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About our work
Dysfunctions in the RPE are thought to be the initiating events leading to degenerative eye diseases. Therefore, a better understanding of the disease initiating pathways in RPE will provide a basis for therapeutic interventions. In collaboration with the NEI clinic, we are obtaining skin biopsies from patients with clinically diagnosed degenerative eye diseases. These biopsies are being used to derive iPS cells. RPE cells differentiated from such iPS cells are used to study events that have led to disease initiation and progression.
In collaboration with National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), we have combined the patient-specific iPSC approach with high throughput screening assays performed in 384-well plates to identify novel compounds that could act as potential therapeutic agents. In collaboration with new NIH Center for Regenerative Medicine, we are developing iPSC-derived RPE tissue for cell-based therapy. We have modified the existing stem cell to RPE differentiation protocols to make them more complaint with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP-work).
Our work uses the most cutting edge technologies in the field and aims to translate these technologies to a clinical use.
Our research mission
The goal of the Ocular and Stem Cell Translational Research Section is to perform translational research on degenerative eye diseases using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology. We are using this technology to develop in vitro disease models to study patient-specific disease processes, to set up high through drug screens, and to develop cell-based therapy for retinal degenerative disease.
Our translational goals are focused on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of highly polarized cells located in the back of the eye, whose apical processes inter-digitate with photoreceptor outer segments. RPE performs several functions that are absolutely critical for the health and integrity of photoreceptors. Some of these functions include regulating nutrient and metabolite flow, maintaining ionic homeostasis in the sub-retinal space, regenerating visual pigment, and phagocytizing shed photoreceptor outer segments.
Jobs, fellowships, and internships
Selected publications
Nasonkin, I., Merbs, S., Lazo, K., Oliver, V., Brooks, M., Patel, K., Enke, R., Nellissery, J., Jamrich, M., Le, Y., Bharti, K., Rachel, R., Fariss, R., Zack, D., Rodriguez-Boulan, E., Swaroop, A. (2013) Conditional knockdown of DNA methyltransferase-1 (Dnmt1) reveals a key role of retinal pigment epithelium in mammalian photoreceptor differentiation. Development 140: 1330-1341.
Ou, J., Bharti, K., Nodari, A., Bertuzzi, S., and Arnheiter, H. (2013) Vax1/2 genes counteract Mitf-induced respecification of the retinal pigment epithelium. PLoSOne 8 (3): e59247.
Yan, Y., Shin, S., Jha, B, Liu, Q., Shen, J., Zhan, M., Davis, J., Bharti, K., Zeng, X., Rao, M., Malik, N., and Vemuri, M. (2013) Efficient and rapid derivation of primitive neural stem cells and generation of brain subtype neurons from human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2 (11): 862-870.
Forni, P., Bharti, K., Flannery, E., Shimogori, T., and Wray, S. (2013) The indirect role of FGF8 in defining neurogenic niches of the olfactory/GnRH systems. J. Neuroscience 33 (50): 19620-19634.
Greer, Y.E., Westlake, C.J., Gao, B., Bharti, K., Kim, K., Shiba, Y., Sokol, S., Yang, Y., and Rubin, J. (2014) Casein kinase 1 delta is a mediator of ciliogenesis. Mol. Biol. Cell 25 (10): 1629-1640.
Raviv, S., Bharti, K., Rencus-Lazar, S., Cohen-Tayar, Y., Schyr, R., Evantal, N., Meshorer, Zilberberg, A.E., Reubinoff, B., Grebe, R., Rosin-Arbesfeld, R., Lauderdale, J., Lutty, G., Arnheiter, H., Ashery-Padan, R., (2014) PAX6 regulates melanogenesis in the retinal pigment epithelium through feed-forward regulatory interactions with MITF. PLoS Genetics 10 (5): e1004360.
Ferrer, M., Corneo, B., Davis, J., Wan, Q., Miyagishima, K.J., King, R., Maminishkis, A., Marugan, J., Sharma, R., Shure, M., Temple, S., Miller, S., and Bharti, K. (2014) A multiplex high-throughput gene expression assay to simultaneously detect disease and functional markers in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 3:1-12.
Hotaling, N.A., Bharti, K., Kriel, H., and Simon, C.G. (2015) Validated open source nanofiber diameter measurement tool. Biomaterials 61: 327-338.
Maruotti, J., Sripathi, S.R., Bharti, K., Fuller, J., Wahlin, K., Ranganathan, V., Sluch, V., Berlinicke, C., Davis, J., Kim, C., Zhao, L., Wan, J., Qian, J., Corneo, B., Temple, S., Dubey, R., Olenyuk, B., Bhutto, I., Lutty, G., and Zack, D.J., (2015) Small molecule directed efficient generation of retinal pigment epithelium from human pluripotent stem cells. PNAS 112 (35): 10950-10955.
Hotaling, N.A., Bharti, K., Kriel, H., and Simon, C.G. (2015) Dataset for the validation and use of DiameterJ an open source nanofiber diameter measurement tool. Data In Brief 5: 13-22.
Blenkinsop, T.A., Saini, J.S., Maminishkis, A., Bharti, K., Wan, Q., Banzon, T., Lotfi, M., Davis, J., Singh, D., Rizzolo, L.J., Miller, S., Temple, S., and Stern, J.H. (2015) Human Adult Retinal Pigment Epithelial Stem Cell-derived RPE Monolayers Exhibit Key Physiological Characteristics of Native Tissue. IOVS 56 (12): 7085-7099.
Miyagishimaa, K., Wan, Q., Corneo, Q., Sharma, R., Lotfi, M., Boles, N., Hua, F., Maminishkis, A., Zhang, C., Blenkinsop, T., Khristov, V., Jha, B., Memon, O., D'Souza, S., Temple, S., Miller, S., Bharti, K. (2016) In Pursuit of Authenticity: iPS Cell-derived RPE for Clinical Applications. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 5 (11) 1562-1574.
Hotaling, N.A., Jeon, J., Wade, M.B., Luong, D., Palmer, X-L., Bharti, K., and Simon, C.G. (2016) Training to Improve Precision and Accuracy in the Measurement of Fiber Morphology. PLoSOne 11 (12): e01676664.
George, A., Zand, D.J., Hufnagel, R.B., Sharma, R., Sergeev, Y., Legare, J.M., Rice, G.M., Schwoerer, J.A., Rius, M., Gamm, D.M., Bharti, K.*, and Brooks, B.P. (2016) COMMAD: a Novel Syndrome Caused by Biallelic Mutation of the MITF Gene. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 99 (6): 1388-1394. *Co-senior author.
Keir, L.S., Firth, R., Aponik, L., Feitelberg, D., Sakimoto, S., Aguilar, E., Welsh, G.I., Richards, A., Usui, Y., Satchell, S.C., Kuzmuk, V., Coward, R.J., Goult, J., Bull, K.R., Sharma, R., Bharti, K., Westenskow, P.D., Michael, I.P., Saleem, M.A., and Friedlander, M., (2016) VEGF regulates local inhibitory complement proteins in the eye and kidney. J. Clin. Investigations (epubl. Dec ).
Sharma, R., Khristov, V., Rising, A., Jha,B.S., Dejene, R., Hotaling, N., Li, Y., Stoddard,J., Stankewicz,C., Wan, Q., Zhang, C., Campos, M.M., Miyagishima, K.J., McGaughey, D., Villasmil, R., Mattapallil, M., Stanzel, B., Qian, H., Wong, W., Chase, L., Charles, S., McGill, T., Miller, S., Maminishkis, A., Amaral, J., and Bharti, K., (2019) Clinical-grade Stem Cell–derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium Patch Rescues Retinal Degeneration in Rodents and Pigs. Science Translational Medicine 11, eaat5580 (2019) 1-13.
Reviews and chapters
Bharti, K., Nguyen, M., Skuntz, S., Bertuzzi, S., and Arnheiter, H. (2006) The other pigment cell—the pigment epithelium of the eye. Pig. Cell Res. 19: 380-394.
Bharti, K.*, Miller, S.S., and Arnheiter, H. (2011) The new paradigm: Retinal pigment epithelium cells generated from embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells. Pig. Cell Melanoma Res. 24: 21-34. *Corresponding author
Bharti, K.*, Rao, M., Hull, S.C., Stroncek, D., Brooks, B.P., Feigal, E., van Meurs, J.C., Huang, C.A., and Miller, S. (2014) Developing cellular therapies for retinal degenerative diseases. IOVS 55 (2): 1191-1202. *Corresponding author
Jha, S.B. and Bharti, K. (2015) Regenerating retinal pigment epithelial cells to cure blindness: a road towards personalized artificial tissue. Current Stem Cell Reports. 1 (2): 79-91.
Song, M.J. and Bharti, K. (2015) Looking into the future: using induced pluripotent stem cells to build two and three dimensional ocular tissue for cell therapy and disease modeling. Brain Research. 1638 (Part A): 2-14.
Hotaling, N.A., Khristov, V., Wan, Q., Sharma, R., Jha, B.S., Lotfi, M., Maminishkis, A., Simon, C.G., and Bharti, K. (2016) Nanofiber Scaffold Based Tissue Engineered Retinal Pigment Epithelium to Treat Degenerative Eye Diseases. Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 32 (5): 272-285.
Miyagishima, K.J., Wan, Q., Miller, S.S., and Bharti, K. (2017) A Basis for Comparison: Sensitive Authentication of Stem Cell Derived RPE Using Physiological Responses of Intact RPE Monolayers. Stem Cell & Translational Investigation. 4: e1497.
Ocular and Stem Cell Translational Research Section key staff
|Kapil Bharti, Ph.D.
|Senior Investigator


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Outdoor Fun Made Easy
Companies, social groups and organizations, planning your picnic should be nearly as enjoyable as the actual event.
In 10,000+ events over the past 25 years, we've learned a few things about Chicago picnics.
From theme and décor to menu and timeline, from the day you call until the day after your event, picnic planning and execution starts and ends with Tasty Catering's team of experts.
5 Steps to a Perfect Picnic
In 10,000+ events over the past 25 years, we've learned a thing or two about what it takes to create a great Chicago picnic.
Planning a picnic is not an exact science. There are no shortcuts or cheats. There is, however, creativity and experience, and when you work with a picnic expert, you just might find that planning a picnic can be really simple.
A Great Chicago Picnic Starts with a Plan
Once you have gathered your information and done your research, you decide that Tasty Catering is the picnic provider you want for your annual picnic. You want a themed event, anything from a grand Chicago experience to a casual gathering, and you want it to be incredibly successful to please the guests, your bosses, or your family and friends.
We will always listen to what you envision for your picnic, but if you are still searching for the perfect picnic ideas, that is just fine, too—and for that, we recommend visiting our Pinterest page for some outdoor picnic ideas or browsing through past Picnic Photos on our newly revamped website.
Many clients want to hear what creative ideas we can come up with together. In that case, we will bring our best picnic ideas straight from our team to you.
Getting Started
During the planning phase, you will contact Tasty Catering, your favorite outdoor caterer, with the following information:
- Date(s) in which you are interested
- Estimated number of guests
- Venue (if you already had one in mind)
- Reason for picnic
- Employee appreciation
- Morale boost
- Anniversary celebration
- Annual company party, etc.
When you work with Tasty Catering, we know exactly what questions to ask to help narrow down all of your options, making your experience as worry- and stress-free as possible.
Are you worried about a venue?
Set a Picnic Menu and Theme
Once we have all of your information and we are knee-deep in the planning, we will work together to come up with the perfect theme for your picnic.
Along with the perfect theme, you will receive the perfect menu—we even treat our friends and clients to lunch at our facility so they can get a taste of our food and meet our staff.
As for your theme, the possibilities are truly endless, which can sometimes stress out a picnic planner. Imagining yourself at another event will help you decide which theme ideas you like best. What do you think about a Game Day theme for your favorite Chicago team? How about an Event on the Water-themed picnic?
There are plenty more ideas where those came from. If you are not sure what you would like to see at your event, your Tasty Catering team is always here to find a theme and menu you will love.
Are you looking for a variety of food options?
Are you worried about running out of food?
Are you concerned over food safety?
Plan the Entertainment
We always recommend entertainment at a picnic, the style of which varies depending on the number and ages of your intended guests. Entertainment comes in such a wide variety of options that we are always able to find something for every event, and each venue will have its own challenges and opportunities for inflatables, tents, crafts, races, face painters, DJs and dance floors.
Do you have multiple ages in need of entertainment?
Did you know that you need special permits equipment at many Chicago picnic sites?
Take Care of the Details
We will sort out all of the details in this part of the planning, figuring out everything from your event setup to your final menu to your games and entertainment itinerary.
Based on your guest count, we will rent tables, chairs, booths, dance floors, games, bars, linens and more for your event. We partner with dozens of vendors across the Chicago area who can supply everything you will ever need—and all at very fair and reasonable prices because of our longstanding relationships—which means you do not have to coordinate with anyone else.
Does your picnic venue have restrooms? Covered areas? Parking lots?
It's Time for Your Picnic
Once all has been planned and the day of your event is finally here, you are required to do nothing but sign on the dotted line. We take care of everything, including emergency planning, such as:

subset: commoncrawl


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In Conversation with Afghan Museum Director Omara Khan Masoudi
January 23, 2013
One of the world's most prominent experts in Afghan art, Mr. Omara Khan Masoudi, director of the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, was in San Francisco recently on a two-week exchange at the Asian Art Museum as an Asia Foundation Brayton Wilbur, Jr. Fellow in Asian Art. During his visit, In Asia editor Alma Freeman sat down with him for a one-on-one interview.
Afghanistan has been called the crossroads of Asia. How does the art reflect this?
Located on the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia, Afghanistan is inhabited by a population of diverse cultures. Throughout its history, people of different ethnicities and religions settled in the region, including Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians, bringing with them the rich diversity reflected in the paintings, sculptures, textiles, coins, and everyday objects now displayed in the National Museum and provincial museums in Afghanistan.
The artists of that time were influenced by other cultures – they mixed. We are proud of this. In fact, we can also see from the artifacts that in past centuries, we did not have fighting among ethnic groups, which unfortunately, we now have. But, we can learn something from the past by looking at the artifacts – where you can see that people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds could live in peace. Each culture has positive things from the past – we have to transfer these positive things to the present.
You were one of the few who personally safeguarded the crown jewels of Afghanistan (Bactrian gold) in vaults under the presidential palace in 1988 as the Soviet occupation gave way to civil war. Can you describe what this experience was like?
At that time, I remember that people thought the Communist party would transfer power very soon to the Mujahadeen. Everyone thought this. But this also served as a signal to me and the museum staff. We predicted that when this political change came, there would also be a political gap. So, as the situation worsened, we asked ourselves: what do we do to safeguard the museum artifacts? We needed to transfer the unique pieces from the museum to the center of the city and store them in different places, so that if something happens in one area, the second, third, or fourth area will be safe. One year later, in 1989, we shifted these pieces. After three or four years, authority was transferred to the Mujahadeen and after a couple of months, civil war started. Fighting erupted in the streets, especially in the western part of the city where the museum is located, so we could no longer visit the museum. The museum was looted and took fire.
When the artifacts that were looted from the museum surfaced on the black market, many journalists asked us about the Bactrian Treasure, as none of them appeared on the black market. Of course we knew, but we could not reveal the information to anyone; it could be dangerous. We kept the location of the pieces secret. During the middle of the civil war, while it wasn't safe to visit what remained of the museum, we wondered if the other pieces were still safe. The president granted our request to go and check the humidity levels of the storage areas. We went, and saw all signatures and boxes all in good condition as we'd left them. But, we still kept it secret. In 1998, under the Taliban, we went once again to check the humidity levels, and everything was still ok. After 2003, Karzai said there is no reason to keep silent. We are not heroes – we did our jobs.
Afghanistan today is perhaps more recognizable for war than for its deep culture of art and expression. What role can art play to change this image?
The situation is not stable in Afghanistan, and usually the media exaggerates this. Unfortunately, this makes people think Afghanistan is the land of explosions, the Taliban, and fighting. In fact, this is a country that has a fine civilization and fine arts. By having exhibitions from other countries at our museum, and having our own art a part of exhibitions around the world, we are building closer relations and exposing ourselves to one another's cultures. The "Hidden Treasures" exhibit (which traveled from London, across Europe, to Canada, and the U.S. and to San Francisco's Asian Art Museum), introduced the other face of Afghanistan to people. It's possible to change people's minds directly through this exhibition, which has had nearly two million visitors since 2008.
Can you talk about plans for the National Museum in Kabul as well as provincial museums?
Afghanistan has an ancient civilization, and in each part of our country you can find ancient sites. But the economic situation in Afghanistan is not good – people cannot easily travel from the North to the South, East to West, because their incomes are too low. Security is a problem, but in some parts, it's not as serious. But traveling to learn about their culture is not urgent for most Afghans. That's why we must develop museums in each province so that the young people can easily access and visit the museum, to learn about their past, their art, their culture. The Ministry has a clear plan to improve the museums in the provinces.
Our national museum is 92 years old, and we've recently started important new initiatives, including a computerized database according to international standards. But, we also need a new building to preserve the artifacts properly – we must have humidity control, proper lighting, fire protection, and security. Our present building doesn't have anything close to this. Before I had visited other museums in other countries, I didn't know how much we were missing here. But, these systems are extremely important to preserve the arts.
During my Fellowship in San Francisco, I met with experts from different departments of the Asian Art Museum, including the registration, public relations, marketing, and restoration departments. When I go back, I hope to increase my staff capacity in these areas, and develop new branches – especially in marketing. We don't have a PR department, but I'm going to request from my ministry to add these branches to the museum.
The Brayton Wilbur, Jr. Memorial Fellowship in Asian Art is administered by The Asia Foundation's Asian American Exchange unit. Read more about Mr. Masoudi's fellowship. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.
1 Comment
dorji namgyel on January 23, 2013 at 9:57 pm
It is very interesting to read the interview excerpts. I am working as director of the museum in Bhutan and we have the same types of culture being the SAARC region. Such exchanges will be very good for any one working in the museum in South Asia.
dorji namgyel
The Royal Heritage Museum, Trongsa Bhutan
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November 23, 2020
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Program Snapshot
Impact Report 2020
Leading through change


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Your four months or 15 weeks old baby is all set to rock and roll the world as its hand and leg muscles are strong enough to support its body for the rolling action.
Physical Development
Physical Development:
Your little ones arm and leg muscles are strong enough to support its weight when you make it lie down on its tummy; thus, enabling it to perform mini push-ups. It might even surprise you some of these days by rolling back to the front or the other way round. It means that you should be prepared for this event and be very cautious while leaving it alone.
Baby's Activities
Baby's Activities:
Your baby is discovering the world around itself along with its own body these days. You could find it holding its hands or feet one or the other time and fiddling with it just like it would do to any toy. Let it explore its findings and enjoy them!
The Thing to Watch out
The Thing to Watch out:
You might discover your baby being irritated when you are in the company of new people. This indicates its pickiness and the tendency to relate to known faces. This is a new trait that babies develop around this time and you need to support the baby through this so that it can interact with people cheerfully.
Tips for Week 15:
Tips for Week 15:
If your baby is not rolling over yet, you may encourage it to do that by keeping a toy on its side so that it may roll in an attempt to catch it.
The baby's first (or first few) roll would be a surprise for it as well, so be ready to reassure and comfort it if it gets scared by the event.
If you are opting for a baby sitter, it is important that you stay around for some time and allow them to bond before you leave the baby alone with the sitter.
If you thought it was only the faces that the baby related to, you are wrong as it relates to the environment it lives in as well; so make the baby comfortable in a new setting by being close by all along.
At parties and gatherings, your baby might like to be around noisy and active children, which is natural for all children this old.
Your baby kicks when you call its name. This is its way of reacting to your sound and appreciating your presence!
You are probably too busy looking after the baby these days; however, don't ignore yourself amid all this as your health is directly related to your baby's well being.


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By Tony Buchsbaum
It's only April as I write this, and I may very well have discovered the score of the year. It's big, powerful, melodic, and as thrilling a score as I've heard in years. The film is SOLARMAX, and every note of its score camefrom a man I'd never heard of before: Nigel Westlake.
An Imax film directed by John Weiley and being shown around the country now, SOLARMAX is a 40-minute film about the sun's effects on our culture over the last several thousand years. It's got state-of-the-art CGI work, never-before-seen images shot in space, and a sweep that includes ancient Ireland, the Vikings, Copernicus, Galileo, and other notable thinkers. It's also got a huge format, which makes every moment both literally and figuratively oversized.
Best of all, it has its incredible, exuberant score. It's symphonic, primitive, at times heart-stopping – and the moment I heard it, I knew I wanted to know more about it. Recently, I was lucky enough to track down both the film's composer and director on the Internet, and conducted interviews with them via e-mail.
Nigel Westlake attended the Conservatorium of Music High School in Sydney, Australia, but left early to pursue a career as a clarinetist. He started composing and formed a band, so his work could be performed. His big break came from Weiley, who needed someone to score his Imax film ANTARCTICA.
Buchsbaum: What's your working relationship like?
Westlake: It's never been easy. John invests a lot more trust in me these days, but he's still very hands-on when discussing the direction of the compositional process. He speaks in metaphors, abstractions, riddles, and emotions. And he delights in pushing the barriers. He has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and exploration, and working beside him one becomes consumed by the thrill of discovery and the relentless quest for truth. He loves to re-invent the wheel at every opportunity, and the more original and dangerous the music becomes, the more excited he gets. Working with John is often an enormous challenge, but at the end of the day it is an immensely rewarding experience.
Weiley: I always liked the idea of involving the composer from the beginning of the process, and I have talked to Nigel in general terms about each film before shooting. This was typically a year or more before he got to see anything. I will at that stage sometimes talk about the broad musical approach – instruments and so on.
Westlake: Like any good director, he can also be infuriating! Several times now we have spent literally weeks working up a particularly difficult cue, and even after recording the piece, he will decide that it is wrong, and we must start again, completely from scratch. (Of course he's always right – damn it!)
Weiley: I depend on music throughout the shooting and editing to give coherence and pacing and eventually structure to the work. I often time shots or camera movements by singing themes or phrases that seem appropriate. During editing this dependence is even more explicit: [My editor] and I will try various pieces of music first, and when we find something that seems right, cut the sequence to that piece of music. We never inflict the guide music on Nigel, and he goes out of his way to avoid hearing it.
Buchsbaum: Nigel, do you lean toward Imax projects because of personal connections to the filmmakers – or does Imax simply give you a much larger canvas to work in?
Westlake: There seems to be a general trend in Imax films to abuse the power of the format. Very few directors are capable of showing restraint. John is one of the few directors who actually understand the power and also the fact that a compelling piece of work must have contrast and subtleties in order to engage the audience and have them emerge from the experience with a sense of wonder and fulfillment instead of feeling shell-shocked. Musically, it requires ideas that are simple and economical. It's important that the score is not overly burdened with busy, detailed orchestration. It must be clearly understood on first listening because most people will only ever see it once. I think of it in terms of working with broad brush strokes as opposed to detailed line drawing.
Buchsbaum: Because you and John work so closely together, did you compose themes for the film ahead of time – or did you wait until there was a final cut?
Westlake: John spoke to me about SOLARMAX well before he was into pre-production. Right through the shoot he was throwing me snippets of information and got me thinking about the score. There was never a storyboard or synopsis, and I knew the form of the film wouldn't start to gel until all the rushes had been viewed and they were well into the editing, so I didn't start writing until I got the fine cut.
Buchsbaum: Nigel's music for SOLARMAX, aside from its beauty on many levels seems more like a narrative-film score than it does a documentary-film score. John, was this part of your direction? Or is that simply just how it turned out?
Weiley: I do not cut my films to fit any preconceived narration or structure. We cut to make "emotional sense". Phrases for a narration go through my head all the time – even when I am shooting – but I never allow the words to determine the structure. I regard the narration as lyrics. The images, sound effects, and music are the "music" to which I have to write. I never write the narration until everything else is finished. This turns the writing into a real brain buster, and I don't recommend the technique to anyone who values sanity or sleep but it is the way I have to do it.
For me music is the transcendent art, and composing music the most sublime of human activities: It really is stealing from the angels. I often say, only half jokingly, that I only shoot the pictures so that people will have something to look at while they listen to Nigel's music. I like making Imax movies because they are a kind of throw-back to "silent" movies: For technical reasons, it's practically impossible to shoot sync sound, so we don't have to shoot what Hitchcock called (and despised) "people chattering." Silent movies have to be constructed like music. Themes have to be introduced, developed, and resolved, rhythms established, and so on.
Buchsbaum: I think the distinctive thing about the SOLARMAX score is the scope of it. It nimbly moves easily from intimate little motifs to grand moments that seem as big as the universe.
Westlake: The film covers mankind's relationship with the sun from a religious and scientific perspective from the dawn of time to the present day and beyond. It's an ambitious amount of subject matter to cover in 40 minutes, and of course the music's role was to support these concepts and provide an underlying continuity.
Buchsbaum: John, do you and Nigel spot the film together? Do you come to him with musical ideas, or do you more or less let him run wild and surprise you?
Weiley: We do spot the film together, but I try very hard to avoid being too explicit – I want the music to be an original voice – so I drop hints, talk in generalities and "poetic hyperbole". We do not in fact spend a lot of time on spotting: This bit is quite quick. Nigel is, in one sense, a superb instrument: If I am clear about what I am trying to do and I get the words right at this stage, then music that is astonishingly appropriate but at the same time original comes back right away. His facility for being able to turn a director's waffle about what the music must do into original, effective music is almost uncanny.
The really sublime moments come for me when Nigel picks up on a theme that I have buried quite deeply in the images and been unable to articulate but have hoped against hope would somehow find its way through into the consciousness of the audience. If I had to nominate a single reason for continuing to work with Nigel, that capacity for getting beneath the surface would be it.
Buchsbaum: That said, Nigel, you tried to evoke deep, cultural feelings for certain sections of the film. "First Light," for example, is filled with Irish sounds. But more than that, the idea of wind instruments symbolizes the movement of the sunlight through the perfect alignment of Newgrange, just as breath moves through the flute.
Westlake: The breath analogy is a nice one and something that hadn't even occurred to me. Although this cue is probably the simplest musically in the whole film, I threw out quite a lot of material in my search for the right sound. John suggested we try to recreate the music of the era in which this ancient temple was built (3000 BC). Of course, one can only speculate about such matters, but it would be fair to assume that a simple flute made of bone may have been played by the people of this time. I adapted an ancient Irish lament and then recorded it on a modern recreation of a bone flute, getting the player to improvise freely with the phrases. I chose my favourite takes for each phrase out of the numerous improvisations.
Buchsbaum: "Inti Huatana" starts with Andean panpipes, then builds on that with strings, percussion, brass, and choir, then segues into a gentle, thematic section that sounds like narrative film music. The overall effect is that you're not scoring a documentary, but truly a narrative film, with a definite story and characters.
Westlake: That's an interesting observation because in much the same way as a narrative film, the SOLARMAX score actually employs the use of leitmotif fairly extensively. Each element of the film has its own voice, musically speaking. The sun's theme is the recurring vocal piece "O Sol." Primitive religious concepts are underscored with a massive percussion ensemble. The images of contemporary astronomy and space research are supported by a kind of recurring "hymn to science," and the story of Galileo is dealt with in a classical style, perhaps somewhat reminiscent of music of that era.
Buchsbaum: "Aurora" is the centerpiece of the score. It's playful and grand and shot through with a dance-like motif, like fabric moving in a great wind. This evokes the aurora borealis, and near the end of the cue, with Middle Eastern colors, it's almost as if you're likening the borealis to the movements of a dress worn by a woman dancing.
Westlake: Due to the intense nature of the subject matter, we always ran the risk of ending up with an overly serious film, so we were always seeking opportunities to lighten things up a bit. Scoring the aurora as a whimsical ballet (a kind of waltz in 6/4) created a welcome contrast to some of the more somber material in the score. The music is very mercurial and busy, lots of sweeping scales and ethereal textures. I proposed the middle eastern "feel" (with darabuka and finger cymbals) as a joke – a sort of "dance of the seven veils" – but John loved the idea, so it stuck.
Buchsbaum: The last cue on the CD, "Missa Solis," seems to be a review of what's come before: the Andean panpipes and tribal percussion from "Inti Huatana," then the choir in a grand crescendo, then a dramatic section that's filled with powerful cinematic moments. It moves from the big sounds immediately to smaller ones, with a real sense of wonder and appreciation that everything is in its proper place. And you end with a single string against deep horns, a decidedly classical feeling.
Westlake: The film ends with a sequence of shots more or less recapping all the elements dealt with in the film, and finally one of the prize moments – spectacular footage of the sun's surface taken from the S.O.H.O. telescope – a million and a half miles away from earth. "We are tracking the face of God" was John's response to my question, "What sort of music would you like here?" It's a very typical answer and gives you some idea of the way he works. "Missa Solis" is a major musical moment in the film, and all the
musical elements are drawn together in a massive explosion of sound which peaks as the audience travels through the heart of the Sun – to emerge into the starfield on the other side of the solar system. It's a brave piece of
filmmaking, and it took quite a while for the sequence to gel.
Buchsbaum: John, in the way that Steven Spielberg and John Williams have forged a rare Hollywood partnership, do you see Nigel as your own personal composer? Can you see yourself working with another composer at this point?
Weiley: I greatly enjoy the work of other composers, but I could not do a movie with them. It's a kind of delightful frustration, like watching pretty girls when you are happily married – and, as with a happy marriage, the collaboration just gets deeper and richer and more rewarding.
Buchsbaum: Nigel, John wrote me that working with you is for me the most exciting part of the whole process." What's the most exciting part of the process for you?
Westlake: Apart from seeing the film for the first time in a proper Imax theatre, the orchestral sessions were the highlight for me. I like to conduct my film recording sessions whenever possible. It can be a fairly terrifying experience initially, and although I'm no great conductor, I know what I want. For me, the conductor/performer relationship works best when there is a mutual respect between the two. As a conductor, I believe I am creating the music in partnership with the performers, and their interpretation is a crucial part of the final work.
Buchsbaum: And John, can you elaborate for me what you meant when you wrote that?
Weiley: One of the most personally satisfying aspects of working with Nigel has been the opportunity to be around while he matures musically. He has always had enormous talent – his ability to invent one beautiful and original theme after another has always been awesome – but with each work it is obvious that he gets stronger, more sure-footed, more mature as a composer.
No one has ever accused me of being a very modest person, and I think I have made some good films. But if anyone is looking for my name three hundred years from now, my best chance is that they will find it in a footnote as someone who commissioned several of the early works of Nigel Westlake. That'll do me fine.


text: Our Chamber helps Lansing families in need during the holidays and at the beginning of the school year by giving out backpacks and school supplies. We work with our Lansing school social workers to help at least one family from each school during the holidays. This program has total anonymity and we are only given information such as age, sex, sizes, and interests, of the children. The Chamber then uses our donations to purchase everything we possibly can for each child which include clothes, toys, shoes, and food for the family. Those items are then returned to the school social workers and they get them to the parents. Last year we were able to help 20 children from the Lansing community. We have fundraisers to raise money for the program which include our Pancake Breakfast with Santa sponsored by the Lansing Copper Muggers. All proceeds go to the families. We are also very lucky to be a recipient of some of the money raised from the "Round Ball Classic Basketball Tournament" in town. We also take donations from individuals, no donation is too small.


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Marketing Cloud, Trailhead...
How Sales Quote Software Helps Small Businesses Compete
By Danny Wong
Small business sales leaders must find ways to sell like the big players in the industry if they hope to achieve long-term growth, and sales technology is a key component of that goal. Sales quote software often gets overlooked in favor of other sales technology solutions, but this platform helps you develop client relationships and streamline the mechanics of your quoting process. According to a report published by Accenture, 83% of sales professionals are now using a configure, price, quote (CPQ) solution for their operations, and no company can afford to fall behind the pack.
Use templates to deliver faster quotes.
Speed is often the determining factor in a sales situation. This is especially true if a prospect is waiting for quotes for a similar order from two or more potential vendors and the prospect is not price sensitive. They may choose to go with the first company that gets them a quote within their budget and meets the full scope of their needs.
Sales quote software puts you on the fast track to be the company that gets quotes to your client first in every sales situation. The best sales quote solutions feature a variety of templates you can employ to reduce lag time in the creation process, and ultimately get your quotes into your prospects' hands faster.
Most of these templates are designed for optimal readability so the buyer can quickly review the quote and determine their next moves. With a cursory scan they can see the impact of the goods and services your company will provide and make an assessment as to the overall value of the purchase.
Easily create customized configurations.
For many companies, the most difficult and time-consuming aspect of creating quotes is managing different configurations for each sale. Modern B2B buyers are making more complex purchases. That means salespeople have to create custom quotes for each customer and sometimes multiple customizations for the same customer.
Manually managing these personalized configurations is a logistical nightmare. More categories and options mean there's a greater likelihood of a mistake being made. Sales reps have to spend more time filling in all of the various components of the quote. They also require a hub of organizational knowledge that must be well-maintained and constantly updated.
Sales quote software gives salespeople unprecedented control over the process of personalizing quote configurations for clients and turns those headaches into relics of the past. Innovative software programs can pull data directly from CRM and ERP platforms to ensure that you always have access to the latest product info. Adjustments to prices and amounts, automatic discounts, and a variety of special situations are all easy to manage thanks to customization tools built directly into the platform. With your sales quote solution, you not only have access to everything you need to quickly build customized quotes, but you are also free to deliver a more personalized level of service to your clients.
Present accurate quotes and limit bottlenecks.
Inaccuracies in quotes are frequently the bane of a salesperson's existence. What seemed like a sure deal that was ready to be closed can get put on hold just because of a seemingly minor issue. From the client's perspective, however, there are no minor issues; they expect all of the details to be monitored in exchange for their interest.
One of the biggest advantages sales quote software offers is the ability to treat all of your quotes with the care they deserve. Since every customer you serve represents an important relationship for the organization, every quote you present is a vital part of nurturing and developing these relationships.
The ability to create accurate quotes the first time is crucial for two reasons. First, when quotes get sent back due to inaccuracies, it can cause crushing bottlenecks in the sales unit. Reps have likely planned that, once the quote goes out, they can spend time on other functions, such as prospecting or building quotes for other clients. Having to redo intricate work can lead to delays with other customers that ripple throughout the organization.
Additionally, when your prospects receive a correct quote from the outset, it signals to them that you value the relationship and have done your due diligence to make sure everything is right for both parties. Typos and mistakes in quotes may not always be deal killers, but demonstrating attention to detail from the get-go is a time-tested way to build value-added relationships.
Automate processes and drive more value.
Automation is one of the core functions of the best quoting software. The principle behind sales quote automation — as it is with any type of sales function automation — is that there are certain things that can be executed more efficiently by a system, and there are some tasks that only a human salesperson can effectively accomplish. Therefore, it's important that you employ a software solution for the jobs that can be automated, and free your salespeople to spend more time on everything else.
Time that sales reps have to spend doing monotonous tasks, like entering contract execution parameters or manually building pricing packages, is time they can't spend doing things a software program can't handle, such as learning more about their customers, enhancing their product education, or creating presentations that clearly and specifically link the product to the buyer's pain points. In this way, automation through sales quote software doubles your value by allowing you to complete automated tasks more efficiently, as well as giving you the gift of extra time for other important matters.
Eliminate guesswork within contract negotiations.
These software solutions have revolutionized the quote creation process. Their benefits extend beyond the presentation of the quote itself: Any worthwhile quoting software for small business sales units will take you all the way through the contract execution phase, all the while making the process easier and more intuitive.
When it comes time to create and execute contracts, the quoting software will automatically populate important fields with the most up-to-date data available from all of the connected systems. When documents are ready to be signed and sent up the chain for approvals, the software takes care of documenting signatures internally and sending the contract to the appropriate parties as soon as it is ready.
Few situations are more painful for a sales department than nurturing a lead all the way to the contract negotiation phase only to lose them because of an oversight or a mistake. This is why you need the best technological tools available to reduce the chance of an error and to shorten the timeline.
Maximize deal size and cultivate repeat buyers.
Ultimately, all of the benefits provided by sales quote software help you get the most out of every deal and build strong relationships with buyers that turn into long-term revenue streams. When you use quoting software, you'll be able to get your prospects the details they need accurately and quickly and keep the tangible value of the transaction at the forefront of the discussions. There are so many different elements that go into the quote process; trying to juggle them all manually leaves a lot of room for error.
Sales quote software is also becoming a mainstay in the B2B ecommerce world as companies look for tools to help them with dynamic product pricing. Gartner now estimates that 40% of B2B ecommerce businesses employ some type of configure, price, quote software solution, and the need for these tools will only grow as more customers navigate the quote process digitally. Even if your company is not currently engaged in B2B ecommerce, you likely will be in the near future, and learning to incorporate valuable tools such as sales quote solutions will help put you at the forefront of your industry.


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About the Project
Project History
The Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project (Restoration Project) has a long history that includes research by various organizations and collaboration among many resource agencies and public interest groups. View a timeline of important Restoration Project milestones (PDF - 62 KB). For current schedule see Project Status.
In early 1999, a cooperative effort among the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) led to the signing of an Agreement in Principle to pursue a restoration project for Battle Creek. In mid-1999, the parties signed a detailed, formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (PDF - 736 KB) in conformance with the Agreement in Principle, allowing the release of $28 million in California Bay-Delta Authority (CBDA) funding for the agencies' responsibilities in the partnership.
The MOU called for contributions from PG&E in the form of forgone energygeneration, pursuit of an amendment to the Hydroelectric Project's FERC license, transfers of certain water rights to DFG, and a variety of other requirements. Flow determinations for the Restoration Project used in the MOU were initially developed by the Battle Creek Working Group biological technical team. The MOU also provided for the partial funding of adaptive management, which included development of an Adaptive Management Plan (PDF - 2.18 MB), through a separate third-party funding agreement for an additional $3 million. The restoration activities discussed in the MOU are the Proposed Action for the Restoration Project, which is evaluated along with other action alternatives in the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Since the signing of the MOU in 1999, costs for the Restoration Project have increased due primarily to:
- Provisions with the 1999 MOU and the conservative design philosophies established pursuant to the provisions of the MOU;
- A more detailed understanding of site conditions;
- Development of environmental documentation and project designs; and
- CBDA independent technical review findings and recommendations.
The Restoration Project is being accomplished through the modification of Hydroelectric Project facilities and operations, including instream flow releases.
Project Purpose and Need and Project Objectives
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the Restoration Project is to restore approximately 42 miles of habitat in Battle Creek and an additional 6 miles of habitat in its tributaries while minimizing the loss of clean and renewable energy produced by the Hydroelectric Project.
The Restoration Project would be accomplished through the modification of Hydroelectric Project facilities and operations, including instream flow releases. Habitat restoration would enable safe passage for naturally produced salmonids and would facilitate their population growth and recovery in the Sacramento River and its tributaries. These salmonids include Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, state- and federally listed as threatened; Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, state- and federally listed as endangered; and Central Valley steelhead, federally listed as threatened.
Within the past century, anadromous salmonid fish species in the Sacramento River system have declined because of a number of factors, including the loss and degradation of spawning habitat as a result of changes in hydrologic regimes caused by water management for flood control, irrigation, and hydropower production. In order to preserve and enhance current salmonid populations within the Sacramento River system, habitat restoration efforts are needed. An opportunity to restore uniquely valuable habitat exists in Battle Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River.
The restoration of a drought-resistant, spring-fed system like Battle Creek is especially important to species such as winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon and steelhead, which are dependent on cool water stream habitats. Winter-run Chinook salmon are dependent upon habitats like Battle Creek that have stream reaches that are kept cool year-round by natural springs. Historically, winter-run Chinook salmon populations occurred in Battle Creek, but at present, the only significant population of winter-run Chinook salmon occurs in the mainstem of the Sacramento River below Shasta Dam (Yoshiyama et al. 1998). This section is kept cool by releases from Shasta Lake, the reservoir above Shasta Dam. However, periods of extended drought could exhaust the reservoir's coldwater reserve, leaving the fish susceptible to reproductive failure. Because it is inevitable that serious drought conditions will affect Shasta Lake, it is necessary to have drought-resistant refugia available in the upper Sacramento River system for populations like winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon that are sensitive to drought conditions.
Project Objectives
The primary objective of the Restoration Project is to restore the ecological processes that would allow the recovery of steelhead and Chinook salmon populations in Battle Creek while minimizing the loss of clean and renewable hydroelectric power through modifications to the Hydroelectric Project. Specific project objectives were developed to expand on the purposes of the Restoration Project and to help develop project alternatives for analysis in the Final EIS/EIR. These objectives include:
- Restoring self-sustaining populations of Chinook salmon and steelhead by restoring their habitat in the Battle Creekwatershed and access to it through a voluntary partnership with state and federal agencies, a third party donor(s), and PG&E;
- Establishing instream flow releases that restore self-sustaining populations of Chinook salmon and steelhead;
- Removing selected dams at key locations in the watershed where the hydroelectric values were marginal as a result of increased instream flow;
- Dedicating water diversion rights for instream purposes at dam removal sites;
- Constructing tailrace connectors and installing failsafe fish screens and fish ladders to increase certainty about restoration components;
- Restoring stream function by structural improvements in the transbasin diversion to provide a stable habitat and guard against false attraction of anadromous fish away from their migratory destinations;
- Avoiding Restoration Project impacts on species of wildlife and native plants and their habitats to the extent practicable, minimizing impacts that are unavoidable, and mitigating or compensating for impacts;
- Minimizing loss of clean and renewable energy produced by the Battle Creek Hydroelectric Project;
- Implementing restoration activities in a timely manner;
- Developing and implementing a long-term adaptive management plan with dedicated funding sources to ensure the continued success of restoration efforts; and
- Avoiding impacts on other established water users/third parties.
Yoshiyama, R.M., F. Fisher, and P. Moyle. 1998. Historic abundance and decline of Chinook salmon in the Central Valley region of California. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 18:487-520.
The Restoration Project area (PDF - 2.19 MB) consists of the portion of the Hydroelectric Project below the natural fish barriers onNorthFork and South Fork Battle Creek, and above the confluence of the Coleman Powerhouse tailrace channel and the mainstem of Battle Creek. The upper project limit on North Fork Battle Creek is the absolute natural fish barrier above North Battle Creek Feeder Diversion Dam, 14 miles upstream of the confluence. The upper project limit on South Fork Battle Creek is the natural fish barrier above South Diversion Dam.
The Restoration Project includes the following modifications to the Hydroelectric Project to achieve the restoration of ecological processes important to anadromous fish:
- Modification of Hydroelectric Project facilities, such as fish ladders, fish screens and bypass facilities, diversion dams, and canals and powerhouse discharge facilities;
- Adjustments to Hydroelectric Project operations, including allowing cold spring water to reach natural stream channels, decreasing the amount of water diverted from streams, and decreasing the rate at which water is withdrawn from the stream and returned to the canals and powerhouses following outages; and
- Changes in the approach used to manage the Hydroelectric Project to balance hydroelectric energy production with habitat needs, using ecosystem-based management that protects and enhances fish and wildlife resources and other environmental values using adaptive management (PDF - 2.18 MB), reliable facilities, and water rights transfers, among other strategies.
For more information, see Chapter 3 of the Final EIS/EIR.
Special-status fish species present in the Sacramento River and its tributaries include Chinook salmon and steelhead and are listed below. These species receive additional protection from the California Endangered Species Act and federal Endangered Species Act based on scientific findings for their particular Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs).
|Evoluntionary Significant Unit (ESU)
|State Listing
|Critical Habitat Designations
|Federal Listing
|Chinook salmon
|Sacramento River winter-run
|Chinook salmon
|Central Valley spring-run
|Under development
|Chinook salmon
|Central Valley fall-/late fall-run
|Not applicable
|Candidate/not warranted
|Central Valley
|Under development
For more information on Chinook Salmon and steelhead, visit the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) Web site for marine and anadromous fish.Note: Documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view, download Adobe Acrobat Reader
Last Updated: 11/4/20


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- Home Unknown Type
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Last week I wrote about an experiment I did using a 100 watt white LED COB for a strobe light. This weekend my 100 watt blue LED COB arrived and I was eager to see if it improved the freeze effect of my strobe experiment. The short answer: no.
I started to have my doubts about the strobe duration I read about. 1/1000th of a second, or 1 ms, was what I was using. While I don't remember exactly where I saw the number I had been searching for number used for photograph strobe lighting. So I went in search of other numbers. One product I saw was an LED strobe used for high speed photography. They listed light pulse duration between 20-1000 µs. My setup can do timings this fast so I decided to give it a try. The results: 100 µs light pulses stop a spinning fan blade.
The problem is, even with a 100 watts of LED light, a 100 µs light pulses isn't much overall light. The product I was reading about uses 2,000 watts of LED light—20 times the light output I have available.
Time for a little math. I was using 1 ms light pulses at 100 watts which is 0.1 joules for energy. By switching to 100 µs pulses, I have 0.01 joules. I would need to dump in 10 times the power—1000 watts—to get the same amount of light energy. I could do a bank of 10x100 watt LED COBs, but there is one other thing to consider.
LEDs output is limited by their temperature. The temperature increases because there is a voltage drop across the diode in where the energy is turned into heat. Thus the current that goes through an LED must be low enough to allow the heat to escape. A 100 watt LED with the correct heat sink is rated for continuous usage. We are only pulsing the device for a 100 µs at a time, and at most once every 100 ms. This gives a duty cycle of 0.1%. I've read "Most high-brightness LEDs have an effective upper limit of 6X to 8X over current capabilities, based on a typical 150 microsecond (µs) pulse width and 0.15% duty cycle." That means my single 100 watt LED should be able to handle between 600 and 800 watts for 100 µs. I would only need 2x100 watt LED COBs in order to produce 0.1 J light pulses.
It's very interesting that there is only a certain limit to the tradeoff of duty cycle % to driving current. I'll bet that there are some wickedly complicated heat-transfer equations out there somewhere!
Looks good! Is the decay time of the phosphorus in your white LEDs enough to ruin the strobe effect?
It's very interesting to see the shortcuts used to replicate 'white' light as we see it.
Sadly, I think the phosphorus decay is taking away from the strobe effect. A good strobe light should freeze frame the scene. I was flashing the strobe at a fan, but the blades were still blurry. A 1 ms flash should is 1/1000 seconds and that should have been enough to freeze the blades during a flash. I even ran 500 microsecond pulses which is 1/2000 seconds. Although there was less overall light, the blur didn't seem to change. The real test will come when I get the blue LED.


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From the NYC Crime Report podcast, comedian Pat Dixon is here as we discuss: Feminism, 50 Shades of Grey, rape accusations, women's safety, and not getting taken advantage of.
From Late Night with Seth Myers and Gotham Comedy, comedian Gina Brillion joins us as we discuss: Braking up, letting go of resentment, being a positive person, and getting over a cheater.
From Letterman and Comedy Central comedian Pete Lee is here to help us examine: Being the nice guy, the backlash against Darwinism, and being reasonable firm and fair.
From Comedy Central and Inside Amy Schumer Emmy Winner, Kurt Metzger is here to help us examine: Open relationships, religion, the feminists, double standards, not giving a fuck.


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Sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I was a bit busy, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Today, my debut YA novel out. I can walk into a bookstore and pluck it from the shelf, and my picture is right there inside the back cover.
My friends and family have been posting pictures with their copies, along with some of my readers from various online outlets, including this blog. I had a moment this morning when I just plain lost it, thinking about all the people who were instrumental in my success. Thank you hardly seems to do it, but I'll say it all the same: Thank you. Each and every one of you.
And now, I'll end with my book trailer, in a bit of shameless promo.


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Adapted liberally from Eating Well (April/May 2006)
Everyone should have a go-to egg dish for holidays and other brunch-friendly affairs. This one could be mine. If you'd prefer to make a vegetarian version, simply skip the prosciutto and add some additional vegetables. Mushrooms would be divine.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
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Market Research Institute
Market Research Institute | We're your global market research institute experts. We'll supply you with the best survey, questionnaire, panel, B2B & data quality from A-Z. Carrying out market research is the most effective way of monitoring what your customers need, want and desire. Conducting quality market research, will also provide you with valuable business insights, which will enable you to predict how your future business strategies will impact your business, customers and profitability. Having all this information at your fingertips will support you in making the right business decisions on a regular basis. Use market research to get your competitive advantage now – we'll support you every step of the way by supplying you with: new business strategies, insights, ideas and the necessary steps you need to take to boost your business profits.


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First Baptist Beacon
Children's Camp July 25 - 29
Van Buren Cost $105.00
Must Have completed the 3rd Grade
(Registration Forms in the church office)
Notes From Bro. Doug:
Vacation Bible School was a success. We had 2 decisions for Christ and 1 call to missions. Praise the Lord!!
I want to thank Bro. Singleton for preaching for us on his 80th birthday on June 5th. We had a great time with him and his family.
The youth had a great time at Jonathan Creek Church Camp. We had decisions made & 1 heard his call to preaching. Pray that these decisions come to life and that they all follow what God told them to do.
Kevin & Ashlea Riggs had an awesome wedding. Keep praying for them as they start this phase of their lives together.
I hope the new multi-media ministry is blessing your life during worship. One of our new members, Phillip Barksdale, is going to head up this ministry. He has many years of experience. More great things will come in that ministry.
Get your Beth Moore tickets now!! The live simulcast is September 10th from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Thanks to the many of you that are supporting the church and all the ministries. Let's move forward together!!!
Bro. Doug
Quarterly Sunday School Fellowship Breakfast
July 17th 10:10 am sponsored by the Bullington Class
Nominating Committee Meeting:
July 24th at 4:00 pm
Dear Mission TripTeam,
We would like to thank you for coming so far and helping us clear out our home after the tornado. We would still be counting chickens if you hadn't been there! Thank you for your kindness and understanding in a very trying time.
May God Bless you all.
Betty & Chuck VanOstran
Peggy, Stan & Steve
Observance of the Lord's Supper: July 31st
T-Shirts are Here!!! If you ordered a t-shirt it will be available Wednesday night July 6th, we do have extra shirts!!!
Baptismal Service: We will have a baptismal service on July 31st during the morning worship service. If you are eligible to be baptized, see the pastor A.S.A.P.
First Baptist Church,
We want to express our thanks to Bro. Doug for his visit and to everyone who sent cards and called while Billy was in the hospital. Thank you for all your prayers.
Marilyn & Billy McCullough
Gratefully we acknowledge and thank you for the food and your kind expression of sympathy.
The James Cullum Family
Mission Moments:
Can you believe it...summer is actually here! Not that it hasn't felt like summer for some time now!!! I've never been a fan of hot weather because I love staying outdoors and working in my flower beds...too hot for that now!!!
Women On Mission gathered at the home of
JoAnn Morgan's lovely home once again for our June monthly meeting. There were 21 ladies present with one guest...our own Laura Boyd, who spoke about her upcoming mission training period and subsequent service beginning in October. She will serve three years. Her presentation was most interesting and a lively question and answer session followed. The ladies have voted to send any supplies needed for the trip when Laura has more information as to what is needed. They donated $100.00 for her expenses and assured her that we will be much in prayer for her training and her service.
Upcoming projects were discussed and in the absence of Susan Pinkerton, our Mission Trip Coordinator, yours truly reported on the "doings" of that committee which include a couple of fund raisers for missions and an "on line" attendance of a Beth Moore conference.
The meeting theme, "What Time Is It" was discussed and the group urged to pray for the upcoming new year which is fast approaching. A new Director must be nominated as I will be stepping down as your leader at the end of August. I have served in this capacity this time for 9 years and for several years previous to that. I feel that God is leading me in another direction and seek His guidance. I've been so blessed to be your Director and it has been my joy to serve you in many capacities during this time.
Prayerfully Yours,
Jo Ann Manz
Nursery Workers Needed:
Volunteers are still needed. Thanks to all those who have volunteered. Please call Myra Sandage 757-5019 or 333-1640. If you are unable to work the appointed time, please arrange to swap with someone or call me.
Nursery Workers:
July 10 - Melissa McClain
July 17 - Marilyn Strawn
July 24 - Amanda Maclin
Deacon of the Week:
July 10 -16 Earl Bullington 333-1746
July 17 - 23 Doug Fitzwater 333-4521
July 24 - 30 Charlie Jones 333-4029
July 31- August 6 Mel Gale 359-1897
College Students Addresses
The Gleaner Sunday School Class want to send cards of encouragement to all our college students. Please give their names and addresses to a member of the class or the church office.
Window Fund:
You still have any opportunity to give to this fund, so we can finish painting & repairing the remaining windows.
Our goal: $4,800.00 offering to date: $3,606.76
Puppet Ministry:
Chris & Christy Riggs are restarting this ministry, if you are interested in helping, contact Chris or Christy or if you would like to donate, we have a special fund for this ministry.
Drama Ministry:
Nikki Bell is leading a drama ministry for youth 7th - 12th grade, practice is every other Sunday night at 5:15 pm.
Casserole Ministry:
Susan Pinkerton is getting this ministry up and going. She will have casseroles in the freezer ready for families coming home from the hospital, or to be given to someone who has been sick and to be used during funerals and other occasions. If you want to help make the casseroles, please see Susan. They will be made in the church kitchen and stored in the church freezer. If you know of someone who needs a casserole, please see Susan or the pastor, please do not take one without permission.
Baptist Men's Bible Chapter Reading: You may pick up a July Calendar for a daily Bible reading schedule that the Baptist Men are asking the church to join them in these daily chapter readings.
Communication: Many times the mis-understanding of a church is simply the ones involved not communicating. So please, make sure you use the opportunity to go through the right channels when you have an idea, a complaint, a suggestion, a task that needs to be taken care of, a concern, a new vision, a new outlook, a spiritual question or concern. If you don't like talking face to face, use the suggestion box in the fellowship hall. But the first step should be the pastor face to face...my door is open, my ears are open. If you can't find the pastor, then go to a deacon, they are here to serve you.
If you have an event, make sure you secure it with the church calendar in the office after talking with the pastor or appropriate staff member.
If something needs fixing, or you need supplies or teaching materials, see the pastor or the Sunday School Director.
Communicate to the persons involved!! It accomplishes nothing when people talk in the alley, or talk softly in the corner, or complain or campaign.
Thank you for those who remind or warn the pastor of things that are needed to be remembered... people in the hospital, people who are sick, people upset about something, people griping, people causing disunity.. disunity will kill a church...so KILL DISUNITY by not being a part of it!!! Great things are happening and great things are coming to FBC.
Bro. John Gilbert will be filling in for Bro. Doug during his vacation. He will preach this Sunday July 10th during the morning and evening worship service.
My office is open:
If you have a concern or a spiritual question, please set a meeting up with Brenda and I will be glad to speak with you one on one.
I want to thank you for your support and your prayers.
I want to be here for everyone as best as I humanly can. Keep the suggestions and fresh ideas coming, for the glory of the Lord.
Bro. Doug
Memorials given in memory of James Cullum; given by: Myron & Virginia Ann Hankins, Virginia Milton & Marjorie Goodman, Ray & Marilyn Strawn
Honorariums in honor of Emma Fitzwater and Caroline Fitzwater; given by Bill & Christy Mercer
Memorial given in memory of Wende Hoskins Gatewood;
given by: Bill & Christy Mercer
Regional Disaster Relief Training
August 19 - 20
FBC Portageville
Cost: $40.00
From the Pastor:
When you know of a church member going into the hospital and need a visit or a prayer from the pastor or a deacon, please call the pastor or the church office.
I know that hospital visits and nursing home visits are a weakness of my ministry, so I am going to try to do better in this area. But I need family members' help and your help to do my job better.
Bro. Doug
Youth News from Daniel's Den:
Wohooo.....what a month! We are now in July and it is getting crazy hot. We had an awesome time at Crossings Camp at Jonathon Creek in Kentucky with 16 students and 4 adult counselors. We had 3 students that made public decisions while there. Hunter Menton accepted Christ, Taylor Moses rededicated his life, and Parr Abbott accepted a call to ministry. Praise The Lord!!! Im sure God has touched many other hearts and we will see the fruit in the months to come. Please join me in prayer for these and all of the students we have the pleasure of ministering to here at FBC. I would also like to send a huge THANK YOU to Duane, Amanda, and Susan for taking a week out of their lives to go as counselors and help with the youth, they ALL did awesome jobs with the kids and I am sure God has blessed them "Beyond" measure.
Our events coming up: Details will be announced in the youth meetings. July 17th we will be having the camp afterglow in the morning service and the youth are in charge of the evening service. Bro. Parr will be bringing the message for us and many other specials. We have a couple other things in the works too.....so be at the youth meetings and keep your eyes and ears peeled.
I would just like to take a moment to thank you for the opportunity to minister and love on your youth for the past year. We have seen God move in a mighty way so far and I know He has greater things in store as we keep moving forward. We need to stay in prayer, not only for ourselves and our church family, but for the youth as well. This group of kids all have individual gifts that God has given them, and the results are amazing when they use them to glorify Him.
In HIS Hands,
Daniel's phone 502-758-0108
April's phone 502-758-1799


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8 Spots Where You'll Find All the Cool Kids in Montauk
Nestled on the easternmost tip of Long Island, about a 120-mile (often traffic-crazy) drive from New York City, the End's gorgeous high bluffs and steady rolling breakers make it a destination for beach dwellers, surfers, and the getaway set alike—while the latest swell of pop-up fashion boutiques, see-and-be-seen restaurants, and water-sport rentals cater to the getaway set.
Fall will be here before you know it, so we recommend planning a weekend trip ASAP. To make your time well worth it, we've rounded up eight of the hottest spots in Montauk—scroll through to see where you should be eating, sleeping, and relaxing this summer.
Left Hand Coffee
A modern espresso bar with plenty of cold options gets the locals through a sticky summer. Bonus: Try the new iced turmeric latte for a healthy, spicy kick.
83 S. Elmwood Ave.; 631-238-5434; lefthandcoffee.com
Joni's Kitchen
Flax-coconut waffles, to-die-for avocado toast, and a massive smoothie menu make Joni's an ideal hangout for the health-minded with a penchant for brunch.
28 S. Etna Ave.; 631-668-3663; jonismontauk.com
Montauk Brewing Co.
If it's a refreshing cold one you crave, look no further than the taproom of this quaint brewing house, established by three lifelong friends in 2012 and serving its house-label ales and IPAs.
62 S. Erie Ave.; 631-668-8471; montaukbrewingco.com
The Surf Lodge
At this perma-popular local hub, the party is happening daily and always goes late. Hosting fitness classes by day and cocktails on the waterfront deck by night, the location also draws a crowd for its live concert series: This summer's lineup includes Wild Belle and Gary Clark Jr.
183 Edgemere St.; 631-483-5037; thesurflodge.com
Navy Beach
Co-owned by the daughter of Silvano Marchetto of N.Y.C.'s legendary Da Silvano, this seafood restaurant is a lovely place to catch the sunset thanks to its 200-foot private beach.
16 Navy Rd.; 631-668-6868; navybeach.com
Duryea's Fish Market & Lobster Deck
Another top sunset spot is 80-year-old lobster shack Duryea's, which just reopened after a renovation. And while it's maintained its authentic vibe, it now boasts banquette seating and an expanded menu.
65 Tuthill Rd.; 631-668-2410; duryealobsters.com
Solé East
Everything about this resort screams beach vacation, from the elegant bungalow-inspired rooms to the bamboo walkways. The pool area, sprinkled with oversize lounge beds, is lit by tiki torches and features a roaring fire pit after dusk.
90 2nd House Rd.; 631-668-2105; soleeast.com
Ric Pipino Hairspace at Gurney's
Celebrity stylist Pipino is bringing in his team of cut and color experts to tame tresses inside Gurney's Spa.
290 Old Montauk Hwy.; 631-668-2345; ricpipino.com
—With additional reporting by Christina Shanahan and Samantha Simon


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21 Dec 2018
The e-Duke Journals Scholarly Collections provides online access to 50 Duke University Press journals in the humanities and social sciences. The (...)
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EIFL has signed an agreement with Annual Reviews for access to their collection of 50 journals that include reviews of recent literature published (...)


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AFP Real Estate Rentals in Historic Downtown Carlisle PA
Residential for Rent
Available Immediately!
AFP Residential Units & Historic Buildings
36 South Pitt St apartments for rent
36 S Pitt St Apt A Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt B Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt C Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt D Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt 1 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt 2 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt 3 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Apt 4 Carlisle
102 North Bedford St circa 1900
102 N Bedford St Apt 1 Carlisle
102 N Bedford St Apt 2A Carlisle
102 N Bedford St Apt 2B Carlisle
117 West Pomfret St circa 1793
Duncan Stiles circa 1815
DSH Apartments for Rent
DSH Commercial for Lease
77 East Louther St circa 1900
120 E Mulberry Ave 2BR house for rent
Commercial for Lease
36 S Pitt, #102 | 155sqft for rent
36 S Pitt, #103 | 135sqft for rent
Combine Stes 102-105 for discount
DSH Terrace Suite
Historic Commercial Space for Lease
36 South Pitt St commercial suites for lease
36 S Pitt St Ste 101 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Ste 102 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Ste 103 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Ste 104 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Ste 105 Carlisle
36 S Pitt St Ste 106 Carlisle
57 West Pomfret St circa 1900
Duncan Stiles House circa 1811
Duncan Stiles Terrace Suite
52 E High St Suites 101 & 102
52 E High St Suite 201
52 E High St Suite 202
52 E High St Suite 203
Join AFP Mailing List
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DSH Suite 101 Renovation
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102 N Bedford St, Apt 1 Video Tour
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Renting 101: A Renter's Guide
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Find out if this unit is available on our
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36 South Pitt St | Apt A
1Br | 1Ba | ~1000 SqFt | Eat-In Kitchen
This over-sized 1BR apartment has a large bathroom, two closets, indoor/outdoor access, and is carpeted throughout. Featuring an eat-in kitchen with EnergyStar
rated refrigerator & gas range and a huge living room with built-in bookshelves.
Photo Gallery
1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, ~1000 square feet.
pets allowed,
smoking allowed, t
enant pays electric.
Included Utilities
HEAT, Water, Sewer, Trash, Recycling, Courtyard maintenance, & Snow removal.
Large bathroom with full tub & elongated toilet. Eat-in kitchen with
fridge & gas range.
In-lot parking for monthly rate (
for availability). Courtyard & balcony access. Indoor/outdoor access.
This is our largest 1BR apartment for rent
and has both indoor & outdoor access to. Walking in from the hallway, you enter a large living room with two windows overlooking the rear courtyard with built-in bookshelves between. Combined with the other large windows in this apartment a wonderful cross breeze is a frequent summer visitor. There is a coat closet in the hallway between the living room and kitchen. The eat-in kitchen has an EnergyStar
fridge (2013) and gas range (2012) as well as room for a breakfast table / sitting area. There is a sizable closet in the bedroom along with the exit to the back of the building for easy access to the courtyard, parking lot, and trash. The over-sized bathroom has a full tub & shower with lots of space. This is a very airy, roomy apartment for a one bedroom and is ideal for anyone looking for an spacious downtown place with room for two.
Distance (mi) to:
<.1 to
Gaia Cafe
- Fresh vegetarian health food & smoothies
0.1 to
Cafe Bruges
- Fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere
0.2 to
Dickinson College
0.5 to
Penn State Law
- The Dickinson School of Law
0.5 to
Classic Drycleaners
- Laundromat Services
0.6 to
Weis Markets
- Grocery store
0.8 to
Walmart Supercenter
- Includes frozen foods and deli
0.8 to
Giant Food Stores
- Grocery store
1.2 to
??? to ??? -
Google Map
the area or visit
to find your own routes!
Contact AFP for lease options.
Follow @CarlisleRents
36 South Pitt St.
Carlisle, PA 17013
Contact Realtor Dave Fleming, a licensed Realtor® in Pennsylvania RS#300174, for more information.
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Are you ready to do something out of the ordinary to raise awareness about tobacco? A flash mob should do the trick! Surprise people in a busy area with a sudden performance and a powerful message. You should complete the activity and post to your Chapter page or the closed Facebook group about it.
STEP 1 – Location, location, location: Choose a busy area to stage your flash mob, like a downtown area or the school cafeteria. Make sure to secure permission before planning this event.
STEP 2 – Choose your message: As a group, decide what you want to focus on. Do you want to expose how Big Tobacco targets youth? Inform people about the dangers of smoking? Or tell everyone about your Chapter? Make the message simple and memorable.
STEP 3 – Plan your activity: Be creative! Think about the details. Remember, a flash mob is all about surprising people and getting their attention in a fun way.
Will your group:
- Break out into a dance?
- Hold up signs that spell out your message?
- Come up with a cheer that everyone shouts at the same time?
Your Chapter members may want to coordinate signs or outfits on the day of the flash mob or give your audience a flyer following your flash mob that includes your message, or post your signs in school. Get school official permission, if needed.
STEP 4 – Take the stage: On the day of your planned flash mob, take your places and make sure everyone knows their role. Cue the music (or have a chosen signal), raise your signs, start dancing, and make your statement in a big way!
STEP 5 – Report back: Make sure someone takes photos or film a video during your flash mob. Be sure to get permission from everyone in the video to share it on social media. Again, don't forget to post to The 84 Movement's closed Facebook group or your Chapter page so we can see your creative minds at work! You can share it on your Chapter or personal social media profiles to spread the word as well!
STEP 6 – Send us the photo release forms for people in your video so that we can share it on our Fan Page and Twitter! Email the scanned copies to email@example.com.


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Mow the lawn. Pay the bills. Feed the dog. Change the oil. Check the homework. Supervise the music practice. Tame the toddler. Ferry kids from place to place; take a meal to a needy neighbour; make a plan for the next school holidays; fold the laundry before 'Mount Washmore' erupts…
Life is busy.
We're one month into 2016 and already the pace has picked up. Here in New Zealand we're launching ourselves into the merry-go-round of a new school year. Already the spaces in the calendar are starting to darken with activities; our schedule's filling up. We have to think ahead and squeeze the things we want to do into the available time each week. But while all that's happening, I'm trying to create space for what's important.
How do we do that?
How do we create space for what's important when life crowds in so insistently?
In a cold stone kitchen in England, a pot of stew bubbles above the fire, sending savoury-scented steam up into the rafters. A small child crouches by the hearth, dandling a cloth doll on her knee as she chirps out a lullaby; her next-older brother tosses wooden pegs into a tin bucket – it clangs and rings out as the pegs find their mark. Six older siblings sit at the worn dining table, books open, chanting their lessons. A cradle in the corner sits empty; another baby gone to heaven. Susanna stirs the dinner as she calls out corrections to the children's Latin recitation.
As she removes the pot to the windowsill to cool, Susanna reminds Hetty that it's her turn for Mama time this evening; she'll test her daughter on her memorised scriptures and they'll spend time talking away from the others. And then, in the midst of the younger children's clamour for their meal and the older children's scholarly disagreement, Susanna throws her apron over her head. In this strange but sacred space, she begins to pray.
Susanna Wesley (mother of Charles and John) knew a little something about busyness. She also knew a bit about creating space for what's important. She bore 19 children and raised about half of them (the others sadly died in infancy), schooling them in the Christian faith, teaching them the classics, and nurturing them into rich and productive lives.
Susanna served her family wholeheartedly and mindfully; but she also recognized the importance of maintaining her own spiritual walk. Life, death, grief, separation, struggle, work – all competed for attention in Susanna's life. But her children all noticed how she found a way to make space for holiness in the midst of the mundane – how she spent time with God even while remaining physically present with them.
We all need to take time regularly to ensure that our hearts and minds are aligned with God's will for our lives; and the trick is that we need to figure out how to do that while we're in the midst of living those lives.
I'm still figuring that out. I keep falling short and losing my balance in the busyness. I've got a few little ideas of how I'd like to create sacred space this year, though, and now seems as good a time as any to make a start:
- Short Bible reading/devotional/prayer to start the day, before I even get out of bed (praises due to West, who does breakfast for the boys) – to create space for this I'm going to need to be disciplined about getting lunches made the night before, and possibly setting the alarm for an earlier wake-up (eek!)
- Praying instead of yelling – Yep, I still get caught in that awful habit of raising my voice when I'm at my wit's end, but I'm determined to focus that energy on something that will bring change instead of negativity; I'll create space in frustration for a clear-headed and calm response to challenges
- Loving notes for the boys – in the midst of the task of raising these precious children, I need to create space to just breathe life into them. I've started a love project – each of the boys has a 'Things I Love about You' poster, and from now until Valentine's Day I'm putting a heart on with a word or phrase of something I love about them (so far they love it!). From there I'll need to find a new way of affirming their unique places in my heart – but the goal is to ensure that each day I take time to build them up, instead of simply being caught up in getting them to do their chores and homework and improving their behaviour…
- Worship/meditation music on in the house – it's amazing how certain music creates space for peaceful interactions and a calmer approach to life
How about you? How do you create space for what's important in your life? Does it happen easily or do you have to be intentional about it, as I do? I pray that we'd all find ways to create space in our lives for peace and time with God in the year ahead.
Thanks for reading!