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Hop on Hop off Amsterdam Bus Tour & Heineken Experience incl 2 drinks
With this package, not only do you get to enjoy the stunning beauty of this Golden Age city, but you get to top it off in one of the world's most famous breweries.
Explore the architecture that defines the city from the comfort of the canal boat. Admire the famous canals and their bridges that weave through the centre and out to the old port. You will also see some of the highlights of Amsterdam, including the Royal Palace, Dam Square, the Western Church, the Skinny Bridge, Amsterdam's tallest windmill and the mayor museums and attractions.
Once the cruise has come to an end, you can enjoy fast track entry into The Heineken Museum, where you can enjoy two free drinks as you learn about how the world-famous beer is made.
During the cruise, you may hop on and hop off as many times as you like at any of the ten stopping points.Read Full Details
Contact our Groups Team:
01904 420 454
Contact our Groups Team:
01904 420 454
Thank you for your enquiry.We aim to respond within 24 hours for enquires received 09.00 - 17.00 Monday to Friday
and within 48 hours for enquiries received over the weekend.
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More information about the Hop on Hop off Amsterdam Bus Tour + Heineken Experience incl 2 drinks
What's Included
- Entry to The Heineken Experience
- Two free beers
- Hop on Hop off Amsterdam Bus Tour
Additional Info
Useful info
Frequently Asked Questions
Require more info? Read our FAQs here for a helping hand, or contact our groups department on 01904 420 454


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How it works
First, set your preferences! Choose which subscription you would like to receive: Monthly, 3 Months or 6 Months. Then, wait for your box to arrive... Once you're signed up, we will ship your package out and the excitement begins! Now its your time to shine! Be creative and bake, decorate and celebrate!
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6" Lollipop Sticks
$ 2.49
Sweet Treats Earring Set
$ 9.95

subset: commoncrawl


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Five-Minute Yoga Exercises for the Mornings
If you have only five minutes for exercise in the morning, whether by choice or by chance, it's always better to do some yoga than none at all. Many people believe that if they don't have time for a 20- or 30-minute routine, it's not worth doing, but that isn't the case. Steady daily practice, of whatever length, strengthens your commitment to improve your health and well-being. In five minutes you can change your mood and warm up your body.
Five Quality Minutes
Certain yoga poses have different effects on mood and energy level. According to Cindi Lee writing in the "Yoga Journal," some poses are more energizing and others are more relaxing. Depending on what effects you are looking for in the morning, some yoga poses may work better than others for you. For example, according to Lee, backward bends are invigorating, while forward bends are more calming, so if you need an energy boost in the morning, include a few backward bends in your five-minute routine. Examples are Camel pose, Cobra pose and Bridge pose. Intersperse these with forward bends such as Seated Forward Bend or Big Toe Pose, and twists such as the Spinal Twist, in order to create a balanced routine.
During your five-minute routine, include several different types of poses in order to stretch all major muscle groups. An easy way to organize the routine is to include at least one pose from each of the five major groups of poses: forward bends, backward bends, twists, balances and inversions. For the least disruptive flow, start with standing poses, then move on to hands and knees, prone poses, and finish with supine poses. Always leave a minute or so for a few deep, diaphragmatic breaths and a short meditation at the end. This will ensure that you begin your day centered and relaxed.
Full-Body Exercises
Sometimes you feel like stretching deeply in the morning. Do full-body exercises such as Downward-Facing Dog and its opposite, Upward Dog, three times in succession, inhaling and exhaling deeply with each movement and holding each position for 30 to 45 seconds. Rest in Child's pose for 30 seconds, then move to Cow and Cat poses, also performed three times in succession with a full breath, holding each position for 30 to 45 seconds. Breathe normally during the holds.
Sun Salutation
This pose is traditionally performed in the morning to "greet" the sun, and many experienced practitioners perform it as a warmup to their daily routine. It consists of 12 positions, performed in sequence, with deep inhalations and exhalations matched to each position. It can be strenuous for beginners, however, as it contains Lunges and a Plank pose, which require core strength. If you are new to yoga it might be best to try this sequence when you are already warmed up rather than using it as a warmup itself -– or try the modified version offered by the "Yoga Journal."
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images


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The phosphates are used primarily for their water softening action. Phospates also contribute to soil dispersion of peptization, efficient rinsing, and scale control. In the phosphate family are the orthophosphates, trisodium, and monosodium. Trisodium phosphate (Na3PO4. 12 H2O) is sometimes used alone as a soak or spray cleaner. Disodium phosphate is used when a cleaner needs to be buffered in the 8 to 10 pH range and monosodium phosphate is widely used in iron phosphating compounds.
Tetrasodium pyrophosphate has excellent sequestering of chelating action for zinc, copper and magenesium, but is not very good for calcium. It is difficult to dissolve and has lower solubility than most of the other sodium phosphate.
Sodium tripolyphosphate (Na5P3O10) comes close to being the best all round phosphate. Its consumption by the detergent and cleaning industry exceeds the combined total of all of the other sodium phosphates. "Tripoly" has excellent water softening action, sequester or chelates some metal ions, stores and compounds well, and contributes to good rinsing because of its threshold effect where a few parts per million prevent precipitation and scaling in the rinses.
Silicates are excellent buffers and when compounded with surfactants are the best wetting, emulsifying, and deflocculating agents of all the alkalis. The silicates are excellent inhibitors for metal to be necessary for heavy duty, long life cleaners. Sodium metasilicate is widely used in cleaners both as the pentahydrate (Na2SiO3. 5 H2O) and as the anhydrous sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO4). Sodium orthosilicate (Na2SiO4) is widely used in steel cleaners. Silicates can be a source of trouble in subsequent specifications may call for nonsilicated cleaners to avoid trouble.
Various chelating agents have become prime importance in recent years because of the demand for low or non phosphated cleaners. The most widely used are sodium gluconate, sodium heptagluconate, sodium citrate NTA (trisodium-nitrilo-triethanolamine) EDTA (tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate), and triethanolamine. These chemicals, because of their capacity to soften water and tie up various metal ions, are finding a place in non phosphated metal cleaners, aluminum etchants, alkaline derusters and descalers, and in electrocleaning compounds.
There are about 700 commercially available surface active agents and it takes experience to select the proper anionic, nonionic, cationic, or amphoteric detergent for specific metal cleaning compounds. The anionics are widely used in electrocleaning compounds. The nonionic or combinations of the nonionics with anionics have been useful in soak and spray cleaners. Some nonionics have defoaming properties so it is possible to control the amount of foam by property selecting and compounding nonionic and anionic surface active agents. The cationics and amphoterics are useful for leaving a film on the metal surface to prevent rusting or oxidation.
The most widely used surface active agents in metal cleaning are the sodium linear alkylate sulfonates and the fatty alcohol sulfates in electrocleaning compounds, the sodium linear alkylate sulfonates and the oxyethylated alcohol type of nonionics in soak cleaners, and the low foaming nonionics in spray cleaners.


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CSL Enclosed Auto Transport - One Truck Transport
If you would like more information about one of our vehicle shipping services? Please call one of our professional customer service reps. (866) 561-4820
CSL Auto Transport is committed to One Truck Transport...Our commitment is this - the enclosed auto transport truck that picks up your vehicle will also be the one that drops is off at the end of your enclosed vehicle shipping. That is our commitment to you! What other enclosed auto transporters would commit to this? There are none! Why do we do this? Simple. We will treat your car the same way we would want our treated, with the utmost attention to detail and carefulness!
Why does this matter? It's simple. When your vehicle is unloaded and reloaded onto another enclosed auto transporters trailer, the chance of damage increases and we are passionate about dropping off your vehicle in the same condition it was when we picked it up!
Why should we care about your car this much? Because that is what you are paying us to do! Our experience in motorcycle transport and enclosed auto transport taught us accidents happen during enclosed vehicle shipping. Those accidents can be cut down by only involving one enclosed auto transport trailer. With us, your car remains on just one truck. Switching it from truck to truck in each state may save a few dollars, but it isn't worth the scratches and dents on your vehicle. We promise that no miles will be added to your vehicle at anytime during transport! Combine our vast network of world-class enclosed auto transporters and our attention to detail and you win every time! That's the CSL different. Because we are passionate about moving amazing cars for amazing people.
To find out more about enclosed auto transport or motorcycle transport, call CSL today at 866-561-4820 or fill our enclosed vehicle shipping or motorcycle transport quote form and a CSL team member will be in touch with you shortly.


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Remember Me
In order to prove that the design satisfied the British Transport Commission strength requirements it was decided to test the coach body shell, using electrical resistance strain gauges to determine stress levels at selected points. For this purpose a shell was taken out of the production line and set up in such a way as to represent the actual conditions of body support which existed in service, and a special testing rig was erected for the purpose of applying a compression load to the side buffers.
With reference to the stress analysis of the coach 200 positions around the structure were selected for stress measurement. For applied vertical loads, theoretical analysis indicated that the most severely stressed regions would be in the solebar adjacent to the body bolster, the body bolster itself, the quarter, cantrails and solebars framing one of the doors between bogie centres. Additional gauges were located across the floor and roof midway between bogie centres, and at the door openings mentioned above. Gauges were also applied to the quarter immediately above the bolster, since it was desired to ascertain the force distribution in this region of the coach.
Under an end buffing load, the most highly stressed parts indicated by theory were the solebars, the tubular longitudinals immediately behind the side buffers and those supporting the centre couplers, and the horizontal beam between the lower solebar tubes immediately behind the headstock. As it was also desired to study the behaviour of the corrugated floor under buffing load, gauges were located on this floor in such a way as to ascertain both the stress distribution across the floor, and the load diffusion into the floor from the butted tubular longitudinals.
The vertical load was applied by iron bars laid in the coach to represent a distributed passenger load. The end buffing load was applied by means of a hydraulic ram at the driving end of the coach, acting on an equalising beam which in turn acted on the side buffers. Another beam on rollers was held against the buffers at the non-driving end of the coach by means of a total of four circular-section tie bars running the length of the coach and reacting the ram thrust of the driving end. A series of strain gauges was attached to these tie bars to measure the force exerted by the ram, which was also checked by pressure gauge.
The test programme included the following loadings:
(a) A uniformly distributed load of 17 1/2 tons, 15 tons of which was applied and removed a minimum of five times during the course of the test programme.
(b) An end buffing load of 80 tons which was applied and removed a minimum of five times during the course of the tests, a uniformly distributed load of 2 1/2 tons remaining in the coach as a settling vertical load the whole time.
(c) A combination of the above, i.e., a total uniformly distributed load of 17 1/2 tons together with an 80-ton buffing load. This combination was applied once.
In order to ensure absolute reliability of the test results, it was necessary to work the structure for a number of cycles by applying and removing the maximum vertical and buffing loads several times. After such working of the structure the strain readings were not only linear (except for a very few lightly loaded points) but were consistent with each repeat of test. For each case (a) and (b) above, the test proper was carried out three times, a complete set of strain readings being taken at various load increments during each test run.
In a general way the tests showed that the attention paid to the joints of pillars to solebars and cantrail, together with the use of butted tubular pillars, was justified, since the vertical deflection of the coach at the solebars, midway between bogie centres, under a load of 15 tons, was only 0.13 in., and the inward movement of the body sides at the waist rail of the bolster quarter, door quarter, and single pillar at the coach centre line was 0.0312 in., 0.0548 in., and 0.101 in. respectively. These figures combined to show that the applied loads were reacted by the whole depth of the body side without distortion of the coach cross sections. Further, the stresses recorded in the pillars did not show any sudden change of stress level around the bend at the solebar.
The gauges located on the corrugated floor and the buffing gear support structure showed that the butted tubular longitudinals immediately behind the buffers diffused the end load into the whole width of the floor very efficiently. By the centre-line of the bolster the compressive stress level approached a more or less uniform value over the whole width of floor.
The applications of the combined vertical load and 80-ton buffing load caused the coach to contract elastically 0.46 inch over its length and no part of the structure suffered any permanent set.
Description: Structural Design
Description: Bodysides
Description: Floor and Roof
Description: Strength Testing
Description: Mechanical
Description: Interior
GRC&W Ads & Works Pictures
BR Diagrams & Works Pics
Liveries - Green era
Liveries - Blue era
Liveries - Others
Operations - LMR
Publicity - ScR Newspaper Ads
Operations - ScR pt1
Operations - ScR pt2
Operations - ScR pt3
Operations - ScR pt4
Non-Passenger Use
Fisons Weedkiller
Also relevant:-
Publicity - ScR brochure
Publicity - ScR handbills
Details about the preserved Class 100 vehicles can be found here.


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FHWA Gives Environmental Award to Iowa for Innovative Bridge Project
Federal Highway Administration
September 16, 2002
Monday, September 16, 2002
Contact: Lori Irving
Tel.: 202-366-0660
STEAMBOAT ROCK, IA-Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters today announced that the Iowa Department of Transportation will receive the Administrator's Environmental Quality Award for its work on the Iowa River Bridge.
"On behalf of President Bush and Secretary Mineta, I want to congratulate the Iowa Department of Transportation and its many partners for developing and building the Iowa River Bridge," Peters said. "This project not only addresses important transportation needs but it preserves and protects the surrounding environment as well. It offers all of us an example of how transportation and environmental professionals can collaborate to provide a transportation facility to improve safety, mobility, and opportunities for economic development in an environmentally sensitive manner."
The award recognizes the project for demonstrating environmental sensitivity in its planning, design and construction. Also cited in the award are Jensen Construction Company of Des Moines, the general contractor, and Jensen's parent company, The Rasmussen Group.
"Iowa is honored to receive such a distinguished award," Iowa DOT Director Mark Wandro said. "The U.S. 20 bridge project is a great example of Iowa excellence in innovation and partnering for solutions."
The Iowa River Bridge is located in the Iowa River Greenbelt, a rare, remaining fragment of old-growth woodland that has survived the age of agriculture. The region features a steep river valley rich with traces of prehistoric cultures and remnants of 19th century farmsteads. It is also a roosting and wintering area for bald eagles, and it is a home for the rare northern monkshood plant and three endangered or threatened species of freshwater mussels.
The bridge is part of a 40-mile highway relocation project in the US 20 corridor. The bridge, scheduled to open to traffic in 2003, cost about $20 million. Of this amount, 15 to 20 percent of the costs can be directly attributed to design and detailing considerations added to accommodate the environmental concerns and site accessibility challenges.
The bridge has established new records in the United States for the longest total-launched steel bridge and the longest free cantilever. Iowa DOT also used innovative construction techniques to significantly reduce the physical impact on the floor of the Greenbelt Valley.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) served as technical consultant and provided financial support. The FHWA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It has 2,700 employees, a field office in every state, and an annual budget of more than $30 billion.
|Connect with The Crittenden Automotive Library


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|Out of stock
When it comes to winter fishing, cold hands keep a lot of anglers off the water. But you don't have to be one of them. With our toasty R1® Gloves, your hands stay warm and nimble even in freezing rain, icy wind and cold water. The thin, flexible 1.5mm smooth-skin neoprene outer stops wind and shrugs off moisture, while the combination nylon/polypropylene/spandex insulation locks in warmth. A 3-panel, stitched and glued construction with anatomically placed seams provides remarkable formfitting comfort, water-resistance and dexterity.
- Smooth-skin neoprene laminated to a plush polypropylene lining
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- Glove exterior: 1.5mm smooth-skin neoprene. Lining: 48% nylon/46% polypropylene/6% spandex
- 161 g (5.7 oz)
- Made in Thailand.
0 stars based on 0 reviews


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Teenagers across Wales are to take lessons on the risks of damaging their hearing by listening to loud music.Deafness charity Action on Hearing Loss Cymru has made a DVD as part of the personal and social education curriculum for Year 7 and 8 pupils.
It explains how a typical rock concert is around 100 decibels when the safe listening level is under 80 decibels.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths is launching the DVD at Maelor Secondary School, Wrexham, on Friday.
It will then be sent with a lesson plan to secondary schools across Wales.
Charity director Richard Williams said: "One in six of us will encounter problems with our hearing, but hearing loss and tinnitus associated with noise exposure could be prevented if people were more informed and aware of how to look after their hearing.
"Simple actions such as not listening to music too loud, or wearing ear plugs at loud concerts can all help to protect your hearing for the future."
'Louder than a drill' He said pupils learning about hearing loss and hearing protection as part of their school education was a "big step forward in helping to reduce the number of people affected by noise-induced hearing loss".
A spokesperson for the charity, formerly known as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), added: "Many of the loud noises that we expose our ears to could in fact lead to issues such as tinnitus and hearing loss in the future.
"The average rock concert exposes the ear to around 100 decibels, louder than a drill or busy train station and much higher than the safe listening level of under 80 decibels."
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) estimates 480,000 people in Wales are deaf or hard of hearing.


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Do you have a question for Dr. Vinny? Ask it here...
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Can you refrigerate red wine?
—Charles, London
Dear Charles,
Sure! Now, I wouldn't recommend storing wines of any color in a refrigerator for a long time—the ideal conditions for storing leftover potato salad and the ideal conditions for aging wine are different enough that an ordinary refrigerator is not your best bet for medium- or long-term wine storage. But if you want to chill down your reds before drinking them, go for it.
In fact, I believe that most red wines are drunk too warm (and that most whites are served too cold). I personally enjoy my reds with a slight chill on them—as in, taken out of a cellar's 55-degree temperature about an hour or so before serving. That's the equivalent of about 30 minutes in the fridge.
Of course, the fastest way to cool down a bottle is in an ice bath. In a restaurant, I've even been known to slip an ice cube or two into my glass of red wine if it's been served at a temperature that's too tepid for my tastes. And if you have an open bottle you can't finish, putting it in a refrigerator for a couple of days will give you some more mileage out of that wine.
—Dr. Vinny
We break down the basics—how to taste, serve, store and more. Plus:
» Maps of major wine regions
» Grape variety characteristics
Learn from the experts and get the most out of each sip. Take one of our online courses or take them all—from the ABCs of Tasting to in-depth seminars on Food Pairing, California Cabernet, Bordeaux, Tuscany, Sensory Evaluation and more.
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Learn Wine Forum: Got questions? Get answers


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In Conversation: Noel Rappin
This summer I had the chance to sit down and talk with Noel Rappin about Ruby on Rails, Ember.js, self-publishing, and the benefits of public speaking.
Noel's latest offerings of self-published technical books has brought us Mastering Space and Time With JavaScript and the upcoming Trust-Driven Development.
AB: How long have you been working with Rails, and what got you into it?
NR: Well, I'd been a web developer on and off since about 1998, starting with ColdFusion as my first tool. I got out of web consulting for a while and started hearing about Rails around 2007. I was managing a remote team split between Chicago and Poland, and I started building up a couple of tools that we could use to collaborate. The first Rails program I ever built was a little task tracker that you could think of as a very, very, stupid version of Pivotal Tracker.
AB: There are a lot of versions of Pivotal to be built out there.
NR: Yes! Yes, it was something I needed that could be built quickly, and Rails turned out to be really good at it. I was already a little bit familiar with Ruby, so it was nice to be able to write Ruby in a real context. It wasn't long after that when I moved back into web consulting and started working with Rails professionally – and started writing about it too.
AB: You bring up writing about Rails – one could say that you wrote the book on testing Rails apps.
NR: [laughing] You're just saying that because it's called that.
AB: Therefore it is! Right?
NR: Okay. Yeah.
AB: So how has the way that we test Rails apps changed since when you started working with Rails?
NR: Well, Rails has always had a very strong culture of testing, and one of the things that attracted me was that the core team put in a lot of great testing tools. So it had already started from a good foundation, and there's always been a sense in the community that testing is the right thing to do. What's changed over the last few years is that the tools have all gotten so much better – and there are more of them. We talk more specifically about unit tests versus integration tests in a more separated way than we did when I started working with Rails. I came to Test::Unit first, and then later to RSpec – after being kind of skeptical about it – and have started using other tools that didn't exist when I started, like Cucumber and Capybara.
AB: Is the Rails testing culture stronger now?
NR: I don't think that the community's attitude has changed about it, but I do think that more people in the community are really signing on to what what we like to believe that we all do.
AB: I remember as a beginner feeling aware of a strong test culture, but I think it's a common tendency to take for granted the things that you already know. You can grow comfortable with the TDD process and forget that some of this can be really tough for beginners – I remember that phase as a beginner. I go to meetups and there are a lot of questions about testing. Are we taking it for granted that we've gotten used to testing? Is it hard to test a Rails app?
NR: Well, it is hard to test certain things. I think one of the things I can't say that we've done is gotten a lot better at explaining how to do this to newcomers in the community, and I'm probably as much to blame for that as anybody –
AB: Ha!
NR: – but I think that there are two aspects that are difficult. One is that certain parts of a real application are just challenging to test, and they often tend to be important parts, like security and third-party tool integration. Also, for some things there are tricks for how to test them that you just need to learn, and it's not the natural red/green/refactor process; that can only take you so far. Figuring out how to write a good red test for dealing with a billing system is not trivial, and I think that that's one of the problems.
I also think that the message of why you do this kind of thing sometimes gets a little muddied – this has always been true about TDD since the term was invented. There's always been this ongoing conflict between testing as a tool for driving design and testing as a tool for validating your application, and I think people who are new to testing can get confused because they're actually doing one of those things and they think they're doing the other. They're writing tests as though they're driving design and they're surprised it's not validating their app and catching all their errors, or they're writing tests because they're validating their app, and the design part of it feels really tedious. But those are two separate activities.
AB: Absolutely. I think that that's a very good reflection on the kinds of confusion I've seen with newcomers, where they're writing a test but they're not sure exactly why.
NR: One thing that I think has changed in the community – and I think this is an outgrowth of now having longer lived applications – is that there's a lot more attention to dealing with legacy test suites and a lot more attention to object-oriented structure. In the last year and a half or so, a lot of discussions in the Rails comment have come down to the fact that we have to maintain older applications – codebases that we may wish we architected differently when they started.
AB: In mentioning Rails Test Prescriptions compared to what you're doing now, you have experience on both sides of the publishing spectrum. You've done the traditional publishing company route and also the DIY self-publishing approach.
NR: Yes. I've also gone in both directions in that I had a DIY book that became a traditionally published book and a traditionally published book that became a DIY book. [both laughing] Yeah, it's a little weird.
AB: So how and why did you get started self-publishing?
NR: I actually started with self-publishing. Rails Test Prescriptions was originally self-published for a specific reason: I wanted to write about testing because I wanted to write about something I felt I really knew and didn't need to research. At the same time, I knew the publisher I wanted to work with, Pragmatic, was working on an RSpec book – so I just assumed they wouldn't be interested in another testing book. So I decided to self-publish, which I did for about six months, even though the tools for self-publishing and distributing books when I started doing this in 2009 weren't as good as they are now.
It was very, very hard at the time to come up with a place that would easily distribute digital media and allow you to send updates. In fact, I actually wound up having to hack my own because there wasn't a service that provided that at the time. A few months in, Brian Hogan actually suggested that I submit the book to Pragmatic, which I did, and they bought it – so then it became a traditionally published book.
There's an immediacy to self-publshing that you don't get from a traditional publisher – even a really agile company like Pragmatic. I see every time an order comes in. I see the name of the person – [laughing] – which also tells you that I'm not getting so many orders that it's an avalanche distracting me from everything else I'm doing – but there's a connection there. Self-publishing is enough of a novelty that a lot of the people that buy the book become very invested in its success, and that doesn't really happen with traditional publishing. People have gone well beyond sending me corrections and actually do copy edits. It's really gratifying to have people donate some time to help in that way. You gain a lot of control over your distribution, your layout, things like that – and you give up some resources in terms of having access to professional designers and editors and marketing – so everything is a tradeoff, but I have a lot of fun doing it myself.
AB: Do you have any advice for prospective authors whether they're pursuing self-publishing or another medium to get their work out?
NR: You don't need to be an expert in a topic to start something. It helps, but it actually helps less than you might think. If you come to something already as an expert, a lot of times you've kind of lost touch with the process of learning something new, and that can make it harder to get in the mindset of explaining something to someone coming in cold. Now, the topic does need to be something that you become an expert in over the course of working on a book. Writing a book is a long process, and if it's not something you're really excited about learning more of then the process will be really, really long.
I recommend if you've never really done anything like that to start with something shorter. Blogs are great for this kind of thing – if you set yourself the goal of doing regular blogging, like "every Wednesday I'll write about a gem that I use" or "every Thursday I'll write something new I learned while working on my Ember app." That's a good way to start easing into the rhythm of working on something regularly, and it's also a really good way to build traffic. One of the best ways to build traffic is to just be there consistently and get people in the habit of finding content in a particular place.
AB: I really enjoyed your talk at RailsConf this year where you were going over some of your experiences with Javascript frameworks. When did you start giving talks and throwing your hat into the ring at conferences – was it before or after your writing career?
NR: I had done a couple of talks in grad school at SIGCHI (the computer human interactions conference), so speaking came really naturally for me when I joined the Ruby community. My first talk submission, I think, was contemporaneous with the first thing I published in the Rails community. That's something that I really like. You know there really aren't very many technical communities that have the kind of consistent regional get-togethers that Ruby communities have, and to be able to go and meet people doing the same things and facing the same problems is really great. When they occasionally let me get in front of a bunch of them and try to explain something, it's even better.
AB: I think, for most people, 'natural' and 'public speaking' are not words that they put together in the same part of their vocabulary. You should probably consider yourself lucky in that regard.
NR: You know, it's a skill like anything else. And if you've done it a few times, you get better at it and are less nervous. Merlin Mann, the podcaster and writer, talks about really thinking about the worst things that's going to happen – nobody's going to eat you.
AB: [laughing]
NR: I also was in a lot of theater and that kind of stuff when I was in high school, and that was deliberately because it was something that made me nervous. I wanted it to not make me nervous, because it's a really useful skill to be comfortable with that kind of thing, in part because so many people aren't. Just showing up is a big part of success, and if you're the person who's comfortable getting in front of a group of people, you become associated with being knowledgeable because you're communicating that.
NR: With Mastering Space and Time you've been writing not just about Javascript but about a lot of frameworks as well. Are you using some frameworks that you haven't written about? Is your writing about a framework kind of a 'Noel Rappin Endorsement' of that framework?
NR: [laughing] It's an endorsement in that it's something I found interesting enough at the time to write about it. I was actually using Ember as I was writing about it. I was not writing a large-scale Backbone application at the time, although I was doing some smaller projects with it. At the time that I started writing about Ember there was a huge gap in documentation and that's much, much less true now eight months later. There's Ember content all over the place now. I've been asked a couple of times if I'm going to add something on Angular, and I'm resistant in part because I don't really know much about it yet, and I'm not sure that that's where I want to spend time next – but there does seem to be some interest, so that might be something that I look at.
If it's an endorsement, then it will usually pretty explicitly say that in what I write. It will come through pretty clearly what parts I'm endorsing and what parts I'm not. I don't think I'm at all shy when I talk about parts of Javascript that that absolutely make no sense, and that carries through to frameworks too.
AB: I've been getting really into Ember and finding that I like it a lot; you stay pretty partial in the books in talking about Backbone and Ember – but would it be fair to ask for your Ember pitch? What excites you about Ember?
NR: I'm actually really excited about Ember. I think that it's very powerful, and Yehuda has gone on record talking about how their goal was to try and pull the best practices from a lot of different frameworks in and opinionated kind of way, and I think that they've been pretty successful with that.
One of the things that really encourages me about it is that they've been very, very good at listening to the community that's forming around them. Their original router syntax was really, really hard to work with, and they got a lot of feedback on it and came up with another one that was better – and got a lot of feedback on that and came out with another one that was actually even better. They've made a lot of updates to the framework that have been motivated by people's experience using the it. They started from a place of trying to do something really powerful and ambitious, but they've admitted in cases where they were wrong, and they've taken things that were maybe more difficult than they needed to be and put a lot of effort into improving them. You see that happening right now with Ember Data, which has some very well-documented limitations and problems, and they're really making a concerted effort to polish that up right now.
AB: I was not one of the people who had tried Ember or SproutCore early on, but in combination with Yehuda's talk and your talk at RailsConf, I got the sense that this is definitely a time to try Ember if you're remotely interested in Javascript frameworks.
NR: Yeah, it seems like it needs about a year of thousands of developers building apps on it to really get to where it needs to be. Rails was the same way. Rails in the 1.0 and pre-1.0 times was obviously trying to do a lot of things that frameworks hadn't done very well in the past. It succeeded at some of them and didn't succeed at others – and they were also open (for the most part) to improvements based on the actual community's experiences using it. There's a lot of that process going on with Ember right now.
AB: I don't want to lead you into any topic that you don't wish to discuss, so let me know if it's okay – but for a while in the Rails community, there was an undeniably massive topic: there were these two very large companies, these deal sites –
NR: [laughing]
AB: – huge Rails companies that were hiring, from the outside perspective, practically all Rails developers. This has died down somewhat as an issue, but a couple of years ago this was the hot topic.
NR: Now it's just GitHub hiring them all, right?
AB: [laughing] Yes. So for people who don't have that experience, what is it like to work in a massive Rails company that was basically competing with another massive Rails company?
NR: I actually feel like I am pretty comfortable talking about this, because I can be completely up front and say that my experience at Groupon was really idiosyncratic. I can speak with perfect authority on something that has nothing to do with anybody else's experience, and with intermittent authority on stuff that has nothing to do with me at all.
AB: [laughing]
NR: I joined Groupon as part of a group of developers that came in when Groupon purchased the consulting company Obtiva, and I went straight into a role at Groupon that largely involved internal developer training, so I never had the experience of being a normal part of a regular development team at Groupon.
I think that one of the things about the way that Groupon was organized – at least the Rails side of it, and again I'm speaking from a somewhat outsider perspective – is that they tended towards smaller autonomous teams. Teams tended to have their own structures and way of doing things, so experiences there tended to vary quite widely. Some teams were really committed to testing and agile practices like pairing, and some other teams just weren't.
So there was a very, very wide range in Groupon. The company – I think for reasons that made sense – was not really interested in mandating stuff from the top, and for whatever reason there was never (at least in the time that I was there) a really strong push for a unification of that kind of stuff. There were some common tools being used – there was a continuous integration set of tools built on a Jenkins core that they'd built up that was well suited to having 250 Rails developers hitting the same codebase, which Jenkins just is not suited for out of the box. That aspect of it was interesting, but in practice it tended to be a lot of small teams sort of pointed in the same direction more than it felt like one really big team.
AB: That's probably the healthiest way for something like that to work. I couldn't imagine feeling like there were 250 Rails developers on my team.
NR: Yeah, and that's unsustainable. But what's tricky about that is that a lot of those teams really were sharing a codebase, and probably sharing a codebase more efficiently than they were sharing knowledge about that codebase. Again, I can speak with no authority whatsoever on what actually happened on the internals of these teams. But it was very interesting to see what Rails development looks like with that many people throwing code in the same codebase, and throwing tests in the same test suite, and how you start to control the sizes of those, and how you deal with situations that the framework really wasn't designed to handle.
AB: You have a new book in the works, right?
NR: Yes. Trust Driven Development It's currently available at an introductory price, which means that you get the introduction and nothing else yet. [laughing] The idea to write about software projects is something that I've wanted to do for a long time. We talk a lot about craft as it applies to how we put our code together, and how we put our applications together – but there's another side to that craft, in terms of how we put projects together, and how we relate to the people that we're building software for, whether they're an internal client or an external client or customer. There are right and wrong things to do, and there's a professionalism inherent there too – and I have opinions about that. It's something that I've wanted to write down for a while. Right now my biggest worry is that it's going to come out as series of huge angry rants –
AB: [laughing]
NR: I'm taking care to mold it into something that is more appropriately structured as a book and less like a cranky guy telling everyone to get off his lawn. A lot of it is about the relationship between development teams and either the management or the customers, and how you can build trust. It's tricky to write about that and not make it sound like one side or the other is always right, because of course it's complicated – and as much as developers have issues making themselves understood to the teams that are depending on them, those teams also have difficulty making themselves understood to developers.
It can become a frustrating exercise on both sides, so a lot of this is about techniques and processes to try and improve the way these teams work together. A lot of is Agile based. I think that among the reasons Agile processes work is that they give you a lot of small opportunities to build trust. The Agile community describes it as feedback, and what that turns out to be is a lot of situations where you have a chance to say "I told you I was going to do this, I did it", "I told you this was going to be difficult, it was difficult", "I told you that this would be easier if you did something a certain way, and it turns out that that's true."
At some point in the project, you as the developer are going to have to go to somebody and say "something went wrong," "this is a lot more complicated than we thought", or "we just made a mistake." I talk in the introduction of the book – which is also available online for free right now – about this being the moment when you're at the auto mechanic and the mechanic comes to you and says "you need new brakes, it'll cost $2000". Is that a good price? Do I need new brakes? I have to trust that this person understands what's happening and is communicating that to me effectively, because I don't understand it myself. It's incumbent on the mechanic to be right, and also to explain the problem to me in a way that leads me to that same understanding.
As developers, when we're working with people that are outside the development team, we have to have that same ability. We need to be able to explain what we're doing, and when things go wrong we need to be able to say so – and what happens when you say something has gone wrong depends on how much trust you've built up to that point. If you've built up a lot of credibility by doing things well and meeting commitments, then ideally you have a certain amount of leeway when you need to say "oh, this is actually more complicated that we thought and it's going to take some extra time." The boy who cried wolf becomes a real issue here. If you always say that then the one time you really need it you have less credibility when you ask.
AB: Absolutely. I think those are very good topics for consultants as well as in-house developers – all of that applies regardless of your customer.
NR: Yeah, I hope so. It's a mix of theoretical stuff about process and practical stuff – like how to have an IPM that actually is effective. I'm enjoying writing it, and I'm hoping to structure it into something that other people will find useful.
Noel Rappin is a developer at Table XI. He is the author of Rails Test Prescriptions, Trust-Driven Development, and Mastering Space and Time With JavaScript.


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Reiki is life-force energy hand's on healing.
Right. But what is Reiki really?
Reiki is a safe, gentle healing technique that compliments traditional healing.
Right. But what is Reiki really?
Reiki is something that you need to experience first hand if you truly want to understand what Reiki really is. We can use many words to describe the benefits and outcomes of Reiki but until we really feel Reiki energy flowing through our bodies, I don't think you can truly get what Reiki is.
Reiki is many things….
It is Energy, of course, but it has many benefits also…
Reiki helps to reduce stress. You can come to a Reiki healing session tense and stressed out from the day's or week's events and leave with a peace and tranquility that you thought was next to impossible to have.
Reiki promotes relaxation. It brings a serenity and bliss to your whole being like no other.
Reiki supports the body's innate ability to heal itself. Reiki energy is a Universal life-enhancing, life-changing, life-saving, life-force energy. It flows from the Universe through the Practitioner into you and re-charges your own energy to heal and renew.
Reiki reduces fatigue. Reiki should be a part of your self-care. It is energizing and transforming.
I can go on and on describing what Reiki is, but until you experience Reiki, words are just that…only words.
In February, May, August and November, I hold a Reiki Share in Oil City, PA for Reiki Practitioners who are attuned in Reiki I, II, or III, those who have had Reiki treatments and want to experience one again, and those who are interested in Reiki but have had no experience at all.
Don't worry that you have never experienced Reiki or aren't sure what it even is; we all have energy flowing through us. The difference is the amount of Reiki flow increases with attunements and experience.
A Reiki Share is a gathering of people who want to give and receive Reiki energy as a group. The energy is much more concentrated than a one-on-one session because you are having 3 to 6 people sending them Reiki at the same time instead of just one. You receive Reiki for only 10-15 minutes. But that is equivalent to a full half hour private session.
As in a private session, you remain fully dressed in comfortable clothes, except for shoes, lying on your back comfortably on a massage table. If you have a physical reason you cannot lie on the table, you can receive Reiki while sitting comfortably in a chair.
Since everyone is different, each treatment is different and your experience can differ each time. But the majority feel peaceful and relaxed when their time is over.
Interested in experiencing Reiki? Check out my Events page on Facebook for the next Reiki Share.
In love and light,


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Barbara Leech is a freelance writer and mother of four from Maine who lives with fibromyalgia, lupus and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. She considers herself a survivor of all things and is passionate about family, faith and small victories. Barbara is a writer for NewLifeOutlook|Fibromyalgia. For another one of Barbara's articles, please visit: http://fibromyalgia.newlifeoutlook.com/fibro-guilt/
My Fibro New Year's Resolutions
It is that time of year again when people start resolving to change their bad habits and promising to be healthier and wiser than they have been for the last 12 months.
New Year's resolutions are a tradition for many, and although the concept is often unsuccessful (often abandoned by February) I have reached a turning point with my fibromyalgia that I want to support with better, healthier behavior.
I have been in a period of "healthful calmness" for the last several weeks. I almost feel I must whisper it, so fate doesn't catch wind of my good fortune and suddenly take my health for a turn in the wrong direction.
I suffer from fibromyalgia, Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease) and lupus (autoimmune system attacking my body and organs) and all three seem to be under some level of control right now. My organs are doing well again and my hair has stopped falling out. Fibromyalgia seems to be hovering at a manageable level of pain each day. I still battle debilitating fatigue on some days, but it is not every day as it once was.
Life is easier to deal with. I am afraid to say the word "remission" out loud, but I think about it daily, hopeful with the possibility that peace might be mine for a little while. So naturally, I feel inspired to do all I can to support my health and keep my fibro as calm as possible. It may be time for some New Year's resolutions.
I have asked for advice from my rheumatologist, my endocrinologist, and cardiologist… all of whom are wonderful specialists, but who often lack solid answers. This time was no different. I got responses like, "Keep doing what you're doing," and, "Exercise more, but don't overdo it."
If I look at what seems to have worked best, what may have led to this moment when I have a bit of hope that next year could be more healthy for me, with fewer days of pain, it is hard to pinpoint a clear path to take. I've even looked back at my journals, which I keep for this very purpose of playing detective about what brings about relief and what triggers a flare.
What Stands out as Important?
As I craft my New Year's resolution list, I am not at all certain it will bring about a fibromyalgia remission, but I am hopeful it will create the best opportunity for my pain and fatigue to continue to ease — and maybe yours too.
Faith and hope are beautiful things and it is my hope that you will try to make a promise to yourself this coming year. It is so easy to choose things that are not the best for our health, from drinking soda or too much alcohol (ahhh the holidays) to eating fast food.
Fight the urge to indulge in things that make you feel worse and aggravate your fibromyalgia. I encourage you to compile a list of your own (or steal from mine), but try and put your health first for the next several months. Commit to being healthier than you are right now (mentally, spiritually and physically) and at the very least, you may have fewer bad days and be in a better position to fight your daily fibro battle.
My New Year's Resolution List
I asked a friend of mine who is a nutritionist to give me some advice, and with her thoughts and the insights from patterns I see in my journals, I've written down my resolutions:
* I will eat my veggies. I promise I will eat more veggies with each meal. My plate will be 75 percent veggies and 25 percent protein.
* I will try to avoid processed foods. Only turkey hotdogs, sandwich meat and bacon that are nitrate free will pass my lips. I will avoid chips and all those fun snacks at family gatherings and focus on the fruit and veggie platter.
* I will cut back on gluten intake. While I am not gluten intolerant (according to tests), I have read that limiting it as much as possible can make a difference in someone with fibromyalgia and autoimmune disease. * I will let go of my fibro guilt. Even though I have been feeling better for the last couple of months, I still have days when pain and fatigue come knocking on my door. I often allow fear of this to get me into what I call the "blame myself mode." I think about what I did to trigger it and I beat myself up for having fibromyalgia. This coming year I will not blame myself or feel guilty on days I must rest.
* I will stop envy and anger. I am embarrassed to admit that this is a big one for me. Even though I know it is wrong, it still sneaks up on me. Many people in my life are so happy and healthy… which is great, but it all plays out in front of me while I fight for normalcy. So no more jealousy or anger at the unfairness of the cards I have been dealt.
* I will remember to take my medications. My memory is horrible and in the past I have missed doses of medications for several days in a row. I will organize my meds so I cannot help but remember to take them. I will set an alarm on my phone as backup.
* I will exercise. Few people love to exercise, and it is so hard to get started when you feel pain each day during normal movement and activities. I have been better about exercising lately, probably because I have felt better, so movement is easier than it once was. I will keep up this momentum and get at least a little each day.
* I will rest. I am a bad sleeper. I struggle to sleep each night and because of work and kids, I never nap. I promise myself I will listen to my fatigue and say no to some activities when I am feeling exhausted.
I think deep down we all know what we could be doing better, letting go of and putting into our bodies that we are not, to improve how we feel. Fibromyalgia is a strong foe, so to have any hope of winning this war, we must look out for ourselves and take care of our bodies. This is the typical focus of most New Year's resolutions, but for a fibro-warrior, it is even more, important to commit to taking care of yourself better in the coming year.
Thank you for your guest post today Barbara!
Stay fabulous!


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Working closely with Board members, homeowners, and service personnel, Community Managers coordinate and execute community operations. Responsibilities may include:
- Identifying and resolving major and minor issues within the community.
- Advising the Board and enacting Board decisions in keeping with industry best practices and legal constraints.
- Assisting the Board with meeting preparation and attendance.
- Administering vendor contracts and overseeing maintenance work.
Assistant Community Managers are a convenient and accessible in-office presence for community members. The Assistant Community Manager expedites the
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- Acting as a consistent first point of contact for homeowners, Board members and vendors.
- Issuing violation letters, informational notices, and other correspondence.
- Processing architectural applications, clubhouse rentals, pool key requests, and more.
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At Omega, we take pride in the way we build relationships with the Board and general membership in each of the communities we manage. When you call our office during normal business hours, you'll always be greeted by a representative who is ready to help you get the information you need. Similarly, each Association's contract is created based on the community's specific needs. We'll listen and talk with you to find out which combination of the below services will work best for you—it may be all, or it may be just a few:
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Request more information
To request more information, simply submit our online Request for Management Proposal form. We'll follow up with you to answer any questions, learn more about your Association's needs, and discuss how we can help you.


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Hear tomorrow's opera stars today!
Meet the 2013 winners of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, straight from the Grand Finals concert on the Met stage the previous day, in their first New York performances as winners. Met Opera star and former National Council Audition Winner Eric Owens joins them in a varied program of operatic selections. Hosted by Operavore's Naomi Lewin.
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions has been discovering promising young opera talent for nearly 60 years. About 100 former participants appear on the Met roster every season. Past award recipients include Renée Fleming, Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson.


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Category: Home > Arts > Literature
American Literature - Library of America - Fiction, History, & Poetry
The Library of America offers American literature, including poems, novels, essays, drama and other American works from America�s best writers, in durable and authoritative editions.
Online space for contemporary poetry and prose edited by Jody Porter.
Literature Collection
Free online literature library
Centra - CMU Libraries' Catalog
Explore Centra - CMU Libraries' Catalog: a user friendly search and discovery tool for library materials and more.
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada preserves and makes accessible the documentary heritage of Canada. It also serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions. This heritage includes publications, archival records, sound...
Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature
A comprehensive anthology and guide to English literature of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Seventeenth Century, Restoration and Eighteenth Century
Writing Community for Writers, Readers and Literary Agents. Submit Works, Read & Rate Writings
Channel your literary genius through WEbook, an online community where you can share your works, get feedback from other writers & readers, and find literary agents. Get noticed by posting on PagetoFame where your writing can be voted on.
Rare Book Room
The "Rare Book Room" site has been constructed as an educational site intended to allow the visitor to examine and read some of the great books of the world.
The Crystal Ship: A Science Fiction Fairy-Tale
Official website for children's novel, "The Crystal Ship". Everything you could possibly want to know and more, including an excerpt and a slideshow of Mauro Vargas' stunning artwork.
Clips, Etc - Myra Bellin, Essays
Creative nonfiction writer offers writing clips, as well as a photo gallery featuring travel photos and a collection of her ceramic wheel-thrown pieces.


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Congratulations, Monika. I wish you much success with your show. (and you look beautiful!)
Your drawings are so sweet and girly, I love this secesion style:) really great job:) xxFlara
Oh! How did you know? I absolutely adore comments, thank you! :-) I appreciate all the feedback I get xx


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McDowell competes in auctioneer contest
Andrew McDowell of Vandalia, competed in the World Livestock Auctioneer Contest last Friday in Montgomery, Ala.
The contest is an annual event sponsored by the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA), in conjunction with its annual meeting and is held at various markets throughout the U.S. and Canada.
McDowell is sponsored by Greenville Livestock Auction, which is Illinois' largest livestock auction market. Owned by J.R. Hugo, and Travis and Shaina Diekemper, it is a second-generation, family owned business.
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How To Make Leather and Ring Necklace
You can make such a bracelet by yourselves. You just need a suitable string and elements to thread on it. The colour and the type of the ornaments depend on you. Knot the string as shown and you'll get your new beautiful bracelet.


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Donna Lebano was at a Chicago Blackhawks playoff hockey game last week, and it was a good one. So when she went into labor during the second period, it would have been tough for the ardent hockey fan to leave ... so she didn't.
She was there with her three sisters for a girls' night out. According to WGNTV, she was only eight months along and thought she still had weeks to go, but her son had other ideas. And Donna had other ideas than most women in labor probably would have -- she wasn't about to let his impending arrival get in the way of her seeing the end of the game.
She told the station:
No way was I leaving. We are a Hawks family. I had to see the end of the game.
Talk about a hardcore fan. So she stayed, and after the Hawks secured the win, her sisters rushed her to the hospital. Shortly thereafter, she delivered her son, who weighed in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Both mom and baby were fine, but what a way to push the limit.
She's not a first-time mother, so that likely had something to do with her choice, but I think it also shows that she is not someone who is going to let her children dictate all of her choices in life -- and that's okay. I'm sure some will call her irresponsible and selfish, and yes, things could have gone wrong, but they didn't.
Today's parents (myself included) are so wrapped up and involved in our children's lives from the moment of conception, often giving up our lives as we knew them. It's so different from the way I was raised when parents were so much further removed and nonchalant about everything from our birth plan (did they even exist?) to our schoolwork to what we did when we walked out the front door. We devote ourselves out of love for our children, because we want to do what's best for them, but I'm not sure that always putting them first is what's best for them or us, and Donna seems to be drawing a line pretty early that she has other priorities. I don't think that makes her a bad mom.
Personally, I would have delayed drawing that line at least until after I delivered the child, because boy was she pushing it. But it all ended well, and what a birth story they have to tell.
She told ABC:
We're doing fantastic and we think of Owen as Hossa's hat trick. Two goals in a playoff game and a baby delivered moments after getting to the hospital is an epic hat trick.
Do you think it was irresponsible to stay for the end of the game rather than heading to the hospital?
Image via WGNTV


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Outreach Trip to Greater Manchester
During September, the College Outreach Officer spent a week in Greater Manchester visiting schools across the region to deliver a range of sessions about Oxford and higher education more generally. What follows below is an account of the week and some reflections on it by Brendan Shepherd (Outreach Officer and Admissions Administrator).
Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 September
The week began with a series of events run collaboratively with colleagues from Murray Edwards and Pembroke Colleges, Cambridge. These events were aimed at Year 13 students imminently applying to either Oxford or Cambridge, and focussed on delivering information, advice and guidance regarding the interview process used by both universities. Emphasis was on the discussion-based nature of interviews and the ways in which candidates can demonstrate their aptitude for their chosen course within this context. Feedback for these events - which were attended by around 250 students - was overwhelmingly positive, with most respondants noting that their confidence ahead of the admissions process had increased; a common comment made concerned the understanding gained that tutors in interview scenarios are keen to set candidates at ease and are not attempting to pose impossible, or trick, questions! These events were kindly hosted by Xaverian College (Manchester), Aquinas College (Stockport), Holy Cross College (Bury), and Loreto Grammar (Altrincham), and are likely to be repeated in 2016.
Above right: Corpus Senior Tutor Dr Mark Wormald (second from the right) with Cambridge colleagues waiting for a tram in central Manchester.
Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September
For the following two days, I undertook a series of schools visted in Salford, Trafford, Manchester, and Tameside; these visits were predominantly aimed at Key Stage 4 students (Years 10 and 11) and focussed on asking them to consider their future options with regards to Higher Education and Oxford. Issues dealt with in these sessions included: the benefits of going to university, myths about Oxford (and Cambridge), students' financial concerns, what it is like to study and live as a student at Oxford, what students might go on to do after studying at a university like Oxford, and the long-term preparations students can make ahead of a potential application. Common to each of these sessions was a fantastic level of student engagement and questioning, and a thoroughly impressive level of consideration students in all schools were giving to their future options. Each of these visits was arranged following a request from a teacher within a school, and similar requests can be sent to email@example.com at any time!
Below, from left to right: welcome screen at Longdendale High in Hollingworth; speaking to students at Moorside High in Salford; speaking to students at West Hill School in Stalybridge.
Friday 25 September
The final day of the trip took me beyond Greater Manchester, and up into Lancashire to visit Carr Hill High School. This is not an area covered by Corpus through the regionalisation scheme, but on this occasion I was making a visit on behalf of the Queen's College. This following a similar format to earlier visits, with a session delivered to a group of Year 10 and 11 students about their future options. However, it was followed by a HE Fair where representatives from other local universities came and students could speak to each of us individually about what our institutions have to offer them. As with the rest of the week, the welcome from students and staff alike was very friendly, and this was a fantastic way to end the trip before catching a train back to Oxford (via the lovely station at Preston).


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I'm sharing a fun set of cards I made using the new It's a nerd thing set from Sunsational stamps
This card I found on the SIL store and I immediately thought of this set to go with it.
I put crystal effects on all of the glasses on the card fronts. I used the negative cuts from the card to place over the bear, I thought he looked a little shocked so I tried to make it look like he's part of the circuit board.
This is what I put inside this card.
For the next card I found some paper with lines on it that looks like school paper. I lined the main layer with a silver marker. I like how the offset lined paper looks.
Here's a close up of the lizard, he's so cute. I put the tiger inside this card.
And for my favorite of this set! I used the rest of the pieces from the set on this card and put the snake on an action wobble.


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I've had a few people complain about registration "closing early" so I thought I'd explain how it works.
Because of the way myautoevents.com is set up, registration has to close at midnight.
If I set the deadline for midnight on Saturday night, that means I have to download the registrations and import them to the laptop the morning of the actual autocross, which isn't very convenient.
So, I set registration to close at midnight on Friday night. That way I have all day Saturday to get it downloaded and imported to the laptop... and if myautoevents is down (which happens), I have a day for them to get it running again. If its down Sunday morning when I try to download the registrations, we're all screwed.
So, to reiterate, registration closes at midnight on Friday night... always has.
If you are iffy about being able to make it to an event, so ahead and register early anyway. Its better to have you in the system and a few extra no-shows won't cause any problems.
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Jack Gibberman, Australia


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- Posted on: 2014-04-19 15:43:38
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Map location: 36801, Opelika, Lee, Alabama, USA
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United will next meet one of six in Europe
The eight Champions League groups have been completed, all sixteen qualifiers for the knock out stage have been identified – and Manchester United now have a much better idea of who may be their next opponent in February. Nine clubs will definitely be avoided because they are either fellow Group Winners, Premier League clubs who cannot meet each other and Valencia who were in the same group as United in the first round. The clubs that United CANNOT possibly meet are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, Shakhtar Donetsk, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal


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its own website.
They even have an award, called the Lowsman Trophy (that's the opposite of the Heisman Trophy). Instead of the famous running back with extended arm, this trophy features a shocked player dropping the ball.
Most of the time the player chosen has no real pro football career to speak of. But occasionally Mr. Irrelevant does something notable. Marty Moore, MI 94, played in a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots and has had a 10-year career. Conversely, some of the highest players chosen in the draft, such as quarterback Ryan Leaf, are famous more for their flameouts than their on-field productivity. In other words, the NFL draft is one large gamble, with little correlation between draft order and performance. Yet teams continue to covet high draft status, wanting "relevant" selections that will have an immediate and long-term impact.
The idea of relevancy can get a little confused, in both pro football and in ministry. In the church, some circles strongly emphasize it, while others are stridently opposed to the concept of being "relevant." On one hand, there is an entire ministry magazine called Relevant. You might guess their opinion. It reflects the relevancy concerns of the seeker movement that has been popular since the 1980s. On the other hand, some might say the recent movement called Emergent could be appropriately named Irrelevant, with its emphasis on stepping away from pop culture awareness and its search for new, authentic expressions of faith.
A church that I work closely with experiences the tension of the "relevancy" debate on a regular basis. The pastor is highly interested in relevance. His desire is to break down barriers that prevent people from encountering Jesus. He likes to use language such as, "Our church is a place where you can use 'fun' and 'church' in the same sentence. He also says the people of the congregation are far from perfect, but they're 'real.' The understated theology is that God is present in the places where we live, as sinful as we may be. This is the essence of the Incarnation. It could be said that the pastor's focus is on the human Jesus – the one who hung out with sinners and tax collectors.
The worship leader, however, is highly interested in what he usually describes as "deeper" worship. He says that his goal is to create a worship environment that enables people to glorify God and know God's presence. In worship, he uses language such as, "Let's enter into a time of worship," and, "Let's give honor and respect to God today." The understated theology is that we as sinful people must cleanse ourselves through faith in Jesus to experience the presence of a God who is without sin and wholly Other. This is the doctrine of sanctification, or to be made holy and set apart for God. It could be said that his focus is on the divine Jesus – the one who became transfigured on the mountaintop.
These may seem like fairly opposite goals and beliefs. In some ways, they are. But these two points of view are not mutually exclusive and can (and I believe should) coexist in the way the Gospel is communicated. For my church, it has on occasion created tension. But his church is better off for it. Because of the Pastor's and worship leader's unique personalities and passions, the Christian paradox of being cultural and yet counter-cultural at the same time remains present in this church community.
When a congregation experiences this paradox, it is in a very real way reflecting an ancient tension. At the Council of Chalcedon, in the year 451, the church confessed Jesus as truly man, truly God. Two natures that are in perfect unity. This belief is about as universal as it gets in the Christian Church.
The thing is, although we confess it with our mouths, we often don't show it in our actions. Many churches can't handle the tension, and end up focusing on the human side (being "in the world," or relevant), or the divine side (being "not of this world," or irrelevant). As RC Sproul states,
When we think about the Incarnation, we don't want to get the two natures mixed up and think that Jesus had a deified human nature or a humanized divine nature. We can distinguish them, but we can't tear them apart because they exist in perfect unity.
If the two natures – human and divine – are equally present in Jesus, this means the challenge for those in ministry is to always hold the two in tension. To not get so engrossed in connection that discipleship is lost, or not to get so engrossed in discipleship that the door closes to the world. As a user named Dave commented in our reading section the other day,
We use relevance to the culture to form relationships and do effective evangelism. Then, we build a counter-culture in which people become holy. There is a tension here. I notice that some churches only do cultural relevance. Others only do counter-culture. I so want to hold these in tension. I want to be cultural enough to attract and communicate effectively. I want to be counter-cultural enough to annoy people out of complacency and into submission to Christ – the sanctifying work in their lives.
In other words, to maintain cultural relevancy even as we strive to create a culture different than the culture at large.
At the church where we got our start in ministry, Ginghamsburg, we experienced a period in which the effort to be relevant surpassed the effort to create a thriving counter culture. We were doing a great job of using cultural language and images to attract people, but the back door was almost as big as the front door. Many people left, or stayed mired in their human condition, because in our rapid growth we didn't yet have discipleship programs to match evangelistic programs. Ginghamsburg has since shifted the focus of their ministry to an attempt to do both at the same time – to speak with a relevant voice while simultaneously emphasizing discipleship and counter cultural living. The church body has grown both spiritually and numerically because of these efforts.
The focus on relevancy without the balance of creating a counter culture unfortunately has happened a lot in the church, especially during the "seeker" period of the 80s and 90s. Out of these movements a newer emphasis on what some call "believer" worship has emerged. Taken from the classic tension, the emphasis on the human Jesus is now shifting back toward the divine Jesus.
The use of visual media gets caught in the undertow when it is closely associated with relevant worship and is seen as primarily a tool for outreach. Images are not only for outreach purposes. It is true that biblical truth can be expressed in ways that are potentially more enlightening through images relevant to our culture, when compared to images that have long established meanings in the church.
But contrary to what some demonstrate, images may be used for devotion as well. Any single association is false, just as any would be for the printed word. Both are merely mediums for creating an experience of God in worship and are equally valid. This means images are good for worship that strives to be relevant and also good for worship that strives to make disciples. the languages of image, music and spoken word have resonance in both cultural connection and counter-cultural discipleship.
This marriage of the human and divine languages creates an awareness of the Spirit that believers and non-believers alike can find hope and meaning in. The nets are cast much wider when we balance the use of these two powerful communication forms for both outreach and discipleship. It is when we exclude one purpose or the other that the catch is greatly reduced.
If Jesus is both human and divine, and if our goal is to proclaim the Word and make disciples, then we need to be willing to stay near the human Jesus even as we are drawn to the divine Jesus. If we follow the lead of Jesus' ministry on earth, we'll find ourselves striving to communicate in a relevant way through stories and parables that relate to people living in this time. We need to learn how to remain relevant even as we create a counter-culture separate and apart from the world.


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Potassium Hexadecanoate-2,2-d2
Additional Information
Product No. D-5092 Product Name Potassium Hexadecanoate-2,2-d2 Synonym(s) Potassium Palmitate Isotopic Enrichment 98 atom % D Formula CH3(CH2)13CD2COOK Molecular Weight 296.52 CAS Number 203805-86-1 CAS Number 2624-31-9 Shipping Hazards NON-HAZARDOUS FOR TRANSPORT Category Fatty Acids,Detergents Functional Groups Carboxylic Acids & Salts Storage Conditions Store at room temperature Stability Stable if stored under recommended conditions (see section 7 of SDS). After three years, the compound should be re-analyzed for chemical purity before use. SDS D-5092.pdf Certificate of Analysis Search for Certificate of Analysis Print Page Print Product


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Unicorn's Jewels @ AUD$11
Made of an imported gold plated unicorn charm, gold plated chains and findings, sweet fabric ribbon and semi precious stone. Length is approx 46cm.
Only 1 made, no remakes.
Copying designer's creation is prohibited, please respect this simple rule.
Payment can be done through paypal.
I ship worldwide! Shipping is at AUD$4.00 flat to anywhere in the world! I combine shipping at no costs. Shipping will take about 3-10 working days, depending on where you are.


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Blue chips tried to muster an advance Tuesday, encouraged by a rally in bank stocks, but comments from Bernanke hung over the market like a cloud.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said late Monday that high energy prices risk increasing overall inflation but that the central bank would "strongly resist" any tendency for an inflationary psychology to take hold. Many in the market took that as an indication the Fed could raise rates too cool prices.
The dollar rose and light, sweet crude declined following Bernanke's comments.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with positive territory. The S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq held modest losses, with the brunt being felt in tech stocks as investors worried inflation could clamp down on tech firms' competitive advantage overseas.
Financials rebounded after the Bank Index (BKX) hit a five-year low on Monday.
Washintgon Mutual was up 10 percent after sliding 17 percent on Monday to their lowest price in 16 years amid projections that the nation's largest savings and loan could see its write-downs hit $27 billion by 2011 due to the impact of mortgage-related holdings.
National City shares also jumped on news the Midwest bank chain has reached an agreement with regulators on its ability to manage capital, risk and liquidity.
Lehman Brothers , however, skidded more than 6 percent to a five-year low amid continued concerns about the firm's stability. A slew of brokerage firms downgraded their ratings on Lehman stock and lowered price and earnings targets.
"I think we put in a double bottom on the financial crisis," Art Cashin, floor manager for UBS, told CNBC. But, "later, we're going to roll over and make -– or break to -– a new bottom on the recession."
"Suddenly out of a calm sky, the sky is filled with hawks. They seem to be attacking the market," Cashin said, referencing the Hitchcock classic, "The Birds." "The hawks are everywhere and I can't find a telephone booth to hide in!" Cashin said.
Apple rebounded after taking a beating in the prior session amid profit-taking following the release of the new iPhone. Shares of Apple had jumped 50 percent in the last three months.
Citigroup raised its price target on Apple to $287 from $248 with a "buy" rating, and Lehman raised it to $234 from $202, maintaining its overweight rating.


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Doyle died simply. Or so they told me. The actual truth of it didn't come out until later. I was simply told that he was dead. Case and point.
Translation: I am free.
Or am I?
How did he die? We're not sure…there were so many possibilities. I knew because Serkis told me. Another late night visit, another blood-covered girl. It was all the same.
Doyle was beaten, broken, stabbed, shot…you name it and they found it in him. Sylum was at the head of the investigation. It wasn't a long case – rival drug dealers burst in during the night, kicked the shit out of him, and left him for dead. Open and shut.
At least that's the story we told the fans.
When it came to Doyle, nobody was all that…adoring.
Things were far from simple. Things were insanely far from simple. It was a few weeks later when this all surfaced. I was getting along with Sylum better, but I couldn't seem to charm my way into getting out. I tried everything I had up my sleeve. And when that failed, I pulled out the last ace.
I'm young. I'm cute. And I'm stuck here with a guy.
I spent every waking moment with him, poking and prodding and trying for any sort of leeway. No such luck. We were sitting around one night, talking about, I'm not sure…and smoking. He always shared. I was next to him. He wouldn't touch me. Serkis' warnings are always cashed in if broken, he told me. Knowing her, I believed him.
It was late – we'd been up all night talking. At the moment, I couldn't remember what was so interesting. Sylum had gotten up a while ago to take some medication for a headache. I remember having to shift position. He had come back and I'd curled up next to him. I only remember vague bits and pieces of events. Nothing solid. Nothing continuous.
"If you did touch me, you think Serkis would ever know?" I asked softly. I had the tone of a child, asking a friend, hypothetically, if I could get away with my crime before the parents got home. He shrugged.
"I'm not risking anything with her. She is vicious, that one."
I smiled at him. "Mr. Big Bad Law Man is afraid of little ole Serkis. That's funny. You're scared of a girl."
"You're trouble, you know that? And I'm not afraid of her. And that girl is far from little. And you damn well know it. What are you playing at?"
"I don't play games. I just lead the distraction."
"Oh, that's right." He poked me in the side, a childish sort of motion. "Happy now?"
I laughed and shrugged. It was a foreign concept for him to be with people – that was obvious. He was alone in his little steel cage and it suited him. He was safe and nothing could hurt him. He had security on all sides – anything he needed, Doyle provided. I brought this to his attention. He just got quiet.
"And you know everything, do you? You're the expert on my life?"
"I've been kept prisoner in your apartment for weeks. I've had massive amounts of time to formulate my theory. It holds water."
"Does it?" He was trying to outwit me. I smiled wider.
"You lock your bedroom. What the hell am I going to do to it?"
"Everyone has a right to privacy."
"How come you never bring anybody over?"
"I have you here."
I laughed. "My room locks. From the outside. And don't pretend you didn't know that."
He was losing ground and he knew it. He got all huffy, took in a deep breath and started. "I don't think my lifestyle is any of your business and if I want to be alone and it suits me, you should respect that. This is my territory and you are just a visiting guest, the traveling show. And who are you to lecture me on or about anything? You're just…a child."
I jumped up and kissed him. To shut him up. To prove my point. And he didn't stop me. Everything in him shook for a moment. But he didn't push me away. I was right and he was wrong. And he knew it. Loneliness is a disease.
Needless to say, I finally saw what his room looked like that night. And I got to sleep in a real bed for a change, instead of my makeshift deal down the hall. For the first time in weeks.
Serkis showed up the next morning. She had news. Doyle was dead. And I was going home. I would leave my newfound security. I would leave Sylum and I would stay away. I would go nowhere near him. There was an investigation going on. I had to let him do his job.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to kick and scream. Serkis said that Doyle was dead. She said that Sylum knew this in advance but had kept the information from me. Serkis had requested to tell me herself. I felt betrayed. I was thrown back to the hellish little group that I had started with, my misery packed over my shoulder. I wanted to cry and kick and scream. I wanted to tell Serkis that this wasn't fair and why. But that wasn't possible. That would mean Sylum's condemnation. Then again…he betrayed me first.
But then again, I'm an adult. I made the choice and I should stick by it. It is done and it can't be taken back. Every so often, I forget that I'm no longer the child that I used to be. I'm all grown up, there's no going back. There's no use longing for what's gone. I'd swallow my pain and I'd follow orders because it benefitted the family. The family that was killing itself from the inside. Sweet, huh?
Serkis brought me back to my old place above the bar. They'd been keeping it up for me, she said. Everything was clean and exactly as I'd left it…maybe a little neater than I'd left it. Laundry was done, folded, put away. There was nothing that needed cleaning, fixing or relocating. She was at my side, patiently waiting. I hugged her close.
"Thank you."
She smiled. "It's good to have you home. Where you belong."
Something about her words got under my skin, making every faculty of myself cringe. There was something ironic, almost sardonic about what she said. Serkis' words were always well thought-out and intentional. She never said anything that didn't have better purpose.
"It's a crime to waste words, we only have so many," she'd told me once. I didn't understand her then, and I'm not completely sure that I understand her now. But it's the fact that it was said at a point.
I sat down with Serkis across from me. She was a good distance away. I was paranoid that if I stayed too close to her for too long, she'd see right through me. She'd find her way through the deceit and tear the honesty out of me. She was just that good.
"So, who killed him?"
She laughed. "He killed himself. He got too big for his crown. The Icarus syndrome, I call it. He built wings to fly because he wanted to defy the laws of God. There are some laws you just can't break. Hence, you drown."
"So who helped him? Who tampered with the wings, held him under water? Who?"
She smiled a dry little grin, getting up as she did so. She shook her head, looking for words then shot me a little glance. "There's only two killers in this family. And I swear, on everything and nothing, that it wasn't me."
And she turned with that smile and walked out, leaving me sitting there dumbstruck.
Damn. I was ready to get up and tear the place apart when I found what I needed sitting on the table in front of me. Smokes. Ha. The family just might be good for something. There was an envelope there too, and in it, notes from everyone telling me the latest or what they could do for me. Some of them made appointments. Serkis would be a very busy girl – I wasn't working until a few days from now, Layne would be over today to make sure I was okay. Cassidy wrote that his services were always at my command. Grey wrote mockingly if I wanted to go for a relaxing drive in the future. Pandora sent her regards, explained that she was too busy at work to come by, but she'd see me there soon. And who's left?
There was another slip of paper in the mix, with words simply stated.
"Nobody helps themselves. Family takes care of each other."
It was written in broad sweeping letter, black and thoughtful. At the bottom were scratches in a dark red tone – two R's, sweeping and intertwining. I wracked my mind, but could come up with nothing. The words were familiar but vague – so much had happened. So much to consider.
And yet I could never remember to forget this.
Only forget to remember what mattered.
It took me hours of pacing and consideration. Layne dropped by while I was ranting like a fiend to myself. I nearly attacked him.
"Who the hell is 'RR'?"
He smiled. "You okay, kid? Sit down, come on, you'll feel better."
"I feel fine! Who is it? I'm sick of the games."
"They're just beginning. You know that. Everything is just part of the show."
"This' not fair."
He grabbed hold of my shoulders and pushed me to the couch until I'd sit; he took a seat beside me. Close, but not too close. "There. You were making me dizzy with all the pacing."
"Layne, the truth?"
He looked down at the ground and back up at me. "You know I can't do that. There's a lot going on. Let this settle out and then we'll discuss it, okay? I promise."
I didn't want promises. I didn't want to wait. And he knew it. My silence made him apprehensive. He patted me on the shoulder, got up, walked out, and came back. He had my guitar and his.
"Come on, I'll teach you a new song."
I wanted to laugh. He had this big dopey smile on him like a child that just found their birthday cake. He had that proud aura of someone accomplished whom wanted to share. I took my guitar from him and got comfortable, with him across from me. And he proceeded to teach. I would never deny him the chance to teach me a song – I think it made him happier than it made me. Either way, it was a mutually beneficial relationship. I didn't mind spending time with him, and the music was good. So what the hell? The details of Doyle can wait. For now, all I need is the music and the talent that it takes to play it.
Every so often you get a good one. And when he throws you out, you can borrow someone else's good one to teach you a song until you feel better. I don't know…it made sense to me. But then again, I might just be insane. It wouldn't be much of a surprise.