text:
I'm not arguing one against the other, but for some reason I always notice firefighter-branded products and companies. Hot Sauces are popular, and ripe fodder for all sorts of puns and fire references. There's a chain of sandwich shops called Firehouse Subs that, curiously, steams its subs rather than flame toasting them (I do love their brisket sandwich, though). Usually these are side projects for professional or volunteer firemen, or companies run by retired firemen. And there's usually some sort of charity connected to the operation as well.
So let's take a look at this beer, the Hook & Ladder Backdraft Brown, $8/6 pack, 4.5% abv.
1) Founded by a volunteer fireman
2) Firefighting terms used for the company name and the specific beer name
3) Donations to local burn wards ("Penny in Every Pint", "Quarter in Every Case", and the money goes to the city or region where you bought the beer)
4) Photographed with a fire extinguisher by your friendly neighborhood blogger just for fun (but note that this is a properly charged dry chemical fire extinguisher, safety first)
So how does it taste? It's a pretty basic English-style brown ale. Not very bitter, but the flavor focuses more on the malts, where you'll get toffee and chocolate elements. I found myself wanting more hops, but it's a good introductory beer for folks who might be afraid of any beer that's darker than
There's another curious side to this beer. It's produced under a system called contract brewing by The Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, even though the company is based in Maryland, but started in California. It's a form of outsourcing: if you don't want to operate an entire brewery, you provide the recipe and specifications to an existing facility. They produce the beer, you handle all the marketing and everything else. There are mixed feelings about this in the beer community. In some cases, it's a great way for a small producer to create a consistent product without a huge financial risk. In other cases, it can be viewed as removing the specific regional qualities of a beer. Order a Guinness in Australia, and it's produced locally by Fosters. Order one in the US, and it's made in Ireland, but if you want a stronger beer and order a Guinness Extra Stout, it comes from Canada. (There are also much stronger versions of Guinness made locally in Africa and Asia, but that's another story.)
I don't really have strong feelings on the issue, but I tend to be generally curious about where things come from, and I wanted to point this out to scare and shock wine lovers. Imagine buying "Barolo" that had been mixed and formulated in a factory in Kansas. OK, wine and beer production are a lot different, and it's easier to emulate a certain style with beer, but who knows what the future will hold?
Coincidentally as I was finishing up this post, I happened to take a closer look at my bottle of "Georgia's Natural Juice Pomegranate Juice". I picked it up because it was cheaper than POM, and I hadn't tried it yet. Pure juice, no sugar or other stuff, sounds good. I found out that it wasn't from the Peachtree State, but rather the former Soviet Republic of საქართველო. The juice tastes fine, and there's nothing wrong with it, but I found it a curious bit of slightly deceptive marketing. Like if the ancient capital of the Egyptian empire in the other Memphis decided to start selling BBQ sauce and Elvis records.


text:
Indicative Rate * AU$270 to AU$330
Salty Towers is a three bedroom pole home located in the second valley of Happy Valley on Fraser Island. Salty Towers offers self-contained accommodation is located near the Eastern Beach so is ideally located for those wishing to explore and enjoy Fraser Island.
The house sleeps up to 10 people (in eight beds) and has a large deck with a covered outdoor dining area for 12.
It is a short 200 metre walk to the beach and a similar distance on the track through the cutting to the Fraser Island Retreat which offers a bistro, bar, convenience shop and real coffee.
The house has three bedrooms - two bedrooms with queen beds on the main floor and a loft with six single beds.
Salty Towers enjoys views of the ocean from the living area and the outdoor dining area, and is fully screened.
Salty Towers is a self-contained three bedroom house offering accommodation for up to 10 people. Power is supplied by a solar based system and batteries
Ocean views are available from the deck..
The house has a gas stove, microwave, gas barbecue, refrigerator, freezer, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery.
Tenants need to bring their own linen although with prior notice linen can be hired from the Fraser Island Retreat in Happy Valley where the keys are collected.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Back for Aero India 2009...
I apologise for the complete silence of the past four months or so, but Arunachal Pradesh is not the most "on-line" state in the union. During this period I have travelled extensively, especially along the Sino-Indian border in Arunachal, and interviewed hundreds of local people about how Indian frontier policy has played out in that state. All this, as I posted earlier, for an eventual book later this year.
This is just to inform bloggers that I intend to return to Delhi at the end of January and travel to Bangalore for Aero India 2009, from where I will be reporting and posting on Broadsword.
After that, it's back to Arunachal for another spell on the book.
25 comments:
Great to have you back!!!!!!!!
- 15 January 2009 at 12:01
welcome back dude.
we missed our insider in LCA department :)
- 16 January 2009 at 02:30
Hi shuklaji,
Plz post ur experiences in A.P upto now..
any memorable, interesting thing happened during these 4 months??
- 16 January 2009 at 17:46
- Broadsword said...
Pranab, It's been an enormously interesting and memorable four months. But I'm going to put my experiences and the fruits of my research (and equally my wife's) into a book that we hope will be published later this year. It will, hopefully, shed some more light on Arunachal Pradesh, the lead-up to 1962, and where we have gone thereafter. So bear with me until then.
- 17 January 2009 at 07:35
Hi Ajai,
Good to hear your focussed attention on the 1962 conflict and Arunachal Pradesh.
Request you to lobby the govt to release the Henderson Bhagat report on the war to the public. Since it is of interest to you and you are in a position to influence public opinion, I think doing this will not be out of your way.
- 18 January 2009 at 22:34
ajai good to see you back !
eagerly waiting for your book !
cheers !
- 19 January 2009 at 06:32
Nice to see you back Ajai.
- 20 January 2009 at 02:04
- A&S said...
Hi Ajai. Your balanced insight was sorely missed during the Mumbai fiasco.
However, it is equally important to have a more comprehensive understanding of our future - that of relations with China.
Looking forward to your book.
It might also be really cool to get snippets of it now and again to whet appetites? Just a suggestion. :)
- 21 January 2009 at 04:22
welcome back ajai shukla!!
hey on one note that prasun has vandalized ur blog. just open the comment form in the last topic and see.
look forward to your posts esp views on arunachalees on the cold war on that state
- 22 January 2009 at 00:00
welcome back ajai shukla!!
hey on one note that prasun has vandalized ur blog. just open the comment form in the last topic and see.
look forward to your posts esp views on arunachalees on the cold war on that state
- 22 January 2009 at 00:01
- Xerses said...
Does the Army have Depleted Uranium ammo for use in its armored corps? If so, are they of indigenous or foreign
- 22 January 2009 at 01:37
- Unknown said...
Yeah! i just accidentally clicked on the broadsword bookmark...and wolaaah!!
Good to hear from you after so long...hope you've been doing good in that cold.
- 22 January 2009 at 18:14
xerxes, India uses titanium like germany does. it's made in India.
- 23 January 2009 at 10:51
- Xerses said...
Why does the Arjun persist with a rifled cannon when the smooth-bore gun has been universally adopted, with Britain testing the rheinmetall 120mm L55 gun to eventually replace the excellent rifled one on the Challenger-2? Is the Arjun cannon an indigenous product? What is its caliber? What is the rationale for the transition from rifled to smooth-bore?
- 23 January 2009 at 14:56
Hi shuklaji,
We all are looking forward for that book.
Hope you will shed light on the complex issues dogging A.P and the other 6 sister states.
That part has been largely ignored until now and we are seeing the consequences.
- 23 January 2009 at 18:15
Can't wait that long for the book :-) Good luck and Godspeed.
- 26 January 2009 at 12:05
Dear Mr Shukla, Its great to hear from you after such a long time. And I am as thrilled as everybody else to hear about your return to active blogging again. Regards
- 27 January 2009 at 00:43
xerxes, rifled cannon is necessary for firing HESH (high explosive squash head) rounds which IA uses to blow up bunkers. clearly, kinetic rounds like APFSDS can't do the job.
the rifled bore was a specific IA requirement and the gun was indegenously designed and manufactured. it's accuracy is phenomenal.
check some of ajai's older entries on this blog itself, you'll understand.
- 28 January 2009 at 15:02
A for Ajay
A for Armour
A for Arunachal
Why does the cavalry have this fascination for the mountains? I wonder
- 29 January 2009 at 19:35
- smith said...
welcome back sir,
I am eager to know the current situation of that part of our country. Also about its past and present and the future. The wars we fought with internal and external enimies, the moral of our soldiers their skills, equipments, traning and much more........
also i am eager to learn more on the 1962 debacle.
i was also missing to know your views on Mumbai fiasco. who is to blame for the situation, the neighbours, the politicians or we the people who forget to question our governments for our own issues which we can see and neglect them instead of raising those issue.
- 30 January 2009 at 17:24
Hi Ajay,
I shall meet you at the Aero India show on 12th. I will find you!
- 30 January 2009 at 21:45
- Xerses said...
Could you explain why a HESH round is incompatible with a smooth-
bore gun? Is the inner-barrel rifling the only differential variable between a rifled and a smooth-bore gun?
- 31 January 2009 at 02:32
Could anyone tell me what happened to INS Shivalik?
- 1 February 2009 at 19:08
xerxes, the reason is accuracy. HESH requires slow speed to be effective(other effects) which means that only spin can give it the requisite accuracy.
- 6 February 2009 at 20:06
pls read:
- 10 February 2009 at 15:01


text:
The Afghan archive is housed at Afghanistan Center at Kabul University, ACKU. The center was opened in the spring of 2013. It is the only archive of its kind in Afghanistan and serves to collect and preserve all documents and books related to Afghanistan's modern history, at this moment numbered around 80,000 and growing.
The bulk of the center's archive was collected by Nancy and Louis Dupree who started collecting Afghan books and documents while living in Peshawar among Afghan refugees. The eclectic colletion includes communist propaganda, UN reports, fliers printed by warlords, books, photography, and newspapers. There are also a number of photography books from the 1960's and 1970's that show Afghanistan, and particularly Kabul in a completely different light than what most imagine it was.
The fascinating part of the story is how Nancy got the collections from Peshawar to Kabul. Starting in 2006, they began to smuggle around 60,000 documents back to Kabul in plastic bags hidden in trucks fearful that the collection could be destroyed if discovered. A team works to digitize all the documents in the archive for a free open sourced digital archive that anyone in the world with a computer can access. The enormity of the task means that the team estimates it will take till 2017 to catch up.
The archive not only preserves books and documents, it also had a separate room that houses a newspaper archive. I visited with my friend, Jelena Bjelica, a Serbian journalist living in Kabul, who is now working with ACKU. We were surrounded by piles of bound books of newspapers including Taliban newspapers under the name Shariat, and various mujahedeen newspapers, each faction had its own. The library manager, Rahim Qaderdan, opened up a book of Shariat papers, noticeable for their lack of photographs. The sense of history that surrounded me, palpable in the yellow pages stacked to the ceiling.
The collection first went to the Kabul Library and now is housed in a modern architectural building, ACKU, on the Kabul University Campus. The center hosts a variety of speakers and presentations in the auditorium.
I was there to deliver a copy of the Streets of Afghanistan book for the archive. An incredible honor. I watched the book go to the archivist's desk to get its identification number and label. It is now a part of the Afghan archive housed inside the Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University a part of Afghanistan's modern history.
The book is available for sale – proceeds benefit Mountain2Mountain – at www.streetsofafghanistanbook.com by Hatherleigh Press.


text:
(This report has been updated to correct an error.)
Updated at 5:03 a.m. ET: A senior Army leader was among three servicemen killed by a suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, a senior U.S. military official told NBC News.
Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Griffin earned a Bronze Star.
The victims included Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, the most senior enlisted soldier for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Griffin, 45, of Riverton, Wyo., was a Bronze Star recipient who first enlisted in the Army in 1988.
Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of West Point, N.Y., and Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, of Conyers, Ga., were also killed.
The attack occurred in Kunar province.
Afghan officials: 3 US special forces troops killed
(Citing a military official, NBC News earlier reported that Brigade Commander Col. James J. Mingus was badly wounded in the attack. However, an ISAF official said early Friday said that Mingus had not been injured.)
While their names may be not be well known, U.S. officials consider this a significant attack because the brigade leadership was taken out by a suicide bomber.
The soldiers were all assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Video: This $4,000-per-jar caviar boasts socialist roots
- Afghan suicide bomber kills senior Army leader, 2 majors
- Notorious Colombian druglord arrested, headed to US for trial
- Who'll win the gold medal for partying? Olympians let hair down
- 'Situation is desperate' for ill Syrian refugees in Turkey
- One year after London riots, a family still grapples with fallout
- Journalist: British militants took me hostage in Syria
- Canada lobster fishermen lash out at cheaper US exports
- Race to London's Olympic Park: Fastest way is ...?


text:
Olive Oil Bottle by Guilherme Jardim
Guilherme Jardim Presents The Tgtl-Extra Virgin Olive Oil Bottle Olive Oil Bottle
Guilherme Jardim, the architect of the displayed work Guilherme Jardim's TGTL - EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL BOTTLE Olive oil bottle points out, This design is an exclusive unique bottle. The bottle is made by glass and painted with a gradient from white to transparent. This solves the problem of protecting the Olive Oil from the UV and also showing the color of the product at the same time. The shape is very elegant and unique, easy to handle. The bottle has a strong impact on the shelf and also on the table. On the bottom you can see the olive oil clearly, in a beautiful and interesting visual effect. The cap is made by cork, giving a traditional and "hand made" feeling to the product. The brand is Think Global Taste Local..
Olive Oil Bottle by Guilherme Jardim Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Design Industrial homepage.


text:
WR3A posted a film on YouTube last summer where we showed a hardworking African entrepreneur doing a great job of fixing and reselling monitors in Senegal. His storyline was that he was happily doing business in California... then SB20 came along and ate up all his monitors with a loud crunching noise. He relocated to NYC, and bought from a guy and found I guess the container stuffed with muddy Katrina cake computers, losing all his money. SB20's unintended consequences. When he came to Vermont, he was so worried about taking junk that he tested everything. When it got to Senegal, he repaired everything he could. Yet this guy is being labelled either a polluter, or at best someone bringing working computers "which will someday need to be recycled". What I saw in Souley was the best hope Africa has. To refuse to sell him computers is to keep Africans 'barefoot and pregnant'.
But the African guys scale of operation is only a thousand or so monitors per month. If you really want to understand the export market, look for "Big Secret Factories".
(shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Colin Davis!)
In 1992, when I was a new recycling program director at Massachusetts DEP, I made a shocking announcement. There were 22 paper mills in Massachusetts that relied on waste paper for most or all of their feedstock, and if people didn't recycle these factories would close and a few thousand blue collar jobs would go away.
Having put myself through grad school driving a paper recycling truck, it was, to me, like an announcement that there are laundromats where people wash clothes. But it hit the front page of the Boston Globe, and I got my first earful from a Governor's (Weld) office about unauthorized leaks to the press.
Today, in a weird deja vu, I have been asked a lot of questions about the controversial theory that there are factories which buy 5000 used USA monitors per day, and that most developing countries do not throw away working CRT tubes. I have film of actual sitings of these 'bigfoot' monitor buyers. But people still doubt. If this was really true, why don't they come out and advertise themselves?
That reminds me of another previous Massachusetts job, trucking at Earthworm Recycling in Boston. It was back in the 1980s before Earth Day 1990 (the big rebirth one). We sold sorted office paper through middlemen to mills like the one in Erving MA which turned it into toilet paper. I thought they should tell people that their stuff isn't made from trees, it's made of recycled paper!! I know, that's done by companies like Marcal now... but when I called the mill guy to convince him, it was a blank stare over the phone.
Like trying to convince a restaurant owner to put a sign in the window... "Someone else ate off of our plates before you."
If you are in the business, its seems obvious, and if it doesn't seem obvious to YOU, then you must not be in the business. If you are not in the business, what benefit does the factory manager get from giving you a tour and telling you? Only harm can come. There is a Chinese expression, "do not be a crane among the chickens". It means if you just another white bird, don't stick your neck up and attract the farmer's attention... or you'll be next on the plate.
"Why would someone want to use my product if they knew it was made of used stuff?" the paper mill manager asked incredulously.
The market forces driving computer exports are on the same scale as paper recycling mills in the Northeast. Reuse and refurbishment factories are so ingrained in the business now that 50% of all computer sales are "white box", which frequently means some component - a repainted case, a refurbished power supply, a rebuilt floppy disk drive - is reuse and recycled.
In Septemer 2007, Harvard Business Review published an excellent article titled "The Battle for China's 'good enough' Market". In a previous blog, I went on and on about this.. about the repair and reuse market being a gateway to large scale manufacturing, about the secondary market being the only affordable option for most people in the world, about the protectionist intentions against reuse by established manufacturers, and about the tensions between sustainable reuse, counterfeiting, and 'obsolescence in hindsight'. The reason to repost is that I found some good photos and film clips of one of the factories I was talking about.
The point is not that all exports are good. The factory pictured is the size of a small airport, but they can only use about 65% of the monitors we get in. They use 5000 per day. If we shipped all of ours (including the Toxics Along for the Ride), we could be shipping 6750 per day, with 1750 winding up in piles surrounded by barefoot children.
The residue would start to add up. Every day, 1750 monitors would be added to the pile, stripped of copper and plastic, and in less than a week there would be more on the ground than the factory purchased in a day. There would be no pile to photograph in the factory... but head to the village. What the National Geographic or CBS Reporter sees is evidence that junk monitors are being dumped on top of barefoot children and set ablaze.
It is true this pollution is a biproduct of the reuse factory. The legal counsel for the owner of several of these factories told me they were not generating the pollution, but that they were "closing one eye" when they bought the good monitors through middlemen. Their solution was to support WR3A, to buy direct the monitors they need, and to invest in proper recycling of the residue. But in the meantime, they have to feed three shifts per day. So the imports to the village continue.
So is the solution to mine rain forests and make CRTs that will last 15 years, generating vast greenhouse gases in the smelting and production, and then grinding and disposing the working 5 year old monitors?
That cure would be worse than the disease. WR3A.org, World Computer Exchange, National Cristina Foundation, and others are following a "Fair Trade" path, seeking to reform the export practices while supporting the factories in these photos.
If you do a true lifecycle analysis, the recycling hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle) holds true in this industry. And what I like about it (and go on and on about in last week's blog), is that I saw 20 year old valedictorians with eyes of steel setting up these factories in Malaysia. I am trying to set one up with a women's coop in Mexico. These people are setting up TV and monitor manufacturing factories. Like little Samsung Sony dudes. Or more like Michael Dell, refurbishing IBM in his Texas dorm room. The Senegalese, The Egyptian, The Malaysian, The Taiwanese, The Mexican Women, The Burkinabes... they are not pirates or sleazebags.
They are the best goddam hope I have for peace and prosperity in the world. And the USA is setting up massive factories and laws to break the stuff, and cut them off at the knees. And it is good, green people doing it. I am growing hoarse.
One hope was Hwang, a Chinese government bureaucrate who represents the new product manufacturers, who in China are trying to kill these factories in order to preserve sales of outdated new CRT manufacturing. She was a very good person, in a government job. She arranged tours for me of any reuse village I asked to visit, of the reuse markets in Guangzhou, etc. When I expressed my fears that the Chinese government would try to put out of business the entrepreneurs in these reuse markets, she had a Taoist response... that as much as the government might one day try, it could not possibly control the reuse market.
Two of China's top 20 billionairs are repairmen (one bicycles, the other tractors). With your brain and someone else's discard, you can be an independent manufacturer.
What follows below is some of the best photos and film clips of one WR3A "secret factory" visits. Click twice below (on the green shirt guy)...
At this particular factory, they even took the old monitor casings, pelletized the platic in-house, and re-molded them into new monitor casings!! (adding black die).
I call this a "manufacturer take back program". But it's a white box manufacturer take back program. But they aren't really trying to take their own back... so it's a Remanufacturer Take First program.
So, I can also show you places to buy these TVs and monitors, which are the only ones that most India college students, Egyptian medical students, South American engineering students, etc. can buy. They cost a fraction of the cost of a new monitor, in a place where that fraction is a month's income.
Please allow reuse. I guess Maria Antoinette never actually said (when told that the peasants have no bread to eat), "let them eat cake!". But this idea that they should all get new laptops kind of sounds even more hideously clueless.
In the grey market world, these small manufacturers have the odds stacked against them. There are big competitors throwing logs on the tracks, who got the Chinese Communist Party to shut a lot of them down. It's like the "Catch Me if you Can" movie, they set back up in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. These guys are so damn good. I hope they win.


text:
Arts & Entertainment
Ricks places third at District Pinewood Derby
- Details
- Category: Arts & Entertainment
- Published on 22 February 2009
- Written by Mount Vernon Optic-Herald
Martin Ricks, far right, watches as his car races in the annual Pinewood Derby District competition. His car placed second in this heat, and he placed third overall for the event.
See the Feb. 19 edition of the Optic-Herald for a listing of local winners.


text:
This practical challenge invites you to investigate the different
squares you can make on a square geoboard or pegboard.
This activity investigates how you might make squares and pentominoes from Polydron.
How many ways can you find of tiling the square patio, using square
tiles of different sizes?
On each of these grids the counters lie at the four corners of a square:
What is the greatest number of counters you can place on the grid without four of them lying at the corners of a square?
This problem is taken from 'Mathematical Challenges for Able Pupils Key Stages 1 and 2', published by DfES.


text:
BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian fighter jet struck a school with a missile in the northern city of Aleppo Wednesday as teachers and students were preparing an exhibit of children's drawings depicting their country at war, killing at least 19 people, including 10 children, activists said.
Bulldozers removed rubble from the smashed building, with children's drawings and paintings scattered in the debris, according to activist videos of the government airstrike on a school in the opposition-held eastern part of the city. One of the drawings showed a hanging skeleton surrounded by skulls with a child nearby being shot by a gunman in a ditch. The child has a speech bubble written above her head in broken English that partly reads: "Syria will still free."
In another video by opposition activists, the bodies of 10 children wrapped in brown and blue sheets are seen on the floor of a hospital ward while a woman screams in the background.
The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to Associated Press reporting of the events.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which covers the conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said at least 19 people were killed in the strike, including 10 children. The local Aleppo Media Center put the toll at 25 killed, most of them children.
The United Nations Children's Fund said in a statement it was "outraged by the latest wave of indiscriminate attacks perpetrated against schools and other civilian targets across Syria."
Thousands of Syrian children have been killed in Syria's 3-year-old conflict, which began as an uprising against Assad's rule, but has become a civil war that has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced millions.
Parts of the two-story Ein Jalout school appeared to have been completely smashed, according to the videos, which showed blood splatters, twisted metal and children's items, like a little red heart-shaped box. A man speaking in one of the videos said the exhibition was for drawings by children from schools around the area.
An opposition activist from Aleppo now based in Berlin provided the AP with a copy of the invitation to the exhibition to confirm it was taking place. Mohammed Neser, the activist, said he feared that his colleagues who organized the show were now dead.
"I haven't been able to get in touch with them," he said.
Aleppo, Syria's largest city, has been divided between government forces and rebels for nearly two years, with constant fighting doing little to change the balance on the ground. Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have been carrying out airstrikes and dropping crude barrel bombs in rebel-held districts in the eastern part of the city, at times hitting schools, mosques and markets.
Rebels have hit back with mortar strikes and car bombs.
Mortar fire also killed three people near the Central Prison complex in Damascus, state news agency SANA said. A day earlier, a mortar strike in Damascus and a double car bombing in the central city of Homs killed at least 54 people.
In a statement Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned those attacks, calling them "horrendous acts of terror against innocent civilians."
At the United Nations, members of the Security Council said they fear that no progress will be made on getting desperately needed humanitarian aid into Syria as long as Russia opposes any actions against Assad's government. Moscow has been a staunch ally of Damascus throughout the three-year-old conflict. The U.S. and its European and Gulf Arab allies are backing the opposition.
The U.N. estimates almost 3.5 million civilians inside Syria have virtually no humanitarian aid access. Millions of others suffer because of food and medicine shortages. Ban Ki-moon has criticized both rebel and government forces for blocking efforts to get aid into the country.
Also Wednesday, another six Syrians submitted their candidacy applications to run in presidential elections slated for June 3, bringing the number of contenders so far to 17, Parliament Speaker Jihad Laham said.
Assad announced earlier this week that he will run for re-election. The others who are seeking to run are not well-known.
In a televised campaign-style appearance Tuesday, Assad and his wife Asma met with parents who lost their only sons in the conflict.
Opposition activists and Western countries have condemned the elections as a sham. Assad is widely expected to win his third seven-year term since coming to power in 2000, and the vote is seen as an attempt to give him a veneer of electoral legitimacy amid the war.
Associated Press writer Cara Anna at the United Nations contributed to this report.


text:
Brixx Belvedere vs M. Ciddy Rap Battle [Grind Time South]
"VERY DOPE BATTLE! S.O.N.S member, Brixx takes on Michigan's M. Ciddy. These two up-and-comers DEFINITELY put on a great match and show they can perform at the top level. One word ... BARS!" - Grindtime
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, will share his perspectives on business and leadership with the Penn State Smeal College of Business community on Friday, April 5, as part of the college's Executive Insights series.
As part of his visit, Baxter will take part in a moderated discussion with Charles H. Whiteman, John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal, from 1:25 to 2:15 p.m., in the Struthers Auditorium, Room 110 of the Business Building. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is requested at www.smeal.psu.edu/insights.
Baxter has more than 25 years of sales, marketing and leadership experience in the consumer electronics industry. He joined Samsung in 2006 as executive vice president of sales and marketing for the consumer business division before being promoted to president in 2009. Prior, he worked at Sony Corp. of America, where his 10 years there culminated in the position of senior vice president of strategic marketing.
Executive Insights is designed to complement the Smeal educational experience by bringing high-profile business leaders to the college to connect with students, faculty, staff and administrators. Past guests include more than 25 leaders from organizations such as Boeing, Dell, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, Kohl's, KPMG, Procter & Gamble, Verizon and Tumi Holdings Inc.


text:
As the nation fights its way through the worst flu season in more than a decade, health care workers across the country are taking extreme—in some cases unprecedented--measures to combat its spread.
Flu Spike: Here's How to Stop It
At the Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital in Allentown, Penn., they've erected an 1,100-square-foot tent to specifically treat those with flu-like symptoms, a measure they haven't taken since the H1N1 outbreak of 2009. Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the tent can treat six patients at a time, has a staff of three, plus immediate access to an emergency room doctor, should the need arise.
"It's important when you have a large number of influenza patients coming into your emergency department and they're waiting in a waiting room, you need to be able to segregate them the best that you possibly can," said Dr. David Burmeister.
Similarly, Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., has expanded its E.R. into a nearby conference room to handle the overflow of patients.
At St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Conn., Dr, Rolf Knoll says they've seen a ten-fold increase in flu cases. In an effort to hold the flu at bay, St. Francis has for the first time ever posted signs asking people not to visit patients if they have a fever or cough.
Other area hospitals and medical centers have gone even further, allowing only adult visitors.
"[We're] committed to ensuring the safety of our patients, visitors and staff during flu season and especially during this unusual flu season," says Deborah Parker, Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services & Chief Clinical Officer for Eastern Connecticut Health Network, which is limiting visitors to adults at all its hospitals. "We recognize that these temporary changes to our visitor policies may be inconvenient and disappointing to some, but they are in the best interest of everyone."
Further up I-95, Boston Mayor Tom Menino has declared a "flu emergency," in the wake of 700 reported cases of flu, accounting for 4 percent of area hospital visits.
"This is not only a health concern, but also an economic concern for families, and I'm urging residents to get vaccinated if they haven't already," said Menino via a press release. "It's the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family. If you're sick, please stay home from work or school."
Lyn Finelli, who heads the surveillance and response team that monitors influenza for the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said this year's flu season was about five weeks ahead of the average, and CDC spokesman Tom Skinner fears the spread is "still accelerating."
In California, where the flu outbreak has not yet been quite as severe, medical professionals are steeling themselves.
"We're now at a status called regional, where we're seeing regions that have a number of cases. And likely in the next week or two we'll move to what's called widespread," warned Dr. Ron Chapman of the California Department of Public Health.
In Canada, the government has already released its stockpile of Tamiflu in anticipation of a shortage. Here in the U.S. that's not yet been a problem, though demand for Tamiflu is definitely spiking, even in California.
"We want to make sure we save it so we have enough supplies for the people that are most at risk--elderly people, people with chronic health conditions," explained Dr. Melody Mendiola of Hennepin County Medical Center.
This flu season has already seen more than 200,000 people hospitalized across the country. The CDC recommends that on a personal level you can help by getting immunized and washing your hands, among other measures.
And there's even a Facebook app called Who Gave Me the Flu that searches your friends' status updates for key words like "cough" and "sneeze" to see who may have infected you, or you can sign up for Flu Near You, a map administered by Healthmap of Boston Children's Hospital, that tracks the spread of the illness and its symptoms.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


text:
We're baaack! We were in the wilds of West Virginia (which wasn't as "wild" as I had hoped) over a long weekend. I'd read the information on the web and believed (foolish boy) what they said about late September being the height of the foliage in northeastern West Virginia. Maybe it was just this year and the hotter than typical summer had pushed the foliage season back a couple of weeks, but it was midsummer type shooting everywhere we went. Today's image is typical of what we saw, with rich, creamy greens and scenes backlit by the setting sun. This, fairly dramatic, scene was taken from a "scenic overlook" along Route 55 at one of the few times I hadn't plugged the GPS into the camera. No matter, if you're driving east from Moorefield on the newer highway you can't miss it. As has been the case in the past several posts, I've included the Layers Panel for those who'd like to follow along. Today's image is pretty straight forward. It started out in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 and what we see is the "after" of the hop over to Adobe Photoshop CS5. To find out what makes today's image different, hit the "read more".
For the most part, today's image is pretty standard. The first thing done doesn't even show up in the Layers Panel. The typical aspect ratio we crop to is 4 x 5, 8 x 10, 16 x 20. Most images are cropped to 16 x 20 @ 150 ppi. Some may gasp, knowing that hundreds of articles have been written about using 300 ppi or at the minimum 240 ppi. The only thing that shows is that hundreds of writers don't have a good grasp of the relationship between the screen and a printer. Every pixel on the screen can represent any one of 16,000,000 colors if the screen is set to 32 bit color depth. Every dot on a print is made up of five drops of ink. In the "old days", when printers printed at 300 dpi you could actually see the dot pattern made by the printer. Today, with printers giving 1440 dpi to 2880 dpi, the dot pattern can't be seen with anything less than a fairly good loop. The big thing to make note of is that we're talking of ppi (pixels per inch) on the screen and dpi (dots per inch) on the printer. If each "dot" on the print is made up of five drops you can easily see that there's more than enough information given by giving the image 150 ppi. So much for a rant on sharpness.
Read more!
If I Can See It, I Can Shoot It
1 week ago


text:
Between 1940 and 1947, silversmith William B. Meyers created two intricate menorahs. Lucky for us, his original plans and molds reside in The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures's archives and give us insight into his process. Meyers started by sketching out his design.
Next, he created a model of the menorah from his sketches so he could construct a closed rubber mold. A closed mold has two halves that are pressed together. Molten metal is poured through a channel (located at the bottom of Meyers's mold) to reach the mold cavity where the metal hardens. Once the menorah is removed from the mold, any excess metal would be filed away. We're very fortunate that William B. Meyers left such a fantastic record of his process!


text:
Houston Texans Charm Bracelet With Swarovski Crystals
13 handcrafted charms, plated with 24K gold and sterling silver. Team colors and logo, genuine Swarovski® crystals. Officially licensed. Gift box.
Measures 7-1/2" L
- Price:
- s&s◇
Since they joined the American Football Conference in the NFL in 2002, the Houston Texans have already proven they belong by capturing their Division Championship in 2011. Now, you can show off your team pride with this striking Texans fan charm bracelet, officially licensed by the NFL, and a fine jewelry design exclusive from The Bradford Exchange.
This Houston Texans jewelry features 13 magnificently handcrafted charms gleaming with rich 24K-gold plating, shimmering sterling silver plating and genuine Swarovski® crystals. Individual, freely moving interchangeable charms include a Texans jersey, a helmet with the Texans logo, a football and more! Plus, this Houston Texans bracelet arrives in a velvet jewelry pouch and gift box, great for safekeeping or perfect for giving as a Texans fan gift. High demand is expected for this beautiful commemorative Texans bracelet, so don't miss out. Order now!
California Residents click here for Proposition 65 notice.
- Show pride for your favorite NFL team with this Houston Texans fan charm bracelet, a fine jewelry design exclusive from The Bradford Exchange
- Officially licensed by NFL Properties LLC
- Features 13 handcrafted interchangeable charms plated with rich 24K gold and shimmering sterling silver plating and genuine Swarovski® crystals
- Charms include a Texans jersey, a helmet with the Texans logo, a football and more
- Arrives all put together and ready to wear
- Complete with a jewelry pouch and gift box, perfect for safekeeping and giving as a Texans fan gift
- Accompanied by a Certificate authenticating your bracelet is an original from The Bradford Exchange
- Measures 7-1/2" L; 19.1 cm L
©2012 The Bradford Exchange. All Rights Reserved


text:
Parents were appalled after a teacher in Norway brought a vial of her own blood to class and allowed her students to touch and taste it.
The teacher in Sola, off the western coast of Norway, brought a blood sample to class for her students to see. She was terminated last week after authorities learned that she poured the blood on to a plate and let as many as a dozen students taste the blood sample.
"The children asked if they could touch it and she allowed them," head teacher Inger Lise Soemme Andersen told Reuters. "Then they asked 'how do we get it off?' so she put her finger in her mouth and the children followed suit.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
"The parents are mortified, shaken and shocked," she said.
Soemme Andersen also said the teacher was tested for AIDS and Hepatitis B after the incident. The results are not yet available, but authorities say the risk of transmitting any infection very low, according to Reuters.
The kindergarten teacher was in good company for bad behavior last week as another teacher in New York City was fired for using a class email account for online hookups, according to the Daily News.


text:
Chivas USA are a "better team" according to Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena
CARSON, Calif. – They're calling Sunday's SuperClasico between the LAGalaxy and Chivas USA at StubHub Center (noon, Time Warner Cable SportsNet, UniMas) a rivalry, although it hasn't been much of one lately.
But that could be about to change.
Chivas USA haven't offered much resistance to their in-house opponent lately and haven't won this matchup since a 1-0 decision on May 19, 2012, but the Rojiblancos
appear to be vastly improved from a year ago, when they finished with a dismal 6-20-8 record.
The club has undergone an extensive overhaul, from ownership to coaching – former Colorado Rapids assistant Wilmer Cabrera is in charge now – and the results have been telling.
"They're a better team, no question about it," Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. "They'll fight real hard for 90 minutes. Their opening month of the season has been good."
Chivas USA (1-1-2) has been led by the likes of Mauro Rosales and Erick "Cubo" Torres, who is tied with Colorado's Vicente Sanchez for the league lead with four goals.
The Rojiblancos back line is anchored by veteran goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, who is second in games played with the franchise (113) behind only Jonathan Bornstein and Francisco Mendoza at 123.
"The fact they're better this year isn't a surprise," Galaxy (0-1-1) defender Todd Dunivant said. "We know they were going to be. Getting Rosales on their team helped a lot, and Torres up front. They have more dangerous weapons now.
"Wilmer knows this league and how to win. We're going to have to earn it if we want to win."
The Galaxy's Robbie Keane hopes Chivas' improvement will have a positive effect on Sunday's crowd. Chivas averaged just 8,366 fans last season, a league low by more than 4,000. San Jose was next-lowest at 12,765, but that mark is deceiving since the Earthquakes are playing at 10,000-seat Buck Shaw Stadium until their new facility is built.
Once the crowds start getting bigger, Keane said, then this rivalry will take off.
"It's special if you have 28,000 people there," he said. "If there's seven or eight thousand, it's a little bit different. To create a rivalry, it can't be just about the game but it's about the whole build-up, the whole atmosphere. The atmosphere comes from people coming out and watching the game.
"If it was an LA Galaxy home game" – the Galaxy are the designated away team on Sunday – "you could guarantee a lot of fans here. I certainly hope there's going to be a lot of Chivas fans there supporting the team. This is a good rivalry, and if we want to compete at the highest level we need the Chivas fans here to support the team.
"I'm hoping there will be a big crowd; I absolutely love it," Keane continued. "Like last year in Seattle when there's 60,000 people there and it builds, it's great. It creates an atmosphere. That's what we play the game for, we play for people to come and enjoy and watch. If you don't enjoy it don't come. It's fairly simple.
"It helps the players, it helps them perform even better. It's all part of what we do."


text:
Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
The Sha'bān Letter
– compiled and translated by Sidi Amjad Tarsin
All praises are due to Allah the Exalted who has blessed us to be on the doorstep of Ramadan. Many of the pious predecessors used to spend months preparing for the efforts they were going to exert in the holy month of Ramadān. These are excerpts from the book, "Kanz An-Najāḥ wa As-Surūr" (The Treasuries of Success and Happiness) regarding the greatness of Sha'bān and some of the recommended things to do during this month.
Repentance & Fasting:
It is highly recommended to repent frequently (tawbah) and increase in acts of worship, especially fasting. Whosoever prepares themselves with acts of worship and repentance in Sha'bān will reap the benefits of those acts in Ramadān.
Usama ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, "I have never seen you offer fast in a month as you do in Sha'bān." The Prophet said, "It is a month people disregard that is between Rajab and Ramadān. In that month deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds, so I like my deeds to be presented while I am fasting." [Nasa'i].
Salutations Upon the Prophet (peace be upon him):
Sha'bān is the month of the Prophet peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, for he said, "Sha'bān is my month."
It was in this month that the famous verse regarding sending blessing and peace on the Prophet was revealed:
{ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَـتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّ يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً}
{ Allah and His Angels send their blessings upon the Prophet, O you who believe send blessings upon him and salutations of peace} (33:56)
Therefore, it is highly encouraged to increase in sending one's salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Scholars have said, "Rajab is the month of repentance, Sha'bān is the month of sending salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, and Ramadān is the month of the Qur'an."
The 15th Night of Sha'bān:
On the relation of 'Atā' ibn Yasār, may Allah be well pleased with him, who said, "On the 15th night of Sha'bān the Angel of Death, peace be upon him, copies down the names of all those who will die from that Sha'bān to the next Sha'bān…and there is no night after Laylat Al-Qadr better than the 15th night of Sha'bān."
Other hadiths also describe the 15th night as being the night in which Allah decrees everyone's provisions, even after-worldly provisions (Paradise, Hell), therefore it is important to bring that night to life through Prayer, reading Qur'an, and repentance.
Related by Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be well pleased with him and his father, that the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said, "There are five nights on which du'ā' is not turned back: Friday eve, on the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha'bān, Laylat Al-Qadr, and on the eve of the two 'Eids."
It is also recommended to say the du'ā':
اللّهُمَ إنَّكَ عفوٌ كريمٌ تُحِبَّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَني، اللّهُمَّ إنّي أسْألُكَ العَفْوَ والعَافية والمُعَافَاةَ الدَّائِمة في الدِّين والدُّنيا والأخِرَة
Allahumma innaka 'Afūwun Karīmun tuḥib ul 'afwa fa'afu 'annī, Allahumma innī as'aluka al-'afū, wa al-'āfīyah wa al-mu'āfāt ad-da'imah fī ad-dīni wa ad-dunyā wa al-ākhirah.
O Allah, You are Pardoning and Generous and You love to pardon, so pardon me. O Allah, I ask You for pardoning, good health [in body], and to be [spiritually] health always in my religion, and in this life, and in the hereafter.
It is also highly recommended to read Surah Yā-Sīn 3 times that night, each time with a specific intention:
1. The first time with the intention of Allah increasing the length of your life in worship and good deeds.
2. The second time with the intention of Allah protecting you from tribulations.
3. Lastly, with the intention of Allah not making you reliant on other people.
Clarification: "Giving life to the night" is said to be staying up most of the night in worship, although other scholars have said just one hour. Others have said just be determined to pray 'Ishā in congregation and Fajr in congregation and that will fulfill "giving life to the night."
May Allah bless us and the entire Ummah throughout this month, and bless us even more in Ramadan. Amin.
Ya Haqq!
Note: Reposted from the most excellent Interpreter's Path blog of AbdulKarim Yahya


text:
Lili's Bebe Pad - The Slip-resistant And Eco-friendly Diaper Changing Pad
Description: Just right - a changing pad for anywhere you go with the Lili Bebe Pad.www.lilibebe.com No more slip and slide changes for you and your baby on-the-go! Lili's Bebe Pad has arrived with the desire to make life easier for all diaper changes. Mompreneur, Celeste Stallings, the creator found changing her toddler's diaper a challenge as her daughter was as active as she was on the playground through even a quick diaper change. She invented Lili's Bebe Pad to be a must-have for all changes as the material on the bottom of each pad provides resistance to movement when pressure is applied. Slip resistant backing, soft comfy changing surface they are generously sized to accommodate babies of all sizes. Machine washable and dryer friendly. BPA free, Phthalate free and lead free.
Price: $17.99


text:
Tyndale Launches New Ministry Minors
Tyndale University College is pleased to announce that, beginning in September 2013, five new Christian Ministry minors will be launched within the Bachelor of Arts programs.
Students in any major can pursue a minor in youth ministry, children's ministry, pastoral ministry, music & worship ministry or intercultural ministry. Building upon a solid foundation in the liberal arts and critical thinking, these new minors will provide a deeper study of the theory and practice of these five areas of ministry.
These minors will be available to students majoring in any discipline in the university college. Students majoring in Biblical Studies and Theology will be able to receive practical ministry instruction in an area of their choosing. Students pursuing other careers and hoping to volunteer in a ministry context, these minors will allow them to gain expertise in a specific ministerial area of interest.
"All of Christian life is ministry in some sense or the other. This gives the student in [for example] the Business program, the opportunity to focus in on one of five areas where they see themselves volunteering in the local church," says Dr. Bradley Noel, Tyndale's Director of Pentecostal Studies, and Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries.
To ensure a solid foundation, each new minor will require specific courses as well as the opportunity for three elective credit hours. Some of the available courses are Applied Vocal (voice lessons), Contemporary Worship in the Church, Canadian Youth Culture, Ministry in a Multicultural World, and Global Christianity. Every minor will include an internship component. These new minors were created to give additional options for practical ministry training to students currently in a Biblical Studies and Theology major, and to provide students in other majors with the opportunity to pursue any career and still be equipped to volunteer or work in ministry settings.


text:
(By Delegates D. Poling, Butcher, Hamilton,
D. Campbell, Ellem, Barker and Storch)
[Introduced January 11, 2012
; referred to the
Committee on Energy, Industry and Labor, Economic Development and Small Business then Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §21-3-22, relating to requiring onsite employees at certain public works construction projects to complete an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved 10-hour construction safety program prior to beginning work; civil penalties; and exemptions.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §21-3-22, to read as follows:
§21-3-22. OSHA safety construction program.
(a) Any person submitting a bid for, or signing a contract to work on, the construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling or repairs of any public work by the state, or political subdivision thereof, or by any county, city, town, district, where the total cost of all work to be performed by all contractors and subcontractors in connection with the contract is at least a cost of $1,000 or more, shall have an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-hour construction safety program for their on-site employees.
(1) All employees are required to complete the program prior to beginning work. The training program shall utilize an OSHA-approved curriculum. Graduates shall receive a card from OSHA certifying the successful completion of the training program.
(2) Any employee found on a worksite subject to this section without documentation of successful completion of a course in construction safety and health approved by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration that is at least 10 hours in duration shall be subject to immediate removal.
(3) All contractors and subcontractors must attach a copy of proof of completion of the OSHA 10 course by submitting a course completion card issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Training Institute to the first certified payroll submitted to the contracting agency and on each succeeding payroll where any new or additional employee is first listed.
(b) The labor commissioner may assess a civil penalty of up to $3,000. In addition such an employer shall be assessed a civil penalty of $500 per employee for each day of noncompliance.
(c) The following individuals are exempt from the requirements of the OSHA 10-hour construction safety program:
(1) Law-enforcement officers involved with traffic control or job site security;
(2) All relevant federal, state and municipal government employees and inspectors; and
(3) All delivery personnel.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require onsite employees at certain public works construction projects to complete an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved 10-hour construction safety program prior to beginning work.
This section is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.


text:
Certis Cisco acquires SNP Security
- 0 Comments
- April 9, 2018
- by snp@admin
- Leave a comment
SNP is Australia's leading provider of integrated security solutions. We mitigate risk for our customers, staff and the wider community from our core value of safety. For over 90 years we have been committed to fostering the industry's best internal and operational culture, investing heavily in innovation to ultimately enhance the customer experience. Whether you need front-line security, concierge services, site management or training, SNP's experienced team will deliver the unexpected. We have a depth of expertise in a range of sectors including Transport & Infrastructure, Aviation, Government, Tertiary Education, Health and Banking & Finance. With security in our DNA and on ground support in every capital city, we form partnerships that deliver now and into the future.


text:
London Thistle Gouman hotels
Booking multiple rooms?
Visit our group bookings page or call 020 7437 4370 for assistance
Room 1
London Thistle Gouman hotels
A British brand with 33 hotels throughout the country, including 11 in Central London, the Thistle hotels ethos is to offer comfort and service at affordable rates. Thistle hotels London is another cheap hotel chain undergoing a multi-million pound contemporary makeover. Superb locations have the West End covered, with hotels in Bloomsbury, Euston, Charing Cross, Westminster, Marble Arch, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. Thistle Marble Arch puts you right next to one of Europes most famous shopping streets Oxford Street with the possibility of escape into the tranquillity of Hyde Park. Its Art Deco design evokes the romance of the Orient Express making it a popular wedding venue. Among the Thistle portfolio are a few London hotels with cheap rates, relatively speaking: The Grosvenor (Victoria), Thistle Kensington Gardens and The Tower (near the Tower of London) all quote average double room prices of less than 150. At the top end, Thistle hotels London includes a number of 4- and 5- star hotels under the auspices of its upscale sister company Guoman. The five-star Royal Horseguards is just along the Embankment from the Houses of Parliament with commanding views across the Thames. The Tower Hotel London is in a landmark building beside Tower Bridge. The riverside location and the waterfront restaurants of St Katharine Dock and Butlers Wharf complement proximity to the City and a direct line to Canary Wharf. To find a good deal in Londons Thistle hotels, call one of our London Hotel Specialists on 020 7437 4370 or email us at at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Our favourite London Thistle Gouman hotels
Customer rating: 97%
Double rooms from £180
Customer rating: 96%
Double rooms from £130
Customer rating: 96%
Double rooms from £153
Customer rating: 95%
Double rooms from £178
Customer rating: 93%
Double rooms from £107
Customer rating: 90%
Double rooms from £96
Luxury Hotel
Customer rating: 89%
Double rooms from £175
Customer rating: 86%
Double rooms from £135
Customer rating: 85%
Double rooms from £89
Customer rating: 83%
Double rooms from £88
Customer rating: 83%
Double rooms from £153
Customer rating: 75%
Double rooms from £68
Customer Service - Speak to a London hotel expert
From United States:
011 44 207 437 4370
8am to 11pm
Free callback service:
We can call you back
Email a London Expert
Send email
Live Chat
Advisors available now
Chat to a London Expert
Live chat
Speak to a
London Hotel Expert
From UK:
020 7437 4370
Free callback service
If you prefer, we can call you back for free:Call me back
Email a London Expert:Send an email
Connect live to hotels' reservation system
Lowest rates available anywhere
Bookings made instantly with the hotel
Receive hotel's own reservation number
Pay the hotel directly
Our service is 100% FREE
Hotel experts with 18 years experience
More about our customer service team
- London Family Hotels
- London Luxury hotels
- Romantic London hotels
- London Theatre Hotels
- London Business Hotels
- Boutique London Hotels
- London Hotel Neighbourhoods
- London airport hotels
- Major hotel brands in London
- London Hotel Map


text:
LOS ANGELES -The African First Ladies Health Summit concluded with a commitment by these influential women to use their positions to improve maternal health, stop the AIDS epidemic and promote girls' education.
The two-day summit attracted first ladies from more than a dozen African nations and a wide range of supporters from diverse organizations and corporations.
Moving beyond rhetoric was the theme of the closing panel, which was moderated by actress and activist Sharon Stone. During the session, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Purnima Mane praised the First Ladies for their dedication and determination, saying there is no greater cause today than advancing the health and rights of girls and women, and no better investment.
The panel also featured Jill Sheffield, Director of Women Deliver; Gill Greer, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation; Sia Nyama Koroma, First Lady of Sierra Leone, and Penehupifo Pohama, First Lady of Namibia.
Ms. Mane encouraged the First Ladies to continue to put girls and women first in their countries. She said she herself would not have made it to where she is had she not received support and an education. Ms. Mane highlighted five key actions to be taken together with partners to make greater progress:
- Champion the Maputo Plan of Action to expand access to sexual and reproductive health services
- Promote the national maternal health roadmap to expand maternal and newborn health services
- Integrate reproductive health services such as family planning and maternal healthcare with interventions for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria
- Advocate zero tolerance of violence and discrimination against women and girls
- Seek increasing partnership and funding for these initiatives
The keynote address was delivered by Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and patron of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. She made an impassioned appeal to the African First Ladies to champion the improvement of maternal health in their countries.
Addressing the chronic underfunding of health and education, Mrs Brown said: "I have learned more and more about these great challenges, I have kept asking myself whether there is one goal that could unlock all these goals?
"And I have become convinced a mother's survival is the key."
Mrs. Brown said that a low maternal mortality rate is a crucial test of whether an African country has "an adequate and functioning health system".
The African First Ladies Health Summit was convened by U.S. Doctors for Africa, and African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering, as an opportunity for African First Ladies to present their work, interact with a broad range of experts, and foster networking and partnership. The Summit concluded with a star-studded gala at the Beverly Hilton which featured entertainment by Grammy award winning vocalist Natalie Cole.


text:
"When my master says, 'Krull, do this thing,' I do the thing, whatever it may be."
Producer-director William Castle was best known as a purveyor of gimmicky horror films in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He often introduced his films on camera himself and sometimes returned at their end to provide an epilogue. These brief clips were usually intended to allow him to explain the gimmick (a giveaway insurance policy, a tingling seat, or special viewing glasses, for example) that was associated with the current film. One of his offerings in 1961 was Mr. Sardonicus and the gimmick was a "Punishment Poll" which purported to offer the audience the choice of selecting the nature of the ending of the film.
Columbia has now made Mr. Sardonicus available on DVD as part of a continuing series of William Castle film releases. Other titles available include 13 Ghosts, Homicidal, and Strait-Jacket.
Noted neurosurgeon Sir Robert Cargrave is summoned by his former lover Maude to her home in Gorslava — a castle where she lives with her husband Baron Sardonicus. The baron suffers from a terrible deformation of his face and covers it with a mask whenever he comes out of his room. The deformation was the result of a horrific act he performed as a younger man. Assisted by his faithful servant Krull, Sardonicus forces Cargrave to treat him with an untested procedure that Cargrave has been investigating. The results at first appear to be successful, but it soon becomes apparent that all is not well.
Mr. Sardonicus is actually a rather diverting gothic horror film much in the tradition of Universal's horror films of the 1930s and 1940s. Unfortunately, its mood is affected adversely by Castle's appearance at the beginning and near the end to introduce his stupid Punishment Poll gimmick. The idea was that upon entering the theatre, each ticket buyer received a card that could be raised in a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" position when Castle appeared on the screen to conduct the poll. The majority would determine whether or not Baron Sardonicus suffered further for his actions. Of course, only one ending was ever filmed so the poll really meant nothing; it was simply expected that most people would vote for more punishment and that's the way Castle scripted his poll segment and consequently the film's ending.
But to return to the film itself, it contains all the trappings of the traditional atmospheric horror movie: a mist-enshrouded castle in a remote eastern Europe-sounding locale; the mysterious owner of the castle with his deformed assistant; a beautiful woman in peril; fearful local townsfolk; and mysterious goings-on involving cemeteries, dead bodies, and torture. All this is presented seriously and some real uncertainty and even shock is generated effectively. The film, however, fails to take best advantage of its elements by virtue of a plot structure that reveals Sardonicus's secret too early in the story. The ending, while rebuilding some tension, is less satisfying than the better horror films as a result, and then Castle's poll interrupts and completely spoils any atmosphere of unease that has managed to redevelop.
The cast is not exactly packed with well-known actors. Best known is Oscar Homolka who turns in a fine performance as Krull — a worthy counterpart to various Igors we have known and loved in countless Frankenstein films. Homolka apparently commented in later years that interviewers seldom asked him about his collaborations with Hitchcock and other name directors, it was always about his work in this film for William Castle. Guy Rolfe who plays Baron Sardonicus gives his role a touch of class due to his patrician looks and the injection of a hint of sadness to balance the madness that his condition has caused. Rolfe was a British leading man and later character actor who probably had no other role that brought him more attention than this one. The obligatory damsel in distress is played capably by Audrey Dalton, a sort of Anne Francis clone. Ronald Lewis makes for a rather bland Robert Cargrave.
Columbia provides us with a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer for this black and white film. The results are not bad. The image seems rather dark for the first third of the film, with attendant loss of shadow detail, but it improves thereafter with solid blacks and a good range of grays. Age-related speckling is present, but it is not a major distraction. Edge enhancement is not a concern. This transfer is average overall for DVDs of this vintage of production.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio track provides a generally pleasing experience. Dialogue is clear; there's some decent base evident; and the screams are effectively blood-curdling. Minor hiss is evident from time to time. English and French sub-titles are provided.
Columbia has prepared a short making-of featurette called "Taking the Punishment Poll." It runs a mere seven minutes and features comments from film historians and Columbia repertory staff. You learn a little about William Castle's approach to his films as well as some background on the cast. There's no particular depth to the piece, but a new seven minute making-of featurette is a lot more than many studios deliver for minor catalogue releases like this one. Three theatrical trailers for William Castle films round out the disc: Mr. Sardonicus, 13 Ghosts, and Strait-Jacket.
Mr. Sardonicus is a neat little gothic horror film that effectively evokes the memory of the fine Universal horror efforts made 15 to 30 years previously. The story is interesting and compactly told, and benefits from a competent cast anchored by a juicy performance by Oscar Homolka. Unfortunately the film's atmosphere is marred by cheap theatricals by producer/director William Castle. Columbia's DVD transfer is a workmanlike effort although the company deserves credit for the short making-of featurette made for the DVD release.


text:
Vote up!
Come learn about all the great resources UTS Library offers for improving your English language skills. This hands-on workshop is aimed at students that want to:
- Prepare for IELTS
- Improve their business communication
- Prepare for the job-seeking process
- Improve their vocabulary, grammar and writing
- Improve their study skills including critical thinking
We offer online programs that you can access anytime, anywhere; some will even track your progress so you can see how far you've come! Learn more about these English Language resources on the UTS Library website.
17 people went


text:
With the impressive bounty of fresh asparagus in the markets these days, it seems like the perfect time to make a rich and delicious, silky smooth Cream of Asparagus Soup. Fabulous served either warm or chilled, this gorgeous recipe is bright and full flavoured with a base of sautéed leeks, butter and asparagus simmered in chicken stock until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Puréed with some light cream and finished with a tumble of sautéed croutons, fresh dill and a swirl of cream and olive oil, this rich and velvety Asparagus Soup tastes as good as it looks.
Summer Cream of Asparagus Soup
Serves 8
4 bundles green asparagus, trimmed
2 leeks, washed and trimmed
8 tbsp butter
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp light cream, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp herbes de Provence
4 slices of bread, cut into bite-size pieces for croutons
Cut the asparagus into 1-inch lengths. Halve the leek lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the leek and asparagus. Sauté for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the asparagus is soft and cooked through.
Blend the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and return to the pan. Add the double cream and warm through. Meanwhile, sauté the pieces of bread in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.
Serve the soup in warmed soup bowls if eating warm, or leave to cool if serving chilled. Garnish the soup with a tumble of croutons, chopped dill and a drizzle of cream. Finish with a swirl of olive oil and serve.


text:
This website uses cookies. Read about how we use cookies. OK
|SFC/Flight Level 300
|Ημερομηνία: 2015-03-03 12:00 UTC
|Goes 13 - Ovdas Webcam
|Aviation colour code: red
|Summit elevation: 2947m
|Eruption Details:
|explosive eruption detected in goes 13 at 0638zobs va dtg: 03/1145z
|This data supplements the official Volcanic Ash Advisory Graphics and Volcanic Ash Advisories. The data is to be used with caution. The official Volcanic Ash Graphics and Volcanic Ash Advisories take precedence in all circumstances. Please refer to national NOTAMs for definitive boundaries of no-fly areas.
|SFC to FL200 - Ash concentrations between the surface and 20,000 feet.
|FL200 to FL350 - Ash concentrations between 20,000 feet and 35,000 feet.
|FL350 to FL550 - Ash concentrations between 35,000 feet and 55,000 feet.
|SFC to 6000FT - Ash concentrations between the surface and 6,000 feet.


text:
Delonte West Freaks Out About Paying His Bills During NBA Lockout
As the NBA lockout wears on, some players are taking it harder than others. Delonte West, for one, is growing concerned about his family and how he's going to pay his bills while the league is on hiatus.
"I ain't got no health insurance at the moment….nor do my….13depemdents…kids get sick around this time of year….," he tweeted on Tuesday.
To make ends meet, the Boston Celtics guard has worked for a moving company during recent months. But the numbers aren't adding up, he says.


text:
Just when I thought I was done with the S;G naming references, someone gave me a whole other game's worth of operation names.
So, this update is a little more minor than the previous ones, but it's kind of not. To be more precise, I've only added a few new aethernet dashes, and 1 apartment in terms of new locations. However, I've also added a ton of new clothing and accessories in both House of Dibella and Town Vanguard.
So, most apartments now have an aethernet dash, basically. Not quite all, but most. For those of you who still haven't found Town Vanguard, I'm feeling festive today, so I'll tell you, it's in the Wet Alley, just by the back entrance to the Red Robin, but only in the Alpha Attractor Field after you activate the Denwa Renji (Kakko Kari). Also, don't forget to pick up your free Upa Backpack! If you can figure out how and where, that is.
A quick reminder that all clothing in the Aether Suite is female only and for the UNPCM body type, because that's what I make/port stuff for, because that's what I use.
Here's the download: Download
Edit: Fix for the broken vest: http://puu.sh/t3rpR/3e0cedc8a0.7z


text:
"Magnificent. . . . Succeeds in animating on the page the life of one of the oldest and greatest cities in the world."–The New York Times Book Review
"Ackroyd is the most effortless guide. . . . This is much more than history: it is a tapestry of inspiration and love." —The Observer
"An erudite labour of love, a fan-letter to a fabulous city. . . . As exuberant, energetic and alarming as the city itself." —Independent on Sunday
"A fat and filling feast: pretty much everything of interest about the capital is crammed into the eight-hundred pages."–The Times
"If London had the ability to choose its biographer it undoubtedly would tap Peter Ackroyd."–Vanity Fair
"A wonderful book, a treasure of information and anecdote about one of the world's great cities, a book to be taken up again and again for the pleasures that lie within."–Chicago Tribune
"A book to match its subject . . . one gratefully rediscovers that urban unreality, the city of romance and mystery as well as the one of shops, pubs, and thoroughfares." —The Washington Post


text:
MIAMI - Gov. Rick Scott signed a statewide ban on texting while driving into law Tuesday, making Florida the 41st state to enact a texting-while-driving ban for all drivers.
The law makes it a secondary offense to read or send a text, email or instant message on a smartphone while driving. That means police have to first stop drivers for another offense like an illegal turn. Florida's seat belt law also began as a secondary offense but is now a primary offense.
Scott signed the bill at a Miami high school, noting that the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are known as the deadliest days on the road for teenagers. However, the law doesn't go into effect until October.
"This is going to save lives. This is going to make sure our teenagers are safe while driving, that they're not distracted while driving," he said.
It took five tries before Florida lawmakers finally passed the texting ban. Previous efforts stalled in the face of House Republican opposition, with conservative members worried about government intrusion into people's lives.
The House added a provision allowing police to use drivers' mobile phone records against them only when texting causes a crash resulting in death or personal injury. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, has said that could help to defend the law against privacy concerns.
Drivers who text take their eyes off the road for almost five seconds, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates the trucking industry. At 55 mph, a driver can cross the equivalent of a football field while not looking.
There were 256,443 reported crashes in Florida in 2012. In 4,841 of those crashes, a driver had been texting or otherwise using an "electronic communication device" while driving, according to a preliminary report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Student Jackie Garcia said she tries to put her phone in the glove compartment when she's driving.
"It's just so temping because you know (your phone) is there and you want to reach for it," said the 17-year-old, who was among nearly two dozen students who stood next to Scott wearing "No Text On Board" T-shirts as he signed the bill.
Critics said the law should have made texting while driving a primary offense and complained the law will also be difficult to enforce.
"It's a watered down bill, but something is better than nothing," said Democratic Rep. Irv Slosberg, whose teen daughter died in an accident with a distracted driver.
When asked if he thought texting while driving should be a primary offense, Scott said "it's the right way to start."
The ban covers tablet computers as well as mobile phones, but excludes using a talk-to-text feature. It also allows texting while stopped at a red light.
The bill allows the use of phone records in defense against a ticket, but some phone companies' records don't differentiate between manual texting and talk-to-text messaging.
A first violation is a $30 fine plus court costs. A second or subsequent violation within five years adds three points to the driver's license and carries a $60 fine.
AT&T, the AARP, AAA, trial lawyers, businesses and state law enforcement groups have all spoken in support of the ban.


text:
Subsoil Moisture Levels Falling Short in Kansas
KSCB News - May 21, 2013 5:59 am
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – A new report says Kansas farmers have planted about 70 percent of this year's corn crop.
But Monday's weekly update from Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service also says planting of the corn crop trails the 97 percent planted by the same time last year, and the average of 74 percent.
The Kansas winter wheat crop is 41 percent headed. Forty-two percent of the wheat is rated in poor to very poor condition, with 30 percent fair, 25 percent good and 3 percent excellent.
Some damage was reported from hail and high winds that accompanied weekend rain in parts of Kansas.
Despite the rain, subsoil moisture supplies were short to very short across 54 percent of the state. Topsoil moisture supplies remain short to very short in 34 percent of Kansas.


text:
Common causes of smelly pee
Pee is usually clear or pale yellow, with a mild smell.
Common things that can make your pee smell stronger include:
- certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee
- being dehydrated
- some medicines
- vitamin B6 supplements
Things you can do yourself
Try these things to help keep your pee clear and smelling mild.
- drink plenty of fluids, particularly water or squash – drink more in hot weather and when exercising
- do not drink a lot of coffee or alcohol
- do not eat garlic or asparagus – they contain strong-smelling chemicals that can pass into your pee
- do not take more than 10mg of vitamin B6 a day
When to get medical help
See a GP if you have smelly pee and:
- you need to pee suddenly, or more often than usual
- you have pain or a burning sensation when peeing
- there's blood in your pee
- you have lower tummy pain
- you feel tired and unwell
- you're feeling confused or agitated
These may be symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Less common causes of smelly pee
Other symptoms you have might give you an idea of what's causing your pee to smell. But do not self-diagnose – always see a GP.
|Possible cause
|Feeling very thirsty and tired, peeing more than usual, sweet-smelling pee
|type 2 diabetes
|Lower back pain, pain when peeing, blood in pee
|kidney stones
|Yellow skin and eyes (jaundice), tummy pain, nausea and vomiting
|liver failure


text:
AHA-Jon Holden DeHaan Foundation Cardiac Myogenesis Research Centers
The grants have been awarded to the following facilities, each to become home to an American Heart Association-Jon Holden DeHaan Foundation Cardiac Myogenesis Research Center:
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. – Center Director: Jonathan Epstein, M.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas – Center Director: Eric Olson, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, Minn. – Center Director: Doris Taylor, PhD
Each center will undertake a number of basic science research projects specifically looking at cardiac myocytes, or heart cell muscles, to learn more about how those cells biologically develop, integrate and work. Ideally, findings from this research will lead to new ways to treat various forms of heart disease, including heart attacks, congenital heart disease and heart failure.
Some of the research will focus on developing methods to identify stems cells from the heart or other organs, such as bone marrow, to give back to the patient in a way that will sustain long-lasting recovery of cardiac function. The research will build the foundation for future use of adult stem cells for regenerating and repairing heart muscle, as well as for developing new therapies and drugs in the fight against heart disease.
These awards are effective April 1, 2009, and will be funded through March 31, 2012.
The Jon Holden DeHaan Foundation, of Naples, Fla., has a long history of funding American Heart Association cardiovascular research and cumulatively has contributed almost $5 million to the association for this purpose. The American Heart Association-Jon Holden DeHaan Foundation Cardiac Myogenesis Research Center Program is the most ambitious partnership undertaken by the two organizations.


text:
November 25th, 2016
Hello out there… It has now been about two years since I last posted, and I am sorry…
June 17th, 2013
Just did my first mamma painting, within I think literally 5 minutes of time. Took more time to put the…
February 19th, 2013
My apologies to all of my readers for the long lapse in my posts. As you can see from the…
Passionate about drawing, painting, sculpture, teaching, reading, cats, physics, questionable housekeeping, furniture rearranging, culinary experiments, miniatures, jazz, board games, and travel, I hope you will enjoy visiting my site. The posts here will be about art, but they may be influenced by all of the above.
Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Yes, please!
Blog at WordPress.com.


text:
Above left, the PCHS golf team won the region competition and will advance to the Sectionals, including (l-r) Jackson Carter, Dalton Williams, Brian Peters (90), coach Mark Andrews, David Penland (91), Lane Johnson, Cam Gilbert and Rhet Thornton. Above right, the PCHS girls golf team and their scores in the region championship include (l-r) Jessica Lacari (92), Lauren Duncan (117), Jana Guy (82) and Alexis Hart (125). The team's total using the top three scores was 291, automatically qualifying the team for the state tournament.
Golf teams win region, girls head to state
No Trackbacks


text: VoiceThread Benefits from Teacher's Training Experience This is a guest post by educator and VoiceThreader Luisa Josefa Corsi García. I want to share some of the benefits I had after taking a short teacher training workshop on VoiceThread. Thanks to that course I was able to learn how to use some extra tools that the VoiceThread offers to us, such as the video VoiceThreads that I was not using up to that moment. I was truly motivated by concrete pedagogical concerns in the speaking component that pushed me to innovate using new technologies with my undergraduate students at Los Andes University. … Continued


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - American University Bosnia and Herzegovina Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in American University Bosnia and Herzegovina Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Macedonia and the Balkans View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message riccddemJoined: 01 Dec 2005Posts: 26 Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:33 am Post subject: American University Bosnia and Herzegovina Avoid this place at all costs as it is owned by a sociopath who has no regard for contracts, his responsibilities toward his students, or anything else for that matter. It is particularly bad in Tuzla which is a dump in the middle of nowhere. This place has been in business since 2005 and no instructor has remained for more than one semester. It seems that the owner regards students and teachers alike as potential fraud targets. It is a disorganized, chaotic mess where, no matter what, the instructor is the fall guy. Back to top BehemothJoined: 24 Oct 2008Posts: 3 Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject: It is astonishing that someone who worked here eighteen months alleges that no one stays longer than a semester. The current faculty is very content. We have a caring administration, excellent students, and good working conditions. Tuzla is a small, friendly town, with every amenity. It has good transportation to other Bosnian towns, and even international destinations. Personally, I am very happy here, and look forward to a long stay. Back to top riccddemJoined: 01 Dec 2005Posts: 26 Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: House Liar If you believe the Behemoth post, undoubtedly organized by the two parts stupid one part crooked owner, then one presumes that you are investing in ocean front property in Arizona. Back to top BehemothJoined: 24 Oct 2008Posts: 3 Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:03 am Post subject: You really are a vindictive, irrational person. AubiH has occasional glitches, but on the whole you would be astonished at how very nicely we are doing without you. Live long and prosper-spme place far away. Back to top riccddemJoined: 01 Dec 2005Posts: 26 Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 3:49 pm Post subject: Owner Still Doesn't Get It Anyone considering American University should quickly change their mind. I've followed progress at the university, and while there as been a little, thanks to an open letter addressed to the sudent body via email, the owner still thinks he can fraudulently market SUNY degrees to unsuspecting students from BiH. Little things like TOEFL scores of 550, that SUNY requires for graduation, are still ignored. It is also the case that he continues to market a SUNY degree in Intenational Law when no such program exists at SUNY. I could go on but I think you get the picture. Don't help this fool fool others. Back to top BehemothJoined: 24 Oct 2008Posts: 3 Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:32 am Post subject: I would not use the same language, but I concur, alas, with riccdem's opinion. This is not a University-it is a tool for extracting money from unsuspecting students who have been led to believe that a pulse and money qualify them for a degree. Denis is a very hostile and irrational person-think Capitain Queeg-and the academic standards are nonexistent. I could give many examples of the egregious nature of this place, but I have moved on. Don't teach here if you have a shread of personal or academic integrity. It's a very sad farce. Back to top riccddemJoined: 01 Dec 2005Posts: 26 Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject: American University Bosnia Anyone considering working for this very sad, distressing, and demeaning instutution should read what is said in the Chronicles of Higher Education forums before making a decision. Back to top geomoodJoined: 19 Aug 2009Posts: 22 Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:05 pm Post subject: Not For Anyone American University It is with reluctance that I'm posting here, but this is a very degrading place to work. I returned for a second semester only because the alternative would have been insolvency. Thankfully, I will not have to return for a second year. I left here physically ill, due to the malicious owner and others in the administration. It is particularly bad if you are required to live in Tuzla. Every member of the administration is dedicated to reporting everything you say and do to the owner. He is dimuntive, rotund, and has a deep seated inferiority complex. I think you can figure out what dealing with this individual would be like on a daily basis. Don't do this to yourself. Many people left after a semester, and some didn't wait that long. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Macedonia and the Balkans All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


text:
If you are going to a swamp like the one in (A), make sure you bring your boots because swamps are full of mud and organic material. The organic material comes mostly from plants that have died. Over millions of years this carbon-rich mixture may be preserved as a bed of coal like the black layer in (B). Do you see the opening cut into the layer of black coal? That is the entrance to an old coalmine.
(A) Division of Natural Resources, Navaho AML Reclamation and (B) Chris Keane, American Geological Institute, courtesy of Earth Science World Imagebank
Last modified January 6, 2004 by Lisa Gardiner.


text:
The Swiss Travel Pass is the most complete pass to discover Switzerland. You can use trains, buses and even lake ferries to reach any destination including popular cities like Bern, Geneva, Locarno, Zurich and Lausanne.
In Switzerland, trains, buses and lake ferries are always waiting to take you to your dream destination. Whether you want to take a scenic train for the heights or travel from one city to another, the Swiss Travel Pass is your all-in-one pass for unlimited travel in Switzerland!
Hop on and off trains, buses and ferries at any time according to your desires and encounters. Just show up at the nearest train station ready to explore a new destination. Bear in mind that some private and scenic trains require a seat reservation. (See 'Things to know' for more information)
The Swiss Travel Pass is packed with bonuses to make your trip even more enjoyable. Free public transportation, discounted city tours, free museum entrance, free ferry trips and more are included in your pass.
Whether you are the adventurous traveller or the avid planner the Swiss Travel Pass is your pass to freedom and the key to an unforgettable trip!
The Swiss Travel Pass is great for families too! When confirming that you will be travelling together, you will be provided with a Swiss Family Card. It allows children aged 6 to under 16 to travel free of charge!


text:
Matthew McConaughey returns to his Dazed and Confused character in Butch Walker & The Black Widows new video for 'Synthesizers'. Taken from the new album The Spade.
BUY "THE SPADE" NOW: iTunes | HMV | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon ES | Amazon IT | Lojinx


text:
|New product news
|SMC rolls out its latest small, round air cylinder
SMC, the world's leading pneumatics provider, has designed a small, round air cylinder that will bring financial and productivity benefits to customers. The CJ2-Z Series is available with 10 and 16mm bores and can achieve strokes up to 200mm, but has improved accuracy, performance and added flexibility when compared to the original CJ2 Series. Assembly and maintenance costs are kept to a minimum due to the ease with which adjustments can be made to the auto-switch position by simply loosening one screw, and its status is also much easier to read thanks to a transparent auto-switch bracket. Available with a broad selection of head covers and mounting brackets as standard, the CJ2-Z's rod end deflection accuracy is improved with the addition of a wear ring on the piston rod. Guaranteed to achieve higher precision thanks to the non-rotating rod, the CJ2-Z also delivers space and time savings thanks to a built-in speed controller and direct mounting options. Suitable for a broad range of environments, the CJ2-Z offers many design variations as standard and is ideal for many industries including material handling, packaging, general automation, food and semiconductor. Recognised as a global technology leader and recently voted for the third consecutive year as one of the world's most innovative by leading business magazine, Forbes, SMC has a diverse customer base covering all automation industries. For more information about the CJ2-Z Series, please visit SMC's New Product Section at www.smc.eu.
|April 2014