text:
Did You Know: You can view some statistics about our services to get a better idea of wait times and other interesting facts
Wide-Ranging Services Offered
Beyond legal services, we strive to provide holistic guidance and support; if approrpriate, we will connect you with accounting, business planning, and other professionals to provide assistance. Below you will find just some of the legal services we offer:
- Entity selection and registration
- State and local business licenses
- Federal, state and local tax issues
- Financing documents
- Leases and other commercial contracts
- Employment agreements
- Trademark and copyright registration
- Provisional patent applications and licensing agreements
- Intellectual property counseling regarding branding, copyrights, trademarks,
trade secrets, freedom to operate, unfair competition, antitrust, publicity rights
and privacy rights
- Business planning
Apply for Services
When you submit an application, you will be asked to complete a Powerpoint about your business (you can see what this Powerpoint looks like ahead of time, if you like). Please spend some time on the presentation file; it is formatted in such a way that you should be able to re-use through the lifecycle of your business for various purposes. Once you submit the presentation, you will be invited to a 15-minute client screening.
At the screening, there will be a number of people in attendance from various related service providers. You should focus on the most important parts of your presentation (you will not have time to get through the whole presentation), in particular on what services you are looking for. Potential clients are screened based on lean startup principles to evaluate their legal needs and business readiness. You need not bring any legal documents with you. At the end of the 15 minutes, you are done. Later in the day, you will receive a communication from the Clinic outlining how to proceed including references and referrals to other appropriate service providers.
If your business is ready for legal services with the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, you will soon meet with a law student and Supervising Attorney. We will enter into a limited engagement by agreeing on an appropriate Statement of Work which outlines the scope of the legal services that we will provide. You will meet with the student and Supervisor regularly to discuss any work product. Once your Statement of Work is complete, we will close your client file.
Applicants from University of Wisconsin faculty, staff and student researchers must also have already filed an Invention Disclosure Report with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), or be prepared to file one before we can accept you as a client.
At times we have a backlog of potential clients seeking our services, you can check our stats page to see our current backlog. While we will respond to your application promptly, our waitlist to start legal services occasionally stretches to 90 days.


text:
feedmap .net (BETA) : Where Blogs Meet Maps
You might have noticed that I added a blogmap from FeedMap.net over in the right sidebar. If you're getting this through my feed, here's what it looks like:
Pretty cool to see other blogs around where I live. I bet there are more than 26, though – the "Silicon Forest" is full of geeks and bloggers (click on the number to get a bigger map, and a list). They probably just aren't geo-coded and registered with Feedmap.net. And I don't really care that it shows where I live – anyone who wanted to find that out could do so easily.
Scoble's got one, too. Have a blog? Get a blogmap. Not listed on the blogmap? Make sure your site and feed are geo-coded, so it knows where you are.
Pretty cool stuff.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LRR ENERGY L.P. INVESTOR ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Announces the Investigation of LRR Energy L.P. Over the Proposed Sale of the Company to Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC - LRE
Juan E. Monteverde, a partner at Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities firm headquartered in New York City, is investigating the Board of Directors of LRR Energy L.P. ("LRE" or the "Company") (NYSE: LRE) for potential breaches of fiduciary duties in connection with the sale of the Company to Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC ("Vanguard") (NASDAQ: VNR) for approximately $539 million, including the assumption of LRE's debt. The Company's stockholders will receive 0.55 shares of Vanguard for each share of LRE common stock they own in an all-stock transaction. Based on Vanguard's April 20, 2015 closing price, the consideration which will be received by LRE's shareholders is valued at approximately $8.93 per share, which represents a 13% premium to LRE's April 20 closing price.
The investigation focuses on whether LRE's Board of Directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's stockholders by failing to conduct a fair sales process and whether and by how much this proposed transaction undervalues the Company to the detriment of LRE's shareholders.
If you own common stock in LRE and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at email@example.com or by telephone at (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330.
Please tell us about yourself by completing the form below and we will provide you with additional
information at no cost to you on how to join the Class Action.
* The submission of this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
MergerInfo Request
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
685 Third Avenue 26th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 983-9330
If you have information regarding this case that you would like to make available, please click here to contact us about our investigation.


text:
I opened the sports section of yesterday's paper and in amongst the postmortems of England's failed World Cup bid and the jubilation over the England cricket team's successes down under was this advert for Time to Change featuring former England batsman Marcus Trescothick. It's interesting that it is in the Sports section and in some ways follows on from last weeks post about Bradley Wiggins. Firstly, Trescothick received a lot of flak for leaving the last Ashes Tour down-under after he came home early as a result of what was then described as "home sickness". To appear amongst the very same sports pages obviously was meant to provoke a reaction amongst readers. And so secondly, who are the main readers of sports pages? Men. And who are least likely to admit to suffering from depression, anxiety and stress? Men! I admire the way that Trescothick has not only acknowledged and started to deal with his problems but has fronted this campaign. We admire our sportsmen and women when they are winning but love to bash them when they are down, never accepting the excuses and dismissing as unacceptable weakness the underlying reasons. I've been as guilty as the next fan but I've started to rethink this. It takes courage to make a stand, be that to yourself and to the outside world. Each of us can play our own part in beating the stigma of mental health issues: those of us who suffer can take the courage to admit our problems – life will only get better when you do; to those on the outside, look at how you can support family, friends and colleagues best in feeling less "odd" (even if its just an ear to bend and shoulder to cry on, that often can be the biggest help). Out of it all we can begin to share our experiences, in this way we can break down the myths, give others the inforamtion they need to take their own steps and so begin to fight the prejudice. I hope I've managed to do my bit through this blog and would encourage others to do their own thing.
And if you want further information about the campaign go to www.time-to-change.org.uk and make your own pledge. This is something I have become passionate about changing as a result of my own experience. And in the words of the Lion in the Wizard of Oz, courage can make slaves into kings. Let's all be lions this winter and lay these bigger ashes to rest!


text:
Countdown to the Revolution Part 2: The Election and its Aftermath/
At the center of it all was the David vs. Goliath battle between a politically savvy strongman and – as we later realized – just as politically savvy widow on whose shoulders we have placed our collective hope for a new historical direction.
On the surface, the snap election of '86 was a puzzler. From the American government to experienced political pundits to traditional politicians and even to the extreme Philippine Left, it was just unthinkable for this politically inexperienced woman armed "only" with a widow's righteous anger and the support of an unorganized mass of victims and the discontented to even hope to dislodge a dictator, aging and ailing he might be, who had been in power for 20 years and had a formidable, well-oiled political machinery with a humongous war chest behind him
But since August 1983, when the widow's husband, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino was assassinated, the political balance had gone awry, the center no longer held. The anti-Marcos forces of various persuasions were slowly coalescing into a previously unthinkable unity, while the KBL, Marcos' party, was suffering through demoralization and dissension within its ranks. One need not scratch too deep for the surface to crumble into dust.
Between December 1985, when Marcos announced the snap election, and February 1986, when it took place, were some of interesting behind-the-scenes stories that ultimately contributed, directly or indirectly, to the EDSA People Power Revolution later that month:
Imelda's Choice: Arturo Tolentino, 75, former senator and a brilliant Constitutional lawyer, who at various times during Marcos' 20-year reign was a critic of the regime, was chosen as the running mate of Marcos. His selection almost triggered a near-rebellion in the KBL ranks by those who were hoping to be anointed. Why Tolentino? Officially, because Marcos wanted a "credible" candidate and Imelda wanted a KBL victory in Metro Manila, Tolentino's bailiwick. But more than that, Tolentino, at 75, was too old to be a threat to the first lady should she run for president in 1992, and too unpopular within the KBL to even get a nomination for the presidency in case Marcos would not be able to finish his term. Labor minister Blas Ople, one of the disappointed hopefuls, confirmed the speculations obliquely. Citing that "actuarial considerations" had gone into the decision, he lamented, "Our misfortune is that we belong to the same generation as the first lady." (Another hopeful, Governor Ali Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, was so disgusted with the choice that he threatened to hold clean elections in his province, a news report quoted him.)
The Enrile Factor: Juan Ponce Enrile, the defense minister and once the martial law administrator and Marcos' most trusted henchman, eventually became a Palace outsider following his verbal jousts (some insiders said "shouting matches") with Imelda Marcos. Feeling threatened by what he termed the Imelda-General Fabian Ver (the Armed Forces chief of staff) tandem, Enrile beefed up his security forces by recruiting some of the top graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). These officers formed the core of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) whose planned coup d'etat led to the EDSA uprising.
Intense Intramurals within KBL: Faced with a snap election they didn't approve of, KBL factions appeared. The technocrats wanted a "professional" campaign strategy and a "credible" victory while the traditional politicians were angling for greater control of campaign logistics for a Marcos win at any cost. Then there was the conflict between the KBL leadership and the Marcos family; when the dust of their combat settled, KBL stalwarts Nicanor Yniguez (then the speaker of the Batasang Pambansa), Blas Ople and Jose Roño, among others, were named campaign managers, but the funds and other logistics were controlled exclusively by the Marcos children, Imee and Bongbong, and son-in-law Greggy Araneta. The arrangement, as Philippine traditions go, was an affront to the elders, betraying what insiders described as the ruling family's basic distrust of KBL officials who had always supported them.
Rumblings among the rank and file: Shock at the opposition's expose of Marcos' wealth, disillusionment over the Aquino assassination and the acquittal of the military, abuses by the armed forces in their areas that were just ignored by the leadership – these were among the reasons that Marcos' hold on the KBL rank and file was fraying, and a frayed core was a weak core.
Marcos' state of health: Obviously ailing, Marcos' campaign appearances were few and far between. In one sortie, his hand bled and he was reported to be on the verge of collapse. When he next appeared in public after a few days' rest, his bleeding hand was swathed in bandages. He was obviously in extreme pain and discomfort; in fact, backstage comfort rooms had to be built for his exclusive use.
The Opposition
Armed with high expectations, a moral ascendancy, and a lot of prayers, the Aquino-Laurel team revved up its campaign engine with enough media hoopla, only to see it falter and sputter soon after. The Inadequacies were appalling to experts in traditional campaigning. Consider: 1) There was no campaign manager, only Manila-based campaign coordinators. Cory Aquino insisted on this arrangement because she believed that the people themselves should band together to support her, independently of one another. Additionally, there was hardly enough money. Campaign leaders had to raise funds. 2) Beyond or maybe because of the inexperience and lack of logistical support, the Aquino-Laurel campaign suffered from poor coordination. In their provincial sorties in the early days of campaigning, local leaders were not informed of their arrival. They had to ride an open jeep through empty streets; some stops had to be canceled because opposition leaders were bickering; on others, the candidates were not given enough briefing on local realities that they failed to address them in their speeches.
Despite these problems and because she was riding the tailwind of change, Cory Aquino proved to be the phenomenon of the season. Drawn by her simplicity and sincerity, crowds in the hundreds of thousands all over the country waited for hours to catch a glimpse of her and hear her talk about the agonies her family went through during Ninoy's incarceration.
The personal tale of woe she used to the hilt proved to be highly effective. The masses wept and identified with her and her sufferings under the dictatorship, and pledged to protect and support this valiant woman who had very gallantly taken up the cudgels for them. The strategy defied existing conventions of a presidential campaign, and Marcos' usual macho bluster only highlighted her intention of presenting herself as the "complete opposite" of the strongman.
Yet she did not promise much and in fact showed her unconventional side by limiting her campaign promises to those she knew she could fulfill. Her economic platform basically maintained the system of free enterprise, aided by "less government in business." Her political platform was equally stark – the dismantling of the structures of dictatorship to pave the way for a genuine democracy.
An unprecedented feature of the Aquino campaign was the proliferation of campaign materials which, unlike those given free by the Marcos camp, were for sale. Ambulant vendors all over the country were earning quite a sum through the sale of yellow memorabilia – Cory stickers, pins, dolls, hats, umbrellas and the like. Money from the sales beefed up the opposition coffers but the more important effect was the sense of identification and participation in the Aquino-Laurel candidacy of people from all sectors. This proved invaluable in priming the people for the final confrontation with the dictatorship.
As the Aquino juggernaut gained strength even among previously skeptical sectors, including the US government, defections from the Marcos camp began. Some were high-profile figures such as Letty Ramos Shahani and Antique's Governor Enrique Zaldivar. Others were planning their moves quietly; Roilo Golez, for example, who was probably the only agency head who gained widespread admiration for actually getting the Post Office to deliver mail quickly nationwide, was surreptitiously emptying his office of his personal belongings, except for his photos and paintings because it would have been too obvious. He was going to announce his resignation on February 22.
The international community of Filipino expats actively participated as well, raising funds and providing much needed logistics to the Aquino-Laurel team. And the Catholic Church issued a pastoral letter invoking its faithful not to sell their votes but rather to follow their conscience, a thinly cloaked rebuke to the ruling party.
The Left's Dilemma
Faced with the tremendous outpouring of popular support for Aquino's candidacy, the broad spectrum of leftist organizations split into two: the boycott proponents (the National Democratic Front and the Communist Party) and those who called for participation in the election campaign. While there was no denying that it was the revolutionary forces that carried the torch of active engagement against the regime even at its most repressive phase, their leaders, like Marcos, did not realize that the countdown for the dictatorship had begun. This major "tactical error" would cost the extreme left some of its most ardent supporters and isolation from the anti-dictatorship mainstream.
As the day of reckoning drew near, the mood of the country grew increasingly frenzied. International observers, notably some top US legislators like John Kerry, and foreign correspondents from various countries started arriving in droves and fanning out to various areas as their observation posts. The NAMFREL, the nationwide watchdog of thousands of concerned citizens, set up its quick count system which, though unofficial, would manage to limit incidents of miscounting. Likewise, tens of thousands of volunteers all over the country promised to be watchful of fraud and intimidation, with direct lines to media outlets to report incidents.
The Marcos camp likewise pulled out all stops to assure its victory, from actively supporting the CPP-NPA-NDF's boycott to airing elaborate radio and TV commercials denigrating Cory's intelligence and inexperience. Survey results showing a formidable Marcos-Tolentino lead were likewise distributed to the media.
Two days before the end of the campaign period, the opposition called for a miting de avance (final rally) at the Luneta grandstand. At first, the Aquino ringleaders were apprehensive about their ability to draw a crowd of respectable size. But their presidential candidate was adamant. "If we cannot fill up Luneta then this whole exercise is useless," she asserted. She was right. The average estimate of the crowd that night was a million cheering, praying Metro Manilans chanting Cory! Cory!
A day later, it was Marcos' turn to speak before a considerably smaller crowd of several hundred thousand who listened to his final harangue and his promise to restore law, order and discipline after the election, a clear allusion to his 1972 martial law proclamation. When it rained, the dictator lost more than half of his audience, as recorded by the media. His clock was ticking its way to the final hour.
February 7, 1986
Everyone expected massive, fraud, intimidation and vote buying on election day, and no one was disappointed. What caught the opposition unprepared, however, was the massive disenfranchisement of registered voters by the COMELEC, a previously unheard of tactic employed with impunity in opposition bailiwicks including Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. The 850 foreign correspondents and hundreds of local journalists saw it for themselves: Thousands of citizens who had previously voted in their precincts suddenly found their names missing from the voter lists.
Redress was possible, true, but it required the disenfranchised to go to a judge, execute an affidavit and bring it to the election registrar who would then issue an authorization. A few were able to vote that way but thousands had to give up, either because they didn't have the means or the patience for the tedious process, or because no judge was available in their area.
If the intention was to reduce the number of Cory votes, it succeeded. The NAMFREL would later estimate that over a million registered voters were unable to cast their votes. But the evil scheme backfired – the disenfranchised were furious and, with strengthened resolve, pledged to escalate the struggle to topple the dictatorship.
On election night, the NAMFREL quick-count figures showed Aquino and Laurel commanding a consistent lead. Less than 24 hours after the polls closed, the Aquino camp decided to seize the initiative; the housewife who dared challenge strongman claimed victory for herself and the Filipino people.
The KBL was unfazed. Relying mainly on the official COMELEC tabulation which, for some reason, the returns were coming in mere trickles, Marcos proclaimed himself the winner, confident that he would win a margin of 1.2 million votes.
The nation didn't sleep that night or in the succeeding nights. Two days later, 35 computer programmers assigned to the COMELEC tabulation center walked out of the hall to protest what they termed the election body's attempts to manipulate the results shown on the tally board. Even Ambassador J.V. Cruz, an avid Marcos supporter, condemned the manipulation of the COMELEC tabulation and supported the programmers' walkout during a TV appearance.
As confirmed later on by my personal interviews with Linda Kapunan, who by virtue of seniority became the group's unofficial spokesperson, the dramatic move was a spontaneous one, decided only a few minutes before it actually happened. The programmers, most of them young and totally scared, later issued a statement that they were not siding with any candidate. Rather, they decided they could not live with the realization that their skills were being used to distort the truth.
A week after the voting, there was still no official winner declared, throwing the already tense situation into further agitation. Within that week, President Ronald Reagan, a personal friend of the Marcoses, made a major blunder. Ignoring the concerns of Sen. Richard Lugar and other US observers on the ground about the slow COMELEC tabulation, Reagan went ahead and announced that both sides appeared to have committed fraud.
His statement, beamed via satellite, elicited strong negative reactions not just from the Aquino camp, but also from the American media in Manila and the American public itself, which had a ringside view on TV of the election and its aftermath. High-level US embassy officials threatened to resign en masse.
As a result, Reagan had to send his personal emissary, Philip Habib, to Manila a week after his statement, to try and broker a power-sharing compromise between the two camps. The US government's main concern was to protect its military bases and American business investments; a prolonged chaotic situation would be threatening to its interests.
Habib seemed to have convinced Marcos of the power-sharing arrangement (which essentially asked that Cory Aquino concede and wait until the next election to succeed FM). After all, Marcos still had the martial law card in his hands. The American envoy however hit a brick wall with Cory Aquino. As lawyer Rene Saguisag, who was Cory's spokesman, recalled, Cory told Habib straight to his face, "I won and I will take power." The emissary had to fly home empty-handed.
Civil Disobedience
She will take power but how? The opposition was in a major dilemma. Already the weak-kneed among them were pushing for the Reagan-Marcos gambit towards political accommodation. Laurel, who had been quiet through all these tug-and-pull, was willing to give a coalition government a try. Everyone knew that Marcos could just wait it out, and the tense situation would peter out in his favor.
On February 20, the KBL-dominated Batasang Pambansa (parliament) declared Marcos president-elect. The move triggered a heated debate and a walkout by 57 oppositionists. On the same day, Cory Aquino was similarly proclaimed in a "people's victory rally" at Rizal Park. About two million gathered that afternoon to affirm that "Cory is our only president" and listen to her instructions for a civil disobedience campaign.
The stalemate continued as NAMFREL released its counter-tally refuting the Batasang Pambansa figures. The US observer delegation likewise issued its report to Congress saying that the proclamation of the Philippine parliament of a Marcos-Tolentino victory was questionable and did not reflect the will of the majority.
Cory Aquino's civil disobedience campaign involved the boycott of crony firms and products, including San Miguel Beer and Coke, two of the most popular drinks in the country.
The next day, the stock exchange slumped and restaurants began canceling orders for Coke, beer, even ice cream. The banks on the target list suffered bank runs, and other crony firms began to get nervous knowing they would be next. For Filipinos abroad who were monitoring events closely, the apparent success of the boycott campaign was the turning point. As Rene Ciria-Cruz, a San Francisco-based activist recalled, "When the economy experienced the shock wave, we knew Marcos' days were numbered."
While the boycott campaign was initially successful, the opposition also was aware of its limited shelf-life. Unless something dramatic took place soon, the people's enthusiasm for the boycott would dissipate, and Marcos would ride out the instability in his favor. But what could possibly happen short of a violent overthrow?
The answer came from the least expected sector. The military was Marcos' source of strength, the pillar of his martial law. But by February 1986 the once cohesive military had already fractured and the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) was ready to make its move.
Next week: RAM and People's Power
Some portions of this piece are excerpts from "The Fall of the Regime," Dictatorship and Revolution: Roots of People's Power (Conspectus Foundation Inc., 1988)


text:
I know I've featured this Cubic Effect white minidress before, but it's just so cozy for this time of year. This is my homage to a Winter Wonderland, complete with snowflakes.
Aveda Short Bob
Belleza Belle Tan Meows in the Nude skin (please, Belleza, make darker tones! The skins are stunning but not dark enough for me!)
Ticky Tacky Gemtastic Diamond Earrings (currently half off at L$25)
CE Cubic Effect white tank minidress
Dino's Boutique black Bandit shoes
League silver metallic snowflake tights (free during Crush Row stocking hunt)


text:
NTS Youth Camp« back to events
- Start Date:
- Jun 15, 2018 - 02:30 PM
- End Date:
- Jun 15, 2018 - 11:30 PM
- Location name:
- Indiana Wesleyan University
Camp Registration Process:
To get your student(s) registered, go to ntscamp.com, click on Events, click on your site (Indiana 1), click on Register, click on our church's name, and then register your student by filling in their info and making a payment. Registration must be completed by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18.
A registration is complete when all the required information is entered and either payment is made in full or the $150 non-refundable/non-transferrable deposit has been made. Signing up before May 7 guarantees the lowest price. See prices below:
Cost for camp is as follows: $332 until midnight May 6th
$352 from May 7-May 27
$377 from May 28-June 10


text:
6 Breakfast Superfoods (Slideshow)
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make the most out of it! Start your morning off right with one of these breakfast superfoods.
Earlier: 12 Surprising Uses for Cotton Balls
1. Eggs.
One week, it seems like eggs are worse than cigarettes, and the other, they're one of the best things you can eat. So which is it? Well, one thing's for sure, eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. You'll find plenty of essential amino acids and antioxidants in your morning omelet — and, despite popular belief, your cholesterol probably won't suffer as a result. Eggs are also great for keeping you full for longer, and studies have linked egg consumption to higher rates of weight loss.
Earlier: 5 Interesting & Unusual Parks (Slideshow)
2. Apples.
Need a healthy breakfast on the go? Grab an apple. Apples are one of the most filling fruits out there, and studies have shown that eating one before a meal will help curb your appetite for less healthy foods. But that's not all; apples are packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and tons of antioxidants. What's not to love?!
Related: 15 Surprising Uses for Apples
3. Greek Yogurt.
All yogurt is good yogurt, but the Greek style is even better than its American-style counterpart. Why? Well, Greek yogurt contains fewer carbs, sugar and salt — and it often has twice the amount of protein! Opt for a a lower fat version, however, because the full fat Greek yogurts have higher levels of saturated fat.
Also Check out: 8 Common Cooking Myths (Slideshow)
4. Blueberries.
Though all berries are an excellent breakfast option, blueberries are perhaps the best of the bunch. They're loaded with fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and water, and are low in calories. Blueberries contain far more anticancer properties than other fruits, and they've been shown to slow down the memory impairment and motor coordination that comes with aging. Toss 'em in your Greek yogurt!
See Also: 6 Myths about Gluten-Free Diets (Slideshow)
5. Coffee.
Don't feel guilty about that morning cup of joe — coffee is actually one of the best things you can drink for your health! A major study released last year found that regular coffee drinkers were less likely to die than those who skipped the morning caffeine. Other studies have linked coffee to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, dementia, and several forms of cancer. Coffee has also been linked to lower rates of depression, stronger cognitive ability, weight loss, and a lower risk of developing Parkinson's. Wow!
Also Check Out: 12 Perfect Summer Cocktails
6. Oatmeal.
Loaded with fiber, oatmeal helps lower your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease, and keeps you full for longer than almost any other food out there! They are also a great source of antioxidants, on par with, or even better than, most fruits and vegetables. If you're going to eat just one thing for breakfast, eat some oatmeal!
More Slideshows:
8 Best & Worst Animal Dads (Slideshow)
6 Incredible Fake Buildings (Slideshow)
5 Incredible UnderWater Attractions (Slideshow)


text:
02/05/2018 - Modesto, CA, USA
Jun 10, 1926 - Feb 5, 2018
Clara Margaret (Ruiz) Azevedo passed away peacefully on February 5, 2018 at the age of 91 years.
She was born on June 10, 1926, in Ripon, California, to Spanish Basque immigrant farmers Urbano and Matea Ruiz. Clara was very proud of her Basque heritage and made many trips there to visit relatives with her children and grandchildren. She graduated from Ripon High School, and received a BA degree from College (now University) of the Pacific in 1947. Later in 1972 she earned her Masters Degree and Pupil Personnel Credential from CSU Stanislaus.
She married music teacher and school administrator Ernest Martin Azevedo of Modesto in 1949. Together they raised five loving children until Ernest's early death in 1980.
Clara taught many Spanish, PE and other classes from elementary through high school, and was a Counselor at Thomas Downey High School for twenty years before retiring.
A life-long learner, teacher and volunteer, Clara will be remembered for her high energy, generous personality and love of life.
She served as a Volunteer Lector and Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. She was a member and past president of both the Modesto Counselors Association and Delta Kappa Gamma sorority. She loved her Moneytree Investment Club, Modesto Muni Golf Club, Retired Teachers Association, book club, travel groups, and volunteering at Gallo Center for the arts.
She was honored as Soroptimist of the Year in 1996, and Woman of the Year in Delta Kappa Gamma in 1998.
Until the last few months, Clara owned and managed part of the original family almond farm in Ripon started by her father.
Clara was preceded in death by husband Ernest, brother Ignacio Ruiz and sister Natividad (Ruiz) Luchessa. She is survived by five children: Dr. Alan Azevedo (Wendy) of Chico CA, Dr. Loren Azevedo (Linda) of Placerville CA, Dr. Stephen Azevedo (Kathleen) of Livermore CA, Ann Gould (Robert Gould) of London UK and Lynn Loewald (Tom Loewald) of North Easton MA. She was beloved and honored by many nieces and nephews, and by her 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, who know her by the Basque name "Amatxi". They will all miss her loving smile and encouragement.
A visitation is scheduled from 5:00pm-8:00pm with a Vigil beginning at 6:00pm on Monday, February 12, 2018 at Franklin & Downs Funeral Home McHenry Chapel 1050 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA. A funeral Mass will be at 10am on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church 505 W. Granger Ave Modesto, CA. Interment will follow at St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery on Scenic in Modesto at the conclusion of the Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Clara's name to Community Hospice or The Stratford at Beyer Park Senior Living Facility.
(published in the Modesto Bee, Legacy.com from Feb. 10 to Feb. 11, 2018)
© 2014 Basque Heritage Elkartea
Bera Bera 73
20009 Donostia / San Sebastián
Tel: (+34) 943 316170
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
"The Three-Body Problem" by Cixin Liu
<Arrrg, matey, spoilers ahead! Ye have been warned!>
A young astrophysicist, Ye Wenjie, is working at a secret SETI base in the late 1960's/early 1970's. Her professor father was disgraced, beaten, and killed by Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution, and Wenjie had been working at a nearby logging camp before being pulled into work more suited to her talents. One day she stumbles upon a method of using the Sun as an amplifier for the radio greeting they are sending out into the cosmos. She thinks it is a failure. But several years later, a return message comes. It's actually a dire warning – "do not answer!!!" An advanced, militarized race detected the first transmission and any others will give them a firm fix on Earth. But, Wenjie is still pretty ticked off about her father and the whole Cultural Revolution in general (who wouldn't be?) … and replies: "Come here! Our civilization is no longer capable of solving its own problems."
And thus a mega force of "Trisolarian" invaders is on the way, ETA around 400 years (they travel pretty fast, but still much slower than radio transmissions). Also, they have "folded" (?) protons into super-AI Sophons which are already at the Earth, messing up physicists' particle accelerator experiments. The Trisolarians were worried that human technology, while currently inferior to their own, was progressing just too exponentially to leave alone for 400 years.
The Trisolarians are named such because they live on a planet revolving around three stars (Alpha Centauri) which experiences an unstable mix of super hot and super cold periods depending on relative distance to each star. Civilization is routinely (yet randomly!) destroyed in either fire or ice. After millenia of trying to figure out what was going on with their world, then trying unsuccessfully to solve the three-body problem, they ultimately determine to find some better planet and move. Wenjie's description of Earth sounds nice…
Wenjie finds plenty of sympathizers on Earth who agree that humanity needs help, or even that it deserves to be eradicated. I thought this was going a bit too far – are there really that many eco-terrorist types out there who would root for the aliens over humanity, including their own self and family? Especially the character of Michael Evans in the book was really hokey. Billionaire tree-hugger who wants all humans to die and leave the birds and bugs alone.
Some of the group more-or-less worship the unseen Trisolarians (some interesting commentary in the book on how even a solitary confirmation that ET exists, and nothing more, would still fundamentally alter civilization) and put together an odd MMORPG, 3body, to tell about the Trisolarian world and history. It's through this game that the protagonist (and we the reader) first learn about what's going on. Little bit of reveal at a time.
There is a REALLY funny incident in the game, where a 30 million man medieval Chinese army becomes a von Neumann architecture computer: squads of soldiers with black and white flags become logic gates, scribes become memory, and cavalry becomes the bus. Pretty ridiculous but funny.
"Eifelheim" by Michael Flynn
What I heard about this book before reading: aliens crash land in medieval Germany.
Big reveal at end of the book: aliens crash landed in medieval Germany! Uhhh….wait, what?
To be fair, we, the reader, learn about the aliens fairly early on; but all the characters do not. This is a multiple POV book, with chapters switching back and forth between the 13th century Pastor Dietrich of Oberhochwald, and the present day adventures of Tom and Sharon, two academics studying historical patterns of settlement and esoteric GUT physics, respectively. The overarching narrative is that of Tom and Sharon; that's where things begin (Tom looking into a "missing" settlement where by all accounts there should be one) and end (digging up an alien corpse at the site of Oberhochwald — later renamed "Teufelheim" or Devil Home; abandoned out of fear and then linguistically smooshed [this is a technical term] to "Eifelheim"). So one story is that of modern-day folk coming to understand wondrous events that happened long ago; but we, the reader, already get these events "as they happened" during the Dietrich chapters.
I understand that this novel started out as a short story, with only the Tom and Sharon parts. Then the Dietrich parts were added later. I don't think it works totally well in the new form, to be honest.
Dietrich is kind of a silly character. He's a mashup pre-Renaissance man who knows something about everything; he immediately is able to relate physical science concepts explained by the Krenkl (the aliens) to medieval farming life or teachings from the ancient Greeks.
"Oh, some invisible force, with differing polarity? Sounds like you are describing what I have observed when rubbing amber with cat fur …. hmmm, I shall call this phenomenon 'electronika', after the Greek word for amber!"
"Oh, an acid that is essential for a body to live? Must be the first or most important thing for life then …. hmmm, I shall call these things 'proteins,' after the Greek protos or 'first'!"
Oh, Dietrich. You clever cleric.
The aliens' dialogue is also silly and kind of painful to read. They have automated speech recording and translation software and devices which they share with the German villagers, but naturally there are no medieval German words for many of the advanced technical concepts that aliens looking to repair their dimension-striding ship may need to discuss. So everything is converted to analogies of medieval farming or religious dogma.
Eifelheim. It's a silly place.
"The White Mountains" by John Christopher
Hmm yet another weird-looking cover. My wife thinks I read strange books.
I put this on my "to-read" list a while back when I was researching YA books. This one has great Amazon reviews, but I can't say I liked it a whole lot. Probably would have really liked it when I was 9 or 10; now it seems a little simplistic.
It takes place in the future, but humanity has reverted to a medieval existence via an alien invasion and mind control via "capping." Kind of interesting to see the boys' descriptions of the decaying remnants of past technological glory like cars, trains, subway, guns, hand grenades. Also fun to figure out the geography, which is never explicitly stated – we start in England, cross the Channel, wander through post-apocalypse Paris, end up at the White Mountains — the Alps of Switzerland, free man's last redoubt.
The idea of capping – surgically induced mind control to keep the people subjugated – reminded me of the similar premise in The Uglies. In that book, the operation made you beautiful as well. In The White Mountains, the metal-mesh cap is a symbol of adulthood and just about equally longed for by most of the children.
The ending leaves many questions unanswered; this is most definitely the start of a trilogy. Like, what's the whole White Mountain resistance plan? I cheated and read the synopsis of the series on wikipedia. Mildly interesting; but I think I'll skip the other books. Or maybe send them back to my 9-year-old self if they ever get time travel worked out.
"Singularity Sky" by Charles Stross
Audiobook version.
Has a lot of interesting pieces, but not very well developed as a whole.
The historical premise is that the Eschaton, a God-like AI civilization, scattered humanity across the galaxy several hundred years ago. Their only commandment is to not violate causality (ie don't do time travel), presumably to protect them from someone going back and deleting the Eschaton from history. The New Republic, composed of ethnic Russians and pretty much modeled on pre-Soviet Imperial Russia, is under attack by the Festival, a mysterious entity besieging one of the Republic's remote colony worlds. A fleet is dispatched with a sneaky plan to go into the future several thousand years, learn about the Festival, then go back in time to just before the Festival arrived at the colony. This plan is sure to attract the attention of "Big E," so Rachel the UN weapons inspector and Martin the engineer are determined to stop it, lest the Eschaton over-react and supernova humanity out of existence.
That's piece one. Lots of "military SF" bits with scenes on the bridge, "fire torpedo 1!" and all that.
Second piece is what the Festival really is – an automated information collection and trading machine. It gives the people of the planet whatever they want in exchange for "entertainment" or information. Naturally this wrecks the economy and the whole social structure of the New Republic on the world. Some weird stuff goes on too, like the former governor who is granted his wish to be young and have a life of adventure – unfortunately adventure is dangerous, with zombie clowns wielding nanobot-disintegration pies and the like. And there's a Soviet-style worker's revolution trying to break out until the people realize they don't need any government when their every wish is granted immediately by the Festival.
Piece three is the romance between Rachel and Martin. Both are tired and weary of long lives extended by advanced medical techniques, but believe in what they are doing.
As I said earlier, these pieces didn't quite gel very well for me. I never really got into the story, even though the premise seemed pretty interesting.
The idea of the Eschaton scattering humanity reminded me of "Riverworld." Only in that book, the scattering is after death.
"Axis" by Robert Charles Wilson
Kind of a ho-hum book; I thought the story never really went anywhere. Definitely did not answer any of the lingering mysteries left by the book's immediate predecessor, "Spin," which I read several months ago (before starting this blog).
In "Spin," which begins more or less in the present day, the stars disappear without warning one night. Panic ensues for a while, but then people realize they are safe and nothing immediately dangerous is going on. I don't want to spoil the story, but the Earth has been put into some kind of a slowed-down time stasis bubble – thousands (millions?) of years pass by on the outside for every minute on Earth. Obviously some higher intelligence is responsible, and most of the book focuses on humanity's effort to figure things out….which they do not do.
I had hopes that this sequel, "Axis," would explain more of the "Hypotheticals" intentions, but it really doesn't. I think that it would be just as well for the reader to enjoy "Spin" and skip "Axis."
"The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov
Sort of a yawner….usually I like Asimov…really like the Foundation series. In this book, aliens in a parallel universe develop an "Electron Pump." By way of exchanging matter between their universe and ours, both sides are able to gain energy as the matter reacts to the new fundamental physical laws of the universe it has just entered. Humanity rejoices at free, clean energy. However, some scientists soon raise a voice of warning… they discover that the fundamental laws of our universe and the parallel universe are approaching equilibrium – kind of like when a hot object comes into contact with a cold one: the hot one gets colder, the cold one gets hotter. Anyway, the consequence is that the strong electromagnetic force in our universe will change such that the Sun will explode. Oh noes! Humanity at large ignores and shuns the scientists who bring this up – they like their free energy, and the scientific community as a whole doesn't want to disappoint them. The smart scientists who understand what is going on are disbelieved and shunned. Eventually, however, they save the day by figuring out how to open a channel from yet a third universe, which has the opposite set of laws from the first parallel universe. By setting up a pump into this universe as well, the net effect on our universe is constancy and no exploding Sun. Yay!
The bizarre middle part of the book is probably why it won a few sci-fi awards back in 1972 when it was published. It's a pretty involved description of the first parallel universe which starts the whole electron pump thing. In this universe, the rational, emotional, and parental components of a single individual person are split into three separate entities. Wouldn't that make for a fun sitcom!
I read that Asimov got the idea from this book when another Sci-fi author mentioned "Plutonium-186" in a conversation. Asimov, the trained physicist, thought, "That isotope can't exist!" and then proceeded to imagine what physical laws would have to change for it to be able to exist. Yeah, Asimov was a smart guy.


text:
Asking Aunt Edith to Leave Her Home to Move to a Nursing Facility
It starts with an aide who comes by a few times a week to take care of an ailing parent or relative, then gradually progresses until one day you realize that a round-the-clock team, from the initial aid to social workers, physical therapist, nurse and others, are going in and out of the house to provide needed care. At that point, says The Huffington Post's recent article, "How to Convince a Loved One With Alzheimer's to Move to a Nursing Home," it becomes clear that your loved one does need to be moved to nursing home.
The primary caregiver must often work full-time and is unable to provide adequate care. People with Alzheimer's—and many frail, elderly people without it—who clearly need to be in a long-term care facility typically want to remain in their own homes. They often don't realize that their condition is such that nursing home placement would be the best option for them. Some family members will also be adamantly opposed to the idea. In many instances, it's tough because the patient vehemently objects, which makes family members feel guilty.
It's agonizing, but caregivers need to think about the fact that long-term care placement can be the most loving option. Caring for him or her at home is probably having a serious effect on their own health and well-being. A caregiver should think of themselves as a "care advocate." A care advocate can be vigilant to ensure that their loved one is getting the appropriate treatment and care in the facility while preserving their own physical and mental health.
Many Alzheimer's patients will just refuse to go. It is, therefore, necessary to try to convince them that it's best for their own health and well-being. Another option is asking another family member or even the person's physician or attorney to talk with them. Sometimes those with Alzheimer's pay more attention to the advice of a person other than their primary caregiver. The services of a geriatric care manager can also help with this process.
Another approach is "compassionate deception," where you tell the person to go for a week, stretch it out to two weeks, then three weeks and eventually they adjust to being there full time. Those patients who are significantly impaired, may even forget they were supposed to go back home or may not be aware they aren't at home.
If these don't work, and you have power of attorney, you may have to ask for help from a social worker or law enforcement. However, this should only been done as a last resort, when there is concern that the person may become a danger to him or herself or others. The person is usually taken to a hospital geriatric psychiatry unit for evaluation and treatment. He or she may then be released to a nursing home.
In the worst case scenario, you may need to ask the court to be appointed as the person's guardian or conservator. An Elder Law attorney will be able to help you go through this process, which will ultimately give you the legal standing to make decisions. It won't be easy, but you will know that you did the right thing for your loved one, and that he or she is getting the correct care.
Do you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties in Florida? Laws are constantly changing-- has your estate plan been reviewed in the last 2-3 years? Call me (954-888-1747) right away for peace of mind. I can help!
- My practice is exclusively estate planning and probate,
- I have prepared numerous estate plans in 16 years of practice,
- I have administered estates and trusts through Probate all over Florida,
- I am a Certified Financial Planner Professional™, and
- I am here for YOU today and there for your FAMILY tomorrow.
Reference: Huffington Post (February 3, 2017) "How to Convince a Loved One With Alzheimer's to Move to a Nursing Home"


text:
IMAGE initiativet
Lige fra director of The SAVE Project Office, Waltraud Kugler, i august 2016 henvendte sig med anmodning om DGH´s bidrag til initiativet IMAGE, har vi bidraget med først en beskrivelse af arbejdet med opsporing og hjemtagning af gener fra den danske røde ko: Rød Dansk Malkerace, RDM 70.
På daværende tidspunkt havde vort team gennemført tre ekspeditioner i opsporingen af konserverede gener i form af tyresæd fra gamle RDM tyre, 40 til 50 år tilbage i tiden i henholdsvis: 1) Sydpolen, de nordlige Karpaterne, 2) Midtpolen og 3) Letland, Litauen og det nordlige Polen, over tre år. Senere på året 2016 gennemførtes endnu en ekspedition, denne gang til Estland – alle ekspeditionerne med overraskende resultater angående fund af såvel konserverede som levende genmaterialer. Spørgsmålet var og er: Hvordan får vi det hjemtaget og bragt i spil? Her kommer IMAGE ind i billedet. Der er naturligvis EU regulativer for området: gentransport over grænser. Regulativerne viser sig at være nødvendige mht. til at undgå sygdomsspredning, men også hindrende, når det kommer til fri bevægelighed over grænser. Selv de nyeste regulativer fra 1992, de tager ikke højde for fri bevægelighed i et moderne EU. De viser sig at være uklare. Fortolkningsvanskeligheder hæmmer og ødelægger brugen af gamle værdifulde gener I avlen. Der er brug for nye regulativer på området. Det arbejder IMAGE med.
IMAGE-mødet i Tallinn, Estland 27. august 2017
2nd IMAGE Dialogue Forum in Tallinn, Estonia on Sunday, 27th August 2017, a report by Hans Nebel
For a breeder of old rare breed and practicing search for gene-materials, conserved or/and alive, it was the most welcome initiative taken by SAVE, alias Waltraud and her collaborators, forming the IMAGE initiative and the making of now the second valuate meeting 2nd IMAGE Dialogue Forum in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sunday, 27th August 2017, gathering more them 40 people from various European countries on topics as
Focus on sanitary rules and regulations that effect the use and exchange of gene bank material in conservation and breeding [alive gene preservation]
Common standard for old materials
Simpler way for exchange of material for all subject areas mentioned above
Having been around together with my team in four expeditions over three years visiting: Southern Poland uphill's the Carpathian's; next middle Poland, Cracow area; then Latvia, Lithuania and the north of Poland; latest Estonia – all places amazingly what we saw and found. We knew beforehand, that our Danish Red Cow was exported to more countries, popular as it was, especially for decades in the late 18 hundreds and in the beginning of the 19 hundreds up to the 1960-ties. Latest, as said, we visited Estonia in the autumn of 2016. The search was for: gene resources – cattle gene resources, sperm resources of our old Red Danish Milk-Cow 70 – all the way through we were looking for these unique gene resources, preserved or alive.
Having been through all the travelling, discussions with farmers and experts of the farmers breeding organizations, looking at cattle on cattle breeding farms etc. and negotiating for deals, we went back home applying for to have the materials imported to Denmark. Here it comes: the challenges, the obstacles. I am not happy by the fact, that I have to tell you, now 10 months after our visit in Estonia, we are still struggling for to have our 31 portions of sperm from well-known old Danish bulls and their offspring recognized by veterinarians and other scientific people, and transferred to Denmark – not due to difficulties with our nice colleges in Estonia: They have all the way through been easy to work with and patient - due, to what then? Both our countries are members of EU, as you know, with Estonia having the chairmanship at the moment.
Actually, we know about the rules and regulations of the EU. We even know about there is a before and an after 1992 regulations on the matter in EU. Though there are ways to handle even this phenomenon, we know too. The Vets and other scientific people they exactly know what to do. We practitioner we are following the rules, they demand, of course. We do not accept any deceases or anything else bothering our breeding. We have calf´s jumping around coming out of such old unique genes. Where to find the stumbling block? In the nowadays EU regulations or interpretations of them; perhaps in a bureaucracy here or there, who knows? We know we have to have it running: The exchange of gene material from old rare breed´s, transnational - by having it put on the agenda in EU. Serving our rare breeding´s in EU, we need new appropriate regulations, working transnational for the benefit of saving and bringing forward our valuable rare breeding's, which we want to save, and for sure do not miss - with all its uniqueness.
Hopefully SAVE will succeed: Kicking the European Commission, EC, to make new simpler, modern rules to have an easy flow of old genes made possible! In this respect, I found the Estonian meeting promising - by its agenda and its carrying out the meeting by the good lead of Waltraud. Thanks so much!
August 30rd 2017 Hans Nebel


text:
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Happy Ba Steele Day
My god it's all so lovely when you can go out and it's a Wednesday and the sun is shining down like golden buttah and you're 23 and brown as toast, sitting outside at a quaint little trattoria with Alberto Moravia, who wants to write a screenplay for you -- molto piacere as long as I don't have to crawl out of another freaking coffin or come oozing around the side of another marble column! Prego, cameriere, another bottle of Valpolicella -- affretatevi, if you please! Federico may be calling!
Posted by Tim Lucas at Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Labels: Barbara Steele
3 comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Every week brings yet another Internet IPO and a raft of Silicon Alley employees who suddenly find themselves awash in a sea of mizuma. But the paper moguls are still a conservative lot; flaunting it generally means shelling out for a new Palm VII. The heavy-duty product placement hasn't really started yet, as any significant liquidation by principal shareholders would make the next CNBC newscast. And not knowing whether the company stock will be in the shredder a year from now is a powerful argument for diversifying, say, into a two-bedroom apartment in Park Slope or Star Wars memorabilia instead of a redesigned Porsche.
So who's spending all the big money in New York? Wall Street money still skulks behind every act of in-your-face shopping in this town, whether it be that sunken tennis court in Georgica (to muffle the sound of bouncing Slazengers) or a membership at Westchester's new Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson (initiation fee: $317,000). Throwing money around is becoming a new sort of performance art, and economists have coined a word to describe the genre: hyperconsumption.
Just what would possess a sane person to spend a quarter of a million dollars on a Hamptons rental (sans cable), or install an underground garage for 200 cars in this same neck of the woods (as Ira Rennert is doing at this very moment, spurring others to dig their own)? "This is a classic case of discomfort anxiety," says psychologist Dr. Albert Ellis, president of the Albert Ellis Institute, a facility celebrated for its pioneering cognitive-behavior therapy. "Wall Streeters think that if they're deprived of anything, they'll be too uncomfortable. They cannot tolerate any type of deprivation. It's all ego anxiety to impress others. What we're talking about here is a bunch of 200-pound babies."
Jets Host the Giants
Last year's needful appliance was the Gulfstream V. Priced at $38 million, the GV is still limited to the certifiably filthy rich, Fortune 500 guys. But today's flush hedge-fund managers are having REM visions of their very own Boeing Business Jet kissing the tarmac at JFK. Known among tail-number groupies simply as the BBJ, this executive jet is redefining the high life.
What, exactly, sets the BBJ apart from the GV? The BBJ is big. Make that huge. It's essentially a customized Boeing 737 whose design has been tweaked for better performance (tell-tale winglets distinguish it from its commercial counterpart). The BBJ's cabin is nearly three times the size of the GV's, a palatial 807 square feet versus a puny 210. Not only can the BBJ cruise at Mach .82, but it can also transport an entire office party from New York to Beijing without refueling. Cost: $35.25 million, minus the amenities inside like a master-bedroom suite, a conference room, a lounge area, and a media room tricked out with DirecTV and 42-inch plasma flat-screen monitors, which typically add another $10 million to the sticker price. (Note to the thrifty: Any interior that sets you back less than $10 mil is considered "very vanilla" by the boys at Raytheon, the conversion center that snares the lion's share of BBJ business.)
Boeing optimistically projected five orders this first year of availability. Instead, as of today, 46 BBJs were on order, the first of which will be delivered with its Raytheon-outfitted interior in mid-July to General Electric CEO Jack Welch. As weight restrictions prohibit BBJs from landing at East Hampton Airport, those who summer on the South Fork will have to touch down at Westhampton's Gabreski Airport (not necessarily a bad thing, considering this is where Air Force One is cleared for landing if the Clintons do Shelter Island this summer). Have the Sikorsky copter gassed and waiting for the second leg.
Cellar I.D.
"Wall Streeters are partial to big California wines, things like Opus One '95, $175 and Joseph Phelps Insignia '94, $210," says Mauro Maccioni, son of Sirio and co-owner of Circo, an upscale Tuscan restaurant in midtown. "Unless they're with a girlfriend they want to impress. Then they order French. Usually a first growth, something really expensive, like a Latour '85, $600 or an Haut Brion '85, $625."


text:
Our Team
Bob Burr
Owner/Project Manager
Bob has been working in the remodeling industry sinadmission essay servicesce 1985 and knew right from the start that his passion was to own his own business. While attending college courses at night for Architectural Engineering, Bob honed his Carpentry/Construction skills by day working for a full service construction company. As he continued his education with a focus on Business, Bob started Burr Remodeling in 1993 by working out of his home, and completing small jobs for a handful of friends and family which evolved into many word of mouth referrals.
Over the years, Bob has built custom homes, additions write paper for me, kitchens, baths as well as many commercial projects. He has always enjoyed the challenges that come with remodeling a home or business, but mostly, it's the satisfaction and gratitude he gets from his clients that's most rewarding for him. Bob credits the success of his company to hard work and the ongoing training and education that he enjoys and instills in his team. Also, his hands on, teamwork approach, to project management and customer satisfaction, builds trusting, lasting relationships with his clients.
Beth Doyle
Office Manager/Receptionist
Beth joined our team in 2012 as we expanded our office to our new Plymouth location where we have had our workshop since 2002. As a Licensed Tax Preparer and a background in Accounting; Beth has a tremendous attention to detail and strong organizational skills. Her personable and friendly attitude is calming to our clients as she helps guide them through the remodeling process starting with the very first phone call.
Dave Burr
Lead Carpenter
Dave is an integral part of the Burr Remodeling team; he started with the company in 2001 as an Apprentice Carpenter. He has trained and worked his way up to a Lead Carpenter position. Dave has many years of carpentry and tiling experience and has developed into our Kitchen and Bath specialist. He continues to expand on his experience and improve on his skills by attending ongoing trade seminars and classes. Dave's meticulous workmanship and thoroughness on the job makes homeowners feel confident and at ease when he is on their project. He knows how to manage a project effectively and consistently exceeds the expectations of our clients.
Matt Gindel
Carpenter/Cabinet Maker
Before joining our team in early 2013 Matt ran his own business for many years. He is a master at his craft, and has an education and background in Architectural Design. Matt brings his years of experience and superb customer relations skills to every project. His background in design is essential to our clients that are looking for that custom cabinetry and built-in project. Knowledgeable, careful, and a perfectionist; Matt's a valuable addition to our team and brings piece of mind to our client during their project.
Matt Timmons
Apprentice Carpenter
Matt has been part our team since early 2012. He's a graduate of a Career in Technical Education School where he was enrolled in the carpentry program. Matt also has work experience in retail, and has brought his excellent customer service skills to Burr Remodeling. Matt is training and working diligently on his skills towards becoming our next finish Carpenter. His friendly demeanor, respectfulness, and eagerness to please attitude goes far beyond his years; our clients can't say enough nice things about him.
Burr Remodeling Core Values
Our trade and business affiliations have enabled us to stay informed about the latest products and the best installation practices. By attending trade shows and seminars we're able to bring our best skills to your project.
We carry full worker's compensation on our employees, and we have full coverage liability insurance. In the unlikely event that something should go wrong, you can feel secure in knowing that you will never incur any liability or cost.
As a parent and a homeowner I fully understand the importance of being able to trust the people who work in our homes. Being a small owner operated company our employees are not just numbers, they're family.
I will personally see to it that your expectations are being met throughout the entire process of your project. We'll stand by our workmanship with a one year, written warranty.
From our lettered trucks and job trailers to our uniformed workers, you will have no doubts about who's working in your home. Even more important than a professional appearance is our professional promise to complete your project on time and on budget.


text:
After Nadira informed me makyam's latest condition (admitted to ICU due to lung infection), I told hubby that we should visit her. Perhaps during raya. Later that day, we chatted with my brother, a surgeon by profession. Shockingly, he told us that makyam has not many days left. He firmly told us give it or take, there's only 1 week.
I looked at my office calendar. 3 more weeks before raya. 3 more weeks! I can't stand that long to go and see her. What if anything happened? I can't live with regrets my whole life, not after how makyam still called me to wish birthday even though she was in so much pain. I can't celebrate raya happily if anything bad happened.
But is brother saying the truth? Then how come makyam was so calm when she called me the day before she was admitted? She nonchalantly talked about her everyday lives and asking updates about all our friends. But I don't want to take risk. and so far my brother has never gone wrong yet on such matter. He believes that relatives and friends should know the truth so there's no regret at the end.
So my hubby and I and some of our schoolmates cancelled our weekend plan and started planning for the saturday trip. At that time Saturday seems so long, 5 more days to go. I was so restless, can't wait to go.
Finally Saturday came. It was exactly 1 week after she was admitted in the ICU. We arrived at the hospital on time (during the visiting hours). Me and hubby were the first one to go in with her father. There was so much I wanted to tell her. I even rehearsed my conversation in the toilet over and over again. Although she's in coma, I believe she could hear me.
Yet once we saw her, my mind went numb. She was helplessly on the bed, breathing rapidly with the oxygen support. Her food intake is also taken through some wires. She looks so small, I don't think that's her actual size. Her face looks very tired and in pain.
I have to be strong. I can't cry in front of her father. I can't cry in front of my baby. Biggest of all, I can't cry in front of her. But I know if I open my mouth to talk, my tears will flow non-stop. So I just let hubby talks. Thank God hubby was there.
Once we were out (giliran bebudak lain pulak), I felt so stupid why I did not talk to her. It might be my last chance. I should talk to her. She should know I was there, with my baby. So at 1.40pm (visiting hours is only 12-2pm), we went back inside again. This time I was determined. I need to be courageous for her.
It took me a few minutes, but at last I opened my mouth. I talked a bit. Told her we all love her. I think I kept on repeating the same lines over and over again. But I don't care. Somehow I think she knew I was there. Then time was up, we need to leave.
Still there's so much I wanted to tell her; to tell her that we missed her. to tell her what we are going to name our baby. I wanted to ask for her forgiveness. I should list it all down! Damn it.
We left shortly after that. Time isn't really on our side. If only she was admitted at KL, I'll visit her everyday. Bak kata Sue, kalau lah kita boleh terbang…
Mariam passed away on Nuzul Quran day, 4 days after our visit


text:
The kids learned an awesome new game akin to Rock, Scissors, Paper. Players face each other and slap hands against their thighs 3 times in unison. On the 4th beat, players perform one of three actions:
Reload - both fisted hands up to shoulders with thumbs pointing backward over the shoulders.
Block - arms crossed across chest
Shoot - both index fingers point at other player.
Here's the rules:
The first move for both players is "Reload". Afterwards, players choose whichever move they want. A player can only do one shoot per reload, though a player may accumulate several reloads and thus be able to shoot multiple times before needing to reload.
If player 1 shoots while player 2 is reloading, player 1 wins.
If player 1 shoots while player 2 is blocking, nothing happens and play continues (although player 1 has used up a shot).
If both players shoot, both players lose.
We've been hooked on the game – it has a lot more depth than the classic Rock Scissors Paper, and it helps to know how your opponent plays. This past weekend we had some friends over for and played a tournament. Maggie won... here's my winning cowgirl, and her surly opponent:


text:
naomi in the backyard
21 comments:
oh I love theseeeeReplyDelete
I love Naomi, can't wait to work with her again.ReplyDelete
When I was 16 I did wear my Eyebrows this way every day.ReplyDelete
All colored in Pink or in rainbow colors. :D
My favorite Picture is No.7.
She has a very interesting face, love the pics!ReplyDelete
These are so beautiful! We are so excited to see the full story. You are an artist, Miss Julia!! Cheers AngelaReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 30, 2012 at 11:30 PM
your photos are VERY beautiful. Seriously.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 30, 2012 at 11:43 PM
oh my, the bokeh and the light <33ReplyDelete
Wow, so amazing!ReplyDelete
Just wanted to say, thankyou for inspiring me to take more photos and experiment more,
Your talent is amazing and i love how you still spend time here to update on your blog!
Gorgeous pictures!ReplyDelete
Liked your style!ReplyDelete
I love her eyebrows! Her face is stunning.ReplyDelete
The light is beautiful as always...
I just looove the pink brow! Very cool idea and I love the warmth light of these pictures a lot :)ReplyDelete
these are really beautiful! :)ReplyDelete
Super impressive blog. Really great stuff.ReplyDelete
wow...beatiful ;)ReplyDelete
really amazing :)ReplyDelete
Love this! Sending love from New York City, hope you are well. Please follow me! & like me on Facebook! If you have bloglovin, we should follow each other!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 2, 2012 at 6:08 AM
fantastic pictures! Love the idea of coloring brows!ReplyDelete
You amaze me. I love your work! So inspiring! Thank you for doing what you do. I'm a photo student in LA right now. Trying to get into fashion. Would love if you looked at my my site if you have time :)ReplyDelete
My Blog


text:
And even though I'm busy as usual, I want to take the time to indulge with a makeup. Tutorial is coming later, here's sneak peak of the human heart clutch purse I'll be wearing tonight ;)
Earlier this year I also cosplayed as Shock from The Nightmare Before Christmas, but this was not "scary" enough for my night. Might work as an inspiration for you though ;)
Photo by Danarki
Last year I also made a sum up post with costumes for inspiration, take a look.
Photo by Danarki, Håvard Nyhus, Aslak Sødal, Tom Vidar Johannesen, Ole-Henrik Helin


text:
XBox Sees Price Drop - For Real This Time
Back in July we reported on the temporary price drop of the 20gb Xbox 360 to $299, in anticipation of the new 60gb model at the standard "Pro System" price of $349. Now, thanks to reports from Radio Shack and Walmart advertising pamphlets, as well as employees from Best Buy and Gamestop, we've learned of a real price drop, reducing the prices of every Xbox 360 model across the line.The most substantial drop will be that of the low-end Xbox 360 Arcade model. The model does not have a hard drive, instead shipping with just a 256mb Memory Card. While this is hardly enough for gamers wanting to experience demos, downloadable content extending gameplay, or videos from the Xbox Live Marketplace, it is plenty for those just wanting to experience HD, Current Gen gaming. The Arcade currently sells for $279, but US gamers wanting a deal need only wait until Sunday September 7th, when the price will drop to $199. This makes the system the first of the current generation to drop below the $200 barrier, with the Wii still selling out consistently at $250 and the PS3 yet to drop below $399 for a new system. The other models, the Pro and the Elite, will also see price drops. The Pro, now with 60gb hard drive, drops to $299 from $349. The Elite, with 120gb of storage and an included HDMI cable for true high definition visuals also trims 50 bucks off the price, going from $449 to $399. No confirmations of any full games shipping with the systems have come yet, though none currently have bundled titles. The Arcade has demos of games that can be purchased on XBLM. Microsoft has yet to officially acknowledge the price drops, but the evidence is now overwhelming.
The US price drop comes hot on the heels of (and in fact will actually happen before) the officially announced price drops in Japan. As of September 11th, Japanese gamers can purchase the Arcade for about $180, the Pro for about $270, and the Elite for about $370. Aside from one week just a couple weeks ago, when Tales of Vesperia premiered in the island nation, sales of Microsoft's system have been anemic at best. The company hopes the price drop, accompanied by several Role Playing Games from Square Enix, can help boost sales amongst the Nintendo and Sony loyalists.One last variable remaining is the fate of the 20gb Pro systems still sitting on store shelves. Currently clearanced at $299, they're about to be priced out by their new bigger brother. The safe money has them selling around $249, though none of the revealed advertisements have shown that yet. Either way, gamers will have a less expensive way to get into the current generation soon.


text:
A Film A Day For An Entire Year – 3MS+
What is 3MS+
Ever wonder what it would be like to shoot a 3 minute short film everyday? The goal — perfect your abilities as a filmmaker. In 2010, Preston Kanak produced and posted a film a day. By the end of the year, he produced 365 films — ranging from nature films to corporate documentaries!
The Philosophy
No matter what you do, the more you do it, the better you will get at it. Preston decided to see how his work would evolve when dedicated to the art of film-making for 365 consecutive days starting in January 2010. The evolution in films was remarkable!
Thanks for checking out 3 Minute Shorts. In this section, you will find out how to shoot a film a day for an entire year using 10 easy steps. If you have any questions about this project, please do not hesitate to ask!
Welcome to 3 Minute Shorts (3MS+)
My name is Preston Kanak and I'm a filmmaker based out of Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2010 I produced and posted a short film everyday for an entire year.
Previous to undertaking the 3MS+ project, I read a book by Malcolm Gladwell that introduced me to the 10,000 hr rule. This rule stated that, the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practising a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. After reading this book, I decided to attempt to produce and post a film everyday for one year while also attending a 4-year film program. With the 3MS+ project, I wanted to see how my work would evolve when dedicated to the art of film-making for one year. By the end of the year, I ended up producing 365 films — ranging from nature films to corporate documentaries.
With this program, I want to give you the necessary information you will need to avoid the mistakes I made during the project. I also want to give you a few tips that will hopefully aid you on your journey of producing a film a day for one year.
The Birth of 3 Minute Shorts
Before embarking on producing and posting a short film everyday for a year, I came across a book by Malcolm Gladwell titled, "Outliers", which mentions many times throughout the book a concept known as the 10,000 HOUR RULE.
The 10,000 HOUR RULE was derived from a study by Anders Ericsson, a psychologist who researched the success of violinists at the Berlin Academy of Music. In his study, he found that in every case the violinists that performed the best spent more time practicing. "Outliers", further describes how the magic number of 10,000 hours was the average number of hours the violinists as well as athletes, composers, writers, artists, even criminals spent to achieve their success.
The hardest part of the process is determining where to start. If you are desiring to shoot a film a day, there are a few things you will need to do first:
1. Determine what you hope to gain from the experience. Shooting a film a day may not be for you. Like anything, it is key to have a purpose and drive behind anything you are doing. Dedication is essential if you hope to be successful with this project.
2. Tell your family and friends about your plans. If you hope to be successful with the project, you need to get your friends and family on board. Having these people on board and supporting you along the way will help you get through the days where you just want to take a break and/or give up on the project.
3. Develop a system. Storage is the biggest challenge with this project. Make sure you develop a system early on in order to stay organized. As you work through these shorts, you will find out what works and what doesn't work in regards to content management. Having a starting point will help you refine your skills.
4. Financing. Another facet of the process you will need to consider is budget. Data management is cheap but when you are shooting a film a day, it can get expensive. Plan in advance to ensure you have enough resources at your disposal.
5. Find collaborators. Finding people that can help you along the way will make the process much easier. Whether their are filmmakers or other multi-media artists or even people that simply want to contribute, make sure to include them in the process.
6. Create mind maps. Spend some time determining what is important to you and what you want to investigate with this project. Mind maps are a great way to develop a blueprint for the project.
7. Build A Website: Sharing your work online during the project will help build an audience and a support system. As your audience grows, people will start to support you along the way. By doing this, you will also be open to potential work opportunities.
Shooting a film a day can be accomplished through 10 easy steps. These steps will be a little different for each person that goes through the process but the fundamental elements remain the same.
1. Find a Mentor
2. Define the Scope / Project Blueprint
3. Determine What Resources are at Your Disposal
4. Develop a Workflow / Policies & Procedures
5. Breakdown the Elements
6. Develop a Plan of Action
7. Put Your Plan into Action
8. Monitor Your Progress
9. Track Your Progress and Set Goals
10. Inspire Others
How to be successful when embarking on the 10,000 HOUR RULE
CAREFUL SELECTION: The most important aspect of using the 10,000 hour rule is to find your passion. Ask yourself what do you absolutely enjoying doing. Discover what it is you love and could see yourself doing for an extended period of time.
TIME SPAN REFERENCE: 10,000 hours is about 3 hours a day over a 10 year period. Spending this kind of time on your passion will not feel like work nor will it feel like 10 years.
FLEXIBILITY: Make adjustments to your 10,000 HOUR SCHEDULE, if you are working part time, try putting in 4 or 5 hours a day. Add additional hours on the weekend or any other time you have off.
FOCUS: Ensure you stay on task and are maintaining a level of consistency in the work you produce. This does not necessarily mean embarking on similar projects rather focus on how this will help you grow. Collaboration is key to ensuring you are successful when attempting the 10,000 HOUR REGIMENT.
COMMITMENT: The most important trait you will need if you hope to be successful with this project is commitment. Embarking on shooting a film a day takes a level of commitment that will not only change the way in which you approach your career but also your life.
Shooting a film a day is NOT easy. It takes a high level of commitment and a desire to grow your skill set. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed and want to quit – where you don't see a lot of progress in the quality of your films. However, if you stick with it, you WILL see improvements and you will come out of the project as a totally new person with a totally new outlook on your career.
During the project, I went through six stages – very similar to the six stages of grieving:
1. Shock: Once you have committed to doing the project, the first feeling you will experience is shock. When you start the project, you don't quite understand what you got yourself into. You don't know how to react. You become confused, disoriented and overwhelmed. However, what carries you through this stage is the understanding of what you will gain from the project.
2. Denial: The next stage is denial. You will try convince yourself that it really isn't THAT much work but it is. It is key to understand that it does require a lot of work and does require a lot of time and effort. Once you embrace this, you begin to work to improve upon each film. At this stage you will start to see progress in your films.
3. Anger: The third stage is anger. Once you begin to accept the truth of the situation, you go from denial to anger. During this stage, you experience feelings of hostility over the lack of control you have. It is key that you take control of the process and force yourself to learn from every film. If you have developed a strong support system, this is the stage when your family and friends usually step in to support you and push you when you need it.
4. Bargaining: During this stage, you will find yourself trying to procrastinate and put off your project until the next day when you will produce two films. This is totally acceptable but do not make this a routine and it will push you too far behind and could end up with you giving up on the project.
5. Grieving: This stage can last over an extended period of time. It's also important to understand that everyone grieves differently. Don't try to compare yourself to others who have been through similar situations.
6. Acceptance: The final stage is the most important step of the process. At this stage, you have accepted the process and getting to the end is simple when you have accepted the process and the change that was required in your life to attempt this challenge.
Everyone will reach each stage at a different part during the process but I guarantee everyone will go through these stages if they are truly dedicated to the project.
If you would like to see some of the films, click here.
Interested in attempting to shoot a film a day? Feel free to contact me for more information.


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Senior Olympics still accepting registrations
The deadline for registration for this year's Los Alamos Senior Olympics has been extended.
The local Senior Olympic Games will begin Friday with basketball free throw and 3-point competitions, as well as Frisbee competition.
The local games run through May 10.
Any Los Alamos County resident age 50 or over is eligible to participate in the Games.
For more information on the local Senior Olympic Games, call 662-3526.
Slowpitch softball season gets going April 26
Registration is open for the upcoming slowpitch softball season.
The slowpitch league is for men's and women's teams. Games are played during the week at Overlook Park in White Rock.
The season starts April 26-27 with a tournament. The season runs through the end of July.
Price for participation is $575 per team. Registration fee and additional paperwork is due by April 18.
Additionally, a field work party is scheduled for Saturday at Overlook Park.
For more information, send email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Native American 5K championship set
The seventh annual Jim Thorpe National Championship 5K run is open for registration.
The 5K run will be June 28 starting at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque. The race is run on a 2-loop course designed for faster times.
For more information on registration, email firstname.lastname@example.com or visit the club's website, nativeamerican5Kchampionships.org.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
Spoiler Warning!
This article contains information that could be considered too revealing according to our spoiler policy. Proceed with caution. You can't unsee it!Reason HBO released the episode early on demand.
Westworld May Never Explain All Its Rules, And That Would Be Outstanding
On the small Ford moment in S01.E02 that encapsulates what Westworld is doing right.
In a highly entertaining second episode of Westworld, which gives us an even richer understanding of both how the theme park works and what's happening as the hosts become self-aware, I keep coming back to a quiet little scene in middle of the episode.
The scene isn't bloody, like the moment when Logan -- an experienced guest who loves bisexual orgies with the hosts -- stabs a grizzled old prospector through the hand rather than go with him on a treasure hunt. Logan gets stabby because he wants to focus William, his future brother-in-law, on what he thinks really matters in Westworld, which is less about searching for Curly's gold and more about throwing bone.
But William isn't interested in all that. He's got a fiancée at home that he loves so much he will even turn down sex with a comely robot hooker. Nor is he attracted to violence, as his grossed-out response to Logan's knifeplay makes clear. In fact, it's not yet clear what William does want out of this place, but it seems obvious he's going to be a moral balance to Logan's unchecked id. The episode even makes a big show of William choosing a white cowboy hat, so...I'm pretty confident in that analysis.
Logan, nataurally, wears a black hat, as does Ed Harris's unhinged gunslinger, who has been coming to the park so long that he's now on a mad quest to learn its deepest secrets. He scalps a host to uncover some kind of circuitry patten on the underside of the dude's head-skin. The pattern resembles a maze, and now the gunslinger's trying to get to the maze and whatever lies at its center.
And all of this is great! I'm totally here for archetypal figures of good and evil, and if this series becomes overtly, unapologetically metaphorical, then sign me up. Similarly, I'm also down for the careful way they're handling the hosts' awakening. We've seen Dolores and her father start remembering things, and now it's Maeve Millay, the saloon madam played by Thandie Newton, who is coming closer to consciousness. Apparently, the hosts have been implanted with the ability to have nightmares, which is meant to explain any random memories of previous encounters with guests that the programming team might forget to wipe clean. And that's telling, right? The guests abuse the hosts so frequently that their actions have to be rationalized as nightmares. But somehow, Maeve has internalized the phrasing the techs use to turn the hosts on and off. We hear techs saying things like, "When I count down from three, you'll be back online," and that has also become Maeve's strategy for escaping her nightmares. It's tantalizing to imagine when she first "remembered" that she can alter her mental state this way.
Anyway, the episode ends with Maeve in a terrible nightmare: the gunslinger arrives and murders both her and her young daughter. To escape, she counts down -- three, two, one -- only to "wake up" on a technician's table. She looks down to see herself naked and cut open, since the techs are tending to a MRSA infection she contracted from a nasty guest.
Out of one nightmare and into another, like an HBO sequel to Inception. In a panic, Maeve grabs a scalpel and runs. Along the way, she finds all sorts of "dead" hosts, including James Marsden's Teddy Flood, who was recently murdered by guests. Thandie Newton's acting is fantastic here as she registers panic and terror, but also confusion and a certain amount of awe. There's no way she's going to forget all this.
Still, this is not the scene I keep recalling. Instead, I return to a moment when Ford, the park's creator, is wandering out in the desert with a little boy. Ford has gotten some alone time to examine a secret project he's developing -- it involves an ominous-looking church poking out of the sand -- and also reflect on how the "story team" at Westworld is focusing too much on empty spectacle instead of writing rich inner lives for the hosts. When the boy shows up, with his charming British accent, he seems to be visiting the park with his family. Ford takes time to show him around and also compliments him on his obvious intelligence. (Anthony Hopkins does a great job seeming like the kindliest grandpa in this entire scorched earth.) And then Ford wows the boy by effortlessly controlling a robot snake.
It's a hypnotic moment, and even though you know Ford can probably control this thing because he created it, it still seems magical. Ford's absolute confidence, the ease with which he makes the snake do his bidding, speaks of an enormous depth of power.
Ford's snake-charming also gives us another blatant symbol of good and evil. Add this to Maeve running around naked as she gains knowledge, and you've got a sci-fi Garden of Eden. And "Maeve" is basically "MAchine EVE," right? And don't forget Ford's line about how playing God means you eventually meet the devil.
But I digress. Back in the desert, after Ford controls the snake, he then controls the boy. He tells the boy to leave, and the kid immediately complies. The way his head droops and his eyes change, it seems clear that he's a host himself -- a little robot child who wanted a friend. Or maybe he's just a real, weird kid who wisely listens to the old man who controls snakes.
THAT is what I keep coming back to -- the shiver of excitement I get when I realize I don't exactly know if the boy is real or robotic. That mystery seems essential to the series: what is life? What is reality? These questions get posed and teased about a hundred different ways in the first two episodes, and I love scenes like this because they remind us that those questions can't ever be answered. Even if we learn exactly how the hosts are becoming "human," there will still be some ineffable spark of life that can't be explained by a writer's room. Because we can't do that in reality, either. For all our scientific knowledge, the unknowable, undefinable thing that makes us alive is still hanging there, and we can't pluck it off the tree.
Ford and the boy make that mystery feel very real, and I hope Westworld keeps that sense of the unknowable, even when the black hats and white hats inevitably face off.


text:
Twitter @Cuh_cork
CUH on YouTube
CUH on Facebook
Our Social Work Team is committed to providing a quality service that supports, empowers and safeguards our clients.
This is the third Annual Master Class organised by the Social Work Department for the staff in the Social Work Team. The topics selected are those relating to our core business and aimed to ensure that we as a Department have the most up to date knowledge and skills to work with the patients and families referred to our service.
The training was facilitated by Ms. Patricia Richard-Clarke and Ms. Denise Kirwan, legal practitioners, and experts in the area of consent and capacity.


text:
The Libertarian Case Against Public Schools• http://www.lewrockwell.com
To get votes and support, Conservatives sometimes spout libertarian rhetoric, claim they are "libertarian leaning," and—their favorite pastime—criticize liberals. The truth, however, is that conservatives are bitter opponents of libertarianism, lie incessantly, and are no better than liberals on most issues.
Yet, the case of public schooling is one where conservatives and libertarians appear to have some common concerns.
Liberals love public education. And especially when it promotes an agenda of diversity, environmentalism, political correctness, inclusivism, socialism, relativism, interventionism, statism, gun control, and LGBT causes. But like libertarians, most conservatives regularly criticize public education.
Conservatives cite the drop in SAT scores. They talk about the dumbing down of our kids. They vehemently express their opposition to Common Core. They talk about high schools graduating functional illiterates.


text:
Blog Tour: Money by Jillian Dodd
Fame. Power. Money. Sex. Love.
This continuation of The Keatyn Chronicles series follows the lives and loves of those who work at Captive Films.
Hot, successful, playboy Riley Johnson, whose business success far exceeds his success in love.
Movie star, Keatyn Douglas, whose epic love story has spawned a series of books and movies.
And Dawson Johnson, who joins Captive with a tragic past.
Expect lots of drama, sex, and tabloid-worthy events.


text:
Carpet Sets the Standard in Home Flooring
Through the years, carpet flooring has been the mainstay as the first choice for homeowners when selecting a floor covering. Its versatility, comfort and price are just a few of the reasons for carpet's staying power.
From neutral solids to bold prints, let your personal style shine. Whether you want carpet that blends in as a backdrop for your furnishings or stands out as the main design element, we can help you pick just the right look.
Whether it's crawling babies starting to walk, toddlers playing with toys on the floor or teens hanging out with friends, they all love carpet. It's soft to the touch, comfortable and warm. In fact, carpet instantly adds a warm and cozy feeling to any room.
With carpet, you can change the mood of a single room or the whole house. Plus, installation is usually less expensive than hardwood because it's not as time-intensive. Additionally, carpet flooring aids in insulating your home, which can reduce your heating bills during the cold months.
Available in an almost infinite number of colors, styles and textures, carpet is functional and beautiful in just about any home décor. From traditional to country and from casual to formal, with so many options you're sure to find the carpet that's right for your home and lifestyle.
- Performance
- Care & Maintenance
Sound Absorption
Carpet flooring absorbs sound vibrations, so adding it to your bedroom could give you a quieter, and better, night's sleep.
Providing traction that helps stabilize each step you take, carpet can protect you and your guests from slips and falls.
Babies, toddlers, teens and adults can all agree that the feeling of bare feet on soft carpet is irreplaceable.
Care & Maintenance
Vacuuming will remove daily dirt and debris, while periodic shampooing or steam cleaning gives carpet a deeper clean.
Stains and Spills
Carpet cleaners and stain removal products have come a long way, so your carpet can look great for many years.
If you get a snag due to rambunctious kids, pets' toenails or moving furniture, don't pull it out, just clip it with scissors.
Why Choose Carpet Flooring?
As you can already tell, carpet flooring has many unique benefits. Here's a complete list of the reasons why you should install carpet flooring in your home:
Carpet flooring is king when it comes to comfort. There's nothing like the feeling of soft, warm carpet when you're walking around the house barefoot.
Carpet is less expensive than almost all other flooring materials except for vinyl.
Carpet provides traction to stabilize every step to you take. This protects you and your guests from slips and falls.
New sustainability technologies have been developed that allow old carpet to be recycled into new carpet and other products.
Carpet is a fantastic insulation material that can help reduce your energy costs in the winter.
Sound Absorption
Carpet flooring absorbs sound vibrations, so adding it to your bedroom could give you a quieter, and better, night's sleep.
Casual and Formal Applications
Carpet can be installed in casual settings like a family room or more formal settings like a sitting room for guests.
Highly Customizable
Carpet comes in a variety of colors, textures, and styles for any type of room in your home.
Carpet Flooring Add-Ons
A couple of additional products that many people don't consider when they buy carpet flooring are carpet padding and carpet protection:
Carpet Padding
Carpet padding is a sheet of foam that is placed in-between your floor and carpet to provide additional comfort and thickness underfoot. Carpet padding relieves stress on carpet backing and fibers, which extends your carpet's life.
Carpet Protection
If you're painting a room where carpet is installed, carpet protection tape is a good investment. You can also purchase plastic carpet guards to use as walkways in high traffic areas where people track in dirt.
What type of carpet flooring is right for me? What's the difference?
Frieze / Twist
One of the most popular styles of carpet for the last 20 years. Trackless and durable, frieze is two-ply yarn twisted together very tightly.
One of the best selling carpets, it's widely popular, durable, and more affordable. Known for resistance to stains and heavy traffic.
As important as color, patterns can define the purpose of a room, add character, and set the tone for the style and color of room furnishings.
Texture is all about how something feels. Soft, rough, bumpy or smooth, textured carpets add excitement and style to any living space.
Shop in
Come to one of our conveniently located showrooms in Columbus, Indianapolis, or Louisville and experience all the flooring options for yourself.
Shop From
We can bring our showroom to you with our Mobile Floor Source. Just schedule an appointment to get started. The best part is it's absolutely free!
Your Source for
Our Inspiration Gallery has flooring ideas for every room in your home.
Whether your style is funky or functional, we'll help you select the best flooring options for your room. From kitchens to closets, bathrooms to basements, we've got a solution for all your living spaces.
We had the pleasure of having America's Floor Source replace all of the hardwood flooring on our first floor back in December. The crew arrived promptly and worked into the evening to complete the job. Needless to say, I am very pleased with the way the floors turned out! They look beautiful! Thank you for your quality workmanship!