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The Story Behind GrillMarX Steakhouse
Andy and Eric have been in the restaurant business for their entire working career. While building business at mainly restaurants in Bethesda and Rockville, they decided to open one closer to home that had the atmosphere and service they found to be best over the years. Opening restaurants such as TGIFridays, Houstons in Bethesda and Rockville, Rock Bottom, Red Tomato, Wille-n-Reeds and Andy being former owner of Caddies, they have both accumulated loads of experience and viewpoints and ended up with the perfect combination in GrillMarx Steakhouse.
Both residents of Olney, GrillMarX's owners identified the need for a quality restaurant offering an environment of warmth and satisfaction. For three years, we searched for a suitable location in or near Olney, both knowing that, although we wanted it badly, Olney needed it even more! We turned down a few spots before finally receiving a phone call from a representative at Carl M. Freeman, who shared the news that a space was available next to the new Harris Teeter. We jumped on it and from there began our quest for investors and outstanding contractors who could help us achieve our dream.
It wasn't too difficult: Investors were plentiful, as they were aware of the success that had been achieved at our other restaurants, and they knew that the customer base was both large and strong. It was quite flattering for us to see how people believed in our ability to succeed; this provided us with plenty of motivation to keep moving forward.
Andy put his brother-in-law, John Baker, in charge of construction. Demanding the utmost quality and craftsmanship from every subcontractor who helped shape the vision, John provided stellar leadership, and soon pieces of the puzzle began falling into place. Shortly thereafter, our team of highly experienced and trusted specialists designed the beautiful restaurant our clientele enjoys today!
With a location secure and construction underway, we began our search for a chef – not just any chef, but a trained, hardworking, honest team player who was REALLY good. We had the perfect candidate in mind – we've known our chef, Doug Kellner, since he was just five years old. Not only did we know that he comes from a great family; we knew that he has an incredible work ethic and that he had been hard at work up north for years. We called him and offered him the chance to come back home and run our kitchen at GrillMarX. To our extreme pleasure, he accepted. It was at that moment that we knew this restaurant was going to be awesome!
We then hired wonderful people from the local community and from former restaurants we had been a part of. Experienced and new to the profession alike, our team members hail from a variety of age groups and backgrounds, providing our new restaurant with depth, cultural diversity, a wealth of knowledge, and a true sense of community – all the while creating a family atmosphere for everyone working with us.
Building GrillMarX was a total team effort from start to finish, and teamwork continues to be of vital importance as we begin each new year.


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25th Anniversary in the 14th Annual ADA Memorial
July 26th marks Silver Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act! Come run to show your support of the 25th Anniversary in the 14th Annual ADA Memorial on Saturday, July 25th in Gainesville, GA. Run in the 5K, the new 9K category, or in the improved 1M course.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities that are like those provided to individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications.[1]
Add your support of the ADA by signing the ADA Pledge, and shop for some ADA Swag with the proceeds benefitting
The proceeds from the event will benefit Access to a Better Tomorrow, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure Georgians with disabilities have equal opportunities to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ABT recognizes that recreation is essential to happiness, and our organization provides support to the North Georgia Screamin' Eagles Power Soccer Club. Please consider becoming a sponsor of the ADA Memorial, or make a donation to assist the team in purchasing new power wheelchairs for the team to increase their competitiveness in the U.S. Power Soccer Association.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dear Readers,
Understanding the duties and responsibilities of being a citizen do not come at the age of 18 but need to be introduced and fostered throughout adolescence. In this issue of The Generator we take a closer look at how service-learning supports the implementation of civic learning for our youngest citizens by building their communication and critical thinking skills and by engaging them in making meaningful change now. As former Senator John Glenn said, "By its very definition, civic responsibility means taking a healthy role in the life of one's community. That means that classroom lessons should be complemented by work outside the classroom. Service-learning does just that, tying community service to academic learning." We couldn't have said it any better ourselves.
In Service,
Amy Meuers


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So now that I have had "Bernette" in my arsenal for almost a year, (I got her in November as a birthday present from my guy! Seriously, he knows the way to a girls heart, that's for sure!) I thought it was time to tell you how awesome she is most of the time… She has her picky moments but what lady doesn't?!
Alright, first up the PROS:
- It's easy to where the thread goes due to the fact that the color coded markings are very easy to see.
- One thing that really surprised me was the fact that it's isn't very noisy when your sewing, she is probably my quietest machine of the bunch.
- I like how compact it is.
- How professional the finish is and how fast I can accomplish those results.
- That it is lightweight and easy to move around or transport if needed.
Now on to the CONS:
- The looper thread doesn't always like to catch in when you are re-threading it.
- Sometimes it doesn't like to release the thread when your done now matter when that you hand cranked the wheel 3/4 of a turn like the instructor and previous owner showed me. I think there just is a magic sweet spot.
- She is really picky about her tension settings: I usually have to test several scraps to get the right look almost every time.
Note: I actually haven't had a need to use the chain-stitch feature on this machine only the cover-stitch which was the main reason I coveted this machine.
Overall, I love this machine. It only had one previous owner and was well taken care of, plus got it locally so if I have any issues I can just give them a call. I am really glad that this was my first Bernina because when I decide to upgrade to a new machine they are on the top of my list for a regular sewing machine.


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The Freelancer, a website run by freelance media tech start-up people Contently, are putting together a list of freelance rates for journalism work done for US dollars in the US. For details, go here.
Our mention of it here does not imply endorsement. LFB's Rate for the Job accepts US$ rates and some other currencies, so submit your US dollar rates to our own RftJ as well, please.


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At the beginning of my blogging adventures, I rarely blogged consecutively and just posted blogs up whenever I felt inspired. Nowadays, I post a blog more or less every day (with the occasional few days break here and there). This has become such a great passion of mine but I soon started struggling when daily life got in the way of me writing and scheduling blogs.
I've been using an app called Buffer for quite a while now, but I decided to try a new app called Social Champ, a scheduling system that allows you to pre-set blog posts to go up whenever you need them to. Buffer does the same but Social Champ is one I actually pay for. The service costs $10 per month which when converted to GBP is around £7.50! This is perfect because it allows me to schedule up to 1,000 posts in advance (which is definitely more than I need), rather than the limited 10 posts you'd get normally. I had a trial test which meant I could take full advantage of the service and this ultimately swayed me into paying for it.
I think at the stage I am now, with a full-time job, I need to utilise my time carefully. This means that by scheduling a week's worth of blog posts in advance, it'll save me a lot of time, effort and potentially missing blog posts.
For those who blog or are in charge of multiple social media accounts, here's a break down of what you get for your $10/£7.50 a month. You can also find all the pricing options by clicking here.
- 25 Social Media Profiles
- 1000 Pending Posts PER Profile
- Analytics for your posts
- Chrome Extension
- Link to Image Extraction
- Bulk Uploading
- Link Shortening and Tracking
- Export Analytics
- Setup Custom Schedule
I've definitely benefited from using two of my social media outlets so far, being Facebook and Twitter. I've also found that I've done a few bulk uploads recently, meaning I've scheduled the same post every day at the same time. You can do this in groups of ten and it's been great when I've been promoting my family member's GoFundMe page.
The whole process is pretty simple and is very informative on starting up/FAQs. I would certainly recommend this to those who blog daily and for those who run social media accounts for various companies. If you're interested in this service you can use my coupon code 'UPYOURVLOG2016′ to get 30% off the monthly cost or 40% if you opt for yearly.
Make sure you give a try and let me know in the comments below what you think!
Check out my YouTube Channel! Click here.


text: Submitted by shelby on 31. October 2014 - 12:08 Director image Director name Susan Bilberry Director office title Director - Former Human Resources/Staffing Director for Smith International Director title Former Human Resources/Staffing Director for Smith International Director bio Susan Bilberry is the former International Recruiting Director for Smith International. She spent most of her career in recruitment management at Hermann Hospital, Compaq Computer Corporation/Hewlett Packard, and Smith International where she retired in 2010. Before joining the Cy-Hope Board, Susan volunteered with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, United Way, March of Dimes, and Northwest Assistance Ministries. She is a graduate of Texas A&M, class of '83. E-Mail email@example.com


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Monkey Media Report Archive
A North Carolina
Back to the main monkey page
2.24.05 - Look, face it. Google-worship sucks. Centralization of power is bad, and painting a completely happy face on the astonishing lack of accountability of the world's most-used search engine has always been stupid. And if Dave Winer's explanation of Google Toolbar's new Autolink feature is accurate, then we are really in a new world of trouble. Southern Rants puts it succinctly:
The most important point Winer makes is that it's not about technology. It's about making a HUGE change on the Web, our new social nexus, without discussion. See, he and I are old enough to remember when no one would do such a thing without taking it to ISOC or some such org. It needs discussion. It needs consideration. That's what Google doesn't understand.
Oh, I'll bet they understand, all right. They just don't care. [via Ed Cone] [link]
2.23.05 - So, have you ever looked at your hands? I mean, really looked at your hands? Try it sometime.
I've mentioned this before, but one of the great things about having a day job at a used book and music store is the constant flow of information that passes through my fingers. The amount of data that comes into my life simply by touching books and CDs on a daily basis is, well, astonishing. Not to mention there's something about turning the pages of a classic, goofy Eudora Welty story between customers that surpasses almost any of the fringe benefits I've gotten at other jobs. (Yeah, ok, I have low career expectations. Sue me. At least I have health insurance.)
Good lord, it just occured to me I don't know what this post is about. I'd guess it's that health insurance link, but it's time for bed so I'll leave you to figure it out for yourself. [link]
2.23.05 - Via the newly awakened old school blog Robot Wisdom - a great bet for sharp, quirky political browsing, if the past is any indication - comes "Panning for Hope," a cynical yet uplifting set of reasons for keeping despair at bay (from the always interesting progressive writer Sam Smith). It's difficult to pick a fave, but here's the current frontrunner:
THE RED STATE MYTH - The red state myth is the latest form of self-abuse by liberals. In 39 states Democrats are either comfortably ahead or could win by changing the minds of just five percent of the electorate. Further, the number of states solidly Republican has been declining since 1972, not surprising since the party's strength has been based on unsupportable economic, social, and environmental ideas. If the Democrats would stop worrying about the red-blue business and start being nicer to people in the red states, they will be on their way to a far more successful politics.
No, wait. This is the frontrunner:
ARCHAIC MEDIA - The establishment is losing control of the media. Print circulation is going down, the Internet is for the elite painfully democratic, and the public no longer treats members of the archaic media with respect. All this favors positive change.
No, no; it's this:
TENSIONS WITHIN THE GOP - Both true conservatives and true libertarians are showing signs of stress as the Bush administration betrays such classic principles as the decentralization of power and budgetary restraint. A roundtable sponsored by America's Future Foundation raised an aspect of the question: "Conservatives and Libertarians: Can This Marriage Be Saved?" It noted in its invitation that increasingly the "ideological marriage has been punctuated by long, sustained spats: over war, gay marriage, stem-cell research, and a host of other issues. Just another rocky patch, or is it time for a divorce?"
Oh, hell, choose your own adventure from Smith's thoughtful and inspiring list. I will, however, strongly disagree with his last hopeful sign. Looking to tired old corporate Europe to "serve as an alternative to America" - instead of looking to a new generation of protesters in places like China, India, South Korea, Mexico and Iran - seems a bit silly. How long do smart U.S. citizens have to wait for voters in England, France and Germany to elect politicians who really begin distancing themselves from U.S.-style corporate warmongering?
My money's on that particular revolution starting on another continent. [link]
2.23.05 - Ha. A friend wanted to make sure I
saw this particular disturbing
2.23.05 - Sean Wilson, president of Pop the Cap, a lobbying group working to repeal North Carolina's insanely patronizing 6% cap on alcohol by volume in beers sold in the state, has posted a couple of pics from his appearance last week on Monkeytime TV. Pop the Cap is a coalition of homebrewers, businesses and beer fans angry that "a third of the world's beer styles" can't be purchased in NC. The real kicker for me was this sentence:
Of the fifty top beers on BeerAdvocate.com, only a handful can be legally sold in North Carolina.
Good lord. It's astonishing that NC is one of only 5 states left with a post-Prohibition limit on the alcohol content in beer, and quite revealing that the Tarheel elite of 1935 didn't feel a need to cap the alcohol content of, say, wine. What an anti-working class piece of garbage that law was.
This is a cause all but the most blue-balled Puritans should be getting behind (plus, the "Keep your laws off my barley" shirt is brilliant). Email email@example.com to join, and then wait for the signal to contact legislators. The group seems to be playing the political game just right, hiring a lobbyist and getting legislators drunk in good ol' fashioned style, so it looks good for eliminating at least one small embarrassment to the state this year. Join the party. [link]
2.23.05 - There's a great little behind-the-scenes history of private Social Security accounts in yesterday's Washington Post. It's most interesting for revealing 1) the recent split between the idea's early proponents and 2) the nakedness with which fundie free-marketeers announce their intention to dismantle the semi-socialist safety net most Americans (and humans, I'd venture) prefer to live with:
Cato's privatization effort was aimed from the start not just at dismantling Social Security but also at making major inroads against what it considered an overweening central government. "Social Security," said David Boaz, Cato's executive vice president, "is the linchpin of the welfare state."
To Cato critics like the Brookings Institution's Henry J. Aaron, Cato's goal was to "topple the great monument of 20th-century liberalism." [...]
In the fall of 1983, Cato made clear that it was preparing for a protracted fight. It published a paper by Heritage Foundation scholars Stuart M. Butler and Peter Germanis that called for "guerrilla warfare against both the current Social Security system and the coalition that supports it." They compared the drive to Nikolai Lenin's effort to undermine capitalism: "Lenin well knew to be a successful revolutionary one must also be patient and consistently plan for real reform."
Now, just to be clear, I like the Cato Institute; I have strong free-market libertarian leanings (see the permalink above to Reason's "Hit and Run" blog), and have always been fascinated by the similarities between radically capitalist and radically anarchist ideal worlds. But rigid black-and-white fundamentalism has always made me sneer, and the particular brand of absolutist thinking among the worst Cato hacks - those who insist on the existence of a rigid line between capitalism and socialism - seems to me like nothing so much as the absolutist crap that passes for thinking among fundie religous partisans.
Fuck that noise. Anyway, the Post article is an interesting sidelong look at an issue most folks won't bother to follow. Don't be like most folks. [link]
'I would feel real trapped in this life if I didn't
2.22.04 - So another hero just offed himself. Why does this not depress me to the point of suicide?
Gosh, I dunno. Maybe it's because suicide has always been a thoughtful, last-resort option for folks in pain and at the end of their lives. Or maybe it's because I know it's impossible to really understand the severity of the darkness in another monkey's head at any given time. Or, less bleakly, perhaps it's because I suspect Hunter made a pact with himself long ago to choose the time of his own end, rather than wait for this obviously fucked-up, hilariously unjust universe to do it for him. Like, "Fuck you, universe. You obviously don't give a shit about fairness, so I'll decide when I die."
I kind of like that thought, which probably explains why I'm not pulling my hair out at the thought of HST sticking a shotgun in his mouth and pulling the trigger. C'est la morte, you know?
Anyway, you're forgiven if you didn't slog through to the end of the poignant HST obituary thread at MeFi, but for god's sake make sure you read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, which is among the most hilariously on-point pieces of political reporting ever written, described by one contemporary observer as "the least accurate yet most truthful" account of that freakish campaign. It's a brilliant mix of perfectly tuned observation, outrageous exaggeration and deeply personal (if not outright anguished) revelation. Local newspaper editors won't get it, but you will.
And as you read longtime Thompson collaborator Ralph Steadman's obit in the Independent, keep in mind this thought from Bendy, posted to alt.music.chapel-hill yesterday:
As someone raised by a hard-drinkin', big-game-shootin' journalist born in the 1930's, I can tell you that the shadow of Hemingway looms large for the alpha-males of that generation. Kerouac too. This one seemed as predictable as Spaulding Grey, in retrospect.
Ouch. That's quite a fucking shadow. Rest in peace, Hunter, you brilliantly fucked-up writer, you.
[p.s. If you haven't registered - anonymously or not - for access to the NYT archive, well, that's not my problem.] [link]
2.22.05 - Via the link-dense Incoming Signals, some astonishingly detailed amateur science at the Seabirds Skull Gallery. [link]
2.22.05 - For Matt R., without whom I wouldn't be blogging again, a reminder that it's always worth fighting the assholes. [link]
12.15.04 - "I think there was not a full appreciation of the realities in Iraq" Here's the link to that revealing August 2004 article, mentioned on tonight's show, about recent Medal of Freedom winner Tommy Franks. Sure is nice that this gentleman, who oversaw the most seriously bungled U.S. military operation of the past 30 years, is getting so richly rewarded for his success. [link]
12.08.04 - Ok, so I've been quiet for a while and am admittedly not in a great position to criticize, but come on, NC bloggers. Isn't it just a teensy bit sad that links to the best pictures I've found of the well-attended Nov. 21 Carolina Rollergirls expo came from a blogger in Texas? Yeesh. I guess I do need to post more often.
For the record, the Rollergirls' first serious bout, held at the Skate Ranch in Raleigh, was surprisingly hard-hitting and intense, complete with announcers, cheerleaders, half-time fun, post-game awards and aggressive play from both teams. The all-ages crowd included grandparents and young kids responding in equally exciting ways, and the match demonstrated (to me, anyway) that the Carolina Rollergirls are serious about doing roller derby right. They seem intent on avoiding stupid punching matches in favor of actually playing the game, which appears to set them apart from many of the other all-girl teams springing up around the country in recent years. Go Carolina.
Anyone with, um, concerns about the feminist implications of a sexy, aggressive all-girl sport should meditate on a) the fact that women of all shapes and sizes play together and b) this article from the Dallas Morning News, which captures the contradictions nicely:
Playing a game that's punctuated with cursing and fighting might be the extreme in girl-power, but the attire the women wear seems a bit anti-feminist at first. There are a lot of splayed legs and exposed midriffs in roller derby. Not to mention penalties that include spankings doled out by audience members. But if that's all you see on the track, then you're not paying attention, say the women. Because the game is about much, much more.
For some of them, roller derby is the outward expression of a midlife crisis. For others, it's an opportunity to enjoy a sport that's intensely physical, intensely visceral and just plain fun. But most of all, roller derby is the perfect venue for a woman to explore all her polar opposites: the demure and the sexy, the coy and vamp, the good and the bad. Spokeswoman Louisa Brinsmade, aka Mau-Mau when playing with the Hellcats, puts it this way: Roller derby gives one permission to be a total woman.
"If you watch a roller derby bout you have the really ... sexy part of it, and you have this amazing physical prowess going on, and you have the real spitfire intensity of passion. ... It will come out in fights, in major plays. It will come out in the way that we relate off the track and after the bout.
"We're sort of trying out and using all of the strengths that women have," she says. "The power of seduction and the power of being sexy and the power of being strong. All of it is combined into what I think, as a whole, many women are made of."
"In many ways, this is a feminist movement," says Chola. "We're just being as bad as we want to be, doing what we love, and being ourselves."
Whether you buy that line or not will depend, I suppose, on your cynicism about gender roles. But, really, the only way to figure out your personal level of support for woman-organized roller derby in North Carolina is to see a match with your own eyes. The Carolina Rollergirls' first season starts soon after the holidays. [link]
12.02.04 - Nice to see the world's best collaborative Web site still delivering regularly. Via MeFi's always-bubbly madamjujujive (of fabulous Everlasting Blort fame), an amazing collection of links to the delightfully meditative world of freelance rock balancing. Dunno about you, but I love shit like this. [link]
12.01.04 - Here's the text of that much-discussed Economist article noting that the number of voters who cite "moral values" as their top priority has declined precipitously since 1996. It's a fairly dense piece, but worth it for the way it teases out the various strains of this allegedly strong, new churchward tilt (yeah, right) in the U.S. electorate. And here's the link to the full data from that absurdly over-emphasized exit poll. Anti-equality Democrats like Erskine Bowles should pay particular attention to this question:
Which comes closest to your view of gay and lesbian
Did you catch that, Erskine? A whopping 60% of all voters in that oh-so-moral exit poll pool support either legal marriage or civil unions for queer citizens. So where's this supposed clear evidence that any sign of acceptance of gay rights is a deadly third rail in modern politics? Answer: there is no such evidence, and only a coward or fool would say otherwise. [link]


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I won't lie: I miss earthquakes. I *hate* getting the emergency text messages of, "BT dubs, TORNADO in your area, get your ASS into the ground NOW." Srsly. It's not cool.
Earthquakes are like surprise parties: you get the shit scared out of you, drink too much, and throw up on your shoes. Tornados are like election years: they drag on forever and even if the guy you voted for wins, the aftermath still takes forever to mop up.
Me to a RLF on the Book of Face recently during a conversation re: the recent quake in Napa, California. I should also mention that I am a California native recently transplanted to Colorado. There's been a learning curve.
*Second quote edited slightly to make me sound more erudite than I manage IRL. #transparency


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Hi all,
Welcome to the new CSSA blog! We're very excited to have you here. This blog is still a work-in-progress, and we hope to continue adding resources and posts over the rest of our time in the CSSA-SA. Our hope is that the blog is a place where we can share our experiences, musings, learnings, and highlights from our time in the CSSA program. We hope you choose to give us a taste of your CSSA experience by contributing to the blog via a blog post (which may be submitted here).
We are also still building our resource library. If there is something you would like to see made accessible on the blog, just let one of us know and we'll try our best to incorporate it.
We can't wait to see what the blog becomes over the summer and throughout the next year.
Katherine Leibel & Gina Garcia, on behalf of the CSSA-SA


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An absurd tale of political brinkmanship that beggar's belief yet debunks all theories of political thought.
BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, January 9, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ — An absurd tale of political brinkmanship has been unfolding across the globe in the style of Brexit, Trump, Macron, Le Penn, De Witt, Catalonia, and recently Jacinda Adhern of New Zealand. It is as if the political landscape has adopted the 'distributed ledger' principle behind blockchain and applied it to politics.
"It's not so much the technology of blockchain, but the phenomena that is usurping the political 'modus operandi', worldwide," Australian author Davide A Cottone says. "The whole political landscape is beginning to dissolve into what I refer to in my notes as the 'politics of the absurd'."
In his book 'Shriek: an absurd novel', Mr Cottone launches a political campaign where the protagonist Aleph McNaught is the candidate of the newly created AAA Party. The goal is for the party to deliver a radical outcome in the forthcoming presidential election of the mythical country of Umbugumbuland.
"Disappointment, disillusion, and despondency, eventually give way to anger and action at the polls and the shock election result is proof of this," says Mr Cottone. "What makes the difference in the outcome of the Umbugumbuan elections is that the campaign was based on an ideology tuned into the 21st century mindset.
"The economics behind the ideology is totally blockchain. A cryptocurrency called COIN becomes the new base for all economic transactions both at home and abroad. COIN is the acronym for Certificate of Insanity and enjoys all the advantages attributed to cryptocurrencies. Hence the manifesto for the politics of the absurd is now complete with its own currency as well," says Mr Cottone.
So, does Mr Cottone propose a solution to the propensity for governments to become dysfunctional?
"The answer is right there in my book," says Mr Cottone. "It's a classic case of fiction being truer than fact, and the outcome has already been proved in Europe and America and even New Zealand at recent elections. The voters see it as a chance to be part of history in their own lifetime. Umbugumbuland, the absurd political nation, needs YOU to take charge of your own destiny," says Mr Cottone. "But beware … once you agree to do something about this hazy, crazy, mixed-up world of politics, you might well get hooked. Success is empowering. Empowerment is the back door to re-engaging with the real world," says Mr Cottone.
If you think the world of politics is confusing, you'll understand why, after reading 'Shriek: an absurd novel' by Davide A Cottone.
More on 'Shriek: an absurd novel' can be found at www.piebooks.net and the book can be purchased directly from the website, in book stores or online in print and as an eBook. Any correspondence should be by email: email@example.com ##
Davide A Cottone
P.I.E.Pty Ltd (PIE Books Australia)
614 08709094
email us here
Source: EIN Presswire


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Our Vision: The Edmonton Police Commission's vision echoes that of the Edmonton Police Service: To make Edmonton the safest major city in Canada and for the Edmonton Police Service to be recognized as a leader in policing.
Our Mission: Given the unique roles, the Commission's mission is different but complementary to that of the EPS: To increase public safety through independent governance and civilian oversight of the Edmonton Police Service.
At the core of the Edmonton Police Commission is a set of beliefs and guiding principles meant to increase the safety of our community and ensure professional and ethical policing in Edmonton. These principles are shared with the Edmonton Police Service:
Transparency and accessibility to the citizens of Edmonton.
Ensuring policing services based on sound ethical principles including equality and freedom from bias, discrimination and harassment.
Future focus
Informed decision-making with a focus on the future.
Natural Justice
Adherence to the principles of natural justice and fairness.
Community-based policing and partnerships with communities that support crime prevention and early intervention.
Ensuring an effective, efficient and professional police service for Edmonton.
Enhancing officer and citizen safety.


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I've not done any of this inky stuff for quite a while. I started this heart a while ago, and it never got finished. So this week I got it back out and finally finished it off. I love looking at mixed media pieces, there's always so much to look at and it's interesting to see what people have used.
It started of as just a plain mdf heart. I gave it a coat of Gesso, then added all the bits and pieces, there's bits of everything, washers, screws, paper clips, buttons beads, a bottle top, flowers, dominos and of course a coin. I always add at least one coin when I do this kind of thing. Once I'd finished adding the bits I added texture paste through a stencil. Once it was all dry, out came the ink sprays and I just went for it..... lol. Lastly I added some Pebeo Dyna paint with a sponge very randomly and finished off with some silver Gilding Wax. I heat embossed the skull and sentiments with silver and coloured the flowers on the skull with the same Pebeo Dyna paint. (stamps by Sheena Douglass) Now I need to find somewhere in my craft room to hang it!
Thanks for looking.


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Great Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
A bar space in the kitchen can work well for cooking and social gathering. Many cooks enjoy having visitors actually in the kitchen space during meal preparation. You can serve drinks and snacks around a large bar while everyone is waiting for the main meal. This kitchen bar ultimately can be used for many things. Even if you do not build the kitchen bar yourself, you will benefit from having a clear idea about what you want and need in a kitchen breakfast bar design. There are several great kitchen bar design ideas that you can use. And any of the following kitchen bar design ideas below might work for you. You can make it as simple or as fancy as both your desire and would like.
Awesome Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
Good Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
The first kitchen bar design ideas is experiment with the shape. Begin the design shape based on accurate dimensions. Draw a plan using graph paper to see what works best. For example, if your kitchen is square in shape, use a round or square bar in the middle of the room. Other choices include a peninsula-shaped bar hooked to one wall with seating on one side or an L-shaped bar with seating on two sides. With an L-shape, you can cook standing inside the L-shape with family or guests seated to face you. Then, figure out if the bar will hold storage. You can install cabinets or drawers in the bar, or you can build sliding doors with shelving under the bar space. Another option is to construct open shelving under the bar that will hold large baskets for storing items. You can add a pot rack over the bar space if the ceiling is high enough.
Elegant Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
Another kitchen bar design ideas; adding wiring or plumbing. A cooktop and sink can be part of the bar. Electricity and plumbing can be routed via a basement area underneath or down through a column attached to attic space. Examine various ways to bring in water pipes, a drain line and electrical outlets for small appliances or an electric skillet. The other ideas; give the kitchen bar design visual appeal. Use white beadboard paneling with a black countertop, for example. Use red, white and black hardware to brighten up the space. You can install porcelain ceramic tiles on three sides of the bar, leaving one side for closable doors to hide storage underneath the bar. You can create multiple levels of counter space, too. Build a two-level bar with one counter that is 12 inches lower for eating, and add bar stools that fit the dining counter height. You can also add drop down table to the back of an existing bar for added dining capabilities. It's simple to add a drop down table to the back of your bar; use metal brackets to attach a section of counter top onto the bar back, bracing it every two feet for the length of the bar. The height of your drop down dining bar can be anywhere from 27 to 32 inches, or lower if you prefer to make it more kid friendly.
Modern Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
Great and Good Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
Lovely Kitchen Bar Design Ideas
These were some great kitchen bar design ideas for you. For another ideas, it is helpful to browse through some magazines or in the internet. That way you can see what others have done that works or don't work. You'll find that by looking at a few source or magazines you'll soon have a feel for what to look at when designing your kitchen bar. Just keep in mind that if you get stuck and can't figure out what to do that you can always hire an interior designer to help


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The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford
HARTFORD – Looking for a great deal on Black Friday that doesn't involve jostling crowds, huge traffic jams and shopping stress? Take a step back and relax with a visit to the Confluence Tower in Hartford, where tours are half price on Friday, Nov. 28.
"This is a great way to spend time with your family after the Thanksgiving Day holiday," Hartford Project Manager Deanna Barnes said. "Everyone can see the beautiful confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from 150 feet high, enjoy the natural beauty of our region and beat the stress of holiday shopping."
Admission will be $2 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under. Children 2 and under are free. The tower, at 435 Confluence Tower Drive, will open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.
Beginning the week after Thanksgiving, the tower will have new winter hours. The tower will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Winter hours will continue through March 31.
Guided tours are available at the tower with regular admission after Black Friday. Tour prices are $4 for adults, $2 for children 12 and under and children 2 and under are free. Group rates are available for 12 or more people and reservations can be made by calling the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau at (618) 465-6676.
For information, visit www.ConfluenceTower.com.


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He is used to battling alien robots but it seems that Shia LaBeouf can take on the human species too.
The 26-year-old Transformers star reportedly got into a fight while drinking in a south London pub because a student stole his hat.
According to reports, LaBeouf was at the Hobgoblin in New Cross with his Nymphomaniac co-star Mia Goth when a prankster snatched his baseball cap, a souvenir from Laos in Asia.
One spy told the Sun: "The scrap all started when this guy took his hat. I think he was just joking, but Shia didn't like it.
"The guy just took it off him and wouldn't give it back. He tried to get it back and they ended up tussling. It was handbags really. But it shows that even Hollywood stars can't avoid grief down this way."
Witnesses claim that after an exchange of words, a fight broke out and drinkers had to separate the pair before the Hollywood hunk left in a taxi. Police were not called over the incident.
Landlord Mark Harris confirmed that the pair had been in the area, visiting Goth's family.
"Her [Goth's] mum lives just down the road. She came down to see her mum and he tagged along," Harris said.
"He did get a bit frustrated and there was a bit of a scuffle."
This is not the first time LaBeouf has got into a scuffle at a bar. In October 201, he apparently got into a fistfight outside a bar in Vancouver and had to be restrained by friends after a man punched him in the head.
A spokesperson for the actor was not available for comment.


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My pick for this week's WoW is...
The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas
Title: The Immortal Heights (The Elemental Trilogy #3)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Release date: October 13th 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....
Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?
With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.
Oh my god. This series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen, and this one is just absolutely gorgeous. I adored the first two books, and I'm so pumped for this finale! I have no doubt it's going to be amazing.


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The Truth About Watching TV In The Dark
Don't sit so close to the TV!
Don't watch TV in the dark, it'll hurt your eyes!
You'll go blind watching TV like that!
Those are all statements that some of heard while growing up, but is that true? Take a look at the video below:
In this informative Q&A session, Dr. Leslie Jones answers some of our most reader requested health questions.
Page 1 of 2


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No. 21 Texas A&M faces a tough challenge tonight as the Aggies host Northwestern State on a beautiful evening at Olsen Field. One of the benefits of being in this part of the country is being able to go up against some quality mid-week, non-conference competition, and there are few better examples than what A&M will face today. The Demons are 14-4 on the season and feature an RPI of No. 20 in the latest Boydsworld rankings (A&M is at No. 11). Should be a fun one tonight as the Aggies play the final week of their 17-game homestand.
Tonight's lineup for Texas A&M (15-4):
RF Adam Smith (.211/0/4)
2B Andrew Collazo (.286/1/11)
SS Brodie Greene (.442/2/18)
DH Joe Patterson (.421/2/14)
3B Caleb Shofner (.405/5/24)
1B Kenny Jackson (.421/0/4)
LF Joaquin Hinojosa (.250/0/7)
C Gregg Alcazar (.556/0/4)
CF Scott Arthur (.246/0/4)
RHP Michael Wacha (3-0, 0.35)
and for NSU (14-4):
CF Oscar Garcia (.343/4/25)
SS Trent Grondin (.338/0/12)
3B Chase Lyles (.360/2/21)
RF Tyler Baisley (.367/3/15)
1B Adam Roy (.288/1/20)
2B Justin Martinez (.349/0/4)
DH Colin Bear (.244/0/10)
C Aaron Munoz (.246/0/11)
LF Eric DeBlanc (.314/2/11)
RHP Ryan Zimmerman (1-0, 6.05)


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Integrating eDirectory SNMP Agent with a Management Framework
Novell Cool Solutions: AppNote
By Mohan Kumar Guruswamy
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Posted: 29 Nov 2006
HP's OpenView Network Node Manager (NNM) is the industry's most powerful platform for enterprise-wide IP network management based on SNMP standards. This document describes how to configure HP Openview Network Node Manager (NNM) for managing eDirectory SNMP Agent. The document indicates the location of the MIBs and how to integrate them with HP Openview NNM.
The following sections explain how to integrate the eDirectory SNMP Agent into the HP OpenView management framework.
- Setting Up the MIBs
- Formatting Trap Messages
- Configuring HP Open View NNM to Poll for eDirectory Events
Setting Up the MIBs
1. Load the eDirectory MIB in HP OpenView, in the method shown below. To load the MIBs, select the Options menu and choose Load/Unload MIBs: SNMP.
The SNMP MIB defines the data types and access permissions for the various managed objects that can be accessed through eDirectory SNMP Agent. It also defines the event notifications that can be generated by eDirectory SNMP Agent.
By default, the SNMP MIB file, named edir.mib, is located in the following paths, depending on your system:
Novell eDirectory 8.7.3:
- NetWare: sys:\etc
- Windows: install_directory\NDS\snmp
- Linux and UNIX: /etc/ndssnmp/
Novell eDirectory 8.8:
- NetWare: sys:\etc
- Windows: install_directory\NDS\SNMP
- Linux and UNIX: /etc/opt/novell/eDirectory/conf/ndssnmp/
Figure 1 - Loading SNMP MIB
2. Open the MIB browser and select the Tools menu.
3. From the Tools menu, choose SNMP MIB Browser.
Figure 2 - MIB Browser
4. Under the Name or IP Address option, enter the name or IP address of the eDirectory server already configured and running.
5. Under Community Name option, enter "public".
6. Navigate to the SNMP target address table by clicking
7. Click Start Query.
Figure 3 - SNMP Polling using MIB Browser
Formatting Trap Messages
Although HP OpenView receives the traps from the eDirectory SNMP Agent, it does not automatically interpret them or display them in a useful manner. The trap contains the basic information such as the alarm category, description, and severity. Many trap messages may require more information for troubleshooting; we recommend you refer the log file on the eDirectory SNMP Agent for complete alarm information and determining root causes.
You can, however, configure HP OpenView to format the traps into a more readily understandable format by following the steps given below:
1. Open the Event Configuration window by selecting Options > Event Configuration from the HP OpenView menu.
2. In the Enterprises section, choose Novell-eDirectory (Figure 4).
Figure 4 - Event Configuration, EDirectory Enterprise
3. In Events for Enterprises Novell eDirectory (.188.8.131.52.220.127.116.11.98.0.53), select the object generating the enterprise-specific traps (for example, ndsAddReplica).
Figure 5 - Event Configuration, Modify Events
This causes the Modify Events manager to start. The following items can be edited:
- Sources: Choose the source address of the device which sends the traps to activate this event.
- Event Message: Select where NNM event will be displayed, the severity of the event and the event log messages.
Figure 6 - Event Configuration, Event Message
- Event Actions: Select what actions NNM will execute after the event is received.
- Event Forwarding: Select the management stations to forward the event.
The Alarm Browser displays SNMP traps that are received from the sources that NNM has approved to receive.
Configuring HP Open View NNM to Poll for eDirectory Events
NNM can be configured to periodically poll eDirectory Agents for the status of particular objects. This section discusses the programming of NNM to poll Agents and the configuration of events based on the results of the poll.
1. Choose Options:Data Collection & Thresholds: SNMP
2. Choose Edit > Mib Object > New
3. Select the desired object, say
Figure 7 - Data Collection and Thresholds
This starts the NNM Collection Modification Manager:
Figure 8 - Collection Modification
The following events can be configured:
- Source: the agent to which the poll will be directed.
- Collection Mode: a combination of store or don't store and check threshold ordon?t check threshold.
- Polling interval: the period to poll the agent.
- Instances: for devices reporting multiple instances of an OID, instances can be included or excluded.
- Threshold Parameters: the values that will trigger threshold and rearm events.
- Configure Threshold and Rearm Events: the events executed when threshold and rearm conditions are satisifed.
This document presents an overview of solutions for managing the eDirectory server. Major and minor alarms will result in SNMP trap alarms being dropped from the eDirectory server to the trap destination to which it is configured to send traps.
Novell Cool Solutions (corporate web communities) are produced by WebWise Solutions. www.webwiseone.com


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Here are the stories we're following the week of January 25:
Refugee crisis
On Monday, Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga will be in Amsterdam for an informal meeting of Justice and Interior Ministers of Schengen states. Asylum seekers and curbing terrorism are the main issues.
Foreigners under fire
Tuesday and Friday: On February 28, Swiss voters will decide – again – on deporting foreigners found guilty of certain crimes. We bring you a series of in-depth articles on the issue. Tuesday's report looks at the views of secondos, people born in Switzerland but who do not have Swiss citizenship, while on Friday we present the legal ramifications, with opinion pieces from the for and against camps.
The mythical Gotthard
The Gotthard – the centre of the Alps, symbol of Switzerland's desire for independence and unity and a reminder of its courage and capacity for innovation. Soon the Gotthard massif will be crossable in minutes through the new railway base tunnel, the longest and deepest in the world. Delve into our multimedia report on our travel through time and myth on Wednesday.
Jobs for the boys
It's 2016, yet gender bias still affects how people manage work-life balance in Switzerland. Researchers are investigating how the Swiss labour market influences girls' and boys' career plans…and vice versa. Find out more about what kids want to be when they grow up in Thursday's article.
What you may have missed:


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Fuel prices are at a low point in recent history, and many analysts predict that they will continue to fall for at least a short period of time. Several factors have precipitated our current oil market, and the resulting consumer savings at the pump, but to most people, the only important part is the lower cost of fueling their cars and commercial vehicles. For many businesses that operate a fleet of vehicles, the savings have been tremendous.
Given that the dramatic spike in fuel prices that occurred after Hurricane Katrina hit drivers in their wallets just ten years ago, attitudes toward current pricing lean largely toward enjoying it while it lasts, not thinking present rates will last indefinitely. However, if your company is enjoying increased profits due to lower spending on fueling your fleet of vehicles, you would probably jump at the chance to make those savings and profits a part of your long-term business plan. Fortunately, modern technology has an answer for you: fleet tracking systems designed to help you increase productivity and lower operating costs.
Many people think of fleet tracking technology as little more than "air traffic control" systems that let you monitor the locations of your vehicles and give your drivers directions. In reality, modern systems use precise location tracking coupled with real-time data logging to give you unprecedented insight into ways you can plan for optimal efficiency of both schedules and fuel consumption. Software designed to make the best use of all of your fleet data allows you to make more stops in less time, increasing productivity, and shows you the parts of your routes that require the most fuel so you can plan alternatives.
The effect is often twofold. For example, you may learn that one of your routes includes several long traffic lights and some steep hills with low speed limits. By changing your route to avoid these obstacles, even if it means a slightly longer distance overall, you can save time and fuel, and can potentially incorporate more stops along the way. By avoiding lights and keeping to level ground, your drivers can complete their route faster while refueling less, and can add stops along the way. Making changes like these gives your company instant savings and higher productivity. With new data being logged every minute, you can continually fine-tune your fleet management for optimal performance.
Of course, in order to realize the benefits of fleet tracking tools, you do need to invest in the vehicle-mounted devices and the systems that operate them at your hub or headquarters. While these systems offer clear benefits, the cost of incorporating them into your business may be enough to stand in the way. Thankfully, there is an alternate route available. By financing your fleet tracking equipment with a vendor like TimePayment, you can implement the technology your business needs now and pay for it over time in manageable installments. The fuel savings and increased productivity your company can see right away, coupled with the ease of financing your equipment, make upgrading to modern fleet tracking systems a simple choice. After all, low fuel prices can't last forever – but investing in equipment that lowers your operating costs and makes your drivers more efficient will benefit your business regardless of market fluctuations.
To learn more about leasing your fleet tracking equipment, the financial products available to you, and how you can generate savings, profits, and efficiency with fleet tracking technology, contact a representative of TimePayment today.


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Check out below to see what our customers say about us!
At Philadelphia Gas & Electric we strive to provide the best service to our customers. You can read some of our client testimonials here:
Heater Installation
Philadelphia Gas & Electric installed a new heating system in my townhouse, and they service my 5 buildings. They've been very good. They've been accessible and always explain everything very well. I have been very pleased with their service.
Chimney And Heater Installation
I needed a new house heater for a row home in Northeast Philadelphia. The company's owner provided a fair/honest appraisal. He was very friendly, professional, and explained in great detail what needed to be done and why. The chimney and heater installation was completed without a hitch; my new heating system performs flawlessly! I bumped into a pipe several days after the installation and was concerned the unit was damaged. Phila. Gas & Electric came right out on short notice, checked the pipe, assured me nothing was wrong, and installed a brace to prevent it from moving, should it be bumped again. I strongly recommend this vendor for heating work. This company is 5 stars!
Heater Repair
I purchased a service contract with Phila. Gas & Electric through Angie's list. I then had a problem with my house heater kicking on when the temperature dropped. They responded very quickly and fixed the problem right away. They were very efficient and solved the problem in the first visit.
Customer Service
Mike at Philadelphia Gas & Electric has always been available when I call for service, or if not he calls back as soon as he can. I have had nothing but a pleasurable experience from Mike, as he has excellent customer service.
Furnace Repair
My furnace was not working and Phila. Gas & Electric came out and fixed it. They also provided recommendations to make my furnace run more efficiently. I felt the service was so good that I now use them on an annual basis through a service contract for my furnace and A/C unit. They provide great, reliable, professional service.
Are you in search of an honest, fair and experienced HVAC contractor? Look no further than PG & E!
Call Today for all of your HVAC needs
Abington | Cheltenham Township | Horsham | Willow Grove


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Built better to last longer.
Buying from a bunk bed factory provides tremendous savings. Finding the best quality bunk bends at the lowest prices for home use or when ordering in bulk to furnish a university dormitory and establishments like inns and motels - has been made easy as you may shop online.
Instead of walking around various showrooms where the inventory is limited and worrying about delivery, go visit the online showroom of FactoryBunkBeds.com.
When you order the bunk beds from this factory, they are packaged properly for delivery and may be shipped to you for free.
There are all sorts of bunk beds from which to choose from as the online display showroom is enormous.
Day beds, trundle beds, loft beds, staircase bunks, bookcase beds, convertible beds, and captain's beds. Each has their functional features such as desks and storage. View the different kinds of bunk beds.
Here are the reasons why FactoryBunkBeds.com is one of the most popular retail and wholesale site for bunk beds:
Made with 100% Elliotis Pine wood. Unlike plywood or other cheap materials, this kind of wood will last for a very long time. Heavy-duty, the material of these bunk beds are durable. These bunk beds will be painted in various colors such as white or ginger.
Exceeds safety regulations. A flimsy bunk bed creaks from the heavy weight unlike these ones. These factory direct bunk beds can support up to 400 lbs per bed. That means a very large adult can lie on these beds. The safety standards have been exceeded by FactoryBunkBeds.com - and all their products are covered by a limited Lifetime Warranty.
Easy to assemble. A do-it-yourself assembly, complete with diagrams which indicate the specifications and simple to follow instructions, assembly can be done by nearly anybody. The accessories are pre-assembled so all the other parts are easy to place together.
The low retail price as listed under each product on display at this site may be even made lower. For volume order discounts, you may request for a quote.


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Suzuka Hanehara (羽原 鈴花 Hanehara Suzuka) is a shrine maiden and a powerful exorcist of Arayashiki. She made a contract with a faerie named Poison and an imp succubus named Eve.
An chance encounter forced her to abandon her exorcist organization, causing her to seek refuge in the vast region of Kamishichiken. With the aid of Poison and Eve, she met a courtesan named Manaka to help her in her journey.
Suzuka has aqua eyes and long tidy dark hair. She possesses high spiritual power and used to be easily possessed by evil spirits. With rigorous training over years, Suzuka became capable of controlling her power and joined the ranks of spirit summoner. She appears to be a silent type, but she actually talks a lot in a special frequency that can only be heard by spirit beasts. In battle, Suzuka wields a pair of fans and can summon multiple spirits to aid her.
Suzuka's journey represents her inexperienced drive. She has strong, unfamiliar feelings that excite and frighten her. She knows that she must accept and reveal them eventually, but at the moment, she is not ready.
Suzuka's name was taken from an angel in Angelic Layer. Her last name is taken from the last name of Heat Dopant in Kamen Rider W. She is 17 years old during the event of Echo, 162 cm tall and weighs 50 kg.


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Norwegian Jewel
Sail Date: October 25, 2014
We are veteran cruisers on Carnival and Royal Caribbean and heard many good things about Norwegian and were excited that they had returned to Texas. It ship was very nice, the mini-suite was wonderful and the food in the cafe buffet was excellent. The man singing the different washy washy songs as you went into the buffet was wonderful and creative. The entertainment was the best we have experienced while cruising. I would have rated this cruise 5 star except for one thing.
Now I am not homophobic as I have several gay and lesbian friends, but I wish I had known this was the 13th Annual GLBT Halloween cruise I could have been better prepared for the pack mentality of some of the larger groups running around the ship and being overtly loud and boisterous.


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With 17 years in the event industry, Randi Lesnick is known as the party planner to the stars. She and her team plan various events for the music industry, corporate parties and weddings. Randi 's celebrity client list includes: Tim McGraw , Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts and many more.
TW: When most people think about large scale events, LA and NYC come to mind. How do you make this industry work in Nashville?
RL: So much of the business is here in Nashville. I specialize in the music and film industries; so many premieres come to Nashville and all the record labels for the country music artists are here. A lot of celebrities live here too. We have become a national brand producing events all over the country.
TW: How challenging is it to plan for celebrity clients?
RL: Celebrities are more high profile so we are under scrutiny. There is always a lot of press affiliated with a celebrity event, so it makes you nervous. Our philosophy has and always will be whether you are a wedding for 75 people or you are a celebrity wedding for 2,000 people, you get the same attention. Producing a wedding for a bride is probably more stressful than anything because it is her special day and you want it to be perfect and you want it to be everything she envisioned.
TW: What are some trends for 2015?
RL: We are used to seeing creams and whites and now colors are transitioning to blues. Doing reception style faux seating for a wedding is trending. We rarely do sit down dinners; I think that's passe. Trends are constantly changing and we are constantly staying on top of them.
TW: Would you rather a bride come to you with an exact vision or an open mind?
RL: I always love it when brides have pictures of things they dream of. Pictures help us determine what their style is, what they are looking for and what they are dreaming about. We want brides to go to Pinterest, we want them to look at different ideas and come to us, because that absolutely gives us the foundation of where to go with them. I have never had a problem with a bride being close-minded. As long as we stay with their style, we elaborate and make it more trendy and edgy.
TW: Do you think technology has changed the wedding industry with new websites like Pinterest?
RL: Absolutely, I think technology is so key to what we do. The advances are so rapid that I continually learn more to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity technology allows. Clients can get carried away with their vision and not necessarily have the budget to make it come to fruition. We have a plethora of things available to us that we didn't have before through technology. Social Media is the greatest thing in the world because everyone is tweeting and facebooking and doing all these things at weddings. It is great for us business wise, it is great for brides personally, I think it's great.
TW: Brides are now doing unplugged weddings where the guests are asked to put away their phones. What are your thoughts on unplugged weddings?
RL: I do not have any problem with that at all. In fact, in our contract we ask brides whether they want us to take pictures or not. We shoot design elements before guests arrive and never post them until after the wedding. I think that's absolutely fine because the bride wants to make sure that only the right pictures are out there for the world.
By Madison Spears


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So, on that note, please enjoy my best dolphin image of the day! !
Image courtesy of wikimedia.org
"I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror I'm Asking Him To
Change His Ways And No
Message Could Have Been Any
Clearer If You Wanna Make
The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself,
And Then Make A Change"
― Michael Jackson
Image courtesy of and adapted from wikimedia.org
~~Bonus Michael Jackson Song Quote~~
"Starting with the man in the mirror"Michael Jackson Song Quote
Today's Best deal at Amazon


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At long last, here are some of my notes from the main events that took place during the last three days of ICALP 2012. There were several excellent talks at Track B (which is the one I attended) and I hope to find the time to discuss some of my favourite papers at some point.
Day 3 was given the best of starts by Gilles Dowek's invited talk entitled A theory independent Curry-de Bruijn-Howard isomorphism. (The slides are here and the abstract is here.) IMHO, Gilles pitched his talk at precisely the right level for a general conference in TCS like ICALP and my impression was that he gave each attendee something to take home, regardless of their area of expertise.
Gilles introduced the seminal Curry-de Bruijn-Howard isomorphism, which was in fact originally proposed by Brouwer, Heyting, and Kolmogorov, who suggested to de fine constructive proofs as algorithms. He surveyed the principles behind the plethora of existing proof processing systems and the principles that led to the development of the universal proof checker Dedukti. Oversimpliying, Dedukti is based on what Gilles called Hilbert and Ackermann's paradise: one logic and many theories. The logic is the lambda-Pi-calculus proposed by Harper, Honsell and Plotkin. However, theories are represented using rewrite systems, rather than using axioms. Indeed, according to Gilles, "Axioms suck!" (from the point of view of efficiency).
Overall, I enjoyed the talk by Gilles a lot. It was a pity that it was not as well attended as it should have been.
At the start of day 4, Dan Spielman gave an excellent talk on using graph theory to solve linear equations. The talk was entitled Algorithms, Graph Theory, and the Solution of Laplacian Linear Equation and the Laplacian was the main character in the story that Dan recounted with verve and clarity. For further reading on this topic, Dan himself suggested this article by Erica Klarreich at the Simon's Foundation. In passing, Dan also described a method for obtaining "obscenely accurate solutions to a problem by solving a simpler one".
I had had the pleasure to hear Dan deliver a talk on smoothed analysis when he was a co-recipient of the Gödel Prize 2008 in Reykjavík and I watched the video of his talk at the latest ICM. IMHO, the invited talk at ICALP 2012 confirmed him yet again as one of the very best speakers around.
Day 4 at ICALP 2012 was also devoted to the awards of the Gödel Prize 2012 and of the EATCS Award. As you surely know already, the Gödel Prize went to three seminal papers in the field of Algorithmic Game Theory. Christos Papadimitriou delivered a talk on behalf of the recipients of the Gödel Prize, who were all . present at the conference apart from Noam Nisam. Christos explained the intellectual roots of the concept now known as the price of anarchy and of algorithmic mechanism design. Moreover, he asked the question: What makes an idea spread? His answer was that an idea spreads if it gives young researchers an opportunity to show how smart they are!
Christos concluded his talk by being a prophet of doom. (I am using his own words here.) He reminded the people in the audience that, for people like me, the "Hello World" program was Max, a program for finding the largest entry in an array of integers, say. The world has changed. Computation has changed. The inputs to our programs are selfish agents who are interested in the outcome of our computation. Vickrey is the new Max :-)
The EATCS Award went to Moshe Vardi (laudatio), who delivered a presentation entitled A Logical Revolution. In the talk, Moshe described how logic has one from irrelevance to relevance in our field. The key lessons in this rise of logic are the importance of algorithms, heuristics and tools. One of the key insights is that one should not be scared of worst-case complexity: It always barks, but it does not always bite! Efficient in the field of logic in computer science means exponential. "Exponential is the new polynomial."
Both award presentations were excellent and were given a long round of applause from a packed audience.
The last invited talk at ICALP 2012 was delivered by Kohei Honda. Kohei´s talk was entitled Session types and distributed computing. It described the origins of the notion of session type and how sessions types find application in the NSF Ocean Observation Initiative. This represents one of the most impressive applications of notions from concurrency theory outside computer science. Kohei is also one of the prime movers behind the programming language
Scribble. His talk was a fitting finale to an excellent ICALP conference.
Thanks again to Artur Czumaj and his team for arranging an excellent conference in the beautiful setting of the University of Warwick.
Papers I find interesting---mostly, but not solely, in Process Algebra---, and some fun stuff in Mathematics and Computer Science at large and on general issues related to research, teaching and academic life.
Monday, July 16, 2012
ICALP 2012: Days 3-5
Posted by Luca Aceto at 11:10 pm
2 comments:
- Anonymous said...
Theory conferences generally don't have videos or slides online and usually the papers are also behind the paywalls. We can learn something in this regard from other areas of CS.
- 5:49 am
- exponential growth said...
The graphical representation in math is the best option to understand the problem or to solve the problem like linear equations solutions,limit and calculus,functions ,all can be solved with the help of graphs.
- 7:56 am
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I just wanted to flag this excellent entry on loopholes from Michael Quinion's always brilliant 'World Wide Words'. It had never occurred to me until I read it that 'loophole' is a mighty strange word – that 'loop' and 'hole' now mean broadly similar things.
Michael explains that the origins of 'loop', long before any connotation relating to string, might lie in the Old Dutch 'lupen' – to watch – as 'loops' were holes in a castle through which soldiers could watch the encroaching enemy or archers could let arrows fly.
The word expanded to become 'loophole' – and it is from there, we get our modern sense of finding an escape route in the legislation.
Thanks Michael!


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Building Connections for Women through Mentoring
Portlandia's Bridge to the Future mentoring program builds strong relationships, creates connections for the present and future, and provides mentors who can provide coaching and support for women in college who are preparing for a career and the next step in their lives.
Partnering with Portland State University's Center for Women's Leadership, Portlandia Club provides scholarships to the Club for accepted applicants. The candidates are juniors or seniors in college and are alumnae of the National Education for Women's Leadership of Oregon (NEW), the award-winning women's development program. This program educates and encourages outstanding college women to develop paths towards leadership.
Recipients of the mentorship scholarship will receive:
- Club membership at not cost for one year
- Club membership at 50% of membership fee the second year
- Subsidized lunches and events
- A Portlandia Club mentor
- Ability to apply for a scholarship for books
Portlandia Club has the following expectations of mentees:
- Attend a minimum of four lunches
- Attend one After Hours event
- Attend a New Members Reception
- Assist at the team level for a hands-on view of non-profit work, networking and Club mission
- Have the opportunity to attend a Board meeting
For more information on becoming a mentor, or for applying as a mentee, please contact:
Kate Bodin (Team Lead), email@example.com, (503) 327-3100


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Happy Saturday!
As promised below is a set of vintage (1890's) advertising cards sent out by a company to advertise their product (on the back) with lovely Easter images on the front. These were very popular with many companies. Collecting these types of cards were all the rage and from what I gather were traded and shared among friends. This is such a lovely series.


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Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Bible is not silent about contraception
Challenging Luther on Birth Control
Harrison and Other Protestant Leaders are Dead Wrong
The Bible is not silent about contraception
The June 29, 2012 St. Louis Review of the Archdiocese of St. Louis has a photo of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod President testifying with other religious leaders at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Harrison said the LCMS never opposed birth control. While Christian News commended Harrison for most of his testimony in Washington, CN said the evidence clearly shows that the LCMS along with almost all Protestants and Roman Catholics opposed Birth Control until 1930. The February 27, 2012 CN noted that the Bible, Luther, and the LCMS, until recent years, condemned birth control.
The April 2012 Church State says: "According to the Guttmacher Institute, 98 percent of women who engage in sexual activity will use at least one antifungal form of birth control at some point in their lives."
CN's "A Handbook of Christian Matrimony" has a major section on birth control. This is one of the CN publications the LCMS bureaucracy ignores. CN quoted what Luther says in his commentary on Genesis 38-8-10 about the Onan incident. In 1988 CN published a series of articles by Charles Provan on the Bible's view of birth control. They were later published by Chalcedon in a book. When CN asked Provan how churchmen and theologians who support birth control responded to his "The Bible and Birth Control", he said "They don't, they simply get mad."
Today Lutheran leaders refuse to show where CN's "A Handbook of Christian Matrimony" is in error. What CN says about birth control is just one more reason for the bureaucrats to say the CN editor is "an impenitent sinner on the road to hell."
Father Brian Harrison of St. Mary of Victories Chapel writes in the June 29, 2012 St. Lois Review in an article titled Is the Bible silent about contraception?:
An editorial in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (April 18) sharply criticized our bishops' opposition to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate requiring insurers pay for contraception; sterilization and abortifacients. It claimed, among other things, that "contraception is nowhere in the Bible."
This claim actually echoes a widespread view among modern Scripture scholars, many of whom now roll their eyes dismissively at the preceding bimillennial consensus of Jewish and Christian commentators that Genesis 38: 9-10 expresses a severely negative judgment against unnatural birth control. In recent years, however, this classical reading of the passage has been making a quiet comeback –and for sound exegetical reasons.
According to the ancient oriental "levirate marriage" custom, endorsed by the law of Moses at a time when polygamy was not forbidden, a man was expected to marry his deceased brother's wife if she was still childless at her husband's death; and the first-born son of this union would then be regarded as a legal descendant of the dead man. Now, in Genesis 38 we read the following incident. The patriarch Judah's son Er, husband of Tamar and brother of Onan, died without offspring. Therefore:
"Judah said to Onan, 'Unite with your brother's widow, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thus preserve your brother's line.' Onan, however, knew that the descendants would not be counted as his; so whenever he had relations with his brother's widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother. What he did greatly offended the Lord; and the Lord took his life" (vv. 7-10, New American Bible translation).
What Onan did, of course, was the oldest and crudest form of birth control known to humanity. Now, at a time when contraception was becoming socially, legally and religiously ever more acceptable in Western culture, and fears of overpopulation ever more acute, many exegetes in the last half-century have maintained that the biblical author presents God as being offended only by Onan's selfish attitude in denying offspring to his brother, and not by the unnatural method he used in doing so.
Now, the classical Jewish commentators –who can scarcely be accused of ignorance regarding Hebrew language, customs, law and biblical literary genres–certainly saw in this passage of Scripture a condemnation of unnatural intercourse as such. And their interpretation, backed up by nearly two millennia of Christian tradition, is undoubtedly the natural, common sense one.
It is confirmed by further biblical evidence. According to the revisionist view, noncompliance with the levirate custom is, as such, depicted by the Genesis author as being such a heinous offense against God as to be worthy of death. But this view is inconsistent with what was laid down in the Law of Moses as a penalty for simple noncompliance with the said custom, for example, a man's outright refusal to marry his brother's widow. In that situation, the man was penalized only by a relatively mild public humiliation: the childless widow, in the presence of the town elders, was authorized to remove her uncooperative brotherin-law's sandal and spit in his face. He was then supposed to receive an uncomplimentary nickname –"the Unshod" (Deuteronomy 25: 8-10). But since he nonetheless became the sole owner of his deceased brother's house and goods, it is evident that his offence was not considered a serious or criminal one –much less one deserving of death.
Moreover, if Onan's simple unwillingness to give legal offspring to his deceased brother was seen as his only offence, it seems extremely unlikely that the inspired author would have spelt out the crass physical details of his contraceptive act (cf. v. 9). The delicacy and modesty of devout ancient Hebrews in referring to morally upright sexual activity helps us to see this.
We may conclude that while the Genesis author no doubt saw Onan's noncompliance with the levirate custom as something reprehensible, the critical difference between his case and the more common one contemplated in Deuteronomy –the difference that led God to punish Onan by death rather than by a transitory moment of shame –was precisely his unnatural acts of life-suppressing lust. For further biblical arguments supporting this conclusion, see my longer article, "The Sin of Onan Revisited" (Living Tradition, No. 67, Nov. 1996), accessible online at rtforum.org/ ltJlt67.html.
Father Harrison is chaplain of St. Mary of Victories Chapel in St. Louis.
2 comments:
This information is self-serving for those who still believe they can find some type of Biblical reference to birth control, rather that it was something that God hated.ReplyDelete
The details of Onan's story are in the article, but I disagree that it was his birth control that made God angry.
Onan had accepted his relative's widow as his wife, when he did NOT have to, and now he did not want children by her, which was the whole point of this marriage!
So he wanted his cake, and to eat it, too.
He accepted the benefits without wanting the results.
Now the widow could not leave Onan...she would be forced to remain childless, unless that method of birth control failed, which it does, of course.
God smote him because he had made a promise and did not keep it, which affected more people than just himself.
It was his duplicity and rebellion that God punished, not the birth control in itself.
Buddy-ing up with the Satanic facade of Catholics, aint gonna help.ReplyDelete


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|Fougner has been getting rave reviews on his defense
Salt Lake Community College continues to post box scores online at a glacial pace, but we can update you on Chris Fougner's progress from February 22nd to March 1st. The Victoria native hit his first collegiate home run on February 25th and went a combined 5-for-13 with a pair of runs batted in and two walks in the period. As of the beginning of this month, Fougner had a five-game hitting streak and was hitting .314 with a homer and eight RBI in 51 at-bats. He has started 16 of the Bruin's first 19 games in the outfield and he has been outstanding defensively. Although this week's boxscores have yet to be posted, we do know that Fougner also hit a three-run homer on Friday (that homer is not yet included in his season stats). The former Victoria Mariners star has not pitched recently, so his pitching numbers are limited to the scoreless inning of relief that he threw on February 16th.
|Alex Rogers
Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel juggled his lineup and moved Griffin Andreychuk down to ninth in the order this weekend after having him bat leadoff or in the number two hole for the first 13 games of the season. The move paid immediate dividends, as Andreychuk's two-run single in the seventh inning on Friday broke the game wide open and led to an 8-3 win over UC Davis. Andreychuk went four-for-eight with two RBI, a walk and a run scored in the three games against the Aggies. He is now hitting .273 with a .359 on-base percentage in 55 at-bats this season. I would expect Andreychuk to be moved back into the leadoff spot once he gets his on-base percentage back up to historical levels -- he had an OBP of .409 in his freshmen season and .407 with the HarbourCats last summer. Seattle U's leadoff hitter this weekend, Sheldon Stober, leads the team with a .467 slugging percentage, so it's unlikely that he will remain in the leadoff spot for an extended period of time.
- Bellevue College's Zander Clouse picked up the save in Saturday's 3-1 win over Pierce College. Clouse struck out one in a clean inning on the hill to preserve the victory. He now has a 1.80 ERA and a minuscule 0.20 WHIP in five innings pitched this season.
- Jamie Umbinetti was channeling his inner Ty Russell for Edmonds Community College this weekend. Umbinetti went one-for-six with seven (!!) walks and two runs scored over the four games. The third baseman is now hitting .300 with no homers and two RBI in 20 at-bats this season. Oh, and his on-base percentage is a Russell-like .576.
- Matt Fish struck out the side in a perfect inning of relief on Wednesday. However, his start for Pierce College on Saturday was similar to his outing on Opening Day in that he struggled to find his control. Fish gave up three earned runs on only three hits, but he also issued four walks in his six innings on the mound and was tagged for the loss. He now has a 0-1 record with a 5.22 ERA and 1.74 WHIP on the season, but he has held opponents to a .244 batting average. Fish has walked eight batters in 10 ⅓ innings pitched.
- Everett's Kyle Francis made his second career collegiate start on Sunday, but unfortunately it paled in comparison to his debut a week earlier. Francis struggled with his control and gave up two earned runs on five walks and six hits in 7 ⅓ innings pitched while striking out only three. While he was fortunate to surrender only two earned runs, he still took the loss in a low-scoring affair. Francis also saw some time at DH this weekend and went 1-for-8 at the plate. On the season, Francis has a tidy 1.25 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 14 ⅓ innings pitched, but he's hitting a mere .100 with one RBI in 20 at-bats.
- First baseman/outfielder John Naff went 3-for-17 with a homer, one RBI, a walk and a stolen base for Everett CC this weekend. He's hitting a disappointing .152 with a homer and an RBI in 33 at-bats so far. Look for Naff to break out in a big way in the near future.
- Curtis Bafus had a pair of relief outings for Everett CC this weekend and he gave up a combined two earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out a pair of batters in 2 ⅔ innings. Bafus has a 5.06 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in a total of 5 ⅓ innings pitched this season.


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CANCER DIGEST – July 27, 2015 – In the first study to document updated treatment trends, researchers found that from 2010 to 2013, 40 percent of men with low-risk prostate cancer opted for active surveillance, in which the disease is monitored closely with blood tests, imaging studies and biopsies. Treatment is deferred unless these tests show evidence of progression.
That is much higher than the 10 percent of low-risk prostate cancer patients who pursued active surveillance in the years from 1990 through 2009. Rates for radiation therapy for this low-risk group have also slipped since 1995. The analysis was based on an ongoing study called, Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor or CaPSURE Registry. The study published in the July 7, 2015 JAMA.


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Check the carbon footprint of your emissions though the online calculator. Using this approach, the calculation will provide an estimate of your real footprint for the event. In the next step, you can neutralize – offset your footprint by purchasing the equivalent amount of carbon credits through Green Evolution Carbon Credits e-shop. You get the Event Carbon Footprint Report based on your data and the CO2NS OFFSET Product
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A couple of days before I went to see Frozen with my parents and twin sister my Dad claimed that the cinemas had been told to bring the temperature of their air conditioning down by a few degrees to pull people in to the icy world Disney had created. We all thought he was joking.
I am SO glad I took a coat and scarf with me. It was a really cold night, that's the only reason I did it. But turns out it was absolutely Baltic inside theatre screen 11 and none of us took any of our outer garments off the entire time. We should take my Dad at his word more often.
The film itself was marvelous. The researchers had done a lot of hard work (apparently visiting Wyoming, Quebec, Canada and Norway in order to properly understand and portray scenes of a winter nature) and that was evident. The thing that most impressed me was the snow on people's clothes, especially when Kristoff first walks into the mountain shop. Visual animators often talk about representing a world so that it's believable rather than offering a realistic world to the viewer. But that snow was as real as my left thumb. Bravo.
The storyline itself was surprising. I was left wondering whether we would be forced to watch another 'classic' love triangle between Anna, Hans and Kristoff. After Twilight and the Hunger Games I feel this has been slightly overdone. Kristoff's reaction when Anna tells him she is engaged to a man she has only just met is hilarious and broke the love triangle tension a bit – he obviously thought she was an absolute fruit loop.
But when the rock trolls pronounce that the only thing that will save Anna's life is an act of true love I presumed we were on the one way road to feature film clichés again. As Kristoff ran hell-for-leather on a lake of ice to reach Anna before she froze I couldn't help but not care. I presumed he would reach her, kiss her, kill Hans and generally save the day. The whole film had been building up to this point and I felt disappointed.
Thank goodness it never happened. Anna chooses to save her sister and sacrifice herself instead of feeling the pleasure of love's first kiss. She kills herself in order to save another. And this act of true love is what ends up saving her life and saving her sister from bitter destruction as well. Disney portrayed love as an action, instead of a moment on the lips or a well choreographed catchy duet. The audience got their kiss at the end of the film as Kristoff and Anna lived happily ever after. But I left the cinema feeling hopeful that a reflection of true love had been represented pretty well for once.
'Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends' John 15:13


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Make yourself at home in one of the 56 air-conditioned rooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and complimentary newspapers.
Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access.
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Understand the Review Process
(Part 1 and Part 2 published previously)
The "SBIR Program" is not one thing. Each government department (NSF, DoD, NIH, NASA, etc.) has broad latitude in structuring its own version of an SBIR program. Furthermore, within large departments like DoD, each agency (Army, Navy, etc.) has its own rules. Even within an agency there are idiosyncrasies in how the proposals are reviewed, meaning that NAVAIR has different internal policies from NAVSEA. Dan was kind enough to share some insights into how NAVAIR reviews topics, and I've distilled those into three points.
- NAVAIR actively seeks to fund research on each topic. Prior to posting its solicitation for proposals, NAVAIR ranks and vets the topics. The final solicitation only includes topics for which there is adequate funding. The result is an "implicit commitment" by the Navy to support every topic. Exceptions occur, of course, and sometimes the reviewers rank all the proposals poorly, in which case no proposals are funded. In general, though, NAVAIR does not post "dud" topics.
- The TPOC leads the review process. The TPOC selects other members of the review committee from people within the government (not necessarily NAVAIR or even Navy). This is quite different from departments like NSF or NIH, which follow a more academic "peer-review" model.
- NAVAIR prefers to fund 2 or 3 different approaches during Phase I. These different approaches compete during Phase I. Usually only one approach is awarded a Phase II, unless the approaches end up solving complementary aspects of the problem. In that case, the TPOC might be able to argue that two Phase II awards should be made.
That wraps up this series. My apologies for the long delay in updates. I have an embarrassingly long queue of backlogged posts (including a new DoD SBIR win for one of my clients!), and I hope to churn those out rapidly.


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How Adorable is He?!
I've named him LD for my boy #70 Leonard Davis that plays for the Cowboys. LD is huge ya'll. (The real one not the monkey). He's from my hometown area, he lived in one town over and I grew up knowing him and his name, well everyone knew him, he was the only 5th grader that could slam dunk. I'm not kidding. Anyways last year LD gave my friend and I tickets to one of the home games and then we went out to eat with him and his family after the game. Thank God we won, could you imagine eating with him had they just loss? Anyways Poppa met us after the game so he too could eat with LD and Poppa is not a small guy, he's a pretty big guy actually but look how small he looks next to LD.
Anyhow the whole reason I got off subject, Leonard signed Monkey's shirt for her and we have it framed and all you can read is LD#70 so I thought we'd name the monkey from Funky Monky.
Here is my Monkey with her Monkey LD.
I love these two monkies and I want you to have a Funky Sock Monky of your very own too and so Kim has so graciously offered one of her custom made monkies to one of you awesome readers.
These monkies are hand made from start to finish, are soft but sturdy and ready to be your little one's next best friend.
She has so many patterns and designs from Autism Awareness to Supporting Our Troops, to the Classic Sock Monkey, to Hip Prints. Want a Halloween one? Yep she does that too!
So how exactly do you enter?
Mandatory Entry
- Leave me a comment on this post telling me something about your favorite childhood doll, stuffed animal, or toy.
Bonus Entries
- Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
- Follow me on Facebook (1 entry)
- Follow Kim Funky Monky (1 entry)
- Blog about this giveaway (3 entries)
Winner will be drawn via random.org and announced Oct 8th and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be drawn. So go visit Funky Monky and tell her Texas Monkey says hi and good luck!
Happy Friday Ya'll.