Many of us enjoy playing the lottery. Whether it’s regularly as a group at work or as part of a bunch of friends or perhaps as an occasional indulgence at the corner store- there is always the chance that you will win. And unlike most betting games, the lottery is simple to understand and simple to play. By choosing a series of numbers often ranging from between 1 and 80, players hope that they have correctly predicted the outcome of numbered ‘ping pong’ balls that are randomly drawn by a machine. This machine uses air pressure to float a large number of balls about until all the receiving baskets are filled up by the no longer floating balls. Beautiful randomness.
Keno takes this idea a step further.
The basic rules and playing instructions are the same but allow for more variety. Modern day casinos have offered keno for decades and it continues to be a highly popular choice for gamers. The casino is able to modify the general lotto rules in order to make their version more attractive and fun. For example, they may decide to increase or decrease the amount of balls used or design their own type of keno betting slips making your odds of winning higher than a state or provincial lottery.
The move towards random number generators.
Not every casino or lottery uses a ball machine. Today, digital technology holds the lead in many areas and computers are able to quickly and efficiently generate a series of random numbers. In 1946 John von Neumann, an early computer programming pioneer, developed a mathematical way of generating random numbers using a computer.
After almost 75 years, the random number generator has proven to be reliable. That’s great news for gamers since this method is used by digital casinos ensuring keno draws are now available online 24/7.
It can now happen.
Even more exciting is the way that digital Keno is played. Instead of being restricted to your local lottery, you can now play lotteries all over the world from anywhere you are connected to the internet. Online sites offering keno payout by matching the official lottery rules and results.
This is an exciting change that leads to all kinds of fun and new ways of playing. For example, if you have family in another part of the world you can now join them and play together. Or perhaps you have always wanted to play the National lottery in England but live here in Canada- it can now happen.
Plato’s The Republic challenged the way humankind thought. Now, a immigrant from then-Communist Hungary is posing a similar challenge: Is perception reality, why can one individual’s experience of reality differ so radically from another’s, and how can humankind’s search for a deity be what ultimately separates us from each other and from Nature?
Heady stuff, and Istvan Deak’s book, Frail Absolute, is not for the faint-hearted.
Neither is the author, who fled Hungary illegally with his wife and lived in an Italian refugee camp for six months before being allowed into Montreal, Canada. There, Deak secured a job using brooms and mops in an expert way cleaning hospital corridors, and eventually writing commercial business software programs. A short time later, he moved to Toronto, where he and his wife live now.
3rd Century AD scroll fragment of Plato’s Republic
A philosophy is born. As this self-described analytical introvert began revisiting the philosophers he had read as a teenager, long-quiet questions began to surface about religion, about matter and energy, about how humans interact with one another. And he began writing Frail Absolute.
“I understood that the Force of Reality blew up in the Big Bang and created our universe,” Deak says.
“That Force, that Absolute, has been and must be present in everything in a most profound manner. Otherwise, everything would cease to exist.”
As he wrote and thought and questioned, his epiphany came.
“I asked this Force of Reality, ‘Where can I find you?’ And the reply came back, ‘Who is it who stirs your mind so that you want to know this?'” the author says.
As in The Republic, where Socrates and others discuss the meaning of justice, happiness, soul and the roles of the philosopher in society, characters in Frail Absolute discuss the meaning of reality, perception and harmony. Where Socrates vision culminates in a city ruled by philosopher-kings, Frail Absolute ultimately creates a way to exist in what Deak dubs “the Continuum (All That Is).”
“I have always sought a way to transcend what separates us from one another and from the force that exists everywhere. No matter what one believes in “science, a strict or a benevolent deity, even a non-existent god such as atheists do“ searching for this concept keeps humans apart. All reality is relative to the individual experiencing it,” he says. “Since there can be no single, absolute truth, I imagine how we can instead pursue the shareable values of love, compassion and harmonious collaboration in our daily existence.”
Recent photograph of Istvan Deak
Istvan Deak grew up in Hungary, reading the works of ancient and modern philosophers. As a young adult, he taught math and physics before fleeing Communist Hungary for a refugee camp in Italy with his wife. They emigrated to Canada, where he eventually joined a railway company and then began writing software applications as a freelancer. He plans for Frail Absolute to be just the first of many philosophical books.
The implications of what Virtual Reality can achieve are vast, and it is predicted that VR will seep into every area of our lives in the very near future. VR is not just a concept that excites the entertainment business, but has a very real presence in some of the world’s most essential industries. However, many people remain skeptical about the impact virtual reality will actually have and suggest that it is only an attractive concept for gamers. Although it is true that VR is a fantastic way to improve online gaming, it has already been used in the medical and manufacturing industries, proving that virtual reality is not just a tool for play. Others fear VR could replace physical social interaction and they are therefore reluctant to consider the many benefits it actually presents. By taking a selection of real-life situations in which virtual reality is already used, we can assess its impact and perhaps decide whether it is to be embraced or discarded.
Surgery
It may not surprise you to know that the health sector is one of the biggest users and advocates of virtual reality. VR is of exceptional benefit in surgical training, improving student skills whilst minimizing risk to potential patients. This type of training can improve confidence and allow students to explore surgical procedures and options that would otherwise be inaccessible to them during the initial stages of their training. Virtual reality is already used by surgical staff, trainee nurses, dentists, and in numerous other health settings, world wide, allowing students to quickly gain skills without putting themselves or other individuals at risk.
Therapy
The authentic nature of VR allows therapists to assist patients with certain phobias. VR promotes controlled environments which can quickly be changed or eradicated during a course of therapy. For example, a person suffering from arachnophobia would perhaps find it more helpful and less daunting to experience holding a spider via VR rather than in a real life situation, and of course, a virtual reality headset can be turned off immediately should the situation require it. Other phobias and aversions could be tackled through the use of VR, including water aversion, acrophobia (fear of extreme heights) or aviophobia (fear of flying).
Entertainment
For some people, the online world is their only connection to society and if virtual reality gaming can help them continue to connect, then this can only be perceived as a positive thing. There is no denying that virtual reality is an amazingly entertaining concept and, when done well, is an excellent way to experience online gaming. Being fully immersed in a game is a highly attractive idea: whether it be one that takes you to a battlefield, or a game that allows you to feel as if you are actually being dealt cards at a plush casino in Vegas. Currently, gamers can connect with people from all over the world, or play slots in the comfort of their own home by visiting a site such as www.luckynuggetcasino.com yet imagine the thrill of full immersion through the power of virtual reality.
Transport and Training
Again, we touch upon the benefits virtual reality provides to many aspects of training and, in this particular situation, to the world of transport. For years the aviation industry has been using simulations to help train pilots and virtual reality is a welcome advance in such training. VR flight training presents minimal risk to both the pilot and passengers whilst allowing pilots to experience the difficulties that may arise whilst being in control of the aircraft. The most spectacular example of virtual reality based vehicle training is perhaps that used by NASA to train its astronauts. The training includes various simulations including that of an astronaut having to perform repairs during zero-gravity conditions, as well as a simulated detachment from the shuttle with the astronaut having to use a powered backpack to return. NASA has even managed to use VR in space, keeping astronauts up to date with training whilst on a mission and it has been suggested that VR will be used to entertain astronauts in space in the future. Just imagine, you could soon be sharing your virtual poker table with the astronauts of tomorrow!
Supplemental- Gamers are talking about the Oculus Rift and the Playstation VR but the HTC Vive looks pretty sweet too!
A Musical Journey for Robots and their masters~ CLICK ME
If ever you read about any kind of “system” someone is trying to sell you or any kind of sports betting tipping service etc., you’d be well-advised to completely ignore it. If anyone “knew” anything in advance, they wouldn’t be busy trying to sell it to you – they’d be busy making a killing themselves. So please ignore all this stuff.
At the same time there are an increasing number of people around the world making a living from gambling online on various sports – so how do they do it and is it possible for any of us to emulate what they do?
Well first things first – it is possible to make a steady profit at sports gambling if you’re balanced and determined enough and, crucially, you understand value as a concept and have a niche knowledge in some way.
So what do we mean by value as a concept?
Well simply put, you need to have a feel for the study of mathematical probabilities and the way that even small margins can result in one side of a wager winning very large amounts over time. After all, it’s this simple principle on which the whole of the worldwide casino industry (whether online or real) is built. They call it the house edge.
So let’s consider roulette as a simple option. Roulette comes pretty close to giving gamblers an even chance in European versions of the game anyway when there is just the one “zero” slot. This means that you have a 48.6% chance of doubling your money if you select red or black, or odd or even numbers etc.
At the time of this article being published it was 36 Years ago, almost to the day….. that Kenny Rogers released The Gambler- click on the image above to learn more.
Conversely, it means the house (i.e. the casino) has a 51.4% chance of winning. And just that small percentage – the house edge – is sufficient when enough gamblers gamble long enough. It’s inevitable that the house will steadily profit – so the more players it gets, the bigger those profits are. There have been some big individual winners in casinos over time – but the really big winners are the casinos themselves, courtesy of that small percentage difference. That’s all it takes to make millions upon millions if you can get enough people to play with enough money. The laws of probability do the rest.
This is what we mean by value as a concept. So to overcome the edge, you have to have your own edge. And this usually means either an in-depth knowledge of a sport or some kind of information that the rest of the market hasn’t woken up to yet.
So look for opportunities in one-to-one situations mainly – where you think the wider market’s odds don’t reflect the actual chances of real-life events. You’re more likely to be able to spot these if you know a minority sport inside out. This will give you the kind of edge we’re talking about here –though you also need to understand value.
Let’s look at one specific example, then, of a sport that is big in some other countries but not here in Canada. In some niche areas like gambling on rugby league with exchanges like Betfair – a detailed knowledge and the ability to analyze a game can really help. In Canada, of course, rugby league is a relatively tiny minority sport, but in both the UK and Australia that is not the case at all. In these countries, gambling on the sport is huge business – often via handicap betting where the odds are slightly less than even money, but one of the teams is given ‘X’ points start to even things up in the eyes of the market anyway.
The fact that rugby league is such a minority sport in Canada though, gives expert punters here a real edge – on games in the country. And that’s all any of us can hope to do – get a small edge on the market. That’s because making a steady profit at any form of gambling is a very tough thing to achieve – so even with the exchanges markets where the odds are slightly better than with the bookies, you still need to overcome the five per cent commission charged by the exchange betting website on each and every winning bet.
It’s rather like one of those old fashioned “penny falls” machines you see in amusement arcades where some of sliding off the side each time
the cash (in this case around five per cent) is into the proprietor’s coffers. In other words, if you keep gambling away and the market has the odds perfectly right all the time, then you are sure to lose gradually over time. In fact, to be specific, you’ll lose five per cent steadily – obviously.
So not only do you need to understand your niche sport inside out – but you also need to be shrewd and understand the whole concept of a true ‘value’ bet. This may sound obvious but it isn’t in practice as people are swayed by the market. But there’s one neat trick which is a really easy way around this “sway” problem and it’s this; always try to come up with your best educated guess of the likely odds of any market you feel you know pretty well before looking at the actual odds. Then – and only then – take the odds when you see that they’re markedly bigger than you think they “should” be.
This neatly gets around any extraneous external factors – and helps clear your mind of any market-driven bias in ignorance of what the market has actually made of it. Remember that you will have to be contrarian to make money over a long enough period of time at this game. Otherwise – if the market always called the odds on everything just right, there would be theoretically no room for the professional gamblers to make money – yet there are plenty people doing just that. And they all either have a system, or an in-depth knowledge of their chosen markets that has been tried and tested and is proven to beat the rest of the market over time – or they have a little of both of these things. You cannot win by being the same as everyone else – that’s a given.
Just remember that if you think you have what it takes – to trial and trial again your ideas with tiny amounts of cash only at first – whilst treating that amount like its 100 or 1,000 times as much. For the Silo, Claire Siblot. Online Media Relations Specialist. Leeds, UK
“If there is no sound philosophy in making the audio gear, then all product you make is plagiarism.”Zoran Mihajlovic
Having grown up around record players of dubious quality, I remember very clearly my first ‘real’ turntable. An audiophile friend of the family helped my father put together an entry level system for my 15th birthday. The system included 3 way Acoustic Research speakers, Sansui integrated amplifier, Sansui 3 head cassette deck and my first decent turntable- a gently used Sansui direct drive with a shiny S-arm and what looked like a strange silver hockey puck.
At 15 I was into my second year of drumming and with this turntable was now able to play along to LP records without having to worry about the inevitable skipping that the cheap family record player performed almost every time I hit the bass drum hard. I later learned that the puck was actually a custom made record clamp that the previous owner had fashioned to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the record player.
There is a surprising amount of science behind the advantages of using record clamps to ‘push’ the vinyl down onto the slipmat and platter and people that use them swear by them. In general terms, the added mass from the fitted clamp flattens warps in the record and a beneficial flywheel effect takes place once the record is spinning at speed.
Today, turntable designs have advanced and exotic materials and technologies are incorporated into high end models. This has translated into a need for ultra high quality clamps designed to properly secure records to all kinds of esoteric spindles and platters.
Enter Zoran Mihajlovic- a man devoted to producing the highest quality record clamps such as the Model 1 via his Serbian company Supreme Analog. At 3000 euros (at time of this article, 1 euro = 1.5 Canadian dollars) , this is a record clamp (Supreme-Analog calls it a record weight) that is produced on order only and commands attention.
70mm wide, 50mm high, 460g weight Swiss stainless steel and Serbian sinked wood
If you are on a more modest budget, they also offer the BL-006 for 250 euros. Also made from Swiss stainless steel, the more basic model weighs in at 950g and ships world wide for free in a solid wood box.
It’s easy to tell that Supreme-Analog have a real passion for audio and they make a number of interesting products including jewel like tonearms and gorgeous horn speakers. Check them all out. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
The PHV MAC is an ‘electronic peephole’ for your home security that takes images of anyone or anything that is out front.
Its ambient light sensor allows images to be taken up to 30 inches from the door. This battery-powered device features an LCD screen on the inside of the door to display the photos, which stores still shots as well as video on a Micro SD card and includes dates and times of when the sensor was activated. The batteries inside last for 9,000 triggers, and can be powered for a little more than 6 months. The playback feature allows you to view a time-lapsed video with all images with one press of a button.
The MAC 200 can function as a separate security camera for your home. The portable, motion-activated camera can store up to 14 months of images. You can watch over 8 hours of images with a condensed, time-lapsed 1 minute video. There are three capture modes you can choose from: motion-activated, time lapse capturing, and a hybrid mode that includes both. Activity can be set to sense anywhere between 20 feet to 320 feet between the three different modes.
Play Golf Better Faster is out and unless you’re Arnold Palmer or Tiger Woods you’ll want to read this to get the best tips, strategies and more good-to-know content to improve your golf fame. Barlis’ book is organized into three sections: Using Your Brain, Practicing Your Game and Playing Your Game. You’ll feel your golf game improving with every page you turn. So in lieu of spoiling the need-to-know material in Play Golf Better Faster, here are some tips you can read until you get your hands on Barlis’ new book.
Kalliope Barlis New book: Don’t Chop Wood, Drive the Spike
PGA advises “If you put a log on the ground and asked someone to take out a chunk of wood from the log they would most likely swing the ax into the log at an angle and create sliced out section from the log. This action is done with an abrupt angle of attack into the wood log.”
Calculating the wind before you swing may sound like a no-brainer but it’s a necessary reminder and can take years to really get down pact. Don’t be afraid to make a few waist-high practice swings to get the feel and stricter for your hit. Then pick your target area and move it according to the wind. Once you become a more seasoned golfer you will learn the wind strengths and you may even be able to detect the pattern the wind is blowing in. Just remember that practice makes perfect.
Mind Power
Like most sports, golf can be as much mentally challenging as it is physically. It’s important to keep a clear mind so you don’t end up getting in your own way. Simple exercises you might have learned back in elementary school can be perfect for this scenario. If you’re stressing out about your score or your next shot take a deep breath in, hold it for 10 seconds and exhale -this strategy has been proven to help quell stress and panic. Another method is to wear a rubber band around your wrist and every time you start feeling anxious you snap the band. You’re not punishing yourself for stressing out -you’re actually training your brain! The small unpleasant feeling will eventually be linked to negative thoughts and soon without even thinking, your subconscious will start to repress those negative thoughts.
I first took notice of this film because of where I live- which is not that far away from Long Point, Ontario, a mecca for birdwatchers. I find that it’s a more immersive experience to watch a movie that is connected thematically in some way to the sorts of activities that the area I live in has to offer. This reinforces the suspension of disbelief while watching and serves to supercharge the imagination. If you live in a seaside community and you’ve ever watched Jaws followed by a bit of swimming you know exactly what I mean.
Back to the birds
The main story arc of The Big Year goes a little like this: A ready-to-retire-but-not-quite-sure-its-the-right-time-to-retire businessman and a mid-thirties-divorced-unemployed-savant (he can identify any bird just by hearing a few notes of its birdsong) aim for beating the current single year record of bird sightings. In the parlance of the ‘birding’ community, this is known as doing a ‘big year’. The current record holder, played by Owen Wilson, is the rock-star of the ‘birding’ community and is completely obsessed with stopping anyone else from beating his record- even if this means missing the birth of his child and ruining his second marriage.
Highly competitive obsession
Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson in the The Big Year.
I always believed that birding was a slowly paced albeit serious hobby but this movie turns the notion on its head. The story develops and moves quickly. The characters are highly competitive and race against each other as the suspense and intensity builds.
The Big Year is satisfying, clever and funny . If you are a birder there is a good chance that you will love this movie (especially if you can relate to the obsessive compulsive behavior of the main characters) but then again you might end up blaming this movie- you might decide on doing a big year and to hell with anything and anyone in your path. For the Silo, Doug McKenzie.
Jack Black’s character feeling bad (but not that bad) about Steve Martin’s character picking up the dinner tab.
Thursday, 26 July, 2018 (Sydney, Macquarie Shopping Centre) – Timezone Australia was excited today to introduce the first arcade edition of the Xbox cult favourite videogame Halo to Australia. Halo: Fireteam Raven blew arcade gamer’s minds when Timezone Macquarie Centre became the first Australian venue to boast this state-of-the-art multiplayer gaming experience. Timezone stores in Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Perth will follow hot on Macquarie’s heels, with the game debuting there next month in August.
Timezone also offered fans the chance to participate in an online social media challenge Halo as part of this Australian first gaming launch. The winner, Trent John Webb (age 23) from NSW’s Central Coast, won a years worth of Timezone Power Play credit for his online entry.
“I am so happy about this incredible experience. I have been a big fan of Halo since i was young and to see if brought to the arcade has been really exciting. My girlfriend and I are ecstatic to come back to Timezone each week to play this game!” – Trent says.
The largest Australian Halo cosplay community 405th Australian Regiment joined in on the celebrations, showcasing unique and realistic costume designs spanning from different chapters in the Halo multiverse.
“Bringing the arcade game version of Halo to Timezone Macquarie Centre gives the game’s dedicated fan base a chance to play like never before. Timezone is thrilled to introduce this first-in-Australia experience to fans as part of Timezone’s 40th birthday celebrations,” says Kane Fong, General Manager of Timezone Australia.
Halo’s console-based playing experience is now brought to life in an immersive multiplayer platform, which enables four players to either play cooperatively, or compete against each other. It’s Halo, but more: this latest installment’s physical structure boasts a colossal 130-inch widescreen, 4K game play and 5.1 surround sound. It adds a tangible element to the much-loved franchise, allowing individuals the opportunity to play right alongside Master Chief in the battle to ward off the enemy forces of the Covenant and the Flood infestation. For the Silo, Adrian Falk.
Halo: Fireteam Raven was created and fine-tuned by 343 Industries over several years and is set in the timeframe of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved game. Players will take on the roles of the Fireteam Raven – an elite group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.
You’ll not only able to battle it out with your friends, competing against them for the highest score – you can scan a QRC code with your phone to upload your stats and progress to your Halo Waypoint account. Exactly what you’d expect from a true 2018 arcade game experience!
LONDON, June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ —World‘s #1 Scotch whisky and travel retail giant Dufry partner for launch of new whisky
Whisky loving travelers can now indulge in a limited edition Scotch, as the world’s No. 1 Scotch whisky[1] brand introduces Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition exclusively to passengers travelling through selected Duty Free Stores around the world.
Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition is a limited-edition whisky inspired by the smooth and deep character of the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label. Only available in Dufry stores, this new blend offers travelers one new flavour with triple the character.
Enthusiastic about the launch Roger Jackson, Commercial Director Europe & Middle East of Diageo Global Travel said: “We’re delighted to release Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition as part of an exclusive partnership with Dufry stores. Shoppers are set to be inspired and excited by the instore tasting opportunities and knowledgeable staff who will explore the creation of this brilliant new blend with whisky fans.”
The development of this rich, sweet and spicy Scotch has been led by Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Jim Beveridge, and expert blender, Chris Clark. This new expression has been crafted using three key Speyside Malts from Blair Athol, Cardhu and Strathmill and matured in a combination of Bourbon, Caribbean Rum and Scotch Whisky casks. The result is a wonderfully rich Scotch with layers of sweet vanilla and ginger aromas, toffee and brown sugar notes and a whisper of signature smoke. Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition are exclusively available at Dufry, the world’s leading travel retailer, and distribution began in over 300 stores worldwide starting last month.
Eduardo Heusi Pereira, Global Category Director Liquor, Confectionery & Tobacco said: “Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition is a marvelous addition to the portfolio of Johnnie Walker whiskies that are currently proudly stocked in our stores around the globe. We’re excited to activate a number of vibrant touchpoints both instore and on online that will provide the opportunity for our shoppers to explore and get their hands on this lively new expression of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Exclusive to only Dufry stores, this makes the perfect unique gift for travelers.”
Johnnie Walker Triple casks have been available globally from May, at a recommended price of 28 GBP (about $48.74 CDN) for a 1L bottle. For the Silo, Alex Head/Cision.
Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Coconut Spritz: Ingredients:
– 50ml Johnnie Walker Triple Cask
– 75ml Coconut water
– 75ml Soda water
– 1 Dash sugar syrup
Lime zest & mint sprig Method:
Serve with fresh ice, built in the glass.
(15.8 grams of alcohol per drink)
Please visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.
OTTAWA, June, 2018 / CNW/ – The Mint continues to tap in to its creativity and innovation to further unleash the potential of coin manufacturing and transform the coin collecting experience. Such is the case with the 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Antique Carousel and several other head-turning coins in the June 2018 numismatic catalogue.
In a world-first, the Mint’s Research & Development team has meticulously created a 6 oz. silver coin featuring a miniature, functional carousel that rotates with the help of a magnet. This timeless attraction at countless Canadian carnivals and fairs is the crowning piece of artist Calder Moore’s design, selectively plated in gold, much like the gilded carousels of the past. Even the horses move up and down on this dazzling creation which is limited to a world-wide mintage of only 1,000.
Another impressive 3D design element can be found on the 2018 $200 Pure Gold Coin – 30th Anniversary of the Silver Maple Leaf. This 1 oz. gold coin is enhanced by a “high intricacy casting” of a silver maple leaf that literally pops from its reverse proof surface. In another Mint-first, we have launched the 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin – Maple Leaf Forever: a one kilo 99.99% pure silver coin, our largest convex coin to date, featuring the artwork of senior Mint engraver Stan Witten.
Finally, two new coin sets stand out as memorable additions to an exciting line-up of classic and unique numismatic products. The 2018 Fine Silver 3-Coin Set – Beneath Thy Shining Skies features a complex design by artist Rebecca Yanovskaya. Two rectangular coins flank a maple-leaf shaped centrepiece to compose a panoramic tableau that links scenery and famous Canadian landmarks to illustrate the story of our nation and its people.
History takes centre stage on a four-coin set celebrating the “Colonial Currency of the Atlantic Provinces”. Struck with dies mimicking the wear of well-circulated coins and hand finished with an antique patina, these icons of early Canadian numismatic history are beautifully reproduced in 99.99% pure silver. In order to bring out the elegant features of each period design, each coin is larger in diameter than its original.
Other collectibles available this month include:
The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – First World War Allied Forces: Canada, the first coin in a new series commemorating the contribution of the major Allied forces that brought fighting to an end with the Armistice of November 11, 1918. The design featuring the Canadian cavalry is the work of artist Pandora Young;
The $100 Fine Silver Coin – Keepers of Parliament: The Unicorn, the first of a series of 10 oz. silver coins, designed by Patrick Bélanger and showcasing stonework figures watching over the front doors of Parliament;
The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Fireworks at the Falls, featuring a Tony Bianco colour illustration of the natural landmark, with a hidden nighttime fireworks scene only visible under black light;
The 2018 $500 Pure Gold Coin – Predators of the Wild, an impressive 5 oz. designed by Emily Damstra;
The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Zentangle® Art: The Great Horned Owl, designed by Jori Van Der Linde;
The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Canopy: The Maple Leaf, designed by Emily Damstra;
The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin Frozen in Ice – Scimitar Sabretooth Cat, designed by Glen Loates;
The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Strawberry Moon, designed by Frank Polson; and,
The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: July, featuring a mandala-inspired ruby design by artist Pandora Young.
Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found on the “Shop” tab of www.mint.ca. Coin images can be viewed here.
All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada,
1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. Please mention The Silo when contacting. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.
About the Royal Canadian Mint The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified corporation, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.
Pong, Mario, Doom, The Sims, Minecraft and … Fortnite? The hallowed halls of video game history are packed with products that became a cultural phenomenon – and it’s looking like Fortnite will soon be able to stake such a claim. The co-op survival game that takes place in a “sandbox” universe recorded a record 3.4 million concurrent users in February 2018. [ If you’re one of the 3.4 million and want to leave us a video comment or video of your Fortnite character please use our Video Uplink button at the end of this article.] The game, which is free to play, also allows users to purchase a semi-annual “Battle Pass” that runs less than $10 and provides access to additional items. This low-cost approach is apparently working, as reports show Epic Games earned nearly $300 million in April 2018 alone. Further, in-game “microtransactions” that allows players to use minimal amounts of real-world money for in-game goodies is helping add to Epic’s well, epic payday.
So, let’s recap: A game that’s free to play plus $10 usd occasional optional investment and microtransactions gives us hundreds of millions of dollars each month. You know what else makes that kind of money? Hollywood movies, major league sporting events and social media platforms – and those things are plastered with advertisements. According to Ken Wisnefski, CEO of digital marketing firm WebiMax, advertisers who want to get ahead of the coming eSports curve and start reaching gamers where they reside need to start paying attention to the preferences of this sector.
“Fortnite has really taken the world by storm. I think the new microtransaction process is a concept that shows how high volume and low cost can have a huge impact. It’s growth and notoriety is amazing,” said Wisnefski. “A few years ago, Pokemon Go was all the rage; I am curious to see if Fortnite continues to show this sort of traction.”
Want to make money through Fortnite? Here’s what Wisnefski has to tell companies on the verge of investing in video game ad buy.
‘Go’ along for the ride: According to Wisnefski, we haven’t seen a video game with such mass appeal since 2016’s “Pokemon Go,” which drew 10 million people to download the app in one week. An advertising analysis also notes that some businesses were given the opportunity to turn their stores into a “Pokestop” and, of course, increase foot traffic and hopefully sales as a result.
Shadow of a doubt: Still skeptical about sinking money into video game advertising efforts? Then take one look at “Ninja,” a 26-year-old Fortnite player who is reportedly raking in $500,000 per month for streaming his live game feed on the “Twitch” website. Wisnefski says it merely makes sense for relevant brands to jump on an opportunity to get their product in front of potential customers – namely as a “medium rectangle” or 15-second spot before one of Ninja’s streams.
Risk and Reward: Soft drink and snack food companies – we’re looking at you, Mountain Dew and Doritos – have for years pandered to gamers. As well they should, says Wisnefski, noting that some sectors are “very viable for this sort of opportunity.” If you’re a small to medium-sized company, however, guidance from a digital marketing company may be in order. “Big companies have the ability to absorb some losses to see larger gains; smaller companies can’t afford to take that sort of risk,” said Wisnefski.
Sonnet Technologies recently announced the eGFX Breakaway™ Box 650, the latest and most capable model in the company’s series of Thunderbolt™ 3 to PCI Express® (PCIe®) eGPU expansion chassis for professional graphics and gaming applications.
The Breakaway Box 650 is designed and qualified specifically for large, power-hungry video graphics processing unit (GPU) cards, including the AMD Radeon™ RX Vega 64 and overclocked NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 10 series-based cards. The AMD-approved Breakaway Box 650 is equipped with a 650-watt power supply, which provides ample power for GPU cards with high transient peak power requirements.
“With the introduction of AMD’s Radeon Pro and RX Vega Series cards, we have experienced a high demand for an eGPU chassis capable of supporting the higher standards of these GPU cards,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “The eGFX Breakaway Box 650 meets the demand, enabling users to tap the compute power of even the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 and Radeon Pro WX 9100 cards while still providing up to 87 watts of upstream Power Delivery to support popular notebook computers.”
The eGFX Breakaway Box 650 provides a single slot for connecting any size Thunderbolt-compatible GPU card, and features enough room for many high-performance water-cooled cards — making it ideal for professionals and gamers who need to run bandwidth-intensive graphics applications on their eGFX-compatible notebook, all-in-one, or other small-form-factor computers. The unit is equipped with a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 port that enables data transfers up to 2750 MB/s, and supports all Thunderbolt-compatible GPU cards — such as AMD Radeon R9, RX, RX Vega, and Pro WX models; and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 9 and 10 series, Titan X and Xp, V, and Quadro® models. In addition, the Breakaway Box 650 includes two eight-pin auxiliary power connectors and provides 87 watts of upstream power (Power Delivery), useful for powering and charging a connected notebook computer that supports Thunderbolt 3 charging.
The eGFX Breakaway Box 650 (part number GPU-650W-TB3) is available now from Sonnet Technologies and its dealers at an MSRP of $449 usd. Featured image via egpu.io
About Sonnet Technologies
Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of Thunderbolt™ 3 to PCIe® card expansion systems; external graphics (eGFX) solutions for pro users and gamers; pro media readers; docks and adapters; and network, storage, and other interface cards for pro users in the audio, video, and broadcast industries. Sonnet’s Thunderbolt expansion products enable the use of pro audio I/O and DSP cards, pro video capture and transcoding cards, GPU cards, network and storage interface cards, and other high-performance PCIe cards with Thunderbolt technology-enabled computers. For 30 years Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac®, Windows®, and other industry-standard computers.
Award-winning cookbook author, Lee Clayton Roper, shows home cooks how to explore their culinary creativity with her award-winning, delicious cookbook, Fresh Tastes. This beautiful book delivers over 170 flavorful recipes, essential cooking tips and delightful stories to spark inspiration in your kitchen.
Lee takes the “complicated” out of timeless classics, simplifying the process while ramping up flavors, using fresh ingredients when and where possible. She shares personal reflections on lessons she has learned in the kitchen from those who have inspired her, along with 65 beautiful food photos, along with process shots of key preparation steps.
Fresh Tastes epitomizes Lee’s culinary tastes, balancing an innovative approach with uncomplicated preparation techniques. Sophisticated in flavor and beautiful to present, the recipes in Fresh Tastes are prepared with the best quality, readily available ingredients designed to maximize flavor. Some of Lee’s delicious recipes include:
Prosciutto, Fig and Goat Cheese Tarts
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup
Tomato and Peach Salad with Lime-Balsamic Dressing
Layered Salmon Salad with Avocado-Lime Yogurt Dressing
Grilled Rosemary-Dijon Chicken Breasts
Spicy Pork Chops with Argentine Chimichurri Sauce
Halibut with Celery Root Puree and Tomato Garnish
Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos with Tomato Mango Salsa
Roasted Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Peruvian Artichoke Tart
Pear Kuchen
Fresh Fruit with Brandy Custard Sauce
Drawing from her decades of experience, Lee provides readers with helpful advice on what is best for the dish, the flavor and the cook, considering such essential variables as seasonality and availability. Recipes in Fresh Tastes were evaluated by a team of volunteer testers across the country. Only the best, most flavorful, eye catching dishes made the cut. Fresh, flavorful and inspired, this collection of hand selected recipes in Fresh Tastes transcends the kitchen, reminding us all that every meal can and should be a simple yet sophisticated celebration of life.
“My approach with this cookbook starts with the confidence that, with the right preparation and a pinch of creativity, every dish can be extraordinary,” Lee explains. “I have intentionally kept recipes and ingredients easy to get, often providing alternative substitutions.”
Lee Clayton Roper is an award-winning cookbook author, cooking instructor, public speaker and TV personality. Her first book, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen received numerous rave reviews and is often featured in local and national press. In 2010, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen achieved national acclaim, winning the prestigious “Living Now” gold medal. With Fresh Tastes Lee expands her recipe collection, serving up fresh, delicious and sophisticated dishes guaranteed to inspire creativity in kitchen everywhere. Lee tours the country sharing recipes and cooking tips and techniques in sold-out classes, leading cooking demonstrations, and is a frequent guest on radio and television and in print.
“Roper’s follow up to A Well-Seasoned Kitchen expands on the approachable favorites that made her first cookbook such a hit, this time with a ‘fresh’ take on classics that lend themselves to parties and get-togethers. This is a solid effort with practical dishes readers will likely find themselves returning to.”
Publisher’s Weekly and Entertaining Inspiration
FRESH TASTES
From A Well-Seasoned Kitchen
By Lee Clayton Roper
Southwestern Publishing Group
Hardcover/$34.95 usd
ISBN-13: 978-0984116362
Try these fresh and delicious recipes (reprinted with permission from Fresh Tastes by Lee Clayton Roper):
APPLE, WALNUT AND STILTON CHEESE SALAD
SERVES: 6
The British have known for years that apples and Stilton cheese are a wonderful combination. In this delicious salad, they’re mixed together with spinach, walnuts and a walnut-flavored vinaigrette.I like to serve this salad with any grilled meat or alone as a meal.
2 large Gala or other red apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
1 1/2 to 2 cups (6 to 8 ounces) Stilton cheese, crumbled**
*If you can’t find raspberry balsamic vinegar, use regular raspberry vinegar and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey. If you can’t find walnut oil, substitute olive oil and add a few more walnuts.
**There are 2 types of Stilton cheese: blue and white. Either will work in this recipe. If you can’t find Stilton, you can substitute Gorgonzola or other forms of blue cheese.
In a medium glass jar with fitted lid (an empty Dijon mustard jar works well), whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice and oil until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together mixed greens, chopped apple, walnuts and cheese. Just before serving, toss with just enough dressing to coat the lettuce (you may have some dressing left over). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
VARIATION IN PRESENTATION: If you want to have a more formal, individually plated salad, then instead of chopping the apples, core and slice them. Toss the greens with part of the dressing and divide among six individual salad plates. Arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern over the spinach. Sprinkle the walnuts and cheese crumbles over the top. Drizzle with remaining dressing.
SEA BASS WITH A PISTACHIO CRUST
SERVES: 6
This dish comes together quickly and is delicious paired with green beans and roasted potatoes. It’s a bit on the rich side, so I suggest using fillets no more than 5 ounces each. If using one large fillet, you may need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes.
While the general rule of thumb for cooking fish is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, I’ve included the option to cook these filets for 12 minutes per inch. I find that with the crust on top, it can take a bit longer. It’s really to your taste — just remember, it will continue cooking after you take it out of the oven and let it rest.
6 (4- to 5-ounce) skinless Chilean sea bass fillets
1 cup salted, dry roasted pistachio nuts, very finely chopped (can chop in a food processor)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Place sea bass fillets in prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine the nuts, sugar, lemon juice, dill and pepper. Spoon the mixture evenly over each fillet, pressing down to adhere.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes per 1-inch of thickness of the fillet, or until fish reaches 140 to 145 degrees when measured with an instant-read thermometer. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
MAKE AHEAD: Fish with topping can be prepared but not baked up to 4 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated.
November 2017—Phoenix, Arizona | Visionect, the maker of the award-winning JOAN meeting room scheduling solutions, has joined forces with Heckler Design, the creator of commercial-grade products for design-conscious consumers and businesses, to create a custom wall mount for JOAN. The powder-coated steel VESA bracket fixes the 6-inch JOAN digital office devices securely into place without distracting from their seamless look and feel for the perfect combination of quiet design and heightened safety.
JOAN from Visionect is a simple, easy-to-use device that helps organize and reserve meeting room spaces, displaying real-time meeting information outside of meeting rooms and eliminating confusion, meeting interruptions and double bookings.
Previously, the cordless JOAN displays, ranging in size from 6 to 13 inches in diagonal, could be installed with the Magnetic Mount adhesive strip located at the back of each device. This allowed for effortless installation on any surface, even glass, brick or steel, all without drilling or expensive wiring.
Furthering the high functionality and effortless design of the JOAN product line, Visionect has now teamed up with Heckler Design, the makers of commercial-grade products for design-conscious consumers and businesses, in order to create a wall mount for JOAN, offering an additional, more secure mounting option for the room booking solution.
Created by Visionect after a decade of market-leading expertise in building energy-efficient digital signs, JOAN was developed in close collaboration with its early users, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
The result of this customer-influenced approach is a device that features a battery life of up to 12 weeks and combines the elegance of electronic paper with an intuitive, quiet design that won the CES Innovation Award for eco-design as well as the Red Dot Design Award, the highest distinction for design quality.
Laser cut from powder-coated steel, the new JOAN Secure Wall Mount offers an additional installation option for the 6-inch JOAN Manager and JOAN Executive devices, fixing them safely into place and preventing unauthorised removal. The minimalistic wall mount is a custom-built anti-theft VESA bracket that can also be attached via a Double-Sided Adhesive Pad, and represents the perfect blend of quiet elegance and enhanced security.
The Secure Wall Mount continues the tradition of effortless JOAN installation and can be attached to all surfaces, easily.
Fixing the Mount on drywall is a matter of installing the drywall anchor screws, while installation on glass is enabled with the use of a Double-Sided Adhesive Pad that the Secure Wall Mount is adhered to. A special locking bracket then fixes JOAN into place and prevents anyone from detaching it.
“With JOAN, the Visionect team has created a desirable and elegant meeting room scheduling solution. We designed the JOAN Secure Wall Mount to reduce the temptation and likelihood of theft while carefully maintaining the beautiful aesthetics of the JOAN hardware,” commented Dean Heckler, CEO and Head Designer of Heckler Design. “We can’t wait to see how enterprise and institutions will benefit from this complete solution.”
About Visionect | Visionect is the world leader in deploying digital signs in environments impossible before, setting a new standard in versatile, energy-efficient displays. The result of a decade of market-leading expertise, Visionect technology is unparalleled in versatility, ultra-low power consumption, ease of installation and simplicity of use. The force behind the breakthrough Place & Play signage concept and the maker of the award-winning JOAN room scheduling solutions.|
About Heckler Design | Heckler Design, known for its renowned OneLessDesk and WindFall Stand, creates beautifully simple, commercial-grade products for design-conscious consumers and businesses. Heckler Design’s products currently include office furniture, desk accessories, secure iPad stands, and point-of-sale hardware. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., all of Heckler Design’s products are made in America. |
About JOAN | JOAN is a simple, easy-to-use device that helps organize and reserve meeting room space. It shows meeting information, the meetings coming up and eliminates meeting interruptions by clearly signalling the room is occupied and until when. It is a cost-effective meeting room solution which helps modern, busy workplaces be more productive. |
COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ announces the ZOWIE EC1-B and EC2-B which come equipped with the 3360 sensor, providing gamers with a different mouse tracking feel.
In addition to a different sensor, the EC-B series has a USB report rate switch with indicator lights at the bottom of the mouse. This makes adjusting your settings more convenient and allows you to check your mouse rate without the need for additional software.
Two other changes in the EC-B series are the position of the DPI indicator light and the mouse feet. The DPI indicator light is now on the bottom of the mouse while the two large mouse feet have been replaced with four smaller ones.
On top of the EC-B release, we have another piece of good news to share. In our continuing commitment to the Counter-Strike series, we have collaborated with Valve and will release a CS:GO version of EC-B series for fans of both CS:GO and ZOWIE later. Please stay tuned to our social media for information regarding both versions in your region.
About ZOWIE
ZOWIE is a brand dedicated to the development of professional e-Sports equipment.
“This book puts you directly behind the scenes for a story that began with a dream,
overcame constant challenges, and evolved into the institution it is today.”
―Steven Spielberg
“Documented here by the people who lived it, this is a remarkable tale of how a major institution,
created out of whole cloth, wove itself into the American fabric.”
—Cokie Roberts, author and political commentator for ABC and NPR
For over fifty years, the American Film Institute has flourished as one of America’s great cultural entities. Its graduates, faculty, supporters, and trustees have included such acclaimed individuals as Steven Spielberg, Maya Angelou, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, Meryl Streep, Les Moonves, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch, Jane Fonda, Edward James Olmos, Shonda Rhimes, James L. Brooks, and many other respected leaders in the worlds of film, television, digital media, and philanthropy.
In their new book, Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (Santa Monica Press/October 2017), Jean Picker Firstenberg and James Hindman provide a candid look at how this remarkable organization brought together aspiring filmmakers, educators, and artists who helped AFI become the foremost national champion for moving images as a vibrant art form.
Preview page from BECOMING AFI: 50 YEARS INSIDE THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE
From its early years operating out of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the legendary Greystone mansion in Beverly Hills under the leadership of George Stevens Jr., through its incredible growth into an influential cultural institution at its landmark Hollywood campus under the guidance of Jean Picker Firstenberg, to its continued excellence today under the dynamic leadership of Bob Gazzale, the organization and its history are chronicled in Becoming AFI through in-depth essays written by those who have been involved in its adventures, growth, and success.
“After being asked so many times what our book would be about, we decided to put together AFI’s history as we experienced it personally,” explain Firstenberg and Hindman. “As we structured the book with the stories we wanted to tell from those years, we realized that some of those stories really belonged to other voices. So, we went to several former colleagues and asked them to join our band. Each chapter tells a stand-alone story about an aspect of AFI, but together, they add up to the full picture.”
Becoming AFI provides an insightful, behind-the-scenes look at how AFI, with passionate determination, overcame the hurdles of advancing technology, political shifts, and new audience dynamics to turn its aspirations into a substantial and highly successful organization, becoming a tireless advocate of moving images as one of America’s most popular forms of art, and maturing into one of the world’s most respected educational and cultural institutions. For the Silo, Trina Kaye.
“No matter how divisive life in this country may become, the movie theater has always been a place where we can discover what unites us.”
—Vernon Jordan Jr., New York Times
“AFI saved our film history. AFI celebrates filmmakers. AFI trains the next generation. Thanks to Becoming AFI for telling us the fascinating story of its fifty-year history. And a big thank you to Jean Picker Firstenberg and James Hindman for documenting all of it! Here’s to the next fifty!”
―Edward James Olmos, actor and AFI trustee
About the Authors
Jean Picker Firstenberg served as president and CEO of the American Film Institute from 1980 to 2007, overseeing the development of AFI as one of America’s greatest national, cultural, and educational resources. She received an AFI Life Achievement Award for Service to the Institute and was named president emerita and a lifetime trustee. In 2016, Firstenberg was named to the California State University Board of Trustees by Governor Jerry Brown, overseeing the largest four-year public university system in the United States, with twenty-three campuses educating the most diverse student body in the nation. Prior to serving at AFI, Firstenberg spent four years as a program officer at the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation. She also served as director of Princeton University’s Publications Office. Firstenberg is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston University’s College of Communications. She has served on several boards, including that of Boston University (1984–1996), the George Foster Peabody Awards at Georgia University (1985–1997; board chair 1991–1997), and the United States Postal Service Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (2002–2014; committee chair 2008–2014). She has won numerous awards and honorary degrees.
James Hindman, PhD, has spent his career in cinema and performing arts, creating and leading professional and public education programs at major institutions. During his twenty-four years at the American Film Institute, where he served as co-director and chief operating officer, he was provost of the AFI Conservatory, which he nurtured through WASC accreditation. He was also the uncredited producer of the award-winning feature documentary Visions of Light and the television series Starring the Actor. He developed the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Springs, Maryland, as well as numerous television projects and international film and television festivals. Subsequent to AFI, he developed and led film schools in the U.S. and internationally, including the Red Sea School of Cinematic Arts in Aqaba, Jordan, and New Mexico State University’s Creative Media Institute in Las Cruces. He is currently on the board of the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, charged with creating a new cinematic and media arts program and facilities for the school. Prior to AFI, he served as head of graduate studies in the Performing Arts Department at American University in Washington, DC, having previously taught at the University of North Carolina. Hindman holds a PhD in drama from the University of Georgia and has served on the boards of the AIDS Service Center and LAMP in Los Angeles. He currently splits his time between Santa Monica, California, and Taos, New Mexico.
Patty Jenkins made history in 2017 when she directed her second film, Wonder Woman, becoming the first woman to direct a studio superhero movie and earning the biggest domestic opening of all time for a woman director. Jenkins wrote and directed her first film, the crime drama Monster, in 2003, launching Charlize Theron’s career with many awards, including an Oscar for Best Actress. Jenkins graduated from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1993 and the AFI Conservatory in 2001.
Dana Gioia was appointed Poet Laureate of the State of California in 2015 by Governor Jerry Brown. An award-winning poet who has published five collections of poetry, Gioia served as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 to 2009, and was named a USC Judge Widney Professor in Poetry and Public Art in 2011.
David Lynch, born in 1946 in Missoula, Montana. Eagle Scout.
BECOMING AFI: 50 YEARS INSIDE THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE
Toilet paper … it’s one of life’s necessities. Then why is the roll so difficult to replace? The problem lies in the awkward spring tube holder that always leaves you fumbling. No one wants to deal with it. We all know of that one person that always fails to change out the toilet paper roll. They’ll leave the empty roll on the holder and put a brand new one on top of the toilet or counter. The ZeNa attachment will solve that bad habit. Thanks to Alex Li, a thinker and inventor out of Toronto, Canada, this bathroom conundrum has finally been solved.
You can now change a roll out in a matter of seconds. It’s faster, easier and cleaner than the traditional spring tube method.
The ZeNa Attachment is an incredibly smart solution that fully modernizes your toilet paper holder. Its peel and stick design securely attaches (in seconds) to your existing TP dispenser, so there’s nothing more to install or buy. ZeNa Attachment’s patent pending swing design lets you swap out toilet paper rolls with one hand and it keeps it all in place with zero fuss.
Design
The patent pending design is an easy attachment to add to your existing toilet paper holder. No need to hire a contractor. The heavy duty double-sided foam tape on the underside of the base is super strong. Simply stick this on to your clean existing holder and you’re good to go. Both sides are the same so there’s no getting this wrong.
The arms always fall back into place from a tension mechanism that forces the arms downward. So it doesn’t matter if your ZeNa Attachment is not level as long as you have installed it properly, it will work.
The ZeNa Attachment is super durable, comes in several colors and is the perfect bathroom assistant for the disabled, kids and seniors too. Learn more and support this initiative by visiting the ZeNa Kickstarter page.For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Aquila is pleased to announce that they have built their 100th catamaran boat, an Aquila 44.
Frank Xiong SinoEagle CEO
The Aquila 44 boasts Aquila’s signature fresh evolution of classic boating traditions where efficiency in design and performance compliment her luxurious living and was named “Best New Multihull 40′-49′” in the 2014 AIM Media Editor’s Choice Awards.
“This is an exciting and momentous occasion for us. From the very beginning, we have felt the Aquila Power Catamarans were the best in the world, and we have been excited to be a part of the team designing and building them. We look forward to surpassing this milestone and continuing to celebrate many more,” stated Frank Xiong, Sino Eagle Group CEO.
Construction of Aquila Power Catamarans began in 2012 when Sino Eagle Group began building the Aquila 38 specifically for MarineMax, the world’s largest power boat dealer, for its new charter business in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
In 2012, experts from multiple development, design, and manufacturing firms, namely, Sino Eagle Group, J&J Design Group, Seaway, and MarineMax, all collaborated to expand the Aquila range by developing a new, purebred power catamaran.
This international team consisted of MarineMax’s Lex Raas, a highly-experienced boat developer and charter industry veteran, and J&J Design group and their development arm, Seaway, who have worked on designs for Azimut, Bavaria, Beneteau, Dufour, Jeanneau and Monte Carlo. This highly regarded, award-winning group began the process of designing the first true Aquila Power Catamaran, the Aquila 48.
“Bringing this group of companies together made for a very knowledgeable and powerful team. We’ve been able to combine our experience and expertise to design and build boats that are innovative and truly setting new standards for the industry,” stated Lex Raas of MarineMax.
To position itself to become a prominent boat builder, Sino Eagle Group, recognized globally in high-tech composite manufacturing, built a new factory which provided the Aquila brand with full in-house manufacturing capabilities paired with in-depth knowledge and experience in advanced yacht building practices.
With the combined knowledge and advanced experience of the most talented group in the yachting industry, Aquila is establishing a new standard of power catamaran innovation and becoming the game changer in the marketplace.
Aquila represents the newest and most exciting evolution on the market today, offering practicality and comfort with trend setting innovation, quality, and design. Both inside and out, Aquila Catamarans are designed to provide the perfect cruising vessel whether crossing oceans or traveling the Great Loop, living aboard, or exploring worldwide destinations, or simply entertaining friends and family at the dock. The expanding Aquila range currently consists of the Aquila 36, Aquila 44, Aquila 48, and will soon be including the Aquila 60 (2019 debut). MarineMax is the exclusive dealer for the Aquila brand boats throughout the world other than mainland China.
Bill McGill, MarineMax CEO
“Congratulations to the Sino Eagle Group, J&J Design, and MarineMax teams for their hard work on designing and building industry leading catamarans. Passionate teams pulling together has created winning products for our customers,” exclaimed Bill McGill, MarineMax CEO.
Aquila is excited to have reached this milestone in their continued growth to new markets with new model offerings.
ABOUT AQUILA
Recognized globally for its high-quality, advanced composite manufacturing capabilities, Sino Eagle Yachts builds Aquila Power Catamarans in a state-of-the-art facility to exacting standards. With one of the most talented teams in the industry providing the combined knowledge and extensive experience, Aquila has established a game changing new standard of power catamaran innovation. Leading the way in the market segment, Aquila continues to pave the way with strong international sales of the award-winning Aquila brand. Uncompromising design coupled with unmatched industry experience, engineering, and manufacturing by world class builders, make up the Aquila line of true pure-bred power catamarans. For more information visit aquilaboats.com. For the Silo, Sara Yasi & MarineMax.
Warning- mature themes and language use in this article. For the record, I think Poltergeist is every bit as much a Tobe Hooper joint as it is a Spielberg flick. Maybe he didn’t deal with the actors as much and maybe he wasn’t involved in the post-production process, but there’s enough here visually for me to point out similar types of shots and lighting and camera movements in stuff like LIFEFORCE — not to mention a particular kind of coked-up hysteria that occasionally rears its long-haired sweaty-toothed head in pretty much all his films.
Mainly, I want to bring up that scene where visiting paranormal investigator Marty looks at himself in the mirror and…well, you know (or don’t know, which is why I don’t want to spoil it). What really bugged me before that part was Marty raiding the kitchen for some late night eats at the Freeling house; he grabs a leftover chicken drumstick, and that I can understand. But then he pulls out a big raw steak from the fridge and puts a pan on the stove, which made me think What Fucking Balls On This Guy.
Steak has been, is, and always will be expensive. It’s one thing to jack some cheaper stuff from someone else’s fridge, but goddamn steak?! And then to put that steak on the kitchen counter without a paper towel, foil, plate, nothing underneath it! Just plop that raw bloody steak anywhere, chief.
(And not a single hand was washed.)
It’s inconsiderate, is what I’m saying. I bet Marty didn’t even put the steak back in the fridge after his freakout either, the fuck. He deserved what he got.
They’re here.
Craig T. Nelson stars as Steve Freeling, the main protagonist, who lives with his wife, Diane, and their three children, Dana, Robbie, and Carol Anne, in Southern California where he sells houses for the company that built the neighborhood. It starts with just a few odd occurrences, such as broken dishes and furniture moving around by itself. However, a tree comes alive and takes Robbie through his bedroom window, and Carol Anne is abducted by ghosts. Realizing that something evil haunts his home, Steve calls in a team of parapsychologists led by Dr. Lesh to investigate, hoping to get Carol Anne back, so he can remove his family from the house before it’s too late.
Like millions of others, each June you may find yourself struggling to find that perfect Fathers Day gift for the important “dads” in your life, whether that be your own father, husband, boyfriend, brother or other deserving and meaningful man. While most gracious gift recipients will dutifully smile and nod no matter how underwhelming the product pick, the reality is that it’s the gesture of giving, itself—the recognition of a job being well done—that’s what’s important. That said, there are certainly a myriad of gift ideas that’ll evoke genuine joy. Here are a few that I like this season.
Help Dad become a masterful home mixologist with a Father’s Day gift from Shaker & Spoon! The company offers a monthly subscription service that delivers the craft cocktail experience right to your home: think Blue Apron for cocktails! Each month Dad will receive a box via Priority Mail containing three brand new, original recipes created by world-class bartenders, and enough ingredients like syrups, bitters, mixers and even garnishes for 12 cocktails (4 from each recipe). All he’ll have to do is supply his favorite spirit to mix in. As well, an email is sent before each box arrives with suggestions for a libation that’ll work well with the recipes as well as bar tools he should have on hand. When each box arrives via priority mail, Dad will have everything he needs to take his cocktail game to the next level. He’ll surely be the life of the party.
Speaking of tasty libations, Dads with a passion for well-made spirits and cocktails will certainly appreciate a bottle of Rebel Yell Bourbon. It’ll add a smooth kick of flavor and a warm, cozy finish to your favorite mixed drinks. One recipe great for Father’s Day is “Mike’s Rebel Yell Boozy Bourbon and Bacon Shake.” Chef Mike Johnson, owner of the award-winning Sugarfire Smokehouse in St. Louis, curated this special boozy shake that’s sure to leave Dad’s mouth watering for more. All you need to do to create this delicious shake is blend Rebel Yell Bourbon, ice cream, caramel drizzle and crumbled bacon. Garnish with whipped cream, more caramel drizzle, and a slice of peppered bacon. Then, watch the smiles ensue.
Bring a unique and decidedly gorgeous touch to your kitchen with artisan drinkware from Uno Alla Volta (which means “one at a time”). Entertain your guests in superb style with the handcrafted drinkware items they offer, like hand-painted wine glasses and hand-thrown mugs fashioned by the hearts and hands of skilled artisans. Because each item is individually created by hand, no two will ever be exactly alike. The line of Sealife Wine Glasses of Verona is a show-stopper. Available in various designs like a seahorse, red fish, mermaid, dolphin and turtle, this glassware is handmade in a third-generation workshop in Verona, Italy where ordinary glass is transformed into stunning works of art. Each large format wine glass measures 8.5 inches high and holds 20 ounces, and is certain to add whimsical beach-chic style and an artful element to your wine bar. For hot beverages, the company’s hand-thrown stoneware Nautical Mermaid Mug is another gorgeous ocean-oriented option, and the masculine Mustache Mug is certainly a great fit for Father’s Day. Artisan JoAnn hand-throws each stoneware mug on a wheel, adds hand-cut details and a handle, and then fires, glazes and fires each one again—all from within her Pocono Mountains studio.
photo: Urban Mattress
Urban Mattress – The Perfect Loft Pillow – $70 usd
There might be no more valuable Father’s Day gift than a good night’s sleep, which you can help facilitate for Dad with The Perfect Loft Pillow from Urban Mattress. This impeccable pillow isn’t too hard or too soft thanks to a combination of Tencel —a natural fiber made from the pulp of the eucalyptus tree—and recycled polyester. Together these create an airy and light-feeling pillow, and then the addition of shredded natural latex adds just the right amount of support. The result is a pillow with the perfect amount of loft. What’s more, it’s customizable as the zippered Tencel cover lets users adjust the amount of filling to their individual preferences.
photo: Ozone
Ozone Socks – Starting at $9.50 usd
Ozone designer socks most certainly aren’t your typical Father’s Day sock gifts, as this brand effectively merges fashion and fun. The sock styles from this company are suited for every occasion, and the line includes fashion socks, club socks, novelty socks and even silly socks. This company is passionate about its products, never sacrificing on quality. Their eclectic styles have been seen in some of the industry’s leading fashion magazines over the past decade, helping set benchmarks for what’s cool and hip in footwear. With fresh and innovative concepts, the list of Ozone offerings is impressive and includes shoe socks, safe sox, hemp socks, radionic socks, tattoo socks, motorcycle socks, the replacement sock, and more.
photo: Cherry Americas
Cherry MX Silent Keyboard – $149.99 usd
When you’re wracking your brain for a Father’s Day gift for the guy who seemingly has it all, here’s a thoughtful and practical tech gift idea he’s sure to appreciate. Cherry, the specialist for computer input devices, recently unveiled their MX Board Silent Keyboard—a model based on their notoriously reliable G80-3000 mechanical keyboard design. Cherry combines this tried-and-true bestselling product with its new MX Silent switches to create a device that keeps keyboard noise—whether at home or in a hectic office space—to an absolute minimum. This new high-end keyboard is ideally suited for even volume-sensitive environments such as large open floor plan rooms or community offices, enabling silent keystrokes with Cherry’s patented noise reduction technology, but without sacrificing writing performance…or durability. In fact, Cherry guarantees a service life for this keyboard of over 50 million keystrokes. Functionality features include “N-Key Rollover,” allowing up to 14 keys to be pressed simultaneously without “ghost” keypress effect. Also, the MX Silent-switches have a uniquely shaped rubber pad compared to conventional switches. The MX Board Silent is offered in two versions MX Red or MX Black. Both exhibit linear switching characteristics but differ in the required release force: 45 centi-newtons for the MX Red Silent and for those who prefer a slightly higher resistance, 60 centi-newtons for the MX Black Silent.
For those ‘Boss Dads’ and other personal finance-minded fathers out there who are working tirelessly toward financial freedom, perhaps a new and fresh mindset will help them achieve those goals. Consider this CD series from self-made millionaire Wesley Virgin, which offers techniques intended to transform your mindset and install new beliefs so your goals and desires can be achieved faster. This includes what established millionaires and billionaires do on a monthly basis to “keep the money train moving in their favor,” resetting your relationship with money to that of a wealthy person (despite what’s currently in your bank account), eliminating “wealth destroyers,” the value of having a “millionaire mentor” in your life (and how to attract one), how to utilize body language to your favor, gaining the confidence and assurance needed to realize high-caliber success in a relatively short timeframe and how to push past your comfort zone to see and capitalize on new opportunities, among other tips and techniques. Since much in this video series promotes the power of positive thinking and taking control of one’s own destiny, in tandem with techniques taken from real millionaires and billionaires, with this gift idea Dad could very well listen, learn and laugh all the way to the bank.
For those food and entertaining-oriented dads who spend the majority of time at home in the kitchen undertaking epicurean exploits, here’s an apt assortment of tools to help ease and expedite those culinary endeavors.
photo: SharkNinja Operating LLC
Ninja Coffee Bar System – $199.00 usd
The Ninja Coffee Bar System will bring out the Barista in anyone. Far more than a coffee maker, this able appliance facilitates a coffee house experience in the comfort of your own kitchen. It comes complete with integrated frother, six brew sizes and five brew types, including the Ninja exclusive Café Forte that amplifies and enhances the natural subtle flavors of your favorite coffee. You can make a full carafe for visitors or different individual specialty drinks for yourself every day. The Ninja Coffee Bar System provides endless options for delicious, custom-crafted coffee beverages all without leaving home.
photo: Alumbre Coffee
Alumbre Coffee – $12.50 – $22.00 usd
Another great coffee find for connoisseurs—the bean itself—is from Alumbre Coffee—an exquisitely hand-crafted coffee line hailing from the legendary coffee fields of Costa Rica, Colombia, Sumatra and Ethiopia. Alumbre, named for the river that flows west facing the hills of the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica, is long revered as home to some of the finest coffee farms in the world. With hand-picked coffee beans from heritage growing regions, Alumbre roastmasters expertly coax the most alluring flavor notes to create five ultra-premium coffees. By wholly controlling the process from seed to cup to proffer a luxurious and authentically rich coffee experience, Alumbre Coffee stands apart from other brands. This new exclusive coffee can only be found on the Alumbre website.
photo: SharkNinja Operating LLC
Nutri Ninja Nutri Bowl DUO – $129.00 usd
Here’s a fab find for fitness-minded fathers. With one base and two interchangeable vessels, the 1200-watt Nutri Ninja Nutri Bowl DUO device easily switches from a powerful nutrient and vitamin extractor to a versatile nutrient fusion processor. The nutrient extraction feature unlocks existing hidden vitamins, minerals and other healthy components by blending whole fruits and vegetables, including portions that are normally discarded, and breaking them down to create an array of delicious, nutrient-rich juices and smoothies. The nutrient fusion function creates a blend from foods that contain nutrients like fruits, vegetables and other victuals, transforming diverse, fresh ingredients into flavorful meals, snacks and desserts.
photo: BELLA Housewares
BELLA 2.5L Air Fryer – $99.99 usd
Here’s a way Dad can enjoy “healthier” fried foods in the man cave, the tailgate or pretty much anywhere else, prepared with little to no oil and in a fraction of the time. Whatever you can deep fry, you can air fry with the BELLA 2.5 Air Fryer and save the fat and calories! It’s not just healthier, but also safer, like having a portable convection-type oven at your fingertips. This high-performance system heats food by circulating hot air around it, while the stainless-steel heating element allows for faster heat up (and recovery) resulting in quick and even cooking every time. It’s an efficient and easy-to-use deep fryer alternative, allowing you to indulge in all your favorite fried foods without cheating on your diet.
photo: BELLA Housewares
BELLA 6QT Pressure Cooker – $79.99 usd
Dad always pressed for time? Have a family dinner ready fast with this 6-quart electric pressure cooker also from BELLA. Life’s full of daily pressures and stress, so let this appliance take on the task of helping you prepare a quick and delicious meal for the family or for a get-together with friends. This versatile model comes with 10 pre-programmed functions including sauté, slow cook, stew and steam. It cooks up to 70% faster than conventional cooking and its removable non-stick cooking pot and accessories are dishwasher safe, so clean up is a breeze. Whether you’re whipping up a gourmet meal or looking for good old-fashioned comfort food, the BELLA 6QT Pressure Cooker can make dinnertime a no-brainer.
photo: SharkNinja Operating LLC
Shark Genius Hard Floor Cleaning System – $99.00 usd
Yes cleaning tools are a cool gift idea! Especially since cleaning kitchen and dining room floors in particular can be a huge hassle. These areas receive high traffic and often become messy even after a single cooking session. As so many people today have busy schedules, finding time to thoroughly clean the space can be futile and frustrating. Fortunately, the power of smarter cleaning can be at dad’s fingertips with the Shark Genius Hard Floor Cleaning System. An evolution in hard floor care, this system offers a flexible, tailored, all-in-one solution that delivers easy and convenient cleaning. Direct steam channeling distributes steam over the surface of the pocket, creating an ultra-wide cleaning zone for loosening dirt and grime. Steam blaster technology also targets annoyances like stains, stuck-on food, pet messes, grease and even scuff marks on command. And, since nobody likes changing a dirty, soaked pad during or after mopping, this touch-free technology ensures you’ll never have to. This is a great way to harness the power of steam to clean and sanitize your sealed hard floors with no harsh chemicals, and no residue to boot. It even removes up to 99.9% of common household bacteria.
As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority–a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She identifies and reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. Reach her online , on Twitter , on Facebook and on Instagram.
***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or sponsored at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***
Asa Soltan Rahmatihas had many lives. From fleeing Iran as a child and living as a refugee in Germany and then the U.S. to becoming a celebrated reality television star on Bravo TV’s Shahs of Sunset; from launching a successful designer line of women’s kaftans to becoming a brand new parent with beau Jermaine Jackson Jr. – she is a master of reinvention and personal-betterment. In her newest life – as a published author – she sets out to empower other women to truly love themselves and take control of their own destinies.
Her book GOLDEN: Empowering Rituals to Conjure Your Inner Priestess is hitting bookstore shelves now. In it she shares seven sacred rituals that she developed throughout her life as she went from refugee (twice) to “artsy” to the Persian Pop Priestess that fans of Shahs of Sunset have grown to admire. I’d love to send you a copy of the new book for consideration of coverage in an upcoming story.
Asa’s life has been a filled with great challenges and deep loss, but through it – and through her outsider status – she learned to face life fearlessly and with her own style. From her self-love ritual to her chapter on confidence (“Radiate Beauty from the Inside Out”), Asa provides readers with the ultimate “green juice, master cleanse and z pack” for life. It all starts with her Priestess Detox, the total mind, body, soul cleanse to get the reader in touch with her own Inner Priestess. Asa’s ability to translate her rituals have helped hundreds of thousands of her fans become more empowered. GOLDEN is her gift to them and to anybody who is ready to take control, learn to love themselves, and face the future with confidence and strength.
When I was in college at UCLA, I worked part-time at an African art store in Santa Monica. One day Maya Angelou came into the store. I have always been a huge fan of hers and I was completely starstruck. She walked straight toward me, took my hand in hers, looked me directly in the eyes, and said, “stay golden, my child.”
– Asa Soltan, from GOLDEN
GOLDEN by Asa Soltan
Empowering Rituals to Conjure
Your Inner Priestess Available Now
Asa Soltan Rahmati – Persian Pop Priestess, Spiritual Gangsta, and beloved star of Bravo TV’s hit reality show, Shahs of Sunset – shares seven sacred rituals that she has developed throughout her life in GOLDEN: Empowering Rituals to Conjure Your Inner Priestess(North Star Way; May 9, 2017; $25.99 USD).
Asa was eight years old when her family fled their war-torn country of Iran to seek refuge in Germany. To say she experienced culture shock after arriving is an understatement. She had never seen anyone that looked and acted so different from her, and she didn’t speak a word of German or English. She felt completely cast off from her land, her culture, and her people.
Feeling a need to connect to her culture and herself, she created rituals that she practiced every day. At first they were a simple way to create a sacred space for herself so she could go within and remember who she really was. But when she became a refugee for the second time moving from Germany to Los Angeles, those rituals — on beauty, love, career, family, and friendships–kept her deeply connected to her Inner Priestess, the authentic version of herself that existed without ego, baggage, or attachments to material things.
Asa’s own personal journey to find peace and self-acceptance helped her marry her artistic side with her business acumen and led her to launch a highly successful kaftan business, create a line of jewelry for Home Shopping Network and, of course, the television show. GOLDEN will help readers find their own power with inspirational quotes, stories and photos from her childhood to illustrate the impact her rituals can have. Whether you choose to focus on one ritual separately or all of them at once, GOLDEN can guide you to a state of glamorous, gorgeous mindfulness and a chance to live the life of your dreams.
Since the first season of Shahs aired, Asa has gained a loyal legion of fans who refer to her as the Spiritual Gangsta. Many of them write her to seek answers to their most personal questions. They often ask how to feel confident and feel good about their bodies in a world that’s hyper critical of women’s looks, how to gain the courage to follow their dreams, and how to stay true to their culture and traditions yet remain a modern woman. Asa’s ability to translate her rituals have helped hundreds of thousands of her fans become more empowered. GOLDEN is her gift to them.
About Asa Soltan Rahmati Asa Soltan Rahmati, also known as the Persian Pop Priestess and Spiritual Gangsta, is the star of Bravo’s hit realty show, Shahs of Sunset. Asa lived on three continents and spoke four languages by the time she moved to the United States at fifteen. The Islamic revolution and decade-long war were the backdrop of her early childhood, and paved the way for her own personal revolution to build confidence, spirituality, and remain at peace among life’s daily trials and tribulations. Known for her glamour and down-to-earth spirituality, Asa is also an internationally recognized multimedia artist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. In 2014 Asa launched her highly anticipated luxury kaftan line, Asa Kaftans, which celebrities and her international fan-base adore. Asa is committed to using her unique blend of high-art, pop-culture, glamour, and spirituality to make the world a more beautiful and positive place. For the Silo, Jason Southerland.
About North Star Way North Star Way is an imprint dedicated to publishing “information to make your life better.” With a non-fiction editorial focus in the areas of motivation, inspiration and books that advise and inform, North Star Way aims to connect readers with thought leaders through a variety of new media formats including books and e-books, on-line courses and subscriptions, speaking engagements, mobile applications, original video and audio books, sponsorships and business partnerships, podcasts. North Star Way authors include John O’Leary, Maya Penn, Amanda Steinberg, JJ Virgin, and Keke Palmer.
Summer is the prime time for family and friends to gather around the pool and celebrate the warmer weather. And what is a good party without the latest summer hits? Pump up the party with the perfect summer companion; Yatra Aquatune 9612 speaker.
Many speakers are too quiet, don’t have much battery life, and can be damaged in the sun, sand and sea. Leave your worries behind – Yatra has got you covered!
The Yatra Aquatune 9612 is the perfect pool party companion. This 9 watt, high performance speaker perfectly projects your favorite music while providing durable, compact entertainment. The speaker is not only sleek and stylish but also waterproof, weatherproof, shockproof, and dustproof, meaning you won’t have to worry about sand clogging the speakers or damage if it gets tossed in the waves. Fearlessly stream your favorite tunes with Yatra, enjoying the sun, sand and summer with your favorite songs at hand.
The Aquatune 9612 will be the life of the party and every beach day go-to. Jam to your favorite tunes, loud and proud with Yatra.
On a tight budget? The Model 5712 Aquatune is a great option.
To view the full line of Aquatune speakers and other Yatra products please visit www.shopyatra.com.
While plenty of industries, from sports to pop culture, have entered coloring book licensing partnerships, few have embraced it as much as the fashion world. Now, what could be the most beautiful and fanciest iteration of fashion coloring books has arrived. Vera Bradley is making a grand entrance into the coloring book world with their forthcoming pattern portfolio books. The books feature the company’s signature textile designs and unique patterns as line art for coloring in, as well galleries of colored designs for inspiration.
Vera Bradley is a leading designer of women’s handbags, luggage and travel items, fashion and home accessories and unique gifts. Founded in 1982 by friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the brand’s innovative designs, iconic patterns and brilliant colors continue to inspire and connect women unlike any other brand in the global marketplace. The Company’s commitment to bringing more beauty into women’s lives includes its dedication to breast cancer research through the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer in which they have raised over $28 USD million to date.
The titles for her two new books—Seize the Day and Enjoy the Journey—are reflective of Vera Bradley’s values of female empowerment. This is an area Vera Bradley co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard is passionate about. Baekgaard was recently a headlining speaker at the The Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium at the University of Florida. She is also a guest judge on the show Girl Starter—an engaging, fast-paced business-genre reality-competition show that engages eight girls ages 18-24 as they compete in the early-phases of entrepreneurial business building. Vera Bradley is also a sponsor to the show. The ultimate in coloring book quality.
Enjoy the Journey with this inspiring coloring book. Featuring 40 classic Vera Bradley designs, each eye-catching illustration is printed on extra-heavy, 200-year acid-free artist paper. A quick reference pattern guide provides the original Vera Bradley color schemes for every named pattern in the book, with stunning original patterns also shown in two-page spreads.
A full-color introduction shows you coloring techniques, craft ideas, and the right color swatches to use for a terrific look. Featuring a gold foil-embossed gatefold cover, this unique book even includes 16 bonus gift tags and 8 ready-to-color note cards.
Publisher: Design Originals, an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishing / August 2017
Pages: 120
ISBN: 978-1497203532
Seize the Day features 40 classic Vera Bradley designs, each eye-catching illustration is printed on extra-heavy, 200-year acid-free artist paper. A quick reference pattern guide provides the original Vera Bradley color schemes for every named pattern in the book, with stunning original patterns also shown in two-page spreads. A full-color introduction shows you coloring techniques, craft ideas, and the right color swatches to use for a terrific look.
Similar to Enjoy The Day, this book also features a gold foil-embossed gatefold cover and includes 16 bonus gift tags and 8 ready-to-color note cards. Get ready to color in the language of beauty with Vera Bradley!
Publisher: Design Originals, an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishing / August 2017
Pages: 120
ISBN: 978-1497203532 For the Silo, Elizabeth Martins.
Celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary with this Limited Edition RAYMOND WEIL freelancer timepiece.
This automatic stainless steel collection of 150 numbered units is highlighted by a black dial featuring the patriotic maple leaf. The black ceramic unidirectional bezel features red and white accents, and the caseback is engraved with the Canada150 logo and date. A work of beauty and precision. Recommended. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
PGS – It’s the first “smartphone/portable game console/UMPC” hybrid ever created in the world. With comprehensive support for the Steam game library, this device is a game changer and is now available in for pre-ordering through the official website.
The device runs Windows 10, as well as Android in the Dualboot mode, simultaneously. Highly efficient mobile SoC Intel Atom X7 Z8750 is at the core of the Windows part of the device, while the versatile MediaTek Helio X2X chip is responsible for the Android part. The hybrid console will be released in two versions, Hardcore and Lite. The Lite version will come out a little later. Hardcore will be equipped with 8GB RAM for Windows and 3GB RAM for Android. External storages are supported thanks to a Micro-SD slot. Performance level of the device is more than enough to provide smooth operation of most PC games in HD-resolution.
PGS has an innovative side slider which houses the gaming control surfaces. Very, very slick. One of the key features of the device is two high-resolution displays with 5.9″ and 5.5″ diagonal for the main and for the auxiliary displays respectively. The battery, which capacity is 6800mAh, provides around 5 hours of work for demanding games. Among other features of the device are: LTE module, high-quality audio speakers, front and rear cameras, wireless charging, Smart Active Cooling System (allows the chips to work at maximum frequencies). For the Silo, Alexander Arjannikov.
Yoshihito Isogawa believes his books should be like the LEGO brick—minimalist, colorful, and full of possibility.
In his nearly-wordless releases from No Starch Press, such as The LEGO Power Functions Idea Books (No Starch Press, $24.95 USD each, 324 pp./328pp., October 2015), Isogawa shares hundreds of creative ways to build mechanisms with Power Functions, a wildly popular LEGO TECHNIC system of electronic components. In these books, Power Functions gears, lights, motors, and control units are used to make sliding doors, walking robots, steerable tanks, and more, with each project encouraging readers to become inventive LEGO builders.
Isogawa’s previous books have been praised as “invaluable” (BrickJournal), “fantastic” (Boing Boing), “minimalistic but highly informative” (Booklist), and “indispensable” (The NXT STEP Blog), and this two-volume set is a treasure trove of tiny but surprisingly elegant creations that millions of LEGO Power Functions owners will use for design inspiration.
The LEGO Power Functions Idea Books showcase small projects to build with LEGO TECHNIC gears, motors, and other moving elements that are depicted in vibrant, detailed photographs. Each model includes a list of required parts that guides readers through the build while exploring the principles of simple machines, gear systems, and power translation.
Each of these volumes continues No Starch Press’s tradition of publishing high-quality books that inspire readers of all ages to stretch the limits of their imagination and build creatively with LEGO. The LEGO Power Functions Idea Books are available now in fine bookstores everywhere.
BELGRADE, SERBIA – (JANUARY 23, 2017) – Nordeus, an independent developer and publisher of mobile games, today announced Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, a new quick-play card-based mobile MOBA set in an epic fantasy world. In development for nearly two years, Spellsouls is the next big project from the company that created Top Eleven, the most-played mobile sports game with more than 150 million players worldwide. In Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, players will experience an engaging blend of intense three-minute battles and deep strategy in an immersive fantasy experience, built from the ground-up for mobile on iOS and Android.
With Spellsouls, Nordeus is looking to bring the competitive intensity and “easy to start playing, hard to stop” gameplay to the realm of card-based spells and magical duels. As seen in today’s new walkthrough trailer, the game is a completely new, graphically-rich title designed to bring a compelling high fantasy world to life.
Set in an ancient kingdom fallen prey to divisive realm wars, where powerful Spellcasters vie for power, the game invites players to enter into a thrilling, competitive experience. Gamers will choose a Spellcaster, collect and upgrade powerful spells, build the deadliest decks and unleash hordes of minions to compete with friends and adversaries around the world.
“We set out to ensure that Spellsouls builds on our strengths in competitive gaming to bring players a true blend of game genres that balances fast action and deep strategy” said Ivan Stojisavljević, CTO and co-founder of Nordeus. “We’re bringing a lot of the knowledge and expertise gained from years developing and running Top Eleven to Spellsouls; with AAA production values and deep engagement as our two highest priorities.”
In Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, two powerful Spellcasters will face off in fierce battles with elements of MOBA action combat, card deck building and Nordeus’ trademark focus on compelling PvP, that rewards smart strategic decisions. Players launch minions from top and bottom lane portals to attack their opponent’s minions and defense towers en route to defeating enemy Spellcasters.
Players boost minions with card-based spells, blast enemies with direct and area-based attacks, and strategically choose how to introduce new minions into the fray for maximum effect—while their opponent simultaneously does the same. Packed into three-minute battles, the game’s real-time competition is a mix of careful planning to build the perfect deck, white-knuckle intensity and well-timed strategy to execute the game-changing tactics that will lead to victory.
Spellsouls: Duel of Legends is currently in soft launch for iOS only in select countries including Taiwan, Canada, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. More details on how Spellsouls: Duel of Legends plans to enter the world of PvP mobile gaming in 2017 will be revealed in the near future with development updates and game announcements. To pre-register for the game when it becomes available in your country, visit www.spellsouls.com. To stay in touch with Nordeus and Spellsouls, follow us on facebook.com/spellsouls and twitter.com/playspellsouls. For the Silo, Jeffrey Fong.
About Nordeus
Founded in Belgrade in 2010, Nordeus is an award-winning independent mobile games developer that has actively pioneered cross-platform competitive mobile gaming. Top Eleven, the company’s premier competitive sports game in which players manage a soccer team vs. other managers, is the most played sports game worldwide with over 150 million registered players and a 4+ star rating across the App Store, Google Play and Facebook. The company is launching a major new fantasy card-based MOBA game, Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, in 2017. For more information, visit nordeus.com.
The implications of what Virtual Reality can achieve are vast, and it is predicted that VR will seep into every area of our lives in the very near future. VR is not just a concept that excites the entertainment business, but has a very real presence in some of the world’s most essential industries. However, many people remain skeptical about the impact virtual reality will actually have and suggest that it is only an attractive concept for gamers. Although it is true that VR is a fantastic way to improve online gaming, it has already been used in the medical and manufacturing industries, proving that virtual reality is 
Entertainment
Fresh Tastes epitomizes Lee’s culinary tastes, balancing an innovative approach with uncomplicated preparation techniques. Sophisticated in flavor and beautiful to present, the recipes in Fresh Tastes are prepared with the best quality, readily available ingredients designed to maximize flavor. Some of Lee’s delicious recipes include:
Steak has been, is, and always will be expensive. It’s one thing to jack some cheaper stuff from someone else’s fridge, but goddamn steak?! And then to put that steak on the kitchen counter without a paper towel, foil, plate, nothing underneath it! Just plop that raw bloody steak anywhere, chief.
Shaker & Spoon Cocktail Kit Subscription Service
‘The Millionaire Blueprint—Unrevealed Secrets of a Millionaire Mind’ CD Series 
Asa’s own personal journey to find peace and self-acceptance helped her marry her artistic side with her business acumen and led her to launch a highly successful kaftan business, create a line of jewelry for Home Shopping Network and, of course, the television show. GOLDEN will help readers find their own power with inspirational quotes, stories and photos from her childhood to illustrate the impact her rituals can have. Whether you choose to focus on one ritual separately or all of them at once, GOLDEN can guide you to a state of glamorous, gorgeous mindfulness and a chance to live the life of your dreams.
And what is a good party without the latest summer hits? Pump up the party with the perfect summer companion; Yatra Aquatune 9612 speaker.
he sun, sand and sea. Leave your worries behind – Yatra has got you covered!
PGS has an innovative side slider which houses the gaming control surfaces. Very, very slick. One of the key features of the device is two high-resolution displays with 5.9″ and 5.5″ diagonal for the main and for the auxiliary displays respectively. The battery, which capacity is 6800mAh, provides around 5 hours of work for demanding games. Among other features of the device are: LTE module, high-quality audio speakers, front and rear cameras, wireless charging, Smart Active Cooling System (allows the chips to work at maximum frequencies). For the Silo, Alexander Arjannikov.
Set in an ancient kingdom fallen prey to divisive realm wars, where powerful Spellcasters vie for power, the game invites players to enter into a thrilling, competitive experience. Gamers will choose a Spellcaster, collect and upgrade powerful spells, build the deadliest decks and unleash hordes of minions to compete with friends and adversaries around the world.