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Volume 16 Issue 42 | March 19 - 25, 2004
Suzi ORourke and staff preparing for the evenings event with financial advisors from JPMorgan Chase.
Bonding over the stove
A Tribeca kitchen draws co-workers for a bonding experience
By Sharon Hartwick
As Suzi ORourkes guests arrived at her Tribeca loft on a recent weekday evening, she greeted each one. Then she handed out personalized aprons, part of a ritual she performs as often as four times a week.
Those gathering at her Cooking by the Book session were not a group of would-be chefs or enthusiastic cooks necessarily, but 25 personal financial advisors from JP Morgan Chase. All were female executives except for the lone male, Andy Ireland, a senior vice president and sales executive for the companys 350 financial advisors.
I didnt know what to expect, he said as ORourke helped him into his Chef Andy apron and his co-workers looked on with amusement.
Barbara Goodstein, senior vice president and segment management executive, was the only one in the group who had been through the program before and was looking forward to repeating the experience.
Cooking was my idea. Getting everyone together was Andys, said Goodstein.
For most of the participants, who spend their days managing portfolios for high net-worth clients, watching cooking shows is probably the closest they come to mastering the art. So this was an opportunity to create a four-course meal together that they would share later in the evening. They would also get to know each other better while slicing, dicing, stirring and sautéing.
ORourke, 52, founded the culinary school with her husband Brian in 1989. She began by offering cooking classes for individuals who re-created recipes from popular cookbooks. Often, the cookbook author or a well-known restaurant chef would attend.
But in the early 90s, ORourke was inspired by one of her guests to expand the concept to the corporate world. She started pursuing team-bonding and team-building events, initially with law firms and then with companies such as American Express and Pfizer. And as it turned out, creating great meals together became a recipe for improving relationships in the office.
I knew something more could happen using the kitchen, said ORourke, who had observed how the dynamics of personalities and good (or bad) working relationships could emerge over the hot stove.
Describing what she called a culinary Outward Bound, she related how one woman discovered through her experience in the kitchen that she was a bitch in the office. It lead her to a personal breakthrough.
By the late 90s ORourke started focusing more on corporate clients along with private groups celebrating showers, birthdays or other special occasions. Business was flourishing.
Then 9/11and crash! said ORourke.
Not only did her business come to an instant halt, but her home became a meeting and triage place.
Friends and their children came by regularly as they tried to get their lives back in order. Firefighters from other towns camped out in her loft on and off for months. And the Red Cross often used her kitchen.
She was all but out of business for almost two years but with the help of loans from the Small Business Administration and her own determination, her business is now approaching what it was before.
As her guests gathered, they sipped wine and indulged in hors doeuvres and small talk. The two long tables in her dining/living room were set with white tablecloths, fresh flowers and fine china and glassware. And the bookshelves that lined the room showcased her collection of over 2,000 cookbooks, with titles ranging from Julia Childs The Way to Cook to Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.
Then it was time to get serious. After Goodstein and Ireland made opening remarks, ORourke, wearing a lime green chefs jacket, hair swept up and with the demeanor of a teacher taking charge of her class (she has a masters degree in education), took over. She split the group into five mini teams led by her staff of experienced culinary advisors, all standing by in their crisp, white jackets.
Joyces team would create the chicken piccata entree; Bens the sautéed radicchio salad; and Mary would oversee the spaghetti squash side dish while Teresas forces tackled the buttermilk mashed potato pancakes. Charmaine, the professional dessert maven, would guide her students through the intricacies of making an apple soufflé.
ORourke encouraged everyone to think outside of the box. If you have an idea, try it. They wont let you fail.
Forget mergers and acquisitions, asset management and problems back at the office. Time to get out the knives and go to work. And be careful with those very sharp Wusthof knives, ORourke warnedand dont imbibe too much.
Lets get cooking, she said.
Within minutes, all were at their stations in ORourkes state-of-the-art, 600-square-foot gourmet kitchen.
Stainless steel surfaces gleamed from everywhere, including four workstations, a double-sided Viking refrigerator and four Viking ranges and wall ovens.
For the next hour or so the corps of bankers turned their talents to the tasks at hand.
While some diligently learned how to peel the pith from an orange, others chopped chives, grated parmesan cheese, roasted pecans, sautéed cherry tomatoes and mashed or riced potatoes.
One team breaded the chicken breasts and whisked up sauces while another cored, peeled and pureed apples and beat egg whites until they formed stiff, glossy peaks. And almost everyone braved the challenges of using knives and learned how to cut, chop, slice and dice properly.
As the noise level increased, so did confidence. And by the end of the cooking marathon, they were ready to sit down to a great meal, toast their accomplishments and continue the camaraderie.
As Goodstein had predicted earlier, the experience was sure to be more productive than a boring dinner in the 60th floor corporate dining room.
Teresa Fox, who has freelanced as a culinary advisor for ORourke for two years, summed it up. I never met one person who didnt leave happy.
Cooking by the Book, which is located at 11 Worth St., also hosts private birthday and anniversary parties and bridal showers. For information, call: 212-966-9799, or visit www.cookingbythebook.com.
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What Meaningful Outcomes Will Come from Meaningful Use?
John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 10 blogs containing over 8000 articles with John having written over 4000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 16 million times. John also manages Healthcare IT Central and Healthcare IT Today, the leading career Health IT job board and blog. John is co-founder of InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and LinkedIn.
I recently came across this video (embedded below) of Farzad Mostashari doing an Ignite talk about meaningful use and the EHR incentive money. If you've never been to an Ignite event they can be really cool (see some of the videos here). I love the format of them: "At the events Ignite presenters share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total of just five minutes." Would be cool to do an Ignite at HIMSS or something. but I digress.
In Farzad's Ignite presentation he says that meaningful use and the HITECH act will lead to improved outcomes, higher quality care, safer healthcare, patient centered care, and coordinated care. When you hear him talk, he's quite confident that all of these are going to happen and I really think he's genuine in this being the goal.
Before I bias you too much on my views, I'd love to hear your thoughts on if the HITECH act and meaningful use will achieve the valuable goals of: improved outcomes, higher quality care, safer healthcare, patient centered care, and coordinated care

subset: commoncrawl


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Five years ago, experts writing for the Wall Street Journal editorial page predicted that inflation and interest rates would be going up soon because of the government's massive deficit spending. Experience would suggest that interest rates can't stay this low forever. However, we're still waiting for the long-predicted "spike" in inflation rates to start happening, and in the meantime, interest rates have adopted a life of their own. They ignore pundits and remain stubbornly low.
Where interest rates go next, and when, can make a difference in the outcome of our investment choices. The world is full of experts like the Wall Street Journal contributors who are still waiting for their predictions to come true. If we had all paid attention to them five years ago, we would not be sitting on stock investments that have increased by 200 percent in the interim -- an outcome resulting, in part, by the economic stimulus of cash created by the Federal Reserve's unrelenting purchase of bonds.
That's why the actions of Janet Yellen, the new chair of the Federal Reserve Board, are so critical, and help explain why she was selected for a reason over Larry Summers. The fact that she was chosen over the former Treasury secretary says a lot about her intellectual capacity as well as her ability to work her way through the minefields of Washington. The chair of the Federal Reserve is considered to be the second-most powerful position in Washington.
Yellen, according to an article about her in the New Yorker magazine, is inclined to favor Main Street over Wall Street, which means that she is inclined to do what is necessary to keep the economy growing. To a Keynesian economist trying to fight a recession, doing what's right means cutting taxes and creating government deficits. Unfortunately, President Bush had already done just that during a period of a strong economy, so there was not a lot of dry powder left when the financial services sector collapsed.
Not so long ago, the actions of the Federal Reserve were said to be sending us down a road to becoming another Greece. Borrowing money to put cash into the economy increased the deficit, but the deficit is only a problem when it becomes a growing percentage of the gross national product. While the national debt in total dollars has increased, the GNP has also benefited from the rising tide of the economy. The percentage relationship has remained about what it was a few years ago.
A book titled "The Armchair Economist" by Steven Landsburg is an entertaining read for someone who wants to understand economics a little better and not be put to sleep.
It's reassuring to read a simple example that illustrates how paying off the debt to save, say, 10 percent in interest costs, takes money out of the economy that would otherwise have made 10 percent. It's an argument for never paying off government debt -- especially if you believe that the private sector can actually make more on its money than the interest cost on the government debt that some are obsessed with paying off. Remember that paying off debt can only be accomplished by increasing taxes or reducing government spending. Both courses threaten to derail any recovery.
As for the future of interest rates and when they might someday rise, it is anyone's guess. The matrix of interest rate influences is so vast that the future is impossible -- even for Wall Street Journal "experts" -- to predict. Investors, however, are free to make informed decisions such as taking advantage of low mortgage rates while they last. If rates continue to stay low, stocks will continue to do well, because low interest rates encourage businesses to borrow and expand.
As the economy continues to improve, higher-yielding bonds that now pay higher interest, but involve more risk, will not be in less danger of default. To the extent that actions of the Federal Reserve have contributed to this condition of well-being, I think we should appreciate the benefits of the additional deficit spending. There's a limit to everything, however, as government spending beyond a point is just wasteful. For my part, I'll trust Yellen's intuition as to when the time might be right to throttle back on easy money.


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Thu 27th Jul 2006 22:04 UTC
In a meeting that will go down in internet history, the United States government last night conceded that it can no longer expect to maintain its position as the ultimate authority over the internet. Having been the internet's instigator and, since 1998, its voluntary taskmaster, the US government finally agreed to transition its control over not-for-profit internet overseeing organisation ICANN, making the organisation a more international body. Update: Ars contradicts El Reg's claims: "Contrary to some reports, things are not about to change. After a meeting at the Commerce Department, Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, John M.R. Kneuer, said that the existing arrangement was likely to continue, at least for another year."


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Martyrs (UK - BD RB)
Our Marcus keeps looking at the eyes in this French horror film on Blu-ray Disc...
Martyrs begins with a young girl, Lucie, running out of a warehouse. She's beaten, bloody, her hair has been shaved, and we find out by new orphanage-friend Anna, that she doesn't remember her captors. Picking up fifteen years later and after a brutal shooting, we discover that Lucie's (Mylène Jampanoï) demons continue to haunt her even with Anna ((Morjana Alaoui) at her side.
I went into Martyrs almost completely blind, only having seen the poster a few times and hearing a few comments from friends (that all highlighted just how messed up the movie was), but I wasn't expecting much beyond another all guts and no glory entry in the "torture porn" sub-genre that I've generally had a lukewarm reaction to over last few years. How very wrong that presumption turned out to be.
The opening forty five minutes is a rollercoaster. After the fairly conventional opening, giving us a brief back-story and setting up the 'thing' that's haunting Lucie, we enter into a fairy mundane, typical family breakfast. There are playful arguments, it's all shot like a TV drama and you begin to wonder just where this is all going. Then Lucie arrives with her shotgun and we're thrown straight into some shockingly real executions of the whole family and beyond that we get an even more shocking reveal of what's been going on in Lucie's head since she was a child.
It has to be said that Mylène Jampanoï's performance as Lucie is immediately what draws you into this movie. She's intense and has a genuine presence on screen. You feel her fear just as much as her madness and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she went on to far grander things because of her work here. Anyway back to the movie, Lucie's demon (which I won't describe or even hint at what it is because it would spoil an element of the story) is just messed up. The way it moves its body, the things it does to Lucie and just how gruesome the acts are really show off a director who knows what he's out to do, and thankfully Pascal Laugier is a director who isn't just doing this for a reaction but thankfully to add weight to his frankly brilliant story.
Once the first forty five minutes or so are done with, I felt I'd seen more horrific events than I've seen in pretty much all of the horror movies that spring to my mind, especially for a first forty minute count of them anyway. What's even more impressive is that at the end of those forty five minutes we are seemingly done with what I thought the story was going to be about and the story goes in a whole new direction, a direction that for me makes this movie so much more than it will probably be given credit for.
I shouldn't and won't go into where this movie goes for its second half, but I will say this: Martyrs is probably the most fucked up movie I've ever seen, but what's more shocking is that all of these visuals are absolutely there to strengthen the story. It's extremely brutal in everything it does and some of, hell most of, its visuals will make a whole portion of its audience queasy, but it never feels forced or out for a reaction. In fact, it makes movies like Hostel and the other big names in the "torture porn" genre seem tame by comparison, but thankfully that is where the comparisons end. Pascal Laugier's movie shouldn't be lumped in with this ever growing catalogue of extreme horror. Martyrs is so much more than that. Its story sets it apart from the crowd and Laugier really shows off a sense of credibility to his audience, sometimes even avoiding the obvious scares, like not throwing in sexual violence (which he easily could have) as another threat to the already horrific situation and this really keeps the bigger picture in focus.
Laugier has produced a rewarding horror movie here. The fact that one of the creepiest moments for me was some old woman calmly showing one of our characters pictures of people and repeating "look at the eyes" or explaining that what they are about to do seems to work better with young women, of which our main character is, just highlights how much more the story as a whole had its hooks into me. Nothing in Martyrs is done for fun, or shocks or spectacle (okay maybe a little), the violence is there for a story and the story really is what makes this movie something more than just the another horror event.
Martyrs has a pretty good looking transfer. Colours can be slightly muted but are bold and the level of detail is high especially in the gruesome make-up effects (sometimes uncomfortably). The transfer generally has a nice realistic look about it. It can sometimes look a little patchy in the darker scenes, with a blue mist often creeping in to where the light sources meet the darkness, but black levels are mostly nice and deep.
Grain levels are kept to a minimum but are apparent, especially in the first half of the movie but overall this is a nice clean transfer that captures the grime, blood and torn flesh on show almost too well... but that's a good thing.
This can be quite a quiet movie at times with much of the audio living in the front speakers, however when the entire selection of blood curdling screams and shrieks come into play the track is quite impressive, filling the room and keeping your attention well and truly fixed on the proceedings.
Dialogue always remains clear and there is a real feeling for the location that Martyrs ends up in for the second half of the movie, due to the use of echoes and clangs of metal as well as the thuds and slaps that fill the room as well. It's not an outstanding bit of audio by any stretch, but its subtle nature fits the movie perfectly.
Dropping straight into the making of (1hr 25 mins SD) we get a thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly interesting look at the making of the movie. It sometimes surprised me how some of the days shoots seemed to have quite a laid back almost enjoyable feel to them despite what they were filming and it has to be said that Laugier really seems to have an understanding of his material and how he wants it to be perceived by the audience. Also at the beginning there's a frank and honest take on his feelings on the studios poster design which really doesn't give a sense of the movie at all.
In the interview with Pascal Laugier (19:20 SD) we get more intelligent discussion on the director's work. He raises a fine point about how Martyrs isn't a commentary on anything, but a story he wanted to tell and a real show of his understanding of how powerful the visuals were and why they were constructed like that.
Finally there's an interview with makeup effects man Benoit Lasting (13:52 SD) which takes a look at his very impressive work in the movie.
For me, Martyrs outshines all of the modern horrors it sits beside on the shelf. Laugier's control of the story is something to behold in the genre of late, his ability to deliver thought provoking, almost moving twists and turns in amongst the extreme events is much welcomed. The fact I came away from this movie more caught up in how the story played out and with what was actually going on, as opposed to the truly messed up visuals I'd seen, was more than enough to ensure this has a high placing on my year's best movies.
The disc itself does everything the movie requires with a good transfer and some subtly effective audio, and with the inclusion of a nice set of features this is a no brainer of a recommendation (unless of course you have a low or middling threshold for violence in movies, in which case it's probably best you avoid).
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page.
Review by Marcus Doidge
MeatloafJack Member Join Date: October 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5
Another great review Mr Doidge, and I agree this film is insanely good, insane being the operative word. It takes horror movies to a whole new level, as in intellegence and not just extremity for extremities sake. Although i'm quite (well a lot!) desensitized some of the violence in this did make me wince a couple of times but definitely worth sitting through til the end!
mus42 Member Join Date: September 2004 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 37
Think I'll skip this one. I don't really need to see people being tortured (even if its fake)
scratch Member Join Date: August 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 84
I'm surprised that the BBFC has passed this uncut, TBH. I thought that a few trims would have been made to the scenes where Spoiler the girl receives multiple, heavy punches to the face as part of her ordeal near the end of the film.
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
I think if they'd made those scenes in any way sexual they would have been trimmed down.
Suitable only for persons of 18 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 25th May 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 French, Dolby Digital 5.1 French
Subtitles: English
Extras: Making of, Interviews
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Pascal Laugier
Cast: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin
Genre: Drama and Horror
Length: 99 minutes
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SOLD: New York City's Skinniest House
Regina posted this Narrow House in Greenwich Village last August when it first went on the market.
The nine-and-a-half feet wide home at 75½ Bedford Street recently sold…
Since its beginnings in 1873, the West Village building has housed a cobbler shop, candy factory, and been a home to many including actor John Barrymore and author Edna St. Vincent Millay. We found more photos of the house since it went on the market last August.
The the nine-and-a-half-feet-wide brick house recently sold for $2.175 million.
Read more about New York's skinniest house at NYC Architecture. See more photos of the house at The New York Post website.
Images: NYC Architecture; The New York Post


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I first suspected that Senator Sheldon Whitehouse did a lot of reading after I saw excerpts from a speech he gave at the height of the Affordable Care Act debate:
"History cautions us of the excesses to which these malignant, vindictive passions can ultimately lead," he wrote of the Tea Party protests in Washington. "Tumbrils have rolled through taunting crowds. Broken glass has sparkled in darkened streets. Strange fruit has hung from southern trees."
It is a rare politician who can shoehorn echoes of Charles Dickens, a Canadian rock band and Billie Holliday into the same paragraph.
Tumbrils are the crude carts that were used to transport French aristocrats to the Guillotine in the opening of "A Tale of Two Cities"; broken glass sparkled on city streets is an image in "Left and Leaving" by Weakerthan; and "Strange Fruit" is the seminal anti-lynching song that Billie Holliday recorded in 1939.
"I know about the Dickens and I know about Billie Holiday, but I never heard the song by Weakerthan," Whitehouse said Monday. "If I was aware of it, I would have asked for permission to use it. I was aware of fair use guidelines and there were a few favorites, like Bob Dylan, I couldn't put in because they were very adamant about controlling their material."
Whether other writers enter Whitehouse's senate prose on purpose or by osmosis is beside the point. The fact is, he has done a lot of reading and his just published book, "On Virtues," proves it. The classical and historical references range from ancient Greece to case law presented before the Supreme Court. Whitehouse said Monday that he has been working on the book, or, more importantly, on his idea for a book for about 20 years.
"I started writing down things I heard that impressed me or inspired me or contained some insight I thought were important and I wrote them down," he explained. "After that, the book was relatively easy to do. Most of the writing was already done."
"On Virtues" arrived at the Beacon office Friday morning and I read it over the weekend. It's a neat little book that has some familiar and some unfamiliar words in it, but Whitehouse said they all were noted and written down because of the beauty of the words or the personal inspiration they would afford a variety of occasions. But the real surprise, I suspect, is the way Whitehouse evokes his personal history in the introduction. A few, but not enough, people realize that Whitehouse is the son of a foreign service professional whose postings around the world provided adventure and not a little risk for himself and his young family. Whitehouse's explains how he came to believe that his unusual childhood was a necessary and important thing and that his parents' foreign service had a deeper meaning than the inconvenience of separation and anxiety and danger the young Whitehouse must have endured from time to time.
"Something was worth my mom's having to worry about not having a decent hospital nearby when I broke my arm, or worry about how we'd get rabies vaccine when my brother was bitten by a street dog (a friend's mother died of rabies, so this was no idle worry) … Something was worth the family separations that safety and schooling demanded … In my family, we never talked about what that something was. It was like a dark star – you only knew it was there by its effect on other things."
Apparently, the boy who grew up in a house where keeping secrets was a way of life has always been reluctant to speak about his adventures publicly, for it is surprising to find that his father was a much decorated dive bomber pilot in World War II and was one of those behind the scenes cold warriors that were so essential when the Soviet Union really was a big threat to our democracy and survival, even if those conflicts were generally confined to subtle diplomatic ploys that helped to maintain the balance of influence in the developing world of the 1960s: In other words, the "something" that eluded the diplomat's boy.
"Perhaps that something was too big to talk about. Perhaps that's why I find it easier to look for that something in other people's words than to describe it in my own."
It may be easier but not necessarily better. His description of how his family and other western diplomats had run afoul of the powers that were in one African country in the 1960s:
"I remember the unaccustomed sight of my father in the kitchen in our house in Conakry, Guinea. It was afternoon, when the household staff [all spies of the Guinean government] were away. He had bags of groceries from the embassy commissary spread out around the kitchen counters, and was hiding walkie-talkies inside bread loaves to deliver to the embassy families. We had all been put under house arrest by the Guinean government. My father had negotiated permission to deliver groceries to the imprisoned families and this was how he was going to make sure that everyone could communicate, and how he would know that everyone was all right – that nothing awful was happening. Off he went, with our embassy Wagoneer stuffed with grocery bags and secrets, leaving a son amazed at his father's capacity for such intrigue, proud to be in on the secret. I was probably 10."
You do wish that there was more of this in the book, but the introduction is frustratingly short. Which would grate on you if the sections quoted in the book didn't match its aspirations, but they do.
Here's JFK on government:
"My experience in government is that when things are non-controversial, beautifully coordinated and the rest, it must be that there is not much going on."
Harry S. Truman on his reputation:
"I never gave anybody hell. I just told them the truth and they thought it was hell."
Whitehouse is a lawyer, so you can excuse the inordinate number of citations from lawyers and judges that are included, but some of them are worth hearing, including one from Chief Justice Richard F. Neely of the West Virginia Supreme Court, whom Whitehouse clerked for:
"Come on, Sheldon, strap on our ass-kissing lips – we're going up to the legislature."
How about this tip on writing well from William Safire, speechwriter, columnist and sly humorist:
"Avoid all clichés like the plague."
(Whitehouse's attached comment to this, "Get it?" sort of took the fun out of it, but it gets better.)
Of course, not all of the quotations are ironic or sardonic, but there is enough of that to make it worth looking for. I was especially charmed by the selection of famous last words, as when Voltaire was on his deathbed and was urged to renounce Satan.
"Now is not the time to make enemies."
Or Oscar Wilde on his last bunk-up:
"This wallpaper is killing me; one of us has to go."
Thankfully, Whitehouse didn't feel compelled to tell us the wallpaper stayed, but I was pleased with most of his comments explaining why he was moved to save the words. He includes that famous last letter from Sullivan Ballou, the soldier from Smithfield who wrote to his wife just before he died in the Civil War:
"But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you: in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights – amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours – always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by."
That letter that so moved the millions of people who heard it read in Ken Burns' "The Civil War" moved Burns even more. Whitehouse informs us that the director carried a copy of it folded in his wallet for 25 years. That letter makes you wish that there really were ghosts.
Also, from the Civil War, there is the letter that Abraham Lincoln sent to a Lydia Bixby of Boston on the occasion of losing five sons in the war. Whitehouse follows that with some information I'm not about to divulge here. He's not the only one around here who can keep a secret.


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Former New Rochelle High School Librarian Back in Court in Student Sex Sting Case
Marisa L. Anton, 34, a former librarian at New Rochelle high school was back in court Monday for a brief appearance in front of New Rochelle City Court Judge Susan Kettner on charges related to a sex sting involving a student at the school.
Before court opened, Anton sat with her family. She was dressed in a beige dress with matching shoes and purse. Her case was the first called. She stood with her lawyer, Michele Marianna Bonsignor. After a brief conference, a new court date was set for November 12, 2012.
Anton, a female librarian at New Rochelle high school, was arrested on May 31, 2012 by New Rochelle Police after going to meet a 16-year old male youth for what she believed would be a sexual encounter.
Back in May New Rochelle Police Detective Captain Joseph Schaller said a police investigation confirmed the student's report, and police detectives apprehended Anton when she appeared at the student's residence allegedly to have a sexual encounter
"She invited him to engage in sexual contact," said Schaller. "She was brought in for questioning and taken into custody".
"No sexual contact occurred," added Schaller.
Outside the courthouse, Anton looked straight ahead as she walked to a waiting car parked right outside the building. Her mother engaged this reporter, attempting to block photos and video being taken of her daughter. The mother declined a request to comment on the case.
The New Rochelle Board of Education accepted the resignation of Marisa Anton at their board meeting last Tuesday as part of what sources tell Talk of the Sound will be a plea deal.
In court again today there was a brief mention of an "SCI" which stands for "Supreme Court Information", a type of charging document, similar to an indictment.
"It is typically used in a felony case where the defendant intends to plead guilty in a plea bargained matter," said attorney Cynthia Lobo, a lawyer based in New Rochelle.
New Rochelle High School Librarian Arrested in Sex Sting Involving 16-Year Old Student
A Few Thoughts on the Marisa Anton Pirate Hat Photo and Sexual Dysfunction
High School Librarian Marisa Anton Appears in New Rochelle City Court on Student Sex Charges
There is 1 Comment
This case just seems to go nowhere.
Now November? Wjat are they doing pushing it merrily along so that it goes forgotten, of course we ALL know that is the New Rochelle way of doing things!
If this had been you or I we would have been thrown in the pokey!!!!


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In 1994, a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office warned about the rapid growth and increasing complexity of financial derivatives—an area then new to financial economists but unknown in the accounting field. The warning aroused the curiosity of A. Rashad Abdel-khalik, Vernon K. Zimmerman Professor of International Accountancy, and led him to explore and develop the subject further; he began teaching a course on accounting for risk in 2002 on an experimental basis. (The course is now a requirement for Master of Accountancy Science students.)
Three years later, Abdel-khalik realized that all students would be better equipped for professional success if they were to acquire knowledge of the special accounting treatment for hedging. As a necessary background, he thought, students must possess a reasonable grasp of risk-related concepts and types of financial derivative instruments. But these topics were missing from the traditional accounting curriculum and Abdel-khalik seized the opportunity to develop the course and to write a book.
In October 2013, his book, Accounting for Risk, Hedging and Complex Contracts, was published by Routledge. It covers a wide range of topics. The first half covers concepts of risk appetite, types and measurement, and basic financial derivative instruments—moving beyond definitions to demonstrate methods of valuation. The second half focuses on hedge accounting treatments, required criteria for qualification, cash flow hedge, fair value hedge and disclosure of financial derivatives and concentration, credit, and liquidity risks.
The book contains examples and illustrations supported by numerous figures and flow charts that serve to help readers grasp the concepts Abdel-khalik presents. These illustrations include excerpts from recent financial reports and Form 10-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, demonstrating how various enterprises report on risk, derivatives, and hedging.
Accounting for Risk, Hedging and Complex Contracts has garnered positive reviews. Professor Joshua Ronen at the Stern School of Business, NYU, states, "A tour de force…I highly recommend this book to students who wish to make sense of the accounting for the 21st century's complex risk transactions." Likewise, Professor Hans Stoll at the Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt, states, "This book helps enormously…important for accountants but also for broader audiences wishing to understand the use of derivatives."
By explaining the basics of risk and accounting for financial derivatives clearly, concisely, and transparently to help ensure students' professional success, Abdel-khalik is betting on a sure thing.


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There is so much going on right now. It's really unreal how much is changing and how nerve wracking that can be and how exciting.
I quit my job. Which I'm pretty sure I put out there awhile ago. But now it's really done. I'll still get paid until early August but then that's it. I will be unemployed.
And that is scary. But exciting.
There was so much surrounding my leaving my job and I don't feel like much of it was positive. The last few weeks were torturous there and I really could not wait for it all to end. And when the last day finally came I found myself angrily leaving my job because, once again, they had made it seem like I was incompetent and under skilled in every which way.
I didn't leave my job because I couldn't handle having 4 kids and a full time job.
I didn't leave my job because I didn't like very many of the people there.
I didn't leave my job because I was burnt out.
I left my job because it was time for me to move forward past an organization that was constantly holding me back and asking me to compromise who I am and what I thought. For a not so awesome paycheck.
But it was still a paycheck. And I'm still going to miss my students, and a few of my co-workers.
So, now I move forward.
As I try to figure out where we go from here I look for signs in everything. Sometimes too much. I'm a big believer in signs.
And I do believe I'm finding them.
I was having a particularly difficult evening last week because of work and I happened to turn on "The Daily Show" and Colin Powell was on. Now, I could take or leave him really but I decided to watch the interview and it was all about his new book. He focused on being positive and optimistic. And recognizing the good in order to gain success.
And in that moment I decided that's what I needed to do. And, really, it's made a difference.
The past week or so, I've found things to be happening in a good way- slowly- but positively. And I can only hope they continue.
As I readied myself for my last few days I did begin to doubt my decision. Maybe walking away from my paycheck, as crappy as it was, wasn't the best idea with 4 kids and bills. Maybe I just needed to suck it up and deal. Stop being a baby and be an adult.
And then my husband asked me when my official last day was.
"Monday." I said.
"So, after Monday that means we'll get to see you smile and laugh again, right?"
And in that moment I realized that I wasn't doing what I should be doing. And walking away from my job was the right decision. And taking the risk of going after something more and something better was far more important for me and my family than taking in a crappy paycheck and being miserable.
So, now I look for the signs- whether they are on TV, in person, in my dreams or driving down the street- and I move forward with the risk and the hope that something new and better is right over the horizon.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
There is so much going on right now. It's really unreal how much is changing and how nerve wracking that can be and how exciting.
Posted by Alison McGeary at 9:43 PM
1 comments:
- Colleen said...
You should check out The Happiness Project. I haven't read it yet, it's sitting on my coffee table. But, I saw the author speak at Mommybites Summit a month or so ago. Very much about being optimistic and positive... and getting it by focusing on the little things to get to the big things.
Sigh... I should start reading it.
- June 23, 2012 at 9:13 AM


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Traditional IRAs can have a significant impact on the value of your estate.
With increased contribution limits, years of allowable catch-up provisions and with 401(k) balances being rolled into IRAs when employment is changed to then rolling over the balance of your current company 401(k) when your retirement actually occurs, can create substantial total IRA assets.
Since this is income that carries a tax-deferred status, it is important to pass your IRA on to your heirs with the appropriate IRA beneficiary designation assignment.
The IRA beneficiary designation form
At the time that you open any traditional IRA you are required to complete and sign a beneficiary designation form that will secure the beneficiary(s) that you have named. Each IRA will have its own beneficiary designation form that will require your signature. All IRA assets will pass directly to the named person(s) listed in the signed beneficiary designation form upon your death and the proceeds will bypass probate. The beneficiary designation form(s) is a key component in your estate planning and should be checked for accuracy when you are doing your retirement planning.
Here are five common concerns surrounding IRA beneficiary designations that often surface during the retirement planning process. Let's look at each and see how to get best results for your living beneficiaries:
1.) Should I name my living trust as the beneficiary of my IRA?
This is not a good idea and here's why: upon the death of the IRA owner, options are limited if you name your revocable trust as a primary beneficiary instead of naming your spouse. Naming your spouse as the beneficiary and keeping the IRA out of the trust enables your spouse to roll the proceeds of the inherited IRA over to the spouse's own IRA upon your death.
Naming your spouse as the primary beneficiary allows your spouse more options for deferring income tax.
2.) If I designate my spouse as primary IRA beneficiary what is the difference between naming the children or the irrevocable trust as secondary or contingent beneficiary(s)?
If your spouse predeceases you and the children are the contingent beneficiaries, each child can take a distribution over their own life expectancy.
If the trust is the contingent beneficiary, each of the children can take distributions over the life expectancy of the oldest child. This means that the youngest children will not get the longest possible stretchout. This would not be the best solution.
3.) What does Stretch-IRA mean?
Stretch-IRA is also referred to as stretchout, which means that the money in the traditional IRA that is being inherited is income that has not yet been taxed, and we want to extend the life of the IRA's tax deferral status whenever possible.
Upon the death of the IRA owner, when the money is inherited by the beneficiary and is disbursed from the IRA, it is still subject to income tax. The beneficiaries often want to take distribution in installments over their lifetime rather than taking a lump sum distribution and paying the taxes all at once. The minimum installment distribution amount required to withdraw in each year will allow the beneficiary to only have to declare minimal IRA income each year thus the taxes will be less.
Have your adviser create a spreadsheet showing the hypothetical withdrawal of minimum distributions over a 20-year period and get a feel for how this will affect the inherited IRA assets if they are stretched.
4.) I have a revocable trust as well as appropriately designated IRA beneficiaries. Do I need a power of attorney as well?
Trusts can be a complex matter. I asked Randy Spiro, a Beverly Hills estate-planning attorney for his sage advice on how to best approach this issue.
"Most assets can be transferred to the client's trust. The trusteeship (the management) of the trust changes on death, resignation or incapacity. This mechanism in the trust decreases the need for a power of attorney for the trust assets. But because the ownership of IRAs cannot be transferred to the trust the assets held in the IRA will be frozen on the client's incapacity. To avoid this, the client can give someone (spouse or child) a power of attorney for the IRA," Randy explained.
Be sure to make a complete list of your assets and review that list with your attorney before embarking on the task of transferring the stated assets to the trust.
Many banks and brokers who are custodians of IRA's have their own power of attorney form. If they do, they will insist that their own power of attorney form be used rather than one created by the attorney or one obtained from the stationary store. Be sure to have any power of attorney form which has been provided by a bank or broker reviewed by your attorney before signing the document.
5.) Can I assign my IRA(s) beneficiary(s) in my will?
No. This is not recommended. IRAs are passed by designated beneficiary(s) listed on the beneficiary designation form. If there is no designated beneficiary the IRA passes to your estate and the proceeds will be distributed by will thus subjecting the IRA to probate plus additional legal issues.
Action to be taken:
Check the designated beneficiaries that are listed on your IRA(s) and life insurance policy(s). Call the investment company/insurance carrier and request a copy of the signed beneficiary form that is on file for your IRA account(s). Do not take verbal information. You want a copy of the original beneficiary designation form. Some companies will ask that your request be put in writing.
When you receive the copy of your beneficiary designation form, review it to be certain that the beneficiaries are listed exactly as you want those assets to pass upon your death. Be sure to check the proper spelling of the full legal name(s) of the beneficiary(s) and accuracy of birth dates and social security numbers. If you find that you require a change of beneficiary, request the specific company/carrier change of beneficiary form.
This may sound remedial, but please print clearly. I have seen many situations where the ability to read the writing on the form has placed the designated beneficiary in question and created unnecessary delays and problems with the passing of assets. After making any changes on the beneficiary change form, make copies of the updated form for your attorney, accountant and financial adviser and send the changed beneficiary designation form with your original signature back to the company/carrier. You should receive a confirmation notice that the new designated beneficiary(s) have been applied.
This procedure takes a bit of time but upon completion will bring you comfort and peace of mind that your affairs are in order and your beneficiaries are assigned properly.


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After you have created configuration styles and applied them to files or directories, you can get a list of the configuration styles and where you applied them.
To list the configuration style assignments, perform the following steps.
Access the Class Manager.
Choose the Styles tab.
Click the List Assignments link.
Sun Java System Web Server displays the List Assignments page, showing the configuration styles you applied to server resources.
To edit a configuration style assignment, click the Edit link next to the configuration style name.
For more information, see the List Assignments page in the online help.


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Free Easter Craft eBook
Get a Free eBook that includes 7 cute Easter Craft Projects. Click Here
Don't want to miss a single deal? Go here to get Hot Deals sent directly to your Inbox! Thanks for joining Your Retail Helper.
This post may contain affiliate links. Go here to see our full Disclosure Statement.


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Larger than life drums, strings, and piano set this epic movie intro/trailer up to leave listeners and viewers wanting more. Spacey pads keep this score alive and moving. Hints of emotion, excitement, suspense and triumph round this piece out.
Instruments used: Full Sampled Steinway Grand, Massive Synth, Miraslav Philharmonik Cellos and Double Bass, Abbey Road 70s kit toms, kick and snare, Reversed and Crash cymbals. Many effects.


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a Paranormal Conference like no other
www.greatappalachianspookshow.com Great Appalachian Spook Show
Friday May 4th 5th and 6th 2012
The Haunted & Historic
Twin City Opera House
15 West Main Street
McConnelsville, Ohio 43756
For More Information
Join Ohio's Representative's of the American Ghost Society---The United Paranormal Project---at the Haunted Twin City Opera House, "One of the most haunted locations in Ohio" for a weekend of ghosts, hauntings and the unexplained. All of this nestled in Historic McConnelsville located along the Muskingum River in Morgan County, Ohio.
We will be offering nationally-known speakers on ghosts, hauntings and the supernatural. Brian Harnois, Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc, Pat Brussard, John Sabol, James Willis to name a few. Plus all of this will include: paranormal workshops, haunted tours, ghost hunts, after-hours events and much more!
The Great Appalachian Spook Show is open to guests from all over the country and will give attendees the chance to gather information about ghosts, hauntings and the unexplained; meet other ghost enthusiasts from around the country; network and compare notes with other investigators; and to visit the haunted Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Ohio. You don't want to miss this conference.
Last Years first Spook Show went very well and we are confident this years conference will be even better!
the Twin City Opera House was built in 1892 and has been reported haunted since 1963 when 18 youths saw an aparition that was later identified by the owner Galen Finley as an usher Everett Miller who had worked there for 30 years and had lived accross the street from Galen as a boy. There have been two other aparitions reported there by multible people on several different occasions including a lady in white that always crosses the stage and goes up the catwalk steps. there are a couple other spirits in the catwalk as well a 10 year old girl named Elizabeth and a 30 year old stage hand named Robert. Elizabeth has been heard giggling many times up there and ocasionally will even be seen peeking down onto the stage. EVPs from both spirits have been captured during atempted comunication with these spirits. There is even more activity in the opera house down in the basement where pictures and video has captured a black mass and several sightings of shadowmen have been seen.
More information on the opera house can be found at www.twincityoperahouse.com
Twin City Opera House
Edited by grimshawl, 30 December 2011 - 12:14 PM.


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Prospective Undergraduate Students
Visitors Center
213 Low Library
High School Students
High school students interested in applying to Columbia University should visit the Columbia College/Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science admissions website to register for information sessions and tours. A full schedule which includes Saturday tours is available online. Information regarding class visits and additional campus activities can be found on the undergraduate admissions website. Advance registration is strongly recommended.
Nontraditional Students
Nontraditional students—students with a break in their educations of one year or more, or students with a compelling reason to attend part time—interested in completing their undergraduate degree at Columbia University should visit the School of General Studies admissions website for a schedule of information sessions and tours. Additionally, prospective students interested in completing the basic requirements for medical school should consult the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program admissions website for a schedule of information sessions and tours.
For international student inquiries, contact the International Students and Scholars Office.
Campus Access Tours
Visitors with disabilities may request an accessible tour of the Morningside Campus from the Visitor's Center, 213 Low Library. Tours are arranged to meet the individual needs of visitors; three weeks advance notice is needed. To arrange a tour, visitors should email firstname.lastname@example.com. Visitors with mobility impairments who arrive on the Morningside campus without prior notice may be able to arrange a tour of Upper Campus through the Visitors Center, subject to tour guide availability. The Visitors Center does not provide wheelchairs, golf carts or other modes of transportation. Columbia University is committed to providing an accessible and welcoming environment for faculty, staff, students, guests, visitors and members of the public. For more information, contact the Office of Disability Services.


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On Wednesday Brandi Glanville took some time off from her normal drama-starting ways. The Real Housewives star had surgery yesterday to remove what was believed to be a non-cancerous tumor from her breast. She told E!:
"My surgery went well ... I will have all the answers to exactly what it is on Friday. I'm in pain but happy that it is done, because I need to be healthy for my boys."
Whether or not you're on Team Brandi, we can all agree that a lumpectomy isn't a fun procedure, but regardless a necessary one. Wondering how the whole thing works and how long she'll be out for? Read on, here:
What needs to be done before surgery?
Patients have to follow their doctor's advice on what to eat and not eat, what medications to stop taking, and make sure to prepare everything for a hospital stay.
How long is the recovery time?
The good news is that the recovery period is VERY short for such a procedure. The pain isn't very strong and can be treated with Tylenol. As for the surgical area, your skin should heal in about a month or so.
If the original biopsy was negative, can there still be cancer?
Yes, there can be. There could be cancerous cells elsewhere in the area, which is another reason why undergoing surgery for a benign tumor can be deemed appropriate.
Have you or someone you know ever had a lumpectomy?
Image via Bravo


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Debris litters area outside Texas plant explosion; church holds service in hayfield
WEST, Texas The blast at a Texas fertilizer plant made perhaps its biggest mark on an apartment building across the railroad tracks from the site.
The apartment building's roof was collapsed in the Wednesday blast, its windows blown out and chunks of concrete littered the space between the tracks and the apartments.
Officials organized a visit to the area around the blast site in West on Sunday for a small group of reporters.
They did not allow reporters to see what was happening at the site, though four heavily damaged metal structures were visible from nearby.
At least 14 people are dead and 200 injured after the blast in the tiny Texas town. Officials now say 12 of the 14 killed were first responders, CBS News' Steve Futterman reports.
Federal and state agents continue to work the scene. Authorities have not yet identified the cause of the blast.
Meanwhile, on the first Sunday after the explosion, pastor John Crowder stood atop a long flatbed truck overlooking a hayfield and spoke to his congregation.
Crowder's First Baptist Church in West remains blocked off as investigators work on the scene of Wednesday's blast. So about 100 people sat in white folding chairs Sunday morning, while others carried their own.
"We have lost our friends and neighbors," Crowder told the audience. We have lost the safety and comfort of our homes. But as scary as this is, we don't have to be afraid."
- Some residents allowed back home after Texas blast
- Majority of deaths in West, Texas explosion were first responders
Authorities have not yet identified what caused the blast, which was so powerful it registered as a small earthquake. Assistant state fire marshal Kelly Kistner said the blast left "a large crater."
The explosion destroyed about 50 homes and severely damaged a nursing home and other buildings nearby. Kistner said all fires have been extinguished at the explosion scene and the remaining fertilizer tanks at West Fertilizer Co. do not pose a danger.
Some of the people who attended Sunday's outdoor service wore T-shirts calling on others to "pray for West."
"Every time I close my eyes, all I can think about is the explosion," said Edi Botello, a senior at West High School. "People running around. People evacuating. There was one point I couldn't even talk. I just stuttered."
The destruction was evident in the short visit to the area organized for reporters.
"Several blocks we had projectiles or shrapnel that has been found of different sizes," Kistner said. "Smaller pieces have been found blocks away."
The wave radiating from the blast also hit the nursing home across the street from the apartment building. There too, windows were blown out, ceiling tiles were visible throughout the rooms and the red brick exterior was cracked. At West Intermediate School, a northern wall was charred and the southern wall showed structural damage.
Crews from Union Pacific were repairing the railroad tracks, but reporters were kept from climbing the berm to see what was happening at the fertilizer plant. Above the berm, four heavily damaged metal structures were visible at the plant.
More than 60 people are working in the blast zone for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the state fire marshal's office.
Kristner said officials have found the seat, or center, of the explosion, "which is important, because as we conduct our investigation we'll be working from an outer perimeter inward, from the least damaged to the greatest damage. So knowing the seat of that explosion is important."
Robert Champion, the special agent in charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Dallas office, said experts plan to get into the crater in the next couple of days and start digging it out "to see what transpired to cause this devastation."
"It's a slow process, but we're getting there," Champion said.
The town of 2,800 people was previously known in Texas for its deep Czech heritage - from the designs of storefronts in the town center and the names of streets and businesses to the "Czech Stop" bakery selling kolaches and other pastries to drivers exiting Interstate 35.
At the largest Roman Catholic church in town, the Rev. Boniface Onjefu's congregation on Sunday included firefighters and emergency workers who could be spotted in bright yellow jackets.
The explosion reportedly killed 10 first responders, many of them volunteer firefighters who came after initial reports of a fire at the plant. A memorial service for first responders is scheduled for Thursday on the campus of Baylor University in nearby Waco.
"I stopped at the nursing home," Onjefu said. "I noticed a lot of people trapped. I assisted. I prayed with some and held the hands of some that needed comfort. I saw him in the eyes of everyone."
"God heard our prayers and prevented another tank from exploding."


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everyone should do onceZermatt is the quintessential Swiss ski village, the real deal that US ski resorts try to emulate. Cute village, breathtaking views, expansive skiing. Definitely ski on the Italian side too.
Perfect trip!!We spent 7 days in Zermatt, skiing 5 of those days. We had a few days of challenging weather but the clear days were amazing. There really is terrain for every level of skier. If you are an avid skier and love the mountains you won't be disappointed. Best way to enjoy the experience is to 'be in shape'. It's a very physical trip all around and this is coming from a person who skies 90 days a year at and elevation of 9,000 feet. We absolutely loved it!!
A Trip of a LifetimeWhen you think of Switzerland, you think of the perfect town of Zermatt and the Matterhorn.
Because it is only accessible by train, getting there is not the easiest of ski areas to visit.
My husband and I were there for a week and felt we didn't even have time to ski everything. There is so much terrain to cover.
Zermatt is about the whole experience - the skiing, the scenery, the restaurants along the trails, the wandering in town and eating in so many fabulous restaurants and meeting so many wonderful people from around the world.
Great LocationFantastic Hotel. Ski.com made everything easy to lodge. location is excellent. Highly recommended. Older type rooms but over all very nice hotel
Best overall ski experience ever!My adult son and I agreed that Zermatt was our best skiing experience ever! We have skied better conditions, fresh powder, and steeper runs, but the scenery that surrounds you is unbelievable. There are glaciers, the high peaks of the Alps, and three sides of the iconic and spectacular Matterhorn to be seen as you ski around it. You can ski into Italy for lunch and enjoy the south facing slopes and the 7,838 foot vertical drop, Then ski back into Switzerland and ski the 7,220 foot vertical drop to Zermatt. As you ski in both countries you can ski into family owned, high country restaurants (40 alone in Switzerland) for wonderful leisurely lunches, sunbathing, and (often) live music. We had warm weather, with 5.5 of our 6 ski days with blue, cloudless skies, and we also stopped for picnic lunches off the side of the trail. Zermatt and Cervinia (Italy) have the most varied collection of lifts you will ever experience. There are the newest and most up to date gondolas, chairlifts and trams, but they have an underground funicular (like taking a subway skiing), elevators, a cog railroad and t-bars and platter lifts near the summits.
Zermatt also offers a wonderful cultural experience, with few Americans. You are skiing, living and eating with people from all over the world. The restaurants are varied and the food spectacular, The village is quaint, car free, with many 500 year old simple cottages and farm structures, but it offers high end shopping. The Swiss are the consummate hosts. You feel welcome everywhere, and almost everyone speaks english.
The trains from the Zurich airport to Zermatt are clean, punctual, and run frequently. The one required change, to a cog rail road for your final descent into Zermatt, works smoothly as the train schedules are perfectly synchronized. While it takes some time to get there, the travel is part of the experience and works well. It also keeps Zermatt a destination resort with few weekend skiers (in fact, Saturday is the "change over day" and the least busy day of the week). If you ski Zermatt, I think you will agree that it may not be the best skiing ever, but the total experience is!!! As SKI magazine once wrote, "If you only ski Europe once in your life, let it be Zermatt."
Ski.com made the planning easy, they took care of everything; airlines, trains, hotels, lift tickets and trip insurance. But more importantly, our specialist (Mimi O'Leary) knew Zermatt and the hotels they book. She had skied and stayed there. She was able to let us know that the half board was a good bargain and the food in our hotel spectacular. She knew the Trains, and suggested a day in Zurich on the way home, which was also wonderful.
Still one of the best!Had three terrific nights in Zermatt! Hadn't been there for awhile - it was just as gorgeous and vibrant as I had remembered. Great village, huge mountain, unbelievable scenery. Expensive to dine out, so the half board packages are the best value.
Zermatt Never Disappoints!This is our third time to Zermatt and the second time staying at the Schweitzerhof Seiler Hotel. Last time it was February, this time at the end of June. This time we brought our children aged 14 and 12 and now they love it as much as we do. The hotel is literally a two minute walk from the train station (no taxi necessary) and then is accessible and central to the town. The grocery store is just around the corner to save $ on food and snacks. They have added a terrific pool (great temperature, very clean) and beautiful spa center. The only drawback is that the pool closes too early in the evening 7 p.m. just when the kids wanted to go for a swim before bed. The staff gave us a fantastic upgrade to a gorgeous and spacious apartment. Housekeeping was immaculate and linens perfect. The staff is very professional and friendly. The breakfast provided in our plan offered a varied menu including native selections as well as what our kids liked from our traditional breakfast menu. Can't say enough good about this place - we'll be back!!
Zermatt is my favoriteIn traveling to 15 different European resorts Zermatt is by far my most favorite resort. The whole experience of arriving there by train is one of the best parts. Trains in Switzerland are nicer than any airline you could possible fly on in the states. It is comfortable, clean, nice food and the scenery is beautiful. Arriving in the quaint village instantly gives you the true European experience. No busy streats, very few cars at all, no flashing street lights. One end of the village runs through the core of shops and restaurants dotted with lodges from 3 star to 5star depending on your budget and ends at the base of the Matterhorn. The experience is wonderful starting with full breakfast, sking long trails for hours, taking a relaxing steam or sauna, enjoying a 5 course dinner and climbing into comfy beds with fluffy comforters. The streets are filled with a lots of skiers walking around and alwasy gorgeous views of the Matterhorn.
I loved ZermattThis is a must-visit. The trails are varied and plentiful and there's nothing better than being able to snowboard directly into Italy. Start early in the morning because the wait to get on the cable cars to Italy can get long. I recommend going to Cervinia over Valtournenche, which was further away and did not have much to see.
In Zermatt, we stayed at the Hotel Beau-Site, which was beautiful. We had a view of the Matterhorn from our balcony and there were some great hiking trails that started right behind the hotel. The also did a really great job with varying the dinner menu each night.
The town itself was not as picturesque as I had been told. True that there are no private cars allowed, but there are still plenty of automobiles on the streets - buses, hotel shuttles, etc.


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Transparent Image Viewer
Mohd Ajami »Gallery | More Software |
Added 11 years ago
Open your images on top of the design programs like 3D Studio Max, and keep it on top of everything, with customized transparency
Categories: Image Utilities
log in to rate
Raters : 2
Views: 8,211
Downloaded: 321
|Feedback & Discuss
|Post a Comment
|moto4life (8 years ago)
|A more advanced (free) tool is at www.cthruview.sf.net
It preserves aspect ratio, allows mouse click-throughs, saving your session settings, rotations, flipping, always-on-top, and more. Enjoy!
|yahwehufos (9 years ago)
you can download StayOnTop, its free
|alphastar (10 years ago)
|Wow, this is the closest thing to something I've been DREAMING of for ages, so thank you for it! But I'm going to be shameless and ask if there's anyway possible for you to add one more feature: I want to be able to keep it on top while using another program, even when I'm clicking WITHIN THE SPACE OF THE IMAGE. E.g. I have Painter open and have the image on top and semi-transparent, and I can
|Mohd Ajami (10 years ago)
sorry guyz, i never replied cuz i didnt think anyone will like the tool, so i didnt open the website. and they dont send any alerts when someone comments !!!
anyways, to make it run u just need to install .Net Framework, i didnt know about any problems with it, tried it on many machines.
unfortunately i cant help in any issues, since i have moved to Java programming, and switched to Mac. more …
|chromecity (11 years ago)
|4. Ability to constrain aspect ratio when selecting a specific resolution so only one value (x or y) has to be entered and the other will be calculated based on the correct aspect ratio.
|chromecity (11 years ago)
Some things that would make this even more useful would be:
1. Ability to open a file at its saved resolution.
2. Alternate ability to resize without changing image's aspect ratio (for example, when holding a modifier key like CTRL and resizing).
3. Ability to select a specific resolution to size the window to (manually enter x-value and y-value).
4. Ability to constrain aspect ratio when more …
|chromecity (11 years ago)
|Very nice handy little app. Works fine here. As far as malware, no - this was just written leveraging the .NET framework, so you need to have that to run it. In case you are not aware, .NET is Microsoft's common framework utilized by all its development languages in recent years.
|Jake Heller (11 years ago)
|very cool, i'm going to give this a try soon


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MoneySupermarket: Google never warned us about payday loan AD BAN • The Register
Mountain View rival says it now obeys with Brit trading rules
Google temporarily pulled every single one of the pay-per-click ads of a major UK-based online price comparison rock-hard from its search results over the weekend. According to Mountain View, the 24-hour ad-yank – which included the removal of ads comparing home and car insurance products – was a reaction to MoneySupermarket.com's apparent failure to stick to Mountain View's policies about payday loan ads.
A spokeswoman at Moneysupermarket told The Register:
MoneySupermarket's payday listing site is compliant with OFT [Office of Fair Trading] guidelines.
Our payday loans listing page has plain information for customers to make an informed choice, including what such loans cost and illustrative examples. We include a clear warning at the top of the page.
Google suspended MoneySupermarket PPC [pay per click] ads for 24 hours but gave no warning. After several discussions, this service is now back on.
The price-comparison site eyed its ads for car and home insurance products yanked by Google on Saturday 6 April. The Drum very first reported on Monday that MoneySupermarket had been disciplined by Google for supposedly flouting UK rules. The ad giant told the The Drum :
We have a set of policies which govern what ads we do and do not permit on Google. We have rigorous policies for those advertising brief term loans, and make it very clear that advertisers need to serve with local regulations and be translucent about their fees, implications of non-payment and collection practices.
If we detect sites that are cracking this policy we will take adequate activity.
The aggressive stance came after the OFT issued a warning in March this year when it said that it planned to come down intensely on the country's leading 50 payday lenders. The watchdog said they had 12 weeks to switch their business tactics or risk losing their licences.
The OFT said it would crack down on such garments after it uncovered evidence of "widespread irresponsible lending". The regulator said last month that it had referred payday lenders to the Competition Commission.
MoneySupermarket confirmed to El Reg that it had "made the few extra switches that were required for Google's guidelines" so that it could proceed to run its ads.
Competition concerns haunt Google
Google ramped up its interest in the UK price comparison market in 2012 when it launched banking, mortgage and car insurance services for customers to compare products by different providers.
The timing of Google's entry into those markets astonished some given that the Larry Page-run company resumes to attempt to bargain with the European Union's competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia over how the multinational's search business is conducted in the 27-member bloc states.
A Google search for 'credit card' puts the ad giant's service ahead of its UK-based rival MoneySupermarket
He has highlighted four areas of concern where the company has allegedly manhandled its dominance of the search market in Europe and is presently locked in talks with Google to come up with "remedies" that would sate Mountain View's competitors and avoid sanctions being imposed by the Brussels' antitrust chief.
Two of those areas relate directly to how Google displays links to its own vertical search services, which rival directly with other price comparison sites. Almunia said in May last year:
In its general search results, Google displays links to its own vertical search services differently than it does for links to competitors. We are worried that this may result in preferential treatment compared to those of contesting services, which may be hurt as a consequence.
El Reg gently shoved MoneySupermarket for its views on that investigation in light of its pay-per-click ads being temporarily killed by Google over the weekend.
But the company, which is not listed as a complainant in the EU competition case, declined to comment.
We also sought a statement from the OFT to see if had any specific concerns about MoneySupermarket. A spokesman declined to comment directly on the price comparison site and said that companies needed to obey with the rules laid out by the OFT. He added: "We generally welcome deeds such as that taken by Google that support consumers." ®


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Many people had been observing an apple falling down from a tree to the ground, however it was only Newton who had the capacity to think, discover and define the laws of gravity as result of this observation. In Quraan it has been said time and again to "think" on various aspects of His creations. However it is only few who have thought about Allah"s creations and could find His "miracles" and the proof of His existence. There had been some efforts by scholars particularly the Muslim scholars in this direction but Harun Yahya has given it a new direction. I can confidently say that he has added a new chapter to the Islamic literature.
Religion has always been considered in opposition to science. Even today there are many schools of thought who consider religion and science not in congruence with each other. Unfortunately some Muslim "scholars" have also fallen victim of this propaganda. However Islam is the only religion, which has considered science as part and parcel of its belief. Religion has been expressed, propagated and advocated by Muslim scholars in different ways. However there had been little effort in explaining religion in light of the creations of Allah, be it living or non-living. In Quraan it has been said time and again to "think" and "ponder" on various aspects of the universe.
When I read and study various writings of Harun Yahya the basis appears to be one word of the Holy Quraan i.e. "Yathafakkaroon" which has been repeated more than a dozen times and means — "think". His writings are so appealing thought provoking that one is compelled to start thinking about his creator and the creator of the universe. It also makes you think about the reason of creation of human beings and the universe. It clarifies that scientific discoveries are revealing more and more "proofs" of the Truth of Islam. There is nothing in science which is contradictory to Islam. In fact every new scientific understanding is revealing the secrets of the "creations" of Allah and thus is a source of strength for our "belief".
The books of Harun Yahya cover a wide variety of subjects. On one hand it makes you ponder on the miracles in human body (like "miracles in Immune system" and "miracles in the eye") while the other he makes you think about the harmony and secrets in Universe (like "creation of the universe" and "miracles in the atom").
He has very effectively challenged all aspects of "Darwinism" and has undoubtedly thrashed his theory of evolution with reasons and facts, also exposing the forgery committed by the "scholars" propagating Darwinism.
He is a writer, who has looked at Islam from a new angle and expressed it very effectively based on scientific evidence and reasons. In medical literature we have "evidence based medicine". Harun Yahya has exactly done the same and produced "evidence based Islam". The evidence has been gathered and produced from "nature" and the everlasting laws, which are operating in nature since Allah created it.
May Allah give him the reward of his efforts on "The Day After". Our duty is, to at least study and strengthening his thoughts by propagating and supporting this new addition to the Muslim literature.
Najib ul Haq
Professor of Medicine
Khyber Medical College
Peshawar Pakistan


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Friday, November 5, 2010
November To-Dos
(This applies to everyone else who has landed on this blog by Googling a recent shared ancestor and not contacted me - and I know there have been a lot of you. It is a huge pet peeve and really not cool so knock it off.)
Back to our regularly scheduled program...
Well October was a bust! I started off great but after the Expo ended the real world caught up with me and genealogy research went on the back burner for the most part. Since October was such a lackluster month, I'm just rolling over those goals into November.
One thing I did do was get the copies of the DAR applications I had on my October to-dos. All I can say is wowee! I wasn't too excited about getting them because they are so old and from long before the DAR adopted the strict documentation standards they have now. To my surprise these two older applications turned out to be very well sourced, even better sourced than the previous copy I got from a 1986 application.
Speaking of ordering copies of previous verified applications to the DAR, did you know you can now locate, buy and read them in a matter or minutes? I have to give major kudos to the DAR for making this possible as I know it must have been no small feat digitizing the applications and making this whole thing possible. Check it out if you haven't already.
I'd also like to get back to work on the Berger book I am writing for my grandmother. I'd like to give it to her at Christmas but am so far behind, I worry I'll be able to meet that goal. I plan on offering a free electronic version to any relatives interested but will give my grandmother a hard copy and would like to make that an option for everyone. Does anyone out there have any knowledge/experience when it comes to self publishing? I've used Blurb and like it a lot but I'd like to know more about the other options (like Lulu) before I commit.
4 comments:
Leah, I understand your frustration about the google searches. I've one too, and I think they just don't know how to follow you, like adding your link to their favorites. Once they figured the name would work, that is how they follow you. Do you think this is the case?ReplyDelete
Good plug for the DAR as well, they have come out of the dark ages.
Heh, heh...I may have to "rip off" your first two paragraphs and use them on my blog! I have a feeling any of us out there who check our stats feel the same way.ReplyDelete
I have a program installed "Tynt" that tells me how many times items from my blog are copied and pasted elsewhere (which automatically creates a link back to my page but which can be removed from the pasted end product if the person doesn't want it there.) and I am shocked every month when I get the report as it usually tells me information has been copied around 50 times a month.
I just keep telling myself that I put this information out there knowing this is going to happen more often than not and I tell myself all the time to get over it. But it's hard! I've worked very hard on my genealogy for over 15 years and if some lazy psuedo genealogist wants to copy and paste my work and pretend they are something they aren't, well....whatever!
I have tried the "sweet" lure to get the searchers to contact me; now I may have to use your approach. And I'll have to check out that "Tynt" program Lisa mentioned.ReplyDelete
I share your frustration about not being contacted. I hope you make a positive connection soon.ReplyDelete


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The other day, I received a comment from Joyce – a bride-to-be in Mangalore. She ties the knot in a few months and is hunting high and low for Christian bridal gowns in Mangalore. If any of you people reading this are from Mangalore and know how to help her out, it would be highly appreciated.
An update: Buttercup, a reader, has kindly contributed a website that should be of help to brides looking for a bridal gown tailor in Mangalore. Visit Concetta Bridals to view the beautiful gowns up there.
I have never been to Mangalore, and know less about how weddings proceed out there. When I think about the difficulty in finding the right accessory, fabric, decor, caterer, etc. over here in Vasai and even in Mumbai, I wonder what Christian brides and grooms who are looking for all these things and more go about it in other parts of India.
Sure, we have the internet these days for everything, but some of the best wedding vendors out there are unlisted in wedding directories and barely a small fraction have websites of their own. This is very sad, as it would be of tremendous help to Christian couples looking for quick, affordable and quality solutions to their wedding if all these wedding vendors were listed somewhere on the Indian interwebs.
Christian brides in India almost always go for a bespoke bridal gown. Not many prefer vintage or second-hand gowns as they are viewed as hand-me-downs. A pity, since lace and fabric back then were divine as were some of the styles.
If you would not mind a second-hand or vintage wedding gown, I would suggest you try a place like David & Company in Dhobi Talao at Marine Lines, Mumbai. I remember a dreamy concoction of flowing pink lace fading into white I once came across out there. I wowed to wear a gown like that for my own wedding but yes, I eventually went for a simple number.
If you don't find what you are looking for there, you could always ask them to direct you to other retailers who stock second-hand gowns. Do take a quick stroll down Crawford Market before you try elsewhere and pay close attention to the shops that line the start of the lane. They stock ready-made gowns and if you are lucky, you may find a seamstress who will agree to stitch one for you in a short time.
From what I hear, Inspirations, the bridal and floral accessories boutique at Amboli in Andheri West is another place that has recently started stocking ready-made gowns. The quality maintained at Inspirations is fantastic and along with a gown, you will find yourself stocking up on button-hole flowers, tiaras, corsages and some exquisite wedding jewelry.
Silver Pages, a Christian wedding information directory dedicated to listings of wedding-related services is another brilliant resource you can consult. I am not sure about their website, but I have been told that you can obtain a copy at Snehalaya at Mahim West in Mumbai.
If a trip to Mumbai is impossible, I would suggest you ask any women's group in your local parish for pointers on the best bridal gown tailor in your area. Never doubt the solid information to be found in a group of women I say!
Failing that, I list down some excellent dressmakers abroad that you can check out if there is no other solution but to order a wedding gown online. These are Indian pocket-friendly, and I know of a few brides who have been happy with their gowns:
Be wary of purchasing a wedding gown from websites that offer wholesale wedding gowns or discount gowns as returns/alterations/shipping etc. could turn out to be a painful process. Unless you know of anyone who has made use of the service, it would be inadvisable to get a wedding gown via them.


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Schools & Colleges
Sustainability has risen to the top of CEO agendas around the world, according to the Boston Consulting Group. Green business, a sideline issue just five years ago, is emerging as a core strategy for organizations of all sizes. Shareholders and investors are looking for evidence that organizations are working to conserve and preserve resources while managing for profitability. The Business School at CU Denver is one of the few in the country that is educating students on sustainable management in all aspects of business. Students complete the sustainability specialization in the Professional MBA, MS in Marketing or MS in Management and Organization degree.
Students may choose to take classes online. Internships and field projects give students opportunities to work on actual sustainable business scenarios while expanding their professional networks.
The Business School has created an educational opportunity for those looking to break into the sustainability industry or advance in their career. Recent graduates have gone on to launch successful green management consulting practices. Some others have parlayed their expertise into global assignments with major U.S. corporations. It's a pioneering program that prepares students for leadership roles in an arena that is growing fast. The ability to speak a dual language—the language of business and sustainability—is a distinct advantage in today's global markets.
Get more information on the Managing for Sustainability program available in:
We have a certificate for working professionals who are interested in adding sustainability to their career path. Find out more here.
Find out how we integrate practical experience of sustainable business into our sustainability specialization through the SSELP
Available in the:
© The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate. All rights reserved.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.


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Varsity Eight Race To Determine Eisenburg Cup
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale women's crew will finally get to race on the friendly waters of the Housatonic River on Saturday. The Bulldogs, ranked 11th in this week's CRCA-US Rowing poll, face No. 7 Princeton. Racing gets under way at 8:20 a.m. The varsity eights will be competing for the Eisenburg Cup at 9:40 a.m.
The Bulldogs are coming off their most impressive performance of the season last Saturday. The varsity eight and varsity four both cruised to victories over Clemson, Boston University and Dartmouth. The second varsity finished a strong second to a fast Clemson crew.
"This team likes to race, which makes coaching them fun," said Yale head coach Will Porter of his team. "They are ready to get on the clock again and see what they can do."
The Bulldogs' three NCAA crews are off to a strong start this season. The varsity eight and second varsity eight both have 5-1 records, while the varsity four is undefeated at 6-0.
Princeton may provide Yale with its biggest test to date. The Tigers were fourth at the NCAA Championship last year and have some impressive results this spring.
"Princeton is a very talented team," Porter said. They are loaded. We will do our best to give them a good race."
Race Schedule
8:20 a.m. – Varsity Four
9 a.m. – Second Varsity Eight
9:40 a.m. – Varsity Eight
10:20 a.m. - Second Varsity Four
11 a.m. – Third Varsity Eight
Yale Boatings
Varsity Eight: 1. Eliza Hastings, 2. Maddie Lips, 3. Colleen Maher, 4. Kim Szokol, 5. Nina Demmerle, 6. Claire Tolson, 7. Abbie Young,8. Natalie King, coxswain: Kristen Brownlee
Second Varsity Eight:
1. Kristjana Gudmundsson, 2. Abby Loucks, 3. Elizabeth Vincent, 4. Kristina Wagner, 5. Emily Tormey, 6. Amber Anderson, 7. Martha Cosgrove, 8. Madeline Dinse, coxswain: Christine Devlin
Varsity Four: 1. Mieke Scherpbier, 2. Natalie Lapides, 3. Juliet Caragianis, 4. Jen Stockwood, coxswain: Margaret Ayers
Second Varsity Four: 1. Kara Freeman, 2. Brit Sharon, 3. Mimi Reichenbach, 4. Amina Edwards, coxswain: Laura Grimbergen
Third Varsity Eight: 1. Sabrina Malak, 2. Jane Kozey, 3. Emily Diana, 4. Regan Considine, 5. Kendall Chapin, 6. Mary Farner, 7. Emma Hammarlund, 8. Christine Tsai,coxswain: Sarah Weil
Photo courtesy of David Hastings
Report filed by Tim Bennett, Yale Sports Publicity


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With just 42 days remaining until the national elections on Nov. 6, it's clear that general aviation has a lot riding on this year's election. A host of regulatory and tax issues affecting the industry are on the table for the next president and Congress. For that reason, it's important that the voices of everyone who supports general aviation are heard, according to officials at the National Business Aviation Association.
Those officials note that NBAA's work on behalf the industry is most effective when incumbents and challengers hear from voters on the local level. Nothing influences candidates more than a call or an email from a constituent and voter.
NBAA has an online "Election 2012" resource to help inform people in the business aviation community about all candidates, from the presidential contenders, to the congressional candidates, to those running for a seat in the legislature in each state.
The resource also maps out four simple steps for people to get involved, and help ensure that the candidates elected in November are aware of the industry's priorities:
- Determine who the candidates are in your district. By entering an address and zip code, the site directs users to a list of their local candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The site also enables users to find information on specific candidates by performing searches using a last name.
- See where the candidates stand on issues affecting general aviation. Among other information, users can find out whether a candidate is a member of the general aviation caucuses in the House or Senate, or if a gubernatorial candidate has issued any state proclamations supporting GA.
- Tell candidates in your area where you stand on GA issues. The site puts users in direct contact with the candidates' websites and campaigns. You can call the campaign office, send an email or attend a political event. Explain to candidates in your area why business aviation is important to you and everyone in your community. Users also will find guidelines on contacting candidates.
- Vote! The NBAA site connects users directly to the Vote411.org web page so voters can find their local polling place.


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Amarillo, TX – Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, today commented on this week's abortion protests conducted in Wichita, Kansas, by Operation Rescue and in Birmingham, Alabama, by Operation Rescue/Operation Save America.
"The crowds who stand peacefully for our nation's most helpless and vulnerable in Wichita and Birmingham are showing true Christian love for their brothers and sisters," said Fr. Pavone. "I am always proud to stand with them. We cannot just wish abortion away in our minds. We have to come to the places where the children are being killed and demand it to stop. Firefighters don't sit around the fire house and pray for an end to fires. They go where the fire is, to save lives."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.


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Blankenship realized he had the horseback-riding bug the first time he mounted up at the Jamaica Bay stables.
"I learned how to drive a car just so I could get to Jamaica Bay," he said.
From there, he began taking regular lessons, but going to the stables from south Brooklyn every day became taxing, and eventually Blankenship got his own horse and boarded it at Kensington.
"After a while, wanting to ride more and more and more, I wanted a horse and I didn't want to have to travel," Blankenship said.
Then, in 1993, he and his family bought Kensington Stables, originally built in 1930. At the time, there were only a few horses on hand and now there are 35 horses at the stable, including two therapy horses and eight ponies.
While Blankenship admits it takes a special kind of horse to do well in the urban environment, he says it is a misconception that horses are disturbed by automobiles and do not like walking on asphalt, which he points out was developed by the Romans specifically for horses to walk on.
"Horses don't treat cars any different from any non-equine herd animal," he said. "They're annoying, and they should give you sufficient space, but horses don't really view [vehicles] as some kind of threat."
While a portion of Blankenship's time is spent performing nitty-gritty tasks, some of his responsibilities can be pretty relaxing. For example, he loves training younger horses.
"Especially the youngest ones," Blankenship said. "[I like] to train them at midnight, so that way, they don't have to deal with all the stuff in the park."


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… says a colleague. Or maybe it speaks for itself.
"Sheriffs want lists of patients using painkillers"
Assuming, for the sake of argument, that the War on Drugs is meant to help people: The helping hand of government strips away privacy before it goes to work.
My 2004 Cato Policy analysis on point is: "Understanding Privacy – and the Real Threats to It."


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Novak Djokovic Celebrates Win at Wimbledon Championships Winners Ball 2014
Novak Djokovic proudly poses with his Gentlemen's Singles Trophy while attending the 2014 Wimbledon Championships Winners Ball held at The Royal Opera House on Sunday (July 6) in London, England.
The 27-year-old Serbian tennis star was joined by Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova as she also celebrated her win with her Venus Rosewater Dish trophy.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Novak Djokovic
In case you missed it, check out Novak dedicating his Wimbledon win to his pregnant fiancee Jelena Ristic and their future child.
FYI: Novak is wearing Burberry.
10+ pictures inside of Novak Djokovic and others at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships Winners Ball…


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MichaelB wrote:Wonder what the new DA levers will look like ?
Very very similar to 9000/9070.
Following the official launch yesterday of new R9100-series Dura-Ace, here's the pre-emptive answer to the compatibility questions. The good news is that despite the significant geometry changes to both derailleurs, they're fully compatible with existing 11-sp + 4700 Tiagra shifters. Brake calipers likewise are a match with existing 7900 & later levers. All levels of road hydraulic brake levers and calipers are interchangeable. The only bit that comes with a slight question mark is the crank/FD pairing. The new crank has slightly wider chainring spacing, with the small ring being brought inward very slightly. We're only talking about half a millimetre, but apparently some frames limit how far in the older derailleur can be wound, so may not work as well as it could with the new crank. As such it's recommended to pair the new crank to the new FD, but in reality it's generally unlikely to be an issue.
On the Di2 front, disregarding ye olde 7970 10-sp. Dura-Ace, all shifters, derailleurs and upper junction/control boxes, both road and MTB will talk to each other, but certain functions such as Synchro shifting are only available with certain derailleur and junction combinations.