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Australian Labradoodle
Information about the breed
Meet our Labradoodles
Your Australian Labradoodle
Reservations and payment
Animal behaviorism
Animal behawiourism
Health testing
Accordingly to the rules of Alfa Europe the dogs health must be screened before they are bred. The following exams are required by ALFA EU
1. Examination of hips and elbows by OFA or FCI
a. HIPS
Hip Dysplasia is a terrible genetic disease because of the various degrees of arthritis (also called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis) it can eventually produce, leading to pain and debilitation.
The very first step in the development of arthritis is articular cartilage (the type of cartilage lining the joint) damage due to the inherited bad biomechanics of an abnormally developed hip joint. Traumatic articular fracture through the joint surface is another way cartilage is damaged. With cartilage damage, lots of degradative enzymes are released into the joint. These enzymes degrade and decrease the synthesis of important constituent molecules that form hyaline cartilage called proteoglycans. This causes the cartilage to lose its thickness and elasticity, which are important in absorbing mechanical loads placed across the joint during movement. Eventually, more debris and enzymes spill into the joint fluid and destroy molecules called glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronate which are important precursors that form the cartilage proteoglycans. The joint's lubrication and ability to block inflammatory cells are lost and the debris-tainted joint fluid loses its ability to properly nourish the cartilage through impairment of nutrient-waste exchange across the joint cartilage cells. The damage then spreads to the synovial membrane lining the joint capsule and more degradative enzymes and inflammatory cells stream into the joint. Full thickness loss of cartilage allows the synovial fluid to contact nerve endings in the subchondral bone, resulting in pain. In an attempt to stabilize the joint to decrease the pain, the animal's body produces new bone at the edges of the joint surface, joint capsule, ligament and muscle attachments (bone spurs). The joint capsule also eventually thickens and the joint's range of motion decreases.
No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical signs of lameness due to pain. There are multiple environmental factors such as caloric intake, level of exercise, and weather that can affect the severity of clinical signs and phenotypic expression (radiographic changes). There is no rhyme or reason to the severity of radiographic changes correlated with the clinical findings. There are a number of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that run, jump, and play as if nothing is wrong and some dogs with barely any arthritic radiographic changes that are severely lame.
EXAMINATION OF HIP GRADING
The phenotypic evaluation of hips done by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals falls into seven different categories. Those categories are Normal (Excellent, Good, Fair), Borderline, and Dysplastic (Mild, Moderate, Severe). Once each of the radiologists classifies the hip into one of the 7 phenotypes above, the final hip grade is decided by a consensus of the 3 independent outside evaluations. Examples would be:
1. Two radiologists reported Excellent, one Good—the final grade would be Excellent
2. One radiologist reported Excellent, one Good, one Fair—the final grade would be Good
3. One radiologist reported Fair, two radiologists reported Mild—the final grade would be Mild
The hip grades of Excellent, Good and Fair are within normal limits and are given OFA numbers. This information is accepted by AKC on dogs with permanent identification (tattoo, microchip) and is in the public domain. Radiographs of Borderline, Mild, Moderate and Severely dysplastic hip grades are reviewed by the OFA radiologist and a radiographic report is generated documenting the abnormal radiographic findings. Unless the owner has chosen the open database, dysplastic hip grades are not in the public domain.
Excellent: this classification is assigned for superior conformation in comparison to other animals of the same age and breed. There is a deep seated ball (femoral head) which fits tightly into a well-formed socket (acetabulum) with minimal joint space. There is almost complete coverage of the socket over the ball.
Good: slightly less than superior but a well-formed congruent hip joint is visualized. The ball fits well into the socket and good coverage is present.
Fair: Assigned where minor irregularities in the hip joint exist. The hip joint is wider than a good hip phenotype. This is due to the ball slightly slipping out of the socket causing a minor degree of joint incongruency. There may also be slight inward deviation of the weight-bearing surface of the socket (dorsal acetabular rim) causing the socket to appear slightly shallow. This can be a normal finding in some breeds however, such as the Chinese Shar Pei, Chow Chow, and Poodle.
Borderline: there is no clear cut consensus between the radiologists to place the hip into a given category of normal or dysplastic. There is usually more incongruency present than what occurs in the minor amount found in a fair but there are no arthritic changes present that definitively diagnose the hip joint being dysplastic. There also may be a bony projection present on any of the areas of the hip anatomy illustrated above that can not accurately be assessed as being an abnormal arthritic change or as a normal anatomic variant for that individual dog. To increase the accuracy of a correct diagnosis, it is recommended to repeat the radiographs at a later date (usually 6 months). This allows the radiologist to compare the initial film with the most recent film over a given time period and assess for progressive arthritic changes that would be expected if the dog was truly dysplastic. Most dogs with this grade (over 50%) show no change in hip conformation over time and receive a normal hip rating; usually a fair hip phenotype.
Mild Hip Dysplasia: there is significant subluxation present where the ball is partially out of the socket causing an incongruent increased joint space. The socket is usually shallow only partially covering the ball. There are usually no arthritic changes present with this classification and if the dog is young (24 to 30 months of age), there is an option to resubmit an radiograph when the dog is older so it can be reevaluated a second time. Most dogs will remain dysplastic showing progression of the disease with early arthritic changes. Since HD is a chronic, progressive disease, the older the dog, the more accurate the diagnosis of HD (or lack of HD).
Moderate Hip Dysplasia: there is significant subluxation present where the ball is barely seated into a shallow socket causing joint incongruency. There are secondary arthritic bone changes usually along the femoral neck and head (termed remodeling), acetabular rim changes (termed osteophytes or bone spurs) and various degrees of trabecular bone pattern changes called sclerosis. Once arthritis is reported, there is only continued progression of arthritis over time.
Severe Hip Dysplasia: assigned where radiographic evidence of marked dysplasia exists. There is significant subluxation present where the ball is partly or completely out of a shallow socket. Like moderate HD, there are also large amounts of secondary arthritic bone changes along the femoral neck and head, acetabular rim changes and large amounts of abnormal bone pattern changes.
FCI Hip Dysplasia Registries
OFA / FCI
Excellent /	A-1
Good /	A-2
Fair / B-1
Borderline /	B-2
Mild / C
Moderate /	D
Severe /	E
b. ELBOWS
Elbow Dysplasia Types
The Three Faces of Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia is a general term used to identify an inherited polygenic disease in the elbow of dogs. Three specific etiologies make up this disease and they can occur independently or in conjunction with one another. These etiologies include:
1. Pathology involving the medial coronoid of the ulna (FCP)
2. Osteochondritis of the medial humeral condyle in the elbow joint (OCD)
3. Ununited anconeal process (UAP)
Studies have shown the inherited polygenic traits causing these etiologies are independent of one another. Clinical signs involve lameness which may remain subtle for long periods of time. No one can predict at what age lameness will occur in a dog due to a large number of genetic and environmental factors such as degree of severity of changes, rate of weight gain, amount of exercise, etc. Subtle changes in gait may be characterized by excessive inward deviation of the paw which raises the outside of the paw so that it receives less weight and distributes more mechanical weight on the outside (lateral) aspect of the elbow joint away from the lesions located on the inside of the joint. Range of motion in the elbow is also decreased.
Elbow dysplasia has multiple inherited etiologies which may occur singularly or in combination. These etiologies include fragmented medial coronoid (FCP) of the ulna, osteochondritis of the medial humeral condyle and ununited anconeal process (UAP). The most sensitive view used to diagnose secondary degenerative changes in the elbow joint is an extreme flexed medio-lateral view of the elbow which is required by the OFA and recommended by the International Elbow Working Group. The veterinary radiologists are most interested in the appearance of the anconeal process of the ulna.
When there is instability of the elbow joint due to elbow dysplasia, one of the most sensitive radiographic findings is new bone proliferation (osteophytes) on the anconeal process of the ulna associated with secondary developmental degenerative joint disease.
Bone proliferation can be very subtle to visualize in some dogs and may require the use of a special light source (hot light) rather than a traditional view box to diagnose it. Other arthritic findings such as sclerosis in the area of the trochlear notch of the ulna and bone spurs at joint edges are also reported. If fragmentation of the medial coronoid only involves the cartilage, it may not be seen radiographically but occasionally if the bone is also fragmented, it can be visualized as a separate calcific opacity superimposed over the radius.
Grading Elbows
For elbow evaluations, there are no grades for a radiographically normal elbow. The only grades involved are for abnormal elbows with radiographic changes associated with secondary degenerative joint disease. Like the hip certification, the OFA will not certify a normal elbow until the dog is 2 years of age. The OFA also accepts preliminary elbow radiographs. To date, there are no long term studies for preliminary elbow examinations like there are for hips, however, preliminary screening for elbows along with hips can also provide valuable information to the breeder.
* Grade I Elbow Dysplasia: Minimal bone change along anconeal process of ulna (less than 3mm).
* Grade II Elbow Dysplasia: Additional bone proliferation along anconeal process (3-5 mm) and subchondral bone changes (trochlear notch sclerosis).
* Grade III Elbow Dysplasia: Well developed degenerative joint disease with bone proliferation along anconeal process being greater than than 5 mm.
2. PRCD-PRA tests of an eye
The OptiGen prcd-PRA Test
The OptiGen prcd-PRA test is a DNA-based test that helps you avoid one form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). PRA refers to a group of diseases that cause the retina of the eye to degenerate slowly over time. The result is declining vision and eventual blindness. "prcd" stands for "progressive rod-cone degeneration" which is the type of PRA known in several breeds. AFTER reading the information on this page, you can link to information specifically about the breed in which you are interested.
PRA Disease
The genetic disorder, prcd-PRA , causes cells in the retina at the back of the eye to degenerate and die, even though the cells seem to develop normally early in life. The "rod" cells operate in low light levels and are the first to lose normal function. Night blindness results. Then the "cone" cells gradually lose their normal function in full light situations. Most affected dogs will eventually be blind. Typically, the clinical disease is recognized first in early adolescence or early adulthood. Since age at onset of disease varies among breeds, you should read specific information for your dog. Diagnosis of retinal disease can be difficult. Conditions that seem to be prcd-PRA might instead be another disease and might not be inherited. OptiGen's genetic test assists in making the diagnosis. It's important to remember that not all retinal disease is PRA and not all PRA is the prcd form of PRA. Annual eye exams by a veterinary ophthalmologist will build a history of eye health that will help to diagnose disease.
Unfortunately, at this time there is no treatment or cure for PRA. If your dog is affected, you may find it helpful to read about other owners' experiences living with blind dogs. (suggested links:www.eyevet.org and www.blinddogs.com)
Prcd-PRA is inherited as a recessive trait. This means a disease gene must be inherited from each parent in order to cause disease in an offspring. Parents were either "carrier" or affected. A carrier has one disease gene and one normal gene, and is termed "heterozygous" for the disease. A normal dog has no disease gene and is termed "homozygous normal" – both copies of the gene are the same. And a dog with two disease genes is termed "homozygous affected" – both copies of the gene are abnormal.
It's been proven that all breeds being tested for prcd-PRA have the same disease caused by the same mutated gene. This is so, even though the disease might develop at different ages or with differing severity from one breed to another.
Although prcd-PRA is inherited, it can be avoided in future generations by testing dogs before breeding. Identification of dogs that do not carry disease genes is the key. These "clear" dogs can be bred to any mate – even to a prcd-affected dog which may be a desirable breeding prospect for other reasons. The chance of producing affected pups from such breedings depends on the certainty of test results. Again, you'll find the specific information on certainty of test results for your dog by linking to breed specific information.
The Genetic Test
The OptiGen prcd test is done on a small sample of blood from the dog. The test analyzes the specific DNA mutation causing prcd-PRA. The OptiGen test detects the mutant, abnormal gene copy and the normal gene copy. The result of the test is a genotype and allows separation of dogs into three groups: Normal/Clear (homozygous normal), Carrier (heterozygous) and Affected (homozygous mutant).
Breeding Strategies for prcd-PRA Test:
This table highlights all the desirable breedings that include at least one Normal/Clear parent. All other breedings are at risk of producing Affected pups with an extremely high probability of developing prcd during their lifetime. However, all dogs can be bred safely. It isn't necessary – or even desirable – to remove dogs from the breeding population. But when choosing pups to retain as potential breeding stock, it is important to select for Normal/Clear dogs and select against Affected dogs.
3. General health screening
Is also required by ALFA EUROPE. Dogs to be mated must undergo this screening before mating. Vet has to sign the papers (issued by ALFA EU) that he screaned the dog and that his condition are excellent. If dog or a bitch is ill they are not allowed to be mated.
http://www.offa.org
www.optigen.com


The first time Lou meets mysterious Christian, she knows he is The One. But when Christian's secret is unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie, and Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit.
Congratulations, Alina V., you are our winner this week! Keep those submissions coming!


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home > review > Get a Little Gore from Your PSP with God of War: Chains of Olympus
ups: Great action, nice controls, quick load times.
downs: Pretty short, little replay value, not much story.
game: God of War: Chains of Olympus
publisher: SCEA
developer: Ready at Dawn
ESRB rating: M (Mature)
platform: PSP
keywords: mythology spartan titans gore Conan Clash of the Titans
date posted: 07:27 PM Mon Mar 31st, 2008
last revision: 07:30 PM Mon Mar 31st, 2008
The God of War games are some of the best action titles on the market. Squarely aimed at a Mature audience, the adventures of Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta, are gory and brutal. Whether he\'s tearing the wings from a harpy or ripping the head off a gorgon, Kratos is one bad shut-yo-mouth. I\'ve always thought of God of War as what would happen if Conan and Clash of the Titans had a baby. Chains of Olympus, developed specifically for the PSP, is a worthy successor to the God of War title. This is a title that really shows how powerful Sony\'s little handheld is.
In many ways, God of War is great in spite of itself. It doesn\'t have a whole lot of story to speak of: Kratos is always being asked to perform seemingly impossible tasks (in this case, returning the sun to the sky) by the gods, and then he kills pretty much everything in sight. There is not a lot of depth to these stories. The action is relatively straightforward: Using several combos for each of a handful of weapons, God of War does not require the kind of player-dexterity of a fighting game, nor does it deliver the wide range of weapons one might find in many other titles.
So what makes the God of War games, and specifically Chains of Olympus, so good? It\'s all in the details.
The God of War games are incredibly well put together. They look great, have excellent voice acting, and the controls are spot-on. It is not difficult to send Kratos into a terrifying whirlwind of destruction, yet it takes real skill and strategy to beat many of the opponents you face. In the case of Chains of Olympus, it is rare to play a PSP title that manages load times so effectively (even on the original PSP hardware). In short, the God of War games have always been known for their technical prowess, and Chains of Olympus is no exception.
The game starts out in Attica as you steer Kratos through a battle against Persian forces. After defeating the King of Persia and his gargantuan basilisk, the sun falls from the sky. Kratos is tasked with returning the sun to its rightful place and releasing the Earth from the grip of Morpheus, the god of dreams and madness... Or at least that\'s how the story goes in the game. The God of War games are well-known for their liberties with mythological accuracy, but the embellishments usually lead to more spectacular gameplay. This is the also the case in Chains of Olympus. All of the God of War games have a way of taking a scant story, executing the presentation of that story very well, then adding on a litany of boss and demi-boss battles without ruining everything. This is an accomplishment, although an odd one to say the least. Nonetheless, the end result is suitably compelling, and the gameplay is incredible.
Many of the same gameplay elements familiar to the God of War series appear in the PSP version. The fighting system is action packed and uses the shoulder buttons to modify the four face buttons. There are several weapons you\'ll unlock along the way. Kratos begins with the old, reliable Chain Blades, and eventually gets some cool additional weapons including the Shield of Helios and Gauntlet of Zeus. These are two very useful weapons and add a lot of variety to the fighting. And for once the Chain Blades don\'t completely dominate the game. The Gauntlet and Shield are vital tools for getting Kratos\' job done.
Also returning are the button-pressing minigame elements for finishing bosses and mini-bosses. After beating on a powerful enemy for awhile, an icon appears above the enemy\'s head. At that point you can enter into the minigame sequence where you must press buttons matching the icons flashing on the screen. It is definitely an intrusive way of handling these gameplay elements, but the trade-off is that the finishing moves are spectacular. Often after executing one of these moves you\'ll find yourself a little shocked at the violence. Throughout the last portion of the game you\'ll tap the O button repeatedly to tear the heads off gorgons, which is shocking. However, what Kratos does to the King of Persia made me pause the game for a minute. There is no doubt that this is not a game for children or people with weak stomaches.
Sometimes these button-mashing minigames help to reinforce the action and resonance of the game. There is one sequence near the end of the game where Kratos must push away a small child. Rather than handling this segment in a movie, the game requires you to tap O repeatedly to remove the child from Kratos\' leg. If you don\'t press quick enough, the child just clings more tightly. It is a wonderful, small segment of the game, but it reveals that there is even more potential than what has already been exploited in the God of War gameplay style.
Chains of Olympus has been taking a lot of flack for being a relatively short game. However, I\'m increasingly of the opinion that too short is better than too long when it comes to most things, and unless you\'re a serious God of War fan the game should last you some 10-15 hours. After you\'ve beat the game you can always replay it at a harder difficulty, or you can pursue the Challenges of Hades, which are small goal-based challenges to do things like kill some number of enemies in some particular way. These aren\'t really going to keep any but the most hardcore fans coming back for more, but it\'s nice to have them.
The PSP has suffered too many bad games and not nearly enough attention. God of War: Chains of Olympus proves that the system is plenty capable of delivering home console-quality entertainment for grown up players. This is the kind of game we need to see more often: Well crafted, compelling, and incredibly enjoyable. If you own a PSP and you\'re into things like Conan and gladiator movies, then God of War: Chains of Olympus is a must-buy.
Vexx Preview (GC, PS2, Xbox) (preview) (06/04/02)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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10 things to do at Easter in and around Weston-super-Mare
by Sarah Robinson
Go on an Easter egg hunt.
Egg hunts, bunny hunts, and even yeti egg hunts are all taking place over the next four days in Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding area to celebrate Easter. Here is a round up of some of the many events you can enjoy.
The Sand Sculpture Festival is opening.
Weston Sand Sculpture Festival - Weston seafront.
The Sand Sculpture Festival is back in time for Easter weekend. The show opens at 10am today (Friday), and then daily from 10am-5pm. Adult entry is £4, children can get in for £3, and there are also £3 concession tickets.
Children playing on the bouncy castle.
Free Easter eggs and family event – St Paul's Church, Weston.
Chocolate eggs will be given away at a family church service in Weston today (Friday). Children aged up to 11 years old are invited to visit St Paul's Church in Clarence Park from 9-10am, where there will be a bouncy castle, hot cross buns and coffee for parents. There will be a short service at 10am, when the eggs will be given out. More eggs will be given out on Sunday at 11am.
Go on a yeti hunt in Churchill.
Yeti egg hunt – Mendip Snowsport Centre, Churchill.
A yeti has lost its eggs at Mendip Snowsport Centre, and Mercury readers are being invited to help find them. The Family Frisbee Golf Yeti Hunt costs £3.50 per person to enter, and is open until April 18. Visit www.mendip.me/yetihunt for more information.
Baby badgers in Secret World.
Badger Bonanza – Secret World, East Huntspill.
Get a look at some badger cubs up close at an open day at Secret World. The event runs from tomorrow to Sunday, from 10am-4pm. You can listen to some talks and take part in nature activities. Entry is free, and parking is just £1.
Group of Children with Easter Baskets
Easter egg hunt – Brent Knoll.
An Easter egg trail will start at St Michael's Church in Church Lane on Sunday and Monday. It will run from 2-5pm.
The sea cadets at last year's Pageant Of Transport.
Pageant of transport – Beach Lawns, Weston.
The sea cadets will host a pageant of transport on the Beach Lawns in Beach Road on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm.
Easter bunny hunt – Locking.
Search for bunnies on Saturday from 10am-2pm at the village green in Locking. Entry is £2, which will include a free egg.
Easter decoration. Chocolate eggs in nest
Egg hunt and quiz – The Plough, Wrington.
Combine hunting for Easter eggs with a quiz night, at The Plough in High Street on Sunday. The egg hunt is at 5pm, and quiz at 6pm.
Birnbeck Pier. Photo by Jeremy Long.
Easter fair – United Reformed Church, Weston.
Meet the Easter bunny and raise money for the Birnbeck Regeneration Trust at the United Reformed Church in Waterloo Street on Saturday from 10am-4pm.
Egg hunt – Marine Cove, Burnham.
Hunt for eggs and take part in craft activities in Marine Cove. The event takes place from 10am to noon on Saturday.


We believe public transport is one of those places where the condition of a society can be measured. Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands and Europe's largest port. The city has a large blue-collar population and more than 50 percent of its inhabitants are immigrants. About 30 percent is likely to vote for a right wing political party during elections. This makes Rotterdam the most interesting city, from a filmmaker's point-of-view, to show the current social condition in The Netherlands – and the RET is maybe the best place to sample this condition. RET asked us to make a 13-episode series showing how the company does not only evolve around its transport systems (buses, subway stations and trains) but most of all around its people.
First episode aired on September 13, 2009.
Orhan, Fatos Cergel, Emine Tekin and Burak Yurdakul.


Its a good thing re-cycling / recovery of household waste is in action… BUT there are some oustanding errors in its application.
A neighbour of mine likes to wash out and screw tight his empty plastic water and pop bottles, these are biggies and when their bin blew over in the wind they scattered all over and rolled effortlessly all onto the busy road. Stupidly I risked my neck and managed to retrieve quite a few. It dawned on me, the collection lorry will be driving away with a hopper full of air and the crushing pressure must be quite absurd, ie perfect round cylinders super-slippery defying compaction. How bloody stupid. Once crushed and capped before binning so much easier and efficient for the recycling journey.
At the Council waste site, cars drive in with their goodies, a wine bottle, a small cardboard box, hence huge skips get loaded with uncompacted cardboard boxes and others with uncompacted garden waste. Last week at the local bottle bank theres a Bentley delivering his bagful of bottles … how jarring in some ways. Big lorries arrive etc etc all are contractors at God knows how much an hour to cart away huge steel containers containing more air than items ….. stupid ! And if as happened a few years ago I try to retrieve a say triple wall cardboard box for sending goods export I get my nuts chewed off, in a most nasty manner. Oh yes and same operative drives a Porsche …… we can only assume he is doing his own 'recycling'.
Realise lots of this recycling from the UK ends up the other side of the world, follow that item in your mind, imagine the price tag this carries in its transportation and how it ends up possibly dumped or discarded.
bbc r4 had a programe at the weekend (Sat 27th October 2018 5:30 pm) 'The Bottom Line' re plastics recycling, apart from its irritating format and Gavin snickering into his too closely miked gob as seems to be the format not once was the distinction made between thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. This is a fundamental 'your first minute' in any materials lesson. One can be recovered and recycled ie reformed remoulded and the other most certainly CAN NOT ie resin based composites such carbon fibre such as wind farm components, glass fibre circuit boards, phenolics…. these will merely blacken, smoulder and char.
I never buy new electronics, in previous decades my tv and audio have all been donated or rescued from the skip site but of course now retrieving a likely audio set up is a mighty dangerous act, even an offence (to recycle as a functioning item) … again… how shortsighted!


We are a small region, comprised of approximately 100 members, in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Our region is small but is growing every year!
Competitive Quiz ETC. - the list is endless!
We offer "kids-only" riding opportunities in the form of lessons, camps, clinics and competitions - check out the pages for each!
Please enjoy our slide show (below)!


A collocation multistep methods for integrating ordinary differential equations on manifolds.
This paper concerns a family of generalized collocation multistep methods that evolves the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations on configuration spaces formulated as homogeneous manifolds. Collocating the general linear method at x x for k s n k = = 0,1,... + , we obtain the discrete scheme which can be adapted to homogeneous spaces. Varying the values of k in the collocation process, the standard Munthe-Kass (k = 1) and the linear multistep methods (k = s) are recovered. Any classical multistep methods may be employed as an invariant method and the order of the invariant method is as high as in the classical setting. In this paper an implicit algorithm was formulated and two approaches presented for its implementation.


Paladins -can- loot these with bubble on.
It takes some time to "open" the flame, so if there are Horde around the Alliance probably won't be able to simply run in and nab it, die, rez, and run out (unless you have a bubble or something).
This can be found in the Court of the Sun. If you plan on just running for it be aware of the big arcane guardians as they will immobilize you with nets.
No NPC's saw me after I rezzed, and the few players that were there (level 70, I'm 65) didn't seem to care since they were busy catching torches.
Works well, all things considered.
Unsure if this is going to be patched with the rest of the Midsummer glitches or not, but I'm getting a "You have completed that quest" warning when try to use this, unlike the rest of the horde fires, which I have been able to repeat this year.
Picked it up at lvl 58. There's only 2 stationary guard spots, just at city entrance, and then at a portal right before the flame. Died at the first one, managed to shadowmeld safely at the second. Requires some luck with the patrols though.
A word of warning, those Arcane Guardians have Stealth detection so sneaking is pretty difficult to get past them without dying and running back out of their aggro range. Luckily I didn't run across more than a few of them when I got this a few minutes ago.
This item will be converted to Flame of the Exodar if you transfer to Horde.


Healthy Home Ventilation in Canberra – How Clean is the Air in Your Home?
HRV Direct has a local home ventilation installer in Canberra that is ready to provide you with warm, clean, moisture free filtered air in your home.
If you are looking for the best way to maintain a healthy environment in your home, look no further than the services of HRV Direct – Home and Roof Ventilation Systems Specialists.
HRV Direct Canberra is the number one ventilation installation company with our helpful team having installed over 130,000 ducted home heating, house and roof ventilation systems across Australia. We provide a wide range of services including underfloor ventilation, subfloor ventilation and home ventilation systems. We service the entire Canberra region and throughout the ACT.
There are many reasons why you need to have leading ventilation systems in your home. When you keep the air in your home fresh, you can get rid of any excess moisture that is created by routine activities such as cleaning, cooking, and even breathing. Having an efficient ventilation system helps in reducing condensation and preventing the growth of mould and mildew – a common problem for Canberra homeowners in the cold winter months. More importantly, air coming into your home is filtered through your ventilation system removing the dust, pollen and other contaminants coming in from the outside air. You can be sure that your loved ones are breathing fresh and healthy air thanks to HRV Direct's home ventilation systems Canberra.
Why should you hire the HRV Direct Home Ventilation Team in Camberra for your Home Heating and Ducted Roof Ventilation Needs?
HRV Direct Canberra is a dedicated ducted home heating and house ventilation supplier based in the ACT. If you are in the market for a reliable supplier for your ventilation needs, you can trust HRV Direct to offer you a complete and stress-free end-to-end service for your home ventilation project. We are there for you from the start to the finish and we provide you with the design, the pricing and payment structure, the supply of the equipment and the installation. We also partner with you long-term to manage your ventilation maintenance and ensure your system continues operating at optimal performance for years to come.
Getting started with our office is easy. All that you have to do is to place your call to make your inquiry, and we will provide you with a free no-obligation onsite quotation for your home ventilation project. We are proud to say that we employ the most experienced specialists that have designed and installed thousands of ducted home heating and house ventilation systems across Australia. You are assured of fast and efficient installation as well as helpful, friendly, and reliable professional technicians for support.
At HRV Direct Canberra, we understand that each of our clients have specific needs unique for their home and family. This is why we see to it that we give you tailored and custom-made solutions to suit your unique property, concerns, routines and most especially, your budget. You can depend on the team from HRV Direct to transform your home to one filled with fresh, filtered and purified air all year round.
HRV Direct Home Ventilation Systems Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra is highly concerned about eco-friendly, sustainable methods. This is why we provide you with energy efficient solutions that allow you to save money on electricity bills and ease the strain on the environment. Our highly trained staff and friendly onsite technicians will install and maintain energy efficient heating and cooling equipment in your home. To have the healthiest and most comfortable home for your entire family, trust only HRV Direct, the most reliable provider of home ventilation systems Canberra.


Most of Australia's major metro newspapers have increased their masthead audiences—even though fewer people read their print editions, the latest results from Roy Morgan Research show.
Of the ten main capital city dailies, seven increased their Masthead Audiences from March 2013 to March 2014, and only three declined. Masthead Audience is the number of people who read or access publisher branded (i.e. masthead) content across all platforms of print, website and mobile smartphone or tablet apps in an average seven days.
The Financial Review scored the highest proportional growth (22.8%), while the Sydney Morning Herald had the largest increase in audience over the period (189,000, or 6.0% growth), extending its lead over the Daily Telegraph (up 3.5%) and Herald Sun (up 0.7%) as Australia's most-accessed masthead.
The audience also grew for The Age (2.9%), The Australian (2.3%) and the Adelaide Advertiser (2.0%), but shrunk for newspapers in Brisbane and Perth.
However an increasing proportion of each masthead's audience is only using websites or apps for their newspaper consumption. Eight newspapers lost print readers in the past year, but five of those still experienced growth in masthead audience.
Only 41% of the Sydney Morning Herald's audience read a print edition, down from 45% in March 2013.
The Adelaide Advertiser still has the highest proportion of print readers, but it has fallen strongly from 82% to 72% in a year.
Although the Financial Review was one of only two publications to gain print readers, a much bigger rise in online readership has reduced print readers from 70% to 60% of the total audience.
"Further analysis of masthead audience figures shows that advertisers need to examine not only how audiences differ between publications but how they differ within publications. People reading a masthead online are often not the same as those reading it in print.
"Helix Personas can dissect and pinpoint readership to help advertisers maximise their targeting potential. In Victoria, people in the young, hip and cashed-up 'New School Cool' persona (203) are below average readers of the Herald Sun masthead overall—but they form the biggest bloc of online-only readers: more than 1 in 12 people on the Herald Sun site or app.
"And in NSW, Quiet Achievers (210) comprise just 1 in 50 print-only SMH readers, but 1 in 20 online-only readers. 'Average Aussies' (306) are big fans of the Daily Telegraph print edition, but you'd be wasting your money trying to target them online. 'Career and Kids', however, are just as likely to be reading the Telegraph online only as in print only.


Click on "Edit Chart" to modify your chart, or to create a new chart. Click on the printer symbol to print.
Information pertaining to the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities data charting application.
Charting application pages related to the Cross-disability data.
Pertaining to CrosDisCharts published in 2015 with 2013 data.
Pertaining to charts upgraded to FusionCharts XT.


As an Ohioan I'm utterly ashamed of anyone who would advocate for anything honoring the confederacy. Ohio raised nearly 320,000 soldiers for the Union army, third behind only New York and Pennsylvania in total manpower contributed to the military. Ohio played an important part in the Underground Railroad prior to the war, and remained a haven for escaped and runaway slaves during the war years. Several leading generals were from Ohio, including Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and Philip H. Sheridan. Five Ohio-born Civil War officers would later serve as the President of the United States. Anyone fighting for the confederacy was a traitor to our country and while we shouldn't forget what happened we should not honor them by giving them monuments and plaques in places of honor, those things should be in museums where people can learn & ask questions.
Someone stuck a sign in the ground where a Confederate plaque once stood in Franklin.
Tonight I made Homemade Lasagna & Cheesy Garlic Bread, the recipes are after the break.
Homemade Pizza, recipe & Pictures!
Measure water in a measuring cup, then add the yeast and sugar. Stir gently, then let sit until it's active and foamy. This will happen within 5 minutes. If it doesn't, your water may have been too hot or cold or your yeast may be old. It is important to use a thermometer to measure your water temp. An instant read thermometer is best but in a pinch a meat thermometer will do.
Stir salt, oil, and 2 cups flour in a large mixing bowl, stirring in the yeast mixture as you go, using a wooden spoon. Add the third cup of flour and then stir until you can't anymore. Remove the spoon and then use your hands to work the dough into a ball that is slightly sticky.
Cut parchment paper to fit the pan you're using, hanging over just about an inch on all sides our circumference. Preheat oven to 500°F. Place pizza pan in the oven while the oven is preheating. Place your pizza dough on the sized parchment paper and top as desired. Once the oven is up to temperature, carefully transfer the pizza to the hot pan (be careful – pan is HOT). Cook until the cheese is melted and crust is slightly browned.
This pizza dough can make 1 thicker crust or 2 thin crust 10-12" pizzas, or 4-6 small personal sized pizzas.
White Whole Wheat Crust: use 2 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour. The dough will be more dense.
Whole Wheat Crust: use 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. The dough will be more dense.
Gluten Free Crust: use 2 cups of one to one gluten free flour (the kind that you can substitute one to one for all purpose, such as Bob's Red Mill – light blue package). The dough is not going to rise. I let mine sit, but the gluten doesn't form, because, obviously. So instead you just press the dough into the pan instead of rolling it out. The end result is more like a crunchy crust/chewy cracker.
Baked pizza: Heat pan(s) in a 500°F oven while you roll out the dough. Place each crust on parchment paper to easily transfer to the hot oven.
Grilled pizza: Heat grill to 500°F. Place pizza stone on the grill. Before pressing out dough into desired size and shape, coat the cutting board with cornmeal and press out the crust on top, to help it keep from sticking. Transfer the pizza to the hot stone using a flat pizza peel or slide it off the parchment paper.
To freeze pizza dough: wrap it well in plastic and ziploc bags and freeze up to one month. Pizza dough can be made and baked or grilled (without toppings) and frozen between parchment paper in ziploc bags for easy dinners.
In 1943, the US War Department released this video to tell Americans not to fall for fascist rhetoric.
Please take a few moments and watch this, then share it.
This evening I made my own pizza crust, but I neglected to take any pictures. The resulting pizza was a success with the family. I don't believe I will ever buy an already made crust again. I'll make sure to get pictures next time. I think I'm also going to try my hand at bread sticks.
Maybe I'm weird, but the whole idea of this just gives me the creeps. Why can't they just let the guy rest in peace & quite trying to make money off him.
A hologram of Ronnie James Dio will tour the world beginning later this year.


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'New Mutants' Director Reveals Logo & Wraps Filming This Week
EJ G. September 12, 2017 1 Comment
20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise may have a lot of confusing timelines and some very noticeable problems, but the studio found great success in their recent spin-off films like Logan, Deadpool, & X-Men: First Class. New Mutants will be the newest addition to that spinoff list and hopefully is just as successful. Director Josh Boone took to Instagram today & #blessedT us with the movie's possible logo! Check out the image from Boone's Instagram below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BY8MelSD1pg/?taken-by=joshboonemovies
The logo is reminiscent of Marvel's comic run for The New Mutants used back in the 80's. The words "New" and "Mutants" have blood scattered across from it which is pretty cool seeing as how the movie is said to be something like a horror movie. Under the "S" is a character all alone walking in the snow in the middle of the night. My guess is that character is Danille Moonstar aka Mirage (played by Blu Hunt).
Last but not least, Boone captioned the photo "Last week shooting #newmutants" which means we could be getting a teaser or something before the end of the year! It's lit friends. What do you guys think of the logo? Are we here for New Mutants yet or no? Comment and let's chat.
New Mutants is set to hit theaters April 13th, 2018!
Source: Instagram (@joshboonemovies)
Published by EJ G.
View all posts by EJ G.
20th Century Fox, Deadpool, featured, Josh Boone, Logan, New Mutants, News, X-men, X-Men Series
Marvel Publishing its First Nigerian Female Superhero Story Written by Nnedi Okorafor
"Weeping and Nashing of The Teeth": Looking Ahead to THIS IS US Season 2
Pingback: 'New Mutants' to be 'Like a Haunted House Movie' Says Fox CEO – WE ARE GEEKS OF COLOR


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Adam Engst 28 September 1992
The WriteMove, Baby
As the popularity of the Macintosh PowerBooks increases (Apple claims to have sold more than 300,000 PowerBooks in less than a year), more and more PowerBook-specific products arrive at the industry doorstep (if not ours :-)). Some seem to fade into obscurity, such as the SCSI-based Radius PowerView, whose lack of popularity may have helped slow the release of SuperMac's SuperView as well. Others seem destined to fare better, and from the initial sounds of it, GCC's new WriteMove II printer should find a nice niche for itself.
GCC specifically designed the WriteMove II to complement the PowerBook line. The printer weighs in at a mere 2.5 pounds, measures 11.7" x 3.5" x 2.0" (which puts it at about half the size of a closed PowerBook), features 360 x 360 dpi resolution, and can run on battery power (it recharges when it's plugged in). In the past, portable printers have traded quality for portability, but it appears that the WriteMove has solved that problem with its 360 x 360 dpi resolution and ATM and TrueType compatibility. Unfortunately, the WriteMove does not come completely without trade-offs.
The print engine differs from the common low-end printers these days since it uses thermal fusion to imprint characters with a wax-based ink from the ribbon. GCC has two types of ribbons, a multi-strike cloth ribbon that you can flip five or more times and a single-strike ribbon for absolutely final copies. The single-strike ribbon costs significantly more per page, not surprisingly, but the multi-strike ribbon's quality will suffice for most common printing jobs, although the quality decreases as you use up the ribbon. Interestingly for those who do presentations on the road, the WriteMove II prints on normal transparencies.
Needless to say, the WriteMove II uses QuickDraw, which means that you must use either ATM and PostScript fonts or TrueType to print at a full 360 dpi resolution. To help you along, GCC bundles ATM and Adobe Type 1 versions of Times, Courier, Helvetica, Helvetica Narrow, Symbol, and Palatino (six font families for a total of 21 fonts). Of course, you have a bunch of those as TrueType fonts included with System 7, but it's still useful.
The driver software offers most of the features commonly available such as background printing, but GCC has built in a couple of less common features as well. If you want to queue up a bunch of files to print later (say you're working on a plane and don't have the printer set up), you can use Print Later, and if you want to check your document before printing, GCC included a Preview mode. The driver has a Color/Grayscale mode like Apple's LaserWriter driver, and for those five people who still use bitmap fonts, the GCC driver does font smoothing.
The WriteMove's major drawback (and the reason why you wouldn't use it as your main printer) is that you must feed each sheet to it personally. That's certainly not a problem for a new presentation transparency, or for printing out a quick memo, but it would pale as entertainment after the first 15 or 20 pages of a long document. In addition, the WriteMove II is no speed demon at about a half page per minute, but you can't expect blinding speed from something that weighs 2.5 pounds and can run on battery power. The batteries last for about 12 to 15 pages per charge, and you can recharge the batteries (it will take about six hours for a full charge, although the batteries charge whenever the printer is plugged in, even if it's printing) about 600 times before you need new ones. Like the PowerBooks, the WriteMove II has a power-conserving sleep mode that it enters after one minute of idle time. After three minutes it shuts itself off to save even more power.
Aside from the paper handling and slow speed, the only other problem I see is that you have to get ribbons directly from GCC or a GCC dealer, which may make them hard to find when you're on the road and the ribbon wears out (as it no doubt will). GCC will deliver a ribbon overnight for $9, which is expensive, but in an emergency…. Otherwise, the WriteMove II sounds perfect for those people who live and die by their PowerBooks in hotel rooms.
Particularly when combined with a 170 with an internal PowerPort/Gold modem (which sends and receives faxes), the WriteMove II offers some impressive features in a small and light package. If GCC could add an optional paper tray, they'd have a definite winner on their hands. As it stands now, the WriteMove II should be a popular printer for portable users, but purchasers might compare it to the Kodak Diconix 150 (the printer on which GCC based its now-discontinued WriteMove printer) in order to determine which feature set and trade-off set best meets their specific needs.
The WriteMove II has a one year warranty and will retail for $599, but dealers set their own prices, so I'd expect it to run around $500 at first, perhaps dropping a bit after the novelty has worn off.
GCC — 800/422-7777
Information from:
Ken Hancock — [email protected]
GCC propaganda


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Responsibility for admissions
The Trustees of Crofty Multi Academy Trust have responsibility for approval of the Admissions Policy and admissions arrangements for all member schools within the Trust. They will operate an admissions policy which ensures that all applications for admission to Crofty MAT academies are dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the School Admissions and Appeals Codes, including the application of an agreed set of published oversubscription criteria and, where appropriate, adherence to Cornwall Council's coordinated admissions schemes.
All decisions regarding admission to each academy are the responsibility of Crofty MAT. However, it should be noted that Cornwall Council has a statutory duty to co-ordinate the admissions process for reception class applications. In addition, Cornwall Council has opted to assist parents by acting as a "clearing house" for applications to other school year groups.
Crofty MAT schools will participate fully in the Local Authority's Fair Access Protocol and the Local Authority's Co-ordinated Admissions Schemes. Details of these schemes are available on the Council's website (www.cornwall.gov.uk/admissions) or on request from the Local Authority. Closing dates and
other details about the application process will be stated in those Schemes.
Details of the co-ordinated admissions scheme for Reception admissions are available from Cornwall Council School Admissions Team, New County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY
Email: schooladmissions@cornwall.gov.uk
Web: www.cornwall.gov.uk/admissions
Closing dates, deadlines and timescales (including those relating to late applications) will be as stated in those schemes.
Please ,click on the Pdfs below for further information:
Admissions arrangements Crofty MAT 2022-23
If you are considering delayed admission to the Reception year for you child, please see the Procedure for Deferred and Delayed Admission to Crofty MAT Schools:
Procedure for Deferred and Delayed Admission to Crofty MAT Schools


Classic Rob with buttons askew. I'd say this is a new shirt. Can't say if he was wearing the Nike, though. You can see his Edward bronze hair peering through. So adorable.
No smile Rob, missing Kris? Where is she anyway.


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L. Brooks Patterson's daughter slams Democrats' handling of the county executive's replacement
By Steve Neavling on Fri, Aug 9, 2019 at 2:12 pm
L. Brooks Patterson/Facebook
Former Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
L. Brooks Patterson's daughter slammed Democrats on the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for scheduling a meeting to replace the former county executive on the day of her father's funeral.
"The wound of losing our beloved father and grandfather became deeper when we learned the Oakland County Board of Commissioners scheduled a meeting the morning of his funeral to seize control of the county executive office," Patterson's daughter Mary Margaret Patterson Warner said in a news release. "This heartless play for power is unforgivable and has offended the Patterson family. Our father has earned and deserves more respect than this."
Patterson, who had been county executive since 1992, died Saturday. By law, the board of commissioners has 30 days to appoint a replacement. If no one is appointed, a special election will be held.
In response to backlash from Patterson's daughter and others, acting Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Marcia Gershenson rescheduled the meeting for Aug. 16, the day after Patterson's funeral.
Gerald Poisson, the interim county executive, also criticized the timing of the original meeting.
"First, Brooks' team is appalled by the spectacle at the board of commissioners and Marcia Gershenson's sham interview process for appointing a new county executive," Poisson said in a statement. "Scheduling the meeting the morning of Brooks' funeral is simply inappropriate."
The process of replacing Patterson has caused infighting among Democrats. Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dave Woodward resigned Wednesday in hopes of getting appointed to the position. A sitting commissioner is prohibited from being appointed to the county's top job.
But his decision to resign left Democrats without control over the board, which now has 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats. That could lead to an impasse.
Also vying for the position is Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner, who has accused Woodward of making backroom deals with Republicans to appoint him as county executive.
Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner (left) and former Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dave Woodward.
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L. Brooks Patterson,
Andy Meisner,
Democrats,
Oakland County,
Dave Woodward,
Oakland County executive,
Oakland County Board of Commissioners,
Steve Neavling
Steve Neavling is an award-winning investigative journalist who operated Motor City Muckraker, an online news site devoted to exposing abuses of power and holding public officials accountable. Neavling also hosted Muckraker Report on 910AM from September 2017 to July 2018. Before launching Motor City Muckraker,...
Read More about Steve Neavling
Slotkin mulls U.S. Senate run after Stabenow announced retirement


Here's a lucky shot I captured of Mt. Denali pushing its way through the clouds for a pretty rare appearance.
The glaciers were so powerful–and what a view from the cruise ship we were on (a first time for everything).
The green along the banks of the river, reflected in the water, was … well, you can see in this shot and the next.
And then the whales–holy crap, the whales. We got so damn lucky: We witnessed what the guides said was a rare event called a "bubble feed." We must have seen 8 or 9 different whales engaging in this feeding frenzy. Incredible.
And then the Mendenhall Glacier, which 30 years ago covered almost the entire area, including about two-thirds of the way up to where I was standing when I took this photo. The colors stopped me in my tracks. What a trip.


Retro Sumus joins The Dreamcast Junkyard's DreamPod!
Introducing Retro Sumus Dev Diaries!
A few days ago, Tom Charnock from The Dreamcast Junkyard and I sat down and discussed Ameba, Xenocider and the DC scene as a whole. Wait, Xeno what? Exactly. Please keep reading for the first screenshots of our two Dreamcast projects!
What is Project Q? First teaser!


text:
Q: Trigger intent without input context I have a intent in dialogflow. I assigned input context to it. So now the intent is only getting trigger when context is there. But i need it to get triggered when context is there and when there is no context, intent should get triggered by just by matching utterance.

A: As of right now there is no way to do this with a single intent. Due to the context it will only trigger that intent with an utterance when the context is available. The only way can trigger an intent with context and one without is by creating another intent which does the same thing and has the same utterances, but has no context.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


One of the key roles for independent consultants is business development—and often the road to new business goes through the C-suite. Presenting proposals to a new client or to an executive of a large company is unlike presenting to peers. Here are three tips to help you develop your content and approach for a winning presentation.
Before writing or delivering your proposal, invest the time to learn more about your audience and their business. Consider the previous roles and areas of expertise of the person you are presenting to. That can help you gain a better understanding of how much they know about your solution. It can also help you to anticipate questions.
Use LinkedIn to research your audience and discover shared connections. Review their social media presence to learn more about their interests and style. Check out their company website for links to branded social media profiles.
Prior to your presentation, you'll want to find out more about your client's company. What challenges are they facing? How are they positioned in the market? Have they expanded or launched any new products or services recently? Review the company's website, press releases, blog, and even job opportunities to understand their current environment. If the company is publically traded, search EDGAR for the company's 10-K and 10-Q forms, which can provide details on financials, directors, and market information.
Lastly, use any inside contacts you have to ask questions. What are the company's top priorities and what motivates the executives? Are there any hot-button issues you should address or avoid? Do the executives themselves have any presentation pet peeves or preferences? Any additional information you can garner will help you prepare your presentation.
Just as you value your time as an independent, so do clients—particularly if you are presenting to top executives. Short and candid presentations will be appreciated. Think of the first minute of your presentation similar to an elevator pitch. You'll want to cover: the purpose of the presentation, your message or key takeaway, an overview of your agenda, and what you want from them—feedback, information, or a decision.
Throughout your presentation, maintain focus. Remove information that is not essential to keep the client's attention. Follow a strong start with a strong finish. You may be given a full hour to present, but ending early is sure to win the room. Your efficiency and respect of time can reinforce the type of job you will do for the company. Ending early also provides time for additional questions and discussion.
Clients and executives must maintain a big picture, long-term focus. Decisions are not made based on solving the problems of the day, but rather on achieving their vision for the future. Therefore, before you dive into details, sell your client on the big picture.
Your preparation prior to the presentation will help you engage your audience with smart questions. Use questions to open up a dialogue and demonstrate your focus on the business vision rather than just on your solution.
Honesty about the risks and results of your solution are also part of big-picture thinking. With every project, there are associated risks and problems. Showing that you know what these risks are and that you have a plan to address them will help to reassure your client and show them that you have thoroughly thought through all outcomes.
Proposal presentations require preparations and a change in perspective. Your content and approach should be driven by the unique needs of your client. By focusing on what is most important to them, you will win their attention and business.


Imagine you're a world-famous fashion designer and an artist at a soirée tells you that having children will kill your creativity. Would you start a family anyway? Georgina Chapman, cofounder of red carpet favorite Marchesa and wife of Miramax Cofounder Harvey Weinstein, did. She explains why becoming a mom was the best decision she ever made.
Claire Coghlan: As a writer, I totally get that fear. Were you surprised to find you were highly creative while pregnant?
Georgina Chapman: It's daunting at first — you don't know what to expect. But I quickly found that being pregnant with my daughter India brought out this new facet of my personality. I'm not an organized person by nature, but I became very, very focused. It changed the way I approach work. It freed me in many ways. Your whole value system changes once you have children. They become your priority.
Coghlan: What about "mom brain"? Did that slow you down?
Chapman: I don't think I ever came out of that cloud! You feel like you've been hit by a truck, physically, emotionally, spiritually. I didn't really get any maternity leave with either of my children. I remember nursing India when she was four or five days old during fittings for our show — I was seeing stars! But, on the flip side, I now have the advantage of having the kids with me in the office all the time. Literally, Keren [Craig, Chapman's business partner] and I bring our children here every other day.
Coghlan: Did you wrestle with guilt about going back to work?
Chapman: Absolutely. It's something I wrestle with every day. But I feel pride, too, because the kids talk about what they're going to do when they grow up. They don't see any difference between my hubby and myself in terms of career. I think it's a very empowering thing for a daughter to see her mother independent, working and having a voice. My mother gave up work when she had me. She'd been a journalist in the British film industry. That was very powerful, too, seeing a strong woman at home. Both situations work. I truly believe if you're a happy mother, you're a better mother.
Coghlan: Do you seriously get work done with the children in the office?
Chapman: When India comes in, I honestly don't see her! She's very social. Delilah, Keren's daughter, is just a year older, so they're very close. Dashiell, my son, is the same age as Keren's daughter Delphine, so they play. It's a family business!
Coghlan: Can you describe your typical day?
Chapman: Every day is different. I like to work out in the mornings. I'm not one of those get-up-at-five people, so I normally don't get that done before I get the kids to school. Then I head into the office. Yesterday, we just launched a collection, so it was all about fittings and photo shoots and polishing the collection. New York is a very hectic social calendar. I'm probably out at least once a week, if not twice. I try not to be out too much, because I do get exhausted.
Coghlan: What about weekends? I hear you're fiercely protective of them.
Chapman: Yes, I like my kids to know that I'm there for them then. During the week, everyone's rushing around between activities and school, and then dinner, bath and bed... The weekends I like to be peaceful. My daughter's very keen on horse riding, so we spend a lot of time at the stables.
Coghlan: How do you carve out creative white space?
Chapman: Running on the elliptical I find a very peaceful, meditative time when I can really think about the collection. Or when I'm walking back from school or biking to work. Sometimes a moment is enough.
Coghlan: Do you have to say no a lot?
Coghlan: What or who can you not live without?
Chapman: My mom, my girlfriends, my husband. I went to college to learn to be a designer. I didn't go to college to learn to be a mother, and I feel like that's the one you don't want to get wrong! For me, it's all about having the right people around. My husband is so supportive. My mother is so supportive. My brother is my CEO. My best friend is my business partner. I have a wonderful woman who helps me with the kids. I have the most incredible, loyal team. It just wouldn't be possible without them.
Coghlan: Any downsides to working with your brother and your best friend?
Chapman: No! It's a very liberating thing to work with people you trust implicitly. I know they have my best interests at heart and I theirs. That's a wonderful thing. When the kids come in, they have their uncle here, and their godmother. Don't get me wrong, we all work very hard, but we all love what we do, and we're very committed.
Coghlan: What's the best advice you ever took?
Chapman: Before we launched, everyone said, "Don't go into evening wear. No one does it!" We were like, "Well, if no one's doing it, then perhaps we should?" Isabella Blow was the one who really gave us the courage. She said, "Look, this is what you're good at. This is what you do. Stick with that." We haven't looked back.
Coghlan: Knowing what you know now, anything you'd do differently?
Chapman: There was a lot of trial by fire, but you don't get to learn, really learn, without going through it.
Coghlan: You work with a non-profit in India called Magic Bus. Why's it important to give back?
Chapman: Growing up, I watched my father build his coffee company alongside his charity. He was one of the pioneers of fair-trade. It always made sense to me to give back to the people who've helped me realize my dreams. I wouldn't be able to create the work I do without the incredible craftsmanship skills of the embroidery makers in India.
Coghlan: Was your daughter named for India?
Chapman: Exactly. My grandmother was born in India. I've always had this magical connection to the continent.
Coghlan: You're quite a free spirit. You traveled around the world for two years after college, a good chunk of it on your own.
Chapman: I did the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal alone. I literally took nothing with me. My sneakers rubbed me so bad, I ended up doing most of it in flip-flops!
Chapman: I had blisters. And I got a lot of leeches in my shoes, so I just quit them.
Coghlan: What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
Chapman: I think having babies before two fashion shows is pretty insane.
Coghlan: What's your personal motto?
Chapman: Never say never to anything. You just don't know what's around the corner. That's the wonderful thing about life: Who knows what the future holds?


text:
Nithin V. George
TEOCO Chair Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering
BTech: University of Kerala, 2007
MTech: National Institute of Technology Rourkela, 2009
PhD: Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, 2012
Email: nithin -AT- iitgn.ac.in
Website : https://sites.google.com/iitgn.ac.in/nvg/
Office: 6/325
VOIP: 2447 / 2023
Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (Aug 2018 to present)
Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (Nov 2012 to Aug 2018)
Visiting Research Fellow, Curtin University, Australia (May 2017 to Aug 2017)
Post Doctoral Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (July 2012 - Nov 2012)
Project Officer, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (July 2009 - Oct 2009)
Visiting Graduate Student, University of Western Ontario, Canada (Oct 2008 - Mar 2009)
V. Patel, S. S. Bhattacharjee, N. V. George, "Convergence analysis of adaptive exponential functional link network", IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, DOI: 10.1109/TNNLS.2020.2979688, In Press, 2020.
D. Ray, N. V. George, P. K. Meher, "Analysis and design of unified architectures for zero-attraction based sparse adaptive filters", IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration Systems, DOI: 10.1109/TVLSI.2020.2965018, In Press, 2020.
T. Deb, D. Ray, N. V. George, "Design of nonlinear filters using affine projection algorithm based exact and approximate adaptive exponential functional link networks", IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs, In Press, 2020.
D. Ray, N. V. George, P. K. Meher, "An analytical framework and approximation strategy for efficient implementation of distributed arithmetic-based inner-product architectures", IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers, In Press, 2020.
D. Ray, N. V. George, P. K. Meher, "Efficient shift-add implementation of FIR filters using variable partition hybrid form structures", IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers, 65(12), (2018), 4247 - 4257.
V. Patel, J. Cheer, N. V. George, "Modified phase-scheduled-command FxLMS algorithm for active sound profiling", IEEE/ACM Transactions on Audio, Speech and Language Processing, 25(9), (2017), 1799-1808.
S. Pradhan, V. Patel, D. Somani, N. V. George, "An improved proportionate delayless multiband-structured subband adaptive feedback canceller for digital hearing aids", IEEE/ACM Transactions on Audio, Speech and Language Processing, 25(8), (2017), 1633-1643.


Agate Electric opened for business in 1999 as a full service electrical contractor; we serve Two Harbors, Duluth, and the surrounding area with first class service and competitive rates.
We are a full service 5,000 square foot shop complete with inventory for immediate service. Agate Electric operates a fleet of 10 vehicles and a team of quality electricians to provide all your electrical solutions and services. You can be confident that you will receive superior customer value.
Agate Electric is a member of the National Electrical Contractors Associaton (NECA), Duluth Builders Exchange, and the Two Harbors Area Chamber of Commerce.
Our exceptional resume as an electrical contractor continues to grow each week by way of recommendations and partnerships with area businesses, industrial project managers, and home owners.
Our core business delivers renewable energy, industrial lighting, and electrical heat. Please take a look at some of our finished projects with area business and industries that show what we do and how we finish a project in superior Agate Electric style.
Please take a look around and see if we can be of assistance.