion to lay fiber optic cable to each of the country's 250,000 towns. India's innovation czar, Sam Pitroda, says it will open up a flood of rural development. It can bring telemedicine to villages without doctors, better teaching tools to remote schools and jobs in banking, insurance and other information fields to towns currently dependent on agriculture.
The rural outsourcers are the pioneers. With just over 5,000 jobs, they make up a tiny fraction of India's $16.9 billion outsourcing industry, but trade group Nasscom estimates they will account for 84,000 jobs in five years.
Rural Shores, one of the bigger companies, employs 1,300 employees in 12 centers across eight states. By 2020, CEO Murali Vullaganti dreams of employing 200 people in each of the nation's 500 rural districts.
"It may take a little longer, but that is our goal: 100,000 rural youth," he said.
B2R's Dolwani said he is doing nothing more than pushing forward the entire premise of the outsourcing industry: Moving the work to where it can be done cheapest.
Growing disillusioned with his former life as an executive at urban outsourcing firms, Dolwani and a partner toyed with starting their own company in the hills of the northern state of Uttarakhand, where they had routinely vacationed to escape the city.
There was a ready supply of educated, frustrated youth, but could they do proofreading and data entry? Dolwani passed around a book of short stories by American teenage girls and gave an impromptu comprehension quiz to local youths, whose mother tongue is Kumaoni, second language is Hindi and who began studying English in the sixth grade. They had potential, he said.
B2R rented the only building of any real size in town and Dolwani began what he assumed would be the long, costly process of connecting to a faraway Internet line.
The fiber optic cable, they were told, was running right under their office, laid during an earlier program to spread Internet access, but never turned on, Dolwani said.
"It was like a dead snake in the ground," he said.
While he waited months for the state-owned telecom company to activate the line, he made do with achingly slow mobile data networks. Even now, he uses a wireless system that operates over radio frequencies as a backup.
They paid to upgrade the village's phone and electricity systems, installed a generator to work through the daily power cuts, gave employees intensive English and skills training and opened for business three years ago. They replicated that plan in four other villages in the region, and employ nearly 250 people in total.
The B2R workers begin each morning with a prayer, a regimen of calisthenics, the national anthem and an ever-changing roster of games. Women once too shy to speak in public in this conservative society, now tackle male co-workers and talk trash during a raucous game of kabaddi. A few wear jeans in place of the traditional baggy salwar kameez.
Jagdish Sanwal, who had left town to work for Nokia, came back for B2R. Other men said they had been planning to leave when a job opened up. Most of the women said that for the first time they had options other than marriage. Families once wholly dependent on the vagaries of the harvest, now had a reliable income.
As she peels garlic and watches field hockey on TV with her father and brother, Shoba Bisht, 20, straddles the traditional woman's role of domestic labor and the man's role of earning money and being doted on.
Her mother packs her lunch for work and gives her time to rest after, but Bisht still helps cook dinner. She does laundry on her day off, but no longer collects wood in the forest.
Two years ago when she was offered a B2R job, her brother laughed and told her he would never let her take it.
"In my family, girls are not allowed to go out for work," said Bisht, whose last name is common in the region.
Her mother forced him to relent.
Since then, her family has added a wide brick kitchen and concrete living room to the small two mud rooms of its house. They bought a TV. She paid hospital bills for her brother, kept her family from having to borrow money at 60 percent interest from a loan shark and, in an incredible role reversal, helped pay for her brother's wedding.
Perhaps more stunning in a society where daughters are often viewed as an economic burden, Bisht is putting money away to pay for her eventual dowry.
Dewan Singh Bisht said he turns to his daughter whenever there is a financial emergency.
"I am very proud of her," he said.
Rural outsourcer brings hope to remote Indian villages
SIMAYAL, India — They come together each morning from the sloping forests. Some walk for more than an hour along muddy footpaths past terraced farms stacked like soft green steps. Some race their new motorbikes down narrow, cracked roads cut into the hillsides.


text:
Man About Town: Gliding along on a stand-up paddleboard
Admittedly, I am in the 50th percentile of everything — looks, intelligence, sex appeal, strength. My core muscle group is mostly pudding. I have the muscle tone of $1.99-a-pound sirloin.
When I exercise vigorously, I emit the faint aroma of fresh-baked muffins. If it's a summer morning, you might also get a whiff of the previous evening's margarita mix. You could hang me on a tree to attract hummingbirds.
I don't say that to brag. I say that so that you'll know what a well-sunscreened physical specimen I've become.
Fear the beast.
This summer, I've surfed and jet-packed. I've drunk myself silly under city wharves just because. I've played rock-paper-scissors (for money) with demons and debutantes (not so different, really).
But summer wouldn't be complete without trying a stand-up paddleboard, popularly known as a SUP. I guess SUPing would be the gerund. I'm not entirely sure what a gerund is, but I know a healthy diet requires them. Hence, I am constantly gerunding as well.
But back to this SUP stuff. You might think a beast like me might not find much challenge in it, gliding across Dana Point Harbor like a lily pad on a pond. Cezanne would've painted this sport, or more likely Monet.
Honestly, after a rough-and-tumble summer of thrashing about the surf, to gently carve one of California's finest waterfronts is a bit of a relief. What's even more of a relief is that this up-and-coming sport is a complete cinch.
Stand-up paddleboarding has probably the easiest learning curve of any water sport. After an unsteady first five minutes, I'm off and strumming.
That's the sensation you get, a gentle strumming motion with the paddle — right side, left side, a couple of strokes, then switch.
Pros, such as my instructor Nancy Malleo, barely bend their arms when they dig deep. In fact, one of the first things she teaches is to raise the paddle straight-armed over your head, forming a V.
That's basically the geometry you want with the paddle. After that, it's mostly a matter of finding the right spot on the board — feet spread to the edges, just past shoulder width. You begin by paddling while on your knees, build a bit of speed, and when it feels right, stand up.
If you can breathe, you can probably paddleboard. To guzzle a beer requires way more finesse.
That's not to say a $60 lesson isn't necessary; as with any new activity, it'll offer a few precious secrets (as in "eyes on the horizon," not your own ugly feet).
For about an hour, my daughter Vi$a and I glide around the harbor, down here in the County a L'Orange, which really is a much better county than it gets credit for. Makes a great milkshake, pours a frosty martini. Rich in fluids, Orange County. The county logo should be a Republican handing you a cocktail.
As outdoor lifestyles go, Orange County offers one of the nation's best. That's what drew my instructor out here. Malleo is paddleboarding personified, a woman reborn promoting a sport that's undergoing its own renaissance.
One day — and I love this, for it's such a California thing, such a sun-cured codicil of our traditional manifest destiny — the single mom poured two teen daughters and two dogs into a used minivan and headed west from New Jersey. Her mother had passed, and there was this moment — sort of spiritual, sort of what-the-flub — in which she wondered if there might be something better.
"I really felt like there was something pulling me this way," the former actress says now. "Whatever that pull was, I just needed a change."
Laguna is where they finally landed — "Pulled in looking like the Beverly Hillbillies," she says, half their belongings strapped atop the car.
After a stint in a gallery and attempts at waitressing, a paddleboard proved Malleo's salvation. Sixteen months ago, she bought six of them and started SUP Fitness Laguna. It's now a TripAdvisor hit, mostly because of her love of the water and easy charisma (my daughter Vi$a said Malleo reminded her of Lisa Kudrow).
Which brings her, and us, to Dana Point Harbor, on a shimmery morning in July — a confluence of risk and reward, new beginnings and the relentless lure of sunlight and sea.
How California, right? How right.


text:
Sun Journal, Lewiston (Nov. 18)
Gov. Paul LePage should re-examine his administration's decision to shelve climate-change planning, a decision that leaves Maine increasingly vulnerable to the sort of devastation recently visited upon New York and New Jersey.
The climate change debate is complicated, and it is further complicated by special-interest politics.
The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting explored the issue in a story recently.
But while we may debate the extent to which humans are causing global warming, some facts and trends are indisputable: the polar caps are melting and sea levels are rising. Meanwhile, our oceans are steadily warming.
This isn't some fuzzy-headed theory. The measurements have been made, the records kept and the results are in.
We can go on arguing about how much of this change is attributable to oil, coal, carbon dioxide and gas-guzzlers.
But if we put that debate in a separate sound-proof room, we are still left with the obvious truth when we look out the window: The water is warm and it is rising.
It is wrong to say that global warming caused Hurricane Sandy, the super storm that killed more than 100 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage in the New York City region.
Hurricanes form for a variety of reasons and there is no evidence that we are seeing more of them than usual.
But hurricanes are energized by warmer water, producing higher winds and higher tidal surges.
And it only stands to reason that if the ocean is already six, eight or 10 inches higher than it used to be, those surges will carry more water further inland and do more damage than before.
The National Weather Service estimated that every inch of increase in the tidal surge would flood an additional 6,000 homes in the New York region. It's that predictable.
While Maine was spared the worst of Sandy's wrath, we can prudently conclude that our 3,500 miles of coastline and dozens of communities should be planning for the future.
That conclusion, in fact, was reached in 2010 when an initial climate-change report was delivered to the Legislature.
According to the MPIRC story: "It was the work of 75 stakeholders, including Hannaford markets, the Maine Audubon Society, the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine and 13 state agencies."
One of the most sensible ideas was that the state give towns and cities the support they need to make accurate predictions and come up with practical solutions, like changing zoning codes or even moving vital services such as water and sewage treatment plants.
That work was not only halted when the LePage administration took office, but the initial report was even removed from the state's website.
Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Patricia Aho explained why the original document is now unavailable: "We had to make a choice because we had thousands of documents and we needed to reduce our website."
That explanation has bogus written all over it. If computer storage space was so tight, the state could have asked any of a dozen organizations to host the report and linked to it from the state's site.
No, this was either a partisan signal that the LePage administration does not believe in a warming planet and rising sea levels, or it was done at the request of some out-of-state special-interest lobby.
We have found that the governor does not revisit his past decisions, even the bad ones.
So, it may fall to the incoming Legislature, made up, we hope, of sensible Republicans and Democrats, to revive this planning process.
That will be difficult without the cooperation of state agencies under the governor's control. Perhaps the University of Maine can be funded to carry out this important work.
As the Republican mayor of New City, Michael Bloomberg, recently concluded, climate change is real and too important to ignore.


text:
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 4 resultsTitle
Filters: Author is Sutton, Robert M [Clear All Filters]
Performance of a Clinical Decision Support Tool to Identify PICU Patients at High Risk for Clinical Deterioration." Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2020;21(2):129-135."
Comparison of relative and actual chest compression depths during cardiac arrest in children, adolescents, and young adults." Resuscitation. 2012;83(3):320-6."
Expert clinical assessment of thorax stiffness of infants and children during chest compressions." Resuscitation. 2009;80(10):1187-91."
Pediatric CPR quality monitoring: analysis of thoracic anthropometric data." Resuscitation. 2009;80(10):1137-41."


text:
Due to a combination of new working practices and demand our lead times for both collection and delivery have been extended. Please check the estimated delivery or collection times next to the relevant size. Please note that lead times are quoted in "working days" so do not include weekends or bank holidays. For in store collections where a bicycle is shown as being "available", please call the store for an accurate lead time as these bicycles still need processing through the workshop. Where lead times are stated as a certain month these are based upon the latest information from the relevant manufacturer and are in turn based on the current factory and shipping schedules. These dates should be treated as a guide and may be subject to change.
*Collect In Store - if you would like to collect your bike in store, please use our Click & Collect payment method or call 0118 9821021 to reserve and ensure your bike is ready for your arrival.
ETAs are based on manufacturer's latest data.
Please note that we are unable to ship this Trek Emonda ALR Frameset Purple Flip outside of the UK. This is at the request of Trek Bicycles.
This Trek Emonda ALR Frameset Purple Flip 2020 is available with our legendary Podium Point free accessory scheme.
IMPORTANT: This bicycle is supplied without pedals. Pedals for this bicycle can be selected for no cost using Podium Points™.
We are an authorised Trek dealer and supply this Trek Emonda ALR Frameset Purple Flip with a LIFETIME manufacturer's warranty. Read Warranty Terms
Sizing information is provided as a general guide only. This is based on the average rider riding the bicycle in the style for which it is intended. This takes no account of a rider's personal proportions, physique, flexibility and biomechanics. If your height places you on, or near, a bicycle size step then we recommend you consider both sizes. All bicycles offer a range of handlebar and saddle adjustment which will enable you to fine tune your riding position once the correct size has been established. If you are unsure on sizing, we strongly recommend you visit our store so we can assist you. Pedal On offers advice and information on sizing in good faith, the final decision and responsibility on which size to purchase is yours.
This bicycle is available for instore collection using a Cyclescheme voucher. Cyclescheme Information
The following finance options are available to apply for online immediately. If you are collecting your bicycle in store you can arrange your finance prior to visiting the store by selecting the required finance method as well as Click & Collect.
The credit advertised is provided by one credit provider with whom we have a commercial relationship. Credit provided by Hitachi Personal Finance, a division of Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.


text:
Titanic tales, majestic mountains and two cycling routes of unsurpassed beauty: it's the Giro d'Italia Gran Fondo Northern Ireland, and it's going to be unforgettable
The Giro d'Italia put Northern Ireland firmly on the cycling map. Now, the Giro d'Italia Gran Fondo will make sure it stays there. On 5 June, this renowned amateur sportive begins and a lasting cycling legacy will be born.
Starting and finishing at the iconic Titanic Belfast, the Gran Fondo's two routes will take riders through the Mourne Mountains or along the shores of Strangford Lough. The full Giro experience is on offer here: closed roads, full support teams and even the chance to ride alongside a true cycling legend, 1987 Giro d'Italia champion (and Gran Fondo event ambassador) Stephen Roche.
Getting here is the easy part, whether you're bringing your bike, your car, or just yourself. Discovering if you can meet the Gran Fondo challenge? That's up to you.
Get ready for a cycling adventure of a lifetime on the island of Ireland
Follow the tough Mourne Route and for a thrilling ride through the towering peaks of the Mourne Mountains, past the glistening waters of Carlingford Lough. Alternatively take the gentler Strangford Route via County Down's rolling hills. Stop for a breather to drink in the spellbinding views over Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula.
It's not just the cycling that will set your blood pumping here. There are buzzing festivals, lively villages and warm welcomes from the locals along the way, too. And when the cycling is done, you'll find yourself back in Belfast, ready to enjoy one of Europe's most vibrant cities.
Top: Strangford Lough, County Down. Bottom left: Northern Ireland goes pink for the Giro. Bottom right: Giro d'Italia Grande Partenza, Belfast.
This epic route needs an epic location to start from. And it's got one: Titanic Belfast. From here, the route sweeps south for 42km/26 miles, and then things start to get really interesting. We're heading into Northern Ireland's largest mountain range, the Mournes, where riders will be challenged by five tough climbs. There's a brief respite as you pass through Castlewellan before a final climb up Monte Slieve Croob and a gradual descent into Belfast.
Beginning at Titanic Belfast, the second route is more suited to novices. Even so, riders will hit the first of two climbs within 6km/3.7 miles as they tackle Monte Braniel. The route makes the most of the varied County Down landscape, with stunning views over Strangford Lough, before it passes through the historic town of Comber. Just one last climb of the day left; Monte Moneyreagh. After that, it's a descent all the way back to Belfast.
You've done it. You've conquered your chosen Gran Fondo route, achieved your personal goal and you should be feeling pretty proud of yourself. So what's on offer now for exhausted but exhilarated riders as they return to Belfast city? How about a party that continues the Italian theme of the day? Maybe a gourmet pasta party? With wine? And a medal for the finishers? Done, done and done. The Gran Fondo looks after its own... and you've earned it.
Stunning journeys that take in incredible sights and magnificent landscapes
What is it about Northern Ireland that attracted the attention of one of the cycling world's greatest road races in the Giro D'Italia? If we're honest, it wasn't just one thing, it was many. Take the Mourne Mountains – steeped in myth, they harken back to a fairytale Ireland but their popularity with outdoors enthusiasts keeps them very much in the present.
In fact, Northern Ireland's exceptional landscapes are so cinematic that HBO was drawn to make it one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones. And then there's Belfast; an exciting city known for its thriving foodie scene as much as its Titanic history. That's Northern Ireland in a nutshell – a land of legends.
Choose from countless offers, discounts and deals to save on your visit to Northern Ireland.
From the Causeway Coast to the Game of Thrones, there are lots more exciting routes to explore in Ireland.
There are many ways of getting from A to B in Ireland. We've got all the information you need to plan your trip.
Sign-up for the latest information on great offers, holiday hot spots and events across Ireland. Your privacy is important to us.
Look out for our newsletter in your inbox.
Unfortunately there was a problem signing you up for E-Zine, please click the button below to try again or refresh the page.
Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel and accommodation, attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
Share this link


text:
We know September's not over, not over, not over yet! However, we have so many things that we're loving at the moment that we thought, instead of putting them all on single pages for you to flick through, we'd do what we have been trialling for the past few months and dump them altogether in one page that you can bookmark and come back to. We've (I say we, this is obviously written by one dude sitting at a desk with sore shoulders and a cold cup of coffee) even secured a few premieres for this months digest 'column' and changed the format a tiny bit, not that you care because you probably didn't even read this words, you're already off down the page bashing play and raving your face/OFF.
September 2012 - Spotify Playlist
This month as a playlist:
Let's kick off with a video premiere! This is the new video from Exitmusic, who by rights should be one of the most talked about bands of the year. There is definitely a lot of love out there, some of which we saw pouring toward the stage when they played a London show for DiS earlier this year, and we will have the footage of that online very soon! For now, here is their video for the glorious space-gaze tune 'Modern Age'... Oh, and if you're wondering why you recognize the singer lady in the video, that's because Aleksa Palladino also moonlights as an actress, and has been in things like Boardwalk Empire, Manny & Lo (yes, the movie with Scarlett Johnasson) and The Sopranos.
"FROM THE INSIIIIIIIDE!!!" is exactly the sort of thing you expect to hear Chino Moreno yell in that lily-white tone of his. It's impossible to put into words just how their songs erupt inside my noggin, and the little trickle of glee that seems to ebb down my spinal column when their songs kick in. Deftones will always be the most forward thinking band in rock/metal, and will probably always be three steps away from crossing over, because far too many people think that 'nu-metal' was all mindless music by skateboarders with no imagination. It's these same people who go around bigging up Mumford & Sons, and then wake in cold sweats realising what they've done, and then forgetting all about it and bigging up the next half-cooked turd, and the next, and celebrating some posh-kid posing as a street urchin, and then pretending they've always loved TLC and didn't spend the last decade chasing after rag-tag Leather-teens... These trend-chasers turn around so many bends that they have no idea who they really are, and you can give them a proper mental breakdown if you remind them that people have made music for thousands of years before the Beatles even existed...
Anyway, the fact that Deftones have stayed true to their war with darkness is incredible. They've continued to define and redefine the edges of who they are, but they rarely stray too far from who they already knew they were. It seems they still manage find room to evolve their uplifting evilness. Their music is still something that makes me goosebumpy and giddy.
Hype can indeed be a dangerous thing, but it isn't ALWAYS totally wrong or without merit. We hear the chap who recently left Twilight Sad has teamed up with one of Aereogramme and a lady who used to be housemates with one of our messageboarders. Earlier this week, they took the Twitter-net by storm. The Guardian, Popjustice, even people from NME were going 'Cor!' and 'OH YES!' and then I was all like 'oh yeah, I see what you mean, this isn't rubbish, it's like Paramore dipped in Crystal Castles lite moments' and they were all like, 'oh...', and I was like 'YEAH!' Then there was a silence. Then we wondered if it was Chvrches with a V or a U and the world continued to spin.
Twilight Sad vs Liars
Speaking of The Twilight Sad, I/we premiered this incredible Liars remix last week, just after they were robbed (YES, ROBBED!) of a Mercury Music Prize nomination.
Whilst a rhythm is rumbling beneath your soul and the ambers of your next hangover are stirring, here's something that can only be talked about in terms of scale - it's the
big large massive huge GINORMOUS new tune from Stay+. He was superb at DiS' Summer Sundae stage earlier this year, and we guess a new track might be a sign that his debut album is finally on the way, but we won't hold our breathe, we'll just close our eyes and wave our arms around a bit at our desk.
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Sending you off in a totally different direction, but perhaps just as humungous is terms of scale is this video which we premiered last week from Erased Tapes' sadness sorcerers....
Valgeir Sigurðsson
He's produced records for Bjork and Feist, he runs the Bedroom Community label which is home to the likes of Ben Frost and Nico Muhly, but he's also an incredible musician in his own right. His debut album sat somewhere in the loft of an electronica night, with bassoons and strings dripping into gentle digital river of sound. Then there was Draumalandið and for his next record Architecture Of Loss, which is out next week (grab your copy here) and he's turned off the computer and gone straight for your heart with strings. The result is, as you can, rather downbeat but delightful in ways that you'd expect from an Icelandic man with such a resume.
The Tone Of The Number 5
This 'ambient' track was premiered in this month's Armchair Dancefloor column by Si Truss, and it really blew me away in that gentle way that great ambient music does. For loads more of this sort of thing, check out the neo-classical/ambient thread on the music board.
It was great to get an advanced copy of Stumbeline's debut LP in the post the other day. Thank you very much for that Monotreme! If you're not savvy to their ways as yet, think what School of Seven Bells might sound like if they replaced some of the shoe-gaze gorgeousity with post-dubstep slumber. Or think M83's dreamier stuff, with a subtle hint of RnB rhythms. If you like this, there's lots more over on her Soundcloud page.
Cat Power
Her new LP is out. It's magnificent. The track 'Manhattan' toward the latter half of the album might be the greatest, most Cat Power-est thing she's ever released. This, the song 'Cherokee' opens the album, and she's gone and done a sci-fi-zombie Chan of the Dead video for it.
Nicolas Jaar
Seeing how this cropped up online again last week, I'll leave you with that Nicolas Jaar Essential Mix, which opens with talk of Twin Peaks and just gets better and better...


text:
Here are some other attractions to keep restless kids (and parents) happy during wintertime.
Here are some other attractions to keep restless kids (and parents) happy during wintertime.
• Skating at Lock 3, a 10,000-square-foot outdoor ice rink with free admission, 200 South Main St., downtown Akron, 330-375-2877, www.lock3live.com.
• Center Ice Sports Complex, an indoor ice-skating rink, 8319 Port Jackson Ave. NW, Jackson Township, 330-966-0169, www.centericesports.net.
• Pump It Up, a playland of massive inflatables, 1135 W. Maple St., Hartville, 330-877-7867, www.pumpitupparty.com/hartville-oh.
• Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, featuring the interactive, kid-friendly Discover World and planetarium shows, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton, 330-455-7043, www.mckinleymuseum.org.
• Akron Zoo, open year-round, 500 Edgewood Ave., Akron, 330-375-2550, www.akronzoo.org.
• The Rainforest at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, an indoor tropical experience year-round, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, 216-661-6500, www.clevelandmetroparks.com.
• Sandusky's three indoor-waterpark resorts: Kalahari (www.kalahariresorts.com);
Great Wolf Lodge (www.greatwolf.com/sandusky); Castaway Bay (www.castawaybay.com).


text:
CHESTER -Scouting reports don't lie, and the Union know that.
So Union manager John Hackworth had a difficult time rationalizing two goals that nearly compromised their run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
'That wasn't the plan,' Hackworth said Tuesday night. 'There's a tendency, and it's very natural, for a team to feel like, 'Hey, the game's over. It's 3-0.''
The Union's quarterfinal opponent in the Open Cup, the Harrisburg City Islanders, had once before erased a three-goal deficit in this tournament. And they sought another such rally at PPL Park.
The Union scored enough early and contributed enough late to fend off the Islanders, 5-2, and advance to the Open Cup's semifinal stage.
Despite the Union's flaws in league play, Hackworth's club is two victories removed from locking up the title in America's longest-running soccer tournament and earning an automatic berth into the CONCACAF Champions League. Those in the River End, among the 4,313 in attendance, started chanting, 'We want the Cup,' as time dwindled.
It'd only be natural for the Union, MLS' youngest club, to think big picture. Including a July 11 semifinal date at PPL Park against Sporting Kansas City, that a title is only two wins away.
'And we are,' Hackworth said. 'We want some silverware in that cabinet, for sure. Wait, did I say silverware? I meant hardware, silver. Whatever. … We want it.'
The Union picked up first-half goals from Freddy Adu (fourth minute), Jack McInerney (ninth) and Lio Pajoy (29th). Pajoy scored once more, in the 69th minute, and Gabriel Gomez's chip in the 82nd put the game out of reach for the feisty Islanders.
The Union took advantage of the overmatched Islanders twice before most fans had settled in.
Playing an innocuous cross into the box, Pajoy's feed found the hand of Harrisburg's Stephen Basso. What resulted was Adu's penalty-kick tally in the fourth minute, rocketing it into the lower-right corner.
Five minutes later, McInerney – who had a pair of goals Saturday – tracked down a 50-yard longball from Amobi Okugo that had been misplayed by Harrisburg's defenders. McInerney took one touch and coolly deposited it into the goal.
Just like that, the Union went up, 2-0, nine minutes into the match.
'We were getting a couple bounces here or there and we were just finishing our opportunities,' McInerney said.
As a reward for his work to set up the first goal, Pajoy found the back of the net in the 29th. A skip-pass into the box from Gabriel Farfan landed at Pajoy's feet, and the striker buried it past Islanders goalkeeper Nick Noble for the Union's third first-half tally.
'This is special,' Pajoy said, cracking a smile.
The Islanders, who erased a three-goal deficit against New England May 30 in an Open Cup third-round match, looked poised for another such comeback.
Brian Ombiji and Morgan Langley scored three minutes apart, closing Harrisburg's deficit to one goal, at 3-2 in the 54th. The Islanders' goals were a result of sloppy midfield play from the Union.
Hackworth's crew cleaned it up in the minutes that followed, even after subbing out midfielder Adu in favor of super-sub striker Antoine Hoppenot. The switch paid off in the 68th minute, when Hoppenot got knocked down in the box and drew a penalty kick as he was making a near-unabated run on goal. Pajoy opted to take the shot from the spot, and went down the middle for the Union's fourth goal.
'We're almost there,' Hoppenot said, 'and we're all doing whatever it takes. We want to win this.'
Visit Christopher A. Vito's blog, Union Tally, at delcotimes.com for more Union coverage.


text:
I'm Danny and I'm itching to get making music with anyone and everyone that wants to play with me. Even if you don't play an instrument, it can still be inspiring to be make music around people who want to be around that atmosphere.
I've some tunes I play guitar and singing, and some stuff I've done on the synthesiser. I mess around with a whole different bunch of musical styles, but need YOU to give my musical mission direction. I'm chuffed to be picking up my studio key tonight, so be in touch and lets PLAY!! TODAY!!
Making music
Forest is people. People is you. You is us.
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1


text:
Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Make Your Own Gear › Sewing Problems
Jul 6, 2010 at 12:06 pm #1260881
My wife has a Bernina sewing machine that I have tried to use to sew through webbing.
Every time I try the thread gets all tangled on the bottom of the fabric. I have tried using a thicker needle and have tried adjusting the tension. This does not solve the problem.
We recently took the machine to a Bernina dealer and they told us that the machine couldn't sew through webbing.
Does anyone know what is causing this and how to correct it?Jul 6, 2010 at 12:18 pm #1626624Bob GrossBPL Member
@b-g-2-2Locale: Silicon Valley
I'm certainly no expert, and I have a different machine.
However, when I get those kinds of problems, it generally stems from a few factors. 1. Bad thread or wrong thread, 2. Thread tension set wrong. On some machines, there is an upper thread tension and a lower thread tension. 3. Dull needle. Replace it. Needles are cheap, and time is a-wasting when there are trails to be hiked.
–B.G.–Jul 6, 2010 at 12:22 pm #1626626Diane "Piper" SoiniBPL Member
@sbhikesLocale: Santa Barbara
I bet you can sew through webbing just fine. Here's the trick I was taught.
The problem is that the webbing is a big hump you are trying to sew over. Kind of like how if you were sewing denim and had to go over a big, thick seam.
What you do is you take a scrap of fabric and fold it over several times to make a thick piece about as high as the webbing. Sew right up to the webbing then stop (or if you aren't sewing the webbing to something, just stick the needle in where you want to begin). Lift the foot up, stick the shim in behind the needle and put the foot down. Now the sewing machine doesn't think it is sewing over a hump and will carry on, Eventually it'll push the shim out behind it.
I use a shim now anytime I try to sew something really thick.
Hope that made sense.Jul 6, 2010 at 12:48 pm #1626636Tohru OhnukiMember
@erdferkelLocale: S. California
As mentioned earlier, both thread tensions may need to be pretty high to get good stitched in webbing i've found. The deal is that all the layers of material cause a lot of friction on the thread and the machine may have trouble pulling it taut with normal tension.
The top tension is set by the knob and the bottom by the screw that is on the bobbin carrier. Try sewing the webbing with two different colors of thread so you can easily see that the threads are crossing in the middle of the stack of webbing.Jul 6, 2010 at 1:11 pm #1626644
Here are some things to consider:
While sewing, be sure the presser foot is engaged and the presser foot tension release is not released.
Be sure the thread is properly fed through the mechanism. One little snag will cause what you are seeing.
Sometimes, I have to disassemble the mechanism that holds the bobbin, clean it all and oil it with a light oil like WD40.
Try a couple pieces of 4 oz nylon (pack cloth), and see how it does. If it will not sew that, try a different type of needle. I find ball ends work best for everything outdoor, but the sharp leather cutting ends can sometimes be needed. I use only Singer needles, others give me problems similar to yours. 100/16 should be an OK needle size for webbing.
If a different needles don't work, adjust thread tension, above, and below if necessary, until the threads above and below the fabric are pulled into the stitch to the same extent; that is, none sticking out or loose on one side after sewing a line of stitching.
Check out your thread. If it is too heavy, like C&C button and carpet, it probably will not work on a home machine. Also, some of the nylon threads sold on spools in gear shops do not sew well, and tend to unravel. C&C Dual Duty Plus is good, and there are even better polyester/cottom weaves in the embroidery shops. Some of the much touted threads break easily. I check how much force it takes to snap the thread before using it – exception, Kevlar, which is very strong.
If none of the above works, I'm stumped. Have an old Kenmore that works much better than a newer "industrial" White I purchased. Beware the cheap discounted imported brands. Singers are good.
SamJul 6, 2010 at 4:32 pm #1626705
> they told us that the machine couldn't sew through webbing
The dealer was right.
To sew through webbing the presser foot has to be able to operate while lifted up a fair distance, and the thread tensioning system has to be able to handle significantly higher tensions and significantly thicker thread. Most ordinary domestic machines were not designed for this, and fail. Not their fault: wrong application.
Edit: and you have to be able to crank up the force on the presser foot to, in order to resist the drag when the needle is coming out of the webbing – especially with heavy thread. In practice that lift is often why the needle misses stitches and gives a tangle mess underneath.
The old black Singers were designed in the days when the owner was as likely to be sewing up a feed sack as a pair of undies, and they can handle thick stiff like webbing and heavy packcloth. (They can also handle light silk.) That's why old black Singers still fetch a high price on the second-hand market.
Face it: you need at least two sewing machines.
CheersJul 6, 2010 at 4:57 pm #1626724Dan StankoMember
@dinsdaleLocale: Loozerville,USA
I don't do the sewing so FWIW;
I have my mother do all of it on a mid level Bernina,and she had contacted customer service via email for recommendations for ultra thin and webbing sewing.Needles,tension and such.
No problems so far and all she does is run a few test pieces to double check adjustments.
I am not doing the super heavy webbing,but not having issue with the ribbons or mid weight stuff you would encounter for lighter gear backpacking gear.
Even when I do a bit of the machine work it comes out darn good….LOL
In sewing circles Bernina is know for first class stitch quality….my mother does commercial quilting work with hers.Funny cause she hand stitches her quilts like you are supposed too.Jul 8, 2010 at 10:26 pm #1627468
If you are correct, how is it that I have no trouble sewing webbing on my older Kenmore, even the heavy webbing used for hip belts. Maybe the Singer heavy duty ball end needles are what make it possible.
When going back to light fabric, like silnylon, I recheck the tension and do some scraps first. Always do some scraps first when changing material, and adjust as needed.
SamJul 8, 2010 at 11:44 pm #1627484
Hi Sam
>I have no trouble sewing webbing on my older Kenmore, even the heavy webbing
At the risk of displaying my age and cynicism, can I suggest that the answer to your question lies in your question? It's an OLDER Kenmore, right?
As everything has gone computerised and low-attention-span throw-away, so the assumptions made by the sewing-machine manufacturers have changed. Once it was a requirement that a sewing machine be able to handle a wide range of fabrics, because owners did actually USE their machines; today it is a requirement that it connect to the internet and do fancy embroidery. (Hello Kitty?)
Actually make clothing? Nah – cheaper to buy it from China.
Repair clothing? Nah, throw it away and replace it (from China).
OK, OK, I exaggerate – but only very slightly. The elderly ladies in our 'local' sewing shop continue to be amazed that a) I know how to use a machine, and b) I know how to diagnose and repair a machine.
Ball needles: yes, these can help in some cases. They help to make sure that the needle goes through an open bit of the fabric rather than punching through a tightly twisted bit of thread. To be sure, the down-stroke of the needle is likely to go through the fabric, but the withdrawal can be a problem for modern low-pressure machines.
CheersJul 10, 2010 at 5:57 am #1627770James D BuchBPL Member
@rocketmanLocale: Midwest
Once in a while, I stop by the local Sew & Vac store to pick up something, look or talk to the OSMG (Old Sewing Machine Guy). One day, I got the son of the owner.
He showed me a display treadle (foot powered) machine from the 1800's which still works and it produces a great stitch. He said these old machines were designed to last a long time, and they were designed to sew everything — back when there were few WalMarts, Targets, KMarts and large department stores carrying cheaply manufactured foreign clothing. They were all metal – as plastic gears weren't invented at the time. If maintained, they operate smooth as silk.
I have never had long experience with the expensive Top Of The Line machines of today, but have had some experience with the plastic geared low cost machines. They don't "feel" good.
I'm not saying that all new machines are "junk", but the old machines were designed to last a long time, and to sew pretty much everything needed to make lots of clothing.
I have several machines. They are all "old" and none of them was more than $42 US (including wood cabinet and stool).
I have spent more on service/repair manuals and books on sewing machine repair than on the basic machine purchases.
Some of the old machines will appear "frozen" from evaporated lubrication, and when cleaned and lubed operate perfectly. Some machines that are "almost perfect" can take a lot of troubleshooting to get them right. Some are ready to go. Some are somewhere in the above spectrum.Jul 10, 2010 at 1:36 pm #1627840Tohru OhnukiMember
@erdferkelLocale: S. California
If you have the time and inclination, prowling craigslist is a great way of finding a vintage sewing machine that's 100% mechanical. Look for the ones pre 1990's with only straight and zigzag stitches and whose case is metal. These use all mechanical linkages to drive the sewing action and are usually very durable and may only take an oiling to get back to operation.
The new computerized ones use stepper motors (the same kind as in your printer) to get all the fancy stitch patterns. Steppers have a limited torque and just quit if you ask too much of them. With a mechanical, you can drive the stitch by hand using the handwheel…Jul 10, 2010 at 2:55 pm #1627864Ken ThompsonBPL Member
@hereLocale: Right there
Love my '52 Necchi BU Nova. Sews everything. Now I have two of them.Jul 10, 2010 at 5:09 pm #1627895
Thought I finally disagreed with you about something, but after reading your second post, agree after all.
The Kenmore machine is circa 1975, modern enough to have a lot of stitch options, but not ancient. It has been back to Sears repair a couple times for maintenance.
This is very helpful, because at some point the old machine will go, and you have alerted me to take some hard to sew items, like slippery sil and webbing, to the store when I try before I buy.
BTW, neglected to mention in the earlier posts that DMC quilting thread is the one I love the most.
SamJul 11, 2010 at 12:37 am #1627964
Hi Sam
> at some point the old machine will go
If it is an old metal one, YOU might go first … Some of them aren't half rugged.
CheersJul 12, 2010 at 3:23 pm #1628317
Thanks for all the comments.
I have found several old steel machines on Craig's list in the $30 to $40 range. There are several black singer machines made in the 20's – 40's. There are also some white (kenmore?) machines from the 40's and 50's.
What should I be looking for, which is the best option and how can I get new needles?Jul 12, 2010 at 3:31 pm #1628320
I wish my mom were still around to help….. ah well….
Can you send/post some of the e-mails she received on how to sew through webbing on her Bernina?Jul 12, 2010 at 5:28 pm #1628347
> There are several black singer machines made in the 20's – 40's. There are also
> some white (kenmore?) machines from the 40's and 50's.
Without even looking at craigslist, I would have a very strong bias towards any old motorised Singers. Note: You can still get things like needles and belts and brushes etc for them: Singer does offer considerable support.
I have never seen an old Kenmore, so I can't comment on them.
CheersJul 19, 2010 at 5:13 pm #1630453
I have found an old White Model 77 with a green finish dating from the 1930's on Craig's list. Price $20.
I have found a manual on-line, price $0.00.
I will use some of my Wife's needles from the Bernina (I think they will fit!) Price $0.00
Price of 2 yards of 60" Spinnaker fabric $20.00
Straps/buckles/ foam are all in my extra stuff bin. Cost $0.00.
Since I am currently underemployed this is the only way I am getting new gear this year.
I am in the process of cleaning and lubing the machine.
I will wait for the article coming out tomorrow before I start cutting any fabric.
I will post photos when I finish the project.
Thank you all for your excellent advice.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


text:
Choose your room
Business Hotel is a hotel of business class with a high level of service and excellent quality of service. The cozy atmosphere creates a special mood and feeling of inner peace. The hotel has all conditions for you to be well spent Exact time and rest. There is a reception spot and a cafe on the first floor of the hotel . On the ground floor is a recreation complex that includes - a sauna and billiard room. Hotel is located in the heart of the city just a few steps from the main town square. This is very important for business people who value their time and money. Guests do not have to stand in traffic jams being late to important meetings. The perfect location allows to reach to any desired location in some minutes.
There is everything for comfortable living in the business hotel. You will be surrounded with care and attention of the staff and home-like atmosphere - all this will leave in your mind warm memories of time spent in our hotel. Stay in the Business Hotel and you will be proud of this choice. We work for people who are experts in quality.
Reviews: Hotel Business
Useful information:Other names for Hotel Business:
Businesshotel Lipetsk


text:
Dreamweaver EMBOSSING PASTE SPREADER LM2010LM2010
To use this awesome feature, you need to be logged in to our system!
You do not have any subscriptions to add this item to!
Tool is approx. 7 inches long
You May Also Like...
swipe for more!
For over 30 years Stampendous has brought premium rubber stamps, Perfectly Clear Stamps, Class APeel Stickers and the finest of essentials to the craft industry. Recognized as an industry innovator, Stampendous has introduced stampers to the Frantage style images, Encrusted Jewel Technique, Creative Palette, Stack Art and now a large variety of Mixed Media options. Privately owned and operated by Fran Seiford, Stampendous is devoted to growing our crafting audience with new and innovative designs and products.


text:
From The Greeley Tribune via the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Brian Werner):
We agree with Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Salazar when he said last week that a combination of conservation and new water storage are needed to solve an impending catastrophe for farmers and
Salazar was referring to a projected 600,000 acre-foot water shortage that is expected to hit Colorado by the
year 2050.
Speaking at last week's Colorado Farm Show, Salazar said municipal users, including those of us who apply a
vast amount of water to our Kentucky bluegrass, must get smarter about water consumption. He also said
farmers and ranchers must take better advantage of technology to do a better job of conserving water. And he
said, too, that water-storage projects (can you say Northern Integrated Supply Project?) must be part of the
state's 50-year water plan.
We agree on all three accounts.
Salazar's message hits home with extra impact this winter. Statewide snowpack is sitting at 67 percent of
average, and many of the state's reservoirs already range from near empty to two-thirds full. Unless the final
three months of the winter provide bountiful snow, Colorado could very well be facing the reality of a water
shortage starting this summer.
Salazar pointed out that Coloradans consume about 120 gallons of water every day. Australians, by
comparison, use 36 gallons per day. That stark difference points out that more can, and must, be done to
conserve the water we use on an everyday basis. Those who grow crops certainly must be participants in that,
and we know from previous coverage that some Weld County farmers already are converting to drip irrigation
systems, which save a considerable amount of water compared to the conventional flood irrigation. Residential
water users must do a better job of embracing xeriscaping and reducing other household water consumption,
and we know that Greeley has been among the state's leaders in securing significant water savings over the
past few years.
But we must do more.
And that includes building more water storage. The NISP project in northern Colorado is one of the most
responsible, common-sense water storage projects this state has seen in decades. It has to win the approval
of federal regulatory agencies, but we would expect that to happen within a few years and hopefully
construction can start soon thereafter.
Salazar said "massive cooperation" must occur for the state to meet its future water needs. We would agree,
and if we don't, we're likely to encounter a massive water problem.
More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.


text:
You're not a kid anymore. It's time for you, and your money, to grow up.
Sure, retirement savings is best started early — but better late than never. Here's how to start saving past 30.
You're ready for retirement in every way except your savings — now what? Catch up, supplement, and cut costs.
It's never too late to start saving. If you skirted retirement savings in your younger years, you can still catch up — here's how.
Planning for retirement is daunting — even for twenty-somethings. Take a few simple steps and be on your way to building a healthy retirement fund.
You already know that you should save for retirement, but it's important to understand why that money should be in retirement-specific account.
For those of us in our 20s, managing our finances is stressful enough, and saving for retirement can seem impossible. But you CAN make it happen — here's how.
In the spirit of friendly cross-border competition, Canada and the U.S. face-off on retirement. Which country offers the best deal for retirees?
With dozens of account types available, retirement planning can seem overwhelming. Read this to better understand your choices.
Online brokers are known for cheap stock trades, but there's more to consider when selecting a firm. Use this guide to make a choice that works for you.
Rolling over your 401(k) isn't necessarily fun, but it can be a vital to your financial future. Here's how to do it.
Everybody knows that retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs offer great tax advantages (and once upon a time--and maybe again someday--a corporate match). But people who have p
What's certain about life: death, taxes, and changes in tax laws. So my best tax advice is "keep up with tax laws." Coasting along with financial vehicles and investm
Your 401(k) is not an investment. Neither is your IRA. Those are legal compartments for holding investments. Your investments are the mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and so on that you've bought. [more]
Become a fan
Follow us
Enter your email address to subscribe:


text:
By Rosario Quiroz, Community Mobilization Intern
A record number of undocumented immigrants have been deported in the last year: more than 392,000. This is due in large part to 287(g) and Secure Communities, two relatively new programs where the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency works with local law enforcement to identify undocumented immigrant "criminals." The 287(g) program allows state and local law enforcement entities to enter into a partnership with ICE and thus enforce immigration laws within a given jurisdiction. Secure Communities establishes a technological presence by requiring that any arrested immigrant's fingerprints be entered into FBI and ICE databases. If there is record of any immigration violation, ICE and local law enforcement are immediately notified. This can immediately put someone into deportation proceedings.
Communities have to actively request to participate in the 287(g) program. Conversely, Secure Communities comes to you. In the past couple of months, there has been much confusion as to whether counties could choose not to participate in the program. US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano issued a letter stating that local agencies could voice objections before the program deployed, so certain places such as San Francisco, the District of Columbia, and Arlington County, Va., collectively chose to opt out.
On October 6, Napolitano stated that, "we do not see this as an opt-in, opt-out program," mainly because the only way that a jurisdiction could choose not to participate would be by refusing to send fingerprints to the federal criminal-justice system, which contradicts the goal to fight crime. ICE plans to have this program expanded to every part of the United States by 2013. The issue of the opt-out remains unclear, as NY Governor Paterson claims that he's made a special arrangement with the Department of Homeland Security, allowing jurisdictions within the state to opt out.
Both 287(g) and Secure Communities claim to target only "criminal" immigrants for deportation.
Immigrants who overstay their visas or enter the country without authorization are not considered criminals; unauthorized immigration is an administrative violation. The Obama administration has sought to distinguish such immigrants from those who have committed actual crimes.
However, records show that even those with minor offenses or no offenses at all have been affected by these programs. According to Chung-Wha Hong, the executive director at New York Immigration Coalition, "79% of the people placed in detention facilities or deported under Secure Communities were convicted of minor crimes or had no charges filed against them at all."
What is even more difficult to swallow is overhearing six year-olds talking to each other about how a cousin, or an uncle is in jail and will probably be deported for driving without a license, or how they are staying home Fourth of July weekend because of the retenes, the roadblocks, that will probably be in effect that weekend. How can it be possible that such vocabulary, such fear, exist in a young child's life? These cases exist in my home community because of 287 (g).
But these problems extend past issues of traffic violations- what about survivors of crime? Why would anyone step forward and report an actual crime when they fear that interacting with police could lead to their own deportation?
Is the Secure Communities program actually creating secure communities, and for whom? Certainly not for all, even though as it stands, it will be expanded to every community throughout the US. Secure Communities seems a paradox of a title, as the program targets immigrant communities, but perhaps those communities are not included in the audience ICE is seeking to secure.
By Rosario Quiroz, Community Mobilization Intern


text:
A former pharmaceutical industry Quality Control Microbiologist (bacteriologist) for many years, I am a part-time microbiology instructor at University of California Berkeley Extension (UNEX), where I teach a medical microbiology lecture course, and in the past have taught a microbiology laboratory course, to post-baccalaureate allied health students and others. As an Adjunct Professor of Microbiology, I have taught general microbiology lecture and laboratory courses at the community college level.
In addition to teaching at UNEX, I am a licensed public health microbiologist working at the California Department of Public Health in mycobacteriology, and under a California emerging infections program, with various enteric bacteria in support of the CDC's national surveillance program for antimicrobial resistance. I obtained my Masters of Science in Biomedical Laboratory Science (formerly Clinical Laboratory Science) with an emphasis in Immunology from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor's of Science in Microbiology from University of Maryland.
I am a member of ASM and ASM's national registry of certified microbiologists. I am an ASM certified specialist microbiologist in Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices and registered microbiologist in Quality Assurance and Consumer Products. I am a former member of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Certification Exam committee and am an online minority mentor.
Having started out working in the clinical laboratory during my undergraduate days and now being in the public health sector, I maintain a deep interest in global infectious diseases of humans, particularly bacterial, with my main interest being mycobacterium tuberculosis and global tuberculosis.


text:
Your cart is currently empty.
© 2020 Alchemy
Sign up for designer reveals, exclusive offers, and news for the modern jewelry enthusiast.
Anne Sportun Rosecut Grey Diamond Ring
Contact To Special Order
Hand Crafted in Toronto, Canada
Stone Details:
Metal : 18 karat yellow gold
Ring Size: 6.25
Anne Sportun fine Jewellery began experimenting with jewellery in the basement of her childhood home where her father, a high school shop instructor, had a workshop full of tools. When Anne delivered her first wholesale order at the age of sixteen, she had no idea that she had taken the first steps of her professional career. Nor did she know that years later she would make the conscious decision to defer academic studies in Archaeology to enroll in a three year Jewellery Arts Program. Anne's passion for jewellery making set her on the path that would lead her to where she is today… She is driven by her belief in a universal language of shape and form, looking to nature for inspiration. She translates the subtle beauty of organic asymmetry into her work which brings a sophisticated dichotomy to her pieces. In her work and in her life, she strives to combine the precious with the everyday. Awarded for her excellence in craftsmanship and contemporary design, her work is collected by those who share Anne's vision.
© 2020 Alchemy
| Powered by Shopify


text:
St. Patrick's Day Dot to Dot Puzzle
Description: Connect the dots in order to make a St. Patrick's Day picture.
Instructions: Start at the number 1 and draw a line to the number that comes next. Connect all the dots in order. When you get to the last number, draw a line to connect it back to the number 1 to reveal the hidden picture.
Category: St. Patrick's Day Games
Note: This game was built with HTML5. It runs on Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Internet Explorer 9 or higher. It is also optimized for iOS devices, including iPad, iPod, and iPhone.
Common Core State Standards: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.1 - Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
Game Spotlight
Play games, win ourWorld money, and get clothing and accessories to create your own style.


text:
After rainout and off-day, Phils shuffle rotation
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies shuffled their rotation this week after being rained out on Wednesday and an off-day on Thursday, which resulted in Kyle Kendrick's next start being pushed back to Monday against the Blue Jays.
Kendrick (0-2, 3.52 ERA) was scheduled to start against the Mets on Wednesday, but the game was postponed and management decided to skip the right-hander and keep this weekend's rotation against the Nationals the same: Cliff Lee on Friday, A.J. Burnett on Saturday and Cole Hamels on Sunday. Roberto Hernandez will start Tuesday against Toronto.
Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg explained the decision on Friday, saying he wanted to keep his top three starters on a normal routine before things get complicated again in two weeks with a two-game series against the Angels sandwiched between off-days on May 12 and 15.
"Just played it out for about three weeks to see how that would look because in about two weeks we have the same scenario with an off-day Monday and another one on Thursday," Sandberg said. "But the biggest thing was to keep as many guys on schedule and on track as possible. I like the way that KK [Kendrick] has pitched up until now. But it was a matter of having Lee pitch on his sixth day and Burnett on his sixth day and then Cole will stay on his fifth day this first time through, up until the next two days off that we have. So it kept more guys on track."
Entering Friday's series opener, Phillies starters had yet to be credited with a win in 10 games at Citizens Bank Park despite a collective 3.72 ERA.


text:
The Polk County Sheriff's Office says it sent undercover deputies to a minority rights group's meeting because it had received information that the group was planning unlawful activities at a rally outside of a local jail.
Sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilder said Friday that deputies had also heard that hundreds of people were planning to attend the 2012 jail demonstration.
"It would have been irresponsible for us not to have attended a public meeting where the planning was going to be occurring," Wilder said. "As it turns out, it was perfectly benign."
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd sent the deputies to a July 2012 meeting of the Poor and Minority Justice Association, which was held at a local church and open to the public. News of the spying was revealed this week when the group's leader gave an undercover deputy's email to the news media.
Members of the group say they weren't planning any illegal activities or violence. Pastor Clayton Cowart, who heads the justice group and the church where the meeting was held, said he feels his group's constitutional rights were violated. He's met with lawyers and is considering taking legal action.
Wilder said that undercover deputies had not attended any of the group's meetings before July 2012 and haven't attended any since.
"They have a perfect right to peacefully meet," he said, adding that on the day of the uneventful rally at the jail, sheriff's officials invited some of the group in to tour part of the facility.
The incident involving the Poor and Minority Justice Association is one of a string of events that Polk County civil rights leaders say is troubling to members of the community.
"We just had the March on Washington and we're dealing with some of the same issues that we were 50 years ago," said Faye Bellamy, a member of the NAACP and local concerned citizens groups. "I am concerned about black kids and black adults being treated fairly by law enforcement."
In May 2012, the Southern Poverty Law Center sued Judd's agency on behalf of the parents of seven teens who claimed they suffered as a result of being subject to an "adult correctional model" in the Polk County Jail. The teens were housed in the same building as the adult jail rather than being housed in a separate juvenile facility staffed by professionals who are experts in working with troubled children, the law center said in court filings.
Judd has defended his treatment of juveniles in court records. The lawsuit is still pending in federal court.
It was that lawsuit, and teens' conditions at the jail, that sparked the Poor and Minority Justice Association to hold a meeting on July 27, 2012, at Cowart's church.
An email provided to The Associated Press by Cowart was written by the undercover deputies at the meeting. It said various groups were planning on protesting at a Polk County Jail over the juveniles in the jail and noted that a planning meeting was scheduled for the following day at Polk State College.
A former employee of the school said he was fired for attending the college rally. Terrell Elliston told The Associated Press that a school officer visited him at work and asked him for information about the rally, but he refused to discuss it. He said he told the school's human resources department that he felt uncomfortable about the questioning. A week later, he was fired -- a few months, he said, after receiving a good performance evaluation.
"He told the officer, 'This has nothing to do with my job. Nothing to do with anything. It's a private matter,'" said Elliston's attorney, Jim Thompson. "He didn't think he should be obligated to talk."
Elliston has filed suit against the school in federal court in Tampa.
Sheriff's officials said that undercover deputies also attended the meeting at the college. The jail rally drew 100 people and was peaceful.
Cowart and his group didn't know of the undercover deputies' presence at the meeting until this month, following a public records request.
Cowart asked the sheriff's office for all of the emails in which he was mentioned. A lawyer from the agency told him that his request would cost $16,606 to search the records. Cowart, who is black, said he then asked a white open-records activist to help, after which the office gave him the documents for free.
Wilder said the agency realized that the records price quoted to Cowart wasn't correct. He said the agency updated its software and expanded its parameters so keywords could be more easily searched. The agency gave Cowart the records for free because of the delay, he said.
Polk jail rally is peaceful despite a tip to the sheriff
The Polk County Sheriff's Office says it sent undercover deputies to a minority rights group's meeting because it had received information that the group was planning unlawful activities at a rally outside of a local jail.


text:
Regulators to decide new rules for Maine's elver fishery
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) � Regulators are deciding how best to regulate Maine's lucrative American eel fishery.
The eel management board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is voting Tuesday on proposed new regulations. The three options are to keep the status quo, close the fishery or set a catch quota.
The vote is being held at the commission's spring meeting in Alexandria, Va.
The proposed regulations are the result of a stock assessment that concluded the American eel population is technically depleted, likely due to a combination of overfishing, habitat loss, environmental changes and other factors.
The regulations are especially important in Maine, where fishermen each spring catch baby eels known as elvers as they swim up rivers. The fishery last year was worth $38 million, with fishermen averaging $2,000 a pound.


text:
•-•-• The Botanicals Series •-•-•
Drawing inspiration from the flora and fauna from Singapore Botanical Gardens, this collection was designed to translate my observations and turn them into illustrations carved onto wooden printing blocks. Each block is a single unit that can be printed in repeats and patterns that are only limited by your creativity!
Our printing blocks are designed with the intention of infusing traditional craftsinto modern applications. You can print on fabric, paper and even on your skin!
They are made from sustainable, quality shesham wood (aka rose wood) by a small family of block carvers in India. As these blocks are hand carved one at a time, there may be a slight variation in size from the photo shown. We photograph each product to show as best as possible the details and quality.
We hold block printing workshops too! More details here,
Handcarved Wooden Printing Block #309
Blocks are approximately 3 inches large.