text:
for the best possible experience.
Subscribe now to Civil Service World magazine
Follow us:
By SA Mathieson
11 May 2018
The National Health Service is sitting on a goldmine of patient information, but identifying how best to tap its rich seams is very much a work in progress. SA Mathieson reports. Photography by Paul Heartfield
Data analytics has great potential in healthcare but most NHS organisations have yet to explore it in a meaningful fashion, according to participants at a recent round table hosted by Civil Service World in conjunction with Leidos, a provider of science and technology solutions and services to the defence, intelligence, national security, civil, and health markets.
Like many other health service professionals, those working with data are often overwhelmed by routine work. "We have to sort-of feed the beast," said Angel Shrestha, deputy head of informatics at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS organisations have to collect and submit data to national bodies such as NHS England and NHS Improvement, he explained, and such submissions may increase as a result of rising collaboration with other parts of the NHS. While greater automation of routine data collection processes may help, Shrestha added that increasing amounts of data processing are also demanded by local management teams.
He noted that the data being collected is not always relevant or useful, and can change regularly. "I have been through many of these so-called executive dashboards and scorecards," he said, adding that it is common for managers to order the calculation of key performance indicators that are rarely used, but keep being collected. He added: "We've had to produce KPIs out of KPIs." It makes sense to review such indicators, and stop the use of those which have limited relevance, he said.
Another reason to focus on the relevance of data was given by Dr Lesley Jones, a nurse fellow for digital at NHS Improvement. She said that clinicians can "shut down" if given large amounts of raw information. Providing a small subset of clinically relevant data through screens and mobile devices works much better, she added, citing one organisation's presentation of real-time data on patients in wards. "They have stripped back a lot of the rubbish they were generating," she said, and as well as clinicians the data also helps in workforce planning, which can be based on the mix of patients on a ward at that time.
Dr Jones added that clinicians may not trust raw data. "People question it, they wonder about the timeliness of it," she said. "They will say, 'that doesn't feel like how the clinic felt this week'." As a result, data is often more powerful when linked to patient stories and other anecdotal material that helps to explain it.
Jones' point was supported by Michael Fleming, analytical programme manager at the Department of Health and Social Care, who said that stories often hold the key to advances in understanding. "This is how science actually develops," he said. "Your information is in your outliers." He agreed that this vital information it can be hidden when lots of data is presented in a standardised way.
Ravi Hubbly, vice-president of data analytics products and services for Leidos Health, agreed that trusts had to involve those working at the point of care when exploring data-enabled tools. "The people who need to be empowered are dependent on what is deployed," he said. If data is not standardised or there is no way to visualise it, it may be of little use. And those frontline workers can help to improve the data, he said: "One of the key best practices I have seen is to bring the policymakers to work with the data themselves."
Despite the challenges, it's clear that sophisticated use of data can help trusts to improve, especially if they are able to use it to work with others. NHS England's RightCare project is aiming to help clinical commissioning groups to get more sophisticated in their analysis of data, by matching them with similar CCGs across England based on a range of data, rather than just their geographic neighbours. Terunnum Shakeel, senior analytical manager for the programme, explained that this means CCGs can compare themselves with others in similar circumstances, with action plans based on these comparisons.
"It's looking in a completely different way, where you're actually focused on what needs to change," she said of RightCare. "I've been in the NHS for over 20 years looking at public health data, and it's always been the case that somebody's decided this is the focus, we produce a report, and it disappears somewhere."
Another barrier to better analysis of patient data is a lack of standardisation. Dr Martin Chapman, a research associate at the School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences in King's College London, is working on how data from different electronic health record (EHR) software can be converted into standard formats, as well as using older EHR data. The latter means handling changes in the clinical codes used for some conditions: "Depression was recorded in a different way in the past," he said. "A cursory examination of those EHRs would probably tell you that there was no-one with depression before 2000, which is obviously not true."
Peter Oliver, head of strategy for health in the UK at Leidos commented that "standardisation, as well as the ability to rapidly process unstructured data, would be key to supporting the effective implementation and governance of new models of care across England in the most cost effective way; as we seek to benefit from the utilisation of increasing sources of data across organisational boundaries".
Chapman added that distributed ledger technologies, also known as blockchain, may well have a role in improving the sharing of patient data. Distributed ledger records are permanent and can be digitally signed, so the patient or organisation can assert ownership and control their use. However, he added that scalability is a major problem with such systems.
No discussion of data analytics would be complete without touching on machine learning and AI. Christopher Geary, innovation lead for digital health at Innovate UK, said that about a third of its applications for funding mention these technologies, although some appear to make only superficial use of them. He added that AI software is being trained to triage medical scans in pathology, choosing the images that need to be viewed by human clinicians: "We can get more accurate, faster and cheaper – that's the dream." Such systems are more likely to reduce human workloads than end them. "It is clinician augmented, rather than replacing the human," he said. But Geary added that the NHS is hindered in using AI by having relatively small amounts of data in limited locations, which he described as "puddles" rather than the large pools of data that are generally required by AI systems.
There are more basic problems with data analysis at many NHS organisations, stemming from the fact that a lot of information is still held on paper. "We are trying to force GP referrals to come in electronically," said Colchester's Angel Shrestha. "That's posing so many challenges."
NHS Improvement's Dr Jones has visited most of the English health service's 16 "global digital exemplars" – leading trusts that have been given extra funding to push forward with digitisation, to act as trailblazers for the rest of the NHS. She said that removing paper makes a big difference to hospital wards, with clinicians entering data directly on mobile devices rather than scribbling on scraps of paper then queuing to use a ward computer.
But she added that these exemplars are taking different routes to digitisation, with the best listening closely to their staff on how to do so. This must be the model for the rest of the NHS: "Don't do it 'to', do it 'with'," she urged, adding that trusts need to publicise what does not work as well as what does. "If something fails, we've got to have that out on the table," she said. "We need the bad news stories as well as the good news stories, to prevent the NHS from repeating mistakes."
Read the most recent articles written by SA Mathieson - Did the Government Transformation Strategy point the way to the future?


text:
OptiMatter provides data on a 3D printed materials, with the aim of including all the materials and all the printing technologies available on the market. We are constantly testing and adding new materials to our database using the methodology we are presenting here.
OptiMatter is a multivariate regression model that forecasts the performance, visual quality and processability of 3D printed parts depending on the technology, material and printing parameters. The regression is based on thousands of mechanical and visual quality tests we conduct for each material present in the software.
Input to the model
Technology: the highest level of material classification is by technology, i.e. the 3D printing forming process. The technology defines what format the material will come in: filament, powder, liquid… etc. Examples of technologies are FDM, SLA or SLS
Material type: For each technology, materials are sorted by material type. The material type is the main chemical component of the material. It determines how the material behave and how it will react to the printing process. Examples of material types are PLA, ABS, Nylon
For each material type, we investigate and model the influence of the printing parameters on the material properties, as they affect material types in different ways.
Product / brand: The specific product/supplier used within a material type. For example, Makerbot's PLA will not have exactly the same properties as Esun's PLA. For products with additives or that are blended with other polymers, we use the majority base polymer to categorize them. For example, Colorfabb's PLA/PHA will be found in the PLA material type.
The other inputs to the model are the printing parameters. So far, we have included:
Infill%: Percentage of the object that is filled with material. Example: 70% infill
Layer Height: thickness of each layer constituting the object. Example: 0.2mm
Infill pattern: pattern the printhead is drawing to fill the object. Example: honeycomb, diagonal (45°/-45°), linear (0°/90°)
Section area: The section area represents how big the typical section of the object is. If the object is big, it will behave more like its infill, whereas if it is small, it will behave more like the outer surface (= shells, top solid layers and bottom solid layers). This input is modeled using the "% of outer surface" for a given cross section.
Orientation: By nature of the 3D printing process (layer by layer), 3D-printed objects are anisotropic, meaning that their properties depend on the direction considered. OptiMatter provides data for both X/Y axis and Z axis.
Note: as of August 2016, only infill %, layer height and orientation are modeled by material type, the other two are still modeled as having the same influence for all material types.
We aim to include other influencing factors as inputs to the model, such as the slicer used.
Output of the model
The following table shows the mechanical tests we conduct, the ASTM or ISO standard we base our procedure on, the number of specimens we print, and the properties that we measure via these tests:
- To conduct tensile testing on materials at low infill, we have designed a specimen with a larger cross section. Indeed, the cross section of ASTM D638 / ISO 527 specimens is too small: there are not enough cells at low infill to be statistically significant.
- All specimens are measured and weighed to make sure they have been printed correctly.
- We print all our FDM specimens without outer surface (i.e. 0 shells, 0 top solid layers and 0 bottom solid layers). The outer surface is modeled separately.
- FDM specimens are printed on rafts to avoid the smoothening effect of printing directly on the bed.
- SLA specimens are post-cured for two hours.
Testing a new product
We conduct Tensile testing on every product in our database. We conduct Charpy testing on rigid materials, and we conduct Tensile Set testing and Hardness testing on flexible materials.
We test the product at 100% infill, at a default layer height of 0.2mm and usually using a linear pattern (0°/90°).
If this new product is part of a material type we have already modeled, then we can include it in OptiMatter directly. If not, we need to model this new material type.
Introducing a new material type
There are too many combinations of printing parameters to test all of them, so we are creating a regression model for each material type.
We model each printing parameter by making it vary while keeping all other printing parameters constant. This way, we get a first curve for the influence of that parameter under the baseline conditions. We then extrapolate this influence along the other parameters. We use a design of experiment methodology to refine the model, in particular to quantify the cross-terms of the regression, as the parameters are not independent.
For quality testing, we are using Testman, a file 3D Matter specifically designed to test various aspects of what defines Visual Quality. To learn more about the file, visit this page
To grade a given product, we print several Testmans with that product, tweaking the printing parameters (such as temperature, cooling… etc.) to find the best quality. Then we elect the best Testman of the selection and compare it to other products. We usually use one standard product we already know the grades for in the comparison process in order to adjust the grades to the right level.
The comparison is done regarding two main categories: Details & texture and Geometrical accuracy.
We also model the influence of layer height on visual quality: a small layer height usually increases resolution, and therefore improves the quality grades.
We assess the ease of printing a material to give the user a sense of the difficulty they may face in the printing process. This assessment is mostly based on an overall feeling after having used a given product for a while, but here are some example criteria we consider:
- Ease to feed into the printer
- Convenience of spool supplied (FDM)
- Frequency of filament getting tangled (FDM)
- Adhesion issues / degree of warping
- Support removal
- Post-processing requirements
Printing conditions
Besides the parameters we are modeling in the Input section, we need to give consideration to the other printing parameters. In general, we strive to keep them constant to ensure comparability of results. But we also have them vary to check that our data is still relevant under other parameters. For example, we conduct the tests on several printers, and then average out the results. Here is a summary of how we handle other key printing parameters:
Data replicability
Based on our data set, we estimate our model to have an accuracy within 10% to 40% depending on the material and the output considered. For example, we believe that our data is replicable within 15% for PLA's max stress at a high infill, but that it is only replicable within 30% for PET's max stress at low infill. Please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com if you would like more detailed info on the replicability of our data.
The main source of error at this point is linked to the variability in printers, and more specifically the extruder type and the slicer used. 3D Matter is planning to model these two variables as well in the future to improve data accuracy.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Duoduo and his dad He Liesheng are back, and the stakes have been raised yet again!
The pair first hit the news in 2012, when Eagle Dad made Eagle Son run half-naked through the snow in New York, aged 4.
Then he learned to sail a dinghy by himself, got stuck on Mount Fuji while climbing it off-season, and flew a plane solo at 5 years old.
Well, now Duoduo is 6… so the pair went on a 62-mile hike through the Lop Nur salt lake in Xinjiang Province, also known as the "Sea of Death" as it was used as a nuclear weapon test site.
Eagle Dad apparently made Duoduo dig a hole in the ground to sleep in, even though it can drop below freezing at night, and the 6-year-old had to search for food too, according to Sohu News.
If you're not already familiar with the story, Duoduo was born prematurely, and doctors predicted he would be a frail child, so his father decided to do whatever it takes to toughen him up.
Eagle Dad's motto is: 'When baby eagles learn to fly, they are pushed down from the cliff by their parents.'
Here's that blizzard training video in case you missed it. This is "eagle education":
Chinese bloggers had mixed reactions to the news:
- "Children should be happy to enjoy a carefree life. What's the point of making them set records?
- "It's good for kids to have some training, but this is going to extremes for kids that age."
- "Children need this sort of education, otherwise they get too spoiled and they can't look after themselves when they're older."
- "His father is so cruel. I wonder if he really is his father."
- "This kind of training for kids is unacceptable to most people. If we just think but don't practice, we can never create people who win Nobel prizes. Sometimes failure precedes future success."
Research by Mona
Follow VISION TIMES China on Facebook and Twitter.


text:
Classical Acupuncture of Kansas had requested a configurable default reminder for their clients and we have just released this functionality. You can now modify your default reminder under the "Settings for your business" page. The default value is one hour before appointment start time, but if you feel an earlier or later reminder is more appropriate, you can set a different value. This setting will apply to all services.
Got any questions or suggestions? Feel free to send us a message!


text:
Haley Mittler Franco works on transactional and federal energy regulatory matters affecting generation developers, independent power producers, investor-owned utilities, private equity funds, institutional investors, and power marketers. Haley assists clients with federal energy regulatory issues related to the development, ownership, and operation of renewable and conventional electric generation facilities.
Haley also regularly assists clients with general compliance matters related to the qualifying facility status, exempt wholesale generator status, and market-based rate authority, including market power analysis, complying with eTariff, and Electric Quarterly Report (EQR) requirements. Haley assists the electric transactional group with federal regulatory due diligence and obtaining FERC approvals related to the purchase and sale of electric assets. Haley also assists clients in auditing their Open Access Transmission Tariffs for accuracy and consistency with FERC requirements. Haley prepares the necessary filings discussed above as well as conducts in-depth legal research and due diligence at both the federal and state levels for filings, regulatory compliance, and transactional matters.


text:
Use this disposable email service and feel like a spy!
There are no shortage of disposable email services but I really like this one for its simplicity:
The excellently named (and free) MailDrop.cc is exactly that – an email drop for messages you don't want to get sent to your main email account or things you might just want to keep secret or separate.
You don't need to sign up, you just select a username and get going. Try mine – [email protected]. Feel free to send me confidential schematics or the codes to your death ray.
"You expect me to talk Mr Wright?"
"No, I expect you to send me email."
➤ Maildrop
Read next: Nintendo has a new CEO following the death of Satoru Iwata


text:
Issue Date 1st December 2010
Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd is committed to Protecting your Privacy and we therefore ask that you please read our Privacy Policy before providing us with any Personal Information.
- Use of Your Personal Information
Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd (Company No. 3178999) has its registered office at 2 – 4 High Street, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1BN. VAT Number GB 653 3019 57.
Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd will use Information which you provide to us on this website ('Personal Information') to provide and enhance our services & goods to you. Other purposes for which we may use your Personal Information include dealing with enquiries, market research and marketing our goods. Occasionally, we may also wish to use your Personal Information to inform you about goods or services which we think may interest you. If you do not wish to be contacted by Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd other than for your initial request, please indicate this on your enquiry.
- When might we Disclose your Personal Information to Others
Please be assured that except for the reasons listed below, we will not disclose your Personal Information to others.
We may disclose your Personal Information to others in the following circumstances and/or purposes:
o Where we are required to do so by the Courts or to comply with other legal, statutory and/or regulatory obligations including accounting and taxation requirements;
o To prevent and/or detect crime;
o Where we believe that you may be interested in the services offered by other organisations.
o For credit reference purposes;
- Obtaining Further Details
If you would like further details of who we share your Personal Information with and for what purposes, please contact Marketing Manager, Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd, 2 – 4 High Street, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1BN.
- Monitoring
Please note that if you communicate with us electronically, including by e-mail, telephone or fax, this communication may be monitored and/or recorded to protect the interests of our business and our customers. This includes for the purposes of maintaining customer/service quality standards, detection of and/or prevention of crime and to ensure that Intertruck employees comply with legal obligations and Intertruck policies and procedures (including our customer relations practices).
- Hyperlinks
We may provide hyperlinks from this web site ('the Site') to web sites of other organisations including websites of associated companies. Please note that this Privacy Policy applies only to this Site and that Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd will not liable for the contents of linked web sites or any transactions carried out with organisations operating those web sites.
- External Sources
We may on occasion obtain Personal Information from external sources such as credit reference agencies. We may use this information for the purposes of communicating on relevant products or services.
- Requests for Access to Personal Information
We are happy to provide you with details of the Personal Information, which we possess about you. To protect our customers' personal information, we follow strict storage and disclosure procedures, which means that we will require proof of identity from you prior to disclosing such information. We may charge a small administration fee of £10 in relation to any requests for access to personal information. Please direct any such request to email@example.com
- Information Updates
Please help us to keep your Personal Information current and accurate by contacting us at firstname.lastname@example.com or by post at Zeppelin Trading Co Ltd, 2 -4 High Street, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1BN if your Personal Information is or becomes inaccurate and/or out-of-date.
- Security
As you may be aware, no data transmission over the internet can be entirely secure. As a result, while we will always use reasonable endeavours to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information and the use of our Site (including the e-mail facilities) is at your own risk.
- Changes to this policy
As e-commerce horizons are changing at an ever increasing rate, we request that you refer to the Site on a regular basis to ensure that you are aware of our most recent Policies (including this Privacy Policy) and Terms and Conditions for Use of the Site.
- USER DECLARATION I consent to the use of my Personal Information for the purposes and in the manner set out in this Privacy Policy.
Last Updated: 11/09/2017


text:
As Fifty Shades of Grey continues as one of the top ten books on Amazon, it's now making its presence known in the lingerie shop — just in time for Valentine's Day.
Check out the video here!
Emily Drake of La Petite Coquette said, "Fifty Shades of Grey has obviously played a huge role in what designers are showing in lingerie this spring, so anything bondage-inspired with just a little bit of strappy detail can still be elegant but a little racier, too."
The store carries a variety of styles and colors, including a flirty babydoll with a matching thong, a gorgeous silk robe over a bright pink bra and panty set, and a blue silk camisole with matching silk shorts.
These looks cover just enough without revealing too much.
And if you want to get your own Fifty Shades of Grey look, try their red bra and panty set with a black neck chain.
Any one of these racy looks is sure to spice up your Valentine's Day!


text:
CrazyKhazei like a fox?
CrazyKhazei has been outed and he's none other than Eric Fehrnstrom, one of the architects of Sen. Scott Brown's stunning victory last year and a key adviser to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
And it raises a very interesting question or 40: What the heck is Fehrnstrom thinking? It started about a month ago when someone began tweeting under the name @CrazyKhazei, mocking City Year and Be the Change founder Alan Khazei, a Democratic candidate for Brown's Senate seat. It was very much an inside joke, with tweets such as "Just got back from sunny California. Thanks to all the elitists there for donating to my campaign." There was also "Just read Scott Brown's book. He isn't the only one who had it tough growing up. I once got a splinter" and "That earthquake you just felt was Cindy Creem endorsing my campaign for US Senate."
But Fehrnstrom, whose consulting group works in a virtual world, apparently messed up and sent a CrazyKhazei tweet from his own personal account. Blue Mass Group bagged him and Fehrnstrom admitted to the Globe he was, indeed, the evil genius behind the curtain.
"It was my Twitter account," Fehrnstrom said in an email to the Globe. "Sometimes we take our politics too seriously and this was my way of lightening things up. As they say in politics, if you can't stand the tweet, get out of the kitchen."
There's a lot of sublplots to this. First and foremost is the tittering you may have heard coming from Glen Johnson, who wrote the Globe's story about the CrazyKhazei tweets. Johnson and Fehrnstrom had a very public and nasty encounter during the 2008 campaign when Fehrnstrom accused Johnson of being "disrespectful" to Romney.
Fehrnstrom, a one-time Herald State House reporter, also sent under his own account tweaks to the Globe and specifically editor Marty Baron over what he perceives as anti-Brown coverage. Which raises yet another question, why prod the region's most influential media outlet just for the sake of a chuckle?
Fehrnstrom, who became a hot commodity after the Brown victory, is no novice in politics, starting as former Treasurer Joe Malone's spokesman, moving up to near-Cabinet status when Romney was governor, and then taking Brown from back bench state Senator to the darling of the national right.The next few days will be interesting to see what, if anything, Brown and Romney do to the man who has been their messenger.
To paraphrase Harvey Keitel in the movie National Treasure, "SOME-body's got to go to jail, Sal." Federal prosecutors are seeking a 12-1/2-year sentence for former Speaker Sal DiMasi for his conviction on taking kickbacks. They also want him to forfeit $65,000, the amount they say was the payoff for getting the Cognos contract.
Keller@Large asks a simple question: What if casinos fail? The Springfield Republican explores what the casino bill means for points west. Developers are already vying for the potential casino licenses. The Globe reports heavy spending on lobbyists by national gaming companies the first half of this year.
The Globe reports the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination found the hiring actions of Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert Mulligan discriminatory when he passed over a woman for a promotion she was recommended for by a trial court hiring panel.
Two appeals have been filed with the state against a $12 million plan to relocate Town River in Quincy, a key component of the $1.6 billion redevelopment project for the downtown area, by a dozen residents who say the relocation could trigger increased flooding and eliminate a smelt spawning area.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino is ticketing oil truckers for driving through his city, although no such legal prohibition exists.
The Lawrence Licensing Board orders all bars and clubs to close at 1 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. and revokes the license of a bar where a man was shot last month, the Eagle-Tribune reports. Mayor William Lantigua comes up with $300,000 to rehire five laid-off police officers.
"Snowgate" is heating up in East Bridgewater as a selectman accused the town administrator of withholding damning emails from an independent investigator looking into why a contract for removing snow from a school roof last winter was awarded with no bidding.
New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Jack Kimball is being asked to step down. The Republican Governors Association has even offered $100,000 to the party if Kimball goes. But he says he won't stop down, NECN reports.
US Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a rising GOP star, says Medicare and Social Security have "weakened us as a people."
Harvard Law professor Randall Kennedy explains why race continues to matter.
Boston Properties CEO Mort Zuckerman pans President Barack Obama in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
A new Gallup poll shows Rick Perry leading Mitt Romney 29 percent to 17 percent among likely GOP voters and GOP-leaning independents nationwide. Romney plans to skip a campaign forum hosted by Tea Party kingmaker Sen. Jim DeMint, in a sign that he's tacking toward the GOP mainstream in the face of Perry's uprising. The New York Times skewers Perry's small-government mantra, saying the Texas governor has maintained a bloated state infrastructure as a way of filling his campaign coffers and rewarding political supporters.
The Weekly Standard analyzes the federalism debate within the GOP's Tea Party contingent with the main focus on Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care reform and its similarities and differences with the actions of President Obama and Congress.
The Atlantic looks at the role of science and evolution in the GOP primary.
E Ink Corp. is moving its headquarters from Cambridge to Billerica. Billerica offered a 15-year, $2 million tax-increment financing deal and the state is providing $1.8 million in investment tax credits, reports the Lowell Sun.
The Daily Beast lists the 20 bests states for job growth, and Massachusetts ranks third, behind Michigan and Indiana.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs resigns; his letter to the company's Board of Directors is here. Time reports that Apple will do just fine without him.
Two Lynn taxi companies with close ties are fighting a court order that they return 24 of their medallions to the city. Currently, 12 of the medallions aren't being used, the Item reports.
Colman Herman reprises his CommonWealth story on sweet public leases in a Boston Herald op-ed.
The battling Demoulas clan is at it again. This time, they're locked in a legal battle over a soured $46 million investment in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
A study by the federal National Center for Education Statistics found nearly a quarter of the country's high school students have been victims of bullying and about 7 percent were bullied online. One of the most alarming statistics is more than 4 percent of those bullied brought a weapon to school to defend themselves. Via US News & World Report.
A substitute teacher is being held on $20,000 cash bail for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a female student at Pelham Memorial School, the Lowell Sun reports.
The Dorchester Reporter reports on the negative outcry at a pubic meeting regarding the potential move of Boston Latin Academy from Dorchester to Hyde Park.
Brookline psychologist Mary O'Neill is withdrawing her court appeal seeking the return of her license, which was permanently revoked after she had sex with former patient Eric MacLeish. CommonWealth has the story.
Michael Barone says in the National Review we don't need high-speed rail because of the proliferation of those cheap buses that run from city to city to gambling casino. Seriously.
The former administrator of the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority, who was removed last fall allegedly for job performance issues, has refiled a suit over his termination claiming he was wrongfully discharged and his civil rights were violated.
It's been a while since a hurricane hit our little corner of the world but some people aren't taking any chances. Residents in coastal regions are pulling boats and boarding windows while officials ponder when — and whether — to pull the trigger on evacuations in weather emergencies. Storm prep is well underway on the Cape. Universal Hub has dusted off the French Toast Alert and set it at Elevated.
The Christian Science Monitor explores whether three earthquakes in three days in the US was more than a coincidence.
The Securities and Exchange Commission wants oil and gas companies to provide it with detailed information on natural gas fracking.
A Lowell Sun editorial slams President Obama and particularly Gov. Deval Patrick for their immigration policies. "We don't know why the governor of Massachusetts persists in giving free access to the American Dream to people who break the law at the expense of real Americans whose dreams are being shattered every day by high unemployment, rising health-care bills, and retirement uncertainty," the paper says.
Joseph P. Kennedy III is moving to the Middlesex District Attorney's office from the Cape and Islands DA's office, the Lowell Sun reports under the headline, "A taste of Camelot in DA's office."
Peter Gelzinis writes about the latest link between FBI informants Whitey Bulger and Mark Rossetti:Trooper William Johnson. Johnson had the audacity to detain a cash-carrying Whitey Bulger at Logan Airport in 1987 and was nearly beaten to death in 1979 by a bat-wielding Rossetti. Twelve years later, when one of Johnson's statie colleagues offered Rossetti to the FBI on a platter, the agency took a pass.
MEDIAFor years, the Patriot Ledger and Brockton Enterprise published an annual supplement called "The Answer Book" that was a compilation of demographic, historic, voting, pictoral and contact information as well as a who's who in town government for the communities they cover. But, like telephone directories, the supplement was tossed aside for the computer. Now, the effort's gone virtual, as well as saved thousand of dollars in newsprint, by putting the "Answer Book" online with more than 50 websites and a promise to keep it updated rather than a once-a-year effort.


text:
How to Talk and Present to Camera like a Pro!
Josiah (Jazza) Brooks, Artist, YouTuber and Entrepreneur
- 0.5x
- 1x (Normal)
- 1.25x
- 1.5x
- 2x
1. Introduction2:29
2. Command Attention!3:56
3. Face the Camera6:45
4. Get the Production Out of your Head5:45
5. Get to the Point3:59
6. Editing is Half the Equation12:10
7. Final Thoughts and Recap8:29
8. Class Project4:07
9. RAW Footage - Part 162:12
10. RAW Footage - Part 276:51
About This Class
Presenting to camera is something most people find difficult, but in a social media driven world where personality and storytelling are king, learning to face the camera head-on can be an important skill, and aside from improving your content, learning this skill will also build your confidence with real-life applications – interactions with others, and presentations for work or school, etc.
My name is Josiah Brooks – online I go by Jazza – I'm a professional full time YouTuber, so I'm pretty used-to being on camera. In addition to that, I host a kids TV show in Australia, and have spoken at live events both domestic and international. Presenting myself is a huge part of what I do, and I love doing it, but I wasn't always good at it, nor was it as comfortable for me in the past as it is now.
In this course I hope to share as much of my own methods as possible, to help you become more comfortable presenting to camera. I'll will teach both filming/editing tricks to help make your presentations more dynamic, as well as give performance tips and tricks to help you overcome shyness, and increase your charisma!
I'll also assign you a class project you can participate with, to get some practical experience yourself, as well as valuable feedback from fellow students.
As a bonus, the final video of this course contains the full, unedited footage of me, presenting this course to camera. You'll get to see the mistakes I made, you'll see that it's not as glamorous behind the scenes as you might feel it should be, and hopefully, you'll learn a thing or two from seeing how I roll with the punches and improvise around my own mistakes and elements around me that are out of my control.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up to my course and join me for a lot of enlightening fun!


text:
Graduate recruitment
- NxtStep – find graduate jobs and internships in New Zealand
Job vacancy and recruitment websites
- Job vacancy and recruitment links
- Student Job Search for all Tertiary students holiday and term time student jobs
- Jobs on Campus
- Seasonal Work NZ Seasonal work across New Zealand, popular with students
– By Pathway
- Mental Health Jobs
- Kiwi Health Jobs – jobs advertised by New Zealand's 20 District Health Boards, Blood Service as well as other public, not-for-profit and private employers.
Community and Social Practice
- Family Services national directory gives useful list of organisations
- Presbyterian Support Services various community services
Business and Information Technology
- Auckland Chamber of Commerce is support for businesses
- Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants
- Digital Careers Information on different digital careers in NZ
- Oracle Education careers with Animals
Conservation & Sustainability
- Careers for a sustainable future – a comprehensive overview of organisations relevant to learning pathways
- NZ Conservation Jobs careers in Conservation
- Wwoof volunteer, live and learn on organic properties
Creative and Design
- The Big Idea online community for creative industries
- Artists Alliance – site for Visual Artists
- www.starnow.com – online casting and audition service
- www.thecreativestore.co.nz – recruitment site for Advertising, Digital, Design, Marketing and Communication industries
- Designers Institute of NZ
- Ice Recruit worldwide engineering jobs
- www.futureintech.org.nz – info on technical, engineering and science jobs
- Sports People jobs in the sport industry
- www.buildingrecruitment.co.nz Construction related job opportunities
Information about how volunteering can help you develop your skills and career and provide opportunities to contribute to your community
Employment information for job seekers
- Employment New Zealand Information about employment agreements, your rights and other useful things to know when looking for employment
- Human Rights Commission A-Z for employers and employees, guidelines to about your rights when applying for a job
Tools to help with career decisions and direction
- Careers New Zealand has information on career advice, industry information, funding sources, jobs and training etc.
- www.nomajordrama.co.nz – helps students learn about majors for Bachelors degrees from across all 8 NZ Universities
- Myers Briggs personality indicator
Resources for international students and new migrants
- Auckland Regional Migrant Services supporting migrants and refugees to settle in Auckland including employment workshops and assistance with getting a job
- Migrant Action Trust has a range of support services for migrants including employment support
- New Kiwis links skills of migrants to job vacancies in an organisation. Your skills will be searched by potential employers
- Chamber of Commerce – New Kiwis Local– support for international students finding employment Migrant Kiwis Employment/Project work
Job hunting
- Quint Careers job search advice
- Dress For Success solves the "Catch 22" dilemma that confronts low-income women trying to enter the workforce: Without a job, how can you afford a suit? But without a suit, how can you get that job? Each client receives an outfit when she has the job interview and a second suit when she gets the job.


text:
Oakland, Berkeley, And East Bay News, Events, Restaurants, Music, & Arts
He inhaled: Turned on by skunk-scent, office-worker Damien snares a striped rodent and totes it home. There, as Damien "chased him about the yard, I held a hot plate of spaghetti or tofu stir-fry out in front of me, so that when he finally stopped to musk at me, he got at least a few drops of the fluid on the plate." Soon, Damien is swilling musk shots in Justin Courter's novel Skunk: A Love Story ($14.95), from Richmond fabulist-fiction outfit Omnidawn.
Word salad: Tales from the crypt. ... Cowbell doorbell. ... The word I want is Shampoo. ... A procedure by which they stick a metal device up one's prick. ... Fabulous flab. ... Animalism of the garbage trucks. So goes The Age of Huts (compleat) (UC Press, $19.95), by postmodern ex-Berkeleyite poet Ron Silliman, an NEA Fellow and Pew Fellow who powers on like this for page after indentless page. Press Here checks out what the intellectuals are up to so that you don't have to. Lyn Hejinian's cover blurb avows: "It would be impossible to overestimate the importance of Ron Silliman's Age of Huts." Did we mention that he was an executive director of the Socialist Review?
Spouse repair: After years of calling him a "dirty Jew" and mocking his penis size in front of their sons, Susan Polk murdered her husband and ex-therapist Felix Polk in Orinda in 2002 and was convicted in 2006. Catherine Crier's book about the case came out on February 20. Carol Pogash's captivating book about the case, published by the same company, came out a month later. Crier "attended voir dire and the verdict but missed the trial," Pogash tells Press Here. While researching Seduced by Madness (Morrow, $24.95), Pogash learned intriguing theories from those in the innermost circle. For instance, Felix Polk's best friend suggested that Felix loved Susan so much as to let her kill him and "died from suicide by wife," as Pogash puts it.
Tripoli trip: North Korea is "beyond redemption." Iraq, Iran, and Libya are "mildly malevolent." Cuba is "slightly misguided," sez the EvilMeter(TM) that ex-Emeryviller and Lonely Planet kingpin Tony Wheeler employs in Bad Lands ($14.99), about his sojourns to terrorist-breedin', citizen-torturin' nations.
Magyar opus: Roma (St. Martin's, $25.95) is Steven Saylor's second novel about an ancient-Roman sleuth, Gordianus the Finder. Although it reached the New York Times extended best-seller list, "the real surprise came with my June book tour to Budapest, of all places," Saylor tells Press Here. "Apparently my books are more popular in Hungary than anywhere else. Who knew?" At an outdoor book fest, the Berkeley author signed copies continuously for over two hours: "Roma is up to #3 on the Hungarian best-seller lists." What's the deal? Maybe it's the nearness of Hungary's Roman ruins, "where Hadrian famously hung out," and where Saylor has been "doing TV, radio, Web, and print interviews."
Battle stations: Boasting a three-hundred-plus IQ, evil superpowered Doctor Impossible is "technically ... a sovereign power." And metal-skeletoned cyborg Fatale is a "gleaming technological marvel" constructed from 57 percent of a female accident victim who was dragged under a truck in São Paulo. She's "going to be the next generation of warfare" in Soon I Will Be Invincible (Pantheon, $22.95), the debut novel of Berkeley game designer Austin Grossman, whose past credits include Deus Ex, Battle Realms, and Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds.
Conflagration station: New top-hats of a dry resurrection, thorn-born ... They rose from graves ... syringe derrick ... hoof beats of a gunpowder séance tomb-lit. ... Detritis [sic], crub-nurtured babble rebuilding the Tower: Bardic ethnobotanist Dale Pendell, whose Pharmako trilogy mixed myth, magic, morphine, and more, addresses Burning Man in Inspired Madness ($15.95), from Berkeley's Frog Ltd. A stroke rendered its illustrator, Just Freeman Pope, paralyzed and mute in the 1980s; he recovered partial use of his left side, completed these drawings, then died.
Assault and Dr. Pepper: A woman reads an article about a three-hundred-pound learning-disabled man in a homemade Batman costume being beaten with pop bottles by two fourteen-year-old boys and a thirteen-year-old girl who shout "Fatman not Batman!" in Memories from a Sinking Ship (Seven Stories, $21.95), a new novel by prolific Berkeleyite Barry Gifford.
Winging it: Lo, the ox-eyed satyr, funereal duskywing, and Mormon metalmark. Arthur Shapiro's Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions (UC Press, $18.95) is this season's lepidoptera fave. Species, habitats: It's all here. And Shapiro answers that question we've all asked: "The male genitalia of insects are typically heavily sclerotized; in other words, they are impregnated with the protein sclerotin, which makes them hard and rigid ... with all sorts of bumps, hooks, spines, and such."
Sects and violins: A female foundling learns to "send a cascade of notes heavenward from my violin or, for that matter, from the cembalo, cello, viola d'amore, the lute, the theorbo, and the mandolin" as the Red Priest coughs and composes in Vivaldi's Virgins (Harper Collins, $24.95): Visit Baroque Venice with Berkeley novelist Barbara Quick, as "the secret trove of possibilities held by the night" reveals, among other wonders, "the child of a priest and a Jewess, and a sodomite besides!" Quick will be at Cody's on July 10.
Contact the author of this piece, send a letter to the editor, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Week of October 28


text:
We edited a 30 second promo for the Dishy Duo. A couple of cool guys, easy on the eye who promote a healthy lifestyle. Footage from the Phillippines and other North West based studio locations was combined into a social media promo. Airing on Facebook and YouTube. Check the Vlogs for their up to date antics and tips.
Check them out www.dishyduo.com and @thedishyduo


text:
So excited to be partnering with Lululemon and ShopStyle for this post. These images were super fun and nostalgic to create. I've always been a huge fan of dance, so I was stoked when Lululemon collaborated with Francesca Hayward of The Royal Ballet to create a stunning line of effortlessly edgy dance wear. I'm definitely no pro, but I was a dancer throughout high school, and wearing these pieces completely brought me back. I love how smooth and sleek every piece feels, allowing me to move, stretch and prance my way through the (imaginary) stage.
These styles and colors break away from the traditional "pink tutu" idea of ballet, and I am all about it. I haven't danced in years, but they are definitely giving me good reason to pick it up again. If you're not a dancer, these styles would even be perfect for yoga or pilates. They are extremely soft and breathable, and suitable for any work out really. I even styled it with a sweater for a day out running errands. Check out the new collection by Lululemon with the links below!
Look 1:
Principal dancer leotard | Principal dancer short | Principal dancer leg warmer
Look 2:
Principal dancer golden lining bralette | Principal dancer golden lining tight
Photos by Azusa Takano (@azusatakano)


text:
Genres of music
Let's talk about the genres or the types of music forms.
Jazz – it is a type of music that has its roots in Western African culture.
Pop – it is basically popular music that is mostly heard on the radio and on TV. It is called Pop music.
Rock – It has evolved from rock and roll and pop music.
Retro – It has style and elements from the past. Certain cities have clubs that play retro music on certain days of the week since a lot of people enjoy dancing to the tunes.
Heavy metal – It is a type of rock music, but the lyrics and the performances of artists are associated with aggression. Some well-known bands are Metallica and Megadeth.
Hip- Hop – It has its roots in the Afro- American culture. It has a very young beat to it. It is mainly based on rap culture and break dance.
Romantic – Romantic music always has a very good melody, the music is very light and makes you feel great. Mostly those who are in love would always want to listen to such kind of music because it makes you feel closer to your loved ones.
Ambient – It is very soothing and related mostly to the atmosphere and environment. It is very light and makes you calm.
These are some of the genres of music.
Music also has different effects on people, depending on whether we listen to good or bad music. So let's see how we can express ourselves when talking about music in English.
That sounds great – You can use this phrase to say that the music is good and you are enjoying it.
I like the beat – If a song has great rhythm, a good voice and everything about it is good, then you can use this phrase.
It has a pleasing melody – If the song has really great music and soft on the ears, very pleasing, then you can use this phrase.
What if the music you are listening to, is horrible? Well, then here is how you can talk about it.
That sounds awful – When everything about the song is bad, the arrangement of sounds, the melody, the voice, etc., that is when you can use this phrase.
It makes my ears hurt – When the music is really bad, it hurts your ears and you just can't listen to one more sound that is when you can this phrase.
That is too much of noise than music – Noise is something that disturbs you. When the music begins to sound like noise because of the bad melody and arrangement that is when you can use this phrase.
Music also has some great effects on us that touch our mind, body and soul. So let us see how to talk about such effects of music.
It heals or calms me down – So if you are in a bad mood, listening to your favourite music, can always make you feel much better and relaxed. Hence you could say, "Well, music it heals me, when I'm down and out."
It stirs my imagination – This means that music makes me feel positive. Many people love to listen to music while going about their daily routine since it helps them to feel positive and good.
It is rejuvenating – This means that music makes me feel refreshed and young. Listening to some great music is a superb mood lifter and surefire way of feeling energetic.
We hope this English lesson was useful and helps you to express your thoughts on music more clearly. Watch the video for detailed examples and explanation.


text:
Pop'dART 2015
PRESS RELEASE - September 2015:
Our 2015 planned venture, Popd'ART 2015 came about when we were offered a gallery space in an empty central city shop in Hartham Place North - we have been working with the Urban Dream Brokerage team on this idea for much of this year. The idea of a 'pop up' interactive 'arts experience with a difference' to mark the City's 50th Birthday has quickly grown and we are ready to roll 1-16 October!
Reaching out to youth, to a range of cultural groups and to artists with a point of difference is what we are about for this project. The Popd'ART Can Do Wall (designed by local schools) will see the placement of up to 5000 cans of food into a giant wall mural over the 2 weeks– 'Porirua 50 years young' is the theme. KidsCan NZ & Resene Paints are on board in support of this 'one of a kind' project – the canned food will go to our local KidsCan schools at the completion of the event.
Popd'ART 2015 Dream Wall will unfold over the two weeks as visitors to the gallery space add their vision for the next 50 years in the life of our city.
- Events/ performances/ installations will grow and change by the day – every day 1-16
Official opening: midday 2 October 2015. All welcome
Who will place the first can in the Can Do wall mural?
Find us / follow us at: www.facebook.com/popdARTporirua www.popd-art.co.nz
- End of Press Release


text:
Lucas Smith is the only Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) in NE Wisconsin and one of only 50 in the United States and one of only a few who can teach all of the core Scrum.org classes. In addition to being a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) with Scrum.org he also holds the distinguished Level III Professional Scrum Master (PSM III) and Level II Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO II) certifications as well as holding the Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certifications through Scrum Alliance. Lucas has a computer engineering degree from Penn State University and a Master's in telecommunications systems from George Mason University.
Lucas has over 14 years experience in software development, delivery, management, product development, coaching, and training. He started his career with Boeing in Washington DC as a software engineer and manager before leading the agile transformation within his division of Boeing. Lucas moved to Wisconsin in 2016 and worked with multiple clients and industries through Skyline Technologies as their agile trainer and coach before founding LitheWorks in 2018. Lucas's diversity of experience gives him a wide breadth of understanding that he pulls from in his training, coaching, and technical engagements.
For More Info you can view his profiles at Scrum.org or LinkedIn


text:
SA beat Windies by 8 wickets
The hosts achieve target of 10.3 runs an over as Gibbs hits 90 (55) and Kemp 46 (22) to see them home. T20 rulescricket Updated: Sep 12, 2007, 13:47 IST
Hosts South Africa quashed a tough West Indian challenge by eight wickets as the inaugural Twenty20 world championships rocketed to a brilliant start in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Some 33,000 home fans at the overflowing Wanderers were treated to the thrills and drama associated with the shortest version of the game as both teams put on a dazzling batting display.
<b1>Chris Gayle hammered 117 off 57 balls, the first-ever century in Twenty20 cricket, to lift the West Indies to 205-6 after they were sent in to bat by South African captain Graeme Smith.
The hosts made light of the daunting target of 10.3 runs an over as Herschelle Gibbs smashed an unbeaten 90 off 54 balls and Justin Kemp an unbeaten 46 off 23 balls to see South Africa home with 14 deliveries to spare.
The third-wicket pair put on an incredible 120 runs off just 64 balls with Gibbs lofting Dwayne Bravo to the straight field for the winning boundary.
Gibbs hit 14 boundaries and two sixes and Kemp pounded five fours and two sixes in an enthralling display of power hitting that left the West Indians shell-shocked.
Gibbs put on 54 in five overs for the first wicket with Smith and when Abraham de Villiers was dismissed off the first ball of the ninth over, South Africa already had 88 runs on the board.
The win helped South Africa erase memories of an embarrassing loss against the West Indies in the opening match of the 50-overs-a-side World Cup at Cape Town in 2003.
Before Gibbs and Kemp stole the show, left-handed Gayle appeared to make the match his own with 10 sixes and seven boundaries in his record innings.
Devon Smith contributed 35 in an opening stand of 145 with Gayle, the highest for the first wicket in Twenty20 cricket surpassing the 132 by South African captain Smith and Loots Bosman against Pakistan earlier this year at the same venue.
The West Indies, who were 178-2 at one stage, lost four wickets in the last four overs to help the South Africans contain precious runs in the end.
Gayle did not look back after cutting the first ball of the tournament from Shaun Pollock for a boundary and then pulled the veteran for a six in his second over.
There was no respite for Makhaya Ntini bowling from the other end as Gayle lofted him for two successive sixes and the West Indies raced to 42-0 in the first four overs.
The left-hander pounded the Morkel brothers, cutting Morne for a six to third man that bounced off Pollock's hands and then smashing Albie out of the stadium at mid-wicket.
When Smith came to bowl off-spin in the 12th over, Gayle charged out to smack him over long-on for his seventh six.
Two more sixes came off successive balls in the next over off Pollock who finished his quota of four overs conceding 52 runs for the wicket of Marlon Samuels.
The 12-nation tournament features the nine nations currently playing Test cricket and Zimbabwe, Scotland and Kenya.
South Africa next play Bangladesh in Cape Town on Saturday. The West Indies take on Bangladesh here on Thursday.
Get Latest Cricket Updates, Live scores and Top news on HT Cricket.


text:
Rihanna Thinks It's Funny That People Are Making Big Deal Out Of Hassan's Marriage
You can't ruffle Rihanna's feathers that easily! An insider told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY that even though fans are freaking over finding about her beau Hassan Jameel's prior marriage, she is totally cool with it!
As HollywoodLife.com previously told you, Rihanna's new beau Hassan Jameel was reportedly married before they hooked up. But even though some people freaked upon hearing the news, Rihanna didn't care then and doesn't care now! "Hassan was already divorced by the time he started dating Rihanna, and she was fully aware that he had been married before," a source close to RiRi old HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. "Rihanna's bemused that everyone is making a big deal out if, like it's supposed to be some big scandal, when clearly it's not."
"She's still seeing Hassan, but they both have such insanely busy schedules so they're not able to spend as much time together as they would like," the insider said of the 29-year-old Barbadian beauty's new relationship. "When they're apart though, they talk and FaceTime most days. It's a really chill relationship, and neither of them want anymore right now. They're definitely not talking marriage and babies. They're both just enjoying spending time together when they can and seeing what develops, but right now it's not super serious between them."
The Saudi billionaire and his ex wife, Lina Lazaar, reportedly tied the knot at the Paris Opera House back in 2012, but the marriage was reportedly definitely over by the time he was spotted with Rihanna. Hassan and the songstress first sparked romance rumors when they were seen having a steamy make out session in Spain on June 27. Since then RiRi has been busy promoting her new movie Valerian and celebrating Crop Over Festival in her native land, while Hassan is wheeling and dealing in the Toyota business. Click here to see Rihanna's Crop Over Festival looks!
HollywoodLifers, what do you think of Rihanna and Hassan's relationship? Do you think it's a big deal he was married before? Do you think they will become serious? Let us know below!


text:
Creative Photography – 3 Experiments To Have Fun With
Though many people dont realize it, photographs are a vastly flexible art medium. You should never feel limited to only taking pictures of the obvious or capturing reality as it stands. Like with any art form, there is lots of room to influence and create your own unique photographs. So, let's talk about several fun things you can do with your pictures that you may not normally consider.
1. Change Your Angle
One of the things that almost every photograph youve ever seen of your family or friends has in common is that its taken at the same height as your head. While it makes sense why most photos are taken at head level, it may not be the best angle for what you're trying to shoot.
Take a day and shoot pictures entirely from the ground or knee level and see how the different height will completely change your pictures. If you're feeling lucky, try taking a group of pictures from your waist without checking the focus or the frame and see what you get.
2. Push Your Film
All film has a recommended development time at any given temperature. For instance, when developing 400 speed film in chemicals that are 70 degrees, you would allow the film to soak for 7 minutes before rinsing it (this is in no way a recommendation or a standard, check with your developer and film manufacturers for the recommended times). What many people may not realize is that the longer you allow the film to develop, the more stark the contrast gets. The lights get lighter and the darks get darker.
If you are lucky enough to develop your own film, try "pushing your film" or increasing the the development time by 2 or 3 minutes and see how it changes your print. While its certainly possible to push your film into an over-contrasty oblivion, a little extra push can sometimes create incredible results and help draw the important parts of your images out.
3. Use the Bulb Setting
Any film (and most digital) cameras with manual settings will give you the choice to set your shutter speed to bulb or "B.". This simply makes your camera shutter stay open for as long as you keep the button pressed and gives you a way to capture images that seemed impossible. Unfortunately the bulb setting won't work in daylight since it will overexpose the image, but in a dark environment it can create lots of new photo opportunities.
Set your camera on a tripod facing the night sky and use a cable release to leave your shutter open for five minutes youll be able to see the stars moving as the earth rotates. You can also hold the shutter open while a friend dances around with a flashlight then snap a flash before closing it and youll have a perfect shot of them surrounded by streams of light. This setting requires a lot of practice and experimentation but can often have tremendous results.
The next time you're feeling adventurous, remember these three photo experiments. For these experiments all you need is a cable release and a single lens reflex (SLR) camera or a digital SLR (DSLR) camera and you're all set. Just remember that you should only do experiments with photographs youre willing to lose your daughters wedding might not be the best time to try shooting everything from the hip. At the end of the day all that matters is that you have fun and create images that are beautiful, truthful, and important to you.


text:
The New York Times published a great story in their Travel section that highlights the best places to get a taste of the harvest season. In the story, "Six Places to Get a Taste of the Fall Harvest," writer Alyson Krueger selected Oregon's Ponzi Vineyard as one of the destinations to seek out. She elaborated by explaining that as result of visitors' growing interest to experience the season in an interactive way, Ponzi President Anna Maria Ponzi and Winemaker Luisa Ponzi created a unique lunch series that involves an active tour showing what's going into harvesting grapes before sitting down for a beautiful, extravagant lunch with wine pairings. You can read the full story here.
Related Producers
Ponzi Vineyards
Chehalem Mountain AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Dick and Nancy Ponzi helped put Oregon on the map in the United States and the world. The mantle has been picked up by daughters Maria and Luisa Ponzi, who continue the family history of leadership and innovation in the region and, in the case of Pinot Noir, across the country.


text:
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- 41157311
In Stock
- Virtual delivery
Add to Cart
Quick View
Getting Details
HP Foundation Care Service (HP Foundation Care) is composed of comprehensive hardware and software services aimed to help increase the availability of your IT infrastructure. HP technical resources work with your IT team to help you resolve hardware and software problems with HP and selected third-party products. For hardware products covered by HP Foundation Care, the service includes remote diagnosis and support, as well as onsite hardware repair if it is required to resolve an issue. For eligible HP hardware products, this service may also include Basic Software Support and Collaborative Call Management for selected non-HP software. For software products covered by HP Foundation Care, HP provides remote technical support and access to software updates and patches. HP releases updates to software and reference manuals as soon as they are made available for selected HP-supported software products for each system, processor, processor core, and end user, as allowed by HP or the original manufacturer software license. Updates for selected HP-supported third-party software products are included as they are made available from the original software manufacturer. In addition, HP Foundation Care provides electronic access to related product and support information, enabling any member of your IT staff to locate this commercially available essential information. For third-party products, access is subject to availability of information from the original manufacturer. You can choose from a set of reactive support levels to meet your business and operational needs.
Coverage Period: 3 year(s)Service Included: On-site, Parts and labor
Due to manufacturer restrictions, all returns for this item must be within 60 days.
Class of Equipment: Servers
This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.
Batch Add Products by Item #


text:
Like many children, Max thinks he can survive on sweets/candy, chocolate and crisps/chips. Unfortunately for him, mummy doesn't think so!
Refusing to eat fruit, mummy found this sandwich box, and decided to fill it with these…
A huge Thomas & Friends fan, he will now eat his fruit (and cheese) every day!
Now if only she could think of something to encourage him to eat his vegetables. 🙂


text:
During these uncertain times, we are here to help.
COVID-19 – Deep Cleaning Services
Water, Fire, and Mold Restoration
Rainbow International of Las Vegas
When disaster strikes, call the experts at Rainbow International. With years of experience in the disaster restoration industry, Rainbow International of Las Vegas is ready to help residents and businesses on the east and northeast side of Las Vegas, including Nellis Air Force Base.
Our IICRC-certified teams use state-of-the-art equipment to perform water damage restoration (rapid structural drying) to remove water and moisture and to prevent or limit structural damage. Our mold removal service adheres to all local and federal regulations for full detection and safe removal of potentially dangerous mold, while keeping spores contained.
Local clients also depend on our professional-grade, deep-cleaning services like carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, spot & stain removal, and odor removal to make homes look and feel like new. For expert disaster restoration and deep-cleaning services, just call on Rainbow International of Las Vegas. We're owned by a local Las Vegas family, offer great service, competitive rates, and a super response time.
Home restoration services you can count on when you need it most of all.
- Prompt response, quality results
- 24/7 damage repair service
- Certified service professionals
- Market-proven superior equipment


text:
Not to lure you away from the safe and nurturing environment that is the Amoeblog, but, for those of you interested in reading it with your eyes, here is a link to a recent interview I had with one of my favorites, Marianne Faithfull.
Now then, on to a topic that is not oft spoke of; that is, silent films. Amoeba Music Hollywood has a small but rich silent film section which, at this writing, is located on the mezzanine. I'm taking this opportunity to advocate a greater appreciation and exploration of this antiquated genre.
For many people, silent films are a known but ignored craft, as though the technological progress that married sound to film rendered the silent precursors an inferior product. While I do hail "talkies" as a wonderful invention, I still feel there is much joy to be had in silent cinema. If nothing else, knowing a bit about it can be enough to get you laid by art-school chicks taking a break from experimenting with bisexuality.
The first silent I saw that rocked me was the tragic drama Pandora's Box [original, German title: Die Büchse der Pandora]. Released in 1929 and directed by Austrian Georg Wilhelm Pabst, it stars the gorgeous and gifted Louise Brooks in the lead role.
Another gem I treasure is Wings, the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture (and the only silent film to do so). Released in 1927 and directed by William A. Wellman, it stars Clara Bow, the quintessential flapper icon, and has a cameo by not-yet-superstar Gary Cooper.
Clara Bow emerged from a childhood fraught with poverty and abuse to become a top Hollywood box-office draw. Her brash manners earned her scorn among celebrity circles, however, and after retiring from the movie business, she was reduced to living inside a milk carton and selling her toes for Necco Wafers.*
Clara Bow, coupled with pop vocal singer, Helen Kane, was the inspiration behind Max Fleischer's beloved cartoon character, Betty Boop.
I would be remiss to write about silent films without mentioning the biggest star to come out of them, namely, Charlie Chaplin. It is convenient that, while I am often annoyed by the actors which are today hailed as great, contemporary stars, I am satisfied that Chaplin is absolutely warranted the admiration he's bestowed.
Chaplin distinguished himself as an actor, director, composer, and sex machine. After a career on the stage, he found greater fame in film as an actor for the Keystone Film Company. He debuted his now famous character "the Tramp" in two films: Kid Auto Races at Venice and Mabel's Strange Predicament, both released in 1914.
Hold on a second – I've a powerful thirst… I'm gonna go get a frosty beverage. While I do, enjoy this performance by Petula Clark of a song written by Charlie Chaplin…
…Okay. I'm back, with thirst quenched. Going on…
Because his political views were decidedly left-of-center, he was targeted by pretty, pretty princess J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. When Chaplin returned to his native England for the premiere of his film Limelight, Hoover sabotaged the actor's U.S. re-entry permit. Chaplin eventually made his new home in Switzerland, where he spent his time on his hobby, collecting teenage, blonde girls.
Next, let us consider the great actress Theda Bara. While Bara made over 40 films (between 1914 and 1946), only six of these remain available in their complete form. Cleopatra, one of her most popular films, is now lost; only 40 seconds of film footage and photographs of Bara in her costume remain. Bara's aesthetics have gone on to inspire future artists, like Siouxsie Sioux and, less obviously, Eazy-E*. She eventually married a wealthy man who wanted her to give up acting in films, so she switched her format to the bedroom [insert drum roll].
Different From the Others [original, German title: Anders als die Andern], released in 1919, is important as one of the first (and, perhaps, the first) films to portray homosexuals in a compassionate light. A product of the Weimer Republic, the film was eventually considered "decadent" by Hitler and the Nazi Party, and copies found were burned.
One of the actors from Different From the Others, Conrad Veidt, went on to achieve fame for his role in another film I fancy: the early horror flick, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [original, German title: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari]. A neat-o example of the German Expressionist style, the film, with its eerie backdrops of painted-on shadows and warped stages, remains spine-tingling. It's great for Halloween parties, or for snuggling and seducing art-school chicks taking a break from experimenting with bisexuality.
I am currently enjoying Die Nibelungen, director Fritz Lang's cinematic version of the epic poem Nibelungenlied, written around the year 1200. I'm not finished watching it, so I'll reserve commenting too much, for fear of making a fool of myself and reporting that it stars Sandy Duncan in her greatest performance to-date and is the only sex-comedy to be filmed using goat's milk feta instead of the more traditional celluloid. I will say, however, that so far, it's rather phat.
Most of the films mentioned here are available in the Silent Film section of Amoeba Music Hollywood. Next time you're in the mood to challenge your ADHD and enrich your film viewing experience, be bold and give one of these a try. You can always pick up a copy of something starring Reese Witherspoon to watch afterwards, if need be. Tsk.
*Not actually true.


text:
Hey Tucson
Frankie's Cheesesteaks makes history this Friday when the TV show OUTRAGEOUS FOODS appears. You may recall a few months ago when Circle of Food posted about the marathon day spent making the marathon sandwich.
Well, now it will appear on TV. Check your local listing – July 1 at 10 pm or July 2 at 1 am
Congratulations to Frankie & Deb Santos and all the folks who came out to help make it happen.


text:
RCaH provides high-quality laboratory space and offers access to maintained equipment, almost all of which is free at point of use.
The equipment has been chosen for its general utility for the variety of users within the building. Researchers with specialist needs are expected to provide their own equipment. Our high quality equipment can also be used by external companies at a cost. Please contact the Operations Manager for further information.


text:
Inspirational Uplifting
Spirituality is found not only in the realm of religious faith. Song, music and beauty may all create joy and good feelings which leave people refreshed and revitalized. These gift wrap images provide a treat for free thinkers. There seems to be a void of images available for freethinking families who choose to celebrate and entertain traditional holidays or celebration.
Freethinkers are science-minded people who form independent opinions about religions and spiritual matters independent of tradition, authority, or established belief.
Free thinkers include atheists, humanists and many other philosophical groups that reject supernatural answers to questions and rely on logic combined with scientific empiricism. Empiricism relies upon evidence discovered through experimentation and is a fundamental part of the scientific method. Empirical evidence is what scientists rely upon to form theories or hypotheses about the natural world.
The flying spaghetti monster is an example of an imaginary being whose existence is brought about solely through intuition or revelation with absolutely no proof whatsoever. Without the ability to test for actual evidence, the Monster's existence can neither be proven or dis-proven.
Present your stocking stuffers and office party gifts with unique and unusual printable gift wrap specifically tailored for atheists and agnostics and other free thinkers. Include these images on camp outs and gatherings where children can enjoy decorating free thought color book images as the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Atoms, Darwin Fish and Humanist symbols.
Non-Denominational Spiritual & Celestial


text:
Design Company
Looking for Creative Designers? We are Here!!
We have experienced web designer's team, serving global clients with a creative and user-friendly design. Our designer team has completed 100+ projects successfully by implementing a professional design in the client's project according to the needs.
Let Our Experts Design Your Dream Website
A website represents your business to the global audience. It is just like a physical store where you put all your products/services to sell in the most appealing manner. Having a professional website is not sufficient; one should have to add information about products/services for the clients. An eye-catchy website provides good business to you than a dull website that immediately closes your business without any purchasing. Perception System ensures to deliver a professional looking website according to your business types that surely bring a good business at your doorsteps.
Web Development
Providing a wide collection of web services to a host of industries by using the latest technologies and considering current market trends.
Web Developer
Our highly-talented Website developers deliver a remarkable development service in all open source languages using the latest technologies.
Custom Development
Developing custom website according to your needs by composing a great content that surely attracts and increases the visitors.
Software Development
Our talented developer team works closely with clients to deliver estimation, development, testing, and support for your software projects.
Instant Quote For Web Designing Project
We are a rapidly growing Web Designing Company, having experience working with some renowned brands from diverse industry sectors. Our designing team is skilled to design and execute innovative concepts while designing your project. We also offer a dedicated web designing service that let you stand out from others. So, contact us for discussing your requirements.
Our Myriad Professional Website Design Services
We have experienced web designing service provider, guiding our clients with various website designing operations that help them to convert their dull site into attractive. Our team of experts has completed 100+ clients' projects of different industries like Banking & Finance, Automotive, Real estate, Wholesale, Travel, Education and so on. Perception System helps to enhance business, search engine visibility, brand awareness through web designing services like:
Design Services
We are excelling in graphics design for the web to provide a dazzling user interface and stunning UI elements. Apart from web UI, logo design, online brochures, banners, and presentation designing are worth to explore in our portfolio.
Web Design
We know how to make web design compatible with all kinds of digital computing devices for seamless mobile experiences to large desktop screens. Our RWD equally justify tiny smartphones to tablets and large desktops without any disruption.
Static & Dynamic
Web Design
We are accustomed to static and dynamic UI design and coding. It is resulting in excellent client-experiences and their end-user experiences. Our expertise in dynamic programming is resulting in real-time updated and non-intrusive web experiences.
Web Design
We always respect the bespoke requirements of our esteemed patrons while designing their website. Custom graphics, layouts, and UI components are resulting in the unique design at the end.
Our solid grasp over various theme designs for commerce and web portals have yielded leading and trendy themes on the web. Our custom theme design enables our patrons to switch in between themes as per needs such as seasonal or holiday occasions.
Web Portal
We know intricacies involved in the modern web portal designing where tons of websites, web applications, and third-party services are involved. Quick navigation, comprehensive content architecture, and seamless 3rd party services are something tempting one-time client to convert into a loyal one.
Unique Features We Add in Our Web Designing Project
- Easy Navigation Ensuring to provide easy and smooth navigation option
- Call-to-Action Button Designing attractive and visible call-to-action button to convert your visitors into clients
- Tempting Layout Creating an attractive layout that holds visitors on your site
- Fully Tappable Adding tappable buttons by minimizing clickable links
- W3C Validate Providing W3C validated codes by focusing on the element
- Fully Tested Testing website on all operating systems, devices and browsers
What Makes Our Web Designers Stand
Out From Others?
Our passionate team of designers strives for perfection and uniqueness when it comes to designing a complex website. Our Web designers can design any type and size of the website, from small customized to the big online store. We also have enough experience of custom coding in PHP, MySQL, HTML5 and other leading technologies and thus, we can design a top-notch website for your business with ease and attractive manners.
Flexible Hiring Schemes
Excellent Infrastructure Support
Daily Reporting and Communication
No Compromise on Quality
Client Satisfaction
100% Flexibility
Let's Figure out What a Best Web Design Company
Can Design Your Projects with Real-World Examples
Our 17+ years of the journey has yielded tons of exceptional web designs for the leading brands and organizations of the world. However, it is tough for us to select a few best ones out of a heap, but here are some latest and functional instances to explore at the present moment!
Real Estate
Cognito is a classified web portal that allows users to search for the property for rent, sale or buying or for a short-term stay. On the other side, the property dealers can put their property over this classified portal for gaining user's request and roll on the business ahead.


text:
From the deepest valley to the highest mountain. After nearly three weeks of disappointment—bordering in depression—I have risen out to the pit of misery. Dilly-dilly!!
After the announcement of more shows being added to the tour (Las Vegas, Chicago, Montreal, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston & New York) I was mildly hopeful that there would be a second show for San Jose. The boys usually play two shows here in the Bay Area but I was far from confident. Furthermore even if a second show was added, I had strong doubts on getting tickets, given the whole fiasco last time (see my previous posts).
But Lady Luck smiled upon me and I was able to score 2 GA tickets for the second show (5-8-18). I'm guessing Ticketmaster fixed some of the problems that plagued fans last month. I can attest that I did everything I was supposed to do to ensure access to the pre-sale, but I was locked out. This time around I was successful and it felt like being invited to a very exclusive party.
So, I'll just keep it short and sweet on this post. I am happy to be going to another U2 show and on my birthday no less.


text:
We are already halfway through the month and I've yet to write the obligatory new year's resolution post. I suppose it's a good thing I was not resolving to stop procrastinating, right? But each year I do try to make several goals that I hope to accomplish. It's never anything too difficult, but rather something I feel is truly attainable. It seems most people give up on their resolutions because they let themselves down early on and see no point continuing so by just resolving to do my best to improve in that area in the end any improvement is still good.
So what are my resolutions this year?
1. Attempt to plant a garden this spring. I say attempt because,well honestly I've never really planted anything in my life! It could certainly be an interesting experience but one I a very much looking forward to. This will be a family project that I'm hoping is successful! I just love the idea of growing my own food and knowing exactly where it came from. Not to mention the money saving! I cannot wait to get started. I am certain you will be reading more about my progress when the time comes.
2. Clean greener. This is something I actually started in 2013 and want to continue with. I will be writing a post going more in depth about this subject later in the month!
3. Get back in the kitchen more. During the last several months of my pregnancy I dealt with a lot of back pain/contractions that made doing pretty well anything rather difficult...and then baby came around and exhaustion set in. I'm sad to say that this has led to eating out a lot more than I would care to. It's been getting better, but this is definitely an area I want to work on in 2014!
4. Be more organized. A common resolution of course, but a necessary one. It NEEDS to happen for the sanity of myself and my household.
5. Continue to improve and grow my blog. 2013 was a HUGE year for A Modern Day Fairy Tale. I made the decision to do more with it and started working hard to achieve that goal. I am still in awe at everything I have accomplished so far and hope to continue the progress in the year(s) to come!!
Do you make resolutions? (More importantly, do you keep them?) What goals do you hope to accomplish in 2014?
Resolutions for 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Posted by Randi S at 6:30 PM
2 comments
I love my spring garden there is nothing better than going in my back yard to pull veggies. Good luck with your garden and the rest of your resolutions!ReplyDelete
I like to make monthly resolutions, to me that is hard enough to follow, but after a month, I am pretty used to it and more likely to be successful, and the next month it will be something else, simple, like doing breathing exercises every time I am stressed for a month, for example.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )


text:
The Experience
Such is Africa's allure: that a bright fellow like Hemingway would lie in his tent, homesick before he'd even parted from a place that had come to seem more like home than home itself. We're told these days to stick to the now, and the here, but Hemingway—like many of us lovers of Africa—knew that sometimes you can't micromanage your passions. The Hemingway Wing Safari—a cherished favorite of the staff—is a tribute, not only to Africa's tendency to grab hold of our hearts, but also to the old-fashioned and cozy safaris of Hemingway's time, with three tented camps (a little more luxurious than in Ernest's day, but he was never one to avoid intelligently offered luxury), good looks at East Africa's most legendary game parks (and a couple of lesser-known gems), and five swooping flights that bring us into great intimacy with Africa's landscapes.
Day 1 En route
We board our flight and enjoy the anticipation of Africa.
Days 2 and 3 Arrive Nairobi
Touching down in Nairobi, we are whisked to Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel, the legendary starting point for grand safaris since the days of the earliest explorers.
Day 3 Nairobi
We'll be met by our Safari Director and whisked away to a place Hemingway spent many Hemingwayesque hours, the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel. We'll visit the Giraffe Centre and the illuminating National Museum, pay our respects at the newly renovated home of Karen Blixen (who, Hemingway said more than once, should have received the Nobel Prize for literature instead of him). And we'll have a welcoming lunch or dinner at Lavington, the home of founders, the renowned storytellers Felix and Jane Pinto.
Days 4 and 5Samburu National Reserve
We fly 200-plus miles north to the Samburu, in many ways the embodiment of the Africa we've been carrying around in our imagination since we were children (it was the home, for instance, of Elsa the lioness, of Born Free fame). Nurtured by the Ewaso Nyiro River, the Samburu is rugged, calmly inviting, and enveloped in the air of remote Old Africa, scented by acacia.
Our camp in the Samburu is a classic: Larsens Camp, set in the riverine forest of the Ewaso Nyiro, much frequented by friendly elephants, whose meanderings we can watch in comfort from the verandas of our airy, superbly designed tents. Game drives out of Larsens introduce us to the Samburu's sometimes almost shocking plentitude of large (and cunningly small) mammals, who are just the headliners in a fabulous cast of very natural, very intriguing characters.
Days 6 and 7 The Maasai Mara
South by air to the Maasai Mara, the northern reaches of the Serengeti–Maasai Mara ecosystem, earth's richest wildlife habitat. Our base for explorations in the fabled Mara is the Fairmont Mara Safari Club, recently voted among the Top 20 in Travel+Leisure's consequential World's Best Hotels list.
Surrounded on three sides by the life-giving Mara River, the Mara Safari Club is a masterpiece of appropriate and generously luxurious design. And it's a great jumping-off place for extraordinary game drives in the mixed land- and waterscapes of the Mara. We'll visit a traditional Maasai village as we wend our way through this natural wonderland, the kind of place that moved Hemingway to write, "I loved this country and I felt at home and where a man feels at home, outside of where he's born, is where he's meant to go."
Days 8 and 9 The Serengeti
"How can one convey the power of Serengeti?" asked Cyril Connolly in The Evening Colonnade. "It is an immense, limitless lawn, under a marquee of sky. . . .The light is dazzling, the air delectable; kopjes rise out of the grass at far intervals, some wooded; the magic of the American prairie here blends with the other magic of the animals as they existed before man."
The Serengeti sometimes does remind us of the American prairie, but in truth it can't be compared with any other place on earth. Its kopje-dotted landscape, its vast and billowing skies, and especially its astounding wealth of wildlife make it one-of-agorgeous-kind. Flying via Nairobi and Arusha, we reach our base, Migration Camp, on the hippo-haven Grumeti River. Known for its superb tents (which, one traveller wrote, "have only one thing in common with normal tents: canvas") and its dramatic setting in rocky outcrops, Migration Camp is revered for its tranquillity (something of a Serengeti specialty).
Days 10 and 11 Ngorongoro Crater
Some of us may wish to visit the Olduvai Gorge before heading to one of the earth's wonders, the great, green, animal-nurturing caldera of a once catastrophically cranky, now beneficently mellow volcano, the Ngorongoro.
We're up a little in elevation here on the mammoth crater's rim, in Vail and Aspen altitudes of well over 7,000 feet, and our luxurious and imaginative cabins of Exploreans Ngorongoro Lodge are just an exhilarating drive from the lush and almost park-like floor (but which, make no mistake, is an animal, not a human, kingdom). Being up that high, figuratively and actually, we may recall Isak Dinesen's words in Out of Africa, "The air of the African highlands went to my head like wine, I was all the time slightly drunk with it."
Day 12 Lake Manyara
Our guy Ernest Hemingway thought Manyara "the loveliest lake in Africa," and, based from our private chalets at the Lake Manyara Escarpment Lodge, regally perched on a cliff, we'll have some tranquil time here to find out why. The lake is a birder's heaven (it's frequented by 300 migratory avians), and the water from its Crater Highlands–supplied springs makes it a forested redoubt for all the most glamourous large mammals, including the famed Manyara tree-climbing lions. (It's a little irreverent, but tree-lounging might be a better description.)
Days 13 and 14 Nairobi and homeward bound
After a last morning in the bush, we fly to Nairobi, where we'll rest up in day rooms at the Norfolk before our late evening flights.


text:
I did a search on line and this is what I came up with from Not Leftovers Again!
The most amazing thing, I thought, was the use of tin foil balls in the bottom of the slow cooker. Genius! I've only cooked chicken quarters once before and it was a mess, I had no idea they were going to generate so much grease and I didn't know how to deal with it. This solved that problem completely!
I used Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub and of course Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar BBQ sauce. I also had never used my broiler. Not just in this, my vintage circa 1985 oven, but in any oven I've ever owned (ok that's probably because I didn't learn to cook until just recently but none the less...) I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect and absolutely delicious.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Travers
|Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character
|Hair color
|Bushy grey
|Eye color
|Related Family
|Lord Voldemort
Travers (first name unknown) is a tall, thin Death Eater, part of Voldemort's organization in both his first and second times in power.
Role in the BooksEdit
Goblet of FireEdit
As part of his attempt to plea-bargain his way out of Azkaban, Igor Karkaroff accuses Travers of killing Marlene McKinnon and her family. While this is ancient history at the time, Karkaroff having been imprisoned during Voldemort's first reign of terror, we see it in this book thanks to Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve.
Order of the PhoenixEdit
Travers may have been among the Death Eaters who escaped from Azkaban during the mass breakout, though his name is not noted.
Deathly HallowsEdit
We first hear of Travers in this book when Kingsley Shacklebolt tells us that Travers' hood had fallen off when Kingsley had cursed him during the escape from Privet Drive. At the time, Kingsley says that Travers is supposed to still be in Azkaban, but there evidently has been a mass breakout that hasn't been reported.
Travers is mentioned in passing when Harry and Hermione, invading the Ministry of Magic in search of the Locket Horcrux, run into Dolores Umbridge. Dolores asks Hermione, who is disguised as Mafalda Hopkirk, if Travers had sent her; evidently, Travers is then working in the Improper Use of Magic Office at a higher rank than Mafalda.
Travers and another Death Eater, Selwyn, answer Xenophilius Lovegood's summons. They are annoyed and sarcastic, this is evidently the third time Xeno has summoned them, and while he is saying that he has Harry Potter in the house, they don't believe him, thinking that it's another scheme of his to get his daughter Luna released.
Travers is in Diagon Alley when Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Griphook are on their way to break in to Gringotts Wizarding Bank. As Hermione is disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange, he is initially unsuspicious; however, he seems to sense some odd things happening as the scheme unfolds, and eventually Harry has to put him under the Imperius curse to keep him out of the way. Under Harry's orders, then, he follows them into the tunnels, and finally Harry sends him off to try and hide himself.
Travers is later briefly seen during the final battle. It's not known what happened to him following this event however.
Relationships with Other CharactersEdit


text:
Can anyone suggest anything? Is this normal? The first 5 days I lost 6 lbs. I'm on day 8 and this morning I'm still the same. I'm eating the same. The only thing I can think of that I changed was I drank some Black Vanilla Chai Tea. The first week I was so hungry and craved so many things I've never craved before. This week I feel better and I'm not as hungry, still have some cravings but they seem to be fading more thankfully. WHAT CAN I DO, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?? HELP SOMEONE
Hi Jenn,
Its fairly normal to have a slow down after the first week, but what sounds troubling is that you went through the first week battling cravings and hunger. That part is not normal.
Please tell us what dose you are on and how your solution was mixed (amount of HCGiu to mixing solution-ml).
Are you following the original protocol menu or something else?
At goal since 2015. \(ᵔᴥᵔ)/ Total HCG loss: 77# [5'5" 210-133] Maintenance strategies overview
My recent HCG round was with DietDoc. A full review of my experience and how the round progressed can be found here: my Diet Doc review and my Hcg coaching blog is here
Medical Disclaimer: My statements are not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any medical condition.