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Located in Northwest Lower Michigan between Torch and Intermediate lakes, we are one of the largest tree nurseries in the area and growers of fine Christmas tree seedlings, Christmas Trees and large landscape trees, Evergreen seedlings , Hardwood seedlings and shrubs.
We have 30,000 trees for sale. Many of our trees are grown in root control bags. In evergreen we have Cedar (Red and White), Canadian Hemlock , Dawn Redwood, Sequoia, Larch (European, American and Japanese), Spruce (Blue, White,
Engelmann, Norway, Sitka, Serbian and Black Hill), Pine (White, Red, Scotch, Austrian, Foxtail, Corsican Black, Himalayan White, Jack Japanese White, Japanese Black, Japanese Red, Korean, Lodgepole, Macedonia, Pitch, Loblolly and Ponderosa), Fir ( Fraser , Balsam, Grand, Noble, Shasta Red, Nordmann, Canaan and Douglas seedlings) and Arborvitae.
Our Douglas Fir tree is one of our top sellers, as are many of our other Firs, such as the Balsam Fir, which is known for it's soft pith — great for carvings and crafts. All Firs are known for their wonderful scent, especially during the warmer months. Additionally, one of the native trees of Colorado , the Blue Spruce tree is gaining popularity as a Christmas tree.
Hardwoods: Oak Tree (Bur, White, Black, Swamp White, Scarlet, Pin, Red, Sawtooth and English), Blue Beech , Catalpa , Japanese Maple Tree (Red and Green), Crimson King , Maple Tree (Trident, Paperbark, Red Sunset, Deborah, Red, Variegated, Silver, Green Mountain and Sugar Maple), Arahaga, Three Flower.
Golden chain tree, Big Tooth Aspen, Alder, Paper Birch (Paper, River, Monarch, Jacquemontii, Weeping, Crimson Frost and Japanese), Mountain Ash, Linden, Locust, Sweet Gum, Black Gum, Dogwood , Cottonwood , Cherry, Chestnut, Walnut (Black and White), seedling and many other varieties of nut trees. All are nursery tree are sprayed, sheared and inspected by Michigan Department of Agriculture. We also have seedling wedding favors. Spring shipping starts in January for the warmer climates. If we don't have it we can get it for you.
If you are in the market for nice large tree, evergreen or hardwood seedlings give us a call, grab the Wife and kids, hop in the pickup truck and head for Central Lake. Or we will ship it to you! If you are in the area and would like a tour of our nursery please call ahead.
While you are here, have dinner at the historic
Blue Pelican , ice
cream and homemade fudge at
Fudgees and if it's getting late
stay at the Chain O' Lakes Motel (231-544-6713).
Sitemap | Resources


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So you're single.
Maybe you're at peace with it, maybe you're not, but you're used to it. Either way, this is your life to live the way you want to live it.
But many of your friends, well, they're coupled off - married, dating, in long-term relationships, whatever. And while you love them to bits, you can't help but be annoyed by their coupley ways sometimes.
Here are some of the most irritating things couples do around their single friends.
Gushing about "soulmates." Now, it's great that your friends are happy - you WANT them to be happy - but if they've found their soulmates, where does that leave you?
"We-ing" every statement. No longer does your friend like to eat Italian, "we" love to eat Italian.
Having the same email address. C'mon people, it's 2012 - Gmail accounts are easy-peasy to set up. Split it up. If I want to email you about something private, I don't want your significant other reading it.
More from The Stir: The 11 Most Annoying Things Single Women Don't Want to Hear
Joined at the hip. Sure, you dig your friend's partner - not a question. But what happened to GNO (girls night out, for those of you who already forget those days)? Can't you guys spend a second apart?
Blind-dating us. We're single. Maybe we do want to date again but trust us, when that time comes, we'll let you know. So don't bother bringing your lame cousin out when we catch drinks.
Thinking the only key to happiness is being partnered off. A lot of us have been married and divorced or in otherwise long-term relationships that didn't work out. We're okay with being single - we're happy as we are.
Making out in front of us. Yep - you're totally in love. Yep - you're wildly attracted to each other. But we don't want to have to watch you all over each other while we're trying to enjoy our dinners!
Ditching the rest of the world. Every new couple does this for the first few weeks (months? years?) of a relationship. But your friends miss you! Don't forget about us, okay?
Inability to use first names - EVER. Your "Baby" and "Sweet Cheeks" is a love, no doubt. But he or she has a name - use it.
Two become one. This is slightly different than the whole "we" thing. When you two become the same person, it's not cute; it's creepy. Knock it off!
What other annoying things do couples do to single people?
Image via couscouscholat/Flickr

subset: commoncrawl


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Computer Science ColloquiumIm Rahmen des Informatik-Kolloquiums, das von den Instituten des Fachbereichs Informatik, der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Informatik (ÖGI), der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Datenverarbeitung (ADV) sowie der Österreichischen Computergesellschaft (OCG) abgehalten wird, spricht
Dr. Geoffroy Peeters (IRCAM)über das Thema:
Recent researches at IRCAM related to the recognition of rhythm, vocal imitations and music structureZeit: Thu 15.12.2016, 16:15, 60 Minuten
Ort: JKU, Mechatronicgebäude, (Science Park 1), MT 130
ZusammenfassungIn this talk, I will present some recent researches at IRCAM related to - the description of rhythm (especially the use of the Fourier-Mellin transform or of the Modulation Scale Transform with Auditory statistics) - the recognition of vocal imitations (using HMM decoding of SI-PLCA kernels over time) - the estimation of musical structure (using Convolutional Neural Networks).
VortragenderGeoffroy Peeters received his Ph.D. degree in computer science from the Universite Paris VI, France, in 2001. During his Ph.D., he developed new signal processing algorithms for speech and audio processing. Since 1999, he works at IRCAM (Institute of Research and Coordination in Acoustic and Music) in Paris, France. His current research interests are in signal processing and pattern matching applied to audio and music indexing. He has developed new algorithms for timbre description, sound classification, audio identification, rhythm description, automatic music structure discovery, and audio summary. He owns several patents in these fields. He has also coordinated indexing research activities for the Cuidad, Cuidado, and Semantic HIFI European projects and is currently leading the audio branding activities in the ABC-DJ project. He is one of the co-authors of the ISO MPEG-7 audio standard
Einladender: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Widmer, Institut für Computational Perception
Liste aller Vorträge


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2018 Snapper 560Z Series 560Z - 24/52 (Optional Cargo Bed)
560Z Series 560Z - 24/52 (Optional Cargo Bed)
Professional-grade plus utility. The 560Z Zero Turn Mower is easy-to-use for homeowners but comes packed with all of the enhanced features you'd expect from a commercial-style zero turn mower. With welded, all-steel construction and Hydro-Gear® ZT-3200® Transaxles, the 560Z has the rugged durability needed to take on demanding terrain and tough jobs. Powered by a premium Briggs & Stratton® Commercial Series or Kawasaki® FR730V engine, the 560Z mows grass in no time with a wide 52'' or 61'' mower deck. Plus, it even features an integrated cargo bed† with rear dumping capabilities for added utility.
- Simple Height-of-Cut: Convenient deck-lift easily adjusts grass cut height from 1.5" to 4.5".
- Durable Hydro-Gear® Transaxles: Built for high-performance applications, the Hydro-Gear® ZT-3200® hydrostatic transaxles deliver a smooth grass cutting experience while you are changing directions and speeds.
- Fast Mowing: Wide, 52" or 61" fabricated mower decks made from thick 10-gauge steel mow grass in no time with speeds up to 9 mph. Welded and reinforced for years of repeat mowing and are also backed by a limited lifetime warranty*.
- Added Versatility: The integrated cargo bed† dumps to the rear for easy clean-out and provides on-tho-go versatility for dirt-hauling, tool-toting and flower-delivering.
- High-Performance Briggs & Stratton® Engine: Built for harsh zero turn mowing conditions, the Briggs & Stratton® Commercial Series Engine has what it takes to perform including an advanced debris management system and beefed up cylinder block.
- Powerful Kawasaki® Engine: Built for power, the Kawasaki® FR Series Engine offers smooth power output and outstanding durability in a compact design.
- Intuitive Controls: Easy-to-use lawn mower controls, including a fuel-level indicator, are all within reach. A wide-mouth gas fill ensures you can easily fill gasoline without any spills.
- Rugged Durability: Commercial-inspired components such as rugged 1.5'' x 2'' steel front axles, high-performance transaxles and a wrap-around steel bumper ensure this mower is built to handle tough mowing applications.
- Model: 5901556
- Marketing Model: 560Z - 24/52 (Optional Cargo Bed)
- Engine Brand: Kawasaki
- Engine Model: FR730V, V-Twin OHV
- HP (gross) *: 24
- Engine Displacement (cc): 726
- Number of Cylinders: 2
- Choke/Throttle: Separate Controls
- Fuel Tank Capacity (gal): 5.5
- Battery (cca): 300
- Transmission Type: Hydro-Gear® ZT-3200®
- Ground Speed-Fwd (mph): 0-9
- Brake: Separate Lever
- Ground Speed-Rev (mph): 0-4
- Frame: 11-Gauge Welded
- Front Axle: Welded Steel, Fixed
- Front Tires (in): 13 x 5
- Rear Tires (in): 22 x 11
- Anti-Scalp Wheels: 4 Front
- Seat: 18" High-back, Adjustable
- Steering: Twin-lever
- Mower Deck Type: Fabricated Steel
- Cutting Width (in): 52
- Number of Blades: 3
- Height-of-Cut (in): 1.5-4.5
- Height-of-Cut Positions: 12
- Blade Engagement: Electric
- Deck Construction: 10-Gauge, Frame Hung
- Deck Suspension: Frame Hung
- Spindle: Aluminum
- Mower Deck Lift: Mechanical, Foot Operated
- Cargo Bed **: Optional Accessory
- ROPS (Roll Over Protective Structure): Standard
- Rear Bumper: Standard
- Hour Meter: Standard
- Cup Holder: Standard
- Fuel Level Indicator: Standard
- Armrest: Optional Accessory
- Assembled Length (in): 81
- Assembled Width (in): 68
- Assembled Height (in): 68
- Residential Warranty (Product) †: 3-Years Limited
- Commercial Warranty (Product) †: 90-Days Limited
- Fabricated Mower Deck Warranty †: Lifetime
NOTES:*All power levels are stated gross horsepower at 3600 RPM per SAE J1940 as rated by Briggs & Stratton *Only Kawasaki Critical Power engines listed in this brochure have been tested in accordance with SAE J1995, verified by TÜV Rheinland Group, horsepower-rated in accordance with SAE J2723, and certified by SAE International. Torque ratings of these engines were not certified by SAE. Actual power and torque output will vary depending on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the operating speed of the engine in application, environmental conditions, maintenance, and other variables. **100 lb. capacity, do not overload; do not carry passengers. Available on most models. See operator's manual for details. ^ Suggested prices will vary by market. Prices are shown in U.S. and Canadian dollars. Set-up, delivery, documentation and destination fees not included. See dealer for details. Features vary by model. We reserve the right to change specifications, features and pricing without notice. †See operator's manual or dealer for complete warranty details. Length of engine warranty coverage varies by manufacturer.
- Engine Manufacturer
- Kawasaki
- Horse Power
- 24 hp
- Engine Type
- FR730V, V-Twin OHV
- Displacement
- 726cc
- Transmission
- Hydro-Gear® ZT-3200®
- Wheel Size
- 22 x 11 in.
- Fuel Capacity
- 5.5 gal.
- Deck Size
- 52 in.


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Politics & Government
Veterans issues top U.S. Senate race agenda
Veterans issues will highlight President Barack Obama's speech to the American Legion Convention in Charlotte Tuesday. And, for the moment, they'll top the agenda of North Carolina's U.S. Senate race.
Even before Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan follows Obama to the stage of the Charlotte Convention Center, she sought to distance herself from his handling of problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"The Obama administration has not yet done enough to earn the lasting trust of our veterans and implement real and permanent reforms at the VA," she said shortly after his trip was announced.
A spokesman for Republican Thom Tillis called that "election-year rhetoric" that was "too little, too late."
Obama will tout steps his administration has taken to address the VA crisis, including signing new legislation this month and replacing veterans secretary Eric Shinseki, who resigned in May.
"What the speech will be focused on will be making sure that we're doing everything that we promised to keep our commitment to America's veterans," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Monday.
Beyond the more than 9,000 veterans at the Legion convention, both Obama and Hagan will have larger audiences in mind. There are millions of veterans around the country and 770,000 in North Carolina, along with 116,000 active-duty personnel.
Backlog long an issue
This month a group called the Concerned Veterans for America – funded by the conservative Koch brothers – launched a $1.6 million campaign with TV ads taking Hagan to task over problems at the VA.
The ad features a clip from her 2008 campaign against Republican Elizabeth Dole in which she promised to "do better" for veterans.
"She knew about problems, and under her watch things got worse," the ad says.
But Hagan, a member of the Armed Services Committee, has criticized the VA before. The wife of a Vietnam veteran and daughter-in-law of a Marine general, she complained about the VA backlog when she ran for office in 2008.
Neither Hagan or Tillis could be reached. But her campaign defended her record of helping veterans.
Last December, before the firestorm of reports that led to his resignation, Shinseki responded to Hagan's prodding, promising to relieve the backlog that had reached 11,000 at the Winston-Salem VA clinic.
She also worked to restore veterans' pension cuts and to resolve the problem of Camp Lejeune's tainted drinking water, found to be carcinogenic.
In 2012, Obama signed a law to provide medical care for those affected. Jerry Ensminger, a retired drill sergeant who blames the water for the death from cancer of his 9-year-old daughter, praises Hagan's help.
"If she wouldn't have stepped out the way she did I don't think we would have got (a bill)," he said Monday.
Dueling records
But Republicans say Hagan didn't do enough on the VA issue. And they criticize her relative lateness in calling for Shinseki's resignation. She joined the calls in May, after Tillis and others had.
Tillis campaign spokesman Daniel Keylin said Tillis "would have held President Obama to his promises over the last six years."
"As a U.S. Senator, Thom Tillis will pressure the Obama administration and hold them accountable for implementing key reforms," Keylin said. "(Hagan) has repeatedly demonstrated an inability to hold the Obama administration accountable for its failures."
Hagan's campaign pointed to Tillis' record as speaker of the N.C. House.
In 2011, Tillis and most other Republicans supported a bill that would have hiked interest rates on many consumer loans. Military officials accused the industry of targeting service members. Even a spokesman for the Defense secretary weighed in against it.
And Hagan's campaign pointed to a study that said the state's decision to not extend Medicaid coverage denied coverage to 23,000 N.C. veterans.
"Kay is taking real action for North Carolina veterans," said spokeswoman Sadie Weiner. "All we've seen from Speaker Tillis is a record that hurts North Carolina veterans and military families. "
At the Legion convention, Obama can expect to find an audience looking for answers to lingering problems.
"I'm going to be very interested in what he has to say about the VA situation and the steps he's taking," said Al Richards, a 68-year-old Legionnaire from Wisconsin.
"He's had six years to try to clean things up, and it seems like nothing happens unless it becomes a national incident."


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Pete Carroll is a little different, so the Seattle Seahawks coach knows different when he sees it.
And Carroll doesn't mince words when he's asked what is unique about his new quarterback -- the explosive, irrepressible and, most noticeably, 5-foot-10 Russell Wilson.
"Everything is," Carroll said, on his walk out to practice Wednesday. "His smarts, his focus, his discipline, his attention to detail, his work habits, his athleticism, his competitiveness, his confidence. Really, however you can rank them, he's that high on the list in all those areas. Now, all of those things will be in question in the real season, and he needs to back all that up. But if you observe him, if you know him, you think it'll happen."
The 10 starting quarterbacks with one season or less of pro experience who will take the field in Week 1 all have stories of how they landed on the first team. Nine of the 10 were taken in the top 35 picks of the draft, and their teams are looking for reasons to play them. Not so for Wilson, the 75th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
The Seahawks initially planned to use a 4-4-1 format in splitting first-team reps between incumbent Tarvaris Jackson, high-profile free-agent import Matt Flynn and Wilson, to try and find their starter. But Wilson was so good in his first weekend at work, a rookie minicamp in early May, that Seattle scrapped the original script and decided to go forward with a 3-3-3 format instead.
"It was important for him to maximize that minicamp," Carroll said. "We tried to get him as much opportunity as we could there, get him ready to compete, to give him a lead-in by taking every snap. And it jumpstarted everything."
What's stunned many in the Seahawks organization has been the consistency of performance by Wilson relative to most rookies that come into the league. First-year players, almost systematically, hit a wall at some point during camp, and it can take a while to fight out of it. Wilson did hit a wall, like the rest of them, but it only took a day or two for him to bounce back.
That's why, when assessing Seattle's Week 1 game against Arizona, it might be wise to look at Wilson as something other than a snot-nosed rookie. Carroll and Co. don't plan to treat him like one. Last year, Carolina liked that Cam Newton had been adaptable from Florida to Blinn College to Auburn and was confident it'd carry over. Seattle feels the same way about Wilson, who made a similarly seamless transition from N.C. State to Wisconsin in 2011.
"We have high hopes for him, that's for sure," Carroll said. "We have an expectation that he won't have the rough times some other guys have. I don't think he's ever suffered from that stuff. Maybe he will, but I'm anticipating he'll be out there and ready to go."
When Carroll is asked if starting Matt Barkley as a true freshman at USC in 2009 at all played into his comfort level with Wilson in Seattle, he responds quickly -- "Certainly" -- and says the most striking similarity between two very different players is that no situation seems too big for either.
More than anything else, this is about what Wilson has proven to Carroll. If Carroll was going to stick to his "Always Compete" mantra, Wilson had to be the pick. The feeling inside the building was that Wilson needed to be noticeably better than the competition to win the job. And he was, to the point where the only drawback seems to be his stature.
"(If he was 6-foot-4), he'd have been vying to be the first pick," Carroll said. "He has everything you look for -- all the records, the numbers, he did everything. He'd be right up there with Andrew (Luck), and you'd be trying to figure it out. That's my opinion. I just look at him, and think that there's nothing he can't do."
A little over the top? This weekend, we'll start to get answers.
Albert Breer went 162-89 with his predictions last season. How will he fare in Week 1? His picks are below, with home teams listed second:
Brian Urlacher gutting through his knee injury will set the same type of tone for Chicago that Jason Witten achieved for Dallas. The implication is clear: Chicago is in win-now mode. #INDvsCHI
Plenty of big talk out of Philly this offseason, and Mike Vick told me this week that his bravado is by design: "I think it motivates everybody to play at a certain level." That level should be a high one Sunday. #PHIvsCLE
The Rams are gonna grow up as the year goes on, and their defense has a chance to be nasty when fall turns to winter. But at this point, the firing squad of Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson is just too much. #STLvsDET
Take a hard look at it, and the Texans might be the only team in the AFC with a better-than-good chance to be elite on both sides of the ball. Not the best spot for Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill to make their debut. #MIAvsHOU
On both sides of the ball, with new coordinators, the Falcons are looking to take on a more wide-open, gun-slinging look. And with Atlanta's receiver trio of Roddy White, Julio Jones and Harry Douglas, I bet the loss of Brandon Carr is felt in K.C. this week. #ATLvsKC
The question isn't whether or not Maurice Jones-Drew will take some lumps coming off his holdout; it's how many. And Adrian Peterson's coming off an ACL tear. So we should get a good look at how far Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder have come. #JACvsMIN
This won't be quite like the atmosphere in the first post-Katrina game at the Superdome, but it might be the closest thing since. After all the Saints have been through this offseason, Robert Griffin III is walking into a hornet's nest Sunday. #WASvsNO
Am I as sure about Wilson as Carroll is? Can't go that far. But I like him plenty -- definitely more than John Skelton -- and my guess is he can do enough to beat Arizona in the desert. #SEAvsARI
Cam Newton wasn't overly impressive in the preseason, but the Panthers also didn't take the chances they will Sunday. It will make for a tough debut for Greg Schiano. #CARvsTB
Two conclusions I'm drawing here. Peyton Manning will be fine. And so will Mike Wallace, who came in last Saturday to work all day one-on-one with his position coach and floored coordinator Todd Haley and the offensive staff with his knowledge of the new scheme. #PITvsDEN
Joe Flacco has been seen as a quarterback whose numbers are depressed by the system he plays in and what he's being asked to do. This year, with Terrell Suggs down and the Ravens going more fast-break on offense, that will change. #CINvsBAL
It's easy to sense the purpose Philip Rivers seems to be carrying into 2012. He'll need to play with it early on, with Vincent Jackson gone, and Ryan Mathews and Vincent Brown rehabbing. #SDvsOAK
Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @albertbreer.


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More and more, oil and gas drilling companies are turning to businesses that recycle the millions of gallons of fresh water needed to break up shale during the "fracking" process. But what happens to the toxic metals, dangerous chemicals and even radium that is removed from the water but comes back up to the surface and is recycled?
More and more, oil and gas drilling companies are turning to businesses that recycle the millions of gallons of fresh water needed to break up shale during the �fracking� process.
But what happens to the toxic metals, dangerous chemicals and even radium that is removed from the water but comes back up to the surface and is recycled?
Ohio environmental and Natural Resources officials say they don�t know how many recyclers there are, how much of this waste is produced, what�s in it or even where it goes.
Recycling companies say this waste is safely disposed of in landfills. But environmental advocacy groups say no one knows what threats the waste might pose if it leaks from landfills and gets into groundwater.
�The waste should be regulated,� said Teresa Mills, fracking coordinator for the Buckeye Forest Council. �These facilities should be regulated.�
Recycling wastewater is a cost saver for drilling companies. Every gallon that can be reused saves a gallon of new water that has to be purchased and trucked or piped in.
The primary method of wastewater disposal in Ohio is injection wells, where the stuff is pumped thousands of feet underground. Tom Stewart, vice president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, said the industry believes that recycling is a cheaper option. Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials say they are studying the recycling issue with the help of Battelle scientists.
Armed with a $49,000 state grant, the Columbus-based research giant is trying to identify the � best available� recycling technologies and practices, with a report expected in the spring, said Annie Lane, Battelle�s project manager.
Recycling is one offshoot of fracking, in which millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to shatter shale and free trapped oil and gas.
Much of the injected water comes back up. In addition to spent fracking chemicals, it also includes naturally occurring toxic metals, radium and huge concentrations of salt.
Businesses that recycle fracking water for reuse in future operations are common in Pennsylvania, where the promise of plentiful oil and gas in the Marcellus shale is creating a drilling boom. A similar boom is unfolding in Ohio as companies are beginning to exploit the Utica shale below the ground.A Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection database lists at least 29 businesses that treated 3.35 million barrels of wastewater from Marcellus shale wells in 2011.
That list includes Patriot Water Treatment in Warren, Ohio, which treated 30,705 barrels of Pennsylvania waste in 2011.
Like Ohio, Pennsylvania doesn�t track where the recycling waste goes.
Patriot says it removes chemicals and metals from the fluids and then dumps the remaining salt water in the Mahoning River. Ohio officials want to shut Patriot down, saying the practice is a threat to the river.
Bethany McCorkle, a Natural Resources spokeswoman, said the agency supports a proposed change in state law inserted in Gov. John Kasich�s two-year budget bill that would outlaw the disposal of treated waste from oil and gas wells into groundwater, lakes and streams.
In a written statement, Patriot Water called its treatment process �science-based� and environmentally safe.
Drilling company Chesapeake Energy uses a system called Aqua Renew, in which fracking fluids from several wells are taken to a temporary central location for filtration. The company declined to say how much water it recycles in Ohio.A company website, however, says it has filtered and reused 89 percent of the wastewater in its Utica district. The company estimates that recycling saves the company $12 million a year in its eastern division.
As the practice of recycling grows, McCorkle said the state is working on figuring out how it could affect Ohio.
�We want to see what�s out there, so we know how to move forward,� she said.


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Dettmann 3LP
This is the debut long-player by Berghain's resident DJ, producer and remixer Marcel Dettmann. Intrinsically tied to the myth that is Berghain by now, the attached label Ostgut Ton and at the same time with the regeneration of no-frills, cleansed and powerful electronic music, Marcel Dettmann managed a daring feat: the production of a truly absorbing and veritable techno album. Spread out over these tracks, Dettmann transports the raw energy, the rough aesthetics and the simple grace of techno. A Berliner-by-choice, the difficult format doesn't bog him down. Neither does he give in to exhausting finger exercises that try to supersede his learned trade, nor does he confront the listener with hasty or brutal tracks that would rather feel at home pressed on a 12" in a DJ-case. Tracks like "Reticle," "Drawing," "Captivate" or "Silex" seem like the convergence of his striking efforts and discography up until now. You get contemplative moments with almost-weightless layers of sound that get used like melodies or chords, rotating with condensed, intensified and sappy snatches. Rigour and austere beauty go hand-in-hand. Surprisingly enough, with a genre that is aware of its own history, Dettmann never falls prey to the dangerous and seductive nature of nostalgia. However, Dettmann sounds as fresh and self-contained as techno nowadays can be. And more so, it once and for all establishes its eponym as a genre mainstay. However described or classified, his music is a successful meditation about the art form we call techno.
Listen to "Captivate" here:


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Quick Search: Choose Model and Year, then enter search topic.
Page: 25
Setting the Traffic prog. volume
The traffic program volume refers to the volume at
which the traffic program announcements are
It specifies the minimum volume as a function of the volume of the currently selected audio source.
Making settings for radio mode
Switching RBDS on and off
The PCM is capable of receiving and evaluating
RBDS signals (RBDS = Radio Broadcast Data
System) in FM mode. It supports the following
– station name,
– program type (PTY),
– traffic program,
– radio text as well as
– detection of alternative frequencies.
(Radio stations transmit programs with the same program content on different frequencies in different regions.)
You can switch tracking of these alternative frequencies on and off in the Set menu.
Switching RDS radio text on and off
Setting sort criteria for the FM station list
The FM station list can be sorted according to different criteria. You can set the sorting as follows:


text: Trade Winds is a residential pirate role-play community consisting of a large group of sailable regions. Most our time is spent defending ourselves and our property from those thieving Continental Navy types. We hold events daily, including naval battles using the SPD combat system, sword fighting, belly dancing, live music artists, DJs, dances and much more. We were featured on an episode of Designing Worlds on Treet.tv last month, which can be viewed here. We are pleased to participate in Fantasy Faire 2014 and eagerly support this great cause. So fill your mug with grog and come live the pirate life!


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Robert McNamara's life may illuminate contemporary tragedy. Just weeks before McNamara died, President Obama pressured reluctant Democrats (kudos to Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree for resisting) to approve a strange hybrid coupling of Afghanistan war funds with billions for the International Monetary Fund.
This was war funding paired with a deceptive offering to the gods of peace, a resume of McNamara's career. This ultimate war technocrat morphed into a World Bank president. In the latter role he employed global financial institutions as the velvet glove to complement the iron fist of military power.
Today, we lurch from one quagmire to another. Echoes of the domino theory and Viet Cong fearmongering can be heard as this president prepares us for his war. He assures us: "We are not in Afghanistan to dictate its future. We are in Afghanistan to confront a common enemy that threatens the United States, our friends and allies." All we are missing now are McNamara's kill ratios and body counts.
Even the mainstream media detect reason for caution. The New York Times has reported that the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban are burying their differences in response to U.S. military escalation. In addition, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues that the most important factor behind the resurgence of the Taliban is the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan.
As for the current power of the Taliban, Middle Eastern scholar Juan Cole pointed out: "They have no air force, no artillery, no tanks. They are just small bands."
As in Vietnam, the U.S. supports reactionaries in order to prevail in the conflict it fanned. Cole points out: "The U.S. has [installed] a fundamentalist government which is rolling back rights of women through Shiite personal status law." The wife needs the husband's permission to leave home and can't refuse demands for sex.
Even in retreat, McNamara hardly modeled genuine penitence, which involves abrogating some power and wealth. His World Bank fought poverty by making unprecedented loans to Latin America, leaving nations deeply in debt and with very unequal social systems. U.S. capitalists profited. When world oil prices skyrocketed in the '70s, he lent more money - with harsh restrictions preventing government aid to the poor.
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Obama now gives the secretive IMF money to bail European bankers. Western European central bankers, their own economies floundering, are unwilling to take the political risk of aiding Eastern Europe. Obama is rejecting the difficult but potentially more rewarding task of U.S.-European collaboration on bigger joint stimulus packages, international banking regulation and reform of the IMF. He aids bankers through the IMF elite even as the European economy stagnates.
If there is a lesson in McNamara's life, it is one I borrow from Amherst College professor Tom Dumm: "The United States is facing a decline, as is inevitable for imperial power. [How] that decline is to be addressed
needs to be at the heart of this presidency."
Obama's rhetoric is softer than Bush's, but he evades the requirements of habeas corpus and opposes efforts to examine abuses of the Bush "terror war." Dumm reminds us that every modern president has committed major violations of the Constitution. "These have been connected to foreign policy, but they are also implicated in the politics of globalization and the Cold War. Presidents felt frustrated either by statutory constraints, or by the slowness of Congress to approve, or by the need to wave bloody flags in order to get Congress to move.
"We believe in the Constitution, and we believe in the special fate of America. But we've not necessarily been well served by either belief during the past half-century. Obama may need to imitate another great leader who has managed the decline of an imperial power, without destroying the world. Mikhail Gorbachev led the Russian people past a system of government that no longer could be imagined to serve them."
With Dumm, I believe that the U.S. needs to learn a little humility. It must question its sense of itself as special, acknowledge that its democracy is flawed and archaic, that it has played a major role in causing turmoil in the Middle East and finally that the Washington consensus it seeks to impose on others damages not only them but even many of its most vulnerable citizens.


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Sauteed Spicy Spinach
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Dai-Kichi608 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ 07043 (973) 744-2954
DAI KICHI is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year. We are so fortunate to be part of the great community. We thank you for your long and loyal patronage.
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Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD)
Medical Management
Thanks to general medical advances, particularly in cardiology, people with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are living longer in the 21st century than in previous decades. As of 2011, most therapies are supportive in nature, although truly disease-modifying therapies are the subject of intense research.
MDA clinic physicians can provide referrals to specialists and therapists for these forms of care. The use of available therapies can help maintain comfort and function and prolong life expectancy.
To view a presentation on medical management of BMD by pediatric neurologist Brian Tseng, see the August 2012 Taking the Reins of Your Medical Care and Participating in Clinical Trials.
People with BMD may have unexpected adverse reactions to certain types of anesthesia. It's important that the surgical team know about that the patient has BMD so that complications can be avoided or quickly treated.
Braces, scooters and wheelchairs
Braces, also called orthoses, can support just the ankle and foot or extend over the knee. Ankle-foot orthoses are sometimes prescribed for night wear to keep feet from pointing downward and keep the Achilles tendon stretched. (Orthoses also are known as orthotics.)
To view an August 2012 video presentation on this topic, see Functional Treatment Considerations: Orthotics.
Some people with BMD ultimately require wheelchairs or scooters. Although some look at these devices as symbols of disability, most users find they're actually more mobile, energetic and independent when using a wheelchair than when trying to walk on very weak legs. Scooters and wheelchairs are especially valuable when covering long distances.
To view a presentation by an occupational therapist, see the August 2012 video Functional Treatment Considerations: Occupational and Physical Therapy.
Cardiac care
Cardiomyopathy, which means deterioration of the heart muscle, is common in Becker MD. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that those with BMD have cardiac evaluations at least every other year beginning at age 10.
Carriers of BMD also are at higher-than-average risk of developing cardiomyopathy. The Academy suggests that carriers should undergo a complete cardiac evaluation in late adolescence or early adulthood, or sooner if symptoms occur, and should be evaluated every five years starting at age 25 to 30.
Some people with BMD who have cardiomyopathy but generally good health have been successfully treated with heart transplants.
Also see:
- Revising Cardiac Care in Muscular Dystrophies
- Doctors Talk Heart to Heart (pediatric cardiologists and other experts at an MDA-sponsored meeting exchanged information and planned studies regarding the heart in DMD and BMD)
- DMD Clinical Research Network Studying Dystrophin-Deficient Heart
- Cardiac Complications and Management in BMD (a 2012 video presentation about cardiac care in BMD)
As muscle deteriorates, a person with muscular dystrophy often develops fixations of the joints, known ascontractures. If not treated, these can become severe, causing discomfort and restricting mobility and flexibility. The impact of BMD can be significantly minimized by keeping the body as flexible, upright and mobile as possible.
There are several ways to minimize and postpone contractures. Range-of-motion exercises, performed on a regular schedule, help delay contractures by keeping tendons from shortening prematurely. It's important that a physical therapist demonstrate the correct way to do range-of-motion exercises.
Braces on the lower legs help keep the limbs stretched and flexible, delaying the onset of contractures.
When contractures have advanced, surgery may be performed to relieve them. A tendon release procedure, also called heel cord surgery, can treat ankle and other contractures while the child is still walking.
Also see:
- Helping Kids Understand: I Don't Wanna! (help your child comply with medical regimens, such as exercises to help prevent contractures)
No special dietary restrictions or additions are known to help in BMD. Most doctors recommend a diet similar to that for any growing boy, but with a few modifications.
A combination of immobility and weak abdominal muscles can lead to severe constipation, so the diet should be high in fluid and fiber, with fresh fruits and vegetables dominant.
For boys and men who use power wheelchairs, aren't very active or who take prednisone, excessive weight gain can occur. Caloric intake should be restricted to keep weight down, as obesity puts greater stress on already weakened skeletal muscles and the heart. Doctors have found that a low-calorie diet doesn't have any harmful effect on the muscles.
Those on prednisone and those with cardiomyopathy may require a sodium-restricted diet.
Also see:
- Nutritional Considerations While on Corticosteroids (includes meal planning guides and suggested food options)
- Weighing Your Options
- Nutritional Needs in Neuromuscular Disease (a 2012 video about nutritional considerations in BMD and other disorders)
Exercise can help build skeletal muscle, keep the cardiovascular system healthy and contribute to feeling better. But in muscular dystrophy, too much exercise could damage muscle. Consult with your doctor about how much exercise is best. A person with BMD can exercise moderately but shouldn't go to the point of exhaustion.
Some experts recommend swimming and water exercises (aquatic therapy) as a good way to keep muscles as toned as possible without causing undue stress on them. The buoyancy of the water helps protect against certain kinds of muscle strain and injury.
Before undertaking any exercise program, make sure to have a cardiac evaluation.
Learning disabilities
Dystrophin deficiency can cause some cognitive problems in some people. Children and adults with BMD who are suspected of having a learning disability can be evaluated by a neuropsychologist through a school system's special education department, or at a medical center with a referral from the MDA clinic.
If a learning disability is diagnosed, educational and psychological interventions can begin right away. The specialist may prescribe exercises and techniques that can help improve these deficits, and schools can provide special help with learning.
Medications that lessen the workload on the heart are sometimes prescribed for BMD. There's some evidence that treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta blockers can slow the course of cardiac muscle deterioration in BMD if the medications are started as soon as abnormalities on anechocardiogram (imaging of the heart) appear, but before symptoms occur.
Medications belonging to a group known as corticosteroids have been found effective in slowing the course of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Data for or against the use of corticosteroids in BMD are lacking. However, some physicians prescribe corticosteroids for severe BMD in much the same way as they would for DMD, if the patient or family wants to try this type of medication.
Prednisone is by far the most commonly prescribed corticosteroid for DMD/BMD in the United States. When taking at relatively high doses for long periods of time, it can have significant side effects, such as weight gain, decreased bone density, behavioral abnormalities, cataracts and growth retardation.
Physical and occupational therapy
A physical therapy program is usually part of the treatment for BMD. Your MDA clinic physician will refer you to a physical therapist for a thorough evaluation and recommendations.
The primary goals of physical therapy are to allow greater motion in the joints and to prevent contractures and scoliosis (spinal curvature). Occupational therapy focuses on specific activities and functions, such as work tasks, recreation, driving, dressing or using a computer.
For an August 2012 video on this topic, see Functional Considerations: Occupational and Physical Therapy.
Respiratory care
In some people with BMD, particularly as they age, breathing muscles can weaken, resulting in less than optimal breathing, particularly during sleep. This can be treated by a noninvasive strategy known as bilevel positive airway pressure. Coughing muscles also can become weak, allowing mucus to build up in the respiratory tract, which can lead to obstruction and infection. A device known as a CoughAssist can help with this problem.
To see a presentation by a pulmonary medicine specialist, see the August 2012 video Lung Health in Neuromuscular Disease.


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Canucks GM Mike Gillis says it's time to 'reset' the organization
VANCOUVER — Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis says it's time to reset the organization.
He held a season-ending media availability today after the Canucks were swept by the San Jose Sharks in their Western Conference quarter-final.
Gillis says he plans to review every element of the organization — including the performance of head coach Alain Vigneault — before any decisions are made.
Gillis also says it's unlikely that veteran goaltender Roberto Luongo will be with the team next fall.
Luongo, who's signed to a 12-year deal worth US$64 million, spent most of the season as a backup to Cory Schneider. Luongo asked for a trade last year but the Canucks have been unable to move him.
Vancouver earned 59 points in the regular season to take the Northwest Division title but lost four straight games against the Sharks.
© Copyright (c)


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Earn Extra Money for Being a Pet Lover
If you love pups, using your home as a pet boarding service can be simple and free. To get started, head over to DogVacay.com, a website that connects dog owners with reliable, in-home hosts.
Sign in and create your profile, where you can specify your availability, nightly rate and cancellation policy. It's that simple.
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This system has earned some DogVacay hosts up to $1,000 per month, or $12,000 a year. Not bad for a little dog-sitting, and if you love pets, it's of little extra effort for you.
So, get your boarding business started and turn your big love of dogs into big dollars.


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NEW YORK -Monica Ali's emergence in 2003 as one of Britain's best and brightest writers occurred suddenly and without warning, like a time-lapse video of a peony bursting into full bloom. When "Brick Lane," her fiction debut, came out that year, it had been preceded by not so much as a single published short story.
Critics went wild.
"It may be Ali's first novel," crowed the Sunday Times of London, "but it is written with a wisdom and skill that few authors achieve in a lifetime."
In the New Republic, James Wood called "Brick Lane" "a great achievement of the subtlest storytelling," and even invoked the name of Charles Dickens.
Ali's lyrical, sweeping story of Nazneen, the Bangladeshi girl sent to London for an arranged marriage to the much-older Chanu, became a bestseller, was translated into more than 20 languages and made into a movie. It was nominated for the Booker Prize in Great Britain, and for a National Book Critics Circle Award in the United States.
One imagines the unknown writer's life being transformed by overnight celebrity and wealth. But for Ali, living in London with her husband and two young children, the biggest change financed by the success of "Brick Lane" was some part-time child care.
"I got three mornings a week -- yeah, it was a huge luxury," Ali said with a laugh.
Ali spoke recently at the offices of Scribner, her U.S. publisher. She's living temporarily in New York while teaching in the master's writing program at Columbia University. Ali is a fit and young-looking 42, and wore a big pair of sunglasses atop her head and black suede boots with fringed sides.
There were plenty of interviews after "Brick Lane," she said. "Were I interested in a sort of media life, that would have been fairly easy to slip into -- to do columns, and spout off about this and that, but I have no interest in that. I just find it stressful and boring, and of no relevance to my work, which is to sit on my own and write fiction."
That dedication led to a second book, "Alentejo Blue," a series of short stories connected by the setting of a village in Portugal. Her third book, "In the Kitchen," is a novel of contemporary England as seen through the eyes of 42-year-old Gabriel Lightfoot, executive chef at a big London hotel restaurant. Published last year in hardcover, it comes out in paperback this month. (Ali will talk about that novel and her writing as part of Talking Volumes on May 19 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.)
Small-town boy appears to have it all as a chef in London
Gabriel grew up in northwestern England in a fictional textile-mill town called Blantwistle. His career as a chef has taken him far and wide, but when "Kitchen" opens, Gabriel is working long hours at a French restaurant in London's venerable Imperial Hotel, where he oversees immigrant workers from around the world. He and his girlfriend, Charlie, a nightclub singer, have vague thoughts of marriage. His mom has died and his father, a former mill worker, has cancer. Backers, including a member of Parliament and a business tycoon, are poised to help Gabriel open his own restaurant.
Cue the monkey wrench. A night porter turns up dead in the restaurant's cellar, some money has been hidden down there, and a mysterious Eastern European girl who may know more than she's telling enters Gabriel's increasingly chaotic life.
"With Gabe, I wanted to write about a man who's in a modern, metropolitan, multicultural environment, and who feels that he is very adept and plugged in and that he knows how the game is played," Ali said. "But when the pressure is really on him, when he's supposed to look inside himself, he sees a bit of a chasm there. I guess that's his identity crisis."
Born in Bangladesh, Ali grew up in England, went to Oxford
While it may seem that Ali, with a white British mother and a Bangladeshi father, has more in common with Nazneen, her "Brick Lane" protagonist, than with Gabriel, she doesn't agree.
"Nazneen's life is very dissimilar to mine, much more dissimilar than Gabe's," Ali said. "She was born and raised in a little Bangladeshi village, and spoke very little English. I grew up in England."
Ali's mother met her father when he was a student in England, but she moved to Dhaka, India, to marry him. When Monica was 3, the family moved back to England. They lived in Bolton, once a busy textile town that is a model for Blantwistle, where Gabriel's family still lives.
In her novel, Ali uses the town and its mills ("most have been abandoned or turned into malls or condos or heritage sites") to talk about dramatic shifts in provincial England: the changing economy, globalization, anti-immigrant sentiment and the role of labor.
"I spent a couple of weeks in a mill, talking to older white workers about the changes they've seen in their town over the years," Ali said. She found that older townspeople "lamented the days when there used to be a church on every corner, instead of a mosque."
Ali's research into food and restaurants was even more extensive. She spent a year interviewing hotel managers, chefs and kitchen workers in five London hotels to gather background for her novel. Brits have become as food-crazed as Americans, she said, following the exploits of celebrity chefs on reality TV shows, in glossy magazines and in those "who's-shagging-who" tabloids.
At the end of the process, Ali had reams of research, but it was a 2-inch news clipping that gave her the opening of her novel. "I came across this story from two years before, about a Ukrainian kitchen porter whose body had been found in the kitchen of the Cafe Royal in Piccadilly in central London on Christmas Day," she said. "He had been living down there secretly to save money for his daughter's education. A tragic story and one that spoke about the huge divide between lives, even lives that can be lived in the same building. That was my way into the book."
While "Kitchen" is not a whodunit, the death of a low-level restaurant worker is "quite pivotal," Ali said, because "it opens Gabriel up to thinking about some issues. He tries to brush it off as a bureaucratic hassle, but it becomes, for him, a real nightmare."
Novels as places to discover 'emotional truths'
Despite her dedication to research, and her fondness for writing about current events, from religion and politics to immigration, Ali said that imaginative fiction has always played a crucial role for her. A voracious reader who left Bolton to attend Oxford, she admires the novels of Dickens, Austen, Tolstoy and George Eliot "because they have an interest in the world beyond the front door."
Of the current craze for memoirs, reality TV and "so-called authenticity," Ali said, "I think it's a misunderstanding of how fiction works. It's a kind of detrimental lowering of the culture, to believe that something is better if it's true, if it's factual. For me, the thing that might be truly illuminating is often made up."
She cited a nonfiction book and a novel about Hurricane Katrina, both by New Orleans writer Tom Piazza. "The nonfiction was essential for uncovering the lies," she said, "but the fiction was essential in telling the truths about a situation, the emotional truths."
As novels take harpoons from every direction (the Internet, the memoir, shrinking attention spans), one could hardly find a more articulate defender of the form than Ali. "What fiction can offer is a different way to look at a situation, a different way to inhabit the world," she said. "It gives you a different understanding. It doesn't light it up with the bright light of the TV camera; it's more like a candlelight."
Claude Peck • 612-673-7977


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Head coach Ben Cabell, on win: "We took what we learned against Saint Mary's and applied it today against USF. The team did a great job of not getting down when they lost and staying tough and focused."
Cabell, on doubles matches: "It was a windy and ugly day in doubles. It was not pretty, but we stayed tough and won."
Cabell on Barnes' performance: "Erika did a great job of coming back and not getting down after losing the first set. Her experience really showed in her singles match."
Senior Erika Barnes on the team's win: "It was an exciting match. Everyone fought really hard and at the end you could feel the energy. We really came together as a team, starting with the doubles point which gave us a boost."
Barnes on her match: "I started out kind of slow but tried to stick in it, and I began to play better. The cheering from my teammates in my last set really helped."
Junior Myra Davoudi on team's performance: "It was good that we pulled it out. The doubles point was huge. It gave us a lot of momentum to move into the singles matches."


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- serious researchers who have well documented most branches of their family trees
- serious researchers who have several long and well documented branches with a couple of branches stuck at brick walls as soon as we cross back over the Atlantic or shorty after that. I fall into this category.
- researchers who haven't been able to trace their family back very far for any number of reasons (serious researcher but quickly hit brick walls, lack of funds to research "old country" records, or casual researchers using DNA as a shortcut).
The first test I purchased for myself was in late 2005, a mtDNA test, which to date has yielded no matches...yes, NO MATCHES! I don't know what that means!! My maternal bloodline happens to be one I trace back several generations in Lithuania and with any match I might be able to identify a common ancestor.
Next I purchased the Y-DNA test and mtDNA tests for my father. We have an exact 37-marker match but were unable to identify the common ancestor. KLEIN and LANDE both mean "small" but I have a brick wall with my ggf in Kovno/Kaunas Lithuania (as a last residence, not even a birth, marriage, or death) and the LANDE family had been traced a little further back in Ukraine. On the mtDNA test, we have 353 HVR1 and 136 HVR2 matches and the numbers seem to grow every week. According to my cousin, a biologist, the mtDNA test is more accurate than the Y-DNA test but with the mtDNA we're not able to get that clue of the likelihood of how far back the common ancestor lived (those percentages from FTDNA on the Y-DNA test) so it's tough to decide which matches to contact.
Next I purchased a Y-DNA test for a SCHNEIDER first cousin. We have two 25-marker exact matches but no higher level exact matches. The common ancestor here lived too long ago for me to capture in my research.
Next was a Y-DNA test for a BERGER/BERGZON cousin. We have five exact 25- marker matches but again, no higher level exact matches.
After a break, I purchased a Y-DNA test for a newly discovered (thanks to Google and this blog) LUTSKY cousin. We have 35 exact 25-marker matches but no exact matches at higher levels. The two closest 37-marker matches (genetic distance 1) have the same contact person but neither responded to my e-mails. This was actually an interesting branch because one of those 37-marker matches was conceived via artificial insemination in the UK in the 1950s.
Last year, a TOKAR cousin purchased a Y-DNA test for himself. No close matches unfortunately. This family was pretty much wiped out during the Holocaust but some cousins did come to America before the war so identifying a common ancestor here would be really meaningful.
What I hoped would be the icing on the cake was the Family Finder test I purchased for myself this year. I've had a lot of matches but in dealing with the various categories of researchers I haven't been able to find any documented matches. A couple are probably very close, just beyond the reach of surviving records. Many matches appear to be in that third category of researcher so luck would be the only way of identifying common ancestors with them. What I was really hoping for was to use Family Finder in combination with the existing Y-DNA results across the family tree. Unfortunately I found out from FTDNA last week that the fact that my Family Finder match list might include people who also matched my dad and cousins on their Y-DNA tests is most likely a fluke. Unless the Y-DNA match is a high level exact match I can't rely on these overlapping results. This really disappointed me.
I'm not giving up and it was really impossible for me to have not spent the money on DNA testing. I'd be surprised if most serious researchers haven't purchased at least one test just to see if they'd get lucky. Not sure how many have purchased seven though (actually my TOKAR cousin was good enough to pay for his). I'm still hopeful that one day one of those common ancestors will be identified. I don't regret spending the money but some more encouraging results would be nice.


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Cyprus on Monday became the fifth eurozone country to request financial aid from its partners in the troubled European currency union as it struggles to shore up its banks, which took heavy losses on Greek debt.
The island nation's government said in a terse statement that it required assistance following "negative spillover effects through its financial sector, due to its large exposure in the Greek economy."
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou wouldn't say how much Cyprus would ask for from the European bailout fund, saying the amount will be subject to negotiations in the coming days. The 27 leaders of the European Union are meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
Analysts estimate the sum would likely be around €5 billion ($6.2 billion) but could go as high as €10 billion ($12.5 billion) That's a fraction of the bailouts given to the other EU countries — Spain has asked for as much as €100 billion ($125 billion)for its banks.
Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean of about a million people, joined the European Union in 2004 and began using the euro four years later.
Cyprus needs about €1.8 billion ($2.3 billion) — about 10 percent of its gross domestic product — by a June 30 deadline to recapitalize its second largest lender, Cyprus Popular Bank. The bank is the most heavily exposed of the country's banks to Greek government debt, which lost most of its value this year in a massive write-down.
Over the past weeks it has become clear that Cyprus Popular Bank would not find the money from the private sector and would need to get it from the government — but the government itself is strapped for cash and has been unable to raise money in bond markets, where its borrowing rates are too high. The government has been getting by lately on a loan from Russia, but that will run out by the end of the year.
Stefanou said despite its request for European aid, the Cypriot government would continue negotiations for another possible loan from a country outside the EU, such as Russia or China.
"One doesn't preclude the other," Stefanou told The Associated Press. "Our efforts to secure a bilateral loan will continue."
Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly said last week that clinching a loan from another country would strengthen Cyprus' bargaining position with its 16 eurozone partners in negotiating the bailout deal. The Cypriot government has been apprehensive about turning solely to the EU bailout fund because it has seen the tough spending cuts and tax increases that Greece has been forced to enact in exchange for bailout money.
The Cypriot economy has thrived on foreign businesses setting up shop due to its low 10 percent corporate tax rate, which the government is keen to protect.
Greece, Ireland and Portugal, which have needed European bailouts to finance their government debt, are on strict austerity plans. Spain, which has asked for money to rescue its banks, is still negotiating the terms of its aid deal.
There's a good chance the Cyprus government may not be able to fend off tough, EU-imposed austerity terms. A recent European Commission report said the island is "experiencing very serious macroeconomic imbalances that need to be urgently addressed" and it proposed slashing spending on the island's bloated public sector and making pension reforms.
"Given the current state of the Cypriot economy, turning to the EU for a bailout was the only option," said financial analyst Michalis Florentiades. "But even if the Cypriot government does secure a bilateral loan, it's uncertain whether this would soften the terms that come with the EU bailout."
Earlier Monday, Fitch became the third ratings agency to downgrade Cyprus' credit rating to junk status, estimating that the island will need another €4 billion ($5 billion) to recapitalize its banking sector. It cited the banks' exposure to Greek debt as well as a rise in bad loans over the last year as the Cypriot economy has shrunk while unemployment has hit a record high of 10 percent.
Fitch predicts that Cyprus' government debt will shoot above 100 percent of its GDP, more than 12 points more than its previous estimate. The agency also expected the government to miss its goal of bringing the budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP through another round of spending cuts and tax increases by as much as a percentage point.
Cypriot banks could suffer further losses if Greece decides it must leave the 17-nation eurozone, since they also hold an estimated €22 billion ($27.5 billion) in Greek business and household loans.
Compounding the island's banking troubles are projections that its economy will shrink by 1 percent of GDP this year.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only it's southern, internationally recognized Greek-speaking part enjoys EU membership. A breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north of the island is recognized only by Turkey, which maintains 35,000 troops there.


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In a Pitchfork documentary , Sababu said that he started a male exotic club where Jayceon Taylor stripped "maybe twice." He said that 50 Cent will not let him forget it, and that he has advised him not to get up in arms about his past being unearthed.
"Me and Game's mom, we started a male exotic
club," said Sababu. "What we used to do, we used to
get guys that came fresh out of jail, they was buffed
up and needed money. A lot of these guys can't go
and fill out a application and get a job but hey, if they
look good, they been working out, we put 'em on
man, we get them a thousand bucks a week dancing.
"Jayceon danced there maybe twice, and 50 Cent will not let him forget it," he continued. "And somehow, somebody got pictures of him dancing in that club with his g-string on and boy, boy, boy. Whether he likes it or not, I tell him the truth.
Because just like most people that achieve a certain amount of fame and fortune, that comes with the sycophants or the ass kissers, because they're around all the time to say you're the greatest thing. Because most of time, they're on the payroll. But fortunately, or unfortunately, I'm not on the payroll so I can tell you exactly what I think."Tweet
Follow @martinkem


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A major step forward in the Senator Theatre's renovation could take place at Thursday's Liquor Board hearing.
The board will vote on the Senator's application for a beer, wine and liquor restaurant license, and co-owner Kathleen Cusack Lyon says she feels confident the application will be approved. Lyon — who owns the Senator with her father and Charles Theatre owner James "Buzz" Cusack — says the Senator has the support of various community members and groups, including the Belvedere Improvement Association and Councilman Bill Henry, who says he plans to attend the Liquor Board hearing as a sign of support.
"We've done due diligence to reach out to the community," Lyon said.
If the application is approved, the Senator, which has been closed since April 2012, will continue its construction process. Lyon says the theater is currently in talks with a "local restaurant guy" about running the Senator's cafe, which will focus on small plates.
In terms of other areas of construction, Lyon says the restoration of the auditorium is "almost complete," and the next step will be to install seats.
She gets asked about the Senator's reopening every day. In June, Cusack told the Sun that he hoped the Senator, located in Rosebank, would reopen in August, but Lyon would not give a specific reopening date during an interview on Wednesday.
"We are going to open as soon as we can," she said. "We're working on plans for the opening night. We're pleased with the progress."
The Senator's application is one of six cases to be heard by the Liquor Board at 2 p.m. on Thursday.


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|Allentown, Pa.
|High School:
|Mid Free/Fly
2013-14: Competed in the 100- (48.73), 200- (1:44.99), and 500-yd freestyle (4:43.56) events as an exhibition swimmer at the 2014 CCSA Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., setting season-best times in each event at Tennessee… Won his first career individual dual meet event on Senior Day at the UMBC Aquatic Complex against Howard, claiming the top spot in the 500 free.
2012-13: Posted his top career dual meet finish by taking third in the 500-yd free at Loyola (Md.) on Jan. 19… Swam his top 500 free time (4:37.19) at the ECAC Championships at Harvard… Also recorded his best 200 free time (1:44.38) at the post-season meet in Cambridge, Mass.
2011-12: Swam season-best times in four separate events at the Patriot Invitational... Placed 17th in the 500-yd. free (4:42.66) at the George Mason meet... Claimed third in the 500 free at the Terrapin Invitational... Best dual meet finish was fifth in the 200 fly at Howard.
2010-11: Swam season-best 50-yard freestyle (22.78) in tri-meet against William and Mary and Delaware... Posted a career-best time in the 200 free (1:43.85) at the Terrapin Invitational... Named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Background: A five-time Pennsylvania State qualifier… A District XI champion in 2010 in the 200-yard freestyle and a three-time runner up… Named Parkland High School's Most Outstanding Swimmer for 2010… Been a part of seven Parkland Area Aquatic Club relay records… Helped lead PHS to the District XI Championship in 2010.
Personal: Son of Mark and Dawn Stang… Has two younger sisters, Emily and Caroline… Father played basketball and rugby at Loyola (Md.), while mother was a member of the horseback riding team at Delaware Valley… Majoring in psychology… Born July 9, 1992.


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I believe there are two types of children in this world: those who adore sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what they want for Christmas, and those who wouldn't go near a strange fat guy in a red suit even if he were covered in gumdrops and handing out winning lottery tickets. My kids were always the second type.
It's not that surprising, since the whole "mall Santa" experience was not a part of my childhood. I admit, I find the concept a little creepy. "Go on, sweetie! Go sit on that bearded stranger's lap and tell him all your deepest desires. Sure, you can take a candy cane from him!"
But there's no denying that a picture of a sweet little cherub perched on Santa's lap is adorable. Even if the kid is wailing. Especially then. There are entire web sites devoted to funny pictures of kids with Santa. How could I miss out on that?
There's a mall near us with a really authentic-looking Santa Claus. A real, snow-white beard, a plush, red velvet suit, shiny black boots, the whole bit. A grandfatherly type, not creepy at all. I figured if I was going to force my precious babies to sit on a stranger's lap for a photo opp, this would be the place.
For a couple years, neither one of my boys was having it. But last year, things changed. During a trip to the mall, they both decided they wanted to visit Santa. OK, the five-year-old decided and his little brother followed. I think they didn't want to take any chances with their Christmas lists. Better to tell Santa directly the exact kind of remote-controlled monster truck you want, rather than risk ending up with some off-brand piece of junk under the tree.
So we waited, and waited, and waited in line for our turn with Santa. Then the little guy chickened out. He dug in his heels like I was dragging him to the doctor for shots. Even when Santa himself tried to gently coax him over, he wouldn't go. His big brother did, though. Little brother witnessed this and went nuts.
In typical toddler fashion, he changed his mind and decided he did want to sit on Santa's lap after all. So again, we waited. And waited. And once again, he got cold feet when he got to the front of the line. No friendly elf could persuade him to get within arm's reach of St. Nick. He did accept a candy cane, though.
Oh, well. At least we gave one of our kids the mall Santa experience. Somewhere, the in-laws have the pictures to prove it. They weren't as hilariously awful as I'd hoped.
Will you take your child to visit Santa this year?


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PseudoPod 114: The Cellar
The Cellar
by Stephen Owen
"I'm Mr. Sinclair." The smiling old man introduced himself. "Not too early, am I?"
"Whatever you're selling, I ain't interested," said the man, ignoring Sinclair's offer of a handshake. He was taller than Sinclair by a couple of inches, probably in his mid-forties, with cropped blond-grey hair and a permanent frown etched between tired-looking eyes.
"Didn't they tell you?" said Sinclair, studying a piece of paper in his hand, then checking the brass door number. "I've come to look round your house."
"No-one said nothing."
"It is still for sale, isn't it?"
"Oh sure, just wasn't expecting…"
"Of course, I can always come back another time," said the old man. He frowned and scratched his chin. "That would be rather inconvenient, though. I've come all the way from Oxford. Traffic was an absolute nightmare."


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FRANKFORT — A record wild turkey harvest, the return of the alligator gar and south-central Kentucky received two new wildlife management areas, are just some of the highlights of the past year.
Here's a look back at some of the top outdoors stories of 2010:
Hunters took a record 36,094 wild turkeys during the state's 23-day spring season, which closed May 9.
The record harvest was achieved despite high winds, heavy rains and extensive flooding which made the hunting difficult during the last two weeks of the season.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Spencer Magnet, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
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Learn how to use the popular network analyzer to track down WiFi problems.
When it comes to open-source tools for network engineers, a top choice is Wireshark, created in 1997 by Gerald Combs, who needed a tool to track network problems. Originally named Ethereal, the network analyzer is supported by a community that has added additional dissectors, features, and bug fixes.
Wireshark isn't just for wired networks; wireless network engineers can utilize the tool to help them troubleshoot and diagnose various WiFi issues. Before getting into the details of using Wireshark to capture WiFi traffic, let's go over the particular requirements.
In a Windows operating system, you need a network card capable of capturing wireless frames. The built-in network card is not capable of this because drivers may not allow a user to manually select a channel, or to place the wireless network in monitor mode.
View more...


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Antonelli College is pleased to announce the addition of two diploma programs --- Medical Assisting and Medical Billing and Coding. These two diploma programs can be completed as little as 10 – 13 months and are additions to our Associate Degree programs in Medical Assisting and Medical Billing and Coding.
"Our students are career-focused and we have had many requests for a quicker pathway to a career. These two programs are concentrated versions of our degree programs and students will move through the core courses just as they would during the degree program. The main difference is that the students do not have to take many elective courses and can complete the diploma program in less time and be on their way to a rewarding career," said Steve Bryant, Campus President.
Antonelli College offers a unique blend of specialized technical training, hands-on experience, and business education that continues a long-standing tradition of career education that began when the college was founded in 1947. Antonelli College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). It offers students the opportunity to develop their gifts and talents in business and IT, health and well-being or medical into professional skills. A well-known asset of the visual arts community in Cincinnati, Ohio since 1947, Antonelli College offers degree programs in two locations in Ohio, as well as two campuses in Mississippi and online. Antonelli College is licensed by the Mississippi Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration, Certificate No. C-102 and is licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Massage Therapy, License No 0401. For more information on our graduation rates, the median loan debts of graduates, and other important information, please go to www.Antonellicollege.edu/disclosure.


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This week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will face his biggest test yet: getting Microsoft's developers excited about Windows again at the company's Build conference.
There's reason to believe he'll succeed. Last week, he turned in a solid performance in his first public speaking event as CEO.
He revealed Office for iPad, a product people have been asking for from Microsoft for years.
He isn't a brilliant orator, but he has successfully set a new tone for Microsoft. He won over a lot of people in the press and — of more importance — investors like him. The stock is over $40, hitting prices it hasn't seen in 14 years.
Nadella still has one more group to win over — the programmers who write software for Windows, Windows phone, and Microsoft's cloud. Without them and their apps, Windows and all of its derivatives would be dead in the water.
Microsoft is hosting Build, its big meeting for software developers, starting Wednesday in San Francisco.
"We'll be talking about the innovations in Windows, because one of the questions right up front I wanted to address was, 'What about Windows?' 'Where does Windows fit in with all of this?'" said Nadella last week. "Windows is a massive agenda for us. We will innovate and you will see us talk next week about the great innovations in the operating system and great innovations in devices."
Last year's Build conference was somewhat somber. Microsoft was at a crossroads. Its brand-new touch operating system, Windows 8, wasn't popular, its Surface PC and Surface RT tablets weren't selling well, the company had gone through a major reorg, and Ballmer, unbeknownst to the crowd at the time, was getting ready to resign.
This week, as Nadella steps onto the stage of a sold-out crowd, his No.1 job is to show off a compelling vision for Microsoft's future again. We expect to hear about the following.
- Windows 9: Microsoft is working on a Windows version codenamed "Threshold," expected to become Windows 9, reports blogger Paul Thurrott of The Supersite for Windows. It should be available at next year's Build, but we expect Microsoft to talk it up and start the hype to get past the bad reputation of Windows 8. Windows 9 should be to Windows 8 what Windows 7 was to Vista — the antidote.
- Progress on the "one Windows" vision: Microsoft is supposed to be unifying some of its Windows platforms, so that a single operating system will run on phones and certain tablets. This would make Windows look a lot more like Apple's strategy, with one system for PCs and convertibles and one for smartphones and tablets. This will likely be part of its Windows 9 plan.
- Touch-friendly Office for Windows 8: Microsoft did the shocking thing of releasing a touch-friendly version of Office for the iPad before it released one for Windows. We should hear all about the one coming for Windows 8, including a release date.
- Cortana for Windows phone: Microsoft's answer to Siri. Microsoft is expected to add features to Windows Phone, like a new radio app.
- New Windows phone devices from Nokia: People are expecting Microsoft to show off the newest version of Windows phone on new Lumia devices and possibly even on a Nokia watch.
- Windows phone for business users: Microsoft said a new version of Windows phone for enterprises would be out in the first half of this year, known as Windows Phone Enterprise Feature Pack. Microsoft might announce that it's shipping.
- The next version minor of Windows 8: Microsoft typically releases an update to Windows around Build, and this time we expect Windows 8.1 Update 1, leaked about a month ago. It will have more features to appease desktop PC users.
- New features for Bing, Office 365: These were Nadella's babies before he became CEO. Bing in particular has become a key ingredient for developers who can tap into search data, maps, travel information, and more for their apps.
- Lots of news around Microsoft's cloud: There's a war going on among Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to grab developers for the cloud. Amazon and Google made announcements last week; expect Microsoft to try to wow them this week.
Get the latest Microsoft stock price here.


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248 N Evergreen
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
Listing Office: DiCianni Realty Inc
Disclaimer: The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program of Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than @properties are marked with the Broker Reciprocity thumbnail logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.
Elmhurst is a pretty sweet place to call home. Not only was the city home to the Keebler Company, Sunshine Biscuits and a distribution center for Famous Amos cookies; Elmhurst was named one of the "Ten Best U.S. Towns for…Learn More
School information is provided by the National Center for Education Statistics. This information should only be used as a reference and does not warrant or guarantee enrollment. Please contact applicable schools or school districts directly to verify information and enrollment eligibility.
Union Pacific West, Milwaukee District West
at Elmhurst (0.51 miles away), Elmhurst Metra


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Online Ordering (Eye Care Professionals)
Fact: just about everyone over age 60 needs some sort of vision correction. It's just a normal, natural part of aging. The good news? You have several options to maintain your 20/20 vision for years to come.
Many seniors have Presbyopia, which is the inability to see clearly at near distances, like when reading. To correct your vision to 20/20, you're probably familiar with bifocal eyeglasses. But you may not be aware that contact lenses can correct presbyopia as well.
Multi-focal contact lenses – including Bausch + Lomb Purevision multifocal contact lenses—can correct presbyopia so you can see comfortably up close and at a distance.
If you also have cataracts, Crystalens is an accommodating intraocular lens that, unlike a standard IOL, can treat both a person's cataracts and presbyopia—loss of near and intermediate vision. Crystalens treats your cataracts (a clouding or hardening of your lens), and can also reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses. Crystalens is designed to recreate accommodation similar to your eye's natural lens. The unique Crystalens can reduce or eliminate glasses for most activities, including: reading a book, working on the computer, and driving a car.
If you've always worn spectacles and you'd prefer to continue doing so, you can learn about bifocal and trifocal lenses and their attributes at All About Vision, a consumer guide to eye care and vision correction.
Reading the newspaper, doing embroidery, building models, and seeing the numbers on small technical instruments can become challenging as we age. Brighter lighting can help with close-up work, but sometimes you need additional help.
Magnifying glasses bring fine print and needlework into focus, and they come in many sizes to help you match the level of magnification you need with the task in front of you.
© 2015 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.
All information and materials on this site pertain to Canada only, unless otherwise indicated.


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February 22, 2002 - The Times of Swaziland: US Peace Corps returning to Swaziland
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02 February 2002 Peace Corps Headlines
: February 22, 2002 - The Times of Swaziland: US Peace Corps returning to Swaziland
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US Peace Corps returning to Swaziland
Read and comment on this story from the Times of Swaziland that the United States Peace Corps will return to Swaziland before the end of the year to assist in the HIV/AIDS battle at:
US Peace Corps returning
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US Peace Corps returning
The Times of Swaziland, February 22, 2002
LOZITHA - The United States Peace Corps will return to Swaziland before the end of the year to assist in the HIV/AIDS battle. They were last in the country in 1992.
This was revealed by the new US Ambassador to Swaziland James David McGee yesterday when he presented his letter of credence to His Majesty King Mswati 111.
During his audience with the king Ambassador McGee said he would like to strengthen and build even closer ties between the two countries by assisting the Swazi nation to realise its aspirations.
"As you mentioned in your speech from the Throne during the opening of parliament, economic stimulation is an absolute must for the nation," McGee said.
He stated that Swaziland's participation in the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and the country's eligibility under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has already led external investors to look at Swaziland with renewed interest.
"I assure you that I will seek every opportunity to assist Swaziland in taking full advantage of AGOA to attract investment and in creating a domestic environment conducive to investment," he said.
He emphasised that the key element of a business friendly environment is good governance for which a legal framework is required.
"Your creation of a constitutional drafting committee is a major step in creating a business- friendly environment," he added.
McGee said the U.S is keenly interested in the progress towards a constitution that advances the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Swaziland.
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The Community College of Rhode Island is a state-supported public institution; therefore, tuition and fees are subject to increase at any time by action of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. [Explanation of Fees]
This page developed and maintained by Bursar's Office. Send comments and suggestions to email@example.com .


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On display
- Monday, September 9 – Sunday, September 15, Multnomah County Library Central Library, Collins Gallery, 810 SW 10th Avenue
- Monday, September 16 – Sunday, September 22, East Hall, 1st floor, Portland State University, 632 SW Hall Street
About the Exhibition
Powerful, accessible and compelling, A is for Arab: Stereotypes in U.S. Popular Culture, which features images from the Jack G. Shaheen Archive, reveals and critiques stereotypical portrayals of Arabs and Muslims in U.S. popular culture. Providing historical context about these images which range from film stills to comic books to editorial cartoons, this traveling exhibition aims to educate and stimulate discussion about the impact of stereotypes on both individual perceptions and national policy.
This exhibit is presented by New York University's Asian / Pacific / American Institute and its Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies in support of A Day in the Life: Memoirs from the Middle East, a book club series which aims to dispel common stereotypes of the Middle East by exploring literature from the region. The rich narratives, stimulating detail and enchanting dialogue of the selected memoirs will draw readers in and provide new perspectives on the Middle East, beyond war and politics. Through interactive and participatory book club discussions, readers will engage with the text, with experts and authors, and each other to explore the diversity of daily life in the Middle East and consider both the similarities to and differences from our own lives in Oregon.
A Day in the Life is presented by the Multnomah County Library and the Portland State University Department of English and Centers for Public Humanities and Middle East Studies and was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities, a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds Oregon Humanities' grant program. Any views, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily reflect the views of Oregon Humanities or the National endowment for the Humanities.
The Portland State University Department of English offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses to meet the needs of students with a diversity of interests, and academic and professional backgrounds. The department offers courses in literature, rhetoric, composition, and critical theory and emphasizes intertextual and cross-disciplinary inquiry represented by many cultures and historical periods.
The Portland Center for the Public Humanities (PCPH) coordinates, promotes and supports rigorous humanistic inquiry into the languages, histories, and ideas that both shape our ways of life and offer a means of positively transforming them. PCPH's mission is to connect the scholarly community of PSU with the city, and its programs have focused on topics vital to public life. PCPH programming has examined topics such as sustainability and the humanities; the prison industrial complex; Holocaust and genocide studies; and religion and secularism.
The Portland State University Middle East Studies Center promotes understanding of the people, cultures, languages and religions of the Middle East. As a National Resource Center for Middle East Studies under the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI program, the Center serves as a resource on issues pertaining to the Middle East through activities that reach students and scholars, as well as businesses, educators, and the media. The Middle East Studies Center supports academic conferences, workshops, cultural events, lectures, and a resource library.
Multnomah County Library (MCL) is the oldest and largest public library in Oregon, serving nearly 20% of the state's population (approximately 724,000 residents). MCL cardholders are voracious consumers of the Library's collection, checking out over 33 items per person in 2011-12, the highest circulation of all libraries serving populations of fewer than one million. MCL hosted more than 22,000 events during the last year, including monthly meetings of 27 book discussion groups. More than 300,000 residents attended library programs. The community is eager for connection and learning – visiting the Library online or in person nearly 35,000 times each day in 2011-12. This November, nearly 63% of voters in the County voted to establish a library district, providing permanent, stable funding for this well-loved and well-used institution. MCL is guided by three pillars that define its role in and value to the community, which guides how MCL builds its collection and develop and present programming: 1) A free resource for all, 2) A trusted guide for learning, 3) The leading advocate for reading.


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Here's an interesting article from Jenz Johnson, on how he has adapted the idea of sketchnoting to using a phone or table to capture them.
Jenz writes:
Doing sketchnotes on a smartphone was easy. The tagging, typing and linking took all of five minutes, and was good review for me. This may not have the same feel or be the same experience as using paper and pen, but I found it to be an excellent way to take notes and visualize the talk in real-time.
Here are some sample digital sketchnotes by Jenz:
Commentary from Mike
Personally, I've challenged myself to find a good way to use an iPad for sketchnoting this year. It is a little different and Jenz is right on that the stylus really makes a difference. My favorite are the Adonit Jot and Stylus Sock Pro.
Also, I need to adapt to the quantity of ideas per page. With a pocket Moleskine, I can fit quite a bit of information on a 2-page spread because of the control I have with a pen. With an iPad, unless I want to zoom in and out (which I want to avoid) it's a much lower detail per page because of the resolution.
I think my approach needs to change to capturing fewer ideas per page, instead of trying to map my pen and paper experience to the iPad — accepting the device for what it is. My friend Craighton Berman did this with his SXSW 2012 Sketchnotes and for Milan Design Week 2010 — I've always admired his approach:
If you have feedback on your own digital sketchnoting process, let us know!


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Have you seen these floating around Pinterest? I have seen a few different ones and they looked delicious. Well, we made some last week and they are very delicious!
What you will need to make these...Butter Snap Pretzels, hershey kisses, m&m's.
...How we made ours...
Start by setting your oven at 300 degrees. Place pretzels on baking sheet. Squeeze as many in as you can.
Next enlist some kiddos to help you peel off the wrappers of your kisses. ;D and place 1 kiss on each pretzel. We used Hugs and regular Milk Chocolate kisses.
Place in the oven for about 4-5 minutes or until the chocolate looks shiny. Watch them because every oven differs. Once they begin to look shiny, they are ready to take out.
Next, immediately after taking them out of the oven, add the m&m's. Place 1 m&m on each kiss, pressing it down into the chocolate. The hugs will be softer than the milk chocolate kisses, so be gentle. LOL Either that or do all the milk chocolates first, then go back to the hugs. ;D We used red, pink, dark pink and white m&m's on ours. Perfect for Valentines day or girls birthday parties.
You can place them in the fridge or freezer to help the hardening of the chocolate or just leave them out. We put ours in the fridge.
We also keep them in the fridge in a container. You don't have too, but they taste good cold. YUM!
I plan on making these for many future occasions. I saw today that they already have mint green out for St. Patricks day. Can't wait to tackle those.


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Dear rockers,
I haven't made a post for quite a while now, so here it is.
This outfit is more about the vintage denim jacket and the Misfits beanie combo! Followed with my 10 eye black leather Steel boots, black skinny jeans, grey cotton shirt and my spiked necklace. If you're wondering why the f*ck aren't I wearing a black shirt... I just didn't had one that was washed.
Anywho, this is just another simple black+denim outfit. Good to go, any-fucking-where!