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الآن أصبح بإمكان المستخدمين من حول العالم إستكشاف واحد من أكبر المساجد في العالم - مركز جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير - وهو صرح معماري مميز - في إماراة أبو ظبي.  وقد تزامن إضافة التجول الإفتراضي لهذا المعلم، مع احتفالات دولة الإمارات المتحدة العربية باليوم الوطني الثاني والأربعين.   سواء كنت من محبي استكشاف الأماكن الجديدة على خرائط Google, أو تخطط رحلة إلا دولة الإمارات، أو أحد المهتمين بفن العمارة الإسلامي الحديث، يمكنك  التمتع بمشاهد خلابة وكاملة للجامع، الذي يعكس روح التنوع الثقافي والمعماري بفن العمارة الإسلامي فمن 82 قبة ذات التصميم الإسلامي المغولي، الى مشاهدة أكثر من 1,000 عامود ذات طابع أندلسي ، بالإضافة إلى أكبر سجادة منسوجة باليد في العالم التي يغلب عليها الطابع الإسلامي الفارسي، والعديد من أروع الأمثلة على فن العمارة العثماني والمملوكي في أماكن متعددة من المركز. يمكنكم الإستمتاع بمناظر كاملة على مدار 360 درجة لمركز جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير ذو القدرة على إستيعاب أكثر من 40,000 مصلي. يمكنكم أيضاً التمعن بروعة الأمثلة المختلفة لفن الخط العربي المدمجة مع التصميم من خط النسخ الثلث و

Ashes Cricket 2013 is in contention for one of the worst games of all time. The game was released on Steam on the 22nd of November and then pulled on the 26th, for being too buggy and straight up terrible. Now it has been reported that the game has been cancelled by publisher 505 Games, though it seems to me that it is still unclear if the whole project is cancelled, or if they will send the developer Trickstar, back to the drawing board. Trickstar are an Australian developer based in Melbourne, so it is particularly sad to see them drop the ball on this one. Anyway, what is this game actually it like? The graphics are just atrocious, the models look like something from years ago. The crowd just stand around with their hands in their pockets. The animations are shocking, sometimes a player will throw the ball backwards which looks pretty hilarious but I'm sure was not what was intended. At least they managed to get all the sponsorship signs on the stands, I guess. The music is alr

Having owned a game store for nine years, there have been three distinct phases of my business. The first was our initial store, which we had for three years until we moved to a bigger location. The second stage was three years of this bigger store, with solid growth. The third stage involves the boom times, which has clearly pushed growth well beyond where it would have been normally. The chart below shows what I think is a considerable jump between stage two and three. When planning for the future, the questions are: a) How long will stage three last? b) When it ends, will it be flat, a slight dip down to normal growth rates, or a sharp correction back to stage two levels? We don't know the answer to these questions, so what we do is assume the worst and plan for the best. In our case, we make sure we are making decisions that allow us to live in stage two. At the same time, we take profits from stage three to re-invest in the business, hoping that when it does end in whatever fo

Real Life Comics . Real Life Comics . Or as I like to call it, flavor powder.

I'm not a big Daft Punk fan, but I think they're pretty great.

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal .

I mean, there's no nudity, but I suppose looking at a woman in lingerie might be frowned upon in the work place. Well, consider yourself warned then. (via Exotic Women of Color (NSFW for sure))

It seemed as though 2013 would be the year that the 101-year old former Canada Bread plant at 258 Burnell Street saw a revival. Perhaps not. The building has been an ominous presence since it was vacated in 1998. Poorly shuttered and with no sprinkler system, it was the scene of a small fire created by squatters in 2011.  Later that year, the city began proceedings to seize its title under the Vacant Buildings Bylaw . The owners, Burnell Investments Ltd., managed to get a number of 90-day extensions to the order by making modest improvements and with the promise that they were "in discussions" about a redevelopment plan. In December 2012 the owners held an open house to show off drawings for a proposal that would convert the building into 80 rental suites with some retail on the main floor. It was clear, though, that it was not a done deal as financing for the venture was not yet in place. Still, over the summer of 2013 the site saw more action than it had in the 15 year

make sure you check out my decorating contest over at polyvore -- show me how to dare to m ix with some of my favorite products from furbish and other retailers and you're entered to win a $500 gift certificate to anthropologie.  

Support your favorite small business! November 30th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country. The Secrets of Success blog is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re encouraging everyone to Shop Small® on November 30th. Most importantly, get out there, Shop

Here are some happy pictures of some of our lucky dogs arriving at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam and meeting their new families. Always a wonderful occasion and one that helps us to deal with the sorrow and sadness we see so often. For me, personally, I get a special surge of happiness when I recognise a dog I have known in the Refugio. Among the dogs going home this time are sweet PJ whom I knew in May when he was having a hard time because he had a poor sore face from a bite. He's looking so well now. And Winston, dear Winston. I was there the day he arrived, bedraggled and sad.  Now he's set for a life of love and care. Thanks to Odette for the generous time she puts in at the airport, greeting families and making sure everything is working as it should. And for flying out to Malaga specially to bring back several dogs. Thanks too to Ineke for the photos and of course to the new families for their love and generosity. Schipol - November 23rd 2013 Dafne Iris Nerea PJ Pongo Sch

(via Wikipedia ) Ivan Aivazovsky . Suck on that, Duck Dynasty guys.

My reviews of Shark Girl and Formerly Shark Girl , as they appeared in the November, 2013 issue of School Library Journal . Shark Girl . By Kelly Bingham. 3 CDs 3:06 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781469274997. $54.97. Gr 6–10— In her hometown of Santa Clarita, California, 15-year-old Jane Arrowood's life changes in just a few moments when a shark attacks her. Near death, she's rescued by her older brother and spends months in the hospital—first in a coma and then undergoing painful operations and therapy to deal with the amputation of her drawing arm. Peppered with letters, text messages, and newspaper clippings, this first person account offers themes of fate and rebirth as Jane, a talented artist, strives toward recovery and self discovery. The callous nature of social media is a subtext, as the shark attack was filmed by a beachgoer and went viral on the Internet and in newscasts. A young amputee helps Jane as she battles doubts and depression. Listeners will not likel

A great photo book (whether lighting or otherwise) is an amazing value. You get to rent someone else's brain for the price of a good dinner. And depending on who's brain you're renting and what you do with the info, the return on investment can be hundreds or even thousands of time what you invested. Now more than ever, it is a wonderful time to be a lighting photographer. I have long maintained a book list on Strobist, but it has gotten out of date. Today I am correcting that with a tight list of books that I can absolutely recommend for photographers who want to learn. The list includes just five books on lighting, a book on the interpersonal aspects of photography and a massive, magnum opus that is not even out yet. (But I've seen it!) Read more »

Advertorial So as I told you guys, my car sponsorship with DUO Rewards is that I get to change my car once every 4 months! The time has come to change my Sylphy into something else, and I actually felt quite sad!! In the short four months that I drove her, she has become a huge part of my life... It's no wonder that people who drive hardly ever can bring themselves to go back to public transport. Having your own vehicle, your own private space to travel that you don't have to share with strangers, having a powerful feeling of freedom that you can go anywhere you please... It's a seductive feeling indeed, even with a rental car!! I've always told Mike that him picking me up to drive me home in Laopokasaurus (that's what we call Mike's car) and me taking a cab home by myself technically isn't much difference since I'm chauffeured in both cases. But when I am on a cab I feel like I'm still on strange grounds, like I cannot completely unwind yet. I sti