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I've been dying to go to Singapore!! This place seems amazing. I hope I can make it there this year!
We'll be moving on, a bit more to the East this month, to enjoy Singapore through Glimpses! One unique city-state that stretches on a little over 700 square kilometers, with population of about five million, the country that is among the wealthiest in the world!
Singapore is constantly changing, being modernized all the time, and I was told that the country changes so fast, that even if I come next year, I wouldn't be able to say that I know the city or that I have seen it all already. And they were so right!
So, how about a travel to Singapore! Let's enjoy this city together, the place that is usually referred to as a layover, but is so much more than that! Check out the Glimpses' links below, or just subscribe by clicking on blog's mailing list and get the stories right into your Inbox as soon as they are posted!
Imagine an orchid, beautiful and gentle, since that is actually the Singapore's national flower. And than just sit back, and enjoy the ride!
Glimpses of SINGAPORE:
I've been dying to go to Singapore!! This place seems amazing. I hope I can make it there this year!
I was in Singapore last week for the first time in 10 years and it has improved so much in 10 years. I wonder what it will be like in another 10 years.
I never had Singapore on my radar before, but I love that it is always changing never the exactly the same. I hope to check out the this beautiful place one day.
Singapore in May sounds really exciting. I've never been to Singapore, but I had a friend who lived there and her stories about it are great. So I hope to go visit there someday!
Really need to get Singapore real soon. There is no real excuse why I can't, not that far from my home. Nice post.
Thanks for finally writing about >How about SINGAPORE in May!
| Glimpses of The World <Loved it!
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that would be okay. I'm undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to
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Ebi - Bio
Ebrahim Hamedi, known better as "Ebi" to his millions of fans across the world. His legendary satin, yet incredibly powerful voice has established Ebi as a Legendary Iranian Singer for the ages. Throughout his 50 year career, Ebi has released over 30 albums, and closer to 100 singles, performed sold out shows across the world, and continuously released an endless string of hits, transcending Ebi's fan base through 3 generations of Iranians worldwide.
His incredibly genuine connection to his fans has made him more than just a Pop Icon, but a symbol for his people. His active stance against political injustice, oppression of women, and constant charitable ambitions has always been Ebi's "banner," clearly visible in his music as well as throughout all aspects of his life.

subset: commoncrawl


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Archive for July, 2013
How to Know That You Know:: 3Posted by: | Comments
The third test John provides is a difficult one. In chapter 2, verses 9-11, he wrote, "If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness."
Evidently John's readers were faced with the same challenge we are…learning to love difficult people. In my own experience, the most difficult people I've had to deal with are "church people," and if you're like me you have plenty of stories about people in the church who have said or done terrible things to you.
The core value of our faith is love, but love is only authenticated when it's tested. Difficult people provide two hidden blessings for us. For one, difficult people reveal character. Much is said on the surface regarding loving others and how important it is for us to "love our neighbors." But when our lives intersect with those who are difficult it reveals whether or not we really love others. The second blessing that difficult people offer to us is the opportunity to build character. They provide us with the opportunity to love everyone, not just the easy ones. Every challenge we face is a chance to grow.
There's a lot of talk in the media about valuing tolerance. Tolerance is advocated for those who are difficult and different. But demonstrating mere tolerance is less than the expectation of Christ. Christ does not command us to passive tolerance. He commands us to actively love everyone, even the difficult and different. In doing so, we give evidence that we know God.
How to Know That You Know:: 2Posted by: | Comments
Picking up where I left off yesterday, John offered three tests in the second chapter of his first epistle that help us know whether or not we know God. The first test that John offers is a heartfelt desire to obey God. "And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him" (1 John 2:3-5, NLT). The obedience John is describing is more than rote obedience. It is the genuine desire to know and do God's will. As we come to know and do God's will, our love for God is matured, because we understand our relationship with God is based on love, not law.
Test number two is that we will walk as Jesus walked. "Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did" (1 John 2:6, NLT). When I was a kid, I used to get in trouble for mimicking my dad. I'd mimic his gestures and parrot his words back to him. Walking as Jesus walked is more that mimicking Jesus' gestures and parroting his words. It is imitation. Imitation comes responsively and reflexively as we share in his divine nature. We can live as Jesus lived because the Spirit of Jesus lives within us. When I look at my kids, I can see how they imitate me or their mother. While the physical resemblances are somewhat obvious, the similarities in our personalities, mannerisms, phrasing of words, sense of humor, and decision making are also evident. Our children no longer mimic me as they did when they were little. They imitate me and their mother. I observe them as they make choices and think to myself, "That's how I would have done that." John's vision for his readers lives is that we relate to God so closely that we become like him in word, thought and deed. We know that we know him because we act like him.
Tomorrow I'll share the third test, that of loving our Christian brothers and sisters.
How to Know that You Know:: 1Posted by: | Comments
Are you a "name dropper?" Do you know any name droppers? You know the kind. They are always bringing up who they went to school with or who they recently met for lunch. In the course of normal conversation, a name dropper will find a way to share something they said to or did with a person of notoriety. Sometimes you may wonder if the name dropper really knows the person whose name they dropped.
The first century gnostics were name droppers of sorts. They claimed to know God and talked often of knowing God. The problem, however, was that the gnostics didn't really know God. Even worse, they were leading people in the church astray. (To read a brief explanation of first century gnosticism, click this link to Theopedia).
One of John's objectives in writing his first epistle is to counter the claims of Gnosticism. He intentionally uses the word "know" (gnosis) to help his readers understand how to know if they really know God. In the following passage, he provided three tests that give evidence of really knowing God.
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister,a that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sisterb is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness (1 John 2:3-11, NLT).
In tomorrow's post, I'll start unpacking the three tests John offered.
Are Religious Progressives Gaining Among Millennials??Posted by: | Comments
Robby Jones of the Washington Post wrote a fascinating article yesterday titled The Coming Rise of the Religious Left, claiming that religious progressives are out gaining theological conservatives among millennials. Included in the article is a soft prediction that there is hope in the future for America's mainline denominations. This one is worth your time.
What to Do with Our Sins:: 3Posted by: | Comments
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world (1 John 2:1-2, NLT).
John's line of thinking crosses into chapter two. There, he presents Jesus as both advocate and atoning sacrifice. The imagery is of a court room, where sinners stand before a holy judge. Our guilt has been established. Jesus acts as our defense attorney and pleads our case. But not only does he plead our case, he serves our sentence. His body and blood covers the debt we cannot pay on our own. What's amazing about this picture is that the judge, our Heavenly Father, is not reluctant to forgive!
Six Types of AtheistPosted by: | Comments
Lest we assume all atheists are the same, this report from CNN.com cites six variations of atheism. You can read the article HERE.
What to Do with Our Sins:: 2Posted by: | Comments
I think we're clear on the fact that we are sinners by nature and by choice. Enough has been said about that. The trick is to determine where we go from there. I believe that every Christian needs to be familiar with this important verse in the Bible.
"But if we confess our sins to him he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1 John 1:9, NLT).
Let me unpack this for you. The word confess means "to agree with." When we confess, all we are doing is agreeing with God that what he calls sin is sin. If you are accused of a crime and the police arrest you and accuse you of a crime you have committed, your confession is nothing more than your agreement with the charge. But here's the good news. If we agree with God about our sin, his faithfulness and justice requires him to forgive us of our sin. It is God's nature to make promises that he intends to keep. To say that God is faithful and just to forgive is a promise to you and me that God will keep his word.
Forgiveness is a bookkeeping term, which means to cancel a debt or release one from the obligation of a debt. But God doesn't stop with a promise to release us from a debt. He goes on to say that He will cleanse us from all wickedness. The word cleans is the same word we discovered in chapter one verse seven. It's the same word that was used to describe Jesus' healing ministry in the gospels.
When we confess our sin, God's covenant promise is two fold. He deals with the fruit of sin and the root of sin. Let me illustrate it this way. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said that the people had always heard that "Thou shalt not commit murder." That's the fruit. "But I say to you that you should not become angry." That's the root. He adds, "You have heard that your should not commit adultery." That's the fruit. "But I say you should not have lust in your heart." That's the root. When we sin, God promises to provide forgiveness for the fruit of our sin and to help us with the root of the sin.
What to Do With Our SinsPosted by: | Comments
The other day I was waiting in line for my name to be called. Seated behind me was a grandmother accompanied by her four year old granddaughter. As I waited, the grandmother continually scolded the little girl. As a parent, I have learned that there is a difference between a child behaving like a child and a child that is naughty. As far as I could tell, the little girl was just acting her age. She was a bit loud and very fidgety. Evidently grandma thought she should behave like an adult. After a few minutes of nagging, grandma finally reached her breaking point. Here's what she said to the little girl:
"You see that policeman over there? Well, his job is to catch bad people and lock them in jail. If you're not good, that policeman is going to come and put you in jail. So you better be good or I'm not taking you anywhere ever again."
As I age, I find that my filter is diminishing. It was very hard not to turn and give some parenting advice to granny, but I refrained. As I have reflected on this incident over the past couple of weeks it occurred to me that this is precisely how some people view their sin in relationship to God. God is a stern judge whose job is to reward the good people and "catch" the bad people and "lock them away."
My personal philosophy of preaching is that people who attend church week in and week out know why they are there. I never feel compelled to harp on long sin lists every week. We know we need God. We know we're sinners in need of grace. I never want to present an image of God that casts him in the role of the angry judge who is lurking around the corner just waiting, even hoping, to catch us messing up. Having said that, however, it is important that we have a clear understanding of what to do when we do sin.
John is addressing an audience that lacked that simple humility. They were like the Pharisee Jesus saw praying outside the Temple who said, "God, I'm so thankful that I'm not like these sinners." John's original readers deflected, denied, diminished and dismissed the idea of sin. They refused to acknowledge sin in principle and in conduct.
John mentions this problem three times in chapter 1.
"So we are lying is we say we have fellowship with God yet go on living in spiritual darkness…" (1 John 1:6).
"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves…" (1 John 1:8)
"If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar…" (1 John 1:10)
This was more than a problem of ethics and morality. John's readers had developed an entire theology about their sin, or lack thereof. But there's a problem with this approach. When we refuse to acknowledge our sin, we cannot benefit from the gospel.
Tomorrow I'll pick up with the rest of the text and detail what the Bible says we are to do with our sins.
God is Light:: 2Posted by: | Comments
1 John 1:7 states that if we walk in God's light, two things are true. First, we have fellowship with one another. In other words, we don't just walk in God's light, we walk in God's light together. Which brings me to an important question. Do we value Christian community? We never sin in isolation. On occasion I'll hear someone make a statement about how as long as their behavior doesn't affect anyone else it shouldn't matter what they do. But is that really true? What is my responsibility to my brothers and sisters in Christ? What is my responsibility for my brothers and sisters in Christ?
Second, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. The verb tense for cleanse indicates that this is a continuous, ongoing process. The forgiveness we receive at salvation continues to operate each day of our Christian experience. The good news is that when we sin, we have a remedy. The word cleanse in Greek is katarizo; the same word used some 19 times of the healing ministry of Jesus. I like that imagery, because it speaks of the breadth and depth of God's gracious forgiveness. We are not just "forgiven," we are healed…which takes grace to a whole new level!
God is LightPosted by: | Comments
The creation account in Genesis chapter 1 states that the first thing God created was light. Light exposed darkness and became the divisor between day and night. From that point forward, light is an important metaphor in the Bible. It is used 139 times in the Old Testament, and its impact is carried forward into the New Testament. Jesus claimed to be the "light of the world." Jesus told his disciples that we are the "light of the world."
The apostle John is especially fond of the imagery, using it in his gospel as well as in his epistles. His assertion that God is light forms the heading to the first division of 1 John.
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:5-7, NLT).
John affirms that God is light—absolute light—without any darkness at all. In reference to God, light is symbolic of God's glory, purity, holiness, guidance and presence. It has an intellectual dimension. Light is equated with truth, and this light enlightens every person (John 1:4). But light is not just intellectual. It carries a moral dimension. Truth is not just something to know or think about. It is something that demands action from us.
John gets to the heart of the matter in verse 6 and addresses an error in the lives of his audience. According to John, one cannot claim to walk in the light and have fellowship with God and concurrently live in darkness. Antinomianism was a false teaching that had crept into the church. People had come to believe that the human body was simply and envelope that covered the human spirit. The spirit could not be contaminated by the deeds of the body. A person, therefore, could relate to God spiritually independent of the morality of the body.
We face the same kind of challenge today. We will diminish sin, justify sin, excuse our sin, blame others for our sin, or even openly deny sin. John's point is simple: we cannot claim fellowship with God and simultaneously clutch our sins. That leaves us with this question. Do we take sin seriously? A good God expects good people. Or better said, a holy God expects holy people. I don't think God expects perfection from his children. But I do believe he expects progress. What are you doing to ruthlessly eradicate sin from your life?


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Bird flu can infect babies in the womb
H5N1 bird flu can infect babies in the womb, reveals a new study, although the virus may not do much damage to the fetus. The study adds to evidence that H5N1 kills mainly by turning on immune reactions that are most intense in adults.
The Chinese researchers have developed a new technique for detecting H5N1 in victims' tissues without the need for growing the virus in high-biosecurity labs.
More than 300 people have been confirmed dead of H5N1 since 2003. But despite fears that the virus could turn into a deadly pandemic, there have been relatively few autopsies of victims, which could reveal how it kills.
This is partly due to religious restrictions, but also because finding which organs were affected involves growing the virus from the victim's tissues – which must be done in labs with stringent containment.
Jiang Gu and colleagues at Peking University in Beijing got around the problem by testing tissue from two Chinese victims, including one pregnant woman, with antibodies that bind H5N1 proteins, and RNA sequences that bind H5N1 genes.
Genetic shortcut
They reasoned that if they saw signs not only of the RNA strand in the complete virus, but also of the complementary strand it makes when it is replicating, plus viral proteins, the virus was probably growing in the tissue.
They found this evidence in the victims' lungs, brains, intestines, and lymph nodes. They also found it in their tracheas – an important discovery, because it has been suggested that H5N1 does not spread readily among people because it cannot infect the trachea.
Finding traces of the virus does not necessarily mean it was growing there when the victim died, cautions Wai Fu Ng at the University of Hong Kong. The virus, or parts of it, might have been carried there by blood or secretions. "We can only say the virus was attempting to replicate there," Ng told New Scientist.
Runaway response
His lab is trying to replicate Gu's results on its own autopsy material, he says. If the technique is proved by subsequent research, it means more such studies might be possible.
One of the victims examined by Gu's study was four months pregnant, and the team found signs of the virus in the placenta and the fetus. But there was little evidence of damage to the fetus.
In adults, the team found extensive damage in the lung, as expected – but little virus – probably because it had been cleared by immune reactions by the time these people died. Meanwhile they found little damage, but large amounts of virus in the brain, where there is little immune response.
Virus entering the brain is a particular fear with H5N1. But the observations suggest, as have other studies, that immune reactions – not large amounts of virus – are what kill, they conclude.
In a separate study, Gu told New Scientist, the team found evidence of a runaway immune response in the patients. "This study suggests that, at an early stage of the infection, antiviral treatment is crucial. Later on, anti-immune treatment may be useful."
Journal reference: The Lancet (vol 370, p 1137)
Bird Flu – Learn more about the virus in our comprehensive special report.
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Cass McCombs' sixth album, Humor Risk, out on Tuesday, arrives close on the heels of the slow-dancing-with-a-weary-heart feel of his last EP, Wit's End, released in April. While Wit's End put the Bay Area–based singer-songwriter's high croon to good work on gray-hilled folk songs dripping with yearning, Humor Risk is an attempt "at laughter instead of confusion," McCombs says on his website.
But make no mistake, this isn't a party record. Though inflected with jubilant keyboard filigrees and vocal melodies that could sit comfortably next to Forever Changes–era Love, the album is rife with moments of soft resignation, as on "To Every Man His Chimera," where McCombs wearily sings, "Everyone I know gossips endlessly - Everyone I know suffers just like me," before falling into a quiet break.
The album's first single, "The Same Thing," provides the record's catchiest moments. Even as McCombs builds on a hazy '60s melodic energy, his ancestry leans closer to Nick Drake and Fairport Convention than the Sonics. The "new folk" label is pretty much completely worn out at this point, but let's call a spade a spade. This is folk music, folk for now, tooled with the thousands of tiny, deep pockets of love.


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An outfit called the Prudential Business Ethics Center at Rutgers Business School the other day announced the findings of a survey it did as part of the Rutgers Ethics Initiative, a nonpartisan project encouraging business and government to work together to promote ethics in New Jersey. Pollsters at the Eagleton Institute asked 809 New Jersey citizens which group they thought had the greatest potential for raising ethical standards to combat political corruption. The results:
- citizens' groups, 26 percent
- the Governor, 20 percent
- state and federal prosecutors, 17 percent
- the state Legislature, 12 percent
- business leaders, 6 percent
The state prosecutors' track record may have weighed down the feds' rankings a bit. Anyway, a full report of the Rutgers Ethics Initative's findings and recommendations is expected to be released in January — at the start of a legislative election year in which all 40 Senate and 80 Assembly seats will be on the ballot. Maybe if the report gets taken seriously, lawmakers could push their numbers into the teens.


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Customized sneakers are always a joy to watch but being able to customize our own sneakers in a unique way is more fun. So today we have brought you some customized sneakers in order to help you out with customizing your next Air Max 90 sneaker in a way better and astonishing manner.
Starting off with Sierato's custom Air Max 90, check out the whole series and enhance your personality by customizing your next Air Max 90 sneaker in a proper way.


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I hereby declare that to the best of knowledge and belief, all answer to the above question are true and correct and have nit concealed, misrepresented or misstated any materials facts. I agree that no coverage will be effective will application is approved by the Company and policy issued.
Your "Insurer of Choice" and a trusted name in the Non-life Insurance Business.
Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved


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International Invitation for Bids
International Exhibition
Company Profile
CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd., a fully independent subsidiary of China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC), is a specialized exhibition company approved by the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation to organize domestic and overseas exhibitions. Its original, the Exhibition Office of First Ministry of Machine-building Industry was founded in 1957. CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd. has organized more than ten thousands enterprises and foreign trade companies (times) to take part in more than 600 exhibitions and expositions which were held in about 100 cities of up to 70 countries and regions continuously for 48years. The trade volume reached in the above shows is over 3 billion US dollars.Website
Company Facts
- Type of business: Pavilion organizer
CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd.
- Room 1305, Floor 13 178 Guang'anmenwai Street
- 100055 Beijing
- China
- Phone: +86 10 63451188
- Fax: +86 10 63456563
CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd.
- Room 1305, Floor 13 178 Guang'anmenwai Street
- 100055 Beijing
- China
- Phone: +86 10 63451188
- Fax: +86 10 63456563
Interested in news about exhibitors, top offers and trends in the industry?
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In 2019, Smithco Services will celebrate 60 years of servicing A/C and Refrigeration customers in Palm Beach County. During that time, our business plan has not changed much. Our prime focus is on qualities like old fashioned hard work and great customer service. As a result, our company has survived over half of a century with this winning formula. We offer the best HVAC/R services from Vero Beach south through Broward County so we have got your area covered. Smithco Services has technicians that are also available 24/7 for Emergency calls if needed after hours, weekends or holidays.
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My affection for the weekday bicycle commute is inversely proportional to the grade of the next hill. Don't get me wrong, I find cycling for sake of cycling — putting on the stretchy racing bibs and clicky shoes to go tackle endless climbs — a pure joy. But when the ride into the office requires a shower and wardrobe change, my laziness and vanity usually win out, so I end up just taking the bus.
Faraday Porteur
Beautiful retro styling. Innovative "hidden" battery pack and motor. Pedal assist hits the ideal balance between regular cycling and motorized transport. Charges in less than an hour.
With the boost turned on, pedals lose resistance under heavy effort. Price puts it out of reach for proletariat commuters.
How We Rate
- 1/10A complete failure in every way
- 2/10Sad, really
- 3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
- 4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
- 5/10Recommended with reservations
- 6/10Solid with some issues
- 7/10Very good, but not quite great
- 8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
- 9/10Nearly flawless
- 10/10Metaphysical perfection
Electric bikes seem like a brilliant solution, as they can help you zip up hills and across flats without all the huffing and puffing. But the e-bike has proven a tough nut to crack, as evidenced by the dearth of electric bicycles that are practical in all the important ways: appropriate power, easy and fast charging, intuitive controls, manageable weight and supreme comfort in the saddle. Some come close, but then fail on aesthetics — nobody wants to be seen on something that resembles a Huffy with a giant silver box welded to the back of the frame.
The motor and battery are almost entirely invisible at first glance, hidden away inside the frame.
The designers of the Faraday Porteur have nailed the elusive important bits by prioritizing the e-bike's bicycle-ness. The motor and battery are almost entirely invisible at first glance, hidden away inside the frame. And actually, the electric power boost is a secondary feature that, rightfully, stays dormant until topographic desperation makes you hit the switch. Until then, it's a comfortable cruiser that looks like it was pulled straight from a rack on Amsterdam's hippest street corner.
The Porteur is the result of an award-winning design from the Oregon Manifest, a competition that challenged builders to create the ultimate utility bike. Adam Vollmer, an IDEO designer and alum of Stanford and MIT, led a team that spent months tweaking the design until the entire package fit into a beautiful retro cruiser. Now, they've got a Kickstarter campaign, and the team is taking pre-orders for bikes at $3,500 a pop. Yes, that's expensive, but people are willing to pay: The funding round ends on Aug. 9, and the team is already well past its $100,000 goal — $141,000 as of this writing.
Before even considering the motor, it's a fancy ride. A Brooks B17 saddle is standard. The front platform for hauling cargo is interchangeable, and the support for it is mounted to the frame instead of the handlebars, which makes for easier turning under load. A Swiss-made scissor kickstand folds down from the bottom bracket, and lightweight bamboo fenders keep water off your ass. The brakes are Avid mechanical disks, and the transmission is an eight-speed Shimano Alfine internally geared hub, so there's no derailleur to get gummed up by sand, gravel, or road slush.
The electronics are deliberately hidden from sight. Filling the cavities in the dual top tubes is a 110Wh battery array with a claimed lifespan of about five years. It powers a 250-watt motor located in the front wheel — it's designed to operate as a two-wheel-drive system, meaning your quads power the back wheel.
A cigarette-pack-sized, weatherproof collection of chips and wires tucked under the seat serves as the brains of the drivetrain. After measuring the pedal speed and wheel speed with magnetic sensors, the system calculates how much boost to give. The engineer who designed it accounted for every thread of wire inside, ensuring that, unlike the clunky power units you see on other motorized bikes, the electric power remains hidden. It's a feat of streamlined design.
At first, you feel the motor only a little bit, then the power starts to increase smoothly. Even starting from a standstill, the boost gets you up to top speed with hardly any effort.
To feel the electricity in action, flick the thumb switch on the left grip to turn on the "pedal assist." Once initiated, the bike begins to feel weightless, like you're being pushed by a strong tailwind. But you have to keep pedaling. The idea is to provide a supplementary boost in the face of an incline. You still have to pedal, but the boost makes a huge difference. At first, you feel the motor only a little bit, then the power starts to increase smoothly. Even starting from a standstill, the boost gets you up to top speed with hardly any effort. It's damn hard to keep from grinning.
The electric drive system does have a weird glitch. It only happens when you significantly increase the amount of torque you're putting into pedals — like when you get up out of the saddle at the beginning of a steep hill. When you do this with the power boost on, you get these brief, intermittent gaps in pedal resistance. You're pushing really hard, and then the resistance disappears and the pedals spin freely for a split second (a feeling akin to when you miss the last step on a staircase and your foot just drops). Then you get resistance again, then another sudden drop, then resistance.
Most of the time, the power creeps in smoothly and there are no glitches. So if you're a get-up-and-grind type of rider, this odd resistance drop requires you to recalibrate your riding style — when you're starting a hill, you just need to find the correct gear and cadence to continue pedaling smoothly, rather than resorting to standing up out of the saddle. There's a trick to it, but I wasn't able to master it by the end of my hour-long test ride around downtown Palo Alto.
It is clear the designers haven't stopped at the novelty of an electric motor, and have instead built a bike that's primarily a convenient and comfortable utility machine. After a 45-minute charge from a standard outlet, the batteries will give you about 10 to 15 miles of power, more if you turn the assist off while coasting. That's plenty for city rides. When darkness falls, the hidden light sensors turn on the integrated rear LED and the twin one-watt LEDs in the front, which are exceptionally bright and, unlike accessory lighting, really hard to steal. If your trip to the farmers market requires a subway ride to get home, the Porteur weighs in at just under 40 pounds, which means you can haul it up and down stairs without too much struggle.
After a 45-minute charge from a standard outlet, the batteries will give you about 10 to 15 miles of power.
The bike comes with two leather-wrapped charging cords, and a leather pouch on the top tube for your leather-encased iPhone and vintage leather wallet.
If you went to the Kickstarter page and ordered a Porteur right now, you'd pay $3,500. When the bikes are delivered in mid-2013, they will sell to new customers at retail for $3,800, a $300 bump. For the amount of electronic inventiveness and quality materials integrated into this gorgeous package, the $3,800 price feels about right. But of course, the value depends equally on the gnarliness of your town's topography and how you see a bicycle fitting into your life.
This electric motor, to me, solves the issues that dissuade me from bicycling around San Francisco. I live at the top of a steep hill and I sweat easily. I usually arrive at Wired with my shirt stuck to my back. I might be exceptionally thin-skinned, but those inconveniences are what keep me from making use of the city's abundant bike lanes, and getting a pleasant bit of exercise in the morning. The Porteur makes the bicycle a more realistic method of transportation for me.
One final note: If the Kickstarter backing reaches $300,000, Faraday will develop an app that, via Bluetooth connectivity, lets users adjust the pedal assist according to their riding strength and the difficulty of their commute. That funding level seems unlikely with only a week left, but it's something to look forward to eventually if you're already a backer.
When you buy something using the retail links in our product reviews, we earn a small affiliate commission. Read more about how this works.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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Let's hope DC Students Speak and other conscientious students step up and try to ensure equitable redistricting. If the commenters on the Georgetown Metropolitan blog are any indication of what the redistricting committee members will look like (and it would shock me if they weren't), we're going to need strong student voices. This is especially true since it looks like Georgetown has the possibility to pick up an extra ANC seat, but it could easily be gerrymandered out of our hands (further diluting our already fragile membership).
Exhibit A:
June 22, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Let's clear this up once and for all. Universities are not residents, they are not supposed to get one commissioner, much less two. Students are not residents, they are seasonal migrant guests, and locust-like ones at that. Why are we giving seats to kids who don't really live here, whose parents claim them on taxes elsewhere? Next, you'll want us to let the guests at The Georgetown Inn a vote. It makes about as much sense, and the hotel commissioner would probably care more about the neighborhood."


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|Up a level
Butt, Sarah and Kleiner, Brian (2018) Interactive tools for large-scale surveys. In: NCRM Research Methods Festival 2018, 3rd - 5th July 2018, University of Bath. (Unpublished)
Millard, Stephanie and Nind, Melanie and Nedbalova, Eva (2019) MethodsNews Newsletter 2019: 1. MethodsNews Newsletter 2019: 1, 1 (1). ISSN 2019: 1
Croudace, Tim and Rust, John (2010) Video: What is applied psychometrics? [Video] (Unpublished)
Gilbert, Nigel (2016) The ethics of sensors in the home. [Video] (Unpublished)


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The 14-day Free Trial is back
Shaun Miller speaks after netting a brace in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Notts County.
Click here to listen on BladesPlayer.TV
Throughout October we will be giving non-subscribers a chance to trial BladesPlayer.TV absolutely free for 14 days. Click here to find out more.


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That the ancient 3rd century Neo-platonic philosopher Plotinus should choose to first write about beauty is in itself a beautiful thing.[1] Why couldn't one falling for a beautiful object, idea, or virtuous living, also be a person who falls in love with wisdom? It is in his introductory treatise, "Beauty" from the Enneads, that Plotinus makes the uncommon (yet entirely relevant) connection between aesthetics and ethics. This affiliation is relevant if we accept that the ethical life or better yet, the virtuous life is one that is beautiful to our universal conceptions of how one aspires to virtue. The spare objectives for this paper will be to first look at Plotinus's opening sections of his treatise on the beautiful that analyze various qualities concerning a physical conception of beauty, and then continuing through the treatise to examine his way of transitioning from physical matters to an all-important aesthetic of virtue. In closing, a few ideas will be offered by which to contemplate Plotinus's departure from the material.
Without any unnecessary forgoing, in §§1-3, Plotinus presents us with a few basic notions that have to do with a sensory perception of the beautiful, as visual, auditory, etc. These are immediately sketched in tandem with the idea that a virtuous life is also something of beauty. "Dedicated living, achievement, character, intellectual pursuits" are themselves beautiful (I, 6 [1], 1). But what of these things in relation to one another?—how is the virtuous related to a beautiful object? Firstly, Plotinus has to get us to understand what he means by a beautiful thing, a "bodily form," this has to be done before one can know how appreciating virtue is aesthetical. A reason why this arrangement is valuable is that one might forget that to consider something beautiful might mean to go beyond the sensual. In our media saturated culture, it's easy to forget that the beautiful can be something other than (commercialized) sight, scent, sound, touch, or taste. It is just as well that in Plotinus's time there were those who thought that beautiful things had only to do with symmetry.[2] In our own regard, this simple idea should not be cast off too quickly, since it does stand to reason that a beautiful face is one that is supposedly more symmetrical. Or in another vein, that a handsome building such as Michelangelo's St Peter's Basilica in Rome is beautiful due to its symmetry. Certainly too, a butterfly's wings are beautiful in their symmetry. It's easy to see why the ancient thinkers would have thought of beautiful things as possessing symmetry, yet it becomes clear for Plotinus that this is not the only trademark of beauty. Held within this notion, that beauty is tied to things that are symmetrical, is also the idea that these things must be composites—that they be made up of parts. To be sure, of the examples mentioned, these things are composite, a butterfly has a body in the middle of two wings, and St. Peter's Basilica has a central dome flanked by two smaller domes on either side, and so on. Can one not find beauty in a non-composite thing? "But is not gold beautiful? And a single star by night?" (I, 6 [1], 1). In agreement with Plotinus, it will be said that gold's power is beautiful all by its self, and that it doesn't always need any of the aforesaid symmetry for us to cherish it all the same.
Along with these issues, there is another more pressing question. Since Plotinus privileges the virtuous with his consideration of the beautiful, this begs the question as to whether or not the soul's ways can be said to be symmetrical. How can one suggest that, for example, an altruistic deed is symmetrical? There is much talk these days about living a 'balanced' life, implying a kind of symmetry brought about by weighing the good with the bad, or a life where good healthy living is made to be balanced with what?—equal measures of a bad, unhealthy life? It must be better said that such a life of 'balance' is instead, one made of careful moderation, temperance, and kindness, all attributes of virtue, but not a life measured into symmetrical components whereby the good is balanced with the bad, into neat, even proportions to be measured. "What yardstick could preside over the balancing of the The Soul's potencies and purposes?" (I, 6 [1], 1).
Already, one gets the feel for what Plotinus wishes for his readers to see, issues of beauty are tough to define as is the very pursuit of a good life. One thing is already clear: symmetry doesn't necessarily define the beautiful. But the beautiful in bodily forms has to be more than that, and it doesn't just mean that bodily forms (physical objects) aspire to the virtuous either. For a physical object to be beautiful as with an artistic expression, it has to be "in accord with Idea" (I, 6 [1], 2). In §3 Plotinus writes on the way an object's beauty relies on the Idea and the intelligible. This is given the metaphor of fire, whereby fire's beauty inhabits physical matter much as an Idea inhabits a physical, created form. "Always struggling aloft, this subtlest of elements is at the last limits of the bodily" (I, 6 [1], 3). Fire is destructive as much as it is life supporting, and just as well, our ideas and concepts of things can destroy or create the man-made objects of this world. Plotinus cherishes this kind of connection from the mystical to the physical. The things of the physical realm, when touched by the hand of an artist whose soul is in alignment with the intelligible realm, partake in the discernible, laudable, and beautiful qualities of the Idea. A beautiful house is not only beautiful in its aesthetic composure, it is beautiful in the way that it is engineered to be a comfortable home that has ease of movement, organization, and is structurally sound.
And another profound thought is brought about in §4, here one finds out that if we are to recognize beauty, we must be able to find it as an aspect of our own soul. "Seeing of this sort is done only with the eye of the soul" (I, 6 [1], 4). How can one judge the character of others without already having a sense of what it means to have an upright character as a potential in ourselves? It's easy to misunderstand honest virtue when we have fallen in with the depravity of the body's lusts. This idea smoothly transitions into §5 where one can foster the beautiful from inside, providing oneself with such qualities as "largeness of spirit, goodness of life, chasteness… [etc.]" (I, 6 [1], 5). But when the soul is sullied, it likes to wallow it its decrepitude. That paradoxical human trait the French call nostalgie de la boue (nostalgia for the mud) is not far from this downgrading of man's soul described by Plotinus. How often does one hear of the variegated humiliations of desire, or the voluntary servitudes of the flesh, in which a man is willing to subject himself to when he is overly enamored with the body's filiations? In spite of these hungers, what this suggests is the idea that the soul is already pure, and that when it wishes to taste earthly filth, it can still purify itself beyond that, "the soul is ugly when it is not purely itself" (I, 6 [1], 5). The beauty of gold now serves to metaphorically symbolize the purity that a soul can become when un-pure dirt is filtered from it, and then washed away.
Too close of an easy concession with the body draws the pure soul downward. To ascend up toward the beautiful the soul has to succumb to certain rejections of the bodily, e.g. "what is magnanimity except scorn of earthly things?" (I, 6 [1], 6). For Plotinus, the Good is beautiful as much as the "intellective" is beautiful. This has to mean that intelligence and the learned are forms of beauty, thus speaking mystically: The Soul is made beautiful in congruence with The Intelligence. By extension, a person's soul is made beautiful in correspondence with the intelligible—with what is typically called wisdom.
For Plotinus, the beautiful souls have been "stripped of the muddy vesture with which they were clothed in their descent" (I, 6 [1], 7). Once man's soiled habits have been cast off, he can again seek to become unified with the Good. His seeking for the Good will not be easy, since the comforts of the degraded body drag him away from it all the time. It is at this point, in §7, where one is not completely sure if the bodily has anything worthwhile to offer the soul, other than as mere vehicle. One is also led to wonder if rejecting the material world will be as beautiful as we are led to believe. Still, the beauty of an ascetic life is one where our goals are grand while our body is kept humble. The virtuous is kept alive in this direction upward. There is something to learn. The body is limited. To aim upward to the virtuous, what must be done? "We must close our eyes and invoke a new manner of seeing…" (I, 6 [1], 8).
Plotinus is good to remind his readers again that if they wish to be beautiful "by the virtue of men for their goodness" they will have to look inside themselves (I, 6 [1], 9). To become virtuous, one will have to look inside and work the soul as one who would sculpt fine marble. This kind of work is spiritual work, making the soul pure, emulating pure action, becoming a better person, and delimiting the pangs of the corporeal. To repeat, one cannot do any of this until we come to a closer comprehension of our own role, our own problems, and our particular shortcomings. When these virtuous thoughts are put into action, perhaps there will be time to take notice of Plotinus's hierarchy, where Beauty resides with the Intellect, but does not completely reach the heights of the One, which is in closer proximity to the Good (from where Beauty originates).
But is beauty really as internal, rather than external as Plotinus suggests? It is clear that in our day-and-age, physical beauty is a quality that is highly valued. And it is also clear that being virtuous is highly valued. Of course, whether one takes the moral-high-ground, physical beauty will have to be subordinate. Who would voluntarily claim that physical beauty is better than virtuous action? Not many would say it with words outright. However, it can be observed that such dichotomies are not so obviously binary, and again how can such things be measured? Philosophically speaking, these sharp divisions between the body and spirit, matter and idea, figure prominently in a philosophic discourse beginning with Plato and beyond. It is because of this problem, between the mind and body, where one looks for the places where the two are reconciled, say with Phenomenology or other such ideas. With this said, one mustn't become too cynical to discard Plotinus for his priorities, his hierarchies, and his divisions. Even though the world around us might privilege the beautiful face over the beautiful action, it continues to make sense that vain thinking is shallow. Plotinus's way of placing the physical below the spiritual is idealistic without a doubt. This is problematic if one is to assume that such idealism is flawed, such cynicism prevails only if we repeatedly propagate it ourselves. Plotinus's teachings are beautiful when one is ready to hear them. This is an idealistic effort, but a key factor will be what happens once the virtuous is put into action in the day-to-day of our lives. Only then will our idealism be actualized. Being good does not happen in a vacuum, it has to be meted out dynamically. The beauty of the good life is made possible by action. Plotinus was not only contemplative, he was wise and intelligible. If he had never put into words his beautiful thoughts, philosophy would be less pure, less wise.
Aurelio Madrid
Inge, Wiliiam Ralph. The Philosophy of Plotinus: The Gifford Lectures at St. Andrews, 1917-1918, Vol. II. New York, New York: Greenwood Press Publishers, 1968.
Pistorius, Philippus Villiers. Plotinus and Neo-Platonism: An Introductory Study. Cambridge: Bowes and Bowes Publishers Limited, 1952.
Plotinus, The Enneads. Translated by Stephen MacKenna. New York, New York: Faber and Faber, 1969.
—. The Essential Plotinus. Translated by Elmer O'Brien. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing, 1964.
[1] Elmer O'Brien mentions that "Beauty" is "the earlier of the treatises" and that "for centuries Beauty was the sole treatise by which Plotinus was known." Plotinus, "Beauty," in The Essential Plotinus, translated by Elmer O'Brien. (Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing, 1964, 33.
[2] O'Brien attributes this idea, where the beautiful was mostly about the symmetrical, to the Stoics.


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South Sudan
Widespread conflict between Dinka and non-Dinka in the Equatorias
Since July 2016, the security situation has significantly deteriorated in the Equatorias, which now form the new frontline of the conflict between the government and the opposition. Longstanding local grievances between Dinka and non-Dinka are becoming bound up with more strategic concerns, raising the risk of widespread inter-ethnic violence.
The Equatorias are of strategic importance for a number of reasons: Western Equatoria is the main area of agricultural production for the whole of South Sudan; Juba, the capital and economic hub of the country, lies in Central Equatoria; and the main trade route between South Sudan and neighbouring countries crosses Central and Eastern Equatoria, running from Juba to the town of Nimule on the Uganda border. This is the only all-weather land access connecting South Sudan with any other country.
However, the Equatorian population, made up of different ethnic groups, have long been at odds with the majority Dinka government in Juba. While the Equatorias hosts the country's largest agriculturalist population, in 1991 700,000 Dinka pastoralists were displaced by conflict with the Nuer from Jonglei state, and most came to the Eastern and Central Equatoria and never left. Pastoralists and agriculturalists frequently dispute land, which often results in violence.
Antagonism between Equatorians and Dinka contributes to a decades-long push for greater autonomy in the Equatorias. Having been sidelined in the peace process following the first civil war of 1955–1972, they did not participate in the second civil war, from 1983–2005. Equatorians have repeatedly advocated for a federal system, and in 2015 the three governors of the Equatorian states presented a separate position from others to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional body leading mediation efforts in South Sudan.
However, the government sidelines officials and politicians who advocate for more independence of the Equatoria: Western Equatoria's governor was sacked and detained in September 2015 and Central Equatoria's governor Clement Wani Konga was dismissed in August 2015 for speaking in favour of federalism.
Since mid-2016, there has been heavy fighting between government and opposition forces across the Equatorias, after the SPLM-IO was pushed out of Juba. The government has been conducting security operations in Central Equatoria and parts of Western and Eastern Equatoria. It has adopted a policy of targeting any person suspected to be aligned to the opposition. The SPLM-IO is mainly made up of Nuer, South Sudan's second-largest ethnic group. This policy has resulted in the targeting of non-Dinka. In one of the most recent incidents, a raid by government forces on a village on the Juba–Nimule road led to accusations of the forces raping at least six women and arresting and torturing 42 men.
Since July 2016, the political situation has been highly unstable amid increasing concerns about government attempts to target non-Dinka and promote Dinka domination. President Kiir has dismissed a number of government figures, including Equatorians. And there have been regular defections from Kiir's government to the opposition, and from the opposition to the government. Defections to the opposition and resignation from the government over its ethnicisation of state institutions increased in February. On 11 February, the Deputy Head of Logistics of the South Sudanese army, who originates from the Equatorias, resigned and accused President Kiir and the military leadership of promoting Dinka domination. He claimed that the army has been targeting non-Dinka. In the two weeks that followed, another three high-ranking military officials, as well as the South Sudanese Labour Minister, resigned and criticised Kiir's government for bias and crimes based on ethnicity.
There have been periods of mutual support between the SPLM-IO and local Equatorian armed groups, and the relationship has strengthened since the SPLM-IO left Juba in July 2016. The SPLM-IO has armed and supported local Equatorian armed groups against government forces in the past, and Equatorians have for short periods joined the SPLM-IO against the government. When conflict broke out between Dinka cattle herders and Western Equatorians over January–August 2015, this escalated into violence between government forces and Western Equatorians. Then in July 2016, when the SPLM-IO withdrew from Juba, many Equatorians left with them and fought alongside the SPLM-IO.
In addition, the SPLM-IO needs more support. Riek Machar is isolated by neighbouring countries and its members continue to defect to current Vice President Taban Deng. In November 2016, Riek Machar appointed Henry Odwar, an Equatorian, as Deputy Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM-IO.
Government and opposition forces have clashed regularly in Central and Eastern Equatoria since February 2017. Government security operations continue in the Equatorias, and an increasing number of ambushes of civilian convoys have been reported since January.
Kiir is likely to push to regain full control of the region Conflict is likely to escalate between the Dinka and non-Dinka, including Equatorians and self-defence groups of other ethnicities who have been victims of government operations.
Contrary to the established areas of conflict and active fighting there, conflict broke out in the Equatorias relatively recently and is still unfolding between the actors. This, coupled with its strategic significance, makes it likely that President Kiir will push to regain full control of the region. The government is therefore likely to scale up security operations. Since government forces are mostly Dinka, and the opposition is not an easily recognised group of fighters, security operations will likely target non-Dinka without further discrimination. The government will likely carry out large-scale raids against people perceived to support the opposition, such as in Yambio in Western Equatoria, a site of opposition during the South Sudanese civil war, and intensify arrests and detention of young men and boys of fighting age who are not collaborating with the government. This is expected to result in widespread human rights abuses from government forces, and is likely to trigger similar actions from opposition forces.
Local groups are likely to target civilians, for lack of capacity to target the military
Equatorians' grievances are likely to deepen. Existing local armed groups are likely to retaliate by targeting civilian convoys like the incident in October 2016 when 21 Dinka were killed, and local Dinka in areas of strategic importance, as they lack the capacity to attack military targets. The SPLM-IO is likely to capitalise on local armed groups' grievances and support these groups. The Juba–Nimule road is likely to be a flashpoint of the conflict. Ethnically targeted violence is likely to become widespread.
Human rights abuses are likely to be widespread. Both government and opposition forces will likely target civilians through gender-based violence, random killings and burn down villages. Child recruitment is likely to increase, notably by local armed groups who have limited capacity to perpetrate attacks. IDPs are likely to be especially vulnerable to abuse as lack of shelters in the Equatorias will further expose them to violence.
There are currently over 450,000 IDPs across the Equatorias. Conflict escalation is likely to displace thousands more. Non-Dinka IDPs will probably not try to reach UN Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites in Juba, as areas around the capital are controlled by the government. Lack of camps means that humanitarian response will be more difficult. The refugee influx to Uganda, DRC, Central African Republic and Kenya will likely increase. Since the beginning of 2017, 161,830 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Uganda, most of whom are from the Equatorias.
Food security is likely to be significantly impacted as fighting spreads across the region. People will likely keep being unable to plant their crops. Reduced access and availability are likely to lead to soaring food prices. Imports will remain limited, as trading routes to Uganda run through the Equatorias. Areas in Central and Eastern Equatoria already facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) food outcomes will likely face Emergency (IPC Phase 4). People are likely to be increasingly reliant on seeds and wild roots for food.
Access is already limited in and around conflict-affected areas such as Yei in Central Equatoria, and is likely to be further restricted by violence. An increase in road blocks and checkpoints, mostly set up by the government, but also other armed groups, should be expected. The delivery of aid into non-Dinka areas is likely to become even more politicised and harder to negotiate.
Houses will be destroyed and entire villages are likely to be burned down. IDPs will set up makeshift shelters, hide in the bush, or shelter in run-down buildings, which are likely to be overcrowded.
Global acute malnutrition (GAM) doubled in Central Equatoria from 4.2% in 2015 to 8.1% in 2016. Conflict escalation is likely to complicate access to both quantity and quality of food, which will result in higher levels of malnutrition across the Equatorias.
Intense fighting is likely to further undermine the state of health facilities in the Equatorias, which are already dire in conflict-affected areas. Medicine shortages are expected to be acute. The lack of sanitation facilities, limited access to safe water, and the overcrowding of makeshift shelters is likely to accelerate the spread of communicable diseases.
Access to water pumps in the Equatorias is already limited, and people have to walk long distances to reach potable water. With restricted movement, access is likely to decrease further. Displaced communities are expected to have severely restricted access to sanitation facilities.
The majority of schools in the Equatorias were not functional as of November 2016 and insecurity accounted for 90% of non-functional schools. Those still functioning may be used for sheltering IDPs, or occupied by armed groups. Shortages of teachers are reported as a result insecurity in the area. Student attendance is also likely to decline as a result of ongoing violence and consequent displacement, as well as due to the lack of adequate infrastructure.


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The council has 20+ years of urban forestry advocacy, outreach, research, goals and objectives that have been focused throughout the Northern Kentucky Region. In that time we have compiled a lot of data and have made connections at the regional, state and national level that could helpful for everyone from the individual tree owner trying to figure out what tree to plant or how to care for a tree they hold dear, to a group of citizens wondering where to start with the formation of a tree board, all the way up to a municipality or county contemplating next steps in planning goals for large scale green infrastructure management.
We have compiled the information below into these three scales. If you have a particular question in mind that is not answered in this information please let us know!
Individual tree resources
What, where, when and how to plant, plan and preserve your landscape.
Community forestry Resources
Information for municipal urban forestry professionals, as well as community members...
Regional and national Forestry Resources
Top down resources to plan your urban forest with links to regional planning tools and urban forestry research (both past and present). Also, get up to date with national trends and strategic planning initiatives.


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Well. Busy week. Vishante Shiancoe became a star and brought us more viewers than any other week. **Holds gun to head**
We changed the front page again with surprisingly little protest.**Closes eyes** We found out that putting the word "Nude Cheerleaders" in a post makes it Digg-worthy. **Cocks hammer**. Realizes phrase "cocks hammer" just brings us back to square one.
More change: The Phillies signed Raul Ibanez to a three-year deal because they really need another left handed bat. Sadly, this probably means the end of the Pat Burrell era in Philadelphia. He's truly a remarkable Philadelphia story: an underachieving Philadelphia athlete surprisingly not run out of town years ago, sticks around through the boos and the boorishness because he genuinely loved it here. Never hit enough homers for that paycheck. Couldn't run. Too streaky and overpaid through most of his career. But persevered and, remarkably, became a fan favorite and quiet leader when the team needed it most. You were classy even when you didn't need to be, Pat, and Philadelphia will always have your back.
Tomorrow: Watch KOGOD and Sarah struggle through the new publishing rules and make a mess of the place. (They won't. They'll figure it out.)
Thank you for your continued support of Deadspin. Especially this week. Even these three guys.
Enjoy your weekends.


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Seven Steps to Feeding Mind, Soul Through Interior Plants
Posted: July 17, 2018 |
We've been sharing the many benefits of the WELL Building Standard which furthers the idea that employees favor working – and generally being around – a natural or nature-based setting over stark, drab interiors made of cement and other hardscape materials that dominated design thinking of years past.
Simply put, adding plants into the workplace significantly reduces stress, health concerns and employee absences. And it's not just a trend or fad; there's overwhelming research to support it. Studies clearly show that employees respond to natural interior break-out workspaces, and social spaces leading to improved concentration, confidentiality, collaboration and creativity.
New Office Trends Focus on Fitness, Comfort
Posted: July 10, 2018 |
Returning to the office after a weekend of outdoor activities surrounded by trees and green space can be a bummer. Particularly if the office is comprised of drab divider walls and stark interior colors. Such a reality can have a short- and long-term negative impact on office employees or hotel guests as people are naturally attracted to designs, interiors and every day spaces that make nature and plants a key focus. Believe it. Indoor spaces can be designed to improve and positively impact the mood, nutrition, fitness and productivity of employees, guests or just about anyone visiting your site.
Nourishment, Light Central to Increased Workplace Productivity
Posted: July 3, 2018 |
We've been sharing with you the key standards that are instrumental to incorporating the WELL Building StandardTM within the interior work spaces of commercial buildings, hotels and related indoor spaces. Indoor spaces are not just for work and meetings, they're central to the health and well-being of people as an inordinate amount of our time is spent indoors.
Don't despair. Indoor spaces can be designed to improve and positively impact the mood, nutrition, fitness and productivity of employees, guests or just about anyone visiting your site.
Air, Water Quality - Instrumental to Building Health
Posted: June 26, 2018 |
The WELL Building StandardTM is quickly becoming the leading approach to health and well-being in commercial buildings, hotels and related interior spaces. This is positive news as life and work keep us indoors much of the time. The opportunity to contribute to the creation of thriving spaces that support human health and well-being is at the core of Raimondi Horticultural Group's interior efforts. The WELL Building Standard leads to improved nutrition, mood, sleep patterns, fitness, productivity, performance, and helps to prevent occupant sickness.
Creating Positive Spaces Equals Good Business
Posted: June 19, 2018 |
With more than half of all US citizens living in urban areas and spending 90 percent of time indoors, it's essential that the quality of indoor air and inside work life experiences be enhanced.
Bringing nature inside and creating outdoor urban experiences in offices, hotels and homes is widely regarded as the primary principle behind quality of life indoors.


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At the Curtain Store we have created a special area with comfortable seating where you can browse leisurely through different designer ranges of fabrics and wallpapers.
The ranges include Harlequin, Romo, Villa Nova, Zinc, Sanderson, Today's Interiors, Voyage and many more.
The Design Studio is home to a team of specialist designers who can offer advice on everything from suggesting ideas to reimagining a whole house.
We can guide you every step of the way.


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By DowntownInHamilton (registered) | Posted December 09, 2014 at 17:44:50 in reply to Comment 106731
Hey, I lived at John and Charlton for 5 years. For 3 of them I walked a dog several times a day around the block and never had a problem with people speeding down those streets. They're too narrow as it is, and the horrible job people did at parking on both sides helped keep speed in check. Maybe a handful of times did people not stop or slow down there. I think there was more of an issue with wrong-way driving on the one-ways along the side streets. Speed humps definitely are an unneeded waste there. What they do need is better enforcement and towing of vehicles parked too long, too far away from the curb, or too close to the stop signs to make turning difficult. That, and better police presence to cut down on the obscene number of break-ins to vehicles along there.
Comment edited by DowntownInHamilton on 2014-12-09 17:45:33
There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?