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Creepy woods, creepy panting…. and a generator powered tent with a TV and bed in it? I'm guessing, after almost six and a half years of "Supernatural" formula, that the couple snuggling into their above the covers sleeping bags aren't going to last very long. They click off the TV and the bedside lamp, that they have inside their tent, as the husband sticks his earbuds in and sets his iPod Nano to "Nature Sounds, the Sounds of Nature". I literally welcome you to "Wendigo 2: Electric Boogaloo."
Poor guy, he has no idea he's about to be strung up in a tree like a lovely chrysalis and then torn apart. We watch as bloody sleeping bag fluff flutters to the ground and his iPod, earbuds and his ear follow the fluff. You'll be happy to know that the iPod survives and continues to soothe us with the sounds of nature.
Sam and Dean are off playing Bob Villa, using jumper cables to light their new squat. It's impressive, I would have used spit and duct tape, but I'm not nearly as advanced as they are. Sam seems pleased that it works, Dean was sure it was going to work. Clearly, it was Dean's idea, but that's no surprise, we know Dean is really handy, I mean he built Sam a car! Wait… wrong Dean, wrong show.
Anyway, they head up from the basement as Bobby is coming into their humble hovel. Now Dean's never been a man of means, but this squalor is beyond the pale, everything in his life is without luxury and he's over it. Then the jumper cable Jerry rig craps out. Dean is displeased, Bobby and Sam try to talk him down from the ledge. With a case of beer and a case to hunt.
People in Jersey Pinelands area have been disappearing, others have reported seeing a genetic experiment of a monster running around, papers are claiming a Jersey Devil is afoot. The locals rangers, on the other hand are claiming it's a rogue bear.
What's a Rogue Bear?
Bobby is stoked to head back to nature and take this threat down, Dean harshes Bobby's boy scout squee and tells him they've gotta FBI it up first and make sure it's really a boogeyman and not some psycho taking out overindulgent, glamorous faux campers.
They suit up and head out to a familiar spot, Biggerson's Sizzlin' Grill & Bar, where kids eat free, to meet up with Ranger Rick, who is chowing down on his sandwich and following the thread of the conversation like a seasoned professional stoner. That's odd, I mean most authority figures at least try to maintain while in uniform, but Sam and Dean are onto Ranger Rick. Dean is convinced Ranger Rick forgot Biggie Smalls' rule #4: never get high on your own supply. On the plus side it seems Ranger Rick doesn't think it's a rogue bear or the Jersey Devil. He does, however, think it's Mother Nature PMSing.
Bobby and the Winchesters decide to take a lunch break, which is great because Biggerson's is now serving the Pepperjack Turducken Slammer. I've often watched Turducken made on Food Network, I've never had the inclination to make or eat it though. Dean and I differ on this, he ordered this sandwich and he loves it. It's every poultry pleasure he never knew he wanted. Sam and Bobby gaze at him from over their salads, grossed out, as is their right. Aside from the disgusting holiday themed sandwich, the other bizarre thing is their waiter, Brandon. He's there and he's wearing his flare, but he's pretty much an insulting jackass with rage issues. Sam decides Brandon is not getting a tip.
Bellies full and civilian clothes back in place, the three men head out to the woods to do some real huntin'. Bobby leads the way, seeing as before he was a Hunter he was a hunter. He taught Sam and Dean everything they know about tracking because John used to dump the young Winchester boys on Bobby when the hunt was hot. 45% of fandom just fist pumped in victory at their head canon becoming actual canon. The other 45% went into a John Apologist rage. The last 10% don't care either way. Besides, 82% of statistics are made up.
The point is, three good-looking, strong and capable men are trekking through the woods with rifles. There is no bad in this scene. Except for Sam's fanny pack, that is. They come up on some remains in a tree and call in Ranger Rick, who figures it's his missing assistant chief ranger, Phil. As he calls it in he's snatched and dragged up a tree. Bobby aims, fires, and takes it down. Like a boss. They haul it back to their maison de moment to examine it. It's freaky looking, like a zombie and a ghoul had a baby. Point blank freaky. Speaking of point blank, the thing suddenly frogs itself up on the table and growls at them. The guys unload on it, like Butch taking out Vincent Vega as the Pop-Tarts toast.
They go through its wallet and Dean is oddly blasé and quippy about it. Bobby and Sam are perplexed as they autopsy the thing, who turns out to be Gerald Browder, formerly chubby but now emaciated, despite that their digging around in his innards turns up everything shy of a license plate, including a full cat head. They also discover that his adrenal gland is huge. This is all disturbingly fascinating, unless you're Dean Winchester. Dean just wants to know if they can go for dinner, because he's hungry. Like really, really hungry.
Back to Biggerson's they go so Dean can get his Pepperjack TDK Slammer fix. Bobby and Sam watch as Dean blissfully munches down his sandwich without a care in the world. Seriously, Dean flat out tells them that he doesn't care about a damn thing in the world at the moment. That's when Bobby and Sam glance around and realize the entire restaurant is also going to town on the TDK Slammer with a distinct Mary Jane look in their eyes.
Sam immediately snatches the slammer from Dean. Dean is majorly bummed.
Back at their broken down house of a base camp, Bobby and Sam examine the remaining half of Dean's sandwich. Dean defends his sandwich's honor in all his dazed and confused glory, because everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. He's staunchly on the sandwich's side and just wants it back… until it burps up grey goo. Dean is a little too high to be fully grossed out, but at least he knows he should be.
They hop in their current vehicle, a van, and jet off to stake out the Triple Meat Palace. Well, Sam and Bobby stake it out, Dean is busy sleeping off his hen high. Sam takes this opportunity to ask Bobby if he worries about Dean and Dean's state of mind. Bobby clearly thinks Sam is an idiot, because his concern and need for concern are obvious. Bobby worries about both of them, but Sam tells Bobby that for all his hallucinating craziness, he's got the advantage of knowing he's actual factual bonkers in a contained way. Sam's a brilliant and deep thinking idiot. Outside of Biggerson's they spot a mystery meat delivery truck making a drop off and decide to tail it. It takes them to a back alley operation. Weird. And to top it off suddenly they see our old friend, Leviathan Edgar, who looks amazing for a having had a car dropped on him. Edgar has Brandon, the cranky Biggerson's waiter, in the trunk. Brandon was going a bit more than off the rails and it seems that his condition is Leviathan territory. Bobby and the Winchesters are confused.
Totally valid.
We the viewers follow Edgar and a fully hooded Brandon into the warehouse where he meets up with Dr. Gaines, who is apparently the brains behind this grey super snot. It's design function is to control people, to turn them into mindless, burger inhaling couch potatoes. Oh… I see what you did there "Supernatural". Well played. Unfortunately, some test subjects, like Brandon and Gerald Browder, don't do so well and the side effects are brutal. They decide to burn the gone wrongs because Dick is on his way.
Dick is Richard "Dick" Roman, the man, the myth, the annoyingly successful Republican billionaire motivational speaking author. And that was before he was a Leviathan. He's since been on a corporate take over binge. He's itching to be a one man Roman Empire with no intention of falling. Dick is not amused by Dr. Gaines' margin of error; he's on a tour de force and wants nothing but flawless actualization of his vision. He hopes Dr. Gaines is up for the challenge of making sure everyone understands this. Dr. Gaines, eager beaver, is totally on board.
In the meantime, Sam goes for quick lap around the area and Bobby has given Dean the sternest pep talk in "Supernatural" history, basically laying out that Dean needs to find his inner Prozac and take it on the regular because he's talking like the walking dead. Bobby is very clear about making sure he doesn't have to mourn Dean's death. Y'know, again.
Sam is back from his field trip with nothing to report. Bobby pulls out the big guns, a vocal vibration surveillance microphone he borrowed from the #1 paranoid bastard, Frank Devereaux. Bobby heads out to gather intel. Intel turns out to be Bobby catching Dr. Gaines and Dick in the midst of Dr. Gaines' bibbing ceremony. That's right, as punishment for allowing wayward experiments tear apart yuppie campers, Dick Roman makes Dr. Gaines eat himself. Auto-cannibalism at its very best.
Bobby is shocked, so much so that he doesn't notice he's been discovered until it's too late.
A semi-conscious Bobby is now comfortably seated in Dick's makeshift office. He's taking in everything Dick says, does and has, including the beautiful set of antique guns Dick is showing off, freshly won at auction. Dick, we learn, is a bit fascinated by the human species, but he still sees people as soylent green. Despite his hunger, he plans to hold off on eating Bobby because having Bobby as a hostage will lure the Winchester boys to him. Bobby says the boys are too smart for that, they know when they outnumbered and outmatched.
Wrong. So wrong. Blindingly incorrect in fact.
The boys storm in, cleaning products blazing, and borax the Leviathans in their path. Sam gives Dick an especially drenched faceful of the stuff, but Dick just keeps on coming. He's impressed with that this chemical exists, but he calmly shakes it off and as Sam's container drains Dick backs Sam into a corner. Bobby distracts Dick with a gunshot to the back long enough for Dean to dump a bucketful of cleansery mop water on Dick's head. They take this opportunity to run off and grab the getaway van. Bobby holds off the Leviathans long enough for Sam and Dean to swing around and pick him up. He comes running out, Dick right on his tail, wielding his gun, but Bobby dives into the van at the very last second. Dean speeds off as Dick continues to unload his auction piece at the van.
They out-drive Dick's shots and breathe a sigh of relief. Sam graciously hands Bobby his trucker hat, which seems to have flown off his head in the chaos. Except Bobby doesn't reach up for it. Or respond at all. The hat has a bullet hole in it. And Bobby still doesn't answer as the boys call his name over and over.


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Yet again, Clint Barlow went down to City Hall all dressed up, only to find out that, well, it wasn't really necessary. That's because it took "all of three minutes" for the Dallas City Council to approve the specific use permit for Trees, which the Dallas Plan Commission unanimously OK'd one month ago.
And just how long will we have to wait till the re-opening of the venerable Deep Ellum venue that died in Dallas bankruptcy court in December 2005? All goes according to schedule, Barlow says, the joint'll reopen on August 14.
"I'll know better in the next week or so," he tells Unfair Park. "I have some tentative bands lined up, some local stuff, for the opening, but a lot of bands have come out of the woodwork who've broken up who want to play the club, so it's pretty cool."
He says construction will begin immediately -- as in, this very moment, as scaffolding's being set into place to crews can begin tearing out the ceiling tomorrow. (He says a dumpster should be out front right .. about ... now.) But there's still significant remodeling to do, not to mention the installation of the sound system, all of which Barlow and his wife Whitney and one other partner are paying for all by their lonesomes.
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"It's costly," he says. "We're putting everything we've got into it. We're going broke, or we're gonna do kick-ass, one of the two." He laughs. "It's always easy for everybody to talk about it, but till you try ..." He pauses, then laughs again. "And that's where are. We'll see how it goes."

subset: commoncrawl


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Rede Globo demonstrates UHD in Brazil
Last week Rede Globo TV network gave a UHD demonstration of the FIFA World Cup. The exhibition was for SET, the Projeto UHD Brasil and the community of engineers, professionals and academics from the media, entertainment and technology sector in Brazil. The event took place on Friday, July 13th, at Museu do Amanhã (The Museum of Tomorrow), in Rio de Janeiro, and showed the latest trends and solutions for integrating broadband and broadcast. It was the conclusion of an avant première for the public of what is about to unfold in technology for both free-to-air and subscriber television.
Details about the capture and transmission of audio and video were the subject of discussion among the professionals, followed by a demonstration of the quarter-final games in 4K and the semifinal in 8K for the attendees at the event.
4K and 8K audio and video are high-quality and transmitted by systems equipped with high technology. "The technology is still under development in Brazil, thus the importance of demonstrations like this, so that our engineers can see what most adapts to our country's reality", SET President Liliana Nakonechnyj explains.
The president explains that two approaches are under study: disruptive solutions, "the awareness that TV is really going to need innovations, in other words, new functions for offering 4K and 8K", and those that are evolutive, which can be introduced over the years ahead, such as connecting the TV to the internet to receive more customized content especially on the second screen.
"The studies being undertaken are to build a technology knowledge base, so that the Brazilian TV community can contribute to global decisions", SET free-to-air TV Director Raymundo Barros explains.
The president of SET goes on to say that even without foreseeing when these technologies will be implemented in Brazil, it is very important for the Brazilian engineering community to think now about these possibilities. "There are many studies of systems that we have to evaluate, if we are to discover what is most important and what will work best for us. Technology moves quickly, and we can no longer take more than 20 years between demonstration and implementation", Liliana points out.
To define the model, besides the technical issues, the engineering also factors in a complete study of consumption habits around the world and in Brasil. "The aspect of quality is a desire of human beings that has been "dormant", but when they see that something better exists than what they are familiar with, they will want it. This is what happened with Digital TV. Who wants a noise-ridden picture? Nobody, but no one knew it was possible. It will take time, 8k will take time because it is still a technology under development, but I see all this concern as something very important for us to continue offering on of the world's best free-to-air TV systems", says the president da SET, in conclusion.
In August, SET is holding in São Paulo Latin America's largest media and entertainment Technology Conference. The president has revealed that these technologies will be demonstrated during the event. In addition to the conference, the public will be able to enjoy a Products and Services Trade Show, demonstrations and workshops.
For further information access the site of the 2018 SET EXPO.


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Baha'i Viewpoint
Baha'is do not believe that salvation is a free gift of God. Salvation is seen as collaboration between God and man. This collaboration is seen as being initiated by God, but it is one that man must participate in. Salvation is not seen as a one-time event, but it is seen as a process that involves both the actions of God and the individual.
Biblical Viewpoint
The first thing that we must do is define salvation. Salvation is defined as: "being saved from righteous judgment of God upon the sinner." We must also understand that we do not work for our salvation at all, it is a free gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-10 states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." As Christians we believe that we are not saved by our good works, but that we are saved in order to do good works. Our good works come after our salvation.
How is someone saved? We first must understand that all of us are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Our sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities (sin) have made a separation between you and your God. And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear." When one has a job and works, they have a wage that they are paid. Our wage for sin is death. Romans 6:23 says: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." In order to be saved from your sins, you must put your trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your salvation. Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." We must also understand that we cannot be saved outside of faith in Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father; but through Me.'" Acts 4:12 says, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."


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Big Data and analytics are firmly embedded in the business of sports. DataArt has been successfully applying its Big Data expertise for clients across many industry sectors, including Sports Analytics.
Our state-of-the-art custom analytics software solutions constitute the core of many enterprise systems, bringing fact-based decision support to areas such as ticketing, player deals and merchandise, as well as TV and media contracts.
Our key domains:
- Mobile Ticketing
- Player and Team Analytics
- Live Game Data
- Sponsorship Management
- Augmented Reality
- Sports Betting


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Improved Specimen Tracking and Courier Management
Medical Courier Elite (MCE) offers a comprehensive cloud-based software solution designed specifically for medical lab specimen tracking and courier route management utilizing barcodes & GPS. MCE optimizes the specimen collection process to ensure the traceability of specimens from pickup to lab delivery, and performs courier routing.
Medical Courier Elite is a turnkey solution that has little to no impact on your IT staff. With MCE you have the tools to provide better customer service, protect your practice from lost or misplaced specimens, improve courier accountability and productivity, and apply proactive solutions to increasing federal regulations.
Specimen Tracking
MCE tracks specimen collection and ensures specimen traceability from pickup to lab delivery.
Route Optimization
Optimized routing improves courier productivity and reduces drive-time.
Courier Management
Track courier routes in real time, add routes on the fly, instantly notify couriers of new pickups.
Supply Tracking
MCE offers Supply Tracking to help labs track and verify supply deliveries.
Online Dashboard
Manage courier routes and view activity in real time from an easy to use online platform.
Service & Support
MCE is a turnkey solution that has little or no impact on your IT staff. We offer 24/7 system support.
Increased Productivity
Smart routes decrease courier drive time and improve efficiency.
One Platform, One Solution
MCE provides all of the tools and training necessary for success.
Accuracy Comes Standard
Specimen definition and signature capture ensure clear chain of custody.
MCE provides a tracking system that meets CAP requirements for patient and specimen tracking. This was always my goal with working with your team and you accomplished this for me.
Every stop is displayed on the handheld, which can be customized by day of the week. It all but eliminates human error based on different office schedules.
Jim W. – COO of Large Midwest Hospital System
Extremely helpful in a time of emergency when you have to locate a driver who is not responding.
Let Us Know How We Can Help
Thanks for your interest in Medical Courier Elite! If you're interested in learning more about our solution and how it can help your business, we'd be happy to schedule a demo, provide a quote or answer any questions you may have.
181 East Evans St. | Florence, SC, 29506
Phone: 843-656-2084 or 877-331-7427


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Bayleys news & articles
Water views make waves in property values
Tags: Property Insight Residential
When it comes to property prices in Auckland, sea-Vs are more important than CVs…. sea views and council valuations that is.
New research data confirms the long-held belief that views from the living room or back deck of a home dictate how much more a dwelling is worth compared to its next-door-neighbour without a vista.
Yet it's the type of view and topographic location of the property that really sets the dollar value when it comes to sale time.
Real estate agency Bayleys has broken down its Auckland residential sales data for the past five years to compile a comprehensive picture of just how important a view is when home buyers assess the value of a new dwelling.
Bayleys national residential manager Daniel Coulson said Auckland's rolling topography ensured that while the city was bordered by seas on two coasts, not all homes had visual access to harbour vistas – a requirement often sought by home buyers looking to buy in the metropolis known as the 'City of Sails'.
"Just exactly how much a water view adds to a home's value is hard to quantify - as the exact comparison between one address which has a sea vista and its neighbouring property which doesn't, is usually tainted by a range of dynamics. For example, the two adjacent dwellings have different floor plates, different design, build, age, and section size. So you can't simply compare apples with oranges," he said.
"However, what can be quantified is that sea views are a benefit when selling a home. And the more benefits a home has, the higher the value achieved in the sale process. Not only that, it's the quality of the water view which is paramount to most buyers."
Mr Coulson said there was clear statistical data showing views of the Waitemata Harbour and outer gulf were worth far more than vistas of the Manukau Harbour – even though the two stretches of water were separated in parts by only a few kilometres.
Latest sales data from property sales information company CoreLogic for the thrid quarter of 2016 confirms the marked property value discrepancies between the two harbours – with Waitemata views rated at almost twice the price of their Manukau peers.
Overlooking the Waitemata, the median sales values were:
Meanwhile, by comparison, overlooking the Manukau, the median sales values were:
Mr Coulson said responses collected in the Bayleys research reflected that a number of factors contributed to the reasons why home owners preferred Waitemata views over the Manukau.Meanwhile, by comparison, overlooking the Manukau, the median sales values were:
"The Waitemata is Auckland's premier recreational harbour so there's always sailing craft of some description to watch – peaking in events such as the annual Auckland Anniversary Day regatta or when the Round-The-World yachts come in," he said.
"And the golden sand beaches of the Waitemata are generally preferred destinations ahead of the mudflats of the Manukau. Supporting this is the general ease of access onto the multitude of Waitemata beaches, while the Manukau beaches are somewhat harder to drive or walk to."
However home owners with dwellings overlooking either harbour can take comfort from a joint study released earlier this year by Canterbury and Otago universities which found that sea views generally contributed to a lower level of anxiety among home-owners.
'Blue space' includes water bodies such as lakes, oceans and rivers while 'green space' refers to open areas of vegetation such as parks, forests, backyard gardens and farms.
The study – Residential exposure to visible blue space (but not green space) associated with lower psychological distress in a capital city – examined the psychological effect of homes with a view of 'blue space' and 'green space'.
The report, conducted in association with Michigan State University in the United States, found that residents living in neighbourhoods with increased views of predominantly oceanic 'blue spaces' had lower stress levels than those who did not. The researchers suggested that 'blue space' may even have a stronger influence on reducing psychological distress than 'green space' forests or parks.
Using feedback from adults aged 15-years and older who participated in the New Zealand Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2011/2012, the researchers rated residents' responses on a 'psychological distress scale'. The researchers used a 10-item questionnaire designed to measure a person's levels of anxiety and depression. The higher an individual's score, on a scale of 0 to 40, the more likely they are to be experiencing depression and/or anxiety.
According to the study, the data – which indicated lower levels of anxiety and depression in Wellington residents with a view of the ocean – "higher visibility of 'blue space' was significantly associated with lower psychological distress".
Based on their findings, researchers concluded: "that for a 20 percent increase in visibility of blue space, a lower stress score could be expected."
Mr Coulson said feedback to Bayley's survey indicated the variance of vista types could be easily ranked, although ratings were largely dependant on personal home-owner preference – with water views coming out on top at 71 percent, bush/countryside and parkland views taking second spot at 24 percent, and city views filling out third place in preferred view rankings at four percent. Only one percent of respondents said views were of no importance at all.
"Under this preference scale, you will always find people who prefer to buy in Titirangi or Chatswood for example because of the locations' respective bush outlooks and the early morning bird song, ahead of say Castor Bay or Bucklands Beach for their Gulf views. And of course vice-versa for those who want a beach or harbour view rather than looking out onto bush,' Mr Coulson said.
Related articles


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"At the Ritz, nobody jostles you," wrote Marcel Proust of the luxury Paris hotel that became his second home. Arriving late in the evening after a day in bed working on his masterpiece Á la Recherche du Temps Perdu, the reclusive and ailing Proust would dine in a private room.
The Ritz's maitre d'hotel in the early 20th century, Olivier Dabescat, was a mine of information about the hotel's eminent clientele, mostly European royals and aristocrats, whose preferences and peccadilloes would eventually find their way into Proust's seven-volume novel.
When the author became too ill to leave his home nearby, Dabescat would arrange for fried sole or roast chicken and potatoes to be sent there from the hotel kitchen. In 1922, on his deathbed, Proust wanted nothing but cold beer, also despatched from the Ritz; legend has it the last bottle arrived too late.
Since 1 June 1898, when it opened in Paris at the height of the country's belle époque, the Ritz hotel has been synonymous with a certain luxury and French art de vivre. Now more than 10,000 objects from the lost times of the Ritz, rejected as surplus to requirements after a €140m refurbishment, are being auctioned off. They include furnishings, tableware, chandeliers, a mini bar, a Louis XVI-style dog bed, service buttons and the garden gates, representing more than a century of hotel history.
Auctioneer Stéphane Aubert of Artcurial, which is organising the sell-off, says the items grouped into 3,500 lots ranging from €100 to €5,000, encapsulate "Ritz style". "It's a form of elegance and a certain savoir faire à la française," he told the Observer. "Many of the items were either made by well-known manufacturers or by the Ritz's own workshops so they are of quality and still in good condition.
If the five-star walls of what Le Figaro magazine called "the Mona Lisa of the luxury hotel world" could speak, they would recall – like maître Dabescat in his day – the gossip about some of the most famous artistic and aristocratic figures of the 20th century, from Proust to Princess Diana and Elton John via Jean Cocteau, Colette, Cole Porter, F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Churchill and an entire Debrett's of European royals.
When César Ritz, a Swiss hotelier, who began his career as a wine waiter, decided to transform the Duke of Gramont's 18th century former home at Place Vendôme into a luxury hotel, he insisted it boast the latest conveniences, including lifts, electricity, telephones in each room and ensuite bathrooms (one of the early bathtub showers is included in the auction).
During the first world war, part of the building was converted into a Red Cross military hospital but its role in the second world war was less glorious. In 1940, as the Germans marched on Paris, Otto von Habsburg, the last crown prince of Austria-Hungary, who was staying at the hotel, wrote: "The city was two-thirds surrounded by German troops, the artillery shells lit up the sky and there, at the Ritz, everything carried on as always: waiters in a line, dishes, wines…". When the wife of an American diplomat reportedly asked the hotel director, "how did you know the Germans were coming?", he replied "because they made reservations".
The Ritz, which adjoins the French ministry of justice, rolled out the red carpet for the Germans, and Hermann Goering, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, took over the imperial suite. After the defeated Germans left, American writer Ernest Hemingway arrived, claiming to have liberated the hotel bar, subsequently named after him. "When I dream of an afterlife in heaven, the action always takes place in the Paris Ritz," Hemingway said.
Other celebrated guests included Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel who lived – and died – at the hotel, the Shah of Iran and Jean-Paul Sartre.In 1979 Egyptian billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed bought the Ritz; 18 years later his son Dodi and the Princess of Wales would spend their last evening at the hotel before setting off on a fatal car journey through Paris. More recent headlines have been less glamorous: in January, armed robbers smashed and grabbed €4.5m of jewels from display cases in the hotel's central gallery. Three were caught after the doors locked automatically and the loot recovered.


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Could we someday be eating synthetic meat? Backed by Google billionaire Sergey Brin, Dutch tissue engineer Mark Post has created "cultured beef" which he unveiled at a press event. The verdict? "It is close to meat," said nutrition scientist Hanni Rutzler. "It is not that juicy." But British chef Richard McGeowan said the lack of fat didn't affect his cooking of the five ounces of minced "meat" in a frying pan, thanks to lots of butter.
In addition to a lack of fat with the meat, the in vitro meat features heavy antibiotic use to keep the cells alive. There are questions about its nutritional value as well, such as how much iron it might contain compared with traditional meat. The lab meat has to be colored red, by adding beet juice because it is composed of 20,000 or so thin strips of muscle cells rather than the complicated mix of muscle, fat, blood vessels and bone found in meat from an animal.
Lab-Grown Burgers Just Got A LOT Cheaper!
Despite all this, the lab beef is being cultured (and feted) because of its potential to reduce the environmental impacts of the human taste for meat. As Post notes, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that demand for meat will swell by more than 70 percent by 2050. Already 30 percent of the world's ice-free land is devoted to feeding animals for meat thanks to the fact that cows and pigs convert only roughly 15 percent of the plants they eat into edible meat. Then there's the problem of the greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, from all those ruminant belches and their waste, often stored in massive, smelly lagoons. The FAO estimates that livestock are responsible for nearly 20 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activities—more than all cars, trucks, ships and airplanes put together.
Of course, to reduce those emissions, the lab meat would have to be grown on a diet of algae, something that has never been accomplished. If that can be done on a big scale (and that's a big if), the lab meat would reduce methane pollution by 95 percent, as well as reduce the need for farmlands to feed livestock by 98 percent, according to a 2011 study by the University of Oxford published in Environmental Science and Technology.
The other reason for the hoopla is ethical: philosopher Peter Singer and groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals extol such efforts for eliminating human cruelty to animals. Why not harvest muscle cells from a single cow to culture millions of hamburgers rather than slaughtering hundreds of thousands of cattle?
Researchers such as Forgacs and Post predict that it will take between 10 and 20 years to bring lab meat and meat products down in price and onto store shelves. Given that Post's first petri patty has appeared nearly two years later than was first promised, that objective will likely prove optimistic. Don't look for McDonald's to be offering synthetic burgers any time soon.


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Dallas — Creativity can come in the most unexpected places. In the fall of 1997, while ambling through NorthPark Center with baby strollers in front, director Pam Myers-Morgan and actress/producer Linda Marie Ford and their friend, René Moreno, came up with the idea of founding a theater company that produces plays written by women that everyone can enjoy.
The catalyst for forming Echo Theatre was a play Myers-Morgan and Ford had fallen in love with, Dream of a Common Language by Heather McDonald. Set in 1874, the piece examined the complicated balance of a woman's artistic calling, her family life, and the influence of societal limitations and expectations.
The play's premise: It was OK for a woman to stand naked in a drawing class but not OK for her to join the male artists at the table to discuss the work. At the end of the play the female character's husband, who is also an artist, takes off his clothes and says, "Draw me."
"It was so beautiful," says Ford. "Pam and I thought it needed to be produced so we took it to some producers and while they all said it was a great play they also said 'it's just not us.' "
Ford knew Suzy Blaylock, a friend and a producer in town, and asked her to get involved. Then Myers-Morgan, Ford, and Blaylock decided that it was their kind of play and Echo Theatre, which would have a mission to produce plays written by women, was born. Dream of a Common Language was Echo's first mainstage show and was directed by Moreno (who we lost in early 2017).
"We started big," Blaylock says. "We put on an absolutely beautiful production and we got a lot of unwritten praise from within the theatre community. The three of us worked together. We supported each other's strengths and worked together to support each other's weaknesses. That served us well."
Now, as Echo is wrapping up the first production of its 20th season, an acclaimed staging of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined, directed by Myers-Morgan and co-produced with Denise Lee Onstage, Echo has not wavered from its core mission.
Every play—and the occasional musical, such as Polly Pen and Peggy Harmon's Goblin Market—that Echo has produced as a mainstage production, for a festival such as Festival of Independent Theatres or Out of the Loop Fringe Festival, or in its popular staged reading series was written or composed by a woman. That's more than 150 titles.
They have included works by groundbreaking playwrights such as Susan Glaspell, Maria Irene Fornes, Caryl Churchill, Marsha Norman, and Eve Ensler; as well as emerging and more established voices like Theresa Rebeck, Diana Son, Arlene Hutton and Amy Freed; plus local scribes such as Vicki Caroline Cheatwood, Rhonda Blair, Isabella Russell-Ides, and Shelby-Allison Hibbs.
After Ruined, the 20th anniversary season brings back Her Song in 2018, followed by the regional premiere of Madeleine George's Hurricane Diane.
What's That Sound?
Echo Theatre was named for Echo, the Greek nymph who was cursed by Zeus's wife, Hera, who made it so she was only able to speak the last few words spoken to her. The mission of Echo Theatre was and still is to give woman playwrights back their voices.
An independent theater founded at roughly the same time, WingSpan Theatre Company, has a similar mission—to produce plays about or that speak to women, but not always by a woman playwright (that group's current 20th season has been dedicated to Edward Albee). And almost every professional theater in North Texas now includes at least one woman playwright on each season—which is still not enough.
Globally the number of plays produced by women playwrights remains low. Studies show that 12 to 19 percent of plays that are written by women are produced, and the average continues to hover at around 17 percent. The perception that women write plays for women and men write plays for everyone remains universal. Several years ago, in response to the conversation about the perceived lack of plays by women, a group of Los Angeles-based playwrights, The Kilroys, started releasing an annual list of plays by women.
"I am most proud that Echo is still going," Myers-Morgan says. "That we had the guts to start it in the first place, and that there is no end to the material that is out there to produce."
Getting Festive
In 1999 when David Fisher, then managing director of the Bath House Cultural Center, saw a need for smaller companies, including Echo Theatre, that might not have the advertising budget or space to produce their work, he created the Festival of Independent Theatres, known as FIT.
"Echo and WingSpan are the only remaining companies from the original group," says Kateri Cale, senior producer, actor, and past co-artistic director of Echo. Cale has been with Echo from the start, having been cast in Echo's first production in 1998.
"It was exciting at the time and the festival has grown bigger and bigger in popularity each year." FIT's four-week festival features eight shows, each less than 60 minutes in length, rotating through performance blocks.
"There's always something exciting on stage during the festival," says Cale. "We've acquired more audience members through FIT. I think people will come out of curiosity."
Echo Reads
In 2001 the group launched Echo Reads, a series of free performance readings featuring a diverse collection of work by female voices from the past and the present. Since the Echo Reads: Salon Series began in September of 2001, more than 110 women playwrights have had their voices heard through lightly rehearsed staged readings of their work. Some of these scripts were later produced on the mainstage season, largely due to audience talkbacks after the readings.
"We were doing this and thought it would be more interesting if we invited an audience," Cale explains. "We call it 'edit performance readings.' We hire a director, cast the piece, and we lightly rehearse. Generally, we are on someone else's stage; whoever is in production at the Bath House. They graciously allow us to do readings on their sets. We have a narrator that describes everything. The audience comes and sits in on what a rehearsal is like and experiences the script."
The point is to hear the words and experience the play, and it's free.
"You can come to a reading, enjoy some free cookies and sit around with the cast and producers and discuss the play you just saw," Cale says. "It's a lot of fun and from our reading series we've chosen a lot of shows for our mainstage, which is a great benefit."
The series is now curated by Elly Lindsay, and readings this fall are Adrienne Dawes' Teen Dad on Oct. 17 and Lauren McCune's Cleida Heller's Last Hurrah on Nov. 28; with three more to-be-announced titles in the spring of 2018.
The Men's Show
It's not always all women at Echo. In 2001, Raphael Parry—co-founder of Undermain Theatre and now Executive Director of Shakespeare Dallas—starred in An Almost Holy Picture, a play by Heather McDonald that is affectionately referred to as "the men's show."
"What's different about Echo is that [we] match the production team to the show," Cale says. "You always have a female writer, but the entire team for [Picture], except the prop designer, was men. We used a male designer and a male director. It doesn't matter as long as you have the best in expertise and talent. Each script has its own sensibility…and you can feel what it needs."
That play made its Broadway debut in 2002, starring Kevin Bacon.
Back to Behn
British playwright and poet Aphra Behn (pronounced "bane") was considered the first professional playwright. Living in the Restoration era, she earned her living as a writer. Her play The Rover is the one that is still produced, often by college theater departments.
In 2012-13, Echo Theatre dedicated its 15th season to her, with Liz Duffy Adams' Or, a play about Behn; and a production of Behn's The Lucky Chance, or An Alderman's Bargain.
"She was a pretty amazing woman," says Cale. "Behn was a feminist before feminism was a thing. She was on her own, and had married but her husband passed away, so she was accepted in society because of her marriage and moved through the world on her own terms."
Shouting Out
In 2010, Echo launched the Big Shout Out, an international playwriting contest for women writers. The series was a success, leading to four full productions: Catherine Bush's The Executioner's Sons, Cathy Tempelsman's A Most Dangerous Woman, Isabella Russell-Ides' The Early Education of Conrad Eppler, and Briana Pozner's The Adventures of Flo and Greg. It also fed Echo Reads.
"We have offered this contest twice, and as a result Echo has produced an additional four world premieres," says managing artistic director Terri Ferguson. "It has helped Echo Theatre become internationally recognized among female playwrights. In fact, the very first play submitted to the first contest was from a playwright in Croatia. Plans are in the works for a third contest within the next two years."
Her Song
The Echo team wanted to create a show that celebrated women songwriters, so in 2014, after a yearlong research project, Echo gave birth to Her Song, in which the Bath House Cultural Center was turned into a 1930s-style supper club with American Songbook tunes by women lyricists and/or composers. With a cast of 24 musicians, singers, dancers and more, Echo and audiences celebrated women composers and lyricists. This was done in collaboration with the Matt Tolentino Orchestra and the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group.
Her Song, which was conceived and developed by Annie Benjamin, Cale, Lorena Davey, Terri Ferguson, Shelby-Allison Hibbs and Scott Eckert, became a hit and has been revived every February since.
Annie Benjamin wanted to do a revue or musical with music from Tin Pan Alley, a collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated popular music in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The number of woman musicians and composers they discovered was astonishing. Many wrote with a man, often their husband. And there were many songs that did not come out of Tin Pan Alley, like the blues.
The group would meet at Cale's house on Sundays to discuss the music and the production. Eckert was key to getting the scoring done.
"And then we had to throw a big lasso around this and Shelby-Allison Hibbs cut off all the wild corners and laid out the idea that we were going to create characters of a supper club so the audience would feel like they were really there," Cale says. "Beyond the Box, a wonderful catering company, created craft food and cocktails from the 1930s for us."
Echo plans to retire the show after its 2018 production.
"It's bittersweet, but since we only have three slots, we need to get back to our mission and use that slot to present different female playwrights' work," Cale says. "It's been a wonderful experience and we may do something like it again in the future."
Wish List
In 2015 when founder/producer Pam Myers-Morgan officially stepped down, new co-artistic directors Cale, Ferguson and Alett Gray worked to bring Echo to new heights. In 2017, Ferguson took over the reins as managing artistic director, with Gray as general manager. The group's budget for the 2017-18 season is $85,000, the largest annual budget to date.
Echo Theatre is ready to grow. To produce more plays, they would like to expand their board with added leadership to help with fundraising, and they'd like to give their actors and staff a little more money. Echo frequently uses Actor's Equity Association guest artist contracts.
"Echo Theatre already stands out for producing great works written by women, but I would also like us to be Dallas' most inclusive theatre company," says Ferguson.
For her, that means actively searching for and hiring directors, designers, and performers that come from a diverse background. The current production of Ruined is a great example; but there are also many women playwrights of color whose work should be explored.
Looking to the group's 25th and 30th anniversary seasons, Ferguson has more milestones in mind.
"It is my hope that Echo Theatre can grow to produce a full five-show season in the next five years. There are so many great scripts written by women out there that deserve to be produced, and so many fabulous artists in the community that deserve to flex their talents," she says. "Another dream I have is that within 10 years, Echo creates a network of theater companies in other major cities to co-produce works written by women."
Looks like Echo Theatre will continue to find more ways to get women seats at the table as an active and equal part of the theater conversation.


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Starbase 40 was a Federation Starfleet starbase.
In the late 23rd century, the facility was expecting the arrival of the USS Enterprise but they were contacted about a delay due to the abduction of Captain Spock by the Devidians. (TOS - Convergence comic: "Split Infinities")
It had a space station facility in the 24th century. (TNG video games: Armada, Armada II)
- No history or fate was established for this starbase as the name was randomly assigned to a playing field station by the game software.
Connections[edit | edit source]
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Peyton Manning: Revolutionizing healthcare a 'mighty endeavor'
LAS VEGAS - In his closing keynote at HIMSS16 on Friday, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, the reigning Super Bowl champ, spoke about leadership, teamwork and battling through adversity.
"I've been on the receiving end of your efforts," the often-injured quarterback told the crowd of healthcare professionals. "I can't even come close to doing what you do."
The five-time NFL most valuable player and two-time Super Bowl winner was in Las Vegas to talk about leadership, communication and hard work, he said. But first, he couldn't resist getting in a couple jokes about his side-gig as a commercial pitchman for Nationwide Insurance and Papa John's Pizza.
[Also: See photos from Day 3 of HIMSS16]
"I cannot give you any business advice, but I can tell you that due to some recent law changes in Colorado, the pizza business has been pretty good," said Manning, alluding to the recent legalization of marijuana in the state. "A lot of late night orders."
As for Nationwide, that sing-song seven-note tagline has "taken on a life of its own," he said. "People don't speak to me, they jingle to me."
The quarterback is the most important position in sports, and as one of the greatest the game's ever seen, Manning said he'd learned some lessons on leadership dating back to his time as a freshman at University of Tennessee, where he was taught that leadership is something that's earned.
Through his career, Manning, the NFL's all-time passing yardage leader, said he's learned that leaders need to evolve according to circumstances.
[Also: NFL embraces diagnostic imaging, EHRs]
"When the environment changes drastically around you, no one, including a leader, can take anything for granted," he said. That point was driven home as late career injuries forced him to adjust his strategies. "I was keenly are of my strengths, but also my physical limitations. By the time my injuries caught up to me, I had to rely on my attitude."
Leadership is important, said Manning, but so is teamwork.
He said the Broncos "got off to a dominant 7-0 start last season, but the streak ended with a loss in the eighth game. As our offense struggled to learn a new system, the defense became even more dominant. The team had layers of depth that allowed us to adjust."
Likewise, "in an orchestra there are up to 20 different kinds of instruments, as many as 100 musicians, and a conductor," he said. "Everyone has to synchronize very specific combinations for the music to wow its audience."
In a hospital, meanwhile, "a team of personnel is key to a successful surgery," he said. "Doctors, nurses and staff each perform individual roles. But unless they work together, and the IT systems provide critical intelligence, patients will suffer a less than optimum outcome."
When teams "work in unison, toward the same goal, each playing his specific role at the highest level possible, the results often defy the odds," he said.
[Also: NFL moves to EHRs]
After three neck surgeries that could have ended his career, he keenly understands what that means.
"Based on what the medical world has done to put my neck back together, I lean toward taking the word 'impossible' from the dictionary," said Manning – who added that, based on his time in the healthcare system, "I can fully appreciate the value of information systems to keep hospitals functioning."
For that, he thanked the crowd for their work in transforming the way healthcare is delivered through technology. Such "commitment to a lofty cause blows my mind," he said. "Football is a game. Revolutionizing healthcare is a mighty endeavor."
After Manning's speech, he was joined onstage by a physician, for a discussion that touched on the NFL's electronic health record system, the portals that allow players to access their medical and imaging data, the analytics used to help keep them safe on the field.
That doctor was Robert Heyer, MD, team physician for the Carolina Panthers.
Heyer chuckled at the idea of sharing the stage with the QB who'd beaten them in Super Bowl 50 barely a month ago. "It's all good," he said.
Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.


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~Thomas Edison
You are what you eat .. at Oasis Place, we want to provide you the opportunity to experience what wholesome and nutritious meals should be at our Café. The Café serves meals that are designed to help children with special diets to enable parents to learn about the diets that are right for their children. This Café will be a unique place where you chat over a cup of coffee, learn from the experts and be served by special children. Come and check us out!
To know more on Nutrition, click here.


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My Vision for 2012: Knowledge Prompt #2 (with Tutorial)
My Vision for 2012: Knowledge Prompt #2: Which do you value more? Street smarts or book smarts?
Journal your thoughts. Link up your page here in the comments section of this post.
I love learning. I love books. I loved school. I did the best I could in school in order to be the best me. No one told me that I needed to bone up on Street Smarts just as ambitiously, really I had no clue where to start. I lived a sheltered life in a sheltered suburb, pretty naive about how the "Real World" worked. When my family moved to a new state while I was in high school to a larger high school, I had trouble making new friends, breaking into cliques. Perhaps I didn't want to be a follower, that was the problem.
I had to learn Street Smarts, or what they now call Emotional Intelligence, the hard way, thrust into the "Real World." I wish I had placed a value on more of a balance of the two (Book Smarts and Street Smarts) growing up. Being the oldest child, I wish I had an older sibling that had been Street Smart to show me the ropes. Even a cousin, yet we always lived quite a distance from my cousins. I did have a mean Uncle that claimed to be Street Smart, who is now estranged from the family through divorce, and he used to make fun of me for having a college education…such as "What, didn't they teach you how to (sweep with a broom) in college?" Or Insert whatever common-sense insult in parentheses. Of course, I knew how to sweep with a broom but that was the first phrase that popped into my head.
I'll spare you the details of how I failed my first years in the "Real World" without any Street Smarts but eventually I found a teacher of sorts, and mentor you could say.
According to helpguide.org, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) relies on five key skills that anyone can improve on, if needed:
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 1: The ability to quickly reduce stress.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 2: The ability to recognize and manage your emotions.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 3: The ability to connect with others using nonverbal communication.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 4: The ability to use humor and play to deal with challenges.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 5: The ability to resolve conflicts positively and with confidence.
You can read about each of these five key skills areas in detail and learn how to raise these skills here.
Must-Read Opinions
*Book Smarts vs Street Smarts? Really?
*Business: Comparing street smarts vs. book smarts
*Book smarts vs. Street smarts
Inspiration for My Vision for 2012: Knowledge Prompt #2 (with Tutorial)
Julie Ann
Journaling: (this was the journaling as I intended it to be, but I had to cut out a lot in order for it to fit, thus what is in bold is what actually made it in)
Standing at the edge of the street, I looked both ways, and no cars were coming. I crossed the street although there was no cross-walk and the light was green. I was actually jay-walking but I was using my own mind to determine whether or not it was safe to make it across the lanes. I had been taught only to cross at the light, when it was red for on-coming traffic. At Michigan State University, we did this a lot in order to get to class in time. It was one way that I learned street smarts from watching what others did, and matching their moves. I loved doing this, I felt like a rebel.
I had always valued book smarts very highly, all through school, as I craved knowledge. I had an unusually high interest in learning, I suppose. Unfortunately, this put me at a huge disadvantage when I was thrust into "The Real World". I expected my superiors to train me how to have the sense to handle myself in front of clients, although my superiors had no clue of this expectation.
My twenties were my training ground for street smarts. In the roughest way possible. I survived. Eventually I thrived. I had courage. I have scars, physical and those you can't see.
I value having both book smarts and street smarts, yet I wish I had grown up learning a balance of both.
To create the text, I used two of Tangie's Art Journaling Fonts, rotated at angles to match the patterned paper (using Photoshop Elements). The one font was a fillable font so I filled it with black, and filled the centers of letters with white. I also simplified the text so I could Edit -> Stroke (Outline) the text in orange. But first, before I did any of that…I edited the Layer -> Type –> Warp Text. I used the Fisheye setting at between -28 and -50. Then for the second font, I also used the same Fisheye setting on it. Then I used the Stroke (Outline) in Black set for 2 on the second font.
In review:
1. Type text in alternating Art Journaling Fonts by Tangie: bandersnatch and breadbutter.
2. Rotate text at angles to match the angles of the patterned paper.
3. Go to Layer –> Type –> Warp Text. Choose the Fisheye setting between -28 and -50 for the bandersnatch font.
4. On the bandersnatch font layer(s), simplify it. Go to Edit –> Stroke –> 2 Outside, Color: Orange. Click OK. Repeat for each bandersnatch font layer.
5. Use the Magic Wand Tool, zoom in past 100%, and click on the circles of the letters. Create a new layer, and make sure you are on the new layer. Go to Edit –> Fill Selection. Select White. Opacity 100%. Click OK. Repeat for each bandersnatch font layer.
6. Select the bandersnatch font layer(s). Using the Magic Wand Tool (W), zoom in past 100%, click inside each letter as we will be filling the letters. Create a new layer and make sure you are on the new layer. Go to Edit –> Fill Selection. Select Black. Opacity 100%. Click OK. Repeat for each bandersnatch font layer.
7. Select the breadbutter font layer(s). Go to Layer –> Type –> Warp Text. Choose the Fisheye setting between -28 and -50 until the font fills up the line of the patterned paper. Repeat for each breadbutter font layer.
8. Having this same layer selected as in Step 7, go to Layer –> Simplify Layer. Then go to Edit –> Stroke (Outline)–> 2 Outside, Color: Black. Click OK. Repeat for each breadbutter font layer.
Questions, feel free to leave comments below or email me (listed below).
Software: Photoshop Elements 7, Watercolor Filter
by Tangie Baxter- Splatter Graffiti Dream Spilling, AJC12 Parcel 6, Deconstructed Sorbet, Compendium of Daydreams, AJC 2011 Expedition, AJC 11 Terrify, Tribaltions, Quote Borders, Dance, Deconstructed No. 4, Doubletakes, Quote Background, Virtuosity, AJC 11 Parcel 19, AJC Parcel 20, AJ PaperWorn Styles, Art Journaling Fonts: breadbutter and bandersnatch
by CrowAbout StudioB: Woot, Bits Borders and Parts
Julie Ann Shahin is a New York-based art journaler, scrapbooker, mixed media craftster who specializes in hybrid and altered art techniques. She will be blogging regularly for tangiebaxter.com on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You may contact Julie Ann directly at julieann dot shahin at gmail dot com
You might also enjoy:
My Vision for 2012 Prompts Archive
5 Responses to My Vision for 2012: Knowledge Prompt #2 (with Tutorial)
Thank you for the tutorial. I don't know if I would have thought to experiment with my font, simplifying and creating a stoke around it. With this, I feel I'll start experimenting more with my type.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the inspiring tut and the reminder to "create a new layer". I often forget this step and get frustrated. Love your pages!
I don't art digitally. I am grateful for the content of your page, as it is something I (and most of my sibs and one of my kids) struggle with all the time. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the tutorial, prompts and tips. I will be trying to do this, especially journaling.


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"So beautiful, original art work, very unique and artsy! interesting layout, really nice staff! Owner waited up for us!!"
Facilities Pension Suecia
- Car park
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Extra Services
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Common areas
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We guarantee
- Secure booking. When you book with us, your private information will be protected by a safe connection.
- Protection of your privacy. Your private information will be used just to confirm your booking.
Pension Suecia with average raiting
25 customer's reviews
- What did you like the most?
- "So beautiful, original art work, very unique and artsy! interesting layout, really nice staff! Owner waited up for us!!"
- Is there anything you didn't like?
- "Very hard to find, not so much the hotels fault but Granada city late at night with construction one way streets and changed street names.... Ahhhhh."
- Pareja joven
- What did you like the most?
- "Beautiful small hotel with its own personality in great location if you plan to visit Alhambra (10 minutes walk) or city center (15 minutes walk).
Jorge, the owner, was great and very very helpful. Helped us to plan our stay in Granada.
Breakfast on terrace was very tasty and great value for 3,5E.
If you go by car, its possible to park in front of hotel for free but avoid to park on street behind gate entrance, it will by towed by police and no signs are there."
- Pareja joven
- What did you like the most?
- "The owner was wonderful. He provided complete information, answering questions I didn't even think to ask - made the visit easier and more enjoyable. They were helpful and flexible."
- Is there anything you didn't like?
- "No air conditioning. Normally not an issue, but it was a particularly hot period. They did not advertise a/c, so not their fault."
- What did you like the most?
- "Location Brilliant for the alhambra (walkable from hotel) with bars and
restaurants close by. Very happy with breakfast very tasty and great
value for 3,50? Cheaper than breakfasts at restaurants. You can also eat
on the terrace/roof. Parking easily accessible just outside of
entrance to hotel. Beds very comfortable and nice traditional interior."
- Is there anything you didn't like?
- "No air conditioning. Overhead fan made no difference. Only shower gel in bathroom, no shampoo, there was very little of the shower gel there (two tiny sachets for a room of two) and no kettle. The only drinks available had to be bought at the front desk (water, wine, beer and coke)"
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Near Pension Suecia
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- Las Titas 0,21 km
- El Trasgu 0,29 km
- Típico Colombia 0,31 km
Leisure, Culture and Art
- Los Jardines del Generalife 0,21 km
- Casa Museum Manuel De Falla 0,35 km
- Centro Cultural Manuel de Falla 0,40 km
- Manuel Bellido 0,26 km
Citizen Information
- Campo del Príncipe 0,34 km
Health & Beauty
- Los baños árabes del Palacio... 1,76 km


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Treasurer and Partner
Tel: (803) 719-8059
As one of the Managing Partners of FPC of Columbia, Garry holds key operational responsibilities for the management of the Columbia office. In addition to his role as Manager, Garry actively manages a desk, specializing in the placement of Sourcing and Commodity Managment Professionals.
Garry joined FPC of Columbia as a recruiter in 2002. Prior to entering the executive search field, Garry worked as a Global Commodity Manager at two contract manufacturing firms (Solectron and Boundless). In addition, his past career includes serving as a Logistics Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He resigned his commission as a Captain in the USMC.
Garry earned his BA degree from The Citadel. Garry is married and spends much of his time with a young daughter and son.Back to team


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Interview Questions
"I was asked what other firms I had applied to, what improvements the firm could make to its client service and to give an example of a time when I had to manage a difficult situation. I was asked how I would deal with a situation where a client asked for advice but I didn't know the answer (how would I manage expectations essentially)."First year trainee, Exeter
"What makes Ashfords different from its competitors? Tell us about a time when you demonstrated teamwork."First year trainee, Exeter
"I was asked competency questions mainly, although the interview felt more like a conversation with a partner and a member of HR than a strict interview."First year trainee, Plymouth, I occasionally work in the Exeter Office
"There were lots of competency-based questions."Second year trainee,
"Why Ashfords? Gives us an example of when you showed leadership. Why do you want to be a solicitor? What is your biggest skill?"First year trainee, Bristol
"The bulk of the questions I was asked during interviews were competency-based. The interview was also tailored to try and focus on what made me stand out compared to other applicants based on my passions and interests. The firm seems keen to hire people with character so, if you list something, make sure you are truly passionate about it."Second year trainee, Exeter
"I had questions requiring me to call on examples of when I had demonstrated particular skills. There were some questions requiring more detailed knowledge of the Ashfords brand and a commercial awareness point as well as regarding whether to become an ABS."First year trainee, Exeter
"I was asked about the legal market in general and asked to provide examples of times when I had worked in a team and dealt with difficult situations."First year trainee, Exeter
"I was asked why I had applied to Ashfords as well as some competency questions and also my opinion on alternative business structures (ABS) and whether or not Ashfords should become one."First year trainee, Exeter
"I was quizzed on my interest in the technology sector. I would say that applicants should focus on the answers given in their application and assessments. Your interviewer will delve deeper into these so you want to be sure that answers are well considered, as opposed to being a 'copy and paste' job."First year trainee, Bristol
"I was largely asked competency questions and why I thought Ashfords would be a good fit for me."First year trainee, London
"I was asked a lot about my work experience, my degree modules, my application and my hobbies."First year trainee, Exeter/Tiverton
"The questions themselves were primarily competency-based with a few that related to my commercial awareness."Second year trainee, Exeter
"I was asked for examples of how I used various skills such as teamwork and problem solving."Newly qualified solicitor, Taunton, Somerset
"Why Ashfords? Why law? I was also asked various situational questions."Second year trainee, Exeter
"There was a series of competency-based questions and I was asked to give an example of a time when I had worked well in a team."First year trainee, Exeter
"My interview mainly consisted of competency questions. Make sure you can use your examples flexibly as I was asked two very similar but slightly different questions."First year trainee, Bristol
"Standard HR competency questions."First year trainee, Bristol
"There were the usual competency-based questions along with some questions about my CV."Second year trainee, Bristol
"My interview questions consisted of the usual mix of showing good teamwork abilities, showing where I've worked under pressure, discussing how to deal with a difficult supervisor or client etc. I was also asked to explain some weaknesses within my academic CV and discuss how I am suitable for the training contract."First year trainee, Bristol
"Previous experiences in work, commercial awareness, future aspirations."First year trainee, Exeter
"In my interview, they asked competency-based questions, so make sure you have specific examples of times that you have worked in a team, used your initiative etc. Also make sure you know why you want to work at Ashfords in particular, what sets it apart from other firms?"Second year trainee, London
"It was a competency-based interview but kept quite informal and chatty which was nice. Lots of questions where I had to give examples of a time where I had solved a problem or worked as a team etc."First year trainee, Taunton - Somerset
"Mainly competency based questions, with a couple centred on commercial awareness."First year trainee, Exeter
"I will not be specific, however they ask candidates to give examples of where they have had to use certain skills, such as team working and time management. There are also some on the legal market and commercial awareness."First year trainee, Exeter
"I was given competency based questions showing teamwork, responsibility and difficult tasks etc. You should use the STAR (Situation, Task, Activity and Result) method as this is the key to answering these types of questions. Make sure you research the firm!"First year trainee, Exeter
"The interview is mostly competency based so think of answers that are anything to do with team-working, problem solving and commercial awareness."First year trainee, Bristol
"I was asked why I applied for Ashfords, and I had to talk about a time where I had to overcome something, and when I had to handle a difficult situation."Second year trainee, Exeter
"During my interview I had to give examples of when you have: worked in a team; faced a difficult situation or had to exhibit leadership qualities. I was asked why I wanted to live in the South West, and why I applied to Ashfords, in addition to whether I had any questions."Second year trainee, Exeter
"The interview was a competency based interview where I was asked to explain examples of what I had shown certain skills like commitment and resilience. I was also asked about my legal experience and what it had involved."First year trainee, Exeter
"I was only asked competency-based questions: e.g. give us an example of when you demonstrated organisational skills."First year trainee, Exeter
"All competency based questions: give examples of when you have worked under pressure, as a member of a team, etc."Second year trainee, Exeter
Our 'Insider Reviews' are the comments and views of recent graduate recruits, giving you a view of what it may be like to work for an organisation. Copyright of all TARGETjobs Insider Reviews material lies solely with GTI Media.


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Clozapine/Phenytoin; Phenobarbital; Rifampin Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
When these two medicines are taken together, your body may process clozapine more quickly.
What might happen:
The amount of clozapine in your blood may decrease and it may not work as well.
What you should do about this interaction:
Contact your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) as soon as possible about taking these two medicines together. Your provider may need to check the level of clozapine in your blood and adjust your clozapine dose to make sure it continues to work for you. Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of the drug interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Clozaril (clozapine tablets) US prescribing information. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation April, 2020.
- 2.Joos AA, Frank UG, Kaschka WP. Pharmacokinetic interaction of clozapine and rifampicin in a forensic patient with an atypical mycobacterial infection. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1998 Feb;18(1):83-5.
- 3.Miller DD. Effect of phenytoin on plasma clozapine concentrations in two patients. J Clin Psychiatry 1991 Jan;52(1):23-5.
Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.


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Sigh. Guess what day it is… Garfield had it right to hate on Mondays. Growing up, I always felt bad for Monday because of the universal hate against it. I thought, during my school days, that Monday was always the promising start of a new week, a week that could turn out to be exciting. A time when something new and great could happen. However, I eventually grew to truly understand the glumness of Mondays as the years went by (hence, the cynicism with age I mention in my intro post).
However, don't despair, because Gallantly, gal is here to brighten up your Miserable Monday with the best post in the world–because it's all about dogs! Cats are great, too, but there's nothing like derpy, affectionate dogs to make your heart soar. They just do the greatest things. As trivial as these actions might be, they are enough to make you the happiest person on earth, so let's get to smiling and aww-ing!
10 – Welcoming you at the door after a long day
There is seriously nothing better than finally getting home for the best welcome of all time, a bundle of wagging tail, excited limbs, sparkling eyes, and ears laid flat with joy. You can tell that your dog missed you all day and is the happiest little dog in the world, and this is going to melt your heart immediately. No matter how tough your Monday's been, you can look forward to going back home to your furry friend who had as hard a Monday without you by his or her side.
9 – Cuddling up with you wherever you are
While I hate the cold, there is definitely one perk of the chilly wintertime–my furry friend actually wants to cuddle! My Silky Terrier, Coco, is chic and mostly has eyes for my mother–but what I have over her are my long legs, which he can use as a heated bed in winter. Whenever I am lying down, whether on my belly or back, or sitting up, he will immediately come crawling onto my legs. It's a total win-win. I stay warm, he stays warm. He might just think of me as a convenient bundle of fat and warmth, but I am okay with being used like that. I will let my legs and feet fall asleep and turn to stone so long as he sleeps comfortably. Sometimes, he won't even want to be on my lap until he sees something else there like a lap desk, which he'll promptly demand I remove so he can lie there.
8 – Looking back at you on walks
I think this is an underrated one. Dogs are so cute when they look back at you while you're walking them, especially if their tongues are lolling. They always do this once in a while, as if checking that you are having a good time, too. There's something about the innocence and bliss in their eyes when they look up at you, oh thou leash holder, that makes it worth having to walk them even when you're tired. They just look so happy outside, and when your gazes meet, it's like a special exchange or bond. I even like seeing other dogs while I'm walking by or in the car look up to their owners. They're not even looking at me, but their faces look so pure and loving.
7 – Kissing the palm of your treat-holding hand
Feeding animals is always fun regardless of the type of pet. The thing with dogs is that they have these cute lips and a wet, long tongue they use to eat, so the palm of your hand will essentially be kissed by a dog if there's a treat on it. It's very cute and feels strangely satisfying. It's quite soft to the touch. Thanks for the smooch, pooch! Try not to feed them too much, though, or they will seriously get fat. And this goes on to…
6 – Giving your face a much-needed washing
The feeling of a dog's tongue is going to give you the bout of the giggles, whether you're feeding the dog from your hand or find yourself being licked to death in the face (best way to die ever). Sometimes when I'm on the floor being super active and working out or super lazy and turning into a potato, my dog will come up and start licking my ears, face, and neck. It makes me giggle and laugh, which is a great release from stress or boredom. Sometimes my sister will hide a treat in my clothes and he will go crazy looking for it, tickling me again but this time with his sniffs.
5 – Demanding that you pet them in all their glory
Dogs are a needy bunch. They need affection day and night, so some might find them too high-maintenance. But this is really one of their best traits, in my opinion. They always want your attention and love, often expressing this in the cutest ways possible. They will rub their head against your hand, literally use their paws to make you pet them, and whine because they only got 98% of your love so far that day. How can you resist, though?
4 – Begging you to stay or pick them up
Probably the worst part of Monday morning is having to leave your furry friend behind. Sometimes, begging just won't work for the dogs, but at least it's still cute to see them try by clinging to your legs to keep you from going out the door. It tears your heart apart because you don't want to leave them, but it's also really cute because they're hugging you desperately. Other times, you might be sitting, when your dog suddenly stands up, wanting you to pick them up. They have great power of persuasion. How? By….
3 – Staring at you hypnotically with their puppy eyes
My dog recently got a haircut so I could see his doe eyes again and man oh man, they are hypnotic as heck. There's really no looking away. Dogs have two types of gazes: the piercing, hypnotic one and the adorable, puppy one. There's a certain power in those eyes that will possess you to do unthinkable things like… scratch their bellies or make them even fatter with treats. In some cases, you may find yourself outside all of a sudden on a walk, wondering how you got there and who's walking whom?
2 – Following you everywhere you go
Dogs have cute tails and they are also just tails themselves. My family calls our dog, Coco, my mother's tail because he can always be seen behind her, trailing her wherever she goes–especially if it's the kitchen. This is why dogs are man's best friend. They are always there for you and it's super cute to see how loyally they trek around the house to keep you in their sight. Although it might not be the best when you're going to the bathroom…
1 – Loving you as much as they love treats
Dogs love treats a lot. So when I say they love you as much as they love treats, I am saying that the love there is immense–as big as the galaxy. Dogs have such limitless, unconditional love for you that you can't help but feel like the most special person on earth. You can't help but love them back, if you have a heart and soul that is. Their love is what makes you happy because everything they do in this list, they do out of love.
So, are you happy yet? Is your Monday better yet? I sincerely hope so! (I know you all came for the pictures and gifs, by the way, so here's a special extra.)


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Manish Malhotra: "I'm done with films"
- by Priya Tanna
After 25 years ruling the twin worlds of film and fashion, the designer's biggest achievement is a truth he's learned about himself
Image: Tarun Vishwa
On Kareena: Blouse, lehenga; both Manish Malhotra. 'Mughal Flower' bangle, Nirav Modi. On Alia: Gown, Manish Malhotra. 'Lotus Duet' ring, 'Lotus Pond' ring; both Nirav Modi. On Karisma: Blouse, lehenga, Manish Malhotra. 'Lotus Blossom' earrings, Nirav Modi
Image: Tarun Vishwa
Fringed blouse, lehenga; both Manish Malhotra
Image: Tarun Vishwa
Long blouse, Manish Malhotra. Jeans, Wet Seal. Shoes, Christian Louboutin
Image: Tarun Vishwa
Embellished blouse, matching lehenga; both Manish Malhotra. 'Sunburst Radiant' ring, Nirav Modi
Image: Tarun Vishwa
Gown, Manish Malhotra. On right hand: 'Embrace' diamonds set in white gold bangle, Nirav Modi. On left hand: 'Embrace' diamonds set in gold bangle, 'Fluire Single Blossom' ring; both Nirav Modi
Image: Tarun Vishwa
Gown, Manish Malhotra. 'Embrace' diamonds set in pink, yellow and white gold bangles; all Nirav Modi
Thirty-five awards, more than 1,000 films, 1.1 million likes on Facebook, 530K followers on Instagram—it's easy to capture the highlights of Manish Malhotra's life in numbers. Deeply entrenched in the twin worlds of fashion and film for the past 25 years, Malhotra has been singularly responsible for redefining and modernising the way women look in Indian movies. His commitment to style has shaped not just his own career but a label that has grown exponentially, coveted by brides and Bollywood ingénues alike. When you spend a day with him, the stories of his highs and lows and his incredibly dramatic journey stand testament to a career filled with as much grit as glamour.
Having acquired a cultish status as a costume stylist to the movies and stars that matter—he marked his foothold in the film world by winning his first Filmfare Award for the film Rangeela (1995)—his decision to venture into retail and his early days as a 'serious designer' were filled with harsh criticisms, tricky partnerships and several moments fraught with self-doubt. But you can't keep a good, polite, hardworking boy down. Like the proverbial phoenix, he has risen to build one of the most reliable and successful design brands in the country. It is also truly iconic, for "Manish Malhotraish" is a descriptor much used by style wardens in India, the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.
Malhotra has embraced social media with the enthusiasm of a teenager: "It keeps me connected, helps me get a sense of what people like and want, and it keeps my designs young and relevant," he says. Without succumbing to attention-seeking trends, Malhotra has managed to walk the winning line between commerce and creativity. Will you wear a Manish Malhotra when you want to induce shock and awe in a room full of fashion enthusiasts? Probably not. Will you wear him 10 years from today, or find a Manish Malhotra sari relevant a few seasons down the line? Absolutely.
Having started his career as a model, Malhotra is as easy on the eyes as his clothes are. I have known Manish before he was Manish Malhotra 'the designer'. My career as a journalist and his as a designer kick-started around the same time. But neither the years nor our jobs have marred the ebb and flow of our equation. Our shared love for films, fashion and pursuing challenging ideas has kept us connected. I've witnessed his rise with quiet pride, he's witnessed mine with public acknowledgments. If success changes people, he is the best example of it. He works hard (18-hour days are de rigueur), is even more humble about his success now than he was 10 years ago, and the very thought of what all lies ahead excites him like it would an eight-year-old who has just won a ticket to the chocolate factory. Edited excerpts from an interview:
How far back does your love for fashion go?
I think it was inborn. I was always very fascinated by Hindi film heroines and their colourful costumes. Every Thursday, I would be at the movies, rapt with the larger-than-life grandness of the costumes and the women who wore them. There were times during my teen years when I would have seen 2-3 movies a day, dragging my sister-in-law with me. Even at age six, I had an opinion on which sari or dupatta my mother should wear. I would eventually cut up her old saris and make clothes from them for her, and she was always surprised by my drive. My mother is very well dressed, and her style, along with that of the actress Mumtaz, was my earliest influence. Till I joined Elphinstone College, I was only a Hindi film buff. My exposure to college life in South Mumbai introduced me to English films and I started enjoying them as well.
Was there any film in particular that left an impression on you?
Love Story (1970) starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw. Also Michael Jackson's video Thriller that released when I was in college. Both stayed with me for different reasons. My life back then was college, movies and modelling. I was fairly in demand as a model. So you can say that I have been working since I was 20. I was never that kid who hung out in college canteens. At 19, I saved up money from my modelling gigs and travelled abroad for the first time, to Bangkok and Singapore. During that time, I had my first brush with fashion as a designer-cum-sales-boy at a small boutique called Equinox. I also used my time there to do a lot of sketching and learn how to drape on mannequins.
What was your first film project?
Dressing Juhi Chawla for a song in David Dhawan's film Swarg in 1989. It was Rakesh Shrestha, who shot the song, who introduced me to Sridevi later. Around that time, a batch of designers had established themselves at Ensemble. I neither had the money to come up with a collection nor any formal training. So I chose films—I thought if I could be a game changer in this stream I would make a name for myself. That's how I got into costume styling. I arrived at the movies from a place of pure love, and my focus helped me work my way up.
How did you approach your craft, considering you didn't have any formal training?
I think it was observing, wanting to do better, wanting to survive, wanting to make a name, wanting to achieve something and then pushing myself. Passion mixed with hunger. Everything I learnt, I learnt on the job—sitting in workshops with tailors all night, watching them cut, stitch, learning the right terminology from them. I was an established film stylist and designer by 23. My sketching also worked in my favour: the fact that I could sketch really fast. I still sketch; it's something I can't do without.
Given that styling in films was a relatively new industry, did you have the first mover's advantage?
I certainly didn't have any advantage! The first two or three years were overwhelming. I used to work 18-hour days, and I was always in a bad mood as I had no assistant—it was just me. But I was desperate to make it, as I had nothing else to fall back on. The film industry at that time was very different; they were not used to the costume stylist asking for the script. There wasn't the concept of discussing a look, and the make-up men resented me for disturbing hair and make-up. I believe I survived all that solely because I had the support of my family. They gave me the guts to go out there. I was probably the first stylist who asked for scripts, shopped abroad for films and got stars to experiment with their looks. I was always very clear that I was never going to be that designer who would sit and get over-friendly with the stars and gossip about one to the other. At one point, I was working with Manisha Koirala, Raveena Tandon, Kajol and Karisma Kapoor at the same time, just as I did with Sridevi and Madhuri. They did not all love each other, but I never discussed one with the other. I never carried tales.
Was Rangeela your first big break?
Honestly, Gumrah (1993) was the big one for me, which followed Baaghi (1990), where I styled Nagma. Gumrah was one of the first films where I worked on a complete look, including hair: I gave Sridevi skirts, jeans, waistcoats and a cute bob that she wore through the film. Rangeela happened soon after, followed by Raja Hindustani (1996), which became a talking point as I gave Karisma [Kapoor] a full makeover.
Was the script always the starting point?
It's more instinctual than intellectual. I don't know how to floor clients with pretty words. As someone with no formal training, I have evolved and grown on the job, with every film and every collection. I have a very simple ethos: whatever is expected of me, I should be able to give much more than that. Movies have always influenced me, especially the ones from the '60s and '70s. I carry those images with me. I think what I did was clear the clutter from the movies.
You are talking about shaving off the garish costumes and over-the-top make-up and hair…
Exactly! No excess jewellery, no excess shine, no excess hair and make-up (even though it was not a part of my job). Talent is in abundance and a lot of people are ready to work just as hard as me. So I had to define my USP—my ability to go beyond the call of my job.
What made you move to retail?
It just fell in my lap in 1999, when Yash and Avanti Birla and Kajal Anand asked me to design for their store, Reverie. I remember doing my first fashion show at The Chambers at the Taj, where Urmila was my showstopper, and that kicked off the trend of showstoppers. I did not part with the Reverie team on good terms, and I am eternally grateful that the film industry stood by me and supported me during that tough period by flooding me with films. After Reverie, I joined Sheetal Design Studio as they had a huge production set-up. Post-Sheetal, I launched my own label with a line of tunics that retailed from Ensemble in 2005. There was no looking back from there. I expanded to flagship stores in Mumbai. Five years ago I launched my label at Karma and Ensemble in Delhi. I opened my own store in Delhi two years ago. I am proud to say that today we are a 100-crore brand.
When you are designing your millionth lehenga, how do you keep things fresh?
Travel has a huge influence on me. Hotels, art, architecture… everything leaves an imprint. And even without realising it, that becomes a starting point for a collection. I am inspired by the fact that I am going to be a part of a bride's special day. And each bride is unique. So working with each client on her story, her personality, and bringing that to the outfit is what I enjoy the most. Last year, I launched my diffusion line. This year I have expanded my collection to include gowns: I like the modern-meets-vintage aesthetic and I use a lot of subtle embellishments and off-colours to give them a unique look and feel.
Your work and your retail label have attracted more than a fair share of critics. What do you have to say to that?
When I launched my label, neither the critics nor the other designers were in my favour. To be honest, most of them are not, even today. But like I said, my conscience and my heart is clear. I was mocked for using colour, for adding bling, for having showstoppers. And today every other designer is using sequins and getting showstoppers for their shows. So I'm having the last laugh. I have always been consistent with what I believed in. If you have a strong sense of self-belief, it is hard to break you.
Where do you think the resentment comes from?
I don't know and I don't understand it. And frankly, I can't be bothered. Like Karan [Johar] says, I wake up in the morning and it is all about myself. I have no time and interest to resent anyone. My store managers and staff have been trained in a way that if a client asks for another designer's details or address, they will readily give it to them. I am not interested in criticising others, posing for photographs with other designers and then bitching about them behind their back. I'm happy they are doing well. But I'm more interested in bettering myself.
Your approach to work is very instinctual. What do your instincts tell you about the future?
My gut feeling is that I am done with films. I will probably do one or two films a year now and that too only if it excites me. I will always be grateful to all the directors and stars who have been an integral part of my journey, but for me to evolve and grow further, this is a necessary step. The next decade is going to be about the label and the business of fashion. I understand commerce and I want to marry that with my craft. By business, I don't mean only the monetary aspect. I want to focus on evolution and growth. I want to also use my experience and equity to impact the weavers and the community of craftsmen in a quiet way without making noise. I am also looking at opening more stores—one each in Dubai and London next year and also a menswear store in Delhi. And there's also the dream of making a film…
Don't you feel that losing your grip on films might affect your brand value?
That is a myth. In the two years since my Delhi store opened, not a single client has walked in to ask for an outfit that an actress wore in a film. People like to believe this stuff and they want to put me in a bracket. But it's really not the truth.
Your career has defied many clichés…
Even as a designer, I am quite a contrast to what one believes is the world of designers. I may have a drink but I'm never spotted drunk at any event, I have never done drugs, I don't even smoke. I'm a Punjabi boy, so I'd rather go enjoy an amazing meal! I am never impolite or abusive. It is only in India, and especially in Delhi, that fashion has gained a reputation for debauchery. Debauchery is outdated and pretentiousness is boring. Fashion is bloody hard work. It's a very serious business for me.
How did you manage to turn your label into a 100-crore business?
I always had a vision. Not to target 100 or 200 crores, but to keep increasing sales, making sure my production can live up to the increasing demand, and to make pretty and wearable clothes. I created many variations and upgraded the finish. I want my clothes to be democratic and accessible. I don't believe in making museum pieces.
Why have you stayed away from collaborations?
It's because I am very clear that I don't want to get into wedding decor or furniture. I am open to it if something interesting comes my way. But otherwise, I'd rather make a movie, because I get films and I'm lucky with films. I understand the ethos of movies.
Do you believe couture will ever fade away?
Couture will never die—it is luxury. Luxury is a mark of your achievement, it is a mark of your place and position in the pecking order. It is like saying first class will die.
Has success changed you?
I think success has made me discover one thing about myself: my vision and my instincts and my foresight are strong and that I have a strong business sense.
Do you fear a burnout?
No, I feel excited and energised that I am doing so many things.
Who are the people without whom this 25-year-long journey would not have been possible?
My parents for my good upbringing, and my brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces for their unflinching support. All those who joined me in my journey because they were as hungry as I was to try something new: the late Yash Chopra, Yash Johar, Ram Gopal Verma, Dharmesh Darshan, Karan Johar, Sridevi, Urmila, Karisma, Kareena, Kajol and all the other actresses I have worked with. Also, Anil Chopra and the current team of Saket and Purnima at Lakmé Fashion Week and Sunil Sethi of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). My assistants and staff have worked tirelessly and shared my dream. And Vogue and you, for always believing in my work.
Why haven't you found time for love in all of this?
At 50, I think it is too late. I'm not sure I can live with anybody and I'm honestly not searching. I am in the best relationship of my life…with myself.
Styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania; Photographed by Tarun Vishwa; Hair: Gabriel Georgiou/ Anima Creative Management (Kareena, Karisma, Alia, Kajol), Tina Mukharjee (Sridevi); Make-up: Rosario Belmonte/ Anima Creative Management (Kareena, Karisma, Alia), George Kritikos (Kajol), Subhash Shinde (Sridevi); Assistant stylists: Ria Kamat, Priyanka Parkash; Photographer's assistants: Raju Raman, Mohini Mohan Bera; Production: Temple Road; Productions: Divya Jagwani; Set design and props: Bindiya & Narii; Production assistant: Saakshi Kaushik. Jewellery by Nirav Modi
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Singularity: A Future Reality Sound is more than Atlanta's first Live Virtual Reality Concert open to the public. It is a conceptual night of music performance focused on the emotions, themes, and interactions of technological singularity.
Presented in three movements, the experience traverses the various complex relationships set to unfold should a point of technological singularity be realized. These movements focus on The Self, Society, and Nature.
The night will begin with an introduction from Dr. Lisa Yaszek, Georgia Tech Professor and a past President of the Science Fiction Research Association.
For more information on the event and to secure tickets, click here.


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Since our founding in 1923 as Alberta's first university-based school of nursing, the Faculty of Nursing's aspirations and actions have been guided by core values drawn from the discipline of Nursing, the University community, and Canadian society.
Browse through nearly a century of composite photos!
Take a trip down memory lane by browsing the composite photos of those who have graduated from our programs!
The magazine for alumni and friends of the Faculty of Nursing is published twice a year and features stories on our alumni and faculty.
Career success comes from pursuing what interests you. Build your career with us!
Generations of alumni have enriched the reputation of our Faculty through their many achievements in nursing, and the generosity of their time and resources. Many of our alumni continue to be involved with their alma mater by volunteering and providing generous financial support.
Office of Advancement
Telephone: (780) 492-9171
Email: email@example.com
Brianne Thomas, Assistant Dean Advancement
Email: email@example.com
Fiona Wilson, Stewardship & Development Coordinator
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone (780) 492-9171


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E07150001Regular price $2,100.00 Save $-2,100.00
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