text:
I'm not a big gambler, but I think I understand the basic strategy of certain games. Take blackjack. The strategy is to keep track of the cards that have gone out. As the game progresses, you can better calculate your level of risk with each hand played. Once you have that understanding, you start betting more often and in higher amounts, based on your card observations.
It's the same in product development. Conducting design research up front reduces your risk of problems occurring downstream. As you move through the R&D process, you can invest more money more confidently. The betting here is your monetary investment in development, engineering, and prototyping. As your risk goes down, you can spend more money.
People sometimes have an inverse approach. They believe they have a great idea, and they throw a lot of time, money, and resources at it. Some even leap right into a concept, a prototype, and a working model. They've already spent a ton of money, but then feedback starts coming in, and changes need to be made -- some of them drastic. It takes time to make changes. At this point, the risk is really high, because of money already invested, and now there is a lot to lose.
It's a Catch-22. The point of design research is to provide the right information up front, so you can develop the best ideas early on. But nobody wants to spend the money to do it. In the words of Frank Lloyd Wright : "You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledge hammer on the construction site." The sledge hammer is a bit more expensive.
Design research minimizes your risk if you approach it correctly. What you're ultimately trying to do with research is understand what a user needs to do to be successful with the device. You might spend a small or moderate amount up front to get this done, but it will take you more time and more money to change it later.
You should walk away from this type of research thinking: "I have a checklist of everything this user group needs to do to be successful using this device to perform the job." Now your task is set before you, and that task is to design something that can check off every item on that list. When thinking this way, you don't end up designing what the customer requests. You actually design something that meets the needs of the target users that they have expressed in order to be successful using the device.
It's important to mention what design research is not: "Here's Option A and Option B. Which one do you like better?" This is just a simple focus-group comparison. Unfortunately, much development research is done this way, because so many people's first idea of research is "Let's make some prototypes, get them in front of users, and see what they say." It's wonderful to do that at some point, but not early in the process.
Finally, some people claim that doing design research puts


text:
All of you whiny bitches who are pissed he didn't come to NY. Go suck it. My nig*a just showed again why he's the best player in the league. DOMINANT.
All of you whiny bitches who are pissed he didn't come to NY. Go suck it. My nig*a just showed again why he's the best player in the league. DOMINANT.
That was some clutch ass **** from both Lebron and Dwade..can't even front
Dirk taking the 'chip
I don't think anyone ever doubted his talent. I think people hated the way he handled the offseason.
I for one will never root for LeBron, despite acknowledging that he is the best player in the NBA right now. I just don't respect him personally, even if I respect his game.
Originally Posted by Knicksin60
I don't hate Lebron, I hate Miami!!!!!
Part of me knew when Mia. got Shaq they would win a title within the time frame he claimed they would but I down played it because it was Mia.
Alonzo Mourning was the best defensive Center in the league in the early 2000's- I wouldve never expressed that because he too was a player in Mia.
My in-laws own a 6 bedroom beach house close to South Beach; but I will claim that its not as nice as the beach house my wife and I own in some remote beach in Deleware that most of you have never heard of, you know why?.....it's in Mia.
Club Dream is off the hook in Mia, however I will tell you that Dream in DC is better, why.....you got it!!!!!
So basically as a Knick fan I hate everything that has to do with that City!!! For instance I love The OKC Thunder's roster from coach on down to the 12th man....but take that same squad, switch them with the Heat and suddendly I will tell you Durant is overatted, not cut out for stardom, Westbrook is not a pure PG and James Harden is one of the bummiest looking players ever!!!
See I have long given up with being upset about Lebron leaving and Clev and not becoming a Knick (that shipped sailed somewhere around December of this season), simply put, I hate The Heat and Lebron,Bosh and Dwade play for them so they are guilty by association.
with that....Chicago had a meltdown and that is why they lost game 5 not because of anything The Heat did well! see regardless if I believe that or not my hate for Miami is telling me to think that way and I happily accept it
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Summary of Brazil
Looking for the report?
We have the summary! Get the key insights in just 5 minutes.
- Comprehensive
- Analytical
- Overview
President Dilma Rousseff will likely win soccer-mad Brazil's next election, albeit through a political penalty shoot-out. With little chance of the fiscal changes needed to restore consumer and investor confidence, Brazil will experience weak economic growth in 2014, despite hosting the FIFA World Cup tournament. Rousseff's administration scored an own goal through populist economic policies and is paying the penalty in terms of growth, but it has an opportunity to even the score after the election. getAbstract cheers this Economist Intelligence Unit report for how ably it fields Brazil's complex political economy.
About the Author
The Economist Intelligence Unit is an independent research and analysis organization.


text:
Word up Pizza Gang! I recently had the pleasure to sauce it up with Blake Wexler. When it comes to cool dudes, you will find few cooler than Blake, who is the host of one of my favorite podcasts, The Blake Wexler Show. Blake lives in Los Angeles, which is unfortunate because apparently the pizza there is unremarkable. The good news is that Blake is going to be around some great pizza when he's in town performing with Todd Glass at Helium Comedy Club on March 21-24. Check it out!
Pizza Pal Joe Moore: How much do you like Pizza?
Blake Wexler: Good pizza is literally my favorite thing on Earth. If it wasn't for pizza, I would weigh 150 pounds and be a top 5 regional backstroke swimmer- not sure which region. There's a bar in LA where if you buy a beer, you get a free pizza. The other night after a few pizzas, the waitress there uttered the most depressing sentence I have ever heard in my entire life, "Mr. Wexler, I'm sorry but you're at your pizza limit."
PPJM: What is your favorite pizza topping?
BW: Extra sauce and hamburger… if it's actual hamburger and not something gross.
PPJM: What is your favorite pizzeria in Philadelphia?
BW: Pica's Pizza in Upper Darby. It's perfect. They do an upside down pizza – sauce on the top, cheese on the bottom and all the toppings are extremely high quality and it's not insanely priced. Whenever I come back to Philly, the first day I'm home I drive to Upper Darby and pick up some pies for the week. Vic and Deans on the Main Line is also good.
PPJM: You have been all over… You've lived in Philly, Boston and most recently LA and have spent some time in New York and Chicago. Where is the best pizza found?
BW: Food in LA blows. Boston doesn't know what it's doing when it comes to pizza. There's so much shit pizza in New York it makes finding the amazing stuff a task. I can't imagine there's a better pizza than Pica's in Upper Darby.
PPJM: When you were a kid, which day of the week was "Pizza Day" in your house?
BW: Usually Friday or Saturday. There was a 3 year period in my life as an elementary school-er where I got pizza hut literally every Saturday. My mom would order me, as per my request, a half cheese, half no cheese but w/extra sauce pizza. It got to the point where a year ago, I was back at home and ordered the same thing for nostalgia sake… it was the first time I had ordered pizza hut in like 4 years. The guy who took my order remembered me from when I was a child and we then talked for 15 minutes on the phone about how our lives had turned out. I'm doing better than he is.
PPJM: Anything else you'd like to add?
BW: Last time I was home, my mom, who is an incredible, gourmet-level cook, was ordering pizza from Bertucci's. I had consumed a couple drinks and told her I wanted "The Ultimo". She kept trying to order it, and the restaurant kept telling her they didn't know what she was talking about. After she angrily hung up, I told my mother that I had made up the name of that pizza. Then I laughed so hard I had an actual asthma attack.
Wow! That was great! Now I really want an "Ultimo"… See you pizza pals at Helium!


text:
Okay, so I'm obsessed with contingency planning. Maybe it's the fact that I've spent a big chunk of the last ~9 years of my life studying John's Apocalypse as an academic. At any rate, backups are a big deal to me, and for a while now I've been using a combination of Chronosync, Knox (I bought the discount Path Finder + Knox package), and my iPod to make portable backups that go "off site" with me when I'm away. Just in case the house burns down, or the Portuguese ex-cons who ransacked my old place in Somerville manage to find me again in Chicago, I figure I should have some kind of off-site backup of critical files to complement the nightly mirroring I do of my home directory to my ReadyNAS NV+.
Using an iPod for off-site backup is okay, but it's by no means ideal. If something happens to my place and I didn't bring along my iPod, then I'm up a creek. This being the case, I started searching for an online backup solution for my Mac last week. Some Googling quickly turned up BackJack as the preferred Mac option for power users and corporations everywhere, due to its reliability, redundancy, and the ease with which any user can set up an automated background backup of his or her files. BackJack sounded perfect for me (I'm lazy and notoriously unlucky in my dealings with software), but the service's rates were a bit pricey for me.
After more looking around, I eventually wound up at Strongspace, with a starter plan that gets me 5GiB of storage for $15 per month. At any time, I can up the amount of storage to 25GiB ($50/month) or 100GiB ($100/month). Plus, I get all sorts of added services for free with the package, like TextDrive, Connector, and other stuff that I'm never going to figure out how to use. But I just signed on for the backup, so backup is what I'm going to talk about here.
The main thing missing from Strongspace is an easy, automated way to back up your files in the background. But that's where Google comes in again.
Some searching turned up this handy link containing "push this, pull here" instructions that are complete enough to get you most of the way there, but with just enough warts to make you blow an entire afternoon getting it all to work. Nobody else should lose as much time as I did in getting this up and running, so I've put together this set of additions/corrections/clarifications to the instructions so that your experience will hopefully be much more painless than mine.
In a nutshell, the instructions show you a relatively novice user with minimal UNIX command line skills to automatically sync to Strongspace using rsync and cron by walking you through the following steps:
- Generate an ssh key and copy it up to your Strongspace account.
- Create a special backup directory of symlinks for syncing to Strongspace.
- Modify an existing Ruby script that will rsync the directories to Strongspace only if you're connected to the Internet, and only if you're not connected via a modem.
In the rest of this post, I'm going to walk you through some of the problems I found with these instructions, so that you don't have to re-invent the wheel.
Set up key-based login
In this section of the instructions, you'll open Terminal.app and generate an ssh key. These instructions tell you to pick a password for the key, but I'd recommend against it. Sure, picking a password is theoretically more secure, because if someone gets their hands on your private key file then they can access your Strongspace account (or any other account that you're using this key pair with). But the scheme as presented just didn't work for me with the passwords—it appeared to work at first, but further investigation and testing revealed that it just wasn't authenticating.
If you want to know more details of why it didn't work, then read the rest of this section. If you don't care, then skip it. The bottom line is that I'm only using this ssh key with my Strongspace account, and the only way for someone to get access to this key file is to have access to my laptop. Since my Strongspace account is just a backup of files off my laptop, then anyone who has my laptop already has everything anyway. So if you're only using the ssh keys for Strongspace then a password is pointless.
Now, for those that want to know why this part of the instructions doesn't work:
The instructions tell you to download and install SSHKeychain. They don't tell you that you must read the "Install" instructions for SSHKeychain and follow them to a "T." If you just download the program, copy it your Applications folder, and then run it, it won't work right. At the very least, you have to log out and then log back in once you've got it up and going, in order to set certain environment variables. (The fact that I didn't RTFI cost me about 30 minutes of troubleshooting.)
Once you get SSHKeychain properly installed and get your ssh keys registered with it, then you'll be able to scp and rsync to Strongspace without having to type a password. SSHkeychain will automatically get your private key password out of Apple's Keychain utility, saving you from ever having to type it in... unless, you're executing those commands from cron and not the terminal.
Once I had everything set up and I thought I was doing backups, I noticed that I was getting system mail from the cron daemon, telling me that rsync had failed to authenticate. So for reasons that I still don't understand, SSHKeychain isn't able to feed your key passwords to rysnc if it's invoked by a ruby script that's running from cron, even when that same ruby script will work flawlessly when run directly from the terminal prompt.
Create a Strongspace backup directory
The only modification I made to his instructions here was cosmetic. I named my Strongspace backup directory .strongspace. The dot in front of the name means that Finder doesn't show it, so my home directory isn't visually cluttered with any non-standard directories.
If you use a dot in front of your backup directory name, then you must remember to change all of the terminal commands and scripts in these instructions accordingly (i.e. replace "strongspace" with ".strongspace" when the reference is to your home backup directory.
First Sync
Because of the font that's used for the instructions, it's not at all clear on first inspection that the "--exclude" and "--progress" options for rsync need double dashes in front of them. Unless you look closely, these may look like single dashes to you, and you may spend a long time (like I did) trying variants on the command and wondering why none of them work.
Also, if you want to do a test run to see which files will be copied without actually copying anything, you can add the -n switch. You'd do this by adding an "n" to that string of rysnc options, so that it looks like this: -azvCLn
Setting up regular sync
To make the Ruby script work, you'll need to modify it more than he says. Specifically, this line is going to throw an error:
PID = '/Users/jcf/var/run/ss.pid'
This is a leftover line from his own implementation, and you almost certainly don't have a /Users/username/var/run director, much less one with his initials as the username. What I did was change this line to:
PID = '/Users/jstokes/.strongspace/ss.pid'
This way, the little fake pid file is created in my already-existing strongspace backup directory. Theoretically, you could use any directory that you have read/write permissions to.
Because I don't have a /var directory under my home directory, I keep the log file in the .strongspace directory I created. So you'll want to change this line of his instructions:
$ mkdir -p ~/var/log
$ mkdir -p ~/.strongspace/log
So between the original instructions and my corrections/additions to them, someone with very, very modest UNIX command line skills like mine should be able to set up automated background backups to a Strongspace account in an hour or two.


text:
DRHOOK- Are you sure? Skeptics always question the doc
"Na-uh! I don't believe you."
How many times have people questioned facts? This is an especially common phenomenon in this age of Internet information and misinformation. Mistrust. Misunderstanding. Miserable.
People used to think the world was flat and Christopher Columbus was an idiot to sail off the edge of the world. Instead he brought syphilis to the New World and more disease back to Europe! (Is this where Elton John sings, "The Circle of Life"?)
Are we that skeptical?
In medical school, I was taught to be skeptical of all new medical information, to employ critical thinking, and that's a vital skill because we don't want doctors to believe in snake oil.
The problem with some patients is they just don't trust anything the doctor says.
Pretend scenario: Patient: "I don't have high cholesterol."
Doctor: "Your labs for the past five years show an LDL of 240. Your current LDL goal is less than 100."
P: "The labs are wrong."
D: "Then why do you bother checking your cholesterol twice a year?"
P: "To finally get a real reading to prove my cholesterol's fine."
Isn't this like the vignette in Woody Allen's Annie Hall about a guy who tells a psychiatrist that his brother thinks he's a chicken. When the psychiatrist asks the patient why he doesn't get some help for his brother, the patient says he doesn't because he needs the eggs.
On the other hand, some folks walk through a storm with full evidence of a problem but don't want to admit it.
Pretend scenario: Doctor: "You have a huge hydrocele, which means fluid in your scrotum. Why did you wait this long to be seen?"
P: "Because I can't walk anymore."
D: "Ok, how about seeing a urologist to have this fixed?"
P: "Do you think maybe my blood pressure medicine is causing this? The warning label says my medicine can cause the following 800 things."
D: "No, I don't. Nonetheless, you need to have this fixed since you can't walk."
P: "How do you know for sure there's fluid in there? Maybe my scrotum looks swollen because I'm so skinny."
Mm, hm...
Some people seem to understand what's discussed in the doctor's office but then do a 180 when they get home.
Another pretend scenario: Patient: "Doctor, why did you give me this medicine. I don't have diabetes."
D: "Remember your labs show your fasting blood sugar is always 300, and your HbA1C is in the poorly controlled diabetic range?"
P: "No, you never told me that, and you said I was peeing all the time because I drink too much Coke. I don't have diabetes like my parents, brothers, sisters, and cousins."
D: "But you came to me out of concern that you might have diabetes."
P: "Well, can we redo the lab tests? I think since I didn't drink my Coke this morning, everything will turn out normal now."
Dealing with family members can be equally challenging, especially when all the family members hate one another. I've heard of a family who all wanted to change the diagnosis of the patient to best suit their own needs. So they all ended up arguing with the doctor and questioned every medicine, order, and test. (I wonder if they would lose on Family Feud?)
I think there's a healthy balance between following your doctor's advice and making your own choices. On the other hand, I heard a saying a long time ago, "A doctor who tries to doctor himself is a fool."
Sometimes it's just better to have an objective opinion and guidance.
Dr. Hook cracks a joke or two, but he's a renowned physician with an interesting website, drjohnhong.com. Email him with your questions.


text:
How to talk to an economist about peak oil
By James Hamilton
I for one would like to see better communication between economists, geologists, and petroleum engineers about the timing and consequences of the eventual decline in global annual production rates of crude petroleum. In part the failure to communicate better with each other stems from differences in the language, assumptions, and paradigms with which those of us from different specialties approach this issue. As one small step toward bridging that gap, I'd like to lay out for noneconomists a few of the key aspects of how economists might think about peak oil.
Suppose you told me that, as a result of a careful examination of oil reservoirs, you were certain that annual oil production was just about to plummet, and would be 30% below its current level in two years. I realize that's a more extreme example than anybody is advocating, but perhaps you'll bear with me in examining its implications for a few minutes before turning to a more subtle scenario.
Let's see if we can first agree on how society ought to respond to these facts that you would be giving us. I would say that the first thing we should do is curtail current oil consumption drastically. Oil is going to be an incredibly valuable commodity in two more years, and we've got to stop wasting it now. By leaving more of the oil in the ground now, we could stretch out the time available to us for developing alternative sources from oil sands and coal and to make radical changes in our transportation systems. And we would need to start immediately making huge investments in those alternatives.
Now let's consider what would happen if the government doesn't make any policy response. Oil is going to become extremely valuable under this scenario in a very short period of time. Let's say for discussion we're talking about $200 a barrel two years hence. Then I would like to make the observation that, if the facts were indeed as we just conjectured, oil surely could not continue to sell for $60 a barrel today. Anybody who pumps a barrel out of a reservoir today to sell at $60 could make three times as much money if they just left it in the ground another two years before pumping it out. The same is true for anybody with above-ground storage facilities-- they're throwing away money, and lots of it, for every barrel they sell at $60 that they could have instead stored for two years and sold for $200. If oil producers did respond to these very strong incentives by holding back oil from today's market, the effect would be to drive today's price up. This profit-seeking wouldn't drive the price all the way up to $200, because you have significant interest, storage, and idle capacity expenses from trying to wait around a couple of years before getting your profit. An economist would expect the end result of this profit-seeking to be that the price today is lower than what it will be in two years by an amount that reflects these interest and other expenses, but certainly far less than the difference between $60 and $200 a barrel.
Suppose, again for sake of discussion, that the outcome of this profit-seeking behavior by oil sellers was to drive the price of oil to $180 a barrel today, (that is, supposing that $180 plus two years worth of forgone interest equals $200). What effects would that have? For one thing, it would be a very powerful and effective incentive to force today's users of oil to reduce their consumption immediately. It would likewise be a very powerful incentive for investing heavily in oil sands and alternative technologies. And, of course, it would leave us more oil in the future to keep the economy going as we make the needed transitions. In other words, the consequence of oil producers trying to sell their oil for the highest price would be to help move society immediately and powerfully in the direction that we earlier determined it ought to move in anticipation of what is going to happen in the future.
I know that many physical scientists feel that economists have a misguided, mystical faith that "markets will always solve everything." Though I understand how outsiders might get this impression, I would guess that more than half of the published research in economics has to do with how the market can misallocate resources rather than how it always does a perfect job. But one thing in which most economists do place a great deal of faith is the powerful forces that are unleashed, for good or ill, by people's efforts to make themselves richer. The argument I'm making here is not an abstract, mystical claim about the market, but rather a very specific claim about the particular matter of interest. The claim is that profit-seeking works strongly in this instance to make the oil price rise now rather than wait until production actually declines, and that this force further works to produce the kind of changes that society needs to make now in order to prepare for the coming production decline.
So, if you thought you were right about the physical scenario, and yet saw oil selling today for $60, how could you explain the situation to an economist, who says that, if you're right, oil should be selling for $180? One thing you might argue is that, in some of the oil producing countries, the rulers have a precarious hold on power, so they just want to pump all the oil they can right now rather than wait a few years, even if the extra profits from waiting might be enormous. That's a good argument to make to economists, one we can understand and listen to. But, we would respond, what about private oil companies operating in market economies? Why would they throw away enormous profits?
Here I have heard some conspiracy- or incompetence-based arguments that frankly are difficult for an economist to follow. But rather than get into those, let me just observe that, even if every single oil producing government and every single oil company in the world had no desire or is too stupid to reap the huge profits that, under the scenario we're discussing, could be theirs for the taking, that still wouldn't be enough to account for the current price structure. The reason, as I've explained here and here, is that you don't need to control a single barrel of oil in order to profit quite handsomely, if what we've conjectured so far were true. If today's price is $60 and in two years oil will sell for $200, anybody with any money to invest could profit enormously by purchasing oil futures or options. And we don't see $200 oil, not in spot prices, not in options, not in futures.
So how could it be that there are billions and billions of easy dollars to be made, and nobody can be bothered to collect them? Unless you have a clear answer for that question, an economist at that point is going to ask whether you're sure that you've got all the facts straight, that oil really is going to sell for $200 a barrel in just two years.
Now, you may protest that you never claimed that oil production was going to fall off as much as 30% and the price was headed for $200 in just two years, that this whole extreme scenario was just a straw man I brought up to steer the discussion my way. Fine, let's say your story is that we'll be at the point we just analyzed in n years rather than 2 years. The point I wish to make is that you shouldn't expect that the oil price will stay stuck at $60 a barrel for n - 2 years, with everybody cluelessly wasting oil and ignoring the need for alternative investments along the way, and then all of a sudden jump up to $180 in year n - 2, for exactly the reasons we just discussed. Somebody would be missing a huge profit opportunity in the price jump from $60 in n - 3 years to $180 in n - 2 years. What economists would therefore expect to see under the n-year scenario would be for the oil price to rise steadily over all these n years, gradually producing greater and greater incentives for the needed conservation and the needed development of alternatives between now and year n.
This particular understanding of the natural consequence of profit-seeking behavior is I think the heart of the issue that needs to be addressed in order for economists and noneconomists to understand each other on this issue.
There's much more that can and should be said to improve communication between economists and others studying this question. I have learned that my readers are a highly informed group representing quite a range of different viewpoints and disciplines. So, at this point, perhaps you'll allow me just to turn the discussion over to you.


text:
Simon Kloostra's book, Joomla! 3 SEO and Performance, is a very focused, short book that is chock full of useful tips and links to resources that Joomla! website developers and administrators may not be aware of. As a long-time Joomla! user and founding member of the Northern Virginia Joomla! Users Group, I find that this book fills a gap on my Joomla! bookshelf.
Simon Kloostra (see his site at joomlaseo.com) is clearly an authority on Joomla! and SEO, but he avoids unnecessary jargon, provides context, and explains SEO in a clear and pleasant style. As of the date of this review, the book is quite current, which is usually a challenge with books. It includes evaluations of and recommendations for dozens of resources to consider for your toolkit.
One frequent question in user group meetings is which commercial template provider is best. This book does get specific and list well-regarded template providers, and also delves into the SEO considerations of template design. This which gives the site developers something more to consider in making their template selection or development decisions.
Perhaps even more valuable is his coverage of ways to maximize Joomla! performance. We have all seen sites that are slower than they need to be; this book explains what to do about it and provides a clear explanation of caching options and ways to optimize both css and javascript files.
Even those with good backgrounds in SEO and Joomla! will find additional insights that will justify their investment in buying and reading this book.
Hey, folks, Joomla! 3.4 has front-end module editing and "I am not a Robot" recaptcha!
These are two things among many that I know my customers will enjoy.
I will expound on it more when I have a few minutes! Just didn't want to tive the impression that I'm napping!
Joomla! 3.2 was released November 6, 2013. Key new features include:
- Version Control - Enables a Joomla administrator to revert to an older version of content on a website and compare side-by-side to see what changes have been made.
- Rapid Application Development (RAD) - RAD simplifies the process for a developer to write their own Joomla extensions; apps that enhance a Joomla site like calendars, videos or polls
- Extension Finder - This simplifies the process of searching for and installing Joomla extensions by allowing users to do all that directly from within their admin view with just a few clicks. The previous processes included separate steps to first search for and download extensions to a desktop, and then log in to the Joomla admin view and install those extensions.
- Bcrypt - A strong encryption method that scrambles passwords stored in a Joomla website's database.
- Two-factor Authentication - In order for a change to be made to a Joomla website, there can be an optional requirement for a user to fill out another form of authentication (other than a username/password). Two-factor authentication can be anything like entering an auto-generated code that is texted to a person's mobile phone.
- User Interface Improvements - The new Joomla 3.2 administration interface is more streamlined and task-focused.
- Iimproved template manager
- Multi-lingual site installer,
- Improved WYSIWYG editor
- Micro-data semantics library
- HTML form fields and attributes.
We will discuss Joomla! 3.2 at our November 20, 2013 Northern Virginia Joomla! Users Group Meeting. See the event on Meetup.
In addition to the press releases all around the web, here is Tim Plummer's briefing on the new features:
I have finally gotten to posting my presentations from the Northern Virginia Joomla! Users Group on SlideShare.
Here is the most recent, Timeless Tips extracted by Dorothy Firsching from Jen Kramer's book, Joomla! Start to Finish: How to Plan, Execute, and Maintain Your Web Site, Wrox, 2010.
Jen Kramer is president of 4Web, Inc., a company dedicated to building highly customized Joomla! web sites.


text:
Makes 12
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
75g light brown sugar, plus ½ tsp per muffin for sprinkling
1 tsp ground ginger
1 x 142ml pot sour cream
125ml vegetable oil
1 x 15ml tbsp honey
2 eggs (large)
1 large pear such as a Comice (or other fruit to give you about 300g in weight), peeled, cored and cut into 5mm dice
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6 and line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin papers.
Measure into a bowl the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, 75g of brown sugar and the ground ginger.
In a large measuring jug, whisk together the sour cream, oil, honey and eggs and then fold into the dry ingredients.
Lastly, mix in the diced pear, and divide the batter evenly between the muffin cases.
Sprinkle each one with ½ tsp of brown sugar and bake for 20 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack. Best eaten while still a little warm.


text:
Reese Witherspoon's clean image should fully recover
Reese Witherspoon's professional image is so squeaky clean that she got laughs on a late-night show earlier this year for pretending to buy bottles of cognac and tequila.
Her recent arrest and admission that she "clearly had one drink too many" could be more damaging to her brand than it might be for someone with a less-wholesome image, experts say, but because she apologized quickly and sincerely, her career is likely to fare just fine.
"Reese Witherspoon has become successful by positioning herself as America's sweetheart -- a likable, friendly, non-threatening star -- and this fundamentally disrupts that image," said branding expert Dorie Clark, author of "Reinventing You." ''It's far worse for Reese Witherspoon to be arrested (image-wise) than it would be for Lindsay Lohan. ... I think (Witherspoon) understands the severity of the situation and that's why she issued the apology so quickly."
The 37-year-old Oscar winner was arrested in Atlanta after a state trooper said she wouldn't stay in the car while her husband, Hollywood agent Jim Toth, was arrested and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.
"Do you know my name?" Witherspoon is quoted as saying in the trooper's report of the early Friday incident. She also said: "You're about to find out who I am" and "You're about to be on national news," according to Trooper First Class J. Pyland.
Witherspoon apologized shortly after news of the arrests broke Sunday and attended a New York screening of her new film, "Mud," that night as scheduled. But she canceled appearances this week on NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" and "Good Morning America" on ABC.
"I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said," she said in a statement. "It was definitely a scary situation and I was frightened for my husband, but that is no excuse. I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I'm very sorry for my behavior."
Her publicist, Meredith O'Sullivan Wasson, declined comment Monday.
Longtime Hollywood publicist Michael Levine said Witherspoon's timely apology helps mitigate any lasting damage to her image, saying she, "quickly removed the poison from her system."
Veteran publicist and vice chairman of Reputation.com Howard Bragman agreed.
"This is a speed bump, not a sinkhole," he said. "She made a mistake, she apologized. She didn't even have the DUI; it was her husband. Is it embarrassing? Yeah, a little bit. But it's not a game changer in terms of her career."
Witherspoon won an Academy Award for playing June Carter Cash in 2005's "Walk the Line." She married Toth, an agent at CAA, in 2011. They have a baby son, Tennessee, who was born in September of 2012.
Bragman suspects the municipal charges against the actress will be dropped. She has a court date set for May 22. Toth's case is set to be heard May 23.


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On Feb. 14, 1899, American industrialist Theodore Ludgate signed a deal with the federal government to lease Deadman's Island, off Stanley Park.
The cost was $500 per year, for 25 years.
Ludgate planned to build a lumber mill on the 7.5 acre island. He told The Vancouver World his mill would provide employment for 1,000 men, and said he "was perfectly willing to pay taxes to the city, and in the articles of incorporation would have no other but white labour."
Vancouver had just emerged from a crippling economic depression, and one of the city's biggest employers, Hastings Mill, had recently been struck by a fire. So the prospect of a new mill probably made sense to politicians in Ottawa.
But when Vancouverites found out about the deal, they went nuts.
The city was barely a decade old, and only had a population of 25,000. But the citizens had developed a strong attachment to Stanley Park, and were furious that someone would dare to put a mill there. Especially residents of the West End, then the wealthiest neighbourhood in Vancouver.
Civic politicians insisted Deadman's Island was part of the 1,000 acre park, which had been a federal naval reserve until it was leased by the city in 1888. But federal
Minister for Militia and Defence Frederick William Borden felt the island still belonged to the military, and signed the lease.
Mass meetings flared up in Vancouver, and accusations flew about Ludgate's political connections (his lawyer was B.C. Attorney-General Joe Martin) and alleged bribes (Vancouver alderman R.B. Skinner said he had been offered $20,000 to support the proposed mill).
City council came out against the Ludgate lease, as did the Board of Trade and the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council. Critics pointed out even if you supported the concept of the mill, the $500 annual lease was inadequate, given the land was worth about $100,000.
"Our belief (is) that a gross piece of indefensible jobbery has been perpetrated in connection with this affair," stated a Vancouver World editorial on the "disgraceful transaction."
Ludgate didn't back down. At 6:30 a.m. April 24, 1899, he showed up with 30 men and attempted to log the island.
He didn't get far, however. Mayor James Garden and almost the entire city police force had anticipated Ludgate's arrival and occupied the island before the loggers. When Ludgate attempted to cut down a tree, he was arrested, followed by his men.
The affair ended relatively peacefully, with the city and Ludgate opting to pursue their claims in the courts. But in late May and early June, 1909, Ludgate's men attempted to log the island a second time, which resulted in the Battle of Deadman's Island.
The battle was on June 1, when police arrested the loggers after they chopped down many of the island's biggest trees. The loggers were led by the feisty E.L. Kinman, managing director of the Island Deck and Warehouse Company.
Police Chief Chamberlain arrested Kinman for "feloniously destroying trees and shrubbery in a public park." The city's acting mayor, J.W. Prescott, told The World that Kinman "blustered around and used abusive language," but otherwise the loggers went to jail quietly.
But three of them returned to the island after being let out on bail. A scuffle with a policeman who had been left to guard the island ensued. Kinman struck the officer with a club and knocked him unconscious.
Kinman was arrested again. More court actions followed, and in 1911 Ludgate's lease was ruled valid. But he died in 1918 without ever building a mill.
Ironically, the federal government handed Deadman's Island to the city on a 99-year lease in 1929, but the city didn't have the funds to do anything with it during the Great Depression. In 1942, Mayor James Cornett offered it to the navy for a training base, which it remains.


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Jelly beans are a year round thing now (thank you Jelly Belly). Bags of beans start to fill the shelves like candy canes at Christmas when Easter candy comes out on Valentine's Day.
And like candy canes, there are brand name hits and misses to tempt the overwhelmed basket stuffer.
Life Savers Jellybeans are a miss—made in Mexico, distributed by Wrigley, the Cubs still suck—but I've sampled more brand name hits. Sour Patch and Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans are a hit.
I'm not surprised that Sour Patch Jelly Beans spin a charming blend of sugary coated tang. They're sparkly and hold up well if hidden away for later. The candy shell is a little thick, but I love the coating and overall look. They compliment their gummi namesake well.
As enamored as I am with the Sour Patch beans, Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans are a sprightly rival.
The Fruit Juicy Reds tasted like both a tall cup of Hawaiian Punch then something less juicy, so I went through the bag to make sure I had the colors right. I'd confused Fruit Juicy Red with Lemon Berry Squeeze (see Color Key). These beans would benefit from a more distinctive color palette and a little more zip in a few of their flavors. Brach's needs a better color key than the blurry one on the back of the package.
Red - Fruit Juicy RedRed with Yellow-Orange Speckles - Lemon Berry Squeeze
Lime Green with Dark Green & Yellow Speckles - Green Berry Rush
Blue with Darker Blue Speckles - Berry Blue Typhoon
Lime Green with Dark Green & Yellow Speckles - Green Berry Rush
Blue with Darker Blue Speckles - Berry Blue Typhoon
Yellow-Orange with Red Speckles - Mango Passionfruit SqueezeOrange with Lighter Orange Speckles - Orange Ocean
I found myself looking for the pleasant bite of the Green Berry Rush and the Lemon Berry Squeeze most often. The Lemon Berry especially gives you the classic Hawaiian Punch taste of childhood while suggesting flavored lemonade.The fresh citrus overtones of the Orange Ocean reminds me of a tangerine more than an orange—it has everything but seeds and pulp.
The Berry Blue Typhoon smacks of sweet sour bubble gum without being overwhelming, not my favorite, but the color stands out. The Mango Passionfruit Squeeze tastes a little odd. You can tell it's mango, but it stops short of the refreshing Orange Ocean, tipping over into the land of bland.
There's 100% vitamin C (36g carbs) per serving in Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans. They're in a two way tie with Sour Patch Jelly Beans in the Dish Easter Bean ranking right now. However, the threat of Coconut, Orange, and Very Cherry Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips loom.


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Monday, March 25, 2013
Toaster Oven Challenge: Easter Cookies
I have a Moffat 1500 Gourmet from the 1960s that we inherited when we bought our bungalow. It has this really cool eye level broiler and it's crazy old. Anytime a new friend visits our home, eventually they ask about the broiler and the oven. I'm quite sure that it's not very energy efficient so I am undergoing my very first toaster oven challenge. Anything that I have ever made in the oven will have to go into the toaster oven instead. My first challenge? Cookies in the toaster oven.
I used my tried and true sugar cookie recipe (click here for the full recipe). The only thing that I changed with the recipe was the bake time. The original recipe requires you to bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes at 325F. I baked them in the toaster oven for 20 minutes at 300F and turned the tray halfway through. If you have a high end toaster oven, you probably won't need to turn the tray.
I made these cookies last year for Easter and the kids loved them so I decided to make some again for Joshie's friends at school.
If you only need to make a small batch, don't freeze the dough. Roll the dough, cut your shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Pop the sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the unbaked frozen cookie to an airtight container. Whenever you want a fresh cookie, just take it out of the freezer, pop it in the oven, and you have a nice tasty cookie.
This time Baby Bunny helped me make the cookies. It's so nice to have 2 helpers but it's also a lot messier.
Here's the finished product!
The bunny ones will be for his school friends. All we need to do now is pop them into little treat bags, include a label, and some stickers.
Happy Easter everyone!!!
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In zulaman yes the trash is easier then the boss, on the dragonhawk boss i always expect a wipe since most of the tanks dont know where to be when.
In zulgurub Jin'do is usually a wipe, the cat lady is usually a pain too, but appart from that its not that hard.
cutting to the chase,easy for premades,hell for pugs


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Previous Lecture
Complete and continue
Developing Your Employability Skills
Module One: Starting your career search and identifying your dream role
Content overview (1:05)
Getting clear on your career plan
What would you like from your dream employer?
What research should you carry out when looking into your ideal job role and future employer
Careers fairs and how to conduct yourself (4:03)
Best practice approach for contacting employers
Top 5 graduate job sites
How to job search effectively
Ready, Set, Job Search
Module Two: Creating your killer CV and cover letter
Content overview (1:15)
Does your CV include all the right things?
How to write that all important cover letter (2:02)
Finding the right words
Our tried and tested CV and Cover Letter templates
Module Three: Setting up a LinkedIn profile
Content overview (1:00)
Why it is important for you to have a LinkedIn profile
Your step by step guide to setting up your profile (8:31)
The power of an effective profile and what makes an ALL-STAR profile (2:52)
The Dos, Don'ts and how-to's of contacting employers using LinkedIn
Social Media - how to be confident when representing yourself online
Top Tip!
Module Four: Acing application forms & conquering online tests
Content Overview (0:51)
Completing application forms and tackling tricky application questions
Types of tests you can expect to face online (6:02)
Links to our favourite online practice tests
Module Five: Tackling telephone and video interviews
Content overview (1:10)
Why are recruiters using these methods
What to expect in a telephone or video interview (5:46)
Opportunities to stand out and impress
How to answer the most challenging questions
Avoid awkwardness with these simple etiquette rules and top tips (2:39)
Module Six: The all important in-person assessment centre and interviews
Content overview (0:45)
What to expect if you're invited to an assessment centre (3:13)
The types of exercises you may face at an assessment centre (9:59)
Assessment centre exercise examples
Deep dive into the important face to face interview (11:17)
Different types of interview questions
15 killer questions to ask your interviewer
How to prepare yourself
Module Seven: Negotiating your offer
Content overview (1:01)
How to respond professionally to an offer
How to successfully negotiate your pay and benefits (2:24)
What you should do between receiving an offer and your first day
Module Eight: The transition into the world of work
Content overview (0:44)
Making a great first impression
How to behave in the workplace (3:01)
Understand how your performance will be measured (5:30)
Helpful tools to develop your career
Well done and good luck
Top Tip!
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NBA 2K11 is the latest installment in the best selling, and highest rated NBA videogame series. NBA 2K11 is the best way to plug into NBA culture. Its the most fun, authentic NBA videogame experience and is for any sports fan with that competitive fire who wants to play the best NBA simulation on the market. Its the NBA series that everyone is playing from the most elite NBA athletes and superstars to the local court gym rats. NBA 2K10 delivered on its promise to take over, and NBA 2K11 will on build on that momentum by dialing up all of its features gameplay, AI, presentation, visuals, audio, online and more to deliver the best basketball videogame experience ever.
Xbox 360
This version of NBA prominently features Michael Jordan, His Airness on all of its games. Added with the fine polishing and full features that that this game has to offer, playing NBA 2K11 will be the best gaming experience that you have ever had.
The amount of effort that has been put into this masterpiece is quite incredible. All details and visuals have been perfected from recreating Jordan's historic games, streamlined controls, to the present and past NBA teams that play and feel like their real-life counterparts
This game had so far made the most incredible year-over-year revisions and improvements that are made into a game. Other games tend to lose some important features every time they improve in a year however; this one only gain- never loses.
As you start with the game, you will be pleasured with the greatness of MJ from the high quality cinematics. You are then transported to the tunnel of Chicago Stadium for their first game in 1991 Championship and joins Jordan on their battle. He then looks at you asks you "Are you ready?" then runs to the court. This game gives you a feel of being in the NBA finals itself with the Bulls battling the famed Magic Johnson and pushing your way through the new age of NBA history.
This game featurs MJ's many challenges in NBA. These challenges include the total points he made in a specific game, total number of shots like 3-point shots, dunks, lay-ups, etc. In addition, special modes have been added for those NBA fanatics who can make it through the 10 Jordan Challenges. On this mode, you will get to challenge the best player who ever lived himself- who else could it be?
Most of the NBA has been accurately captured on this game. From the accessories of each player's to their tattoos and signature moves. Never have I seen a game that is as detailed as this. I personally think that this is the best game any basketball fanatic can ever ask!
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Oct 29, 2014


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European countries' debt problems--in Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and elsewhere--have spurred market volatility and raised doubts about whether the global economic recovery is sustainable. Investors fled the euro after the European Union failed to convince them that faltering EU members could rein in government deficits and pay down debt. Investors are also questioning the U.S. dollar's stability--despite its rise against the euro--given the United States' growing deficits, high U.S. unemployment, and loose monetary policy.
While government interventions have led global recovery, the market's reaction to Greece and other indebted countries suggests governments may "have used up all their ammunition" to boost global growth, and their weakness causes a "new source of instability in the system," says Sebastian Mallaby, director of CFR's Center for Geoeconomic Studies and a senior fellow for international economics. Continued economic weakness means governments may have to continue fiscal and monetary stimulus, Mallaby says, though the markets will likely punish them for increasing budget deficits. Emerging markets continue to buy U.S. dollars "because they can't figure out where else to put their savings," he says, but once a viable alternative arises, "they will all jump." Mallaby says the United States is not at risk of inflation, since unemployment numbers remain high and industrial production low. That leaves room for the Federal Reserve to continue so-called "quantitative easing," or buying government securities to promote lending when interest rates are already near zero.
What does the market volatility--resulting from doubts about European countries' sovereign debt in Greece, Portugal, and elsewhere--say about the state of the global recovery?
More on:
Two big things: The first is that in 2008 and 2009 we got used to thinking of governments as the saviors that would charge in and rescue everything in sight. So, in the United States, a series of financial institutions were rescued and bailed out, and in Europe, pretty much the same story. Governments were the rescuers. Now, we may be getting to a point where governments have used up all their ammunition, and their own resulting weakness is the new source of instability in the system. That's what we saw a little bit later in 2009 with the scare over Dubai, and now we're seeing it in Europe with the scare over Greece and to some extent, Portugal behind Greece.
The second thing, related to that, is that the recovery globally has been based on enormous public interventions--both these rescues that I mentioned, but also stimulus packages from governments, very low interest rates, and quantitative easing from central banks--and there's a debate over when we should withdraw those government actions to stimulate the recovery. And until now, the debates have been "let's wait and see when recovery appears to be self-sustaining, and then you can take the government medication away. But don't take it away before it's self-sustaining, because the risk of reverting into a recession is more costly than the risk of stimulating too much and getting inflation." Inflation seemed to be a pretty remote danger, and a renewed recession an acute danger.
Now governments may not have the luxury of making that choice [to withdraw stimulus] as they would wish. They may want to carry on stimulating by having budget deficits, but the markets may punish them, as we are seeing in Greece. So they're forced to cut the budget deficit dramatically to keep the markets from panicking. A version of that is visible in the United States, where most voters tell pollsters that they would like to see the budget deficit reduced, but President Obama's plan is only to start the reduction next year in 2011, and this year to have another stimulus package focused on jobs.
The question is: Can he do that stimulus package politically, and also, does it actually encourage more spending in the economy if everybody is really worried that too much government debt is stirring up trouble? You might actually hurt confidence more than help it with another stimulus package. We're reaching a tipping point in the ability of governments to carry on supporting global markets.
"We're reaching a tipping point in the ability of governments to carry on supporting global markets."
More on:
Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Greece are all suffering from deficits. How will that crimp European growth, and, by extension, U.S. and global growth?
It was already the case that if you had to rank where the recovery was healthy, you would say healthiest in emerging markets, particularly Asia; reasonably healthy in the United States where fourth quarter growth in 2009 came in a bit over 5.7 percent; and then most anemic in its recovery has been Europe. As you say, Europe faces the additional problem that the markets are compelling a fiscal consolidation--the withdrawal of stimulus spending--particularly in the southern rim. That's obviously going to reduce growth in its direct effect. The problem is, even if you had the luxury of not withdrawing that stimulus, the lack of confidence in government from the big deficits was itself a drag on growth. So, Europe doesn't have any choice about tightening budgets in these high-deficit economies like Greece, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal. But it is going to bring growth down. That does have a knock-on effect for the rest of the world economy, as slower growth in Europe means less opportunity to sell goods to European consumers. That's bad for growth everywhere. The answer may be that the European central bank has to act more aggressively to sustain growth by reconsidering its plans to withdraw some of its quantitative easing.
What happens if Greece can't refinance its debt? Who, if anyone, steps in, and what implications does that have for the European Union?
If somebody is going to step in, there are two kinds of "somebodies." The first is a European bailout. Greece, being a member of the eurozone, is considered to be Europe's responsibility. The problem is that there is no established mechanism for providing bailout funds for a eurozone member that gets into this sort of trouble.
The rules of the euro say that you can't be bailed out, and that you're not supposed to be running these enormous budget deficits in the first place. Now that those rules have been ignored, there is a big budget deficit. There is talk of some sort of ad-hoc bailout, but the politics of that are very difficult. If the German voters felt they were paying for the partying profligacy of southern Europeans, having themselves [the Germans] spent a long time saving up their money, one can imagine how politically unpopular that would be. It would also set a precedent if the Germans felt they were bailing out Greece--well, then, they'd next have to bail out Spain, Portugal, Italy, and so on. So, it's very hard for the German government to approve a European bailout, which German taxpayers would be on the hook for. And because of that, if they did do it, they would probably do it in a fairly stingy way, charging very high interest rates for the bailout package. And then maybe the bailout wouldn't work because it would come with so many tough conditions that it would impose new kinds of stress on the Greek economy. For the Germans to order the Greeks how to run their economy is not going to be popular in Greece. So for lots of reasons, politically a bailout within Europe is very difficult.
That raises the question: Would it be better to bring in the International Monetary Fund to organize a bailout? The IMF after all has a whole machinery, which is expert at providing crisis lending in precisely this kind of situation. I think it would be better to go that route. It's just that there's a certain amount of European pride at stake here. The Europeans feel that their first option should be to sort out their own difficulties without resorting to the humiliation of going to the IMF.
The U.S. dollar benefited from the decline in the euro, as investors fled to it as a safe haven. How long should the United States--which has its own sizeable deficits--expect to enjoy that safe haven currency status?
"The economic allegation is that hyperactive central banks are printing money and risking inflation, but really I don't see much danger of inflation in a world economy that has very high unemployment."
Well, that's an enormous and important and almost impossible to answer question, because it depends on sort of predicting a tip in investor psychology, when you know that the chemistry of that collective psychology is almost impossible to foresee. On the one hand, the U.S. dollar's position as a reserve currency is extremely fragile, because it's a reserve currency that many important powers in the international system don't actually like. The Chinese government, for example, has accumulated a vast amount of reserves held in dollars, and at the same time is calling on other countries to help it to establish an alternative to the dollar as a reserve currency. Its position is, "We're buying all these dollars we hated." That's not a very stable equilibrium.
You see versions of that all around the world, where other emerging-market countries--which have big reserve buildups because they're running current account surpluses--are buying dollars because they can't figure out where else to put their savings. But they're aware that on their sort of medium- to long-term view, the dollar is going to depreciate, and they're going to lose money on these investments. They're not happy about it, so they're looking for alternatives. It's just that there isn't one easily to hand. Private investors, too. U.S. private investors would like to get more money out of dollar instruments into faster-growing emerging-market instruments, and foreign investors who in the 2000s invested a lot in U.S. assets discovered during the subprime crisis that these assets were not always as safe as they had hoped.
So for many reasons, one would expect people to move out of dollars. The problem is, move out of dollars into what? It's not particularly attractive to go into euro instruments at the moment when there is a financial crisis going on in Europe; it's difficult to hold Chinese instruments because of capital controls. There isn't an alternative easily to hand, and so one has this uneasy feeling that everybody is looking for an alternative. When they see one, they will all jump, but when that time comes is difficult to predict.
What policy tools are left to stimulate growth if markets are frowning at both deficit spending and continued monetary stimulus?
There is a backlash against central banks increasing their intervention in the economy. I see it more as a political issue than an economic issue. The economic allegation is that hyperactive central banks are printing money and risking inflation, but really I don't see much danger of inflation in a world economy that has very high unemployment. When you've got a lot of idle workers and spare capacity in your factories, the idea that you're going to run into capacity constraints and experience inflation seems a remote threat relative to the others we are facing. So I don't think there is much constraint on continued central bank activism to pump demand into economies. You could see the Fed--for example, if the U.S. economy went into a double dip--resuming some of the quantitative easing that it has recently discontinued.
A lot of people feel that central banks shouldn't behave in this fashion, pumping money into all corners of the financial system, and there is a severe danger of Congress reacting negatively against the central bank. We saw that a bit in the arguments over Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's reconfirmation, which at one point looked as if it might be derailed. One could see central bank independence suffering because lawmakers politically don't like seeing central banks, which after all are run by unelected technocrats, having that much influence over the economy.
How should this situation inform thinking about using bailouts to address future financial crises?
When governments do bail out [financial institutions], what you see is governments themselves get into enormous budget deficits, which then themselves become a new source of so-called "systemic risk." So if the question is, "How do you prevent a future bailout of the financial sector?" that gets you into the intricacies of financial reform. We've seen President Obama announce a couple of additional ideas to the financial reform package that's passed the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate. These are to limit the risks to taxpayers posed by large banks by reining in their proprietary trading, preventing them from running so many hedge funds, and temporarily imposing a tax on their size. These are all steps in the right direction, but definitely not quite enough to get us into a position where we can honestly say we won't expect governments to bail out the private sector next time there is a crisis.


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A 15-year-old Emirati boy has been sent to a juvenile detention center for up to three years after being discovered sucking face with two sisters. A typical hour in the life of a Jersey Shore cast member leads to jail time in the United Arab Emirates. Never have I ever been prouder to be American.
USA Today reports that the boy was originally charged with sexual assault after the girls' father discovered the boy kissing the girls in the girls' bedroom. Turns out that not only was the boy dating the girls (both of them), he'd been let into the house willingly by the girls themselves.
A judge sent the young Hugh Hefner to a juvenile detention center, where he'll stay until he's 18 or until he's been adequately punished. The girls were released to the custody of their parents.
Let the judgment of God be inflicted on these adulterous havers of underage face-sex.
Emirati teen gets 3-year sentence for kissing two sisters [USAT]


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No Right Answer: Best British TV Show Ever
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To refute your point, I give you The Office. It started as basically a recreation of the British series, and then went off and did it's own thing. And for a while, it was glorious. I would have liked to give it a chance past the pilot and see if it went anywhere. But, I am an optimist. :shrug:
The reason why Dr who is less gory than US shows is because its gone out at (on average over 50 years) between 5-7 on a Saturday and is aimed at an audience that is 7 years old and up. The UK population is 62 million so there is not simply not enough 20 year olds willing to argue over minor points in Sci Fi shows to make the US gritty realism (Battlestar etc) viable.
Small point Terry Gilliam is an American so technically Monty Python is 1/6th Yank.
They just about know how to use a computer. Or, at least, now to work their iphones, which they play with all day and night, to post messages on facebook about what they ate for dinner.
Dr Who has been Borged. I like that, and it's 100% true. The show is barely British anymore.
The funny thing is that if Dr Who ended somewhere in the mid 80s it would have had a far better chance at winning. How long did Monty Python go for? If we include the movies I don't think it ever jumped the shark.
Most of these are awful shite. Only seen about half of them but IT Crowd? Black Books? Sherlock? Better than Dr Who or Monty? I don't even...
...What? no mention of Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, Dad's Army, Porridge, Green Wing and other greats?
*shakes head*
Sherlock is the best british TV show, by far. Also, I think the fanbase is kind of crazy... I'm not sure. We mostly just get to wait for a new season.
Little Britain, Blackadder, and The IT crowd are all better than those mentioned too IMO. I've not seen much of Dr. Who, but it seems silly to me, even if I like the ninth doctor. Monthy Python is pretty good though. I like the movies.
Curses. I was going to mention Blackadder but you beat me to it.
Hm. It really is quite interesting how most of the main characters have gone on to become big names in either America, Britain or both.
Oh and yes. I am British and "Poppet"... Well I haven't heard that in a LOOOOONG time...
You forgot Wooster and Jeeves. Although the last episode was a bit meh.
I'd be a sad panda if the Cicus didn't win, cause it's my favorite show of all time, because despite it being an entertainment for all it has very strong roots in the history of ART as a whole, and could be judged as such - it's an excellent example how to introduce surrealism to masses.
Well, I can't really express how much I hate Dr. Who so Monty Python definitely got my vote.
That being said, there are still plenty of British shows better than both of these. I've no idea how many reached America but I do know of one that has a rabid fanbase AND an American remake (a pilot episode, at least):
SPACED! Come on guys, you had a freaking Edgar Wright movie on the shelf!
I was going to say Red Dwarf is the best British TV show ever, but then you said it had to come across to the US mostly unaltered and I was like *sadface*.
They would be my choices also. Particularly Blackadder 2-4 and Red Dwarf 3-6.
As a 'British' person, (seriously, nobody actually in Britain refers to themselves as British, you're English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish) I have to disagree with this entirely. Dr. Who is utter crap designed for children, it's like adults quoting Harry Potter to each other at work, it's just a bit sad. The best thing we have ever shown on the television-box is far and away Spaced.
I re-watch Spaced annually and I still laugh uproariously each and every time.
Didnt he renounce his American citizenship though? Technically he was born in the US, but his only citizenship is now British I believe - although i guess he would still have had American citizenship when they were actually making Python.
Luther never gets any love. But it's easily one of the best, if not THE best show I've ever seen. It's got all the emotional edge of Game of Thrones but without the sporadic leaps that comes with a multi-storied show.
As an Englishman, I feel eminently qualified to discuss this subject.
I can't wait for the American version of this. What's the best American show ever: Star Trek or The Dean Martin Show?
He stopped being an American in 2006, 35 years after the show started.
While the best British TV show is up for debate, there can be no question as to the best intro to a British TV show:
Well that's because it isn't the best british show. It's the best show..... IN THE WORLD. </clarkson>
I'm astounded Monty Python won.
Less IT Crowd, and more Garth Marenghi's Dark Place. Also, I highly recommend Life On Mars (maybe Ashes To Ashes too), Brass Eye and Jam. I think English humour is symbolised by dead-pan silliness, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
As much as I love Black Books, Sherlock and Life On Mars, I have to admit that Monty Python is better. Better than Dr Who though...That I'm not so sure. Dr Who has some great episodes and David Tennant is pretty amazing as The Doctor, but at the same time there is the huge problem that you're comparing a comedy show to a sci-fi show. Even comparing Life On Mars to Dr Who is somewhat problematic. Personal preference, I don't actually like Dr Who much. It's not bad, but I just don't like it too much. I mean, Life On Mars has Gene Hunt.
Somewhat sad that The Sky At Night isn't on anyone's list thus far :(
Anyway, there is no 'best'. Taste is a wonderful thing.
The problem with Python being such a classic, to the point where people can quote entire sketches from memory, is that we tend to gloss over the crappier sketches and the stuff that didn't work because the stuff that did work was a slice of fried gold. Python wasn't consistently high-quality, it's just that when it was high quality it was really high quality. It still beats out Dr Who though, since as much as I love the show it's really going downhill lately.
As for my picks, I was leaning towards Sherlock, because come on, Sherlock. However, there really is only one winner for me, and that's Spaced. Never a bad episode, great characters, eminently quotable, they allowed it to die before it became stale and was consistently fucking hilarious. Spaced, all the way to the bank.
Nice, but no Thunderbirds.
Thunderbirds are GO!
I'm British. Most of my colleagues also tend to identify as British - Generally because we're a mix of the 4 home nations, and it makes it easier for the Americans we work with to identify us.
Obviously amongst ourselves we become English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish, but then that gets even further broken down to Yorkshiremen, Lancastrians, Londoners, Scousers, Geordies, Eassies, Wessies, Weegies, etc. etc. etc.
So yeah, fuck you. I'm British. Lots of us actually refer to ourselves as British.
Apologies for going off topic, but I felt that needed saying.
As for best TV show?
Meh, not really a Doctor Who fan, and Monty Python had some awesome sketches, and the movies were pretty awesome, but I found the TV show very hit and miss.
Overall? I think Blackadder is the greatest, and it's a shame it's not really made it over to the US. Does Game of Thrones not count? It's mostly a British cast and they film a lot of it in Northern Ireland.
Guys, it's not Py-thOn, it's one word - python. "pie-thun", i guess if you're look for phonetics...
Also, Chris - check out Black Books. Wee British Comedy that might appeal.
Yeah, when I was a kid, the opening to the feature-length film was the most gorgeous example of pacing I'd seen:
There are so many British Shows I like, I have a different list between American/Canadian shows and British shows. In South Africa I have about 2 - 2.5 shows I actually like so I just tend to watch full series of International shows. I love Sherlock but The IT crowd would have to be one of my best because its so British and I guess new.
The muppet show.
This is the best agument so far. I can't declare which I like more.
Thanks for the shout out to us Brits, I have to say I would put forward Blackadder as the best but Python or Who are equally valid choices
I would have to vote for Black Books, Still Game or Father Ted. Love them. Although I quite enjoyed the first two episodes of Sherlock and fully intend to watch the rest.
As for the British identity thing, it is very rare here for people to refer to themselves as British rather than Scottish, but it does happen.
I've no desire to watch Dr Who, but I do love me some Monty Python :D
YES. And it worked as both a comedy and a drama.
Eh, no. But then again, I don't particularly like Steve Coogan.
Yes, though the first season was rather weak.
See my previous comment about Steve Coogan.
I'm quite disappointed you left out Father Ted (although whether that qualifies is open to debate); Yes, (Prime) Minister; Black Mirror; The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (the original, natch); Cracker; Prime Suspect; Brasseye; Keeping Up Appearances; and House of Cards.
In fairness, even including those, we're both just scratching the surface. The TV licence is good for something!
In some circumstances, it is needed. I'm Irish, and I get the humour of The Office--though I don't like it because I don't like cringe comedy--but a character like David Brent wouldn't have worked in the US: he would've been seen as a villain rather than the ultimate expression of the Peter Principle. Instead, you got Michael Scott, who was the US version of the same character, but much more earnest.
To a large degree, yeah. Though your TV executives disagree. The comedy show Episodes explores this dichotomy very well.
Canada is something of a bridge between Leftpondia and Rightpondia, isn't it. :-)
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It's already December, and before you know it that dreaded post-Christmas credit card statement will arrive in your mailbox, reminding you of just how truly pricey this season can be. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, that's why today's Appalooza is all about those applications gratis. This week, we'll check out Snapseed's latest Android photo app, a fantastic point-and-click adventure game, and an app that lets you search the entirety of your social network rolodex.
Snapseed, Free
Up until now, Android has been somewhat limited in the photography department. Sure, there are a few choice applications available for sprucing up your photos, but none have been as friendly-to-use or as precise as Snapseed. Already a popular application on iOS, Snapseed lets you adjust and tweak your photos to your liking with a single tap. You can also swipe to the left or right for each individual tweak to adjust it, or swipe up and down to switch between options. It also features a few nifty filters; you can make your photo look grungy, for instance, or give it a vintage look. Add borders at the end to give it that certain je ne sais quoi, and you may never use Instagram again.
CloudMagic, Free
If you rely heavily on services like Evernote, Dropbox, and Gmail, CloudMagic is pretty stellar for getting through the bulk of it and finding exactly what you need. You can use the app to search across all of those services, plus a few more, and it offers Exchange and Office 365 support. It also displays a feed of all the recent activity on your social networks, and it even features voice search.
Yesterday, Free
This is one of the better point-and-click adventure games I've played on the Android platform, and fortunately there's a free version for those who want to check it out before committing $4.99. Ported over by indie studio Bulkypic, Yesterday follows protagonist Henry White as he investigates the recent murders of the homeless on the streets of New York City. This story-driven, noir-style game is worth checking out if you're a fan of adventure games from game studios like Telltale, and it looks great on the Nexus 7 (though it works on all Android devices).
We mistakenly posted an app citing the fact that Dropbox cannot natively download files. It actually can save to any Android phone with the handy Export option.


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Price & Myers
Services: Code for Sustainable Homes Assessors | SAP Assessors | Independent Energy Specialist | Daylight Calculation Services
WaySearch 30 Newman Street
W1T 1LT London
London United Kingdom
Contact Person: Jessica James
Phone: 02076315128
Fax: 02074621390
Price & Myers Sustainability is a specialist team providing design support to enhance the sustainability of construction projects.
Our service can be tailored to fit any stage of a project from site analysis and concept, through construction phases to occupation. Our clients include architects, private individuals, developers and the public sector.
Our team comprises of experienced building professionals who understand the building process. We work closely with the design team, championing sustainable initiatives and producing practical strategies and solutions.
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Tooth Brush:core by Tiberio Maffeo
Tiberio Maffeo Spotlights The Core Tooth Brush
Tiberio Maffeo, the author of the awarded work CORE by Tiberio Maffeo points out, CORE is a design that synthesises the whole process of daily oral care. The toothbrush is provided with a reservoir layer of silicone inside which is a gel toothpaste. Pressing the "heart" the gel comes out from the head through a duct. It is designed to heal oral hygiene during trips or at work because the charge takes about 3 days and can be removed and refilled..
Tooth Brush:core by Tiberio Maffeo Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Design Gizmo homepage.


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Washington Nationals Christmas Tree Skirt
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Dexter Morgan 3D Neon Sign LED Wall Clock NC0228-R Wall Neon Clock
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Grow Brighter, Last Longer, Color Choice More! Excellent for displaying in your shop, bar, pub, club, restaurant, room and anywhere you like! Size : 250 mm/ 10 inches in Diameter The Clock face is engraved by the latest 3D, Surface and Line engraving technologies (attractive in all directions). Not using the laser engraving method which only provides 2D surface effect. The clock runs on one AA battery (not included). Lighting: Equipped with the hightest quality power saving LED lights, we provide US adaptor to USA & CA/ UK adaptor to United Kingdom/ AU adaptor to Australia/ EU adaptor to European countries, the lights can last for 100,000 hours. 3 colors for you to choose, either blue , Red , green . Item Specifics Overall Size : 250 mm/ 10 inches Material : Acrylic & Aluminum Voltage : 12v to 240v Wattage : 6w Power Source : Battery for clock/ corded-electric for lights Plug : US/ UK/ EU/ AU Light Source : LED Light Life Span : 100,000 hours Place to Use : Indoor Only Shipping Weight : 0.7


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Boyt Harness Company is the world's premier manufacturer of high quality gun cases, hunting accessories and specialty hunting clothing. Founded in 1901, the construction methods and high quality materials used to make Boyt products have remained virtually unchanged since the turn of the last century. Boyt gun cases are backed by a lifetime warranty, unmatched in the hunting industry.
Along with gun cases the product line has grown to include the industry's largest variety of specialty hunting bags and duffels, sportsman's travel luggage, and an extensive line of safari clothing, big game hunting clothing and upland hunting clothing.
Boyt's canvas and leather gun cases are constructed from the finest materials available, resulting in heirloom gun cases that have been passed from generation to generation of American hunters for more then 100 years. Our clothing and shooting accessories bring to mind the time when hunting products were expected to last for years and usually did
We are committed to providing you with the highest level of service and will quickly special order any product they we do not currently have on hand.


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Poetry Dispatch No.157 | February 22, 2007
TWO POEMS from PABLO NERUDA
And it was at that age…Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know
where it came from, from winter or from a river.
I don't know how or when, no,
they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence, but from a street
I was summoned, from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others, among violent fires
or returning alone, there I was without a face
and it touched me.
from Poetry
'What we talk abut when we talk about poetry'—very often Pablo Neruda. He is long gone but he is everywhere. (A good measure of poetry's place in our every day lives.)
Who was it who said: "Poetry doesn't belong to those who write it; it belongs to those who need it."
In the past month alone, Pablo Neruda has come up in personal conversation (face to face, e-mail, snail mail, phone) at least a half dozen times. Maybe it was his politics and poetry (decidedly left); maybe it was his energy— poetry poured out of him; maybe it was one of the best autobiographies of a poet ever written: MEMOIRS by Pablo Neruda; maybe it was the great Italian movie, "Il Postino," which beautifully captured a passionate life lived (and loved) through poetry.
It still comes as a surprise to some that "Pablo Neruda" was a pen name he borrowed in memory of a beloved Czech poet, Jan Neruda. His real name was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto.
You hear the name Neruda and you think of the sea and South America. Of odes to lemons and artichokes, elephants and socks…nothing escaped his rapturous attention. Of the love of women…there was no end. Night, earth, stars, rain, sun…you can feel the heat in your hand, coming off the pages.
Here are two poems: an early one, "XVII Thinking, Tangling Shadows," from Viente Poemas de Amor y Una Cancion Desesperado (Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair… 1923). The last three stanzas of this poem are printed—first in Spanish, then English. [My choice…because the language is so delicious.]
And a poem which came later in his life "To My Duties. "A good poem for writers to know. Norbert Blei
XVII Thinking, Tangling Shadows
Thinking, tangling shadows in the deep solitude. You are far away too, oh farther than anyone. Thinking, freeing birds, dissolving images, burying lamps.
Belfry of fogs, how far away, up there!
Stifling laments, milling shadowy hopes,
taciturn miller,
night falls on you face downward, far from the city.
Your presence is foreign, as strange to me as a thing.
I think, I explore great tracts of my life before you.
My life before anyone, my harsh life.
The shout facing the sea, among the rocks,
running free, mad, in the sea-spray.
The sad rage, the shout, the solitude of the sea.
Headlong, violent, stretched towards the sky.
You, woman, what were you there, what ray, what vane
of that immense fan ? You were as far as you are now.
Fire in the forest! Burn in blue crosses.
Burn, burn, flame up, sparkle in trees of light.
It collapses, crackling. Fire. Fire.
And my soul dances, seared with curls of fire.
Who calls? What silence peopled with echoes?
Hour of nostalgia, hour of happiness, hour of solitude,
hour that is mine from among them all!
Hunting horn through which the wind passes singing.
Such a passion of weeping tied to my body.
Sacudida de todas las raίces,
asalto de todas las olas!
Rodaba, alegre, triste interminable, mi alma.
Pensando, enterrando lámparas en la profunda soledad.
Quién eres tύ quién eres?
Shaking of all the roots,
attack of all the waves!
My soul wandered, happy, sad, unending.
Thinking, burying lamps in the deep solitude.
Who are you, who are you?
from: Twenty Love Poems And a Song of Despair, (1924); Penguin reprints,1969, etc.
To My Duties
While I've been doing my job
stone by stone, quill by quill,
winter has passed, leaving
empty places
and dead rooms.
I work on all the same.
I really should replace
all those things I've forgotten,
fill the darkness with bread,
inspire hope again.
The dust of the season,
its harsh rain, are all I deserve:
for myself I claim nothing more than all space
and the right to work there, bearing witness to spring.
I must have something for everybody
day by day and week by week, gifts of the blue variety
or cool blossoms from the woods.
First thing in the morning, I'm going strong
while others have sunk
into sloth or lovemaking.
I'm sweeping out my bell tower,
polishing my tools and my heart.
I have enough dew to go around.
from: ODES TO OPPOSITES, fifth printing, 1999, Bullfinch Press/Little, Brown & Co.


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9630 Transit Road Suite 100 / East Amherst, NY 14051 / 716-689-6151
Welcome to Rolly Pollies of East Amherst! From here you can select the party and classes that are best for you and book immediately.
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who is the dems going to get for POTUS once the big "O" has to hand in his crown?--that is IF he does hand it over--
the republicans don't seem to have anybody that stands out--they just sit around with their hand out!
so how about rodman/tron for 2016? can't get more gay and liberal than that?
hillary/rosie for 2016!???
biden/kerry for the token white men? or swift boat kerry & weiner?
how about a salt and pepper celeb lesbo team? opra and hillary!?


text: In a prime location on the seafront in Senigallia, in a quiet street close to the sea and the historic center of Senigallia, Hotel Fiorella welcomes you in a comfortable and modern setting, surrounded by a family atmosphere. The warm welcome, attentive service and well-appointed, comfortable rooms and genuine cuisine of the restaurant Fiorella make the Hotel Fiorella Senigallia an ideal hotel for a pleasant holiday in Senigallia, with its velvet beach, shops, trendy clubs, the fun and the hinterland to discover. A great Hotel in Senigallia also to rest after a long business trip waking up next to the sea!Main Director Diletta Galaverni & Michelangelo


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Mold removal is crucial to keeping your home and family safe, healthy and comfortable. We are here to help you learn about rot and how to control, remove and prevent mold growth in your home. Mold, mildew, rot and dust… Read More
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How to Prevent and Eliminate Mold Growth
- November 3rd, 2011
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The Root Builder II container system has many holes with downward facing protrusions all around the container. This design allows roots reaching towards the container wall to find the air holes immediately. The downward protrusions will make the directed root virtually impossible to escape root tip pruning. Another feature of the angled protrusions on the containers is that they not only force roots downward to the air hole for proper air pruning, they also create shade, keeping your entire plant's root system much cooler.
Item Number: 137612
Manufacturer: Lacebark
Brand: RootBuilder


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College Football Play of The Week: Joe Adams Nasty Punt Return Kick For Touchdown TD Run! (Tennessee vs. Arkansas)
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Draped Open-Front Cardigan
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- Home
- Government
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City Recognitions
Awards & Accolades
Missouri City is recognized nationally as one of the Safest Cities in America by Congressional Quarterly and one of the Best Places to Live in America by CNN/Money magazine. Through City Council direction, City employees are dedicated to serve the needs of its community. From regional, state and national recognition of city programs to an award-winning municipal television station, Missouri City is honored to be a leader in local government. View the various awards and accolades received by our staff and the city as a whole over the years.


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Casey Kasem Dead at 82
Sad news from the radio and music world, as legendary American Top 40 host Casey Kasem has died at the age of 82, reports TMZ.
Daughter Kerri Kasem posted a message on Facebook saying that he died Sunday morning and was surrounded by family and friends. "Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken," she writes.
Kasem had been suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease and dementia during his final months, and was moved to a support home in Santa Monica, California by his wife Jean. His illness over the past several months caused a war over his care between Jean and Casey's children from his first marriage, who claimed that Jean was blocking them from seeing Casey.
Casey Kasem hosted the American Top 40 show beginning in 1970 and did his weekly countdown until 2004. He continued to broadcast shows until 2009, when he retired from radio.
He's also known as the original voice of Shaggy from the original Scooby-Doo cartoons which debuted in 1969. He continued to voice Shaggy in various Scooby-Doo series and animated films until 2007, and was even responsible for turning Shaggy into a vegetarian. Casey Kasem requested that Shaggy be written and animated as a vegetarian after Casey, himself, became one.
We send our condolences to Casey's family, friends and everyone who grew up listening to his Top 40 countdowns.


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Use, Not Abuse
It's pretty clear that the 30-year War on Drugs waged by the United States has been spectacularly unsuccessful at best and criminally wasteful at worst. Within our borders, jails have become overcrowded with small-time offenders while the rate of new usage continues to increase. Outside of these same borders, a new generation of druglords continue to show the world that Pablo Escobar was an amateur.
I guess the thing I've never understood is, why are drugs so bad? Yes, I understand why abusing drugs is bad in the same way that I understand why abusing people or anything is bad. But there's a big difference between using and abusing. I use alcohol in that I have a beer with dinner. I don't abuse it, though, because I know what the effects would be. Plenty of people use marijuana in the same way and quite honestly, I trust them a lot more than I trust my alcoholic friends.
So why do we continue to demonize drug use even as we profit from it? It's the same thing with drug use in sports. I don't want to see guys abusing the stuff but if a small dose of some sort of PED from time to time can keep a guy healthy, why not? We already know what kind of a toll the rigors of professional sports take on the human body. And yes, the athletes know what sort of risks they face. But why wouldn't we do all that we can to ensure their health and safety?
Honestly, I'm tired of reading about A-Rod or Manny or Ryan Braun. McGwire, Sosa and Bonds? That's something else. That's abuse. But those other guys? I really couldn't care less. If regulated use of PEDs could help players stay healthy, play until they're 40 and enjoy life post-baseball, that just makes sense. But, so does de-criminalizing marijuana and collecting taxes off of its sale. I don't expect to see either one anytime soon.


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Phoenix Park Hotel
About the Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel
- New contemporary style in a historic building
- Exceptional Capitol Hill location, just a block from Union Station
- Next door to the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
- Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout the hotel
Sophistication meets comfort at the Phoenix Park Hotel, a historic boutique with an exceptional location near Union Station and the U.S. Capitol. The hotel recently received a multimillion-dollar renovation which refreshed and updated all 149 guest rooms and public spaces.
Cozy guest rooms feature contemporary styling, plush pillowtop bedding, 43-inch flat-panel TVs, USB charge points and fully renovated bathrooms with updated tubs and vanities. Wi-Fi is free throughout. Guests who upgrade to a suite can take advantage of additional amenities like separate studies, gas fireplaces, terraces or views of the Capitol Building.
The Dubliner Pub and Restaurant features Irish/American cuisine like fish and chips or Irish beef stew accompanied by pints of Guinness and nightly live entertainment. Few Irish pubs can boast this kind of famous clientele -- former President Obama stopped in for a pint on St. Patrick's Day in 2012.
Set in the Capitol Hill district, the hotel is neighbors with many of the city's most famous sights. The Library of Congress and the Supreme Court are a short stroll away, with the National Mall just beyond.
About the Hotel
Map & Directions
General Complimentary lobby coffee / tea
- Infant cots / cribs
- Bar
- Newspaper / magazines
- Extra beds / roll away beds
- Gym / fitness center
- Restaurant
- No pets allowed
- 24-hour front desk
- 24-hour security
- Concierge service
- Currency exchange / ATM
- Express check-in / checkout
- Laundry / dry cleaning
- Room service (limited hours)
- Business center
Room amenities
- Air-conditioning
- Central heating
- Fridge
- Iron and ironing board
- Sitting area
- Flatscreen TV
- Complimentary Internet access
- Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
- Bathrobes
- Bathtub
- Hair-dryer
- Valet service (fees apply)
- Accessible meeting room
- Accessible parking
- Accessible restaurant
- ADA compliant rooms
- Roll-in shower
Standard Time is 3pm. Minimum age required to check in: 18.
Minimum age required to check in: 18.
Checkout: Standard Time is 12pm.
Children and additional guests: Children aged 18 and under stay free of charge when sharing parents' room and using existing bedding (on request). Cot/crib and extra bed available on request: free of charge for children under 3, $30 per night for older children. Charges will be added to your bill on checkout.
Pets: No pets allowed.
Additional details:
A Valet Parking Fee of $55.00 (subject to tax), per day applies and will be added to your bill at the hotel. Oversize vehicles are not allowed and in and out privileges are NOT included. This rate is subject to change without notice and at the discretion of the property.
Have a Question? Contact Travelzoo.
Customer service available Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm GMT + 8.
Rates may vary by date, are subject to availability and are not guaranteed until your purchase is complete.
The room rates listed are for double occupancy per room unless otherwise stated and exclude tax recovery charges and service fees.
It is the responsibility of the hotel chain and/or the individual property to ensure the accuracy of the photos displayed. Travelzoo is not responsible for any inaccuracies in the photos.
*Unless otherwise stated, Travelzoo-exclusive extras are valid once per stay (based on two adults sharing). Value is an estimate based on double occupancy. Extras are only included with Member Rates and may not be available on all dates. Extras are non-transferable and have no cash value. Total value may vary depending on time of booking and availability. When included, breakfast may be limited to 2 guests per stay subject to hotel's discretion. Other restrictions may apply; see our T&Cs for details.
Please note: Some amenities and services may not be available in all rooms or may incur an additional charge. All prices stated have been verified at the time of publication and may vary at the discretion of the hotel.