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Jeremy Hunt talks about mental health first aid training27/6/2017Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, on his experience of doing the mental health first aid training
Lyn Romeo wishes you all a happy #WSWD1721/3/2017Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker for Adults, endorses themes of World Social Work Day 2017 and announces launch of annual report.
Chief Social Worker for Adults, Lyn Romeo, welcomes new social work students30/8/2016Social work is an important and rewarding profession with a rich and varied landscape. Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker for Adults would like to welcome and wish all new social work students the very be...
Training for healthcare students on FGM - overview22/8/2016Training and advice for healthcare students about FGM safeguarding and support overview video.
FGM and mental health22/8/2016Jennifer Bourne, RGN Queens Nurse and Project Manager for FGM Prevention Programme, and Amanda O'Donovan, Consultant Clinical Pychologist, discuss the impact of FGM on mental health.
Mandatory reporting of FGM22/8/2016Juliet Albert, Specialist FGM Midwife, and Vanessa Lodge, National FGM Prevention Lead, discuss the mandatory reporting duty for all health and social care professionals and teachers.
Women talking about their personal experiences of female genital mutilation FGM22/8/2016Susan Bookbinder asks survivors of FGM what healthcare professionals can do to give FGM victims the best possible treatment and care.
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State - Dementia16/8/2016Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt talks about the Government's achievements on improving dementia care and the work Heathrow is doing to become dementia friendly.
Carey Mulligan dementia friends16/8/2016Carey Mulligan, Global Dementia Friends Ambassador, talks about the importance of the Dementia Friends programme.
A digital NHS for everyone26/5/2016Martha Lane Fox visits South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and talks about making wifi available in hospitals and digital skills
New screening offers hope for head and neck cancer patients24/3/2016Life Sciences Minister George Freeman welcomes a new trial which could see head and neck cancer patients not have to undergo stressful surgery
Professor Bob Wachter launches review of NHS IT systems8/2/2016IT expert and author of 'The Digital Doctor' Professor Bob Wachter outlines what he hopes a new review of NHS IT will achieve.
Time to Talk Day: Alistair Burt meeting Zephyr Jussa4/2/2016This Time to Talk Day, the Minister for Mental Health, Alistair Burt met with Zephyr Jussa to talk about mental health and how sometimes it can be hard for men to open about their feelings. You can f...
A message from health minister Alistair Burt to GPs30/1/2016Alistair Burt has recorded this message to GPs in response to the LMC special conference being held on 30/01/2016. The message summarises what is being done to help boost general practice.


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|List price:
|You save:
|$6.25 (25%)
If you use a Sharpie in your show, you're in the perfect position to start performing Permanent.
The Effect: The magician shows both sides of a Sharpie marker, and then rubs some of the ink off the side. The magician transfers their powers to a spectator so that they can do it themselves! Then, in the blink of an eye, the writing jumps back onto the marker. The Sharpie can be examined and used in your next routine.
Visual magic with a prop you already use.
The ultimate in audience participation.
Resets in seconds.
Great for walk-around.
Bonus Effects:
Letter Carrier:
The magician pulls a printed letter from one side of the Sharpie to another.
Ambitious Card:
Chris' favorite trick to use with the Permanent routine. A signed card repeatedly jumps to the top of the deck.
Ball of Yarn:
Another great classic that can be used with the Permanent gimmick. A signed coin vanishes and ends up trapped in a ball of yarn.
Trick Specifications:
Comes with custom-made Sharpie gimmick, two bonus gimmicks, and instructional DVD.
Running Time Approximately: 30 min
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subset: commoncrawl


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In this weeks Roundup we have Microsoft all over the place with articles on the advertising campaign and how Stanford and Harvard are teaching MS business tactics. Also, lists of cool desktops you may have not seen, alternative operating systems and the Linux Foundation says we should all support IBM. Sorry for the lateness in posting, had to fix my own darn links..
Attention Microsoft: I'm A PC (Running Ubuntu Linux): Microsoft's new "I'm a PC" ad campaign celebrates the fact that millions of people prefer PCs over Macs. But it overlooks the fact that many of those PC users are leaping from Windows to Linux. For me, "I'm a PC" means I've discovered the freedom of open source.
A Linux Bun in HP's Oven; Firefox and the EULA Hounds: If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Linux community must be doing something right. Rumors abounded throughout the blogosphere last week that HP may be working on its own version of our favorite operating system. Specifically, employees within HP's PC division are reportedly working on a mass-market operating system that is based on Linux but easier to use.
Stanford and Harvard teach businesses how to squash open source: Having given in to gravity, America's elite graduate schools are taking on open source. In recent research published in Production and Operations Management, Deishin Lee (Harvard Business School) and Haim Mendelson (Stanford Graduate School of Business) teach would-be business executives how to "Divide and Conquer: Competing with Free Technology Under Network Effects."
A Linux zealot examines Microsoft Vista: I know, I know…you're wondering why this is in the open source blog. The reason is simple: I have used open source operating systems for a long, long time now. I have championed against Microsoft for over ten years. But when Techrepublic liked the idea of me writing some Vista content for them, I couldn't say no. Of course this meant me actually using Vista. So I thought it would be interesting for the open source crowd to get my initial reaction to my explorations with Windows Vista. You know, see how (or if) it stands up to Linux. It was a hard pill to swallow for me. It might be a equally as hard for you. Let's find out. Shall we?
VDI: Very Disappointed Indeed: Virtualization vendors use VDI internally in their networks don't they? Maybe no one bothered to ask before. Find out for yourself.
Gentoo Cancels 2008.1, Plans New Future: There was no Gentoo 2007.1 release that made it out last year, and we now know for sure that there will be no Gentoo 2008.1 release this year. The Gentoo Release Engineering Team has canceled the Gentoo 2008.1 release that would have otherwise been expected in the next three months…
Is the honeymoon over for Google Chrome as market share plummets?: Within 48 hours of launching at the start of September, the Google Chrome open source browser managed to carve itself a pretty impressive one percent share of the global web browser market. That honeymoon period would appear to be over as we approach the end of the month and the market share starts to plummet…
Linux Foundation Calls for Support of IBM IT Policy: Yesterday, IBM announced a new "I.T.Standards Policy," calling for (among other things) more transparency, openness and inclusiveness in the standards development process, and for the use by standards organizations of fewer, clearer and more open-source friendly intellectual property rights policies. IBM also disclosed the wide-ranging, and in some cases radical, recommendations offered by 70 standards experts from around the world. These recommendations are intended to raise the bar in standards development. But will anyone fall in line behind it?
Five Reasons to Forego the G1: Everyone is all ga-ga this week over the G1, the new HTC phone from T-Mobile, which is the first phone powered by Google's Android phone OS. So to temper the excitement a bit and get back to reality, I came up with a list of 5 reasons not to get the G1.
Do-it-yourself Konqueror commands: KDE's Konqueror is as multifunctional as a Swiss Army knife. It works as both a file manager and a Web browser, and you can enhance it even further by adding new commands to its repertoire by means of service menus. The new commands appear in Konqueror's context menu when you right-click a file. Here's how to create service menus, and some specific commands that you might want to use in them.
Linux Where You'd Least Expect It: OK. You've heard of Linux. It's another operating system for a computer. But why use it when you can choose between Windows and Macs? Unless you run business-class servers, Linux isn't really something consumers really need to hear about, right? Well, if that's what you think Linux is, you couldn't be further from the truth. Look around you. Linux is everywhere, but you may not know it.
Richard Stallman looks back at 25 years of the GNU project: On September 27, 1983, Richard M. Stallman announced his intention to found the GNU project in order to build a free operating system. Now, 25 years later, the Free Software Foundation is marking the anniversary of the announcement with a month-long celebration. Looking back at the last quarter century, Stallman expresses some guarded satisfaction with the growth of the free software movement, but also some bemusement about how it has grown more complex as it has faced new challenges from within and without, and an awareness of how far it still has to go to reach its goals.
5 Things That Make Linux Great: Linux is all that and a bag o' chips. Find out why. 5 good reasons why you should consider Linux for yourself.
The five best desktop Linuxes you haven't tried: One of the pleasures of Linux is that you can try out different distributions to see which one works best for you. You like Ubuntu, but you want to fine tune the desktop engine? OK, try Kubuntu with its KDE desktop then. Some worthwhile distributions, however, don't get as much attention as they deserve. So, here's my list of five great distributions that you might want to try.
10 amazingly alternative operating systems and what they could mean for the future: This post is about the desktop operating systems that fly under the radar of most people. We are definitely not talking about Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, or even BSD or Solaris. There are much less mainstream options out there for the OS-curious. These alternative operating systems are usually developed either by enthusiasts or small companies (or both), and there are more of them than you might expect. There are even more than we have included in this article, though we think this is a good selection of the more interesting ones and we have focused specifically on desktop operating systems.
Sundown On Solaris?: Netcraft — er, Jim Zemlin, confirms it: Solaris is dying. Customers are leaving it and legacy Unix behind for Linux, in his purview. Open sourcing the platform was too little, too late. Well, maybe not sundown, but it's getting mighty dark out. These are actually not new sentiments; I picked them up from Jim when I talked to him back at OSCON — a place where, ironically enough, I had also talked to folks from Sun. They were and are smart guys, deeply proud of the work they're doing, but I hope they all understand they are never going to steal any of Linux's thunder. (The refrain I've heard from many different quarters about this issue has been expressed in almost the same exact words by all concerned: "If only they had done this [open sourced Solaris] three/five/ten years earlier…")
Even When Linux Fans Win, They Lose: I'm writing this from Ubuntu 8.04 in a live session (booted from USB stick). This *nix distribution runs well, does what I want it to do and runs just fine without complaint. Let's forget the fact that it's super-awesome-cool I can just pop in a USB stick, boot Ubuntu, run it, connect to a wireless network with no problems at all and do my work. You can't do that with Windows or OS X. Let's also forget the fact for a moment I've been using *nix distros off and on since Red Hat 5 (Apollo).


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Diva Dirt sent this in:
Four days away from her retirement match, former TNA Knockout Taylor Wilde (Shantelle Taylor) speaks to Diva Dirt about her retirement, her final match with Alissa Flash and much more. Highlights below:
On arriving at the decision to retire: "It's been a long time coming. I kind of made this pact when I started professional wrestling that essentially, if it wasn't something that I wasn't rolling in as far as it being lucrative and if it wasn't something I could see myself doing through my entire life, something I could retire on, I was going to hang up my boots at 25. So it was pretty much a business decision, if anything."
Whether it was coincidence that both she and Hamada left at the same time despite being Knockouts Tag Team Champions: "Yeah. Actually I found out that Hamada was fired or that Hamada had left the company when you all did. When it became a story on the Internet. I was in shock. It was an interesting ordeal. I decided to retire and she decided to quit so it just so happens that we were a tag team in the ring but mentally, we were on the same page too."
On her retirement match with Alissa Flash: "It really seems like things have come full circle. When I first started wrestling, SHIMMER was the big promotion around and probably one of the biggest shows I did a year and a half into my training and my match was booked to be against Cheerleader Melissa aka Alissa Flash. It was a big, nerve wracking moment for me. Further on, I had my tryout match with her for TNA so we have a lot of history and we've spent a lot of time in the ring together, so it'll be fun to finish with her."
Revealing exclusively what her next step in life is: "I got accepted into the pre-firefighting service at Humber College in Toronto and I'm on my way to being a firefighter. I'm not gonna sit behind a desk in a cubicle. I have to do something physical. At least this way, I'll be giving back and I'll be of benefit to society."
Other topics in the interview include whether she'd rule out a return to wrestling, her run in TNA including her thoughts on the Knockouts division back in 2008 when she debuted versus now, whether she was frustrated over the past year in TNA and more. Shantelle also touches on her time in WWE, working for developmental territory Deep South Wrestling and her stint competing in dark matches as masked 'male' wrestler San-Eye.
Interview can be found here: http://www.diva-dirt.com/2011/02/01/exclusive-taylor-wilde-speaks-on-retirement-final-match-with-alissa-flash-what-shes-doing-next-time-in-tna-and-wwe-2/
Shantelle's retirement match against Alissa Flash takes place this Saturday at John O'Connell High School in San Francisco, CA for ChickFight and Pro Wrestling Revolution. Doors open at 6pm PDT. Tickets at the door will be $15 for general admission and $25 for front row.


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Carl Hulick nearly wept as he walked out of the UCLA locker room Monday morning. His eyes still red, he hugged one teammate for comfort. Several more patted him on the shoulder.
Physical comforts only helped so much. A few seconds later, Hulick gritted his teeth and slammed his own helmet. Death still haunted him.
Bruins receiver Nick Pasquale had been pronounced dead at 1:27 a.m. Sunday, struck by a vehicle in residential San Clemente. An investigation is ongoing, but there is currently no suspicion of drug or alcohol use. The driver called 9-1-1 and remained on scene. No arrests were made.
News filtered through the community quickly, spreading to players in their respective locations. With the Bruins' bye, many had taken the rare weekend off the visit home. One heard the news after getting off his flight.
When head coach Jim Mora finally assembled a team meeting Sunday night, the room was dead silent.
"Everybody on that team, everybody in the locker room has a different relationship with Nick. Knew him in a different way,' Mora said Monday. "Whatever they were feeling was OK.
"For those that wanted to cry, that was OK. For those that wanted to laugh and tell a funny story, it was OK. There's going to be kids in there that really maybe don't feel a lot, and they shouldn't feel guilty about that. That's OK.'
The team will grieve now, and it will grieve on its own terms. Mora decided to close down practices and player interviews to the media this week, an understandable move in the wake of Sunday's tragedy. Counselors were available to the players starting Monday.
If there is any silver lining, it is that Pasquale made his career debut against Nevada last Saturday at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins were running up a double-digit lead, their brilliant offense slicing through a gassed Wolf Pack defense. When the team started dipping down the depth chart, the receivers pushed assistant Eric Yarber to put in the 5-foot-7 spark plug.
"That's something his parents will have forever,' Mora said.
Friends and family remember Pasquale as a gritty, tough player, one nicknamed "Pacquiao' by his teammates after the eight-division world boxing champion. On Twitter, the Bruins praised the walk-on redshirt freshman for taking every snap on scout team, for never complaining, for loving life.
Asked what his favorite memory of Pasquale was, Mora's first thought jumped to last Thursday. The receiver had just shaved his hair off, and the coach rubbed his head playfully. Others quickly flooded back: Pasquale catching balls in practice, talking trash to linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich.
He recently told his father, Mel, that he thought coaches were beginning to notice him. Mora said that wasn't true; they had been watching him since his first practice.
"He was a tough sucker, man,' Mora said. "He was, what, 5-7? A buck sixty-five, seventy? But his freakin' heart jumped out of his chest.'
On the gate to Spaulding Field, someone had left two signs in Pasquale's memory. One, written on white paper, read: "Rest in peace our angel #36.' The other, on blue, said: "Play for each other, play for your brother.' The number 36 was encircled by a heart.
The Bruins will begin wearing Pasquale's number on their uniforms this Saturday at Nebraska, the "36′ adorned on the front of the left shoulder. The Cornhuskers will do the same with a decal on their helmets.
Before the 11 a.m. CST kickoff, the entire stadium will take a moment of silence.
"I can't ever forget about this kid,' Mora said. "I can't ever forget that there's a family out there that lost their son. What it meant for him to be a player here. We can't become numb to it. …
"The kids loved him, man. They loved him.'


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Bishop Peter Ingham was installed as the fourth Bishop of Wollongong on 25 July 2001.
Read more
In 1951 St Francis Xavier's church was designated as the Cathedral for the new Diocese.
Experience the rich natural settings, fascinating history, spiritual richness and diverse cultures of the Diocese of Wollongong.
Stewardship begins with a profound recognition that God has lovingly given us our home, this world, and all that we possess and all that we are.
Background information on the Diocese and local church...
Catholic Education Office
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD)
Office of the Bishop
Catholic Development Fund
Tribunal of the Catholic Church
Parishes and Mass times Macarthur [Western] [Eastern] Illawarra [North] [South] South Coast Southern Highlands Chaplains & Groups Clergy: Bishop | Priests | Deacon


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Welcome to Aquarium Life - A complete source of information on aquariums, aquarium fish and aquarium equipment. We have a wide variety of articles about aquariums, aquarium fish, african cichlids, oscar fish and more. Please feel free to register on our forums to ask questions or just chat with other people who love aquarium life! We are constantly adding new content to enhance the value of our site. We have several projects planned including photo galleries, additional aquarium calculators and an aquarium web cam of Keith Pardee's 90 gallon oscar aquarium. Check back from time to time to see our updates!
Our DIY projects section contains many DIY plans for filters, diy decorations, diy aquarium stands and more. If you are an aquarist on a budget, then the DIY projects can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars! Don't let a budget restraints prevent you from providing your fish with all of the equipment they need to be happy and healthy. Visit our DIY Aquarium Projects section today.
This tool is very helpful when calculating how many watts of total heating you need for your tank. This is an advanced tool that accounts for ambient room temperature as well as tank size.
Aquarium Substrate Quantity Calculator
This handy tool will tell you how many pounds of substrate to purchase to get a specified substrate thickness for any size aquarium.
We have added an aquarium fish profile database to our website. Species are added daily to the aquarium fish database.
Have you purchased a used aquarium and never really knew your capacity? Planning on building a custom aquarium and want to know how big it needs to be to hold 300 gallons? Our Aquarium Capacity Calculator can tell you the gallon capacity of your aquarium
Hexagonal Aquarium Capacity Calculator
If you have a hexagonal aquarium, try this calculator to compute your hex tank volume.
Aquarium Fish Quantity Estimator
Wondering how many aquarium fish you can fit in a given tank size? Use our handy tool to determine how many 6 inch cichlids you could fit into your 125 gallon tank or how many guppies you could fit in your 29 gallon tank.


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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Trey Burke had 18 points and 11 assists, and No. 3 Michigan held off a late rally by No. 18 North Carolina State in a 79-72 victory Tuesday night.
Freshman Nik Stauskas led the Wolverines (6-0) with 20 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 16, but it was Burke who controlled the game, equaling his previous career high of nine assists in the first half and going the whole game without a turnover.
N.C. State (4-2) trailed 73-58 before going on a 10-0 run capped by T.J. Warren's layup with 2:11 remaining. Hardaway answered with a driving bank shot.
It was 75-70 when the Wolfpack forced a turnover and called a timeout with 54.4 seconds to play, but C.J. Leslie was called for an offensive foul.


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Jess Page Corporate Communications Manager
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2013--
Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC), a leading supplier of high performance network
infrastructure solutions, today announced its third quarter financial
results for the period ended December 30, 2012.
Third Quarter Highlights
Financial Results
Net revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 was $119.4 million
compared to $142.8 million in the same quarter last year. Revenue from
Host Products was $89.8 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2013
compared to $111.8 million in the same quarter last year. Revenue from
Network Products was $20.1 million during the third quarter of fiscal
2013 compared to $18.5 million in the same quarter last year. Revenue
from Silicon Products was $9.6 million during the third quarter of
fiscal 2013 compared to $12.4 million in the same quarter last year.
Income from continuing operations on a GAAP basis for the third quarter
of fiscal 2013 was $13.7 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, compared
to $29.2 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, for the third quarter of
fiscal 2012. Income from continuing operations on a non-GAAP basis for
the third quarter of fiscal 2013 was $18.3 million, or $0.20 per diluted
share, compared to $34.5 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, for the
third quarter of fiscal 2012.
"During the December quarter, we reported financial results that
exceeded our expectations. We delivered revenue of $119.4 million and
non-GAAP income from continuing operations per diluted share of $0.20,
both above our original guidance range," said Simon Biddiscombe,
president and chief executive officer, QLogic. "We are seeing
stabilization in our business and I believe our investments in
innovative technologies for new market opportunities position us well to
deliver future growth."
QLogic uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to supplement financial
statements based on GAAP. A summary of these non-GAAP financial measures
and a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to the most
directly comparable GAAP financial measure, as well as a description of
the reasons that management believes that these non-GAAP financial
measures provide useful information to investors and the additional
purposes for which management uses these non-GAAP financial measures, is
presented in the accompanying financial schedules.
QLogic's third quarter fiscal 2013 conference call is scheduled for
today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Simon
Biddiscombe, president and chief executive officer, and Jean Hu, senior
vice president and chief financial officer, will host the conference
call. The call is being webcast live via the Internet at http://ir.qlogic.com
and www.earnings.com.
Phone access to participate in the conference call is available at (877)
675-4750, pass code: 2146165.
The financial information that the company intends to discuss during the
conference call will be available on the company's website at http://ir.qlogic.com
for twelve months following the conference call. A replay of the
conference call will be available via webcast at http://ir.qlogic.com
for twelve months.
Follow QLogic @ twitter.com/qlogic
QLogic – the Ultimate in Performance
(Nasdaq:QLGC) is a global leader and technology innovator in high
performance networking, including adapters, switches and ASICs. Leading
OEMs and channel partners worldwide rely on QLogic products for their
data, storage and server networking solutions. For more information,
visit www.qlogic.com.
Disclaimer – Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements relating to future results of
the company (including certain beliefs and projections regarding
business and market trends, the stabilization of the business, and
investments for new market opportunities to deliver future growth) that
are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking
statements. The company advises readers that these potential risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to: unfavorable economic
conditions; potential fluctuations in operating results; gross margins
that may vary over time; the stock price of the company may be volatile;
the company's dependence on the networking markets served; the ability
to maintain and gain market or industry acceptance of the company's
products; the company's dependence on a small number of customers; the
company's ability to compete effectively with other companies; the
complexity of the company's products; declining average unit sales
prices of comparable products; the company's dependence on sole source
and limited source suppliers; the company's dependence on relationships
with certain third-party subcontractors and contract manufacturers; the
ability to attract and retain key personnel; sales fluctuations arising
from customer transitions to new products; seasonal fluctuations and
uneven sales patterns in orders from customers; a reduction in sales
efforts by current distributors; changes in the company's tax provisions
or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of its income tax
returns; international economic, currency, regulatory, political and
other risks; facilities of the company and its suppliers and customers
are located in areas subject to natural disasters; the ability to
protect proprietary rights; the ability to satisfactorily resolve any
infringement claims; uncertain benefits from strategic business
combinations, acquisitions and divestitures; declines in the market
value of the company's marketable securities; changes in and compliance
with regulations; difficulties in transitioning to smaller geometry
process technologies; the use of "open source" software in the company's
products; and security system risks, data protection breaches and
More detailed information on these and additional factors which could
affect the company's operating and financial results are described in
the company's Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other reports filed, or to be filed,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company urges all
interested parties to read these reports to gain a better understanding
of the business and other risks that the company faces. The
forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only
as of the date hereof, and the company does not intend to update or
revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
QLogic and the QLogic logo are registered trademarks of QLogic
Corporation. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property
of the companies with which they are associated.
(unaudited — in thousands, except per share amounts)
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP financial measures contained herein are a supplement to the
corresponding financial measures prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The non-GAAP financial measures
presented exclude the items summarized in the above table. Management
believes that adjustments for these items assist investors in making
comparisons of period-to-period operating results and that these items
are not indicative of the company's on-going core operating performance.
The company has presented non-GAAP income from continuing operations and
non-GAAP income from continuing operations per diluted share, on a basis
consistent with its historical presentation, to assist investors in
understanding the company's core income from continuing operations and
core income from continuing operations per diluted share on an on-going
basis. These non-GAAP financial measures may also assist investors in
making comparisons of the company's core profitability with historical
periods and comparisons of the company's core profitability with the
corresponding results for competitors. Management believes that non-GAAP
income from continuing operations and non-GAAP income from continuing
operations per diluted share are important measures in the evaluation of
the company's profitability. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude
the adjustments described in the above table, and thus provide an
overall measure of the company's on-going profitability and related
profitability on a per diluted share basis.
Management uses non-GAAP income from continuing operations and non-GAAP
income from continuing operations per diluted share in its evaluation of
the company's core after-tax results of operations and trends between
fiscal periods and believes that these measures are important components
of its internal performance measurement process. In addition, the
company prepares and maintains its budgets and forecasts for future
periods on a basis consistent with these non-GAAP financial measures.
Management believes that providing these non-GAAP financial measures
allows investors to view the company's financial results in the way that
management views the financial results.
The non-GAAP financial measures presented herein have certain
limitations in that they do not reflect all of the costs associated with
the operations of the company's business as determined in accordance
with GAAP. Therefore, investors should consider non-GAAP financial
measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, or as superior to,
measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The
non-GAAP financial measures presented by the company may be different
from the non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.
For additional information on the items excluded from the non-GAAP
financial measures and why the company believes that these non-GAAP
financial measures provide useful supplemental information to investors,
the company refers you to the Form 8-K regarding this release filed
today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A summary of the non-GAAP adjustments presented in the table above by
the financial statement line impacted is as follows:
(unaudited — in thousands)
Net Revenues
A summary of the company's revenue components is as follows:
Source: QLogic Corporation
QLogic CorporationMedia Contact:Steve Sturgeon,
Contact:Jean Hu, firstname.lastname@example.com


text: Wire Framing WP7 Apps With Cacoo Tim Murphy, January 1, 0001 While looking for a free alternative to Sketchflow I landed on the Cacoo web site. Any developer who decides to use the free Visual Studio tools may find themselves doing the same search. The base functionality ... Wire Framing WP7 Apps With Cacoo 0 0 0


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March 22, 2013
Women's History Month: A Pioneer Female Pilot
Celebrate Women's History Month! Time for Stories
4. Do you have a female relative (direct ancestor or collateral lineage) who played an active role in women's issues? Perhaps one who was a Suffragette or was a pioneer in a male-dominated role or occupation? Perhaps she sailed to the New World to start a new life in the 1600s or was a refugee from a war-torn or religious-intolerant location. Tell her story in a blog post or comment here on this blog.
So many to choose from! There are my Palatine female ancestors who fled the Palatinate area of Germany over religious differences and sailed to New York in 1710. Out of approximately 3,000 who fled to a new land, almost 500 died on the way. Once in New York their mistreatment continued, this time at the hands of the British who forced their husbands and sons to work on British Tar Ships in situations not unlike slave labour. Their children were taken from them and given into indentured servitude to wealthier families.
Or my Irish female ancestors who left Ireland during the Potato Famine in the 1840s? My 2nd great grandmother Fanny McGinnis (nee Downey) was one of those women. The hardships many of my female ancestors endured is beyond imagination and I admire their courage and resilience.
Eileen received numerous honours over the years, including the Amelia Earhart medallion in 1975. In August 2008 over 250 people gathered to mark her contribution to aviation on the 100th anniversary of her birth in Wiarton.
You can read more about Eileen and her historical contribution as a pioneer in a male-dominated world at Carnival of Genealogy: Famous Canadian Ancestor Eileen Vollick, first licenced female pilot in Canada
2 comments:
- GenealogyHangout said...
I think it was widely thought that the female pilots were daring for their time. My mother in law was a pilot and flew with some of the famous female pioneer pilots in Australia. She had some wonderful stories to tell. Thank you for reminding me of this, it will be recorded now.
- Mariann Regan said...
Fantastic! Brave women in your family. I have a female cousin who was a pilot, but she was not nearly so famous as yours. She got her license in SC, I believe connected with the McIntire Air Force Base.
How did our ancestors, both men and women, put up with so much? They went through many struggles just so we could be here.
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Ghana, country of western Africa, situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Although relatively small in area and population, Ghana is one of the leading countries of Africa, partly because of its considerable natural wealth and partly because it was the first black African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule.
In addition to being known for its lush forests, diverse animal life, and miles of sandy beaches along a picturesque coast, Ghana is also celebrated for its rich history—its habitation possibly dating from 10,000 bce—and as a fascinating repository of cultural heritage. The country takes it name from the great medieval trading empire that was located northwest of the modern-day state until its demise in the 13th century. Direct sea trade with Europe, established in the 15th century, had much impact on the area's inhabitants, many of whom actively traded with the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and other Europeans. Forts and castles, many of which still dot the Ghanaian coast today, were constructed by Europeans to protect their trade interests. Although trading was originally centred on the gold that was readily available in the area (and from which the future British colony the Gold Coast would take its name), the focus shifted to the lucrative slave trade in the 17th century. The area later became known for growing cacao, the source of cocoa beans. Introduced there in the late 19th century, cacao continues to provide an important export for Ghana.
Modern-day Ghana, which gained its independence on March 6, 1957, consists primarily of the former Gold Coast. The colony's drive for independence was led by nationalist and Pan-African leader Kwame Nkrumah, who viewed Ghana's sovereignty as being important not only for the Ghanaian people but for all of Africa, saying "Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent." Indeed, more than 30 other African countries, spurred by Ghana's example, followed suit and declared their own independence within the next decade.
Nkrumah quickly laid the groundwork for fiscal independence within the new country as well, embarking on many economic development projects. Unfortunately, decades of corruption, mismanagement, and military rule stymied growth and achievement. By the 1990s, though, the country's state of affairs began showing signs of improvement, and Ghana is now held up as an example of successful economic recovery and political reform in Africa.
Ghana's administrative capital is the coastal city of Accra. Originally founded on the site of several Ga settlements, Accra developed into a prosperous trading hub; today it serves as the commercial and educational centre of the county. Kumasi, another prominent commercial centre, is located in the south-central part of the country. Known as the "Garden City of West Africa," Kumasi is also the seat of the king of the Asante people, the vestige of an empire (see Asante empire) that existed in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa, Ghana is bordered to the northwest and north by Burkina Faso, to the east by Togo, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Côte d'Ivoire.
Relief and drainage
Relief throughout Ghana is generally low, with elevations not exceeding 3,000 feet (900 metres). The southwestern, northwestern, and extreme northern parts of the country consist of a dissected peneplain (a land surface worn down by erosion to a nearly flat plain, later uplifted and again cut by erosion into hills and valleys or into flat uplands separated by valleys); it is made of Precambrian rocks (about 540 million to 4 billion years old). Most of the remainder of the country consists of Paleozoic deposits (about 250 to 540 million years old), which are thought to rest on older rocks. The Paleozoic sediments are composed mostly of beds of shales (laminated sediments consisting mostly of particles of clay) and sandstones in which strata of limestone occur in places. They occupy a large area called the Voltaian Basin in the north-central part of the country where the elevation rarely exceeds 500 feet (150 metres). The basin is dominated by Lake Volta, an artificial lake that extends far into the central part of the country behind the Akosombo Dam and covers about 3,275 square miles (8,500 square km). Along the north and south, and to some extent along the west, the uplifted edges of the basin give rise to narrow plateaus between 1,000 and 2,000 feet (300 and 600 metres) high, bordered by impressive scarps. The most outstanding are the Kwahu (Mampong) Scarp (see Kwahu Plateau) in the south and the Gambaga Scarp in the north.
Surrounding the basin on all of its sides, except in the east, is the dissected Precambrian peneplain, which rises to elevations of 500 to 1,000 feet above sea level and contains several distinct ranges as high as 2,000 feet.
Along the eastern edge of the Voltaian Basin, and extending from the Togo border to the sea immediately west of Accra, is a narrow zone of folded Precambrian rocks running northeast to southwest, forming the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, which vary in elevation from 1,000 to 3,000 feet (300 to 900 metres). The highest points in Ghana are found there, including Mount Afadjato (2,903 feet [885 metres]), Mount Djebobo (2,874 feet [876 metres]), and Mount Torogbani (2,861 feet [872 metres]), all situated east of the Volta River near the Togo border. These ranges are part of the Togo-Atakora Mountains, which extend northward into Togo and Benin.
The southeastern corner of the country, between the Akwapim-Togo Ranges and the sea, consists of the gently rolling Accra Plains, which are underlain by some of the oldest Precambrian rocks known—mostly gneisses (coarse-grained rocks in which bands containing granular minerals alternate with bands containing micaceous minerals); in places they rise above the surface to form inselbergs (prominent steep-sided hills left after erosion). The only extensive areas of young rocks less than about 136 million years old are in the wide, lagoon-fringed delta of the Volta, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Accra, and in the extreme southwest of the country, along the Axim coast.
In the east the predominant rocks are less than 65 million years old, though there is a patch of Cretaceous sediments (about 65 to 145 million years old) near the Ghana-Togo border. To the west of Axim, near the Côte d'Ivoire frontier, the rocks date to the Cretaceous Period. The intervening coastal zone between eastern and western extremes contains patches of Devonian sediments (about 360 to 415 million years old). With the older and more resistant rocks of the Precambrian peneplain, these form a low, picturesque coastline of sandy bays and rocky promontories.
The drainage system is dominated by the Volta River basin, which includes Lake Volta. Most of the other rivers, such as the Pra, the Ankobra, the Tano, and a number of smaller ones, flow directly south into the ocean from the watershed formed by the Kwahu Plateau, which separates them from the Volta drainage system. South of Kumasi, in the south-central part of the country, is Ghana's only true natural lake—Bosumtwi—lying in a meteorite impact crater and without any outlet to the sea. Along the coast are numerous lagoons, most of them formed at the mouths of small streams.
Over much of the surface of Ghana, the rocks are weathered, and great spreads of laterite (red, leached, iron-bearing soil) and lesser spreads of bauxite and manganese are found on the flat tops of hills and mountains. Although the movements of the Earth's crust that produced the basic geologic structure of the country have now virtually ceased, periodic earthquakes occur, especially near Accra along the eastern foot of the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, where there is a major fault line.
Throughout the country, weathering, leaching, and the formation of laterite hardpans (hard, impervious layers composed chiefly of iron and aluminum oxides cemented by relatively insoluble materials) by capillary movement (the movement of water containing mineral salts to the surface) and evaporation are common processes that vary in importance according to the characteristics of each locality. Leaching is more pronounced in the wet south, while the formation of laterite is more widespread in the drier north. In general, most soils are formed in place from parent rock material that has been subjected to prolonged erosion and consequently has limited fertility.
In the forest zone the soils are mostly lateritic. They are subdivided into relatively fertile and less-acidic ochrosols (red, brown, and yellow-brown, relatively well-drained soils) in areas of moderate precipitation and into more-acidic and less-fertile oxisols in the extreme southwest, where annual precipitation exceeds 65 inches (1,650 mm). Ochrosols occur over considerable areas in the coastal and northern savanna zones. As in the forest zone, they are the best soils for agriculture.
The coastal savanna zone has an abundance of soil types, including tropical black earths, tropical gray earths, acid vleisols, and sodium vleisols. Except for the tropical black earths, known locally as Akuse clays, most of these soils are of little importance agriculturally. The Akuse clays fill a broad zone across the coastal savanna plains; although heavy and intractable, they respond well to cropping under irrigation and mechanical cultivation.
Because of their intrinsic poverty in nutrients, most of the soils are heavily dependent upon the humus supplied by the vegetation cover. There is thus a delicate balance between vegetation and soil fertility, which may be upset by uncontrolled burning or overuse.
Ghana's climate, like that of the rest of the Guinea Coast, is determined largely by the interplay of two air masses: a hot, dry continental air mass that forms over the Sahara and a warm, humid maritime tropical air mass that forms over the South Atlantic. Both air masses move toward the Equator with their hemispheric winds and meet at the Guinea Coast for several months each year. Continental air moves southward with the northeast trade winds, known in western Africa as the harmattan, and maritime tropical air moves northward with the southwest trades. The zone where these air masses converge is characterized by seasonal line squall precipitation. The convergence zone itself oscillates north and south, following the seasonal movements of the overhead sun and the thermal equator; it reaches its most northerly position in the central Sahara, about latitude 21° N, in August, and its most southerly position about 7° N, a few miles north of the Ghana coastline, in January. Rains occur when the dominant air mass is maritime tropical, and drought prevails when continental air and the harmattan dominate.
In the savanna country north of the Kwahu Plateau, there are two seasons—a dry season from November to March, with hot days and cool nights under clear skies, and a wet season that reaches its peak in August and September. The mean annual precipitation is between 40 and 55 inches (1,020 and 1,400 mm), but there is a marked moisture deficit because of the long, intensely dry season that follows. In the southern forest country, where the annual mean precipitation from north to south has a range of about 50 to 86 inches (1,270 to 2,180 mm), there are two rainy seasons—one from April to July and a lesser one from September to November—and two relatively dry periods that occur during the harmattan season, from December to February, and in August, which is a cool, misty month along the coast. In the Accra Plains, anomalously low annual mean precipitation figures vary from 40 inches (1,000 mm) to less than 30 inches (760 mm), and the precipitation variability and the vegetation bear close resemblance to conditions in the northern savanna zone.
Temperatures show much more regional uniformity. The annual mean temperature is from 78 to 84 °F (26 to 29 °C) and the daily range only some 10 to 15 °F (6 to 8 °C) along the coast and some 13 to 30 °F (7 to 17 °C) in the north. Average relative humidities range from nearly 100 percent in the south to 65 percent in the north, although, during the harmattan season, figures as low as 12 percent have been recorded in the north and around Accra. Enervating conditions produced locally by the combination of high temperatures and high humidities are moderated by altitude in the higher parts and by land and sea breezes along the coast. In general, the hottest months are February and March, just before the rains, and the lowest temperatures occur in January or—along the coast—in August.


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Roto-uku, minimal rotary-necked guitar concepts designed with only one sheet of formed wood or carbon fiber composing the body. The shape of the final guitar is like a megaphone with only tuning keys and strings required.
« Het dak dat opgaat in rook » (the roof that goes up in smoke) is a floating roof with a bar and a wood stove covering a mobile picnic table, by Dutch design studio Overtreders W.
Simpson puppets behind the scenes photo set. Special puppet segment produced by the Chiodo Brothers - puppets and puppetry by Swazzle.
VIDEOPut it back down: fantastic psychedelic animation video for Seymour Bits a.k.a. Bas Bron. Directed by Michiel ten Horn & Maarten J. Berkers. Produced by Habbekrats Amsterdam.
A bench baked with gingerbread. Stockholm Stadsmission: An old Christmas tradition is thousands of people celebrating Christmas in homelessness. These cards helps us to break that tradition.
"M & Mme" furniture series by German designer Valentin Loellmann for Galerie Gosserez - Paris.
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Dezeen revisits some architecturally stunning museums.
A peek at House Industries Pop-Up Holiday Show in New York's Partners & Spade. The show even included live screen printing by Awesome Dudes!
nocs introduce their sleek new ns800 headphones.
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The Linna Armchair design revisits historical elements like avant-garde and memory. The chair is made of solid wood with multilaminated shells in the seat and back allowing for a variety of forms, and the material is in harmony with the human body.
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The Fourth Wall by François Bauchet, Eric Jourdan and N°111. Set in a former cinema, the Quatrième Mur was one of the off site exhibitions at the 2010 Saint-Étienne Design Biennal.
Artist & Illustrator Zachary Johnson has been doing new work in "negative" pen and ink. He takes photographs, inverts them, draws the inversion in pen, and then takes the negative scan for the final print. A ghostly, glowing effect.
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Wood Whale designed by Eric Pfeiffer for the Utility Collective
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Prada Private 'Made in Prada' frames feature can allow the customer to select 2 characters or symbols on the side of the glasses.
VIDEOVideo: Presentation of Qatar's first five stadiums for 2022 FIFA World Cup!
Charming clipboards from artist Maiko Kuzunishi of Decoylab. Each clipboard comes with a notepad and customized pencil that reads either, 'Make my wishes come true' or 'I will achieve my goals'.
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Singapore designer Fung Kwok Pan set out to prove cold industrial materials like steel and concrete can be comfortable with the Concretus chair. The chair is made from concrete tiles linked together using small pieces of wire.
Google Japan releases the geekiest fashion show so far – four girls using Image Search and a projector to show that you can do more with Google than you imagine. Robbin Waldemar of Weiden+Kennedy. Directed by Kosai Sekine.
FLUD news reader is finally on the iPhone. Great UI/design for a creative way to display your news.
Funny new Captain Morgan Commercial movies :'How do you leave your girlfriend to go out and be with your friends ?'
'Nagi Apartment' in Tokyo by Eiri Ota and Irene Gardpoit Chan from Uufie Architects.


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This dad makes his son run (in the worst shoes) while he rolls next to him, recording and motivating by swearing at him. It's all for the sake of football, of course.
That's not the worst part. OK, this whole video is "the worst part." But it definitely gets worse when the dad—who seems to have the same compassion for children as Kenny Powers—goes from driving alongside the kid to behind him. You know, to let the fear take over while he runs. FOOTBAW!
H/t to Ben


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BERLIN (AP) — The German parliament has approved a €130 billion ($173 billion) loan package for Greece after Chancellor Angela Merkel warned it would be irresponsible to abandon the country to bankruptcy.
Parliament voted 496-90 with five abstentions for the new package on Monday. A wide majority was expected, with two opposition parties in favor, although bailing out Greece has never been popular in Germany.
The rescue is Greece's second in less than two years and also involves private-sector investors accepting big losses the bonds they hold, along with tough new Greek austerity measures.
Merkel told lawmakers before the vote that "no one can give a 100 percent guarantee of success" for the rescue program.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel urged German lawmakers to support the new Greek bailout package on Monday, warning it would be irresponsible to abandon Greece to bankruptcy although there is no "100 percent guarantee" that the rescue plan will succeed.
Merkel addressed Parliament ahead of a vote on a €130 billion ($173 billion) bailout. It was expected to win wide approval, with two opposition parties in favor — although bailing out Greece has never been popular in Germany, either with the public or with many politicians.
The rescue package is Greece's second in less than two years and also involves private-sector investors accepting total losses of over 70 percent on the bonds they hold, along with tough new austerity measures.
"The road that lies in front of Greece is long and truly not without risk," Merkel told lawmakers. "That also goes for the success of the new program — no one can give a 100 percent guarantee of success."
Earlier Monday, the mass-circulation Bild daily, which has always taken a very hard line on Greece, plastered the word "STOP!" over its front page. Its message to lawmakers was: "Don't keep on going the wrong way."
Merkel, however, said it would be irresponsible to risk a Greek bankruptcy.
She acknowledged that some people are asking "whether Greece isn't a bottomless pit, a hopeless case, whether it wouldn't be better for all if Greece reintroduced the drachma."
But she insisted that "the opportunities outweigh the risks of turning away from Greece now — I believe these risks are incalculable and therefore irresponsible."
"As chancellor of Germany, I should and sometimes must take risks, but I cannot embark on adventures," Merkel said.
It isn't yet clear exactly what Germany's share will be of the new bailout.
Greece has been surviving since May 2010 on an initial €110 billion ($148 billion) package of rescue loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.
The IMF's input this time has yet to be determined. But Merkel said "it is indispensable for the German government that the IMF continue to make a significant contribution and provide its experience and expertise."
Several non-European members of the IMF, such as the U.S., are reluctant to boost the IMF's resources for troubled eurozone nations, saying the region's bailout funds should be increased in size first.
Merkel made clear that she is holding out against the mounting pressure for a quick decision on beefing up the permanent €500 billion ($671 billion) rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism.
"The government currently sees no need for a debate on increasing the capacity" of the ESM and the existing interim bailout fund, she said.
But she underlined Germany's willingness to speed up its planned payments of capital into the ESM, saying that Berlin could pay in the first half — €11 billion ($14.8 billion) — this year and the rest next year.
An often suggested route toward expanding the ESM is keeping the remnants of the existing interim fund, the €440 billion ($590 billion) European Financial Stability Facility, available once the ESM starts work in July.
German officials are noncommittal, pointing repeatedly to an existing agreement to review the ESM's size by the end of March.
Merkel insisted that ending the crisis will be a gradual, step-by-step process that will "require years" to complete.
"It was always Germany and the German government that warned again and again the illusion of fast and simple solutions," Merkel told lawmakers. "We continue to warn against that."
Opposition Social Democrat Peer Steinbrueck shot back that "this strategy of buying time has failed because times have got worse."
Underlining unease in Merkel's center-right coalition, the weekly Der Spiegel on Sunday quoted Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich as arguing that Greece would have better chances of "regenerating and becoming more competitive" outside the 17-nation eurozone.
"I'm not talking about throwing Greece out, but about creating incentives for an exit that they can't refuse," he added, according to the report.
But Friedrich said Monday that he would back the second bailout and insisted he had only been talking about "what alternatives there are if the possibility of making Greece competitive inside the euro were to fail."


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Liberty and Environmentalism: A Reconciliation
Posted on May 8, 2012 by k466
There are generally two sides to the issues of climate change and environmentalism. Typically, the 'left' is associated with concern (and sometimes alarmism) about global warming, and wants more government regulation to address environmental problems. The 'right', on the other … Continue reading →
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20-11-2013, 19:42 #1
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
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Battlefield 4 Procon Video Tutorial (Not For Layers)
I am still noticing many server owners having issues connecting or using Procon with there BF4 servers. In this short video i go over what you have to do to connect and walk through a few features within the admin panel.
Thanks for watching and hope this helps!
PapaCharlie9 Edit: 18.104.22.168 download page is here: https://forum.myrcon.com/showthread....oad-Procon-1-X
Discussion thread for this video is here: https://forum.myrcon.com/showthread....rocon-Tutorial
Last edited by PapaCharlie9; 20-11-2013 at 22:34.


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The annual Rotary fresh lobster sale provides ample opportunities to sample new lobster recipes.
It is fall and time for the annual Rotary fresh lobster sale. In honor of this annual event, I'd like to share some new easy ways to prepare your fresh catch.
The lobster sale takes place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at Kinston Plaza. You can purchase cooked or fresh. For more information call 252-522-5510 or 252-520-9400. Once you check out these recipes, it will be hard to pass on this opportunity.
Lobster and Corn Chowder
2 2-pound live lobsters
1 large stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
5 black peppercorns
1⁄4 pound salt pork, diced
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1⁄2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 ears)
3 cups half-and-half
Cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add lobsters and cook for 8�10 minutes. Remove lobsters, reserving cooking liquid, and run under cold water. Remove meat (discard tomalley and coral) and cut into small pieces. Return shells and 10 cups reserved cooking liquid to pot.
Add celery, carrot, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns to cooking liquid, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth through a sieve into a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 6 cups, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Cook salt pork in a large pot over medium-low heat until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove, drain on paper towels; set aside for garnish. Cook onions and garlic in rendered fat over low heat until translucent, about 20 minutes.
Add potatoes, corn and reduced broth to onions, increase heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in half-and-half and a dash of cayenne and return to a simmer. Add lobster meat and simmer (do not boil) until heated through, 3�5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with reserved salt pork.
Grilled Lobster with Cilantro-Chile Butter
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons minced cilantro
4 green chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 lime, zested and quartered
2 2-pound live lobsters
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a small bowl, stir together butter, cilantro, chiles and lime zest; set aside. Using a heavy cleaver, split each lobster in half lengthwise through its head and tail. Scoop out and discard the yellow-green innards and cut off the claws. Transfer the lobster halves, shell side down, to a baking sheet; crack the lobster claws and transfer them to the baking sheet. Drizzle lobster halves and claws with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat a 12-inch cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Place lobster halves (flesh side down) and claws on grill and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over lobster halves and claws and spread each with some of the cilantro�chile butter; continue cooking until cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Serve with lime wedges.
Butter Poached Lobster with Fresh Tomatoes
1 3/4-pound live lobster (or 2 uncooked lobster tails)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), cut into 1-tablespoon chunks
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tomatoes, cut into large chunks
3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (cut into long thin strips)
Lobster tails: Use sharp kitchen shears to cut shell of lobster all the way down its back. Turn over and cut bottom shell all the way down. Peel off shell and remove meat. Continue with step 2.
Whole lobster: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Turn off heat and add the lobster. Cover with lid and let cook for 3 minutes. Remove all lobster meat from shell and cut into large chunks.
In a sauce pan, bring 1 tablespoon of water to simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1 piece of butter. When butter has melted, add another piece. Continue with remaining butter pieces, one at a time. Make sure the mixture does not come to a boil; otherwise the butter will separate.
Keeping the heat on medium-low, add the lobster pieces and cook for 5 minutes, turning the lobster pieces every minute or so. Make sure mixture does not boil. Remove lobster pieces and divide between the 2 serving bowls.
In the same saucepan with the remaining butter, turn the heat up just a bit, add the garlic. When fragrant, add the tomatoes and cook for just a couple of minutes until the tomatoes have released some of the juices. I like to gently smash the tomatoes a bit so more juice comes out. Throw in the basil and you're done. Spoon tomatoes over lobster and serve immediately.
Artichoke and MaineLobster Dip
1 cup fresh lobster meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 can artichoke hearts (10-12 to a can) in water or marinated, drain and cut into chunks
8 ounces cream cheese (not low-fat)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Romano cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons dry vermouth
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
Place the artichokes and Maine lobster in a medium bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Blend with a fork until all the ingredients are smooth and creamy.
Add the artichokes and Maine lobster. Blend them in trying not to break them up much. (It will taste better to leave them somewhat in tact.)
Bake in a pan at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. It should be lightly browned and bubbling.
Serve with nacho chips, on crackers or in a bread bowl. All are wonderful.
Tammy Kelly is director of the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or email@example.com.


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In a profile of the poetry-reading chief of staff to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Washington Post calls Sanders not only "the only socialist in the U.S. Congress," but also "surely [the Senate's] most liberal [member]." Surely. I mean, he's a socialist, right? (And by the way, that isn't a label that Sanders rejects.)
Well, maybe not. According to the National Taxpayers Union, 42 senators in 2008 voted to spend more tax dollars than socialist Bernie Sanders. They include his neighbor Pat Leahy; Californians Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, who just can't understand why their home state is in fiscal trouble; and the Eastern Seaboard anti-taxpayer Murderers' Row of Kerry, Dodd, Lieberman, Clinton, Schumer, Lautenberg, Menendez, Carper, Biden, Cardin, and Mikulski. Don't carry cash on Amtrak! Not to mention Blanche Lambert Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas, who apparently think Arkansans don't pay taxes so federal spending is free. Sen. Barack Obama didn't vote often enough to get a rating in 2008, but in 2007 he managed to be one of the 11 senators who voted for more spending than the socialist senator.
Meanwhile, the American Conservative Union rated 11 senators more liberal than Sanders in 2008, including Biden, Boxer, Feinstein, and again the georgraphically confused Mark Pryor. The Republican Liberty Caucus declared 14 senators, including Sanders, to have voted 100 percent anti-economic freedom in 2008, though Sanders voted better than 31 colleagues in support of personal liberties. The liberal Americans for Democratic Action provides more support for the Post's claim, rating Sanders 100 percent liberal. Most raters, though, don't see it that way. In this compilation of ratings from left-leaning interest groups, 17 senators get higher scores than Sanders.
It almost seems that an avowed socialist is middle-of-the-road among Senate Democrats.


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Bootlegger, with fraudulent past irks Tatitlek
Some villagers say justice slow in coming despite priors, and new felony arrests
A number of people of people from Tatitlek, some living in the small village, others with strong family ties, are speaking out after former resident Lori Ann Clum was arrested in January, and was later indicted and charged with 21 felony counts of trafficking in liquor in a dry village, misconduct with controlled substances, intent to sell narcotics, and weapons charges, including five counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
"It's almost like she's mocking the system," David Totemoff, current council president, said Monday in a telephonic interview.
The people that spoke to the Valdez Star are upset because Clum, also known as Lori Ann Johnson, Sue Johnson and Lori Ann Blake, was freed on $5,000 bail, despite the fact Clum is still in court, fighting attempts by village officials to collect a $150,000 settlement the IRA Village Council won against Clum and her husband, Daniel, after protracted civil litigation involving allegations the couple defrauded village coffers to the tune of nearly $600,000 in late 2007 through 2008. In 2007, Clum, then known as Johnson, beat-out Totemoff in an election to become president of the Tatitlek Village IRA Council, then allegedly emptied the village bank accounts, leaving fuel invoices and IRS tax bills unpaid.
The fuel company refused to barge fuel to the roadless village, located in the Tatitlek Narrows of Prince William Sound, approximately 25 miles southeast of Valdez and 30 air-miles north of Cordova. The IRS demanded $38,000 in back taxes, with the threat of dissolving the village council if the debt was not settled.
A deal was struck between the Clums and the village council in early 2011. The couple admitted to owing the village $150,000, and agreed to pay restitution.
"If we continued to fight her (in court), it might take years and years," Totemoff said.
After a few splintered payments amounting to what Totemoff said was "$4000 and some change," the payments stopped. The case has been reopened.
But that is not all.
"Are you kidding me? She's got other drug convictions," one former resident fumed. "It's just completely insane how she gets away with it."
Alaska court records back up the assertion.
Before taking the married name of Clum, Lori Ann Johnson was arrested at Merrill Field in Anchorage before she boarded a flight to Tatitlek in March 2009. Troopers found her in possession of prescription narcotics she had no prescription for.
After posting $5,000 in bail for that case, Clum reached a plea bargain agreement with state prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to one felony count of misconduct involving a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The state dropped a second felony drug charge and she received 30 months of probation.
"It's been an ongoing problem," Totemoff said. "The community, we're waiting for the system to do its thing."
Totemoff said Tatilek's current woes involving Clum began September, 2012, when allegations began surfacing that Clum, who was allegedly living in the village again, was selling illegally imported liquor and selling prescription and street narcotics in the small village.
Court documents state Bill Settle, Tatitlek's Village Public Safety Officer, or VPSO, received complaints from concerned village residents who had claimed family members were using alcohol illegally purchased from Clum.
Charging documents authored by Settle say Clum gave credit to some customers and, at least in one case, accepted checks as payment for the illegal wares.
Settle began collecting evidence, such as empty vodka containers.
Anonymous notes appeared at Settle's work computer in November alleging Clum was bootlegging and selling drugs in the village. In one case, Clum allegedly tried to force a debtor's sister into paying off a liquor tab.
Charging documents state Clum was charging $100 for 1.75 liter bottles of Monarch brand vodka, which sells for BLUK in Valdez, much less in Anchorage. The drugs found in her possession included tar heroin, oxycodone, methadone, crystal meth, Xanax, and dihydrocodeine.
"I'm reeling from it," Totemoff said. "We don't know how many people in our village had access to this."
The 2010 US Census said the village has 87 housing units, 36 which were occupied. The state currently estimated 86 residents in 2011. Totemoff estimated 50 year-round residents. About one third, he says, are children.
Will such a small population, even five users add up to a large percentage of the population, Totemoff said, refusing to speculate on the extent of the troubles within the population.
"It's hard to think how many kids she could have introduced to this," Totemoff lamented. "And adults."
The village has seen its share of drug and alcohol related troubles – inside and outside the village.
In July of 2000, Clum's own 15-year-old son, Kevin Blake, was killed, along with an 11-year-old cousin, when a drunk driver crashed into a pickup truck Blake was driving under the tutelage of his grandparents.
Totemoff did not fail to see the irony; he wondered how a mother that lost an innocent son to an alcohol related tragedy could later illegally supply booze in a dry village.
Clum's life, the resulting hardships, it all contains a statement, Totemoff believes; a lesson he hopes the young people of not only Tatitlek, but all of Alaska, can learn from.
"The whole thing is, I guess, is awareness," he said. "to know where it could lead them."


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Balenciaga Le Dix Cartable S Crossbody BagCategories:Other Brands
Last month, I expressed my appreciation of the recent marbleized trend, and this month, my love has yet to dissipate. Especially now that I've laid eyes on Balenciaga's latest Le Dix Cartable bag. It looked great in black leather with white piping, and now the style has been reinvented yet again in a print worthy of a Greek goddess or a Roman holiday.
There is something coolly unexpected about the brand's way with the pattern. In creamy white contrasted with black ripples, it resembles something that could have been snatched from a museum's ancient collection. Set on the silhouette of a ladylike top handle-to-modern crossbody, depending how you choose to carry it, it oozes sophistication. It appears Balenciaga has what it takes to make the Le Dix hold our interest for the long haul. I'm looking forward to seeing what motif they come up with next. Balenciaga Le Dix for $1,925.
Tags: bag Balenciaga S Crossbody LE DIX CARTABLE
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BALENCIAGA LE DIX CARTABLE S PYTHON BAGCategories:Other Brands
Here the proof that a twist can make a huge difference; it's the story about the Balenciaga Le Dix New Cartable S Python Bag. And don't get too excited by its name, but get excited because by its beauty.
It's chic but playful, the combination of python and bright color creates an indescribable feeling. It doesn't make it easier when you figure it out that it is sold-out online.
Let us tell you more about its story…
You see, you can either get it in Pochette-shape or shoulder bag. Both are stunning, the very long name is inspired by the 10 Avenue George V Flagship boutiques. Interesting right?
It's mixed with exotic leather and calfskin, to be exact, the front is made from python and the other parts are calfskin leather. It's also mixed with contrasted colors like white and soft-yellow or white with soft-pink.
The bag is structured and holds shape. Obviously if you choose the shoulder bag, it comes with an adjustable strap that can also be removed. And to make it even more interesting, the interior features a mirror in a trapezoid case. And the closing snap on the front is embellished with the logo 'Balenciaga.Paris'.
I love everything about Paris, and you?
Balenciaga Le Dix New Cartable S Python Bag
Size: 29 x 23 x 12 (W x H x D)
Price: $2495 USD, €1675 euro
Balenicaga Le Dix Pochette Cartable Strap Python Bag
Size: 31 x 20 x 8 (W x H x D)
Price: $2195 USD, €1475 euro
Tags: bag Balenciaga Python S LE DIX CARTABLE
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Balenciaga Padlock Work S BagCategories:Other Brands
Every beautiful morning I wake up and my phone is always somewhere within hand's reach. Somehow it has become a common behavior to quickly check my messages, am I alone on this world? Probably not, phones have become a necessity and no morning is too early to be notice about a brand-new bag or a new release. At least you are up-to-date about fashion and you are prepared mentally for the next shopping spree. Let it be productive.
Balenciaga turned around their classics by introducing the new Maillon collection, but what we didn't expect is that the Padlock bag has been re-designed. An ambush for anyone who has just bought the previous version. The new ones are far more superior in style and sharper in quality. Shaped in horizontal, put together with impeccable smooth and calfskin leather, with removable shoulder strap inherited from the classic city bag. The padlock has one large space with an interior zip pocket crafted. Because it's unstructured, you never feel it's overstuffed.
For now, your new Balenciaga crave is only made in black and rouge, both with golden hardware. You can get it for €1.595 or $2,350 USD at Balenciaga. More classics, more choices, more fun.
Tags: bag Balenciaga Padlock Work S


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Whether it's advertisements for shake weights or weight-loss shakes, the general public is inundated with ideas for quick-fix schemes for better fitness.
That's the public perception of the fitness industry. Those in the fitness club industry know better. At least, club operators should know better.
Quick-fix ideas have come and gone in this industry, too. Franchisors who promise streaming memberships and instant cash have often left franchisees in ruins in only a matter of months. The club owners who have thrived and survived over the years have planned ahead, changed their course and have done whatever it takes to keep their doors open and their members coming back.
That mentality is needed more now than ever. The economy is still slowly making its way back, and if club operators are waiting for the economy to continue to improve in order to make their move, they're going to be waiting a long time.
To successfully break away from the pack and get ahead, club owners will need to factor in the expectations of 2011 as well as 2012, 2013 and beyond. The future of each club company is bright—only if that owner makes it bright.
First, the industry must acknowledge the 400-pound gorilla in the back of the group ex room. Several industry experts are predicting the economy won't pick back up to pre-recession levels this year.
"It's not coming back at a roaring rate to make a marginal difference in 2011," says Mark Mastrov, co-founder of New Evolution Ventures, Lafayette, CA, who built the 24 Hour Fitness empire and now heads the Crunch Fitness brand, among others. "Ultimately, I think you've got another year of difficulty. In 2012, you head towards an election year, and in an election year, people try to make things better as they want to get back in office."
To add insult to injury, Michael Scott Scudder, consultant with Club Management Education & Training Online, Taos, NM, says that unemployment needs to return to about 6 percent in order for the country to return to a stable economy. Unemployment jumped to 9.8 percent last November.
"We're not going to be going back to a stable economy until 2015 or 2016," Scudder says. "It's that serious."
Not the prediction anyone wants to hear, is it?
But for some people in the industry, 2011 is looking better than it has in two years, if only slightly, at least according to Club Industry's2011 State of the Industry report.
In the survey, 28 percent of respondents plan to expand their facilities in the next 12 months, a slight increase from the 25 percent of club operators who planned to expand in 2010. Of those who plan to expand, 51 percent plan to do so by expanding their existing building while 38 percent plan to convert or renovate at least one of their facilities.
More than half of the survey respondents—59 percent—anticipate revenue will increase in 2011, another hopeful sign, considering 54 percent of respondents said revenue would increase in 2010. Six percent anticipate revenue will decrease in 2011 while 30 percent say it will stay the same. (Five percent did not answer the question.)
Equipment manufacturers, however, may have a tough time convincing club operators to spend in 2011. According to the survey, club operators will spend an average of $10,000 less on equipment purchases during the next 12 months than they expected to spend in 2010. (Mastrov says equipment manufacturers will do well this year because their parts divisions will be especially busy since operators will want to re-tool old equipment rather than purchase new equipment.)
The biggest ray of sunshine, according to the 2011 report, involves membership expectations. In the report, 68 percent of respondents expect memberships to increase in 2011 compared to 57 percent in 2010. Twenty-eight percent anticipate membership levels will stay the same in 2011 compared to 36 percent in 2010. Only 3 percent anticipate a decrease in 2011 compared to 6 percent in 2010.
The numbers seem to signal that some people in the industry are hopeful. A little hope goes a long way, but how can club operators set themselves apart and come out ahead once the recession truly is over?
In December, Club Industry detailed the explosion of low-price clubs during the past year. Several industry experts expect this trend to continue, at least through 2011.
And they may have Mike Grondahl, CEO of Planet Fitness, Newington, NH, to thank. The club company's $10-per-month model, many say, spawned the girth of low-price competitors last year. Grondahl says he believes in the low-price model, but then again, he's more than a little biased.
"We're approaching 2.5 million members," Grondahl says. "We're introducing a lot of people [to fitness] that wouldn't have been introduced to fitness."
That may be true, but Stephen Tharrett, president of Club Industry Consulting, Highland Village, TX, says that rather than pulling in the deconditioned or the new-to-fitness market, low-priced clubs actually attract the avid exercisers who would rather not be bothered while working out. Furthermore, Tharrett says that if price points are staying the same or dropping, the only way for club operators to increase revenue is to increase memberships.
"If you are lowering the price point, you are bringing in people who are less willing to spend more on additional services," Tharrett says.
Indeed, as the State of the Industry report indicates, despite the trend to low-priced clubs, only 3 percent of club operators plan to decrease dues pricing in 2011 while 18 percent plan to increase it.
Tharrett's observations stem from a change in the consumer buying index as a result of the recession. He does not expect those buying habits to return to pre-recession levels if and when the economy starts to build again.
"They'll be more conservative and make more educated decisions," Tharrett says about consumers.
Scudder adds: "This industry is more economy and consumer attitude dependent than it's ever been. How seriously will the American consumer guard his or her pocketbook? There's a psychological factor that really plays on consumer buying habits. I don't sense a direction yet."
So does that mean that all club operators should lower their prices? Or should they add more ancillary services? Grondahl, for one, says club owners should focus on the environment of the clubs and on their members.
Another club executive goes one step further, saying club operators should not focus on ancillary services altogether.
"This is a business that is complicated because people make it more complicated," says the club executive, who did not wish to be identified. "The whole point of this business is keep it simple. Don't try to run juice bars. Don't put in a retail component. Don't put in massage therapy. Don't put in medical doctors. People are constantly trying to find a way to recreate the wheel."
Focusing on those and other ancillary sources of revenue, the executive says, takes a great amount of time and energy away from the bread-and-butter of the industry: membership sales. Ancillary services are part of a tangible market. Selling fitness—the idea of getting healthy and looking good—is intangible, he says.
"You look at your product mix and you say, 'What's the most profitable? Where is my most volume?'" he says. "If 20 percent of your products are doing 80 percent of your sales, that's what you're going to want to concentrate on, especially if the cost to get sold is zero."
Bringing the focus back to membership sales takes a lot of effort. Mastrov says that LA Fitness, Irvine, CA, is one club company that uses this model well.
"If you look at LA Fitness, they're still using the old sales model, hustling in the community, which is one of the reasons I think they've been the most successful out there," Mastrov says.
The hustle factor. That's a trait commonly found in the single-club operator, the mom-and-pop club owner, if you will. The fear has been, over the last few years, that the big-name brands with bigger advertising budgets and lower prices have been squeezing out the mom-and-pops. But as long as the single-club operators have that hustle factor, as long as they maintain community relationships, they will have a place in the industry, Mastrov says.
"Provided that they've got a good lease, a long-term location and a good member base, they should perform well," Mastrov says. "I'm not seeing that landscape change. Maybe we're seeing fewer people opening fitness centers now than in prior years, but that's probably a smart thing."
"You're not seeing 10 to 20 percent growth for the big guys," Mastrov adds. "You're not seeing 24 Hour, Bally, LA Fitness opening up 50 stores a year anymore. You've seen everybody pare way down, and I think that's probably good business to do so."
For those club operators who have some cash stashed away, now is as good a time as ever to acquire property, many in the industry say.
The closings of such supermarkets as A&P, Albertsons and Winn-Dixie across the country have left a lot of big boxes available. Strip-mall landlords understand the traffic that a fitness club can bring to their centers.
"We used to be a pariah," Grondahl says. "Landlords, the last thing they wanted was a health club, but now with so much vacant space, they're coming to us. All of a sudden, the rest of the center fills up because it looks busy. Right now is just a very, very good time to be coming into the industry. Deals right now are cheaper than they were in the '90s. It's a tremendous time to grow if you have money."
Scudder adds that it's also a great time for club owners to refinance leases.
"Landlords don't want to lose clubs because they now know that there's no secondary market," Scudder says. "With money as tight as it is, they don't want to have to take over a space and either try to re-market a health club or take over a space and have to renovate it and re-lease it to another type of business in a very difficult time to do that."
With all the focus on the low-price clubs and the fate of the mid-priced clubs, it's sometimes easy to forget how the high-end clubs might fare in a struggling economy. Higher-priced studios that offer group exercise, yoga or recumbent bikes will do well, too, in 2011, industry observers say, mainly because people who belong to a high-priced club are simply willing to spend money.
In addition to items such as personal training, group exercise or other forms of programming, one of the trends for 2011 found on fitness organizations' lists is a tie to the wellness industry. The 2010 International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) Global Report showed that global industry revenue reached $67.2 billion in 2009—$23.1 billion for North American clubs. By comparison, health and wellness industry sales were $125 billion in 2009, according to the Natural Marketing Institute. At least one economist, Paul Zane Pilzer, predicts the wellness industry will one day reach $1 trillion.
Whatever the size of your clubs, whether they be big boxes, small boxes, high-priced boxes or low-priced boxes, it's time to begin to think outside that box in 2011.
"This may be the year that what used to be—the practice of fitness in clubs as we have known it—really shows its age and its cracks in the armor," Scudder says. "I hope it is, because then that's going to birth something that will be so much more valuable to people."


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The short-handled version, 18" long overall with a 5-1/2" long, 3-3/4" wide head, is ideal for working on your knees, in raised beds, or in confined spaces. Designed for use in a standing position, the long-handled hoe is 57-1/2" long overall, with a 7-1/2" long, 4-1/2" wide head (minor assembly required; hardware and hex key included).
Each has a comfortable, oval handle. Well made in Japan. For the curious, san-kaku is Japanese for triangle.


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According to C. Rodney James, editor of the latest edition of The ABCs of Reloading:
"There are at least five good reasons for embarking on the journey of reloading. First is economy. Someone who has come to enjoy the sport of shooting soon discovers that the cost of factory ammunition has become almost prohibitive. A pleasant afternoon of target shooting, banging through a half dozen boxes of cartridges or more, can run past the hundred dollar mark if you use anything other than 22 rimfires.
"By reloading brass centerfire cartridge cases with commercially available bullets, primers and smokeless powder, you can reduce this cost by better than 60% over commercial ammunition. Even if empty cases are purchased new the savings over commercially-made ammunition is still better than 25%, because you supplied the labor to make the finished ammunition. If you cast your own lead-alloy bullets, you can save even more since good bullets can be made from scrap alloys that can be bought for very little or even obtained for free."
Click here to get your own copy of The ABCs of Reloading, 9th Edition, and read the other four reasons to reload your own ammo. The book includes step-by-step procedures for reloading rifle, handgun and shotgun ammunition, with hundreds of detailed photos to help you along the way.
Resources for reloading:
Cartridges of the World, A Complete and Illustrated Reference for Over 1,500 Cartridges
The ABCs of Reloading, The Definitive Guide for Novice to Expert, 9th Edition
Ammo & Ballistics 4, Ballistic Data out to 1,000 Yards for over 170 Calibers and over 2,400 Different Loads


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Having attended quite a few baseball games at Conrad Park in beautiful DeLand, Florida – where the man with the newest model El Camino is king – I can tell you with great certainty that Stetson Hatters fans take their baseball quite seriously. After all, baseball and (every once in a while) basketball are all that Stetson has had ever since its football program decided to take a dirt nap back in 1957. But with football poised to return this year, the baseball program might as well enjoy the popularity while it can.
And judging by this first pitch from Tuesday's night's game against Florida State, Stetson fans have already long forgotten about baseball and, more specifically, how to throw one. We've previously discussed the finer aspects of what I believe is the art of throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game, but the one thing that I will always impress upon those given the opportunity is to not act like a total douche caboose before you throw the pitch, unless you are absolutely confident that it'll be a strike.
Because otherwise you'll look like this goober and there's no recovery from the bro shame that will be laid upon a man after this kind of performance. Shame this man, Stetson bros. Shame him good.
(H/T to Drew)


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