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New Chinese restaurant brings New York chefs, authentic hand-pulled noodles to El Paso
Michelle Xu said her mother gave her an important piece of advice when she decided to open Noodles & Dumplings on the West Side.
"She said you have got to be patient and make sure that you serve good quality food. You don't just serve quick food," she said. "Even in our house, we always try to eat organic and healthy."
Patience has been not only good advice for Xu but also to the customers, as they are discovering that hand-pulled noodles take time to prepare.
A sign at the register puts it succinctly: "Patience is the secret to good food."
Xu, who came to El Paso from China with her family when she was 11, opened the eatery at 6303 N. Mesa, about four weeks ago.
She said she wanted to open a restaurant in El Paso that offered traditional foods that she enjoyed. She grew up helping in her family's shoe business in Downtown El Paso and later earned her Bachelor's degree in business management from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
"Every time I craved something like noodles, I had to fly to New York or L.A. to eat it, especially dumplings, which we make ourselves at home," she said.
Finding the right chefs for the job, however, was not easy. Xu reached out to New York and Los Angeles to find chefs who were originally from China and had honed their noodle skills in two years of culinary school and had more than 10 years experience in restaurants.
The process of making hand-pulled noodles is time-consuming and intricate.
"The dough has specific flours and oils and the temperature has it be right or it won't pull," she said.
María Cortés González covers entertainment and trending news in the El Paso area. Support more coverage like this with a subscription.
At the restaurant, one chef prepares lumps of dough that are then repeatedly stretched to produce hundreds of thin strands. Two chefs work on the dumplings — about 560 of one kind a day — while another chef works on additional dishes.
Much of their work can be seen via a glass division that allows customers a peek into the hot, steaming kitchen.
However, the noodles are not cooked until ordered, which means a customer might have to wait more than 20 minutes. Soups and some appetizers are good starting points for hungry diners.
"We make everything fresh daily," said Xu, explaining that the restaurant closes at 3 p.m. so chefs can prepare for dinner. It reopens at 5 p.m.
Xu said closing time is used to make more dough for the noodles and to do a good cleaning of the kitchen — another of mom's lessons — and dining area.
The 30-year-old said she took a risk hiring professional chefs for a brand new business. But business has been good, with many customers coming through word of mouth.
She said she is looking into hiring a couple more chefs in the near future to help meet the demand of the popular noodles. Some of the dishes are named after Lan Zhou, a Chinese city known for its noodles.
"We want everyone to be happy when they leave," she said.
More good food:Here's some of the best breakfast and brunch restaurants in El Paso
More:El Pasoan went from working at Chick Fil A to operating two restaurants
If you go:
What: Noodles & Dumplings
Where: 6303 N. Mesa.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday. 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Tuesday. Hours will change in June when the restaurant plans to add breakfast.
Information: 262-4405.


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How to Start Your Business
From the National Entrepreneur Center
A three-hour seminar designed to help entrepreneurs understand what it takes to start a business. Topics included business plans, legal forms of business, and licensing requirements.
Registering for How to Start Your Business also includes our Business Fundamentals Webinars: Financing Alternatives, Marketing for Business Success and Business Plan Writing Made Easy at no extra cost.

subset: commoncrawl


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July 24, 2021
Why are we still celebrating the worst of Lovecraft?
I've always been a fan of classic pulp horror. I grew up reading Edgar Allan Poe when I was probably too young to really appreciate it. In high school and college I got into HP Lovecraft. I'm still into this sort of existential horror, but given modern sensibilities that comes with a lot of asterisks.


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Art Deco rings recall an era of glamour and sophistication: elegant and timeless, this ring style is trending and absolutely stunning. Drawing inspiration from the roaring 20's when Art Deco was a prominent style for jewelry in the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by geometric patterns and abstract designs using diamonds and gems in contrasting colors.
- Cutie Gifts Exclusive
- Swarovski Elements
- Nickel Free
- Crafted to last a lifetime


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[Blogger's Note: Although there were many superstars at Comic Con, one actor was notably missing. Alan Rickman did not, to my knowledge, attend Comic Con. Sadly, my meeting with Sir Rickman has yet to occur.]
I can hardly believe it's been more than a week since Comic Con. The yearly festival of comics and media geekdom was, my second time around, still just as vital as ever. Comic Con excels at two things, mainly: facilitating fans' meeting hundreds (possibly thousands) of famous and yet-to-be famous cartoonists, and providing a ground for the exchange of ideas and products related (sometimes tenuously) to sequential art. Uh, and recently it's become a place where Hollywood previews movies based on comics. If you want to meet the cartoonist who created your favorite strip or book, or if you want to see the starlet who will be starring in the movie based upon your favorite strip or book, Comic Con is the place to be.
This year, as I mentioned before, I was joined by my wife Isis and my good friends Nate McGraw and Alex. It was their first ever trip to California, which was totally crazy to me, but some people just grew up on the wrong side of the country (or continent). The ladies took off almost immediately to stand in line for movie panels. Nate was gracious enough to let me lead the way though pop culture wilderness.
I'm dividing this post up thematically, as giving a blow-by-blow chronological account would bore all of us. As it is, only three readers have gotten this far in the post. Thank you! Read on for the exciting part.
If the convention floor is the meat of Comic Con, the panels are the vegetables. It is the panels where you can hear cartoonists blather on for an hour about their favorite pen nib. True bliss.
Nate and I kicked off Comic Con with the Spotlight panel on Jeff Smith. Jeff created Bone and Rasl, and is a genuinely nice and funny guy. His slide show covered new projects he's been working on, and in the question and answer section he mentioned the upcoming Bone movie(!).
We also sat in on the Keith Knight Spotlight panel, in which Keith spoke about his weekly comic strip and his new (-ish) daily strip. Keith is a great speaker, a natural entrepreneur, and above all a very funny cartoonist. He brought something up that I found intriguing; his weekly comic, The K Chronicles, was essentially a blog before blogs even existed. When I read it that way, it makes complete sense.
Nicholas Gurewitch, the mad scientist who created Perry Bible Fellowship, is someone either destined to be a Hall of Famer or a delirious bum who dies in a gutter. I'm not sure which. His question and answer section sounded eerily like a Bob Dylan press conference from the 1960's, in which he would answer the question with a riddle, or he'd answer the question he wanted to be asked. My favorite answer was to the question, "Do you get your ideas directly from life?" He responded, "If we can only write from what we experience, then yes, 100% of my ideas come directly from life."
We saw about half of a Krazy Kat panel. They showed some home movies of George Herriman with his (then) baby granddaughter. It was pretty cool to see one of my cartoonist heroes come to life, since we are separated by almost a century.
Berkeley Breathed put on a freewheelin' panel, documented by this post and photographed in this post. I may be the only one, but based on the test footage he showed I'm glad Opus never got made into a movie.
Ray Bradbury is almost 90, but he spoke to hundreds of us and seems entirely lucid, if nearly deaf. Honestly, if it was a choice between ears and brain to go first, I'd choose ears every time. It was a real joy hearing the very first Comic Con guest speak at Comic Con 41. His responses to to questions were in depth and often funny. Not sure why he hates the internet and Obama.
On a panel called Writing Animated Feature Films, four screenwriters discussed the projects they've worked on and how they managed to get through them. I say that because apparently, in Hollywood, the writer is almost as low on the totem pole as the caterer (actually, they probably receive less respect than the food dude). Between them, I found both Dean DeBlois and the writer who worked in TV (whose name I could not find in the Programming book, sorry!) to be the most straightforward about their work and what it takes to be creative while working with a group. In all, it was a very informative panel and something that you wouldn't normally see outside of a writing seminar.
Nate and I found the Nerdiest Guy At Comic Con at the Avatar Press panel. We were there to hear Max Brooks, author of World War Z, talk about how to survive the coming zombie apocalypse. The NGACC asked a dozen questions, and even filmed himself asking one question, as well as Max's response. Max cut him off after that. We were thrilled to find the NGACC and wanted to ask him out for a drink afterward, to hear him monologue, but thought he might misconstrue our affection as ironic, so we didn't.
The zombie panel leads me to the next segment of this overly-long post:
Zombies and Vampires
Last year, Twilight brought the vampire lovers to Comic Con en masse. Seriously, there were like 80,000 teenage girls there for one reason (hint: it wasn't sex). This year, despite the popularity of True Blood – which Isis described to me as softcore porn with vampires – zombies ruled the convention. There was a zombie walk, zombie panels, and two (count 'em) booths devoted to the comic series Walking Dead. This made me feel good about my book-in-progress, as it is about zombies. I can't wait to be a millionaire.
Last year I was at Comic Con for two days, while this year I stayed for the whole bloody affair. I got to see more celebrities wandering the convention floor this year, which was pretty cool.
Scott Adsit plays Pete Hornberger on one of my favorite TV shows of all time – OF ALL TIME – 30 Rock. I saw him wandering the convention floor and ran over like a panting doofus. I was smart enough to give him my new Falling Rock collection, but I wasn't sure how best to convey how awesome I think he is. This was the second time this year I've seen Scott – he made an unscheduled appearance at Stumptown. Scott, the next time I see you I promise to be more eloquent.
I saw Seth Green two times: once signing autographs, and once wandering the convention floor with his wife. He would have been swarmed if he got noticed, so I didn't try to say hello.
Nate and I saw two mega-stars while eating lunch on Thursday. David Hasselhoff was apparently promoting a new reality show. He stood on the roof a double-decker bus, along with a group of dancing girls, shaking his tanned body and singing "Hooked on a Feeling." His bus was flanked by Knight Rider cars. Kind of the definition of "publicity stunt." Soon after, our waitress shrieked and ran down the sidewalk. She saw Emilio Estevez. She got her picture taken with him, then came back and told us how bummed she was that she had to work the entire weekend. Despite my description, she was a perfectly good waitress.
Although I didn't see her personally, Isis and Alex told me that they saw Helen Mirren wearing a Harvey Pekar shirt. Helen Mirren, if you read this blog know this: you are totally awesome. Please visit Falling Rock National Park anytime.
I know. You're wondering what all this has to do with comics. While Comic Con has become more about pop culture in general, it does manage to retain its comic-centeredness. Most of the convention floor is devoted to booths about comics, either hosted by the creators or the publishers or retailers. I ran into a number of cartoonists either by accident or by visiting their booths. The number of serendipitous meetings leads me to believe there is a great positive energy generated by Comic Con. I won't try to explain it, but I know it is there.
A partial list, with links to guide you: Greg Means, Stephen Notley, James Sturm, Jeffrey Brown, Nate Powell, Bill Amend, Steve Lieber, Katie Cook, Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett, Raina Telgemeier, Stephen McCranie, Rudy Solis, Dylan Meconis, Dave Kellett.
Although long, this post feels like a snapshot of the full days and nights. A complete write-up would probably feel more like Ulysses and less like a blog. As an event, Comic Con is probably the biggest and best I've ever participated in. As a place to meet and spend time with creative and smart people, Comic Con is probably second only to college.


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Marco Marchioro is a quant with more than 15 years of experience in the industry of financial quantitative risk management. His areas of expertise range from quantitative risk modelling, derivative pricing, agile software development, and quantitative training. Currently Marco is the CEO of Quant Island, a Singapore-based consultancy firm specialised in quantitative risk models for asset management and fin-tech startups. Prior to moving to Singapore, Marco held various senior roles in StatPro covering the risk-management software development cycle. At StatPro, as the head of the quantitative-research team, he was responsible for creating the original risk models underlying Statpro analytics. The same models have been successfully implemented in an agile-software environment. From 2010 to 2014 Marco held the position of adjunct professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, where he taught a highly-rated graduate class on complex derivatives. Earlier in his career Marco was a quantitative-software developer fluent in, among other programming languages, python and C++. As a founding partner of RiskMap, in the year 2000, Marco was among the original founders of QuantLib, a widely-used open-source library for financial modelling. Marco has an extensive experience in quantitative finance where he is well-versed in the end-to-end process of developing financial software.
Before switching to the dark-side of quantitative finance, Marco Marchioro was a scholar in the field of multi-phase fluid dynamics. Indeed, after a master degree in physics obtained in Italy, he moved to Baltimore to become a graduate at the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied under the mentorship of Andrea Prosperetti. He then joined the Andreas Acrivos team and became a post-doctoral fellow at the Levich Institute in New York City.
The full-size curriculum vitae of Marco Marchioro can be found at this permanent link.
For an update on the career of Marco Marchioro you can visit the linked-in page.


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6 Simple Rules for Picking Stocks for Everyday Investors
Note: Post may contain affiliate links.
The father of value investing offers six criteria for picking stocks to meet your investing goals
Investing doesn't have to be complicated. I've built this blog on the idea that investing can actually be easy if you keep to a few stock market basics.
We don't get into stock picking much but finding the best investments can be an opportunity to boost your profits from a diversified portfolio. Picking stocks doesn't mean you have to spend all your free time digging into financial statements and tuning in to CNBC.
In fact, one of the best investors of all-time had just six criteria for picking stocks in a safe investing portfolio.
This article is the 14th in our chapter-by-chapter review of The Intelligent Investor. The book was first published in the early 50s by Benjamin Graham, widely-known as the father of value investing and a mentor to Warren Buffett.
I'm reading through the 2003 edition which includes the 1973 text from Graham and the updated commentary by Jason Zweig. Reading through Graham's last edition, it's amazing how relevant his commentary is for today's investor.
Click to start at the beginning with our Introduction to The Intelligent Investor
The first half of the book focuses on investment concepts and broader goals. Now in the second half, we get to investing advice to analyze individual companies and pick stocks. Chapter 14 reveals six criteria that Graham recommends defensive investors use in stock picking.
Stock Picking for Dividends and Higher Returns
Graham's checklist for picking stocks for the defensive investor revolves around finding companies with a long history of stability and paying out dividends. It's this stability and dividends that is most critical for a defensive investor, the person that doesn't want to worry about stocks and just wants a stress-free investing strategy.
There are some accounting and technical words in here but all are so common in investing that you'll find them on any stock page in Yahoo Finance or in an online investing site.
- Adequate Size of the Enterprise – Graham suggests only investing in large companies, measured by annual sales or assets. Small companies are now considered those with market capitalization of less than $2 billion.
- Strong Financial Condition – Current assets, the cash and receivables that can be converted to cash quickly, should be twice as much as current liabilities. This means the company should have no trouble paying its near-term debts over the next year.
- Earnings over 10 Years – Positive net income in every quarter over the last ten years.
- Long Record of Dividends – At least 20 years of paying a dividend. This is one that I have a problem with, noted below, and think you can still find excellent companies outside of this requirement.
- Growing Profits – Earnings growth of at least a third over ten year's time.
- Value – Price should be no more than 15 times the average year's earnings over last three years and no more than 1.5 times the company's book value.
Graham goes beyond the stock picking screen and specifically looks at investments in utility companies, financial services and railroads. The advice lines up extremely closely with the investments you find in Warren Buffett's investments at Berkshire Hathaway.
I'm not questioning Buffett's investment ability or Graham's advice but I think even the defensive investor needs to look outside these three sectors for stocks. While these three groups of stocks may have been filled with stable companies in the past, it isn't the case today. Regulation and tech progress has made it a very different world for these three groups of stocks than existed just 20 years ago.
It goes to confirm the need for investors to put their money in all the sectors instead of just a few that are considered 'defensive' during the current market. That means picking stocks across all nine sectors as well as investing in funds that can give you diversified exposure.
- Consumer Staples are companies that sell consumer goods that people need even during a recession like food.
- Consumer Discretionary are companies that sell less necessary goods like alcohol and apparel.
- Technology includes old tech giants like Microsoft as well as newer upstarts
- Utilities run the range from electricity, water and alternative energy providers
- Materials are companies that sell basic resources used as inputs to production
- Healthcare companies include drugmakers and service providers
- Financials are everything from banks to investment firms and real estate companies
- Energy companies include explorers & drillers, distribution and refiners
- Industrials cover a wide range of companies from aerospace & defense, capital machinery, airlines and others
I recently highlighted one of my favorite ways to find investing ideas on Motif Investing. You can use the online investing site to find stocks in different sectors and then use Graham's criteria to narrow your list.
Building your Own Criteria for Picking Stocks
Graham's stock picking criteria are a good start but you need to take them a little further.
First, whatever criteria you go with to pick stocks, you need to use them individually in each sector. Comparing stocks on criteria across all sectors at the same time is going to bias your portfolio to companies in just a few industries. That's very risky because your investments will jump and plunge when something happens to those industries.
Getting this diversification in companies of different sectors is the only way to win the stock market game, by reducing your risk and focusing on your investing goals.
I also would adjust some of Graham's stock picking requirements. I love dividends just as much as the next investor but requiring 20-years of dividend history is going to close your portfolio off to a lot of great companies. Apple just restarted its dividend in 2012 and most companies in tech didn't even exist 20 years ago.
Graham comes off his strict price-to-earnings requirement of no more than 15 times later in the chapter and says that investors may look at companies with a P/E that is 20% lower than the earnings yield equivalent on the 10-year AA corporate bonds.
Ok, that may be a little confusing so let's work through it.
- The earnings yield is just the upside-down of the P/E so it is earnings divided by price. For AA-rated corporate bonds, just one notch below the best rating, the yield is 2.7% currently. That's how much bonds of strong companies are 'earning' over their price.
- If we take 1 divided by the bond's yield of 2.7% then we get 37.0 for a starting price-to-earnings ratio.
- Multiplying 37.0 times 0.80 gives us 29.6 as a price-to-earnings that is 20% below the equivalent earnings yield.
It's a good way to adjust your measure of a 'value' stock for the current stock market. While I think the previous 15-times P/E maximum is too low…I also think this new 29.6-times value is too high.
Bond rates have been beaten down artificially by massive central bank stimulus programs since the 2009 crisis and interest rates are ridiculously low. In many parts of the world, people are actually paying governments to hold their money, i.e. negative interest rates on government bonds.
Again, keeping just one maximum P/E limit on what you will pay for a stock is only going to create problems. You will end up over-investing in a few sectors that have lower P/E averages because growth is slower.
Instead, use a different max price-to-earnings value for each sector in which you invest. I know, it's more work but there are only nine sectors so not too much work. Find the average price-to-earnings of companies in each sector from Morningstar or through your online broker and then limit your stock picks to those with a 20% discount to that average.
Nobody should rely on stock picking for their entire portfolio. Even active investors are going to find the time required to manage a portfolio of individual stocks just too much. Instead, use what's called the core-satellite investing strategy to reduce your risk but still get higher returns on stock picking.
The core part of your portfolio, up to 70% of your money, is invested in broad funds that hold many stocks. This reduces your risk around any particular company. You can then use the rest of your money, the 30% satellite portion, to invest in individual stocks for higher returns.
Grab your copy of The Intelligent Investor on Amazon and follow along with the review.
Picking stocks doesn't mean you need to trade in and out frequently. Use the stock picking criteria to find great companies that return cash to shareholders, then hold them for decades. Adjust the criteria around your own needs and invest broadly across sectors for a diversified portfolio of stocks that can meet your financial goals.


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Home News Breaking News Watch: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest Laughs Out Loud at Suggestion...
Can you embed the videos in a different way so we can all see them? Even those of us with serious filters?
I second it about the videos for people with filters. Aish.com works it out.
Obama doesn't lack toughness – he supports TERRORISM by not calling it what is – ISLAMIST TERRORISM – and giving $150 BILLION DOLLARS to the LEADER OF TERRORISM – IRAN


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Concerns & Queries
Gestalt Therapy Brisbane is committed to excellence in the delivery of its courses, in its support of student and in all aspects of its operations.
We would be happy to respond to any questions you have about our courses, the manner of delivery or the structures that support GTB.
A response will come from the most appropriate person. This may be the Chair, Academic Governance Body, A Director of GTB, an Administration assistant or a member of our academic staff.
If you are dissatisfied with how any member of the GTB staff or academic staff is dealing with and you wish to make a formal grievance please follow the procedures as outlined in GTB Policy No 3 Grievance Policy & Procedure


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Post-Divorce Modification and Enforcement
Divorce decrees and agreements are typically final and may not be informally modified without the consent of the courts in Illinois. However, certain aspects of your divorce agreement such as child custody and support may need adjustments or enforcements over time. The best way to do this is through formal post-divorce modification and enforcement.
At Family Law Solutions, P.C., we have years of experience in pursuing modifications and enforcement for all manners of child custody and child support agreements. Some reasons we might pursue action to modify your decree may include:
- Switching location or moving away
- Changing physical custody
- Modifying parenting time
- Increasing or decreasing the amount of child support paid
- Terminating or adjusting alimony paid
Likewise, these conditions may require you to enforce a current agreement, such as enforcing child support payments despite a parent and child moving away.
Because modification and enforcement usually require appearing before a judge or court, it is absolutely essential to enlist the help of a certified post-divorce modification and enforcement attorney such as those at Family Law Solutions, P.C. We can help you determine if a modification or enforcement is possible with your case and take steps to help you through this process for the benefit of your children.
If you'd like to work with Family Law Solutions, P.C. today, contact us at (312) 332-1344 to schedule your first confidential consultation. We have 2 conveniently located offices in Downtown Chicago and Arlington Heights to serve your needs.
Contact Us
We have two office locations to conveniently serve your needs.
Family Law Solutions, P.C.
180 N. LaSalle St. Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60601
Family Law Solutions, P.C.
121 S. Wilke Rd. Suite 501
Arlington Heights, IL 60005


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If you don't know what insomnia is, you are one of the lucky few. Insomnia is the inability to either fall asleep or to stay asleep for long enough to feel fully rested and recharged, and it's a serious issue that can lead to the development of many other complications. The brain and body need sleep – for most people, the magic number is somewhere around the eight hour mark, and not getting enough sleep can quickly catch up with you and put a lot of strain on an otherwise healthy individual. Some of the most serious health issues that are caused by the lack of sleep include various neuroses and other psychological and psychosomatic diseases.
Since insomnia is such a major health concern, it's not surprising that there are a lot of different ways that can help treat it. Some of those include herbal based and other over the counter remedies, but the most effective treatment for insomnia is considered to be with the help of prescription based medication. The most popular sleeping aid from the prescription based category is probably Ambien – it's been on the market for a number of years, and it's the preferred prescription sleeping pill for most doctors in the United States.
Like we already mentioned, not all insomniacs have trouble falling asleep – a large percentage is unable to stay in that state for long enough. Some people find themselves awake far too early, while some are unable to stay asleep for longer than an hour at a time. Regular, uninterrupted sleep is critical for the normal functioning of every person, and not being able to stay asleep through the night over a prolonged period of time can quickly compromise your health.
And keep in mind that insomnia is not only a risk for your health and well being, but for others as well, since the lack of sleep will make you unable to function properly in sensitive and potentially dangerous situations – for instance, while driving. Thousands of traffic accidents – often with fatal outcome – where one of the participants has been sleep deprived are recorded every year, and this clearly shows that insomnia is more than a simple inconvenience as some think. You should treat insomnia as a potentially serious health issue, and seek help before you put yourself or others in danger.
The best way to treat insomnia is with a combination of medication like Ambien and by developing and maintaining healthy sleeping habits. Most doctors will recommend you to try and tire yourself during the day – by a combination of mental and physical effort, like exercise. Also, you should stay clear of caffeine, alcohol and other substances that affect the central nervous system, and try not to watch TV or partake other stimulating activities before going to the bedroom at night. You can also treat insomnia with medication, and statistic show that the most effective treatment for insomnia are benzodiazepines like Ambien and Ambien CR – so ask your doctor about them.


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Objective: Identify varied coins by their image, name, or value. Add one cent to the value of any coin.
Grade 1 Mathematics Module 6, Topic E, Lesson 22
Downloadable Resources
Resources may contain links to sites external to the EngageNY.org website. These sites may not be within the jurisdiction of NYSED and in such cases NYSED is not responsible for its content.
Common Core Learning Standards
|State Standard
|Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks. Recognize and identify...


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Kickstart Your Weekend: The Austin Toy Museum
New collectibles archive launches fund raising with party
By Richard Whittaker,
9:00PM, Fri. Apr. 25, 2014
The founders of the Austin Toy Museum have a motto. "I had that."
Many museums start with a privately owned collection, and that's exactly the plan for the Austin Toy Museum. A group of over a dozen collectors are coming together to create a new permanent home for thousands of toys, from the 1960s to the 1980s. Their goal is simple: To have visitors come in, see an original Teddy Ruxpin, or an original 1975 Whiting Shrunken Head Apple Sculpture kit (as endorsed by Vincent Price) and say, "I had that."
After all, these are cultural artifacts, and while many people just think of them as disposable distractions for kids, they've shaped the minds and hobbies of billions of children and adults globally. For the founding collectors, this is a chance to reconnect people with those influences. Museum co-founder and director of marketing Brent Brightwell said, "Just about every serious collector I meet will say, 'I want to start a museum one day,' but not many people will act on it."
The collection exists. Now it's just the complicated process of turning it into a physical, brick and mortar museum, and that's why the group is having a Kickstarter launch party this Saturday at the Kung Fu Saloon. Brightwell said, "We've got fixtures, we've got people, we've got toys, we've got passion, we've got dioramas, we've got all the little pieces, and we know that at any moment something could be the catalyst."
Brightwell credits co-founder Caleb Zammit with being the trigger for the museum idea, and its guiding visionary. Brightwell said, "There's nothing unique and special about being able to find toys and stick them in a closet or in your garage. There's something unique and special about being able to display them and share them with others, and do some level of scholarship."
That's the important part of the museum: That the founders have been collecting and curating this material for years. Zammit admits, "I love that part of it. Buying a lot of toys, sorting them out, putting them with their correct clothing or weapons, to match everything out correctly, and then inventorizing it."
Each of the collectors brings something different. There's a Houston collector who will be contributing a large number of board games, and a GI Joe comic collector who will be part of the founding collection. Brightwell's collection focuses on the Real American Hero, the 3 3/4" Joes from the 1980s, with laser precision. When he started getting serious about collecting as a grown up, his wife encouraged him to pick one, and he went with the one that meant most to him as a kid. "Transformers was close, He-Man was nice, Star Wars was interesting, even Hot Wheels, but I had to pick one, and it was G.I. Joe."
Zammit said, "I never got that focused. I just want it all." As an autism specialist, he uses toys at work as a therapeutic tool. At his home, his private collection of 20,000 figures, sets and dioramas spreads over multiple rooms. There are the obvious franchises, like He-Man, and more obscure but recognizable ranges, like the Micronauts' Baron Karza and Andromeda, that combine to form a black armored centaur. Then there are real oddities and rarities, like the two-headed Eborsisk from Ron Howard's Willow, or a whole ranch's worth of 1960s Best of the West cowboy, pioneers, and their horses. There are even unique pieces, like an unpainted Lion-O prototype from the Thundercats range.
The collecting bug hit Zammit in 2000, when he was 20, with Star Wars, "then I moved on to Transformers and the next collection and the next collection and the next collection." He still has his Holy Grail must-haves, but like his scattershot fascinations, they are many, and they change. Right now, he said, if forced to pick, it would probably be the original Bionic Bigfoot from The Six Million Dollar Man. "He's cool, because his chest pops off and you can see all his wiring."
For Brightwell, it was the USS Flagg, GI Joe's Nimitz class aircraft carrier. At 7' 6" long, it was the biggest play set ever made. It's almost impossible to find complete, and even parts can be pricey, but that was no deterrent. "It took a while to piece it together," he said, "And then finally a firm out of Canada called Cobra Stickers started reproducing the stickers." Once it was completed, he said, "Then we got the bright idea to have a big battle scene with Transformers and G.I. Joe, so I had to start collecting all the Transformers figures that were to scale."
That project was just part of a near life-long collecting hobby. "It started when I was eight years old," he said. "That was when I had to work to save the money, go on the hunt, bring them back, not take them outside. I started displaying them, then they went into tubs, and then rabbit storage as a teenager. Then I started filling holes in my collection, buying whole collections, and upgrading."
Brightwell's habits have changed a bit since his two sons were born. Now his collection contains more contemporary franchises, like Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He said, "We buy the toys, play with them while watching the cartoon, then go get the video game and the comic, and it just became a whole immersive experience."
These are toys, after all. They're meant to be played with, and that will be true for the museum too. While many of the figures will either remain mint in box, or posed in elaborate dioramas, others will be on display to be touched and used and, yes, played with by visitors. The plan is to have duplicates around the displays, so people can remember how the plastic felt or the joints moved, even how they smell. Brightwell said, "It's the one thing I hope that the museum will be able to achieve, is a big play area."
That's what's always going to be important to Zammit. "I was letting a five year old play with some of my 40 year old Transformers the other day at the G.I. Joe convention. I was thinking, 'He could break it at any second. Why am I doing this?' Because it's fun."
The Austin Toy Museum Kickstarter launch party takes place from 8pm, April 26, at the Kung Fu Saloon, 510 Rio Grande. There will be special incentives only available to donors at the party, and the campaign will go live after that. More info at www.austintoymuseum.com and at facebook.com/austintoymuseum.
Kickstart Your Weekend is a series intended to showcase Texas film and tech projects that are crowdfunding their way to a goal, be it distribution, a prototype, or production costs. If you have a project that we should know about, email us at email@example.com.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin's independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community's political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
Richard Whittaker, June 9, 2016
Richard Whittaker, Jan. 7, 2016
Richard Whittaker, July 14, 2016
Richard Whittaker, April 14, 2016
Sept. 30, 2022
Sept. 30, 2022
Kickstarter, crowdfunding, Kickstart Your Weekend, Austin Toy Museum, Brent Brightwell, Caleb Zammit, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Real American Hero, Willow, He-Man, Thundercats, Lion-O, The Six Million Dollar Man, Micronauts, Baron Karza, Andromeda


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In our last newsletter we said there'd be more news soon. While this isn't quite what we meant, it is very important indeed.
In the House of Lords last week, it was confirmed that Blackburn with Darwen will be the first care.data pathfinder area. Questions asked in the Commons about exactly when this would be remain unanswered.
From launching in six CCGs, as announced last October, care.data is now down to limping out in just one – and with the summer holidays rapidly approaching, sending out letters that may get mixed up with the pizza leaflets while people are away doesn't seem all that sensible…
In the same Lords Debate last Monday, the Government confirmed that at least 700,000 patient opt outs have yet to be actioned – which prompted some media attention.
medConfidential will be writing to the Information Commissioner with a substantive complaint covering all of the relevant details and providing documentary evidence which won't allow NHS England to blame HSCIC (or the ICO itself) for delaying everything for another six months.
The solution was outlined in our last newsletter. This is a solution which the Department of Health could authorise and begin this week if it wished, and which HSCIC could make retroactive from last April (i.e. ensuring that those who have opted out by the time the problem is fixed will no longer have their hospital data from last year sold on to third parties) via the "full-year HES" datasets which replace the 'interim' HES releases.
Bottom line: if you have concerns, and you haven't done so already, our advice on opting out remains unchanged until the Department of Health or Secretary of State announces details.
We have not yet seen the Secretary of State's 'Directions on Patient Objections', which could repeat NHS England's flawed decisions about care.data, or choose another path – as we discussed in our last newsletter – and which would also satisfy Jeremy Hunt's promises from 2013 (timecode: 14:20).
HSCIC may only do as it is Directed by NHS England and the Secretary of State / Department of Health, which is one reason why the ICO complaint requires exactly the right footnotes; to highlight the specific decisions and (lack of) responsibilities that have led to this mess.
Be assured, medConfidential is on the case and on top of the detail. Possibly more so than NHS England, it could be said.
To stay informed of progress, please join our mailing list. And don't forget to spread the word – this affects your friends and family too.
medConfidential is a tiny campaign, fighting a huge fight on behalf of every NHS patient. If you can help us, please do.
Every penny received will be spent on averting the most appalling breach of confidence in NHS history and ensuring that in future every flow of patient data into, across and – most importantly – out of the NHS is consensual, safe and transparent.


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If you have HR partners in your company that help you grow your team, you are fortunate. But once the people are hired, there is often a reluctance to collaborate with others to ensure the team actually works together successfully.
And so evolves the anemic term of 'teambuilding.' You may have heard leaders actually say, "My team is having a teambuilding so we can all bond." This equates with a naive assumption that if people know how to socialize and have a good time together, they should be able to produce complex, stressful, quality and efficient results together. The same leaders who make this assumption seem shocked when their team members return to work and produce the same issues and results as before they had enjoyed that expensive off-site of entertainment… and alcohol.
Use 'Off-site' Funding to Drive Results
There is definitely a place for teams to spend time together away from work. And the opportunity to enjoy non-work distraction is a great reward supporting messages like, "You've done such a great job together that we want to show our appreciation and encourage you to keep up your excellent efforts!"
But if your team is not performing at the top of their game yet or has not recently passed a significant hurdle that merits celebration, then you should probably consider adding additional reasons for the fun you plan to purchase with your 'teambuilding' funds.
Empower New Direction or New Behaviors
- Explore changes that need to be made to their goals or to the way they work together.
- Motivate them to make it so!
If you have the gift of motivating your team with mere words, be grateful! Most of us need more powerful stimuli to encourage other adults to make changes that require a collective effort. But considering powerful methods like these can transform your team's bond into energized performance and results.
- Collaborative expression or creativity
- Experiences revealing related perspectives
- Cooperative exertion or concerted success
- Shared learning that invigorates partnership
- Self-awareness shared with balanced vulnerability
- Justified and sincere peer praise or observations
- Data visuals pointing the targeted direction
You don't have to go off-site: use any time with your team to ensure you are truly strengthening them.
You don't have to do this alone: if you or your HR partners need some spark to ignite their power, Pepperbox Solutions can help you light that fuse!


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Adoption may not be what you think it is. At Real Options, we believe adoption is a brave and loving parenting choice. Before you make your decision, consider these questions.
Open- The birth mom and adopting family have some agreed upon personal interaction. Contact between parties is direct, without the agency as the mediary.
Semi-open- the birth mom and adopting family maintain contact with each other after the adoption is finalized, through a third party, like an adoption agency.
Typically letters and pictures may be sent based on an agreed upon schedule.
Closed-the adopting family receives only non-identifying information (medical and social history on each birthparent and their family). No communication or contact is expected. The birth mom may participate in selecting the adoptive family using non-identifying profiles.
When you make an adoption plan for your baby, you are selflessly placing the best interest of your baby before your emotions. Your child can be raised in a home that can provide the things you are not able to at this time. Adoption is a very courageous and responsible choice.
You, as a birth mom, decide what you are looking for in a family, from things like religion, race, and hometown to even things like personality traits. You will receive profile books from perspective adoptive families, and you have the opportunity to choose the parents that are best for your child.
Texas Law allows birth moms 48 hours after the birth to sign the papers that become a legal decision. That means that even if you have created an adoption plan and worked with an adoption agency, you will still have the right to change your mind after the baby is born.
Abortion is not an easy choice. It is final, and you can't reverse your decision. Over 70% of women who have abortions experience negative feelings afterwards. However, with adoption, you have the freedom to change your mind and choose to be a part of your child's life.
Sarah's Story from BraveLove on Vimeo.


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YorkFest Alumni Speed Networking Event
- https://www.york.cuny.edu/ia/devalum/yorkfest-alumni-speed-networking-event
- YorkFest Alumni Speed Networking Event
- The Offices of Development & Alumni Affairs and Career Services invites you to attend The NEW YorkFest Alumni Speed Networking Event
- What Devel and Alumni student featured Development and Alumni Affairs
- When Sep 20, 2012 10:00 PM to Sep 21, 2012 12:00 AM (UTC / UTC0)
- Where Performing Arts Center
- Contact Name
- Contact Phone 718-262-3810
- Add event to calendar iCal
Why come?
- Help York students while networking with fellow York alumni and have fun!
- Share your wisdom and professional experiences with students and help them in their career paths
We are looking for alumni to serve as table hosts in these public & private areas: PhD Research, Journalism, Law, Aviation, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Entertainment, Fashion, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Government. If interested, kindly respond by September 14th with your name, practice area, and place of business to 718-262-3810 or to firstname.lastname@example.com.
RSVP to attend the event by Monday, September 17th to 718-262-3810 or to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Latin America's growing taste for whisky
on 07/02/12 at 12:02 pmIndustry
With Latin American markets becoming more stable, consumers south of the border are raising a dram.
Scotland's whisky industry has long placed its bets on Asian countries as drivers of future growth, but as Latin Americans' taste for global luxury increases, distillers are hedging their bets.
Scotch whisky exports to Central and South America increased by 44 percent in January to October 2011, compared to the same period in 2010, according to data available from the Scotch Whisky Association.
Brazil and Venezuela are the region's top two markets.


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Lots of action in the first full trailer for Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – Fallout trailer that debuted this evening during the Super Bowl. Cruise is flying a helicopter towards some other, land-based mode of transportation. Cruise is hanging off the side of a cliff. Familiar faces pop up and deliver quips or dire portents. After six installments, is there still life and new thrills to be found in the Mission: Impossible franchise? Take a look at the trailer and decide for yourself.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout is in theaters July 27, 2018.
Here's the official studio synopsis –
The best intentions often come back to haunt you. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.


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Tour is currently unavailable, Visit other tours
Select Tour Requirements & Add Option to Cart
100% refund will be given if the Cancellations made before 48 hours of the tour departure time.No refunds are possible in the case cancellation made within 48 hours of tour departure time.The refund will be promptly processed once we receive your refund request and a refund amount will be credited back to your account within 7 working days.
Children under 2 years will be considered as an infant and there will be no entry charges.
Children between ages 2 to 12 will be considered as a child and charged as per child rate.
Children above age 12 will be considered as an adult and as per charged adult rate.
Ruchita Nair
May 2018
Had an Amazing day here. The place wasn't busy at all, the attractions are really nice and no one can get bored here. We first went to the main Swaminarayan temple, its architecture is truly amazing and great. Then, we headed towards the Exhibition Hall, where we saw the life, work, and teachings of Swaminarayan's. We also enjoyed some rides, which were inside the park. The Gujarati Lunch at the food court was yummy. The entire day was amazingly spent. Thank you for arranging this team Gujju.
Yash Chavda
I visited the Akshardham temple in the month of March with my wife. It is a beautiful and peaceful place, the staff was well-behaved, the entire place was clean and the security here is very high. Don't miss out to watch the water show, because it's amazing and one of the highlights of the park. Good eateries, sitting areas, toilets and an enormous garden for everyone is available here.
Priya Shirvastav
I am a huge believer of Lord Swaminarayan and to visit here was my dream. This time I got this golden opportunity. The temple is a fantastic place to be, it was so peaceful, charming and spiritual. Every corner of the temple is filled with positivity and energy. The other great thing about this place was its Exhibition Halls. There were five of them and visited all if you want to get rich knowledge on Swaminarayan's then do visit here. Apart from this, the food was good, rides were enjoyable and the water show was spectacular.
We Would Be Happy to Help You!


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Amazon I Channelgrabber I Cloudcommercepro I Ebay I Ebay Seller I Ecommerce I Ecommerce News I EKM I Etsy I Etsy Seller I Inventory Management I Invoicing I Listing I Magento I Messaging I Order Management I Shipping I Shopify I Shopify Seller I Woocommerce
Today we are happy to announce the merger of Cloud Commerce Pro and ChannelGrabber!
Cloud Commerce Pro and ChannelGrabber represent the two most trusted multi-channel eCommerce software solutions, according to customer reviews on both Trustpilot and Google Reviews. As well as holding a 5* ranking on webretailer.com in the same field.
Benefiting from a shared technical experience pool, and headed by a combined leadership team. Clients will be able to stay on their current plan or move to one that better suits their budget, goals, and current circumstances. This merger allows us to offer a much broader range of features and pricing options for customers new and old.
We believe our systems complement one another, and that by housing both solutions under one roof, we can make it easier than ever for eCommerce merchants who want to empower their businesses to thrive and grow.
"Online retail is a very competitive, dynamic market," said Mark Hallam, Director of Cloud Commerce Pro. "ChannelGrabber have been working hard to service small-to-mid-size retailers, while Cloud Commerce Pro has developed a solution that better suits mid-to-large retailers. Combining our services into one provider was a customer-driven decision. We now represent the most comprehensive solution in global retail."
A Winning Formula
Both ChannelGrabber and Cloud Commerce Pro operate highly-reviewed services which serve their clients' needs. There's no intention to change the positive experiences received by customers of either brand – but we believe that, combined, we can make each system even better.
We're going to continue to focus on the same values that have made our two brands so successful. A single, powerful set of tools that's easy to master, making selling products across multiple sales channels effortless. Dedicated support. And the belief that when your service is good, you don't need to lock customers into long contracts to keep them with you.
Building Sales, Building Customers
As well as the support our systems offer your teams, we want to help your business to grow directly. Cloud Seller Pro, another part of this business family and Google Technical Partner, is the UK's only pay-on-results paid marketing service.
With no setup fees, no charge on spend, and using human expertise combined with a proprietary campaign management platform, Cloud Seller Pro can manage Google Ads, Google Shopping, and Amazon Sponsored Ads marketing to increase your audience and reduce your cost for each new order.


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Auto Manufacturing Injury Claims
Santa Ana Workers' Compensation Attorneys Fighting for the Working Class
Auto worker employees have difficult jobs in high stress industrial areas. There are many onsite hazards that could lead to an on-the-job accident. Even when everyone acts carefully and responsibly, someone could end up hurt. Workers' compensation benefits should be made readily available to any auto worker who gets injured while performing expected job duties.
Our Santa Ana workers' compensation lawyers of Ufkes & Bright are here to help make certain you get the financial assistance you need after an accident while employed as an auto worker. From filing an initial workers' comp claim to appealing and fighting denied benefits or delayed claims, our law firm is well-equipped to tackle any and all aspects of your case. You can rest easy knowing a highly experienced team is on your side — we have more than 50 years of total legal experience!
Injured in a car manufacturing accident? Get a free case review with Ufkes & Bright by calling (714) 500-8661 now.
Most Common Auto Manufacturing Injuries
Industrial sites that manufacture automobiles and auto parts are busy and crowded. The environment can pose a hazard in numerous forms.
Some dangers or accidents an autoworker might encounter on a day-to-day basis include:
- Slipping and falling on loose debris or cabling
- Struck by falling object
- Crushed in or between heavy industrial equipment
- Burn injuries or vision loss due to arc welding accidents
- Hearing loss from extended time spent around loud machinery
- Electrocution
The important thing to remember when dealing with your workers' compensation claim is that liability should be a nonissue. Benefits should be made available to an injured auto worker regardless of the cause of the accident, as long as the accident happened due to or during the completion of an expected work duty. Some employers and insurance companies try to deny workers' compensation benefits by saying an employee was injured due to their own mistake. Even if that is true, it does not disqualify them from workers' comp benefits.
Ready to Start Your Claim? Call (714) 500-8661 to Begin
The toughest part of filing a workers' compensation claim is often getting the confidence to start. Asking your employer for financial aid due to a work injury can feel intimidating. You can depend on our Santa Ana workers' compensation lawyers to be there by your side and leading the way for all steps of your claim. We proudly represent and fight for the working class, from auto workers to airplane industry workers and more.
If you have been involved in an accident in the auto manufacturing industry, we can help. Contact our law firm today for more information.


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13 apartments, 20m from the beach, either on the ground floor, first floor or second floor with a balcony, small courtyard or large shared courtyard. Studios with 1 double bed or 2 bunk beds. One-bedroom apartments with 1 double bed and bunk beds. Fully fitted kitchen area, microwave, fridge, living room with colour TV, shower room with toilet. Covered parking in the building.
moyens de paiement : Holiday vouchers (F)
animaux interdits
Équipements & servicesCapacité
- Personne(s) 4
11210 PORT-LA-NOUVELLEChercher un itinéraire


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Ferme de la Mer
European Marketplace ("The Farm by the Sea"
Marketplace ("The Farm by the Sea" tm)
You have just chosen a product from our
lines. You will find hereunder some washing advice
that will enable you to best benefit from the comfort
of these items.
• Prior advice
• Advice for towelling
• Advice for bed linen
• Advice for kitchen and
table linen
• Stains removal
• Universal symbols
• Do not forget to wash your linen before using
it for the first time. That way, it will be cleaned
from all dressings and will be more comfortable.
• Before this first washing, leave the linen to soak
in cold water during a whole night. This precaution
will enable the colours and dimensions to stabilize.
• Always follow the linen care instructions shown on
the product label.
• Separate the coloured linen from the white ones,
and be careful to use a special detergent for coloured
linen. Detergents containing whiteners might change
the colours of your linen.
• Leave your linen to dry as soon as the washing
cycle is over by spreading it out as much as you can.
Iron it when it is still damp, ironing will be easier.
• If you use a tumble drier, make sure you take your
linen out before complete drying.
• Drying on a clothes-line is best to have linen
with fewer creases.
• Whenever it is possible, do not wash natural and
artificial fibres together. Artificial fibres release
lint which snags on natural fibres and make them lose
softness and suppleness.
• Do not mix your household linen (particularly
towelling) with clothes having hooks, zip fasteners or
hook-it pads. They might snag on fibres and damage
• If your linen is embroidered, iron it on the
reverse side in order to protect the embroidery.
• Be careful that your linen is completely dry when
you put it away.
• Put your linen flat away. Be careful with wooden
shelves which might snag the fibres or contain oil
that could settle on your linen. Cover them with paper
to protect your linen.
• Be careful: some cosmetics (for body, face or
hair) contain oxidizing agents and can leave marks on
your bed or bathroom linen. If you use that kind of
products, protect your pillow with a pillowcase or a
white towel.
Shrinkage: Natural fabrics are
subject to a light shrinkage during their first
washing. The dimensions of our products take this
shrinkage into account. If you wash and dry your linen
at high temperature, the shrinkage will increase.
Therefore be careful to follow the washing and drying
temperatures instructions to limit this phenomenon.
Advice for
• Wash your towels and bathrobes before using
them for the first time; towelling will be softer and
more absorbent. Maximum absorption capacity will be
reached after a few washings.
• Separate the dark colours from the light ones, to
keep the fibres of one from becoming attached to those
of another.
• Tumble drier is recommended for towelling bathroom
linen. Indeed, it gives it volume and suppleness back.
• We advise you against the use of a fabric
conditioner which reduces the absorption power of the
fibres of cotton or linen by cladding them.
• When you remove your linen from the washing
machine, we recommend you to pull the decorative
borders of the bathroom linen back to their original
shape. Do it again after drying and iron low if
• In case of snagged loops, you can simply cut them
to the same height as the other loops.
Advice for bed
• It is recommended to wash pillowcases and
bolster cases inside-out. This will protect the
• Be careful to separate the light colours from the
dark ones.
• Whenever possible, wash all the pieces of a set
together, so that they all keep the same appearance as
time goes by.
• Iron your linen when it is still damp, ironing
will be easier (especially for pure linen).
• Put your linen out to dry on a clothes-line rather
than in a tumble drier. Your linen will be easier to
iron and fresher.
Advice for table
and kitchen linen:
• Precautions to take are the same than for bed
• Be careful to remove difficult stains immediately
and particularly before washing. They will vanish more
• Be careful to wash all the pieces of your set
(tablecloths and napkins) to keep them the same
Stains removal:
Butter and Margarine: Dab with
diluted washing-up liquid. Repeat the process several
times if needed. Then wash as usual.
Candle: Carefully remove the wax
with your nail. Put the stained item between two silk
or blotting papers and press with a warm iron. The
remaining wax will be absorbed by the paper.
Coffee and tea: Apply a borax
solution (1 volume of borax for 6 volumes of water)
directly on the stain. Then wash with soapy warm
Fruits and Berries: Sprinkle with
salt and mild liquid soap. Allow them to work during a
few hours and then rinse thoroughly.
Grease: Sprinkle the stain with
bicarbonate of soda or Terre de Sommières and allow
it work during a few hours. Scratch and repeat the
process. Brush off to eliminate the powder and wash as
Mould and Rust: Apply white
vinegar or lemon juice to stop the mould. Leave to dry
in the sun during a few hours. Wash as usual but
Lipstick: Scratch the stain at the
most with a blunt knife. Use a before wash stain
remover for fabrics and scrub with a clean white
linen. Then wash as usual.
Blood: Immediately clean the blood
stains with cold water (never use hot water, the stain
would remain permanently). Then, leave the linen to
soak in cold water with two cups of salt during 24
hours and wash as usual.
Red wine and Jam: Immediately
scrub with sparkling water, and then wash normally.
Maintenance's symbol :
Please find here the meaning of main symbols


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With a molecular biosciences degree, you can count yourself amongst some of the most employable graduates in the UK, with a wide range of skills under your belt that need not limit you to working in science in the future. Molecular bioscience graduates can be found almost everywhere, from the lab to in law, and from microbiology to media.
Studying biochemistry or a related topic at degree level equips you with a host of marketable workplace skills, which are desirable to all employers regardless of the job vacancy being applied for.
- Intellectual skills, such as research skills and analytical techniques: Interpreting lab data, examining reports and understanding statistics gives you key analytical experience when compared with other graduates applying for similar jobs.
- Technical and computer literacy: Data handling and technical knowledge gained from using a variety of biochemistry-related and generic computer programmes.
- Interpersonal, teamwork and leadership skills: independence, managing others, responsibility. Useful in any profession where you work with a team, your previous experiences working in a lab, giving group presentations and mentoring other students place you in the perfect position to tackle any career which requires you to work as part of a team and independently.
- Organization, planning, and time management: Working to tight lab deadlines with fragile reactants gives you an above average sense of timing compared to other graduates. Being able to plan and organize your time, essential in those hectic lab situations during your degree, shows employers that you are cool-headed and an efficient worker.
- Communication skills: Required by almost all employers, your previous experience in writing reports, giving oral presentations and listening to complex instructions and lectures provides you with the communication skills essential for many professions.
- Creativity can be nurtured by previous work experience, presentation skills and even personal interests. From practical work and presentations carried out during your degree, employers know that you have the mental tools to find novel solutions to many problems, and to adapt with ease.
- Problem solving: Essential for any scientist and for careers both scientific and non-scientific, the ability to look at a problem from many angles and find an optimal solution is highly valued by employers in any field. Biosciences degrees provide a large amount of problem solving experience from having to adapt and modify an experimental protocol to the results of lab and practical work.
Workplace skills can also be demonstrated by your past work experiences, volunteering, awards, society membership and positions and even personal hobbies and interests (e.g. working as a team in a society, communication skills from writing in a local paper, etc)! Use every part of your CV to further sell yourself as the perfect applicant for the job.
Take a look at 'skills that employers want and how to get them ' to give you ideas on how to build up your range of transferable skills.


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Center for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems
Citation Policy
Donate a Data Set
View ALL Data Sets
Manohar Kaul, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University, Denmark (mkaul '@' cs.au.dk)
Data Set Information:
This dataset was constructed by adding elevation information to a 2D road network in North Jutland, Denmark (covering a region of 185 x 135 km^2). Elevation values where extracted from a publicly available massive Laser Scan Point Cloud for Denmark (available at : [Web Link] (Bottom-most dataset)). This 3D road network was eventually used for benchmarking various fuel and CO2 estimation algorithms. This dataset can be used by any applications that require to know very
Attribute Information:
Relevant Papers:
[1] Chenjuan Guo, Yu Ma, Bin Yang, Christian S. Jensen, Manohar Kaul: EcoMark: evaluating models of vehicular environmental impact. SIGSPATIAL/GIS 2012: 269-278
Citation Request:
Use of this dataset in publications must be acknowledged by referencing the following publication:
Supported By:
In Collaboration With:


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Pope Francis sent his prayers to those participating in Wednesday morning's March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Pope Francis is lending his voice to the abortion rights debate in America.
In a tweet, Francis sent his prayers to those participating in Wednesday morning's March for Life in Washington, D.C.:
The annual march marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, and also coincides with the Republican National Committee's winter meeting in D.C.
Despite the labels of "progressive" and "liberal" the pope have been given by some, his tweet reflects his past position on abortion, and is in line with the teachings of the Catholic church. Last year, the pope criticized those who saw abortion as "progressive" and, earlier this month, Francis compared abortion to the discarding of "dispensible objects."
"Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensible objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as 'unnecessary,'" Francis said during his annual papal "state of the world" speech. "For example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day."


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Up and Running
29 July, 2009
I'm all moved in and half un-packed.
And now that I have the internet back, I suspect I'll remain half unpacked for a few days as I catch up after 3 weeks mostly offline.
I have found my scanner, now I just need to find the pics of Scary Gary (Indiana)
Happy 4th of July
3 July, 2009
as seen on firedoglake
[Update: Good News!!! ]


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Cops who found themselves on the losing end of a fight with a mob of armed thugs in front of a Staten Island home were rescued yesterday — by firefighters shooting a water cannon.
"The crowd start[ed] to jump and start beating up on the cops,'' one stunned Fire Department source told The Post.
That's when a firetruck from Engine Co. 158 down the street from the Mariners Harbor home arrived, the source said.
Then one firefighter "got up on the deck gun, and he aimed at people's legs and just nailed them with water and drove them back,'' the source said.
"The cops were very appreciative."
Three cops suffered minor injuries in the melee on Harbor Road at about 3:30 p.m.
It began apparently after a 15-year-old girl who lives in the home refused to take sides in an earlier fight at Port Richmond HS — and angry classmates and their gangster pals swarmed her family's home, threatening her.
"I was scared. I thought, OK, oh, my God, what am I going to do?'' the terrified teen told The Post last night. "They had bats, they had the kind of bars you lock car steering wheels with, running up the block."
The situation took an even more serious turn when one thug in the crowd of about 40 flashed a firearm, she said.
"My mom was screaming, 'He's got a gun! He's got a gun!' " said the girl. "One of them was sticking their tongue out, and they had a blade on it.''
The girl, who asked that her name not be revealed, said she suffers from a hole in her heart — and that the creeps even taunted her about that.
"They were saying, 'You've got a heart condition — I'm going to hit you in the chest!' " she said.
The girl's older brother, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said "there was a scuffle, and then a cop threw one of the guys on the ground because the guy shoved him, and it all went downhill from there.
"There were about 15 to 20 guys around the cop. So a firefighter got on top of the truck, turned on the pump, and was just hosing them down to get them off the driveway.''
The brother said his 76-year-old grandmother hid in the house along with other family members, waiting for authorities to get things under control.
"At one point, the cops seemed to have their hands more full than they planned,'' he said.
Nine people were taken into custody, police said. Charges against them were pending.
As for the teen at the center of the debacle, she said she doesn't plan on returning to the school.


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Serralunga 1825
Serralunga 1825 is a new brand establishing both the functional and the decorative value of its vases' collection whereas the parent brand Serralunga focuses on the broader designers' furniture/home accessory markets. The project aims at creating a complete and distinctive corporate identity platform for 1825. Supervised by Daniele Barbiero and Marta Bernstein.
Sigitas Gazauskas (Lithuania), Milena Mitrovic (Serbia), Pengpit Pichamon (Thailand)


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I see myself as an historian practicing archaeology, so dating is important. Now we know today to establish relative dating very well, which means what comes first, what comes next, the different phases of the Iron Age; and this is being done according to pottery assemblages. The pottery is essential for establishing the relative chronology; but the question is how to tell from relative chronology to absolute chronology to a date which can give us the background for historic reconstruction.
This can be done in two ways: either there is a find in a certain, in a given layer—let's say an Egyptian object which carries an absolute date, a well- known name of a monarch, things like that—or good associations, secure associations, with an event mentioned in ancient texts including, of course, the Bible, or first and foremost, the Hebrew Bible, as long as we know where we are and we have a date which is secure.
Better than that, I think, is to use radiocarbon dating because radiocarbon gives you, provides you with an independent dating. And today, in many sites we really bombard the layers with radiocarbon dating programs and we can establish very tight chronology, up to, we can narrow to an uncertainty of thirty years, which is wonderful, if you think that we are dealing with a period 3000 years ago. So, it is an uncertainty of one percent, something that any scientist in any research, I suppose, would be willing to get. So, radiocarbon is important and this can really narrow the possibilities of historic reconstructions because sometimes in archaeology, especially for the Iron Age, a difference of fifty years or forty years can mean a completely different historical setting.
Israel Finkelstein
Professor, Tel Aviv University
Israel Finkelstein is professor of archaeology in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations at Tel Aviv University. He directs the Megiddo expedition and is co-director of the European research project "Reconstructing Ancient Israel: The Exact and Life Sciences Perspective." He is the author of numerous publications, including The Forgotten Kingdom: The Archaeology and History of Northern Israel (SBL, 2013).
"History" is an inappropriate designation for biblical narratives, but the stories nonetheless convey important truths.
The position of Hazor and its relationship to the powers around it are the keys to understanding the city's greatness during the Bronze Age and its fate at the end of this era.
The Jezreel Expedition is conducting a strategic excavation of the greater Jezreel area to learn more about the 6,000-year history of this important site.
The archaeological evidence for Jewish villages in Galilee inform our understanding of the life of Jesus and early Judaism in the land of Israel.
Eric Cline on the theory that the volcanic explosion of Santorini and the biblical exodus are related.
A West Semitic language, in which most of the Hebrew Bible is written except for parts of Daniel and Ezra. Hebrew is regarded as the spoken language of ancient Israel but is largely replaced by Aramaic in the Persian period.
The stage of development during which humans used iron weapons; in the ancient Near East, approx. 1200 to 500 B.C.E.
A sovereign head of state, usually a king or queen.
The use of the molecular decay of carbon-12 and carbon-14 isotopes in an organic object, which happens at a predictable rate over time, to determine the date of that object.
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If you need a laptop soon and don't want to risk waiting for the perfect Amazon Prime Day deal, then you're in luck. Best Buy is selling the excellent Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (opens in new tab) for just $799, or $200 off the retail price.
Much like Apple products, Microsoft's Surface machines are rarely on sale, and when they are, they don't usually dip this low. Now just $799, this base model Surface Laptop 2— with a Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD — is the perfect back-to-school gift for college students.
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (opens in new tab) for $799 ($200 off, Core i5/8GB of RAM/128GB SSD)
In our review of the Surface Laptop 2, we praised Microsoft's traditional clamshell notebook for its exceptionally vivid 13.5-inch display, elegant design and all-day battery life. Although it's not a 2-in-1 laptop, the Surface Laptop 2 does have a responsive touch screen if you want to use a stylus. And while we would have preferred a Thunderbolt 3 port (or USB 3.1 Type-C, for that matter), the laptop's Magnetic Surface Connector for charging for is super convenient.
MORE: Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 - Full Review
Before you jump on this deal, there are a few things you need to know. First, the savings will appear only after you've added the Laptop 2 to your cart. Also, Best Buy is limiting this sale to two units per customer, and offering the price cut only on the Platinum version of the Surface Laptop 2. That means you can't get the handsome new black model at a discount.
Best Buy doesn't specify when this sale will end, so don't hesitate if this PC seems up your alley.


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Timothy Patrick McCarthy admits that intervening and interjecting in discussions can be an "inelegant art." If the goal is to have a student-led discussion, then the instructor should mostly let the conversation play out among students. But since the instructor has the end in mind, there are times when he/she should strategically interject to keep the discussion on track. In this video, McCarthy describes the typical pace of his student-led seminar and why he tends to interject more near the end of class.
Knowing when to intervene in the student-centered discussion
Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Lecturer on History and Literature
Student Group
Harvard College
Stories of Slavery & Freedom
Group Size
16 students
- Note the salient themes and/or unaddressed considerations during discussions and jump in strategically to offer further explanation
- Allocate enough time toward the end of the class or discussion to provide closure, clarify lingering misconceptions, and/or float final, big picture considerations to, as McCarthy puts it, "keep the fire burning"
- One study finds that students' overall performance improves when direct instruction soon follows peer interaction, a balanced approach to teaching proves beneficial across student ability levels (Smith et al., 2011)
- A comparative study indicates that classrooms regularly employing teacher-student dialogue help foster for students critical thinking skills and deeper understanding of material (Nicol & Boyle, 2010)
- Princeton University's McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning shares ideas for "What to Do When Class Discussion Stalls"
- Harvard's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning shares "Techniques for Responding" to student contributions


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Friday, March 25, 2011
FM3 is not to be...just yet
Adriana is quite knowledgeable about all things expat and gave me lots of good (free) advice. I'm certain we will utilize their services (very reasonably priced) in the future. If anyone is considering a move to Merida or anywhere in Mexico, check out their website.
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Some friends just came down with the visa from the Wash DC consulate. It's basically just a one time only entry visa, they still had to do all of the same paperwork (and the same 3 weeks) as doing it for the first time. Not worth it unless you need it for something else.ReplyDelete
For my first couple of years in Mérida, I also was working up north and traveling back and forth. A tourist visa worked without a hitch. I switched to an FM3 when I began living here full time, and now have an FM2. You should be fine with tourist visas for the time being. It is probably easier for you to get your FM3 when you have more time here. If you are here, it's not a big deal.ReplyDelete
I just finished renewing my FM2 in Mérida (which is no more or less complicated than the FM3). The Immigration office here is efficient and staff friendly and helpful. I made three visits over a time frame of about two weeks, total time involved about two and a half hours. The initial application for an FM2 or FM3 takes a little longer.
I wonder if that web site you looked at is out of date. In six years of having an FM3/2 I have never needed a police report. I was told that they had dispensed with that. These days, they request color front-facing (3) and profile (2) photos, of a size slightly smaller than passport. In Mexico, it's called "infantil."
For the initial application in Mérida, they require a letter of application to the director (in Spanish) of the local office of the National Immigration Institute (INM), three months' financial statements to prove income, a "comprobante de domicilio," which is an electric, water or phone bill showing your address, and if you own your home (which allows you to have less income) a copy of your escritura, or deed. For the initial application you also need your tourist visa to show you are legally in the country, and two letters of recommendation from Mexicans who know you along with copies of their ID's. You need to bring with you photocopies of all the original documents, which they will keep after verifying that they are true copies of the originals.
Unless I have forgotten something, that's about it. One thing I notice is that the requirements seem to vary depending upon who you ask and where you are applying. Perhaps there is some leeway or the requirements differ due to region. This is what I have experienced in Mérida.
Here's what I wrote last year about going in to Immigration:ReplyDelete
Thanks Marc and Jonna for the info. Marc, it's good to know that you had no problem with just the tourist visa for those couple of years. Hopefully, that will work for us as well.ReplyDelete
Hey, We are working with Adriana Cruz with YES and she is great in all aspects. Very professional and on top of things. We just purchased a home and the Law Firm Puerto y Pina which is the YES partner firm was/is fantastic also.....We are from NC and maybe we can talk sometime as we are neighbors, sort of, here in the USA and soon to be in Merida.ReplyDelete
Congratulations on the purchase of your home in Mérida. Would love to chat sometime. You can reach me via e-mail at email@example.com
- AnonymousMay 22, 2011 at 2:52 AM
Jerry where in NC are you from? I'm moving to Mexico in August. I'm really excited about the job opportunity that I have there in Guanajuato. Should I wait until I'm there to get my fm3 or get it now in Raleigh?ReplyDelete
I believe that Jerry C. is in Raleigh, as well. We are in Norfolk. We are told by Yucatan Expat Services that you must be in Mexico for the entire process of obtaining the FM3, which takes 3 weeks from start to finish. Once you arrive in Guanajuato for your job you can start the process. Congratulations!ReplyDelete


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Those of you who have been following the blog for a while know that I like the teachings of Ajahn Sucitto and the Thai Forest tradition, so I turned to one of his works this week on how to work with the interior feeling states provoked at times like this. The practice of meditation is much more than just calming, but moves into clearly seeing the dynamics behind our changing mind states:
What feels wrong at this time? What shouldn't be here right now? Whatever it is, accept it. The more you don't want it, the bigger it gets. How do you want things to be right now? Relinquish it. The more you want it, the farther you push it away. Daily life practice is to keep working against that bhava-vibhava, especially the vibhava [the urge to be nothing] that keeps saying "I'm fed up with this. I've had enough of this. I don't want to be in this situation. I can't stand this another minute!" Accept it; Sidestep the topic and welcome the energy as it arises. I find this very helpful when the mind panics. Then as I look into that, I see that it all nestles down inside that sense of lack, of being deprived of my space, my time or my peace of mind. The cry for peace of mind can get pretty aggressive when it comes out of the place of hanging on!
Ajahn Sucitto, Parami, Ways to Cross Life's Floods


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Company Name: Immuron Limited
Symbol: IMRNW
Sector: Health Care
Industry: Major Pharmaceuticals
Today's IMRNW ( Immuron Limited ) opening price: $0.0000
Yesterday's IMRNW ( Immuron Limited ) closing price: $0.7500
A: The IMRNW stock performance since 2019 are rather disappointing. If you had bought 1 share of Immuron Limited stock (symbol: IMRNW) at the beginning of 2019, at the opening share price of $1.5000, you would be left with exactly $0.0000 - which means a waste of your money and time. - SHOW ONLY IF equal or loose.
Immuron Limited Stock Price Yesterday
Immuron Limited Stock Price – Last Week
Immuron Limited Stock Price – Last Month


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Critical care nurses' perceptions and attitudes on the use of the objective structured competence examination (OSCE) in critical care education in two hospitals in eThekwini, Durban, South Africa.
Maphumulo, Winnie Thembisile.
MetadataShow full item record
Intensive care units in South Africa have been faced with various challenges which in turn affect the working condition of critical care nurses, thus leading to poor productivity. Nurses in the work environment blame this poor work quality of nursing to the way critical care nurses are trained and assessed in nursing schools. There is general concern that graduate nursing students lack the knowledge and skills necessary to equip them to work in intensive units. Objectives: To measure the perceptions of critical care nursing students as well qualified critical care nurses on the use of OSCE as a valid and reliable tool to assess clinical competence in critical care nursing students. Methods: A quantitative approach and descriptive survey was administered to critical care nursing students and qualified critical care nurses who had participated in OSCE examination. The intensive care departments of two provincial (states) hospitals and (provincial) nursing college that trained critical care nurses were used. Results: The findings revealed that OSCE was still overwhelmingly accepted as a relevant tool for assessing clinical competencies in Critical Care courses by both students and staff. It was also clear that the students did not believe that all the competencies required in the ICU environment can be assessed using the OSCE method. Discussion: Critical care nursing educators are facing a challenge to develop more comprehensive method for assessing clinical skills in critical care students nurses since OSCE x examination cannot assess all the skills that are necessary in intensive care environment. In order for effective learning to take place during assessment, it is extremely important for nurse educators to give formative feedback in OSCE.


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We are excited to have you be a part of Jaguar Nation and have you attend a Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome Session with your student.
We look forward to meeting you and your student(s) when you arrive for your scheduled Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome! As a Parent, Guardian, Spouse or other supporter, you are encouraged to attend the Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome with your student, whether they are a Freshman or a Transfer student.
Please refer to this page throughout your student's first year at Augusta University to learn about resources and information available to you and your student. We encourage you to take time to explore and learn more about Augusta University's campuses and the Augusta and greater CSRACentral Savannah River Area communities.
We look forward to providing you and your student(s) with a memorable experience to help you, as a family, transition into the Jaguar Nation family.
In-Person Orientation days will only allow 2 Guests.
During Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome, guests are invited to come and support their student(s). As a guest, you would attend some sessions with your student(s) and some sessions designed specifically for guests.
All guests will be charged a non-refundable Registration fee for in person days.
Our registration fee includes the cost of the program, including: meals (varies by length of orientation program), materials and all services provided.
The registration fee DOES NOT include the overnight stay. All attending will need to secure their own lodging. If you need help finding a hotel, check out our list of local hotels.
Please make sure to register guests at the time of the student's registration. After the student registers for the Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome, please follow the payment link provided to you in the pop-up confirmation and/or in the follow-up email sent to the student's Augusta University email account to pay your (non-refundable) Orientation Fee, and any additional costs associated with your attendance.
We accept a web check, Discover, Visa and MasterCard. Cash will not be accepted.
Will I receive a confirmation?
Yes! You will receive two confirmations: one confirmation with your Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome session date and registration information and the other confirmation will confirm payment.
When should I make travel arrangements?
Do NOT make any airline, bus, train or car reservations until AFTER you have registered and paid for your session and have received a confirmation email.
When should I make hotel reservations?
Do NOT make any hotel reservations until AFTER you have registered and paid for your Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome and have received a confirmation email.
Can I change my Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome date?
If you need to change your date, you may do so by logging into the system and selecting any date that is visible to you. If you have trouble changing your date, please contact New Student & Family Transitions via email at email@example.com.
I need to add or change information on my registration form.
Please email any additional information to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Can my money be refunded?
Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome fees (both student and guest) are non-refundable. Deciding not to attend Augusta University or having your admission rescinded due to poor academic performance does not qualify to receive a refund.
The Jaguar Nation Orientation & Welcome schedule is available for download via the Guidebook App. It is highly encouraged to view and download the schedule before arriving to campus.


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Permian Production Partners, LLC, an Affiliate of Edge Natural Resources LLC, Announces the Launch of Term Loan Syndication
Permian Production Partners, LLC ("PPP" or the "Company") announced today the launch of the syndication of a $300 million first lien term loan with an interest rate of LIBOR plus 6.00% and expected maturity in May 2024. The Company plans to use net proceeds from the term loan for working capital, to repay existing indebtedness of its affiliate company, Four Corners Petroleum II, LLC, to pay a distribution to its parent company and for related fees and expenses. Amounts outstanding under the term loan may be prepaid at any time at the option of the Company, subject in the case of certain prepayments, to a make-whole premium in year 1 and a 102% and 101% premium in years 2 and 3, respectively.
Jefferies is the lead arranger and administrative agent for the term loan financing. Latham & Watkins LLP is legal counsel to Jefferies. Baker Botts L.L.P. is legal counsel to PPP in connection with the financing.
About PPP
PPP is an onshore oil and gas company that owns mature oil assets on the Central Basin Platform in the Permian Basin. PPP is an affiliate under common control with Four Corners Petroleum II, LLC ("FCP2").
About FCP2
FCP2 is a growth-oriented onshore oil and gas company based in Golden, Colorado. FCP2 was formed in 2016 by management, its lead sponsor, Edge Natural Resources LLC, and RedBird Capital Partners LLC, to purchase assets on the Central Basin Platform in the Permian Basin.
About Edge Natural Resources LLC
Edge Natural Resources LLC ("Edge") is a Dallas-based energy private equity firm that invests in the small-cap North American upstream and oilfield services sectors. Edge makes $25-75 million control-oriented equity investments in partnership with best-in-class management teams that have an edge in their particular area of focus.
About RedBird Capital Partners LLC
RedBird is a North America based principal investment firm focused on providing flexible, long-term capital to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Based in New York and Dallas, RedBird seeks investment opportunities in growth-oriented private companies in which its capital, investor network and strategic relationships can help prospective business owners achieve their corporate objectives. RedBird's private equity platform connects patient capital with business founders and entrepreneurs to help them outperform operationally, financially and strategically.
Originally published: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/permian-production-partners-llc-an-affiliate-of-edge-natural-resources-llc-announces-the-launch-of-term-loan-syndication-300649149.html


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Here's the Lena Dunham Vogue Cover You've Been Waiting For
Here's the highly anticipated Lena Dunham Vogue cover: It's a close up of Lena's face, looking very Twiggy-esque, with the tagline "hey, girl." Hey.
Here's the highly anticipated Lena Dunham Vogue cover: It's an Annie Leibovitz close up of Lena's face, looking very Twiggy-esque, with the tagline "hey, girl." Hey.
Reaction to the lovely looking cover has been predominantly positive. Glamour's Amy Abrahams tweeted that Dunham looks "amazing," and Ellie Krupnick at Huffington Post called it "beautiful." And it is!
Still, this being both Dunham and Vogue, we're girding ourselves for some sort of outrage. Some of it already prematurely hit. When Dunham was simply in talks for the cover, Sara Stewart at the New York Post wrote a piece explaining why she shouldn't pose for the magazine. "Dunham may have earned the cover of a major magazine, but it isn't Vogue — it's Time," Stewart wrote. "Furthermore, Time would allow Dunham to appear as she is. Vogue would shoehorn her into their own ideas of beauty."
And now that the cover's already out, there is already at least some hum of discontent, especially in regards to the fact that the cover does not show the not-model-thin Dunham's full body. Tamara Abraham at the Daily Mail wrote a post with the headline: "Lena Dunham strikes a quirky pose in polka dots for her very first Vogue cover - but why does it only show her face?" This type of commentary was to be expected. Earlier this month there was a quiet uproar about Mindy Kaling's Elle cover, one of a series featuring "Women in Television." While the other women pictured had their torsos on display, Kaling's picture was cropped around her face. Kaling took critics to task during a Letterman interview: "The sort of implication, what they kept saying, was, 'What, Elle, you can't put her big, fat body on the magazine? Why, 'cause she's just fat and gruesome? Why shouldn't we look at her beautiful, fat body?' And I was like, 'Oookay, people who are trying to defend me.' I just feel like they're kind of insulting me."
And Kaling's right. On one hand, yes, it would be great if magazines more completely embraced all body types —Vogue has cropped Adele, and Elle has cropped Gabourey Sidibe. But on the other hand, the criticism is now rote and can diminish the fact that it's great these talented women are being featured at all in the first place. Dunham tweeted: "Dear @voguemagazine: Thank you. Love, Lena."
As for Dunham the accompanying profile by Nathan Heller — which compares her to Bob Dylan — mentions that this isn't the first time she's been featured in Vogue. She was part of a spread on "a New York pack of fashion-conscious kids" when she was 11 in 1998. Meanwhile the spread features an awesome photo with a pigeon.


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After challenge, only two candidates for ICC Board remain on ballot
Chris Kaergard
EAST PEORIA — As long as they vote for themselves, the two incumbent members of the Illinois Central College board of trustees seeking re-election will win.
The college's electoral board earlier this week unanimously sustained an objection by Peoria activist Anthony Walraven that Peg Pendell's candidacy petitions had insufficient signatures to qualify her for the ballot.
The decision leaves only two people on the ballot for two seats on the board — incumbent members Gale Thetford and Diane Lamb.
Each is in line for a six-year term in the April 2 election.


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Ram Realty Services, a development company based in Palm Beach Gardens, just closed on the $81.74 million sale of its newly built apartment community in downtown Boca Raton.
The community is called the Mark at Cityscape, at 11 Plaza Real South. It's a 12-story apartment complex with 208 units, 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and an attached parking garage with 686 spaces.
Ram, which finished construction on the complex this month, sold the community to the Monogram Residential Trust, according to Palm Beach County records.
Monogram is a real estate investment trust based in Texas. It specializes in buying and operating multifamily companies and has a portfolio of 54 properties spread throughout 11 states, according to the REIT's website.
The deal breaks down to $393,788 per unit and $426 per square foot. Both prices set state records for a multifamily rental sale, according to data from commercial brokerage CBRE, which represented Monogram for the sale.
Asking rents at the building are also some of the highest in Palm Beach County, averaging $2,320 per unit. At the time of the sale, Ram said the apartments were nearly 80 percent leased.
The Mark is part of a 4.5-acre development site in the heart of downtown Boca, which Ram has owned for the last nine years. It's split into three parts: a roughly one-acre parcel where the Kolter Group is building a Hyatt-branded hotel, another one-acre parcel where the Palmetto Park office building sits, and the 2.3-acre site where Ram built the Mark apartments.
Ram first purchased the property for $42 million in 2006 on behalf of a private equity fund, Ram Realty Partners II. The company's plans to redevelop the property were halted when the recession hit, but Ram re-launched its apartment project in 2013.
This year, the company re-platted the 4.5 acres into three sections and beginning selling them off. In March, Kolter paid $5.5 million for its one-acre parcel where the Hyatt Place Hotel will be built. And in September, Ram sold the office building for $25.7 million to Kireland Management LLC.
"This investment reflects the benefits of being patient and focusing only on high quality real estate. As a direct result of that focus and a conservative capitalization structure, we were able to hold the asset through a difficult economic environment and ultimately deliver a project that benefited our investors and the community," Ram CEO Casey Cummings said in a statement. "While we have a high level of confidence in the long-term prospects for Boca Raton, we were fortunate to have received a compelling inquiry from a high quality institution like Monogram. We continue to look for other similar opportunities throughout South Florida."