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I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who could benefit from this information, so I decided to write a post about it.
These are the essential things you need to learn in order to become a good web designer:
- The principles of good graphic design and usability
- Using image editing software
- HTML/CSS coding
There are other skills that can improve your chances of getting hired, but without these 3 you can't even begin to call yourself a web designer. I'll write more about these skills in detail below.
Other skills a successful web designer needs are professionalism, good communication skills, curiosity, willingness to learn new technologies, creativity, lateral thinking, problem solving and a healthy dose of perfectionism. I'm sure I forgot plenty more, but this is what comes to mind right now. If you stumble into any bumps in your career path, check in with yourself how you're standing on these.
Bad news: You have a lot of work to do
Learning any new skill isn't easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!
You might be a bit overwhelmed by all this at first. It's understandable, there are literally hundreds of books written about every single subject I've mentioned in this article and no, you're not expected to read them all. But if you are passionate about designing great web sites, you have everything you need in order to learn how to do it successfully. Don't do it just for the money, this is not a job that will make you rich overnight.
Great news: You can do it at almost no cost, all by yourself
A lot of us had to learn web design all by ourselves, because there were no schools that taught it at the time. And although university courses pertaining to web design, user interface design, interaction design etc. are taking their deserved spots in the curriculum, the web has still largely remained a do-it-yourself thing. The reason for this is that the technology is changing so fast, that universities find it difficult to keep up with it. While the principles of graphic design have remained pretty much the same since the beginnings of press industry (and some of them are as old as civilization itself), the technology changes every year.
A lot of great web designers I know (including myself) had no formal training. While university level design classes help, if you're unable to attend them because you don't have the money, or you have a day job that doesn't allow for that, you can get by with books and online resources alone. And let's not forget the online forums where design and development students and professionals meet and help each other solve problems — although you can learn it all by yourself, you don't have to.
Principles of good graphic design and usability
Knowledge of design and a sense of aesthetics is universal. There are differences in technology, but overall principles are the same, and most important topics you should explore in order to learn design are: composition, typography and color theory.
Of course this is just scratching the surface, and each of these topics is a very comprehensive one. I have linked plenty of free online resources below so you can get started right away.
Getting information quickly and easily is more important than pure aesthetics
Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. — Wikipedia
It's more important for the content to be clear, and for the navigation to be understandable at a glance, than it is for the web site to "look fancy". While the user's first impression might be "Oh, that's so original!", after being unable to find the information he came to the website for, the enthusiasm melts and the user gets frustrated.
Better play safe and keep things simple, than "overdesign" things because you want to demonstrate your knowledge of all the Photoshop filters. Every element must have a very good reason for being where it is. If there is no good reason, get rid of that element.
If you've been into visual arts for a while you may think you don't need all this boring theory, but I assure you there's a reason why it's been around for centuries. If you know the rules, you will be free to break them when you have a good reason to do so to achieve a desired effect — you will not do it unconsciously, and achieve negative effects you couldn't predict.
Design inspiration, style and trends
As a creative professional, your job is to have a steady flow of inspiration available to you on a daily basis. Your main challenge is to consistently come up with original design solutions for your clients. Of course, this is something that you will get better and better at with experience, although some people are more inclined to this than others.
If you were focused on visual arts for the majority of your life, you will have a much easier time thinking visually and applying your original ideas. You will be more confident in using unconventional compositions, bold typographic solutions, bright colors and patterns, because experimenting is something you enjoy doing. You will pay attention to details, and won't be afraid to stand out.
If your background is mostly technically-oriented, this visual side may seem more difficult to grasp. You will likely focus on keeping things clean and minimalist, and stick to classic proven solutions, font combinations that you've seen used over the web, and conservative color schemes. If you use any fancy effects, you will probably mimic those you've seen used on popular web sites because you simply don't want to risk doing something "wrong".
An ideal web designer is a mix of both, but each of us a unique personality, and so we're all at different points in the visual-technical spectrum.
It will take some time before you develop your personal style fully, but the seeds of it will probably be obvious very soon. Especially if you've been into visual arts before, you will probably let this sense of aesthetic bleed into your work life as well. As a result you may attract a certain type of clients who will want to work with you because their business is a good match to your personal style. But this doesn't mean you should be a one-trick pony, and that you will only cater to one niche — such as travel, finance, or health & beauty. Sometimes you will be challenged to take on a client completely different from what you've done before, and this challenge is a good thing. Don't be afraid of it, we learn the most when we're out of our comfort zone.
Since developing a sense for aesthetics is something that is difficult to learn the way other skills are learned, you will have to learn by observing others. This means looking at "design inspiration" galleries and magazines on a regular basis to see what other people are doing. But the other part is learning why these people are doing it, and pure observation won't teach you that. This is something you will have to understand if you want to create your own visual solutions, and not just mimic other people's work.
Avoid making design galleries your only source of "inspiration". That's not real inspiration, that's influence. What often comes out of this influence are trends, and trends are passing — one year they're the "it thing" to do, the next year they look dated and démodé. If you want to make designs that pass the test of time, you should avoid following trends blindly. I'm not saying you should be oblivious to them, but don't rely your style on them too much.
Real inspiration comes from the inside. You are a unique human being, and what is going on in your brain is not the same thing that's going on in other people's brains. Use that to your advantage. Expose yourself to different mediums, and let various things influence you — the natural world, human and animal anatomy, man-made objects, books, movies, art and sculpture... And of course, the non-visual mediums as well. Can you imagine what the colors and textures of your favourite song would be? Try it!
- The Principles of Design
- Principles of Visual Design
- 45+ Free Lessons In Graphic Design Theory
- A 20 Minute Intro to Typography Basics
- The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web
- Color Matters
- An Introduction to Graphic Design History
- Introduction to User-Centered Design
- Web Usability articles by Jakob Nielsen
- 8 Universal Web Design Principles You Should Know
Using image editing software
Image editing software is a matter of personal choice. While Adobe products are the industry standard, no one will think less of you if you prefer some other product.
In web design we usually use raster graphics software, because of their photo editing capabilities. Vector software is usually not needed, unless you really like using it. Some of the most popular raster graphics programs are Adobe Photoshop and The GIMP (open source).
There is another interesting option, Adobe Fireworks, which is no longer an image editing software as it used to be under Macromedia — now it's an application dedicated to web design, and you can even export CSS directly from it! Sound amazing, though I haven't had the chance to play with it yet.
To learn the software, you have to use the software. Personally, I think the best way to learn is through tutorials, where you follow the exact steps to achieve a certain result. Later when you've learned where all the important tools and features are, you will be able to create designs of your own.
HTML and CSS coding
There was some debate on whether designers who can't code can call themselves web designers. Various opinions and reasoning aside, if you're a newbie this really isn't a question at all. When you're a new designer, people aren't waiting in line to slice your amazing designs. You have to be an exceptional graphic designer in order to do just the graphic part of the job, and have someone else do the front-end development for you.
Now that we've got that out of the way, what should you do?
First of all, you do not need any fancy software, although it may help you with learning HTML at first. I started by using WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, and eventually I moved onto writing my own code. Now I use a text editor with syntax highlighting — there are plenty of those to choose from:
- Notepad++
- Free HTML Editor
- Programmer's Notepad
- Netbeans - very bulky, but powerful, if that's what you like.
- PSPad
- HTML kit
- WebMatrix
- Sublime Text
If you prefer a WYSIWYG experience, you might want to look into one of these:
Web development is an industry in itself, and you shouldn't try to master both because that's quite impossible. But if you like wrapping your brain around abstract concepts, you might actually enjoy learning a bit of PHP, Ruby, ASP or some other web programming language just for fun. But this is something you should leave for later, when you're already very experienced in HTML and CSS.
CMS is required if you want to let your clients update their websites on their own. There are many open source options such as Wordpress, TextPattern, Joomla, Typo3 and many others, but setting them up might be challenging for a complete newbie.
There are also hosted (cloud) CMS solutions that you won't have to set up yourself — just register an account, and you're good to go. They range from free, cheap to expensive. We have our very own affordable solution Webiny CMS if you're interested.
But bon't concern yourself with this in the very beginning. At first you can work on static HTML pages, and as you gain knowledge and confidence, you can start researching various CMS options.
- HTML Dog
- WebPlatform
- SitePoint CSS reference and HTML reference
- CSS navigation techniques
- Essentials of CSS hacking for Internet Explorer — Unfortunately, you'll need it.
- Firebug — an indispensable debugging tool for Firefox, and a Lite version for other browsers
- When can I use...
- CSS3 generator
- 53 CSS-Techniques You Couldn't Live Without
How to find your first paying client
Getting that first client is the most difficult thing — once you're past your first, getting others is easier!
But how exactly do you, as a newbie, find a client?
Step 1: Be your own client
Before you start offering services to other people, make a few projects on your own to sharpen your skills and prove that you are actually able to do this professionally. Make them something useful, not "just practice" sites that you will delete in a month.
Create a web site about a topic you're passionate about that might interest other people as well. The key here is to identify real life problems and solve them, just the way you would in a paid job.
Step 2: Offer pro bono work to local organizations
Pro bono means "for a good cause". When you're confident you can create a decent-looking web site for other people, look up some non-profit organizations in your surroundings — homeless or women's shelters, animal shelters, student associations, environmental or human rights groups, etc.
Some of them may have outdated ugly-looking web sites, others may not have them at all. Contact them and offer to help. Tell them you need more work experience, and that you're willing to donate your design services to them. If they say yes, ask them to prepare the materials that they want to publish on the web site — contact details, "about us", mission, and photos. You are not responsible for the content, so make sure they know that this web site is a team effort!
I would avoid doing free design for friends', relatives' or neighbours' companies, unless it's a really really good friend that you can be very open and honest with. The problem is these people often underestimate the value of the work you do, and will continue making demands on your time even after you've become a working professional. It can bring tension to your friendship, so it's best to avoid it alltogether.
Step 3: Prepare a portfolio
Once you have a couple of your own projects and pro bono web sites in your portfolio, prepare your portfolio website.
Your portfolio should feature:
- Projects: thumbnails, short descriptions, and links to live sites.
- Contact information: the very least is your e-mail and/or contact form, anything else is up to you.
- Information about you: your name, work experience, education (if relevant) and any other information you might want to share (just keep it short).
Buy your own domain and hosting — either yourname.com, or think of a "studio" name. Print out some business cards with your web site and e-mail address and go job hunting!
Step 4: Find local businesses that don't have a web site yet
Probably every local business has their own Facebook page, but not all of them have a web site. You will have to persuade them that they need a web site, because it's more professional, and they have complete control over the content and presentation. Facebook is good for engaging with clients, but bad for displaying your services.
Present yourself professionally, and don't undermine your credibility by saying things like "You know, you're my first real client" or "I've been only doing this for 6 months", even if it's true. If they ask, don't lie — but you're not obliged to disclose that you did all those projects in your portfolio for free.
How much should I charge?
This depends on different criteria, and one of them is the standard of the country you live in. What a professional designer with 3 years of experience in Croatia charges for a web site may be lunch money for a US American student.
My proposal is that you set an hourly rate that is, for an apprentice with some experience, twice the hourly rate of a worker in McDonald's, Starbucks or the equivalent in your country. These jobs have notoriously low pay and usually students do them. You're at a "student" level now so you can't really charge as much as professionals do, but since you're doing intellectual work that takes effort to learn, you should charge more than you'd earn as a waiter. Multiply this hourly rate by the number of hours it requires you to do a project, and you have your price.
But can you justify using an hourly rate if you work really slow? In the article I linked below a seasoned designer explains why this might not be a good idea. However it's a reference point on which you can base your project prices. As your experience grows, your hourly rate will grow, and so will the project prices.
How to properly apply for jobs
Whether you're applying for an in-house position or pitching for a project, same rules apply.
- Have an online portfolio set up. If your actual web site isn't done, make a temporary one-pager.
- Link project screenshots to real web sites. If the site is not live yet, put the HTML templates on your own site — screenshots alone are not enough, web is an interactive and flexible medium.
- Don't make a PDF portfolio and attach it in the e-mail.
- In case of a job application make a honest resume outlining your work experience, education and skills in a list form, not an essay form. PDF or DOC formats are acceptable. Avoid ODT for now because of old MS Word versions. You don't have to design a fancy colorful CV, I'd suggest going with the classic grayscale text on white paper that can be easily printed if needed, but definitely use your knowledge of typography and composition to your advantage.
- "Cover letter" in this day and age means an e-mail message — don't attach it as a document. Keep it short. Say why you think you'd be great for the job. Include a link to your portfolio and, if applicable, links to web sites you designed that are similar to the project you're pitching for.
- Don't sound desperate and needy.
- Use a spelling checker! A survey among the employers has shown that people tend to disqualify potential employees based on spelling alone, because employers believe that a sloppy resume means the applicant will do a sloppy job.
Here's an example of an e-mail application:
Dear Sir or Madam, (NOTE: if you know precisely who the recruiter is, use their name)
I am writing to apply for a (web designer job position at Company Name) / (web design project). I think I would be great for this position/project because I have experience in creating well designed and usable web sites and possess the skills, creativity and professionalism required to perform this job successfully.
My skills include graphic design for web in Adobe Photoshop, HTML and CSS coding, and use of jQuery libraries. You can read more about my skills and education in the resume attached.
These are some of the web sites I designed, that demonstrate my skills and (are similar to your project)/(relevant for the job position):
You can view more of my work on my portfolio http://yourname.com
I'm looking forward to your reply,
Your Name
If you don't get the job, don't be disheartened, but don't be spiteful either. Even if you think your portfolio is more awesome than that of the person who got the job, there are many factors why the employer might have thought they were better for the job. Maybe they had more reputable clients, communicated better or offered extra services (graphic design or web development) that were useful for the employer. Or maybe your definition of "awesome" is skewed — it's common for junior designers to think "more effects" means better design, and to look down on clean, corporate design that is most sought for in the professional world.
Beware of design contests and spec work
There are certain web sites out there that are a platform for crowdsourcing cheap design services. I have never participated in such contests in my life, and wouldn't advise you to do it either, but it's your decision to make.
Inexperienced designers will often rather take the opportunity of a possible job and risk not getting paid for their work, than "do nothing". However, even if you do get paid, you will often get only a fraction of what would be a fair payment. But let's say you're a student and $100 for a website template is good enough for you. Your chances of winning are very low because you will be competing against dozens, sometimes hundreds of designers, and the "experience" you get in these kind of situations is not a "real world" working experience. It doesn't teach you anything useful about the client-designer relationship, actually it teaches you wrong things about our industry.
It teaches you that clients have the upper hand in the process, and that you should be happy to recieve any work, no matter how low it pays or how unreasonable the demands are. That design is like a competitive sport in which the "best" solution wins, and everyone else is a loser — when in reality designers collaborate and come up with brilliant ideas together. That your input in the project is strictly to make things pretty, and your role as an advisor is unwanted — after all, clients know what they want, they only need to see it done, right? Wrong.
Relationship between the client and designer should be a cooperation, and you are not just an interface between the client's brief and the computer. You are a person with knowledge and experience that is valuable in identifying and solving problems that the client isn't even aware of (because that's not his job). As a newbie these things won't be so evident, but after you have a lot of projects under your belt, you'll realize that you can anticipate the clients' needs even when they themselves don't know they have them.
I would recommend that if you have free time on your hands, you invest that time in learning a new useful skill, or work on your personal or pro bono project that is interesting, exciting and could bring you new opportunities. Spec work and contests rarely do that.
- "How much does a web site cost?" and other pricing questions
- Are You Making the Most Common Pricing Mistake?
- Getting to your minimum hourly rate
- Hourly billing
- What is Spec Work?
More resources
Here are more resources that didn't fit above. If you have any other suggestions to add to this list, let me know in the comments!


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Here's a question we get frequently in our studio!
Q: Why do some wedding invitations spell honor as "honour" and others spell it as "honor?" The example I followed showed "honour," so I assumed that was the way to go. But I've since found examples that spell it as "honor" too. Which is correct?
A: This is a tricky question, but a good one! There are a couple of different ways to look at this odd spelling issue, but there really isn't a right way to spell "honour" or "honor" on your wedding invitations. Both spellings are perfectly acceptable, so rest assured you will not be wrong with either option.
"Honour" is the British English way of spelling "honor," which is the standard American English spelling. As with a whole slew of "English" words, at some point in our rebellious history Americans changed the spelling. Today, British English and American English are most appropriately considered as two very distinct dialects of the same language!
Though we Americans saw fit to change British English to suit our own style, we still tend to cling to the notion that the Brits hold the standard when it comes to formality. Hence our occasional, albeit inconsistent, adoption of British English spelling and usage when we want to fancy things up, such as on a wedding invitation. This is why many invitation wording samples choose to use "honour" … and why most folks honestly don't even notice which one you choose! So go with your own preference and feel confident that you're not going to get a citation from the grammar police.
And if you still can't decide, you can always use the phrase "the pleasure of your company" instead!

subset: commoncrawl


text: Lace overlay satin corset with built in hidden supportive under wired cups, waist slimming, and cleavage enhancing lace up back. Beautifully trimmed with an adorable pleated ribbon trim, hook and eye side closure. Comes with a G-string and removable garters. Style: clothing-corset-soh-26932tealblack This item is FINAL SALE and is not eligible for return or exchanges. NOTE: This item is an Expanded Assortment*. Please allow 3-4 business days for item to leave the warehouse. NOTE: This item is exluded from discounts and promotions, if eligable may be subject to a restocking. See our store policy.


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Let's assume we're all past the IPv6 myths phase and know that IPv6 does not offer more (or less) inherent security than IPv4. Will the IPv6 networks be as secure as IPv4 ones? Not necessarily, because we're lacking feature parity and implementation experience. As I explained in the "IPv6 security issues: Fixing implementation problems" I wrote for SearchTelecom:
Until equipment vendors fill in the gaps and offer true feature parity between IPv4 and IPv6 security features, we can expect the IPv6 networks to be less secure that today's IPv4 networks -- not because IPv6 is insecure, but because today's IPv6 implementations still lag behind their IPv4 counterparts.
Read more @ SearchTelecom (or consider the excellent IPv6 Security book by Eric Vyncke).


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As the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new pope, new allegations have emerged of sexual and financial impropriety — including corruption and the attempted blackmail of gay Vatican clergy — in the Italian media. Margaret Warner talks with the Washington Post's Jason Horowitz. Continue reading
As part of a series of reports from the Vatican, Cardinal William Levada, the head of the office that handles sex abuse claims, speaks to Margaret Warner in his first television interview about the scandal rocking the Catholic Church. Continue reading
As part of a weeklong series from the Vatican, Margaret Warner reports on the church's growing sex abuse scandal, following the latest resignations from bishops in the Irish and Belgian churches. Continue reading
In other news Wednesday, at least 11 people were missing after an oil rig explosion off of Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Also, Pope Benedict promised the Catholic Church would take action in the sex abuse scandal after he met with victims in Malta last week. Continue reading
In other news Friday, rescuers again struggled in their search to find four missing miners who were trapped by an explosion in a West Virginia coal mine on Monday. Also, thousands mourned those killed in this week's political violence in Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading
With growing controversy over Pope Benedict's role in punishing priests accused of misconduct, Margaret Warner reports on the reaction of Catholics in the U.S. to the sex abuse scandal. Continue reading
In other news, Pope Benedict's personal minister sparked outrage on Good Friday by comparing criticism of the pope over church abuse scandals to "collective violence" against Jews. Also, Afghan President Hamid Karzai tried to smooth relations with the U.S. after reports he again blamed election fraud on Western interference. Continue reading
In other news Wednesday, diplomats in the European Union worked on policies to quash the spreading debt crisis and Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of an Irish bishop embroiled in the child sex abuse scandal. Continue reading
Pope Benedict XVI is speaking out about the child abuse scandals that have riled Catholics in Ireland and Germany. Gwen Ifill talks to John Allen, a journalist with National Catholic Reporter. Continue reading
Catholics in Ireland and Germany are seeking apologies and explanations as allegations of child abuse have besieged the Vatican's inner-circle. Gwen Ifill reports. Continue reading


text: John LoweThe Daily JeffersonianZANESVILLE -- Efforts to create a full-scale college in Guernsey County continue to gather momentum and could help spur a new industry for the region.Zane State College President Dr. Paul Brown said plans to expand the Willett-Pratt Training Center have accelerated and design work probably will begin in July. Brown expects construction to start in 2012 with the new portion of the campus to open the following year.Moving in tandem with the Cambridge project will be an expansion of Zane State's main campus. The college will extend its reach across Newark Road to create the Advanced Science and Technology Center that will model the concept of "sustainability."The center will be on the property where the Muskingum County Home now sits.Together, the college's two branches will offer an asset to the region that should appeal to a nascent energy industry and that will prepare citizens to profit from that business and industrial growth.Elements for Region's Growth"We have a vision," Dr. Brown said during an interview earlier this month."We have all of the elements here to start an industrial hub in our area -- from Zanesville to Cambridge and now down to Noble County with the solar array down there."We have the basic ingredients that the Raleigh-Durham area had 40 years ago before they created their hub."What are those ingredients?First is the highway system. Long touted as beneficial, but the benefits as yet not fully realized, the interstate highways do ease the transport of goods from a location that is within a day's drive of 80 percent of the major cities in the United States.Surrounding the Cambridge-Zanesville heart is a region with 10 colleges teaching 34,000 students who are learning advanced skills.Private and public partnerships have overcome obstacles. And one such partnership between the federal government and Horizon Telcom will create the "middle-mile" Internet infrastructure that will bring Internet broadband access to a wider spectrum of the community."Job-ready" sites are in place in both Cambridge and Zanesville. Now, with the solar array in Noble County, the first of a big industrial sector is moving into the area."So all of the elements are here," Brown said. "Our projects are not a build-it-and-they-will-come. Businesses are here. Opportunity is knocking at the door."We need to train our people or we're going to lose the opportunity. It's times like these when good businesses and good communities reinvent themselves."It's exciting, but the message is: We have to step to the plate. We can either take a giant step forward or we can go back to poor old Appalachia."Poor old Appalachia has never worked. It's never gotten us the money we need to develop this area."Our Ace in the HoleMany areas have good highways. Many areas -- including third-world countries (think the Philippines) -- have high-speed Internet access. Many have universities. And leaders in other communities, other states, will jump over backwards to offer industries incentives to locate in their communities."Our ace in the hole right now is the vast natural resources we have in this area, this region," Brown said."The government really values those resources. It needs them to solve the Number One problem in this country. And that is foreign dependency on energy sources."We have the resources in this area to make that happen. We're not the best place for 'clean energy.' But we're one of the best places in the country for the full energy package."Consider: This region has one of the best coal supplies in the country.With the Utica shale and the Marcellus shale deposits, it has one of the best natural gas regions in the country.It has strong agriculture that can supply a bio-energy source.And now it is taking a lead in the clean energy market. With concerns about the environment in general and global warming in particular, the urgency to develop clean, sustainable energy has gained ascendancy.Science Center to be a 'Living Laboratory'The new building coming to the Zanesville campus (shaped like the Y-Bridge) will house Zane State's engineering technology programs, the information technology programs and the energy programs as well as the allied health programs."Like the Cambridge building, it will be energy efficient," Brown said. "It will be powered by geothermal and solar panels. And we will have some wind turbines."On both ends of the roof will be rooftop gardens demonstrating the ways and means of sustainable agriculture."This building will be a living laboratory," Brown said. "All of the energy sources will be exposed to the students so they can see how they operate, how they are maintained and how they are designed."Zane State has been teaching students about fossil fuels for more than 40 years and those classes will continue. But the curriculum will be expanded to encompass classes about clean energy sources and mechanisms.Not only is the college doing its part to attract the clean energy sector to the region, the school wants to prepare students for those new jobs.Cambridge ExpansionAs the Willett-Pratt Training Center expands into a full-scale college, the administration already has moved some permanent faculty to Cambridge.The Cambridge branch will continue to have a unique advantage."It's in the middle of an industrial park," Brown said. "So, there is a great synergy between the businesses and the college."In fact, a lot of the industrial park companies are supporting the college in its expansion."The new building will be located on the north side of Brick Church Road and a bridge over the road will connect the new facilities to the current ones.The bridge will offer safe See COLLEGE page C-10passage for students going from one side of the street to the other. It also will act as a "gateway" to the college and to the industrial park as well."Again, that is great synergy between the college and the industrial park," Brown said.The new building will provide a great deal of classroom and laboratory space. But it also will have three community rooms suitable for 100 people each."But they will have moveable walls," Brown said. "So, really you can have up to 300 people in for sit-down dinners and meeting for business and industry ... when it's not being used as classrooms for students. Again, that makes for great synergy between the college and the community."I'm really excited by how much Cambridge has gotten behind this project. Everybody is saying that this is what it's going to take to get to the next level."With completion of the new construction in Cambridge and Zanesville, the college's capacity for students will increase by 20 percent at each campus."We will have 1,000 more students every term," he said. "That's based on our growth rates over the last seven years -- which is more than 70 percent."Partnering with Public SchoolsThe key to a vibrant future for this region -- and the nation as a whole -- will depend upon the development of a knowledgeable, science-oriented workforce, Brown believes.So, beyond the reaches of its classrooms, the college must do its part to foster the public interest in science as a profession, he said. So, Zane State has reached out to the public schools."We want to engage young minds in the interest of science," he said. "We want to create their interest, create their passion. All of the research says you need to do that in the middle school."To that end, Zane State turned to the staffs of the schools to get their perspectives on how to do that.The advice centered on two steps:* Create opportunities for professional development for teachers in the K-12 system in the STEMM area -- science, technology, engineering, math and medicine.* Create extracurricular activities for the students such as summer science camps, regional robotics competitions, traveling COSI shows for students in the summer.Of course, Zane State also participates in the post secondary enrollment option program in which high school juniors and seniors can take college courses in a dual credit program."We have had more than 100 students who have successfully gone through that program," Brown said.With respect to its engineering program, the college has a career path which includes early college for high school students."What we are trying to do is to reach down to the high schools and give them a head start on college."Urgent Need for Higher Education HereAnyone who wants a good paying job now cannot rely on just a high school diploma anymore, Brown said."You have to have at least a two-year degree because 85 percent of the jobs in business and industry right now require education and training beyond the high school level," he said.Only 15 to 18 percent of students in this area continue on to post-secondary education, Brown said."That means that 85 percent of our population is vying for 15 percent of the jobs. That has got to change," he said."The good news is that it is changing. Our 70 percent growth indicates the message is getting out."People in this area are realizing that they need that kind of education. But we have a lot of catching up to do."firstname.lastname@example.com


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NJ State Aid Flat, Education Funding Up In Christie's Proposed Budget [AUDIO]
Governor Chris Christie's proposed $32.1 billion budget keeps state aid at last year's levels but increases aid to public schools and colleges.
Christie's proposal includes $212 million more for education. Most school districts would see modest increases in state aid. He will also increase financing for preschool by $14.6 million and school choice aid by $14.2 million.
The school funds would not fully restore the reductions that Christie implemented when he first assumed office, according to the state School Boards Association.
"We're making progress towards that…but for the non-abbott school districts, which is approximately 550 school districts in the state…the funding does not bring them back to that level."
NJEA spokesman Steve Wolmer said while he was relieved to hear about the increase in education funds, the amount isn't enough.
"It's a really miniscule amount…let's be honest…in terms of the total amount of the budget…but it is an increase and that's important."
Wolmer said its important to note that Christie cut education funding for the past two years.
"In the past he has cut $1.4 billion to education…so this only restores about one-seventh of that."
Department of Education officials said individual districts today are expected to receive state aid figures.
The budget also calls for a 6 percent, $107 million across the board increase in funds for higher education, which includes direct aid and tuition aid grants. It comes on the heels of two years of flat or decreased funding.
Municipal aid would remain flat under Christie's proposal and transitional aid would be cut 56% for financially strapped towns.
"The governor has maintained the same funding levels as last year…and that's good news…we have to look at the transitional aid figures and what that all means…but the formula aid that provides a dollar for dollar offset in property taxes has remained constant and that is good news" said Bill Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Dressel said the 2-percent property tax cap and other tool kit reform measures like the pension and health benefits bills have helped towns hold the line on spending, but more needs to be done.
"There are a lot more tool kit reforms that need to take place."
Mayors, who were hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst, will be pleased that there won't be any cuts, said Dressel. "We are optimistic there won't be any cuts when this is all said and done but that will all depend on the state budget committees and what they decide to do now that they have this blueprint proposal from the governor."
Dressel said today begins several months of budget negotiations.
"It's the start of the budget race and it ends the beginning of July…so we're off and running."
The Legislature must adopt a balanced budget by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.


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A PRISTINE toy train station made in 1905 stands out in an exhibition of 3500 antique locomotives and railroad buildings at Sotheby's in New York.
The group is part of the Jerni Collection that includes more than 27,000 toys made between 1850 and 1940.
The auction house is offering the collection as a single lot in a private sale estimated to bring more than $US10 million ($A10.4 million). Other experts put the value much higher.
''I think $40 million to $50 million is a very comfortable number for that collection,'' said Noel Barrett, an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow and president of Noel Barrett Antiques and Auctions.
Also on display are hand-painted station houses, bridges, barges, carousels, Ferris wheels and hundreds of figurines in 19th century garb and Prussian army uniforms.
''I think they are beautiful,'' said Jerry Greene, 67, a Pennsylvania executive who owns the collection. ''They survived both world wars. For me it's part of history.''
Half of the collection was made by Maerklin, one of the top toy manufacturers at the turn of the 20th century. The German company made about 150 colourful tin train stations - all included in the collection - that are delightful to look at.
Some are outfitted with working fountains and clocks; many are replicas of buildings in Europe. A highlight is a station platform from 1895 with two curved staircases parting like a curtain at the centre. Animating the machinery and architecture are little women waiting for trains, an accordion player here, a stray dog there. Red-wheeled carts are stocked with goods. Trains haul coal, hay and arms.
Mr Greene's father began collecting at the age of 18 and went on to acquire more than 1600 sets of trains, 10,000 figures and 700 stations.
So why sell now? ''I collected everything I could,'' said Mr Greene. ''The fun is in the search.''


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Teen golfing sensation Ryo Ishikawa left for Australia on Monday for his professional debut in next week's British Open qualifying tournament.
"I can't wait to go out there (Australia) and I felt it was a very long way coming here to Narita airport," said Ishikawa, who at 16 years and 3 months became the youngest pro in Japanese golfing history earlier this month.
Ishikawa described his preparations for his upcoming professional debut as "nearly perfect" as he gears up for the 36-hole tournament to be held in Sydney on Feb. 5, from which the top four players win spots in this year's British Open.
"I'm happy that I'm going to an English-speaking country. It's something that not many of my classmates can experience and hopefully I'll get used to English as much as I can," he said. "As for my pro debut, I'm feeling nothing special, really. I just want it to be a wonderful memory for me."
Ishikawa stunned the golfing world by becoming the youngest winner on the men's top-tier professional tour when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup last May aged 15 as an amateur. The victory gave him an exemption from the JGTO tour through the 2009 season while opening the way for him to turn pro.
Earlier in the day, Ishikawa and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. announced a five-year sponsorship deal between them worth an estimated ¥500 million.


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Samsung I5510 Review
0. phoneArena posted on 28 Sep 2010, 05:32
At the IFA 2010 expo, a Samsung i5510 was spotted, boasting Android 2.2 and a physical QWERTY keyboard, in a fairly slim package. Now we have a review unit of the device, and will put it through its paces so you can judge how TouchWiz 3.0 and Froyo get along together on a budget handset...
This is a discussion for a review. To read the whole review, click here
1. Gianluigi (unregistered)
It is pretty strange the resolution of 400x240 pixel. And really poor too. Are you sure that the resolution is not 480x320 pixel? I think that considering, photo ,video, price and market segment 480x320 should be the correct resolution. Thanks in advance for the answer.
2. Jon123 (unregistered)
Well this is really disappointing! USA has the Epic 4G, Europe get this. Maybe with a half decent camera (5 megpixels isn't much to ask these days!), it would push it to mid-range worthy. Right now its a weird combination of low-to-mid range features... even Sony's X10 Mini Pro at half the size offers more. Shame.
3. Prabhu (unregistered)
Does it have support for document(excel, word, pdf, powerpoint) viewing & editing?
4. sunil kataria (unregistered)
does it support document editor or document viewer( excel,word,pdf,powerpoint) plz provide full details
galaxy 3 or galaxy 551 which one is better to buy
5. mahikupp (Posts: 1; Member since: 06 Jan 2011)
@Prabhu & @sunil kataria : Samsung 551 does not come with ThinkFree Office Mobile pre-installed. All Android 2.0 and above versions support docs viewer and editor features. ThinkFree Office Mobile can be downloaded from market or visit the this link for more informationhttp://product.thinkfree.com/m
obile/162you might also want to take a look at this link toohttp://product.thinkfree.com/m obile/android/faq.
6. ariv (unregistered)
can I upgrade the firmware from 2.2 to 2.3 gingerbread ? or change theme ?
because the menu icon is very old.
7. Hanif (unregistered)
This is the worst phone i ever used. Because of its stylish look I brought this mobile. Offcourse it should surve my business perposes. Belive me the 12mAH battery is worst. It drain like anything. After full charge within 5 minits battery drains to 95% despite all the bluthooth and wireless is turned off. Bigest joke about the 3G ..It is slower than 2g and the phone get hang very offten. No url open properly. I tried with 3 diff service provider. So there is no sim problem. This product which find its way to dustbin. beleive me friend if u look for a bussiness phone den do consider balck barry. Samsumg u cheat..U suck..Worst product I ever used in my life
8. Rajamanickam (unregistered)
Its very worst phone in android ...when we open the browser the mobile get hang.. :
9. alok852 (unregistered)
i have been using this fon for last six months..its battery lyf sucks..u can't play smooth videos..and today its showing in charging status without the power supply. it doesn't support too many softwares say 8 is too much for it. fon hangs now and then..
10. hemaram (Posts: 1; Member since: 07 Dec 2012)
Browsing experiance in this mobile is WORST!! Camera Quality is Poor (Though 3.2MP camera of Nokia mobile looks great).Hangs frequently.. you cant play even ANGRY BIRDS smoothly, though it was the only installed application :| ...Processor SUCKS!!!!!
Only PROS i can say is Sound quality is pretty decent.


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Don't Push Your Luck; Drive Sober
Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
News Release: 12/076/LHC
March 16, 2012
Don't Push Your Luck; Drive Sober
The Fairfax County Police remind motorists to designate a driver and plan ahead as they celebrate St. Patrick's Day this weekend.
Police typically see an increase in the number of alcohol-related incidents around the holiday and will step up their forces to help keep roadways safe. In 2011, Fairfax County Police officers arrested 14 drivers for DWI, and 22 other alcohol-related arrests. In 2010, there were 15 DWI arrests and 12 other alcohol-related arrests that day.
For the past two years, officers have arrested an average of 679 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol (or drugs) during the first quarter of the year.
Statewide in 2011, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 28 crashes on St. Patrick's Day, 15 injuries and one fatality that was alcohol related.
Celebrate the holiday safely:
- Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
- Designate a driver
- Report suspected impaired drivers to police.
- If you observe an impaired driver about to get behind the wheel, take their keys and help them make alternate transportation arrangements.
FCPD Officers will be out on St. Patrick's Day weekend; please drive sober


text:
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Scores based on 231 reviews
Invoice history based on 197 reviews.
SOC Roofing & Guttering is a small family run business, with over 15 years experience in the industry and able to offer you a range of services from domestic and commercial gutter & roofing to full loft conversions.
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We aim to only ever take on one job at a time, again ensuring you our undivided attention throughout.
Some of the work that we cover includes:
We are of course Fully Insured.
All our vehicles are equipped with the tools to remove all debris from your gutters and down pipes and we can help you with more extensive guttering problems too.
For a free, no obligation quote, contact us today or call 07738-727-417.
London, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex


text:
The Neorunic script is a alternative alphabet for English invented by Eric Johnson, who thinks that there are too many silent letters and strange ways to pronunce words in the English language. This script is designed to make it easier to determine the sounds of each word for foreigners studying English.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another
in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Download Neorunic font (TrueType, 10K)
If you have any questions about the Neorunic, you can contact Eric at: email@example.com
Other alternative scripts for English


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Happy 2012 y'all! Goddess Granny wishing everyone at Megsmakeup.com an amazing year ahead FULL of love, laughter, beauty and health: I for one am glad to kick 2011 to the curb and some invisible force has been prompting me to edit, purge,and delete since the clock struck midnight! I ONLY want "good" people and things and yes of course life will continue to hand us all things to cope with but as for that which I have control over and can makes choices about? They're going to be FABULOUS only! I've finally come to respect the old adage that says,"The more you know,the less you need..." and that by having less "stuff" to manage and and personalities to contend with you really can and do free up yourself to more wonderful options for growth! No resolutions for me, only results!
I spent a couple of hours yesterday cleaning and tossing items from my vanity drawers: it's a good sign you need to do this when you cannot open or close the drawers? I am NOT going to stop buying, sampling, testing,and indulging in beauty-products in this lifetime but I've realized that I will also not be wearing that deep grey lipstick that seemed so "fashion forward" when I bought it! It's really true that SO many of the "keepers" were our favorites here as well: Tarte Cheek Stains, Urban Decay just about anything, Lorac glosses and highlighters, and I can say with pride that a slew of pencils went into the bin because they didn't perform well and because I'm SO in love with cake eyeliners currently: new to me and a step up from the liquids I also love ONLY because you can control cake-application to the moon once you get it down and my beloved "cat's eye" is STILL front and center for Spring 2012!!!! MANY of the retro, rockabilly, pinup looks are going to be "all that" so I'm making sure my perfect black eye lines are firmly in my repertoire!
I am a girl who puts on makeup in the rear view mirror: there I said it! I live a solid 45 minutes one way from "civilization" in any form so at times, it's my best option and I keep a cute little kit in my truck with basics.Also the "weird" me always thinks," What if I was kidnapped or something,I'd want to be able to look nice,right?" My husband assures me that any would-be captors would GLADLY be paying HIM to come get me asap but I like to live in my beauty-bubble of possibilities.
I needed to find an eye pencil that REALLY worked as an eyeliner because only one-hand would be used and it HAD to be very black, not need a sharpener, and above all,it needed incredible staying-power because hey, those kidnappers keep long hours,right? I have tried SO many pencils with inferior results that when I read about Maybelline's "Eye Studio Master Drama Cream Pencil" I had my doubts...again, it's a "mass-market" product but I have been VERY impressed with what this venerable brand has been creating recently so I figured I'd give it a try! Lotsa luck...I went to four stores and yes, they HAD a new "Master Studio" display but there was not a single pencil in black to be had,they were all sold out! I bought it in deep grey and purple and headed to the rear-view to try it out! It goes on almost like a liquid,VERY creamy and moist with a self-sharpening/retractable tip and I was literally in AWE of the pigmentation and color-payoff! One swipe went exactly where I wanted it to with no "drag" or need to go over the lines again and it set within seconds looking for all the world LIKE a beautifully applied liquid or cream! It did NOT budge until I removed it later that evening and I even lined the "waterline" as well as into the inner upper corners of the eye, always tough spots for long wear! This is one AMAZING eye liner pencil and I ordered several in black immediately! The colors are true and rich and the black is SO dark and luscious,I can have a pencil in every nook and cranny at Maybelline's delicious price-points although I've handed over two to friends who admired the look! It's going to prompt me to try the shadows in this new "Master Studio" line as well...
You might have to go on a bit of a hunt locally to find the black because obviously the word is out that this pencil is a MUST have!!! I also like applying a smudge of colored shadow over the pencil and again,it does not move, smudge, or flake and is so ridiculously effortless to use that you'll be a cat's eye queen in no time! It's such a pretty and feminine makeup look that I hope it stays around for a long time,everyone looks great with a swoop!
Lucky for us,you can buy the "black" here on the very chic Maybelline website (and yes, you really can get the effect their model shows with this pencil!)and all of the colors it's offered in are equally as amazing, I need "Sapphire" for Spring!
So it's been firmly established that eyeliner is here to stay for a while! Which form do you prefer and don't you also want a perfect eyeliner pencil for those on the run glam looks? This one IS the best pencil I have found at any price!
- meg's blog
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Ooooo I'm always looking for creamy eyeliners in shades of blue, that sapphire color looks divine. I really like the new eyeliner trend of heavy but tidy eyeliner. The smudgy look was getting old and remind me of high school too much. This new look is much more glam and sophisticated.
I am totally a Cat Eye Queen! The almond shape of my eyes just works with it-- in fact, it looks a little weird to me now if I don't wing out the ends. I'm always wary of any eyeliner or mascara that doesn't proclaim itself as "waterproof," however, because no matter how much staying power is claimed, it tends to creep down my face (especially waterline application). I'm also wary of color eyeliner. I'd love to wear purple but my thin lashline really needs a boost, which colored eyeliner doesn't do as well. Any tips for layering eyeliner without smudging?
How does this do on the waterline? That's my biggest gripe about most liners is that they don't hold up and the color tends to migrate when I put it on my waterline. This liner does sound promising though. I tend to hoard black liner.
Maybelline seems to be coming up with nicer products
Hachi: I have had NO smudging with this pencil which is exremely rare! Try doing your cat's eye line with the pencil THEN using a thinner "pencil" trype smudge brush like Sephora's # 24 "smokey eye" brush to run a bit of the color you want like purple OVER your black line! I am currently doing this with Laura Mercier's "Merlot" a deep wine-brown and it's SUCH a great look! Not smudgy like the traditional smokey eye but defined with a touch of color! I need that boost of black also...Waterlines are tough BUT this Maybelline pencil DOES hold up well! The "best" products I've found for waterlines are Urban Decay's "24/7" pencil in "Baracuda" (deepest black with a touch of shine...) and Laura Mercier's "Tightline" cake liners applied with a sealing medum...you can use the LM on both the upper and lower waterlines this way and it STAYS! Hope this helps,I really have tried to become the "eyeliner queen" in recent months! :)
no smudging?? That's what I'm looking for in an eyeliner! My brows are drooping with age and when I put on liner, it smudges into a weird half-moon shape under my brow. ALL liners do this, but I'm determined to find one that does not!
I don't like how the cat eye looks on me, maybe because of the shape of my eye! :/
The waterline is tough. GG says she used it on the waterline and it held. You could also use a bit of eye primer as close to the line as possible to keep it from migrating. That said, I would give this a try and since I am "migrating" over to Walgreens to look for this and the Aero Mineral Spray Meg wrote about yesterday I am hoping it is in stock. i live in a very snotty area where the women like to pretend that they just LOOK like they have makeup on so there is a chance it could be there. They don't even let their pre-teens use the drugstore brands.
Another thing I will have to check out on my walgreens run. I have oily lids so wondering how well it will stay. Hopefully it meets my expectations and I have found a new cheapy to count on. :)
♥ Claire ♥ AngelClarice Beauty and Wellness Site www.angelclarice.com
I definitely gotta try this!
Sounds interesting. For years I pretty much wetlined with eye shadow. I'm currently liking cream shadows and pencils. I've only tried liquid a couple of times, and it seemed too dramatic for me...maybe if I tried one of the super skinny ones it would work. I don't think my eye shape would work well with a cat eye look. I've got some CVS coupons that I'm planning on using this week, so this might come home with me. It'll depend on if they got anything else new in recently.
I'm really loving the gel/cream liners in pots right now. I find them super easy to apply and control.
oh la la.. sounds dreamy and at a steal! must check this out when I next need eyeliner..
i've been looking for a good creamy eyeliner! i will definately check this out!
I have had no luck with pencil eyeliners. I love liquid, probably because I used to do calligraphy! But I would love to find a pencil that works. I agree, Maybelline has been coming up with some superior eye products lately. I am experimenting with (and like so far) their waterproof Volum Colossal mascara and have heard that the new Illegal Length Fiber mascara is pretty good too.
Cat eye is not for me -- smoky eye works best, even if it's "out of fashion." :/
Sounds great, I can't wait to try it!
I'm really wanting to try out this one! but sadly I can't find it anywhere :/ the gel eyeliner from the Master Drama "series" its amazing though!! I adore it, and I wear it everyday because I can get very thin eyeliner or a perfect cat eye!
sometimes i wish that i could use up eyeliner faster. i wear it every day but my pencils last forever! i really want to try this, what a great review, but i have like a billion other eyeliners!
I love cream liners. Not only are they easier to handle given the gel-like texture , but in many ways I find them more true to color. Nice review!
I have this in Midnight Master, and I love it. It is soooooooooo dark! Talk about a black black!! It's the blackEST! I have no complaints about it. It performs very comparably to UD's zero, but I think it's even easier to be more precise. Well done, Maybelline!
My Blog: http://rubysrigmarole.blogspot.com/
I love my eyeliners and creamy eyeliners! but because of my hooded eyes they never seem to stay in place :( I always get smudges on my upper lid after a while.
they sound super handy, im loving my stila cream pot these days, so quick and easy. Thought the jar is so heavy, so these pencil things are great for carrying around in a makeup bag.
who loves makeup? me me ME!
I still haven't found an eyeliner I'm thrilled with. Maybe I'll give this a try. Thanks!
I do prefer liquid to pencil but this pencil sounds really good. Thanks for the review.
Eyeliner is a must and I'm so glad that the cateye look is here to stay.. for now. This sounds amazing esp since it doesn't smudge b/c I hate it when that happens! Will be looking for this at my local stores and hopefully they won't be sold out!
Would like to try
Oooh I may decide to pick this up, I know a lot of people have been comparing this to the Stila Smudgestick and this is definitely cheaper
Sounds great! I prefer using gel liners
I have the oiliest lids EVER!! No matter what I use or how great they say it is, it ALWAYS runs. The question really is, how SOON will it run. Some are better at staying on than others. It seems like you may have the same problem and therefore this product sounds like one I should try although I'm hesitant because I've spent lots of money on finding that perfect eyeliner.
creamy is the only kind ill use!! i love them so much!!! :)
Definitely going to get this. And that Superstay 24 Color... woah, I want!
Happy 2012! I prefer powder eyeliner to everything else.
I need this!
This sounds great! In the past I have shied away from eyeliner since I'm very fair and sometimes it doesn't look right on me, but lately I have been enjoying it more. I like to smudge it a bit.
lover of beauty, sharer of opinions http://prettylightsbeauty.blogspot.com/
I usually stick to my UD pencils but it can be tiresome to have to dig for my sharpener, nice to know that drug store makeup can produce a product like this, I will definitely have to check it out, thanks for the review!!
Thanks for the review! Now I guess I would definitely try it out to see what the effects are like for myself.
I was just looking for a new eyeliner this weekend. I picked up a POP trio at Ulta which did NOT do the trick. Thanks, Granny, for the recommendation. Can't wait to test it myself!
I prefer gel liners, they stick better!
Love Maybelline.
Sounds and looks like Stila's smudge stick eyeliner, but more than half the price.
Sounds great!!
I'd love to pick this up as soon as I finish up the ones I have. No smudges is a major requirement!
I prefer pencils because they are quicker than gel to apply for me. This particular pencil sounds like something really special, I need to get my hands on one. I have been really into eye liners lately, accumulating a nice pile of them :)
I have this and I really love it. I only have one, a brown...I need ot get some more colors. These kind of eyeliners are so easy to use! Maybelline has really been stepping up their game with their new products of late.
Ooh this sounds great! I love using eyeliner pencils but they tend to smudge on me. I'm always on the hunt for one that will stay on my waterline (UD's have some staying power, but do disappear eventually).
For some reason I don't use eye liners or pencils that much, eye shadows are so much easier to apply. But when I do use them, I definitely prefer pencils, they are so much easier to correct if need to
I bought this liner late last year and like how it wears. It goes on very smoothly.
i love this kind of eyeliners i would bet for it that its amazing and not expensive
The main thing I wonder about these, is, like the Tarte AquaGels, do they run out really quickly?
From within bottles, jars, compacts and tubes.*


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You are currently viewing the abstract.View Full Text
Copper in the Spotlight
Elemental copper should, in principle, be a productive catalyst for the commercial preparation of propylene oxide; however, in practice, surface oxidation under industrial conditions quickly diminishes selectivity below a useful threshold. Marimuthu et al. (p. 1590) now show that irradiating the copper with visible light during the reaction excites surface plasmon resonances that lead to reduction of the oxide coating and restore selectivity.
Oxidation of functioning copper has restricted its applicability as a catalyst for commercially important epoxidation of propylene to form propylene oxide. Here, we report that steady-state selectivity in propylene epoxidation on copper (Cu) nanoparticles increases sharply when the catalyst is illuminated with visible light. The selectivity increase is accompanied by light-induced reduction of the surface Cu atoms, which is brought about by photoexcitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Cu. We discuss multiple mechanisms by which Cu LSPR weakens the Cu-O bonds, reducing Cu2O.


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GONZALES — The state district judge presiding over the trials of five men implicated in the home-invasion killings of a Gonzales-area couple and their adult son ordered on Wednesday that jury selection for the first of the trials trial take place in Lafayette Parish.
But Judge Alvin Turner Jr. of 23rd Judicial District Court ruled the first-degree murder trial of the first of the five defendants to go on trial — Michael Aikens, 36, 16460 La. 930, Prairieville — will remain in Ascension Parish.
Aikens' defense attorneys argued that pretrial publicity about the slayings would prevent Aikens from being judged by fair and impartial jurors in Ascension.
"It's our opinion that a change of venue in this case is appropriate," Elton Richey, Aikens' defense attorney, told Turner before the judge issued his ruling at the Ascension Parish Courthouse Annex in Gonzales.
Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty for Aikens. He and the four other defendants each face trial on three first-degree murder counts. Three of the four remaining defendants also face the death penalty.
Richey is a lawyer with the Capital Assistance Project of Louisiana Inc. in Shreveport.
Assistant District Attorney Robin O'Bannon did not object to picking the jury in Lafayette, saying her office wanted to avoid placing a further burden on the victims' family, but said the District Attorney's Office would oppose moving the trial.
Jury selection starts Sept. 30, O'Bannon said in a later interview.
In a May 2 motion seeking the venue change, Richey cited research from the first half of the 1990s, raising concerns about racial bias among jurors against black defendants in death penalty cases, a worry only exacerbated by the pretrial publicity in strongly majority white Ascension.
Turner made clear in questioning Richey on Wednesday that Richey was making an argument about jury selection, not the trial itself. Before ruling, the judge told him a parish would be selected with roughly the same racial makeup as Ascension's.
Sheriff's investigators have said the slayings stemmed from a plot to steal gold and other valuable coins from a safe in Robert Irwin Marchand's house near Gonzales.
Aikens had worked for Marchand more than a decade earlier and knew about his employer's coin collection, authorities have said.
Marchand, 74; his wife, Shirley Marchand, 72; and his stepson, Douglas Dooley, 50, of Cross Plains, Tenn., were found with throats slashed and showing signs of being beaten when deputies found them in the family's Babin Road home on Feb. 18, 2012.
Robert Marchand and Dooley were dead. Shirley Marchand died March 2, 2012.
Turner also severed the four other defendants' trials from Aikens' trial Wednesday. O'Bannon did not object.
Defense attorneys told Turner that either their clients or Aikens had made "antagonistic statements" toward the other.
O'Bannon said the defendants were making unspecified accusations against each other.
The defense attorneys declined comment. Portions of the court record, including disclosed sheriff's reports, have been sealed.


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Do you have an idea for an alumni event? The Swedish Institute can provide funding for events organised by SI alumni. A maximum of 12,000 SEK can be applied for.
The purpose of the event grants is to stimulate SI alumni to stay engaged in your local community. We want to encourage alumni to create opportunities to meet, exchange knowledge and build competence. The aim is to help the local alumni networks to contribute to positive social change. Events that are open for a broader public are also welcome.
Send us your application before 20 February. All information on how to apply can be found here: https://eng.si.se/areas-of-operation/scholarships-and-grants/si-alumni-network/eventgrant/
If you have any question, please contact alumni(a)si.se


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Big Bear High School Unveils New Marquee Purchased by PSA
Big Bear, CA, June 12, 2012, 3:00pm – Big Bear High School unveiled the new digital marquee on Monday. The marquee will enable the high school to highlight the school's notifications and accomplishments. The marquee project was implemented three years ago, at the request of the school's Principal, Mike Ghelber, when the old marquee was blown down and destroyed in a winter storm. Malissa Parker, the founder of Parents in Support of Academics, known as PSA, spearheaded the project with a series of fundraisers, most notably, the annual Tax Day Soiree and Auction. PSA's fundraising activities for the new marquee took 3 years with another year to work out the details and specifications for its installation with key school district personnel. Parents in Support of Academics is a parent oriented booster group that has assisted Big Bear High School with other projects including beautification of the quad area as well as contributing financially to a student Senior Project and the Principal's Fund. Additionally, the ASB, Associated Student Body, at the high school assisted PSA at the auctions and were recognized at the ceremony by Mr. Ghelber. The PSA thanks the many merchants, businesses, organizations and individuals who supported this dream and helped to finally put the marquee in place. [audio:http://kbhr933.com/wp-content/uploads/SP315511.mp3|titles=New BBHS Marquee – Cathy Herrick reporting]...Read More


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Communal violence bill may be introduced in Budget Session
A bill allowing the Centre to declare an area in a state as communally disturbed on its own is likely to be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.
New Delhi: A bill allowing the Centre to declare an area in a state as communally disturbed on its own and send central forces without the state`s request, is likely to be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.
The Home Ministry is expected to send the draft of the controversial Communal Violence Bill to the Union Cabinet for its approval after a legal vetting of the Law Ministry before being introduced in Parliament which meets on April 22 after a four-week recess.
The bill, which is bound to face strong opposition from the BJP and some other non-Congress parties, also provides for transfer of cases outside the state concerned for trial and take steps to protect witnesses, sources said.
The draft bill imposes duties on the Central and the State governments and their officers to exercise their powers in an impartial and non-discriminatory manner to prevent and control targeted violence, including mass violence, against religious or linguistic minorities, SCs and STs.
The Home Ministry draft "largely sticks" to the provisions in the `Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011` prepared by the National Advisory Council led by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
The bill aims to check targeted violence against the minorities and also proposes a body -- the National Authority for Communal Harmony, Justice and Reparation -- be constituted by the Centre to exercise the powers and perform the functions assigned to it under this Act.
The BJP is strongly opposed the proposed legislation and has termed it as "dangerous" saying it will harm federal structure of the Constitution. It has and questioned how the bill could presume that the majority community is always responsible for riots.
The proposed legislation is also likely to face opposition from Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK and Akali Dal which are in power in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Punjab respectively.
The bill was first introduced in Rajya Sabha in 2005 and subsequently referred to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.
The Committee submitted its report in 2006 to the Parliament and notices were given in March 2007, December 2008, February 2009, December 2009 and again in February 2010 in Rajya Sabha for consideration and passing of the Bill.
The bill, however, could not be taken up for consideration on any of these occasions.
Thereafter, several suggestions from civil society groups were received and examined. Finally, the NAC said in July 2010 that there was a need to revise the law to deal with communal violence. It worked on a draft bill and submitted the same on July 25, 2011 to the Home Ministry.


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 188.8.131.52
Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Recently I have seen signs that make me beleive there is a sort of "Speed Limit" for creating or getting Links back to a Website. My own site is completely disappeard from Google and partly from Yahoo for a very competitive keyword which I was running an Anchor Text backlink campaign for it recently. On MSN Beta Search; as you migh have guessed I have No. 1 ranking :)
The nature of having kind of Speed Limit is acceptable though it may be disappointing to see that some sites are not seriously checked by the SE Police and are getting hundreds and thousands of backklinks each week! and no filtering for them.
So I decided to post this topic here and see what others think about it. Please share your own experiment and let me know what you think of such Speed Limit.
I would also think that Google et al. might impose a speed limit but not bust you for it. Instead, they would simply count a fraction of your links. By busting sites, they would destroy genuinely newsworthy new sites that were attracting a lot of attention based on how cool they were.
Anyways my website has more than 50 backlinks counted by Google, the HomePage PR is 3 and I had good rankings or better say rankings anyways on Google. <snip>
I have tried to contact Google by sending an email to email@example.com but they told me that the website is not "penalized". But nothing is said about Sandbox which is apparent as it is not officially announced.
I am pretty sure that the site is experiencing such filter as MSN Beta shows the first ranking and on Yahoo I had a No. 11 but currently moved to 150! and off the Google completely!
Any advice?
Ramin B
[edited by: martinibuster at 4:34 pm (utc) on Jan. 9, 2005]
[edit reason] No urls, thanks. See TOS [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]
Likely based around 2 main factors:
1) total number added that week/month
2) the % of new submits compared to existing backlinks
About to submit a brand new site to 400 of them for one way links and see if that raises a flag.
I'll give public feedback (if I remember :-), but I'd appreciate anyone sharing previous work in this area.


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News Archive 2009 - 12 Feb 2009
A Day In The Life: 3 New Anniversary Prints~ UPDATE 6th March; Sold Out ~
To mark 35 years in limited edition publishing, we are delighted to offer a new twist on The Beatles A DAY IN THE LIFE boxed set by Michael Ward, with the release of 3 more previously-unseen photographs, taken 19th February 1963.
Michael Ward has generously opened up his archive to us again. We are issuing 3 stunning images of The Beatles as archival resin-coated prints (size: 14"x11") hand-signed by the photographer. They are strictly limited in number only 35 numbered prints worldwide, one for each year of our anniversary.
The three print editions are displayed here for the first time:
Print No 1 The Beatles. Victoria Monument, Liverpool, February 19, 1963. SOLD OUT.
Print No 2 George Harrison. The Cavern Club, Liverpool, February 19, 1963. SOLD OUT.
Print No 3 Paul McCartney. The Cavern Club, Liverpool, February 19, 1963. SOLD OUT.
1. The Anniversary Print
All prints are black and white, resin-coated Lambda prints on 14"x11" Ilford paper, hand-numbered (from 1 to 35) and signed by the photographer, Michael Ward.
Single print SOLD OUT..
Three prints, as a set SOLD OUT.
2. A DAY IN THE LIFE + Anniversary Print set
You can also purchase the new prints with a copy of A DAY IN THE LIFE at an even better price.
Described by The Liverpool Echo as "a unique collection of work which froze a moment in musical history", A DAY IN THE LIFE contains a signed silk-bound book and 24 lithograph prints. It is a time capsule that records the moment The Beatles scored their first UK Number One.
You can add your choice of print at the following rate:
A DAY IN THE LIFE (£450) + your choice of Anniversary print (at £150) = SOLD OUT.
A DAY IN THE LIFE (£450) + all three Anniversary prints (at £375) = SOLD OUT.
Please note: if you already own a copy of A DAY IN THE LIFE, this preferential rate is open to you as well, to augment your existing boxed-set. Simply tell us your copy number in the 'additional information' box on the order page.
© Michael Ward
Related titles...
A Day In The Life
Photographs of The Beatles by Michael Ward
Michael Ward
The Beatles as seen through the lens of the late Michael Ward in his signed book and print set.


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Business and Operations Director
Global Channel Operations
Infor delivers fully integrated enterprise solutions for a wide range of industries, as well as best-in-class, stand-alone products that address the essential challenges its customers face in areas such as enterprise resource planning, supply chain planning and execution, customer and supplier relationship management, asset management, product lifecycle management, financial and performance management, and business intelligence. With 8,100 employees and offices in over 100 countries, Infor provides enterprise solutions to more than 70,000 customers. For additional information, visit
POSITION: Director, Business and Operations
SUMMARY: The Director of Business and Operations primary role is as trusted advisor and "right hand†to VP, Global Channels and Alliances in terms of day-to-day channel sales operations, with a particular focus on Channel Partner/Channel Sales & Alliance Partner metrics and measurements, Channel operations metrics and measurements, publishing Partner metrics, a Channel Operations dashboard and a monthly executive report. This role will be the owner of all aspects, requirements, design, implementation and maintenance of Infor's Partner Relationship Management System (PRMS or whatever) for the Infor partner community and Infor partner management teams. This position also has responsibility for the design and development of ancillary partner programs/systems.
This may include managing and/or providing direction to a team of Channel Operations professionals who work with the channel sales teams and our Partner community, the facilitating and monitoring of the enablement and rollout of operations initiatives, processes and policies. It may also include the design, development and implementation of appropriate legal document necessary for the execution of partner programs and used by Channel Operations and Channel Management and any contract processing, data capture and data publication of Partner information to other functional organizations in Infor. Additional areas would include any tools, forms, aids, videos, templates or other materials that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Partners doing business with Infor. Director of Business and Operations is also responsible for providing reporting and analysis to the Channel Sales Leadership team on sales pipeline, sales performance, and other key metrics. This role also supports the Leadership team on other projects as needed including Channel Rules of Engagement, Segmentation, Partner coverage models, Partner business
The candidate is accountable for driving CRM system data integrity (Salesforce.com) and accountability with Channel Sales Managers and Partners to ensure reporting and metrics are accurate and reliable. This requires excellent negotiation and communication skills to both be an advisor and advocate to the Channel sales teams, Partner community, Legal team and additional functional departments or groups within Infor. The individual will also be the person who initially reviews disputes between Channel Management and Direct Sales regarding rules of engagement related to various sales programs or situations, and either drives resolution and/or performs investigative work to present a recommendation regarding to how to resolve the conflict between the sales teams. Additionally, this individual will work with channel sales management to analyze performance and trends for products, geographies and industry verticals, and recommend areas for improvement to the channel sales team and/or operations management.
This position requires a strong communicator who can lead through coaching, a facilitator for resolving issues or challenges both within the team and between the team and other departments, coordinator of work flow and problem solver. The ideal candidate will be very detail oriented and able to adjust quickly in a rapidly growing and dynamic group. The candidate must be comfortable and effective in communicating and presenting to senior management. Superior planning and analytical skills are a must.
Required Skills:
preferred skills & KNOWLEDGE:
Infor Global Solutions offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Infor respects and embraces diversity in our workforce. EOE/AA M/F/D/V
To apply, please click on the following link . No phone calls please:
No recruiters, please
United States
|Web Site:
|641 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011
United States
Support Infor Global Solutions, Inc. with Social Media services


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STARmeterSEE RANK
Down 40,449 this week
Philippe Nicaud (I) (1926–2009)
Philippe Nicaud was born on June 27, 1926 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête (1962), Mademoiselle Strip-tease (1957) and Que personne ne sorte (1964). He was married to Christine Carère. He died on April 19, 2009 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France. See full bio »
Born:in Paris, France
Died:(age 82) in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France


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Have Ford Questions? Ask a Mechanic for Answers ASAP
If you have another ignition key try it. If you have the key fob/remote you can next try to lock and unlock the vehicle and then start. This system cannot be disabled. The anti theft works with the PCM and if the right signal is not received it will not enable to start. It would be best to check for codes if a scanner is available. Most parts stores scan for free but they only use minimum function scanners. If the anti theft light is flashing there is a system fault, it should go on with the key on and then go off after a few seconds.
let me know what happens
key has a transponder, if it does not send a signal or the receiver does not get one or send one to the pcm the vehicle will not start.
dealership IDS scanner gives the tech a big advantage


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HOMES and businesses were left without power for more than 12 hours and traffic lights were out at one of the town's busiest junctions after a power cut in Windle.
Residents reported losing power in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Motorists also reported difficulty crossing Windle Island junction at the East Lancs Road with the traffic lights there not working earlier this morning (Sunday)
It is not clear what has caused the power to fail at this stage.
However, residents turned to social media to vent their frustration at having no electricity when many people are busy planning for Christmas.
Some said power had returned by late this afternoon.
The Rainford area also experienced a couple of short-lived power blips on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, leading to a number of domestic and shop alarms being triggered.
Have you been affected? Post a comment below or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Best Happy New Year 2017 eCards for Girlfriend
Best happy New Year 2017 eCards for girlfriend. Sending a greeting card to the one you love the most in this world is a very good and impressive option. We have some very good collection of best new year greeting cards for girlfriend that you can download and send to your GF on this NewYear… Read More »


text:
The shake-up follows parent firm Federated Department Stores' $11bn (£5.7bn) takeover of rival firm May Department Stores earlier this year.
Federated is closing administrative offices across the country in order to save money, putting 6,200 jobs at risk.
The firm said it would offer as many staff as possible other positions.
Competitive pressures
However it did guarantee that no redundancies would take place before next March.
At the time of the takeover, Federated said it would look to make annual cost savings of $175m in 2006 and $450m in 2007.
The cuts will affect employees in Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, St Louis and Arlington, Virginia.
Federated said the shake-up would free up resources to cut prices and to open more stores.
"To better serve our customers in this highly competitive retailing environment, we must concentrate on our best national brands and reduce costs so we can deliver outstanding value to shoppers," said Federated chief executive Terry Lundgren.
Other changes will see all Marshall Field's outlets acquired in the May deal being rebranded as Macy's next year, while four further stores will be given the Bloomingdale's name.
Once the restructuring is complete, there will be 850 Macy's and 40 Bloomingdale's outlets across the US.
Federated also announced plans to sell its chain of 700 bridal stores.


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Earlier today, 1st Congressional District Republican candidate Randy Demmer's campaign issued a press release calling on DFL Congressman Tim Walz to oppose the Disclose Act. That bill would require corporations and unions to reveal their top donors for campaign ads. This follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said corporations and unions have the right to spend an unlimited amount of money on campaigns. Demmer argued that the bill would end up limiting free-speech. Here's the link.
Walz responded by blasting Demmer for opposing the bill, which he said promotes transparency.
"Rep. Randy Demmer made it clear today he would stand on the side of Wall Street corporations that caused our economic collapse with their reckless decisions instead of standing up for southern Minnesotans," Walz is quoted as saying.
Walz goes on to say, "Instead of standing up for the right of citizens to know who is spending money in elections, Rep. Demmer is standing up for corporate interests who want to keep that information secret. Instead of standing up for taxpayers, Rep. Demmer is standing up for big banks who want to use your taxpayer dollars they received in the bailout to influence elections and defeat those who are holding them accountable."


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Get an overview of this hotelGenova hotel 400 meters from La Lanterna
Collecting Nectar Points
Special Offer: Book by 2 August 2017 and collect double Nectar points!
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Popular property highlights
Near Aquarium of Genoa
This Genoa hotel is 400 meters from La Lanterna, 1.5 km from Piazza Acquaverde, and 1.7 km from the Royal Palace museum and from the Aquarium of Genoa.
Buffet breakfast
Columbus Sea Hotel offers a bar, room service during limited hours, and a buffet breakfast (surcharge). Wireless Internet access (surcharge) and a technology helpdesk are available.
Satellite channels
The 80 guestrooms at Columbus Sea Hotel offer LCD TVs with satellite channels and pay movies. Newspapers are complimentary. Guestrooms include minibars, hair dryers, and trouser presses.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Columbus Sea Hotel
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Columbus Sea Hotel provides a buffet breakfast (surcharge) and has a bar. Room service is available during limited hours. This Genoa hotel has a technology help-desk and offers WiFi for a surcharge. Newspapers are complimentary and the hotel also offers meeting space. This 5-floor hotel has laundry facilities and offers tour assistance.
- Concierge services
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Free use of nearby fitness center
- Bar/lounge
- Total number of rooms - 80
- 24-hour front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- Express check-out
- Express check-in
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Multilingual staff
- Number of floors - 5
- Shopping on site
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Elevator/lift
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Wedding services
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Luggage storage
- Meeting rooms 3
- Number of meeting rooms - 3
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Conference space
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Laundry facilities
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Wireless internet access ( EUR 1 for multiple hours )
Available in some public areas: Wireless internet access ( EUR 1.00 for multiple hours )
Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Room service (limited hours)
- Free newspaper
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Minibar
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Designer toiletries
- Bidet
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- Satellite TV service
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Free cribs/infant beds
Where to Eat
Columbus Sea Hotel has an on-site bar. A buffet breakfast is served in the breakfast room (surcharge).
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Snorkeling nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals on site
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is 10:30 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! One child 4 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of EUR 10 per pet, per stay
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 2 per person, per night, up to 8 nights. This tax does not apply to children under 14 years of age.
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 8 per person (approximately)
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: EUR 1 (for 12 hours, rates may vary)
- Fee for wireless Internet in public areas: EUR 1.00 (for 12 hours, rates may vary)
- Self parking fee: EUR 5.00 per day
- Pet fee: EUR 10 per pet, per stay
- Early check-in fee: EUR 30
- Late check-out fee: EUR 30
Hotel Name
- Columbus Sea Genoa
- Columbus Sea Hotel
- Columbus Sea Hotel Genoa
- Hotel Columbus Sea
- Sea Columbus
- Columbus Sea
We should mention
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport. Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation. One child 4 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.


text:
Hal Borland wrote a nature editorial for many years in the New York Times. This one is reprinted from his book "Twelve Moons of the Year."
March comes, a kind of interregnum, winter's sovereignty relaxing, spring not yet in control. But the pattern is now established.
The incredible but annually commonplace change that is life eternally renewed has begun to stir. Out of the cold and dormant earth will come the leaf, the blossom, and the twig. Out of the pupa, the egg and the womb will come the palpitant swarming of gauzy wing, chitin-clad body, feathers, and fur. The pulse of plasma with its green chlorophyll and red hemoglobin begins its slow vernal throb. Sap stirs. Blood livens. The protoplasm of life begins to quicken.
It is a deliberate process with its own rhythms and responses that are unchanged over the eons. Only man, keying his life to his clocks and calendars, is impatient. The bud and the egg can wait, for a safe temperature or a precise span of daylight. Man measures; they respond. And for all man's vast store of facts, he still cannot alter that response. To grow a blade of grass he must start with a seed or a root, then wait. To hatch a bird he must start with an egg, which contains its own inflexible schedule.
We say: Charlottesville reveals the weeping wound of racism. What do we, the American Catholic faith community, do next? Read the editorial.
March comes and the sap quickens down at the root of life. Buds, set on the twig last summer, begin to swell toward April. In the woodland's litter and debris there is a slight stir. Ice melts on warm afternoons. Water begins to flow. Chill darkness checks the slow awakening, but another day starts with the deliberate throb again, the slight breath of change, the incredible, inevitable renascence of life.
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text:
If there's anything Long Beach folks are passionate about, it's their waterfront. That became clear after I wrote last week about some of the Urban Land Institute's ideas on how to better unify the downtown area and the shoreline a few blocks away.
The Long Beach waterfront, wrote reader Jacob E., "is just not on a human scale. The … roads between the Queen Mary and aquarium area are a confusing one-way labyrinth that frustrates drivers.
"If walking any distance in these areas, the feeling is like a dusty freeway interchange or an urban industrial area with few sidewalks and where pedestrians are not welcome. Walking is simply unpleasant.
"Contrast that with a walk in Seal Beach. The streets are friendly and human-scale. The neighborhoods are real, genuine. The residential area flows seamlessly and naturally to the commercial areas. …
"The pier smells like the ocean. It is clean, except for the genuine debris and aromas of fishers fishing, their bait and their catch – what a pier should have. Nothing seems contrived; nothing seems forced. Nothing seems master-planned. Nothing is any scale but human, pedestrian scale. The people are nice. The area is inviting, and it works."
Seal Beach is a charmer, to be sure. But there's a big difference between what a small town of 24,000 people looks like and an urban metropolis of nearly half a million people.
Still, reader Catherine P. agreed with Jacob that the area needs to be designed with people in mind.
"Feet don't travel if there isn't something to see and do," she wrote. "And our beaches and waterfront are dirty and unattractive because of the breakwater. Starbucks or any other major retail establishment will not put up a shingle without foot traffic.
"My father told stories of a vibrant downtown and Pike where as a child he would bodysurf in the waves. People came from miles away. This is what Long Beach used to be like … How can a story about the Long Beach waterfront run without even a mention of this?"
Actually, there is quite a bit of foot traffic along the waterfront between the aquarium, nearby restaurants and Shoreline Village. And while there may not be a Starbucks, there are a lot of national chains, from Yard House to P.F. Chang's.
The big challenge: getting folks to walk from there a few blocks north to downtown. The Urban Land Institute's suggestions – improving the high-profile corner of Pine Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, extending the downtown street grid toward the waterfront and more – are a good start. (They have some other ideas, too, which we'll visit soon.)
Let's hope those suggestions aren't forgotten.
David Medzerian is a senior editor for the Register; his column appears here on Sundays and in the Los Angeles Register on Fridays. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Removing the last barrier to working from homeAuthor: Alan Mellor, almellor
You know the scene …
You: Boss – I could really use a work-from-home day next friday, we've got some builders coming round. I don't want them knocking the wrong wall down, so I want to meet them.
Boss: (looks furtively at a spreadsheet that has lines and numbers but no information of any use). Huh?
You: Work from home – next Friday – me!
Boss: Oh that. It's too difficult. IT have said no.
You: They did say no, that's true, but then I showed them this Yuuguu thing, remember? Last team meeting? Just works across our firewall out of the box?
Boss: Hmmm, Oh. Yeah. It did, didn't it. But … errr … it's too expensive.
You: Unlike your two iPads I see you've got there. Anyway … the free trial I talked about?… and did you actually check that pricing page I sent you?
Boss: Oh .. that … ah. Yes. Well. I … well it's just not that simple, you wouldn't understand.
You: ( ! )
Boss: I .. errr … The Company … errr …. 'we' need to make sure that we could contact you, you know, if anything errr, anything err comes up, unexpectedly.
You: Tada!
And you pull out this handy Cut out and Keep Desk Sign we are giving you AT NO COST!
- Download this cut out and keep desk sign PDF
- Print out an A4 paper
- Fill in the blanks
- Fold along the dotted lines
- Affix using a dash of sticky tape
And leave on your desk, where everyone can see it. The perfect marriage of low tech and high. The perfect compromise between remote work and availability.
At last – the final barrier to remote work at your office removed.
Until next week, At your service pulling down tiresome arguments against remote work -