text:
Friday, September 30, 2005
Creative Use of the IQY Export Format
But, unknown to many, there is still a way available to get the same functionality, albeit only for the Excel export format.
Here's how:
Assume that I have the following workbook and worksheet:
Workbook name: SalesReports
Workbook identifier: SALESREPORTS
Worksheet name: Margins
Worksheet identifier: 1
Connection id: cf_a102 (I am using a public connection here).
You can view the information below in the workbook screenshot from Discoverer Plus (as you know you can get the worksheet identifier by right clicking the worksheet tab and clicking 'Worksheet Properties')
First let's run this worksheet through a regular IQY export (you can use either Plus or Viewer, doesn't really matter). After the export operation has completed you can open the generated file (in my case Margins.iqy) in Excel.The query is run, and the data retrieved and displayed as shown below:
Now comes the interesting part. You would have saved the IQY file on your computer (if not, re-run the export, and this time save it to some folder on your computer). Open this file in a text editor like Notepad, TextPad, JEdit, etc... This is how the file will look like:
&connectionKey=cf_a102&worksheetName=SALESREPORTS/1&webQueryExport=yes&&password=["password","Password :"]
You can see that apart from a small amount of IQY specific stuff like the first line with 'WEB' or the last parts of the URL with the '[' braces, etc... it should become apparent that you can extract the URL portion of it and past it into your browser.
The URL that I extract is http://myhostname.com/discoverer/viewer?
As you would expect, the query is run and the data displayed in your browser.
To abstract from the above example, if you do want to generate an XLS export of a Discoverer worksheet using URL parameters, you can do that, and the relevant URL would be:
http://[your host name]:[port number]/discoverer/viewer?
&connectionKey=[connection id of the public connection]&worksheetName=[workbook identifier]/[worksheet identifier]&webQueryExport=yes
So, the URL export functionality is still present, though in a limited form.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Loose lips sink ships
This article appeared in C|Net today - "Nightmare on the 'nerd bird' flight", by Roger L. Kay, on how loose lips can literally sink ships (companies). An example provided illustrates the point, quite starkly. Here is part of the article:
A senior technical manager from a semiconductor manufacturer was traveling between San Jose, Calif., and Austin, Texas, when he began to overhear a man sitting across the aisle talking to a woman in the seat in front of him. The listener's ears pricked up when he realized that the man mouthing off was working for a direct competitor and was jabbering freely about issues that he was facing in launching a new product.I don' want to be judgmental or harsh, but really, it would take a genius of sorts to blabber so much, for so long, and so indiscreetly, and that too on airplane! Of course he seemed distinctly unlucky to find himself seated next to a persevering employee from a competitor.
At the end of an hour, the man listening quietly knew his competitor's price, the bugs in its chip, and who the product's first (and, more importantly, anchor) customer was.
As he got up to deplane, he was recognized by a woman who had been seated behind him. She said hello and asked him whether he was still with the same company. When he replied yes, the man across the aisle shot him a look. The unlucky guy knew that he had made a major mistake. But it was too late.
As soon as he was off the plane, the accidental spy called his salesman, giving him the details. His company not only won the business by undercutting the competitor's price and pointing out where the flaws in its product were, but because this customer was pivotal for winning more business, the other company was never able to launch its product properly, and within a year it had closed its doors. That anchor customer was supposed to be the reference for subsequent customers.
Anyway, the writer uses the phrase 'nerd-bird' to describe 'any direct flight between two locations infested with high-tech companies.' Examples would be San Jose-Seattle, Seattle-Boston, etc... I can imagine that any international flight leaving Bangalore is more than likely to be occupied mostly by software professionals. On my last flight to Boston, I found myself sitting next to an executive from HP, all the way from Bangalore to Frankfurt and then on to Boston.
And speaking of privacy, I am reminded of a customer that wanted to turn off exporting functionality for its Viewer users. That's quite easily done, by customizing the Viewer layout in the App Server Control. Furthermore, the customer actually had software installed on all client machines to prevent even copying of text using your standard Ctrl+C functionality. I don't quite know if that would be an extreme example, but I can understand the need for companies to balance the seemingly contradictory goals of providing more information to their users yet still find a way to protect that information.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Performance improvements and SQL optimizations
Discoverer 10.1.2 has some "patented" optimisations for "join and item trimming", which means that if you usually build your folders as custom folders, with a "select * from customers" type query, these optimisations won't be used (they only work on simple or complex folders, where Discoverer itself puts the SQL together) which is a good reason now to stop building folders like this.A small correction - these performance improvement were first introduced in version 9.0.4, and have been in the product for about a year and a half now. These performance improvements spanned three different but related areas in the way Discoverer generates the SQL for a worksheet query:
- Item trimming - where items not needed in the worksheet are excluded from the generated SQL.
- Join trimming - where table/view joins not needed to satisfy a query are removed, but integrity constraints are maintained.
- Inline view flattening - reduction in the number of inline views used in the SQL query generated.
During some internal benchmark studies we found dramatic improvements in the size of the SQL sent to the database, parsing times, and execution times. Of course, not all queries would benefit from these improvements, but for large queries, especially the kinds that you would expect to find in Oracle Applications schemas, the performance gains can be quite substantial. And as Mark points out, the fact that custom folder cannot make use of these optimizations is another reason not to use them unless you absolutely have to.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Larry Ellison on BI
Around 18 minutes into his talk, he starts off on business intelligence and speaks for about 3-4 minutes on the topic. The emphasis was on embedding business intelligence into business applications. This is also consistent with what customers and sales consultants have to say about BI; it is much easier for a sales consultant to sell and much easier for a customer to understand the value of BI if it is wrapped around a 'solution'. Rather than talk about the latest and greatest improvements to a 'crosstab' or some new graph type, customers 'get' it much sooner if you show how BI actually helps them solve real-world problems, using the context of enterprise applications (like HR, Inventory, AR/AP, etc...) with data from their own industry.
Larry also mentioned of BI being used to look at TAR (service requests) correlation with sales. Which we actually do today, at least in terms of using Discoverer to track bugs, by release, version, database, platform, component, etc... These reports are used throughout our development organization and I can't tell you how much more useful it is to look at a nicely formatted Discoverer report (in Plus or Viewer or even in Portal) and to be able to drill up/down, pivot, slice, dice, apply conditional & stoplight formats and all the other nice things you can do with Discoverer, and to drill out to the actual bug in our bug repository, rather than using some SQL prompt to write these queries, or to use static, canned reports.
Seperately, C|Net carried this story about Larry's keynote and acquistions (bold formatting is mine):
Business intelligence players and middleware developer BEA Systems, however, are less attractive acquisition targets, Ellison said.In case you are wondering about Oracle being a leader in BI, this is based on an IDC report, "Analytics and Data Warehousing Software: Market Analysis, Aug 2005". Oracle has a writeup here.
"At one time we highlighted BEA for a possible acquisition, but less so now," Ellison said. "We have passed them up...and they don't really want to be bought."
He added that Oracle, through its presence in the database market, is already a top leader in the business intelligence market, reducing his desire to expand further via acquisitions.
So this should put to rest some of the silly rumors that keep flying about Oracle wanting to buy this or that BI vendor. We made huge strides with our Drake release (10.1.2), won lots more deals in straight head-on competition with the largest of independent BI vendors, have released an update to it a few weeks back (10.1.2.1), and will continue to come out with feature packed releases. You saw some concepts we have been working on - Report Center for one - at Ray's keynote, and will see more announcements in the coming time. (Note that Report Center is only a concept at this stage, we are not making any commitments to deliver any functionality shown there, and that it is premature to talk about release dates, etc... - I have to include this lest people start inferring and attributing things to me and get me in trouble).
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
On Vendor Weirdness
Now, a week back or so, I tried registering for a webcast of a BI vendor's new product release launch. I will not name the vendor, but those keyed in on BI and BI vendors should know who I am talking about. They had a link on their site that allowed you to register for the event. So far so good. Now, the page that I went to had about a zillion things I was asked to fill out - which again I am willing to live with. After all, lead generation is a vital activity for any firm that wishes to sell its products / services.
After duly entering my email address, on clicking the 'submit' button, I was displayed a popup message, "This event is currently full, and is not accepting any more registrations. Thank you for your interest." My first reaction was to accept it at face value and forget about it. But then, I realized that the page hadn't even been submitted - the response, the popup was instantaneous! Upon viewing the source code of the web page, I saw a piece of JavaScript code that checked for the domain of the email address, and if it were from either Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, or from a bunch of other BI vendors, then they simply displayed this popup message!!
Why this sneakiness, and that too sneakiness that is so easily discovered?! I could maybe understand, if not accept, the fact that they did not want their competitors attending or viewing the webcast, but why these juvenile contrivances? Why not simply state that competitors are not welcome at this webcast? It reminded me of (yet) another BI vendor that simply blocks the oracle.com domain from registering for any webcasts or downloading white papers.
Is it because the company missed its quarterly earnings this year, and is perhaps, just a wee bit, scared?
(As for the webcast itself, if I were to describe it in two words, it would be "hugely underwhelming".)
Monday, September 19, 2005
UIX Hack 3 - Removing the 'type' column from a portlet
"Is there a way to remove the "Type" column from Discoverer List of Worksheets portlet? I can see where to remove Modified Date, Creation Date, etc., but it doesn't from there allow me to remove the "Type" column. My users don't care whether it's a Workbook or Worksheet, and it's taking up valuable page real estate."
While there is no way to remove this using the UI, yet (there is a reason why the 'type' column is mandatory), UIX makes it possible to remove this column.
See my earlier posts about UIX and some other UIX hacks - "UIX Hack 1 - Removing the 'Connect Directly' section" and "UIX Hack 2 - Remove the Last Refresh Date from Discoverer Portlets".
And very importantly, here is the disclaimer, and warning:
- I am NOT suggesting that you go around and muck with these UIX files.
- Any changes you make to UIX files are unsupported.
- Oracle Support will not support your installation if you run into problems as a result of making changes to these UIX files.
- You will have to reproduce any errors on an instance without these UIX changes for Oracle Support to help you.
- Any upgrades or patches you apply may overwrite custom changes you make to your UIX files.
The UIX file you have to edit is located under your installation's "\j2ee\OC4J_BI_Forms\applications\discoverer\discoverer\uix\list_of_worksheets" folder, as shown below. The file you have to edit is "show_list_of_worksheets.uix". Note that I have made a backup of my file, BEFORE doing any editing - as should you.There are two (2) lines of code that you have to remove, as shown below.
Be sure to delete only two lines, and the correct ones, as shown above.
After you are done deleting these two lines, save and close the file. Then go to your Application Server Control and restart your 'OC4J_BI_Forms' component. Once the component has been restarted, refresh your Portal page.
If you did everything right, and there really wasn't all that much to it anyways, your LOW portlet should now look like the image below: just the worksheet/workbook name and no 'type' column.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
How read is a blog before you can call it a well-read blog
The reason I ask is not because I have any plans of 'abandoning' this blog even if it were not very popular (which it isn't), but more to take stock of how much time and effort I need to put into this blog. Now, I have been using StatCounter.com to track traffic to this blog, and the results are quite ok, I think. But I do want to get some opinions on what people think. So, if you care to let me know - via comments - what you think, I would be much obliged.
I will publish some numbers that I have been collecting via StatCounter towards the end of September.
In the meantime do take a minute to answer this quick poll (this also gives me the chance to test out a new free poll service I am trying out - www.pollhost.com)
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Activity Guide to OOW BI&DW Sessions
This is what the front of the guide looks like (the PDF is obviously larger)
And this is the back.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Displaying only selected page items or parameters in the title
Let's see with an example.
In my worksheet title, I have added these two meta-tokens: &PageItems and &Parameters.
When I run this worksheet, all page items - Year and Department, and all parameters selected - 1999 and 2000 for year, and 'Video Rental' and 'Game Rental' are displayed in the title.
If you see below, the names I have given to the two parameters in my worksheet are "YearParam" for the year based parameter and "DeptParam" for the Department based parameter.
I now edit my worksheet title, and add these two meta-tokens: &Year and &DeptParam, see what happens now. To make it easier to see the difference between the &PageItems, &Parameters standard meta-tokens on the one hand, and between the &Year and &DeptParam meta-tokens on the other, I have kept all of them in the title, and formatted the new meta-tokens differently.Instead of seeing ALL page-items, only the selected value for the Year page-item is displayed, while in the case of the new parameter meta-token, only the selected values for the 'DeptParam' parameter are displayed.
Monday, September 12, 2005
And Then There Was One Less (Oracle buying Siebel)
Frankly speaking, this came as a surprise to me, even though Oracle had mentioned Siebel (and BEA among other companies) as one of its potential takeover targets, I doubt if people really believed Oracle would do another big acquisition so soon.
But then the signs were there for people to see: Charles Philips' statement that Oracle had completed the PeopleSoft deal and that it was ready to do more deals. Oracle's hiring of Greg Maffei as its new CFO. Hmm..
Read the Oracle press release here.
Read the Siebel press release here - the Siebel link actually points to an Oracle URL.
Some details on Siebel and the deal:
- 4,000 applications customers
- 3,400,000 CRM users
- Oracle will pay Siebel shareholders $10.66 per share
- The offer is valued at approximately $5.85 billion
- Which is $3.61 billion net of Siebel's cash on hand of $2.24 billion.
- At 5:30am (PDT)/ 8:30am (EDT)
- You can listen to the live webcast here: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/playerlink.zhtml?c=67786&s=wm&e=1133996
- The dial-In information is: US and Canada: 1.888.791.1856, International: 1.630.395.0019, Passcode: ORACLE
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Record OpenWorld registrations
Monday, September 05, 2005
UIX Hack 2 – Remove the Last Refresh Date from Discoverer Portlets
Removing it is relatively simple – provided you are willing to indulge in a little bit of UIX editing. Ok, so it not supported, nor would I advise you to go about hacking your way through UIX files. But, if you feel confident enough, this is a relatively simple exercise.
You can read my earlier post about UIX and the caveats that apply.
This is a Discoverer worksheet portlet, with the date-time stamped at the bottom right corner.
If you want to remove this from the Discoverer worksheet portlet – i.e. if you do NOT want this value to appear on ANY Discoverer worksheet portlet, you have to modify one file. The file name is 'show_worksheet.uix' and is located under your Oracle home's
Make a backup of this file BEFORE you do anything further.
Now that you have made a backup of this file, open it using a text editor like Notepad, TextPad, JEdit, etc…
Look for the lines highlighted above (hint: search for the string 'refresh contents').
Delete the highlighted lines as shown above.
Save and close your file.
Re-start your OC4J_BI_Forms instance (use your OEM App Server Control for that).Refresh your Portal page (you may need to close your browser and re-login to Portal in case you have issues with your browser cache).
You can also choose to remove this date-time for all kinds of Discoverer portlets – List of Worksheets and Gauges portlets too, but that is a post for another day (relatively simple, actually).
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Phase 2 Nugget - The navigator preferences
Here is a quick look:
If I start up Discoverer Plus, I see both the 'Available Items Navigator' and the 'Selected Items Navigator' panes, as shown below.
Now, I open up my pref.txt file - which is where default Discoverer preferences are stored. This file is stored under my
This is how my default Discoverer preferences look like:
Of interest are the very first preferences in the [Application] section. The 'EUL Object Navigator' preference is for the 'Available Items Navigator' pane, while the 'Selected Object Navigator' is for the 'Selected Items Navigator'.
For the sake of this exercise, I do not want users connecting for the first time to Plus to see the 'Available Items Navigator'. Therefore, I change the value for that preference (
Once this is done, reconnect to Discoverer Plus as a user that has not connected to Plus before. As you can see below, the 'Available Items Navigator' is no longer visible. Users can always add it back by using the 'View' menu.
Know More About Oracle BI
Here are just some of the ways:
- Oracle.com - Information on solutions, products, and business oriented information.
- OTN - Oracle Technology Network. Provides access to tech notes, demos, white papers, and lots more.
- Oracle Support on Metalink - provides access to support tech notes, technical white papers, certification information, patches downloads, and lots more.
- OTN Forums - discussion forums for Oracle products and technologies.
- Printed documentation - can be purchased from the Oracle Store.
- Online doc: PDF as well as HTML versions. Browse online or download zip files.
- Oracle Partner Network - From a community of more than 14,000 partners worldwide
- Oracle Broadband (formerly known as the e-business Network, or EBN) - videos and more.
- Oracle Internet Seminars - online seminars.
- Oracle By Example - hands-on, step-by-step instructions.
- Sample Code - code you can use.
- Oracle training - from Oracle University. Offers Instructor Led Trainings, Live Webcasts, Self-study CD-ROMs, self-paced online, and private events.
- Oracle Magazine - Discusses new Oracle products and technologies. You can get a free subscription to it.
- Profit Magazine - This is more focussed on what it calls the 'business of technology', highlighting customer uses of Oracle products and technology. They recently had a special issue titled "Banking on Business Intelligence" that focussed on Financial Services.
- The blog - what you are just reading. You should also check out Mark Rittman's blog.
- And a few more that I may have missed out...
BI at Oracle OpenWorld this year
- Attend the keynotes and related tracks and sessions.
- Attend the pre-coference x-treme session
- Use the products at the Hands On Labs (HOL)
- Visit the demogrounds and see the product in action; get to talk to people from product management and development; and even get insights and maybe sneak peeks into what really cool enhancements we are building for future releases.
There are clost to 30 tracks and sessions for BI & DW. You search for these tracks at the online catalog. Below are just a few that should be interesting to attend.
- Keynote: Oracle Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing Overview - by Ray Roccaforte.
- Bringing It All Together: Building an Interactive Analytic Dashboard with Oracle Discoverer and Oracle Portal
- Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer 10g Best Practices
- Adding Data Mining to Extend Your OLAP BI Solution
- Enabling Spatial Intelligence in Your Business Intelligence Solution with Oracle Warehouse Builder, Oracle Discoverer, and Oracle MapViewer
- Oracle Business Intelligence and Peoplesoft Enterprise Performance Management (EPM)
- An Overview of Oracle Business Intelligence Warehouse Builder 10g Release 2 ("Paris")
- Enabling Real-Time Data Warehousing with Oracle Database 10g Release 2 and Oracle Business Intelligence Warehouse Builder 10g Release 2
- Rethinking OLAP: Turbocharge Your Star Schema with Analytic Workspaces
- Rethinking OLAP: Simplicity Meets Power, and Both Win
Discoverer and the rest of Oracle Business Intelligence can be found in the demogrounds with the Fusion Middleware section, along with the other Fusion middleware products like Oracle Application Server 10g, Oracle Collaboration Suite 10g, etc... BI is in section 'C' of the demogrounds. See the floor plan here.
X-TREME - The Pre-conference weekend (Link)
"This exclusive two-day program will consist of highly technical, deep-dive content not typically available in the regular OpenWorld agenda. Oracle experts from applications and technology will be on hand to guide you through a series of intense breakout sessions, and X-Treme hands-on workshops." The Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing shows up as sold out.
Hands On Labs (Link)
These will run at Moscone West, Room 1006.
Oracle's BI strategy presentation
Click on 'Investor Relations' from the Oracle home page, and look for a webcast titled, 'Ask the Oracle Expert: Ray Roccaforte'. Or you can click here to go directly to the webcast.
A PDF version of the presentation that accompanied the talk is also available here.
And not just BI, the Investor Relations page also has links to presentations by other Oracle senior management like Thomas Kurian (SVP of the app server), Andy Mendelsohn (SVP of the database)...
And you can catch a lot more at the upcoming OpenWorld in San Francisco from Sep 17-22. More on that in a later post.


text:
Suze Randall and Humphry Knipe, a British married couple, are Southern California pornography pioneers.
Ms. Randall, 66, a former nurse and fashion model, shot nudes for The Sun's Page 3 girl feature and became the first female staff photographer at Playboy and, later, Hustler.
She switched to 16-millimeter films and now has a well-known hard-core Web site, Suze.net. Mr. Knipe, a writer, is her business manager. Their daughter Holly is part of the business, too. Last month, she directed a pornographic film on their remote ranch in the hills above Malibu.
They remember the torrent of fear when performers began dying of AIDS in the 1980s.
"It was petrifying," Ms. Randall said. "You didn't want to be responsible for someone making love and then dying a lingering death. It took all the fun out of it."
The first AIDS test was released in 1985, and the industry adopted it, but not very effectively.
"We had the 'Blood Truck' at casting calls," Mr. Knipe said. "It was an ambulance that drew blood. But you'd have to wait two weeks for results."Continue reading the main story
Worse, early tests were for antibodies to the virus that did not develop for months after an actor would have already been infected.
Heterosexual performers knew the disease was mostly among gay men and drug addicts, but actors who did both gay and straight films worried them. John C. Holmes, for example, the most famous male actor of that era, also did some gay films. He was given an AIDS diagnosis in 1985, withered away to 90 pounds and died three years later.
"We're a small, very gossipy industry," Mr. Knipe said. "If the word got out that a guy was bi or did drugs, no girl would work with him."
Some producers, the couple included, stopped filming penetration scenes.
Some actors changed what they would do.
Nina Hartley, a registered nurse and an actress since 1984, said she has not let a male co-star ejaculate inside her since 1986.
"Just too risky," she said.
Pornographic films typically end with ejaculation on the actress's skin; while feminists find that demeaning, Ms. Hartley said, she credited that "trope" with saving dozens of lives between 1984, when AIDS first entered the talent pool, and 1998, when industry-regulated testing was imposed.
That year, 1998, saw the industry's worst scandal. Until then, producers accepted test results on paper from many doctors. Then one woman after another suddenly began testing positive for H.I.V. Sharon Mitchell, a former actress with a doctorate in human sexuality and training in taking blood samples, was hired by the industry to investigate. She figured out that all eight women had done anal sex scenes with an actor named Marc Wallice — someone she herself had once worked with.
In an interview, Dr. Mitchell said she got one of Mr. Wallice's producers to entice him to his office with an offer of $10,000. "And then we kind of kidnapped him and I took his blood," she said. "It came back with a very high viral load."
At a news conference at the Adult Industry Medical clinic in Sherman Oaks, Calif., which she started with support from the industry, she named Mr. Wallice as the likely "patient zero." In interviews he gave at the time to industry publications, Mr. Wallice denied accusations that he had changed a positive result from an obscure Burbank clinic to a negative.
Studios switched to condom-only shoots for a while, but dropped that as Dr. Mitchell's clinic ramped up testing. It eventually did 1,200 tests a month, and had a database on which producers could check results.
She remembers testing Darren James in 2004, just after he had returned from performing in Brazil, and again 26 days later. The first was negative, but she said he looked unwell. "I told him, 'Please don't work,' " she said. "But he did internal ejaculations with 13 women. When I heard that, I knew there would be three to five positives, and there were three."
Those were the industry's last confirmed transmissions. Mr. James has since endorsed the campaign to make condoms mandatory on the sets of pornographic films.
Then, last year, the clinic's database was hacked; the medical records, names and addresses of hundreds of performers were posted online, creating a furor. Actors threatened to sue for invasion of privacy, and the state ordered Dr. Mitchell to get a new clinic license. Instead, she closed down.
In January, the industry created a new system, overseen by an infectious disease specialist, Dr. Peter Miao. It certifies which labs may do tests, and its database has only two bits of information: a green check indicating a negative test in the last 14 or 28 days, or a red X telling producers the actor is unavailable. (Actors can make themselves unavailable for any reason, including vacation.)
The new tests pick up H.I.V. and syphilis within 14 days of exposure.
"That's not perfect, of course," Dr. Miao said. "But it closes the window a lot."Continue reading the main story

subset: commoncrawl


text:
So you're maybe interested? Lovely! Let's discuss... (Program details here)
We would be very appreciative of any financial or in-kind support. This might come from you as an individual or via groups you may know.
First, please fill in some details below and we'll get back to you by email. If you remain happy to go ahead, we can firm up on plans and commitments. We can discuss beforehand what you think of your preferred program and whether you want anything explained better or tweaked.


text:
Leading Plastic Surgeons for Body Surgery and Body Contouring Procedures
Your choice of FIVE of Melbourne's most experienced Plastic Surgeons specialists including:
Dr Craig Rubinstein – Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Dr Douglas McManamny – Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Dr Geoff Barnett – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Dr Richard Maxwell – Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Our Team of Surgeons – Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Dr Richard Sackelariou – Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Our Body Surgery Specialists operate at accredited major hospitals in Melbourne using only experienced anaesthetists and a top team of surgical support staff.
Body Contouring and Surgery Procedures for Men and Women
These procedures are designed to correct or improve the contours of the body, by removing excess skin and fat, smoothing bulges, and repairing abdominal damage from pregnancy or after Bariatric Surgery and significant weight loss.
Body Surgery for Women
Women often approach our clinic for body related procedures to reshape, firm and contour their post-pregnancy body that has failed to return to a pre-pregnancy body fitness even after strict exercise and dieting efforts.
Body Surgery for Men
Men often seek body surgery and combined surgical procedures to reduce stubborn fat stores around their middle torso and chest or breast regions (reduction of "man boobs" or moobs, 'spare tire' tummy bulges sometimes called a 'beer belly' or 'beer gut').
Combined Surgery Procedures
Patients often seek more than one body surgery, especially if they have undergone body or breast changes due to pregnancy, breast feeding or menopause. Combined procedures may help reduce costs and recovery time compared to having these surgeries done separately.
Some patients might decide combine, for example:
- Tummy Tuck and Breast Lift with Augmentation (Dr Craig Rubinstein, Dr Douglas McManamny, Dr Richard Maxwell)
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy) with Reduction (Dr Craig Rubinstein, Dr Douglas McManamny)
- Body Surgery with Face Surgery (Eyelid Lift Surgery/Blepharoplasty with Dr Benjamin Burt) (Dr Geoff Barnett, Our Team of Surgeons, Dr Douglas McManamny, with Dr Benjamin Burt)
- Body Lift with Neck Lift Surgery or Anti-Wrinkle Injectables and Dermal Fillers (Dr Douglas McManamny, Dr Geoff Barnett, Dr Richard Maxwell, Dr Craig Rubinstein)
- Breast Augmentation and Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Rejuvenation Procedures) (Dr Craig Rubinstein, Dr Geoff Barnett, with Dr Benjamin Burt OR in collaboration with Dr Benjamin Burt)
Body Surgery for "Mummy Makeovers"
Dr Richard Maxwell (Hawthorn East) is the "Mummy Makeover" surgery Specialists on our leading team of Melbourne Plastic Surgeons.
Our other leading Specialist Plastic Surgeons for Mummy Makeover include Dr Craig Rubinstein (Hawthorn East), Our Team of Surgeons (Berwick and Frankston) and Dr Richard Maxwell (Williamstown and Malvern).
Our specialist Surgeons can help enable you to restore your toned, contoured and firmer shape again after having children or after menopause.
Body Contouring surgeries for post-pregnancy body reshaping may involve a combination of procedures including:
- Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty)
- Brachioplasty (Arm Lift)
- Breast lift (with or without implants)
- Breast reduction
- Upper Arm Lift
- Thigh Lift (Reduction)
- Vaginal tightening by MonaLisa Touch
Our approach to recovery is simple. We do whatever we can to get you back to your normal life as soon as possible.
NEXT STEPS on your Surgical Journey
Visit our FAQ pages, learn more about your procedure, have a look at our photo galleries and patient reviews.
How to Book your Initial Consultation
- Email us below or Call on (03) 8849 1444 to arrange your surgeon consultation appointment OR
- Book a FREE 15-minute phone chat with our Patient Liaison Manager. Click here.
- A Referral from your GP or from your Specialist is helpful but NOT essential – you can have a consultation without a GP Referral although no rebates are claimable without one.
- Schedule a confidential consultation with your selected Specialist Surgeon by paying the $200 booking fee.
Want more information before scheduling your Surgeon consultation?
- Request more information – DOWNLOAD A GUIDE about the procedure or contact us
- Book a Complimentary Consultation with a Nurse.
- Organise a phone call with Patient Coordinator (FREE) Click here.
- Attend our Regular Practice FREE Events and hear from our Team of Plastic Surgeons along with their top support team.
- Speak with a past patient that has had the procedure you want – call or contact us
Please contact us using the form below to arrange a consultation with one of our expert Specialist Plastic Surgeons or to speak with our Patient Care Team on (03) 8849 1444.
What to Bring to your Surgeon Consultation
- Bring a friend or relative to help discuss the information and your choices
- Take lots of notes and read the documents provided thoroughly
- You may need to undress for a physical exam so wear simple clothes
Our team of Plastic Surgeons' affiliations include:


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Solar inverter Victron Phoenix 48/800 Schuko
- Victron
Solar inverter Victron Phoenix 48/800 48V 700W
700W Solar Inverter Victron Phoenix series for off-grid systems for use in 48V systems, Victron Phoenix 48/800 model.
Robust, functional and economical inverter for use in RVs, isolated homes or remote communication facilities.
Availability date:
Online only
Solar inverter Victron Phoenix 48/800 48V 700W
The Victron Phoenix series is characterized by high-end features at an affordable price. With its technology SinusMax get greater powers to the nominal start, allowing maintain service in adverse situations.
The high frequency hybrid technology allows a perfect sine wave into a product of adjusted size, lightweight and high quality. The Victron Phoenix series inverters are suitable for difficult loads such as small power tools and computers.
Victron Phoenix 800VA-1200VA
Manual Download (332.19k)
Victron Phoenix 800VA-1200VA
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Victron Phoenix 800VA-1200VA
Datasheet EN Download (145.63k)


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Residential Conveyancing: For most people their home is their main asset and is likely to be the biggest investment they ever make. Buying or selling your home can be highly stressful. It is therefore important that you instruct someone who can guide you through the whole process and provide a professional and personalised service.
Commercial Conveyancing: Commercial Conveyancing can be complicated and time consuming. If not handled with care and accuracy it can cause problems in the future.


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Tree Values
Trees are responsible for so much more than just surrounding you with comforting ambiance. In fact, trees provide timber, food, paper and refuges for wildlife. They also work to replenish the environment with oxygen and filter pollution. In addition, they provide sound barriers and shade canopies. All of these benefits and more make it possible to measure your tree's monetary value.
Recent studies estimate that your tree may account for upwards of 15 percent of your property's value. However, this figure is dependent on which appraisal method is utilized, how many mature trees you own, where your tree is situated and on the assessment factors (listed below). Please note that your tree's value may vastly differ to that of your neighbor's regardless of whether their identical or not.
At Branch Management Tree Service, we have competent appraisers who will work to provide you with the best and most accurate assessment of what your tree's monetary value is. If you are landscaping your property for the first time, it is important to plan for the highest return on investment, and to seek the advice from professionals for the best placement. We recommend that you:
Plan your landscaping taking into consideration your tree's beauty as well as functional value.
Reduce casualty loss by protecting your investment. The best way to do this is to perform annual preventative maintenance techniques.
Take before and after pictures of your landscaping, trees and plants. This helps to expedite the processing of insurance and IRS claims.
Check your insurance policy. In most cases insurance companies only pay for the replacement value of your landscaping. Some may pay a maximum of $500 for any one tree or shrub, but this is still a far cry of what they may be worth when mature.
Keep accurate records of your landscaping and real estate appraisals.
Consult the professionals at Branch Management Tree Service early on, ensuring you're covered each stage of your tree's life, and to make sure you don't suffer needless financial loss.
Assessment Factors
Size - The first step in assessing a trees monetary value is to measure the tree's height and trunk diameter beginning at ground level. Some assessors may measure your tree's branch spread and its bark thickness.
Species – Since no two trees are ever the same, the species of your tree can greatly alter your tree's monetary value, in one of two ways. Simply put, some species are worth more than others, and may be more desirable than others.
Condition – Evaluate your tree's overall health, vigor and condition. Is it free from insect infestations, disease and damage? Is it structurally sound? These are all determining factors when considering a tree's condition and value.
Location – The old adage of location, location and location applies not only to real estate but is also a critical component to the assessment of your tree's value. When assessing location it is important to consider site, placement and aesthetics.


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Friday, 11 Dec 2015 7:00 PM
19:00 – 19:20: Welcome with drinks & snacks
19:20 – 19:30: Intro by SweetlakePHP
19:30 – 20:30: Moving from ZF 1 to ZF 2 by Bart McLeod
20:30 – 20:45: Break
20:45 – 21:30: Group discussion
21:30 – 21:45: Raffle, Announcements, Feedback
21:45 – ??:??: Networking and drinks
Talk: Moving from ZF 1 to ZF 2
Moving from ZF 1 to ZF 2 is not like redecorating your home. It's more like rehousing an entire population.
Zend Framework 2 is very different from ZF 1 and comes with a completely revised MVC architecture. ZF 2 allows for very flexible programming, but needs quite a bit of configuration.
If you have existing ZF 1 applications that you intend to continue developing on, this talk might be for you. In order to follow along, it would help if you had experimented at least a little with ZF 2, so that you have a basic idea of what it could do for you. This, however, is not an absolute requirement. Even if you haven't seen any ZF 2 code before, this talk will enlighten you on what to expect from ZF 2 and on what kind of challenges you might want to anticipate. At a first glance, there are more differences with ZF 1 then there are similarities. In this presentation I will map features of typical ZF 1 MVC web applications to their counterparts in ZF 2 MVC web applications, using code examples and a demo application.
At the end of the talk, you should have a clue as to where you could go with your own applications. You should be able to grasp in what way ZF 1 Model, View and Controllers relate to their equivalents in ZF 2 and how these are configured and managed using Modules, the ServiceManager and the EventManager.
About: Bart McLeod (@bartmcleod)
Bart McLeod is a painter and sculptor and spends most of his time programming in PHP and JavaScript. He currently works as a self-employed Zend Framework contributor, coach, developer, writer and speaker. Bart holds five Zend Certifications: PHP 4, 5, 5.3 and ZF 1 and 2. He blogs occasionally at spaceweb.nl
Jetbrains license
We can always use more raffle items! Help us out!
Future500 BV< – drinks
Finance Matters < – location
Future500 BV – hotdogs
Transip – server
O'Reilly media – discount on all books


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Sorry friends for not being able to post for past few days. I was busy in something really important in my life. I will update regarding it very soon. However I was able to get some time to do my craft work which I updated on my Craft Blog : Craft Zone.
Now the next few days are most important and I hope everything goes well.
Will post soon.
Have a nice time


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Silver Linings - Job Search Tips for the Mature Worker
Building: Academic Building
Room Number: 1300/ Workforce Entry Center/ PA CareerLink
Date: July 30, 2019
Time: 10:00 am End Time: 12:00 pm
Event Category: Career Services
Division Host: Workforce Entry Center/ PA CareerLink
Losing a job at any age is not easy, but after the age of 50, things can look particularly bleak. Even though you may feel discouraged, don't give up! This interactive workshop will provide resume and interview tips as well as job search strategies.
Advance registration and enrollment on www.pacareerlink.pa.gov is required for all orientation and workshop sessions.
Please call 610-723-1220 or visit the Workforce Entry Center/PA CareerLink® in Room 1300 on the Delaware County Community College Marple Campus - 901 Media Line Road, Media, PA 19063.


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Believe it or not, the bra you wear can instantly make you look taller, thinner, and younger – or not, says Karen Phillips, account development team lead at online retailer Jane.com.
Wearing the wrong bra isn't just uncomfortable (as basically anyone who's ever sat through a workday with their bra straps digging into their shoulder can attest) – it can affect the way your clothes fit and inadvertently cause you to slouch, both of which instantly age you more than 10 years.
The easiest way to check is to get a professional bra fitting.


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Insurance Products, Individual
Life is full of risk and uncertainty – so don't let a lack of personal insurance keep you from achieving your goals.
Royal Oak Financial Group can assist with all of your individual liability and property insurance needs. Our expert and dedicated staff will design a program with any number of plans to help safeguard your future, including property and liability insurance. We will analyze your current situation and then compare it with needs you may have in the future. We make personal insurance recommendations tailored to your individual and family situation now and also further down the road.
Some of the individual products we offer to safeguard your financial future against life's uncertainties are:
Annuities… CNN Money defined an annuity as "an insurance product that pays out income and can be used as part of a retirement strategy. Annuities are a popular choice for investors who want to receive a steady income stream in retirement." More detailed information is available online at CNN Annuities Basics.
Disability insurance… do not confuse this personal insurance product with the disability benefits administered through Social Security. Individual disability insurance is a policy that provides periodic payments of benefits to individuals unable to work or earn an income in their occupation because of accident or illness.
Health insurance… navigating the maze of health plans and coverage that exist for those who self-pay can be confusing. We offer a number of individual health insurance products to cover medical and surgical expenses with a wide range of deductibles, premiums, out of pocket costs and more.
Other personal insurance products
Life insurance… this gives the insured's family a level of financial security upon his or her death. Our team can help determine the life insurance product right for you and your family. Some things to consider include the standard of living you want your survivors to have, medical costs and funeral expenses. Also to take in account when choosing the right policy are future costs of college tuition, mortgage and such.
Long-term care insurance… this can be one of the most confusing products to learn about. Since regulations vary by state and premiums are often costly – it's important to know more about the cost of long-term care. Our trained staff will help you determine which personal insurance products are best for you and your family.
We are ready to meet your insurance needs! Contact the Royal Oak Financial Group to learn more about which personal insurance options are the best for you.Contact Us Today CALL: 614-842-6090


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PSFK Conference NYC 2009
Held on April 2, 2009, PSFK Conference New York presented the world's most creative thinkers to a packed audience in Battery Park. Topics range from art to entertainment to publishing to technology.
Presentations include:
—When Ideas Create Good
—Open To Change
—New York New Media
—City As Canvas
—Building Healthy Brands With Heart
—Ghost In The Machine: Digital Multiculture
—New Idea Agencies
—This Platform Called Everyday Life


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WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT A NONPROFIT'S MISSION STATEMENT ANYWAY? A recent exchange of emails with a museum client about their mission statement underscores the potential they can play in a nonprofit's growth and development. I've been encouraging this client to go beyond the usual, inward-focused litany of activities that virtually every museum in the world cites as their mission. Yes, museums collect and preserve stuff. But if that's all they did, they'd be more like mausoleums than museums.
The museum director and his staff have had several robust discussions about what the museum does and the audiences they serve. It's clear from their conversations that the museum is much more than a place full of stuff. There's meaning and resonance there, too. Sorting through that has been both an intellectual and emotional exercise.
Museums are not the only victims of tepid mission statements. There are plenty of nonprofits of all stripes that hew to a litany of well-worn phrases and dusty metaphors. Why do so many nonprofits seem content to go through life with a wishy-washy, nondescript, beige mission statement? When the competition for audience and money is so fierce, when separating one's organization from the pack is so important, why do organizations time after time turn a blind eye to marking their turf as boldly as possible? Is there something about having to declare to the world "we are this and we own it!" which causes us to choose the safe position, the middle of the road, neutral over drive?
If a nonprofit is going to stand for something, shouldn't it be something worthy of the blood, sweat and tears we pour into them? Are we afraid to go too far out on a limb for fear we can't or won't live up to our reason for being? Fear of your nonprofit's ability to be more than 'meh' for sure won't attract much attention or support....or terrific boards and staff talent.
Here's where Newton comes in and even though it's about physics, I think it can be applied to nonprofits: those in motion, stay in motion; those that are stagnant, stay stagnant.
Stagnant missions do nothing to provoke movement. They are lazy; virtually useless words on a piece of paper that few read and nobody takes to heart. Stagnant mission statements and the thinking behind them provide cover for tame, even timid, leadership.
Missions in motion call out and heighten a nonprofit's points of distinction. They draw a clear line around an organization's reason for being and its public benefit. Missions in motion stretch an organization's potential. They are energizing, because they are alive with meaning. And they facilitate big, powerful thinking.


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We would love to invite you to celebrate the magic of Christmas here with us at the George.
From the moment you arrive you will be treated as a treasured guest and feel completely at home. With fizz, fun and festivities, your Christmas starts here! We provide exceptional service, delicious food and wine to guarantee you a Christmas to remember.
So whether you are looking to celebrate with colleagues, friends or family we have the ideal offerings to ensure a festive experience like no other.
Best wishes for the festive season…
For more information on menus and availability please call us and discuss with a member of our team
Please call now on 01985 840396 to speak to one of our team


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Mark S Cocking FCBSI/FCIB is an ex- 'Fellow of the chartered Building Societies Institute', and 'Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers'.
With 30 + years experience in the industry, Mark spent many years in Building Society management before becoming self employed as a Mortgage Specialist (advising all sectors of the industry on all aspects of the mortgage business) and as a Regulatory Compliance Specialist responsible for corporate implementation of FSA regulations.
He left the industry just prior to the culmination (in the so called 'credit crunch') of the situation he had been warning his industry about.
He has also researched the role of esoteric and occult societies within the industry, has experience of some, and has studied the natural sciences and occult philosophies for 35 yrs.


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Last thursday the H&M Conscious collection went viral. It's always exciting to wait
for a new collection to be launched, especially by H&M.
It always feels like they make the extra effort to take you on a trip to make you experience their story behind their collections. This time they did also. Launching the Conscious collection in the Antwerp Zoo underlines the element of nature that is this collection's signature. The show was hosted at the Verlatzaal, where the models showed the entire Conscious collection. The runway was fully decorated with flowers. After the show you could buy the collection at a pop-up shop on the next floor.
Here are a few impressions of the evening :
Of course I had a favorite piece and this was the white Kimono dress (all sold out already)
You can find this collection in selected stores in Antwerp and Brussels,
for more info check www.hm.be!


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Coppicing is now approaching completion. Very little remains to be felled, and the next important task will be to fence the are to keep out the deer. It is worth noting that the last fencing programme was exceptionally successful. Fencing consists of ramming in poles, attaching plastic netting to them with cable ties, and pegging the netting to the grounf. There is about 700 feet of fence to erected.
After that comes charcoal burning - probably in mid-May to June. There will probably be three burns, which are usually quite social affairs; the kiln needs to be watched throughout the burn, which means there is a lot of sitting around doing nothing. This time is usually filled in with al fresco cookery, carving silly things and pole-lathe turning. Bagging the product is, not surprisingly, a pretty grubby operation. Charcoal dust gets everywhere!!
That done there will be several tons of firewood to be transported to its point of sale. This work is spread over several weeks, so it is not as daunting a task as you may think.
And onward into summer there will be lots of path improvement- a job rather like painting the Forth bridge. It involves laying stone chippings as part of a long-term programme to reduce the muddiness of tracks and preempt the proliferation of new tracks as people try to avoid the mire. At the same time the encroaching vegetation needs to be cut back, both to ease the passage of walkers and to let more light in for the flowers.


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13th Edition Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars Now Available
The new 13th Editions of the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars and Blue Book of Electric Guitars provide detailed information and current real-world values on guitars and basses.
With over a combined 2,100 pages and thousands of guitars listed, these books are the industry leaders for guitar values and information. Covering both vintage and modern guitars, acoustic flattops and archtops, hollowbody and solidbody electrics, as well as basses, these books are all encompassing. Features:
• Over 1,200 individual guitar manufacturers/luthiers/distributors and over 18,000 individually listed guitars are included
• Over 9,000 color images available for viewing on our website for free
• Vintage guitar/bass values updated for the volatile used guitar market
• New manufacturers and models included through 2011
Major trademarks including Fender, Gibson, Martin, Paul Reed Smith, Ibanez, Yamaha, Ovation, Taylor, Alvarez, Epiphone, Takamine, Washburn, Gretsch, and Guild are covered in detail as well as many independent luthiers and custom builders. Also, separate 16-page Photo Grading System sections in each book help the reader correctly identify the condition of their guitar, which ultimately determines the value.
The 13th Edition Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars has an MSRP of $29.95 and the 13th Edition Blue Book of Electric Guitars has an MSRP of $39.95. These Blue Books are available through major bookstores, music stores, and directly through our website or by phone. Whether as a reference guide, a coffee table book, or a holiday or birthday gift, these new books are a must for any guitar enthusiast or collector!
Blue Book Publications has been publishing the Blue Book of Guitars biannually since 1993. Currently in the 13th Editions, there are over 100,000 copies of the Blue Book of Guitars in print. Authored by Zachary R. Fjestad, these books are constantly updated and revised by monitoring the vintage guitar market and attending vintage guitar and trade shows throughout the year.


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LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch remodels, expands
A new fountain featuring life-size bronze horses is now flowing at the center of a remodeled courtyard in LaCenterra, as construction on the next section of shops for the expanding Cinco Ranch town center development continues "in full swing."
Workers are erecting steel and framing in what will be four new buildings on the south side of LaCenterra. Meanwhile, construction is set to begin on Central Green, a complimentary $1.5 million park and amphitheater project being built by the Willow Fork Drainage District in the midst of the LaCenterra complex.
"We anticipate completion and new openings between December of this year and March of 2013," said Terri Norman, director of marketing for LaCenterra. "We are on schedule and moving forward."
According to the LaCenterra marketing plan, new tenants in the 39,000-square-foot Phase II-A retail addition will include Bonefish Grill, Grimaldi's Pizzeria, Zoës Kitchen, World of Beer and Emmanuel Salon. The new construction will bring total retail space to about 209,000 square feet, with existing office space of 90,000 square feet.
Other recent details include new Blink electric vehicle charging stations, two in each LaCenterra garage, Norman said.
Joey Ciolli, president and chief executive officer of Arizona-based Grimaldi's Pizzeria, said his company sees "a lot of opportunity" in its planned LaCenterra restaurant, which will open in late spring 2013.
"Our team searches the country for the best restaurant sites, and we've been excited for a long time about opening within the Cinco Ranch property," Ciolli said in a recent press release.
"We see a lot of opportunity in serving the people of Texas and are excited to bring our New York-style pizzeria to this region, once again."
In November 2011, voters approved a $29 million parks bond package for the Willow Fork Drainage District, which manages about 30 miles of drainage channels in Cinco Ranch, Falcon Ranch, Kelliwood and Canyon Gate.
Along with new parks at area schools, the bonds also are paying for the half-acre multipurpose public events venue at LaCenterra, dubbed "Central Green." Community leaders say Central Green will answer a need for space to hold community events, concerts, farmer's markets and arts fairs.
The design includes outdoor eating and seating areas around a central grassy mall ringed by trees, with a small performance stage and restroom building. Central Green will be bordered by shops, restaurants and two existing lakes.
Architect Bill Odle of TBG Partners said a construction contract has been awarded, and the project is on track to finish along with the other LaCenterra construction in early 2013.
LaCenterra provided the land and parking for Central Green. LaCenterra developer Woody Mann describes it as a "win-win" example of community cooperation.
"We think it's going to be a great venue for community events and just continue to enhance what LaCenterra brings to the community," he said.
It is that upscale mix of shops, restaurants and gathering spaces that convinced Patrick and Leslie Kwong to open their new shop, The Flower Girls, at LaCenterra last September. Patrick Kwong said Katy-area residents like to shop close to home, and he felt the area needed a custom flower and gift company.
"The area is really growing," said Kwong, who is encouraged by the continued development of LaCenterra. "I see the potential."
LaCenterra has long-range plans for additional Phase II retail and office space, plus high-end multifamily residential units, but is watching to see how the economy develops, Mann said.
"Once we complete Phase II-A, we'll start focusing on what's next. We're kind of tweaking the site plan as we speak," he said.
LaCenterra is "blessed" to be in the vibrant Katy area, Mann said.
"The vast majority of tenants in Phase I are doing very well. We're just trying to continue to revise, revamp and figure out what the community really wants and how we can make it happen," he said. "As long as (the area) continues to grow and bring in new families. My goal is to have it completely done by the end of 2014."
Mann said the new Phase II-A addition is about 50 percent pre-leased.
Karen Hastings is a freelance writer who can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Quick Search: Choose Model and Year, then enter search topic.
Page: 250
Tires, Rims, Tracks 911 Carrera 4, 911 Carrera 4S, 911 Targa 4, 911 Targa 4S
The load capacity coefficient (e.g. "91") and maximum speed code letter (e.g. "Y") are minimum requirements.
Snow chains
Can be mounted only on the rear wheels; maximum speed 30 mph (50 km/h).
Use only Porsche authorized fine-link cross-type or edge chains.
Snow chain clearance can be guaranteed only on the tire + rim combination marked**.
Tire and rim sizes
Extensive tests are performed before specific tires and wheels are approved by Porsche. Your Porsche dealer has information about approved tires and wheels and is happy to assist you.
If aftermarket tires and/or wheels are installed which are not approved by Porsche, the vehicle's driveability, stability while in motion and handling characteristics might be impaired. Since Porsche has no data on such combinations, Porsche cannot stand behind the safety or durability of these aftermarket combinations.
* 911 Carrera 4S, 911 Targa 4S: Summer tires 19-inch only


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Since the advent of social media, what is and isn't appropriate for businesses has changed dramatically.
Previously, the sign of a good business was professionalism. And in that context, professionalism meant a corporate, clinical, client-is-king mentality. It put a thick wall between the client and the corporation that positioned any humanity (such as jokes, personal questions, being 'real') as unprofessional.
There are good reasons why businesses do this – to ensure a blanket ban on any inappropriate behaviour, for example.
But then something changed. Social media became omnipresent and a perfect portal for corporations to reach and secure more customers.
But business jargon and a clinical approach has no place on social media.
The definition of 'professionalism' didn't translate to social media because it lacks the deeper social or emotional element that fuels social networks. People don't want businesses and advertising popping up in their social spaces.
So to tap into this market, businesses have to drop the veneer. They've had to learn how to casually communicate with their customers and value-add to their news feed. The 'professional' era of stuffy suits and 'synergy' jargon is well and truly dead for any industry or business with a public facing element.
This is a long intro to the very simple concept: collaborative content is not only appropriate for most businesses but is becoming a requirement.
A socially and emotionally driven element used to be exclusive. A 'look backstage' or 'behind the scenes' of a company or business that's generally straight-laced and professional was a one-off concept.
On social media, it's an expectation.
What are the benefits of collaborative content?
There are many reasons to incorporate collaborative content into your business plan. The main plus is the ability to be involved in conversations about your brand while not influencing those conversations unduly.
On the internet, free speech rules so your presence as the brand won't generally affect whether or not customers are forthcoming.
However, if these conversations are happening under the banner of your website not only can you showcase a vibrant community brought together by your product, you can also provide accurate and real-time information to your customers and potential customers.
You can also reward your most fervent supporters. And trust us, you'll have them.
The bell curve of customers always features a few evangelists who worship the brand and would love to be acknowledged. You can leverage their loyalty by featuring them in your marketing campaigns or on your social media channels.
This reinforces bonds with your customers while also demonstrating to others that participating with the brand can be rewarded.
Chase that data
Most reporting processes for marketing campaigns, and reports at large, lack an element of human comment.
We can look at numbers on a spread sheet and know the general trends of users. But to get a constant stream of qualitative feedback from real customers is a truly valuable element of social media.
Incorporating an element of 'social feedback' into your cyclical reporting puts a face to customer personas and can have a big influence on product and business development.
Get Tactical
There's a tactical reason to oversee conversations, both good and bad, about your brand. It gives you the ability to be selective and moderate.
You can add an element of social proofing to your products with reviews and forums. Your audience can see not only the good things being said about your brand but how your company is responsive to any complaints and bad reviews.
This highlights good customer service and an evolving product set. You can connect live with your client base through features like Google Hangouts and Facebook Live. Most importantly, a thriving user community creates constantly evolving, up-to-date content to keep your website from becoming static.
There are many ways to leverage collaborative content to your advantage. A forward-thinking platform will integrate collaborative content without too much fuss, which allows you to easily connect with your community.
Regardless of your product, service or business structure, incorporating a social element as part of your web presence is becoming a prerequisite.


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"Fair Tuesday" Initiative Fundraises
#FairTuesday is an ethical shopping initiative created in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The goal of #FairTuesday is to inspire conscious consumerism. In August, FTRN is helping #FairTuesday raise 5K for a Holiday season that changes lives. Donate now and spread the word: wedid.it/campaigns/385
"Fair Tuesday" is featuring Fair Trade and eco-friendly brands, and is inviting other businesses to take a step towards sustainability.
More at Fair Tuesday


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Coolishness and Fakery: The Joys of Fake-a-licious by Petra E. Lewis
Remember that old mantra: "If you can't grow it, then you can sew it"? I was always of the other camp: Why sew it when you can grow it? Trust me: Unless there's a serious medical condition involved, everyone can grow it—with the right care. Yeah, I guess I've already outed myself: I have never been a fan of fake hair.
Fake hair for me was always a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency measure. In the decades it took me to actually understand my über-complex hair, let's just say there were a number of mishaps: some that ended in tears. (Sound of glass breaking.) That's when I would reach for extensions, or during some particularly tragic episodes, even a wig.
Mind you, my own hair is so thick, when I used to mildly relax my hair, and (wet with water and product, in the process of drying) it hung down past mid-back, I'd get that old shady side eye from folks on the street and the train that I used to translate as: Yeah (suck teeth) you know that mess is a weave. Nah, sweetie, it was actually my hair. I guess that's part of the reason why I had such an aversion to fake hair—inside I was chanting: I can grow it, I can grow it—SEE!!!
I've never had a weave in my life. But I recently submitted to a delightful life of fake-a-licious-ness, not out of any tragedy or emergency, but willingly. Why? Because right now time is the most precious commodity I have—at moments, even more precious than money. I'm a writer, entrepreneur, and knowledge worker—and the more time I have to simply sit down and think (then strategize and/or execute) the better.
Currently I take care of my own hair—having been stylist-free for a number of years. But when I do need to return to salon-level expertise, I return to my old stylist, owner of Y·O·U Hair Wellness & Lifestyle Spa in Jamaica, Queens, Liana Robinson*—with whom I'm still good friends.
Right now the first novel in my trilogy is about to go live in March; I'm expanding the offerings of my ghostwriting business (BookStar Business Ghostwriting + Development); I'd been doing my due diligence, and am about to launch another (long-term) entrepreneurial venture I attended the Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac NewVenture training program for—and recently was inducted into their very selective coaching program; I need to finally get my professional website together—and expand my social media footprint, which takes werk; and I'm also actively seeking, and beginning to get, speaking gigs and other opportunities related to my book.
Yeah, I'm laying the foundation for that kind of life. The kind of life where having income from multiple revenue streams—instead of one job—can either make you look unfocused—or it can make you look like Jay-Z.
For 2014, the theme at my church, Christian Cultural Center (CCC) in Brooklyn is: focus. And so I am. Although I tend to wear my hair up most times anyway (which means it's not that time consuming), I called up Liana and told her that I wanted to put the back portion of my hair into synthetic twists. I'd had that style once before. The hair she gets is so similar to my own hair, it's kind of scary.
She completed the style on February 11th—and I love it! All I do once a week is use a spray moisturizer called Quench and saturate the twists and my own hair, use cinagrOrganic's Scalp & Hair Health Vitalizer on my scalp for growth, use a different product on the long "kitchen" hair at the nape of my neck and gather and twirl it into one twist, which I then sweep up with the rest of the twists in a no-snag elastic, then elegantly pin my bun into place. Done! All I focus on is the front of my hair, which I also tend to only do once a week, since I usually sweep it up into a Samurai-style topknot, then only wet and refresh the edges at the front of my hair every three days or so.
My one worry with this style stemmed from my book tour. My curls are as much my signature as my writing, and I wanted new fans to see the whole me—the real me. Instead I compromised on a style that allows me to have no-brainer convenience (synthetic twists in the back) and my own free-range hair in the front that I can either wear in a top-knot, or a punky cascade of curls for book appearances.
I am loving this style—and shamelessly celebrating the Joys of Fake-a-licious! Or at least reveling in it for the next 3 – 4 months.
*If you'd like to learn more about Liana Robinson and her Y·O·U Hair Wellness & Lifestyle Spa, visit: http://yourownuniqueness.com/
Petra E. Lewis is a writer, author, entrepreneur, Tastemaker, and Synergist who lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The first novel in her trilogy, The Sons and Daughters of Ham, Book I: A Requiem debuts February 2014, www.hamnovels.com : : @tastemistressp : : http://on.fb.me/1fUwRNo https://twitter.com/TastemistressP
Nice Petra! I always loved your thick locs. 😉
Too sweet. Thanks, Dara!
Hi Petra! Once again you've outdone yourself! I so love working with you!
Thanks–and I'm enjoying this guest blogger gig! And, Tina, thank you for the privilege of working with you!
And this is the one of the best parts of being a woman in 2014 – options. It looks fab! Keep rocking it and invest every last additional minute in your business and enjoying life!
Thanks, Malla! About to do the old weekly moisture down and pin up right now–before heading out. Have a fab weekend! #fakehairdontcare LOL


text:
We believe we have an ethical obligation to the animals we raise. In this increasingly conscious world, compassion is non-negotiable. Holding ourselves to that value is good for the animals, it's good for our consumers and, ultimately, it's good for business. Ensuring the health and wellbeing of our animals is one of our fundamental principles. This is why we work so hard to create facilities that provide the best possible conditions for their health and comfort.
For us, animal welfare is a process of continuous improvement. We're investing in research, both in-house and in partnership with universities, scientists, research institutes/companies and NGOs, in the development of sustainable practices that ensure the highest welfare standards for our animals. Our commitment and transparency on animal welfare is recognized by our inclusion in the 'Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare' annual international study. Another important achievement for us is our Memorandum of Understanding with the NGO World Animal Protection, signed in 2014 to improve practices in our supply and production chain.
Food is nourishing for the body and soul only when it comes from an environment free of distress and discomfort. Your customers can be reassured that every one of our products is created using clean, fresh meat from healthy animals, raised according to our Animal Welfare Commitments. Based on international guidance and legislation, we follow the 'Five Freedoms' defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC):
Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Freedom to exhibit normal behaviour by providing sufficient space and proper facilities and contact with their own kind.
Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
We use cookies to personalise content, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic.
For more info visit our Cookie Policy


text:
Node-locked license costs per software package, as of Jan 15, 2018:
|License type1
|Lease period
|Reference cost2
|1 month
|2-12 months
|contact us
|Production, standard
|1-3 years
|contact us
|Production, fast lane
|1-3 years
|contact us
|Production, monthly
|1 month
|contact us
Site-wide license costs per software package:
|License type1
|Lease period
|Reference cost2
|Unlimited Academic
|1-3 years
|contact us
|Unlimited Production
|1-3 years
|contact us
1 Demo licenses are for testing only (production not allowed). Government institutions fall into either Academic or Production categories depending on the type of use: Academic/research is for research-only and allows for multiple licenses within the same research team. Unlimited academic includes as many licenses as needed for research and teaching.
2 Let's find together which solution works best for you. Bulk discount available, e.g. 20% off second license of same package. Various discounts may be applied, please check with us for eligibility. Up to 20% discount depending on the corporate social responsibility of the licensee. Prices are without tax and transfer fees and subject to change.
3 BD stands for request processing time in business days (restrictions apply). Customer support refers to email communications to help use the existing software packages. Fast lane clients are given top priority.
4 There is a limit of 5 hours of support per year. If more support is needed, contact us for training or consulting services. Discounted prices available when purchasing 5-hour packages.
How to get a demo license for any software package:
- Download the host ID utility zlmhostid (see below)
- Run the executable, it will generate a text file hostid.txt (in the same directory)
- Email us the text file hostid.txt to firstname.lastname@example.com with your full name, job title and affiliation including address and country
- You will receive a link to a PandaDoc license agreement to sign electronically
- Upon receipt, we will send you a 30-day node-locked trial license file with download and install instructions.
Host ID utility zlmhostid download:
- Windows (64-bit) zlmhostid.zip [96 KB]
SHA-256 (file zlmhostid.exe):
- Mac OS X (64-bit) zlmhostidmac.zip [54 KB]
SHA-256 (file zlmhostid):
Some antivirus software such as Avast may block the executable, if it happens you need to exclude the directory from scanning.
To verify the integrity of the downloaded executable, you can use this online hash generator and select the SHA-256 checksum type. You can also use the command line:
- Windows:
powershell get-filehash -algorithm sha256 [file]
- Mac:
shasum -a 256 [file]


text: The overall subject of our community retreat this year is nonviolence and its place in monasticism. Tuesday morning we viewed one of the four parts to the nonviolence program A Force More Powerful. The one we saw was from 1960, the civil rights movement in Nashville. It was just great and lays the foundation of the nonviolence philosophy. I couldn't find the actual series online, but this trailer gives a good idea. The other sections include nonviolence in India's fight against the British Empire and South Africa's struggle against apartheid.


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Built with respect for its natural surroundings, Uluwatu Surf Villas clifftop resort is a sacred space to rebalance and get away. With unique dwellings, wholesome cuisine, soulful movement through yoga, and world class surfing, we provide an authentic Balinese experience for spirited travelers seeking rustic refinement.
Daily yoga with breathtaking views and private access to world-class waves.
Uluwatu Surf Villas provides the perfect cliff top wedding venue for you to tie the knot. Enjoy making memories with your family and friends in our luxury villa accommodations and celebrating your magical day on the villa lawn as the sun sets into the Indian Ocean
horizon. Our in house wedding planner will guide you through confirming each vendor for your customized event.
Host your own retreat at Uluwatu Surf Villas and Morning Light Yoga, catered by Mana Restaurant. Uluwatu Surf Villas sit cliff-top with expansive ocean views with amazing sunsets and tranquil vibes to get your flow moving.
The stunning energy of the ocean at Uluwatu Surf Villas makes this the ideal place for an inspiring tropical retreat with a classic Bali experience. The cliff front is the ultimate view of Uluwatu's famous surf breaks, while also only minutes away from the famous Uluwatu Temple and some of Bali's best beaches and waves.
© Uluwatu Surf Villas. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Nu-Heat has launched a new, wider range of thermostats to meet the more sophisticated needs of its energy efficient heating systems.
Over recent years, the way that controls are thought about has changed immensely, with more attention being paid to the part they play in a heating system. This can be attributed to an increased awareness of the benefits of not using more energy than is actually necessary, thus improving the carbon footprint of a home.
Controls are especially important with underfloor heating or renewable heating systems and Nu-Heat felt that there was a need for a range that met the twin needs of flexibility and integration. The new range was implemented after discussions within installers at a series of seminars.
These installers commented that they would like to see simple wall-mounted dial versions and Smart App options. They also agreed that the best thermostat available has always been a deluxe low voltage type. Nu-Heat's new offer includes options to fulfil these expectations.
Floor stats, room stats and bathroom stats now have a uniform look, giving a clean, consistent appearance to the control element of the heating system.
Each thermostat has a setback facility, helping a heating system to achieve greater levels of efficiency and giving greater flexibility of control.
Dial version (standard offer)
- Dial thermostats (DS): mains voltage, digital stat with setback facility, supplied with a four-channel timeclock.
Pushbutton: mains and wireless
- Pushbutton mains (PbS): Programmable thermostat, mains voltage, with a backlit screen.
- Pushbutton wireless (PbR): As PbS but wireless.
Low voltage push button and touchscreen
- Pushbutton Low Voltage (PbL): Programmable thermostat, low voltage, networkable. Backlit screen. Requires CAT5 screened cable.
- Touchscreen Low Voltage (TsL): As PbL but with touchscreen rather than push button.
Central touchscreen console and/or smartphone App options
Nu-Heat's thermostat range is available as part of their complete design and supply package for UFH whether as part of a renewable heating system, or more traditional boiler system.
Benefits at a glance
- Greater choice
- Uniform appearance
- Smart App and web-based control options
- Set-back facility for all thermostats
- Improved zone control
- Ideal options for new build or refurbishment


text:
What a joke.
Bossk is a requirement, embo, jango you name it even with all those clowns maxed out you'll have a hard time getting the seventh star. And if the shiny new whale toons are having a hard time there's no point for f2p players to even try.
Absolutely disgraceful.
Yep, the event is designed and balanced with specific characters in mind while making others useless. Now imagine if this kind of effort went into making the game actually fun...
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!


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It's been red, red, red all over the place here this weekend. I had a blissful Saturday morning when Mr T took the children skating, then a lovely afternoon just mooching around in our flat with my lovely brother who came over. The children were so excited to see Uncle C, and were intent in showing him all their LEGO and various occupations. He brought the most marvellously moist cake that his incredibly creative wife had made. Somehow the recipe calls for adding a whole pot of jam to the dough. It sounds rather extravagant, but it was terribly yummy. I even had some for breakfast.
In addition to eating too much cake, I also found some time to throw fabric around, make various meals, and start two super-easy quilts… Then life took over again, but I was quite good at sneaking away at times, to Mr T's silent despair. Little Mr A, aged four-and-a-half sewed his first stiches on the sewing machine, to his absolute pride and excitement. After having much fun with all the decorative stiches on my machine (butterflies! tortoises!) he sewed a little red felt pocket with zig-zag gold thread all around it. He was most proud, concentrating like anything with the foot pedal while I guided the fabric. I was so touched.
Lunch today was a rather strange Swiss-chard pizza-thingy following the weekly recipe that comes with our regular local box of vegetables. As this company was started by two former students of mine, we try to support them as they serve up regular servings of anything that can grow within a small distance of the city of Geneva. Except in the dead of winter. There are only so many recipes you can make with a huge box full of roots and potatoes, and we got rather bored of the selection last year…
So, when I wasn't stretching boundaries of good taste, I was sewing in practically the same colours as those that feature on this dish: red and green.
First, a single quilt for a small boy, or just for us all to snuggle under on the sofa at the chalet, feeling festive. It's all scraps accumulated over time, some of my old pyjamas, bits and pieces (including some fabric given to me by a kind PhD student, thank you Ms C!), and a snippet or two from Ms E. The spotty border is from a duvet cover from that usual large Swedish place — the back will be the white-on-red spots that also appear in this front (cut from the matching pillow case…). When will I get this quilted (when another three quilt tops already await attention…)? Hopefully before Christmas. Or during the holidays.
Yes, I fear it is another quick square quilt. I posted up photos of most of the quilts I have made in the past three years. It is quite sobering to see how many are made of 5" squares. I really ought to challenge myself more: but then when I am tired, and have no space to really sew in, and little time, it is just lovely to sit squinched in to my little corner in my bedroom and just randomly sew squares together in strips. I ought to do a quick explanation of how I speed-piece a square quilt. I do it in a very quick, instinctive way that is totally foolproof. Anyone want a quick tutorial? The good thing about making an illustrated tutorial would be that — ahaaaa — I would need some photos of the process and so would need…. to make another. Please tell me I can!
Then, with some extra squares left over, and a few more cut, I made a little baby quilt for the upcoming Christmas Market at the Anglican Church in Lausanne on the 30th November (10am-4pm at 1 Av. Eglise Anglaise). That, at the very least, will have to be quilted in the next two weeks! Red dots on the back: basted and ready to be quilted in one evening. I used straight flower pins here because I cannot for the life of me find my little white plastic box of curved safety pins. Any ideas where that might be? I am even starting to wonder if it ever came home with me from the last Peaks retreat?
I hope someone with a Christmassy-baby actually buys it. Otherwise I will have to buy it back and give it to a friend.
This weekend, I also started to make some little bits and pieces for the Christmas Market's craft stall. I do always so admire what the other creative people make. Incidentally, I will be teaching a quick spontaneous class during this event, at the end of the morning, to show people hands-on how to make the little Japanese triangular bags shown here on my grubby ironing board. I've cut out lots of lovely fabric for this, and am doing quite a bit of pre-stitching to make it manageable without machines. This is from a pattern first used by Ms J, faithful other Peaks participant, and copied here with her permission. Thank you, my dear!
Happy preparing for Christmas! Although it still seems a long way away. JJ


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Every inch of our beautiful country is steeped in history, tradition and spectacular scenery - from the 641 castles we boast to three National Parks and 750 miles of glorious coastline to explore!
There is something for everyone, and our weekly and monthly guaranteed scheduled departures are available to book for your individual customers or small groups throughout the summer. These tours depart Cardiff, and transfers from all over the UK can be arranged.
2017 also sees the first of our one-off special interest tours kick off with the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in July. Departing from Chester, this is the perfect tour for lovers of music, culture and scenery alike!
If you are planning a holiday to the United Kingdom this year, look no further than Wales!


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When it comes to storage as a service, it's off to the races
Now that we've wrapped up cloud security, it's time to look at what we can do with that secured cloud and there's one roaring hot area we haven't touched on much: Cloud storage, aka storage as a service. Consumer cloud storage has been taking off, and as we've seen in the mobile device and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) worlds, where the consumers go, business is sure to follow.
Already, we're seeing one company that might be gearing up to be a contender: Box.net, which recently received funding totaling about $80 million, is being compared to an early Facebook in terms of potential. A better comparison, however, might be SaaS, and now Platform-as-a-Service, juggernaut Salesforce.com.
In 5 years, that company took an admittedly all-star pedigree (Box.net's founders are 20-something young guns, hence the Facebook comparisons) to IPO for $100 million, with a current market capitalization of $17 billion. Now that's cool, and this business-centric territory seems to be where Box is aiming, unlike consumer services Mozbe and Dropbox. As the Seattle Times reports:
Box's focus on the enterprise market makes it seem more mundane than some of the other investments that Andreessen Horowitz has made in more widely used Internet services — a group that, besides Facebook, includes Twitter, Zynga, Skype and Groupon. It also means there probably won't be any Oscar-nominated movies made about Box, as Zuckerberg got with "The Social Network," and Levie seems unlikely to be named Time magazine's person of the year, as Zuckerberg was last year.
But that doesn't mean Box can't deliver a huge windfall for its investors, said John O'Farrell, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. "Enterprise software is a less sexy space, but that has created a huge opportunity for investors like us," O'Farrell said.
There are, of course, a number of other options, ranging from simple off-site backup plans that run nightly to a bevy of managed services to help both simplify storage while still offering a high degree of control. One thing is certain, however: When it comes to storage, the future is cloudy.
Michael Morisy is the editorial director for ITKnowledgeExchange. He can be followed on Twitter or you can reach him at email@example.com.


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It's Christmas Eve Day and Pop is taking the boys (and Charlie) out for a hike in the woods. He's looking for dying or fallen trees to cut-up for firewood and showing the boys what to look for.
There's a lot of room out here.
Charlie is having a good time and has twice stolen Adam's "walking stick". He's a character and everyone gets a kick out of watching him run, jump, and roll-around in the leaves.
These are priceless moments.


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First published back in September of 2015, 'Deceit' formed the second full-length novel from British author Kyle Turton.
DLS Synopsis:
Ben Garrett had a good life. He had a good job, a nice a home in their apartment block, a beautiful loving wife named Claire, and a wonderful young daughter named Grace. He was happy. He was content. But unfortunately for Ben and his family, all of that would change in the blink of an eye.
Ben was at home when the knock at the door came. As soon as he opened the door to the two police officers, he knew something terrible had happened. There'd been an accident. A hit and run a block away. His wife was dead and Grace was in a critical condition.
Detective Alexander Rodgers drove Ben to the hospital. He witnessed the distraught father tearing through the hospital and pleading for his daughter to be saved. But it was too late. There was nothing that the surgeons could do for her. In the course of one day, Ben Garrett had gone from being a happy family man, to being alone – mourning the tragic loss of his beloved wife and daughter.
But there were still people who cared deeply for Ben. None more so than their friend and neighbour Amanda. Not wanting to leave Ben on his own in his time of loss, Amanda took him into her apartment so that she could look after him. However, unbeknown to everyone else, Ben's dead wife had been visiting him. At first seeing Claire again scared the hell out of Ben. But he'd quickly got used to the visits and had come to cherish the times when she would appear in the apartment to speak with him.
However, Claire and Grace needed his help. There was an imbalance in the world stopping them being at peace. As such, they were trapped in purgatory . He was told the cause of this was because there were six people in Seattle who should have died over the last year. In order to restore the balance, Claire and Grace needed Ben to kill these six people. Only then could they finally find peace.
The idea of killing six seemingly random people filled Ben with dread. But he knew he had to do it. Under the direction of his guardian angel – Ben Garrett knew he would kill whoever he had to in order to save his wife and daughter. Over the next sixty days, Ben Garrett would become a cold-blooded killer….
DLS Review:
Author Kyle Turton's latest offering is an interesting one; with a carefully mapped-out storyline taking the reader through a multitude of different hoops and deceitful pathways until the 'real plot' is eventually revealed. Okay, so you'll most likely see the majority of the so-called 'twists' coming from a veritable mile away - especially given the title of the book and the numerous glaringly obvious clues scattered about the place. But nevertheless, the build-up and sheer momentum behind the direction of the story is enough to keep you hanging on to how it's all unfolding and the plight of our pained anti-hero.
The story is told over the course of sixty days, with the book commencing with a brief glimpse of day sixty, before reverting back to day one. From here, the story gradually unfolds; with each chapter almost counting down how far along the story is, with the mind-boggling events of day sixty still playing in the reader's mind, whilst putting an eventual endgame always in sight.
However, a fair chunk of the first half of the novel suffers from feeling overly orchestrated - with early dialogue between characters coming across as painfully contrived, whilst the overall course of the tale can seem too carefully pieced together without any natural flow behind it. In fact a great deal of the story does feel incredibly restrained – with Turton always sticking to a clear pathway throughout – with little deviation or layering of any other elements or subplots.
That said, one thing about the novel that sticks out like a sore thumb is how you can actually see Turton's writing ability improving throughout the writing of the book. At first the writing feels quite clumsy and incredibly tightly bound to the direction of the plot. However, about a third of the way through the novel Turton seems to loosen up his approach and find his rhythm with the story. The end result is a much more organically delivered and engrossing read which now quite effortlessly pulls the reader in.
Interestingly Turton has written the story from the first-person-perspective - alternating between Ben Garrett and Detective Alex Rodgers. Garrett is given by far and away the most pages – with his side of the story the more dominant angle. However, Rodgers' input, as he tries to piece together who the hell it is going around murdering these seemingly random and unconnected people, adds a reasonably intriguing edge to the way the story is told.
If you've read Turton's previous offering – 'Control' (2014) – you may be expecting another blood-drenched horror-packed read. However, 'Deceit' is a decidedly different beast. There are murders and smatterings of violence, but on the whole it's more engaged with the concept of executing these heinous crimes, rather than getting too involved with depicting the horrific violence that's involved.
However, one particularly noticeable aspect with 'Deceit' is how Turton's ramped-up the amount of sex in the novel. Barely a chapter goes by without some raunchy encounter taking place for either Garrett or Rodgers. Furthermore, for some reason or another, Turton has decided to make his two main characters incredibly similar. Their lives seem to be running at a strange parallel with each other; oddly mirrored and gradually converging. Whether purposeful or not, it adds an intriguing angle to the story.
So all in all I'd have to say that 'Deceit' is the very definition of a mixed bag. The first third of the tale is quite clumsy and constrained. With a story built around plot-defining twists and turns, far too many of them are that little bit too predictable. And the sheer volume of irritating typos (pretty much one on every other page) is unforgivingly off-putting.
That said, after you get past the first third, and Turton finds his feet with the writing, the story does suck you in. Here the characterisation starts to bring the whole thing to life. You start to form bonds with the characters - sympathising with them all as you become drawn into the escalating madness.
It's an entertaining read. From a rocky start the novel improves tenfold – and as such, is well worth persisting with. And to be fair, with a good editor, a heck of a lot of the novel's problems could be ironed out or eradicated entirely.
The novel runs for a total of 293 pages.
© DLS Reviews


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which have been implemented, or are scheduled to be implemented in the nearest future.
Ecopromimpeks" LLC
ECOZT project, developed by "Ecopromimpeks" LLC with the support of Zhytomyr city authorities is aimed at the implementation of a set of advanced measures of sorting, processing and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) of Zhytomyr city.
The project strategic objective is to limit harmful impact of municipal solid waste (MSW) and its disposal landfill on the environment and human health.
The first part of the line of the solid waste sorting complex has been commissioned at the MSW landfill in accordance with the working map of the MSW landfill located at 29 Andriyivska Street, Zhytomyr city of Zhytomyr region and consists of a land plot of a total area of 21.567 ha.


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Speaking at Pac-12 Media Days on Wednesday, quarterback Cody Kessler and defensive end Leonard Williams spoke highly of new USC Coach Steve Sarkisian. The tempo is fast, the coaches are intense and the team has bonded.
But forgive them Trojans if they're a bit jaded.
After a turbulent season — Sarkisian is the third coach since September after Lane Kiffin was fired and Ed Orgeron replaced after finishing the season — the players say they have a new perspective on the business of college football.
"We had to deal with so many coaching changes," Williams said. "We love coach O, we wanted him to be here, we loved part of the staff that wanted to be here. And dealing with that we really realized this is a job. At the end of the day coaches come and go."
Kessler said the team realized that, for the coaches and administrators, the sport is a business.
"Coaches can only take us so far, no matter who it is," Kessler said. "But when it comes down to it, it's gotta be the players on the field."
Still, Kessler and Williams are taking well to Sarkisian. And Sarkisian appears ready to move on from USC's past.
"I'm not here to make excuses for anybody," Sarkisian said. "I'm not here to apologize."
Sarkisian also promised to bring an offense "unlike anything seen at the Coliseum."
Kessler said he will be more mobile this year, but the offensive concepts are similar to past USC schemes. The biggest difference, he said, is the tempo.
During summer workouts, which Kessler helps direct, the team runs close to 100 plays in roughly an hour.
There is no time to talk in between plays. There is not even time, he said, to talk in the huddle. The focus is the pace.
Defensively, Williams said that helps prepare USC to face the similar up-tempo offenses that the Pac-12 has become known for.
"Last year if we messed up on a play we would try to redo it, and we won't move onto the next play until we get it right," Williams said. "Where now if we mess up on that play, it's just move forward, the game's going to keep going. You can't restart in a real-time game situation so you've just got to learn from your mistakes and keep going to the next play."
All three said the team has bonded especially closely this summer. That's typical talk for this type of year, but they say they have the numbers to back up the claim.
Kessler estimated 30 more players have participated regularly in summer workouts than last year. Williams said the team often forms groups of 10 or 12 to go to swimming or on hikes at Hermit Falls. The lineman meet up to run sand sprints on the beach. Williams wears a 25-pound weight vest.
"From last year there was a lot of stuff when we had to rely on each other because we were going through coaching changes," Kessler said.
He added: "These guys came together and we were like you know what? It's on us."
Twitter: @zhelfand