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Note: This is part 2 of a larger webpage. The larger webpage is entitled "Dialogs with a racist -- Bringing to public awareness the explicit, enthusiastic, and unapologetic racism of Trisha Kehaulani Watson, a featured blogger on the public website of the largest circulation newspaper in Hawaii." To see that larger webpage, go to
2. Who is Trisha Kehaulani Watson, and why did the Honolulu Advertiser give her such prominence as a featured blogger?
One example of a high-level Hawaiian racist theoretician (and also community organizer) is Trisha Kehaulani Watson, Ph.D. and J.D.
Watson writes a blog hosted on the Honolulu Advertiser website. The Honolulu Advertiser has by far the largest circulation of all Hawaii's newspapers. In recent years the newspaper's website has been expanded in scope and coverage. Some of the newspaper's well-known reporters and commentators have individual blogs hosted there. Dozens of ordinary members of the public also have personal blogs there. But only one person who is not employed by the Advertiser has a blog that is "featured", meaning it is highly publicized on the website. There are other blogs by members of the general public who are not newspaper employees, but it is very hard to find them.
At the time this webpage is being written (mid July 2009), and for at least a couple months previously, anyone who visits the Advertiser website and clicks on the section for "local news" will always find the same four "featured blogs" on the front page. At least three of these four are primarily focused on opinion and should be in the "editorial" section, but they are given maximum visibility (and heightened credibility) by being in the "news" section.
The four blogs are all featured with equal size and stature (and accompanied by thumbnail headshot photos), as follows:
Derrick DePledge: The Notebook
Get a behind-the-scenes look at government and politics.
David Shapiro: Volcanic Ash
A totally independent, slightly irreverent and hopelessly idealistic view. That's David.
Jerry Burris: Akamai Politics
Jerry is blogging on the politics and events of the day.
Trisha Kehaulani Watson: He Hawai'i Au
Dr. Trisha Kehaulani Watson addresses current issues in the Native Hawaiian and environmental communities.
Watson is the only featured blogger whose middle name is included and whose entire name is mentioned twice, the only one whose blog title is not in English, and the only one whose blog title is a racial self-description ["He Hawai'i au" means "I am racially Hawaiian]; and she has the longest topic description.
Derrick DePledge is a longtime news reporter both locally and in the Advertiser's Washington D.C. bureau; David Shapiro is a former editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin who has now worked as an Advertiser commentator for many years; and Jerry Burris is a long-time political commentator for the Advertiser who often hosts televised panel discussions on controversial current issues. And then there's Trisha Kehaulani Watson.
Who the heck is she?
Watson's J.D. comes from the University of Hawaii law school. Her Ph.D. came from the (anti)American Studies department at the UH. In that department books by Howard Zinn are required reading. That's the department which sponsored a guest lecture by fake-Indian anti-American radical Ward Churchill who was flown to the UH campus at UH expense just days after the height of his publicity for inflammatory statements about the 9-11 destruction of New York's World Trade Center. She has taught courses at UH in American Studies and History from Fall 2005 through at least Spring 2009. Student evaluations of Dr. Watson published on the internet show that her highest rating is a perfect 5 for "hotness" (she's beautiful) and her next-highest rating is for "easiness." Student comments indicate that [like most leftwing instructors] she appears to be very knowledgeable but comes to class unprepared, teaches disjointed lessons, does not give much written feedback on student writing, and gives grades of "A" even to students who do little work and have poor attendance. Comments also indicate she treats politically conservative or Caucasian students harshly. She is also a community organizer and executive director of a group called Hui Kako'o 'Oiwi (Group Supporting the Hawaiian Race).
On her Honolulu Advertiser featured blog, Watson often writes essays which are explicitly, enthusiastically, and unapologetically racist. But her racism is written in a tone which sounds deceptively sweet and polite. Innocent readers no doubt believe she is simply describing ethnic Hawaiian grievances about disproportional poverty, drug abuse, incarceration, etc; caused by a history of American colonialism and oppression of ethnic Hawaiians. Watson's analyses of the problems, and proposals for solutions, are phrased very gently as might be expected from a beautiful 40-ish woman with a Ph.D. and J.D. But her ideas are like poison. Small doses of arsenic in sweet-tasting cake or tea might not be noticeable, but can be fatal when repeatedly administered over a period of many months.
Everyone is entitled to freedom of expression -- especially a blogger and especially a newspaper. But the open and flagrant racism of this particular blogger is greatly magnified by the fact that among dozens of ordinary members of the public whose blogs are hosted on the Advertiser website, hers is the only one to be publicized with equal prominence to the blogs by three well-known long-time reporters and commentators employed by the Advertiser.
Watson's brief self-description on her blog says: "Trisha Kehaulani Watson was born and raised in Manoa. She is a graduate of Punahou School. She has a J.D. and Ph.D. (American Studies) from the University of Hawai'i, Manoa. She is Native Hawaiian." Like many ethnic Hawaiian activists, she suppresses her non-native name when in the company of other activists and calls herself Kehaulani or, more simply, Kehau.
Her blog is entitled "He Hawai'i Au" which means "I am Hawaiian." In other states anyone who lives there might be a Californian or New Yorker or Hoosier (Indiana); and anyone who was born and raised there would be a "native Californian" of "native New Yorker" or "native Hoosier." But in Hawaii the only people who are customarily allowed to call themselves "Hawaiian" are those who have at least one ancestor who lived in Hawaii before the white guys arrived in 1778. In other words, the label "Hawaiian" should only be used as a racial designation. "Hawaiian" has identical meaning with "Native Hawaiian" or "ethnic Hawaiian." One drop of Hawaiian native blood is both necessary and sufficient for someone to call himself "Hawaiian."
Watson's self-descriptive sentence "He Hawai'i au" in Hawaiian language is not merely a statement of fact. In today's highly racialized environment in Hawaii that sentence is a proud, arrogant, defiant statement of primary identity, somewhat like people 30 years ago saying "I'm black and proud." Nearly everyone who has a drop of Hawaiian native blood also has other racial components to his identity. Indeed, most "Hawaiians" are mostly something other than Hawaiian if blood quantum is the decisive factor. But other ethnicities aren't important and are often not mentioned by people who call themselves "Hawaiian" and especially by those who say "He Hawai'i au."
Watson is executive director of Kakoo Oiwi, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose name means "support native Hawaiians" but which seems to have few accomplishments and little real-world presence. Her Myspace page seems focused on race and gender, and a sad personal history of divorce and single parenting, describing herself [including the parentheses] as "Kehaulani (more importantly... Kawika's Mommy)." For her Myspace page address she chose the racial descriptor "nativegrrrl" emphasizing her native racial heritage and cutely infantilizing her 40-ish womanhood by calling herself "grrrl."
The following information is not intended to be a personal attack on Watson or her boyfriend; indeed, the boyfriend's name is not provided here in order to protect his privacy (although she wrote it on her Advertiser blog). The reason for giving the following information is to show that racial identity and racial advocacy is the primary focus of her life.
In her Advertiser blog Trisha Watson gave the name of her "boyfriend" -- it is a clearly Hawaiian surname -- and said that the boyfriend worked for 17 years for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (where homestead leases are awarded only to people with at least 50% native blood quantum). She further described him proudly this way: "Only one person in my boyfriend's family was ever not full Hawaiian. His great-great grandmother on his father's side married (and had children with) the son of a foreign diplomat. So when you do the math, he is technically 96.875% Hawaiian and 3.125% French." [actually, those percentages are valid only if the genealogy is restricted to the five generations before her, where 1/32 = 3.125 %. But what about 1500 years of native Hawaiians before that?]
Further research on the boyfriend discloses that he is approximately 50-ish, and recently worked as membership chair for the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, and also currently as Government Relations Manager in the Office of the Chancellor at University of Hawaii. Most significantly, the boyfriend was an elected member of the 'Aha 'Oiwi Hawai'i "Native Hawaiian Convention" -- a group restricted to ethnic Hawaiians, elected entirely by ethnic Hawaiians throughout the world (but primarily in Hawaii), whose expenses were paid with tax dollars, and whose purpose was to reach agreement on a process leading to race-based sovereignty and to create a Constitution. Other internet sources show that in August 2002 Trisha Kehaulani Watson obtained a marriage license for a marriage to the man who is presumably the father of her cherished boy, but whom she subsequently either divorced or separated from. That man has a Portuguese name.
Thus, Watson in effect traded in a man with apparently low native blood quantum (or none) who presumably fathered her child, and replaced him with a man who is nearly "pure" Hawaiian and strongly involved in racial entitlement programs and race-based sovereignty. The trade-in seems to have occurred because of the radicalizing of her attitude as a student at UH Manoa. See a webpage describing at attack on academic freedom at UH Manoa in Fall 2002, when Watson had just married her first husband and was presumably an undergraduate student there: "University of Hawai'i and Hawaiian Sovereignty -- A Case Study in Political Correctness Run Amok"
Why does the Advertiser give her blog such prominence? The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Bishop Estate (Kamehameha Schools) spend tons of money on media advertising, so the media naturally want to please their patrons. During the past ten years at least hundreds of thousands of dollars (probably millions of dollars) have been spent on advertising in the Honolulu Advertiser by The Office of Hawaiian Affairs to promote the Akaka bill and the Kau Inoa racial registry, and by Kamehameha Schools, etc. The Advertiser returns the favor by repeatedly editorializing in favor of the Akaka bill and Kamehameha Schools' racially exclusionary admissions policy. The Advertiser's "news" reporters repeatedly slant the news by the kind of stories they choose to report and the small amount of space given to opposing views. One especially outrageous example was a so-called "news" report by Gordon Pang entitled "Forced assimilation may hurt Hawaiians" -- a typical combination of junk history and junk science fueling the Hawaiian grievance industry, whose absurdity is analyzed and refuted in a 33-page webpage at
Ms. Watson writes well, is highly intelligent, and has outstanding academic credentials with both a Ph.D. and a J.D. So she's a credible representative to write on behalf of an ethnic group. Why does the Advertiser choose to give a prominently featured blog to ethnic Hawaiians and not to any spokesperson for any other ethnic group? Besides the need to please the newspaper's largest advertisers, perhaps the most important reason is because ethnic Hawaiians are Hawaii's most highly favored racial group -- the darlings of entertainment and the media, and often treated as having special rights. It's politically correct for media to support Hawaii's plethora of racial entitlement programs for this particular group, and to support the Akaka bill to create a racially exclusionary government. See "Native Hawaiians as the State Pet or Mascot: A Psychological Analysis of Why the People of Hawaii Tolerate and Irrationally Support Racial Separatism and Ethnic Nationalism" at
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(c) Copyright 2009 Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D. All rights reserved


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The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge aims to engage Australian students with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines and facilitate inquiry-based learning.
Facilitated by the charitable arm of ACER, the ACER Foundation, the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge encourages students to learn vital skills for the future through designing, building and testing an original video game.
The theme for 2018 is 'Transformation'.
Registrations for the 2018 Australian STEM Video Game Challenge open on 20 February.
For further information, visit www.stemgames.org.au
|Tags: STEM ACER
195 Brighton Road, Somerton Park
South Australia, Australia 5044

subset: commoncrawl


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19 Apr Tissink Returns to Defend his Ironman South Africa Title
This Sunday is the Ironman South Africa in Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) which is the 2nd oldest city of the Eastern Cape. The swim is a 2 loop start at Hobie Beach, a 3 loop bike and then a 3 loop run, which is great for the cheering crowds.
The men to look out for will be last years top three competitors: South Africans Raynard Tissink and James Cunnama (also a Team TBB member), and Germany's Andi Boecherer. Switzerland's Mike Aigroz should be in the mix after placing sixth at the Ironman World Championships.
Without defending champion Chrissie Wellington, last year's third place finisher and Team TBB member, Diana Riesler (GER) will be back to claim an even higher podium spot. Former triple Ironman South Africa champion and Six time World Champion, Natascha Badmann (SUI) will be back and is sure to be hungry (and smiling) for a podium spot–watch for her on the bike. Other women to watch are Spain's Virginia Berasategui and South Africa's Claire Horner, who could move up the ranks. Former South African Jacqui Gordon (USA), who now lives in New Jersey, will be looking for a strong finish in her first full Ironman since a bike injury that put her out of competition last year.


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EVOLUTION OF FRIENDSHIP part 3
"Of Past and Present Friends"
EMAIL: Annie
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, not anybody's as far as I can tell (poor guys). Anyway, no money paid for this, no copyright infringement intended
Thanks to Lyn for betaing this, as always, and for giving me a place to hang my imagination. Thanks, sis. You're the best.
This is the third part in the series "Evolution of Friendship". It's a mini sequel of sorts to "The Killers". This story is a stand-alone fic. It is not necessary to have read the previous two parts to understand this one.
WARNINGS: Spoilers for "The Killers", small ones for "Switchman" and "Siege". Nothing else except that I got bitten by the h/c plot bunny <g>.
Blair watched Jim approach a small dark-haired woman and take her hand. Danny's mother, Blair surmised. Jim bent and kissed her cheek then turned and scanned the distance as if he was searching for something or someone as he walked away. Realizing his partner was looking for him, Blair raised a hand and started down the incline to meet him.
His partner. It still sounded so strange and yet right. It was why Blair was here at Danny's funeral, but keeping watch away from the mourners. Danny was a part of Jim's past, Blair, a part of his present, and hopefully his future.
"Thanks for being here, Chief," Jim said as they met.
"Thanks for wanting me to be here," Blair replied, one hand reaching out to clasp the Sentinel's shoulder.
Jim turned and looked once more at the grave behind him then he headed for the truck, his long-legged strides causing Blair to run to keep up.
They barely spoke on the way home. Blair almost expected Jim to ask him to the loft for dinner but instead Jim turned toward the warehouse district, depositing Blair outside his own place. He asked Blair when he was free to do some work on his senses and when Blair suggested the next night, agreed and then took off, his tires leaving rubber in his wake.
Blair opened the door to his living quarters and turned on the lights, hating the thought of Jim going home alone to an empty house. He turned the kettle on to heat water for tea, ruminating over the fact that perhaps, that's what Jim needed. Not everyone needed to talk things through the way Blair did. Jim had been a loner when Blair met him. Perhaps he preferred to do his grieving in private.
Jim pushed open the door to his apartment, grateful for the twilight darkness that greeted him. He didn't bother to turn on any lights. His head ached distantly and the dim shadows of the loft felt soothing after his long drive home. He'd stopped for an hour or more at the place where Danny had died, remembering the sullen youngster who'd come into his life and heart. Over time, Danny's demeanour had changed and Jim had felt proud of his part in it. He'd never felt more proud than when Danny announced his intention to become a cop like his "big brother". Now his pride tasted like ashes in his mouth.
He walked to the fridge, though he wasn't in the least hungry. He'd subsisted on coffee and sandwiches and his need to see Juno dead or behind bars, since Danny had been killed. He should've been starving, he knew, but he wasn't, so he reached in and grabbed a beer and walked out onto the balcony. He smiled suddenly as he thought about what Sandburg would say about his liquid meal if he knew.
Leaning with his arms on the balcony railing, he thought about his past and present friends. Danny and Blair. Both so alike in the way they bounced through life, taking the falls in their stride. Jim remembered Blair standing up to Kincaid, leader of the Sunrise Patriots, and helping Jim when his senses went haywire when the bomb the Switchman had placed on the tour bus went off. And then Blair had almost been killed the night Danny died. After shooting Danny, Juno had aimed for the truck and only Jim's shouted warning had saved Blair from a bullet in the head.
Feeling an overwhelming weariness, despite the early hour, Jim went inside and tossed his beer bottle into the bin then walked tiredly upstairs to bed.
Jim turned toward Sandburg as he heard the distant roar of a motorcycle heading in their direction. "Someone's coming," he said, waiting until the bike had come to a halt next to the truck before climbing out.
He and Danny did their usual schtick before pulling each other into a hug. Danny told Jim everything he'd found out about a mobster called O'Toole taking over another waterfront trucking firm then mounted his bike again and rode away.
As Jim turned back to the truck, something caught his eye from one of the dark buildings overshadowing their meeting place. His eyes zoomed in and picked up the light of a laser sight. Jim turned back and screamed a warning to Danny as the red light blossomed on Danny's back but he was too late. He watched in horror as the bike spun out, his friend's body flying across the blacktop. Running into the open, he grabbed Danny's limp body by the arms and pulled him into cover then he stretched his sight out again and saw the gunman, the man he thought he recognized as Tommy Juno, turn and aim directly at the truck.
Jim shouted to Blair to get down just as the window shattered from the impact of the bullet. There was a sudden bloom of red on the windscreen and then Blair was falling. Jim raced for the car, unconcerned for his own safety. Pulling open the door, he saw Blair's body sprawled over the seat, his eyes half open and glazed.
Jim reached a trembling hand toward his partner's neck and pushed his hearing out toward him, desperate for any evidence of Blair's survival. But no heartbeat thrummed beneath his fingers and his hearing heard nothing but his own desperate pleas for Blair to be okay.
"No!" Jim surged up in the bed, waking himself with his agonized shout. He sucked in gasping breaths as he looked around and realized he was at home, in bed.
A dream! It had just been a dream. Blair was safe. He wasn't dead, like Danny.
Jim pushed himself up from the bed and took the stairs two at a time as his gut roiled. He reached the bathroom barely in time, falling to his knees in front of the toilet and retching over and over, long after there was anything left in his stomach to bring up. Once he was sure he wouldn't throw up again, he stood and rinsed his mouth out. Knowing he wouldn't sleep again tonight, he made for the couch in the living room, falling down onto it and covering his chilled body with the afghan he kept folded over the back.
In the dark, he thought back over the past few weeks. Sandburg had come so close to being killed three times already. Was it fair for him to be placed in so much danger just because Jim couldn't get a handle on his senses? Jim finally admitted to himself that the other thought that nagged at him was what he would do if Blair suddenly wasn't there to help him. He was nowhere near close to controlling this shit. Sandburg held the key. But that wasn't all of it. In spite of himself, despite all the walls he'd put up since he came back from Peru, Blair was beginning to breach his defences, crawling in under the razor wire Jim had put around his heart and beginning to make a place for himself in the cop's life. Not just as the person who knew more about his senses than he did, but as a friend. Friends had been rare enough Jim's whole life, thanks to his prickly personality. Jim didn't think he could risk losing any more and he had the feeling that losing Sandburg would be more than he could bear.
Blair pulled his backpack higher on his shoulder as he made his way towards the bus stop. The bus would take him within four blocks of the loft. The Volvo had refused to start and Blair wished he'd asked Jim to pick him up but the detective had looked so tired after Danny's funeral, that Blair didn't have the heart to ask him for any favors. He was two minutes from the stop, just passing an alleyway when an arm snaked out and wrapped itself around his neck.
Struggling and kicking against the pressure around his throat, Blair felt himself dragged back into the mouth of the alley, behind the dumpster that stood at its entrance.
"Give me your wallet, man." The words wafted through the air on breath that stunk of alcohol.
Blair pulled frantically at the arm that was threatening to cut off his air supply. "Let me breathe, man, and I'll give you anything you want," he managed to choke out.
Suddenly he found himself released and spun around so his back was up against the cold bricks of the alley wall. He waited, gasping for breath. His captor had a ski mask pulled down over his face and a wicked looking knife in his hand.
"Hand it over, geek," the man said, extending the knife just far enough to prick into Blair's chest.
"Okay, okay, just chill out. You want money, you can have everything I've got. Just move the knife, all right?" Blair tried to keep his voice calm. No sense in aggravating his potential killer, he decided. He pulled his wallet from his pocket and passed it over.
"Five bucks! That's it?" The thief's voice was incredulous.
"Hey, man, you see where we are? You really think I'd be living here if I had money. You should try the West side of town " Blair began, then grunted as a fist thumped into his stomach. He whooped, trying to get his breath and bent forward, curling around the pain in his gut. As he did, he felt a knee come up and connect hard with the side of his head.
His attacker stepped back and watched as Blair crumpled to the ground, a trickle of blood trailing down his face.
Blair fought against the fog clouding his vision and tried to stay conscious. Groaning, he made it to hands and knees and stayed there, shaking his head slightly and panting shallowly. "Why'd you hit me?" he managed to grind out. "Gave you my money." He looked up just in time to see the man take a step back and bring his foot up in a swinging kick.
Blair tried desperately to roll away but his head injury and the pain in his belly slowed his reflexes. The boot connected with his ribs and Blair went down in a heap again. This time he let the darkness in.
"Fuckin' cop," his assailant growled, spitting on the ground next to Blair's head. He pulled Blair's ID from the wallet and threw it down on top of the unconscious observer. Putting the wallet in his own pocket, he took off up the alley at a dead run.
Jim paced back and forth across the floor of his living room. *Dammit, Sandburg should've been here an hour ago.* He walked through to the kitchen and checked the time . 5-30p.m. He moved back to the living room and picked up the phone then slammed it down as he remembered Blair telling him there was no phone at the warehouse. He didn't have a cell phone, either. Jim decided he'd have to rectify that soon, if the kid was gonna keep working with him. *If.* He swallowed hard and slumped down onto the sofa as fragments of his dream the night before came back to him. He couldn't remember it all, but one thing stood out clearly. Blair had been dead, shot by Juno, just like Danny. He leaned forward and rested his head on his hands.
He tried to make sense of the feeling that had been gnawing away at him ever since the dream had woken him up. Fear? No, more a sense of uneasiness. As if something was about to happen. Something bad. To Blair. Maybe he should cut the kid loose, now, before anything else could threaten him, hurt him, maybe even kill him. Like it had Danny. Jim hadn't thought anything could rival the pain he'd felt at Danny's death, but something told him it would be even worse if it had been Blair who died.
Shoving himself to his feet, he checked the time again. 6 p.m. Decision made, he headed for the phone and dialed, trying to keep his voice steady as he heard Simon answer.
"Simon, it's Jim. Look, Blair was supposed to have been here over an hour and a half ago. I don't suppose he's turned up at the station. Maybe he thought I meant for him to meet me there."
"Nope, Jim. Haven't seen him," Simon replied. "Aah, he probably forgot. Got busy chatting up some pretty co-ed. He'll turn up tomorrow and promise not to let it happen again. You know, students, Jim."
"No, not really, sir. But I do know Blair. He wouldn't do that. This thing is too important to him. Besides, if he wasn't coming he'd have called by now," Jim said. The chill in his voice and the fact he'd suddenly called the captain, sir, let Simon know that he wasn't happy with his superior's take on his partner.
"Okay, Jim. Settle down. I didn't mean it to sound like I was dissing the kid," Banks apologized.
"Dissing?" Even Jim had to smile at that.
"I know. Seems like Daryl has a new buzzword every time I talk to him these days. Half the time, I don't have a clue what he's saying to me." Simon laughed, glad to hear Jim's tone lighten. "So, Jim, what do you want me to do? You want me to put an APB out on Sandburg or something?" Simon was joking, but something made him wonder if that's exactly what Jim wanted him to do. Damn, how had Sandburg got under Jim's skin so quickly. The captain was beginning to see a whole new side to his detective ever since Sandburg had walked into their lives. Banks hadn't been sure how to take it at first, but now he decided he liked it. Jim was becoming more and more human with every day the kid was around.
"No, of course not, Simon." Jim's voice broke through Simon's thoughts. "It hasn't been 24 hours yet. I just thought he might have turned up there, that's all."
"Can't you call him? How do you get hold of him when you need to other times?" Simon asked.
"He doesn't have a phone at home and he doesn't own a cell. I'm thinking of getting him one. I usually don't have to find him. He finds me," Jim replied.
"Well, what about his place?" Simon suggested. "Maybe the kid's sick and if he doesn't have a phone there "
"Shit! Why didn't I think of that? I'll talk to you later, Simon."
"Let me know if the kid's okay, Jim," Simon said, still smiling to himself as he hung up the phone.
Within a minute, Jim was in his truck, heading for Mission Street.
Less than 20 minutes later Jim was outside Blair's dilapidated warehouse. He took a deep breath, consciously relaxing. He'd feel like an idiot if Simon had been right and Blair had just gotten busy and forgotten. He pressed the buzzer and waited for Blair to answer.
Impatiently Jim counted to ten before depressing the button again. He thought about opening up his hearing and sending it exploring into Blair's living space, but immediately dismissed the idea. If he zoned and Sandburg wasn't home to bring him out of it, he'd look like a giant doorstop standing out here for hours, staring at nothing. Not a sight guaranteed to instil trust in the police with the locals.
Finally, he stabbed the button three more times.
"Yeah?" The voice was scratchy but there was no doubt it was Blair's.
"It's Ellison. Let me in, will ya?"
"Oh, right, okay."
The door clicked and Jim walked in, eyeing his dim surroundings with distaste. Empty boxes were lined up along walls that may have once been white but were now an indefinable shade of gray. God, this was where the kid lived? Jim shivered, realizing that the temperature inside was at least 5 degrees colder than outside. Seeing a door opening ahead of him, he moved toward it.
Blair moved back from the door as Jim walked in. The room was large with stacks of books and papers piled indiscriminately around. He noticed that the kitchen and living room were all in one area. A ratty couch separated the cooking space from the rest of the room. A small television and video perched precariously on a wooden packing crate. The lighting here was as poor as in the entryway.
"What happened, Sandburg? I thought you were coming over tonight," Jim asked, trying not to sound accusing.
"I'm sorry, man. I must have fallen asleep or something. I was gonna call you when I woke up " Blair's voice trailed off as he grunted and grabbed his ribs.
Jim walked closer, automatically extending his senses as he did so. There was no smell of alcohol emanating from the young man but there was a faint scent of something coppery. Casting his mind back to when the Sunrise Patriots had taken over the PD, Jim immediately made the connection. Blood!
"I smell blood, Chief. What's going on? Did you cut yourself?" He moved toward Blair, puzzled. Reaching his partner, he put out a hand and snagged the young man's arm, pulling him forward so he could check him out properly.
Blair moaned and grabbed hold of his ribs more firmly.
"Sandburg?" Jim asked, really worried now. Turning back to the light switch he flicked it on and turned quickly back to Blair, in time to see the observer flinch and attempt to cover his eyes. As he turned his head Jim saw the dried trail of blood down the side of his face. "Shit, Blair, what the hell happened?"
"Got mugged," Blair said quietly, as if even the sound of his own voice made his head hurt. He moved over and fell down onto the couch, groaning as the movement jolted his body.
"Why didn't you call me? When did it happen?" Kneeling in front of Blair, Jim bit down on his tongue. The questions could wait for now. First he had to get Blair to the ER to be checked out. "Come on, Chief, let's get you to the hospital." He held his hand up to forestall the expected argument. Lifting his partner's t - shirt, he winced at the bruising on his abdomen and the imprint of a boot on his ribs. There was a small cut at the top of his chest, just below the notch of his sternum. Jim didn't think it would need stitches. He grasped Blair's chin in his hand and turned his head gently to the side, his other hand lifting to part the dark curls, now matted with blood. Just above Blair's ear there was nasty looking lump, badly discolored by bruising and the gash that bisected it. The wound was still seeping a small amount of blood. Turning Blair's face back towards his own, Jim looked into his partner's eyes. They were full of pain and red rimmed as if he'd been crying. The pupils looked equal and appeared to be reacting normally to the light, but Jim had no intentions of taking chances with his friend this time around. Hauling the smaller man carefully to his feet, he headed out the door, supporting Blair all the way.
It wasn't till they were both in the truck, Blair sitting curled in on himself, as if protecting his abused body, that Jim realized with a shock, that Blair hadn't demurred at all. Looking over quickly, he could see the faint sheen of sweat that covered Sandburg's forehead. His eyes looked bruised now, the lids closed. His breathing was shallow and cautiously Jim reached out, searching for his heartbeat. It was rapid, but strong. The Sentinel released the breath he'd been unaware of holding and turned his attention back to the road.
They waited for an hour in the ER before Blair was taken through to a cubicle. After about 20 minutes, a doctor came out to tell Jim they were taking his partner to x - ray and he'd could see him when he got back. Jim settled down to wait again. Thirty minutes later a nurse was ushering Jim through the curtain of the cubicle Blair was in.
"Hey, Chief," Jim said as he entered the small room. "How's it going?" He looked Blair over carefully. The wound on his head had been cleaned and the gash stitched. There was a transparent plastic dressing over it and Jim could see where his friend's curly hair had been shaved for an inch or so around the cut. Blair was dressed in a hospital gown, the pallor of his face almost matching those of the sheets beneath him. Although the room was warm, Blair shivered slightly, minute tremors shuddering through his body, causing him wince from time to time. As Jim entered, he opened his eyes. Jim thought he looked more tired and dispirited than the cop had ever seen him look.
"Hi, Jim," he said, smiling faintly. "I'm okay. Just cuts and bruises. Look, do me a favor, will you? They want to keep me here overnight. Back me up about getting out of here now, will you?" His voice was almost pleading, and Jim grinned as he was given the full puppy dog routine, big eyes and all.
"Sorry, no can do, partner. You're staying here tonight."
"What? Jim, I can't. Listen," Blair's voice dropped to a whisper, "I told you last time. I don't have insurance and that guy took the last five bucks I had, man. I can't afford this."
"Okay, so I'll cover it and you can pay me back a little at a time whenever you've got it to spare," Jim said, in a voice that brooked no argument.
"I can't let you do that again, man. I already owe you from when I got winged by Kincaid's goons." Blair was in full on begging mode now.
"So, you'll pay me sometime. Look, Chief, I have to go to work early tomorrow and you said yourself there's no one to keep an eye on you. You've got a nasty knock on the head and badly bruised ribs. You need to be here. That's it, Chief. We either do this my way or I'll tell Simon to pull your observer credentials for a while."
"You wouldn't," Blair said quietly, "Would you?"
"Take a look at this face, buddy. What do you think? Wanna call me on it?" Jim said, keeping his face as granite like as possible and trying to stifle the laugh he could feel building. Blair looked like a kid who'd just lost his best friend.
"Dammit!" Blair threw himself back down onto the pillows with a little more force than he'd obviously intended and a yelp of pain pushed past his lips.
"Blair, listen to me. I've already lost a friend this week. I don't want to lose another one." Jim sat on the edge of the bed and reached out hesitantly to place his hand on top of Blair's.
"You mean that, don't you?" Blair said, looking Jim squarely in the eyes. "About us being friends, I mean."
"Yeah, I do, Chief. Look, they're gonna come take you to a room in a minute and I gotta go fill out some paperwork then I'll come up and make sure you're settled before I leave." Jim returned the look, then stood up, patting Blair's hand a final time. "Let me know if you want me to pick up anything for you when I come to get you tomorrow, okay?"
Blair nodded. "You don't have to pick me up, though. I could walk or get a friend to come get me," he offered quickly.
"A friend is coming to get you, Chief. This one." Jim patted his chest as he spoke and noticed that Blair's color was picking up a little and he seemed to have stopped shivering. "Blair, God forbid something like this ever happens again, but if it does, I want you to promise me you'll call me. I think I'll pick up a cell phone tomorrow or something." He placed one hand on top of Blair's head and tipped it back so Blair was looking up at him. "No argument, Sandburg," he interrupted as Blair started to speak. "It'll help me too, if I can get hold of you more easily. Now get some rest while you're waiting for the orderlies." He turned and walked towards the curtain but turned to look at Blair again as he heard him speak.
"I'm glad we're friends, Jim," Blair said quietly. "I don't think I could have found a better one."
"Likewise, Chief." Jim pushed through the curtain and headed for the desk, smiling to himself. It was true. He couldn't have picked a better one either.
The End
April 6th 2004


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Gina Adams
Gina Adams is a descendant of both indigenous (Ojibwe) and colonial Americans. Adams spent her early youth in the San Francisco Bay area, and then her adolescent and early adult years in Maine. Her formal education includes a BFA from the Maine College of Art and MFA from the University of Kansas, where she focused on Visual Art, Curatorial Practice and Critical Theory.
Adam's cross-media, hybrid studio work includes sculpture, ceramics, painting, printmaking, drawing and large scale quilts which combine the reuse of antique quilts which she restructures to include words from broken treaties between the United States and Native American tribes. Adams draws on cultural practices passed down from her ancestors as well as from family history of forced assimilation.
Her work has been exhibited extensively throughout the US and resides in many public and private collections including Portland Museum of Art; University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; Emprise Bank, Wichita, KS; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MI; Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, KS; North American Native Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; Great Plains Museum, Lincoln, NE; and the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM.
The noted international art critic Lucy Lippard wrote the introduction on Adams' work for her 2015 solo exhibit, Its Honor Is Here Pledged, at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City. In 2016 she was the SARF Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow, and had Its Honor Is Hereby Pledged exhibition in Boulder Colorado at Naropa University's White Cube Gallery where she is a member of the faculty in Visual Arts. In the summer of 2017, Gina presented and exhibited at the American Indian Workshop Conference at Goldsmiths College, University of London, England which will be followed by an exhibition at the Bemis Center of Contemporary Art titled Monarch's curated by Risa Puleo. In the last year Adams' work has been featured in numerous publications including The New Yorker, Hyperallergic and the Huffington Post. Among other exhibitions and projects, in 2018 Adams participated in the Kohler Arts/Industry Residency program and the Dartmouth College Artist in Residence Program.


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The Southwood Lady Knights played host to Maconaquah Tuesday, racing out to a healthy lead early in route to a 44-25 win over the Braves, they were able to have a great game since one of the main players was able to find an answer to the does tonaki tinnitus protocol really work? question, which helped her out overcome her illness.
Maconaquah would take a 2-0 lead on a Brittany Lamb bucket before Southwood responded with a 12-0 run. Makenna Pace would hit twice with one coming from behind the arch and scored 9 points during the run. Morgan Farr would hit a free throw while Erin Lehner added a bucket. The Knights led 12-2. McKenna Wilson would stop the run with a bucket before Kalya Mays scored and was followed by Farr scoring off a rebound as Southwood led 15-4 after one.
The Knights would extend their lead early in the second, getting a free throw from Farr and two from Pace. Kirsten Dinn would make it 18-6 with two free throws before a Lehner three made it 21-6. At 21-9 after a three point play from Wilson the Knights would finish the quarter with 7 straight points to lead 28-10 at the half.
Mays and Alissa Pershing would score early in the third for the Knights as the lead grew to 35-10. With Southwood leading 35-12 Sydney Helfin would hit back to back buckets to make it 39-12 before McKenna Wilson and Madison Wilson each hit to make it 39-16 after three.
Pace would get the first bucket of the fourth quarter before the Wilson's each hit to make it 40-20. Maggie Ball would get on the board for the Knights and was followed by Makayla Bechtold to make it 44-20 before two McKenna Wilson free throws, a free throw from Madison Wilson and a bucket from Hayleigh Cole made the final score 44-25.
MaKenna Pace – 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 block
Morgan Farr – 10 points, 5 steals, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks
Sydney Helfin – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Erin Lehner – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Kayla Mays – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
Alissa Pershing – 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
Makayla Bechtold – 2 points, 1 steal
Maggie Ball – 2 points, 1 rebound
Keagan Simpson – 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Kyrstin Gouveia – 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
The Southwood junior varsity fell 38-30.
Scoring : Keagan Simpson 5, Bechtold 6, Springer 2, Kassity Simpson 10, Ball 2, Benner 5
[AFG_gallery id='1400′]


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I am back with another new eyeshadow..It is called LAKME EYESHADOW QUARTETS.They have 4 different ranges of this & I got the Botanica(more like I got my cousin in law from Kerala to get it for me)..
What it claims: A heavenly quartet of radiant powders explode to color, shape and highlight your eyes. Inspired by the mysteries of the forest, these botanical shades usher in a rush of fresh color! Brighten your eyes with dewy green, petal pink and gold pastels.
Price : Not sure since my CIL(cousin in law) got for me
All the colors look shimmery whereas beige kind of turned out it to be a tad of disappointment as it was not the type of color I thought it will reflect on my eyes..
On my finger tips
On my arm
I am wearing the white/beige color on my eyes right now(not enough time to use all the eyshadows..This is what happens when you take very long to apply makeup & run late for work).I have applied it with UD Eyeshadow Primer..It seems to last till now which is around 6hrs..
Final Verdict : I will buy it again but not this one..Looking at Tanjore Rush from Lakme Ofice 9 to 5 Range..The sponge applicator given is of no use at all..Didnt seem strong enoug.


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I have to admit, before my daughter was born 4 years ago, I never paid much attention to the quality of food I ate, I never read food labels and I sure didn't care if something was organic or not. Once motherhood required me to feed another human being, I asked myself, "I wonder what's in this food we are eating." It only took me turning on the common sense part of my brain to realize if something can sit on a shelf for 12 months and not grow legs, it can't be good. If milk in Germany goes bad after 5 days, but milk in America can still be "fresh" after 6 weeks, it can't be good. In the last 4 years, I have become an advocate for parents and schools to provide healthy, nutritious, organic foods for kids, but the most common objection I get from friends, parents and schools is "We can't afford high quality foods." According to an excellent cover story in TIME Magazine titled The Real Cost of Cheap Food YOU CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO EAT HEALTHY FOOD.
This article is so informative, shocking (and disgusting), I have included the introduction here:
"Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won't bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics. The waste produced by the pig and his thousands of pen mates on the factory farm where they live goes into manure lagoons that blanket neighboring communities with air pollution and a stomach-churning stench. He's fed on American corn that was grown with the help of government subsidies and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer. When the pig is slaughtered, at about 5 months of age, he'll become sausage or bacon that will sell cheap, feeding an American addiction to meat that has contributed to an obesity epidemic currently afflicting more than two-thirds of the population. And when the rains come, the excess fertilizer that coaxed so much corn from the ground will be washed into the Mississippi River and down into the Gulf of Mexico, where it will help kill fish for miles and miles around. That's the state of your bacon — circa 2009."
Here are the facts: (Our crappy, cheap foods are a direct cause of this)
* America has the highest cancer rates in the world: 1 of 2 men, 1 of 3 women will face cancer sometime in their life.
* America is the most obese nation: 2/3 of the US is obese
* Obesity adds $147 billion each year to our doctor bills. No wonder the government says we can't afford a socialized health care system.
* Only 1% of American cropland is grown organically
* When runoff from chemical fertilizer and manure reaches the Gulf of Mexico, it causes a "dead zone" – over 6000 square miles that has almost no oxygen and almost no sea life. The fishing industry (which produces healthy, chemical-free foods for us) loses $2.8 billion each year due to the dead zone.
* The overuse of antibiotics in farming is causing antibiotic-resistant bacteria – costing the public health system $5 billion per year.
Yes, organic foods are more expensive than cheap food. But did you know the average cost for ONE chemotherapy treatment for cancer has a price tag of about $12,000? Did you know that ONE night in a hospital can cost you thousands of dollars? Crappy food also causes depression, heart disease and diabetes: three of the most costly illnesses to treat. Americans eat a plethera of bad foods because we are a society of instant gratification. If it's cheap, quick and easy, we want it – regardless of the long term effects.
Oops, I gotta run. My kids are hungry. Gotta fire up some dead zone fish fingers and mac and cheese.


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In an excerpt from his forthcoming book from Crossway, Gospel Wakefulness, Jared Wilson quotes David Powlison:
Imagine that in 1905 God had promised your great-grandparents that someday he would give their descendants a Model T Ford, a radio communications system using Morse code, and a biplane. When he decided to deliver in 2003, he gave you a Dodge Viper, a satellite-linked cell phone, and an F-117A Stealth Fighter. The promise was fulfilled … in ways beyond your imagination … Similarly, the prophecies, songs, commandments, and stories of the Old Testament become supercharged with the power and glory of the Holy Spirit by whom Jesus Christ indwells his people.
Read more at Jared's blog: The Gospel-Driven Church: To Know Jesus.


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E-Books and Indie Bookstores: Part I — eARCs
I have to visit a graduate seminar later today to talk about e-books and the future of the publishing industry, so the impact e-books will have (or rather, are having) on publishing structures (like indie bookstores) has been very much on my mind the past few days, so finding Jessica Stockton Bagnulo's post about recent discussions among smart indie booksellers about e-readers was absolutely perfect.
Jessica's main focus in her post is on replacing traditonal print advanced reading copies with e-version—something that makes a lot of logistical sense to me. The unit cost for printing galleys is more than the unit cost for the finished book, and (for small presses at least) it's quite an expense to print and mail even just 250 ARCs of a book. Not to mention that these 250 copies have a pretty weak reach. A huge proportion go to reviewers who never review the book anyway, with only a handful ending up with enthusiastic booksellers.
And from a bookseller's perspective, not having to receive and carry around tons of heavy books makes a lot of sense:
Here's the next most important issue: E-readers make sense for people who read in massive quantities. Many of our sales reps are already reading on Sony readers, and it makes sense for booksellers too. We'll all most likely still be reading plenty of pbooks (that's print, or "real" books), but since it's in our job description to read widely and quickly, carrying around many on one device makes sense.
This sentiment is echoed in Jenn Northington's modest proposal, in which she presents this idea:
my initial idea was pretty basic: publishers provide a small group of booksellers, who they already send loads of arcs to, with an e-reader. then, they make those ARCs available as, say, pdfs to download. the bookseller, in exchange for the e-reader, agrees to read x number of ARCs from those publishers per season.
Which also sounds reasonable, especially if the upfront costs were split by a number of groups: a consortium of publishers (big and small), the American Bookselling Association, Sony (I doubt Amazon would be a welcome partner in this, and Apple is too full of itself to see any gain from engaging with booksellers in this way), and possibly the bookstores themselves (like $10/reader to demonstrate a commitment to the project).
Jenn lists a ton of the pros and cons to this idea, with "increased access to ARCs for booksellers" being the pro that's most appealing to me.
There are a number of other indie booksellers writing about this same idea, including Stephanie Anderson from WORD, Rich Rennicks of Malaprop's, Arsen Kashkashian of Boulder Bookstore, and Patrick from Vroman's.
And just for the record, NetGalley was designed as an interface for publishers to distribute e-galleys to reviewers and booksellers and other "professional readers." From what I've heard (I have yet to use the service), it's pretty solid, the only problem being that there's a per galley charge to publishers, something that indie e-ARC idea wouldn't necessarily include. And NetGalley (at least for now) only allows you to read the books on your personal computer, which works against the inherent transportability of a physical book or an e-reader.
Anyway, I think the eARC idea is a complete winner, and I really hope this moves beyond the conceptual stage . . . I'd be happy to send 1,000 eARCs of Open Letter books to booksellers across the country.
I think the bigger problem for a press like ours is to try and get booksellers to pick up our books when a Corporate Rep is visiting these same booksellers every few weeks, telling them about THE NEXT BIG THING from Conglomerate X that will be EVERYWHERE next week and that ALL the customers will be talking about. (Sorry—maybe I should start a unnecessary CAPS blog.) But that's the case now, and by distributing way more e-versions of a book, there's a much better chance that some bookseller will "pick up" one of our eARCs and get excited about it. (I think that's a necessary quote.) Although this is one of my big concerns for our e-book future—whether or not e-books in general will make it easier for small presses like ours to directly reach readers/reviewers/booksellers, or if the old systems will dominate even more than they do now thanks to their money and their extensive infrastructures, making it even more difficult than ever to break through the marketplace noise than it is now. More on that in Part II . . .


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April Paper Pumpkin
2 weeks ago
Love it! :)
I do love the country feel this has, very pretty!
Bardzo gustowne. Ładnie dobrane kolory. Prawdziwa sztuka.
Your card is so pretty. I love your cloud background and the stitching around the edge. Super sweet card!
what a great border LOVE everything about this card! :)


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Just moments ago, INFORMS registered the 2,000,000th full-text download of its journal content during the calendar year 2018.
This milestone is an impressive testament to the impact and excellence of the 16 refereed academic journals published by INFORMS.
Recognized for their excellence throughout the fields they serve, INFORMS journals feature prominently in leading business school ranking methodology. The Chartered Association of Business Schools acknowledges five INFORMS journals as "Journals of Distinction" in their 2018 Academic Journal Guide. The Financial Times uses six INFORMS journals in its measure of the research output of MBA programs, which is pooled with a variety of other metrics to determine its ranking of MBA programs. The University of Texas at Dallas Business School Research Rankings includes seven INFORMS journals in its evaluation of the research contribution of business schools.
INFORMS journals are led by widely respected leaders in operations research, management science, and analytics. We thank each of our editors, and the editorial boards and reviewers who support them, for their continued dedication in evaluating and identifying content that will help our profession meet the challenges of today and prepare for the uncertainties of tomorrow.
We thank you, our readers, for your continued confidence as you download these articles to learn new methodologies and applications to help make better decisions and improve our world.
And we thank you, our authors, for your continued trust in INFORMS to shepherd your transformative research into the world.
We congratulate all of the volunteers and staff who helped INFORMS publications reach this remarkable milestone.
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Gautam Ahuja, Organization ScienceJeroen Belien, INFORMS Transactions on EducationDimitris Bertsimas, INFORMS Journal on OptimizationJohn Birge, Operations ResearchJim Dai, Mathematics of Operations ResearchMichael Gorman, INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics (formerly Interfaces) Alok Gupta, Information Systems ResearchShane Henderson, Stochastic SystemsDaniel Levinthal, Strategy SciencePaul Maglio, Service ScienceAnne Robinson, INFORMS Editor's CutRakesh Sarin, Decision AnalysisMartin Savelsbergh, Transportation ScienceDavid Simchi-Levi, Management ScienceDouglas Shier, TutORials in Operations ResearchK. Sudhir, Marketing ScienceChristopher Tang, Manufacturing & Service Operations ManagementDavid Woodruff, INFORMS Journal on Computing
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Fully text-searchable, this Carson City Reno Sparks + Western Nevada 1984 Phone Book (including portions of California towns) has over 550 scanned pages of the White Residential/Business Pages, and 236 Yellow Pages, with listings for the following communities:
This CD includes:
Page images are fully text searchable by any first or last name, business name, phone number, address or partial name or keyword. You may also use it as a regular phone book and do alphabetical look ups.
SpyralSearch Archived CD's are protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and are only for the purchaser's personal use and not to be copied, distributed, or posted on a web site.


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FIFA 16 Ultimate Team Premier League Team of the Season Announced
Admin2016/5/7 14:04:56
The FIFA 16 Ultimate Team of the season for the Premier League has been revealed.
EA Sports posted a full listing of the lineup, which of course includes Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane up front.
Both players have been rated over 90 (Vardy 91, Kane 93), and considering both players regular cards were in the 70s at the start of the season, its a sign of the incredible heights theyve reached this year.
As you can imagine the rest of the lineup is dominated by Leicester City, with five players in the starting line-up. Surprisingly, David De Gea has not been given the nod as the starting goalkeeper, with Jack Butland instead being favoured.
To be fair, the Stoke stopper was having an incredible year before an unfortunate injury on international duty brought an abrupt end to his season.
More information, please keep continuous attention to our site. And we have coins to sell, you can buy coins in our site to prepare for the TOTS.


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Tawan means Sun in Thai, shining sun, whose rays are able to banish the shadows of the soul. Just as under his revive every living creature, we want you to feel the life-giving too warm, friendly atmosphere and flavor of the Orient, that will return the lost energy.
Behind our doors disappear stress and tension and enchants with warm smiles and gentle hands of Thai masseuses.


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Smokers face an uphill struggle to quit with four in 10 councils cutting their stop smoking services, a report has warned.
The Government has repeatedly urged the 10 million smokers in Britain to kick the habit, and told them to seek help from professionals to give up for good.
Smoking kills 100,000 people a year in the UK.
But research by Action on Smoking and Health and Cancer Research UK found budgets for stop smoking services have been cut at 40% of local authorities in the last year.
Experts fear reduced access to stop smoking services has made it "difficult for smokers to get the support they need to help them break their addiction".
George Butterworth, Cancer Research UK's tobacco policy manager, said: "Thousands of people will want to quit smoking this new year and free stop smoking services provided by local councils provide vital support to help them achieve that goal.
"These services are under threat from a lack of sustainable funding.
"The Government must establish a sustainable funding model for local tobacco control and stop smoking services before they are eroded further."
Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy for ASH and one of the report authors, added: "Our research shows that most local councils take their responsibility to reduce smoking very seriously.
"But, they are facing enormous funding pressures. The services we have to support smokers to quit are world class but they are being eroded."
She added: "We need national action now to ensure that local authorities have the tools and the funding to do everything they can to reduce smoking rates."
The report found that around 40% of 126 local authorities surveyed in England have cut back funding for stop smoking services.
Half of all services are being reconfigured or recommissioned, suggesting a high level of confusion for smokers seeking help to quit across the country.
Cancer Research UK highlighted how the Government recently announced cuts to local council public health budgets of 3.9% a year over the next five years.
Health experts last night (TUE) said they were concerned by the report's findings.
Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "Research has shown that accessing local smoking cessation support is the most effective way of quitting smoking.
"This vital report by ASH and Cancer Research UK is therefore right to highlight the funding risks faced by these services.
"With smoking killing 100,000 people and costing the economy over £10billion a year, cutting funding for cessation support is not just short-sighted economically, but downright dangerous for the nation's health."


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Starved: Mercy For Eating Disorders, Book
Written for those desperate for help, "Starved: Mercy for Eating Disorders" addresses the bondage of eating disorders and offers hope for the millions of young women suffering from bulimia, anorexia, and binge-eating disorders. "Starved: Mercy For Eating Disorders" encourages readers to acknowledge, identify, and obtain freedom from eating disorders while discovering the root issues behind the behaviors.
Read the stories of young women who just like you once had no hope but now live with joy and freedom. There is also a special section for parents and others who care. Author Nancy Alcorn urges readers to embrace true freedom, to break free––and stay free.
"Starved: Mercy For Eating Disorders" is not designed to be a replacement for professional help; it is recommended that young women struggling with an eating disorder use this book in conjunction with Christian counseling or mentoring.
Return Policy
Mercy Canada would like to ensure that you are completely satisfied with your purchases. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase for any reason, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com or call 604-535-1983 within 14 days of receiving the product to resolve problems or arrange your return and refund. Please keep in mind the following policies:
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- Mercy Canada is unable to provide refunds for downloaded resources or the cost of shipping products.
- All proceeds from the sale of resources and products go towards the operating costs of Mercy Canada.


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The rising sales and profit margins experienced earlier in the year may have been short-lived, according to answers given on the July survey of the National Association for Business Economics. The survey, presenting the responses of 67 NABE members to questions presented to them last month, asked about business conditions and respondents' near-term outlook.
"The survey results suggest worsening economic conditions through increased flatness in sales and profit margins, less upward pressure on employment, weakening optimism concerning real GDP growth, and rising concerns about the impact of the European crisis, potential U.S. government spending cuts in January, and the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts in December, although there are fewer inflationary pressures," said Dr. Nayantara Hensel, Professor of Industry and Business at National Defense University.
Over half of the panelists in the survey reported unchanged sales and unchanged profit margins. Only 39% of panelists in the July survey reported rising sales and 29% reported rising profit margins, which is much lower than the 60% of panelists reporting rising sales in the April survey and the 40% reporting rising profit margins.
Optimism on real GDP growth has weakened. Over half of the panelists forecast real GDP growth between 2.1% and 3% from the second quarter of 2012 to the second quarter of 2013 and 5% of panelists forecast that real GDP growth will exceed 3%. Nevertheless, 40% of the panelists forecast that GDP growth will be 2% or less and 11% suggest that it will be 1% or less in this survey. In the prior survey, only 23% forecast that GDP growth would be 2% or less and only 4% forecast that it would be 1% or less, while 15% forecast that it could exceed 3%.
The outlook on employment has weakened. Although over two-thirds of the panelists report unchanged employment in this survey, only about one-fifth report rising employment. About 23% of panelists believe that employment will rise over the next six months, which is lower than the 39% of panelists in the prior survey.
On a positive note, the panelists suggest reduced inflationary pressures in the economy: Over three-quarters of the panelists reported unchanged prices charged by their firms, while only 9% of panelists reported rising prices, which is lower than the 21% of panelists reporting rising prices in the April survey.
Almost two-thirds of the panelists reported unchanged materials prices and one-fifth reported rising materials costs. About one quarter of the panelists reporting rising wages, which is lower than the 44% of panelists who reported rising wages in the April survey. Moreover, almost three quarters of the panelists expect that the prices charged by their firm will not change over the next three months, and over half of the panelists do not expect primary non-labor input prices to change over the next three months.
The survey suggests fewer capital spending increases and panelists continue to forecast stability in capital spending over the next 12 months. NABE panelists express significant concerns about the impact on their sales if Bush-era tax cuts expire in late December and the automatic government spending cuts take place in early January. Indeed, 65% of the panelists expect sales to fall under this scenario, while 30% of the panelists expect that sales would stay the same.
NABE panelists suggest that the European crisis has had a significant negative impact on their sales and is likely to continue to do so. About 47% of the panelists report that their sales have fallen due to the European crisis and about half of panelists expect the European crisis to lead to a decrease in their company's sales over the next six months; this is more than double the 21% of panelists who held this view in the April survey."
• The July survey results suggest that the increase in sales experienced earlier in the year may have been short-lived. Fewer panelists in the July survey (39%) reported rising sales than in the April survey, in which 60% of panelists reported rising sales. Moreover, the share of panelists in the recent survey reporting rising sales is also lower than the share reporting these results in the January 2012 survey, the October 2011 survey, and the July 2011 survey. A greater share of respondents—51%—reported unchanged sales, which is a much higher share of panelists than those reporting unchanged sales in the April 2012 survey (30%) and in the prior three surveys (36%-40%).
• Between 50% and 57% of panelists reported unchanged sales for their firms in the transportation, utilities, information, and communication (TUIC) sector, the services sector, and the goods-producing sector, while only 44% reported unchanged sales in the finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) sector. Between 27% and 38% of panelists in the services, TUIC, and goods-producing sectors reported rising sales, while 50% of FIRE panelists reported rising sales. In the April survey, however, significantly higher shares of panelists in the goods-producing, FIRE, and services sectors reported rising sales—83% reported rising sales in the goods producing sector, 69% reported rising sales in the FIRE sector, and 56% reported rising sales in the services sector in the April survey.
• The July survey results suggest that the increase in profit margins experienced earlier in the year may have been short-lived. About 29% of panelists in the July survey reported rising profit margins, which is significantly lower than the 40% of NABE panelists who reported rising profit margins in the April survey. The share of panelists in the July survey has greater similarities to the 27%-30% of panelists reporting rising profit margins in the July 2011, October 2011, and January 2012 surveys. The share of panelists reporting unchanged profits (59%) is similar to the 51%-58% of panelists reporting unchanged profit margins in the July 2011, October 2011, and January 2012 surveys and is higher than the 42% in the April 2012 survey. On a positive note, a lower share of panelists—13%—reported falling profit margins in the July survey relative to the share of panelists in prior surveys.
Related Editorial:
ATA Predicts 21% Freight Tonnage Growth by 2023
July Retail Imports to Increase 1.6%


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Holy Mysteries (Sacraments)
Byzantine Catholics share in seven sacraments as do all Catholics, instituted by Christ to give grace. In the Byzantine Church, sacraments are
referred to as "Holy MYSTERIES" in order to emphasize mysterious work of the Holy Spirit. As explained by St. John Chrysostom: "It is called mystery,
because what we believe is not the same as what we see; one thing we see and another we believe."
Holy Mysteries of Initiation
Baptism - the first sacrament or Mystery. Baptism is our personal participation in the death and resurrection of Christ.
In the Byzantine tradition, Baptism is administered by total immersion into blessed water in order to emphasize the washing of rebirth that
takes place.
Chrismation (Confirmation) - Baptism is immediately followed by the second sacrament, "Chrismation" or Confirmation.
In Holy Chrismation, we are anointed with the Holy Myron, with the gift of the Holy Spirit being bestowed upon each of us individually.
Chrismation is our personal participation in the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Eucharist - The Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is the sacrament of Christ's true Body and Blood. Following the command
of the Lord to 'let the little children come to me' (Mt 19:14), the Church administers the Holy Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation and Eucharist
to infants on the same day, so that they become full members of the Body of Christ, fully integrated into the Church, and full participants in the
gift of New Life in Christ.
Holy Mysteries of Reconciliation (Repentance)
In the Mystery of Reconciliation, we repent of our sins, and receive forgiveness and absolution, and the grace to persevere in this world to live
the New Life in Christ, in spite of our failures and shortcomings. It is a Byzantine tradition to confess our sins in the presence of a priest
while facing an icon of Christ.
Mystery of Anointing
The Sacrament of the Sick is more commonly referred to as the Mystery of Holy Anointing with Oil, where we are anointed with blessed oil for
our illnesses, both bodily and spiritually. The entire Church celebrates this Mystery on Holy and Great Wednesday in anticipation of the Holy
Pascha, the Feast of the Resurrection.
Mystery of Crowning (Marriage)
In the Sacrament of Marriage, or the Mystery of Holy Matrimony, a man and a woman are called together to live as one through mutual self-giving
and selfless love. In the Mystery of Holy Matrimony, the couple is crowned with the divine grace and strength to grow together in love and
holiness, and live the New Life of Christ more abundantly.
Mystery of the Holy Orders
The Church is a universal priesthood of believers. Yet among this universal priesthood, some are called to serve the Church in a particular
way in the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church. The Mystery of Holy Orders calls men to serve the Body of Christ as deacons,
priests and bishops through the laying on of hands, in which Christ Himself gives them the grace and power to perform this service in His name
for the sake of His Body.


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Fire detection technology from Tyco is designed to reduce false alarms. We have enhanced the design of the chamber to help achieve a reduction in false alarms.
Watch the video and learn how it works.
Tyco offers a complete range of life safety solutions to meet the specific requirements of every market sector imaginable, above and below ground, and at sea. We can provide a range of fire detection solutions from stand-alone conventional systems through to complex, integrated addressable fire detection and alarm systems incorporating fire alarm, voice evacuation and fire suppression that meet the most stringent approvals in the world.


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Search best prices for Airports below:
About Meet & Greet/Chauffeur Parking Service
Meet & Greet Airport Parking
Primarily aimed at business travellers, people who are generally working to a tight schedule, this is our premium chauffeur service. Book chauffeur parking now
How it works:
For this service our chauffeur meets you outside the departure terminal, your car is handed over to the chauffeur who drives it to a secure car parking space.
When returning from your journey, whether youre a business traveller, or leisure, you are able to collect your car from outside the arrivals terminal. The chauffeur will hand you your car keys and you can return home. Efficiency and excellent service are our priorities with meet & greet.
We cover the following airports with the above service:
Airport Parking
All about airport parking at Airport Parking Extra.co.uk!
Overview of Airport Parking, Airport Lounges & Airport Hotels
Airport Parking FAQ
Whats New?


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Get that saccharine ice cream parlour vibe with this cute tote from B. Makowski.
The Burbank tote is all about the colors. Blue and pink is more the kind of pairing you expect to see in a nursery, but thanks to the interesting shades the designer has picked it really works without unnecessary clashing. Particularly nice is the way the suede-like interior coordinates with the little blue tops of the two exterior pockets.
This bag has a lot of room, always nice in a tote! The wide base allows a bucket shape, with easily enough capacity for folders and bulky items. For some reason I can imagine this making it very suitable to a college student! The zip pocket comes in handy too, although a couple more pockets would encourage organization. Still, the Lites Burbank tote only costs $78.41, and for this sort of money you can't really expect 10 zillion compartments!
With top marks in the cute department, this is a spacious bag  just made for having fun with!
More Features of this B. Makowski Lites Tote:
- Synthetic leather exterior
- Two exterior pockets
- Single interior zipped pocket
- Dual handles
Get this Patent Burbank Shoulder Bag:
- Available to buy on Amazon
- Available to buy on eBay (see listings below):
Sorry we couldn't find anything like this on eBay. Try our Bag Search Engine.
You may also be interested in:
- More B. Makowski bags on BagBunch
- The Elaine Turner Gidget tote, a great alternative to this bucket bag.
- Searching for more pink and blue bags on eBay


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Perflex filters are performance matched with our new Power-Flo Matrix™ pump series to ensure a system that maximizes its filtration ability. These advanced filtration systems are designed to operate with less resistance than conventional units, thus producing more filtered water with less pump horsepower. Quality, value, dependability and sparkling clear pool water are the Perflex system trademarks.
The Perflex® Extended-Cycle DE filter series cleans pools fast — removing the smallest particles the first time through. That's because Perflex incorporates a patented Flex-Tube™ design that works in combination with D.E. (diatomaceous earth) filter media to produce the clearest, most sparkling water possible.
The exclusive Perflex Extended-Cycle gives you long filter cycles between cleaning — up to eight weeks depending on pool size and use. Because the same D.E. filter media is used over and over again, Perflex is a real work saver. And, it only takes minutes to extend the cycle. Perflex filters stretch your dollars too! Since Perflex cleans without backwashing, you save hundreds of gallons of treated pool water. Plus, Perflex saves on electricity because its efficient design offers less resistance to flow and produces more filtered water with less pump horsepower.
System comes complete with filter, pump, base and hose package with clamps and hose adaptors.


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The FBI is to investige a cyber attack against another U.S. Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee.
The incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the U.S.
Hacking of the party's emails by Guccifer 2.0, caused discord among Democrats at the party's convention in Philadelphia to nominate Hillary Clinton as its presidential candidate.
The newly disclosed breach at the DCCC may have been intended to gather information about donors.
Watch this space….


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10-piece afro-funk sensation Lyre Byrdland have been melting down clubs in Sydney for the past two years and are now ready to take their mix of Nigerian afro-beat and tight funk to the Gasometer as part of their first national tour. With a four-piece horn line-up featuring some of Sydney's grooviest masters of brass and a powerful rhythm section that never stops moving, Lyre Byrdland has honed their distinctly modern sound to get your heart pumping and your body moving. Drawing inspiration from the greats of the genre such as Fela Kuti and The Daktaris as well contemporary powerhouses Daft Punk and Snarky Puppy, Lyre Byrdland's sound is both reassuringly familiar like a comfy old sweater but strikingly fresh like a new pair of jeans.
Featuring members of The Cactus Channel, Emanuel Ciccolini's Tex Mex Takeout, The Brady's and other undiscovered Melbourne gems, Karate Boogaloo deliver serious grooves with the speed of a Jackie Chan snap kick but with the fun of Post Man Pat! What more could you want? Probably not much.
Laneous plays improvised soul with a loop pedal and lyrics inspired by whatever is going on at the time and a funky drummer.


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Do you know someone that is holding a domain name ransom? If so they are violating the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act
You can read about it here.
Wikipedia has some great information about cybersquatiing too:
Here is an overview:
In determining whether the domain name registrant has a bad faith intent to profit a court may consider many factors including nine that are outlined in the statute:
- the registrant's trademark or other intellectual property rights in the domain name;
- whether the domain name contains the registrant's legal or common name;
- the registrant's prior use of the domain name in connection with the bona fide offering of goods or services;
- the registrant's bona fide noncommercial or fair use of the mark in a site accessible by the domain name;
- the registrant's intent to divert customers from the mark owner's online location that could harm the goodwill represented by the mark, for commercial gain or with the intent to tarnish or disparage the mark;
- the registrant's offer to transfer, sell, or otherwise assign the domain name to the mark owner or a third party for financial gain, without having used the mark in a legitimate site;
- the registrant's providing misleading false contact information when applying for registration of the domain name;
- the registrant's registration or acquisition of multiple domain names that are identical or confusingly similar to marks of others; and
- the extent to which the mark in the domain is distinctive or famous.


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In the 1970s and '80s, when our family was living in Japan, member care was new. Many missionaries thought needing "outside help" was a sign of weakness, and a lack of faith and trust in God. Nowadays, many missionaries realize that encouragement, support, and counseling help are necessary ingredients for fruitful ministry in missions. However, the key to successfully providing this kind of member care is in how it is done by mission agencies and boards.
Serious emotional and relational problems within missionary families or their church community sap their strength, and hinders the work. Furthermore, dealing with complex relationship problems can drain the energy of mission executives, forcing them to spend valuable time in areas for which they often are not gifted. All branches of the organization can be negatively affected.
But when the members of a mission organization feel heard, and their needs are being met, then everyone can do the work they have been called to do with the least amount of interference and stress.
Member care cannot be set up just to put out fires or in reaction to a crisis. Policies and practices have to start at the top, before problems emerge. Leaders in both home and field offices must see the value of member care and communicate that to everyone else.
A plan must be initiated, policies drawn up, and a structure put in place for member care to work. Obviously each organization is different, so the final written policy will look different, but the general implementation is the same. Everyone within the mission organization needs to understand and see member care policy in writing. It should be clear and straightforward.
The overriding purpose of member care should be positive, to give support and encouragement to its members. Its main purpose is not to just solve problems or send people to counselors, but rather to be a tool to create an atmosphere of understanding and care from the top down.
The basic structure depends on every missionary family being interviewed at least once a year. Therefore everyone, not just "people with problems," are recipients of member care. The purpose of this interview is to share the joys and hopes, as well as the concerns and difficulties, of missionary life. Just having someone listen to feelings and stories communicates understanding and care. To know someone from the organization's management cares about what you are doing and how you are doing is invaluable.
The interviewer, who could be the mission director in a smaller agency, does not have to be a counselor, but simply someone who is trained to be a good listener. Of course this person must be someone who can be trusted and be someone who treats people with respect and dignity.
Further help may be needed if there are situations in the missionaries' lives that are keeping them from functioning in their work, or if some part of their life isn't healthy. If harm is being done to self or others, then the member care person can suggest that the missionary get help from a trained counselor or pastor, and give referrals.
It's advisable that interviewers receive some form of training. This is necessary in order to recognize symptoms of emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, and to know when to refer or ask for advice.
When it is determined that a fellow missionary, someone in the family, or the whole family needs professional help, there are different ways the agency can deal with this. A pre-determined process needs to be clearly written down in the member care policies and guidelines.
Help can be in the form of a suggestion to seek counseling, or counseling can be made mandatory. If it is mandatory, and the person refuses to get help within a certain period of time, the mission can have the policy that the missionary needs to leave the field if harm is being done to themselves, their loved ones, or to the work of the mission.
Some missions require the counselor, after a certain amount of sessions, to give a written summary to the mission with general recommendations, (not specific details). Then the mission can make an informed decision as to what is best for the individual missionary and family. Sometimes that means continuing counseling on the field, other times that might mean having to go back to their home country for a period of time.
When I was counseling in Africa four years ago, I learned about some missionaries who had had to leave the field for a while to take care of a family situation. They looked at this as part of their calling, and often they would return to the field, sometimes after spending years in their home country, and continue their work.
In the Old Testament story of Job, his friends did a good job of ministering to Job by just being present with him and listening to him (Job 2: 11-13). But they messed things up when they started giving Job advice, admonition, and reasons why God was doing this to him; in the end God was displeased and angry with Job's friends for doing this (Job 42:7-9).
Listening is so helpful to people who are struggling, need direction, or are in pain. We are all human, and sometimes we need to be on the receiving end of ministry. But in order to give the care its members need, the mission agency itself has to be supportive, understanding, and non-threatening. Speaking the truth in love is also often necessary to make it work. If missionaries can be ministered to in this supportive and loving atmosphere, the work of the Kingdom will be enhanced and needless suffering will be avoided on many fronts.


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The Tlalpan Computing Center represents a new building typology that breaks with the usual "bunker-style" computing centers, making it easy to visit the facility without impacting on its operation and security. Thanks to a glass perimeter corridor that surrounds the operation and machine rooms, the building offers a clear educational perspective on advanced technology, making it possible to explore the space as if it were an aquarium of technology.
As part of the planning process, the option of demolishing the building was analyzed; however, it was decided to reuse it as the foundation for the project, by employing a sorting system to which the guiding parts to generate a space are added. The original concrete structure was used, with the structural reinforcements necessary while expanding the necessary areas.
To this structure a whole series of glass and aluminum panel volumes were added to both interior and exterior. The poles of the project are the two building lobbies, while all the remaining spaces are distributed over two levels between them.
This connector, 4 meters wide and with a total length of 195 meters, runs east-west and has a number of branches, one of the most significant being a minimalist courtyard that provides light and form to the interior of the building.
Technology is a fundamental element of the building, which is totally automated and incorporates systems to monitor and control each of its parts. All the installations were designed in accordance with international standards, with the latest technological advances.
The Tlalpan Computing Center assembles in a single space everything needed to carry out multi-national banking operations. The architectural solution offers innovative concepts for the installations and spaces that offer the possibility of modifying its physical distribution in terms of areas and functions without losing the quality of the available services.


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'SURVIVOR" fans, this is your night! Thirteen weeks ago, you got in on the ground floor of a bona fide national phenomenon. And now, the finale is at hand – two delicious hours of island intrigue, followed by a one-hour discussion show with all 16 castaways.
Numerous as you are (28 million on average every week), each and every one of you knows someone who stands ready to rain on your parade.
Someone who doesn't understand what you see in this improbable, unpredictable surprise summer series. Someone who thinks you're crazy for blocking out an hour every Wednesday night during the warm summer months just to watch a silly TV show.
Well, a pox on them.
It's too late for them to join this party anyway. Tonight, they can stay outside long past dark if they want to – you've got some serious viewing to do.
As authentic "Survivor" fans, you've stuck with this show from Day One (May 31, to be exact) – 12 episodes worth of downpours, squabbles, bug bites, immunity challenges and tribal councils. What's three more hours to a diehard "Survivor-ite"?
I'll tell you what it is: It's heaven, that's what.
How can I say that? Because I am one of you, and I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a TV show.
As a critic who makes his living watching tons of TV, I'm here to tell you: TV is rarely this good. When all is said and done, that's what I like best about "Survivor": The whole thing has been produced flawlessly – from the filming and editing of each show to the sly, clever way in which everyone involved has managed to keep the winner's identity under wraps.
That achievement in itself should be worthy of some sort of grand prize at next year's Emmys. Imagine – keeping a secret sought after by so many in an age as untrustworthy as this one. It's nothing short of miraculous.
Who will walk out of the jungle with a treasure chest filled with a million dollars? I have my own theories about that, but by no means am I capable of reaching a definitive answer.
That's another reason why I love this show: The outcome of the tribal votes each week has been near impossible to predict midway into an episode (I guessed correctly exactly once – last week, when Dr. Sean Kenniff was voted off).
I think the jury system that's been set up to determine the winner favors either Rudy Boesch, the 72-year-old ex-Navy SEAL, or Kelly Wigelsworth, the 23-year-old raft guide.
Think about it: Richard Hatch's deviousness and Susan Hawk's toughness may have gotten them as far as the final four, but the jury is made up of people against whom they conspired to boot off the island. For the jurors, it's payback time, which makes a victory by Richard or Susan unlikely, unless they both make it to the final two.
Against either one of them, I predict Rudy or Kelly would win. Now, if Rudy faces off against Kelly, that's a different story.
All I can say about that is: Stay tuned. You know I will, along with 28 million of my best friends.


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World-renowned economist and
bestselling author of The Bottom
"Exodus and Refuge:
Migration in a World
with a Broken Refugee System"
with a Broken Refugee System"
Professor Sir Paul Collier
Professor of Economics and Public Policy Blavatnik School of Government, Director of the International Growth Centre, University of Oxford
Sir Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government. From 1998–2003 he took leave during which he was Director of the Research Development Department of the World Bank. He is currently a Professeur invité at Sciences Po and a Director of the International Growth Centre.
He has written for the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. His research covers the causes and consequences of civil war; the effects of aid and the problems of democracy in low-income and natural resources rich societies; urbanization in low-income countries; private investment in African infrastructure and changing organizational cultures.
Recent books include The Bottom Billion (OUP, 2007), Wars, Guns and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places (Vintage Books, 2009) and The Plundered Planet: How to reconcile prosperity with nature (OUP, 2010). His latest are Exodus: How migration is changing our world (OUP, 2013) and Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System (with Alex Betts) (Allen Lane, 2017)
In 2014, Paul received a knighthood for services to promoting research and policy change in Africa


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Artec Leo 3D scanner
Artec3D has suggested the Artec Leo is one of the fastest of its kind in the world, capturing data at up to 80 frames per second (FPS).
Professional hardware and software manufacturer, Artec 3D has released the Artec Leo, a handheld 3D scanner.
The global company has suggested its new product is one of the fastest of its kind in the world, capturing data at up to 80 frames per second (FPS).
Building on last year's release of Autopilot – an artificial intelligence-based feature within the Artec Studio 11 software that processes raw 3D data into high-quality 3D models – Artec believes the Leo represents a major industry milestone. The 3D scanner can autonomously select and process data on-board, without connecting to a tablet or computer. Users can now watch while their object is digitised into a full colour 3D model on Leo's multi-touch, half HD screen. While the scanning process is simple and intuitive, the built-in battery pack, ergonomic grip, and balanced design, also allows for easy wireless operation and access to hard-to-reach locations.
"Artec Leo embodies the next wave of the 3D scanning industry," said Artyom Yukhin, President and CEO of Artec3D. "It is intuitive, mobile, and using our AI algorithms, it captures and automatically processes huge amounts of data, all on a single device that requires minimal training to master. Leo's next-generation platform is a massive breakthrough in the industry and we intend to build upon this success to expand our line of smart 3D scanners. Our goal is to make professional 3D scanning as easy as shooting video for any industry and the Artec Leo is the next big step in achieving that goal."
Thanks to the Artec Leo's comfortably large field of view, and its impressive 80 FPS 3D reconstruction rate, scanning large objects and scenes becomes a much more straightforward task. Additionally, at the same time, users can bring the scanner closer to particular areas of interest in order to pick up intricate details with a 3D point accuracy of 0.1mm.
Artec Leo
"Artec Leo embodies the next wave of the 3D scanning industry," - Artyom Yukhin, Artec3D
The scanner is built on the state-of-the-art NVIDIA Jetson platform, which Lazaar Louis, product management lead for Tegra and business development for VR/AR products at NVIDIA, allows the scanner to reach its full potential. Leveraging the Jetson platform, the Leo is capable of processing large volumes of 3D data on-board.
"Our Jetson Embedded computing platform pushes the limits of visual and AI computing and, through our work with Artec, real-time 3D capture, modelling and visualisation is now possible in a handheld scanner" said Louis. "This is important for a wide variety of industries, including industrial design and manufacturing, healthcare, science, education, animation, and computer graphics."
Artec's new technology includes a 9 degrees of freedom (DoF) inertial system (accelerometer, gyro and compass), which provides precise information about its position and environment. This enables the device to understand the difference between the object being scanned, the surface it is on and the wall behind it so that it can automatically erase the unwanted data.
Utilising a two-in-one system, with a 3D camera and colour camera combined as one, the Artec Leo is capable of 'unparalleled' precision in texture mapping at a resolution of 2.3mp, according to Artec3D. Also taking advantage of a disruptive VCSEL light source, Artec3D has been able to deliver a scanner that can capture objects in bright, outside conditions, with an adjustable flash feature for different surrounding light conditions.


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An astonishing 74 species of butterfly live in Toronto all year round, and many more are summertime visitors.
Patricia Videla has been trying to get a butterfly garden started in Weston, and has recently had news to set my heart aflutter: the city has given the first go-ahead.
To get the plan off the ground, she needs
- Five volunteers
- Some corporate donors
- A volunteer landscape designer, perhaps a student from a landscape design class
- A plan for maintaining it.
If you're interested in being part of the kick-off team, email [email protected].


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Call +370 698 36770
or send us a message
Dailyduko 1 km Aukštadvaris,
Trakai district. View map
Register with a gift voucher
Would you like to impress your friends but not sure how? We suggest you give "Forest Valley gift voucher.
We repair Four Wheelers and snowmobiles.
We are very pleased with all provided entertainment. At first, I couldn't believe that one can try the four wheeler for only 5 Lt, but later my wife and I had a long ride to Traku Voke by four wheeler. Both loved it. We definitely recommend it! Especially, if you have never tried it.
Vidas and Jolanta


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Ways to Volunteer and Help
All visitors must report to the office. Parents are always welcome, but we ask that classroom visitations be arranged in advance with the classroom teacher.
Friends of VAVPA students and students from other schools are not permitted to visit during the school day unless prior approval is given by the teacher and the administration.
- We appreciate your willingness to share you time and energy with our school community. Please be prepared to show a valid ID and sign in each time you arrive at school to volunteer. These hours are recorded and reported to the State PTA Level.
- If you volunteer more than 20 hours you must complete the Volunteer Application and have an up to date TB test. They are free through the school district. Call the District Office at (760) 726-2170 for the next available dates for free TB test.
Volunteer Application Instructions
- Pick-Up a Volunteer Application Form from the office
- Attach TB Test results and copy of valid ID
- Turn all information in to the school office