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10. Two Sides to Everything People often criticize Kim Jong-un for his passionate responses to immediate issues. While some say that the dictator can be ill-tempered, his father, Kim Jong-il, believed this to be one of his greatest traits and favored him over his more sedate brother, Kim Jong-chul. The esteem that Il held for Un led him to kickstart his son's military career … [Read more...]
Top Six Magic Tricks And Their Secrets Revealed
Magic has always fascinated us. From our childhood we cherish a thing for magic. How much we longed to learn magic tricks and show it to our friends and see their surprised faces. From David Copperfield To our favorite Dynamo, magicians have been astounding us with their awesome magical performances for years. But how do they perform such seemingly impossible feats? Are they … [Read more...]
Top 6 Countries With The Highest Suicide Rates In The World
Depression has killed many people around the world. One of the primary outcomes of depression is 'Suicide'. WHO is the international governing body which records health data calculates the suicide ratio of all the countries. WHO gathers data from respective countries? The total rate of suicides is calculated by number of suicides reported divided by number of deaths.There … [Read more...]
Top 6 Lost Cities In The World
Lost ancient cities hide many secrets, but they also give many answers. They are the roots of civilization from which vast empires and cultures developed. At some point in their past these cities were abandoned by their inhabitant and left to wait for some curious adventurer. Today, that adventurer is you. Join us on our journey through the distant past, and checkout our best … [Read more...]
6 Worst And Deadly Airline Disasters
Air transportation has been widely considered to be the safest form of travel. When the unexpected happens, the results are more often than not catastrophic to say the least. Heartrending and frightening stories of history's 6 worst and deadliest airline disasters have been enumerated below.1. Tenerife Airport Disaster (1977)A bomb explosion at Gran Canaria Airport … [Read more...]
6 Online Survey Sites That Pay
Well, if you are a student and struggling to keep the booze flowing then you'll seriously need to take a look into the following survey sites. They'll help you earn some extra cash that you desperately need right now. 1) AIP Online SurveysThe survey is done by AIP Corporation that offers services to organizations throughout the worlds, focusing primarily on Asia, … [Read more...]
Top 6 Commerce Colleges In India (2014)
India Today with the Nielsen Company has been doing this annual survey for the last 14 years. As many as 5 steps were taken to find out India's best commerce colleges. You can read about the process by clicking on this.Here we list down the top 6 commerce colleges in India:1. Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), New DelhiSince its inception in 1926 SRCC has been … [Read more...]
6 Very Small Countries You Never Knew Existed
If you live in a messy overcrowded country like India, you'd do exactly what I just did – write a list of small less crowded countries. It's alright if you don't want to shift to a new country, but you can always plan for a holiday to any of the following destination.1. Saint Kitts and NevisHeaded by Elizabeth II, Saint Kitts and Nevis is very small two-island … [Read more...]
Top 6 Ways To Grow As A Poet
Being a poet is being more open to the miracles of life. It is to allow yourself to experience the magic of being alive and to discover the secrets of life. This list contains the six best ways to help you grow as a poet and discover for yourself the beauty and wonder of poetry. 1. WriteYou are a writer whenever you write; in the same vein, you are a poet when you … [Read more...]
6 Little Known Amazing Facts About Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee hardly needs any introduction. Deemed as the most influential martial artist ever, Lee changed the way Asians were represented in American Cinema. Having watched Bruce Lee films, when one thinks of Bruce Lee, one is usually reminded of his shrill cat-like purring and shirtless fighting posture with sudden attacks made on the opponent. But there are many shades in a … [Read more...]


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...the duo [Natalia Lomeiko and Yuri Zhislin] brings a haunting poignancy and spectral piquancy, respectively, to the two relaxed variations near the work's center.
In the more popular Passacaglia, they adopt similarly sprightly tempos…they take greater advantage of the variations' expressive opportunities…they make a great deal of the more reflective central variation, and their approach to even the most straightforward variations combines flexibility and playfulness, with the concluding variation fusing brilliance with pounding rhythmic insistence. Halvorsen's invigorating Concert Caprice on Norwegian Melodies (both Lomeiko and Zhislin playing violin) doesn't enjoy such frequent outings as even the Sarabande, but its straightforward virtuosity…should ingratiate it with audiences who enjoy violinistic figurations…
By comparison with Halvorsen's generally effervescent though occasionally darkly hued works, Antonio Bartolomeo Bruni's Six Duos (Book 4) for violin and viola sound less subtle and surely less virtuosic, though no less straightforwardly melodious and surely no less dramatic…Both Lomeiko and Zhislin produce a heavier tonal weight in these works, but they're also attuned to their melodic elegance and their tantalizing rhythmic playfulness…Some of the duos (as in the Second's first movement), on the other hand, sound more earnest or, as in that work's second movement or the introduction to the Fifth Duo's opening movement, simply more introspective…Lomeiko's and Zhislin's articulation sounds sharper and their rhythms more pointed, and the recorded sounds at once closer and cleaner…
Throughout the program…Lomeiko and Zhislin produce sweetly homogeneous textures that hardly ever sound abrasive, and their ensemble retains its sense of unanimity throughout even the greatest difficulties. Naxos's lively recorded sound presents both instrumentalists in balanced fidelity with enough reverberation to ensure warmth in addition to clarity. Enthusiastically recommended to all types of listeners. © 2012 Fanfare Read complete review on Fanfare
The two works for violin and viola by the Norwegian Johan Halvorsen…are delightful. Natalia Lomeiko is a very polished violinist, and Yuri Zhislin's mellifluous viola playing and fine-sounding instrument are wonderful. They play beautifully together, and balances are always well judged and sonorous.
These are enjoyable pieces that are greatly helped by the tonal contrast of the viola…they have enough energy to avoid monotony. Natalia Lomeiko and Yuri Zhislin are excellent musicians and technicians with pristine intonation. I can find no fault in these performances. © 2012 American Record Guide Read complete review on American Record Guide online
Talented amateurs will be pleased to discover Bruni's Six Duos for violin and viola, though the Halvorsen pieces are on a completely different level of difficulty. Born in Italy in 1757, Bruni made a career as an orchestral violinist working in Paris, later becoming the director of the Opera-Comique. The Six Duos for violin and viola were composed when he was twenty and explore different styles and modes of expression, and probably intended for personal enjoyment rather than as concert pieces. Each is in two movements of differing tempos, the juxtaposition between fast and slow changing as we pass through the six works. There is sufficient likeable melodic invention to make them attractive to the performer, while the technical demands are modest. The Halvorsen works date from the early 20th century, the first two written on themes by Handel with a structural relationship to the Baroque era. The third work is for two violins and based on Norwegian folk-music, dance rhythms being its main inspiration. All are highly attractive, the Saraband and Passacaglia using the viola in a largely accompanying mode, though there are passages of interplay between the two instruments. By contrast the Concert Caprice for two violins have voices of equal weight that intertwine to a high degree of complexity. Here Yuri Zhislin moves from viola to violin and is very much at home on either, a fact that equally true in his concert appearances. The violin throughout is played by his wife, Natalia Lomeiko, who, like Zhislin, is a professor at London's Royal College of Music. Their intonation is immaculate; balance between their instruments—that are unnamed in the programme notes—is perfect, and the general sound of exemplary quality.

subset: commoncrawl


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The long running and long awaited Japanesey zoology of fantastical fighting creatures makes a return after an extended absence on the Nintendo DS / 3DS.
Assuming the role of either Nate (male) or Rosa (female), take yourself back to the Unova Region a couple of years after the events of the first Black and White series.
Over this time, things have changed. Alot.
New areas have been discovered aswell as new Pokemon species, including the mystical Genesect, which is available now as a free download – for a very limited time.
Within the newly added environments is Virbank City.
It is here that Pokestar Studios resides, which you can visit and undertake the starring role in your own Pokemon based mini-movie, taking any of the available genre options; Horror, Comedy, Romantic and more.
This will premiere at the in-game Theatre, where the audience can give your flick a series of Ratings based on fight sequences, the story, watch-ability and so on, as would be in the real world.
For the first time in the Black or White series; Pokemon captures are not limited to the main centers. You can opt to explore more deeply and go to the outer regions of the Unova region to acquire, capture and keep more exotic variants of Pokemons. Within this area it is not uncommon to come across the hard to get Landorus, Thundurus, the new Therian, the previously inaccessible Castelia Sewers and heaps more.
Driftveil City is where the all new Pokemon World Tournament takes place. You are able to partake in this by joining other Trainers either is solo in dual battle.
Speaking of new creatures, whether you get the Black or White version, there is an exclusively new specimen; Black or White Kyurem (featured on the games' cover), a fierce Ice battler who has frozen water fighting abilities and techniques with Ice Burn being a signature move.
Old characters make a return, Bianca and Cheren. But much has also changed for these two within the two years since the last game.
Cheren is now a Gym Teacher in Aspertia City and Bianca helps Professor Juniper with Pokemon research. There is even a new Team Plasma that you will have interactions with.
Playable in 2D only, equip your DS or 3DS and get your Pokedex ready to fill it up with even more Pokemon facts and abilities. Early November will see a revamped Pokedex designed exclusively for 3DS; Pokedex 3D Pro, which will contain details on over 640 Pokemon.
There is also sharing via Wifi connection with other Pokemon Black or White 2 equipped DS / 3DS players aswell as the Dream Radar, where you can get extra Pokémon creatures from around the World, via the eShop.
With the 3DS having been with us for over a year now, it is great to see the original DS still being given full support.
If you have the first Pokemon Black or White titles then this is a must own, on the reverse of that; Pokemon Black or White 2 is an excellent place to start.
[jwplayer config="STG Player" mediaid="1800″]
Platform: Nintendo DS / 3DS
Publisher: Nintendo
No. of Players: 1 – 2


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S'Aints ready to rock Christmas again
What has become a Christmas tradition in Windsor continues to benefit Outreach for Hunger in Chatham.
For the eighth year, the S'Aints, featuring Windsor area rocker Jeff Burrows, of The Tea Party and Kelly 'Mr. Chill' Hoppe from Big Sugar, will hit the stage of The Colosseum at Caesars Windsors for a holiday concert on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m.
"It really is a wonderful event, the musical entertainment is fabulous," said Brenda LeClair, executive director of the local food bank. "Just watching Jeff on the drums is entertainment itself."
While food donations are the mainstay of the food bank, LeClair said receiving funds is also critical because they have operating expenses to cover.
"It's wonderful for us that Jeff has become a real friend of Outreach for Hunger and a real strong supporter," she said.
"There's a ton of surprises" for this year's show, Burrows told The Chatham Daily News.
He said holding the show at The Colosseum provides great production values, because "you have access to a million dollars worth of sound, lights . . . video walls."
Burrows said he gets stopped in the street by older couples, who don't know him at all from The Tea Party, because they recognize him from the S'Aints band.
"It's the best family-friendly, all-ages production show you will see around the holidays."
The S'Aints also include Jody Raffoul, Wes Buckly, David Cyrenne, Kelly Authier, Marty Baz, Liz Robinson and Stephanie Baker, who all collaborate on a CD of holiday music that is produced every year.
Burrows believes people enjoy the CD because "we choose the songs that share a message as a opposed to just Christmas songs."
He added other selections will be songs of hope, inspiration and joy "that put you in a really good mood over the holidays."
Getting the band together for the project is a lot of fun, Burrows said.
"We've grown into a band so well that our friendships have blossomed – it's so easy now whenever we want to do this."
The holiday show and CD have raised nearly $200,000, so far.
"I'm so proud of what we've been able to accomplish with it and the funds raised, and constantly including Chatham and our friends at Outreach for Hunger," Burrows said.
Tickets are $25 and available, locally at Outreach for Hunger.


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Due to the impact of COVID-19, our ability to fulfill your order may be affected. Know that we will work to complete your order as soon as possible. We thank you for your patience and look forward to continuing to serve you.
Uma descrição concisa da DE, incluindo opções médicas e cirúrgicas para o problema. more
ਇਸ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਲਈ ਮੈਡੀਕਲ ਅਤੇ ਸਰਜੀਕਲ ਵਿਕਲਪਾਂ ਸਮੇਤ ਈ.ਡੀ. ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਸµਖੇਪ ਵੇਰਵਾ। (Choosing Wisely - Treatment for Erection Problems Fact Sheet) more


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|"Armenelos the golden" by Jef Murray
|General Information
|Other names
|The Golden, City of the Kings, Ar-Minalêth (Adûnaic)
|Arandor, nigh Meneltarma
|Capital of Númenor
|People and History
|Early Second Age
|S.A. 3319, Downfall of Númenor
|Images of Armenelos
|By Ardamir. (Help; more articles)
Armenelos the Golden, referred to as The City of Kings, was the capital and (in later years) the largest city of Númenor.
It was situated on a hill in eastern central Númenor, in the district called Arandor, the Kingsland, close to Meneltarma and the haven of Rómenna. Armenelos contained the royal palace, the King's House, reportedly built with the help of the Maiar, with Nimloth.
[edit] History
It was founded as far back as the end of the First Age, when the Edain first migrated to the island. Conceivably Arandor was the first district they settled after landing in a firth that later led to the haven of Rómenna.
Its finishing, together with the coronation of Elros in S.A. 32, marked the beginning of the Númenórean realm.
In the later years Armelenos became the largest city of the island as Andúnië declined. The Temple was built there by Sauron.
[edit] Etymology
The name is obviously Quenya and possibly means "royal-heaven-fortress"[1] analyzed as ar- + menel + ost.
The Adûnaic name is Ar-Minalêth[2] which appears to be a direct translation of the Quenya name, analyzed as ar- + minul (Adûnaic name of menel).[3]
[edit] Other versions of the legendarium
At early stages of writing, this city was called by other names: Númenos,[4] Númar[4] or Nûmar[5] (at first used of what became Númenor)
[edit] See also
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Armenelos"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "V. The History of the Akallabêth", p. 145
- ↑ Helge Fauskanger, "Adûnaic", Ardalambion (accessed 30 October 2020)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part One: The Fall of Númenor and The Lost Road", pp. 11, 14, 19, 30
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part One" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 45, November 2003, p. 26
- J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "A Description of the Island of Númenor"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "The Drowning of Anadûnê"


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Witnesses bash E15 during one-sided House committee hearing
A Feb. 26 hearing featured testimony of three E15 critics, including a representative of the Coordinating Research Council, which has authored research reports concluding E15 could damage engine valves and fuel system components. Absent from the witness list were members of the ethanol industry or the U.S. DOE, which completed the E15 testing that was used in the approval of the E15 waiver.
Titled "Mid-level ethanol blends: Consumer and technical research needs," the hearing was held by the U.S. House of Representatives' Environmental Subcommittee of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, vice chairman of the committee, opened by claiming that the U.S. EPA approved E15 based on a single set of narrow tests, leading to a "haphazard transition to E15 usage marked by regulatory confusion, bungled implementation and lack of consumer education," he said. The point of the hearing was to examine what E15 research should be conducted before its use is widespread and what research and development should be required in advance of the introduction of future new fuels. He also referred to draft legislation written by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., which, if introduced, would seek to require the EPA to contract with the National Academy of Science to assess the need for additional E15 research.
The next speaker was Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., a former member of the state Oregon House of Representatives, who was elected to federal office in a special election on Jan. 31, 2012. Bonamici spoke in defense of producing homegrown renewable fuels, asserting that reaching the blend wall should not be a reason to give up on the industry. It was perplexing, she said, that in a committee where science is paramount, that the studies cited and main literature provided were funded or came from the automotive and petroleum industries.
Further, Bonamici said, the E15 reports completed by the CRC represent only one side. The U.S. DOE, which has called the accuracy of the CRC reports into question, nor the EPA, which approved the E15 waiver, were not called as witnesses at the hearing, she pointed out. In an effort to bring balance, she submitted for the record alterative views on E15 and testing of the fuel. Although other legislators countered that additional witness could have been invited to speak by the Democratic side, Bonamici explained that by the time it had been confirmed that a representative of the CRC was to speak, it was too late to invite additional speakers. She also pointed out that out of thousands of gas stations, only about 18 offer E15 currently. In addition, she referenced studies that have shown ethanol saves drivers money at the pump.
The first two witnesses included Robert Darbelnet, president and CEO of the American Automobile Association, and Wayne Allard, vice president of government relations for the American Motorcyclist Association. They called for additional testing of E15 and expressed concerns about missfueling. Allard spent several minutes during his five-minute testimony and under questioning discussing the four-gallon minimum rule for single hose gas pumps, despite the fact that an alternate fueling configuration was approved in early February.
The third witness, Mike Leister, a member of the board of directors for the CRC, spoke about the testing that organization completed on E15. He claimed the EPA improperly used a DOE study that was focused more on emissions than engine durability and that the CRC testing met a higher standard.
Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association spoke out prior to the hearing, criticizing it for its one-sided nature. The Fuels America coalition released a statement the same day as the hearing, calling E15 a safe, clean, high-quality fuel that was tested more than any other fuel. "Today's hearing on the merits of E15 is like a scene from Groundhog Day: we've seen it all before," the group said. "Oil-backed organizations, like the Coordinating Research Council, and others like AAA continue to ignore years of work and millions of miles of testing that went into the approval of E15."
The American Coalition for Ethanol also spoke out the day of the hearing. Ron Lamberty, senior vice president of ACE, sent a lengthy letter to the chairman and ranking member of the committee, outlining concerns on the CRC's E15 testing results. "The E15 debate is not about fuel quality," he said in the letter. "Porsche approves the use E15 in 2001 and newer cars. The companies who make lawnmowers don't approve it. Some engines just are not of sufficient quality to handle today's fuels. E15 has been thoroughly tested, including several successful tests by CRC, as a safe fuel for approved vehicles and engines." The letter also references a chart illustrating that none of the seven vehicles testing by CRC were among the top ten best-selling vehicles by year.


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Lots of food fun this week. On Wednesday I got a free lunch of black bean enchiladas and rice thanks to the health survey coupon I got. Delicious!
Wednesday really stunk in most regards, but FileNet dev getting shut down at 5 meant I had an excuse to go home that early. Which was very nice.
And Thursday was 'Pi day.' We had a pie day in our department, and when I went down at 10 to get some, I counted 17 of them! Not including the big chicken pot pie our boss brought in for lunch. What a spread--it was really hard to choose what to eat. =)


text: Masahiro Sakurai, the mind behind the Super Smash Bros. games, has praised Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Source Gaming on Twitter has posted a summary of what Sakurai had to say, translated from Sakurai's column in the latest Famitsu issue. Here is the summary given, translated by @brando_themando and @PushDustIn. Here are some of what Sakurai had to say about the game. Sakurai cleared Xenoblade Chronicles 2 during his New Year's vacation. He had to dedicate a lot of time to it because of the immense amount of content, but says having so much to do also creates a real sense of growth and development Sakurai praises the game's sprawling world, unique story and rich soundtrack. He thinks the map's use of high and low terrain and its variety of areas makes it great for an open world game. From a developer's perspective, he considers Xenoblade 2 a considerable achievement. Says Monolith Soft's assistance to Breath of The Wild's development might have improved their own open-world know-how. It took him a really long time to play, but for open world games, big is the right way to do it. He thinks the feeling of freedom, doing things in the order you like and going on adventures with your crew is an essential aspect of open-world games. There are things you can't get by just rushing through the game. If you take your time, and dig deep, there's a lot to love. It's a rare type of game, so if you're going to play it, then plant your feet and take on the challenge. When someone as prolific as Masahiro Sakurai is praising your game, you know you did something right! I cleared the initial game in about 100 hours, but I've put over 170 hours into the game. There are still blades I need and I'm still working on quests at level 78. With Sakurai's praises, this creates a definite possibility that characters from Xenoblade 2 will make it into Smash Bros. on Switch. It's great to hear Sakurai praise one of the best Switch games to come out.


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The July 2011 issue of Family Tree Magazine is out with its list of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs of 2011. I'm thrilled to report that the Local and Regional Research category includes the California Genealogical Society and Library blog. Sunny Jane Morton wrote this very kind description:
In November 2007, Kathryn Doyle launched this blog after determining that her society needed to "go virtual or perish." Certainly the society is experiencing a long and healthy life, if its active blog and extensive website are its vital signs. Local events and member stories are top topics.Sunny is quoting my very first blog post – An Experiment – from November 2007 when I was quoting David Rencher and his talk on Societies Going Virtual. I think it is fair to say that genealogy bloggers have had a lot to do with how far into the future we have come!
There are five winning blogs in each of eight categories as follows*:
- Clue Wagon by Kerry Scott
- Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter by Dick Eastman
- footnoteMaven by footnoteMaven
- Olive Tree Genealogy by Lorine McGinnis Schultze
- We Tree by Amy Coffin
- The Association of Graveyard Rabbits by several authors
- Digital Cemetery Walk by Gale Wall
- Escape to Silent Cities by Tami Thiele
- Granite in My Blood by Midge Frazel
- Gravestoned by Anonymous
- Ancestry Insider by Ancestry Insider
- Dienekes' Anthropology Blog by Dienekes Pontikos
- Genealogy's Star by James Tanner
- Moultrie Creek Gazette by Denise Barrett Olson
- Renee's Genealogy Blog by Renee Zamora
Heritage Groups
- Acadian and French-Canadian Ancestral Home by Lucie Le Blanc Consentino
- Georgia Black Crackers by Mavis Jones
- Help! The Faerie Folk Hid My Ancestors! by Deborah Large Fox
- Luxegen by Joan Miller
- Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog bu Schelly Talalay Dardashti
Research Advice
- The Armchair Genealogist by Lynn Palermo
- Family Curator by Denise Levenick
- Genealogy Tip of the Day by Michael John Neill
- NARAtions by National Archives
- Shades of the Departed by footnoteMaven
Local and Regional Research
- Brooklyn Historical Society Blog by the Brooklyn Historical Society
- California Genealogical Society and Library Blog by Kathryn Doyle
- Eastern Washington Genealogical Society by Miriam Robbins Midkiff
- New York History by John Warren
- Sandusky History: by the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center
New Blogs
- Climbing My Family Tree by Jennifer
- Have You Seen My Roots? by Cheryl Cayemberg
- Heritage Zen by Cynthia Shenette
- Journey to the Past by Brenda Leyndyke
- Old Stones Undeciphered by Lisa Wallen Logsdon
My Family History
- Greta's Genealogy Blog by Greta Koehl
- Little Bytes of Life by Elizabeth O'Neal
- Mississippi Memories by Janice Tracy
- Nutfield Genealogy by Heather Rojo
- West in New England by Bill West
Many thanks to readers who voted, to the magazine staff and to the Family Tree 40 Panel who lent their expertise in formulating the blog categories and qualifications (and whose blogs were excluded from consideration).
One of the blogger panelists is "far-flung" (as he calls himself) member Thomas MacEntee, author of Destination: Austin Family and GeneaBloggers. The other Family Tree 40 panelists are Lisa Louise Cooke, DearMYRTLE and Randy Seaver.
Two other CGS members are among the Top 40 – Amy Coffin and Elizabeth O'Neal.
Congratulations to all!
Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library


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Have you ever experienced trying to find links for your content? It's one thing to try and think of what you'd put up on your copy and where you'd put it. It's another to try and search for authority links, links that would lead you to references for your copy, and links to use in linking back to your website. Quite a load of links, that one! There's the trouble. How would you search for all of those in the vastness of Google Search?
We've built this website as a solution to that problem. Acknowledging the problem of SEO Specialists and people in the business of building links, we've taken to compiling links upon links of different subject matters and different places of importance to people with specific engine optimization needs. Writing about a foreign country? Writing about the world, in general? We've got the solution for that and more!
Aside from creating a repository of links, we've built our website to accommodate various links you're your SEO. If you want to submit your site for archiving and back-linking in our website, please do! We strive to make our website the best of the best—a site of links for link-builders.


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Exquisite Jive
Our annual writing contest
Big fun! This year, we invited you to play an odd type of Exquisite Corpse game with us. We provided the introductory sentence, larded with sly nuggets that we hoped you'd groove on, and you provided the ensuing 500 words to flesh out the story. This succeeded beyond our wildest dreams, the editorial team sniping over beers as we hashed out the five we felt shone brightest from the 40 or so excellent submissions received.
Not included below but well worth mentioning are Wulf Rehder's dolphin-faced goodness, Jenne Kaivo's hilarious recounting of the oh-so-many brief tragedies our dyslexic couple endured--including selling their souls to "a Stan"--Tessie Share's delightful difficulties, the straightforward humanity of Kay Ramsbottom's sting and Ric Escalante's "monetary messages."
Thanks for playing. We think you'll enjoy these as much as we did. And the enjoyment isn't over. We host our annual Jive party on Wednesday, Oct. 27. It's free, but you must reserve a spot by calling 707.527.1200, ext. 215.
Until next year, when we cook up another batch of tomfoolery!
Gretchen Giles
When, on the fifth day of their honeymoon, Gianna and Harry swerved to miss a porcupine, jolted upside down onto the road's hot, sandy shoulder and smashed the funerary jar entirely, there were those who said they deserved it. . . .
Harry's previous wives, for instance, felt this sort of animosity toward the newlyweds. Gianna was number four. At one of their recent dinner parties, while stuffing in slices of low-carb pizza, the ex-wives didn't hold back.
"You know they're implants."
"She's a real fixer-upper."
"Dumb as a post."
To Harry, divorce came naturally. As the owner of a chain of car dealerships, he saw a lot of trade-ins. After a few years with the same car, or wife, most men that Harry knew were ready for a new model--it's just that most of them couldn't afford the upgrade.
"I can't believe this shit." After the airbag deflated, Harry discovered the Jeep's door was bent shut, and wriggled his sweaty body out the window onto the baking sand.
"What did you expect me to do?" Gianna demanded over her limp sack. "Run it over?"
Harry knew better than to argue with her. Gianna's response to bickering was to withhold sex. Naturally, she had taken the porcupine's side. Her obsession with animals wore on Harry. Why had he agreed to bring that damn urn along on their honeymoon in the first place?
Earlier that day, they'd been driving around the desert, looking for the right place to sprinkle the ashes. "He says we're getting close." Gianna's eyes squeezed shut in concentration. She clutched the urn to her breasts with one hand. A five-carat diamond ring sparkled below her pink nails. Harry winced. The ring had set him back more than the boob job, and she was turning out to be a real piece of work.
Gianna's door opened easily, and Harry grabbed her elbow, guiding her out into the furnacelike heat. "Just relax a minute, everything's gonna be all right." He punched the AAA numbers into his cell phone, explaining through a curtain of static that they were about 15 minutes outside of Alamogordo.
The connection died quickly and Harry found Gianna sitting cross-legged in the shade of the overturned Jeep, sobbing. She cupped a piece of the broken urn in her palm.
"I loved him so much," a thin line of snot ran down over her lips. "I really did."
"I know, baby," Harry sat down beside her. He hoped the tow truck would find them soon--he could use a Corona.
"Chico was only 12." Gianna's blonde head dropped disconsolately.
"At least he found a resting place in the desert," Harry said.
Gianna brightened. "That's true!" She gave him a brave smile, which Harry hoped meant they would have sex tonight. "Maybe it was meant to be this way."
Christ, that Chico had been so annoying, always yipping and trembling with those bulgy eyes. Even after his death, he still managed to make Harry's life hellish.
"Goodbye, Chico!" Gianna stood and threw the shard of urn into the desert.
"Goodbye," said Harry, checking his watch. That damned Chihuahua.
Dawn Thomas
Oedipus Wrecks
When, on the fifth day of their honeymoon, Gianna and Harry swerved to miss a porcupine, jolted upside down onto the road's hot, sandy shoulder and smashed the funerary jar entirely, there were those who said they deserved it . . .
. . . the very first being the startled porcupine. Swearing angrily, it waddled indignantly off into the surrounding forest.
Harry came to first, suspended upside-down in his seatbelt. Groggily turning to Gianna, likewise suspended by hers, he muttered, "Sweetheart, what did we say about suddenly bracing yourself against the dash, jamming your feet into the foot well and screaming, 'Look out!' while we're driving?" There was no response from Gianna.
Looking about the topsy-turvy vehicle, Harry's eyes fixed on the shattered remains of the ornate funerary urn that had contained his deceased mother's ashes, which were now mixed with the detritus of prior road trips below him.
"Mother! No!" he cried in anguish. "And when we were so close!"
Reaching with difficulty to his left ankle, Harry pulled up his pants leg, unsheathing the ritual dagger he'd prepared from melted-down coffin nails and a piece of the ulna of an executed murderer, and, in a moment, cut himself free. Kneeling, he took up a handful of ashes, sobbing, "Oh, Mother, it's not fair!
"Just another few miles to the Ring of the Old Ones and I'd have brought you back from the dead with the blood of a freshly despoiled virgin!" Harry looked over toward the still-unconscious Gianna. "So close!"
Harry forlornly scraped up what he could of his mother's ashes and, taking up an empty plastic water bottle from the debris, funneled them into it. He then kicked out the driver's side window and, with the capped neck of the bottle grasped between his teeth, crawled out the overturned vehicle, bloodying himself in the process as bits of safety glass tore at his palms and kneecaps.
Close by lay one of Harry's suitcases, sprung open. And there among five days' worth of soiled clothing, lay the thrice-cursed Book of N'hrweltet. No doubt due to Harry's having studied that particular section for several months, it had fallen open to the page with the incantation for resurrection of the dead. As Harry unthinkingly laid his bloody hands upon it, there was a loud, thunderlike clap, and out of a fiery hole that suddenly appeared in the middle of the road, a huge hand lunged out and grasped the terrified Harry.
"Whelp," rumbled a disembodied voice from within the flaming hole. "Not the best-looking recently despoiled virgin I've ever seen, but, eh, you'll do." With another thunderous explosion, the hand and a now madly gibbering Harry disappeared, leaving a sulfurous stench behind them.
And there in the road, sitting uncomfortably upon the melted fragments of a burst and flattened plastic water bottle, was Harry's wrinkled, old crone of a mother, stark naked and about two-thirds lifesize, as Harry had not managed to get all her scattered ashes collected. "Harry?" she rasped weakly.
Inside the overturned vehicle, Gianna suddenly came to and shrieked, "Look out for that porcupine!"
Rich Jones
Fire in the Belly
When, on the fifth day of their honeymoon, Gianna and Harry swerved to miss a porcupine, jolted upside down onto the road's hot, sandy shoulder and smashed the funerary jar entirely, there were those who said they deserved it . . .
. . . for stealing the Town Car in the first place. They would say, "What sort of heartless, evil losers would steal a hearse from a funeral parlor during the middle of a funeral?"
But Harry never did care what "they" said or what "they" thought, and lived according to what he called keeping "the fire in the belly" burning. Sometimes that meant getting drunk on hairspray and rocketing his cousin's IROC down I-5 at midnight and flicking off the headlights. But since Aug. 11, 1985, his belly had been burning thermonuclear hot.
On that day, he'd gone to the Evergreen Mall to buy the new Iron Maiden album. Stopping by the Hot Dog on a Stick to get an order of cheese fries, he first laid eyes on Gianna, squeezing lemonade. It was magic: Gianna's hair so carefully tucked under the hat of her Hot Dog on a Stick uniform and coming steadily unfurled with every pump of the lemonade squeezer, the beads of perspiration collecting on her barely revealed clavicle and flickering like prisms under the fluorescent lighting of the mall's food court and the smell of hot pork in the air mystically transformed another anonymous lead-colored Tuesday in Kent, Wash., into something Harry would describe to his cousin two days later from a pay phone in Crescent City, Calif., as "Totally radical, dude."
Gianna looked up at Harry and did not need to ask what he wanted to eat; his eyes were locked on her like those of all the other prepubescent mall rats, lunch-hour Radio Shack salesmen and geriatric pederasts stopping by after their circuit of mall power-walking. But unlike the rest of them, Harry reeked heavily of a freshly burned doobie and sported a Cheshire Cat grin that she could not resist. She wanted to get out of the mall. She wanted to get out of Kent. She wanted to rock on. She wanted to get high. And Harry was already there.
And so, three days, two Greyhound bus tickets to Reno and a quarter of Mexican brown later, Gianna had become Mrs. Harold Jack Dupree. Seeing the idling Lincoln parked outside the drive-up wedding/funeral chapel, Harry said to Gianna, "Hey babe, let's steal the dead man's car and drive it down to Colorado. He ain't using it no more." Gianna agreed and five days later she and Harry were being pulled out of the overturned Town Car by the jaws of life, kept alive only by well-trained Denver EMTs and the benevolent power emanating from the crushed funerary jar--the soul of a cursed shaman trapped in the cremated incarnation of a middle-aged stockbroker dead of his third cardiac arrest.
Now freed from his broken vessel, the shaman was able to roam the world again as Porcupine, spirit of the pines, whom the Paiute Indians pray to as "the one who gnaws through winter to reveal spring"--freed by the only things that keep the spirit world spinning on its axis: passion, youth and rock 'n' roll.
Steven Waldron
When, on the fifth day of their honeymoon, Gianna and Harry swerved to miss a porcupine, jolted upside down onto the road's hot, sandy shoulder and smashed the funerary jar entirely, there were those who said they deserved it. . . .
The former inhabitant of the ashes that lay scattered among the shards of the urn would certainly have expressed that opinion had he been in any condition to do so. It was a sentiment he'd voiced often in life--"Damn fools! Only themselves to blame"--whenever misfortune befell anyone of his acquaintance, and he would not have hesitated to express it now, regardless of any resulting hurt feelings. Other people's hurt feelings never bothered him, least of all his son Harry's.
Harry blamed himself. He'd been brought up that way; by now it was second nature.
Gianna tended to blame the porcupine--weren't they supposed to be nocturnal? So what was this one doing waddling across the road in the middle of the afternoon, for God's sake? Gianna loathed nature, although she was willing to put up with a certain amount of it for Harry's sake.
Just like she'd been willing to put up with Harry's dad, a foul-mouthed reprobate with a bad toupee, who made a point of mispronouncing her name. "Gee-ann-uh," he'd say, watching her face for signs of annoyance. He loved to annoy people, and being monstrously rich, he generally got away with it. Of course, she never referred to him as a foul-mouthed reprobate in conversations with Harry. "A real character," she called him, although she suspected Harry knew how she felt.
Honestly, she thought, Harry's dad was the one who was mostly to blame. If he hadn't had that coronary while drunkenly flapping and clapping his way through the "Chicken Dance" during the reception, and if his will hadn't specified, as a condition of inheritance, that his ashes be scattered amid the scree at Devil's Postpile National Monument within a week of his demise, none of this would have happened.
Now here they were, and there the car was, and there were those damned ashes. Gina noticed Harry kneeling among them, scrabbling around. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Uh, do you have a little bottle or anything?"
"A bottle?"
"It doesn't have to be a bottle. Any little container would be fine." He looked up at her sheepishly. "It's just . . . we've come this far, and if we could get even a few of the ashes . . . it's such a lot of money . . . Wouldn't that count?"
Gianna choked back the furious tirade rising in her throat. He looked so pathetic kneeling there, though he had a point about the money. She dug in her purse till she found the ibuprofen bottle, emptied the remaining tablets into her hand and gave the bottle to Harry. Then she carefully stashed the tablets in a clean pocket. She would need them before the day was over.
Chris Garland
When, on the fifth day of their honeymoon, Gianna and Harry swerved to miss a porcupine, jolted upside down onto the road's hot, sandy shoulder and smashed the funerary jar entirely, there were those who said they deserved it. . . .
Gianna and Harry were curious, interesting people who had curious and interesting friends. The type of friends who would quite naturally be drawn to something like the funerary jar. Such a handsome jar, made of ceramic that was pit-fired black and carved with some sort of Native American-looking design. Very Native American. Very attractive. They would pick up the jar and turn it around. Then, while Gianna or Harry were busy in the kitchen putting the last touches on dinner, something sort of ethnic, something with some complexity, they would lift the lid and look inside, just to see what was making the jar so much heavier than expected.
Human ashes, to the naive innocent, look very much like some sort of gray, gravelly potpourri, and so it wasn't uncommon for Gianna and Harry's visitors to lower their nose a bit closer for a sniff, just to nail down the substance. "What's this?" they would say, after failing to identify it.
Then they would have to endure the shame, the mortification, of Gianna or Harry, who would be reentering the living room at this point, usually brandishing a glass or two of wine, saying, "That's Marsha."
To be caught sniffing Harry's mother's ashes was a tough place, even for Harry and Gianna's type of friend, and though this awkward moment never actually interrupted a budding friendship, Marsha did become a point of angst for many of their compatriots. "Those damn ashes," they would say. Because Harry brought them everywhere. To beach parties. To pot lucks. Out to dinner.
"Mom never liked to be left behind," Harry said, and his friends would smile a bit wanly because a smile was expected of them, but, truth be told, Marsha gave them the fucking creeps.
Marsha had a front seat at the wedding. On the plane, she traveled wrapped in bubble wrap, tucked into a duffel bag in the overhead compartment. In the honeymoon suite, she was set in the bathroom on the back of the toilet because, though Gianna was all for being supportive of Harry's Marsha thing, she didn't like the idea of Marsha being in the same room with them when they made love. Even Gianna had her limits.
When the porcupine waddled in front of their rented jeep, Harry swerved. The tires skidded out on the sand. Marsha, the only one not belted in, flew from the car, her jar smashed to bits against the trunk of a tree. Harry and Gianna dangled there for a moment, upside down in their honeymoon jeep, both of them stunned. Gianna was the first to speak. "I've never seen a porcupine before," she said.
"Me either," Harry said. "It was bigger than I would have expected."
Gianna de Persiis Vona
[ | Metroactive Central | ]
From the October 20-26, 2004 issue of the North Bay Bohemian.


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Entertainers and athletes have all kinds of rituals that they practice before they perform or compete. Whether it's a group prayer or a pair of lucky socks, they are almost as important as the actual show or game. Sometimes the stars give fans a glimpse into what those rituals are, and we get to find out that those rituals can also be darn fun!
For some time, Miranda Lambert has treated fans to one of her fun little behind-the-scenes practices—the GlamJam.
RELATED: Miranda Lambert tells us how she's making sure to have even more fun in 2018
Ran and her glam squad grab a variety of beauty implements, turn up the music and belt out a popular hit song glamaoke … um … karaoke style.
It's ba-ack!
Backstage at Elton John's tribute concert, "Elton John: I'm Still Standing — A Grammy Salute," Ran and the hot hair and makeup crew got their TLC on, including makeup artist Moani Lee, fashion stylist Tiffany Gifford, hair stylist Johnny Lavoy, fashion stylist Joseph Cassell Falconer, hair stylist Marwa Bashir and Maren Morris.
Wait, what?
Yes, Maren, who was also performing at the Elton John tribute, joined up with her pal and her squad, which makes it even more logical to break out a 2018 version of GlamJam.
Singing into scissors, hairspray, a lint roller, makeup brushes and a bottle of bubbly, the six glamazons whipped out the 1999 TLC classic "No Scrubs." And an earworm is born.
We aren't entirely sure when Miranda's GlamJams began. They were likely happening well before someone thought to document them for social media. We do know that they have been going on for several years, though, and in those years we remember some favorites.
In 2016, Ran and the Glams did an awesome rendition of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."
Then in 2014, backstage at the ACM Awards, there was "Proud Mary."
RELATED: Watch as Miranda Lambert plucks a little girl out of the audience for the coolest reason
Of course, it would be hard to top a GlamJam with Patty Loveless where you cover the iconic Loretta Lynn hit, "You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man."
But, then again, we weren't exactly expecting Miranda's Nonny, dad and her Pink Pistol staff to create their own version of GlamJam, singing Miranda's "We Should Be Friends."
Miranda has a giant year of touring ahead of her in 2018, so maybe this fun tradition will be reinstated with her glam squad and perhaps even some of her tour mates. On Feb. 2, she kicks off the "Livin' Like Hippies Tour" with Jon Pardi, so that could make for some fun karaoke. Then in July, Miranda and Little Big Town take off for "The Bandwagon Tour," and that sets up the prime opportunity to redo this GlamJam version of "Day Drinkin'."


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President Elect Trump's choices for head of the Department of Health and Human Services, and for director of the federal Office of Management and Budget, have both said in the… read more →
"I'm not just an autistic kid anymore, I have climbed a freaking mountain" wrote Colin Eldred-Cohen on the release of children's book, The Fire Truck Who Got Lost. Eldred-Cohen is… read more →
On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act as part of the 21st Century Cures Act. The new act allows first party special… read more →
In recent years, many older persons who have been hospitalized are stunned to learn that their hospital bills will not be covered by Medicare because their stay in the hospital… read more →


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News | Live Stream | Contact Us | Donate
February 16, 2016, Detroit – At the time of the disastrous water crisis in Flint, Michigan, families across the state in another troubled city – Detroit – have reached out in support. Adrian Dominican Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, director of the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit, writes in her blog of how the families in Detroit have reached through letters and prayers to their counterparts at the St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center in Flint. Founded in 2002 by Adrian Dominican Sister Carol Weber, OP, and Sister Judy Blake, CSJ, a Sister of St. Joseph, N.E.W. Life offers a variety of services to the people of Flint, from a literacy center to a food pantry and a commercial sewing program.


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PHDx MISSION:
Your Wellness. Our Mission.
PHDx MISSION:
Your Wellness. Our Mission.
PHDx VISION:
PHDx Delivers Patient-Centric Solutions
to Drive Better Clinical Outcomes
PHDx VALUE:
PHDx integrates precision diagnostics with an innovative wellness program
to attack chronic disease progression and improve healthcare outcomes
over time by tracking and monitoring therapeutic response.
PHDx is committed to advancing new clinical diagnostic and disease management capabilities in partnership with innovative academic and industry leaders through world-class clinical initiatives. The PHDx vision will broaden clinical insights in personalized chronic disease management targeting best-in-class biological characterization to drive therapeutic considerations focusing on pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, supplements, and lifestyle support. A major focus on adherence will help to deliver state-of-the-art healthcare for everyone.
PHDx's offering provides a 360º insight into the underlying factors that drive illness by unlocking each patient's biology. This characterization helps detect not only more advanced disease, but also early disease progression at its most treatable stage. Our advanced biomarker and genetic tests characterize the root-cause drivers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes, metabolic and hormonal dysfunction, cancer, and other chronic health conditions at the cellular level. This biological characterization offers unparalleled insight into each patients state of wellness or disease so that healthcare providers can individualize treatment options and then track therapeutic efficacy over time.
The PHDx education and wellness program is designed as a collaborative partnership that provides advanced healthcare solutions and clinical value for everyone. The digitally connected, cloud-based, information technology platform delivers focused educational tools that explain the actionable metrics derived from each patient's biological characterization. This platform engages providers and patients by providing evidence-based, peer-reviewed, clinical and therapeutic content—all delivered in a variety of instructional formats across our web portals and through social media. Longitudinal, HIPAA-secure access to patient reports allows both provider and patient the ability to track therapeutic response to their wellness recommendations over time. This precision diagnostic solution to long-term wellness management will increase patient engagement, and ultimately help everyone involved focus on improving clinical outcomes.
PHDx's dynamic team of leaders in medicine, science, and business have a proven track record of building and delivering precision diagnostic platforms to advance healthcare delivery that can improve clinical outcomes.
PHDx is driven to sustain the highest ethical and clinical standards to build trusted partnerships with our Customers, Collaborators, and Investors.
Jim Canfield
President & CEO
30+ years of executive leadership and healthcare laboratory management experience. Formerly with Abbott Laboratories, Baxter International, Idexx Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics, and Autogenomics.
Henry Agent
20 years of experience as CFO and key finance roles with over 10 years experience healthcare. (Formerly with Cardinal Health, UTC Labs, Keltman Pharmaceutical, Citibank)
Donald W. Burk
20+ years with leadership roles in technology development, management, and consulting in healthcare, electronics, energy, consumer packaged goods. (Formerly with Texas Instruments, GE, Cyrk-Simon Worldwide)
Scott Davis
Executive VP of Sales
22 years as a sales leader in the healthcare space, 18+ years focused in the specialty laboratory space. (Formerly VP of Sales numares AG, CSI Laboratories, and CardioVIP, Inc.)
Jerry Casey
Over 25 years of experience in the in vitro diagnostic and laboratory testing industry with Abbott and Genzyme. (Formerly with Genzyme, Sekisui Diagnostics.)
Gerard Moufflet
CEO and Founder of Acceleration International, healthcare investing firm in Europe and the US. (Formerly with Health Care Practice Worldwide at Advent International, and Baxter International.)
Donald E. Pogorzelski
30+ years of executive leadership and healthcare laboratory management experience. (Formerly with Genzyme Diagnostics, Abbott Laboratories, and Molecular MD.)
Christopher Rich
30+ years in consumer healthcare and personal products. (Formerly with GSK Consumer Healthcare, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, Gillette, and Bain Consulting.)


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The use of in-house software developers in the simplification, standardisation and systematisation of processes across mine planning, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and closure planning
In 2011, the mining industry was facing challenges brought on by a shortage of capable and experienced mining engineers. To gain an advantage in this environment, the BHP Billiton Iron Ore Resource Engineering Department employed and integrated a group of data professionals with the intent to significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the incumbent mining engineers. The vision was to have engineers engineering and the data professionals undertaking the technical support. Using the right people to do the right work. The benefits of this approach were seen as:
- attraction and retention of the best people through increased job satisfaction
- greater opportunity to analyse value-add options
- mechanisation of the processes that add no value (ie data manipulation, scenario set-up and reporting).
This integrated approach to traditional mine planning has created time for mining engineers to analyse data and focus on insight. The two-way communication between the 'solution' providers and the end users has created a great culture of openness where ideas are shared and everyone is supportive of the outcomes. The tangible improvements realised between 2011 and 2014 gave rise to an opportunity to progress a similar approach across the geotechnical engineering, hydrology and closure planning disciplines. That journey began in June 2014 and is ongoing. The approach and systems described below have transformed the workplace and increased predictability and efficiency, whilst delivering more control and, ultimately, improving decision making.
Mining Workbench
The Mining Workbench is a collection of productivity tools for mining engineers, written in C# and Perl scripts. In short, it converts resource models into regularised mining models. By providing a standardised way of performing processing tasks, a consistent process output can be achieved, with less exposure to human error.
The Mining Workbench improves efficiency in the following ways:
- automation of most data processing tasks
- central management of standards
- clear visual representation of tasks
- reduces re-work through ensuring correctness and consistency.
For example, the Mining Workbench has reduced the time taken to generate a regularised mining model by at least 66 per cent.
In addition, the Mining Workbench has enabled the enforcement of naming conventions, which is vital in an environment where systems (such as the ones described in this article) must interface.
Advanced Planning Environment
Advanced Planning Environment (APE) is a schedule analysis tool that is used by mine engineers to analyse their schedule outputs (strategic and tactical), regardless of the scheduling package used. It is written in C#.
Key benefits of APE are:
- historic record for all published plans
- built-in standard analysis tools and charts
- standardised exports for resource engineering customers.
APE is a collaborative tool for schedulers of different planning timescales, as it reads a range of schedules: from life-of-mine, to five-year mine plans, to two-year budget plans, to twelve-week plans. This provides a platform to perform plan to plan comparisons (ie current plan to previous plan and to plan above).
APE provides a central storage of schedules where multiple engineers working on a particular study can store their schedules. Comparisons can then be made in a standardised and consistent way. The central storage system also streamlines auditing processes and enables consistent reporting to downstream customers.
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Logistics and Infrastructure Optimisation Network (LION)
LION is a tool that allows users to quickly define and assess different supply chain infrastructure (crushing, processing, train loading, etc) and market scenarios using a Visio style interface. It also allows the user to generate standardised planning models, which are required by the in-house designed strategic planning software. It is written in C#.
Key benefits of LION are:
- a 'design' surface for rapid infrastructure configuration
- generation of standardised planning models
- high level scheduling for instant valuation feedback
- ability to test assumption uncertainty.
LION is driven by a standard assumptions set including mineral inventory, price, technical marketing, foreign exchange, operating and capital costs and process capability. These assumptions, as well as the guided infrastructure layout, are used to assess the alternatives, either through LION's ability to export fully populated models for optimisation within the in-house strategic software, or with LION's own internal high level scheduler.
LION's internal scheduler targets maximum net present value (NPV) by scheduling options with the highest economic profit. Economic profit is a function of the revenue received over the opportunity cost of the inputs used, in this case supply chain capacity. In effect, LION attempts to put the highest NPV possible through each unit of capacity available in the supply chain. The financial calculations in LION have been built to mirror valuation model calculations where possible and incorporate price, royalties, penalties, operating costs and capital costs, tax and depreciation.
LION incorporates various analytics tools to help the user compare alternatives and dive deeper into analysis of options. This includes comparing plans on detailed financial metrics with the ability to overlay uncertainty around all input assumptions.
Knowledge Repository
The Knowledge Repository (KR) provides a better way to manage data across Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) through a single source of truth and ease of access. KR is used for all data other than the mine schedules, which are
stored in APE.
Key benefits of KR are:
- metadata store for resource engineering data
- ensures latest versions used by tracking updates
- ensures version is current by tracking dependencies
- integration with other systems – ie the Mining Workbench uses the latest available version transparently.
Data is registered as an 'asset' and passes through several stages, namely, draft, validated, published and (once replaced by newer data) superseded. A SharePoint-Nintex workflow governs the process for changing the status of an asset from validated to published. The published assets are the 'master' dataset.
The integration of these tools means reporting is focused on insight and not verbalising inputs, which have effectively become metadata to a schedule or scenario.
Geotech Workbench
As with the original concept, the goal was to have geotechnical engineers focused on geotechnical engineering with the data professionals providing technical support. This aim was distilled down into 'enable calculations and preferred methods'.
The Geotech Workbench is a collection of tools for geotechnical engineers to perform initial validation on drill hole data and standardised workflow to analyse the dataset. Drill hole data is extracted from databases owned by the geological data management team (outside of resource engineering) and imported into the Geotech Workbench. From here, engineers perform automated validation, exports to other tools for visualisations. Once validation is completed, histograms and other domain processes are performed using standardised methodologies. The tools are written in C#.
The Geotech Workbench improves efficiency in the following ways:
- reduced time spent by engineers in preparing and synthesising data
- reduced consultant costs
- geotechnical modelling is more up to date and consistent across the team
- data analysis is streamlined, consistent, validated and outcomes are stored and controlled
- geotechnical engineers can spend more time in decision-making within their fields of expertise
- improved overall pit design timeframes (geotechnical engineering not on the critical path).
Hydro Workbench
As with the Mining and Geotech Workbenches, the objective was to improve the hydrology value chain. The capture and management of hydrology data contains lengthy manual manipulation and approval steps. The data and process flow were not optimised.
The Hydro Workbench improves efficiency in the following ways:
- the hydrology team can spend more time in decision making within their fields of expertise
- reduced time spent by internal hydrologists preparing data for external consultants
- hydrology modelling is more up to date
- capture of data is standardised
- data interpretation outcomes are stored and controlled.
In addition, the utilisation of GIS technology provides a more visual way to analyse data.
Closure Workbench
This product provides substantial automation and tools for closure cost valuation. A workbench-type solution was developed to provide a standardised workflow for reporting outputs for the annual financial reporting schedule.
The manual spreadsheet-driven processes used previously required significant amounts of time and effort.
Provision of a workbench-type software solution has created an automated alternative to the spreadsheets. It provides repeatability, and a low cost method of generating output closure cost metrics, freeing up closure planning specialists to focus on managing key cost drivers. It also meets financial reporting requirements by improving source transparency, accountability and auditability.
Effective change management
Some of the technical insights gained over the past two years include:
- Fail early, fail cheap – but learn from it.
- Break projects into smaller modules or tools, each with a defined scope, a description of the minimal viable product (MVP) and clear acceptance criteria.
- Ten per cent of the way in, revisit the scope and redefine the MVP and the acceptance criteria.
- Openness and consultation are the keys to success. Openness is having two-way conversation between the solution providers and the end-users. Consultation is building awareness through regular communication to those not directly involved (managers/supervisors) so that they are supportive during implementation.
- Do not underestimate the resistance to change. Adopt the ADKAR change management model (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, reinforcement), which represents the five outcomes an individual must achieve for change to be successful. Early engagement with all stakeholders is key. Create a project charter before any work begins. Communicate what is going on continuously and build a general awareness.
- Ensure sponsors are active and visible.
- Provide a vision and roadmap of the planned changes.
- Branding the change to create excitement and buy-in.
- Being cognisant of the amount of change a group experiences (change saturation).
- Piloting the roll-out to gain lessons learned before expanding.
We would like to thank all of the resource engineering people who have contributed to our success. In particular, John Kirk for embedding software development capability into the team, Jeremy Abercrombie-Higgins for his knowledge, vision, work and documentation in this area. Special thanks also go to Lukman Sasmita, Barry Vayler and Arturo Maldonado for their work and support.
Thank you to our first reader, Joanne Heyes. Your suggestions and revisions greatly helped the readability of this article.
Image courtesy BHP Billiton.


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Looking for a quick idea to freshen up your home decor? This is it! A no-sew, scarf wrapped pillow. When I saw this super simple DIY from Creature Comforts it inspired me to keep an eye out for interesting scarves to try it out. I decided to cover pillows that I was currently using so I could easily take the scarf off and use the pillow again, plus I really didn't want to buy inserts and then have to find a place to store pillows that I will use again. It would also be fun to scout out vintage scarves or even fabric since the frayed edges don't show after being tucked inside. For the pillows above I found scarves at Standard Style, a local Kansas City store. They were having a buy one scarf get one free sale, making these two pillows cost a total of $15 dollars. Nice price for a little splash of color. Take a look at the full instructions on the Creature Comforts blog.
I love simple transformations to brighten up a room. Please share if you have a favorite, simple DIY for home decor. I would love to hear!


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Lise Charmel A Splendeur Soie Aplatine Camisole
A stunning nightwear collection, the Splendeur Soie designs by Lise Charmel are truly beautiful. Luxurious silk satin is highlighted by sheer tulle and contrasting embroidery while feminine details add a touch of luxury. The collection features guipure inserts and Leavers lace.
The exquisite Splendeur Soie camisole in a sophisticated silver colour is sheer luxury to wear. In a splendid silk and cotton mix fabric (85%), it has contrasting soft ivory lace along the neckline at the front. With a straight back and adjustable spaghetti straps for fit and comfort, the chemise is a delightful item to own and wear. Available at Juste Moi with matching lingerie and other nightwear.
Silky smooth silk mix with Leavers lace
Super as summer outerwear
Adjustable straps
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For more details, please check our delivery service.


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The Mount Merapi volcano in Indonesia erupted Tuesday, forcing thousands of nearby residents to flee, the Antara national news agency reported.
Images on Indonesian TV showed the volcano lighting the sky with a fiery glow and sending thick clouds of gray smoke high into the air.
Mount Merapi, which looms on the horizon north of the major city of Yogyakarta, has a summit elevation of nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). It is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes and lies in one of the world's most densely populated areas.
iReport: Are you there? Send photos, videos
Mount Merapi Webcam (slow due to high volume of traffic)
Indonesia is really having it rough..maybe time to flee..
Yeah... we can do more damage that way.
about that fire and brimestone thing, uuhh maybe? Poor little things, it must be god is mad again! Q i said shaken , not stirred , or burned!
Well, no sense in worrying about it now.
i like my asians hot, but theese chicks are on fire!!!
You know, you don't act like a scientist. You're more like a game show host.
Venkman- Ghostbusters right? yes.
Venkman- Ghostbusters right? yes. good one!
buddahh is gonna be peeved if you wake him up!
I was there for the last eruption in 2006. I was playing golf on Yogyakarta golf course watching the huge plumes of stuff being spurted out. A week after I left there was an earthquake there, killed 5000 people.


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With challenging market conditions continuing, organizations must review their approach to talent attraction and retention, and improve employee learning and development.
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Believe it or not, my Design Origin Story is pretty unglamorous. Some would call it downright hardscrabble. I taught myself graphic design. I first worked my business skills on the mean streets of Craigslist. But not unlike Han Solo, this grizzled ol' renegade has always had a softness for a those in need. In 2011, something popped up on my radar that I couldn't look away from: a post on Craigslist asking for print and branding design for a small, direct action nonprofit based in New Orleans and operating internationally, providing relief to disfranchised refugees and high-poverty communities in Southeast Asia.
That nonprofit is One World Family. Its heads are Mark Lamaire and Eva Sohl. And their flagship program, the Lahu Education Initiative, a program that sends school bus drivers to rural villages in Northern Thailand, is where I entered their story. Mark was looking for a print designer to help communicate the dire needs of the Lahu people. This turned into developing their entire branding and web presence, grant applications, and, eventually, the branding and menu and wayfinding design for their next, connected venture. Mark and Eva brought back recipes and ideas from their mission trips to fuel Lahpet, a popup kitchen which helps fund the work of One World Family. It's named for Burma's signature street food, lahpet thote, a salad of fermented tea leaves and other fried and fresh goodies. If you've never had Burmese food before, I guarantee you are in for some surprises.
Now, just because it's pro bono doesn't mean it's cut-rate. (That's what makes it a passion project.) I consider myself invested in OWF and the outcomes for the people it helps, so I've poured a lot of research and creativity into these works. As Mark commented, "The logos and branding that she has done for both One World Family and Lahpet have been crucial in the success of these ventures. She pays attention to detail and is not afraid to dig in to a project; an example of this is when she found patterns used in the textile designs of tribes we work with in Asia and then incorporated those designs into One World Family design work."
One World Family's next mission trip is happening this month; as always, they'll be distributing clothes, blankets, and school supplies, and making arrangements with drivers to ensure the education of the most disadvantaged of children. If you're feeling an itch of the do-gooder passion I have for Mark and Eva's endeavor, you can make a donation safely and quickly through Paypal or Network for Good.
We're incurable do-gooders who are all 👏 about 👏 nonprofits 🙌. Get our specially-curated nonprofit design portfolio and share it with your favorite nonprofit:
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15 Quick & Easy Summer Recipes
Chilled Watermelon Soup
You can skip the blender and serve this dish as a salad instead of a soup!
Triple-Pepper Pasta
No need to reheat these leftovers! They make a great chilled pasta salad.
Cantaloupe & Apricot Granita
For a sparkling sipper, scoop some granite into a stemmed glass and top with prosecco.
Breakfast Bowls
A hearty bowl of polenta, sausage and fried eggs comes together in just minutes.
Bacon-Wrapped Taters
This recipe proves that wrapping things in bacon will never go out of style.
Veggie Pockets
You'll definitely want to pack this pita pocket filled with summery succotash for lunch!
White Chocolate & Raspberry S'mores
Wrap s'mores supplies in berry baskets so guests can make their own campfire treats!
White Chocolate and Raspberry S'mores
Lamb Tostadas
Mex up your taco night with these open face, lamb-stuffed tortillas!
White Chocolate and Raspberry S'mores
Tipsy Carrot
Get your fix of vitamin A at cocktail time!
Tangy Green Beans
The additional hard-boiled egg makes this side dish hearty and healthy.
Quick-Pickled Radishes
Add these tangy radish pickles to salads, sandwiches or tacos.
Tropical Chicken & Rice
This chicken dinner is far from boring: it's got pineapple, chili sauce and fresh mint!
Sweet Corn Scones
Transform corn muffin mix into a sweet breakfast treat.
Baked Cheese Toasts
Warm crostini with a cheesy topping make the perfect party app, any time of year!
Marble Fudge
Chocolate and peanut butter is the ultimate dessert combo. This easy treat is a definite crowd-pleaser!


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Kashmir: A year of highs and some lows for Gilgit-BaltistanKashmir, Kashmir -POK 2016-12-31, Comments Off 84
GILGIT: The year 2016 brought a mixed bag for Gilgit-Baltistan.
Development work resumed and the first shipments under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor rolled through with a host of foreign and domestic tourists, but there were times when it seemed that the powderkeg of sectarianism was about to blow up.
After the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was voted into government during the June 2015 elections, the party promised to pave over 80 kilometres of roads within the first 100 days of its government. While it may have missed that target last year, it did manage to accelerate development efforts during 2016.
Work on paving Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam from Sakwar to Jutial Chowk was completed, while roads in Ghari Bagh and other parts of the city were fully or partially laid. Likewise, roads in various parts of Skardu town were metalled.
"There is finally something to cheer us up," says Sabir Shah, a trader who lives in Gilgit – the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, where dilapidated roads had become a running joke during the previous elected government.
"It was a matter of shame that no development took place for so long and the capital looked bad."
In addition, the government also expedited work on a new building of G-B assembly in Jutial. Work on the building had started back in 2006-7 and was supposed to be completed by 2011-12. However, it was one of the many projects which faced delays.
Moreover, the government started work on the Skardu-Jaglot road – a Rs40 billion project for which a tender was recently awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). The road was in a dilapidated condition and accidents on it had become routine.
"This was one of the promises we made before elections. We have now been able to fulfil this promise," Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman recently told the media.
As part of the multi-billion dollar CPEC project, work on Sost Dry Port was completed and the first of the shipments arrived. But as winter rolled in, questions were asked on whether closing down the high-pass of Khunjerab for traffic was viable for the success of the corridor.
While there is optimism surrounding the development, there are also widespread concerns over the quality of the work.
"There is development work all around," says Mujahid Khan, a civil society activist. "But nobody is sure about the [quality of] materials being used," he said.
As an example, he pointed towards the newly constructed roads which appear to be inferior to the ones built by the Chinese a few years ago. "The moment you touch the road connecting the Karakoram Highway near Sakwar area, you feel the difference. This one is substandard."
Law and order
The region remained largely peaceful this year, especially with Muharram with Ashura passing without any incident.
Skardu likely to get cardiology centre at Gilgit-Baltistan University
However, there was a brief period – when Shia students staged a sit-in – which threatened to reignite sectarian tensions in the region.
The sit-in was against a ban imposed by the government to discourage religious events inside educational institutions.
"The law and order situation remained satisfactory most of the time," says Maroof, a businessman. "Our business gets better only when conditions are favourable."
For the second year running, tourism seemed to grow – three years after attacks on an international team of mountaineers at the base camp of Nanga Parbat.
Adventure tourism showed no signs of slowing down, even though the summer climbing season was quite brutal with hardly any significant summits. However, an international team, comprising Simone Moro of Italy, Alex Txikon of Spain, and Ali Sadpara of Pakistan managed to make the first ever winter ascent of Nanga Parbat on February 26.
On the other hand, famous mountaineer Hasan Sadpara died of blood cancer, leaving the country in shock.
Apart from adventure tourism, the year saw foreign tourists return in earnest to the region from an American woman trying to visit 195 countries, to a Dutch couple riding their own microbus through the region, to New Zealander Olympic kayaker Mike Dawson negotiating the rapids in Astore. A friendship rally of cars from China also passed through the region on its way to Gawadar.
Officials claim around one million tourists visited the region this year. While these statistics cannot be independently verified in the absence of records, an overwhelming majority of the tourists were domestic.
"I don't know the statistics but I can say the tourists flooded this region," said Hidayatullah, a tour operator. "There was a time in peak season when hotels were filled to capacity and tourists would sleep in tents under the open sky."
Constitutional limbo
Despite the promises made, the constitutional limbo, which has haunted the region since its independence, continued this year.
A committee formed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to look into the options of making G-B a constitutional part of Pakistan also failed to deliver. The committee, headed by Sartaj Aziz, held several meetings, but without results.__Tribune.com


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The 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD made its Canadian debut January 16 at the Montreal Auto Show. The vehicle was originally unveiled at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Acura said the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD is the most powerful and technologically advanced vehicle in the company's history.
"The Sport Hybrid RLX sets a new bar in luxury performance sedans, but it does it the Acura way," said Jerry Chenkin, president and CEO, Honda Canada Inc. "The Sport Hybrid RLX has some of the most advanced technology on the planet, but this sedan is more than the sum of its parts. With the Sport Hybrid RLX everything comes together to create true synergy between man and machine."
The 377-horsepower Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD luxury-performance sedan is the first vehicle to deploy Acura's new three-motor hybrid powertrain technology. This technology is a world first which will also power the Acura NSX supercar when it comes to market in 2015.
The three-motor hybrid system combines a direct-injected V-6 engine with an all-new, Acura-designed, 7-speed dual clutch transmission with built-in electric motor and an electrically powered variant of Acura's highly regarded torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD).
Acura added the RLX Sport Hybrid runs a 0-60 mph time comparable with competitor's V8-powered machines, but has a 28/32/30mpg (city/highway/combined) EPA fuel economy rating, which is in the range of 4-cylinder-powered luxury sedans.
Acura explained the electric SH-AWD system on the RLX Sport Hybrid eliminates the conventional drive shaft and rear differential, replacing them with two high-output 27-kilowatt electric motors. The rear motors dynamically distribute both positive (drive) and negative (regenerative braking) electric-motor torque, depending on driving conditions, and which torque vectoring assists in cornering. The system is further aided by a 35-kilowatt front electric motor that supplements engine torque to the front wheels and provides regenerative brake torque to charge the vehicle's 260-volt lithium-ion battery pack.


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25th Jan 2005, 00:56
Actually, your owners manual is written for the owner to follow. For example, when it says to use 87 octane, you are supposed to use 87 octane. Most cars on the road today do not/should not use a high test gasoline. I was running 89 octane in my 2001 Ranger for about 20k miles. One day I filled with 87 ocatane on the advice of a very educated car friend and guess what, the engine ran smoother and had more power. The reason is the compression of your engine is not designed to effectively burn high test gas. Most people think that a high test gas burns "cleaner." That is not the case. An octane rating is merely the level at which the gasoline ignites and a lower compression engine (like the Ranger and most other cars) have lower compression cylingers. Try running what the manual says and I bet some.. if not all.. of you pinging and missing problems will disappear.
29th Mar 2005, 08:53
I have an 04 ford ranger with the 2.3 engine. it clearly states in the owners manuel not to be alarmed by a knocking sound unless it gets worse. A lot of Ford 4 bangers will have a knock to them. I have owned 3 and most have had over 100000 miles on them.
9th Apr 2005, 00:15
I have a 2004 Ranger XLT with the 4.0L V6 (7,500 miles). This is my third straight Ranger (previously I have an 87 2.3L, and a 95 3.0, both XLT extended cab). The pinging characteristic is common to Rangers who get a lot of city driving. I agree that the 87 octane fuel yields the best result in mileage and power, and I've found the best way to reduce the pinging effect is to blow the carbon out of the system with good runs at 3,000+ RPM from time to time (a nice hard acceleration from a stop light will handle this). Obviously, use a respectable gasoline and be consistent with the brand.
With respect to the reduced field of vision, I admit this is true in the 2004, but the high back bucket seats are much more comfortable than previous years, and are worth it. Solution to blindspots: two-inch convex mirrors on the lower outside corners of the rear-view mirrors. Costs about $2.50 for the pair at Autozone.
Finally, concerning the Ranger with low highway mileage, this isn't right. My 4.0L Ranger gets around 22 MPG on the highway, more if I drop the tailgate to lower the wind resistance. It doesn't miss or do anything weird while accelerating, so the line about the torque converter is BS, imho.
Just my two cents...
25th Sep 2005, 18:35
My 2004 ranger XLT reg cab is the best truck I've ever had 32.5 mpg my last tank (The 2.3 runs like a dream.) On 87 reg gas. Only took 42 years for me to find the truck I love and I would kill anyone if they tried to take it away from me.
3rd Jan 2006, 01:06
I own a 2004 Ranger XLT FX4, and it is my dream truck. I've owned many other vehicles; cars, 2WD trucks, and 4x4 trucks, but this one is the absolute best! I've had no problems with it (@ 32,000 miles), and I see nothing that points toward future problems. Kudos to Ford Motor Company for bringing back a lapsed devotee!
Joe in Phila., PA.
3rd Jan 2006, 11:52
Wait till you get in an accident with those higher seats. AS you whipwash your head back and forth you'll appreciate that ford has higher headrests so your head hits something soft and supportive. Not the rear glass which might cause a little more than an owie.
18th Jan 2006, 23:17
Got a 1987 Ford Ranger XLT.
Major problems I have had has been windshield, it was cracked along the bottom, and now its all over the place, but it may have been cause of the rearview mirror or someone hit it with a ball or something, not sure. The cracks along the bottom seem to be common with ford trucks..
Got a whooshing sound when I accelerate, any ideas? Injector or what? got the O2 sensor replaced, but not sure what it did.
I went from having an okay MPG around 12.5 to much lower of late, maybe cause of the cold and all, I do plug it in, but sometimes I do not and the MPG goes to crap when I do that..
Went from a 3/4 tank to 1/4 a tank in 12 miles, not sure what is up, maybe got a gas line leak that only seems to come on when it is cold or.. Also have dual tanks, I do not use the back tank any more cause of gas going away, but..
Any ideas, please I need some help on this, cannot afford the loss of fuel, and winter here is -30F or so, and I sometimes need to leave my truck running to keep it warm, I delivery pizzas (not a good vehicle to do that in, but I get creative).
Plan to if I can, take it to a buddy to see, cannot afford to get much fixed.. The O2 sensor was cause of I'm standards, so not sure, may have been a faulty one or..
I do love my truck, like having 4wd even if it is not working right at this time.. Maybe the cold. But it starts at -30F and the heater works great, a lot better than my Chevy car I had before, and hated my old VW when it came to heat..
North Pole.
30th Jan 2006, 21:07
I drive a 1999 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 SuperCab with a tailgate cover and with 94,000 Miles. I calculated 12.3 city miles on my last fill up with Regular Gasoline. Does anyone know how to boost my city mileage.
18th Feb 2006, 10:00
I own and drive a 93 Ranger XLT. Has covered 120,000 miles, with no problems. Change the oil and filters at the right service gaps and it`ll run forever.
18th Feb 2006, 12:50
The guy with the 1987 ford ranger...
Just replace the windshield, its not the fault of the truck. Whoosing sound? Coming from where? Or maybe its air coming in through the windshield you can't seem to fix.
Bad mpg? Tune up.
Gas tank? Broken or rusted fuel lines. I'd check the brake lines as well.
Well, really, there isn't much you can do about your truck seeing as you have no money to maintain it and its falling apart. The only way to keep it in good condition would be to spend some money and get it fixed.
The lack of a 4wd system is probably due to lack of maintainace...
21st Feb 2006, 10:30
I bought my 2004 FX4 with 12k on it, it now has 22k, I've had no problems what so ever. I love this truck, I added a K&N filter and a Tornado induction piece, along with a full synthetic oil night and day difference. I get around 22mpg on the highway and 17 in the city. I don't know if I agree with the comment that using 87 octane is better than 89, but it all comes down to opinion I prefer 89 myself. This truck has probably one of the best 4x4 systems out there, I can't even feel it switching into 4 hi. I've taken it through some horse paths with ease. I traded a V8 cougar for this and I think the 4.0 with the 5 speed auto trans is just as powerful. I hope to drive it until the wheels fall off! lol.


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AutoHotkey 1.1.33.02
Simple and powerful utility which customizes keyboards, joysticks and mice.
What's New
- Free & open source (GNU General Public License).
- A keyboard, joystick, and mouse remapper.
- A word recognition engine that expands abbreviations as you type them (auto-replace).
- A simple yet powerful hotkey (shortcut key) scripting language for Windows, supporting both mouse and keyboard macros (if you're new to scripting, it might be easier than you think; check out the quick-start tutorial).
- A regular scripting language (backward compatible with most existing AutoIt2 scripts). The program includes a script compiler that converts a script to an EXE. It also includes AutoScriptWriter, a macro recorder written by Larry Keys.
What's New:
- Fixed two bugs which affected certain assignments where the target variable contains an unflushed binary number but has zero capacity.
- Fixed GuiControl and GuiControlGet acting on the wrong control when given a HWND which does not belong to the current Gui. Instead, the condition is treated as an error.
- Fixed OnMessage functions to set AGui and AGuiControl correctly when the target Gui is a child window.


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Skene House has just hosted a tourism event with VisitAberdeenshire profiling new projects and trends, and exploring Aberdeen's future for tourists, locals and businesses alike. There's a lot going on in the city and beyond, so if you'd like to hear the highlights of the event then here's the lowdown.
After Charles Skene, our founder, opened the night we heard from a mix of speakers. One exciting new project in our area is the new North East 250 circular road trip. Launched in November 2017, founder Guy Macpherson-Grant of Ballindalloch Castle explained more. The route starts in Aberdeen city, running along prestigious Royal Deeside, up through the Snow Road and Speyside, before taking in the northern coastal villages of Morayshire and Banffshire, before heading south past Peterhead, returning to the Granite City once more. It works because it encapsulates everything tourists seek out on a trip to Scotland: castles in the shape of Balmoral no less, Crathes, Drum and Ballindalloch itself; distilleries such as Aberlour and Glenlivet; skiing at Glenshee; a grand National Park in terms of the Cairngorms; picturesque coastal villages including Pennan and Crovie; and the city of Aberdeen with its range of museums, galleries, shops, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Guy described the new route as the 'Ultimate road trip to the heart of Scotland'.
If this route encourages locals to embark on day trips in the region then that's a good thing, but it may well attract international visitors from around the globe. This is an exciting prospect. Skene House's three city centre properties are within walking distance of Aberdeen's railway and bus station, and a short cab ride from the airport. We offer one, two or three bedroom suites, each with their own fully furnished kitchen and living room. The appealing thing about the North East 250 route is that road-trippers can move from place to place, taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of Scotland, or it's manageable enough to base yourself in Aberdeen and venture out for adventurous day trips: the choice is yours. Skene House's free city centre parking makes it easy for guests to come and go as they wish.
Another key voice at the event was Euan Adams, a Senior Market Manager with the global giant Expedia. The company has staff dedicated to the Aberdeenshire and Moray area, so he gave insightful tips about what travellers look for in a good listing, which countries are sending more and more tourists to the North East of Scotland, and ran through what may inspire travellers to book in Aberdeen. Despite a fluctuating market over the past few years it's certainly exciting times ahead.
The event was concluded by Chris Foy, the new Chief Executive Officer of VisitAberdeenshire. He touched on areas of development, insights, trends, evaluations, and new faces within the DMO. The VisitAberdeenshire Conference falls on 20 March 2018, so that's another date for the diary.
It was a natural fit for Skene House Apartment Hotels to host the event, and we were honoured to do so. Guests included representatives from Braemar Castle, Dunnottar Castle, Scotfree Tours, and the family travel site Scots2Travel.
Skene House frequently works in partnership with VisitAberdeenshire, supporting the varied festivals that come to the city every year. As a key accommodation provider in the Granite City, we've been offering quality hotel suites as a home from home for visitors for over forty years: our unique product combines serviced apartment style accommodation with hotel services. In fact, we were one of the very first establishments in the country to do so, identifying that simple hotel rooms just don't work for everyone, so we've already been ahead of the trends and cutting our own groove from the get-go. That's why we still feel that business events like this matter; they're about collaboration, information, development and making every visitor to Aberdeen matter, whether they arrive on business, as a tourist or visiting family. We hope to make 2018 a very productive year.
Skene House Apartment Hotels provide all the space and comfort you need for a relaxed stay. Our Rosemount and Holburn properties offer quality accommodation for one night or more, and our Whitehall suites are ideal for those wishing to explore Aberdeen and shire for a little longer as it specialises in long stay accommodation of one week upwards. Find out more at +44 1224 659 392 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Wow, Skene House looks amazing! An ideal place to stay I think if we ever heard oop north to Aberdeenshire!
I would really love to visit Aberdeenshire, sounds like there are some lovely places to visit and so much to sea. I love the Scottish culture and castles and even the weather! Hope to visit one day!
I've never been to Aberdeen but would love to visit. Last time we were in Scotland my daughter was barely a year old. She's seven now, so I think it's about time we went back 🙂
Do you know what I have not even had the chance to make it to Scotland yet but I am dying to go! How exciting that Skene house was able to partner with 'Visit Aberdeenshire!
It sounds like an interesting night and the North East 250 route sounds like a great idea. x
Sounds like an interesting event, Skene house looks like a lovely place to stay
We are planning a visit up to Aberdeen and been looking at the hotels, this was a good read. Exciting project on the horizon for sure
I have planned to go to Scotland 101 times and 101 times the plans haven't ever gone ahead. I really hope to do it this year round and Aberdeen has to be somewhere we stop !
I really want to go to Scotland, it's on the list. Skene house looks really goid
This sounds wonderful! We love a road trip, and we did lochness, loch lomond and arisaig and Skye ! The North East 250 route sounds like another one to add to our campervan list!
I really want to go to Aberdeen! I've heard great things about the festivals there and I've seen Skene House recommended a few times before. What a great roundup of the highlights x
Never made it to Aberdeen yet but maybe next time we are in Scotland.
Plan to visit Aberdeen one of these days. Heard a lot about it.