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|A couple before being irritated by FOCCUS
I don't know too much about the background of that. I'm a new kid on the blog and all I can say is that, as someone preparing for marriage, and having paid up the £75 for the privilege of being prepared for something for which I am told that nothing can prepare you, it is a shambles.
Apparently, we will receive 3 sessions of pre-marriage preparation, after which I'll probably turn around and say, "Thanks for that. I'm still skint anyway so the marriage looks a long way off. Do you have 25p, please, I need some Rizla papers." I have been told by others who have gone through it that it really is a case of 'ticking boxes', that there's no real Catholicism in it. No wonder families are falling apart at a rate of knots, rather than the knots being actually tied!
I was shocked to learn that the Marriage Care organisation sends its 'clients' on to FOCCUS, an online questionnaire, for a 'Pre-Marriage Inventory'. Have these people no brains? Immediate questions that spring to mind are:
- What if I didn't know how to use a computer?
- What if I was too poor to own a computer and internet?
- What if I had not been educated in online/internet shenanigans?
- And, moreover, what on earth am I doing, filling in an inventory online for some company FOCCUS Inc, in the USA?! Am I an American? Who on earth is this company that Marriage Care have leapt into bed with just to do a psychological/compatibility questionnaire? What with being experts in marriage after God alone knows how many years, you'd have thought that they could think a pre-marriage inventory up themselves and have you fill it out at one of their sessions!
Surely, surely, Marriage Care could just send couples a preparatory questionnaire document that we can fill in or perhaps their own internet thing without assuming that EVERYONE uses the internet. There are still some trees left in the World, Marriage Care! Sack this US company off because they're a pile of balls! £75 for this crap and I was going broke at the time as well! Is this company just out to FOCCUS?!


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According to the latest rumor leaked via Digicameinfo that two of the cameras with model number DMC-GX8 and DMC-FZ300 branded by Panasonic Corporation is going to be announced in the last of August or early month of September, 2015.
We have lots of expectation that Panasonic will come with more advanced features comparative to its predecessor GX7.
We hope the company will leave its old 16MP sensor and will come with more improvement in the image sensor to produce image with high resolution in low light sensitivity and it will support 4K with more resolutions comparative to its predecessor GX7.
The camera should be designed in such a manner that the photographers can carry it without any problem.
It should focus more improvement on camera's in-built MEGA O.I.S. Image stabilization for example as we can clearly see that Sony A7 II is using 5 axis I.S system from Olympus so we hope Panasonic will do the same move to upgrade its camera's IS technology. That will help us to minimize the appearance of camera shakes with any lens, so that the users will able to shoot a sharp low-light image compare to other cameras of Panasonic itself.
Hence these are the expected feature that we hope Panasonic will add in its latest Panasonic GX8.
The users have to wait for few more days for more clarification.
Stay with us for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


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815-556-2704 or E-Mail Us *free s&h on all domestic orders over $75
VERY FINE/NEAR MINT(W) Mairghread Scott, David Rodriguez (A) Max Dunbar (CA)1:25 VariantCaptured by Transformers! Even with the Autobots on their side, G.I. Joe is in trouble! Starscream doesn't trust anyone, much less armed humans who show up during Cybertron's darkest hour and he'll do anything he can to keep G.I. Joe under control-including let COBRA get even closer to their goal!Date Available: 09/27/2017
Copyright © 2012 - 2018 Graham Crackers Comics, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.


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Velleman on Action and Knowledge
In The Possibility of Practical Reason (the book, though not the article of that name), David Velleman argues that self-knowledge is a constitutive aim of action. He develops his argument neatly by comparing action, or full-blooded action from such mere activity, or defective action, as that performed in a Freudian slip. He recalls Freud's example of the President of the Lower House of the Austrian Parliament, who opens the assembly with the declaration that it is closed. A performance of this sort (one that can be explained by the agent's desires—not fully in this case, since the President knows he cannot close the assembly simply by declaring it closed, but Velleman has another Freudian example he presents to deal with that slight problem; I am dealing with this one for its relative simplicity), an act that occurs as a slip, Velleman takes it, is an example of something that is not fully an action. It is more than simply a piece of behavior, but it is not a full-blooded action, or an autonomous action. And Velleman argues that what makes it defective as an action is that the agent does not know what he is doing before he does it. Or, rather, what he does is not what he knowingly chooses to do. Thus Velleman advances self-knowledge (or, at least, knowledge of what one intends to do) as a constitutive aim of all action: action aims at being known by the agent before it is performed, and so an autonomous action is one that the agent knowingly chose to perform beforehand.
I want to question this account, but at first glance it seems reasonable: it seems like autonomy, or full-blooded agency, requires control. But it is not clear how one could have control over an action that one performs without first knowing what it is one is planning to do. Thus, insofar as full-blooded agency requires control, it might seem reasonable to think that self-knowledge is indeed a constitutive aim of such action (not, in other words, an explicit aim of the action, but an aim that actions must have in order to qualify as actions at all). It seems, however, that one feature of this account is that there is no cap on the knowledge required for autonomous action: the more knowledge (or pre-knowledge, since what is involved is knowledge of the action prior to its occurrence), the better. The President knows approximately what he is going to say, but declares the meeting closed instead of open. It thus might seem like he had some vague idea of what it was he meant to say, but had no rehearsed the actual words in his head. If he had—better yet, if he had also rehearsed the tone with which he was going to utter them—he action would have been more autonomous. What I want to suggest, however, is that this requirement is too strict: we do not normally require that an agent have pre-knowledge of his action in order to hold him morally responsible; nor do we generally need to have pre-knowledge in order to experience an action as in our control.
Why do we care about knowing what we are going to say before we say it? One reason is that we want to be understood by others, to communicate our thoughts—being understood is, almost certainly, a constitutive aim of normal speech. But this does not require that we choose our words before uttering them: we make ourselves understood in dialogue (and this is one way in which professional writing differs from everyday speech) by choosing our words as we say them. We do not normally need a prior process of choosing those words within an internal monologue, which in fact serves to take them out of the dialogical situation. What does one practice before an interview? Reciting a pre-written monologue about one's research and one's abilities, or being able to extemporaneously recite such monologues in various forms and in response to external cues? To be sure, there are situations where perfect control of what we say is called for—for example, performatives, like that spoken by Freud's President, require precision. But these are certainly not normal cases of speech. What is normally required is not that we know exactly what we are going to say—imagine conversations like that!—but that we avoid making grossly inappropriate blunders. And pre-knowledge seems like an overly strict requirement to impose for such a goal.
Imagine the situations where you carefully choose the words you are going to say before saying them (similarly—actions that you thoroughly rehearse in your mind before performing them). What normally happens is that these words, when actually spoken, come out sounding artificial, rehearsed. Of course this isn't always the case: actors are people who can make prepared speeches sound natural. But acting is obviously an exceptional situation, not the norm. My point is not that we don't normally think through our words fully before speaking them. Velleman agrees with this, and simply responds that in such situations the constitutive aim (knowing what we are saying) has been "scaled back"; in any case, this would show only that most of our actions are not full-blooded actions, and that wouldn't mean that the full-blooded actions aren't the norm-setting ones.
So my point in noting that acting is an exceptional situation is not simply to point out that it is not normal, but rather to point out that it is abnormal. Acting—speaking words that one has already rehearsed—cannot be taken as a paradigm case of action for the simple reason that it is imitated action, or action intended to mimic action. Just as a parody cannot be taken as paradigmatic of the original ("Austin Powers" and "Our Man Flint" are not paradigmatic Secret Agent movies), so acted action is not paradigmatic of action as such. Insofar as rehearsal is involved in the production of an action, that action is excluded from being paradigmatic. And this is not because we do not typically rehearse actions, but because rehearsed action is not the sort of action we want to understand if we are trying to say something about human action as such. And action that is not paradigmatic, it seems to me, cannot reasonably be taken as norm-setting for action as such.
There are, of course, cases of rehearsal that are less theatrical: we have to practice certain movements in order to learn to perform them expertly. A martial-artist must practice a form in order to perform it flawlessly, for example. But a martial-art expert acts without rehearsing the move in his head. The point of the practice, of the rehearsal, is precisely that when he acts, he does not need once again go through his knowledge of the movements. This—as Hubert Dreyfus has argued—is the mark of expertise. And insofar as we are all—to some extent—expert agents, our agency likewise does not require pre-knowledge to its success.


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Posts Tagged 'Michelangelo'
Chillpak Hollywood Hour #509
After an opening segment where Phil discusses John Wick: Chapter 2 with Chad Osuna of Fanboy Nation and "The Popcorn Podcast", Dean joins the fun for a free-wheeling discussion of silent films, autism, Canadian animation, what actors should expect from directors, the Oscar nominations, female-driven films and more!
Chillpak Hollywood Hour #500
YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour turns 500 episodes old this week and your friends in podcasting celebrate this august milestone with one of their most bizarre shows ever, and it's truly an episode where everyone is dying to get in … You see, after meeting up at a certain historic building in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles to discuss such topics as a recent Guillermo del Toro exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Dean's art work AND Dean's long-awaited graphic novel, Dean and Phil go on a field trip to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, one of the most unusual cemeteries in all the world! Never mind their usual segment "Celebrity Deaths", in this episode your friends in podcasting celebrate death itself! Sound odd enough for you?
Chillpak Hollywood Hour #462
This week: Updates on Dean Haglund's forthcoming performances at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, on his graphic novel (sounds like there's been progress), on a play he has been writing for decades (!) and on the book he recently had published!
This week: Phil offers a "mea culpa" to the makers of the new episodic "Star Trek", he marvels at some of the great on-screen friendships, he ruminates on the differences between filmmakers, artists and geniuses, he champions (once again), the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar!, he asks Dean about bitcoins, he weighs in on a "Live Event of the Week" and he and Dean remember three individuals in "Celebrity Deaths".
Every week: Your friends in podcasting change the way you listen to the internet!


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Something is wrong…
My OpenStereo CUDA plugin did not directly benefit from a huge performance improve. Worst, with a 512×512 texture, his best fps rate was around 20, when compiled in release mode, running over a GeForce 8800 GTX. Even the one that uses shaders and Render-To-Texture have outperformed the CUDA plugin (around 300fps in a GeForce 7900 GTX!!!).
Perhaps that implementation isn't the best one… I think that memory access could be improved, by using shared memory, but this is something to analyze.
fglrx and AIGLX
There's been a great progress on the fglrx ATI driver. However, it needs more development. Not only 3D OpenGL accelerated applications but also video playback (which, I guess, uses OpenGL) needs to be rendered correctly. Video playback, for example, doesn't play in window mode. While in fullscreen, it flicks a lot =/ It was under Ubuntu 7.10.
OpenStereo Plugin using CUDA
Of course I wouldn't let OpenStereo apart from my CUDA studies. I've implemented an OpenStereo plugin that uses CUDA to do the fusion process. Below is the preliminary kernel code:
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
#define BLOCK_SIZE 16
__global__ void fuse_images(float* left_tex, float* right_tex, float* stereo_tex,
float* matrix_left, float* matrix_right, int width, int height) {
int ix = __mul24(blockIdx.x, BLOCK_SIZE) + threadIdx.x;
int iy = __mul24(blockIdx.y, BLOCK_SIZE) + threadIdx.y;
int i = 0, j = 0, k = 0;
float c = 0.0f;
if (ix >= width || iy >= height)
// rows
for (; i < 3; i++) {
// columns
k = (ix + __mul24(iy, width)) * 3;
for (j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
c += matrix_left[j + __mul24(3, i)] * left_tex[k + j];
c += matrix_right[j + __mul24(3, i)] * right_tex[k + j];
stereo_tex[k + i] = c;
c = 0.0f;
That function runs on the device (GPU) while the host side does the OpenGL stuff, besides calling the kernel code. A call to that function is done this way:
// executes the kernel
fuse_images<<< grid, threads >>>(cuda_left_tex, cuda_right_tex, cuda_stereo_tex,
getCudaMatrixFromMethod(method, isLeft), getCudaMatrixFromMethod(method, !isLeft), width, height);
I need to test this plugin in a CUDA device, since its emulation is working almost perfectly.
P.S.: Yeah, posting source code in wordpress sucks =/
GLUCo 0.1.1
This release fixes a compilation problem under Windows. You can grab the code at the project site.
GLUCo 0.1
The GLUCo 0.1 is released! By now, the GLUCo project provides basic window management in C and a ported demo of the NeHe's Lesson 5. I haven't tested it on windows, but it may compile. If not, I'll test later and release a new version.
In the following screencast, you can see what's GLUCo is capable of:
And also with this release, an issue remains open.
GLUCo Window Manager
By this time I am committing an initial working on linux (I didn't try to compile it on Windows yet) code of the window manager. It contains some bugs that I'll try to fix later. But at least you can have the feeling of multiple windows!
You can grab the source code at the GLUCo repository here.
GLUCo Progress
So, I already started to work on GLUCo and I'm getting things pretty well defined. I'm using old ideas of mine to make a window manager over glut, where the developer can create as many windows he/she needs. To write such manager, I'll use the Glib library for data types an algorithms. Of course I won't use the full support that Glib can give, so I am thinking whether use Glib is or is not a good idea. The immediate impact could be: C++ applications don't need Glib for algorithms, since they have STL. Anyway, I'll use Glib and later decide its fate.
GLUCo Project
I know that NeHe provides a interface to picture loading or even a GLaux replacement. Also a simple base code or a more complete one (currently in beta). But they're not so portable, so you need to adjust the code to fit your platform. With this problems in mind, I just realized that I could write a simple base code, unifying the development for Windows and Linux (I currently don't have an MacOS). I pretend to use multi-platform libraries such as DevIL (a.k.a. OpenIL) to image loading, freeglut for windowing and keyboard/mouse input, and OpenGL for graphics, of course. This means another open source project of my own is emerging on the road: GLUCo (OpenGL Unified Code).
Consequently, the porting marathon will be "interrupted" (well, I'll use GLUCo to continue the marathon in a more cleaner and portable way) to favor this simple-yet-powerful base code. Oh and I almost forgot, GLUCo will be written in C, so C and C++ applications can easily integrate it.
NeHe's Lessons
Suddenly this will of port every single lesson at NeHe's site to OpenStereo (compiling under Linux and Windows) took me. Comparing the results obtained against the original ones can lead me to fix some undiscovered bugs in OpenStereo. So, let the porting marathon begin!
P.S.: Obviously, I'll contact the GameDev.net team to release the ported source code.
OpenStereo 0.1.0
Today, I decided to release the first version of OpenStereo under the LGPL v2 license (maybe I'll consider the LGPL v3 after reading it ;). OpenStereo was my graduation thesis, or graduation conclusion work, if this suits you well and now is my open source project. It was presented on October 2006, but only now I decided to release it, even it meant to be an open source project.
Starting from 0.1.0, the OpenStereo library provides multi-platform support for development of real time stereoscopic applications. It's based on a plugin subsystem, which abstracts the underlying graphics system. At the current time, only OpenGL applications are supported, but one plugin subsystem's advantage is that a DirectX plugin can be written, enabling DirectX applications to be developed with and/or ported to OpenStereo. Of course, this is a future work. What I have on 0.1.0 is, though, a fragile not so well defined architecture, once it appears more like a plugin subsystem, than a stereoscopic library. Indeed, the libSL only does a good plugin management, but as time goes by, such architecture will evolve into a more robust one. Fortunately, it works! Applications can be more immersible than ever, all of this without requiring the user to buy expensive graphics cards or equipment like HMD glasses (indeed it's necessary that the user have, at least, a red-blue anaglyph glass).
For a quick preview of what OpenStereo can do, let's take the NeHe's Lesson 26. This lesson teaches how to create "EXTREMELLY realistic reflections", as the text states. The following screenshot shows the application running in 3D mode, the way it was meant to be:
First of all, some modifications were made on the code, so the application code can be compiled on both Windows and Linux environments. OpenStereo was embedded on the code to gather the function that draws the scene, thus allowing left and right pairs image generation (OpenStereo uses the anaglyph method to generate stereoscopic output). Camera values were correctly configured, including support to update eye separation and anaglyph method values with keyboard. After all these modifications (simple ones), the final result can be seen on the following screenshot:
Any application that uses OpenStereo will suffer from a performance penalty, mainly because OpenStereo needs to 1) render the scene twice, generating the left and right images and 2) fuse and present them to the screen. The fusion part generally depends on the selected plugin (this might be OpenStereo's job and not plugin's one).
The OpenStereo source code comes along with three plugins: one that fuses the images at the CPU level, gathering left and right images through glReadPixels; one that fuses images using the Cg Toolkit library (this dependency will be soon removed, using only OpenGL 2.0 and the ARB extensions to apply a pixel shader) at the GPU level, where the left and right images are gathered through glTexCopySubImage2D; and finally one that uses the same fusion process defined by the previous plugin, only that the scene is rendered directly into a framebuffer object, through the framebuffer object extension.
Some work must be done to ensure that the architecture will generate the stereoscopic output at the library level, not at the plugin level. Also, new plugins to DirectX (or this could be done on the architecture?) must be developed, providing support for a wide range of applications and platforms (hardware and software).
The OpenStereo source code will soon (this week) be available at OpenStereo's Google Code project site.


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By Staff Sgt. Debra Best
I Corps
KUMAMOTO CITY, Japan – When bilateral coordination between two countries is part of a military exercise, one piece is vitally important: communication.
This was especially true for U.S. and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force service members as they conducted a bilateral annual command post exercise known as Yama Sakura.
Translating between the English and Japanese is a difficult task, but it is even more challenging for those translating for military forces.
"When we have new people or people who are interested in it, I tell them you have to know four languages: one is English, second is Japanese, third is U.S. military language and the fourth is [Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces] terminology," said Daniel Reese, U.S. Army Japan civilian language specialist.
"It's so different," continued Reese. "You can't just take somebody from the civilian world to come over and interpret for the military and expect them to do your level, because it's totally different."
Knowing all the military terminology is important, however to build trust and relationships interpreters must translate with finesse.
"A lot of people who don't have exposure to a different language don't understand that it's not just the words themselves coming out of your mouth, but you also have to have a general understanding of what they're talking about, because sometimes things do not translate that well," said Sgt. Travis Wilson, I Corps signal intelligence analyst and Japanese translator.
"Sometimes you get those commanders who say, 'I need you to translate this exactly the way I'm saying it.' I've had to tell commanders that's impossible because you're not taking under consideration the cultural difference of what you're saying," continued Wilson. "I will get them the message, the way you want it, but it will not be the exact words you say, verbatim. If you want me to, he'll have no clue what you're trying to say.
I think us, as a nation constantly reaching out to other countries and doing these bilateral exercises, we're still in a growing phase to understand where they're coming from. Sometimes it's painful, but to understand their cultural differences so that we can either aid in the betterment of their army or vice versa, we can learn from them."
Understanding the message is important, but the cultural aspect is also vital.
"Translation is very difficult in certain areas, because language is so culturally connected. It's not necessarily just the words coming out of the mouth, you have to understand the context of how their saying it, the little nuances," said Wilson.
"Every language we speak has idioms and phrases if you translate verbatim just doesn't make any sense at all.
Like two days ago someone said, 'straight from the horses' mouth,' and I'm like, 'well that's not going to translate' so there is a cultural equivalent and you have to know it. Since I'm quick at that, because I grew up speaking Japanese, they would prefer that I just take over the meetings and the translation aspect and it just goes a lot smoother."
Both Wilson and Reese have a very strong background in the Japanese culture. Both spent much of their childhood growing up in Japan. Wilson's mother is Japanese so he spoke it with her in the house growing up. Reese grew up only speaking English in the house, but went to a Japanese school so leaving the house he would only speak Japanese. Both married Japanese women and speak Japanese in their household. Reese currently lives in Japan, but Wilson lives in the U.S. and finds coming to Japan to be a homecoming.
"I love coming back here because it is home for me," said Wilson. "When people ask me where I'm from I don't know what else to say but Tokyo. They're like, 'No, where are you really from.' I grew up here so that's my home."
While Wilson enjoys attending these exercises, he does have to make peace with his wife due to these trips.
"I already have three boxes full of stuff under my bed that I've got to figure out how to get home. She's very jealous," said Wilson. "However, this past summer we were able to come back as a family. We were in the Tokyo/Yokohama area for three weeks. I love telling her what I'm doing out here, but through nine years of marriage I've found that sometimes it's best to not say certain things. She gets, not upset, but just jealous."
Using their background is useful for further strengthening the mutual friendships created from Yama Sakura, said Reese.
"The way I've been developing trust, relationships, so forth, is just to keep working with my counterparts, working with the Japanese interpreters, helping them out with terms they don't understand or helping them rework some of their translated documents to make sure their English is not too far off," said Reese. "I've got quite a few friends that I've made doing that."
Just as the U.S. and Japanese alliance continues to evolve to meet future challenges, so does its communication facilitators.
"Yama Sakura is an ever-changing beast. As soon as you think you know how Yama Sakura works and what needs to be done, the year after it's totally different, they throw in new stuff," said Reese. "Each regional army has their own way of doing things so trying to take what you did last year at a different regional army may not work for the regional army you're at this year. So, you have to be fluid and able to adapt."
Not only do the translators need to adapt for the missions and the region, but also for language changes.
"From a linguistic perspective, I don't think people realize how much slang and improper English we use as a nation because that's just our culture, that's the way we speak. Their culture is the same, they have words and phrases they say that are not proper. If someone were to learn Japanese they would be like 'what you said doesn't make any sense at all,' but we do that," said Wilson.
"From someone whose been doing this translation for many years now, I feel like I'm at an advantage because I understand both worlds so well that I understand the idiomatic uses of language, I understand the slang.
So rather than translating verbatim it's better to get the essence of what they're saying and to translate it into something they can understand. I think we struggle with that. They do their best to understand our English, but then they'll talk to someone who has very good English, then they'll find someone that has a different way of saying things. They struggle too. Nothing is perfect because language is a constantly changing entity in the world and it's like trying to keep up with technology."
Wilson has attended Yama Sakura since 2013, but this will probably be his last as he re-classes into the medical field starting in early 2017. While he is moving on, Wilson is thankful for the opportunities he has had with Yama Sakura and I Corps.
Reese began with Yama Sakura 59 and plans on continuing building relationships with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces and making friends through translating.
Posted Date: 12 December 2016


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Richter Anchors811 Cattail Court
Plymouth, WI 53073
The Richter Anchor design came into existence around 5 years ago with a design to fit our needs while angling for walleye in northern Wisconsin. Friends and relatives insisted on having us make anchors for them, because they out performed any other design at the same weight and Richter Anchors was born.
The Richter Anchor design has an aggressive fluke pattern, and centered weight with the addition of a release bar that makes the anchor near 100% retrievable. The Richter Anchor has been shown to maintain a good hold with a 3:1 scope, often even less anchor line. Standard designs do not have the holding power of the Richter Anchor. The Richter Anchor has been tested by countless tournament fishermen, and compared to other "specialty" anchors that claim to be the best, the Richter Anchor is continuously preferred for reliability in varied bottoms and water conditions.
Richter Anchors recommends:
Just lower a Richter Anchor off the stern or bow.
Set your line in at a 30°-40° angle or a 3 to 1 scope. Use extra line in rough water or current.
Position the boat over the Anchor or just past vertical, to allow the line to follow the release bar to base.
The Kwik-Grip
The Kwik-Grip is a new, innovative and safe way to secure your rope lines. Works with any rope up to 1/2 inch wide.
Self-Locking Cleat
- New! Patented design reduces risk of horizontal release. Allows rope/strap inserting at any point
- Fast! Just pull the rope to lock
- Simple! Self-locking design
- Safe! A quick tug and load is secure.
- Cast from strong space age T-6061 aluminum alloy
- Tough protective coating ensure long life and minimum wear
- Mounted using two corrosion resistant #10 aircraft quality stainless steel screws
Quick To Lock, Quick To Release
- Anchoring
- Mooring
- Drift Sock


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Isn't this brooch the sweetest thing in the world!!~~~ I fell in love with it at first sight and couldn't take my eyes off the kitten…
Aww I adore Kelly she makes the sweetest things…~
I also bought this lovely confectionary of a Barbie frame necklace from Kelly sometime back~ aw!!
Kelly must come from the land of Sweets and Kittens (enid blyton).


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I am so sorry this post late! I am still trying to get well and Monday was another day in bed :/
Anyhoots, on to the straps :)
Please take your strap fabric and sew two 2-1/2" by 50" strips, one from each of your strap fabrics.
Press the seams open.
Now, starting at one end of one of the 50" strips, begin to press the pellon to the fabric. When the pellon stops, just place the next strip of pellon right up next to the the edge of the last piece of pellon. They do not need to over lap. Press WELL!!!
Now put the two pelloned strips right sides together and sew a quarter inch seam down both of the long sides and on one end. (Be sure to stagger any seams you have so they don't fall in the same part of the strap)
Now using your long skinny tool of choice, turn the strap right side out. (I use a chopstick.)
Once it is right side out, take out the stitches on the one skinny end and press your strap WELL!
Once you are all pressed, sew a series of top stitches on your strap.
Ta- DA!!!
On Instagram use #MQDtemplebagQAL and #MyQuiltDiet to share your progress:)
Check the schedule for the QAL HERE. Visit all post's tagged Temple Bag Qal HERE
**** As a special side note, if you live anywhere close to Payson, Utah, we will be doing this project together on the fourth Thursday of January. Please message me if you would like information about coming to sew with us :) No creepy murderers, please ;D
***One of my quilty BFF's is an Embroidery Guru! She has templates for many of the LDS temples :) She will embroider an LDS temple for your bag, if you'd like :) It is $5 if she already has the template, and $10 if she needs to order it. Please leave me a comment, if you are interested. Be sure that you are not a "no reply blogger" or I cannot get your info to her :( If you are not sure if you are a "no reply blogger" please include your email in your comment. One hint that you might be a "no reply blogger" is if I never reply to your comments :(:::.....


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Career in Rural and Urban Engineering
- Suresh
- Posted on:
- | Category: Career Guides
- | Tags: Engineering Career Advice
Career in Rural and Urban Engineering: Engineering is indeed a promising field for aspiring students to begin their studies in. It is really your hard work and aptitude that will ultimately determine just how far you can take your career in Rural & Urban Engineering. The advancement in Technology has changed the urban as well as rural infrastructure. The projects in rural locations have different aims and goals from those projects that are established in urban centres.
It is an excellent amalgamation of scientific and creative tendencies which would find expression in this stimulating career. Taking up a career in Rural and Urban Engineering equips the students to achieve something incredible in life and experience immense job satisfaction.
Promising Job opportunities
A career in Rural & Urban Engineering is very promising and is showing lot of job prospects especially in developing nations. This career prepares the students for the real world, and enhances the probability of rewarding employment. The practical and theoretical engineering training helps them to become proficient environmental technician biotechnology technician and open avenues in the field of architecture, industry. This career opens endless job opportunities with global companies and you can earn substantial financial remunerations
A career in Rural & Urban Engineering is offered at both the standard and advanced levels. Initially you need to select your basic subjects such as math, science and thus go further with your engineering studies. The ambitious and diligent students can complete their studies and become a bachelor of technology from a reputed engineering institute. Generally, the basic engineering program takes nearly three to four years to complete. Once the preliminary degree is acquired you can obtain masters in this field and become a proficient rural and urban engineer.
Available Facilities
Many people cannot afford to pay for the expensive education. But they can get financial aid from the bank and enrol for higher studies. Financial aid is available for those people wishing to pursue Career in Rural & Urban Engineering. Those students who are finding it difficult to attend regular classes can now opt for the world-class online Rural & Urban Engineering degree programs. Many Indian and international engineering colleges are providing online study material and courseware for the students.
Today, the students who have embarked upon the Career in Rural & Urban Engineering are extremely valued members of the corporate workforce. This career show great potential in today's market, especially when you consider the fast pace at which the industry and technology is developing.


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Maldives is a great vacation spot. This beautiful island offers thousands of panoramic and irresistible views. More than that, if you are eager to enjoy the coral island, there is a tropical resort built over the water. Surrounded by Indian Ocean this place is very suitable for newlyweds who want to enjoy a wonderful honeymoon.
Gili Lankanfushi is a 5-star tropical resort. The rustic design, inside and out, has some great facilities. If you want to sunbathe, there is sun deck in an outdoor space, with captivating views of the Indian Ocean. There's also a beautiful water garden that you can enjoy during your stay.
To complement the natural and earthy views, this tropical resort uses contemporary furniture. However, the design of the modern furniture is created in a down to earth style in calm colors. For the bedroom decor, the wonderful bright white bedding creates a perfect contrast with the wooden room design. Moreover, there are exclusive views from the bedroom, that last the entire day, from the moment you open your eyes in the morning til' you close them to rest in the evening.
To complete your nights, you can spend your time with a romantic, candle light dinner in the restaurant. On the other hand, if you want to enjoy the refreshing outdoor atmosphere, you can lay down in the comfy lounge and enjoy the airy sensation of the shore. Are you convinced? Don't forget to share your experience!


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I've written often enough about saving money. There are some standard tips just about anyone will give you – cut the cable bill, drop to either just land line or cell phone, spend less at the grocery store. And of course, quit buying coffee at the coffee shop.
Each of the above can seem like such a small thing, especially if you spread the cost out over the month. But when you put them together for the month, you may find they're a lot of money. That's why they are so often recommended for the chopping block.
If that's not enough, now what?
The tighter your budget gets, the more creative you need to be about saving money. You need to look at some of the less obvious little things that also can add up.
1. Cut down on your energy use.
Turn off those excess lights! Put up a clothesline if you can, and dry clothes outside in warm weather. Find ways to block more heat from coming in during the summer, and take advantage of any sunlight during winter.
You can also unplug electronics that aren't in use. Many electronics continue to draw just a little power even when you turn them off.
2. Get on Freecycle.
Thrift stores are great for saving money, but free (aside from the gas to go get it) is even better. You might be amazed what people will give away. You can reciprocate when you have something to get rid of that someone else might like.
You can also sell the things you don't need anymore, whether through eBay or a garage sale, but offering things for free when you're getting other things for free is strongly encouraged.
3. Share resources with friends and neighbors.
You may know several people in financial situations similar to your own. If you can borrow things that aren't needed daily you may be able to save the expense of buying them.
This obviously takes a lot of trust and/or tracking. You can't have one person borrowing things and never returning them or reciprocating, not to mention the potential for damage. But if you can avoid buying garden tools if you decide to start a garden, for example, you can cut your costs down nicely.
4. Ask for a credit card rate reduction.
Often enough it works, and it only takes a few minutes. Talk to a supervisor if you need to.
5. Drink more tap water.
It's the cheapest drink in the house! It's even cheap if you count buying filters if you don't like the way your tap water tastes.
I like to keep a bottle of tap water in the fridge so that it's already cold. Works wonders for the taste, and if it's a really hot day ice cubes can help to keep it cold.
6. Get books and movies from the library.
Your local library is probably a resource you are making too little use of. While it may not have every book or movie you want to enjoy, they still generally have a number, and may be able to order titles from other branches.
This is especially useful if you have children who love to read. As they grow their tastes are likely to go through rapid changes, so only a library can allow you to keep up without breaking your budget completely.
7. Use your car more efficiently.
There are so many ways you can save on the costs of driving. It's quite true that proper tire inflation will improve your gas mileage and save you money. But do consider some of the other steps.
Carpooling can be a great choice. My sister does this with two other people in her office, so her commute costs are about 1/3 what they were before. It's a nice deal for a fairly small (in her case) inconvenience.
You should also be combining your errands. Try to keep your grocery shopping down to once a week or less. The less you shop the fewer chances you have for impulse purchases as well, another savings.
Also think about how much running around after deals is really worthwhile. If you aren't covering your gas costs, forget it.
So many things can really eat into a budget without being noticed. What habits do you find really help you to control the little expenses?


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Date: November 9, 2010
CONTACT: Jeanette Smith, NMSU Library, (575) 646-7492, email@example.com
The NMSU Library's Government Documents & Maps Unit Display for November features documents that tell the interesting history of the U.S. Census Bureau.
The display is on the second floor of NMSU's Branson Library.
Government Documents librarian Dotty Ormes said that the first U.S. Census Day was August 2, 1790. This day was more than a year after the inauguration of President Washington and shortly before the second session of the first Congress ended.
Congress assigned responsibility for the 1790 census to the marshals of the U.S. judicial districts under an act which, with minor modifications, governed census taking through 1840.
The law required that every household be visited, that descriptions of persons for every district be transmitted to the president and that completed census schedules be posted in each jurisdiction in two public places, "There to remain for the inspection of all concerned."
The six questions in the 1790 Census called for the name of the head of the family and the number of persons in each household of the following descriptions:
Free White males of 16 years and upward (to assess the country's industrial and military potential)
Free White males under 16 years
Free White females
All other free persons
Under the general direction of Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, marshals conducted the census in the original thirteen States, plus the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont, and the Southwest Territory of Tennessee.
The number of population inquiries grew in the 1850 census. Every free person's name was to be listed, not just the head of the household. The marshals also collected additional social statistics, including information on taxes, schools, crime, wages, value of the estate and data on mortality.
Each marshal was also responsible for subdividing his district into known civil divisions, such as counties, townships, or wards and ensuring that his assistants' returns were completed properly.
New Mexico first appeared in the 1850 Census as a Territory. Ormes noted that deaths for females in the 1870 Census of Mortality for the New Mexico Territory were mostly babies that died from cholera. The highest number of deaths among males aged 15 to 34 were due to homicide.
For more information, visit http://www.census.gov or contact Government Documents & Maps Librarian Dotty Ormes at (575) 646-4385 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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R&D program for ship firefighting uses the MultiSense SL/
The MultiSense SL is being used on a firefighting robot named SAFFiR, for Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot. The Navy R&D grant is for motion planning software development what will be developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and uses an existing robot from Virginia Tech.
The video below shows the bipedal robot in some initial tests and some of the live 3D data from the MultiSense SL sensor integrated into the robot's head.


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Total : £0.00
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Stands Out Ltd
Registered in England and Wales
Registration Number: 6547586
Registered Office: 23 Wynnstay Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, LL29 8NT (Telephone: 01492 533466.)
Please use the form below to send us an email
Welcome to Stands Out. Based at the gateway to the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, the Stands Out team design, manufacture and import a huge range of handmade accessories including bracelets, necklaces, watches, anklets, rings, earrings, tattoos, keyrings, and party bag favours.


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Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday accused the Ministry of Education of breaking the "three limits, six noes" (三限六不) policy on Chinese students by asking colleges to provide scholarships for Chinese students.
To allay concerns that allowing Chinese students into Taiwanese universities might affect educational and job opportunities for local students and graduates, the ministry imposed restrictions on Chinese enrolment, known as the "three limits, six noes" policy.
Under the policy, acceptance is limited to students from prestigious Chinese schools, the number of Chinese students is restricted to 0.1 percent of total domestic student recruitment and Chinese students are barred from courses in pharmacy, Chinese and Western medicine, advanced technology and national security.
The six noes refer to no preferential grading on entrance exams, no effect on student enrolment opportunities for Taiwanese students, no scholarships, no off-campus work and no taking of tests for Republic of China professional certificates or civil servant examinations.
At a press conference yesterday, DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said the University Entrance Committee for Mainland Chinese Students had recently asked colleges across the nation to setup special scholarships for Chinese students to begin next year.
According to Chen, the committee suggested that colleges, "according to Ministry of Education plans," use school affairs funds, Chinese students' tuition and miscellaneous fees, and funds raised from communities and local government budgets for the scholarships, adding that they must be worth at least NT$10,000 (US$340) for college students and NT$20,000 for graduate students.
"The ministry has repeatedly guaranteed that it would be pursuing its policy to allow Chinese students to come to Taiwan to study on the basis of 'three limits, six noes,' but the ministry's actions have shown that President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) administration has finally revealed its China-leaning mindset," Chen said.
DPP Legislator Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪) said the funding allocated for scholarships for graduate students was more than the basic wage for Taiwanese laborers of NT$18,780.
"How would Taiwanese laborers feel?" Liu asked. "It is ridiculous that the Ma administration would rather spend money on Chinese students than reverse hikes in tuition and miscellaneous fees for domestic college students."
DPP lawmakers Yang Yao and Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) added that with local governments facing financial difficulties, it was difficult to understand why the ministry was encouraging schools to use local government funding as a source for scholarships.
The school affairs funding for all colleges across Taiwan should be used for school affairs or student rights, and not on Chinese students, the legislators said.
Aside from demanding the ministry adhere to the "three limits, six noes" policy, lawmakers also demanded the resignation of Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧), as well as a public apology.


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I have an out-of-town visitor who has specifically requested mofongo, a dish she fell in love with on a trip to Puerto Rico. I have a couple places in mind (namely El Castillo de Jagua and Old San Juan), but I thought I'd kick this request out there to see if some mofongo expert has THE place to try this dish.
Looking for a Manhattan location, bonus if convenient to our sightseeing routes. Please warn us if the place is open only sparse hours. Thanks!!


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Check out Ab-Soul "On The Process With Peter Rosenberg" Video, the latest video from Ab-Soul, released on Monday, August 12th, 2013. Ab-Soul's chances in this game are improving with each new release, and Ab-Soul "On The Process With Peter Rosenberg" Video is no exception - quite the opposite, in fact. It's a nice addition to the impressive catalogue Ab-Soul has been building over the years. We're definitely anticipating the next move.During the 3rd installment of The Process, Ab-Soul sits down with Peter Rosenberg and explains how he got into rapping, learning song structures from Kendrick Lamar, his writing technique, and more.
How do you feel about the production here?
Check out the latest video from Ab-Soul, Ab-Soul "Talks About Growing Up At The Record Shop" Video.
If you're feeling this, make sure to hit up Ab-Soul's profile page for the latest info, news, songs, and mixtapes. Don't forget to follow Ab-Soul on Facebook and Twitter.


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Martin is in trouble. He is in love. If you've ever felt passion, you know how it can rattle even the most rational of men. This wonderfully crafted, brilliantly paced black comedy is an escapade through Martin's deepest doubts and fears.
Add this movie to your queue to receive more information about
The Passion of Martin and we will let you know when it becomes available.


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Series: The Walking Dead #1
Authors: Robert Kirkman
Illustrator: Toby Moore
Pages: 144 (paperback)
Published: September 26th 2006
Published by: Image Comics
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living.
Rick Grimes is a good-guy police officer with a wife and son. It's just an ordinary day for him. Until he gets shot. Then wakes up an indeterminate amount of time later alone in an empty hospital. Then finds out that he's living right in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. So, you know, not a great few days. He sets off to try and find out what happened to his wife, Lori, and son, Carl, but soon finds himself in a whole mess of trouble.
I really enjoy the TV adaptation, so I figured I'd venture into the heretofore unexplored genre of
And I did enjoy it. It was a little confusing to see how much had changed when they were making the show, but I could also see all the similarities and even picked up on a couple of shots which must have been taken straight from the illustrations.
The story was good; there was always something going on, whether it be personal conflicts or zombie attacks. Really the story is more about the former than the later, and the zombie-apocalypse is just the backdrop for all the drama! There were even a couple of funny moments, for me, often due to the "uhh"s and "gak"s of the zombies. And the ending definitely came as a surprise. I mean, I knew (well, guessed) it would happen eventually, but wasn't expecting it this soon!
I'll probably carry on with the series at some point, because I want to see the story develop in its original form and I've heard (and seen thus far) that a lot has been changed.
So I'm semi-converted to graphic novels...I'm not hooked, but I think this was a good introduction. And I'll definitely be open to others written by authors of books I've enjoyed - I know both Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill have their own series out there.


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Friend's Email:
Subject: I have found a DVD that I think you would enjoy
|Nature Big Cats
Genres: Television, Documentary
NR 2005 1hr 52min
Witness extraordinary footage of big cats in two very special episodes of the award-winning public television series, NATURE. In "Chasing Big Cats," wildlife filmmakers Owen Newman and Amanda Barrett share their sensationa... more »
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Movie Details
Similar Movies
Similarly Requested DVDs
Movie Reviews
Great wildlife documentaries
Critic | california, USA | 04/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This DVD containing two NATURE programs is a great bargain. "Chasing Big Cats" shows hunting techniques of Africa's large cats: Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and the elusive Serval and Caracal. It has some of the most extraordinary hunting footage I have ever seen. "Jaguar, Year of the Cat" covers a year in the life of Jaguar in central-American country of Belize. Supporting cast of this documentary is the exotic fauna and flora of tropical forest with crisp and vivid scenes throughout.
Both programs live up to high standards of wildlife filmmaking that we have come to expect from the NATURE series. The DVD has my highest recommendation."
Superb photography, bone-chilling hunting scenes
Y. Deshmukh | New York, NY USA | 01/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This two-part documentary is superbly shot, nicely put together and has many hunting scenes that are expertly shot. One long scene in particular - about lionesses jumping on and killing a buffalo - is bone-chilling. There are some other scenes of smaller cats jumping in the air to catch a bird that is already airborne that you would never believe until you saw them.
The photographers are a couple that has spent over 14 years shooting in Africa. They have introduced techniques of shooting wildlife film that are unusual and enable them to get so close to the predators that you can almost smell them! The DVD is nicely put together, in good sequence and is very compelling viewing. The photography is top quality and the narration and editing very good. Highly recommended.
Rather impressed by the little cats
AVI PELEG | RANANA Israel | 10/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Superb job extraordinary and unique footage unfortunately Owen and Amanda very imprecise and incorrect commentating, Leopard has total darkness visibility, does not depend on the ears for the catch rather for the surroundings, like warnings etc (see one of National Geographic film on the Leopard.
The patient and devotion of Owen and Amanda bringing us the pictures some will never see in their life, with best selected spot and on the mark, requires a Pulitzer Prize.
Raise a thumb for the devotion and the educated pictures
5 stars for first program, 3 for second...
David T. Brady | Phoenix, AZ United States | 01/02/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The first documentary giving us a glimpse of 5 cats, the cheetah, the leopard, the serval, the caracal, and lions, is outstanding. The memory of the aftermath of a fight between four male lions from one pride and two male lions from another will stay with me forever, truly awesome! Coupled with some great shots of cubs of all sorts and their mothers, this is a documentary worth seeing over and over.
The second documentary, concerning the jaguar, is a disappointment despite some beautiful shots. It is filmed at an extremely slow space and with the jaguar itself representing just 20% of the entire program, the rest on various animals, birds, and insects in the jungle. The shots of the jaguar are memorable but too few and far between, hence the 3 star rating for this documentary, and probably generous at that. The first program more than makes up for this though. Well worth seeing!"


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Sunday, June 7, 2009
More Raw Data--Indiana This Time.
First, lets look at the full record. You can see that the two towns differ in temperature by half a degree a year, first being warmer in one town then the other. These towns, are separated by only 21 miles.
But one can also see that in 1992 and 1993 something strange happened to the temperature. For 2 years it was hotter, almost every day in Columbus. Was Columbus a living hell? Did the devil and his minions bring fire and brimstone to Columbus? No, it is just the normal crap of the raw data. but lest look at it in detail.
The red line is the the running average, a 30 day running average. It varies throughout the 2 years but it is almost always hotter in Columbus. Somebody was doing something to one of those temperature stations to make it hotter or cooler, and they did it for 2 years. No one knows what it was. But this is the quality of data that everyone is basing their hysteria of global warming upon.
Let's look at those 2 years in more detail. Here is the histogram of temperature differences for those two years. You can see it is anything BUT Gaussian,meaning that normal probabilistic statistics won't help it.
It is interesting that we US citizens love to think that we are the most advanced society on earth yet we can't measure temperature better than this.
2 comments:
- AnonymousJune 11, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Interesting, as usual. When I took the data sets and plotted the histogram of the difference between the two stations I saw a narrow distribution (albeit with "heavy tails"), but the median difference was 0 degrees (the mean was 0.06degrees difference).ReplyDelete
And then when I did the histogram of the subset in the latter part I noted it had a median of 2 degrees. Regardless of it being non-normal, I can still measure the median.
The 0 degrees difference between the two stations doesn't look too bad. The 2 degree difference over the course of a couple years is bothersome, but is it really all that bad?
Measurements always have errors. Always have noise.
One other thing, from what I've read, I don't think anyone is basing global climate change hypotheses on this data. Climatologists make models that don't use this data. Once the model is made they "hindcast" with continental scale gridded averages of the data. That way you kind of even out the noise and the outliers.
The present example is a good one. If you were to take just Seymour and then try to draw significant results from just the raw data you might not be able to see a signal. But if you average it with a larger scale and you measure the _trends_ as opposed to just the raw data, then real trends may become visible.
Some of these stations have been around since 1901 or earlier. We've been using meteorological data for a very long time. Long before anyone even thought about global climate change. This data, like all data, has problems. The more data you get the better the image is.
Hi Hagiograph, I am enjoying your comments, you think about the dataReplyDelete
You ask "The 0 degrees difference between the two stations doesn't look too bad. The 2 degree difference over the course of a couple years is bothersome, but is it really all that bad?"
If you run an experiment and for whatever reason, you have to move the raw answers by 2 of anything, that becomes the error bar for your experiment. Measuring global warming is basically a grand experiment in which some of the data has to be moved by not 2 but 10 degrees, but even if we ignore those other cities, then we are left with a 2 degree error in the raw data set.
Now, what does that mean? It means that we have a case where the global temperature can't be measured to the precision they say it is being measured to. Let's look at an article from the American Meteorological society journal.
"Furthermore, Gallo (2005) found microclimate-related differences exceeding 0.5 [deg] C in pairs of stations, differences that could not be explained by either latitude, elevation, instrumentation, observing practices, or quality of the siting." Thomas C. Peterson, "Examination of Potential Biases in Air Temperature Cause by Poor Station Locations," American Meteorolgoical Society, Aug 2006, p. 1074-1075
Note that they know about this and that makes the average temperature error bar to be exceeding .5 deg C. This isn't a Gaussian error in the cases I have been showing, it is systematic bias. When you 'correct' a systematic bias, you have to make a judgement that you are correcting it correctly, meaning, that you know the cause of the error. As noted above, they don't know the cause, and thus can't know the magnitude of the error.
All this boils down to a case where we have the IPCC saying that the tempeature has risen over the past 100 years by .74 deg C. (see http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ard4_syr.pdf p. 30)
If so, and if we are moving the temperature by as much as 2-3 degrees, we have the statistically stupid situation where one must conclude that the world has warmed by .74 +/- 2 degrees, meaning it might have cooled by 1.25 degrees or warmed by 2.75 degrees. In other words, we can't really know if it has warmed or cooled.
Now you might say that the bias is towards warming and that is true. But in the 1990, many rural stations were dropped out of the system and they were stations which showed cooling trends. If you remove the stations showing cooling and then average the rest, you will see an acceleration of the warming. That is what is happening statistically.


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16 Results
HBR's 10 Must Reads 2019: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Paperback + Ebook)Leadership & Managing People Special Offer34.95A year's worth of management wisdom, all in one place. We've reviewed the ideas, insights, and best practices from the past year of Harvard Business Review...
Contagious: Why Things Catch OnMarketing WebinarFeaturing Jonah Berger, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On.
The Goldilocks Theory of Product SuccessInnovation & Entrepreneurship Digital ArticleInnovations that catch on mix familiarity and novelty.
When Controversy Sparks Buzz--and When It Doesn'tIt's no secret that provocative ads are risky. Benetton, for example, has faced numerous boycotts and lawsuits over its "shock advertising." But there's...
Bad Reviews Can Boost Sales. Here's WhyStudies have always shown that the adage "There's no such thing as bad publicity" is wrong. It turns out, though, that sometimes the saying has merit....
If You Want to Win, Tell Your Team It's Losing (a Little)Innovation & Entrepreneurship Magazine ArticleNew research from Wharton reveals that competitors who are slightly behind at halftime win more often than those who are slightly ahead. People who are...
Luxury Branding Below the Radar"Inconspicuous consumption"--elite consumers' affinity for discreet rather than traditionally branded luxuries--has become a global phenomenon. Work by...
To Keep Your Customers, Keep It SimpleMarketers see today's consumers as web-savvy, mobile-enabled data sifters who pounce on whichever brand or store offers the best deal. In response, they've...
The Science of Sharing (and Oversharing)Marketing AudioJonah Berger, Wharton School professor and author of "Contagious: Why Things Catch On."
Seeding, Referral, and Recommendation: Creating Profitable Word-of-Mouth ProgramsSales & Marketing Case Study8.95In recent years, word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing has been the subject of considerable interest among managers and academics alike. However, there is very...
What to Do When You and Your Boss Aren't Getting AlongLeadership & Managing People Digital ArticleBuild a connection that's more than "just OK."


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NOTE: As of October 11, 2010, this file has been superseded by a newer version available from CDBS. More details are available here.
NOTE: An error in the HISTORY header keyword block has been fixed since
the original announcement of the IDCTAB's release on 19 July. All
coefficients in the updated version of the file are identical to
those in the earlier version.
The Image Distortion Table (IDCTAB) released here contains unique polynomial function calibrations for ten UVIS filters (F225W, F275W, F336W, F390W, F438W, F555W, F606W, F775W, F814W, and F850LP) and corrects ~0.1-degree rotations between the four filter solutions (F225W, F275W, F336W, and F606W) in the preceding alpha release (6-4-2010). For all other filters in this IDCTAB, the values of the polynomial coefficient are those of the F606W polynomials. Image shifts caused by filter wedge (~0.5 pixel) are not calibrated in this release. The previous two alpha releases had unique calibrations for F606W only (9-29-2009), or the previously mentioned four filters (6-24-2010). For the newly calibrated ten filters, displacements between rectified images less than 0.1 pixel (0.06 pixel r.m.s.) can be obtained with MultiDrizzle and a user-determined shift file that represents differential shift, magnification, and rotation between exposures.
Modified 10/11/2010 MJD


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Sylvia Hortense Bliss
Time Period
Subject CategoriesArts, Science / Engineering, Writers
Notable Facts
Writer, botanist, and musician. Several articles were published in the American Journal of Psychology and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Published two books of poetry: Quests, Poems in Prose and Sea Level.
Personal Information
Date of Birth12/13/1870
Date of Death03/14/1963
Primary ResidenceEast Calais
Historical Significance
Sylvia Hortense Bliss was a writer, botanist, and musician. Several of her articles were published in the American Journal of Psychology and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. She also published two books of poetry: "Quests, Poems in Prose" and "Sea Level".
Sylvia Hortense Bliss was born in Toledo, Ohio to Elmina Marsh and Warren Earl Bliss, both of whom were originally from East Calais, Vermont. She was eldest of four children and spent her childhood in Des Moines, Iowa. Bliss studied music in Iowa and spent two years at Syracuse University studying with private teachers. In 1885, the family returned to East Calais, where Bliss would spend the majority of her life.
In addition to giving piano lessons and being the church organist, Bliss was also a self-taught botanist. She gave her 400 specimen herbarium to Montpelier's Kellogg-Hubbard Library, but it was lost in the 1927 flood. Bliss's first published writings were short stories that appeared in the Vermont Watchman and State Gazette and The Vermonter: The State Magazine. She also contributed poetry and prose to Driftwood, a literary journal. While receiving treatment for a speech handicap, Bliss researched and published articles such as "The Origin of Laughter," and "The Significance of Clothes," for the American Journal of Psychology and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. She is the author of two books of poetry: "Quests, Poems in Prose" (1920) and "Sea Level" (1922). Forest K. Davis collected the majority of her work and published it as "Uncut Leaves" in 1990. Davis also wrote a biography of Bliss, "Bird of Utica: Life, Thought and Art of Sylvia H. Bliss, 1870-1963" and donated the Bliss papers to the Vermont Historical Society, where they can be viewed today.
Bliss lived with her parents until their deaths, and then moved to Rochester, Vermont to stay with her brother, Clifford, and his wife Lou until her own death in 1963.
- Musician
- Botanist
- Author
- Poet
- Syracuse University


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No Foolin' 5k Fun Run Race
No Foolin' 5k fun run will take place from Brent Hassert Park in Lockport, IL. It wouldn't be an April Fools race without some surprises out on the course. We would love to tell you all the details....but that would spoil the fun!!! Get the No Foolin' 5k fun run race details or register for the No Foolin' 5k Fun Run.
No Foolin' 5k Fun Run Highlights Include:
Who needs another raceday shirt?? We are handing out custom dri-fit socks with our race logo!!
USATF and CARA certified course.
Kids Little Fools Mile Fun Run
Pies and pastries after the run!!
Fun for the entire family!!


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Press Release
More Than 100 Health Care Rallies to Take Place from Coast to Coast on Saturday
WASHINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Wednesday that more than 100 rallies will take place from coast to coast on Saturday to fight Republican attempts to take health care away from 20 million Americans.
"On Saturday at more than 100 rallies, taking place from coast to coast, the American people will let Republicans know they are standing against their attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, throwing 20 million Americans off of their health insurance, privatizing Medicare, making massive cuts in Medicaid, raising the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and, at the same time, giving a massive tax break to the top 1 percent. The American people want to improve the Affordable Care Act, not destroy it," said Sanders.
Sanders continued, "We've seen unprecedented grassroots energy at Republican town hall meetings across the country this week. The American people are fighting back. As the only major country on earth not to guarantee health care for all, we are not going backwards. We're going forwards."
Sanders, the Senate Democrats' outreach leader, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer previously sent a letter calling for rallies on Saturday to oppose efforts by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act and take health coverage away from more than 20 million Americans.
"The Republican Party's plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act is in chaos," Schumer and Sanders said in the letter. "Public support for the law is at an all-time high, while the number of Americans supporting its immediate repeal without a replacement has dipped below 15 percent. It is critical we seize this momentum."


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Dierks Bentley Revs Up for Miles for Music Motorcycle Ride Event, Jagermeister Tour
Dierks Bentley is gearing up to host yet another one of his successful Miles for Music for Kids charity motorcycle ride and concert events, this time taking place in Columbus, Ohio on May 22.
Josh Thompson, Joe Nichols, Uncle Kracker and new duo Miss Willie Brown are confirmed to perform at the event, with more names to be added as the date draws closer.
Over the past five years, since Bentley launched the series of rides (followed by an all-star jam), he has raised over $1.5 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Proceeds from the latest Music for Miles will be donated to Columbus' Nationwide Children's Hospital.
"I've been waiting for the next Miles and Music and some warm weather to get my bike out!" says Bentley. "[I'm] really looking forward to spending time in Nationwide's hometown of Columbus. They do such great things for their community and have been great supporters of our events over the years. [I'm] excited to have some friends come along and help us raise some money for the kids in Columbus."
The ride will depart from the AD Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson Dealership, located at 7754 St. Rt. 37 E., in Sunbury, Ohio, for the hour-and-a-half long ride that ends at the LC Pavilion (405 Neil Ave., Columbus, Ohio), where the concert portion will be held.
Tickets for the family-friendly event go on sale Friday, March 18 at 10:00AM ET through Ticketmaster. Fans can purchase a ride and concert ticket for $40 or a general admission concert ticket for $20. There will also be limited VIP packages available.
Bentley will kick off his headlining 2011 Jagermeister Country tour later this month, featuring special guests Josh Thompson and Miss Willie Brown. The tour hits a total of 28 cities. The trek is Thompson's second time being involved with the Jagermeister tour series. Last year, the newcomer opened the tour for Eric Church.
"God bless Jager for picking me up for a second year in a row," Thompson tells Taste of Country with laughter. "They thought they could kill me last year, but that didn't happen. This is year two, and it's with Dierks. I'm no longer the opener-opener. Now I've moved into the second slot, so that's kind of new. I've got 45 minutes to play. It's going to be fun. I'm cutting the second record now. I'm going to be [singing] the current records, but I'm going to be doing some of the new stuff to kind of get a feel for it. I love that it puts me in front of the Dierks crowd -- they're fun, they're there to have a good time and they love country music. I don't see a downside to it at all."
For a complete list of dates where the 2011 Jagermeister Country tour will be stopping, click here.


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It's 9am and the creative campers arrive at the Scribble studio greeted by their teachers and counselors who are eagerly awaiting their arrival after readying explorative art activities to start the day. The 3 and 4 year olds get quickly immersed in sensory play, meeting new friends in pools filled with colored rice or at the drawing wall (it is what it sounds like) or over a heaping tray of rainbow shaving cream, filled with hidden treasures to find. Older campers (grades K-4) enter their summer studio filled with professional-grade materials and collectively get to work on a group piece. Their problem solving abilities at the ready, they're faced with new materials and a guiding prompt each day…one that helps them work together to solve creative challenges, make beautiful artwork, and best of all, become fast friends! This is art camp. And it rocks.
The days diverge from there. The pre-scribblers (aka artistic pre-schoolers) spend the morning in sensory play, then go for a guided walk on the Aqueduct trail (usually with butterfly nets to collect objects for future projects) and return to the studio for art-making. They end their day with a community lunch and storytime. The younger campers greatly benefit from the small size of Scribble's program and the expertise of their early childhood teachers and counselors. There is a focus on open-ended projects to help them to feel safe exploring new materials. Artistic language is introduced to help them learn to properly communicate their creative endeavors. At 1pm, the early childhood studio is marked with a calm circle of young artists wearing smocks with gorgeous evidence of the colors and types of materials they used that day. Teachers smile at each other as they hear campers leave the studio explaining how they built a stable sculpture or made a monochromatic collage or completed a tripytch painting.
Older campers (grades K-4) get a great amount of time to explore outside in the morning and afternoon but also get 3 and 1/2 hours of art-making throughout their day. This time allows them to work intensively in the studio on multi-layered complex projects within specific mediums. Each week has a different (and amazing) focus including: Architecture, Earthworks, Inventions & Machines, Experimental Art, Printmaking, Collaboration and more! After a day filled with art-making, by 4pm, campers end the day extremely proud (and pooped). Working on one piece of artwork for that amount of time elicits a sense of pride and ownership that is unique to the Scribble summer camp experience.
Think it can't get any better? Every Wednesday there is a field trip to a farm because the Scribble team believes that the outdoors, food, culture and art-making are all connected. Encouraging Scribblers to observe their natural world inspires their campers (and themselves)!
Scribble's summer camp runs for 8 weeks (you can sign up for 1 or all 8) from the week of 6/26 to the week of 8/21 in the Dobbs Ferry studio at 63 Main Street. THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS THIS FRIDAY 4/21! Space is very limited as groups are kept small. For more information, visit their website or call the studio at (914)693-3110.
*Photo Credit: Monica Shulman Photography


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Published By : 24 Feb 2016 | Published By : QYRESEARCH
It has been observed that in the global SATS market, there is a growing demand for outsourced services. In fact, more than 50% of the market is monopolized by the outsourced services. The trend of the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) services is anticipated to continue in the long run. Additional features offered by SATS providers over in-house testing services are expected to further fuel the demand from the market. Also, SATS providers facilitate a more efficient supply chain and are hence preferred by integrated device manufacturers (IDM). However, high capital requirement for offering high end packaging solutions, coupled with volatility in the market and fluctuations in exchange rates will restrain the overall market.
Market Players Focussing on Strategic Partnerships with Outsourced Services Providers
Some of the prominent players in the global SATS market are ASE Group, STATS chip PAC Ltd., Silicon Precision Industries Company Ltd., Amkor Technology Inc., Powertech Technology Inc., Chipbond Technology Corporation, CORWIL Technology Corp., Global Foundries Inc., and Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (Psi Technologies Inc.). The key players in the market are focussing on gaining the competitive edge through targeting the advanced expensive packaging solutions that would address the growing demand for low power requirements and miniaturization.
Amkor Technology Acquires J-Devices Corp.
The market is witnessing a number of strategic alliances and collaborations among the key players owing to growing financial pressures. This month, Amkor Technology Inc. announced that it has acquired 100 percent stakes in J-Devices Corp., a Japan-based semiconductor assembly and testing services company. In October 2009, Amkor partnered with Nakaya Microdevices Corp. and Toshiba Corp. to acquire the assembly and test operations of Toshiba to form J-Devices. In Japan, J-Device is now the largest outsourced semiconductor assembly and test provider and is the sixth largest across the globe. Acquiring J-Devices will strengthen Amkor's relationships with the prominent semiconductor companies in Japan and will boost its position in the automotive market. J-Devices had a net income of US$30 mn for the year 2015.


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Sophie Baxter, PA-C, MS
Education and Training
Sophie Baxter is a NCCPA certified physician assistant (PA-C) with a Master of Health Sciences degree in Physician Assistant Studies from South College. She graduated in December 2015 and happily joined the Denver Back Pain Specialists team in January.
In 2009, she graduated with her Bachelor of Sciences from Colorado State University with a degree in Equine Science. She became a Certified Nursing Assistant in 2011 and worked in home care, a pediatric inpatient unit, and an emergency department before returning to school to start her Master's degree in 2013.
Athletic Career
During her time as an undergraduate student, she played tennis and softball for Moraine Valley Community College. She won the Most Improved Player award in tennis and the Sportsmanship Award for softball. She feels strongly about being part of a team and working with others to accomplish a common goal. She still actively enjoys playing tennis and hiking, as well as many other sports and outdoor activities.
Sophie has volunteered for a number of therapeutic riding programs around the country, which she feels is a great opportunity to help others by utilizing the healing nature of horses. She has also volunteered for the American Red Cross working with the Disaster Action Team, disaster services, and military services. Having just moved to Denver, she hopes to start volunteering in these areas again very soon.
Compassionate Patient Care
Regarding patient care, Sophie finds she has thrived best in an atmosphere that required compassion and empathy. She has found her passion is to work with patients in a comprehensive and inclusive way. She looks at the entire person to help address current conditions and develop long term management and prevention plans. She believes that the best medical approach is one guided by the individual patient, in which each person is encouraged to lead their care and be advised with their best interests in mind. Her goal is to find the correct diagnosis and participate in helping teach people to manage their pain and stress, leading to a greater quality of life. As well, she hopes to make each patient smile or laugh at least once during their visit.


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Saturday, April 15, 2017
Easter Saturday at Kew
Still dull (till I left to come home of course, but my feet were starting to protest)... but you can't order the weather sadly.
The Easter event this year (it's been on for a couple of weeks actually) is The Moomins. I loved these stories by Tove Jansson as a child, and so it seems to children today because when I got there just before 10 there was a great long queue waiting to go in.. However, I wasn't particularly going to look for them (which was as well, because I didn't come across them)
I was quite surprised to see that the big beds of red and white tulips I loved so much 2 weeks ago, have already finished - I know tulips aren't the longest lasting of flowers but thought there'd be a few left.
I did find some other varieties though
heading for the Woodland Walk and the bluebells, I came across this - accessed by a wooden ramp - this is new, temporary I think, and is an area where you can meet the Kew scientists. It wasn't open yet
I love the look of it though
Didn't spend as long today, partly because the trains were only half hourly (instead of 4 an hour) and my feet and legs were starting to protest after yesterday.
8 comments:
- Kirsten said...
Such a wide variety of flowers & they're all stunning. I love the tulips, especially the white ones & the pink & orange ones. The tiny white flowers - in the photo above the building on stilts - are gorgeous, as are the bunches of sunshine yellow ones hanging from the tree. Just gorgeous.
- April 15, 2017 at 4:42 PM
- sam21ski said...
Well that was a very pink and purple post. Glad you had a nice day x
- April 15, 2017 at 5:18 PM
- Claire said...
Fab post Helen, I love tulips but it is such a shame they don't las longer. Those orange ones are just stunning xx
- April 15, 2017 at 7:16 PM
- snazzyoriginal said...
Beautiful Helen, I swear I can smell that viburnum from here lol!
- April 15, 2017 at 8:00 PM
- craftimamma said...
Wonderful photos as always. I loved the pink and purple tulips together but especially like the shape of the white and pink ones with the curved out petals. Beautiful pics of the heavy blossoms but the best bit for me would be the woodland walk and all the wild planting under the trees. I love the natural look of it compared to the structured more formal gardens.
I have to say we have a lot more bluebells driving past Clumber Park on the A614. Its a thick carpet of them for at least half a mile.
Lesley Xx
- April 15, 2017 at 11:06 PM
- Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...
My tulips are nearly gone, too, so I can empathize. I do like the pinks and purple ones, though.
Not sure what those wooden circles are, but it's nice you can visit with Kew scientists (and maybe landscapers?).
OMGosh. Those cherry blossoms are out of this world. Incredible colors and so delicate, too.
The woodland walk looks almost out of place. I bet once it "ages" a bit, it won't look quite so stark.
I admit, those white tulips don't look much like tulips I'm used to . Mine look more like the ones you found in urns.
You may have bowed out early, but the colorful post was no less inviting and beautiful. Really GREAT photos, Helen.
- April 16, 2017 at 2:49 AM
- Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...
Goodness, where are my manners? Happy, happy Easter.
- April 16, 2017 at 2:51 AM
- Lauren Hatwell said...
Spring has most definitely SPRUNG hasn't it. Such beautiful photographs Helen. You really do do those gorgeous blooms every justice. Breathtaking! Lx
- April 16, 2017 at 9:55 AM


text: What's that growing on the basement walls? If your home was affected by flooding this spring, it might not yet be dry enough for repairs. Learn how you can tell if the walls are ready for drywall and if your floors are ready for carpeting. And it won't cost you much more than time. Read Thursday's American News to learn more.


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Welcome to Rose Valley Of Bulgaria.
We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. We invite you to create an account with us if you like, or shop as a guest. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. Please feel safe for your private information by using Paypal Secure Payment.
Thank you for visiting.
Rose products are from the NATURAL roses of Rose Valley in Bulgaria-Kazanlak, extracted from the "Rosa Damascena " by steam distillation. Production of rose and rose oil in Bulgaria-Kazanlak has started 16th century and today the region is the biggest rose oil exporter. Around 4000 kg of fresh roses distilled to get just 1 kg of high quality rose oil. There are two main Rose Oil types; Rose ottos are extracted through steam distillation, while rose absolutes are obtained through solvent extraction or supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, with the absolute being used more commonly in perfumery. Even with their high price and the advent of organic synthesis, rose oils are still perhaps the most widely used essential oil in perfumery. Bulgaria produces about 70% of all rose oil in the world.
In the process of distillation, large stills, traditionally of copper, are filled with roses and water. The still is fired for 60–105 minutes. The vaporized water and rose oil exit the still and enter a condensing apparatus and are then collected in a flask. This distillation yields a very concentrated oil, direct oil, which makes up about 20% of the final product. The water which condenses along with the oil is drained off and redistilled, cohobation, in order to obtain the water-soluble fractions of the rose oil are a vital component of the aroma and which make up the large bulk, 80%, of the oil. The two oils are combined and make the final rose otto. The essence has a very strong odor, but is pleasant when diluted and used for perfume. Attar of roses was once made in India, Persia, Syria, and Bulgaria. The Rose Valley in Bulgaria, near the town of Kazanlak, is among the major producers of attar of roses in the world. Due to the heat required for distillation, some of the compounds extracted from the rose undergo denaturing or chemical breakdown. As such, rose otto does not smell very similar to "fresh" roses. The hydrosol portion of the distillate is known as rosewater. This inexpensive by-product is used widely as a food flavoring as well as in skin care. While you are trying the rose products you will feel yourself the surprising positive effect of natural roses on your skin, hands, face and body.


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Hi to all the lovely Brides and Brides to be, first I would love to say CONGRATULATIONS to you all!!! As owner and photographer of tiffanydavis PHOTOGRAPHY I am so honored and humbled to be featured as a Basic Invite featured Photographer. I've been a photographer for a little over five years now and I can say its been the most challenging and rewarding career I have ever had. I have been based out of San Diego California since 2010 and just recently relocated to Southeast Texas right outside of Houston. Aside from the lifestyle change; I am excited to shoot a different style that still represents You the client and tiffanydavis PHOTOGRAPHY.
This image is one of my favorite of all time it just reminds me of "Old Hollywood"! Its a candid of the bride and groom arriving to their reception. When I seen this frame I knew this would be a great event! This was the youngest couple I have shot and I must admit myself and the first shooter had a great time; they have a beautiful & very welcoming family!
Mr. & Mrs. Macias
These next images are some of my most memorable sessions because they were from an event another photographer and I put together for couples looking to redo formal images. Both couples were awesome and had really great stories. I love these images because we were able to tell a story with just the emotion they put out.
Being a fellow Navy wife I understand the importance of having documented this most special time with your love being that not very much time is spent together so I was very excited to know this was one of our sessions and that the groom would be in full uniform! This was a great day like most in San Diego but it rang as "the" session because it was on the Beach! Every couple that I have worked with as first or second shooter has been an amazing one.
Jay & Katlyn
This couple was great because this was my first same sex session and I must say I am grateful to have been a part of their session. The only thing I feared believe it or not was the posing. I know there could have been a million other things to worry about but me being me that was it. Needless to say the session turned out amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better turnout.
Mrs. & Mrs. Blackman
I believe my work is a great example of who I am and how shoot... timeless, colorful, emotional, fun and still evolving. I started out doing it all: families, kids, teens, weddings, headshots, boudoir you name it I was doing it but I realized quickly that I didn't want to be an "everything" photographer. I quickly dropped "everything" and became a Wedding and Boudoir photographer which I love. My goal whether its working with couples on their wedding day or engagement session to working with a new bride for a boudoir gift is to make your experience a one of a kind! I encourage women to be a little sassy and silly just enough to make the most conservative women giggle.
At the end of it all I want you to remember the entire experience not just what's in print.
COMPANY: Tiffany Davis Photography
WEBSITE: http://tiffanydavisphotography.com
SOCIAL: Facebook


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The mission of the Miamisburg City School District is to unite the school community in nurturing success through:
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ransomware(redirected from data kidnapping)
Also found in: Dictionary.
ransomwareVirus software that blackmails users by encrypting their hard drives or locking them out of the computer. It then demands payment to restore it. A favorite ploy is an FBI message claiming the user has child pornography on the computer, and a fine must be paid or else risk arrest. After paying the blackmail on any of these ransomware attacks, the user's machine may or may not be restored. Also known as a "cryptovirus" or "cryptotrojan."
In 2013, the creators of CryptoLocker collected millions in ransom by infecting Windows PCs until its distribution was halted a year later by the FBI and Interpol. CryptoLocker was the inspiration for other ransomware variants (gotta love that entrepreneurial spirit!).
Mobile Phones Too
In 2014, using the same FBI scare tactic, thousands of Android users found their phones locked with demands for payment. See scareware and wares.
|FBI MoneyPak Ransomware
|Imagine finding your computer frozen with an FBI alert saying you violated any one or more of video, music or software copyrights or you distributed child pornography. It demands that you put USD $200 cash into a MoneyPak card and enter the card number within 72 hours to unlock your computer and prevent the initiation of a criminal case.


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Eden Gardens is a HUGE garden centre located on the edge of the lush Lane Cove National Park in North Ryde. For someone who loves eating, gardening and shopping for gardening "stuff" Eden Gardens in is the perfect place to while away a few hours on a lazy summer afternoon.
Before we get down to the business of gardening "stuff" The Boy and I make a pitstop at Dragonfly Cafe...a large cafe inside Eden Gardens that has a lovely view over the gardens.
It's a super HOT day and I can't face anything other than a salad - and their "Spring Salad" ($24.00) is just the business. My salad is a refreshing mix of watermelon, feta, mint and baby spinach that is topped with poached prawns and drizzled with balsamic. At $24 it's not cheap but it sure is tasty - I've made this at home (sans prawns) a few times since as I just loved it so much.
The Boy is tougher than me in hot weather and goes for the hearty sounding Char Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($22.00). Again I don't think this meal is cheap (this isn't really the place to come for a "cheap" cafe feed) but he's pretty happy with what he's got. There are a few cheaper options on the menu but most things are upwards of $20.
After lunch we go for a wander through the gardens - a series of large landscaped spaces that offer a nice relaxing respite from our hectic city lives. You can even pre-order a picnic basket from the cafe to eat in the gardens which I think is a lovely idea...and the garden is also home to a few chickens.
The Boy heads back to the office (I'm was on holidays so could do whatever I wanted - what a glorious feeling!) so I spend a little while checking out the seedlings on offer. I normally grow things from seed (as it's a more cost effective way of growing your own produce) but I was VERY tempted to go home with a chilli plant as well as this amazing smelling Chocolate Mint that smelt just like an afterdinner mint when you rubbed it between your fingers. I think it would make a really nice iced tea.
Eden Gardens also has a good range of seeds on offer. I'm thinking of growing some capsicum soon and was quite taken with their multi-coloured capsicum seeds - they'd made such a colourful looking salad. There are also lots of garden furniture type stuff for sale as well as pillows, rugs, outdoor picnic ware, nic-nacs and the like...but if you can't eat it it's not going on my balcony.
Eden Gardens and Dragonfly Cafe can be found at Corner Lane Cove and Fontenoy Roads, North Ryde. Phone them on 9491 9900.