Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:39:45 GMT

Skywatch Friday

Usually when I link to Skywatch Friday, I post a sunrise or the blue, blue sky during the middle of the day. It’s time to post a sunset, when the day is done. No wonder sunset is a well used metaphor for the end of things.

This is not out in my Ozark forest but in the middle of an office park near my home. In fact the world headquarters for one of the major mobile phone companies is right across the street from where I took this shot. That’s little bluestem grass growing on the hillside. I’d been trying to line up this shot for weeks, but I was never in the right place at the right time. But good things are worth waiting for.



Missouri calendar:

• Cuckoos (rain crows) return this week to nest.
• Fawns are born through late June.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal      Read more     Source

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:20:45 GMT

Rosa sp

Many thanks to Tatcher a Hainu@Flickr (aka Eckhard Volcker) of Berlin, Germany, for submitting today"s micrograph via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool (original image). To view more of Eckhard"s micrography work, visit his site titled Wunderkanone (hint: click on Pflanzen for vascular plant imagery). You can also see a small gallery of his work via Labgrab.

As Eckhard explains in the comments accompanying his photograph, this is a 10x magnification of a cross-sectioned pedicel of a rose. His technique? A microtome, or a machine for slicing tissue (think deli meat slicer, but much smaller), is used to make the even cross-section. The sections are then mounted on microscope slides and stained with a dye (or dyes). Different tissues react to different dyes. Expert (and careful) technique can produce a range of colours, as seen here.

Working from the outside of the pedicel inwards: a red-stained cuticle is subtended by a single cell layer thick epidermis. The next dozen or so cell layers form a band called the cortex, consisting of the outermost ~4 cell thick angular collenchyma (provides supportive structure for new growth) and large, undifferentiated parenchyma. The band of colourful vascular bundles (or water and nutrient transport tissues) are next. At the bottom of this micrograph is another grouping of parenchyma, forming the pith.

Each vascular bundle is surrounded by yellow-stained cells that I believe are sclerified parenchyma; these have developed to provide support and protection to the vascular tissue. The orange-red stained cells are a bundle cap of fibres associated with the nutrient-carrying phloem tissue, which consists of the small densely-packed green-stained cells immediately below. The medium-sized bluish-stained cells toward the inside of each vascular bundle form the tissue called xylem, often associated with water transport (but also carry some nutrients). Between the xylem and phloem tissue is a thin band of vascular cambium, a meristematic (undifferentiated cell generating) tissue that will produce additional xylem and phloem with time.

By the way, if I"m wrong about anything, I"d welcome any corrections -- I"m not a plant anatomist, though had I been able to section and stain tissue with the skill that Eckhard has, perhaps I would"ve taken a few more courses on the topic.

Photography resource link: Local readers will likely be familiar with his work, but if you"ve never seen the photography of Chris Harris (photo gallery), you"re in for a treat. Posted by: Daniel Mosquin      Read more     Source

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:12:12 GMT

Summer Calls For Motorized Blinds, Shades

Summer is finally upon us and what better way to celebrate the season of sunshine than making full use of the sun's life-giving warmth by letting its rays enter your home. So what are you waiting for? Go around the house and start raising those shades and opening those windows.

In a wired home, though, you don't need to run around the house just to flip the blinds and raise the shades of every window. In the modern, smart home, windows shades and blinds are fitted with motors that make life a bit easier. Summer, after all, is a season for relaxation, especially if the kids are out of the house and you want nothing more than to lie down on that backyard hammock.

If you live in a wired home and don't have motorized blinds and shades, then you don't really live in a smart home. I suggest you hie off to the nearest home improvement store and get yourself a few of these motorized or automatic shades and blinds, which usually come with remote control systems.


© YourBlinds.com
Posted by: Linda      Read more     Source

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:29:06 GMT

Making Big Oil accountable

The $20 billion bucket for claims that would be funded by BP, but run by the US government is hardly going to dent the BP balance sheet and P&L.

As Bernard Condon and Michael Liedtke write in Associated Press, BP makes more money than Apple and Google combined and in the past three years the company generated $91 billion in cash flow from operations. Unlike the banks, BP has next to no debt which means it can raise billions more. Even in a worst case scenario, analysts say the company could wall of those liabilities.

But the big balance sheet test might be yet to come with the prospects of criminal charges. The New York Times reports that BP's costs could soar to $63 billion if there were criminal charges, and that's not even taking into account the lawsuits.

But then as Michael Corkery writes in The Wall Street Journal, BP is likely to survive this crisis in the same way that Union Carbide survived Bhopal. BP's greatest assets are 18 billion barrels of oil reserves. The value of these reserves, like Union Carbide's chemical technology, should see the company through.

In light of that, the challenge for the US government is to take steps to ensure this crisis does not happen again. Oil companies will continue to make massive profits but they need to be made more accountable. Posted by: Bose      Read more     Source

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:17:34 GMT

Print Flyers, Hit the Beach

© kidsire


Business is business. It's more than just your professional commitment. You have the life you have (complete with a nice house and vacations in the Caribbean) precisely because you do what the business requires.

That includes drawing up the marketing brochure flyer and then finding time to print flyers - even if you're supposed to be home with your wife, packing to go to Virgin Gorda....

While it doesn't have to be hard to get simple things (like printing your marketing brochures) done, stress and difficulty do come from the way life intertwines simple task (sometimes dozens of them) together into larger jobs where those simple tasks can't be easily untangled from each other.

Fortunately there are ways to get your flyers printed quickly. So now I'm reclining on the beach with a glass of rum, listening to the sound of the surf and feeling the breeze. Business can be business next week. Posted by: Steve      Read more     Source

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:57:25 GMT

For Digital Photographers

With digital photography your images aren't complete until you've engaged in some form of post processing image manipulation.

That is unless you and your digital camera are so good that there is no need for further adjustments after you've taken a picture.

Well, for people like me, who at least take a quick look at all photo files using one graphics program or another, and then try to make the image better, we're always on the lookout for shortcuts and guidance.

If you're into Adobe products then you're in luck because their website has a great library of downloadable tutorials and "Adobe Actions" that will speed up the process of fine tuning your digital photos.

Here's the link to the first page of free Adobe downloads.

Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.

Photo Source:www.subtraction.com Posted by: Karen      Read more     Source

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:12:59 GMT

The Skinny Jean for the Not-So-Skinny

The skinny jean was the best thing to happen to me since sliced bread. Hm. Actually, the skinny jean is better than bread, sliced or unsliced. There's nothing as good-looking as a skinny jean with a ballet shoe. It's super flattering, and I say that as someone who's not especially skinny myself.

I have a friend who always looks dynamite. We all have a friend like this: someone who is effortlessly fashionable who, even when she's in Sunday sweats, looks like she's ready for a fashion shoot.

It helps that my friend is very beautiful and incredibly petite in spite of the huge amounts of candy she puts away on a nearly daily basis. Oh, and she's a great person too. Sigh. Well, she gives me something to aspire to.

Anyway, she showed up to a movie date one evening in skinny jeans, and I noticed for the first time how flattering they are on the leg. How they forgive a drapey shirt (a safe choice when you're carrying a few extra pounds), and how they make a pair of ordinary legs like mine look, well.... svelte.

I went pronto to the True Religion store and bought a pair.

Big mistake. I only bought one! I never take them off. So this weekend I'm on a mission to purchase more - lots more, several pairs more.

Outlet mall, here I come.

Photo above is from NeimanMarcus.com.
Posted by: Doreen      Read more     Source

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:38:41 GMT

Twittering from the Grand Wall

© BenBenW


It's easy in the investment world to think of China as one big business opportunity. But if you actually get to go to China, remember to budget a little time for seeing the place. Because China is much more than a business opportunity. It is a cradle of civilization filled with wonders, both natural and manmade.

A friend of mine was able to spend a couple of days touring China as part of a small delegation of business people from his state. He sent back links via Twitter to some beautiful pictures of the Great Wall that he uploaded on a laptop he managed to get at a discount whit some Dell coupons before he left on the trip.

The Great Wall is nice. It's part of the standard sorts of day trips and sight seeing adventures people go one from Beijing - along with places like Tiananmen Square, the Lama Temple, the Bell Tower, the Niujie Mosque, the Forbidden City. The list is much longer. But for my money I'd rather see West Lake in Hangzhou, or maybe the Yellow Mountains. And if time and finances allowed for it, I'd want to visit Guilin in the south and maybe see some of Yunnan Provinces mountainous terrain and tribal culture.

Like I said, it's easy to think of China as your own money garden. But if that's all it is to you, you're missing out on a lot that Chian has to offer. Posted by: Wendy      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:46:31 GMT

Wine Aerators

Patience is a virtue, but not one of mine. I love my red wine, but sometimes I just don't want to wait for it to air out after I opened it. Why can't I drink it right now?!

Someone else must have had the same impatient thoughts as me, because now you can buy a spiffy little wine aerator to make your red wine instantly drinkable. An aerator is a little fist-sized device that you pour your wine through. It forces air bubbles into the wine, mixing and breathing it almost instantly. Your wine will open up all its aromas and flavors in a matter of seconds. (Some people claim aerators are even better than just letting your wine breathe naturally.)

Aerators started showing up in classy restaurants a few years ago. I first saw one at a churrascaria. After ordering a robust syrah our waiter demonstrated their new aerator. I even asked where I could buy one and he wrote down the brand and website.

A year or so later I visited the same restaurant, promptly ordered a bottle of wine, and waited for the aerator. None came. I asked this waiter why they didn't bright it out. He told me that they stopped using them only a month after they bought them. The diners complained that they ruined the experience. See, the aerator makes a peculiar sucking noise, like the last bit of water draining out of your bath tub. It's not loud and only lasts a second but fine-dining restaurants across the country stopped using the unique accessory.

So if you enjoy red wine and a silly noise won't ruin your evening, go out and get an aerator, they cost about $20 bucks. Posted by: Doreen      Read more     Source

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:47:20 GMT

The Majestic Aura of Awards Plaques

Awards plaques are perhaps the most professional and visually majestic of prizes offered across different platforms and industries. These have become the symbol of collective effort being recognized or a great feat being rewarded. From marble plaques to simple but elegant mahogany collectibles, such prizes are craved by every team and individual who have achieved or have been achieving high-flying feats in any arena.

Awards plaques may differ in shapes or sizes. From being gigantic but plain plaques to small but intricately designed and engraved affairs, these prizes can differ like chalk from cheese. Shapes also vary according to the requirements or dealer designs - from plain square-shaped designs to badge-shaped plaques to even hexagonal or star-shaped ones, you name it and you've got it! You can also add jewelry such as gold stars or even silver plates to the arrangement to make it look visually appealing as well!

However, the most common practice is to have the award plaques custom-made according to the industry, people it is being gifted to as well as the budget you possess. For an instance, if it is a corporate sales team you wish to present the prize to, you can have it professionally designed keeping the ingenuity at a minimum. On the other hand if you are honoring a wizard of a designer or a baseball player, you can let your imagination take wings! But always remember that the more you wish to detail your plaque, the higher will be the price.

Once you have had it tailor-made, there is no stopping the surge of team spirit for the winners it shall be presented to!
Posted by: Julia      Read more     Source

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:49:55 GMT

Cotton On Australia

I'm always looking for the next best thing. Whether it's in NYC (my back yard) or across the seas. A recent search around some of my favorite sites brought me to an amazing online site/brand Cotton On which is based in Australia. I love that this fun store will soon have an online boutique that is like our Forever 21. In addition to being an affordable line of clothing, they are also socially conscious as well with their efforts on Cotton On Foundation which provides assistance to a village in Uganda. If you happen to be in Australia, purchasing Cotton On's branded water, provides proceeds to this foundation. It is my hope, that they will offer the water online as well or some means that global efforts can be provided. Whether you're buying a gift or looking for fun pieces to go out in, this is a great store to keep your eyes on. Posted by: Doreen      Read more     Source

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:43:17 GMT

Using Wireless Headsets in an Office Environment

With all the new gadgets available in the market today our lives have become dependent on machines - machines which we ourselves have built. These gadgets are made to simplify our work. The invention of telephone gave the world the entry into the world of communication. After the wired telephones came the cordless handsets. These cordless handsets helped the user to move about freely while talking over the phone. You could take the receiver to as far as the range allows you. Then came the cell phone, which you could use anywhere.

As if all this was not enough, wireless headsets were introduced. Hence, now you don't need to hold onto the handsets during long conversations. Just fix the headsets to your ears and leave your entire body free. What's more these headsets are being further modified with new technology - Apple is trying to add superior screens and motion sensing features to the headsets.

A good headset has a lot of advantages, especially in an office environment. By using these you can get rid of pains occurring in your hands, arms, shoulders, back, neck and head, or any other problems that may occur due to the work pressure you undertake. Pain in the body can discourage office workers from receiving calls and even if they do they won't be able to talk politely and rationally. Imagine a person in pain receiving a call from a client who starts abusing as soon as the conversation, it is natural to lose self control. Hence, promote the use headsets in office and change your office environment.

Wireless headsets come in very handful in office environments. They reduce muscle tension by more than 40%. Hence, if employees shift from handsets to wireless headphones they can relax physically and perform better. Moreover without wires spread over the floor there are fewer chances of people tripping over. Even the office looks neat and spacious; all this helps in making the office environment livelier. By using these one can move about freely for some time during the working hours. This allows proper blood flow through the body which usually gets affected when one sits in one place for a very long time. Circulating of blood through the entire body keeps the person fit and helps him to perform better. On the other hand, you can also do other office chores, like taking printouts, or jotting down important point of any conversation, while you are on a call.

To get the best wireless headsets to help you out in your office you can visit Telecom Super Store.
Posted by: Heather      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:31:49 GMT

Hedge Fund Wins 'Terminator' Franchise Rights

Halcyon Holdings has accepted a deal from hedge fund Pacificor yesterday after a five-hour auction, according to a report by IndieMoviesOnline.com.

The Terminator rights were sold for $29.5 million, following a legal battle in which Halcyon Holding was forced to file for bankruptcy, the case was started by the hedge fund which won the bidding wars, Pacificor.

Lionsgate and Sony were strong bidders, even teaming up at one point, but eventually loosing to the frenetic will of the hedge fund, which has an interesting backstory in the case.
Posted by: Aaron      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:17:43 GMT

iPhone App Makes Sure Your Date is Safe

Created by information commerce company, Intelius, Date Check does what the company does best, dig up dirt.Date Check is an app that lets users pull up all those juicy secrets that you want to know, but might be too shy to ask on the first or second date. With a flick of the wrist you can find out if a person has a criminal history via the sleeze detector. You can also see if they own real estate, or if they"re living with someone -- say a spouse they might have forgotten to mention.

The app is currently available for free on the Android Marketplace and the Apple App Store.
Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:38:33 GMT

Silver Necklace: Enhance Your Glam Factor

The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed the popularity of silver jewelry, most importantly, the silver sheen. So, gold took a backseat and silver, white gold and platinum came to the forefront. With World War II, gold regained its position to become the favorite metal. However, the turn of the millennium again pushed silver into the limelight. The reason could be sensory overload or the poor economy, which decreased the purchasing power. Nevertheless, silver necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and broaches are a rage in the fashion market.

Silver Necklace: Trends
Although some women team their off-shoulder gowns with shoulder-long earrings, the attire looks incomplete without a thin strand around the neck. A silver necklace can enhance one's glam factor to quite an extent. Some latest necklace trends include:

Gemstone with marcasite: This deep reddish-orange gemstone, enclosed by quality marcasite-finished sterling silver, can look elegant with a deep V-neck dress. Having a checkered-style covering, the beautiful gem seems to peek through its silver casing. If you have a taste for artistically-designed jewelry, this pendant is just what you need!

Cross with marcasite: This traditional symbol of Christianity has long been an inspiration for designers to experiment. Adorning this latest design, you will enjoy showing off your faith and love for God, while also looking chic and trendy.

Green Jade with marcasite: Perfect for women of all ages, this fashionable pendant will lend an ethereal, dainty look to the wearer. It will look best with a floral print dress or maybe a pair of jeans matched with a flowery top.

Fine jewelry necklace: Looking for something to accessorize your gown at your friend’s wedding. What can be better than a rose necklace? Extremely detailed rose design made of sterling silver and cubic zirconia, this necklace will fetch you more compliments than ever. All flowers die but you can cherish this rose forever if you care for it properly.

Silver Necklace: Maintenance
The best way to keep a silver necklace from tarnishing is to wear it. However, this may not be possible, since some are meant for party wear. The second best way of keeping your silver jewelry dazzling is to store them properly in different compartments in a jewelry box or separate plastic bags that can be zipped. This will keep your necklace away from exposure to moisture. In case of blemish, clean it up with a cleaning solution from a jeweler’s shop.



Posted by: Gena      Read more     Source

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:20:25 GMT

Discount Hotels - Save Your Hard Earned Money: Get Special Holiday Season Deals to Save Money

Nowadays people have very less time, and if they want to plan for a trip, most of it is done over the Internet. You have an option of booking your airline or rail tickets online and you can even book your hotel rooms over the Internet. This has made the whole process of planning a vacation quite easy and also more affordable. The various websites that offer hotel rooms provide hefty discounts if you are able to book from the right source at the right time. An effective way to get hotels at a discounted rate is to book hotels during off seasons. Holiday season deals are also very common amongst all hotels.

The biggest advantage of all hotel websites is that they can offer you a wide range of options. If you visit every hotel site individually, it will be very time consuming and you will also get confused by the types of offer they have. On the contrary if you visit a travel agency website you can view and compare a large number of deals offered by various companies at the same time. This helps you in taking a quick decision and also saves you a lot of money.

Discount hotels are also easily available through websites since these hotels are tied up with these websites. Discount hotels, as the name suggests are not the expensive ones which do a lot of advertising campaigns that will attract guests and travelers. Instead they tie up or collaborate with these travel websites who can easily bring them more customers. This is a good situation for all three groups - the customer, the website, as well as the hotels. If you happen to come across an unbelievably low priced hotel, you will now know how it can be true.

However it is also important that you read the fine prints carefully when finalizing your booking. At times when a very low price is being quoted for a discount hotel, reading fine prints may reveal the actual price which is inclusive of all taxes. Sometimes these discount hotels are planned in such a way that they do not earn much money through their rooms but with the accessory services that they offer. These services include their restaurant, bar, spa, or even the conference rooms which are booked for meetings by corporate houses. If you want to know more about discount hotels and their rates, you may visit ezeego1.co.in.
Posted by: Heather      Read more     Source

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:19:33 GMT

Is Facebook Watching You?

© Gauldo


The Rumpus claims to have an unauthorized interview with an anonymous Facebook employee. And according to that anonymous Facebook employee, Facebook "is recording data on everything you do on the site. Everything. And not just the messages you've written and received either: it knows how many times you've clicked on your friend's profile, which photos you've viewed, and more."

TechCrunch has a nice summary of the 3,000-word Rumpus piece. It alos says that Facebook employees once had a master password which would all allow them access to to any users profile and personal data.

It will be interesting to see how much attention this get and whether any of it is ever verified. Posted by: Nancy      Read more     Source

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:56:45 GMT

The Ultimate Tree House

There"s the tree house your Dad built for you in the backyard, and then there"s the tree house Robert Harvey Oshatz built in the forests of Portland, Oregon. Designed in 1997 and completed in 2004, the Wilkinson Residence is in perfect harmony with its surroundings.

Built on a steep sloping lot, the living space resides amongst the forest canopy, making your morning coffee most enjoyable. With more curves than Lombard Street, the Wilkinson Residence is a property you have to see to believe. Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source