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Japan set to sign international child-custody law in March
Posted on February 8, 2012. Filed under: Hague Convention | Tags: Hague, Japan, loopholes, reasons child doesn't have to be returned |
After years of international pressure, Japan is finally moving to sign the Hague Convention on child-custody disputes.
The government plans to propose new legislation to the Diet in March so that it can sign the treaty.
The United States and Europe have been particularly critical of Japan's foot-dragging on the issue.
Still, it remains unclear whether the bill will be passed in the current Diet session due to persistent opposition within both the ruling and opposition parties. Submissions of key legislation could also take precedence.
The bill was based on proposals submitted to the justice minister by the Legislative Council, an advisory panel, on Feb. 7.
Among the Group of Eight advanced nations, only Japan has yet to sign and ratify the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
The convention is designed to deal with cross-border "abductions" by parents of broken international marriages.
It requires a parent to return a child to the nation of habitual residence if the child is under 16 and taken to another country without the consent of the ex-spouse.
The convention stipulates that the parents of the child must settle the custody dispute in the country to which the child is returned.
The panel's proposals outline procedures that allow, among other things, a family court to rule whether a child must be returned to the country of habitual residence after a request for the child's return is made.
The court's discussion of the case takes place behind closed doors.
But the Japanese parent can appeal the ruling to a high court and the supreme court.
If a Japanese parent does not comply with the ruling, court officials can forcibly remove a child to return him or her to the country of former residence.
The outline also spells out cases in which the Japanese parent does not need to return the child:
When a child has adjusted to a new environment after spending a year in Japan;
When the other parent calling for the child' return did not actually take care of the child;
When the other parent gave consent to the former Japanese spouse taking the child to Japan;
When a child refuses to return to the country of former residence; and
When a child is at great risk of being tormented, both mentally and physically, as a result of abuse by the non-Japanese parent and abuse of the Japanese parent by the foreign spouse.
The latter refers to instances when the Japanese parent returned to country of former residence with the child at the request of the former spouse. It also envisages the failure of a foreign parent to look after the child due to a history of domestic violence, drug addiction or alcohol abuse.
The Foreign Ministry is pressing for passage of legislation, calling it Japan's pledge to the international community.
In a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama in November, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed his resolve to join the convention after submitting a bill to the Diet session that began last month.
But the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and opposition parties are divided over some clauses of the draft bill.
The government needs the cooperation of the opposition camp to win Diet passage of the bill. However, the two Diet chambers are controlled by differing blocs, and the opposition camp is stepping up its confrontational approach to the Noda administration with respect to policy issues.
The bill could take a back seat in Diet discussion because the government is now focusing on bills to raise the consumption tax rate, analysts said.


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French Professor Named Knight in Order of the Academic Palms
CONTACT: Aliko Songolo, 608-262-5937, asongolo@wisc.edu
MADISON – It was one of the biggest honors of his life, and Aliko Songolo doesn't know who to thank.
In March, Songolo, professor of French and Italian and African languages and literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received a letter from the French Consulate in Chicago informing him that he had been named Chavalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Knight in the Order of the Academic Palms) by the French Minister of National Education.
"They contacted me out of the blue," he says. "To this day I'm not sure who might have nominated me."
L'Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of the Academic Palms) was established in 1808 by Emperor Napoleon I to honor accomplished members of the University of Paris. Its three ranks – knight, officer and commander – have since been extended to those who make major contributions to the expansion of French culture in France or the rest of the world.
Typically, the French Consulate of Chicago visits the honorees in their hometowns to give a ceremony to officially decorate them. However, Songolo has not yet heard when this will be.
Upon receiving news of the honor, Songolo says, "I was elated. I was very happy to be among the ranks of other colleagues who are very well known and who have done very well."
Songolo, who is originally from the Congo, has spoken French since early childhood, though Swahili is his native language. He is also fluent in Ebembe, English and Spanish, and can read a few others.
"I think it's important to share the knowledge that you have about other cultures with students and others so that they can learn about other areas of the world and open up their own minds, which will help them understand their own area of the world," he says.
Songolo is also past president of the African Studies Association, former director of the African Studies Program and former chair of the Department of French and Italian.
Posted in Awards & Grants, Faculty & Staff
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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DAR starts briefing on SPLIT Project in Agusan Sur
SPLITTING LAND TITLES. Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Jamil Amatonding Jr. (standing, right) of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Agusan del Sur leads the Oct. 26 to 29 orientation of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Project in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. The four-year project will cover around 3,174 collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards consisting of 54,000 hectares of land in the province. (Photo courtesy of DAR-ADS)
BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform in Agusan del Sur (DAR-ADS) has started a four-day orientation on the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who own a collective Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) covering around 3,000-hectare land in the area.
In an interview on Wednesday, DAR-ADS Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Jamil Amatonding Jr. said the orientation started on Tuesday and will run until Oct. 29 in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.
The project, which is one of the DAR's major ventures being implemented nationwide, aims to improve the security of tenure and strengthen the property rights of ARBs through the subdivision of CLOAs previously issued collectively by the agency.
"In Agusan del Sur, we are now focusing on large collective CLOAs. We are now on the stage of providing our ARBs with information on the SPLIT Project and how it will benefit them as beneficiaries of the government's agrarian reform program," Amatonding said.
He said some 1,143 ARBs who are owners of the collective CLOA of 3,000 hectares attended the orientation.
"This 3,000-hectare land in one CLOA and owned by the 1,143 ARBs who formed themselves into a cooperative was leased to National Development Corporation-Guthrie Plantation Inc. or NGPI sometime in 1988. The land, situated in parts of San Francisco and Rosario towns, is planted with palm oil," Amatonding said.
In 2016, he said the NGPI returned the land to the ARBs due to internal conflict within the cooperative.
The 1,143 ARBs are now split into three cooperatives, he added.
"We will continue to hold the series of orientation activities in the different areas of Agusan del Sur to inform our ARBs about the project and its benefits," Amatonding said.
He hoped that DAR-Agusan del Sur, after the series of orientation activities, will be able to start the field validation activities, a requisite for the conduct of the delineation of the collective CLOAs.
The SPLIT Project, throughout its four-year implementation, will cover around 54,000 hectares with 3,174 collective CLOAs that will benefit some 25,000 ARBs in Agusan del Sur, Amatonding said.
Around 103,586 hectares of lands previously issued with collective CLOAs by the DAR will be covered under the project in the entire Caraga Region starting this year. (PNA)


Dry vegetation on nearly four acres of land was gutted near the foot of Chamundi Hill in Mysuru on Monday. Fire and Emergency Services personnel managed to douse the fire before it spread to the forest area.
District fire officer Gururaj said a major mishap was averted owing to timely intervention of the fire personnel. The fire was spreading fast and the fact that there is a petrol bunk and houses near the place had raised concerns.
He said fire accidents had increased in recent days. "On Sunday, the Fire and Emergency Services, Mysuru, received 17 calls. The department is fully equipped to tackle fire," he said.
Nearly 18 acres of forest was destroyed in fire at Basavanabetta under Cauvery wildlife sanctuary at Halagur, Mandya district. Department officials suspect that the fire was man-made. The department personnel managed to douse the fire.
There were also reports of forest fire from Mundgod taluk in Uttara Kannada district in the last 15 days. Department personnel are making efforts to douse the fire and to find out if they are due to acts of sabotage.
A fire was reported from Kappatagudda protected forest in Mundargi taluk of Gadag district on Monday evening, destroying around 30 acres.
The blaze spread fast due to the dry vegetation. It is said that the fire could be the handiwork of miscreants.
Tension prevailed for a while when forest fire broke out in Shettihalli wildlife sanctuary and Karadimatti forest area of Shivamogga taluk and in forest area near Kannangi in Mandagadde of Thirthahalli taluk in Shivamogga district on Monday. Fire fighters doused the flames with help from local residents.
The Shettihalli wildlife sanctuary is a habitat for deer, wild buffaloes and elephants. Besides, the forest has sandalwood, rosewood and teakwood.
Forest patches in and around Bengaluru city too have been lost in fire. In the last four days, fires were reported from Turahalli reserve forest, Nandi Hills and Bannerghatta National Park. According to forest officials, many non-forest patches like in Jarakbandekaval, Yelahanka and near Kadugodi reserve forest also reported fires.


Davina here - One tradition that most families I know seem to have is a handmade Father's Day Card. This is something Nick and I have always had fun doing for our dads, even before Elfie was born - often we'd collaborate and treat it as a mini art project! Now its really lovely to collaborate with Elfie to make one for Nick and sometimes all three of us will work together to make cards for the granddads.
This year I was inspired by a shrink plastic pin badge I saw in Yellow Owl Workshop's book Little Prints and decided to make a pin badge for Nick but out of cardboard to make it cheaper and easier as shrink plastic is a nightmare to get hold of in the UK.
I spent a rainy afternoon with Elfie painting some old cereal boxes and then used them to make this pin badge.


Free Printable Letter Q Tracing Worksheets. Download the free letter Q tracing worksheets to help kids improve handwriting at the school or home. If your kids need to practice handwriting at recess, after school, breaks or summer vacations, you can use this worksheet to get ready for the next school year. The tracing worksheet includes numbered arrows, red dots starting guides and faded letters to trace. Every 5 letter row becomes more difficult with the dotted letters and blank rows to practice without guides. Then kids can practice words that start with the letter Q, like Queen. Select from Uppercase Letter Q, lowercase letter q, Cursive Q Uppercase and Cursive q lowercase tracing worksheets. Letter Q Tracing Worksheets available in easy to print PDF format.


There are 3 different types, #1 is Mint, which reduces redness, #2 is Berry is for pale skin, and #3 Peach is to brighten the skin.
I toke a lot of pictures of the box, because it was just too cute!
Front box packaging. I love the cute witch logo!
I've ordered some beauty products from a trusted EBay seller, and it came with lots of samples too!
Ooh mysterious package. It looks big in the picture, but it's actually quite tiny.
Hello! One more midterm and I'm finished with school stuff... till exams next month. e_e I cannot taste the freedom at all since I'm also taking summer classes. T_T Well, that's life.
No matter, my love for beauty products have not changed hehe. Today I'll be reviewing a lip tint by Holika Holika (fave korean brand at the moment!). It is a lip tint line based on colours of berries! I've here #3 the strawberry version, and I like it!
Standard tube packaging, with lovely berry designs on it.
Here I have today a facial mist from Skin Food. It's a cooling mist spray that can be applied anytime before or after makeup.
Holika Holika is my current favourite Korean cosmetic brand; it's affordable, has really cute packaging and I have loved every single product I have bought from them!
This blush is no exception. It's a light baby pink powder, with cool undertones.
The packaging is simple and compact. I just adore the little witch logo!
It also has SPF30/PA++ which is definitively a great for sunny days.


"Adobe recommends users of Adobe Shockwave Player 11.6.7.637 and earlier versions update to the newest version 11.6.8.638," the company said in a security advisory accompanying the release. The new version is available for the Windows and Mac platforms.
"Adobe is not aware of any exploits in the wild for any of the issues patched in this release," said Wiebke Lips, Adobe's senior manager of corporate communications.


We've enjoyed our day off with the family and we definitely didn't do any work of any kind. It was a quiet, relaxing day together. We did make some good food today. We like to eat and it's Labor Day!!
What a crazy summer we've been having. I've enjoyed every adventure we've had but I do love it when we get to have a moment at home. I'm a baker by choice. I love to bake bread, cakes, cookies, anything really. I forget about the simple, easy things I can make sometimes but when all I have is a day here or there I've got to do what I can do.
My mom made poke cakes when I was growing up. We loved them. The cool, refreshing flavors were perfect for our hot summers. So I decided to make one, a lemon lime one.
Make a yellow cake from scratch or box, your choice. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan. Let it cool. Dissolve 3 oz of lime jello in 3/4 c boiling water. Stir in 1/2 c cold water and set aside. Poke lots of holes in the top of the cake, using a fork. Twist the fork slightly when you poke, so that the holes are wide enough to absorb liquid. Slowly and carefully, pour the lime jello mixture over the top of the cake, making sure that most of the liquid ends up in the holes. It's ok if some of it ends up running off the sides of the cake. Allow to cool completely. Place the cake in the refrigerator to set. Meanwhile, whisk lemon pudding with milk until thickened. Fold in whipped topping and use this mixture to frost the cake.
Enjoy!! Make sure you put any leftover cake in the refrigerator.
A new adventure begins for Hannah tomorrow. She will be boarding a plane for the Dominican Republic in the wee hours of the morning and will not be returning for a year. I'm going to miss this girl but she has a passion for Jesus that needs to be shared. Say a prayer for her whenever you can and say a prayer for her momma too.
I will make you as a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
Last week week was super busy with Kids Crusade and a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. Most of this week was spent at the hospital with my mom. We have ate so much take out and junk food ya'll! When I mysteriously ended up with a quiet evening to myself I went for comfort food, chocolate chip pancakes. The combination of chocolate and maple are heaven. Seriously!! If you've never had chocolate chip pancakes, you've got to try them.
Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium high heat. Pour the batter onto the griddle, making pancakes the size you desire. Sprinkle chocolate chips onto the batter. Flip pancakes when bubbles start to appear. Remove pancakes when lightly browned.
All I can say is Yummm!!!
This year has been so busy. This summer, even crazier. Today we decided to have a down day. A day to relax and enjoy our family. Gram came over and we swam half the day away in the pool. We had hot dogs and chips for supper, so easy, followed up with homemade chocolate frosties. After dinner we didn't want to just sit around the TV so we we decided to play flashlight hide-n-seek in the house. It's really dark in our house people! The only one with a flashlight is the seeker, and Ripley, the three year old, because he's scared of the dark. It's been forever since we played this game but it won't be long before we play again I'm sure. It has been a good day.
Mix all the ingredients together in an ice cream freezer. If needed, milk may be added up to the fill line. Freeze as usual in your ice cream freezer. Enjoy!


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Purac and Indorama Ventures in Alliance Discussion for PLA
CSM's subsidiary Purac and Indorama Ventures PLC (IVL) are in discussions to set up a Polylactic acid (PLA) manufacturing facility in Thailand, with an initial capacity of 10,000 tons per annum being raised to 100,000 tons per annum after developing application specific grades. This product would be based on high purity (GMO free) Lactides produced by Purac. The Lactide monomers for the production of PLA will be sourced from Purac's Lactides production plant in Rayong, Thailand as well as from other Purac sites.
This PLA is GMO-free, natural, and a biodegradable material that is a sustainable alternative to oil-based polymers. PLA has a lower carbon footprint than most other polymers and can be marketed as a green alternative for packaging materials, fibres and non-woven textiles. The products would be marketed by IVL through its existing global marketing and sales network.
The product made by the combination of unique Lactide raw materials and unique PLA production process is able to deliver a quality that is stable at much higher temperature ranges than other bioplastics. The properties of this polymer allow this to be used for many textile and packaging applications which have not been possible with other bio-based products so far and will thus open a large latent demand. PLA has many uses, like upholstery, disposable garments, awnings, food packaging, and disposable tableware.
"This collaboration with IVL is an important step in the market development for PLA because in addition to being the largest polyester producer in the world, IVL is a leading manufacturer of raw materials for textiles and packaging" says Gerard Hoetmer, Chief Executive Officer of CSM. "This partnership will widen the scope of such biodegradable applications and accelerate our market development of PLA. It will be another milestone on the way towards providing an important role for bioplastics in the fast-growing packaging and materials space."
"We strongly believe in creating superior value for our customers by investing in sustainable products and technology." says Aloke Lohia, Group CEO of Indorama Ventures. "Purac gives us an opportunity to enter the space for a new generation of highly sustainable, biodegradable, low carbon footprint materials."


Bruno, DiBello & Co., L.L.C., C.P.A.s offers a wide range of services to our individual and business clients. Our clients benefit by getting personalized quality service that is beyond comparison. Below we have listed the services that we offer to our clients along with a brief description. As the list below is by no means all-inclusive, please feel free to inquire about a service if you do not see it listed.
We provide three levels of assurance services - audit, review, and compilation. Regardless of the level of service you need, our technical knowledge, and our adherence to ever evolving professional standards will provide you with financial statements that are usable by all intended readers.
The highest level of assurance and audit is often required by third parties for lending or investing purposes. Our extensive experience will give us an understanding of your specific business and industry. We will then develop a strategy to conduct the audit in an efficient and cost-effective manner. An audit will include an evaluation of your internal control systems to identify the areas of greatest risk. We will also provide constant communication to your management team regarding findings, areas of concern, and results of our procedures.
The next level of assurance is a review, where will provide "Limited Assurance" that the financial statements are in accordance with professional standards. We use analytical procedures, as well as inquiries of management and accounting personnel, to determine if the financial statements are reasonably stated. Like all levels of service that we provide, constant communication ensures that any findings will come to your attention.
A compilation is a commonly provided service where we take management's financial information and create a financial statement for internal use or for the purpose of providing to lenders or other interested parties. As with other attest services, our professionals often provide suggestions to management about how they could improve business operations and procedures.
The Firm's Forensic and Litigation Services include assisting clients and their legal representative to understand from an investigative accounting point of view how past events evolved and how best to solve the problem and assist in the potential litigation. The Firm maintains an expertise in quantifying damages using forensic accounting and auditing techniques uniquely designed to fit the metrics of each case. The Firm proactively deals with fraud prevention by assisting organizations in implementing internal controls to deter fraudulent acts by employees and other third parties.
Strategic Lifetime Planning LLC is a division of Bruno, DiBello & Co., L.L.C. dedicated to providing clients with comprehensive financial planning for both businesses and individuals. The Company was organized to assist clients in planning for current and future events so that they may realize their financial goals for years to come. As a member of the prestigious AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Division, Strategic Lifetime Planning LLC is well positioned to provide financial plans tailored to each client's specific situation. Please visit the company at www.stratlifeplan.com for more information.
States and local governments have placed a greater emphasis on sales, use, excise and franchise taxes in recent years and stricter compliance is anticipated in the coming years. We can assist clients in identifying their compliance requirements within each jurisdiction and properly preparing the required returns in an efficient and timely manner. The Firm may be engaged to conduct a mock audit of your records to determine potential exposure and provide recommendations on how to remedy issues.
For most closely held businesses the single biggest concern is the proper preparation and filing of timely tax returns which report an accurate amount of tax. Recognizing that business success can be a direct result of tax implications our expert planning services will enable clients to know and understand the tax ramifications before the transaction is completed. Prompt and accurate preparation completes the process and provides the client with a sense of closure. We provide extensive tax return preparation for Corporations, S Corporations, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, Estates, Trusts, Charitable Organizations, Benefit Plans and Individuals. Should the need for representation before a taxing authority arise, we are well versed in the nuances of practice before both federal and state governments.
For almost 20 years, we have been a leader in providing automotive dealerships with all levels of accounting, assurance, and consulting services. From monthly reconciliations and reporting, to assurance services and reports on internal controls, we have the expertise and industry knowledge to help your company reach it's goals. We are also proud to provide outsourced CFO services, operational review and consulting, tax compliance services, and strategic planning services.
Metro Capital Appreciation, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisory Firm, was organized to serve our clients Investment and Personal Wealth Management needs. In an increasingly difficult and complex investment climate, Metro has strategically aligned itself with two prominent investment advisory firms enabling us to efficiently tailor an investment plan that fits your personal profile. Growing and protecting wealth accumulated during a successful career needs to be dealt with on a professional level. Metro in concert with its partners offers professional money management, family inheritance consultation and tax sensitive investment planning with an overall view of the big picture.


October 16, 1927: "Mrs. W.B. Collet of Los Angeles and a party of five children, who are camped at the Big Trees near Dorrington, through presence of mind probably saved herself and the children much discomfort last Thursday, when they got lost in the hills near their camp.
The party had walked a short distance from camp, down a creek, and wandered along its banks, and when they started to return, found they were lost. They climbed to the top of a high ridge, south of the grove, and as night came on, cleared two large areas, and started two fires about thirty feet apart.


1. With WIFI hotspots, mobile phones connected directly. No router, broadband, boot can be used. After the camera is switched on, the mobile phone connects the WiFi hotspot of the machine, and turns on the software to monitor it.
2. Remote viewing, the camera is placed in the router about 15 meters, connected to the router WIFI mobile phone, the tablet can be remote viewing, people are in the field can be remote real-time monitoring, viewing, photographing, playback, etc.
3. Auto-coverage: Cyclic video can be set. When the disk space is full, the system automatically covers the video data in the initial stage to ensure that the camera continues without manual deletion.
4. Remote alarm notification: Intelligent mobile detection, manual alarm push, alarm layout, when someone enters the monitoring area, the camera will automatically detect and send message reminders to the host mobile phone, and automatically capture high-definition maps and save them on the mobile phone APP.
Video recording: manual recording, dynamic video recording, regular video recording, alarm recording.
Alarm trigger: Video push, loudspeaker alarm, alarm video.
Network protocol: support TCP/IP, ONVIF, private cloud storage, etc.
Suitable places: homes, shops, schools, supermarkets, factories and other places; flatwise, wall mounted, hoisting.


The Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved sweeping changes to the state's net-metering rules for rooftop solar yesterday.
All three members of the PUC, the agency charged with regulating electric and gas utilities in Nevada, voted in favor of changing the formula used to calculate the price paid by utilities for power purchased from residential solar systems.
Net-energy metering is a billing system that allows utility customers to "sell" excess electricity generated by onsite generating equipment to their electric utility.
In the past, the net-metering rules in Nevada required utilities to pay the "retail rate" for power generated by homeowners with rooftop solar panels. As a result of the PUC's decision yesterday, residential solar systems will instead be paid the "wholesale rate" for electricity sold to utilities under the state's net-metering rules.
What is the difference between the retail rate and the wholesale rate?
The wholesale rate is the commodity price of electricity. The retail rate includes the commodity price as well as the price paid to utilities for delivering the commodity from remotely-sited power plants to the end users.
In recent years, the gap between retail and wholesale rates has grown dramatically.
The PUC's decision to change the net metering rules was made in response to a complaint filed in July by NV Energy, an investor-owned utility company owned by Berkshire Hathaway . The complaint claimed that using the retail rate for net-metering resulted in ratepayers without rooftop solar systems receiving a subsidy from ratepayers with rooftop solar.
Distributed solar companies, including SolarCity, Vivint Solar and SunRun, opposed the net metering changes adopted yesterday by the PUC. The Alliance for Solar Choice, a trade organization representing the distributed solar industry, said it would likely bring a lawsuit challenging the PUC's decision.
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia use net-metering systems that compensate distributed generation through avoidance of volumetric retail rates even though network-related costs to serve a customer are not likely to fall with their use of distributed generation. This practice in effect adds an extra subsidy to distributed generation not given to grid-scale generators.


The combinatorial diameter of a polytope P is the maximum value of a shortest path between two vertices of P, where the path moves along edges of P. Its study is motivated largely by its implications on the running time of the Simplex algorithm to solve linear programs (LP's). In contrast, the circuit diameter of P is defined as the maximum value of a shortest path between two vertices of P, where the path uses potential edge directions of P i.e., all edge directions that can be obtained by translating the facets of P. Such directions are called the circuits of P.
In this talk, I will present a characterization of the circuit diameter of some polytopes corresponding to classical combinatorial optimization problems, such as the Matching polytope and Traveling Salesman polytope. I will further give a complete characterization of the circuits of the Fractional Matching polytope, and use that to derive some hardness of computation results. Specifically, De Loera, Hemmecke, and Lee recently studied the potential use of circuits to develop Simplex-like algorithms to solve LP's. They propose an augmentation procedure which iteratively finds better feasible solutions by moving along circuits, and they propose three different oracles for choosing a circuit at each step. We prove that two of these oracles are NP-hard to compute.
The first part of the talk is based on a joint work with K. Pashkovich and L. Sanità, while the second part is based on a joint work with J. De Loera and L. Sanità.


We look forward to welcoming you to TOIA's Hilary Term Programme 2019.
Sara Stowe's repertoire as a singer covers a wide range of music ranging from spiritual songs of the medieval period to the most adventurous modern songs. Initially studying as harpsichord scholar at the Royal College of Music, she later discovered her voice and won a British Council Advanced Training Bursary to study singing in Italy, laying the foundations of her interest in much of the virtuosic and extraordinary Italian music she performs today, including compositions by Giacinto Scelsi and Luciano Berio.
Martin Kemp, described by The Times as 'the world's leading authority on Leonardo', in conversation on his fifty-year relationship with the most famous artist of all time.
Novelist, poet and academic (Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature at the University of Oxford), Nicola Gardini will take us through the past and present lives of ten Latin words which have morphed to both reflect and shape our ever-evolving world in a tour de force of linguistics, literature and textual criticism, philosophy, history, and theology.
Bernardo Bertolucci's expressionist masterpiece of 1970, Il conformista, is an account of the neuroses and self-loathing of a sexually confused would-be fascist aching to fit in in 1938 Rome and was deemed an instant classic on release.
We look forward to welcoming you and please let others know about the rich programme of TOIA events.
In the event of unusually bad winter weather, meetings may have to be cancelled or postponed.
We have only extremely rarely had to take this step, but if you are planning to attend a TOIA meeting in the heart of winter and weather conditions seem to you very unfavourable, please consult the website to make sure that the meeting has not had to be cancelled. This would be the only manner in which we could get in touch with you all at short notice.
If there is no notification by noon on that day, you may assume that we intend to go ahead! Alternatively, email [email protected] for confirmation.
12/2/18, 7.30 pm, Lectura Dantis, Luciano Bertoli and Gianfranco Serioli, St Hugh's College.
20/2/18, 7.30 pm, Libere (a documentary film on women partisans during the Resistance, introduced by Rossella Schillaci, the director), Rewley House.
26/2/18 7.30 pm, Emma Jane Kirby (BBC, author of The Optician of Lampedusa) with Terence Quinn (artist, The Refugees' Crisis), St Hugh's.
9 May, 2018 Celebration of Europe Day and twinning of Padua and Oxford. Flag raising at 11.00 am at Carfax with dignitaries from both the Comune and University of Padua and their Oxford counterparts.
Dr Cristina Dondi, curator of the current exhibition the Printing R-Evolution 1450-1500 at the Museo Correr, Venice, talks about the pioneers of printing and the fifty years that changed Europe.
The eminent Professor Ingrid Rowland of the University of Notre Dame will be lecturing on Raphael's Rome, as we approach the quincentenary of the maestro's premature death.
Richard Gadeselli, Vice-President, Corporate Communications and Chairman of FIAT Chrysler Automobiles Services UK, on the power of brand Italy: The Italians are coming! How Fiat leveraged the Cultural Stereotype in America. Richard also sponsors the new-look TOIA magazine and is a patron of the Association.
A rising star at the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Mairi McLaughlin will talk on Anglicisms in the Romance Languages: A New Perspective.
Panettone and sparkling wine will fuel the jollity!
The event programme for the current term can be downloaded as a PDF from the 'Forthcoming Events' page.


BitmapFont is a cross-platform bitmap font implementation. It allows you to create text fields and customize several graphical aspects, such as background color, shadow, alignment, scale, padding and color.
The set of classes is heavily based on classes from Pixelizer.


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Meet 3 girls working to close the digital divide around the world
For International Day of the Girl, we spoke with young women who want to make tech more accessible
From left to right: Daisy Hampton (Including You), Emily Liu (Haiyang Liu), Somaya Faruqi (Sahar Ataei, Digital Citizen Fund) (Including You; Haiyang Liu; Sahar Ataei, Digital Citizen Fund)
The United Nations has observed International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11 since 2012, with the aim of increasing awareness of the gender-based barriers girls face around the world. This year's theme focuses on the importance of increasing girls' access to technology.
There's little research available on how the digital divide affects girls under 18, but the research that does exist shows that girls around the world access technology at lower rates than boys do, with girls in South Asian countries facing particularly large gaps in access, according to UNICEF — which also released an eight-episode podcast series, "Hidden Heroes," on Monday that tells the stories of girls around the world making positive impacts in their communities. Less access to technology creates barriers to workforce participation for girls and women and reinforces real-world gender-based inequities, the UNICEF report notes, adding that solutions to closing the gap must take factors around access, digital literacy, and online safety into account.
To commemorate the day, The Lily spoke to three girls and young women around the world who are working to make technology more accessible to other girls.
This high-schooler is preparing girls for careers in STEM fields
As the daughter of two engineers, 17-year-old Emily Liu says has long been interested in science. In eighth grade, she grew to love biology: "I liked the idea of being able to understand all of the things going on in our natural world and inside of me," she said.
But when she attended meetings for her Plymouth, Minn., high school's science club, she was struck by how few other girls were present: only a handful among more than two dozen boys, she said. And when she tried to recruit other girls to join, "what I kept hearing from my classmates was that they didn't feel like they were smart enough for these clubs — which I knew not to be true, because I knew how well they did in science classes," Liu said. "So that was kind of when it hit me that it was also a confidence issue."
Emily Liu. (Haiyang Liu)
That gender gap persists beyond her school's walls, too: Women make up only 28 percent of the workforce in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, according to the American Association of University Women, with fast-growing fields like computer science and engineering seeing particularly high gaps. The AAUW report also notes that a combination of gender-based stereotypes, male-dominated work cultures and fewer female role models compared to men contribute to this disparity.
[ Coronavirus pandemic shines light on deep digital divide in U.S. amid efforts to narrow it]
To combat this gender gap, Liu started Science Accelerates Girls' Excellence — or SAGE — an organization that recruits high school students to teach middle-schoolers free, six-week online courses in STEM fields. Through a combination of word-of-mouth and social media, Liu said, SAGE has served more than 300 students from the United States, Canada, Australia and China since June 2020, offering courses including cybersecurity, website development, genetics, and environmental science, among others. While the classes are open to anyone regardless of gender, about 75 percent of attendees have been girls, according to Liu.
Liu has taught SAGE courses in human anatomy and astronomy, plant biology and evolutionary biology, she said. In that role, she has seen students' beliefs in their abilities grow: "You can kind of see their confidence in speaking grow over the classes," she said.
Next year, Liu plans to head to college, with the hope of studying biology and computer science. For now, she and SAGE's vice president, 16-year-old Alicia Ji, are focused on jump-starting their former students' STEM careers by turning them into SAGE's next teachers — that way, "even when I'm unable to do everything I can now [with SAGE], there will be this line of awesome girls that will carry on the legacy and continue it," Liu said.
The captain of the Afghan girls' robotics team has big dreams for girls in her country
Somaya Faruqi traces her passion to robotics back to when she began helping her father, a mechanic, fix cars when she was 6 or 7 years old, she said.
"I thought, 'It's interesting for me to work with different machines to fix something,'" 19-year-old Faruqi said.
Today, Faruqi is captain of the Afghan girls' robotics team — also known as the Afghan Dreamers — which was founded in 2017 in Herat, the country's third-largest city. Since then, the team has made international headlines for both the success they've achieved in international competitions as well as the setbacks they've faced.
[ Afghan robotics team arrives safely in Doha: 'The girls rescued themselves']
During the coronavirus pandemic, the team built three robots meant to help in the fight against covid-19, including one that was built to sanitize hospital rooms and another built to sanitize other indoor and outdoor areas — both of which received approval from Afghanistan's health minister just before Faruqi and eight other girls from the team fled to Doha, Qatar, after the Taliban resumed power in August. The team hopes to continue refining those robots from afar so that they can eventually be used in Afghanistan, Faruqi added. (The third robot, a low-cost ventilator, didn't receive government approval before their departure, Faruqi said.)
Somaya Faruqi. (Sahar Ataei/Digital Citizen Fund)
Faruqi and the other girls she left Afghanistan with will finish high school in Qatar on scholarships, she added. Forty other team members remain in Afghanistan, Faruqi said, where the Taliban has banned girls in grades seven through 12 from attending school.
"Everyone has a big dream. I don't know what will happen," she said of those girls.
Faruqi hopes to attend university to become a mechanical engineer — and eventually, she wants to return to Afghanistan to build a career and "serve my people," she said.
"I hope that one day we can see the name of Afghanistan in countries that are top in technology," she added.
In the meantime, Faruqi has a message for Afghanistan's new government: "Please let the girls go to school," she said. "They can make a big change in Afghanistan, they just need the trust, opportunity and support — of their government, of their teachers, and … of the world."
This 12-year-old is giving kids laptops so they can learn virtually
When Daisy Hampton saw a cover story published by the New York Daily News last October, about a 9-year-old girl in the Bronx, Kimani Anderson, whose school administrator allegedly threatened to contact child services after she missed classes due to her school-issued iPad failing to function properly, Hampton knew she had to help.
"I wanted to reach out and see if anybody had donated her a computer yet. When I reached out and got a response, I found out nobody had," Hampton said.
A few days later, Hampton used money she earned from a Girl Scout award and donations from her family to buy Anderson a computer.
Daisy Hampton. (Including You)
That wasn't the first — or the last — computer that Hampton provided to a young person in need: Since the start of the pandemic, Hampton has raised more than $35,000 — most of which has come through a GoFundMe fundraiser — to provide more than 500 devices to kids struggling with remote learning due to lack of computer access, she said.
Research shows that the digital divide affected millions of families during the pandemic: A survey created by the U.S. Census Bureau last spring found that of the 52 million households surveyed with children present, 4.4 million households had a computer available only sometimes, rarely, or never; in the 38 million households where a computer was always present, 60 percent received them from the child's school or school district.
[ On Menstrual Hygiene Day, 3 women share how they're fighting taboos in their communities]
Most computers Hampton purchased went to kids in New York City public schools, public housing and local organizations (in New York City, 46 percent of households living in poverty do not have broadband Internet access at home, according to a report from the mayor's office); some also went to students in rural Mississippi — the state with the highest percentage of families lacking Internet access at home, at 42 percent, according to a report prepared by a coalition of civil rights and education groups last August — and to a clinic and a school in Haiti following the August earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people.
Hampton also heads an organization, Including You, that works with more than 100 students in seven states across the country, pairing older kids with younger kids — many of whom experience learning, developmental or physical disabilities or are from lower-income households — to offer homework help, mentorship and friendship, she said.
Hampton started Including You last spring, when it became clear that "all these students were missing out on their education, and I knew this was an issue in schools across the city and across the country" due to the pandemic, she said.
The digital divide "will continue to be a problem" even as we emerge from the pandemic, Hampton said, adding that tackling it is crucial to "a girl's well-being and success." Access to technology "opens up the doors for learning," Hampton added.
For other girls who want to join her in opening that door — and closing the one on the digital divide — she wants them to know: "You can make a difference; you just have to be the person that steps up and starts working toward that change."
Julianne McShane is a freelance journalist writing about gender and other things.


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Johneaves
Home - Uncategorized - Johneaves
By lcarscom May 19, 2019
I caught up with John at the WonderFest Convention in Kentucky, June 2/3 2001, where he was chairing several seminars on starship designs along with Carol Bauman, ILM ship designer for Star Wars: Episode II (sorry, she didn't give anything away). I was able to sit down with John for a few minutes and ask him several questions about the new series.
I first asked John about the work differences between himself as a senior illustrator and Doug Drexler's position as junior illustrator. John said "The only time I've ever seen (the distinction between the two) is when I started Deep Space (Nine) with Rick Sternbach as senior (illustrator) but he never drew on the show*. I think that was because he was the establishing artist. I know (the difference between) junior and senior is experience time wise being in the union, but I've never seen it announced the way it was like on Deep Space (Nine). So our capacities as illustrators I'd say are equal but they are different because he renders on the computer."John said the series takes place about 100 years after first contact with the Vulcans and 100 years before Kirk's first five-year mission. "From where I'm at work on the show, the story is brilliant. I think the series is going to be really good. The cast is great, they got Scott Bakula – they hired him on Friday and he started on Monday, so they suited him up on the weekend. But he seems to be really good."The look of the show is, I think, is Star Trek, but it's not. The stories I think are a lot more along the lines of what the old show and TNG used to be. More high adventure as opposed to, like a political theme that is turned into a sci-fi show, which a lot of the Deep Space (Nine) would be, kind of current events turned into a show for sake of vested interest. And this is more definitely a high adventure show, where it's going to go. It's going to be probably the introductory ground for what we know as Captain Kirk's Star Trek and I think everything from his time will be discovered or planned through out the length of the series. It seems that's what they want to do with it."When asked about the retro-Kirk design of the show, John said "It was really hard because we had done that with (Zefram) Cochrane's ship, and we went kind of high style. You still had the buttons and the toggle switches but the gages and scanners were retro'ed up. And so, to go above that and yet not repeat the sixties look of the way things were. It was challenging in the fact that, we had an idea of where we wanted to go and Mr. Berman had an idea of where he wanted to go, and marrying the two wasn't that bad, set wise. Mike and Denise (Okuda) did a fabulous job with the graphics, Mr. Berman loved what they had done with that. You kind of get the sense they're not gages but they read as such, so he is brilliant, Mike is, at doing such work."It's mostly exteriors that we're having trouble with. Interiors went pretty well, the bridge through went quick, the corridors, all that look in turn all the look of the Enterprise is definitely retro before Kirk, but to today's standard of what good design would be." John went on to say he was then assigned to work on alien ships and uniform designs.
John went on to say the Klingons will have their cranial ridges and that the uniforms are not what we saw in Kirk's era, they will look more like the evolutional ancestor of what we are used to seeing, as on Deep Space Nine. He went on to say he was unsure about whether or not the Klingons will have there bat'leths. He continued "Bob Blackman is doing the uniforms, which he always has. Mike Westmore is doing the makeup. And both their magic is shining like it always does. They have no trouble coming up with what's going to be perfect for that time, yet pull to what Star Trek is supposed to be. Mr Berman was very concious of what the designs and story were going to be and he gave us a lot of feed back.When asked if we would see any other familiar aliens, John said it was too early to say, and that "I don't know what they are going to do next."I also asked John about the level of technology present in the new series, and John said there are no transporters and that the crew are going to be taking a shuttle everywhere instead, "Yeah, they are going to try and keep that lineage alive."When asked about the design of the new (old?) Enterprise, John said it was smaller then Kirk's, but that they're still working on it, so the exact size hasn't been established. He also said he did pitch the idea of using the Enterprise as seen on the rec-dec scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but that it was turned down.And speaking of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, John said he has seen the DVD version (due out at Christmas) and he thought that everyone involved had done an excellent job with it. And although John prefers the use of models as opposed to just CGI, thinking the marriage of them works best, but he did say on the Enterprise in the DVD was the first time he had seen a CGI ship and thought it was undistinguishable from a model.John has also read the script for the first regular episode, saying that sometimes the first episode after the pilot is a let down, but not in this instance – it's just as good as the pilot.
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John also let me in on some of the inside jokes that we, as an audience, would see on screen, including the police tape outline of a corpse and a full garden within the windows of the Enterprise E (in First Contact). The model makers at ILM included many inside jokes and John pointed out there were jokes everywhere, but not where we could, or would, ever see them.While I was with John, I got to meet his wife and asked her if John had prepared her for this aspect of his life, the fans, conventions, etc. She said that no, he didn't. But from what I saw, she was having a really good time with it.On a side note, John also read the script of the next Star Trek movie and said it is really great and that writer John Logan (Gladiator) did an outstanding job with it and that full production of the movie will start in July.Last, but not least, I'd like to thank Lee Stanton and the rest of the WonderFest crew for putting on a great show and for allowing me to meet up with John. And I'll be there next year for sure!
On 1/15/02 I received this clarification from Rick Sternbach on the subject of his position as senior illustrator on DS9:"I was senior illustrator on Star Trek Deep Space Nine for the first three years of the show, and perhaps John didn't realize it, but I drew enough in those three years to totally fill up two 11×17 file cartons, working with talented folks like Ricardo Delgado and Jim Martin."I produced drawings not only of the DS9 station and the Runabout, but various props (weapons, scanners, containers, luggage, etc.), set pieces, and other spacecraft. I wasn't just there for the pilot episode."I was in one office and the rest of the DS9 art department was in another; by the time John came on board, I was off DS9 and on Voyager full tilt."
JOHN EAVES, ENTERPRISE ILLUSTRATOR
INTERVIEW FROM JUNE 6/7, 2003There is nothing like going to a good sci-fi/modeling convention to let me catch up with one of the production crewmembers for Enterprise. And like two years ago, it was at the WonderFest convention where John Eaves was a guest speaker. Again, I was given the opportunity to chat with him about his work, this time though, on both Star Trek: Nemesis and Enterprise.
One of John's major contributions to Star Trek: Nemesis, although he considers them somewhat minor, were several redesigns he gave to the USS Enterprise. But let's be honest here – any change to the Enterprise is a big deal. Luckily I was standing over a diagram of the Enterprise-E when I asked him about the changes.
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"The biggest change was the sweep came back in, it was missing on the model – the sweep on the bottom of the belly, and so it has more of a curve on the model, it went flat and so this brought a little more curve to it."
"This section … where the shuttlebay is for the saucer and the and the body had a flat cut so I extended the saucer into these tapers here which kind of brought the curve back in. And also on the side view of the miniature these were dropped where (the nacelles were) actually making contact – there was no air between the two, so it brought those out and pulled them forward a little bit to get the overall balance to the ship again."
"And as far as weaponry go, right there we have a new single torpedo launcher," he says as he points to the area just in front of the bridge. "We've got a double launcher … in the back of the back module, (another) single launcher (on the aft section), and we've got phaser strips on the top and the bottom of the struts."
John also points out that the color has changed a bit on the saucer section. "It's got darker rim detail" on several places on the saucer.
"I think that's it with the modifications on it – they are very very subtle, and of course that was just personal finesse that I wanted to change on it. No one ever sees the profile stuff, but we get all information at work so until you go "oh, if only I could just sweeten those again" and Nemesis allowed that to happen."
John considers the changes to be a refit to the ship that took place between Insurrection and Nemesis. "It was basically a retro for future missions, that was how I was trying to explain it off – that it goes back for service every once in a while for modifications."
Now to jump back several centuries, I asked John about the Starfleet ships and the Xindi, last seen in Enterprise's The Expanse, and what's been established. "The Starfleet ships were just shapes we came up with – the script just asked for some backup Starfleet vessels so it was just a bunch of shapes we kind of conglomerated together that kind of looked pre-NX-01. And so Rick Berman just picked two out of the five. There's no names, no numbers, or really anything on them."
And for the Xindi, "The rolling ball is the only thing we have designed so far. Part two is what we are going to start working on, I'd imagine, Wednesday (June 11). But the first thing was a ball with rolling devices on it so that was the only direction we had. So as far as that goes, there's a lot more coming up but for right now, that's all there is."
I also asked John what was something from the future of Trek he would like to retro for Enterprise? "We did the Tholians, the Romulans, the Klingons – we always wanted to do the D-7 (battlecruiser), so we did drawings of it, it just has never made it to the screen. And it's actually been modeled, but that was my favorite of all the ones we've done."
Lastly, I asked what was something about Enterprise we don't know, be it about the show, the cast, or whatever. "The actors are outstanding, caring people, which you usually don't see with actors on a show. But Scott Bakula is like the biggest contributor to charity. He's just constantly conscience of everyone around him, makes everyone feel welcome and I'd just say behind the scenes the actors on the show are phenomenal, accepting to everybody, just very very sweet people."
I would like to thank John Eaves for the opportunity to ask him a few questions and Lee Staton and the rest of the gang for putting on another great WonderFest Convention – see you next year!
The Production of Star Trek
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Career diplomat Peter Van Buren's career appears to be over, unless he can successfully contest the State Department's move to fire him.
The Washington Post reports that the bosses at Foggy Bottom have come up with a list of eight charges, including linking to Wikileaks on his blog, and disclosure of classified informration.
No one that I worked with said, Ha ha ha, I'm pocketing all this money for nothing. Everyone thought, let's try to do the right thing here. The problem was, when you're doing something as big as rebuilding an entire country, replicating the Marshall Plan, good intentions are simply not enough.
Van Buren told the Post he intends to fight his dismissal.


What is the longest talgo set is it 12 cars or is there a longer consist? What types of cars are they like first second third baggage Generator cars or what? For locos it would be a F40 or a F59 right?
12 cars sounds about right... I saw the Amtrak Cascades up close yesterday and the last car was used for baggage. F59 up front (which also generates power for the cars) and non-powered F40 on the end.
Mt. Rainier extra is 3 cars.
>Mt. Rainier extra is 3 cars.
OK but what order are the cars from the Generator car to the baggage car? Is there any chance of them getting a mailcar and a baggage car in talgo forum? What types of cars are they like first second third baggage or is the baggage car the F40? Were can I find the cascade and the other style talgo for N scale in 12 car consist?
So this would be the right consist seen here [Link Expired] 10 passenger cars and to end cars 12 cars total.
Ok to rapup this topic what was the problem with the Talgo locomotives on Amtraks systems?
The F-40's or the F-59PHI's or the Talgo Trainset in general?


text:
Every New Friend is the Start of a New Adventure
The Starlight Girls have not sat down these last few weeks, it's been lots of fun, scary at times and a tad emotional – even the Wedding Cake has been in tiers (I'm sorry, yes that joke was truly called for!).
Where do I start? I'd say that the theme of these last few weeks has been friendship building and oh have we made some lovely chums. Like Winnie The Pooh said "A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside". It's also very fitting as it's "World Kindness Week" and some of our new found friends have certainly shown true acts of kindness and really looked out for us. From being presented with a gorgeous bunch of flowers from Helen at City Brides, award winning hair and makeup artists complete with a glowing 5 star review for our Magic Mirror services at the stunning and prestigious Prestonfield House (thank you Helen) to an invite to appear at the majestic Barony Castle at their Wedding Fair and being crowned their newest "preferred supplier" on their exclusive list . There have been so many great highlights recently, too many to list but we thank each and every one of you - happiness is making unexpected friends.
Anyway, enough of the Oscar winning speech, keeping on the celebrity theme - you'll never guess who could not resist the Magic Mirror's charms - Richard Arnold no less! The Good Morning Britain star was full of fun and humour as he was drawn to the bright lights and the cool animation and posed like the pro he is with Kirsty from Starlight Booths.
Prestonfield House was starting to feel like home (if only it was) as our beautiful vintage mirror captured all the fun, two weekends in a row. The Scream Ball was truly frightening. People went to town with their awesome scary costumes, so much so our props have never had such a holiday as there was little need for them. Richard Arnold was a fantastic host and compere for the evening encouraging people to dig deep to raise funds for twp important causes, Royal Blind and The Sportsman's Charity.
Much as we would have liked to, we couldn't hang out with our new celebrity chum forever, so we moved on swiftly (that's showbiz) and the following week hooked up with much loved former Forth FM DJ and respected broadcaster Scott Wilson who raised lots of money and many smiles at the City Brides Charity Ball at Prestonfield House with funds going to two fantastic and worthy charities Maggie's and Marie Curie. Some of the stories from people facing life-limiting challenges were very emotional but truly inspiring and it was utterly uplifting to see everyone at the Ball coming together to raise well needed funds.
So we decided that we needed to spread the Magic Mirror love even further and attended the Corn Exchange Wedding Fair Edinburgh. A successful 2 days showing off the Magic Mirror's awesome features and the brand new animation that comes with the impressive V6 software. Thank you to everyone that stopped by to strut their stuff and struck a pose and to all the lovely Brides and Grooms who have booked us for their up and coming weddings, we cannot wait to be part of your beautiful and special day.
It was nice to meet Kayleigh and Jeanette from Barony Castle (who were our friendly "show stand neighbours") which is a most stunning venue. We were honoured to be asked to attend their Wedding Fair the following weekend where we met the charming Tony, aka the Kilted Caricaturist. Tony is so talented both as an artist and in the "Glasgow bants" who had me rolling down the isle - figuratively speaking not literally. I think Tony did a great job of capturing Louise's better side - what do you think?
All in all, a busy few weeks on tour with our very clever, highly entertaining and gorgeous vintage magic mirror - we've had more stops than an X-Factor Tour Bus which have included Melville Castle, Waldorf Astoria The Caledonia, Prestonfield House, Barony Castle, Double Tree by Hilton Queensferry, Edinburgh Capital Hotel and Corn Exchange. All these venues are gorgeous but more importantly run by truly exceptional event organisers who also happen to be extremely friendly and caring too.
You can't blame us for the lack of chat as we've been more jammed packed full of action than an Arnie Schwarzenegger film - Louise and I can relate to his muscles, ours are tuning up nicely, transporting the Magic Mirror to all these beautiful venues is better exercise than a 24 hour gym session.
We are super excited looking forward to the next few weeks, we are literally booked out for the rest of the year with an adoption party, a 50th Birthday Party and we are very proud to be part of Dynamic Earth's Christmas Party Nights throughout December. As night falls, Dynamic Earth is transformed into a glamorous and visually stunning party venue. "Light Up your World this Christmas" at Dynamic Earth must not be missed.
So, catch us at a venue near you, we'll be flexing our new found biceps this Christmas!!! Starlight Booth girls - making your events shine brighter.


In and Out of Synch is a filmic performance which centres around the optical printing of soundtracks, committing to 16mm film a technology on the verge of extinction, entombing and encrypting its own language onto itself. Shot at the post-production facilities of Pinewood studios, London, the close-up sequences feature abstract patterns of sound encoded as light, printed onto the soundtrack area of the filmstrip. The film features the quivering light of a 16mm mono and a 35mm stereo optical sound camera, providing a seismic glimpse at a sound-wave in formation, on occasions flashing like a stroboscopic Rorschach inkblot.
Both mesmerizing and assaulting the senses, the visually hypnotic patterns are disrupted by the voiceover, scripted in dialogue with the artist and filmmaker Lis Rhodes, whose expanded cinema installation using optical sound is on display in The Tanks. The two voices alternate and coincide, interrogating the sound-image synchronicity and correlation with poetic expressions. The film is accompanied by a live musical performance which animates a Rubens' tube, a device which similarly modulates light in response to sound, creating spectacular waves of flames. In parallel to the film's exploration of sound encoded as light, the event features sound encoded as fire; a more primal, dramatic, and almost pre-cinematic counterpart of the same principle of sound as light.
For this version at the Tanks, the live performance features the vocals of interdisciplinary artist Mikhail Karikis and Anton Lukoszevieze on cello. This performance is linked to the symposium Playing in the Shadows exploring the subterranean darkness of The Tanks and radical experiments in projection and performance.
Future performances of In and Out of Synch will take place at Arnolfini (Bristol) on 1 November 2012, and in 2013, at Ny Musikk festival (Oslo), and SNYK - Centre for contemporary, experimental music and sound art (Copenhagen).
Aura Satz's practice encompasses film, sound, performance and sculpture. Her work has been performed, exhibited and screened nationally and internationally, including FACT (Liverpool); Site Gallery (Sheffield); Galleria Civica di Arte Contemporanea di Trento (Italy); De La Warr Pavilion (Bexhill-on-Sea); the Zentrum Paul Klee (Switzerland); Färgfabriken (Stockholm); Tatton Park Biennial (Cheshire); AV festival (Newcastle); Arnolfini (Bristol); Ikon (Birmingham); BFI Southbank, Whitechapel Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Barbican Art Gallery, ICA, Jerwood Space, Tate Britain, Beaconsfield Gallery, Artprojx Space, and the Wellcome Collection (London). Forthcoming exhibitions include Curiosity: Art and the Pleasures of Knowing, as part of Hayward Touring exhibition in association with Cabinet Magazine, curated by Brian Dillon, Turner Contemporary (Margate), Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Royal Hibernian Academy (Dublin), de Appel Amsterdam. During 2009-2010 she was artist-in-residence at the Ear Institute, UCL. In 2012 she was shortlisted for the Samsung Art+ award, and the Jarman award. Her projects can be seen online at www.iamanagram.com.
Special thanks to Martin Sawyer, Jason Stevens, Simon Hill at Pinewood; Len Thornton and Tim Sidell, and Jackie and Peter Stewart.
In and Out of Synch is linked to the symposium Playing in the Shadows exploring the subterranean darkness of The Tanks and radical experiments in projection and performance.


Stop for a moment and just listen. Hear the wind chimes from the neighbor or the humming of an air conditioner. The traffic a mile away or a dog barking.
From the time we are born, our hearing is mostly an automatic function. Our ears bring in the sound and our brains interpret it, as easily as breathing. In reality, even basic hearing is a complex and fascinating process. Here are a few things you may not know about how we hear.
Our ears bring sound in, but what happens after that? Just like our brains are vital to processing images that our eyes see, our brains are necessary for making sense of what sounds our ears hear. The outer ear funnels sound into the inner ear, which then translates the sound into electrical impulses along the auditory nerve. The brain receives these electrical impulses and interprets them to give them meaning to us.
If you have hearing loss, you may have noticed that one ear is worse than the other. In our bodies there is often a slight imbalance: one eye sees better than the other, one foot is slightly larger than the other. Did you know that your two ears also prefer different sounds?
Research has uncovered that the right and left ears don't process sound in the same way. The left ear is typically more attuned to hearing music and emotion, while the right ear is more responsive to logic and speech. It is believed that this is the case because the right hemisphere of the brain processes music and other creative functions, while the left hemisphere of the brain processes speech.
This could also be the key to why people with hearing loss that is worse in the left ear sometimes have trouble understanding emotional issues expressed by their loved ones, and people who lose hearing more in their right ear begin to have difficulty with organization.
Your Listening Comprehension Depends on…Hair?
Did you know that your inner ear contains tiny hair cells that are vital to proper hearing and understanding the world around you?
The hair cells in the inner ear, known as stereocilia, accept sound vibrations that your ears collect and they transform those vibrations into electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the brain. You have about 16,000 of these tiny hair cells rolled up like a rug inside of your inner ear, and without them you can't hear or understand the world around you. These hair cells don't grow back once they die, and they can be damaged by loud noises and decreased blood flow when you are in poor health. So protect your hearing and your tiny ear hair cells by turning the music down and staying healthy!
Since hearing has been an involuntary process for most of our lives, when our hearing becomes more difficult it also becomes more physically and emotionally draining. You are forced to concentrate harder to understand the world around you, so by the end of the day you may be exhausted.
The good news is that this can be remedied with today's hearing aids. They assist your ears and your brain by helping you hear and understand your environment more clearly, so you don't have to get so tired trying to hear things around you.
If you think that hearing loss may be influencing you and making you feel fatigued, come in for a hearing screening today and see how hearing devices may alleviate this burden.


Jan. 23, 2008, Middlefield, OH – Airwolf Aerospace has been granted an Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) by the Federal Aviation Administration for Airworthiness Directive 2007-26-12. The AD was issued for delamination of Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters' main rotor blades. Installation of Airwolf's Rotor Blade Protective Tape system is found by the FAA to provide a permanent and acceptable level of safety.
The AMOC permits all R22 and R44 operators to use Airwolf's Rotor Blade Protective Tape which , eliminates the need for preflight inspections and entries into the aircraft's permanent maintenance record, which would otherwise be mandatory under the requirements of the AD. The AMOC also legally eliminates the restriction on the installation of "blade tapes (anti-erosion tapes)", which was recently added by Robinson to its Maintenance Manuals.
Airwolf Aerospace is a division of Airwolf Filter Corp, the world's leading manufacturer of remote-mounted oil filter systems for aero engines. STC'd and certificated on all Lycoming, Continental, and Franklin 'flat' engines as well as radial engines by Pratt & Whitney, Warner, Jacobs, Wright and Continental, the systems are also original equipment on Aviat Husky, Pitts and American Champion as well as Maule aircraft.
Airwolf systems are endorsed and recommended by engine overhaul shops such as Covington, Air Repair, Penn Yan, Mattituck, G&N, Aero Engines, Aero Recip, Aircraft Cylinder &' Turbine, Sun Air Parts and Tulsa Aircraft Engines. Airwolf also manufactures the certified Walker air-oil separator for all piston engines, as well as AirSep brand air-oil separators and the world's only line of wet vacuum pumps.


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You are here: Home / News / Former Expos GM: Tom Brady 'could have been one of the greatest catchers ever'
Former Expos GM: Tom Brady 'could have been one of the greatest catchers ever'
The former general manager for the Montreal Expos, who drafted Tom Brady, believes he could have been a great catcher. Hardcore Tom Brady fans know the eventual New England Patriots quarterback was drafted by the Montreal Expos as a catcher before he chose football as his athletic path. Former Expos general manager Kevin Malone certainly believes so.


This paddling trail follows the Beaufort River, connecting the two historic cities of Beaufort and Port Royal, SC. The one way distance is 6.2 miles. For a map of the trail, including GPS waypoints and other information, click here.
· This trip is best run one way on a falling or rising tide, or up and back on the rising and falling tides. If you are paddling from Port Royal to Beaufort, you want to find a rising tide; from Beaufort to Port Royal, a falling tide. Click here for Beaufort tides.
· This trip is rated "intermediate", and is best for paddlers with some experience. Hazards that may be encountered include open water, wind-generated waves, strong tidal currents, large vessels using the Intracoastal Waterway, and summertime heat and thunderstorms.
· Be aware of weather conditions. Up to the minute forecasts should be consulted before beginning this trip. Strong winds should be avoided. Click here for a weather forecast.
Port Royal was the first settlement in the new world, predating Jamestown by 45 years, and St. Augustine by 3 years. It lies on Port Royal Island, adjacent to the deepest natural harbor on the Atlantic Coast, Port Royal Sound. Jean Ribaut recognized the value of this anchorage when he established a French colony on nearby Paris Island in 1562 and bestowed on the entire region a name well suited to this lovely harbor – Port Royal. Since that time, Port Royal has been ruled under seven flags: French, Spanish, English, Scottish, Confederate, USA and South Carolina. For a more detailed account, please pick up the Historical Port Royal Walking Tour Guide at local Port Royal merchants.
The Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve is a 3 acre property located in Port Royal, in Beaufort County. Situated along the Beaufort River, the Preserve contains the remains of a tabby fort built by the British between 1730 and 1734 to defend against a possible attack from the Spanish at St. Augustine. The Preserve acquisition was made possible by a donation of the site from the National Park Service's Federal-Lands-to-Parks Program and funds from the DNR's Heritage Land Trust Fund. The fort, also known as Fort Prince Frederick, is thought to be the oldest tabby structure in the state. Provincial scout boats were stationed here periodically. A relatively small fort, it measures 125 feet by 75 feet with an obvious bastion on the southwest side. The eastern wall was lined with a battery and cannon. The interior of the fort held a barracks and a magazine and was garrisoned by an independent Company of Foot British Regulars until their transfer to Georgia in 1736. *Artifact collection, digging and metal detecting are not allowed on the Preserve. Climbing or walking on the fort leads to deterioration of this fragile cultural resource, so please stay off the structure.
Along both sides of the Beaufort River you'll see fringes of green grass, the salt marsh. Also, across from downtown Beaufort is a large expanse of salt marsh and salt marsh creeks to explore. (Beware entering the salt marsh on a falling tide! The water can quickly fall out of small creeks leaving you high and dry!) Salt marshes are transitional areas between land and water. One plant, smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), dominates the salt marsh, and is responsible for much of the marsh's productivity. Spartina's successful adaptations enable it to live where few other plants could survive. It has narrow, tough blades and special glands that secrete excess salt, making it ideal to withstand the high heat and daily exposure to salt water. Salt marshes rank among the most productive ecosystems on earth. Live Spartina is not a source of food, but when dead is a source of nourishment for many species. Decaying Spartina breaks into small pieces called detritus that fuels the marsh and its animals. Some examples of animals that are dependant on detritus are the highly prized oyster, many fish species, blue crabs, and our delicious local shrimp. The salt marshes of South Carolina also provide excellent habitat for birds, terrapins, river otter, mink, bottle-nosed dolphin, and many other species. Keep your eyes and ears open for wildlife during your trip!
For the first 200 years of its existence, the Spanish, French, Native American Indians and ultimately the British struggled to control this area. The British won, and Beaufort, the second oldest town in South Carolina, was incorporated in 1711. By the time of the American Revolution, Beaufort was home to some of the wealthiest families in America. Their fortunes came from indigo and rice and the labor of enslaved Africans. After the Revolution, Sea Island cotton was the crop that made Beaufort "the wealthiest, most aristocratic and cultivated town of its size in America." Planters came to Beaufort and built magnificent summer homes along the water downtown and on the Old Point. Those homes are a major attraction in Beaufort today and can be seen from the water during your trip. But after the Union Navy decisively won the civil War Battle of Port Royal Sound on November 7, 1861, the white population fled. When General Sherman marched through the south burning towns and plantations, Beaufort was spared. With the Civil War, life in Beaufort changed forever. Homes and wealth were confiscated through tax sales and resold mostly to carpetbaggers. The political base shifted from European American to African American. Beaufort hero Robert Smalls, a slave whose courage and knowledge of lowcountry waters aided the Union forces, eventually served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. For more information on Beaufort History, there are walking, horse-drawn carriage and kayak tours available.


In 2019 Derwen College will be running an art competition for students working up to Entry Level 3. With the theme 'Journey' this competition will invite entries in 2D, 3D and Digital Media categories. If you are interested in entering your student artists in to this competition, please complete our Expression of Interest form and we will be in touch with you early in 2019.
Inclusive Skills Competitions are run by Natspec in partnership with the Association of Colleges, and supported by WorldSkills UK, and enable young people with learning difficulties and disabilities to showcase their work skills and growing independence. Winners from the regional heats go through to the finals at the World Skills UK Live in November.
This year two Derwen College students, Adam and Carter, represented the West Midlands in the UK Finals of the Inclusive Skills competitions at WorldSkills UK LIVE at the NEC.
Carter was a finalist in the restaurant services competition, and Adam competed in catering. Both competed to a high standard, but unfortunately on the day, the competition was too strong.
We are however extremely proud of both Adam and Carter for competing at national level. Staff and students travelled to the show to watch the competition and a great day was had by all!
The 2017 Inclusive Skills regional heats took place throughout the year and two Derwen students – Adams Richards and Joe Griffiths made it through to the finals at the Skills Show on November 18th. Adam won a Silver medal for his entry in the Food Preparation competition and Joe won Gold for Restaurant Service – Table Laying.
FE Week featured the 2017 Inclusive Skills Competitions in a double page spread inside the Skills Show supplement.
In 2016 Derwen College attended the Abilympics in Bordeaux, France as part of the UK delegation.


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Evangelische Kirche Kežmarok steht für:

 Evangelische Holzkirche von Kežmarok
 Neue Evangelische Kirche (Kežmarok)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We provide Best Quality Color Prints on variety of paper media. We do Graphic Designing, Web Designing & provide Digital Printing Solutions.
Since 1995, We providing services for Graphic Designers, Commercial Artists, Photographers, Art Students, Interior Designers, Painters, and other Professionals.


Verizon said Monday that it was a software glitch rather than a change in policy that recently allowed some customers to get a low-cost phone upgrade while still keeping their unlimited data plan.
The carrier confirmed the issue to AllThingsD and said it would honor the unlimited plans of those customers who managed to upgrade while Verizon was working to fix its software. Verizon's policy has been to allow existing customers to keep their unlimited data plan but only by sticking with their existing device or paying the full unsubsidized cost of any new phone they want to use with the unlimited data plan.
However, the company said it fixed the issue earlier on Monday. So if you didn't get that upgrade already, you are out of luck. "The company no longer offers unlimited data plans and customers who want to retain existing unlimited data plans, must pay full retail price for a replacement phone," Verizon said.
AT&T and Verizon have both moved away from offering unlimited data in favor of plans that charge customers various prices for set amounts of data.
Sprint has made a big deal out of maintaining unlimited data options, even promoting recently that customers will be able to keep such plans as long as they stick with Sprint. T-Mobile, which typically offers unlimited data but caps the amount of high-speed data each month, has recently started offering fully unlimited data plans with no speed caps.


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Our AONB
Council of Partners
Management Working Group
The Story of the North Wessex Downs
AONB Events
Landscape Attractions
Special Qualities
Latest Planning News
Sustainable Development Fund
AONB Management Plan
Resources for local businesses
From Flickr
Our E-Newsletter - we send approximately 6 a year informing you of special events and promotions.
Chaddleworth in the snow - Edmund Perou
Key places to see wildlife and take in the view...
Savernake Forest
Extensive (2750 acre) ancient oak and beech forest. Visit the Grand Avenue of beeches planted by Capability Brown, the Big Belly Oak and other veteran trees and try to see (or hear) crossbills, hawfinches and even a nightjar.
Wittenham Clumps
Wittenham Clumps- Blue Sky Images
Two distinctive round hills topped with 18th century beech trees give a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside and the nearby historic town of Dorchester on Thames. There is a hillfort on Castle Hill, with earthworks dating to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The hills can be seen from miles around and are popular with local people for kite flying and weekend walks. Just a short walk away are Days Lock on the river Thames and Dorchester Abbey.
The Down became famous, first from Richard Adams's book Watership Down about a group of rabbits, then the animated film accompanied by Art Garfunkel's song 'Bright Eyes'. Rabbits can still be found on the Down along with rare butterflies such as the Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper. The Down is a well-known beauty spot and is well used by walkers. Stunning views from Woodcott Down and Ladle Hill contrast with the picturesque Hampshire villages of St. Mary Bourne and Binley.
The Living Rainforest
No need to travel the world to experience the delights of a rainforest as surprisingly there is one on our doorstep. Located at Hampstead Norreys, The Living Forest's tropical glasshouses are packed with over 700 species of plants and animals normally found in exotic locations. A great day out for children, who can watch birds, butterflies and lizards roam free in their natural habitat.
www.livingrainforest.org
West Woods
West Woods - Blue Sky Images
Located to the south west of Marlborough, West Woods are famous for their spectacular display of bluebells in May and early June. The woods are almost entirely made up of beech trees and are very popular with walkers and wildlife photographers. Bluebell woods can also be found at Collingbourne and Coldridge Woods, Hailey Wood in the grounds of Ashdown House and in Brightwalton. A little earlier in the year in February, you can see the glorious snowdrop display at Welford Park.
www.forestry.gov.uk
White Horse Hill
Situated on the northern escarpment of the downs, the hill is world-famous for its stylised Bronze-Age chalk White Horse. Just below the White Horse the last Ice Age has left a dry valley with rippled sides known as Giant's Steps – a must for landscape photographers. On top of the hill is an Iron Age fort with a rampart and ditch. The fort is the highest point in Oxfordshire and on a clear day gives a view of six counties.
Letcombe Valley
Letcombe Valley has one of only two chalk streams in Oxfordshire. The clear waters of this rare habitat are home to some unusual and interesting wildlife including Bullhead fish, Brook Lamprey (a primitive jawless fish) and Water Vole. The chalk streams of the Kennet, Lambourn, Pang and Og also flow through the North Wessex Downs. Meanwhile, watercress is still grown by the River Bourne in North Hampshire.
Pewsey Downs National Nature Reserve
Alton Barnes White Horse Near Pewsey
A wonderful sweep of chalk downland located to the north of the Pewsey Vale. The reserve covers three hills and includes Alton Barnes chalk white horse cut into the hillside. The reserve offers great opportunities for wildlife photography with a landscape views stretching across the Vale of Pewsey to Salisbury Plain. While you are there, also look out for the Sarsen stones, known locally as 'Grey Weathers'. Other magnificent examples of chalk downland can be found at Cherhill Down, Barbury Castle, Seven Barrows at Lambourn, Walbury Hill and Beacon Hill.
Visit our interactive map.
Rare Habitats and Wildlife Sites
The North Wessex Downs are home to some very special wildlife sites, many designated as 'Sites of Special Scientific Interest'. A must for the wildlife enthusiast who likes to get off the beaten track. Rack Marsh is a fine old wet meadow characteristic of the Lambourn Valley in days gone by, with considerable botanical interest. Full of rushes and sedges, it is possible to find such plants as early marsh orchids and Water Avens. Abandoned lime workings at Old Burghclere are now a refuge for rare flowers and butterflies. Kintbury newt ponds and the watermeadows of Freeman's Marsh and Stonebridge Lane can be found along the Kennet Valley. 'Commons' dating from the Medieval period are a great place to walk, including those at Inkpen, Ashampstead, Snelsmore and Bucklebury.
© North Wessex Downs AONB | Units 3-4, Denford Manor, Lower Denford, RG17 0UN
Tel: 01488 685 440 | Email: info@northwessexdowns.org.uk
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This Fox comedy broke the mold of unbelievably selfless family characters which had become the norm in American sitcoms of the 1980's. Al Bundy, shoe salesman, fears the frequent amorous advances of his ditsy wife Peggy, who henpecks him and frivolously spends all of his money, reliving his 4 touchdowns in a single game at high school. Supporting characters include their two shallow, self-serving teenage children Kelly and Bud, as well as nosy neighbor Marcy and her husband.


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Does Your Dog Have a Nose for Scent Training?
This sounds like a competition show waiting to happen.
by Julia Lane, CPDT-KA
Look! / Adobe Stock
Is your dog always walking with their nose to the ground? You could be going out for a quick pee break, and it could be below 30 degrees Fahrenheit with destructive winds, and your dog needs to sniff. This is incredibly annoying, especially if you didn't bother to grab the heavy-duty coat on your way out the door.
Here's your solution: Turn this habit of your dog's into a job (and a reason for you to become an exasperating stage parent). Your pup might be perfect for scent tracking.
The Sport of Scent Tracking
If your dog has a nose, they have the ability to track. Surely you've seen them do so on walks, their nose pressed to the ground or lifted high in the air. Tracking tests harness that natural instinct by demonstrating the dog's ability to follow one particular person's scent — the tracklayer's — over various kinds of terrain. Each level of competition features greater challenges such as a longer, well-aged track, more turns, and multiple scent articles.
A Crash Course on Dog Agility Training
5 reasons to get your dog in the agility game, from burning energy to building confidence.
Unlike agility or obedience training, where the handler gives instructions and the dog is expected to follow, with scent tracking, the dog is in charge. They wear a harness attached to a 30-foot leash and pull the handler down the trail. Some dogs are confident and fly down the track, whereas others are methodical and take their time.
In a tracking test, each dog receives their own track and two judges follow the dog-handler team. Putting on a tracking test is labor-intensive and requires a lot of land, so the dog must be certified prior to entry to ensure that proper training has been met.
What Does a Scent Tracking Test Entail?
Three main organizations sanction tracking tests: the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA), and Deutscher Verband der Gebrauchshundsportvereine America (DVG America). Of the three, AKC is probably the best known, but allows only purebred dogs. Both the ASCA and DVG America welcome purebred and mixed-breed dogs.
Depending on which venue you choose, you'll want to find an instructor who can tailor your dog's training to that organization's tracking style. For example, AKC doesn't require a dog to track with precision, meaning their nose doesn't have to follow the track exactly, as long as they stay within 30 yards of the trail and appear to be working.
The B.A.T. Dog Training Method is What's Up
Behavior Adjustment Training (B.A.T.) will keep your dog calm in any situation. For real.
On the other hand, DVG America, which offers tracking as part of its Schutzhund working dog program, requires the dog to be right on top of the trail or risk losing points. Whether you decide to track for fun or compete, the key is to be open-minded about your dog's abilities.
The Three Types of Tracking Tests
The beginner level test, which awards the Tracking Dog (TD) title, requires a dog to follow a 440 to 500 yard-long track with three to five turns that's been aged 30 minutes to two hours. At the end, they must indicate a scent article to the handler, such as a glove.
The Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) title, the next level up, requires intermediate tracking skills. At the most advanced level, which earns the Variable Surface Tracking (VST) title, the track is 600 to 800 yards long with four to eight turns, is aged three to five hours, and covers three different ground surfaces, mimicking an urban environment.
To give you an idea of the degree of difficulty of these tests, AKC Field Representative Herb Morrison says the TD has a 55 to 60 percent passing rate, the TDX has a 20 percent passing rate, and the VST has a 5 percent passing rate. The rare dog who passes all three levels earns the title of a Champion Tracker (CT).
7 Ways to Stop Your Dog from Scavenging on Walks
If your dog tries to scarf down literally everything in sight, you need this advice.
Elizabeth Falk and her five-year-old Bull Mastiff, Archie, recently made AKC history when he passed his TD. He became the first of his breed to earn his VCD (Versatile Companion Dog), which requires novice-level titles in agility, obedience, and tracking.
"One of the challenges was me trusting my dog," recalls Falk, who accidentally flunked Archie at his first tracking test. "He was trying to turn, but I thought the track went straight [and] it was a deer track. Our first trial was definitely a valuable lesson."
Dog Training — DIY or Hire a Pro?
When it's time to call in reinforcements.
Scent Tracking is Full of Surprises
Carolyn Krause, author of Try Tracking!, began training her Dalmations to track scents after a writer described the breed as "stone-nosed." Over the past 25 years, her dogs' multiple tracking titles have clearly proved him wrong.
"If you have ever looked at grass with dew on it and saw all the trails from animals crossing, that gives you an idea what the world of scent shows your dog," says Krause. "We can see it for just a few minutes. By simply taking your dog to different areas and trying things in [my] book, you can learn a lot about your dog's personality and temperament. You don't have to pursue a title, but you do need to make a commitment to it. You have to drive around with a 'tracking eye' ('Oh, there's an interesting place!') and wonder if your dog could follow that. It's amazing what your dog will show you."
Scent Tracking Resources
Following Ghosts: Developing the Tracking Relationship by Suzanne Clothier and John Rice (Flying Dog Press)
Fun Nosework for Dogs (2nd ed.) by Roy Hunter (Howln Moon Press)
Try Tracking! by Carolyn Krause (Dogwise.com)
American Kennel Club (AKC)
Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA)
Deutscher Verband der Gebrauchshund Sportvereine America (DVG America)
How Often Should I Walk My Dog?
Your dog may need more exercise than you think, according to two vets and a behaviorist.
Nine Useful Tricks to Teach Your Dog
Go beyond the basics.
Pro Tips: How to Find a Qualified Dog Trainer
The questions to ask and credentials to look out for to find the right trainer for your dog, according to a pro.
dog lifestyle
Julia Lane, CPDT-KA
Julia Lane owns Spot On K9 Sports, a training facility in the Chicago area, and offers online dog-sport coaching. She is the author of several travel books, and her byline has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Poets & Writers and elsewhere.


Pictured here in our clients Sussex home, is a custom made and finished version of our popular Wilmington range round extending pedestal dining table. We made this one to a specific size and colour matched to our clients mahogany chairs. We also disguised the top board joints so they are now virtually invisible. Another example of how we fine tune the tiniest detail to our customers individual taste. Also, this demonstrates how our furniture can sit just as comfortably in more 19th century style interiors, as well as medieval timber framed ones!