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Archive for October, 2017
This article is an excerpt from a previously released Sidoxia Capital Management complimentary newsletter (October 2, 2017). Subscribe on the right side of the page for the complete text.
Given the volume of recent memorable events, it appears September will become a month to remember. Not only did we witness horrific natural disasters in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Mexico but Americans have also had to digest the saber rattling by the North Korean “Rocket Man“ leader, Kim Jong Un*. If that wasn’t enough, there were a slew of headlines detailing the Washington gridlock and dysfunction over healthcare legislation / tax reform; hackings at Equifax affecting up to 143 million credit accounts; the planned unwinding of the Federal Reserves $4.2 trillion bond portfolio; and a controversy over NFL football players kneeling during the national anthem.
Despite all these notable events, the Dow Jones Industrial Average just posted its 8th consecutive quarter of advances. For the three months ending in September, the Dow impressively climbed more than 1,000 points (+4.7%) to a new record high of 22,381. For the year, the Dow remarkably has risen approximately +13%, excluding dividends, which translates into a total 2017 return of more than +15%, thus far.
However, not everybody has participated in the financial party. Negative political headlines have by and large paralyzed the hearts and minds of the general public, but as I have been writing for some time, stocks do not care much about governmental affairs – stock prices care about fundamentals. There have been two critical, fundamental components fueling the repetitive new highs experienced in the stock market: 1) The extraordinarily persistent surge in corporate profits (see chart below); and 2) The stubbornly declining interest rates, which are near generationally-low levels. When investors are offered next-to-nothing interest rates in their bank accounts, and coupon payments on Treasury bonds remain paltry (10-Year Treasury closed month at a yield of 2.33%), suddenly stock opportunities can look much more attractive in a scarce investment environment.
Source: Yardeni.com
And geographically speaking, the rise in corporate profits has not been limited to the U.S. There has also been a synchronized escalation in corporate earnings globally. Whether we are talking about Europe, China, or emerging markets, in general, the economic recovery in these regions is now occurring coincidentally with the U.S. Case in point is the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which serves as a broad indicator of the economic health of the manufacturing sector. The chart below highlights the clear recovery that has been ongoing in the global manufacturing sector over the last year and a half.
Source: Yardeni.com
In addition to these numerous positive factors, a cheaper (weaker) U.S. dollar has also contributed to our nation’s economic tailwind. More specifically, a lower valued dollar makes American goods sold abroad cheaper for foreign buyers. This currency exchange rate dynamic is important because 43% of Fortune 500 sales (S&P 500) are derived from American products and services sold in foreign countries.
Tax Reform to be Born?
You probably don’t need me to tell you that gridlock in Washington D.C. is alive and well, but new details surrounding potential tax reform legislation that surfaced last week has lifted short-term investor optimism. As you can see from the chart below, the U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate among 35 developed countries in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), thereby making U.S. business less competitive globally. In hopes of reversing this trend, a basic framework was introduced by the President that proposed a top corporate rate of 20%, top small business rate of 25%, and streamlined personal tax brackets of 12%, 25%, and 35% (down from 7 brackets). Other key elements of the tax plan include, a doubling of the standard deduction for middle-class Americans; the elimination of the estate tax for the wealthy; the repeal of the alternative minimum tax; and immediate tax write-offs for business capital investments.
Source: The Financial Times
Many other important details have yet to be released and further specifics remain to be negotiated on Capitol Hill. For example, the removal of deductions for state and local taxes was announced, however additional information explaining how the estimated $2.2 trillion in tax cuts will be funded has yet to surface.
Regardless of the tax reform outcome, the economy continues to chug along at a healthy clip. Most recently, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the central statistic in measuring the health of the U.S. economy, was revised higher to a respectable +3.1% rate in the second quarter. The latest natural disasters may clip third quarter growth temporarily, however, the consensus remains the economic expansion stands on firm ground, despite the financial drag of the hurricanes.
While geopolitical, meteorological, and athletic anthem headlines have made this a “September to Remember,” fundamental strength and other factors have contributed to this enduring and unforgettable bull market. There will be many more noteworthy headlines to occur in coming months and years, but placing these events in the proper context and investing wisely will lead to a much more positive, memorable existence.
*The article was written before the Las Vegas tragedy on October 1, 2017.
DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients hold positions in certain exchange traded funds (ETFs), but at the time of publishing had no direct position in EFX or any other security referenced in this article. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC Contact page | {
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Searching for Downtown Meat
Sometimes you get questions that stick with you and won’t go away. They’re burning, say, at about 500 degrees over open flame.
Case in point: Last week, I took the media tour of the new suites at the Golden Gate. They’re nice and classy in a retro way without being too delicate or pretentious, and I have a feeling that they’ll appeal to people who already like the Golden Gate. The top floor of the expansion is given over to two massive suites, the kind of thing you see as a matter of course in Strip resorts but, understandably, haven’t seen too much of at the Golden Gate, where until a few years ago the maximum bet at the tables was $300 per hand.
Some of the media in attendance marveled at the design, noting how the feathered pattern in the custom carpet referenced the iconic Vegas showgirls the suite was themed around. Others asked questions about the suite’s green credentials. Me? I got stuck on the patio, looking at a pretty nice gas grill, wondering how guests were going to cook themselves burgers. Would they take a cab to the nearest Smith’s and do it themselves? Or would it be prepared in the room by a chef?
I asked about it and was told that if the guests wanted to use the grill, they’d be taken care of, which I translated as the latter option. But earlier this week, I saw a thread on the VegasTripping.com boards titled “Finding Raw Meat Downtown,” and that got me thinking again. I reached out to a Golden Gate representative and asked the question: where, oh where, do you get raw meat downtown?
The answer was about what I predicted, with those details I couldn’t provide myself. Here it is: “Between the two properties (Golden Gate and The D), they have multiple restaurants as well as banquet facilities and a full food and beverage warehouse which holds enough product to feed more than 15,000 people per week. There is very little that they can’t get with only a few hours’ notice”
So if you find yourself in one of those top-shelf suites and that grill won’t leave you alone, here’s what you do: give your host a call. Tell him or her what you want to grill (and what you’d like to go along with it), and, within a short time, you should have it. The farthest they’d have to go would be the warehouse, and they might be able to send something right up from the kitchen. If you want a chef to prepare it for you, a little advance notice is all they need.
Just another reminder that, if you’re betting limits are high enough, it’s not impossible to do anything, including sourcing raw meat in downtown Las Vegas. | {
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Gladys Deadrick, advocate for seniors
By Michael Jacobson
When Diane King thinks of her aunt, Gladys Deadrick, "I'm always reminded of her license plate, 'Who Cares.' I thought it meant to her, 'If I can't help, who will?' She tried to make a difference by lending a hand or a voice where it was needed," said King. "As a tribute to her memory, may we all be inspired and motivated to give more of ourselves to our communities."
Deadrick was an advocate for seniors, especially for those in need, who devoted much of her life to helping others. "She was busy, busy," said Mary Winther, a good friend of Deadrick who knew her on and off for 60 years. "Always on the go. She was always doing something for someone."
Deadrick was born in January 1908 in rural Paynesville. She graduated from Paynesville High School in 1925 and attended the St. Cloud Teacher's College and Calhoun Rasmussen College in Minneapolis.
She made her living as a cook, owning and operating several restaurants, as well as working as the dining room manager at a hotel and as a cook at a hospital, both in Minneapolis. She lived in Paynesville, Minneapolis, Fargo, and Chicago.
She and her first husband, William Bejeau, even operated a steak house in Paynesville (located where Calvary Baptist Church stands now) and they ran a resort on Rice Lake. Gladys also worked at Mike's Eat Shop on James Street in downtown Paynesville.
In 1948, she was elected to a three-year term on the village council. She was the first female councilor, though Esther Brick served as the village treasurer for many years.
When Gladys Bejeau, as she was know then, got the most votes in a three-way race for the village council that year, the Press predicted: "Her intense interest in any thing she undertakes will be a valuable asset to the community when she takes up her office duties this coming January."
Divorced from her first husband, who died in 1969, Gladys married Ken Deadrick in 1970 and moved to his farm in Union Grove Township.
Around 1974, she established a home-delivered meals program for the Paynesville area. This program - delivering nutritious meals to seniors and other shut-ins - is commonly called "Meals on Wheels," but Deadrick organized a local program without any help from a national organization.
It was the only home-delivered meals program in the state paid for by community donations. "We are self-supporting and don't receive any government funding," she once told the Press.
Deadrick established the home-delivered meal program "to keep people in their homes," explained Winther. Meals were made by the hospital and by the Good Samaritan Care Center (now Washburne Court) and a driver delivered them as far away as Lake Henry and St. Martin.
Deadrick organized the whole program: raising funds to pay mileage for the drivers, taking calls and organizing the daily delivery schedule, recruiting drivers, promoting the program, etc.
"She cared about people in need. She cared about a lot of people," said Winther, who described her friend as caring, good-hearted, and fun.
On holidays Deadrick - who moved to Paynesville in 1983 after Ken died - would host dinners for other widows, said Winther. "Anybody who didn't have a place to go she had them over for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner," explained Winther.
Deadrick was also involved in a number of senior groups and advocated for seniors. She helped organize the Central Minnesota Senior Citizen Federation as well as the state organization and served on both board of directors.
She also helped establish the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, served on the advisory board to the Good Samaritan, and was a member of the hospital auxiliary and of Grace United Methodist Church.
Winther remembers her support for 700 Stearns Place, a controversial project at the hospital in the 1980s. Her friend would have supported the Senior Center (now the Paynesville Area Center) because "she wanted something for seniors," said Winther.
Gladys Deadrick (right) posed with her friend Mary Winther (left) and their catch of sunnies on a trip up north in 1990. Winther described her late friend as caring, good-hearted, and fun.
"She fought for what she believed in, shared her opinions freely, and yet ended any debate on a cordial note," said Jeff Bertram. "She was always advocating for the underdog, the person who didn't know where to go with a particular program."
Among her awards were being grand marshal of the Town and Country Days parade in 1987 and a Remarkable People Award from the Senior Expo in 1990.
She died in February 1991 at her home in Paynesville.
After her death, the home-delivered meals program was organized into the Gladys Deadrick Fund, which continued to deliver meals to shut-ins. Catholic Charities, which operates Senior Dining at the Paynesville Area Center, continues to offer home-delivered meals in the Paynesville area, and the Gladys Deadrick Fund was recently disbanded with proceeds going to continue that mission.
"People in Paynesville, especially seniors, are better off because of Gladys Deadrick. Her #1 issue was always helping the Paynesville area and especially the seniors," said Bertram.
"She was an inspiration to many, including me, and I hope that she is smiling today knowing 14 years after her death, and many years after her Press column, "Who Cares," she knows we do!" | {
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Bob Bonner's Blog
Bring on the Barbeque!
by Bob Bonner,posted Aug 8 2013 10:29AM
Doing radio for decades has afforded many opportunities that I wouldn't have if I had stuck with steam fitting. I mean how many people know what it's like to travel on the roads after a major winter storm before the snow plows have started their jobs, or what is on TV about 2:45 am? Yep, it's a perk filled business, radio. But I am really fired up about one of the things I get to do this fall in September. I have been asked to be a judge at the East Side Club's barbeque cook-off. Can't believe they asked me … but I'm not asking any questions. Anyone that knows me knows about my affinity for charred, grilled meats! I dig it big. I make it, I eat it, I live it. Now that I have my smoker that I found on Craig's list, I'm even more enamoured. So thanks you guys! It's a dream assignment for me. | {
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Description
This mattress is the ultimate in luxury as it has a double layer of over 3,000 pocket springs each sewn in to its own pocket so they move independently allowing the mattress to shape to your body. The fillings include cotton and cashmere creating a truly luxurious mattress for the ultimate in comfort.
Our website shows a small sample of the possibilities available to you. As all beds, mattresses and headboards are hand crafted on site in our Inverness factory, we can make to your exact requirements – sizes, colours, materials, drawer positions, even shape! And yes, any combination is possible.
If you’re looking for a pocket spring mattress in Inverness, simply contact us and let our experienced staff help you to get exactly what you want.
Additional information
1 review for Serenity mattress
Rated 5 out of 5
Neil Thomson –December 20, 2018
I have had my Serenity mattress for 6 months now. It has been made to the highest standard and it is so comfy to sleep on. The 3000 springs mould to your body and the cashmere in nice and warm and cosy to sleep on. Very impressed with the service from showroom to delivery. Will definitely be back, thank you Highland BlindCraft | {
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Founder
Nataliya Ogle likes making sure others live to their full potential. She publishes articles on her primary website styletomes.com and works as a freelance writer for other women's interest sites. Her physical body is in New York but her presence can almost always be found online. The internet is her first love. | {
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"The Gang Goes On Family Fight"
"The Gang Goes On Family Fight"
B
B
"The Gang Goes On Family Fight"
Episode
8
In a great episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (and there have been a few of those this season), the show’s assorted crude shenanigans coalesce into something bigger, and darker. A really good Sunny sees the Gang’s adventures, mishaps, and petty cruelties reveal something about the way that such behavior illuminates not only the five main characters themselves, but also about the deep, grimy crevices of the collective human soul which give birth to such monsters. Not that the Gang learns anything lasting—for that would violate the very spirit of the show—but that we, as viewers, recognize our collective complicity in the characters’ selfishness, prejudice, sloth, and casual meanness. In such episodes, we have met the Nightman, and he is us.
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And then there are episodes like “The Gang Goes On Family Fight” where the show is basically just screwing around. That’s not a complaint, really—watching these characters screw around is undeniably entertaining, especially when, as here, they bring in a world-class foil to play off of—but episode plays more like an extended comic sketch starring the It’s Always Sunny characters than an episode in its own right.
Again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it allows sketch comedy master Keegan-Michael Key a chance to practice his slow-burn straight man skills as Grant Anderson, the suspiciously Steve Harvey-like host of the suspiciously Family Feud-like game show Family Fight. As Anderson, Key does one of the things he (and his partner-in-comedy Jordan Peele) does so well, imbuing a stock role with the shimmer of inner life, his glad-handing banter hosting the inevitably disastrous game show episode allowing tiny glimpses of the reined-in disdain he has for his gig to blossom behind his smile. Key gives Anderson the sense, even on a good day, that his folksy, faux-friendly flirting is a job—never mind on a day when he’s faced with the co-mingled stupidity, destructiveness, and all-’round awfulness of the Reynolds family. (In Mac’s blithely revelatory rundown on the Gang’s web of interrelationships, he reveals that—seemingly only to secure a place in Family Fight—Frank has adopted him.)
Playing a great straight man isn’t easy, and Key finds just the right note of exasperated professionalism throughout, soldiering on while, for example, Dee (trying to position herself as a Jenny McCarthy-style pottymouth) gives needlessly dirty answers (“See what I did there? I meant chicken but I said cock”), Frank taunts the opposing family with offputting chants and dance moves (and asks to change his answer to “What’s an animal we eat that doesn’t eat us?” because he’s actually seen a lot of guys get eaten by pigs, come to think of it), Mac keeps misunderstanding every aspect of the game (“And then we spin the wheel!”), Dennis ends up fetal on the stage after his speed round meltdown, and Charlie’s nonsensical and oddly specific answers keep turning up on the board as correct. (“What is happening?,” asks a bewildered Dennis when “The Nightman” shows up as the last answer to “What is something people are afraid of?”) Key has to walk a tricky line through the episode’s escalating chaos, letting his performance build at just the right rate of mounting disgust—a task made more impressive since he’d be uncertain of how the episode would be edited—and pulls it off well. Anderson’s a broad character, but Key keeps him within the realm of game show host reality, playing his persona up for the audience while tamping down the gnawing realization that he’s doing something silly and superficial, even when he’s not trying to keep things rolling when the show’s screeners have allowed the five most disruptively terrible people in Philadelphia into his domain. As another seemingly normal human forced to interact with the Gang, Key’s host just keeps smiling and tries to keep the madness from devouring him.
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Kaitlin Olson (FX)
As to the madness itself, the episode (written by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney) provides a solid showcase for each character to do his/her thing. Dennis’ desperate need to be validated on (national?) television is the closest the episode gets to the show’s signature dark character comedy, the harsh “wrong answer” buzzer seemingly slashing right into Dennis’ central nervous system as refutation of his self-image as a smart, successful, respectable man. His ongoing debate with Dee about how they should appear on TV is another in the show’s intermittent references to how Sunny itself is viewed (“We don’t wanna come across as lowbrow animals”), a debate encapsulated when the dizzy Dee (she’s been starving herself to look good on camera) passes out onstage, activating the electronic fart machine Dennis had talked her out of using. (“That’s about as lowbrow as it gets,” muses Mac.) Frank is, as ever, the most overtly horrible, trying to wedge in right-wing messages alongside unfettered grossness. (Hello, toe-knife callback.) Mac’s eagerness to please exasperates Anderson to no end, as Mac’s relentless inability to understand the basics of the very simple game produces reliable recurring laughs. (“You have answer in the form of a question, Frank.”)
And then there’s Charlie, and his string of impossibly correct, Charlie-specific answers. (An animal we eat that doesn’t eat us equals “dragon.” “Something people are afraid of” equals “The Nightman.”) There were only a few possible explanations as to how this could be, and the idea that Charlie forgot he took the Family Fight survey at a mall that one time is the most palatable one, even if it’s a bit predictable. (It‘s very similar to the classic The Young Ones “University Challenge” episode “Bambi.” in which a series of character-specific and ludicrously funny answers were the result of the guys monkeying with the questions beforehand.)
That being said, everyone’s reactions to Charlie’s insanity being continually validated on the big board are hilarious, and—even though they chose not to use it—his response to “Name something you groom yourself with” (“A bride!”) is some prime Charlie logic.
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If “The Gang Goes On Family Fight” is more like a long It’s Always Sunny sketch, at least it’s a funny one.
Stray observations:
That’s character actress Anna Maria Horsford (Amen, The Shield) as the head of the competing Barrett clan. While the poor Barretts spend most of their time off screen while the Gang does terrible things, her initial reaction to the Gang’s pre-show death stare is just right, her pleasant smile taking in the silent hate for a long beat, before she lets out a single, weirded-out “Oh, okay…”
The way Key grits his teeth and smiles while letting his growing fury at the Gang seep into his eyes is nothing short of brilliant. Examples:
I’m gonna move on because you’re losin’ me.
You know, I’m not gonna try to figure that one out.
Not gonna ask you any more questions except the ones that move the game along.
We see on the board that the Barretts had “spiders” as an answer, which no doubt would have elicited a more complicated response from Charlie.
Dennis, trying to walk back Frank’s horrifying man-eating pig story: “His talk of pigs and man-flesh is as confusing as it is frustrating.”
Debating answers to “Something people are afraid of”:
Frank: Liberal yahoos taking my guns.
Dennis: That is a political firestorm, Frank.
While it’s necessary that the Gang screw up Family Fight, there’s no comic logic to why Dee would break that buzzer. Sure, she’s enthusiastic, but the show must have had people that slam that thing harder than Dee does here. Key’s underplayed reaction is great, but the joke isn’t specific enough.
Unsure if Family Fight is a local Philly knockoff of Family Feud or just the Sunny universe’s Family Feud doing a national tour. Either way, those contestant screeners are gonna get fired. | {
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It’s Pimpy Thursday!
Hey Gang, Brad here with yet another installment of Pimpy Thursday! Got LOTS of stuff today, so let’s get to it…
First off, I just want to thank the great folks over at Capture Integration for letting Scott and I try out the Phase One 645 DF and Leaf Aptus-II 80MP Digital Back. They rent gear too, so check them out!
Another Day with Jay Maisel If you missed the live broadcast of Another Day with Jay Maisel on Monday night, the class is now available over at KelbyTraining.com! How good is it? I was there for both the taping of the class AND the live broadcast, and I still got caught up watching it when I went to get the graphic at the top of this post!
The HDR BookRafael “RC” Concepcion’s brand new book, The HDR Book, is now available! We just got our first shipment of books in here, and RC’s already been busy signing the first copies. You can pick yours up at KelbyTraining.com, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. We also have “The Killer HDR Bundle” available which gets you RC’s book and Matt Kloskowski’s Mastering HDR DVD!
$35 Off Perfect Layers for NAPP Members Perfect Layers is the fast and easy way to create layered files with Photoshop Lightroom or Apple Aperture. With Perfect Layers you can create and edit multi-layered Photoshop files directly from Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture, or use it to combine images from almost any¬† application. Use it to change skies, composite multiple images together and retouch portraits using the built-in blend modes. We’re excited to provide you powerful layered functionality that seamlessly integrates into your photography workflow.
As a valued NAPP member, you get an exclusive $35 discount when you pre-order Perfect Layers today. The $35 discount means you can reserve your copy of Perfect Layers 1.0 for only $94.95 – the lowest price anywhere! Click here for more information and to place your pre-order today.
Dave Cross Workshops Dave Cross has opened his new Education Center. Based in Tampa Florida, this unique learning center houses a working photo studio and classroom, and offers hands-on small group workshops on Photoshop, photography, Lightroom and more. Workshops will be taught by Dave Cross and guest instructors such as Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, Joel Grimes, Jason Groupp and many other leading industry experts. Training sessions will range from one-day workshops to multi-day boot camps, aimed at beginners through advanced users.
Use the code “SUMMERSCHOOL” to receive $100 off all workshop in June – August. Very shortly there will also be a NAPP discount available.
Frank Doorhof’s Why Fake It When You Can Create ItFrank Doorhof will be in Boston on September 11 with his Why Fake It When You Can Create It Workshop! He’ll be covering everything from light meters and lighting, to creativity on a budget, doing live shoots, and post processing in Photoshop. Get all the info, see potential future dates and locations, and register over at WhyFakeItWhenYouCanCreateIt.com
Reviews Got a few different reviews here, so I’m just going to post what the review is for and the link to the site :)
Eye-Fi + iPad = iAwesome – Okay, that was kinda cheesy, I admit, but the photo crew over at BYU is using this new technology to show their photos to their subjects and art directors almost instantly as they’re working on photo shoots! Definitely worth the 3 minutes to check it out.
Take A Ride on the B&H Conveyer System – So, you’ve heard about the infamous conveyer system at the B&H Superstore in Manhattan, but you’ve never seen it in action. Or maybe you have, but you’ve always wanted to take a ride on it and gotten kicked out of the store when you tried (just kidding ;) ). Here’s your chance to see exactly what the products see as they take a ride from their department to the checkout!
500px.com – This is a new online photo community that’s rapidly growing in popularity! It’s a great way to discover amazing photographers, share your own work, and get feedback from others. You can also use it as a portfolio site and blog! If you need a place to start, you can check out my account that I just set up this weekend ;)
Posted by Brad Moore
Combining my two biggest passions, music and photography, I get to capture the best moments of shows from a unique and creative perspective. Hopefully, exciting the viewer about the music as well. Plus, I get a buzz off being inches away from music legends!
When I'm not shooting shows, I work with Scott Kelby and the gang at Kelby Media Group as Scott's photo assistant and the photo studio manager. I've been a contributing photographer to some of Scott's bestselling books, including The Digital Photography Book Set, as well as managing his hugely popular guest blog series.
Previously I worked with Joe McNally absorbing all I could about lighting and photography while assisting on jobs for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, FedEx, Nikon, and Micron.
Wow! Brad, you made up for last week’s semi-lame Pimpy Thursday! Such much info today. Great offer on Kelby Training, but I jumped on the $20 off offer on Monday. Oh, well…I’ll just watch Matt’s class on-line instead.
Would have loved to go to Frank Doorhof’s class in Boston, but I’ll be back at work then. I’ll have to wait for a future PSW to see him again.
I’m still working on finishing “Another Day”, but so far it’s my new fave KT class! Great job guys!
PS: The B&H Conveyor thing was EPIC!!!
Charlemagne Obana
Word of warning to some who are checking out 500px. NSFW.
http://bmoorevisuals.com Brad
There is a checkbox toward the top of the page (just above the images, on the right) to turn NSFW images on or off. Hope that helps!
Brad
Charlemagne Obana
Thanks Brad, it was a little shocker to see noodz when I wasn’t expecting it. I’d rather not lose my internet privileges. Usually, I see a warning like the guest blogger did about content and I can use my better judgement in those instances.
http://www.sls-photo.com Stu
I just finished watching Another Day with Jay Maisel, wonderfully done! I think I liked it more than the 1st one. Signed up for 500px as well. Thanks Brad!
http://jeffreyrease.wordpress.com/ Jeffrey S. Rease
I had just joined 500px two days ago. I love the images I’m seeing there!
It’s weird, 500px.com has been here since 2003 but all of a sudden it’s getting a heap of attention. They have 300 new members each day :D
Just pray they don’t become a second Flickr…
http://www.josephmarthur.com Joseph M. Arthur
Loved the editing. Great class. Jay takes away the clutter and brings us back to what it’s all about.
Tim McEnroe
The wi-fi & ShutterSnitch combination caught my attention. I now have them installed and my iPad is getting images within a few of seconds. The trial run was a cheesy hand the iPad to a willing model, shoot them and watch their eyes bug out and then a big smile as their picture appeared in front of them. Tomorrow, with cooperative weather, I’ll try it out shooting landscapes.
http://photo.byu.edu Jaren Wilkey
Hey Scott, thanks for the link to our Eye-Fi/iPad shoot. Here is the link to the blog post explaining how we use the Eye-Fi card and the iPad on all our shoots: | {
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After the Second World War, Glasgow was notorious as the most ‘slum-ridden’ city of Britain. To tackle its urban squalor, massive schemes of slum clearance, public housing, and urban redesign were undertaken on an unparalleled scale. Modern homes in high rises and new towns were identified as the solution, an approach championed on behalf of the working classes by architects, planners, and local officials. Glasgow was nationally influential in its approach, which channelled this modernist impulse into homes, designed and built with a modern aesthetic and with the use of new building materials and techniques. More than fifty years on from the inception of Glasgow’s housing revolution there are lessons to be learned from this massive public housing experiment.
Source: Reference: Post-war housing no.2, A/30/F/6, Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning. As featured on Lost Glasgow facebook page
Research on the success or failure of social housing and relocation has generally tended to focus on short-term impacts. Very soon after the slum clearance and rebuilding programmes of the 1950s and 1960s, the criticism was made, and has stuck thereafter, that the main impact of such developments was to cause the ‘destruction of communities’ and ‘social displacement’. Despite a lack of research on the ongoing effects since, this has proved a very influential narrative, so much so that present-day urban restructuring has been said to have parallels with the earlier epoch, with policy-makers and planners having failed to learn the lessons from the past.
This project employs a historical approach in revisiting this period of post-war redevelopment and will ask to what degree it succeeded or failed, for whom, and in what context, over the longer term. Ultimately, understanding what has happened to people in social housing across the lifecycle, and over several decades, can provide important lessons for the conduct and prospective impacts of restructuring programmes today.
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York University victim of $1.6-million, seven-year-long fraud
Three involved in misappropriation of funds from the university in a fraudulent billing scheme
Toronto police say three people have been arrested in connection with a $1.6-million, seven-year-long fraud at York University.
It is alleged that between November 2005 and October 2012, three employees were involved in the misappropriation of funds from the university in a fraudulent billing scheme.
Det. Gail Regan says the university contacted police after it became aware of the alleged misappropriation of funds and three people — two women and one man — were arrested on Wednesday following an investigation.
Vittoria Caparello, 51, of Vaughan, is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 while Yossi Zaidfeld, 38, of Vaughan, is charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Melissa Caparello, 27, of Vaughan, is charged with possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
The investigation is ongoing and police say they anticipate further arrests and charges. | {
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Bottled water is not included. You can buy the soda package on embarkation day at special stations set up for it - they will also have souvenir cups that are included. You don't HAVE to use the souvenir cup by the way...this is a common misundertanding. They will put a sticker on your cruise card too, which you can use to get regular bar glasses of soda. After embarkation day you can get the soda package at just about any bar. They often run out of the souvenir glasses so if you want to buy this I suggest you do it on embarkation day.
Including the 15% automatic gratuity, a can of soda costs $1.73. On our last cruise we got the soda card for our son and it was $32.20 (again including the tip). An adult card is more expensive - about equal to the price for 25 cans of soda. The kid's card equals 18 cans in cost. The soda card does not get you a can of soda. It gets you a glass filled from the bar fountain - about 8 ounces or less per serving.
You know I have to chime in again on the soda card. It also includes juices which are not free after breakfast. If you drink water, juice and soda at every meal, the card is worth money. If you plan on drinking wine or other liquors at dinner or between meals, it probably is not worth it.
As I have posted before...it is about 4 sodas a day if you get the card. if you get a souvenir glass, it holds a 12 ounce can including ice. If you drink sodas at dinner, your waiter will refill your soda glass plenty of times. One of our table mates paid for a soda each time at dinner and did not have the card and he had about 2 cans each time.
So if you drink sodas or juice at the pool, between and after meals, you will pay for the card.
Once again...if you drink alcohol, you will probably not need a soda card. | {
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The Cherry Creek book club
The Cherry Creek Book Club is a group of about 10 neighbors, including a local author, who started meeting in 2002. We meet for about two hours to have lunch at one of our homes or at a local restaurant and then discuss a book. We sometimes get off track, but the host is responsible for reading the questions and keeping us focused. We have seen a couple of the movies corresponding to books we've read, like "The Kite Runner" and "The Other Boleyn Girl."
Not enough time, since we usually allow six weeks, but that person is still welcome to attend.
We liked
"The Help," "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls, "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen, "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, "The Poisonwood Bible," "Peace Like A River" by Leif Enger, and "One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus.
Next book
"Cutting For Stone" by Abraham Verghese.
We want to talk to your favorite reader! Nominate a book club, writing group, librarian, teacher or great reader at chicagotribune.com/printersrow. | {
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Archive for the ‘5 under 35’ Category
A title such as THE UNAMERICANS begs this question: what is an American? Or more specifically, what is an American in Molly Antopol’s world? A traditional answer might be to have a personal sense of identity and to be unencumbered to pursue one’s most shining hopes and dreams in a land where anything is possible.
Molly Antopol’s characters are mostly Jewish and they are mostly alienated – from spouse or kids, from past ideology and beliefs, and often, from their most authentic selves. Each story is a little gem onto itself. | {
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William Y.'s Princesses Packed 59 Boxes
Thank You William
All of us hope you enjoyed our princesses who packed your treasures! Because William used Princess Packers $59.00 will be donated to the local Cinderella Fund. We hope you enjoyed your Princess Packers and would greatly appreciate if you would consider sharing your Princess Packers experiences with your friends. We encourage you to click on your favorite Princesses and share your thoughts!
Christen Engel
Height: 5' 8" Weight: 155 Lbs.Hometown: Carmichael, CaBio: I came to Meathead because I was referred by Justin Pieper. My personal goal is to graduate with a masters in Physical Therapy and helping children.
Monica Hurtado
Height: 5' 8" Weight: 140 Lbs.Hometown: Santa Maria, CABio: I came to Meathead because I was referred by Hector Arroyo. My personal goal is to become a nurse. | {
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Ritual Entertainment has released the Linux dedicated server for Activision's sci-fi FPS Elite Force 2. These files will allow game admins to set up dedicated linux servers (thanks Ritualistic). Read more for download links ...
Activision has released an update patch for their recently released Star Trek based FPS, Elite Force 2. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.1 and adresses a ton of single & multiplayer issues, as well as adding 4 new fan base created maps. Read more for details and download links ...
Activision has released the, unsupported, beta update for Ritual's newly available sci-fi FPS "Star Trek Elite Force II", bringing the dedicated Win32 server to v1.01. This update is for server administrators ONLY (useless for multiplayer clients or other game owners) and removes the requirement of needing the game CD in the CD-ROM drive. Read more for details & download links ...
Star Trek Elite Force II. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed first person action game, players resume the role of Alexander Munro, chief of the Hazard Team, Starfleet’s elite security unit. Now assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E, players will explore strange new worlds, battle against both new and familiar civilizations and go on the most dangerous assignments in the galaxy. Star Trek Elite Force II is being developed by Ritual Entertainment. Four new shots below!
Critically acclaimed as the best Star Trek game produced, the title follows an original plot written with the approval of the TV show's creators. Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force sees the Federation ship and crew on a dramatic all-action mission that takes in time travel, alien attacks and an eerie space junkyard. Check out our new screen collection below!
Update: We just added 77 more screens.. Take your time to load them all!
Star Trek Elite Force II marks the return of multiplayer Holomatch. Similar to the original game, Star Trek Elite Force II offers several multiplayer modes including modes found in the Elite Force Expansion Pack, but with new features and weapons like the Klingon Bat’Leth. Multiplayer modes include Holomatch, Capture The Flag, and Team Holomatch.
The adventures of Captain Janeway and her loyal Voyager crew are to continue on PlayStation 2 in Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force. Codemasters has secured the European publishing rights to the PlayStation 2 edition of Raven Software's fast-paced first person PC shooter epic from Majesco Sales Inc. | {
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Monday, July 22, 2013
Thief (Love Me With Lies #3) by Tarryn Fisher
“Maybe our souls touched underneath that tree. Maybe I decided to love her. Maybe love wasn't our choice. But when I looked at that woman, I saw myself differently.”
The Blurb:
Note to SelfLove is patient; love is kind.Love doesn't boast or brag.There's no arrogance in love;it's never rude, crude, or indecent-it's not self absorbed.Love isn't easily upset.Love doesn't tally wrongs.Love trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.Love will never become obsolete.I'll fight for her.ThiefCaleb Drake never got over his first love. Not when he got married. Not when she got married. When life suddenly comes full circle Caleb must decide how how far he is willing to go to get the aloof and alluring Olivia Kaspen back. But for every action in life there is a consequence, and soon Caleb finds out that sometimes love comes at an unbearably high price.IMO:This book left me an emotional mess. I wasn't that much broken like after reading The Opportunist but still this book, like the others in this series, has toyed with my emotions.Seriously, how does Tarryn Fisher do it? How can she write such a story that feels so real? I've read a lot of books and even though other authors try to be surprising, it can only go so far. Love Me With Lies series kept me guessing. One moment, I think I know what's gonna happen but then Ms Fisher suddenly throws a curve ball on her characters. It's just refreshing.
“Broken people give broken love. And we are all a little broken. You just have to forgive and sew up the wounds love delivers, and move on.”
She also has such a way with words and the emotions leap off the pages. It's truly an experience to read her sentences. They are so enthralling and takes a hold of your heart and squeezes them at the right moments.
“Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you. Love is mean, but it’s good. It keeps us alive.”
It is what happened too here in Thief. This is the last book in the series and everything hedges on it. Will it be a happy ever after for Caleb and Olivia, or will our hearts be broken once again?
“How many times can a heart be broken before it is beyond mend?”
The book, like the ones before it, told the story in a non-linear pattern. We start in the present but also get glimpses of the past. The story is mostly told in Caleb's POV with surprisingly 1 chapter from Noah's POV and 1 chapter from Olivia's POV.Caleb and Olivia are still doing their usual dance but this time, Caleb is willing to fight for the love of his life and Olivia is changing. The changes are still subtle but her ice armor is definitely thawing bit by bit.
“She has the kind of love that can stain your soul, make you beg not to have one, just to escape the spell she’s put you under. I’ve tried to break myself of her over and over, but it’s pointless. I’ve got more of her in my veins than blood.”
I was rooting for them from day 1. It was even more reinforced in this book because there was absolutely no doubt that Caleb love Olivia. Reading their college days from Caleb's POV, I was struck on how enamored he really is with her.
"My first words to her should have been: Will you marry me?Instead, I went with: 'Why are you angry with this tree?'"
One of the biggest obstacles in this book was Noah. I'm glad that Ms Fisher didn't turn Noah into something that everyone would hate just to bring back Caleb and Olivia. I liked that Olivia really cared for him and was actually happy with him for quite some time. He's biggest flaw was just he wasn't Caleb. It will always be Caleb.
"I don't love anything more than I love you."
Leah, of course, also made an appearance here and she was still the conniving bitch that she is. Her vindictiveness knows no bounds. And using her daughter and lying to Caleb about her was just an all time low for her. I was so proud of Olivia when she defended Caleb and even slapped the bitch twice.
“Wherever we go in the next life, we’ll be together,” I say."Let’s not go to hell then, that’s where Leah will be.”
Thief also cleared one of the most depressing situations in The Opportunist and I was so glad that didn't happen at all.In the end, I still got my HEA. But you could say that it's definitely a Tarryn Fisher kind of HEA. It's not win-win at the end but after all the stuff that Caleb and Olivia have gone through to get there, I'm so not complaining.
"Love is a God-given tool. It screws things back in place that were loose, and it cleans out all he broken pieces that you don't need anymore."
Conclusion:How many times had this series got me frustrated? Lots. I don't even know if I should be sad or glad that it is finally over. Thief offered a satisfying conclusion to the most heart wrenching, frustrating, and fucked-up love story I had ever read.ARead my reviews of the first two books in the series here:The OpportunistDirty Red | {
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Palmerston North has a population of 80,000, is the seventh largest city in New Zealand and is the largest provincial city in the region. It's the home of the largest campuses of Massey University and the Universal College of Learning (UCOL) and also the International Pacific College (IPC), making Palmerston North a student-oriented city home to 18,000 students. It is also the home of the Linton Military Camp and has the Air Force Base, Ohakea, close by. The Adidas Institute of Rugby, based at Massey University, focuses on improving the skills of the All Blacks, the national rugby union team, though sightings of them there are rare.
Originally named Palmerston, the city was renamed Palmerston North in 1871 by the Post Office to distinguish it from the town of Palmerston in the South Island.
Palmerston North Airport (PMRIATA) is on the outskirts of the suburb of Milson and 5 km (3.1 mi) north-east of the CBD. The airport has scheduled domestic operations, charter flights and General Aviation. Road access to the airport is from either Airport Drive or McGregor Street.
Air New Zealand Link operate flights to Palmerston North from Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Wellington. Jetstar operates flights to Palmerston North from Auckland.
NOTE: State Highway 3 through the Manawatu Gorge east of Palmerston North is closed indefinitely due to slips and unstable hillsides. From Napier and Hastings, follow the signposted detour route from Woodville over the Saddle Road to meet SH 3 at Ashhurst. From Masterton, follow the signposted route from Pahiatua over the Pahiatua Track to approach Palmerston North from the south. Allow an extra 15-30 minutes for the detour. For more information, see the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) website.
Palmerston North is 7 hr by car from Auckland and 2 hr from the capital Wellington. The city is located on State Highway 3 (SH 3), with State Highways 56 and 57 passing close by.
From Auckland, follow State Highway 1 south to Sanson, then follow State Highway 3. You'll approach the city from the north.
From Napier and Hastings, follow State Highway 2 south to Woodville, then follow State Highway 3. You'll approach the city from the east.
From Wellington, follow State Highway 1 north, turning off onto State Highway 57 just south of Levin. North of Shannon, you have two options - continue following State Highway 57 to approach the city from the south, or turn off onto State Highway 56 to approach it from the west.
Palmerston North is built around The Square. Railway lines used to run through the Square, to the station, goods and shunting yards on Main Street west. This proved to be extremely impractical so the station was moved in 1964-66 and the site was subsequently turned into a park, known as the Railway Land. This explains why the roads radiating outwards from the Square are so wide because they used to accommodate the railway tracks. Most places are easily accessible by foot.
One of the advantages of Palmerston North is that it is compact, flat and easy to cycle around. The main educational institutions have cycle-lanes from the city centre. The main route to Massey University along Fitzherbert Avenue is packed with cyclists every morning.
Victoria Esplanade. Open from dawn to dusk. The Education Centre and conservatory is open weekdays 10AM-4PM and weekends 12PM-4PM.. Beautiful gardens (including a stunning rose garden), conservatory, walks, strolls along the Manawatu River, picnics, an aviary, playground for the kids, paddling pool, free electric BBQ's and a scenic railway. Victoria House, a historic building (the original Palmerston North's post office) is situated in the grounds. | {
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Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Photos and Synopsis
Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 photos and synopsis
AMC today released a series of first-look photos and the official synopsis for the upcoming third season of Fear the Walking Dead, currently shooting in Baja, Mexico. Check out the Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 photos in the gallery below!
As Fear the Walking Dead returns for season three, our families will be brought together in the vibrant and violent ecotone of the U.S.-Mexico border. International lines done away with following the world's end, our characters must attempt to rebuild not only society, but family as well. Madison (Kim Dickens) has reconnected with Travis (Cliff Curtis), her apocalyptic partner, but Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) has been fractured by her murder of Andres. Madison’s son mere miles from his mother, Nick's (Frank Dillane) first action as a leader saw Luciana (Danay Garcia) ambushed by an American militia group — the couple escaped death, but Nick no longer feels immortal. Recovering both emotionally and physically, Strand (Colman Domingo) has his sights set on harnessing the new world's currency, and Ofelia’s (Mercedes Mason) captivity will test her ability to survive and see if she can muster the savagery of her father.
Fear the Walking Dead returns this summer with a third season of 16 all-new episodes. Viewers have a chance to catch-up on the latest season of Fear, which is currently available On Demand through Monday, March 20 and on Hulu beginning Tuesday, March 21.
A wholly original companion series to The Walking Dead, the #1 show on television among adults 18-49 for the last five years, Fear the Walking Dead explores the onset of the undead apocalypse through the eyes of a fractured family. The series is executive produced by Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, David Alpert and showrunner Dave Erickson and produced by AMC Studios.
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I started a membership scheme in 1995. I ws hoping to raise enough money to send out bulletins and to create a resource bank of material of interest to our community of filmmakers.Members have helped us create hubs in ten cities around Canada, Europe, Amercia and Beijing.Joining brings you into the Raindance eco-system of filmmakers and creative industry workers where you can network and collaborate.You can join Online HereHere’s 5 ways members help us promote independent film and filmmaking.1. Resources Resources ResourcesWe have hundreds of legal contracts (written by a top British lawyer), scripts, production papaerwork, marketing materials and over 40 hours of members- only exclusive videos. Compiling these takes literally hundreds and hundreds of hours. we think it is one of the finest cooloections of filmmaker and screenwriter resources out there.Membership subscriptions allow us to be able to keep adding fresh new and relevant content.Members login with their passwords and brow…
How was it working with Gary Oldman? Like driving a Ferrari for the first time, according to Luc Besson. The writer-director behind this summer’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets recently took to Reedit to promote his upcoming comic book adaptation. The gregarious filmmaker shared a few memories from some of our favorite works of his, The Fifth Element, Leon, andLa Femme Nikita.If you want to know which other actors the director had in mind for Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) and Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), then check out some of the more entertaining answers from the Luc Besson Reddit AMA below.The other day the new trailer came out for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, which looks unlike any other big summer movie in recent memory. The exuberant colors and the sense of gleeful, self-aware escapism scream Besson’s name. The trailer also shouts the names of comic book writer Pierre Christin and illustrator by Jean-Claude Mézières, the two artists responsible for creat…
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Realities behind the coming State of the Union address
It’s January, which means it’s nearly time for the State of the Union address. President Obama has delivered two of these speeches, and details are already emerging about the content of his third.
Among other topics, the speech will provide a “blueprint for the economy that’s built to last,” Democratic sources said. It will focus on manufacturing, energy, education and middle-class values, according to a campaign video released by the Obama administration and later reported by CNN.
On paper, this all sounds very warm and fuzzy, does it not?
Now, take a step back.
Former President Bush, whose administration is often chastised for the economic crash of 2008, saw the national debt increase by $4.9 trillion over his eight years in the White House, said Mark Knoller of CBS News.
In Obama’s first three and a half years as president, the national debt has gone up $4 trillion.
This is, of course, because President Obama has famously undergone a Keynesian economic strategy, which demands that governments invest in infrastructure to create demand. Need I mention the passing of his stimulus bill?
However the debt has gone up $4 trillion, and the rate of unemployment continued to increase until it peaked at around 10 percent, only recently showing a decline just below nine percent.
What does this tell us?
The recession was one of the worst in U.S. history, and America’s economic recovery has been moving at an incessantly lethargic pace.
In essence, the very economic recovery plan that President Obama is supporting is the very same program that has kept America’s economy in the proverbial toilet.
The Obama administration continues to march on, preaching “middle-class values” and “energy” at the general public, who continue to list the economy and the deficit as their two primary political concerns, according to a Gallup poll in March 2011.
So how does President Obama nail this State of the Union address?
If I were the president in this situation, I would do several things.
First, I would focus on foreign policy. Osama bin Laden, America’s former No. 1 terrorist enemy, was killed under the Obama administration. This was a victory in our War on Terror.
I’d also highlight Iran and their threat to block the Strait of Hormuz — anything to distract America from the realities of its fiscal circumstances.
Next, I would highlight the recent improvements in the economy, while ignoring its pitfalls. Things are still very bad, despite sluggish economic improvements.
Lastly, I would pick several gooey domestic issues to focus on such as education, clean energy and health care. I’d reaffirm my commitment to each of their struggles and encourage my “do-nothing Congress” to tackle these issues with me.
So, if President Obama wants to land this State of the Union, he must distract Americans from the economy, turn the tables on the GOP by labeling them as counterproductive and highlight several domestic and foreign policy issues that need revision and attention.
Hopefully, Americans will have U.S. economic statistics in front of them as they watch. | {
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Hall Hire
At our temple, we offer multipurpose hall for hire for occasions such as Arangetram, weddings, religious functions, music and dance classes. The hall is available for hire for £75 an hour for a minimum of two hours. As part of our commitment to promote Hindu religion and culture, we encourage you to use the multi purpose hall for cultural activities and classes. Concessions available for regular classes. Please contact temple office for terms and conditions. Please note the decorations need to be arranged by the organisers themselves. | {
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Hey Kids!
This is your own special site for sculpture education and fun!
Experience Sculpture and Express Your Artistic Side!!
Kids, you can give sculpting a try yourself!
If you would like to try sculpting clay with your own hands, ask
a parent to provide you with some modeling clay. Ask for oil-based,
non-drying modeling clay if possible (available at art specialty
stores). Oil-based clay is very special in that it can always be
changed and reshaped. It might get a little bit hard if you leave
it exposed to air, but once you start working with the clay in your
hands again it will soften back up so that you can sculpt something
new every time you work with it.
Begin by making simple stick figures, and work your way up to more
advanced sculptures. Use pencils, wire, or other strong objects
as armatures (supports) to help hold up larger sculptures.
No special tools are needed to sculpt. All you really need are your
hands!! Just use regular household objects, such as toothpicks,
to give your sculpture fine details.
Keep your sculpture on a piece of board or thick paper while working
on it. Do not place it directly on your parents' furniture, as it
might stain!! Store extra clay in a resealable plastic bag or in
a container with a lid.
(Note
to parents: DO NOT attempt to harden, or "fire", a sculpture
made of oil-based clay in your household oven. Oil-based clay will
melt and possibly ignite.)
Some
students make their own sculptures at the 2003 Sculptureworks, Inc.
"Touching Leaves . . ." Sculpture Show and Sale in Danville,
IL. Photograph by Elizabeth Loggins.
A
young artist receives some helpful assistance at the 2003 Sculptureworks,
Inc. "Sculpture Along the Trinity at Bear Creek" Sculpture
Show and Sale in Keller, TX. Photograph by Elizabeth Loggins.
A drawing
by a sculpture student at the 2003 Sculptureworks, Inc. "Touching
Leaves . . ." Sculpture Show and Sale in Danville, IL. Photograph
by Elizabeth Loggins.
After you view sculpture or other artwork, you can also express your
artistic side by drawing pictures of the art you have seen. Or, if
writing is more your style, try writing a short story about a piece
of sculpture, or a poem that expresses your emotions that a piece
of sculpture might give you.
If you are multitalented, you can choose to both draw and write, like
in the booklet shown to the left. The booklet was made by students
like you, who wrote about their favorite sculptures and drew pictures
of what they saw. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
As the lads prepare, yet again, for an All-Ireland Semi-Final, us supporters have to find a way of filling the long, painful void by doing everything and anything that is in any way related to Mayo football.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite old enough in 1996 to fully appreciate what had happened in the semi-final against Kerry. In fact, I was so gutted that Mayo had lost the minors that day that it had to be explained to me that it “wasn’t the big match, that’s up next!” That was lost on me at the time, but I was old enough a mere 12 months later to fully appreciate sitting in the old Hogan Stand to see us put Leinster Champions Offaly to bed. All that considered, here are some particularly magical moments that stuck with me, in no particular order:
*Note: These aren’t a list of top moments as such, just some of my own personal favourite memories.
Ciaran McDonald in 2006Ok, lets just get the obvious one out of the way. This guy was magic and he gave us some memorable moments in the green and red. Not least on that day in 2006 when, as huge underdogs, we toppled Dublin. And I’m not just talking about his cracking winner – his point from the sideline in the first half of that game was absolutely majestic. He scored a similar one against them in Parnell Park in a league game not long after that – an absolute cracking game which we lost by a single score due to a late Mossy Quinn ’45. What a player this guy was.
Chris Barrett in 2013When the chips were down and we needed something to spring us to life in the Tyrone game in 2013, up stepped our pacey full back. Not once, but twice. We had just lost our top scorer and young footballer of the year, Cillian O’Connor to a recurring shoulder injury and were trailing by 4 late in the first half, with only 3 points on the board in over a half hour of football. Barrett then marched up the pitch and kicked two spectacular points to bring the game, from a Mayo perspective, to life – the first point kick-starting a comeback and the second bringing us within 1 just before the break. Many consider those points as the pivotal moment that brought Mayo back into that game. Few, I feel, would disagree.
Seamie O’Shea in 2012Apart from our absolute blitz of Dublin in the first 15 minutes of the second half, the score that stands out for me is the last one – the clincher – from Seamie O’Shea to put us 3 ahead. It never gets old listening to the roar from the Mayo faithful after that score. It was as much relief as anything else, as the Dublin lads managed to slowly claw their way back into the game. I love everything about this clip. The Mayo crowd chanting, the outstanding catch by the ever reliable Barry Moran, the finish from Seamie and the deafening roar from the crowd.
And it all could have been different only for…
Davey Clarke in 2012
What a moment. What a save. What a ‘keeper. Every time I see this replayed, I can still feel my heart drop when Brogan gets the ball. One of the best forwards in Ireland came up against one of the best (and in my humble opinion, the most underrated) ‘keepers. Thankfully, our boy won out this time ’round. Poor oul Darragh Maloney sounded gutted.
Keith Higgins in 2006
Passion, determination and desire. This last one was a toss up between Andy’s goal and this block. And marginally, our current captain came out on top. The entire team’s performance in the drawn game in 2014 was also considered, but this just pipped it at the post.
Dublin’s forwards were lined up. It was a foregone conclusion. They were going to equalise and bring this mammoth battle to a replay. It’s the 70th minute, the ball drops to Jason Sherlock. The fairlytale ending. And then Higgins produces an absolutely astonishing super-hero block that eventually leads to Mayo getting the ball back and killing the game off. My heart is pounding just typing this!
So, hopefully this post has entertained you somewhat in our wait for next Sunday. We now know Kerry are waiting for either ourselves or Dublin. Lets hope it’s the former, and we can replace a few of the above memories with some fresh ones!
Keep an eye out later today, where Robert Bashford will run you through Part 2. And if you disagree, let us know on Twitter or Facebook!
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We welcome Dublin fan Neil Franklin into our guest spot as we build up to the big match on Sunday.
I don’t know what my real attitude towards Mayo football is. I’ve never been excited by it in the way that I was excited by Down’s early 90s flair and swagger, or Galway’s late 90s version of the same qualities. I’ve never admired it in the way I admired Tyrone or Armagh’s defiance, I’ve never feared it in the way I feared Meath and Kerry. For a long time it barely registered on my radar. When it did, it came with baggage weighing it down, and it generally made for an uncomfortable watch.
On the day that Mayo demolished Donegal in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final, I began reading Keith Duggan’s book “House Of Pain”, finishing it three weeks later, the day before Mayo beat Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final. The aim of that book may not be to fill people from other counties with pity for Mayo, but unfortunately that is the inevitable outcome of reading it. Everybody wants Mayo to win an All-Ireland. The truth is, we want you to get it over with so we can stop feeling guilty about cheering against you.
But I’m also jealous of Mayo in some ways. That may sound strange coming from somebody from a county with 24 All-Ireland titles against Mayo’s mere three but to me, it’s rational. Kind of.
I’m jealous of what it must feel like to have a whole county unite and go into the Lion’s den and face Hill 16 and 50,000 Dubs in their own backyard. Jealous of being from a county where GAA is part of the fabric of everyday life in a way that it will never be in Dublin. Jealous of being part of a people and a cause in a way that we will never know. Jealous of being an underdog. Jealous of the chase.
Mayo people want to end the chase, and go back to being a normal county unencumbered by the nation’s pity and “God help us” tags. The chase can only be worthwhile if the prize is won.
Hill 16 – Dublin only?
The only insight I can gather into what it must feel like to be a Mayo person as Sam Maguire comes into view in the distance and then disappears yet again is from being a Liverpool fan in April 2014 as 24 years without a League championship promised to end in a glorious climax, and then blew up in a manner that left me feeling despairing, bitter, yet empty. It’s not the same though. Liverpool FC is a basically a television-inspired, one way love affair for me, not much more real than Taylor Swift or Jessica Alba. Mayo football to Mayo people is not that and never will be.
Dublin’s chase, the longest in the county’s history, lasted 16 years, exactly one quarter of the current length of Mayo’s.
Winning in 2011 was great. The manner of it was better, coming from behind as underdogs to overhaul your greatest rivals and beat them in the championship for the first time in 34 years.
I knew then and I know now that that was as good as it could ever get following the Dublin football team. The 2013 semi-final came damn close, but again, that was Kerry. Kerry are the one county who will always be able to waken even the most sated Dub from his well-fed sloth and turn them into a ravenous, bloodthirsty animal again.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the final. September 22nd of two years ago almost felt too perfect and ultimately, it could only disappoint. Closer to the shortest day than the longest, in most years it would have been the hottest day of the year, although perhaps not in that glorious summer of 2013.
I stood beside Donegal, Derry, Armagh and Tyrone people in previous years as they experienced the agonising final minutes before their first All-Irelands, so I’ve seen and even felt what it brings out in people. Being in opposition to that is a strange, conflicted feeling. There was a different kind of tension in the air in 2013 to 2011. I felt our tension and I felt Mayo’s tension as a group of Mayo supporters stood near me on Hill 16.
As Cillian O’Connor lined up that last free, it was difficult to know what to think. I didn’t know what I wanted to happen. Probably for one more play to be allowed and for Mayo to get a draw. That was not to be.
When Joe McQuillan blew the whistle from Stephen Cluxton’s kickout, there were celebrations, flares, flags and blue smoke, but it wasn’t like 2011. There was real disappointment and real emotion in close vicinity and it was hard not to feel some of it.
It’s hard not to laugh at Kerry and Kilkenny people who tell me they know disappointment too. Sure. They don’t even know what it felt like to be a Dublin supporter during our barren spell. Never mind Mayo, never mind counties who have never won the All-Ireland such as Monaghan.
Dublin people perhaps know more disappointment than Kerry or Kilkenny, but it’s still different for us. Winning does strange things to you. Winning when you have an almost obscene population and money advantage, and now talent advantage over virtually every county, as Dublin have, does even stranger things. Dublin should be winning and are winning. You find yourself becoming apathetic, bored almost, as the latest hapless victim lines up to be squashed like a bug. Every match in the cavernous new Croke Park, metaphorical tumbleweed blowing around the place, Dublin people fattened on success, some too bored by the sheer inevitability of it all to even bother clapping never mind cheering, the match day experience usually as stale as a loaf that left Oul’ Mr. Brennan’s factory a fortnight ago.
As a kid growing up, for me Dublin’s year generally revolved around one day – often the last Sunday in July, Leinster final day, sometimes earlier, in which case it would be the unofficial but real Leinster final day, when we would inevitably meet Meath. That day would determine whether the year was a success or a failure.
All this time we in Dublin would have considered Mayo not much more than a joke, a team that might have an outside chance of sneaking through to make up the numbers in the All-Ireland final in those triennial years when Connacht teams got the “soft” draw of the Ulster champions in the semi-final.
The things began to change. The GAA decided to give teams a second chance and rivalries and certainties blurred. Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Armagh and London came onto Dublin’s horizon. Kerry returned to it. And then, later, came Mayo. Respect wasn’t something that came naturally to Dublin people when they thought of Mayo. Mayo have had to earn Dublin’s respect.
The 2013 final was the apex of what is mainly a modern rivalry, but it is pockmarked by the far apart yet symmetrical semi-final meetings of 1955 and 1985 to which this year’s edition is the latest descendant. Both took place in the midst of decades in which Ireland was blighted by emigration and both ended in draws. The circle turns again.
1955 was a key year in Dublin GAA history. It was the first year of what we now know as “The Dubs”, the first time a Dublin football team made up entirely of Dubliners, most of them St. Vincent’s men, won a Leinster title. With Kevin Heffernan starring, a 20 point humiliation of Meath led to an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with an ageing Mayo team trying one more time to get back to the summit they had reached in 1950 and 1951. Although famous names such as Tom Langan, Paddy Prendergast and Sean Flanagan were still there, they were shorn of their star forward Padraic Carney, who had left for the USA the previous year to pursue his medical career. In rain and thunder and lightning that made conditions almost unplayable, the teams drew 1-4 to 0-7, Dublin eventually drawing level late on through Nicky Maher.
The replay went ahead in much better weather as the second part of a double-bill with Kerry and Cavan, who were also replaying their semi-final. This time Dublin took the initiative early and would never really lose it after Ollie Freaney’s first half goal cancelled out Jimmy Curran’s effort. Despite Curran’s efforts in hitting every score of Mayo’s 1-7 tally, Dublin’s 1-8 was enough to win by a single point. They would lose the final to Kerry, the first chapter in a storied rivalry which has rarely relented ever since.
The 1955 Clash
1985 is remembered mainly for two things – Padraig Brogan’s screamer of a goal in front of Hill 16 and John Finn having his jaw broken. A whole other article could probably be written about that, but we won’t go there …
The drawn game of 1985 was significant in that it marked the first, tentative step towards Mayo being a genuine national force in the game since the corresponding semi-final 30 years earlier. An eight point replay defeat turned out to be their lot, but the genesis of the 1989 final team was there in those matches. Again, Dublin lost the final to you-know-who. In fact all four Dublin-Mayo semi-finals since 1955 have seen the winner go on to lose the final.
The semi-final of 2006 was the day the modern day rivalry of Dublin and Mayo really began. Before the match had even started, farcical scenes almost reminiscent of a Benny Hill Show sketch had the crowd laughing and shouting angrily in equal measure.
Mayo weren’t the first team to warm up in front of Hill 16 in an All-Ireland semi-final. Tyrone did likewise in 1984, and subsequently were made to pay in a comprehensive beating.
But that was a Dublin team who were reigning All-Ireland champions and were never going to be undermined by such nonsense. In 2006 Mayo knew that while they weren’t a champion team, neither was it a champion team they were facing, but one with a soft underbelly which could be exposed. While it would be fatuous to claim it genuinely affected the result, Dublin having their territory claimed undoubtedly rattled them. It was the ridiculous prelude to the sublime as the game of the year and possibly the decade ensued.
It was Mayo’s day of blond ambition. Conor Mortimer led the way, but Ciaran McDonald’s contribution is undoubtedly the more enduring.
Like Mayo football as a whole, McDonald had to earn people’s respect. Now considered an almost mythical, mystical figure of Mayo football, a diffident, avant-garde, mysterious leftfield genius, it’s hard to believe that for a long time he was treated as a bit of joke figure. A flash harry, a “Swedish Maid”, as Joe Brolly once called him. That changed in 2004, shortly after Brolly made those comments during a Connacht championship clash with Galway. Mayo made the All-Ireland final where, despite McDonald’s not inconsiderable efforts, they were no match for Kerry, but skewered All-Ireland champions Tyrone along the way. That day McDonald made sure nobody would ever fail to take him seriously again.
Elverys beats Arnotts once again.
His performance in that semi-final against Dublin in 2006 seemed as extraordinary at the time as that Mayo team was ordinary, and a look back at the video confirms first impressions didn’t lie. McDonald controlled that game like a matador. In the midst of a Dublin whirlwind, he was like a Gaelic football equivalent of Maradona at the 1986 World Cup, controlling everything, dictating the tempo almost nonchalantly. And at the end, delivering the exquisite coup de grace.
But in truth, that 2006 semi-final was a battle to be runners-up to one of the best Kerry teams ever.
Things had moved on significantly by the time the 2012 semi-final came around, with a sprinkling of survivors on both sides peppering two largely new, and better teams, even if the match didn’t quite attain the all-time classic status of six years before. The flair of McDonald may not have iced Mayo’s cake this time, but it was clear that their power and pace were the framework of a more formidable overall unit.
In saying that, the Dublin of 2012 were not the Dublin of 2011, or 2013, feeling the hangover of All-Ireland success, Pat Gilroy unable to rouse them like he had been a year earlier. It was only the prospect of a humiliation that did so, but the roar when it came threatened to engulf Mayo. That last 20 minutes was one of the most devastating bursts of football that this Dublin team have produced, and had Bernard Brogan slotted a gilt-edged chance past David Clarke with five minutes left, the result would likely have gone the other way. He didn’t, Mayo advanced to another losing final and Brogan stored his disappointment up for 2013 when he would face a different Mayo goalkeeper.
The record shows that Mayo have always troubled Dublin. In those five times the counties have crossed paths since 1955, on the initial day there have been two draws, two Mayo wins, and a solitary Dublin win by one point, Dublin’s 1955 and 1985 replay wins coming by one and eight points respectively.
Which leads us to Sunday.
Dublin at times have looked unstoppable this year, and the league rout in Castlebar in March was one of those occasions. But lately, they’ve been looking vulnerable. Stephen Cluxton has been doing a fair impression of Iker Casillas at last year’s World Cup. Paul Flynn appears hampered by injury. Michael Darragh McAuley’s engine appears to be running on ordinary rather than premium at the moment.
Mayo people would be foolish to take any of that at face value. This is a champion Dublin team with the ability to explode.
Mayo’s early season form is now forgotten, their performance against Donegal as complete as any they’ve put in since 2011. James Horan did a superb job in his four years, but perhaps the fresh voices of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes, who have won an All-Ireland under-21 title with many of this team, and a fresh role for Aidan O’Shea, can make the difference.
“Miles on the clock”, say the detractors, given that those under-21 players of 2006 are all around the 30 mark now. But if this was a Kerry team, it would be classed as vast experience, and that’s what it deserves to be classed as. Both teams have that experience and a superb, free flowing style at their best, and it’s as tantalising a clash as has been played in the football championship since the great Kerry and Tyrone teams of the last decade met in their two All-Ireland finals.
It’s rare to have a great atmosphere at Croke Park these days. League and Leinster championship matches there are usually a depressing prospect.
Sunday will be different. It’ll be full on and then some. Semi-finals generally provide the best atmosphere of any match in a given year, as Croke Park is filled with supporters from the competing counties rather than the large proportion of neutrals that attend the final. And for Dubs it yet again it provides the prospect of a moment which is exclusive to the patrons on Hill 16 (we’re like the good folk at Augusta, just noiser and with a more colourful vocabulary). Five times in the new Croke Park Dublin have lost semi-finals. On each of those occasions, at the final whistle, the roar that went up from the other three sides of the stadium has been incredible and genuinely spine tingling. Eerily quiet around you, the rest of Croke Park becomes deafening, a wall of noise that Phil Spector couldn’t reproduce. Horrible yet beautiful at the same time.
Few counties have a Dublin diaspora like Mayo. The pubs will fill with them from Saturday evening, and as I wait at my Dublin bus stop on the main road in from the West on Sunday morning, cars and buses zooming past with their green and red flags will signal the main invasion.
Not this photo again lads!?
Whereas in previous decades, Dublin supporters used to wait for the last Sunday in July, it’s now the last Sunday in August we wait for as the day when the real business begins. This is the type of day you wait all year for. But for both teams it’s only a bridge to September. For Mayo, the chase will continue past Sunday, either way.
The big dog versus the underdog.
Every underdog surely has his day eventually.
Maybe.
Neil Franklin loves hurling (especially the golden 90s era), soccer (especially Liverpool), darts, poetry, wine and song. If he had a paper cut he would bleed blue. Follow him on twitter at @hill16bhoy
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Your essential match weekend guide!
On a week like this, it has been hard to turn our thoughts to the game ahead, and for the remainder of the week and beyond they will undoubtedly remain with the family and friends of the late Darragh Doherty.
But this is a massive occasion for our county and on Sunday, more than ever, this Mayo team will be looking to do him and themselves proud as we face into an All-Ireland semi-final for the fifth year running. Truly these are glory days for and this Sunday versus the mighty Dubs, while it will undoubtedly be laced with poignancy has the potential to be the biggest and loudest day we have ever witnessed in Croke Park to date.
Vs
If there was ever a day to stand up and be counted as supporters, this is it.
If there was ever a day to empty your lungs in support of our boys, THIS IS IT.
It’s time for us to play our part once again. The Dubs are loud; and in all likelihood, we will be outnumbered. We need to work harder. Let no silence fall during this game. If we lead, we cheer. If we fall behind, we cheer louder. Be the best Mayo supporters we can be. Bring the colour, and bring the noise. It’s time to be the 16th man.
Being The 16th (And 17th) Man
As is now customary, here is our usual round-up of info on how to get there. We noticed that the sound people in the Western People have taken a leaf from our book this week and done their own essential matchday guide and we are very flattered altogether but we’ve a bit more info below that might be useful. If you have any other info you think people should know, get in touch.
Getting there
Driving
As we always say, leave on time … leave yourself plenty of time for the breakfast in Rathowen!
The Longford Marathon takes place in Longford (unsurprisingly), on Sunday, and Main Street in Longford will remain closed from 10-4pm. The N4/N5 bypass will remain open, but with potentially heavier volumes of traffic.
Don’t forget your change for the toll bridge. When nerves are fraught it may just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Many a marriage has run into difficulty under the e-toll sign in Enfield. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Don’t forget either to stop into Feerick’s in Rathowen for a hearty breakfast. In what is now a match day tradition Mid West Radio will be broadcasting on the morning of the game.
Parking
Mater Car Park: Sunday’s special offer is available at the Mater Car Park; the closest official car park to the stadium, with all day parking available for only €10 and it can be booked online here. Fans are advised to book early for this weekend to avoid disappointment.
Q-Park: Park for up to 24 hours on match-day in Q-Park Clerys for only €8. Or park in Q-Park Usher’s Quay for €4 upon presentation of a match day ticket. The Match-Day offer is for GAA matches only and does not cover concerts or other events in Croke Park.
Park Rite: All day parking on event days is available at Park Rite locations across the city centre for €5 for match day patrons upon production of your match ticket. Locations and pre-booking here.
Clonliffe College: The Clonliffe College car park is situated 5 minutes from Croke Park Stadium. Parking is available for just €10 on match days. The car park has 2000 spaces, including 100 disabled spaces and is accessible via Drumcondra Road Lower.
If this is your car, leave early. Like, now.
Buses
Here are some bus companies that will be travelling to the match on Sunday. If you know of any more, please let us know and we will add them in here. Call to book your seat in advance if you haven’t already, we don’t want to see any of you lot thumbing up the N5.
Trains
Irish Rail have announced extra services to Dublin to cover the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final on Sunday 30th August. There will be three extra trains with one departing from Ballina and the other two from Westport. Booking on www.irishrail.ie is essential to secure your train ticket.
The following additional services have been added to accommodate supporters travelling to/from the match:
08:25hrs Wesport – Dublin
08:45hrs Wesport – Dublin
09:05hrs Ballina – Dublin
18:20hrs Dublin – Westport
19:10hrs Dublin – Ballina
19:20hrs Dublin – Westport
To book these services please click on this link, but do so soon as they are expected to sell out.
For extra matchday fun, when you reserve your seat you can opt to have your name displayed overhead. We wonder how many Willie Joe Paddens will be travelling this weekend …
Best use of the reserved seating function we’ve seen yet
Just pray this name doesn’t appear beside yours
Other Stuff
Tickets
Ticket demand for the semi final match between Mayo and Dublin are at All-Ireland final levels! Anyone with a season tickets that was lucky enough to avail of the offer to buy 4 extra “bring a friend” tickets on their account were very lucky as this offer sold out in less than 24 hours! Tickets on ticketmaster and from Supervalu also sold out within days. All the clubs in Mayo will be struggling to cater for all the tickets requested and will only be able to issue about 80% of tickets ordered. Hopefully there will be more allocated to clubs later in the week in the second allocation.
Anyone without tickets on the day of the match could try the Croke Park ticket offices. One is located on Dorset Street upper and another is located on the North Circular Road opposite Gills Pub. Otherwise, if you do find yourself with a spare ticket and no takers (a highly unlikely scenario!) you could give us a shout as we have been inundated with messages looking for tickets.
Pre Match Meet-Up
Traditonally, Willie Joe over on Mayo GAA Blog organises the now-customary pre-semi Saturday night meet-up in Bowes pub on Fleet Street. As a mark of respect, however, given the week that’s in it, it will not be going ahead this year. Here’s hoping we have a pre-final meetup to look forward to instead, however.
On the day, because of the crowd volumes, it’s unlikely that there will be access to our usual haunt in the Croke Park Hotel for ticket-holders other than those who are in the Hogan Stand, so there will be no Club ’51 pre-match meet-up on the day.
Social Stuff
Everleigh Garden on Harcourt Street (who once famously refused entry to Aidan O’Shea – sorry lads, too funny not bring up) are offering free entry with a Mayo jersey this weekend and also have competitions galore over on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
DTwo nightclub, also on Harcourt St are offering free entry with county colours before midnight and are having a pre-match party on Saturday night featuring Wesht of Ireland “gyp-hop”band The Latchikos (they’re class). Mention to Steven on the night that you’re part of Club ’51 and he says he’ll look after you (whatever that means – we reckon it definitely means a few free pints. Right Steven?)
If you don’t want a sore head for Sunday Willie Joe over on Mayo GAA blog has details of two great sporting events, one on each side of the river in this post.
Season Ticket Holders Lounge
The season ticket holders lounge is a new initiative from Croke Park for season ticket holders. You can pre-purchase dinner vouchers through the “Special Purchases” section in your season ticket account. You have until midday today (Wednesday 26th August) to avail of the offer. The adult menu costs €15 and U-16 menu costs €10.
“We are continuing our new offering for Season Tickets Holders for this All Ireland Football Championship Semi Finals in the form of a Season Ticket Lounge at Section 401. This is an area with tables exclusively reserved for Season Ticket holders who avail of this Special Purchase option. Service time is from when stiles open until the start of the second match.”
Match previews
For those of you at home on Sunday, the Sky Sports panel preview the All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Dublin and Mayo live on Sky Sports 3 on Sunday 30th August at 3.30pm: Mayo v Dublin preview
MidWest Radio will have their traditional pre-match preview show on Thursday night from 10pm.
And Off The Ball have an interview with Pearce Hanley on life down under:
Can’t make the game? No problem!
Mayo Movie World in Moneen, Castlebar are showing the match for free in HD – drop into the cinema to book your ticket.
Replay Details (!!)
If (god forbid!) the game ends in stalemate and there is a replay, this will be held in Croke Park (yes, in Croke Park) on the evening of Saturday 5th September.
#13forNo13
You will probably have seen this online already, but if not, former Mayo great David Brady has suggested that Mayo supporters in Croke Park on Sunday pay tribute to the late Darragh Doherty, who wore the no.13 jersey, by way of a massive round of applause in the 13th minute of the game. The idea has been widely shared and supported and in a reminder that solidarity transcends sporting rivalry within the GAA family, most of the Dublin supporters’ groups have also come on board to lend their support to the initiative.
Please share and spread the word to all Mayo supporters who may not be online, and let us raise the roof for our fallen brother.
Bring the Noise …
What more can we say? Bring your flags, (even one flag per car makes a MASSIVE difference) your voices, your hearts and souls and let’s bring that infamous Mayo Roar back to Croke Park. This is it!
Maigh Eo Abú!
Mayo v Dublin All Ireland Semi Final 2015 Match Programe
Elvery’s Pre Match Promotional Advertisment
Here’s the advertisment from Elvery’s the week before the match which Mayo Club 51 took part in filming. #SpineTingling
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It was with great sadness that we learned yesterday of the death of the talented Kilmaine GAA and All-Ireland winning minor footballer, 19 year-old Darragh Doherty in a tragic accident on Sunday night near Ballinrobe.
It seems like only yesterday that Darragh was lighting up the Connacht and All-Ireland Minor Championships with those magic goals, and his individual display in September 2013, on one of the greatest footballing days in our proud county’s history, will live long in the hearts and minds of Mayo gaels worldwide. His colleagues in Kilmaine GAA have described him as “an outstanding footballer who bought honour and glory to club and county”, and anyone who witnessed him play will know just how much commitment he brought to the cause.
All of us at Club ’51 would like to extend our deepest, heartfelt sympathies to Darragh’s family, friends, clubmates at Kilmaine GAA and from the Mayo minor squad and management. This is the second such tragedy to hit the Kilmaine GAA community in recent months, and our thoughts are also with the family of the late Pádraig O’Dea at this time. We would also like to wish Darragh’s friend Niall, who was also involved in the accident a speedy recovery and our thoughts are with him too and over the coming months.
In what has truly been a tragic weekend for the Mayo GAA community, we also extend our sympathies to the loved ones of Daniel Rushe of Kilmovee GAA, who passed away over the weekend in Adelaide.
Such a loss of life at such a young age is hard to comprehend in its unfairness and senselessness, and this tragedy transcends any sporting rivalry or football game. But while it is hard to contemplate sport at such a tragic time, in sport lies solidarity and healing, and there is little doubt that Darragh’s family and friends will be in the thoughts of every Mayo and indeed Dublin supporter in Croke Park. So let us all do Darragh, who proudly represented our great county with such distinction, proud on the day.
Sleep well, Darragh, and thank you for the memories. You will never be forgotten.
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We’re delighted to welcome to the guest slot this week a Mayo fan writing from across the water, Rambling Paddy. Based in London Town. Paddy is an avid follower of Mayo’s fortunes from across the water and here’s his account of what it’s like supporting Mayo football from across the Irish Sea. You can follow him over on his blog, A Rambling Paddy.
Last weekend, the first transatlantic pilgrimage touched down at Knock airport to great fanfare. With a welcome party led by An Taoiseach and witnessed by national media it certainly was a day of great significance for a regional airport that continues to innovate and punch above its weight. Although I should correct myself when I say the plane “touched down”. As anyone that’s landed into Ireland West Airport can testify, that may give an unrealistic impression of what is sometimes a not-so-gentle landing. Not infrequently, adverse winds and fog can mean a tricky approach and getting wheels on terra firma can be rather abrupt. And that’s not actually a bad (if slightly tortured) metaphor for the experience of following the fortunes of Mayo football. Not always blue skies and we can often end up being brought back down to earth with a bump. Not one for travellers of a nervous disposition.
Following from overseas can both intensify and dilute that experience. Even in such a technologically-connected world, being one step removed from the day-to-day conversations brings a certain sense of exclusion. Who’s going well at training. The rumoured line-ups. The challenge matches. These are just a few thoughts that might merely be easy discussion topics when bumping into a neighbour at home but they don’t usually crop up in the corner shops of Clapham. And although this may seem insignificant, it adds to the latent sense of occasion that only an extended Mayo run in the championship provides.
To compensate for this, I tend to forensically trawl through all coverage of Mayo football online. And if we’re currently spoilt with the quality of the football, then the level of coverage they receive certainly does it justice. Amateur writers such as “An Spailpín Fánach” and Willie Joe of Mayo GAA Blog fame are always compulsive reading. And I use the term amateur in the same sense of the football itself – professional in all but name. We’re also fortunate with the quality of the regional media and the digital supplements of The Western People and The Mayo News are always worth coughing up the few quid for. The Mayo News team in particular deserve extra plaudits for their innovative podcast which has been good company on several tortuous tube journeys. In addition to that local coverage, a few of the national writers seem to have a grá for Mayo football – the ever-excellent Keith Duggan at the Irish Times in particular. All are consumed fanatically.
Additionally, any calls home at this time of year invariably involve a five minute maternal briefing on any local or family matters, followed by a forty-five minute in-depth analysis with the old fella on the next championship game. Now that we’re heading for a semi-final, I’ll probably have to up that allowance to an hour. The ties might be slightly remote, but still maintain a tangible connection to the atmosphere. And anyway I shouldn’t complain. London is a great city, and I’m fortunate that it’s still accessible enough to facilitate regular trips home for family, friends…and football. Or more correctly, I’m fortunate that Knock Airport exists to facilitate it.
The relationship between the airport and those of us that travel over and back regularly can be summarised by a conversation I heard recently while queuing at Stansted. Two middle-aged Mayo gentlemen ahead of me waiting to board, returning after a week’s work on the building sites of London. I gathered it wasn’t their first tour of duty overseas. Having spent twenty minutes complaining about the cost of the departure charge at the airport, they ended up talking round in circles eventually praising its value compared with the cost of travelling to Britain in the eighties. By the time we were ready to board, a general consensus had been reached that for the convenience of having an international airport on their doorstep, donating all their worldly goods at the gate wouldn’t be outrageous. (For any airport staff reading I’d disagree – a tenner is plenty!) In summary: we shouldn’t take Monsignor Horan’s landmark achievement for granted.
And to flog that airport metaphor to death, we similarly shouldn’t take the achievements of this current Mayo team for granted either. For that reason, I had sufficient confidence prior to the Donegal clash to go ahead and book flights back for the semi-final. A gamble on meeting the Dubs in Croker on the last weekend of August. Another flight, another trip to headquarters.
Expect some turbulence.
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As the countdown to the All-Ireland quarter final (against God only knows who) gets underway, it’s probably time to start making a few plans for getting there. With that in mind, here’s some early info on transport for Mayo supporters to Croke Park.
Bearing in mind that we are playing twice in Croke Park on 8th August (our Junior team takes on Kerry in the All-Ireland Final at 2pm and our seniors play in the quarter-final at 6pm), it’s expected that as usual, a large contingent will be making the journey from the West.
Credit: Mayo GAA Facebook Page
We’ll be compiling a list of transport options and updating it over the coming days so if you know anyone who is running a private coach on the day please contact us with details or leave a comment underneath, and we’ll add it in.
Train:
Irish Rail are running trains from Ballina and Westport at times that work well for the games: – see all relevant information here:
Buses
BALLINROBE: Kieran Biggins is providing a ticket plus transport deal, with the bus leaving Ballinrobe at 1.00pm sharp. The cost of the bus and entry ticket to Croke Park to the match is €35.Anyone interested who wishes to reserve a place should contact Kieran on 087 2705050 to book their place, early bookings are advisable. (Thanks to Ballinrobe GAA)
BALLINA: Treacy Coaches are running a bus to Dublin on the 8th, departing Ballina at 12 noon. To book, email [email protected] or phone 096 22563. Depending on preferences, i.e. whether people want to see the Junior Final (which we hope they will!) they may run a coach at 9.30am to cater for them, so if you are interested please get in touch with them as soon as possible.
Crossmolina: Call Gillespie Coaches on 085 7646523 for details.
If there are any other planned buses please let us know and we will post them here.
Parking
Parking around Croke Park on Saturday is harder to get than parking on Sundays – for one, on-street parking is a bit of a risk due to clampers. Details on car parks near Croke Park can be found here.
Mayo GAA has posted the following information on its website about Euro Car Parks’ €7 match day parking offer. Saturday’s special offer is available at the Mater Car Park; the closest official car park to the stadium, with all day parking available for only €7 and it can be booked online here. Fans are advised to book early for this weekend to avoid disappointment. UPDATE: This is now fully booked out (Friday evening)
Traffic
Luas Cross-city works are ongoing in the city centre; all information is here. Main thing to note is that if you’re travelling on Friday that you can’t use College Green between 7am and 7pm. Just leave yourself plenty of time if you are travelling across the city and you will be fine.
Sunday: If you’re staying overnight in Dublin, be aware that the Ironman 70.3 is happening in Dublin on Sunday 9th and there will be rolling road closures throughout the city to facilitate all those mad fit people running and cycling and swimming around the place. All details can be found on their website here.
Wavelength Video Launch: Local band Wavelength after their recent video recording sessions around the county are releasing their “Seven Mayo Finals” song & video in the Upper Deck, Crossmolina tonight (Thursday) at 9:30pm. All proceeds to Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
On the day:
Get your message on the big screen in Croke Park.
The GAA are providing the usual entertainment features including the half time interval act. Because Croke Park will be full of culchies Marty Mone will be performing his massive hit single ‘Hit the Diff’ at half time during the Monaghan and Tyrone game. (No, we don’t know what it means either but the Farmer’s Journal has kindly provided a glossary of terms for the less tractor literate among us.)
So here we are for 5 years running – in an All-Ireland Quarter Final. But this time we have an added bonus – our juniors are contesting for All-Ireland glory against Kerry at 2pm. Any day your county plays an All-Ireland Final in Croke Park is special, so make sure you come early and bring your colour and your voiceboxes. You’ll have plenty of time during the Monaghan-Tyrone game to relax them for the senior lads.
Best of luck to our two squads and safe travels to everybody making their way to Croke Park! | {
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MINOR ATOM (8-9YEAR-OLD) AGE GROUP
PLAYERS SHOULD BE IN THE DRESSING ROOM AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE GAME TIME. PARENTS ARE ASKED TO VACATE THE DRESSING ROOM 5 MINUTES BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME (PREPARATION & DEBRIEFING). IF YOU CAN NOT ATTEND A GAME, PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR COACH IN ADVANCE.
PLAYERS SHOULD BE IN THE DRESSING ROOM AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFOREGAME TIME. PARENTS ARE ASKED TO VACATE THE DRESSING ROOM 5 MINUTES BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME (PREPARATION & DEBRIEFING). IF YOU CAN NOT ATTEND A GAME, PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR COACH IN ADVANCE.
Happy Family Day Long Weekend!
PAHL Families come out Sunday February 17th, for a fun family skate.
The family skate session will take place from 3:00 PM to -5:00 PM and is open to all PAHL families and their friends.
**** Helmets, gloves and skates are a MUST for all skaters****
Hope to see you all there!
PAHL Staff
A reminder that your children will be having Picture Day on Sunday January 20, 2019.
Individual players and team pictures will be taken. We kindly ask that all players arrive promptly 40 minutes before game time. If you do not arrive within the specified time, before your scheduled game, there is a possibility your child’s picture will be missed. There is no re-take date.
Please note all pictures will be handed out at our annual PAHL Banquet, at the end of the season.
Thank you,
As you may already know the ProAction Hockey League began in 2008/2009 making this our 10th season. The first season saw 64 youth participate and has grown to currently accommodate 148 youth players with many on the waiting list. A heartfelt thank you to those involved in starting this program and to those who have continued to generously provide financial support through equipment sponsorship and free ice time both here at Angela James Arena and most recently Victoria Village Arena for our championship finals. Finally thank you to our volunteers and the Toronto Police Service. Without your continued involvement the program would not be the success it is.
Our primary goals of the program have been and continue to be inspiring the youth to build new friendships, interact with officers, and learn the values of commitment, dedication, and teamwork on and off the ice. For some of our new players, trying to master the task of skating and playing hockey on ice is an opportunity they would never be able to afford. In our 10th season, we now have many more community members, volunteers, sponsorship and helpers involved as well. This is an achievement towards the “building better communities” initiative.
We would like to extend an open invitation to all of you to attend our ProAction Hockey League “Drop the Puck Event”. You will also have an opportunity to mingle with our sponsors, team members, players, officers, volunteers and community members.
Light snacks and refreshments provided.
The ProAction Hockey League “Drop the Puck” will be held on:
Date: Sunday January 13, 2018
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Angela James Arena
Address: 165 Grenoble Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 3E7
Games will start after speeches and the National Anthem. Please have all players and family members attend the arena for the Drop the Puck event to show your support for the program.
Please have all kids playing in the 3:00pm game to attend the arena by 2:15pm to ensure they are dressed and ready to go on the ice by 2:30pm. | {
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Great quote by Paraag Marathe (COO 49'ers)
We have the most expensive defense in the league on an average per year basis and that is not sustainable over time," Marathe said. "Becuase of the cap, if every veteran on the team took a 15 percent discount on their market value, you couldn't field that team still under the cap because the difference between wholesale (draft) and retail (free agency) is so wide.
"You have to figure out which players to keep and which players to let move on and churn out. Because you have to continue to replenish the system.
Which we have not drafted smart. We signed KVO fairly cheap as a FA, and dropped lower round picks on Smith and Keisel. Then under Tomlin, we drop two first round picks on DE and neither has shown any more than you could get out of cheaper free agents or later round picks.
Which we have not drafted smart. We signed KVO fairly cheap as a FA, and dropped lower round picks on Smith and Keisel. Then under Tomlin, we drop two first round picks on DE and neither has shown any more than you could get out of cheaper free agents or later round picks.
Tomlin also drafted Woodley, Timmons, Keenan Lewis, and Cortez Allen.
He also hit on William Gay (now back with the team) and found Skip McClendon.
Hood is a disappointment. But, I still think Heyward is way too underused to develop.
Tomlin's defensive drafts have been mixed so far. But, outside of Hood (who is really a 4-3 DT only), I disagree that we "have not drafted smart." It has not been a home run, but come on. It can't always be.
Even if Bill Belichick was getting an atomic wedgie, his face would look exactly the same.
Which we have not drafted smart. We signed KVO fairly cheap as a FA, and dropped lower round picks on Smith and Keisel. Then under Tomlin, we drop two first round picks on DE and neither has shown any more than you could get out of cheaper free agents or later round picks.
I find it funny that you say that we have not drafted smart and then put together a mock like you have.
Mingo is a risk. He has great potential, but he has not developed as a pass rusher. He only had 4.5 sacks this year and played on a loaded defense. Armstead is a great athlete, but he has proven very little and played against very weak competition. Rambo and Michael are very big character risks. I'm not saying that I hate the mock. I really don't. But, is that drafting smart? That is risky stuff, my friend.
Even if Bill Belichick was getting an atomic wedgie, his face would look exactly the same.
I find it funny that you say that we have not drafted smart and then put together a mock like you have.
Mingo is a risk. He has great potential, but he has not developed as a pass rusher. He only had 4.5 sacks this year and played on a loaded defense. Armstead is a great athlete, but he has proven very little and played against very weak competition. Rambo and Michael are very big character risks. I'm not saying that I hate the mock. I really don't. But, is that drafting smart? That is risky stuff, my friend.
All drafts are risky. I'm simply talking drafting two 3-4 DE in 3 years in the first round. | {
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There Will Be Oscars
from Newsweek / by David Ansen and Devin Gordon
At least we think there will be, which is why we collected these likely acting nominees for our 11th Oscar roundtable. They’re a lot of fun, and they’ve got lots to say. Best of all: they didn’t need writers.
Daniel Day-Lewis arrived a little late, but he did it in style. He was wearing a jaunty porkpie hat and a black-and-white Western shirt that looked like something swiped from Bob Dylan’s closet. The result was so un-Hollywood that George Clooney, this roundtable’s class clown, couldn’t stop ribbing his fellow best-actor hopeful. Question: “Daniel, do you remember your first professional job?” Clooney: “It was a Western, wasn’t it?” One of the delights of these annual gatherings is watching beautiful, talented, rich celebrities become just folks. James McAvoy, who stars in “Atonement,” spent the time waiting to go onstage at L.A.’s Hammer Museum talking about trying to steal some wineglasses from a recent Oscar event, only to be caught by the waiter. Just before they were announced onstage, Clooney turned to Angelina Jolie and said, “Let’s not go out!” She then pointed to two nonactors nearby and said, “Let’s send them instead.” Before long, everyone—newbies and supercelebs—bonded. Jolie and Marion Cotillard, the French star of “La Vie en Rose,” chatted about Provence. “Juno” star Ellen Page confessed that she just got her first apartment. It’s a converted brothel, and it’s haunted. “My stuff keeps vanishing,” she said. “Weird things, like makeup.” Advice to Ellen: if you do win an Oscar, hide it. An edited transcript:
NEWSWEEK: Was there a movie you saw when you were young that made you say, “This is what I’ve got to do with my life”? Daniel, I read that you mentioned seeing the movie “If… ,” about a rebellion at a British boarding school, with Malcolm McDowell.Daniel Day-Lewis: Certainly that was a very important moment, but not just because of Malcolm in that film. It was partly because I was at a boarding school at the time, and if I could have got away with setting fire to the place, I would have done it. And he created a banner around which all the outcasts rallied, and so that film was a big influence.Marion Cotillard: I love Greta Garbo, and I was fascinated by her as a child. One of the most incredible feelings I had was watching “Camille.”James McAvoy: It sounds weird, but there’s a film called “The Goonies.” [Laughter] And I mean it with all my heart. As a young boy that film made me cry because it’s about how you still have your problems at 10 years old or 12 years old. When I was little, you didn’t get chased by pirates and you didn’t get chased by gangsters and nobody was trying to kill you with guns, but your adventures were no less exciting. It helped inspire my imagination.Ellen Page: It wasn’t until I was about 15, when I shot a film with this Canadian actress named Molly Parker, who I just absolutely adored and looked up to, and became inspired by. For the first time, I felt something different. I felt myself being overcome by something I can’t necessarily explain. But I wanted to keep feeling that and finding out what that was and learning more about it.
You worked with Molly Parker, didn’t you, in “Marion Bridge”? [Pause] You look startled.
Page: Oh, you know, it’s a Canadian independent film. They don’t always get seen.
Angelina?
Angelina Jolie: Because I had acting in my family, I didn’t like the movies very much, and I didn’t watch them that much. I remember “Streetcar” and I remember Brando, but I don’t know if that was as a woman or as somebody who liked acting. Do you remember the first time you were paid to act? Daniel, you’re nodding.
George Clooney: It was a Western, wasn’t it? Day-Lewis: George, I think you should answer this question. Clooney: The first job I was paid for was “Batman & Robin.”
That’s the first job you were paid a lot for.
Clooney: You couldn’t get a job without getting into the Screen Actors Guild, so everybody I knew, including myself, would make up these credits just to get in. They didn’t have the Internet at the time, so you could get away with anything. I remember lying to a casting director, Barbara Claman, about this movie called “Cat People.” She was, like, “You were in that, were you?” I was, like, yep. And she goes, “Because I cast that.” I finally just said, “I can’t get in SAG. Help me out.” She helped me get a job on a film then called “The Predator.” We shot it in Hungary. It was Charlie Sheen and Laura Dern and I, all three of our first jobs. As big as they became later, the movie never came out, that’s how bad a film it was. But I got my SAG card. Page: I would like to see that. Clooney: I would, too. The guy—and I’m not kidding—the guy who financed it went to jail. McAvoy: Because he made the film. Clooney: Yes, as a matter of fact. If you’d seen me in it, you would understand why.
Daniel, were you paid for that little thing that you did in “Sunday Bloody Sunday”?
Day-Lewis: Yeah. I was 12 at the time, and there was a local grocer in southeast London who was, like, the unofficial mayor of that parish, and so the casting agent wisely asked her to round up all the local hooligans, of which I was one. She asked us initially to play soccer in the park as a background shot, and we were going to get £2 a day for that. I thought they must be insane. Because that’s what we were doing all the time anyhow. It was my first professional soccer match, in fact. Then the next day [director] John Schlesinger asked to see the nastier types amongst us, and he chose three of us to walk out of the local church and scratch a row of fancy cars with a broken milk bottle. I got £3 for doing that.
You were all quite young when you started. Angelina, didn’t you study at the Lee Strasberg center when you were 13?
Jolie: Yeah. Method is a very strange thing to study at 13. It’s all about recalling things from seven years ago. [Laughter] Day-Lewis: You were asking about films that might have set us off on that path. I’m not sure if it’s the same for you, James, but certainly when I was coming up as a kid there was absolutely no expectation whatsoever of working in movies. They still don’t make very many films in Britain, and so all our expectations were focused on the theater. You know, film was kind of a secret hope that you didn’t talk about too much, because it was considered to be an inferior form by people where I come from. Theater was the thing. Clooney: There is this weird pecking order, you know. Theater actors look down on the film actors, who look down on the television actors. Thank God for reality shows, or we wouldn’t have anybody to look down on. McAvoy: What is really interesting about coming to L.A. is that there is an expectation to make it into films, television or whatever. Whereas as a child it was never even a consideration for me. But certainly in L.A. it is different because it’s everywhere. But even at home in Scotland I think there’s kids going, “I want to be a famous actor.” Day-Lewis: Actors were weirdos when I was growing up. Clooney: They’re fine now. [Laughter] Day-Lewis: It was like flying the freak flag. You know, that was where the pride was—that you were a pariah of some kind. McAvoy: I don’t know if you ever had a similar thing, but to see someone on television or in a film who was from your hometown was really embarrassing. You couldn’t watch it. Because that guy who’s speaking with such a strange accent—that’s your accent. Scottish television was full of English things and American things, so every now and again when you got the odd Scottish program, you were, like, that’s terrible.
I might be misattributing this quotation, but I think Matt Damon said at one point that you stop emotionally maturing at the age you get famous.
Clooney: Matt did; you’re right.
Is there any truth to that?
Clooney: Well, if you do, that would be your own fault. Jolie: Yeah, but I think your daily life experience does change and therefore there are certain things that you don’t do. My favorite thing used to be to just sit in the subway and watch people; just walking by myself everywhere and living among people and watching them and talking to strangers. And I lost that. It was the hardest thing to lose. And I think that does affect you. You learn quickly how to get to know people, how to build maybe a smaller, more intimate world so that you can grow and learn from people and still be the same. But it is different. Cotillard: The light on the American actors is very bright, and in France it’s kind of different. But each time I go back home, it’s so weird that I don’t have the same life anymore. People are staring and looking at me, and I can’t look at people as I was able to do it before. Day-Lewis: Ellen, how are you finding it? Page: It’s kind of intense right now. And a little surreal. Just sitting at this table is a little surreal. I’ve been so absorbed in it that I don’t really have the outside perspective right now. Daniel, the other night at the Critics’ Choice Awards, you said that it gets to a point sometimes when you start being unable to recognize yourself. And now I have those moments, or even just moments within the moments, of being like, what? But it is what it is. You know, I don’t know what’s going to happen.
James, I loved the story you told backstage about your experience with the paparazzi.
McAvoy: I’ve only ever had anybody waiting outside my house once. We got in our car and we were followed, and it was very weird and disconcerting. We thought we would just go about our daily life and just ignore it, all that kind of thing. I think because we had once read that Clive Owen said just ignore it. Like, do whatever Clive Owen does—he’s a solid guy. We were going into town to buy something for the house, and we went into a parking lot that costs £10 an hour, and on seeing the price of the parking, the paparazzi went, “F— that.” They left us alone. So the lesson is, if you’re being chased by paparazzi, don’t drive fast. Just find a really expensive parking lot, and you will be fine. Clooney: I just found out about 10 days ago that I must live 300 or 400 yards from Britney Spears. I found out because I came home at 10 at night and there’s all these helicopters over my house with these spotlights on. I have a guesthouse where my assistant sometimes stays, and I thought someone had broken out of prison. Like something out of “Die Hard.” I get my baseball bat, which is what you always do in every film—I actually think Clive Owen said, “Get a baseball bat”—and I called up my assistant, who I thought was in the guesthouse, and I said, “Are you OK?” And she said, “Yes.” And I said, “Look, if there’s someone in the house with you and you can’t talk, say the word ‘Stonehenge’.” And she’s like, “What the f— are you talking about? I’m in my apartment.” I go, “You’re not in the guesthouse?” “No.” So I’m, like, “Well, then, what the f— is going on?” And I go out and I’m running around with a baseball bat in my robe. And it turns out it’s paparazzi over at Britney Spears’s house. So now I have to move. [Laughter]
Angelina, do you travel with a baseball bat?
McAvoy: And Clive Owen? Jolie: No.
Angelina, you’ve hit upon a strategy of dragging the press with you somewhere important, like Africa. Like, “If they’re going to follow me, I might as well go where I want people to see what’s happening.”
Clooney: She’s been really good about it. [To Jolie] When you guys showed up in Pakistan after the earthquake, at a point when our government, had they taken that moment to step in, could have actually made a huge difference in the area, you and Brad were the only people that were really showing up there. I remember specifically watching and thinking, “That is such a great use of people following you with a camera.” They have done it a bunch of times. Jolie: They [the Pakistani media] didn’t know we were there at first. We turned on the TV when we got back home and there was a picture of us unloading our gear. It said, “Aid workers have arrived.” [Laughter]
This is obviously a big year in America for politics. George, in 2004, Kerry asked you to help him and you said, “I’m not going to help you. I can only hurt you.” Why do you think that?
Clooney: You know, Michael Moore—and I like Michael a lot—but that speech he gave at the Oscars was polarizing. It became Hollywood versus the heartland, and I always find that it’s best not to raise the rhetoric at that point. I’ve been a big supporter of Barack Obama since his Senate run and I’m a friend of his, but I said to him, “I stay completely out of it.” I don’t show up at those things. And believe me, it’s not because his group doesn’t say, “Come on, help us out.” It’s just not the attention you want. I worry about that a lot, because you don’t want to do harm.
Can you guys talk a little bit about the trust required of the director in order to get you to do a movie and why that’s so critical? Daniel, how did you know you could trust Paul Thomas Anderson? You had never worked with him.
Day-Lewis: Well, I suppose because I have had this very strange sense that, even though we came from very different cultures and were separated by a vast ocean and a continent and quite a number of years in age, we have been separated at birth. So I suppose I trusted him in the way you might trust a brother. You might kill each other, but you’d fight to the death for everything else.
Where did that sense come from?
Day-Lewis: I have no idea. I felt I knew something of him from his work. That’s a rash thing to think, perhaps, but I was certainly intrigued by him. When I met him, it was love at first sight.
Angelina, how did you get comfortable with Michael Winterbottom? I mean, the level of trust you must have had in your director to do a movie like “A Mighty Heart,” with so much emotion in it, must’ve been very high.
Jolie: I was comfortable when Mariane [Pearl] was comfortable. But I wasn’t so comfortable the first day of shooting, when I realized his style was so unbelievably raw. There is often no rehearsal, no one saying “cut.” For example, you have three different rooms, and we would go into one room and we’d be talking, say our five lines, and he’d film us. Then I’d go pee, and I’d come out, and the camera was still on. So I’d think, “OK …” Then I’d say my five lines again, and that would turn into 10 more minutes of talking, and then someone would go get something from the kitchen and I’d go to my bedroom, and he’d follow me and he just wouldn’t leave. It was really odd. But it became just the most perfect way to shoot that film. It was chaos in that moment. It was very intimate, and my big fear was that something horrible might happen and the camera would be like this. [She gestures as though there’s a camera right in her face] But everybody was absolutely connected in every single moment. Even when we’d have lunch, we’d have it together at the table, or we’d all go for a walk together. We were just always present in the film. And so as an actor it brought me back to loving acting, and that was just great. But he does cross a line. One day one of the girls got sick and threw up, and he said, “Next time, tell us.” So he can be a little crazy. But I absolutely adore him.
Ellen, what was the atmosphere like working on “Juno”? It’s a very stylized piece, so I suspect there wasn’t a lot of improvisation.
Page: No, there wasn’t. I mean, Diablo Cody wrote one of the best screenplays I’ve ever read. It just didn’t need it. There was a lot of freedom in the sense that it was one of the most wonderful, open, collaborative atmospheres I ever have been involved with, which was just such a joy. Especially because I did trust everyone. Day-Lewis: There’s one thing I wanted to ask you, Ellen. The wit, the very particular wit of “Juno”—it’s hard to imagine that that isn’t close to your own wit. But maybe that’s just part of the wonder of the work that you did in it. Did you feel when you were reading it and when you were doing it that there was a real kinship between your own sense of humor and the sense of humor of that character? Page: I think it was even more than that—it reminded me of an aspect of what a lot of young women are like that absolutely never gets reflected in popular media. And so when I first read the screenplay I was just so in love that this was going to go out into the world. It really felt like a teenage female lead that had never existed before.
Marion, the amazing thing about your getting cast to play Edith Piaf was that the director didn’t even audition you.
Cotillard: I heard about the project before it was written. And I didn’t know Olivier Dahan, the director. But he said he thought about me, and I don’t know exactly why. Talking about trust, when I met him, we never talked about the script, we never talked about the character. We just talked about Piaf.
Is it hard, when you get so deeply into the part, to leave it behind once you’re done? How do you shake it off?
Cotillard: Before “La Vie en Rose,” I thought that it was just a job and when it’s finished you go back to your life. And I realized that it was not true when I finished playing her. First of all, I had that awful face. I had no eyebrows anymore. No hair. And when it grows back you really look like s–t. But when you carry someone around with you, and really have a relationship with that new person inside you-you give that person the emotions, and that character also gives the emotions—I think that sometimes it can be hard to just go back to your life.
Does Piaf still pop up in your behavior every now and then?
Cotillard: No, hopefully finis. But it really took a while. Everywhere I went just after we finished the movie I saw part of her. Like, I remember going to the … shrink? Right, shrink? Clooney: Yes, shrink. [Laughter] Cotillard: I went to a shrink right after the movie, and I saw Piaf everywhere. I arrived and the street was Marcel Cerdan Street, who was her lover. And there was this huge statue of Cerdan, and I was, like, “No way!” I’m quite a normal person, but it was getting weirder and weirder. I didn’t go to the shrink because I couldn’t get rid of Piaf, but in a way I kind of was. McAvoy: Can I ask all of you, do you ever consider the effect on an audience of the decisions that you make as an actor? Or do you just consider truth? Day-Lewis: As you’re working, James, or in the decision to do the job in the first place? McAvoy: In the decisions that you make on set as a character. Decisions about how to play the character. Day-Lewis: When I’m working, it doesn’t really occur to me that anyone is ever going to see the thing. It’s a perversity, I suppose, but that appeals to me a lot. It kinds of harks back to the days when I felt like a bit of an outcast for doing the work that I did. Clooney: But before you get to the set, do you have discussions about the character, in terms of how he will be perceived by the audience? McAvoy: Yeah, my question was just, literally, “If I do this, will this have the effect on the audience that we want it to have at this point in the story?” Clooney: You never can. Day-Lewis: I think if I started a thing like that, I would crash the car.
Is it different for you, James?
McAvoy: It is different for me, yes. I’m fascinated by the way you work, Daniel, and I have worked with Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland”—he gave an exceptional performance, completely doing it that way. And I’ve never done it that way. I think I’m too scared to, and that’s partly a controlling aspect with my personality, I suppose. But it is a way of working that I really admire, and I don’t know if I have it in me.
Did you rehearse at all for “Atonement”?
McAvoy: Yeah, for three weeks, which is kind of unusual. I usually dread rehearsal for film because I’ve found that film people will never know what to do except sit in a room together and make you say your lines 5,000 times. But [director] Joe [Wright] galvanizes everyone. He literally gives direction.
Daniel, do you ever rehearse?
Day-Lewis: I prefer not to. Clooney: They’ll do stuff like put tape on the floor and go, “OK, now you’re walking in and three vampires are going to come out over here.” And you’re pretending that there’s vampires across from you and everybody is laughing at you. I don’t find it helpful in any way. McAvoy: It was great. It was such an amazing experience. I’ve never had it in film. Clooney: I’ve never seen it. I think it’s fantastic. I’m not putting it down at all. McAvoy: Do you want to fight me? [Laughter] Clooney: I do. McAvoy: Let’s do this. Clooney: Unplug your microphone first. [More laughter] Day-Lewis: It is so important to work the way you need to work, and you have probably found a way that works for you. Angelina, what you had to do in “A Mighty Heart” is a very, very particular thing—to have that responsibility of trying to play the part of a woman who you obviously got to know very well during that time. What was your experience of leaving that film? Jolie: I was thinking about that when you were talking about letting go of a character. I looked face to face at the person I had been playing. And I continue to see her. Our kids still play together. So it was very odd. But she’s just the most wonderful woman, and there was some kind of kinship that I felt with her. I really truly love her, and I can say that because I do know her. That actually made me terribly nervous. It was the first film where I didn’t sleep the night before we started shooting. That night, she and her son came by to say hello to everybody, to say good luck before they left. Adam talked about his dad, and I realized that when this little boy grows up, this whole film—whatever the critics say, whatever anybody says—is going to be his re-enactment of how much his parents loved each other and how upset his mother was when this happened. So as an actor it certainly filled me with as many tools and emotions as I needed, because it was so real. But as her friend I was very, very scared. I was very relieved when she felt we had done it right.
Was Mariane on the set during the shoot?
Jolie: No, she never came on the set. She was going to come the first day, and she walked in on me in a costume fitting for her wedding dress. I think she just realized in that moment that she could not see any of it. She said it looked absolutely exact, and then we had dinner, and then she said she was going to leave the next morning.
When I watch “A Mighty Heart,” I think it’s a very political movie, but not overtly-its politics are in those scenes around the dinner table, where there’s all these different people from different cultures working together. There’s a kind of commentary in that. Did you discuss that when you were working on the movie?
Jolie: Yeah, we were very conscious of it. It’s something that Mariane made a big point of in her book, and it’s very much who she is, and what that family represents today. They all continue to work toward dialogue. Just having all those actors at the table was a nice balance, because during this time when our country is at war and there’s so much happening, to be in India and Pakistan with Indian and Pakistani actors, who usually also don’t work together and don’t cross each other’s border, to have them asking us questions about politics, to actually have open discussions about 9/11, about Muslim culture, American culture, sharing food, sharing ideas, writing each other’s kids’ names down—that did something for us. It was really exciting to say, “God, that Pakistani actor or that Indian actor is one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with,” and I don’t often think of actors beyond, you know, the list we’re all used to. I think that is very symbolic of what the piece represented.
Daniel, there’s a lot of politics in “There Will Be Blood.” Do you think about those things?
Day-Lewis: No, not at all. I just figured it would take care of itself. Jolie: Your process is just amazing. You are just so brilliant. We all look to you as this mad genius, like, “He must have the most difficult time because of the work that comes out of him.” Clooney: OK, let’s get it out right now. All actors bow to this f—er right here. And it makes us crazy when he goes, “Yeah, and then I went and I was a cobbler for a year.” He made shoes for a year! You’re amazing, and you just kill it for the rest of us. [The audience applauds] Day-Lewis: Thank you, George. Clooney: Yeah. Whatever. [Laughter]
Speaking of shoes—
Clooney: Wow, that’s a segue.
Actually, it came up when we were doing this roundtable with Annette Bening and Kate Winslet. They were talking about how they physically create a character, and how important clothing is. Bening said that for her it begins with the shoes—that once she gets how the character walks, she gets the character. And Winslet said that it was her bra. I think she was serious. Is there some physical aspect that helps you find characters?
Page: I really have to say, I think the most commonly asked question—and the most annoying question—is, how do you relate? How do you relate to Juno? How are you like Juno? If you’re playing someone who is honest and whole and well written, you are going to be able to relate to that individual, because we are just all made up with the same stuff. McAvoy: But Ellen, can I ask, how do you relate to Juno? [Laughter] Clooney: She gets a new bra. McAvoy: I had an experience when I did “Narnia”—I read that book a lot when I was a kid, and I imagined that character from the ages of, like, 8 to 24. So when I was given the script, I already knew how I was going to play him, because I imagined him so much. And it taught me that when I got a new script, clothes and all that stuff are important, but I try to imagine the character like he’s been in your head for 12 years. It’s about finding the character in your head first, and then recognizing him in the right clothes.
That character didn’t wear shoes.
McAvoy: Or a bra.
I have a technical question, Marion: when you were playing Piaf, you had to spend several hours a day getting your makeup done. How long was it?
Cotillard: Depending on the day, it was from three to five hours.
I always wondered, what do you do during those three to five hours?
Cotillard: I slept all the time.
Really?
Cotillard: Yes, we had almost 30 days of heavy makeup. I wanted to kill everybody, and especially everybody wanted to kill me. So they put me in a bed, and they did the makeup while I was sleeping. It was very funny because there’s a guy who came to shoot video of me almost every day getting this done. And I saw the video, and they were doing things to me and I can’t believe I didn’t wake up. It was acrylic painting and latex and prosthetics, so there’s glue and all that. Sometimes I had nightmares, and I would wake up with a big scream and cry. One day I was crying while I was sleeping, so the makeup artist’s assistant had to spend four hours with tissues around my eyes, so the salt from my tears didn’t spoil the makeup.
Were there ever roles that any of you regretted taking?
Jolie: That’s part of it. You’ve got to have your bad ones. Clooney: People will give you s–t later and say, “Why did you do this movie?” Because I needed a gig. Sometimes you just needed the job.
All the actors I’ve ever talked to always say they’re afraid that every job they are offered is going to be their last.
Clooney: I still have that in me. You are always still auditioning in your head. If you don’t think that way, then I think you are lost. McAvoy: In your head, do you make yourself take off your clothes? Clooney: Just now I did. McAvoy: Excellent. And did you get the part? Clooney: Hang on, wait, I’m still working on it. No, I did not. Clive Owen got it.
Ellen, because of the success of “Juno,” are you now suddenly getting a lot of offers?
Page: More than I was a little while ago. Which is absolutely wonderful. Obviously that’s the huge gift of a film like this doing so well. For an actor at any age, that’s huge. But I am going to take my time.
There’s a flip side, of course. Can some of you talk about moments where you failed?
McAvoy: I was once told that I’d never work in Scotland again. And it was on my third job. Clooney: Really? McAvoy: Yeah. And that’s the end of that. I’m not going any further. Clooney: I did a series called “Baby Talk.” It’s a little baby that has to talk—it was the “Look Who’s Talking” sitcom. I have a whole list of really s–tty shows that I was really s–tty in. I’m really proud of them. I had a mullet in this one. I have a whole career with a mullet, actually. But this was a sitcom with a guy who was a very big, powerful producer. One of the first things he did was he fired the baby, which I thought was a little strange. And then the lead actress was fired. And then he started on me, and it was the worst experience of my life, because I had never been in that position, where you can’t defend yourself. I remember—it was a very specific moment; it changed my career, actually—going home and I called up my agent and I said, “How bad does it get if I just say ‘f— you’ to this guy?” And my agent goes, “It gets bad.” And I said, “OK,” and I walked in and the producer went after me and I said, “F— you.” And I got fired and sued by the network, though they eventually dropped all of that. It was a terrifying time, but it absolutely freed me up to the idea that the worst thing that could happen is-what? You take away my sitcom? It freed me up to decide that I was going to try to do better projects and not worry so much about succeeding. It changed everything for me. McAvoy: Was the main problem between you and your mullet? [Laughter] Clooney: Yes, it was.
Speaking of acting with kids, Daniel, was your acting process any different on “There Will Be Blood,” because you had a lot of scenes to play with a 10-year-old who had never acted before?
Day-Lewis: No difference, but it certainly would very much depend upon the 10-year-old. And this was just a remarkable young person. He was just a great companion. He was my partner. I miss him a lot, actually. His mom was a state trooper, and his dad was a cowboy. They didn’t know anything about the movies. There was a moment which could have gone awry at the very beginning, when his mom quite rightly thought, “What kinds of people are going to be involved with my son?” She wanted to see what I was going to be like, because she knew he would be spending a lot of time with me. So she rented a copy of “Gangs of New York.” [Laughter] And there was a flurry of phone calls. And the studio dispatched a copy of “The Age of Innocence” very quickly.
You also were in a very strange position, because you had to reshoot a lot of scenes that you had done because Paul Dano replaced the original actor playing Eli Sunday. Was it hard to gear yourself up to do all that again—redo about three weeks of work? Or did you see it as an opportunity?
Day-Lewis: Quite honestly, I can’t imagine doing that with anyone else except Paul Dano. I really can’t. He made that possible. Often when you’re making a film, even on a good day, you feel like you’re wading in quicksand. And to take a big step back like that—it felt like a pivotal moment, but Paul made it possible.
How did the director tell you that this was going to have to happen?
Day-Lewis: We talked about it for a while beforehand. It wasn’t something that happened just overnight. It was something we tried to avoid at all costs. I hope I’m never again in a situation where a young actor is replaced, because you understand how devastating that can be to somebody. I found that the hardest thing to deal with, really.
Have any of you been fired?
McAvoy: No, but I’ve been on a job where an actor was replaced. It wasn’t a young actor, either. He must have been 40, and it was devastating. Absolutely devastating. I mean, it’s ridiculous. He was told every day that what he was doing was “iconic.” That was the phrase. “What you’re doing is iconic. Brilliant, it’s genius, iconic.” And then he’s sacked in three weeks. Day-Lewis: So if anyone says “iconic” to you, just punch them straightaway.
George, didn’t you once have an experience like that in television, where someone was telling you that what you were doing was brilliant and then the next week they hired an acting coach for you?
Clooney: Yeah. I was doing a pilot. It was a Western sitcom in a whorehouse. It seemed like a good idea to me. [Laughter] I came in and they kept saying, “It’s great, it’s great. You’re the next big thing, you’re the funniest thing we’ve ever seen. You’re great.” And then literally four days later, nothing was working. The script had problems, I was probably terrible in it. [Writer] Barbara Corday and a couple of other people came in and said, “We want to bring in an acting teacher for you.” It was like, wait, so I’m not lightning in a bottle anymore? It’s over? It was humiliating. TV can be really brutal, because it’s so quick. You’ll do a pilot and there’s so many subtle ways to fire you if the show gets picked up. You’ll get the first call—”The show got picked up for 13 episodes!” And you’re like, “Yay!” But you’re not picked up yet. Your agent says, “OK, they have four days to call and activate your contract.” So now you’re going, “Uh, yay?” And then you wait and you wait and you wait and then they call and say, “Listen, they’re going to replace your part. But it’s not because of you—you’re lightning in a bottle.”McAvoy: “And keep the mullet. It looks great.”
George, is it true that you are getting involved in the writers’ strike?
Clooney: That just happened the night we were at the awards show. It’s actually Harvey Weinstein getting me involved.
He can do that.
Clooney: Yes, he can. I was at the Critics’ Choice Awards and I said, “Let’s get everybody in a room and stay there until we solve it.” Which I really do think is a good idea. I talked to Spielberg and a few people—the CEOs and the writers that can help facilitate that. I am happy to be a part, but I wasn’t standing out there going, you know, “You’re going to do it and you’re going to like it.”
In the old days, when it was just the studios and they weren’t part of these conglomerates, it was easier to get these things solved.
Clooney: Yeah, Lou Wasserman and Jack Warner would go in and sit down and say, “OK, now how are we going to solve this?” But who are you getting in the room now? Multinational corporations? McAvoy: It’s interesting how this is all so financially important for the industry, but it is also a celebration of peers, and that’s a shame that can’t seem to happen.
So what happens if the Oscars come around and there’s still no resolution to the strike?
McAvoy: The world will end. It’s fact. It’s official. I was told so. [Laughter] Clooney: Nobody is going to cross a picket line. Nobody would even consider it. Would you want to be the only person at the awards? Jolie: We’re all going to George’s house.
Rock n' RollMarion Cotillard15 February 2017
Guillaume Canet is told by a young co-star that he's no longer Rock'n' Roll and he can't sell films anymore. He then tries to prove her wrong and gets help from his wife, Marion Cotillard. | {
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Community Support in the midst of the Black Forest Fire
Clients & Friends,
Almost a year after the Waldo Canyon Fire, the past week has yet again been challenging for our city. Many of our clients, friends and their employees have been affected by the fires in our community, and we’re all looking for ways to help others cope with this event. Please know that you have our support, and as a firm, we would be honored to provide solutions or resources to anyone in need. Here are a few things to consider:
1. If you haven’t been affected by the Black Forest fire, please consider a donation to support those who have been affected. BiggsKofford is making a special donation to Care & Share and the Red Cross. Click here if you would like to learn how you can join us and make donations to the local non-profit organizations supporting our community.
2. If you’ve lost income or your business has been been affected, you might consider if your business has insurance coverage to replace lost income, in addition to more obvious property coverage you might have. Sometimes umbrella policies are overlooked and you end up missing benefits that you paid for.
3. In addition to business coverage, some homeowner policies include additional benefits, beyond the home itself (i.e. lost income, relocation costs, temporary housing, business records, etc.). Remember to capture those costs, document them, and make a complete claim. Don’t forget to claim coverage that you’ve paid for. If you might be evacuated be sure to use your smart phone to take pictures and video of your contents before you leave, should you need to make an insurance claim.
4. We also suggest creating a personal disaster recovery plan (maintaining backup records, documenting assets in your home and business, create an “evacuation packing list”, etc.). Other ideas to help with this type of planning can be found here.
5. Other resources can be found here:
Pikes Peak Region Business Recovery Fund: Through a community collaboration of banks, the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance and other community partners, Colorado Enterprise Fund is offering a special loan program of up to $10,000 to help rebuild small businesses in the Pikes Peak region.
Small Business Development Center, hosted by the UCCS College of Business, offering assistance to the fire-affected businesses: visit www.elpasoco.com.
Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region offering food and shelter for evacuated animals: call 719-473-1741 if you’ve lost an animal.
BiggsKofford is a proud member of this community. It is going to take effort and support from everyone to get past this disaster. If you have need for personal support during this natural disaster, we would be happy to help you. | {
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You know how you get back from vacation and, instead of feeling rested and relaxed, you’re more stressed than before?
That’s how the current crop of Formula One drivers must feel as they return to work this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix after a month-long break.
Well, maybe not Lewis Hamilton. He’s pretty chill, you’d think, given his form so far.
The five-time champ has eight wins and 10 podiums in 12 races and leads Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by a commanding 62 points atop the standings.
In other words, barring a catastrophic turn of events, Hamilton could take another month off and still drive away with his sixth drivers’ title by the time the checkered flag comes down at the season closer in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 1.
What’s to sweat?
Lewis Hamilton, seen steering his Mercedes during Friday practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, holds a commanding lead in the drivers’ championship.Mark Thompson /
Getty Images
Likewise, Mercedes is on the fast track to continuing its sweep of constructors’ crowns since F1 switched to turbo-hybrid engines in 2014.
Presumably, this will do nothing to shake off complaints that the planet’s premier racing series has become too paint-by-numbers.
Who can argue with that?
Between them, Hamilton and Bottas account for every win but two this season, giving Mercedes 438 points vs. 288 for Ferrari and 244 for Red Bull.
The two exceptions were Austria and Germany, where Max Verstappen — bless his soul — won both times at the wheel of his Red Bull.
He almost made it three victories at the last stop, in Hungary, where he relinquished the lead with four laps remaining, unable to fend off Hamilton in a better car and fresher tires.
Still, what a performance. No question, Hamilton aside, Verstappen is the driver who has most reason to be pleased with himself so far.
Watch for the grandstands to be painted orange again this weekend as the usual army of Verstappen supporters descends on the Belgian Ardennes to cheer on the young Dutchman.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is the only driver not in a Mercedes to win races this season.Peter Fox /
Getty Images
As for the others, there is little to cheer about — and they know it.
Bottas, at best, can breathe a sigh of relief after Mercedes announced on Thursday that his services will be retained for at least another season.
Even then, it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement from team principal Toto Wolff, who said it was a tough call between keeping the veteran Finn or opting for young reserve driver Esteban Ocon of France.
Bottas caught a break, but you can bet he feels the pressure to prove his boss made the right choice.
Nico Hulkenberg was less lucky, with Renault announcing he will be replaced by Ocon as of next season. That leaves the German with the stress of trying to impress in the remaining races to earn a spot elsewhere. (Maybe Haas?)
That announcement came a week after team boss Christian Horner told reporters at the Hungarian GP that Red Bull intended to keep Gasly until the end of the season.
“It was kind of a shock,” Gasly said of his sudden demotion. “The team said I was going to drive until the end of the year, and that’s what I believed.”
Hmm. Maybe the team meant he was going to drive until the end of the year in someone else’s car.
In any case, Gasly and Albon were in their new vehicles at Spa during Friday practice.
Lance Stroll of Montreal has yet to out-qualify Racing Point teammate Sergio Perez in 12 tries this season. His next chance comes Saturday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.KENZO TRIBOUILLARD /
AFP/Getty Images
Over at Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel rated his performance in the first dozen races as a five on 10 when he was asked about it in Hungary. Harsh? Not really, given that the presumed title contender has come up empty so far this season.
Vettel came close to winning in Montreal, where he crossed the finish line first but was demoted to second thanks to a penalty for a track infraction.
And an engine problem denied teammate Charles Leclerc his first F1 win in Bahrain, where he had been leading with 10 laps to go.
But close isn’t good enough for a storied team such as Ferrari and its worldwide legions of tifosi, and the scuderia will be expected to salvage some measure of honour in the remaining nine events.
Belgium and next week’s home race in Italy could provide the best chances, as the two free-flowing tracks are expected to play to the strengths of the red cars. We’ll see.
Friday was a promising start, anyway, with Vettel topping the time sheets during morning practice and Leclerc doing the same in the afternoon. But practice is just that — practice.
As for Lance Stroll, he’s under the gun, too, having been out-qualified by teammate Sergio Perez 12 times out of 12 at Racing Point. The Montreal native needs to end that slide, the sooner the better. | {
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Brian Walton's news and commentary on the St. Louis Cardinals (TM) and their minor league system
Why do Pujols’ age questions persist?
A reminder that suspicions about Albert Pujols’ age remain, ten years after he first became a major leaguer.
Even before St. Louis Cardinals superstar first baseman Albert Pujols rocketed into national baseball prominence in 2001, questions ebbed and flowed about his age. Was he really born in January 1980 or was it earlier?
Now that as much as $300 million may be riding on his upcoming age 32-41 decade, the issue is slipping back into the forefront via the national media, albeit through the usual side door.
ESPN’s Rob Neyer most recently raised the subject via his very first answer in a Tuesday managed chat session, but as is customary in rumor reporting, the writer did not identify those whispering into his ear.
“Look, I’m going to say this now and maybe never again in this space, but … There are still some reasonably intelligent people with reasonable doubts about Pujols’ age. Just for the sake of argument, if he’s actually 33 or 34 would you give him eight years? Nine years? Ten?,” Neyer asked his worldwide audience.
It is only natural for some to wonder. After all, a number of players from the Dominican Republic have been caught with falsified ages and/or identifications. Perhaps the most recent high-profile example is infielder Miguel Tejada, who aged two years, ironically as the result of a 2008 ESPN investigation.
Prior to becoming the New York Mets’ new general manager earlier this winter, Sandy Alderson had been assigned to the Dominican by Major League Baseball specifically to try to stem the rising tide of age and identify fraud cases.
Pujols’ situation is a bit different in that he first came to the US as a teenager, at the age of 16. Before leaving the Dominican, he had been given a look by both the Florida Marlins and Oakland A’s, but was not signed. After a brief stop in New York, Pujols and his family moved to the Kansas City area, where he played two seasons of high school ball and one in community college before becoming a professional.
Back as early as the summer of 2003, even before Pujols signed his current eight-year contract that has one year remaining, there were tough questions – and strong reactions – about his alleged age.
Sports Illustrated ran a piece in July 2003 in which Pujols’ former coach Marty Kilgore of Maple Woods Community College lashed out at the accusations.
“Anything people want to check, go back to the Dominican Republic and pull what they can pull,” says Kilgore, who remains a close friend of Pujols’. “All I know is I’ve seen all the green cards and birth certificates — and his word is good enough for me.
“I’ve been dealing with this ever since he got here. You had parents and kids complaining, questioning his age. Jealousy. Because we got a big strong kid that can do something. He’s got an accent — they don’t understand him. Hell, nobody wanted him. Everybody wanted to hold him down. They still want to make an excuse for this guy being as great as he is.
“One of the greatest baseball players ever to put on a jockstrap and they don’t want to buy into it. What they don’t get is Albert’s life is so simple. He loves his wife [Deidre] and baseball. He doesn’t get sidetracked. If this kid stays healthy, in 15 years he can tell them all to go kiss his butt. Screw his age.”
Since then, exactly half of those 15 years, or 7 ½ years, have elapsed. Back to 2003…
Kilgore staunchly vouches for Pujols’ 23 candles.
“I mean 23 or 25, what difference does it make? But the fact is he’s 23,” says Kilgore. “What ticks me off is it’s a character issue. He takes it that way and I take it that way. This is a personal slam on what he says.”
Pujols’ high school coach, Dave Fry, and Phil Caldarella, a school district official and summer league coach, agree.
“I was around him every day at the school,” Caldarella says. “He may look like a man, but he was just a kid.”
Could these educators have been wrong? Could they have been duped? Were they not motivated to ask the tough questions?
Could Pujols have subsequently eluded post-9/11 crackdowns on foreigners’ paperwork? (He became a US citizen in 2007.)
With the reputations of so many sports heroes having been tarnished or destroyed, are people hopelessly conditioned to assume guilt before innocence?
Perhaps, but after ten years during which Pujols has had the highest possible visibility as baseball’s best player and given the segment of our society that elevates those who bring others down, by now would not have someone unearthed even a shred of evidence to validate the suspicions?
With the Cardinals and Pujols’ representatives getting into very serious, potentially record-breaking territory with the money in his new contract, wouldn’t Major League Baseball and the Cardinals especially, who have so much riding on this, have checked out Pujols’ background in every way imaginable?
Despite this, the unsubstantiated whispers continue, just as they first surfaced over a decade ago.
One Response to “Why do Pujols’ age questions persist?”
“Over the past nine seasons, we’ve only seen two players age 36 or older have a season in which they got 400 plate appearances, hit more than 25 homers, drove in 100 runs, slugged .500 and had an on-base percentage of .400 — Barry Bonds (twice) and Manny Ramirez (in 2008)”
It’s actually pretty rare for any age. In those nine years, only 58 in total.
Only Pujols and Cabrera have put up such seasons at 23 or younger. Pujols actually has put that up every single year! He is 8 of the 50 by himself.
“. . . we’re now in an era in which hitters routinely decline rapidly after age 35. Over the past nine seasons, ”
Also, the era is different? In the nine [full] years before that, there were also just two players who met those thresholds after age 35; Bonds(2001) and E-Mart(2000).
In the nine years before that, none, in the nine years before that none. Granted alot of the issue there is that the minimum season you describe was a pretty elite year before ~1993 and merely very good since… | {
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Judge Orders EPA to Quit Stalling Clean-Air Enforcement
OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can no longer delay enforcing new air quality rules that are expected to save hundreds of lives and billions of dollars in health costs each year, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Ten nonprofits led by the American Lung Association, and 15 states led by California, sued the EPA in December 2017 for failing to determine which areas of the country did not meet new ozone air quality standards established by the Obama administration in 2015.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency admitted in this case that it failed to do its job and meet its deadline under the Clean Air Act,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement Monday.
The new smog reduction standards are expected to save 316 to 660 lives and prevent nearly 900 hospital visits and 160,000 missed school days each year, creating annual health benefits of $4.5 billion, according to EPA estimates.
The new requirements were issued Oct. 1, 2015, triggering a two-year deadline for the EPA to assess compliance among localities. Those regions that fail to meet ozone standards must take immediate steps to reduce pollution and develop plans for full compliance within three years.
In 2017, the EPA, under the leadership of President Donald Trump’s appointee Scott Pruitt, gave itself a one-year deadline extension. After several states challenged that action in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the EPA retreated and agreed to abide by the Oct. 1, 2017 deadline. But the deadline still passed with no action by the EPA.
On Nov. 6, 2017, the agency issued designations for parts of the country which it deemed in compliance or “unclassifiable,” but it rendered no decisions for the most polluted areas of the country, including Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Antonio, Texas.
In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. ordered the EPA to issue final designations by April 30, with an exception for eight counties in the San Antonio area.
The EPA granted the San Antonio area a six-month extension after Texas requested extra time to submit more information about its air quality four days before the deadline. The EPA said it would need until April 12 to assess the new data, but Gilliam found that delay unjustified.
“Texas’s information is at best additional, which falls outside the scope of any applicable exception to the [Clean Air Act]’s two-year compliance deadline,” Gilliam wrote in his 13-page ruling.
Gilliam noted the EPA’s justification for the delay “effectively allows states to drive the agency’s timeline for statutory compliance.”
The judge ordered the EPA to issue a decision on the San Antonio area’s compliance within seven days, followed by a 120-day notice and comment period.
However, Gilliam refused to make the final designations effective immediately, finding the Clean Air Act creates no timeline for effective dates. The EPA vowed to make final designations effective within 30 to 60 days.
“The court assumes that EPA will meet its stated 30 to 60 day timeline, and would consider whether a further order is necessary if it fails to do so,” the judge wrote.
Becerra said California would closely monitor the EPA’s compliance with the court’s order.
Enforcement of the Clean Air Act has prevented premature deaths, saved lives, and enabled children to grow up with healthier lungs, said Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy for the American Lung Association.
“Where other parts of the world are struggling with this, we in the U.S. thanks to the Clean Air Act and enforcement of the Clean Air Act have helped reduce pollution,” she said.
Fighting for enforcement of ozone pollution standards is one of several legal battles the American Lung Association is waging to protect clean air, Nolen added.
Another looming legal battle will likely involve challenging the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which aims to promote renewable energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning power plants by 32 percent by 2030, she said.
“There are lots of things we are doing in court to clean up the air, reduce ozone and protect public health,” Nolen said. “This is one of a long list.”
Other nonprofit plaintiffs in the lawsuit include American Public Health Association, American Thoracic Society, Appalachian Mountain Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Law And Policy Center, National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and West Harlem Environmental Action.
Other state plaintiffs involved in the litigation include New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
The EPA and U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Monday afternoon. | {
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TfcE
Keystone
^/Kdtztowr University of Pennsylvania
Thursday, September 15,20
Volume CLIV Issue
Student-run newspaper since 1933
keystoneonline.com
Cevallos
rings
bell to
remember
those lost
Three ceremonies
held to pay respects
to the victims of
tragedies
by Michael Davalos
Managing Editor
At 8:46 a.m., 30 KU faculty members stood with their heads down and
hands cupped together as President F.
Javier Cevallos rang the bell outside
Old Main to honor those who lost
their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks.
"These students are recognized as
the Sept. 11 generation," Cevallos
said. "They have grown up with this.
Just like many of the faculty were
marked by the JFK Assassination."
No students were in attendance
for neither the 8:46 nor the 9:03 a.m.
ringing of the bell. Some walked by
and stared at the group, but none
stayed to watch. Students did not arrive until the 11 a.m. meeting on the
lawn outside of the McFarland Student Union Building.
"I know we all have memories of
that tragic day," Cevallos said. Between the two bells ringing, members of the faculty traded stories of
the tragedy. One woman chose not
to speak, but listening to the stories
brought tears to her eyes.
"My daughters' husbands' brother
died in the World Trade Center. They
have since started the Bosco family
Scholarship in his honor." Associate Vice President for University
Advancement John Green said. He
pointed out how despite the tragedy,
a positive outcome was achieved.
The meeting outside of the SUB
took place in front of a tree that was
planted in 2002 to commemorate
the five KU alumni that died in the
Sept. 11 attack. A Brass Ensemble
performed to introduce the speakers, while 35 faculty members and 20
students waited for the ceremony to
begin.
"We are to celebrate Remembrance
Day," Cevallos said. "A couple of
years ago, we decided to not only
honor those lost on Sept. 11, but also
those of tragic events of violence."
According to Cevallos, the tragic
events leading up to the change in
remembrance has direct relation to
the KU community with two student
deaths since 2007. Those students
Seemingly endless days of rain dampened the moods of students and cancelled some classes.
Ray Tenney, The Keystone
were Kyle Quinn, who was murdered
in 2007 and most recently Michael
Nusca, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2009.
A 15-second silence was held after
Cevallos spoke.
"Out of tragedy, great things happen," KU Chief of Police John Dillon
said. "With Kyle Quinn, KuBOK was
created. And when Michael Nusca
passed away, a scholarship was created."
One speaker, Ben Brooks, attempted to put the graveness of the situation into perspective for people who
did not have a direct connection with
the attack. "They will never get to do
the things we get to do with our families," Brooks said. "There will be no
little league baseball games. We need
to remember that."
Student Government Board (SGB)
President Paul Keldsen posed a simple question that everyone asked one
another in weeks following the incident, "Where were you when it happened?"
"I was in sixth grade drama class,"
Senior Communication Design major
Leah Houck said. "We were 'dramatically' rushed back to our advisory
see DONATION, page 2
Spuds Charity jar
stolen, then recovered
The stolen charity jar
was raising money
to find a cure for
Fibromatosis
by Colin Holmes
News Editor
This past Friday night, a charity
jar was stolen from Spuds restaurant.
The charity jar was raising money for
Austin Conrad, who has been suffering from a rare type of tumor called
fibromatosis since he was 10 years
old.
The charity jar was eventually
found and returned to Spuds on Sunday by KU student Ronnie Nase.
Kay la Conrad, an employee of
Spuds and Austin's sister, stated, "My
family and I greatly appreciate what
that man did. It means a lot to my
brother Austin and the family. There
is still good honest people out there."
Nase was unavailable to comment
on his return of the jar.
"There is no cure for this tumor, so
he decided to start raising money for
a cure," Conrad said. "We have raised
over $54,000 so far."
The Conrad family tries to bring attention to the search for a fibromatosis
cure in a variety of ways, including
the charity jars and "a walk each year
at the Kutztown fairgrounds to help
raise more money," Conrad said.
"My family was hurt when we
found out it was stolen. It's sad for
people to steal money from a charity
jar."
This is not the first time a Conrad
Charity jar was stolen. According to
Conrad, "We also had one stolen earlier this year from the Airport Diner.
That one was never returned."
According to MedicalDictionary.
com, fibromatosis is "the presence of
multiple fibromas and the formation
see DONATION, page 2
Freshman
Peay shines
as Golden
Bears win
again
by Billy Fell
Assistant Sports Editor
Freshman cornerback English Peay
led KU's defense with 11 tackles (10
of them solo), and the Golden Bears'
football team beat 18th-ranked Mer-
cyhurst 35-28 this past Saturday.
Peay's effort earned him the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Eastern Division Defensive
Player of the Week. "I came with
the mindset to make plays and help
my team the best way possible," said
Peay. Along with his 11 tackles, Peay
also had two interceptions at crucial
points in the game.
see ATTACK, page 10
INDEX
unions
Chaz Bono makes
Dancing With the
Stars Debut
"V
page 5
Culture
Jj
An interview
with local
band Aaron
Charles
page 8
Field Hockey
wins tournament over the
weekend
^0p ^|g
keystoneonlme.com
+
TfcE
Keystone
^/Kdtztowr University of Pennsylvania
Thursday, September 15,20
Volume CLIV Issue
Student-run newspaper since 1933
keystoneonline.com
Cevallos
rings
bell to
remember
those lost
Three ceremonies
held to pay respects
to the victims of
tragedies
by Michael Davalos
Managing Editor
At 8:46 a.m., 30 KU faculty members stood with their heads down and
hands cupped together as President F.
Javier Cevallos rang the bell outside
Old Main to honor those who lost
their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks.
"These students are recognized as
the Sept. 11 generation," Cevallos
said. "They have grown up with this.
Just like many of the faculty were
marked by the JFK Assassination."
No students were in attendance
for neither the 8:46 nor the 9:03 a.m.
ringing of the bell. Some walked by
and stared at the group, but none
stayed to watch. Students did not arrive until the 11 a.m. meeting on the
lawn outside of the McFarland Student Union Building.
"I know we all have memories of
that tragic day," Cevallos said. Between the two bells ringing, members of the faculty traded stories of
the tragedy. One woman chose not
to speak, but listening to the stories
brought tears to her eyes.
"My daughters' husbands' brother
died in the World Trade Center. They
have since started the Bosco family
Scholarship in his honor." Associate Vice President for University
Advancement John Green said. He
pointed out how despite the tragedy,
a positive outcome was achieved.
The meeting outside of the SUB
took place in front of a tree that was
planted in 2002 to commemorate
the five KU alumni that died in the
Sept. 11 attack. A Brass Ensemble
performed to introduce the speakers, while 35 faculty members and 20
students waited for the ceremony to
begin.
"We are to celebrate Remembrance
Day," Cevallos said. "A couple of
years ago, we decided to not only
honor those lost on Sept. 11, but also
those of tragic events of violence."
According to Cevallos, the tragic
events leading up to the change in
remembrance has direct relation to
the KU community with two student
deaths since 2007. Those students
Seemingly endless days of rain dampened the moods of students and cancelled some classes.
Ray Tenney, The Keystone
were Kyle Quinn, who was murdered
in 2007 and most recently Michael
Nusca, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2009.
A 15-second silence was held after
Cevallos spoke.
"Out of tragedy, great things happen," KU Chief of Police John Dillon
said. "With Kyle Quinn, KuBOK was
created. And when Michael Nusca
passed away, a scholarship was created."
One speaker, Ben Brooks, attempted to put the graveness of the situation into perspective for people who
did not have a direct connection with
the attack. "They will never get to do
the things we get to do with our families," Brooks said. "There will be no
little league baseball games. We need
to remember that."
Student Government Board (SGB)
President Paul Keldsen posed a simple question that everyone asked one
another in weeks following the incident, "Where were you when it happened?"
"I was in sixth grade drama class,"
Senior Communication Design major
Leah Houck said. "We were 'dramatically' rushed back to our advisory
see DONATION, page 2
Spuds Charity jar
stolen, then recovered
The stolen charity jar
was raising money
to find a cure for
Fibromatosis
by Colin Holmes
News Editor
This past Friday night, a charity
jar was stolen from Spuds restaurant.
The charity jar was raising money for
Austin Conrad, who has been suffering from a rare type of tumor called
fibromatosis since he was 10 years
old.
The charity jar was eventually
found and returned to Spuds on Sunday by KU student Ronnie Nase.
Kay la Conrad, an employee of
Spuds and Austin's sister, stated, "My
family and I greatly appreciate what
that man did. It means a lot to my
brother Austin and the family. There
is still good honest people out there."
Nase was unavailable to comment
on his return of the jar.
"There is no cure for this tumor, so
he decided to start raising money for
a cure," Conrad said. "We have raised
over $54,000 so far."
The Conrad family tries to bring attention to the search for a fibromatosis
cure in a variety of ways, including
the charity jars and "a walk each year
at the Kutztown fairgrounds to help
raise more money," Conrad said.
"My family was hurt when we
found out it was stolen. It's sad for
people to steal money from a charity
jar."
This is not the first time a Conrad
Charity jar was stolen. According to
Conrad, "We also had one stolen earlier this year from the Airport Diner.
That one was never returned."
According to MedicalDictionary.
com, fibromatosis is "the presence of
multiple fibromas and the formation
see DONATION, page 2
Freshman
Peay shines
as Golden
Bears win
again
by Billy Fell
Assistant Sports Editor
Freshman cornerback English Peay
led KU's defense with 11 tackles (10
of them solo), and the Golden Bears'
football team beat 18th-ranked Mer-
cyhurst 35-28 this past Saturday.
Peay's effort earned him the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Eastern Division Defensive
Player of the Week. "I came with
the mindset to make plays and help
my team the best way possible," said
Peay. Along with his 11 tackles, Peay
also had two interceptions at crucial
points in the game.
see ATTACK, page 10
INDEX
unions
Chaz Bono makes
Dancing With the
Stars Debut
"V
page 5
Culture
Jj
An interview
with local
band Aaron
Charles
page 8
Field Hockey
wins tournament over the
weekend
^0p ^|g
keystoneonlme.com | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
ABSTRACT ARCHIVE
Successes and failures of vertical HIV transmission prevention efforts in Canada: evidence from the Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program (CPHSP)
Background: The CPHSP collects data annually
on HIV infected mothers and their infants from 22 Canadian pediatric and HIV centres across the country. The
objective of this report was to describe factors associated with VT in Canada since
2004, post-implementation of routine prenatal HIV testing programs in all
provinces/territories.Methods: All children born in Canada to HIV-infected mothers from
2004-2013 in the CPHSP database were reviewed. VT rates are based on data of
MIP delivered in Canada
and identified within 3 months after birth; infants identified beyond 3 months
of birth are tracked separately.Results: Among 1996 MIPs, 1984 (99%) were identified
antenatally or within 3 months of the child''s birth. Of these, 93% were
prescribed antenatal combination antiretroviral therapy (acART), 85% >4
weeks before delivery, and 8.5% ≤4 weeks before delivery. Intrapartum intravenous
zidovudine was administered to 88% of mothers and ≥4 weeks of antiretroviral prophylaxis was
given to 96.4% of neonates. The VT rate for this cohort was 1.7% (33 infants);
the rate was 14.6% with no acART, 6.6% with ≤4 weeks of acART before delivery and 0.12%
with >4 weeks of acART before delivery. Of two VT cases that occurred
despite >4 weeks of acART, one was associated with poor maternal adherence,
the other with incomplete virologic suppression despite good adherence. An
additional 12 infected infants were identified after 3 months of age. Eight of
these 12 mothers were Canadian born (4 white, 4 Aboriginal) and 11/12 delivered
in provinces with opt-out antenatal screening programs. On multivariate
analysis of all 1996 MIP, receipt of no/≤4 weeks versus >4 weeks of acART was
significantly associated with earlier year of birth, province/territory of
birth and maternal risk acquisition category (28.4% IDU; 11.6% sex; 12.3% other)
(all p< 0.01).Conclusions: VT continues to occur in Canada despite a free universal access healthcare
system. The observations that 12/45 infected infants were identified after 3
months of age and that 11/12 of those were in provinces with opt-out prenatal
screening programs suggest that lack of access to routine prenatal care is a
major issue contributing to ongoing VT in Canada. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
And like that….they were gone. All podcast software writers must be jumping with joy now that iTunes 4.9 is out with podcast support – not. No need for iPodder or Odeo (nice knowing you) when iTunes supports it all from within the one package for free. Speaking of free I notice that all the podcasts have the word ‘Free’ text to the subscribe button – I can see some podcasts costing a few pennies in the not too distant future but for the majority to keep a fan base and charge the quality will need to increase. then again with the BBC and other broadcasters looking at podcasting, web technologies and alternative revenue streams it seems only a matter of time before a charging model is introduced. If thousands are willing to pay for ringtones who knows how big the podcasting market could grow to. Podcasts in iTunes also support chapters with pictures for each chapter and clickable links in iTunes. All sounds like a step to a new format of audible books and makes more sense when you think how easy it is to buy from the iTunes Music Store?
There’s some nice features for managing podcast transfers to the iPod – all episodes of a podcast, latest episodes only etc. I can’t see a feature I’m missing right now that I’ve seen in other software so this looks to be a good update to iTunes and a reduction in the amount of apps I need on the pc which is officially a good thing.
Also new is the iPod. No more iPod photo, the 20Gb and 60Gb iPod’s both have colour screens and support for bookmarking podcasts and displaying album and podcast art as well as photo’s. £299 for a 60Gb iPod is very tempting. Nice updates from Apple – again. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
This large steel shed includes a roll-up garage door and vinyl coating for extra durability.
Description
For truly extra-large storage needs, this Arrow Vinyl-Coated Steel Shed is your solution for organized storage. The unique roll-up, garage style door and gable roof blends with a durable vinyl-coated exterior steel finish to give you maximum value for your storage dollar! Includes an added sliding side door for added access to stored items! Use for storage or as a small workshop or hobby space. Perfect for storing supplies and equipment for a small business. This steel shed measures 12' x 31'.
Specifications
Roll-up "garage style" door in front plus added sliding side door on side
For additional questions or concerns regarding this product, please contact the Manufacturer's Customer Service Department at 1.800.851.1085.
“Curbside Delivery Information” via common carrier
This product ships to the 48 contiguous states only. Estimated delivery time is within 3 to 5 weeks.
“Curbside Delivery” provides delivery made to the curb at the end of your driveway. It is not the driver's responsibility to bring freight into house, garage, etc. Drivers do not assist with unpacking, set-up or clean up.
Carrier will call to schedule a delivery appointment. Appointments are available during normal business hours and span a 4-hour period. Please include a daytime phone number in the shipping information at the time of check out. Extraordinary delivery requirements may create additional delivery charges.
Signature is required for delivery, but before accepting and/or signing for your delivery, please inspect your order thoroughly. If the packaging appears to be damaged in any way, please note the damage on the freight bill or refuse the delivery as damaged. If you discover concealed or internal damage after unpacking your item(s), please contact Sam's Club Member Service at 1.888.746.7726 within 5 business days of receipt of your order. This will help SamsClub.com improve and expedite your return/replacement experience.
Details
Assembled Country
USA
Assembled Size
Size: 12'W x 31'D
Storage Area: 362' sq. ft.; 2655' cu. ft.
Interior Dimensions: 141 1/8"W x 370 1/2"D x 102"H
Wall Height: 73 3/4"
Door Opening: 72"H x 95"W
Recommended Foundation Size: 141 1/8"W x 370 1/2"D
Shipping Weight: 937 lbs.
Component Country
USA
Ask & Answer
Shipping Information
Delivery service will call to set up appointment
Delivery not available to AK, HI or Puerto Rico
Warranty Information
15 years limited
Arrow Group Industries, Inc. warrants that this storage building will not fail due to rusting through of the material for the period warranted in the owners manual. We will replace any part found to be perforated by rust under normal use and service within that period For this warranty to be in effect, the building must be maintained as directed in the Owner's Manual; roof and perimeter of base must be kept clear of leaves, grass and other debris. Claims under this warranty should be made by sending the part (or clear photograph) with proof of purchase, transportation charges prepaid to: Customer Service Department Arrow Group Industries, Inc. Breese, Illinois 62230 USA.
This warranty is limited to replacement of defective parts. Labor charges and all other incidental or consequential damages for breach of this warranty or the implied warranties of merchantability and may not apply to you.
There is no additional information available for this item.
Stay Connected
Mobile apps
Email Updates
Get the Sam's Club Insider email and save even more. At this time, registration for email is unavailable in Puerto Rico. For more information, visit our privacy policy. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Pink Metal Flower Wall Plaque
Ship to Home
Standard delivery orders are shipped via ground service. Estimated to arrive within 11-15 business days. Select oversized items have an additional delivery surcharge; this charge is listed in parentheses after the item price. We are currently unable to ship US Territories, international locations, Alaska, Hawaii, or PO Box addresses.
Ship to Store (FREE)
Ship to Store
We'll ship your order to your selected Kirkland's store for free and send an e-mail when it's ready for pick up. Estimated to arrive in 11-14 business days.
Brighten any room with a bit of fun using this Pink Metal Flower Wall Plaque! The vibrant color and glitter finish make this flower bloom on any wall.
Plaque measures 13.5 in. in diameter
Crafted of metal
Pink petals with yellow center
Features a glitter finish
Flower design with stamped petal details
Comes ready for wall mount; no hanging hardware required
Care: Dust with a soft, dry cloth.
Contact your local Kirkland’s store for availability of select styles and colors. Sold in stores under item number 099446.
Pink Metal Flower Wall Plaque is rated
3.8 out of
5 by
4.
Rated 3 out of
5 by
Mugwaii from
Miss leading description.I liked the flowers. Problem was they were 13" and on the web site it says they are 16". This really makes a difference when you are decorating.
Date published: 2015-03-19
Rated 5 out of
5 by
TripletMom from
Great for decorating a tall wallWe hung 17 on our two story great room. Easy to hang and look fantastic. Very happy.
Date published: 2015-03-22
Rated 2 out of
5 by
DecorDiva16 from
Missing 3"I am missing 3" as these measure 13 and not 16". I ordered online expecting something larger. 3" in diameter makes a big difference in scale. Description needs corrected.
Date published: 2016-04-06
Rated 5 out of
5 by
dogs4 from
This product is cute and gives lots of character to the space I put it inIt was was super easy to order online! - unfortunately they were out of this product when I went to the store, but ordering it online was just as simple. It came in timely manner and was not damaged at all!
Ask your questions. Share your answers.
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Answers
Answer:
I am going to spray them with a clear outdoor spray paint to protect them. Probably rusteez. I use it on items that my children make that I display outside and it works to protect them. I'm gonna try it. I think it'll work! I want to hang some of these on my pool fence for decoration.
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Sadc turns to energy investment
Joseph NgwawiSouthern African leaders are expected to discuss measures to mobilise resources for developing energy infrastructure as a key enabler for the region’s industrialisation thrust as well as discuss other pertinent regional issues when they gather for their annual summit in Swaziland from August 30-31, 2016.
The 36th Summit of Sadc Heads of State and Government comes at a time when southern Africa is vigorously pursuing an initiative to industrialise the economies of the 15 member states.
Industrial development has been identified as one of the main drivers of the integration agenda in southern Africa as the region moves away from an economic path built on consumption and commodity exports onto a sustainable developmental path based on value-addition and beneficiation.
Sadc members acknowledge that industrial development is central to the diversification of their economies; development of productive capacity; and the creation of employment in order to reduce poverty and set their economies on a more sustainable growth path.
The challenge facing most countries in Sadc is to transform their economies from being raw resource-dependent to ones that enjoy beneficiated products and are knowledge-driven, dynamic and diversified.
To address this situation, a special summit last year approved the Sadc Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063 and has since started the process of developing a costed action plan for the strategy.
The strategy and its roadmap aim to allow the region to harness the full potential of its vast and diverse natural resources.
To encourage creation of regional value chains and participation in global processes, the region has identified five priority areas where value chains can be established and for which regional strategies should be developed by 2020.
These are in the areas of agro-processing, minerals beneficiation, consumer goods, capital goods, and services.
One of the issues that Sadc leaders are expected to discuss when they meet in Mbabane, Swaziland at the end of August is the need to reduce structural impediments to industrialisation.
Themed “Resource Mobilisation for Investment in Sustainable Energy Infrastructure for an Inclusive Sadc Industrialisation for the Prosperity of the Region”, the 36th Sadc Summit is expected to discuss measures to improve power generation capacity and facilitate an increase in the development and use of renewable sources of energy as well as ensure adequate water supply.
The Sadc region has faced power shortages since 2007 due to a combination of factors that have contributed to a diminishing generation surplus capacity against increasing growth in demand. The prevailing instability in the sector is compounded by many other factors that include tariff levels that are not cost-reflective and caught between the viability and access conundrum; capacity issues at both national and regional levels; and energy sector reforms that are generally perceived to be moving at a sluggish pace.
Current available operating capacity stands at 46 910MW against demand of 55 093MW, which includes peak demand and suppressed demand as well as reserves. This gives a generation capacity shortfall of more than 8 000MW, which includes a shortfall in reserves for emergencies and system stability.
According to the Sadc Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan of 2012, assuming an average economic growth rate of eight percent per annum, the forecast peak load is expected to rise to more than 77 000MW by 2020 and to over 115 000MW in 2030.
With total peak demand plus reserves of more than 55 000MW as of September 2015 (the figure drops to about 52 000MW when only Southern African Power Pool operating member countries are considered), the region will have to invest in new generation capacity of up to 25 000MW by 2020 to meet rising demand.
The precarious electricity supply situation calls for urgent action to promote investment in the energy sector in order to support the industrialisation drive by the region.
The RIDMP’s Energy Sector Plan estimates the total cost of additional electricity generation capacity up to 2027 to be in the range of US$114 billion to US$233 billion.
Related transmission investment costs to support new generation capacity are estimated at about US$540 million. This transmission investment does not include planned transmission interconnectors and national backbone lines.
Another key enabler for the industrialisation agenda is investment in the water sector where a number of water supply and sanitation projects are ongoing. These include the Kunene Transboundary Water Supply, the Lesotho Highlands Phase II Project, the Sengwa River Basin Project and the Lomahasha-Namaacha Transboundary Water Supply.
Several investment and financing options are available to the region for funding infrastructure to support its industrialisation.
The conventional source of funding for infrastructure in Sadc Member States is public funding in the form of national budgets and this is considered important in delivering the needed energy infrastructure.
Private sector participation in various forms is a feasible method of financing large infrastructure projects. This participation may take different forms such as build-operate-transfer, build-own-operate, build-own-operate-transfer, or public-private partnerships.
Infrastructure bonds and pension funds are another source that can be mobilised to finance infrastructure projects or leverage more financing from other sources, including from commercial banks or multilateral banks such as the African Development Bank.
Close co-operation with the emerging economies of China, India and Brazil will yield new financial resources.
Following the Sadc-China Infrastructure Investment Seminar held in Beijing in July 2015, Chinese investors and financiers expressed interest in infrastructure projects in the areas of power generation, transmission and interconnectors; and water infrastructure development relating to water supply and hydro-generation as well as irrigation and related projects.
Other issues to be discussed during the 36th Sadc Summit include the food security situation in the region. Southern Africa experienced a devastating drought episode associated with the 2015/16 El Nino event that led to drier-than-normal conditions.
This has resulted in a significant reduction in agricultural production in most member states, particularly since 2015/16 was the second successive season where drought was experienced in many parts of the region.
The regional vulnerability assessment indicates that over 40 million people within Sadc will require humanitarian assistance.
To address these challenges, a Regional Logistics Team was established at the Sadc Secretariat in April to co-ordinate a regional response.
The Secretariat, with support from United Nations agencies, issued a regional humanitarian appeal, launched by Sadc Chair President Ian Khama of Botswana on July 26.
The summit is also expected to discuss a costed Regional Agriculture Investment Plan (2017-2022) approved by ministers responsible for agriculture and food Security in Swaziland in July.
The investment plan is part of measures to implement the Regional Agriculture Policy and aims to promote sustainable agricultural production, productivity and competitiveness; improve regional and international trade and access to markets of agricultural products; and reduce social and economic vulnerability of the region’s population in the context of food and nutrition security and the changing economic and climatic environment.
Another issue for council and summit will be the review of the Sadc Protocol on Gender and Development to align it to global processes and emerging issues, following recommendations by ministers responsible for gender and women’s affairs who met in Gaborone, Botswana in June.
The security situation in the region will also be discussed during the summit, mainly the political challenges in the Kingdom of Lesotho. — SADC Today. | {
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Installing A Door Knob
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Tag: Her Campus
Empowered women empower women. These words aren’t just a phrase but words to live by. I’ve been lucky enough to have some incredible women in my life, both personal and professional, who have shaped me into the woman I am today. With so much negativity in society, these words are even more powerful and absolutely essential than ever before.
This past weekend, I was honored to be invited to attend Her Conference 2017 in sponsorship with Brit + Co. If you’re not familiar, they’re a media company who truly incorporates this into their foundation. With their platform, their goal is to inspire, educate and entertain women with a creative spirit through content, educational ventures and merchandise which promotes an innovative lifestyle. Founder Brit Morin, an ex- Googler and Apple alum, prides her company on driving the “maker movement”. The site is definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in creative career development, taking an online course or simply checking out their adorable new collab with Target.
One of the best parts of working in fashion media is all of the brilliant, strong women I’m surrounded by on a daily basis. You can truly feel the creativity in the air at any given day at the office. Her Conference put students face to face with some of those women who are leading the pack in the industry.
Her Conference hosted various panels throughout the weekend with mavens in senior level positions for “Navigating the Media Industry: How to Work Your Way Up” to those just getting their footing in “A Day in the Life: Entry-Level Editorial Positions” to other panels in social media, marketing, PR and social impact with the inspiring leaders of the Women’s March. The multitude of view points allowed for a well-rounded learning experience, no matter what your desired area of expertise may be. Each of these women personified that “empowered women empower women” spirit. As Lisa Sugar, keynote speaker and found of Pop Sugar, would say, “Work hard, play nice, and build your dream life.”
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Brit + Coand Her Campus Media. All words and opinions are my own.
It’s finals week here at Kent State University, so I thought I’d do a recap on my experiences throughout this semester. At the beginning on the school year, I was questioning if KSU was going to be the right fit for me… But after fifteen weeks here, I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of Kent State University’s Fashion School.
I’ve tried to take advantage of every possible way of utilizing my time at KSU. I joined the Fashion Student Organization, which gets students more involved with the fashion industry than I ever expected. Something is always going on, whether it’s planning a fashion show or having an industry professional come speak to us. I also had the honor of being featured in A Magazine, Kent’s fashion magazine, along with other incredibly talented bloggers. Throughout the semester, I attended fashion shows put on by FSO, Modista, and was able to do press at Her Campus’s College Fashion Week in Chicago.
I’ve already been busy hunting down opportunities for the spring semester. I’ll be working as a representative for one of my favorite stores AKIRA Chicago, as well as another exciting new internship with a Chicago styling company is in the works. To The Nines has been accepted into various affiliate programs, and I’m looking forward to seeing where that goes. I can’t wait for other amazing opportunities to continue to unfold throughout the next few months. Thank you to all the loyal subscribers for reading and supporting my fashion endeavors!
This past weekend, I attended College Fashion Week put on by Her Campus media. I’ve recently joined the Her Campus Bloggers Network, so this was a great opportunity to become more involved with the company. Chicago’s College Fashion Week took place at the Revel Downtown located in the loop. As guests arrived, they were greeted with free trials and gift bags from the lovely sponsors. Bare Minerals offered make up touch ups, TRESeme gave guests the chance to have their hair styled, and Boohoo had items from their fall line set out for viewing. An array of Luna bars, VitaCoco, and caffeinated waters (What could be better than caffeinated water!?) were offered to guests as we waited for the show to start. It was the perfect time to socialize with other Her Campus members and college students from Chicago also involved in fashion and media.
The looks in the fashion show were sponsored by Boohoo clothing. Their clothes are trendy and affordable, perfect for college students! The show was split up into three scenes to showcase the variety of styles offered by Boohoo. Imperial Styles had a cool edgy vibe. It perfectly embodied the military and athletic trend that is so huge for fall 2014. The pieces were great for a casual going to class look and ranged to more dressed up outfits for going out on the town. My favorite pieces were the olive romper, floral bomber jacket, and blush pink jumpsuit.
Overall, Brooklyn Princess was my favorite segment of the show. The looks were girly and chic with an added twist of distressed denim, leather, and harem pants. I’m currently obsessing over all the faux fur this season, so the cream faux jacket they showcased was hands down my must have piece of the night. I also loved the long, cotton candy pink jacket. It’s a great coat to mix up the usual dark fall colors in the classic fall wardrobe.
Woodlander is the epitome of fall fashion. It included dark wool fabrics, plaids, and fur. I especially loved the styling in this scene. The stylists reused pieces in completely different ways to show how versatile the pieces from Boohoo really are. The floor length oxblood sweater and fur vest looked fabulous styled with everything from dresses to distressed denim.
College Fashion Week was such a great experience. It was amazing to see how involved college students were in the show. All the models were real college students from the area. Each girl was unique in size and shape, which truly showcased how perfect the clothes are for actual students. Performances from local students was also an aspect I really respected. I loved seeing how the Her Campus network brought students together to create an amazing night of fashion and creativity. | {
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jupp Source Code Mirror — This is a publish-only repository and all pull requests are ignored. It is a mirror and may receive forced (non-fast-forward) updates due to #871734. Please contribute to the CVS repository of The MirOS Project instead. | {
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Kathy Savage
E: [email protected]
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Sold for $ 143,000
Unit 3 36 Collier Street, Manjimup
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Unit 3 36 Collier Street, Manjimup
21
Sold for $ 143,000
SOLD!! MORE LISTINGS WANTED TO SELL BY THE TEAM THAT SELLS!! Unit - Property ID: 852529
Just listed is this fully renovated unit, fresh paintwork, new tiling in bathroom, new stove and kitchen bench tops. New carpet in lounge and bedrooms, all new floor coverings and blinds plus new reverse cycle air conditioning. Outside there is a decent size courtyard all brick paved and with a garden shed.
This brilliant two bedroom unit is bringing in an excellent 8.96% gross rental yield with the current tenant paying $250 per week.
Call Kathy on 0417 965 923 for more information on this brilliant investment unit now. | {
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The Sea of Zarotti
Those born by the sea feel it inside. It’s a bond that lasts a lifetime and from the sea, if you can, you try never to be separated.
We are two brothers, Felice and Alfredo. When we were boys in Vietri where we were born in the evenings we used to sit watching the fishing lamps going out to fish for anchovies. Slowly moving away from the shore, then remaining there, in the midst of the sea, where there is always the feeling that time flows differently, and no one knows why.
Then, after a few years, we moved with our families to San Marco di Castellabate; we wanted to work with fish in those days, the early 70s, when it was abundant and the fishing boats came in right there, in San Marco, where you could salt the fresh anchovies in barrels of olive wood which guaranteed a unique quality that became famous all over the world.
Anchovies, a simple food, a natural gift from the sea, like vegetables, fruit and wheat are gifts from the land. Simplicity … a word that belongs to us and that will never go out of fashion, passed down to our daughters and now our grandchildren. The fruits of our labour: fishing, preserving in barrels, salting, aging and conserving in oil are not a return to nature but are constant ways to remain bonded to it, to believe in it, and not to lose sight of everything we do in our company and in life. | {
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Cannes: Nic Cage Checks Into ‘Hotel 33’
UPDATE: While they were quick to announce Hotel 33 with Nicolas Cage, Foresight Unlimited has the benefit of hindsight and is backing off a bit. “We have learned that the deal with Nicolas Cage on Hotel 33 is not yet closed,” the company said in a statement tonight. “We therefore feel it is prudent to let the parties finalize their negotiations before we move forward with international representation of the film.”
Foresight Unlimited, Emmett/Furla Films and Envision Entertainment are gearing up with their third project together after 2 Guns and Lone Survivor. Described as a surreal thriller, Hotel 33 stars Nicolas Cage and is based on the presumed event surrounding the disappearance of 32 people on the opening night of the Grand Hotel in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1953. Cage plays a detective investigating the happenings when four teenagers break into the abandoned hotel and things go mysteriously awry as two of the kids disappear. First time feature helmer Kellie Madison wrote the script and will direct with production to start in September. Open Road is releasing in the U.S. and Foresight is selling international. Randall Emmett and George Furla are producers. Envision’s Remington Chase, Stepan Martirosyan and Vitaly Grigoriants, and Foresight’s Mark Damon are exec producers as is Malek Akkad. | {
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UN backs Turkey's request for Rohingya Muslims
06 Sep 2017 - 9:28
Photo: AA
AA
GENEVA: A UN refugee figure on Tuesday backed Turkey's request that Bangladesh open its borders to fleeing Rohingya Muslims, amid warnings that more people from the minority group were headed for the frontier.
UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Duniya Aslam Khan and UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac spoke to Anadolu Agency on Tuesday in Geneva about the thousands of Rohingya Muslims trying to escape violence in Myanmar by crossing into Bangladesh.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday called on Bangladesh to open its frontier to the fleeing Rohingya from Myanmar’s western Rakhine state.
He said Ankara was urging Bangladesh to grant access to the Rohingya, saying Turkey would help pay to support the refugees.
Khan described Turkey’s move as a “very positive and encouraging initiative,” which set an example for other countries.
She said it was “high time” the world united to support those “uprooted and who are forced to flee their homes and live in a refugee situation”.
Khan said it was taking the refugees, on average, three days to reach the Bangladeshi border, adding many had no food, some lacked footwear and others had been reduced to drinking rainwater.
- Displaced
Noting that there could be 1.2 million Rohingya in Myanmar alone, Khan said: "We have reports that many more might be coming [to the Bangladeshi border]. Huge numbers of people have been displaced."
According to the UN on Tuesday, 123,600 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh since the latest violence began on Aug. 25.
UNICEF’s Boulierac said more than 80 percent of the Rohingya -- more than 100,000 people who crossed into Bangladesh -- were children and women.
Noting that many children in Rakhine state had been exposed to violence, Boulierac said they needed treatment.
Boulierac also said UNICEF operations had been temporary halted in northern Rakhine because of the violence.
However, later on Tuesday, Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Myanmar’s government had allowed Turkish aid workers to enter the conflict region.
Rakhine, which lies in western Myanmar, has seen simmering tension between its Buddhist and Muslim populations since communal violence broke out in 2012.
In a security crackdown launched last October in the state’s northern Maungdaw district, the UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including infants and young children -- brutal beatings and disappearances.
The report found evidence of human rights violations by security forces that indicated crimes against humanity.
Rohingya representatives have said that around 400 people were killed during the operation.
In recent weeks, the government has boosted military numbers in Maungdaw and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claimed responsibility for attacks in which the government said dozens were killed.
The ARSA said the attacks were in response to raids, killings and looting by soldiers. | {
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Teaching
My teaching covers a broad range of topics in comparative politics and international relations. I have served as the primary instructor on the courses below. The syllabus for each can be made available upon request.
Undergraduate
Comparative Political Systems
This course serves as an introduction to comparative politics for undergraduate students. It provides students with basic training in comparative methods and introduces them to major topics in research agendas from across the field.
Democracy and Violence
This upper-level seminar offers advanced undergraduates the opportunity to engage with theoretical and empirical questions about the relationship between democracy and violence. It addresses questions of mass mobilization, political rights, institutional design, and the incentives for political violence sometimes presented by the very practice of democracy.
Fundamentals of Foreign Policy
This course introduces students to the study of US foreign policy. Beginning with traditions stretching back to the founding of the country and continuing to the present day, it offers students a structured approach to understanding historical trends, policy processes, and contemporary debates in the practice of American foreign policy. The course combines lecture, discussion, and simulations to fully immerse students in the challenges of creating and implementing policy in this sphere.
Named the 2012-2013 “Best Course Taught by a Graduate Student” (with co-instructor Paul Musgrave) by the Georgetown University Government Department.
African Comparative Politics
This lecture-based survey course serves as an introduction to contemporary African politics. It covers the basic history of colonialism, independence, and post-independence regimes in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the challenges and patterns of governance since the end of the Cold War. The course focuses on this latter period, while still highlighting themes and issues that have been consistent features of African political life.
Graduate (M.A.- level)
Conflict and Democracy
This M.A. seminar looks at the challenges of introducing democratic reforms in the aftermath of civil war. Students are exposed to various perspectives on the challenges to building institutions, channeling conflict, and protecting civil and political rights in this context.
Democratization in Africa
Students in this M.A. seminar are introduced to the challenges and opportunities faced by democracy in contemporary Africa. Taking into consideration the weight of colonial and post-independence legacies, they examine the institutions and politics of popular participation in Africa today and consider possible paths towards democratic consolidation.
Comparative Democratization
This core course in the Democracy & Governance M.A. program introduces students to the intellectual history of democracy studies by examining the main theories of democratization introduced since World War II. Broad theoretical frameworks and issues are then re-visited in the context of key moments of democratization (and non-democratization) in a variety of geographical regions.
Research Methods in Democracy & Governance
This course introduces M.A. students to the basics of research design and introduces them to major methods in the social sciences. By the end of the course, students are expected to be “literate” in a variety of types of scholarship and able to produce a prospectus for a significant piece of novel research. | {
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The Party Down alum is supposed to be unlikable — initially, at least — as Julia, a lawyer who becomes a love interest for Nick (Jake Johnson), despite her dislike for the famously adorkable Jess (Zooey Deschanel).
Worst Break-Taking Moment: After not sleeping with anyone other than her boyfriend Spencer in more than six years, Jess is understandably worried that she won't be adventurous enough in the sack for her new guy, Paul the equally adorkable Justin Long, on New Girl.
adorkableThe act of being adorable, yet a dork; used as an adjectiveDork: a stupid, foolish person; sometimes has a bit of a negative connotationAdorable: anyone or anything that is cute, charming, funATTESTATIONS:jesidres says: Keith was adorkable. I wanted to pinch cheeks (and take a razor to his mustache)*Twitter: http://twitter.com/#search?q=adorkableamandakt says: Thank you for the years filled with beautiful music, adorkable moments and miracles.*Twitter: http://twitter.com/#search?q=adorkableEric Geller says: I, like Mandy, adore the adorkable. Whenever something has both the cuteness factor and the nerd factor, I’m interested.* Blog: http://theadorkable.net/ | {
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vitamin wrote:
>> quad wrote:
> > The X ones came with a note saying they're patching issues with the keyboard (XKBCOMP or something?). Didn't read the kernel notes.
>> That's a bug in Fedora's xsim module. You have to get the latest updates and reboot your PC (restarting X is not enough).
Grr... read the posts. It's the latest updates (and an implied reboot due to new kernel) that caused this. | {
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Breakthrough: Tablets Preventing HIV Virus Transmission Discovered
Global 2000 has come out with its list of top 2000 companies of which many pharmaceuticals are part of.
Reuters
A new tablet Truvada, made by Pharmaceutical Company Gilead Sciences, can prevent HIV virus transmission, according to a study published in Lancet, a medical journal.
The participants in 2014's International AIDS Conference rejoiced and welcomed the new pill that is said to prevent transmission of HIV Virus. Referring to the new advances (pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP), Dr Luiz Loures, deputy director of the United Nation's AIDS agency, UNAIDS, said, "We now know that treatment, in addition to saving lives, may become a major tool in terms of preventing the expansion of the AIDS expansion. Starting early can "play a major role in the journey towards the end of the epidemic."
Tablet Truvada (a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine), made by Gilead Sciences has recorded a success rate of 75 per cent in preventing HIV transmission. Explaining PrEP's role in fighting Aids, James Rooney, who works with the Gilead Sciences, said, "It's a strategy that uses HIV drugs that are oftentimes used for treatment, but in this case, the drugs are actually given to individuals who are at high risk for becoming infected."
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the use of the drug among homosexuals is likely to avert 1 million infections over a decade. The numbers will increase if heterosexuals too adopt the drug. However, Truvada is an expensive drug, costing approximately $1,300 for a month's course.
Not all are supportive of the new drug that can go a long way in the battle against AIDS. AIDS activist Gus Cairns is of the opinion that those who do not have AIDS will be reluctant to use the drug, and will in turn be more comfortable using condoms. Cairns thinks that PrEP will gain recognition only slowly and is not likely to create any "revolution."
According to Brian Kanyemba, a researcher working with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in South Africa; the use of condoms has significantly decreased. With more than six million people infected with the HIV Virus, Kanyemba feels that the new drug might help people in Africa, which has the highest number of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. | {
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Selena Gomez Hacker Jailed
A 21-year-old British boy has been jailed for a year after he hacked into Selena Gomez's Facebook page and claimed to have seen emails between her and her boyfriend Justin Bieber.
A boy who hacked into Selena Gomez's Facebook account has been jailed for a year.
Gareth Crosskey was tracked down in a £50,000 investigation by the FBI and the British Met Police after he posed as Selena's stepfather Brian Teefey - the administrator of the page - and wrote to him claiming he had seen personal emails between Selena and her boyfriend Justin Bieber in January 2011.
He also claimed to have personal exchanges with Selena and her friend Demi Lovato.
Gareth, 21, pleaded guilty of two offences against the Computer Misuses Act at Southwark Crown Court and Judge John Price claimed Selena ''deserved'' her privacy.
According to The Sun newspaper, he said: ''You are clever with a computer and you hacked into the private part of somebody's Facebook account. Selena Gomez has a Facebook account on which she has six million friends.
''They have permission to get into part of the account and you hacked into a private part by getting the email password. People deserve privacy and should not have their private correspondence made public.''
However, prosecutor Corrine Bramwell said there was no evidence Gareth had got gold of any private emails in the attack. | {
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First off, I apologize to my friends and roleplay partners who've been left hanging. Any desire to cancel old threads is completely understandable.
I've been struggling with a serious health issue the past several months. There was a long period where things would seem to improve only to relapse, delaying things further. All that aside, just wanted to let people know I'm around again and to contact me via PM or Trillian - ironsoldier, if anyone wants to get things going again.
Striptease Pin beach matchRing: Takes place on a private strip of beach where the women can go anywhere,Rules: In order to win one woman must strip the other and score a pinfall.Attire: Swimsuits
Natasha was quite a big fan of matches which took place in exotic locales outside the AFW arena and today she was in for just such a special treat as she had been placed into a match set to take place on a section of beach where she and her opponent would have full use of. She had never met this Lisa before but from what she had seen of her from watching her previous matches Natasha knew she was in for a delicious encounter, especially looking forward to seeing what sexy swimsuit the woman came out in. She herself believed she had chosen a swimsuit anyone would die to see her in despite it being closer to fitting properly unlike most of her bikinis which were all several sizes too small on purpose, consisting of a blue with white polka dots top which was tied in the front along with a matching bottom which came with a short skirt.
"Oh hey there, guess I'm the first to arrive huh?" Natasha called out with a wave as she caught sight of the referee, the woman quite lovely herself with a black and white striped bikini which looked stunning on the curvy beauty. Natasha half ran over to the referee, kicking up sand as she went while the ref looked on with a cheerful smile. "Actually you're early." The ref teased, sticking her tongue out at Natasha who simply began to laugh while she waited for her opponent to arrive, deciding to spend the time swimming in the ocean.
Lisa's eyes glew with excitement as she saw the endless sea even before the van parked next to the beach, almost desert except for the lonely figure of the referee watching the sea. The sun was shinning bright, despite some clouds forming in the horizon, and a gentle breeze still blowing to the sea in that morning. Lisa left her robe, which was covering her body, on the van, and rushed to the beach, along with the AFW cameraman:
"Come on, let's go!" she said, waving to the camera, and then to the van, yelling: "Thanks for the ride!" as the camera guy started recording the curvy Amazon right away, walking on the beach with that skimpy white bikini.
She took the time to enjoy the sand for a while, as the ref girl watched her. Lisa, thinking that she was her opponent, pretended to not have seen her as she opened her arms, streching herself sensuously before turning to the referee:
"Hmm, so you are my opponent, huh? Nice place they picked for us."
The referee widened her eyes, and then laughed a little, glaring at the curvy girl's body before saying:
"Sadly, no. I would love to roll with you on the sand... but your opponent is swimming at the moment. There she is." and then pointed to Natasha. Lisa turned to the sea, covering her eyes with her hand so the sun would not blind her, as she noticed the silhouette of the blue haired girl, enjoying the water. Then, the referee yelled: "Natasha! Come here!"
Natasha was oblivious to the van pulling up to drop off her opponent for the day's match as she was enjoying her little swim in the ocean, thinking of it not as playing around but as a way to stretch before the match, even if she hadn't thought about that at all before jumping into the waves. The water was warm and felt great upon her pale skin, as did the heat of the sun as it shone down without a cloud in sight to block it, this was without a doubt one of her favorite places both to have a match and simply to relax at. Diving beneath the surface of the water Natasha stayed down for nearly a minute before she had to come up for air, emerging from the water with her long blue hair trailing behind her.
She had her eyes upon the horizon when she heard the referee calling out to her, Natasha turning her head to find that the ref was not the only one on the beach anymore, now she was joined by what looked like a cameraman as well as a gorgeous woman she knew had to be her opponent. "Oh right, sorry I'm coming!" She called out while waving towards them, practically running out of the water over to where the others were gathered, her breasts bouncing with every step until she slid to a stop in front of them.
"Please tell me this is my opponent." Natasha said while looking at the referee who merely laughed and nodded in agreement, Natasha turning to face her opponent while her eyes roamed down along the woman's generous curves. She had quite a good feeling about this one, especially now that she was looking at the woman up close and could see just how massive her breasts were.
"Well seems we both have good luck with opponents huh? My names Natasha, looking forward to all the trouble we will be giving each other, or is pleasure the better word?"
As the AFW referee called the girl in the sea, she rushed to the encounter of Lisa and the others. Well, she was an energic one, it seemed. And 'well-gifted', also! ( altough not as much as Lisa herself ) The blue hair that was giving her a rather cold appearance contrasted heavily with her excited personality... and, from how she eyed Lisa as she was now face-to-face with the Italian Amazon, excited in more ways than one!
"Hmm, typical Friction girl!" Lisa said, with a defiant smile, to Natasha, while she checked the other girl's curvy body, altough smaller and not so buff as hers. "Of course, I will enjoy this. But I won't give you any chance of seeing me in less clothing than this!" the brunette added, getting on a fighting stance and waiting for the referee to start the fight, while the camera guy eagerly positioned to frame both wrestlers.
It wasn't very often that Natasha encountered someone with assets larger than her own, much less faced them in a match, but thats the situation she happily found herself in today as she stared at the magnificent body of Lisa, the woman clad in a bikini that looked as if it might break at a moment's notice from the strain of containing the woman's generous curves. "If by typical Friction girl you mean to say I'm gorgeous and about to win over a woman from Tension then yes." Natasha said playfully while nodding in agreement, placing her hands upon her hips and puffing out her chest so Lisa could get a better view of Natasha's own ample mounds.
Lisa was not only very well endowed but her frame also packed a fair amount of muscle she noticed upon her closer inspection, the woman looking every bit the amazon she made herself out to be. Looking down over her own body Natasha figured Lisa thought her soft, though in truth Natasha had a perfectly toned body after years of martial arts training, she likely still wasn't quite as strong as the amazon but Natasha would likely surprise the woman with the strength she did have. "Oh such scarey confidence Lisa, better watch out that you don't underestimate us Friction girls now."
The ref was quite enjoying their banter but decided the two women were tired of waiting and signaled for the match to officially get underway, stepping back just as Natasha slid forward towards Lisa looking to start things off with a swift kick to the amazon's stomach.
After the first impressions, which Lisa found nice, yet still deliciously challenging, she was ready to roll on the sand with that other girl. After readying herself, after some troublesome matches she was in, the brunette amazon was now ready to go toe-on-toe with another girl in such a kinky match as a striptease. As long as she would be in control, everything should be fine for her. Lisa catwalked, circling Natasha while glancing sometimes at the referee, waiting for the signal.
"You ready? Wrestle!"
Lisa raised her hands, forming a guard and ready to move into the initial lock up. She heard about the blue-haired girl, and what she knew is that she wouldn't be an easy match. The brunette had to focus on figuring out what she was up to. Open and wide! Wow, a kick, right away! Lisa quickly moved her hands down, parrying the blow aiming at her naked belly, letting out a low moan and a smile:
"Not wasting time, huh?" she said as she moved closer, while Natasha would possibly be regaining her balance after the quick, aiming to hold her opponent's torso for a takedown on the sands.
Natasha had been waiting far too long for this match to get underway so when the ref finally gave them the signal she wasted little time as she stepped forward and launched a swift kick at the amazon's stomach, hoping to begin the match with her in the driver's seat. She should have known the larger woman would be able to stop that though, Lisa's hands shooting down to block her kick sending Natasha stumbling back a couple steps as she tried to regain her balance. She got her foot down as quickly as she could but Lisa was already bearing down on her, the woman's powerful arms wrapping around the french beauty and soon they were both heading for the sand where Natasha landed flat on her back.
"Couldn't stay away huh?" Natasha said with a faint laugh just before a soft moan escaped her lips, her cheeks turning a light shade of red as she felt the heavy and absolutely massive tits of Lisa mashing against her own. Her legs would rise up to wrap around the amazon's waist in a tight body scissors, Natasha trying to squeeze the woman in return for the harsh take down while her hands reached around the woman's back to work at untying the knot of Lisa's bikini top.
Exploiting the opening that Natasha left when she tried a wide-open kick right in the beggining of their fight, Lisa took the blue-haired girl down on the sand, what got her moaning but didn't quite stop her taunting yet.
"Hmmn, still having enough breath to joke?" the Amazon said, as she tried to adjust herself down on Natasha's body.
She felt her opponent's legs beggining to wrap around her waist, and with one arm she tried to pry them off her. Damn, it wasn't quite a smart move: Natasha's legs were stronger than she tought, and Lisa ended up with one arm trapped in her opponent's bodyscissor.
"Mnhh, don't!" the Italian brunette protested as Natasha moved arms to the back of her bikini top, and she felt her hands attempting to untie it. Lisa used her free hand to push Natasha's chin roughly backwards, hoping that it would startle the girl enough to make it possible for her to free her arm, and maybe unwrap Natasha's legs from her torso.
Natasha thought of herself as an accomplished striker which was why she had opened with a kick, but if Lisa had assumed Natasha was purely a striker and thought she would have the advantage on the ground then she was in for a surprise as Natasha's was most proud of her submission work.
"Unless I'm out cold I always have enough breath to tease Lisa." She said with a sly grin and a light giggle as her legs wrapped themselves around the larger woman's waist only to find she had captured more than just Lisa's midsection, the french beauty looking very amused to have caught the woman's arm as well between her legs. While her little scissor hold didn't do much as far as helping her get out from underneath the amazon Natasha really didn't mind, in fact she was quite pleased for the moment as Lisa's massive mounds weighed down upon her own rather impressive bust.
As Lisa reached for her face Natasha tilted her head to the side pressing her cheek against her shoulder as a means to resist having her neck stretched back painfully, this also kept her eye on the prize as her nimble fingers continued to work upon the knot of the amazon's bikini top. Eager to see those beauties free Natasha would give the top a sharp tug upwards the moment she felt the knot come loose. | {
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Friday, 18 February 2011
It's half term and as most of our designers have children begging for that extra bit of attention we are taking a break this week from providing examples to go along with our recipe. We sure hope this doesn't deter you from being inspired to create a little something!
With so many lovely film reel products on the market, from Tim Holtz and his film strip alterations die, Bo Bunny's Mamarazzi line from 2010 and of course numerous stamps we are sure you will have something in yours stash that you can dig out to use this week!
We hope you all have a great week, and look forward to seeing you again next Friday where we have "Just the ticket" to inspire you! | {
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Hamilton Pest Control Testimonials
Example Of Our Pest Services
BirdsBirds, such as pigeons, can make nests in roof spaces where there is access. The birds leave droppings and urine, and these can expose the public to parasites and bacteria. Thus, it is imperative to remove them as soon as possible. It is often advisable to prevent such infestations first, by either filling in any holes to the roof space, or installing spikes to ledges to prevent pigeons from resting there. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Opioids post-cesarean: Predicting use after discharge
Reviewing a patient’s intake of opioids after cesarean may help optimize pain management post-discharge, according to results of a new study. The findings, published in Annals of Family Medicine, suggest individuals who take more opioids 24 hours immediately prior to discharge are more likely to use the drugs in the 4 weeks thereafter.
The hypothesis for the research, performed by authors from Colorado, was that patient characteristics, procedural characteristics, or both would be associated with high versus low opioid use after discharge. For the prospective cohort study, they quantified opioid use for 4 weeks following hospital discharge after cesarean delivery. Data from health records were used to identify predischarge characteristics. Weekly questionnaires administered to patients were the source of information on post-discharge opioid use.
Methods
A total of 233 patients were enrolled in the study, 203 of whom (87.1%) completed at least one questionnaire and were included in the analyses. Of the participants, 96.3% completed all four questionnaires.
The authors dichotomized total opioid use over the 4 weeks post-discharge into high use (> 75 MMEs) and low use (≤75 MMEs), with 75 MME representing the equivalent of 10 oxycodone 5-mg tablets. That cutoff was recommended by experts as the upper limit for opioid prescriptions following discharge after a cesarean delivery.
The researchers also looked at the amount of unused opioids, post-discharge use of acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, PROMIS scores for post-discharge pain, reasons for not taking any opioids, and opioid storage and disposal practices.
Findings
Of the patients, 113 were high users of opioids and 90 were lower users of opioids after discharge. The group reporting low opioid use used on average 44% fewer opioids in the 24 hours before discharge compared with the group reporting high opioid use (mean = 33.0 vs. 59.3 MEs, P< 0.001). Only a minority of patients (11.4% to 15.8%) stored leftover opioids in a locked location, and just 31 patients disposed of leftover opioids.
“In our cohort alone, there were 1,805 leftover opioid pills, averaging 9 pills per patient,” said the authors. “Merely 4% of patients reported disposing of their leftover opioid pills, resulting in 1,462 pills stored unlocked in the homes of patients in this study.”
Conclusions
Commenting on their results, the researchers concluded, “Knowledge of predischarge opioid use can be useful as a tool to inform individualized opioid prescriptions, help optimize nonopioid analgesia, and reduce opioid use.” | {
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How to Afford Travel When You Want to Travel EVERYWHERE
Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to traverse many parts of the globe. The opportunity to travel had the same effect on me that it has had on many people: the more I saw, the more I wanted to see. And the more I wanted to see, the more I realized that my income couldn’t exactly sustain all my traveling whims.
Yes, there’s such a thing as frugal travel BUT after adding up travel expenses, lodging, and daily costs, even low cost trips will have a noticeable impact on your bank account. So how can you keep up with the traveling spirit beyond downloading a sweet tropical photograph as your screensaver? You have to plan, prioritize, and compromise.
If you too find yourself infected with wanderlust and on a limited budget, here are some ways you can satisfy the traveling itch without skipping out on your rent:
Plan
Specify your travel goalEven if you’re ready to take off on the next available flight, try to funnel that excitement into one travel goal at a time. This doesn’t restrict you from dreaming about multiple destinations but it does help you to plan out the best direct path to your goal without diverting funds or attention elsewhere. Unless you have a flexible work schedule or are currently roaming with nary an obligation to your name, your best bet in budget travel is to choose one travel goal.
By setting sights on a specific trip rather than a more general desire to “travel somewhere or everywhere” you can budget your funds effectively and also resist the temptation of going into the debt by following all your traveling whims.
Get your finances rightIf you already have debt, now is as good a time as any to make a plan to pay it off. You can use the free online tool ReadyForZero to make a plan. And if you don’t have a monthly budget then go create one so you can start optimizing your finances for your future travel plans.
Calculate your expensesOnce you have a goal, you’ll want to consider the overall cost of a trip. And remember – a trip is made up of much more than airfare. Take all your expenses into account when creating your travel budget. Calculating each specific expense will give you the most honest look at what’s affordable within your means. This would be the time to compare rates at hotels, factor in the cost of immunizations or other medical costs, and add up any visa or travel document expenses.
A few tools you can use to do this:
To compile costs… there are plenty of Travel Budgeting Calculators, but browse around for the ones that include a wide range of expenses. Travel goes beyond just airfare and lodging and includes things like visas, vaccinations, and medication.
If you’re flying… you can begin by mapping out destinations within your budget on kayak.com/explore. Just type in your budget, your intended travel dates, and filter your results on the map. This is a great visual way to see where you can afford to fly and also when in the year you’re most likely to encounter cheaper flights.
If you’re driving… be sure to include the cost of gas. Use a Fuel Cost Calculator and add these fuel costs to your overall budget.
Set a saving “pace”The timeline to your trip (how long you have until departure, how long you will be traveling, etc.) will be a determining factor in how you budget, what you need to save, and how you choose the best tactic for managing your financial goals. If you know that the travel goal you set will be a long-term goal, then you will want to adopt a marathon mentality. That means setting a pace for your saving strategy that won’t leave you exhausted or burnt out. This is particularly important with travel because you’ll probably purchase a plane ticket months before the actual trip. You don’t want that milestone to go unsupported by your budget once the departure date arrives.
Prioritize
Maintain movement towards your goalLife and expectations have a tricky habit of putting the brakes on your travel plans. Think about it… you probably have dozens of other expenses that it would make sense to pay into right now. A flat tire, a bachelor party, the holidays – any of these can easily take funds from your travel jar. If you’re choosing to travel then you’ll need to make the expenses a priority over something else. That doesn’t mean siphoning expenses from your retirement or debt repayment but that might mean opting to stay in on the weekends, making dinner at home, or lowering costs in other spending areas.
Check your rate using ReadyForZero's free debt consolidation tool. People have saved thousands by consolidating higher-interest debts using a single, personal loan, this will not negatively impact your credit.
Check Your Rate Now
Stayed focused on your goalOnce you’ve set your travel goal, set a travel budget, and made your trip a priority, make sure to remain focused on your goal. Sites offering travel deals are enormously tempting and sometimes these deals feel “too good to pass up.” Seeing a flight to Ireland at a huge discount will tempt any traveler who has interest in the area and likes a good deal. Just remember that buying that ticket might mean replacing an original goal of visiting another destination… say, Brazil. Though not necessarily a bad thing, it simply comes down to making choices and owning them. Remember: eyes on the prize – or in this case, eyes on the runway.
Compromise
Sacrifice some convenienceThough round-trip flights have become known as the cheaper option compared to one-way tickets, different legs of a trip can actually end up being cheaper than bundling the flight on one carrier. For instance, a round trip to LA from San Francisco on Virgin could be $189 while a one way ticket from SF to LA could be $59, and a one way ticket back on another carrier could be $70 – added together that’s a much lower overall cost. Check out neighboring airports, earlier/later flight times. Letting go of that convenience can reveal cheaper options.
Have a flexible schedule? Go for it.Flexibility is a huge advantage when you’re a traveler. It’s in the roots of traveling: hitting the road and appreciating the journey rather than the destination. This is a luxury that not everyone has, so take advantage of flexibility when you have the chance! Please note – this does’nt negate the earlier advice of creating a savings plan and understanding the cost of your travels. It’s just a rad option for those who have the enviable “wiggle room” in their schedule. In the event you have flexibility, Travelzoo is an excellent site for last minute travel deals and airfare.
Reinvent the way you think of travelMost people have finite vacation time and funds. That means facing the reality of a limited window for “big trip” traveling. But if you’re really hankering to hit the road (as in legitimately tempted to catch the next train out of state on your lunch break) then you can ease your anxiety by planning to visit destinations closer to you. Even if it’s just to try out a new hike or visit a neighboring city’s cheese museum, travel is often about exploration. The newness and the discovery can help to settle your restless legs – if just for a while.
So from one vagabond at heart to another, travel doesn’t have to end even once you’ve settled into a permanent address. With proper organization and planning you can continue exploring the open road/sky/ocean (whatever it may be) without putting yourself in debt. Now, time to do some saving for the next great trip on your list!
This post was published by Claire, Content and Community for » ReadyForZero.
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Related Posts
Staying focused on the goal is what helps me most- and travel is a goal that’s easy to get excited about.
Claire Murdough
The excitement is one of the best part of being a travelholic! I also loved your idea (as seen on WSJ!) to wrap a picture of your travel destination around your credit card as a way to stay motivated and focused on a travel goal!
Brian J Rippel
Thats an awesome idea!
Im a budget traveler- stay in hostels (they have private rooms too!) and make friends where ever I go. Luckily I lived abroad in college, so I can still crash at friends around the world. Thats the best way to go.
Check out couchsurfing and see if you can crash on someone’s couch. Its the experience and learning is what makes traveling fun, not the accommodations!
Cashville Skyline
Ugh, I can so relate to the desire to travel EVERYWHERE. Now that I’ve seen most of the United States and Canada, I desperately want to spend more time abroad. Thanks for the tips!
Claire Murdough
Thanks so much for the comment!!! What’s up next on your travel itinerary??
Take control of your financial life
Link all your debts or tell us what you owe, sit back while we create a personalized plan, then prepare to conquer your debt. Include credit card debt, student loan debt, mortgages, auto loans, medical debt, and any other type of debt you want to tackle. | {
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Flowers & Plant Life
Along our adventure, we were able to see many different types of plants while they were hitting the peak of their bloom or were able to hit other areas during that certain window of the year where they show a side many never get to witness.
Traveling through the Mid-West following 3 full months of fall colors was heaven.
Hitting Baja Mexico during a 30 year bloom wasnt planned, but something we'll never forget. Many locals told us they had never seen hillsides so filled with color.
For us, it was always a new experience, so we did what any other photographer would do, we took plenty of pictures.
This gallery is one of the ones that will continue to be updated as we find new plant life along the adventure. By no means are we experts when it comes to identifing the plant life, so if we have labeled any of these incorrectly or if you know the proper name to one we have labeled, please send over the proper name.
If you would like to purchase any of these images, the watermark will not be on the print - Thank You for Looking | {
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By the end of summer 2013, AMC will find itself losing one of its most acclaimed critical darlings as 'Breaking Bad' airs the final eight episodes of its last season. And while the network has a number of projects lined up to fill the void, new reports suggest that AMC will borrow inspiration from 'The Walking Dead's companion talk show 'Talking Dead,' giving 'Breaking Bad' its own live follow-up discussion series 'Talking Bad!' Find out what AMC's cooking up with a 'Breaking Bad' talk show inside!
'The Walking Dead's success will only grow in the coming years, even after the show-runner drama of season 4 and the decision to expand companion talk show 'Talking Dead' to a full hour, but can the same be said of 'Breaking Bad?' AMC certainly hopes so, as Deadline reports that the network is considering giving the Bryan Cranston / Aaron Paul drama its own live follow-up discussion program for the final eight episodes this summer.
Appropriately titled 'Talking Bad,' the half-hour series would also be handled by 'Talking Dead' producer Michael Davies’ Embassy Row. It isn't known if 'Talking Dead' host and Nerdist podcaster Chris Hardwick would potentially host 'Talking Bad' as well, but Hardwick has certainly worked and gotten along with the 'Breaking Bad' cast before.
Well, what say you? Would you want to see 'Breaking Bad' get its own live after-show discussion 'Talking Bad?' What do you think will merit discussion about the show's final episodes this summer? Give us your 'Breaking Bad' predictions in the comments! | {
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Spinner - Dawn
Spinner - Dawn
Red circle with grey ring
AU$22.00
Quantity: at AU$22.00 each
The Spinner Necklace is a classic design perfect for chewing and fidgeting. The inner circle spins within the outer circle (one side grey and the other side coloured) you could sit and stim … we mean SPIN all day! Both parts of the necklace are chewable. Suitable for mild or moderate chewing. | {
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LIFESTYLE//CULTURE//INSIGHT
“We don’t make 90’s music bro, we make Vince Staples music” – Vince Staples Live at Cargo, London
“We don’t make 90’s music bro, we make Vince Staples music.”
Damon Albarn is at the side of the stage watching on and he doesn’t seem too impressed. Calm yourself Damon, we’re pretty sure he’s talking specifically about hip-hop. I also spotted Kano at the bar, greeting him with a painfully caucasian fist bump before heading towards the stage and into the densely packed crowd.
Blazing through a number of cuts from his raw and arresting debut, Summertime 06, the Long Beach rapper has the crowd in the palm of his hand as they leap around relentlessly to huge tracks like ‘Norf Norf’ and ‘Señorita’. Over the years, he’s crafted more sedated and low-key tracks, but the album was made precisely for nights like this.
He cuts the beat and spits acapella on a couple of isolated occasions, rapping with a cutthroat ferocity that urges whoops and screams of admiration from a sea of different faces in the crowd. “I don’t care if you black, white, purple or any of that shit, everybody came here for a good time tonight so let’s fuckin’ go.”
With only his DJ as occasional hype-man, Vince bounds around the tiny stage with a hell of a presence, smirking as he pauses to address the crowd. “God save the Queen, man.” As a rapper, he’s earned his hop-hop stripes over the years (first emerging with Earl Sweatshirt on tracks like ‘epaR’) and is now blazing a trail completely of his own with the power of Def Jam Records behind him.
Going overtime after a late start and constantly speaking with his manager who seems to be negotiating with the guy behind the sound desk, Vince ends with the unrelenting and truly brilliant ‘Blue Suede’, whipping the swarming crowd into a wonderful frenzy before jumping off stage and ducking out the back door.
But he re-emerges a couple of minutes later at the merch booth to greet fans for conversations, daps and a swarm of selfies. He’s clearly aware that without all these supporters, he wouldn’t be in the rapidly rising position he’s in right now. Let’s hope he’s back on our shores very soon. | {
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Browsing Politics & Public Administration by Subject "public sector"
Connaughton, Bernadette(University of Limerick, Department of Politics and Public Administration, 2010)
Ireland is no different to other EU/OECD countries whereby ongoing reform is pursued in order to enhance the public sector’s capacity to deal with expanding policy competences, societal change and the demands of an ... | {
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If you haven’t got a quote yet, have a look at the Minifleet benefits below:
• Our most competitive pricing available online• Response on referrals within the hour• Ability to adjust commission • 10% premium adjustment on all quotes• Live Chat facility for real-time assistance• No admin fee for transactions• Any business written online will count towards your deal with us (if you have one)
If you’ve got any questions about Minifleet, speak to your Aviva business development manager. | {
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ATM EXP cheat for Ninja Saga
* You can just go to the "Headquarters" and choose "EXP BANK" * Enter level you need, then click "Start" * Wait until the process was really complete (every 16 seconds the EXP will increase) * If you are level 40 but have not passed the Jounin exam, then you can click on "Rank Up", then automatically direct you pass (do not forget it's gone on refresh)
Trust Level
How trusted are this members submissions. Higher ratings are reached by having more submissions, being a pro submitter, a game expert and having good thumb ratings for sufficient submissions on the site. | {
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Punishing Kick (Combat)
Benefit: You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll
ruins the attempt). On a successful hit, the attack deals damage
normally and you can choose to push your target 5 feet or attempt to knock them prone. If you decide to push the target, it is moved 5 feet directly away from you. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and the target must end this move in a safe space it can stand in. If you decide to attempt to knock the target prone, the target receives a Fortitudesaving throw with a DC of 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wisdom
modifier to avoid the effect. You may attempt a punishing kick attack
once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round.
Special: A hungry ghost monk receives Punishing Kick as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the Prerequisites. A monk may attempt a punishing kick attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk. | {
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"Whether they're part of the Knitting Nannas Against Gas or the Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children or at the Adani protests, I don't know many Quakers who couldn't also be considered activists," she says.
"I think we have that rebellious spirit and aren't afraid to question the way things are." | {
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
The rose bowl ride, or just "the bowl" as we call it, is not a very safe environment.
I have not been in a crit in close to a year, Last one was a few weeks after RAAM last year. I got within about 10 seconds of lapping the field solo.
I have had crashes this spring, one of them hard. Its taken a few weeks to feel comfortable on the bike in corners.
My fitness is down from not riding too much in the last half year or so. No more residual RAAM fitness to use.
I have a sleep disorder which makes my recovery much worse, and affects my writing.
See, I told you racing is all bout having your excuses ready, and always repeating them the same way! ;-)
So Will and I rode over, but it took longer than I thought. Got there 2 laps in, we think. So we jump into the pack just after the start/finish. No, there is no line there, or any lap cards. This ain't Camarillo. It took less than a lap to get heckled by some idiot telling me to get out of the pack and trying to scare me. I thought about replying, but hey, what would I have thought 10 years ago if I was in his shoes? I did make a note of what he looked like for future reference though.
The field was about 120 riders. Its bigger than Camarillo. From the video you can see that there are pylons on the right to separate the bikes and cars from the runners, walkers, baby strollers. There are roller bladers too, but some are too fast for that area. The paint and pylons are new this year. The ride has come very very close to being shut down in the last few years, and this segregation is the seen as a way to keep the ride alive. However, it changes how the ride play out. The course is narrower. On the left we have the yellow line. Need I say more? Well apparently I do, as some still cross it to move up.
Another new "rule": no passing cars in front of the pack. See them all here: http://www.socalcycling.com/graphics/10/RoseBowl2010.doc
Most good riders know that you need to be in the front 20% of the pack. Why? The pace does not fluctuate as much, and crashes are less likely, and you will have a chance at winning or getting in a breakaway. They also know that when the pace slows at the front, and they are too far back, they can move laterally and pass a bunch of folks to get to the front. Well, when its this narrow, you get scant few opportunities to move up. there is just no place to go. A lot of European races are like this. The other 80% are not really racing, they are just hanging on, or in a few cases, trying to take it easy.
Now the things that add danger are motorists, and slow rider on the right. The latter we are watchful for, and call out. I did find it somewhat ironic that as the guys with the least forward visibility, I was the one calling out most of them. The motorists are the issue. There are those that will pull out at 10-15mph in front of a pack doing 22-36mph. This means that you do a lot of this ride with both hands on the brake levers. If you can't see 10 riders in front of you, you do not know what is going to happen next. when it happens, there is a bunch of yelling, braking, and then we have to get up to speed again. The yelling is mostly internal in the pack, not at anyone else. I can't imagine its a very safe feeling to be passed inches away our pack doing 30+, and this has been happening for 60 years. Still, they come out on T and Th nights between 6 and 7 and hope nothing bad happens. It there right, its a public road, and we, the overtaking pack, are the burdened party. We have to avoid them. The motorists are easier to understand.
So when I jumped in I was about 50 riders back, and just happy to be doing the speed and riding smoothly. Having done this ride many times in the 90s, I know where to move up. One the back side, where we are doing 30-35mph on a slow night. Gaps open up there, so you have a place to go, plus on a CarbonAero, my aero advantage is biggest on the fastest part of the course. I saw a hole to go through near the yellow line and went for it. Hmmmmm, had to stop pedaling cuz my front end was bouncing around too much! Cracks, like little frost heaves, likely from roots, under the pavement. So much for that, had to coast with everyone else. Here is the killer though. I was on my favorite rims, HED Belgiums, 23.6mm wide. Conti 4000S tires. Very smooth set up. To top it off, I had not checked my pressures in a few days, so the front was down around 80 psi. If that ain't enough to smooth it all out I may need to mount the 25c Pro3 Race tires I have around. 70psi next? I feel like Fabian Cancellara at the spring classics. I need 27mm tires too!! Containment: next time move up on the right, and dodge the slow moving cyclists.
Within a lap or 2 started having little conversations with other riders. All positive. One guys asks if I had been there a few years ago on the same kind of bike. He says he only remembered one thing: very fast! Another guy, ex pro from Europe, asked if I'd be contesting the sprint. I then described how I'd have to win this, probably from about 2 miles out.
We had a soccer ball roll out into the field at the third turn, when we were doing 32. No one crashed!
I am sad there are no primes.
There were at least half a dozen hard braking espisodes when motorists pulled out in front of the pack. I actually got to the front a few. Once I was in a small break that was caught immediately. The surprise was that it was on the uphill side. Another time I got to the front on the back side just in time to see that there was a 12 rider break 5 seconds up the road! There is this guy in a blue jersey (I swear its a waffle fabric, like old thermals) who yells at everyone. it seems one will ride the way he wants them too, and this really upsets him. He happens to be right behind me as I get to the front. He yells, at someone,"HOLD YER LINE!!!!!". I give it some gas and start after the break, opening a gap on he and the rest of the main field. I yell back,"Close the gap!" Hehehe. Just after that somebody flys by me at warp speed. He must have been slingshotting the field on the yellow line. We both make it to the break, but so does the field half a lap later.
On the last lap I found myself in about 25th or so coming to the little 4% grade just before the line. I was right in the no mans zone between the guys who would be sprinting and the guys who knew there was no point. I decided to stay out of it as it was my first night out.
I tell you, this has made me realize how I dominated Camarillo (most of the time). Its wide!! When I want to go, or need a line, its there!! It does not matter where in the bunch I am. This means I can keep the pace consistently high when in the pack, until a break happens. I'll need to stay closer to the front to make that happen here. I wonder if I will be able to hang with a break on the uphill side. I wonder if they will keep me with them knowing how much help I will be on the back side. I still think I need to launch somewhere on the backside to win this.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Well its been close to a year since I've done a crit, but its time to see if I still have enough to survive one.
http://www.socalcycling.com/Group%20Rides/seasonal/rose_bowl.htm
Its faster than Camarillo. At 10 times 3.1 miles its longer too. Camarillo is just 40 times 0.5 miles. There are more riders, usually over 100. Its narrower, and its got a little hill right before the finish line. Not exactly bent friendly, but hey, neither are crits!! Oh, did I mention the walkers, rollerbladers, baby strollers, beach bikes, and the occasional soccer or golf ball landing in the middle of the peloton? Motorists also frequently pull out in front of the pack, even when we are doing 35!
Here is the course:
I just realized the there is 120' of elevation change every lap. No wonder we are in the mid 30s on the back side! | {
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During the extremely hot summer months, our local foothills can see an incredible rise in temperatures. The soaring sun, little breeze and consistent high temperatures can make for unbearable trail conditions for even the most experienced trail users. While the heat may seem daunting, summer is still a fantastic time to get out and enjoy the trails. To keep you and your trailmates safe and healthy while out on the trails, it is important to remember heat related concerns that can occur when heading outdoors. Heat related illnesses happen when a person’s body temperature rises and becomes unable to cool itself down through sweating. As we perspire, we lose body fluids that need to be replenished. A person experiencing early signs of heat related illness can become dehydrated first, sometimes unbeknownst to themselves.
Heat Exhaustion is the early stages of heat related illness. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water; drink a minimum of 2 – 4 cups of water per hour of outdoor activity and always carry more than you believe you’ll need.Heat Exhaustion Symptoms -Profuse sweating -Thirst -Dark-colored urine (a sign of dehydration) -Pale, cool skin -Fatigue -Headache -Dizziness -Nausea -Muscle crampsHeat Exhaustion Treatment -Stop activity and find the nearest cool and shady location to sit down and rest -Remove any tight or unnecessary clothing -Cool the person down with a water bath, spray or fan -Drink a sports drink or juice, or water if the others are unavailable -Place a cool cloth around the person’s neck Heat Stroke is the more serious and potentially life threatening heat illness. Heat Stroke occurs when a person’s core body temperature is above 103 degrees Fahrenheit and the body’s natural cooling mechanisms begin to shut down.
Heat Stroke Symptoms -High body temperature -Dry or moist, flushed skin -Lack of sweat despite the heat -Dizziness and confusion -Nausea and vomiting -Fast breathing and heartbeat -Behavioral changes such as confusion, slurred speech or staggering -Seizures -Fainting or unresponsivenessHeat Stroke Treatment -Stop activity and find the nearest cool and shady location to sit down and rest; you may have to improvise a sunshade if no natural shade is available -Remove any tight or unnecessary clothing -Quickly cool the person down by immersing in water up to their neck, spraying, sponging or showering with cool water -Place ice packs against the groin, armpits and sides of the neck. -Call for medical assistance right away. The best way to enjoy the trails during summertime is to properly prepare for the heat. Ramon Perez, Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer and medical practitioner, says, “I would not start a hike after 8am and would try to return to the trailhead before 11am. Avoid exposed trails when possible; love the shade of the trees! Be dressed in loose light-colored clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen and sunglasses and keep your pack weight light – leave your big backpack and heavy gear at home. Remember to frequently check on your hiking partners for any discomfort that suggests dehydration, give them a friendly pat on the back while checking to be sure they are still sweating and drink water often, even if you don’t feel thirsty.” Remember to pace yourself and do what is best for you. Limit your outdoor activities to the cooler early mornings or the breezy afternoons. And always remember the three rules of hydration: Pre-hydrate (before your activity), hydrate (during your activity) and re-hydrate (after your activity). Avoid alcoholic beverages the night before a planned outing and coffee the morning of an outing on an expected hot day. Sports drinks can be helpful afterward to replenish minerals lost during activity and can help avoid fatigue and muscle cramping. Hiking with others is always recommended, but especially during hotter weather. Louie Liwanag of OnSite Training, a first-aid training provider states, “The key is for a responder to recognize the signs and symptoms and treat for heat exhaustion before the patient progresses to heat stroke. Oftentimes, individuals focused on their activity may not realize that they are experiencing heat exhaustion until they start having some obvious and potentially life-threatening symptoms.” Ensure that you and your trailmates are looking out for each other at all times. No matter what the time of year or the conditions, knowledge of what to expect and being properly prepared will be of great benefit when signs of trouble arise. Stay cool and hydrated out there this summer!
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About
Welcome to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy "News from the Field" blog. These articles are written by Conservancy staff about activities and projects in and near the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. | {
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'Madeleine' CCTV woman not traced
A woman captured on CCTV in Belgium a week ago with a young girl resembling Madeleine McCann has still not come forward despite massive publicity.
Private detectives for the missing child's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, are desperately trying to find the woman, who was filmed with a blonde youngster in Brussels last Monday.
The couple have been shown CCTV footage obtained by The Sun newspaper, but are unable to say for sure whether or not the girl is Madeleine, family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said.
Now experts in the US hired by the McCanns are analysing the security camera clips to enhance the quality of the images and extract further clues.
A series of CCTV pictures show the woman, of North African or Arabic appearance, walking down the street hand-in-hand with the girl in the western Molenbeek suburb of Brussels.
A security guard at a branch of KBC Bank overheard the child say to the adult in English, "Can we go back now?" The Sun reported.
Mr Mitchell said: "It's been taken as seriously as anything else we've had all the way through. We're not ruling it out. Gerry and Kate are very good at saying 'that's definitely not Madeleine' quite quickly. In this case they're not sure. Until we have a better resolution (image) and have a bit more information on what was or wasn't said, we won't know."
It is understood there have been a series of potential sightings of Madeleine in Belgium reported over the past week.
A source close to the McCanns' investigators said it was surprising that the woman captured on CCTV had not contacted Belgian police if there was an innocent explanation.
The source said: "If the woman's an immigrant it may be that she hasn't seen the publicity. We do wonder why she hasn't come forward yet." | {
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A HUONBROOK woman treated like a sex slave and a punching bag has been awarded an extra $9250 in compensation.
The woman claimed her former de facto partner bashed her regularly over three and a half years, treating her as a sex slave until their relationship ended after a particularly brutal sexual assault in April, 2010.
That attack resulted in a Victims Compensation Fund pay-out for the sexual assault but a second claim relating to the regular beatings and other sexual assaults was refused.
Sydney Civil and Administrative Tribunal senior member John McAteer overturned that refusal on appeal.
"It is claimed that she was hit to the chin, punched in the face and had a chair thrown at her head," he said.
"The applicant gave a history of regular physical and sexual assaults.
"She said the offender treated her like a slave and used her like a sex slave."
A psychological report detailed years of abuse and "being kept hostage" in the years before April, 2009.
"The report also details the presence of psychological harm significantly related to and arising from the violence during the period of the relationship," Mr McAteer said.
"Having considered the following evidence it is clear to me (the woman) has been the victim of an act of violence..." | {
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Company Blog
New Website
As most of you who are familiar with General Manufacturing Company and have visited our site in the past, you may notice something new. We have done a complete re-design with help from our friends at Imperium Studio Inc.
Our hope and goal as always with General Manufacturing Company is to have the best possible experience. Feel free to browse around our site and lets us know what you think by commenting below.
Categories
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Stay Updated
General Manufacturing Company is a three-generation, family owned and operated, precision machining facility; established in 1958 as a Pittsburgh-based coal mine and steel mill repair/supply company.
Specializing in production runs of over 500 parts, our staff displays a passion for their work, which includes CNC muli-axis turning, CNC mill fabricating, assemblies and testing. Our emphasis on quality also includes our vendors, who provide various processes such as Heat Treating, CARC Painting and Plating, Anodize, Phosphate, Chrome and Zinc. We provide products from small machined replacement parts to complete field-ready subassemblies.
News
There comes a time in every machine operators life that they find out a vice is usually harder than a tool. Today was that day for one of our operators. #welcometotheclub #wontbethelasttime https://t.co/HLMiRynERe
Located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, General Manufacturing is a three-generation family owned and operated precision machining facility established in 1958 as a coal mine and steel mill repair and supply company.
ISO 9001:2008 certified and ITAR:M29377 registered, General Manufacturing Company specializes in value-added manufacturing services with a focus on quality. | {
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Scouse Tremz
Scouse Tremz
Tremz is a Liverpudlian MC/artist who has taken the game by storm with his unique style, combined with his powerful scouse accent. He has most definitely put Liverpool, and his brand FTR, on the map.
His “mad about bars” freestyle, and his collaboration with A1fromthe9 “too illa” gained over 900,000 views each on YouTube, marking him as one to watch. The track “Pull up hop out bang” received rave reviews among the industry and has become an anthem in the underground scene, being played at Hideout Festival in Croatia by various DJs, and receiving support from Charlie Sloth, DJ Target and Mistajam, among others.
He has performed at Grime Live I in London, and alongside Charlie Sloth in Sheffield. This spring he will be touring the UK alongside label-mates Big Narstie and Izzie Gibbs.
He is one of the very few features on the rising star Stefflon Don’s mixtape, alongside the likes of Krept & Konan and Jeremih. After having such a successful 2016, which culminated in his signing to Dice Recordings, expect very big things from Tremz and his brand FTR in 2017. His debut mixtape “Lifestyle of a Pirate” is set to be released in February. | {
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“Good old Riot Season…”, to paraphrase an old Yellow Pages television advert. “They’re not just there for the bad things in life”. They are there, though, as a relatively frequent, always reliable source of all things noisy, heavy and ‘out there’, with a previous release list that includes names like Hey Colossus, Shit And Shine, Aufgehoben and Acid Mothers Temple.
England Have My Bones is a new release from the label, and so I bought it very recently. Earthling Society was a new name to me before Riot Season began mentioning this record being in the works some time ago and, based on the record, yet another band to add to my “I’d better get to owning their other releases” list. From Fleetwood in Lancashire, they can be quite neatly summed up by a list of the acts they’ve supported in the past: Julian Cope, Damo Suzuki, White Hills, Hawkwind, Groundhogs and Blue Cheer. That’s not to encircle them with nothing more than a list of influences; on the basis of England Have My Bones they’re rather more than that. It’s a spiritually heavy-sounding album, but it’s not packed full of riffs and volume. Those things are there, but they’re packaged in a contemplative, psychedelic way that’s takes a heavy blues guitar sound in Eastern, hallucinogenic directions. The four tracks include a heavier, guitar-ier version of Alice Coltrane’s ‘Journey Into Satchidananda’.
The artwork initially wrong-footed me into thinking that this would be a more typical sludge-rock/doom kind of record: the gothic script and black, ominous imagery wouldn’t be out of place if it were wrapped around such a release. It’s clever stuff, though; the image has a Northern English feel – grubby power station towers belching out smoke, and pylons silhouetted against grey skies. Its reflection both horizontally and vertically not only provides a convenient black strip for the band and album name, but also notches up the sense of mystery in the image. The rear of the sleeve is a lighter, ‘English pastoral’ scene, depicting a field and a tree – although they are drenched in thick fog. It also shows a sheela na gig-esque folk image above the track names, suggesting perhaps a connection with some arcane folk beliefs. The sleeve design is by Andrew Smith, who runs Riot Season. The package also included an A3 poster promoting the record (the sort you’d see up in a record shop), along with a few flyers for upcoming gigs featuring Riot Season acts. | {
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Penguin returns to Orkney waters
Finnish developer Wello Oy’s Penguin wave device has arrived in Orkney ahead of deployment at the European Marine Energy Centre.
The 1600-tonne device was towed from Cornwall to Kirkwall by Orkney-company Green Marine, which is also involved in mooring system and other preparatory work at EMEC’s wave test site at Billia Croo.
Wello says the tow went well despite a few days of delay due to weather conditions, with installation at EMEC set to be completed by March 31.
Timo Lotti from Wello said: "Two weeks ago, the sea cable was prepared for connection and mooring laying is due to begin as weather allows.
“The project is lucky to have such amount of expertise, experience and enthusiasm. Good leadership and a common goal help us going forward to the successful finish."
Deployment is to be followed by the construction of a new device, with work due to begin before the coming summer. Its development is currently being fine tuned and verifying tank tests are ongoing.
Heikki Paakkinen, Wello’s chief executive officer, said: "The technology team has managed to achieve smoother and continues circular hull movement which reflects into good quality of electricity and a higher energy gain."
The EMEC deployment is part of a European Union Horizon 2020 Clean Energy From Ocean Waves (CEFOW) project.
The project aims to deploy advanced multiple wave energy converters (WECs), with improved power generation capability, and demonstrate that they are able to survive challenging sea conditions over a period of several years.
The Penguin device is around 30 meters long, nine metres in height and has a draft of around seven meters. Only two meters are visible above the water surface. It was first deployed at the Billia Croo wave test site during the summer of 2012. | {
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If you'd like to become a Champion, please subscribe to the [https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/babel-translators Babel Translators] mailing list, and add your name and language to the list below.
If you'd like to become a Champion, please subscribe to the [https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/babel-translators Babel Translators] mailing list, and add your name and language to the list below.
−
=== French ===
+
=== French (fr) ===
* Denis Roy (denis roy at eclipse dot org)
* Denis Roy (denis roy at eclipse dot org)
+
+
=== German (de) ===
+
* Add your name here!
+
+
=== Japanese (ja) ===
+
* Add your name here!
Revision as of 13:53, 9 June 2008
Babel language champions are persons who are proficient in both English and another language and have a few minutes to spare each week. Being a language champion is a low-effort task for providing insight to the Babel team, and community, on the current state of the quality of the language. | {
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} |
A good coding standard helps the code quality and development productivity because best practices are built-in. Coding standard includes code analysis and code formatter. This is a document for setup and execute coding standard for Angular development, including the Ionic deveopment.
Hugo is a static website generator writting in Go (Golang). It can be used for a blog website, a documentation site, a landing page. This is a study note based on the official Hugo doc and the Youtube Hugo tutorial. | {
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SAVE Foundation
Wilsona School District is a proud member and supporter of the SAVE Foundation. Please click the link below to learn more about the Save Foundation and how you too can support both Wilsona School District students and the SAVE Foundation. | {
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Bayleys news & articles
Long-standing and Government tenants underpin attraction of Invercargill commercial premises
Friday, 19 February 2016
Tags: CommercialSouthland
The imposing central-Invercargill building housing one of the city’s oldest legal firms and the Southland offices of the three Government departments has been placed on the market for sale.
The recently renovated 2520 square metre two-storey commercial premises on 1858 square metres of land at 45 Yarrow Street is regarded as one of Invercargill’s best commercial premises.
The primary tenant in the building is Preston Russel Law – which has been operating in Southland for 155 years. The company acts as the province’s Crown Solicitors.
Taking the entire upper floor, Preston Russell Law has a lease running through until 2022 with four additional four-year rights of renewal. The tenancy generates revenue of $221,136 per annum.
Meanwhile, the secondary tenancy primarily consists of the Inland Revenue Department which has occupied the ground floor of the premises for the past 15 years, and has a current lease running through to later this year, with two further three-year rights of renewal. The naming-rights tenancy generates a rental of $186,684 per annum.
Extensive renovations of its floor space currently being undertaken by the IRD include the installation of a new access and security system, new interior décor and fit-out, and an upgrade of the closed circuit TV camera electronics and office security layout.
The IRD has sub-leased some of its space to fellow Government agencies including Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Innovation and Development.
The Yarrow Street building is being marketed for sale by Bayleys Southland - with offers being taken up until March 17. Bayleys Southland salesperson Hayden McCallum said the building was constructed in the late 1990s and had been meticulously maintained over its life span.
“Preston Russell Law undertook a major first floor renovation in 2013, while a new air conditioning system was installed in 2014 at a cost of $120,000.
“Likewise, the IRD and its sister Government agencies on the ground floor have maintained the standard of their interior throughout their tenancy. This reflects not only the professionalism of their services, but also meets the Government edict that all state offices must be housed in earthquake-resilient premises,” Mr McCullum said.
The building is located on the northern fringe of Invercargill CBD in the city’s large retail precinct adjacent to stores such as Farmers, Rebel Sports and Briscoes, in a part of town zoned ‘Business Sub Area’ which allows for a mix of retail and commercial activities. Mr. McCullum said the building had 20 onsite car parks.
“With around 100 employees working inside the building, both tenancies have their own individual staff amenities – including bathroom and kitchen facilities,” he said.
“The property exceeds 100 percent of New Build Standards under the Initial Evaluation Process (IEP) assessment method. Buildings with ratings higher than 66 percent are generally considered ‘safe’,” he said.
“From an investment perspective on multiple fronts, there are few buildings like 45 Yarrow Street in Invercargill which have quality tenants in place in such modern and well maintained premises.
The property has a 2014 rating valuation of $3.6million. Mr McCallum said Bayleys had already received interest from potential buyers in Canterbury, Tauranga, Auckland and Southland. | {
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Ignore the bottom of this outfit (you can do better) and just look at the awkward (in a good way, always in a good way) proportions that an oversized turtleneck and a shirt peaking from underneath can get. | {
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Hidden : Hidden Object « Form « JavaScript Tutorial
The Hidden object is created with the HTML tag. Specifying the TYPE parameter of the tag as hidden creates the Hidden object. It is a text object that is suppressed from form display in an HTML form. The Hidden object is primarily used for passing name/value pairs from a form. | {
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My cousin lives in CT she came to visit in june and brought me a box of these for my birthday they were delish mmmm
Taste Great
Andrew - 03/29/2017
I first tried these a few days ago and they are fantastic. Chocolate goes great with the crunch of the flower. Great for a small burst of chocolate or as a gift. Glad to support a company that also supports our vets. | {
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Multiple question about texture image units
Hi there.
Until now I have only ever bound my textures to the texture image unit 0.
Now I want to broaden my horizon; but there are still a few questions which neither the reference pages nor google searches have answered yet.
Furthermore, there are a few things I am not 100% sure I understood correctly.
1)
Can I bind the same texture to several texture image units at the same time?
(And if I can, does that make any sense at all?)
2)
If I bind each texture to different image units, can I then draw geometry using all those textures without having to switch them out?
That is, would it work just like using Array Textures?
3)
If I am still working with the fixed-functionality pipeline, without any shaders of my own, can I still render using textures from any other texture image unit then 0?
(And if yes, what function do I need to use?)
Thats it for now,
I would appreciate your help on this. Thank you very much.
1 - Yes, you can. It would make sense if you wanted to sample them differently, e.g wrap mode on unit 0 but repeat mode on unit 1. Also with different LODs, filter modes, etc. Fixed pipeline OpenGL doesn't really allow this however as you need sampler objects also bound to the units (some implementations may work).
2 - I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this. Do you mean binding all textures you're going to use to different units once-only then drawing without using any glBindTexture calls at runtime? Or something else?
3 - Yes, you can, but you need to set up your texture environment (via glTexEnv calls) correctly so that they'll blend between the different units as you desire. It also depends on what calls you're using to draw - it can be glMultiTexCoord if you're using glBegin/glEnd, or glClientActiveTexture/glTexCoordPointer if using vertex arrays/buffer objects.
2) Yes, exactly. I bind each texture to a different texture unit once. Then, I never have to unbind/bind a texture again as long as I am not having too many textures in my application.
Is that possible?
3) Ah, thank you. I should have noticed those 2 functions, but for some reason, I just didnt see them.
1) In an OpenGL 3.3+ environment you can use SamplerObjects and bind one or many of these to a single Texture. In this way you upload just one Texture and you can decide how to sample (in other words set usual filters like WRAP_S, MAX_LOD, etc...) it with one SamplerObject whenever you want.
2) You need to let OpenGL knows what textures to "call"/use for each Channel, so you need to BindTexture() during rendering. In OpenGL 4.4 there is a new function "glBindTextures()" to bind all textures at once, but I think it not works as expected: http://www.opengl.org/discussion_boa...43#post1257143 | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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OpenFields
Nutrition and fertilisers
Fertilisers are plant nutrient substances given to improve plant growth rates and to boost the yields of crops. However, feeding plants is not always necessary. Soils vary in their nutrient levels. Sandy soils and chalky soils, for example, tend to be lower in nutrients than clay or loam soils. Soils also vary in the availability of nutrients. Soils that are dry, waterlogged, very acid or very alkaline may not allow plants to access existing nutrients. Correcting these factors (where possible) may be more effective than giving fertiliser, and in fact may be necessary for fertilisers to be effective. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
While Prohibition is long gone and there are bars aplenty all across the DMV, there's something sexy about heading below ground or behind a cleverly concealed entryway to sip fancy drinks inside lively spaces. Cocktail fans may be familiar with some of the area's longstanding hideaways (The Gibson, PX), but there are a few new spots where one can still enjoy an air of exclusivity.
— Updated by Erin Williams
Have another favorite speakeasy in D.C.? Share in the comments below or sound off via email ([email protected]).
1. The Sheppard
This speakeasy is named after late Texas Sen. Morris Sheppard, who authored the law banning alcohol in the nation’s capital. There's no need for reservations for the 35-seat space, but large parties are advised to call ahead. In order to find the space, simply walk into the lobby and take the elevator up to the second level.
2. The Gibson
From the outside, this low-key establishment doesn’t seem to exist as there’s no clear signage to lead the way. Once inside, the space is warm and hospitable with a wide range of cocktails sporting names like “Boi Bye” and “The Man I Forgot I Loved.”
3. Harold Black
This 1920s-style speakeasy above Acqua Al 2 in Eastern Market is super hush-hush— drinkers have to know it's there. There's seating for around 30 inside. The menu features light fare like charcuterie and sweets like cheesecake.
4. Dram and Grain
Some walk-in traffic is welcome on Wednesdays and Thursdays (first come, first serve), but the best way to claim one of the 20 seats at Jack Rose's underground cocktail haven is to work the phones (202-607-1572) and book a reservation. Each seating time is limited to two-and-a-half hours.
5. Denson Liquor Bar
Across the street from a fire station, one is able to find an old-school cocktail bar tucked away in the lower level of 600 F Street NW. The dimly lit, intimate space offers an array of whiskies and cocktails that are either shaken or stirred. Expect prices at or around $14.
It opens at 4:30 p.m.. Monday through Saturday, with a full dinner menu served until 11:30 p.m.; closing times vary.
6. PX
A blue light indicates this iconic Alexandria speakeasy is open for business. Once inside, kick back and allow founder Todd Thrasher and his team of drink gurus to lead a flavorful journey featuring vintage cocktails, seasonal punches, and sparkling surprises. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are highly recommended.
7. Captain Gregory's
This Alexandria speakeasy has a hidden entrance inside sister restaurant Sugar Shack Donuts. Find the 24-seat space (hint: the door is covered by wooden paneling) but expect to only be able to stay for a couple of hours. Reservations can be made ahead of time for up to six people on OpenTable; walk-ins often end up on a wait list and are contacted when a table opens up.
8. Elixir Bar
Located within Barrel on Capitol Hill, this serious cocktail destination prides itself on being a speakeasy without the hurdles or hassles. Find drinks priced in the $12-$14 range. It opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays and at 10:30 a.m. on weekends.
9. Reading Room at Petworth Citizen
Bring a book to this weekend gathering, where bartender Chantal Tseng creates beverages inspired by featured authors and literary themes. Recent offerings include the sherry-, vermouth-, and orange oil-laced Alfonsa’s Manipulation inspired by Cormac McCarthy’s The Border Trilogy, and Sal’s Aunt, a gin-fueled tipple inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.
10. Backroom at Capo Deli
See a bright red light above the door to a faux walk-in freezer at Capo Deli? That means the invite-only Backroom bar is doing its thing. Food orders are filled by the companion deli, while cocktail offerings include signature offerings such as the coffee liqueur-, melon- and brown sugar-fueled Blue Mountain Bell.
When the red light is on, the Backroom bar is open. Photo by Kim T. / Yelp
11. Left Door
Even those familiar with Logan Circle may have missed this sliver-sized bar specializing in cocktails such as the "Lola Sour" (campari, tequila, volcanic sea salt), and "Release the Kraken!" (tequila, lemon, honey).
12. Chicken and Whiskey
“Hidden” behind a fake freezer door, customers can enjoy one of the many choice whiskies served inside the 50 person bar after 5 p.m. Prices range from $7 for a pour of Evan Williams Black to $28 for a Glen Scotia Victoriana single malt.
13. The Alex
Hidden beneath Georgetown’s Graham hotel, this swanky enclosure is only accessible by a typed code, given to guests upon arriving for their reservation. Live jazz fills the air on weekends, while bartenders whip up drinks including gin-and-tonics served in tiny porcelain bathtubs, sake-vodka coolers, and a cure-all ginger/honey/Scotch concoction dubbed "Penicillin."
1. The Sheppard
1337 Connecticut Ave NW Fl 2, Washington, D.C. 20036
Photo: The Sheppard
This speakeasy is named after late Texas Sen. Morris Sheppard, who authored the law banning alcohol in the nation’s capital. There's no need for reservations for the 35-seat space, but large parties are advised to call ahead. In order to find the space, simply walk into the lobby and take the elevator up to the second level.
2. The Gibson
2009 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20003
Photo: The Gibson
From the outside, this low-key establishment doesn’t seem to exist as there’s no clear signage to lead the way. Once inside, the space is warm and hospitable with a wide range of cocktails sporting names like “Boi Bye” and “The Man I Forgot I Loved.”
3. Harold Black
This 1920s-style speakeasy above Acqua Al 2 in Eastern Market is super hush-hush— drinkers have to know it's there. There's seating for around 30 inside. The menu features light fare like charcuterie and sweets like cheesecake.
4. Dram and Grain
Some walk-in traffic is welcome on Wednesdays and Thursdays (first come, first serve), but the best way to claim one of the 20 seats at Jack Rose's underground cocktail haven is to work the phones (202-607-1572) and book a reservation. Each seating time is limited to two-and-a-half hours.
5. Denson Liquor Bar
Across the street from a fire station, one is able to find an old-school cocktail bar tucked away in the lower level of 600 F Street NW. The dimly lit, intimate space offers an array of whiskies and cocktails that are either shaken or stirred. Expect prices at or around $14.
It opens at 4:30 p.m.. Monday through Saturday, with a full dinner menu served until 11:30 p.m.; closing times vary.
6. PX
A blue light indicates this iconic Alexandria speakeasy is open for business. Once inside, kick back and allow founder Todd Thrasher and his team of drink gurus to lead a flavorful journey featuring vintage cocktails, seasonal punches, and sparkling surprises. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are highly recommended.
7. Captain Gregory's
804 North Henry Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Photo: Captain Gregory's
This Alexandria speakeasy has a hidden entrance inside sister restaurant Sugar Shack Donuts. Find the 24-seat space (hint: the door is covered by wooden paneling) but expect to only be able to stay for a couple of hours. Reservations can be made ahead of time for up to six people on OpenTable; walk-ins often end up on a wait list and are contacted when a table opens up.
8. Elixir Bar
613 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
Photo: Elixir Bar
Located within Barrel on Capitol Hill, this serious cocktail destination prides itself on being a speakeasy without the hurdles or hassles. Find drinks priced in the $12-$14 range. It opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays and at 10:30 a.m. on weekends.
9. Reading Room at Petworth Citizen
Bring a book to this weekend gathering, where bartender Chantal Tseng creates beverages inspired by featured authors and literary themes. Recent offerings include the sherry-, vermouth-, and orange oil-laced Alfonsa’s Manipulation inspired by Cormac McCarthy’s The Border Trilogy, and Sal’s Aunt, a gin-fueled tipple inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.
10. Backroom at Capo Deli
715 Florida Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
When the red light is on, the Backroom bar is open. Photo by Kim T. / Yelp
See a bright red light above the door to a faux walk-in freezer at Capo Deli? That means the invite-only Backroom bar is doing its thing. Food orders are filled by the companion deli, while cocktail offerings include signature offerings such as the coffee liqueur-, melon- and brown sugar-fueled Blue Mountain Bell.
11. Left Door
Even those familiar with Logan Circle may have missed this sliver-sized bar specializing in cocktails such as the "Lola Sour" (campari, tequila, volcanic sea salt), and "Release the Kraken!" (tequila, lemon, honey).
12. Chicken and Whiskey
“Hidden” behind a fake freezer door, customers can enjoy one of the many choice whiskies served inside the 50 person bar after 5 p.m. Prices range from $7 for a pour of Evan Williams Black to $28 for a Glen Scotia Victoriana single malt.
13. The Alex
Hidden beneath Georgetown’s Graham hotel, this swanky enclosure is only accessible by a typed code, given to guests upon arriving for their reservation. Live jazz fills the air on weekends, while bartenders whip up drinks including gin-and-tonics served in tiny porcelain bathtubs, sake-vodka coolers, and a cure-all ginger/honey/Scotch concoction dubbed "Penicillin." | {
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Piper Green and the Fairy Tree
"There are three things you should know about Piper Green- 1. She always says what s on her mind (even when she probably shouldn t). 2. She rides a lobster boat to school. 3. There is a Fairy Tree in her front yard. Life on an island in Maine is always interesting. But when a new teacher starts at Piper s school and doesn t appreciate the special, um, accessory that Piper has decided to wear there may be trouble on the horizon. Then Piper discovers the Fairy Tree in her front yard. Is the Fairy Tree really magic? And can it fix Piper s problems?" | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Skip links
Guns cheaper than smartphones in Pak’s tribal town Darra
A dusty tribal town in Pakistan, which is known to be the country’s biggest arms black market sells Kalashnikovs welded from scrap metal cheaper than smartphones and that to on an industrial scale.
Darra Adamkhel, a town surrounded by hills some 35 kilometers south of the city of Peshawar, was a hub of criminal activity for decades. Now, Darra is clean of all but the arms. The town is famous for selling replicas of Turkish and Bulgarian-made MP5 sub-machine guns, one of the most popular weapons in the world as well as any weapon the workers are shown.
The MP5 can retail for thousands of dollars. But the Pakistani replica, which comes with a one-year guarantee, costs roughly 7000 rupees whereas a Darra-made Kalashnikov can sell for as little as 8400, cheaper than most smartphones.
Newzstreet TV Videos – Dedicated to bringing you the latest and best in politics, sports, current affairs and entertainment world. From traditional sports like cricket to best Bollywood entertainment news, Newzstreet TV is a must watch for news updates. | {
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COMFORTABLE: to wear for both adult and child, Use eco-friendly fabric which doesn’t stimulate the skin. A layer of sponge inside to protect the child’s wrist. There is double Velcro for kids hand, it will protect the child's wrist from sharp and hurt.
EASY TO CARRY AND USE: Have two cuffs, one on each end, are soft and smooth, Is good for use to square, supermarket, and airport.
PARENTAL PEACE OF MIND: Made out of Stainless Steel and PU cover that’s difficult to be cut by a knife, our toddler leash will allow your child to safely explore the environment as you enjoy peace of mind on any trip, vacation or walks in public, crowded places.
SOFT & COMFORTABLE: Both our wrist links feature a comfortable wrist strap cloth with a soft sponge pad that feels silky smooth upon touch. That way it is ensured that both the parent’s and the kid’s skin are not hurt in any way and they remain ultra-comfortable to wear
COMFORTABLE: to wear for both adult and child, Use eco-friendly fabric which doesn’t stimulate the skin. A layer of sponge inside to protect the child’s wrist. There is double Velcro for kids hand, it will protect the child's wrist from sharp and hurt.
EASY TO CARRY AND USE: Have two cuffs, one on each end, are soft and smooth, Is good for use to square, supermarket, and airport.
PARENTAL PEACE OF MIND: Made out of Stainless Steel and PU cover that’s difficult to be cut by a knife, our toddler leash will allow your child to safely explore the environment as you enjoy peace of mind on any trip, vacation or walks in public, crowded places.
SOFT & COMFORTABLE: Both our wrist links feature a comfortable wrist strap cloth with a soft sponge pad that feels silky smooth upon touch. That way it is ensured that both the parent’s and the kid’s skin are not hurt in any way and they remain ultra-comfortable to wear
COMFORTABLE: to wear for both adult and child, Use eco-friendly fabric which doesn’t stimulate the skin. A layer of sponge inside to protect the child’s wrist. There is double Velcro for kids hand, it will protect the child's wrist from sharp and hurt.
EASY TO CARRY AND USE: Have two cuffs, one on each end, are soft and smooth, Is good for use to square, supermarket, and airport.
PARENTAL PEACE OF MIND: Made out of Stainless Steel and PU cover that’s difficult to be cut by a knife, our toddler leash will allow your child to safely explore the environment as you enjoy peace of mind on any trip, vacation or walks in public, crowded places.
SOFT & COMFORTABLE: Both our wrist links feature a comfortable wrist strap cloth with a soft sponge pad that feels silky smooth upon touch. That way it is ensured that both the parent’s and the kid’s skin are not hurt in any way and they remain ultra-comfortable to wear
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Dr. Emin Tuncay Ustuner, a plastic surgeon in Ankara, Turkey, came up with the theory that calls out gravity’s “force of downward pull ... on the scalp” as the main culprit in male pattern baldness. But there’s a little more to it, and it involves a potent form of the male sex hormone testosterone, known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which has been known to thin hair follicles in the scalp.
Dr. Ustuner’s theory posits that aging, and to a lesser extent testosterone, causes people to lose the fatty tissue that lies under their scalp. This tissue is able to keep itself “well hydrated” during youth, thereby protecting the hair follicles from gravitational pressure. But as it’s lost, pressure increases on the follicles, and the body tries to compensate for the added pressure by sending more testosterone to help grow hair. This leads to an overabundance of DHT, and what was once just a contributing factor to lost fatty tissue becomes a major factor, according to a press release.
These processes become a “vicious cycle” in which DHT tries to grow hair, but causes the fatty tissue to dissolve, subsequently leading to more gravitational pressure, Dr. Ustuner said. For this reason, many people lose hair on the top of their heads first, and then at the front of the head, where weight from facial tissue pulls down further, he said. Hair remains on the side of the head because the ears are there to provide support.
“There is not another theory that reasonably and satisfactorily explains hair loss in AGA without ascribing a function to DHT that is opposite to its known function,” he wrote, according to the statement. While certain theories say that genetically predisposed people are susceptible to these hormonal patterns, Dr. Ustuner said that increases of DHT in the scalp are “not an occurrence directly determined by genes.” | {
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The supermarket offer means that customers can pick up a bottle of ready made pancake mix, lemon juice, maple flavoured syrup and a Frylight oil spray for free when they spend £5 on a frying pan.
Nutella mega-sale sparks ‘riot’ among French shoppers
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at [email protected] call 0207 78 24516.Don't forget to join the Sun Money's Facebook group for the latest bargains and money-saving advice. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The fault was not in our stars, but in our teams' treatment of them.
Under former commissioner David Stern, the NBA, which had always been a players' game, became a star player's paradise. First in line for all the perks among this century's best players was LeBron James.
I was an NBA beat writer when the superstar fascination began with the American Basketball Association's merger with the NBA in 1976 and the trade soon afterward of Julius Erving from the cash-strapped New York Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team I covered.
Erving was a player with some team loyalty problems of his own as a youngster, but he otherwise lacked most of the repellent attitudes of today's entitlement elite. In his autobiography, "Dr. J," Erving makes the point that he was part of the last generation in the NBA in which the coach was the most important figure in the franchise, not the superstar player.
It made all the difference.
Erving was not made the instant savior of the team because another former ABA luminary, George McGinnis, had already been there for a year and had led the team to the playoffs. Erving had to adjust, defer even, to the senior man.
Erving's need to adapt to a new team and new coaches, amid ballyhoo surrounding him that was great for its time, should be compared to the immediate anointing of James as the Cavaliers' sun, around whom everyone and everything revolved, almost as soon as the 2003 draft lottery was over.
James was ceaselessly catered to after Mike Brown became his coach. Brown even thanked James publicly "for letting me coach him." The clock was already running on that agreement, though.
You wouldn't give your children every single thing they wanted. You wouldn't even do that with your dog. It would do nothing but spoil them.
It spoiled James rotten, leading him to take it on the lam in 2010 after two years of collusion, ever since the 2008 Olympics. He thus spurned Dan Gilbert, the owner who had given James everything he wanted. Gilbert got nothing, certainly not respect, in return.
Players today need to know where the "boundaries" are. This is a euphemism for discipline, which, when plainly explained and applied -– I give you the Spurs' Gregg Popovich –- can lead players, as Popovich tells them, "to get over yourselves."
This is why Browns coach Mike Pettine is doing the right thing by making Brian Hoyer (a.k.a., "Johnny Ignatius?") the starter. This not only rewards Hoyer's proficiency before being injured last season, it also stokes the furnace of Johnny Manziel's competitiveness.
How did handing the starting quarterback job to Jake Delhomme, Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden work out, anyway?
Even Bernie Kosar, the last consistently winning quarterback the Browns have had, back in the mid-1980s, sat behind Gary Danielson for a while.
As for Manziel, Johnny Football comes here after putting Texas A&M in the forefront of the national college football consciousness, much as Kosar in the national championship season of 1983 made Miami a program to watch.
Just as Kosar learned from watching Danielson, so might Manziel benefit from Hoyer. At least, up to a point. Then the competitive juices, if precedent means anything, will kick in.
In spring football at Texas A&M in 2012, Manziel's Heisman Trophy year, new coach Kevin Sumlin refused to name a starter in spring practice.
Coming off a redshirt freshman season, Manziel was what he was in last week's Browns OTAs -- a player of startling, contradictory abilities. Manziel is capable of making cross-field, cross-body throws no one else tries and putting them through a "window" all but closed and barred. But back then at A&M he was also loose with his ball-handling and prone to turnovers.
Most Aggie fans would have been happy with redshirt sophomore Jameill Showers, who for two years had backed up Ryan Tannehill, the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft.
That summer, however, Manziel revamped his technique by working with West Coast trainer George Whitfield, the Yoda of quarterback coaches. Whitfield's drills really did not improve Ohio State's Braxton Miller that much after he practiced with the guru before last season. But they transformed Manziel because he is a football firestorm of want, hunger and will.
Every critic harps on Manziel's 5-11 height. But in addition to electrifying running ability, he has intangibles that mean more at quarterback than almost any other position in sports.
According to a devoted Texas A&M keeper of Manzielana, email correspondent Cotton Clark, by the end of fall practice in 2012 offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, now the head coach at Texas Tech, had gotten an eyeful of the new Manziel. "Johnny didn't come to A&M to sit on the bench," he said.
Johnny didn't come here to do that either. Not immediately, but eventually, Browns fans will catch a rising star, one that is all the brighter for its initial dimming.
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cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC. | {
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Snatch Theft
Snatch theft is becoming a serious issue nowadays. The snatch thieves crime has become from bad to worst in Malaysia. The local media, especially the press, has been replete with reports of crime and violence in our beloved country. There have been many reports of snatch thefts which has given a great impact to the society. Police statistics on these crimes indicate that they are on the rise. Therefore, there is a sense of anxiety, even panic and fear in the air. Thus, we have to take action in avoid from being one of the snatch theft victim . What to do if you do become a victim? Firstly, one of the way to avoid from being a snatch theft victim is be alert what’s happening around you, suspect every oncoming motorcyclist whether from behind or front to be a snatch-thief. It is better safe than sorry. Females are usually the victims of snatch-thief so be extra cautious with whatever you are carrying. Males are known to be victims too so don’t let your guard down. Then, you must always walk facing oncoming traffic. A snatch thief will usually come from behind you when you are not looking. Secondly, when dining at a hotel, restaurants or any eatery, do not leave your handbag or laptop on the table or hanging on the side of a chair. If you are going to the buffet table, make sure someone is looking after your things otherwise take them with you. Do not assume that all other customers are honorable. Furthermore, do not attract attention by wearing expensive jewellery. After that, never keep all your cash in one place. That way, if you lose your wallet or handbag, you will still have money. Next, you must avoid to walk alone. If you are venturing out somewhere unknown, go in a group. There is safety in numbers. Moreover, try to avoid answer your mobile phone while walking .If you have to take a walk in a prime snatch thief area, do not carry too much stuff. Wherever you are walking to, try to walk off the main road and onto walk paths or... | {
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A cappella
There's nothing like four-part men's voices on a dreamy ballad or a fun doo-wop chart, and these arrangements from Contemporary A Cappella are tailor-made for men's groups of 4 to 40. Contents: Good Ol' A Cappella; Stand By Me; Good Lovin; Up On The Roof; and Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight. | {
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} |
Four unlikely heroes sense that something very peculiar is happening to their world when the winds slow to a halt and meteorites bombard its surface. Among them are two sisters yet to meet one another: one a cultured princess concerned for her father's safety; the other a brash, foul-mouthed pirate determined to live as pirates do. The two cross paths when the King of Tycoon goes missing, and they are joined by a wandering youth and an aged, amnesic, battle-hardened man of quick wit. This event follows these Warriors of Light on their journey to discover the depth of their families' bonds in order to battle the forces that threaten their world. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Distinguished
I just installed WinXP and everything is messed up. When I went to format my C: drive and the system file is still in NFTS format. I need to know how to convert NFTS back to original FAT32 for me to be able to re-install Win98SE. Please help me out because my whole system is down. Thank you.
Distinguished
You either need to load WinXP on a second hard drive jumpered as the IDE 0 Primary Master, jumper the messed up drive as a Slave, download and install a third-party partitioning program (such as <A HREF="http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/" target="_new">Partition Magic</A>), and then make the file system conversion back to FAT32 ... or you'll need a disk utility from the drive manufacturer to zero out the drive with a low level format before recreating the partition(s) on the drive ... or you'll need <A HREF="http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/ntfsdospro.shtml" target="_new">NTFSDOS Professional Edition</A>, which will give you read/write access, but this method also has certain limitations, so look over the instructions carefully. For instance, you still won't be able to load Win98 onto the NTFS partition with this utility, regardless.
Out of the three ... the only one that is free is the disk utility. And it's likely to be the easiest solution, too.
Splendid
Toey. I have used Partition Magic 7.0 on a primary partition to convert back to Fat32. The process lost no
files or burps in the process. This was on a Win 2000 machine.
All I can say is that it worked for me.
<b><font color=green> I took an I.Q. test today...It came back negative.</font color=green></b> :lol:
Distinguished
I hadn't ran the conversion process, personally. I haven't had this particular request in a long time. Most people who move to NTFS stick with it. But I got the information right off the PowerQuest website, not long ago ... and that's <i>why</i> I hadn't attempted it.
Somebody needs to update the FAQs page for their product, hmm? Or perhaps this was WinXP-specific. I'll have to go back and look again.
Question: What utility did you use to create and format your partitions? I'm also under the impression (and this from Microsoft) that partitions formatted with anything other than the Win2K/XP installation CDs cannot be converted successfully from FAT32 to NTFS.
That might be true, unless Partition Magic is involved. But I don't often have time to experiment, and sometimes it is necessary to take a few things at face value in the interests of getting the job done.
Splendid
Best info I can give of the product:
Partition Magic 7.0 is geared more toward Win2k and XP. It uses the formating tools of the OS
for the conversion process of one file system to another.
Another tidbit:
They advise that it will only work on a HDD upto 80gig meaning they have only tested it
upto a maximum of 80. But I and others have used it with no problems on more. My HDD is
120gig and it works fine. They wanted a disclaimer I suppose.
<b><font color=green> I took an I.Q. test today...It came back negative.</font color=green></b> :lol: | {
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Meta
The tricky bit about going to some place like the Kennedy Space Center, is that they rarely if ever have a street number. Heck, if they’re big enough, they often are on their own special street purpose built just for them and these places pretty much universally are without signage. It would be like saying, “What’s the Pentagon’s address?” I’m willing to guess that if you wrote, “The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia” on an envelope and put it in the mail, not only would your letter there with no issues but you’d also get your very own little file with your own name on it in the very same building. It’s huge. Far larger than any puny little street sign or set of brass plated number that they might put out front. The thinking goes that if you can’t seem to take notice of the massive complex to your left, than a small green sign on a post isn’t going to help you either, and this I believe, it true. The trouble comes when you inject a computer into the equation. They want specifics.
If the Space Center has a driveway address, then I couldn’t find it.
What I had settled for was punching in “Titusville, Florida” into the screen and then selecting the button marked, “City Center.” My hope was that with NASA being kind of a big deal with the locals that once there, I could revert to my eyes and brain method of navigation, hopefully without a hilarious-in–retrospect sort of outcome. My worry now was just where in Titusville was the city center versus the place we needed to be. I continued to watch the GPS and follow its direction, but I began to talk back it with the same strange hope that inhabits the minds of sports fans as they watch the game on their TV. Maybe, if I tried hard enough, I could get it to listen to my concerns.
“Turn left onto Route 95 North”
“Really? Are you sure about that? The road sign says that I should keep going strait.”
“Exit right in one hundred yards.”
“I don’t know Erma. (I had named the female voice in the little black box Erma since I felt that I needed something to call her) I think you might be wrong on this one.”
“Exit in fifty yards.”
“I don’t know…”
“Turn now onto Route 95.”
One last thought of independence went flitting through my head like a moth as the exit opened wide to my right, leading to its own dark and unknown path. It was decision time. Who’s smarter: Erma or me?
The triangle of grass delineating the end of the exit ramp came rushing on at highway speed.
“Gah! Alright! Fine!”
A heavier than normal deceleration and swerve quickly followed.
“Who are you talking to Daddy?”
“Ummm. The GPS.”
Then a pause from the back seat. “Can it hear you?”
I shifted a little in my seat.
“Eh, no. Not actually.”
“Then why…”
“Hey Buddy! Look… um… There are some…” I groped for a distraction worthy point of interest in our dark surroundings. Anything to save face for being caught acting like a nimrod by arguing with an inanimate object. “That sign says that we’re almost there!”
And to make matters even better, it was the truth.
As I gazed at the signs telling me that I was indeed approaching the Space Coast, my confidence in Erma renewed and I once again realized that betting against myself was almost always the safe money. In this case I was happy to be wrong. After pulling off the highway and into the more populated areas, signs came with more and more frequency and eventually I was able to thank Erma for all her help before yanking the plug and unceremoniously stuffing her under the driver’s seat. To my right, behind some trees and an embankment, massive shapes suddenly loomed up against the darkness, pointing rigidly as if to indicate there intended destination. They were rockets. Real rockets.
“Hey Short Stack. Look over there. What do you think those are?”
Spotting things that I point out as we drive along is not his strong suit and I looked in the rearview mirror to see if he was awake enough to take direction.
“What? Were? Where are you point…” Silence. Then. “ROCKETS! Those are ROCKETS!” Any of the remaining brain fuzz affecting his performance was burned out of his cranial clockwork with the fire of a freshly lit J-2 hydrogen engine. I heard the seat belts strain against his body as he strained forward in his chair.
“DADDY! Those are ROCKETS! Right THERE! Can we go see them?!?!”
“You bet, Buddy!” The blast wave of pure joy and excitement that erupted from the back seat ripped through the fatigue that had started to pull me down and there was no way I could not join in with my son. I laughed out loud, sharing in the experience of a passion that was to be imminently fulfilled. That jolt was more than sufficient to have us back up at full power and ready for anything.
Pulling into the drive that lead to the vast parking lots, I reached down and jammed the special parking placard that had come with our tickets for the launch. We were waved into our directed parking area and I looked around to get my bearings. I’d need to find this car again in about six or seven hours but things would look substantially different by then. I gazed up at the massive lot identification pole marked that we were only a few rows away from.
As I scanned across the giant plateau of paved and neatly lined parking lots, I spotted another pole not too far away emblazoned with a Number five and the name Wally Schirra below. Number three, in the distance, was too far away to read, but I bet I knew what it was. Each lot, it seemed, was named for one of the original Mercury astronauts and emboldened with knowledge of these men via a recent viewing of the movie, The Right Stuff, I was tempted to point this out to Short Stack.
But he was four and it was midnight. Once again I felt a bit like the bad parent for dragging my very little boy out at such a ridiculous hour. The fact that he was still dressed in his jammies and had remained barefoot didn’t help ease my mind either. Then I spotted the car next to us and the young couple who had just arrived seconds after we had. They were here to enjoy the launch and so were both their small children, one of whom couldn’t have been possibly more than two. It was then that I realized we were in good company and it was time to get ready.
As the robotic female voice clipped efficient driving instructions from the little moving map suctioned to the dashboard, I fumbled with the radio in the hopes of possibly finding a bit of classical that might lull my boy back to sleep. Just because I had to be bright tailed and bushy eyed for the foreseeable future didn’t mean that he couldn’t take advantage of the car trip and get a little more rest. This however, was my point of view and though Short Stack might be able to understand the opportunity, bringing it to his attention served little purpose. There was a good reason for that.
My wife, if not a night person, is at least and evening lover and she can easily stay up until eleven or so with little effort. I, on the other hand, am a certified, dyed in the feathers, night owl and have been since… well, I was Short Stack’s age. If allowed to keep to my own schedule, I will happily stay up until some time around two AM or so and then somehow, after a few hours sleep, manage to crawl back out from under the covers at a still respectable eight o’clock.. I might try to shoehorn in a ten or fifteen minute power nap in there someplace to avoid nodding off unintentionally at an inopportune moment… such as when I’m running machinery at high RPM, but on the whole, I’m happiest to work on projects when it’s dark out and tend to get the lion’s share of my stuff done when most of my contemporaries are either asleep or watching Letterman through three quarters closed eyes. This would all be fine if the world let you keep the schedule that your body and brain was inclined to, but sadly, it rarely does. There are pre-set times when certain things must be done and that means that I first must convince my late night son to just lay down and TRY and fall asleep and then a few hours later, do the whole thing over again on my self. I just try not to put us as much of a fuss and I can easier tell if I’m lying about actually having to go pee again.
My son has completely inherited this nocturnal gene of mine and now I’m forced to choose between being the stern parent enforcer who demands that he go to bed since it’s already two hours past bedtime or simply cave in and let him stay up and continue to play quietly since I know that, truthfully, he really isn’t tired in the slightest.
I know this.
I’m not either.
Now, as we rocketed down the Florida Interstate system with a sigh of relief and a heady sense of mission, I happily put the lit up sprawl of Entertainmentville behind us. I eventually gave up on scanning the unfamiliar radio frequencies since it appeared to be an split between country music and tent revival style preaching, neither of which is my particular cup of tea. Instead, to keep my mind occupied, I started watching the clock, averaging my best, “pretty unlikely to be pulled over” speed and tried to work out our arrival time. If things went as they should, we would be pulling in just at the appointed moment. This naturally got me nervous. With any possible time buffer we could have had, taken up with actual sleeping, it was exactly the sort of thing that Murphy’s law loves to have for a delightful little snack.
“Dad?”
“Yah, buddy? What do you need?”
I was living in fear of another unscheduled pee break since pulling over on a Florida highway at night boasted not only vicious mosquitoes and chiggers but the ever present possibility of the random seven foot long alligator looking for a little something extra to go with his road kill platter.
“What are… um… What…” Words were still coming slowly and quietly, but I could sense that he was coming around to the coherent world., even if it was only at a minimum power setting. “What are they doing with the Space Shuttle now? Is it ready to launch?”
“Yah. It’s just about ready to go.” I scratched around in my head, trying to remember what I had read and seen about the preflight routine for a Shuttle launch and did my best with what I had. If he was going to be awake for the trip, as it now seemed to be, at least I’d have a chatting companion, even if the conversation was bound to be one subject deep only. “Well, I’d guess that the astronauts are awake and getting ready for the launch too. They’re having breakfast, getting dressed in their orange launch suits and will be soon be getting driven to the Shuttle and made ready for lift off in just a little while.” In truth, I didn’t know what the schedule was, but it seemed like a good guess.
He mulled this for a few minutes as we bumped along at the regular intervals of each pad of concrete.
“What are they having for breakfast?” This is exactly the kind of question my kid would think of and I liked the fact that he was curious about both what was going in to the Shuttle’s and astronaut’s respective fuel tanks.
“Hmmm… I don’t know. What ever they want I guess”
I wasn’t sure, but I sort of hoped that if you were a professional astronaut and about to ride a controlled explosion all the way into low earth orbit on a multi-multi billion dollar rocket, that the least NASA could do was splurge and get these incredibly brave folks what ever they fancied to start their day. It seems like the least that we could do.
Much of the rest of the ride went by quietly and from time to time I’d look back in the rear view mirror to see if my boy had finally nodded off during a long silent spell.
He hadn’t.
No surprise there.
The roads were black and sparsely dotted with the red tail lights of fellow travelers. In the quiet of the car, a nagging doubt had started to coalesce on the inside back of my skull and as its grip got firmer and firmer on my brain stem, I began to pay more attention to the road signs that blasted by in the glare of my rented headlights. I had started to doubt my digital navigator.
GPS’s are amazing tools I’ll grant you that I loved to fiddle with them when a friend happened to have one. I thought they were kind of neat, in roughly the same way I thought salad spinners were neat. They did a job, but they still seemed sort of silly to actually own. When it came to driving, I tended to be a luddite. I liked maps. I liked road signs. I liked not having to use batteries or plugs when I wanted to find out where I was. I love technology but really, I like to be able to do things my self. This trip though, had gotten me to choke back my caveman-like attitude and embrace change. When I had factored in my young traveling companion, our tight time schedule and driving unknown roads for unknown distances to unknown exit ramps, I realized that the safe money was on having a navigator to assist me, electronic or not. So, it was with hat and hand that I had visited my neighbors whom I knew were the owners of just such a magical device. I had knocked on the door and, after they had finished spinning dry the freshly washed spinach leaves that would be part of their dinner, happily entrusted me with their GPS. I had thanked them, packed it in our luggage and once we had arrived, used it happily. What I hadn’t done, naturally, was read the manual.
The Alarm going off at eleven PM felt incredibly rude and distinctly impossible and I flailed at its unfamiliar controls as I tried to get my brain wrapped around where we were and what was next.
We had been in bed for possibly three and a half hours and though Short Stack had been out cold for the majority of that, it had taken me a little while to mentally wind down and then a little longer to find peace with the bundle of knees and elbows that curled up against me in the strange bed. Little kids are notorious in their lack of bed sharing etiquette and my son, as it turns out, is no different. The mental image of sleeping with your child in your arms is just about guaranteed to turn the heart of any parent immediately into sentimental goo, but the reality of the experience is that, even in sleep, your average child possesses ten thousand times the energy of an espresso fueled chipmunk and it will need to be released in wild explosions of sleep gymnastics throughout the entire time.
They will sleep. You shall not.
Oddly enough, the next night, the same sleep deprived and lightly bruised parent will almost immediately sign up for the exact same punishment once they look down at the beautiful form of their own child curled up and alone in bed. Apparently, it’s not just our hearts that our kids can turn into goo. Our brains are fair game as well. The effect is something like Stockholm Syndrome and we willingly crawl right in, ready for another night’s micro-beating.
I fumbled about in the half light looking for pants, shirt and shoes, and eventually had myself dressed and fuzzily awake enough to consider the next step. We needed to get to the car. What I SHOULD have done was to get the car mostly packed up the night before so that, naturally, had not happened. I had realized this when the moment had arrived but it had been the exact moment that Short Stack was finally getting sleepy and we were on the downhill run to bedtime. Normally, I would have left him with my wife at that point and scooted off with the larger bags and been back to the room in five minutes. With a little kiddo in tow however, and no back up, I was tied to spot. Since he was too tired to go with me and there was no chance of me leaving him alone, even for the sprint to the vehicle, I found myself unable to “run out” and do anything. It was a slightly frustrating realization but one that would be a part of every moment of this trip. While we were here, I wasn’t letting Rocket Boy out of my sight, even for a moment. This is when I remembered the stroller.
It had seemed goofy to lug it in with us when we checked in and I had almost left it at the car. Actually, I had almost left it at home all together. My reasoning had been that Short Stack is a pretty good walker and we would be doing something that he loved. I had little fear that once we were surrounded by the objects of his adoration, he would, as my Grandfather liked to put it, turn into a Cream Puff.
Being labeled “Cream Puff” had been an epithet of my childhood to be avoided and it was the one he liked to use when you, as a young child, would wimp out on a long walk and ask to be put on his shoulders. As a kid, I had taken many a long stroll with him at the beach and to this day, I can remember the exchanges that took place after I started to whine about tired legs.
“Your not going to turn into a cream puff on me, are you?”
“No.” Plod, plod, plod. “Grumble grumble grumble”
“What’s that?”
“I’m just getting tired.”
“Cream Puff?”
“NO!”
…and I’d trudge on down the beach with renewed determination my little chin leading the way, at least for a little while longer. Some would see this as being too tough on a little kid, and I do remember complaining to my folks when I’d come home, more often than not sitting on his shoulders anyway, but I did get pretty darn good at keeping up for more of the walk than I expected. Looking back as an adult, I have a sneaking suspicion that his encouragement had more to do with saving his back and neck muscles than building any character and stamina on my part, but the effect was much the same. I’ve tried the same treatment on Short Stack but he tends to fight back with logic.
“My legs are shorter than yours, though.”
To which I’ve replied, “Yes but you weigh less.”
This argument worked well until at one point he realized that, yes, that was true, “But my feet are smaller”
This kid is way too good at logic arguments.
“Are you being a Cream Puff?”
“No. Just carry me”
Ah, the best of both worlds. And I go on with my Cream Puff on my shoulders. Who needs to go to a gym to work out? My gym finds me!
Through all this, I have developed a packhorse mentality and will take just about any load on my back and trudge for miles. This was indeed my plan for Florida too. When his little feet gave out, I could simply plunk him on my shoulders and he’d be fine. I could do that for three days… I foolishly though. During the initial packing phase for our adventure, I had seen of the stroller as being an unnecessary torture instrument that I could leave behind. Strollers are not made for men, (or woman for that matter) of any height. Though I am only six foot tall and thus, well within the average for a male of mixed European heritage, strollers make me hunch painfully with the rear wheels so close that I inevitably wind up kicking them as I stride along. Couple that with the evil, free castoring front wheels that will inevitably go off on their own unexpected expeditions, often into the inevitable trash can or unnoticed door frame, and you can see why this can quickly degrade into a litany of mumbled swears. Right now though, it was a lifesaver and awkward as it was, I was grateful that my wife had convinced me to bring the thing along. Though I was pretty sure that I could have done without it during the day, there was one flaw I hadn’t considered. For Short Stack to stay on my shoulders, he needed to be awake.
With as delicate a touch as possible, I lifted my sleeping boy from his bed, set him down in the red canvas of the seat and wrapped him up in the travel blanket his mother had thoughtfully provided in her dutiful packing the night before. He stirred briefly and then was back to dreamland in seconds. Tossing a flannel shirt over the sun shade like a bullet proof mosquito net, I hoped to keep him sheltered from the blinding hall lights just out side our room’s door.
I glanced at the clock next to our still warm bed as I gathered up the last of our belongings.
“Crap. We’ve gotta go!”
Wheeling him out before me and pulling the suitcase along after turned out to be a challenge as usual and our room’s pneumatic door tried its best to chew on us as I shoved us though and out into the hall and escaped to the elevators. Catching wheels and snagging shoulder straps, we managed to make the lobby. With all the jostling, he was starting to come around.
“What are we doing, Daddy? Is it time to go?”
“Yup! But it’s a long drive. Just go back to sleep, buddy”
I was really hoping that the dark car ride would do the trick for him and that he’d get the sleep he should, but that it wouldn’t have that same effect on me. Realizing how groggy I still was, this became more of a concern than it had been before. It’s a simple thing to say, “I’ll just drive though the night” It’s another thing entirely to do it. What I needed was coffee.
The same multi-talented young woman was still working behind the front desk when I wheeled our ungainly caravan through the lobby and she smiled brightly as I appeared in all my encumbered glory, cloaked, half sleeping child pushed before me. “Don’t worry,” she said in a whisper and waived a dismissive hand. “I’ll check you out myself. Enjoy the launch! It should be a good one.”
“Thanks! Um…” I paused and whispered back. “Coffee?”
In the end, they had no coffee and the nearest all night dad refueling depot would take us a good bit off our intended course. With time weighing me down more than the bags, I decided to opt for the syrupy gloop that passes for bottled ice tea that was available from our helpful host. I didn’t have time to fill out a comment card and I regretted that. She had been great and deserved, if not a promotion, then at least an assistant or four. I also might have mentioned to the hotel chain their need for coffee in the lobby.
By now, the transfer from the bed to the stroller had woken my boy up a bit and the lights in the hall and lobby hadn’t helped, though I had done my best to muffle both. My brief search for caffeine hadn’t helped either and by the time I was clicking him into the car seat, he was rubbing his eyes and yawing. He was up and he knew where we were going. It was rocket time! As I made ready to pull out and leave, there was none of his usual chatting coming from the back seat as he grappled with his sleep drunk body and attempted to take control. He’d start a sentence with a groggy, “Um… Daddy. Um…” and get no further than possibly, “Did we… um.” And leave it at that. Mentally, he was struggling to the surface but trying to get the machinery of his little brain going was rough. It was still clogged with the cotton batting of deep sleep and though it became quickly evident to me that there was no chance of him nodding off again, I stayed quiet too in the hopes that he’d nod off again. I punched our destination into the GPS that I had oh-so very thankfully borrowed from a friend before we flew out and pulled the car onto the highway.
As I bobbed around in the pool with my grinning, water wing wearing bundle of energy, I resolved to see what could be done about a cold adult beverage at dinnertime and continued to listen with great delight to the peals of genuine laughter that Short Stack was making as we frolicked in the water. We kept this up for quite some time until finally, pruny, happy but exhausted, I had to call it quits on our time in the water. Naturally, it took some time and convincing to get my son on the same page as well. He’s a master of the delay tactic and being in the pool and slippery just made him that much harder to corral. We needed food and a rest now. We’d both sleep well tonight.
Padding back to the room, I let Short Stack run ahead and just enjoyed watching his little bouncy form as he trotted down the long, straight hall toward the elevators. He was still going strong and could have gone on playing for an hour more, easily, but time was starting to run short now. The realization that it was important not to squander the few hours that we had set aside for sleeping kept me focused. The simple act of moving with purpose again, waking up my sluggish brain and getting me back in mission mode. At the room we quickly showered up, dried off and dug through the suitcase to see what we could wear. I had packed for myself and knew what I wanted. My wife had packed for our son though, so it was a little work to see what I had available for my resident bed bouncer.
He hurtled over the two foot gap from one bed to another and then back again, enjoying the freedom of movement while I used the time to find what I needed in our luggage.
Bounce, bounce, bounce! “I’m hungry!”
“I’m working on it, Buddy.” I rooted around in an effort to find pants.
“The pool was great! Can we go again after dinner?” Bounce, bounce, bounce. We already had covered this ground before and to his slight dismay, the answer was still ‘no.’ He must have figured that it was worth a try.
After what seemed far too long, I found what I needed in the neat piles of clothing. Cramming the extras back into the approximate locations I had found them in, I motioned my son over. When that failed to get his attention over the bouncing, I called to him nicely. When that failed, I decided to tackle him to the bed and with much hooting and giggling, I started buttoning him into this evening’s attire.
“Perfect!” I said through my own grinning smile. ”Nothing says, ‘I’m on vacation’ quite like Hawaiian shirts and camo shorts! Now hold still you little jumping bean!!”
Wrestling him as he squealed with glee, I managed to stuff the wriggling, laughing mass of four year old into his clothes and eventually got him ready. The hotel was supposed to have a restaurant downstairs and I intended to stay on premises if at all possible. With my energies starting to run low and Short Stack’s due to ebb any moment now, I wanted to make this as simple and painless as possible. The two of us wandered around the ground floor for a bit, looking for our goal and listening for the clink of plates and silverware. After a few minutes, I gave up and asked the front desk about dinner. It was the same nice lady who had checked us in an hour and a half ago.
“Oh, well we don’t have a dining room per se, but we do have the bar. It’s right here!” With a sweep of her hand, she motioned around the corner of the check-in desk where, indeed, it had been fitted out with bar stools. Talk about your all in one service! “Here are some menus” And with that, she handed them to me and then left us to look them over while she checked in another couple just a few feet away.
For the set up, the menu was surprisingly complete and held exactly what you’d expect for bar fare. Though I was at first a tad taken aback at this setup, I quickly realized that this would be just fine for our needs. I helped Short Stack up to his very own stool and once he discovered that it spun, immediately put it through its paces. We looked perfect for the part we were playing, loud shirts draped over our pale frames and we both were happy with the way things were turning out. Short Stack was mostly happy with spinning his stool as he revolved around and around, slowed only by my hand in the concern that he might get dizzy and fall off. Glancing through the menu, I decided on two personal sized pepperoni pizzas to go, figuring that though they were probably of the microwaved variety, it gave me the best shot of getting some sort of dinner into my spectacularly hard to feed son. That decided, I then looked intently at the beer list. It had been a long day and a hard push and it was almost over.
Pretty much every evening when I’m home, I celebrate the close the day with a good, cool beer and it’s become almost a ritual for me. I don’t drink much, and having been cursed with the most amazing ability to extract the most fierce hangovers from the smallest quantities of alcohol, I rarely have more than just the one, but I’d be lying if I said that the notion of continuing my tradition this evening hadn’t been in the forefront of my mind for quite some time now.
I looked at the beer list and scanned the names.
Hmmmm.
Then I started thinking about later tonight.
In less than an hour, I was going to lie down next to my young son who may or may not actually close his eyes and nod off. In reality, even if we both did manage to, it would be more nap than real sleep. I’d be getting us up an hour before midnight, repacking the car, then driving for an hour or better on unfamiliar roads and THEN would have to get us in through the gate and set up at the Kennedy Space Center. I’d need to be on my game and what I needed, regardless of what I WANTED, was something that was non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated. I needed to be good.
Booooo!
I looked away from the tempting list of frosty delight and back up at the concierge/front desk manager/waitress/bar tender whom had returned, smiling, to take our order.
“Two, small pepperoni pizzas and… how about two orange juices. Large please.”
With an inaudible sigh that rattled around in my head for a second or two, lamenting the lack of my evening drink, I placed the menu down as my son decided to abandon his stool for the comfort of my lap. Like every establishment in Florida I’ve ever been in, the air conditioning had been cranked to polar temperatures and our jaunty shirts and tropical shorts didn’t offer us much protection from the incongruous chill. I’ve always found this remarkable when I encounter it, but it always seems to be the case. One doesn’t really think of needing to pack a sweater when traveling to the tropics but I often feel like I need one when I venture inside. I never remember this until it’s too late and I’m covered in goose bumps. Now Short Stack was discovering this too. I hugged his warm body to mine and we chatted quietly as we waited for the food to appear.
In the end, getting our dinner took way longer than anticipated, especially for two microwaved dinners and as my little traveling companion started to fall asleep in my lap, I was getting more and more ticked off at the wait. We should be sleeping by now! With the food’s arrival, I quickly paid for it, scooped up both dinner and my son and headed for the elevators. When, sitting on our miniature couch back in the room I opened the takeout style boxes, I was surprised to discover the reason. The pizzas had been hand made and baked in a pizza oven. They were delicious!
Concierge/Front Desk Manager/Waitress/Bar Tender/Pizza Chef!
That girl was good!
By the time we were fed and ready for bed, it was later than I’d hoped, but still, not too bad. We’d get a good, solid three and a half to four hours before we needed to be on the road. I pulled out traveling clothes for later, laid them out so that I could jump into them with a minimum of consciousness needed, repacked the rest and got things set so we could zip out the door as fast as possible. Short Stack was moving much slower now, the efforts of the day finally showing on him. As I tucked him into one of the massive queen sized beds, I looked down with a smile as he instinctively curled up into a tiny ball. He looked like such a peanut, dwarfed by a mountain of pillows and lost under unfamiliar sheets and blankets. He was yawning continuously but the questions never stopped.
“What will we see there?”
“When will we get there?”
“They won’t launch the Shuttle without us, will they?”
“Are the astronauts going to sleep now too?”
It was time for me to go to sleep as well and I glanced at the second, still made bed just a couple of feet away where I had expected to catch what rest I could. Then I looked back at my little boy. His voice came small and groggily from beneath the sea of bedding.
“Daddy, I’m cold”
With a glance and a last thought about having my own space tonight, I turned my back on it, gently pulled back the covers of his bed, crawled in and joined him. Still in a ball, he scrunched himself into my chest and rested his head on my arm.
“G’nite, Daddy.”
“Good night, buddy. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
In seconds, he was out cold. As I drifted off myself, I thought of the astronauts who were getting ready at that very moment. The thrill that they must be living and the excitement of knowing that soon, they would be in space. The ride of a lifetime! But as I listened to my son’s quiet breathing and my nose was tickled by his mop of hair, I realized that right then, I wouldn’t trade places with any of them. This was heaven and into it, I gently slipped away as well.
As I walked up to the out door tiki bar, the unmistakable shape of my friend, Ioseph’s back greeted me. I had been looking for him specifically and, lucky me, he was not easy to miss. Flaming red hair, big in every direction and as per usual, decked out in a Hawaiian shirt. I quietly strode up, reached out both hands and wrung his neck.
“Why…” I started to enquire through clenched teeth. “did I have to drive seven hours to have a beer and play in the water?!?”
Ioseph, having quickly recovered from his momentary strangulation, simply stood up and turned around, me still dangling from him like a peeved remora.
“You look like you need a drink!” Ioseph thinks everyone needs a drink.
Letting go and wordlessly taking his spot at the bar, I allowed him to order me a large, cold beer on his tab, and sucked down half of it in one lift.
“Better?”
“Grumble mumble rumble…”
Where we were, was the “the middle of no where” Canada and the reason we were here was Mountain Man’s bachelor party. Of the four close high school friends, I was the first to marry and I kept a tight rein on the pre-wedding festivities. I admit, I can be a bit of a wet blanket at times and so thankfully, my friends were decent enough to keep things sane on my bequest. It’s not that I don’t enjoy having fun. It’s more that I know Ioseph.
And knowing is half the battle.
Ioseph, when given tabula rasa is prone to go… nuts. There is no way, NO WAY, that you will be able to predict what he will get in to in the name of a good time. He is in possession of one of the most dangerous mixes of personality traits that I know. He is: self deprecating, funny, highly intelligent, totally uninhibited in any way, can justify just about anything and is instantly forgivable for just about any of these actions. If the year were 1720, I have no doubt in my mind that he would be a pirate, a royal governor of some tropical island, or both. Probably both. Luckily for the world, he’s also a very nice guy. Just bananas.
The reason he had chosen Canada was because we had nixed the idea of Vegas.
Ioseph in Vegas… *shudder*
The drive here had been a long one and I had done it alone. My directions were essentially to go north until I hit Montreal and then hang a left. When I ran out of pavement, I was just about there. I was tired and my butt hurt and I needed another beer. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why we couldn’t go white water rafting in the States. I requested my beer and paid with an American twenty. The bar tender handed me a fresh pint and twenty-two dollars in change. Hmm. This might not be such a bad thing after all.
It was already dark out and I still needed to get my stuff out of the car. I joined my friends, Ioseph, The Doctor and Mountain Man and got the lay of the land. It was time to make camp.
This, to be sure, was my kind of camping. Any campsite that comes with an outdoor bar, indoor bathroom facilities and food made by someone else gets the thumbs up in my book. For people like Mountain Man and The Doctor, I’m sure it was eye rollingly cushy, and it was, but it was also exactly what I was up for after my marathon drive. After flopping out my sleeping bag in the tent, I was unconscious in a matter of moments. Maybe it was the beer, the drive or both, but I did know that I’d better get rested up. Tomorrow was one of Mountain Man’s last days as a bachelor and there were big plans. We were going to see if we could get sucked under a raging river, flung against massive, unseen, underwater rocks and not get killed!
In the past few months, I’ve been traveling a lot. I’m not going that far geographically, only about three hours drive, but it most definitely is a world away.
The day before Christmas, I sold my business of the last ten years. This was, as you can imagine, a difficult choice to make and one that took a lot of introspection before the final, irrevocable decision was made. The trick, as with any business sale, was finding the buyer. As I put the word out that my company was for sale, I started to really discover what was going to be needed of me to make this happen. I was a manufacturer of a specialty home item and though it wasn’t rocket science, any prospective buyer who didn’t have a direct background in this process was going to need a lot of hand holding. This meant that I was going to be doing a lot of direct instruction and thus, away from home for an appreciable period of time. There was no escaping that reality.
The first individuals whom really looked interested were a very nice couple out in California. I spent several hours teleconferencing with them as they tried to make their decision to buy or not and though I was excited at the idea of selling, I also thought about how hard this was going to be. I would naturally have to go out there and show them the ins and outs of the business and that would take my time and their money. Then, I got a call from another company with some serious interest. They wanted to talk and… they were just one state away. Better than that, they were in my childhood hometown. As the California folks waffled and the economy got bleaker, I heard from them less and less and from the new folks “back home”, more and more. In the end, the new folks bought it.
In one day, most of the shop was packed up on a truck and moved lock, stock and barrel to its new home and plans were made for me to put on my instructor’s hat and follow along until they had everything in hand. Finding a place to stay three or so days at a time was no problem at all since my folks still live there and don’t mind seeing my face turn up on their door step or hogging up the bathroom first thing in the morning. I don’t get back to my parent’s home much and it’s rather a novelty to be there again.
One of the complications of this is my other loved ones. My dear Wife would be left in the house with two small children running on 100% pure high octane crazy, and though we both love them immeasurably, being “on duty” solo for days at a time can grind you down faster than an eraser in the hands of a third grader. In an effort to keep things as easy as they could be for Action Girl, I took Short Stack with me on several of these trips. Sitting in the passenger side back seat, Short Stack would watch the world go by one truck at a time with a “director’s cut” commentary going for the duration. In an effort to improve his view, I’d remove the headrest from the front passenger seat, thus giving him a much appreciated and unobstructed view of the road. He’s a great traveling companion and never complains about anything. He will point out every single piece of heavy equipment that you come across and ask you roughly a gazillion unanswerable questions though. You just have to deal with that. His favorite is to point to a random street as you drive along and say, “Why are we not on that road?”
Once I got to our destination, my parent’s would watch Short Stack and I’d get to work. I really didn’t get much of a chance to look around town since I was there to instruct, not reminisce, but I was taken with how much things had changed. The changes, in fact, were almost all I could see. The new plazas, the missing fields, the giant bypasses and the new roundabouts. Where had my little hometown gone? My view of my past home, colored in fading Kodachrome, matched up badly against what I was looking at now and it made me a little sad, even if I knew very well that things inevitably change. My days were full of instruction and work but it was good to see the torch being passed as well. I was happy with my decision and the buyers were the right ones to carry it forward. When I’d get home it was to my old house, my parents and my son. Talk about things changing with time.
My last trip back to instruct was solo. Action Girl decided that though she loved her one on one time with Lulu Belle, she needed some verbal company while I was gone. It did take some of the pressure off for me, being on my own. Even if I didn’t get out to poke around town much, I did get to work late and finish up the lessons, thus insuring that I was done traveling for extended periods of time. I promised my self that I’d be back in the springtime, just to enjoy being there and perhaps go hiking with the family. Running out for lunch on the last day, I decided to take a back route I remembered from my childhood. The small roads wound through residential neighborhoods I hadn’t passed in a lifetime and as I crossed a small bridge, I had a flash of a face race through my mind.
She was a tall and thin with soft features and a warm smile. She was wearing a long skirt, simple blouse and a headscarf as was common in the nineteen-seventies. With her were two boys enjoying the remains of their ice cream cones and talking happily as they walked over this very bridge. I was one of those boys and the other was my friend Charlie. The kind woman was his Mom and I can just recall stopping to drop the soggy ends of our cones over the rail and then racing to the other side to see whose was first as the current swept them away. She had taken us out that day for a walk and other than that brief piece; I can’t recall any of the other day’s happenings. I was probably seven at the time and didn’t know that she wore the scarf for a reason other than fashion though I’m sure Charlie knew.
I remember him being absent from my life for a while not long after that sunny day. The cancer had moved quickly and as friends and classmates, we all tried to fathom what it would be like to loose your mom. The idea alone scared the hell out of us. We couldn’t imagine what he and his twin sister were going through. The only frame of reference I had was the TV show, “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” starring a young Bill Bixby. In the show, Bill’s wife had died and left him and their six year old son alone. I remember it being a good watch, not funny, not sad, but poignant and a bit melancholy at times. It wasn’t hard to imagine the boy being played by my friend.
Charlie and I remained close for years and years and I don’t think even once brought up his mother to him. I don’t know what I would have said at any rate. Bringing up topics like that are hard enough as an adult. When you’re a kid, well… they seem better to leave alone, like a scary dream or dangerous looking animal. The odd thing that struck me as I drove along, away from the bridge and past Charlie’s old house, was the realization that I had remembered that moment with his Mom and the ice creams before. It occurred to me that it popped into my mind whenever I crossed that spot. It had just been so long since the last time I had been by here. I hardly remember her, but I knew her son very well, and I think she would be proud of him today indeed
I lost track of Charlie after high school and haven’t been able to find him since, though I confess, I haven’t looked terribly hard either. We were very good friends once and spent a lot of time playing in each other’s yards. His Father I recall being a little domineering and over protective, but with children of my own now and trying to imagine keeping a family safe and strong through the loss of your spouse, I can’t blame him at all. In retrospect, he was doing an amazing job.
As I drove back to work after picking up my lunch, I took a different route back. I still know all the back roads and remember riding my bike down the shaded, cracked and uneven cement sidewalks, so long ago. It feels strange now to be here again but nostalgic, all the same. It stirs memories that have long lain dormant. I hope I can get back this spring with the family so we can do some good poking around. If time permits, we might go for ice cream. If I can remember, I’ll smile to my self and silently thank Charlie’s Mom for her kindness so long ago. Wouldn’t it be good for all of us to be remembered like that some day?
As we bedded down for the night, I had expected there to be mosquitoes. After all, we were in a place called the “Boundary Waters” and being filled with little bogs and swampy areas, it was also filled with those biting little menaces. It was what I mistakenly thought an unusually hot night and my sleeping bag was hot and sticky almost immediately. As I lay my head down, I heard the unmistakable whine of those little bloodsuckers. It’s been a belief of mine that if you wanted to drive someone not merely to distraction, but to out right insanity, all you needed was a recording of a mosquito on an endless loop, making sure that it sounded closer, then farther, then very close and then… nothing. The victim would be blithering in just a few days. This is what we were dealing with, times a thousand. The cabin seemed to be filled with the little bastards.
After my twenty-third time flailing at my face like a mad man, I retreated into the steamy confines of my mummy bag, pulled the drawstring tight and crammed my pillow in the tiny hole. From a pervious experience, (also with Mountain Man) I knew I would not suffocate. I’d just feel like I was.
Side story:
Years previously, I was sharing a cabin with Mountain Man, The Doctor, and Ioseph. It was late in the year and it got really, really cold that night. We had no fireplace so the only warmth came from what you keep hold of with your sleeping bag. At some point in the night, I must have done this same trick with the drawstring and a pillow to cut off the cold draft.
In the morning, my friends awoke and found my bag closed with my pillow partially sticking out of the head-hole. They watched the bag carefully in an effort to detect any breathing, but the thick down of the lining prevented them from spotting any movement. They could hear no respiration either.
Their line of thinking went like this… “If he’s alive, then we’re just going to wake him up and he might be grumpy. If he’s dead, then there isn’t anything we can do except call the authorities, in which case, we will miss breakfast. Therefore, we should go and eat breakfast and then see if our childhood friend is alive or dead. If he’s dead, he won’t care that he missed breakfast anyway and we’ll be fed and ready to deal with the corpse!”
You gotta love guys.
Back to Minnesota:
As I started my heat induced vision quest, Mountain Man decided to give himself to the mosquitoes. Pushing off his bag, he fell into fitful sleep as he provided fifteen thousand mosquitoes with buffet style dining. Neither of us looked good in the morning.
As we hunched over eggs and biscuits prepared my Mountain Man’s kind and ever upbeat father, we commented on the others appearance. I looked like I had been hit with a fire hose while he looked like a bad case of hives. The mosquitoes, apparently not satisfied with last night’s feast, were ready to tuck in to some breakfast of their own and were already merciless.
“Are the mosquitoes always this bad?” I asked.
Mountain Dad looked our way and enthusiastically nodded. “Oh yah! They’re brutal, aren’t they? We still have some windows to put in and a lot of cracks to seal, so there are probably as many inside as out”
I swatted madly while desperately shoveling the hot eggs into my mouth. These things were unrelenting! As soon as we had finished up and cleared the table, Mountain Man and I started back to the car to get our full packs. In the daylight, things naturally looked very different. The path was, just as he said, easy to follow and not very far at all. When we were just about there, he stopped and looked down at the ground.
“The last time I was here, ” he said, “we found the biggest bear scat right here in the middle of the trail”
“Bear scat?” My eyebrows were racing for my hairline.
“Oh yah. There are bears here for sure. Just keep an eye out and they shouldn’t be a problem.”
Since I didn’t posses laser vision, I wasn’t exactly sure what watching for a bear was going to do to help my life expectancy but still, I was a bit more mindful of the undergrowth as we reached the car and grabbed our gear. The very first thing I did was to put on my wide brimmed hat and pull over my mosquito net. I could see the little bastards immediately trying to get through, but at least my face was safe for the moment.
Mountain Man and his dad are great guys and really dedicated hikers. They are highly skilled, superbly outfitted and made of tougher stuff than the vast majority of men. They are, in short, hiking high priests. They are also used to taking only what is totally necessary and not one item more. I, to be blunt, am a marshmallow of comfort by comparison. I like to have everything I could possibly need in any situation and since I am also a bit of a human mule when it comes to lugging stuff, I happily pack for every possible occasion. What doesn’t fit in the pack goes on it. Because of this, the profile I cut as I wander through the woods is of an old fashioned tinker off to sell his wares. Mountain Man and Mountain Dad have another take on my mobile hardware store. They call me “Clampett”, after the TV show, “The Beverly Hillbillies” I don’t mind in the least.
I dropped my rattling pack on the floor and immediately got a chuckle from Mountain Dad.
“You forget anything?”
“Nope. I brought it all. Why? You need something”
“No! No! Just curious. How much do you suppose that thing weights?”
The jokes about my pot and pan festooned pack flew almost as heavily as the mosquitoes that day as we worked on the cabin. The heat and humidity was oppressive and the work was energetic, making you desperately want to shed your shirt. The bugs made that thought laughable, though. Instead, I found the only way to stay bite free was to put on my polar fleece shell, zip it up all the way, tuck the mosquito net into the collar, tuck the cuffs into my gloves and my pant legs into my boots. It was the sauna all over again but at least my blood was staying where it would do the most good. By the evening, we returned to the cabin to eat and talk.
“I’m going to go set up my tent out front while there’s still some light” I announced.
“Good idea” Mountain Man replied. “I’ll set up out back”
“You mean your not going to sleep in the cabin?” Mountain Dad looked shocked. “We built all this and you’re going to use your tents?”
“No offence, but my tent has one thing that the cabin doesn’t. Screens. I really need some sleep and this way I know I won’t wake up looking like a raisin.” I hoped he wasn’t hurt, but there was no way I was going to make a repeat of last night if I could help it.
“Well, you boys do as you will, but I’ll sleep in here.” He paused and then added, “Mind you, I do wish I had packed a mosquito net to throw over the cot though.”
I reached back to my open pack, sitting on the floor and pulled something green out. “You mean like this one?” I tossed it to Mountain Dad and smiled. “I’ll be in the tent, so I won’t need it.”
“Hey! Thanks!”
He beamed and unrolled the green netting to inspect it. It was made like a mesh box, just big enough to fit over a camp cot. Four little loops were attached to each corner to suspend it over the sleeper.
“Now all I need to do is find some string and some thumbtacks so I can put it up.”
With a little flourish, I reached back into the pack and produced both, tossing them into his lap. I smiled.
“Pays to camp with a Clampett, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so! What else you got in there?”
We enjoyed a convivial dinner and Mountain Man and I eventually went out to set up our respective camps. I thought of the bears again and hypothesized that they would be more interested in the cabin where all the cooking was taking place than my little nylon dome. I hoped so, anyway.
Back in the cabin, as we enjoyed the last of the conversation over the lantern light, I remembered to ask the uncle about the bears.
“Oh yah. There are a good number out here. That’s why I had the gun last night. I heard the crashing in the bushes before I heard your voices and thought you were a bad bear.”
“Bad bear? What makes a bear bad?”
“Oh,” he continued, “This region is a release area. This is where the state puts trapped bears back into the wild. You know. The ones who get up to no good in suburban areas.”
So that was it. We were camping with exiled bears. This was not quite what I had signed up for. Still, as I later lay in my tent listening to the night noises, the weariness of the previous lost night of sleep and the hard work done that day washed over me like a wave. If anyone came nosing around my tent flap, I didn’t hear it. | {
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Some BBC World Service radio to go with that: in part five of the World Stories series, Afshin Dehkordi compares the use of internet communications by Iran’s Green Movement with the use of telephone and tape cassette technology by the organisers of the 1979 revolution, interviewing journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, and veteran of 1979 Mohsen Sazegara.
Monday, 27 September 2010
I only recently came across the Speechification radio blog, via a post by illustrator Stephen Kroninger on the case of The Gorbals Vampire, a story of children, comics, and censorship, that began in a Glasgow graveyard in 1954, and led to the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955, a law that is still in force. A BBC Radio 4 documentary on these bizarre events is preserved at Speechification.
UPDATE 19th October: Speechification has gone off the air, along with its archive. I’m leaving the dead links in place in case of some future change of heart. You might also find cached copies of the blog via Google useful.
_
Debunking the Islamisation Myth is a substantial attempt by Edmund Standing to distinguish between rational concern about radical Islamist movements, and irrational fears of Britain or other European countries being somehow conquered by political Islam, either via immigration or via conversion. Edmund Standing’s writings are mainly about the extremists of Britain’s racist far right, but he has also written on the extremism of political Islamism, and the interactions between political Islamism and the kitsch element on the left.
In the past I’ve disagreed with Standing’s views on immigration. I don’t know if his thoughts on that have now changed, but this current effort is a good attempt to tackle the problem of the racist right using concern over the extremist Islamist right to gain support for their divisive politics. Some reactions to it here.
Edmund Standing is a frequent contributor to Harry’s Place, a blog which has itself often been criticised for failing to adequately distance itself from racism and religious bigotry in its ongoing effort to cover extremist Islamism in the UK, this criticism being mainly in relation to the commenters it attracts. More on that topic by Flesh is Grass, Marko Attila Hoare, and Poumista.
Speechification has two BBC documentaries that complement the above particularly well: from Archive on 4, Hate against Hope, on the struggle against racist extremists in London’s East End in the 1970s and ’80s, and Turkey in Europe, on migration and Islam in Austria and in the Balkans.
More recently on the WFMU blog, The Comedy Writer That Helped Elect Richard M Nixon, on the superficially counter-culture TV show Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, its head writer Paul Keyes, and the media team of TV and ad men he worked with on Nixon’s campaign. (Spotted by Paul.)
The post details a substantial bit of American political and media history, and reading it is not easy in the WFMU blog format of white text on black. I printed the whole thing out, and it was worth the effort.
The post also goes into the Nixon White House campaign against another TV comedy show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. If, like me, you were unfamiliar with them, may I recommend the following clips in order of ascending madness: Boil That Cabbage Down, a folk song from Israel, and My Old Man.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially to the Jews, who were thought unfit to live.
I also recall the regime's attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives.
As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a 'reductive vision of the person and his destiny.
Response by Richard Dawkins at the Protest the Pope rally on Saturday:
Hitler, Adolf Hitler, was a Roman Catholic. He was baptised, he never renounced his baptism. The figure of five million British Catholics is presumably obtained from baptismal figures. I don’t believe a word of it, I don’t believe there are five or six million British Catholics; there may have been five or six million who were baptised, but if the church wants to claim them as Catholics, then they have to claim Hitler as a Catholic.
And it gets worse, or better depending on your point of view. Full speech in this video:
Friday, 17 September 2010
Dermot Morgan speaks for himself, from In Dublin magazine, 6 February 1986, a good few years before the marvels of Father Ted. The pope costume was from the video for his single, Thank you very much Mr Eastwood. Where can I get a copy?
A cartoonist in Seattle who promoted an “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” last spring is now in hiding after her life was threatened by Islamic extremists.
The cartoonist, Molly Norris, has changed her name and has stopped producing work for a local alternative newspaper, Seattle Weekly, according to the newspaper’s editor, Mark D. Fefer.
Mr. Fefer declined an interview request Thursday, citing “the sensitivity of the situation.” But in a letter to readers about Ms. Norris on Wednesday, he said that “on the insistence of top security specialists at the F.B.I., she is, as they put it, ‘going ghost’: moving, changing her name, and essentially wiping away her identity.”
The F.B.I. declined to comment on the case.
Ms. Norris attracted attention after she published a poster on the Internet in April satirically proposing that people draw figures of the Prophet Muhammad on May 20.
She indicated that the proposal was a protest of censorship by Comedy Central, which edited out references to Muhammad from an episode of “South Park” that month.
0730 GMT: We open this morning with a far-from-subtle threat by Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi, as reported by the Tehran Times: "Iran has granted furloughs to 20 political prisoners. However, their names will not be announced so that they can spend their leave without any problems, 'but of course as long as they act according to the furlough rules'."
Doulatabadi backed up the threat with the general declaration that his office would try the "leaders of sedition"
1230 GMT: The Blockade of the Opposition. Continuing the restrictions on contact with Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iranian authorities prevented members of the youth branch of Karroubi's Etemade Melli party from seeing the cleric on Wednesday.
1300 GMT: The Sword Drops? Kalemeh, the website of Mir Hossein Mousavi, is reporting that Mousavi's offices were raided by Iranian security forces last night. Documents, equipment, and computers were taken.
The raid follows the blockade of Mousavi's offices, preventing visits, and this week's arrest of his head of office.
Mir-Hossein Mousavi issued a response to the increasing security measures imposed against him, including preventing people and political personalities from meeting with him. The wartime prime minister announced, “Security measures will not solve the problems of those in power.” Mousavi also advised the regime to fear people’s wrath, not him.
News reports of the detention and interrogation of people wishing to visit Mousavi surfaced while the Tehran police chief announced that the participants in the siege against Mehdi Karoubi’s house will be prosecuted.
Mehdi Karoubi’s house was under siege since about two weeks ago by forces described by those close to Mr. Karoubi as agents of the regime.
This one isn’t finished yet, but here is the drawing in progress for the magenta plate, pen and ink on paper.
Cartoonist Jim Woodring, a much more experienced and accomplished penman than myself, regrets the decline in use of the dip pen by artists. To promote interest in the instrument, he plans to make and master the use of an enormous working ink pen, with a 16 inch pen nib and a six foot handle. He explains the project here. A sketch of the nib is on his blog here.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Peter Hessler’s book Oracle Bones is about his experiences working in China from 1999 to 2002, going from being a clipper at the Beijing bureau of the Wall Street Journal to a feature writer for The New Yorker and others. An earlier book that I haven’t read, River Town, is about his time as an english teacher in China.
Oracle Bones covers his view of the big news stories of those years, the 1999 US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, the 2001 collision between a US electronic surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter jet, the suppression of the Falun Gong movement, and the massive economic change taking place in China.
A great part of the book looks at these events through the experiences of friends and ex-students, giving a strong sense of the struggles of individuals with little power having to navigate a life in unstable times.
At the same time he traces a story of Chinese archaeology, of the history of Chinese writing, and of the lives of archaeologists through all the conflicts from the Boxer Uprising through to the Cultural Revolution.
Peter Hessler was in China at the time of the 9/11 attacks. He describes how bootleg DVDs and VCDs of the attacks appeared in video shops as soon as three days after the attacks. The covers for the 9/11 videos were designed to look like Hollywood blockbusters, with scrambled credits and blurbs in english lifted from other films, “TOUCHSTONE PICTURES presenta JERRY BRUCKHEIMER production david TOM HANKS silen TWITNESS,” and so on. Two of them have credits lifted from Patton. He writes that the Patton credits were particularly common on all sorts of bootlegs, even a movie on high school cheerleading.
The official Chinese government response to the attacks was one of sympathy and solidarity in the face of terrorism, but Peter Hessler found the popular response to be quite different, with anti-Americanism quite common, unsurprisingly in view of the historic and recent antagonism between China and the US:
In part, it seemed to be habit - so many years of anti-American propaganda had settled into people’s minds. But it was also connected to everything that had been left out of the news. In the past, the media had rarely reported on tensions in Xinjiang - like Tibet, it was generally portrayed as a peaceful place whose indigenous people were happy to be a part of China. Few average Chinese knew that their own government was concerned about the spread of Islam in the West.
Watching the Chinese 9/11 bootlegs, the contents of some reflected the covers, swiping Hollywood soundtrack music, and even cutting in clips from Hollywood films with the news footage. And then there was the VCD made up of coverage by Phoenix Television:
After the attacks, Phoenix Television had cut advertisements and broadcast live for thirty-six hours. That was the only privately owned Chinese-language news station that broadcast on the mainland, and it was also the only network that covered the event so closely. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation owned 40 percent of Phoenix, which was based in Hong Kong but targeted mainland cable subscribers. The station hoped someday to become the CNN of China. Phoenix’s access to the Chinese market depended on a good relationship with the Communist Party, and sometimes the private station’s coverage was even more nationalistic than that of the government stations. [...]
One of the VCDs that I found in Yueqing had been compiled mostly from Phoenix broadcasts. Whereas the government had avoided any criticism of America, Phoenix’s tone was completely different. In the hours after the attacks, the station featured a man named Cao Jingxing, who was identified only as a “Political Commentator.” He said, “Why aren’t other countries hated like the United States of America? Let’s try to think about that.” He commented on the hijackings: “Why were the hostages taken so easily? The glory of the Americans was lost in just a few seconds.” [...]
The Chinese-language station use Fox footage of New York and Washington, D.C., which was almost as disorienting as the Hollywood cut-ins. The Fox logo appeared in the corner, and the images were the same ones that Americans watched, but here the shots were joined by the anti-American commentary in Chinese. I remembered Willy’s comment about the Chinese government being unable to express the way that it really felt. That was politics, but this was business; the media gave the people what they wanted. News Corp. used the same footage to sell patriotism in America and in China, and in both places the people bought it.
Friday, 10 September 2010
From Flora of London Bombed Sites 1950, a collection at the Department of Botany, The Natural History Museum, London, a pressed specimen of Chamaenerion angustifolium, also called Rosebay Willowherb, or Fireweed. This was collected in Holborn.
Fireweed is also the title of a joint show by Liz Davis, Clare Gerrard, and Susanna Jacobs, at Exhibit at Golden Lane Estate, London. The joint theme of their work is wild flora in the City of London. More details about their work at susannajacobs.com.
The show runs until the 2nd of October, and the gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm, Saturdays 11 am to 5 pm.
The Golden Lane Estate was built in 1958 on the north part of the Barbican bomb site, and the Barbican Estate was built later on the rest of it. In the period between the bombing and redevelopment, this part of London became overgrown and wild.
As well as showing a series of drawings, Susanna produced a short piece of animation for the exhibition. It imagines Golden Lane as a wilderness, not just the wilderness of the bomb site, but also a wilderness before London, before humans came, and after they pass away. Living in Golden Lane Estate, as we did for seven years, it often suggests wilderness. The layout of the estate suggests the ruined walls and cellars of the bomb site, and where nature finds a space in the gaps, deliberate or accidental, it becomes all the more notable against the stark concrete.
Susanna also produced a more lighthearted animation with children for an earlier part of the project, titled Then You Were Gone.
The frames below are from footage included in the TV documentary Classic Homes: Tower Blocks (1998), but come originally from a documentary made in the late 1940s or early ’50s. They show the Barbican bomb site, destroyed in a firestorm on the night of 29 December 1940. The first shows St Giles’ church, now contained within the Barbican residential estate. I don’t know the name of the original film, and would love to hear from anyone who recognises it.
There is a full and vivid account of the raid in London Before the Blitz by Richard Trench. He describes the history of the area, just outside London’s Roman city wall, “swamp and heath, a wild and lonely place, until the expansion of London in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries”. A few snippets from his book follow.
The Barbican had always been outside the City walls. In the Middle Ages it had been a heath, inhabited by outcasts, outlaws, marginals, mad people and prostitutes. Shacks and wooden houses were built and a market grew up in Whitecross Street, avoiding the City tolls because it was outside the walls. In 1545 the Barbican burnt down. The Elizabethans tried to clean it up but never quite succeeded. The prostitutes, the unlicensed craftsmen, the semi-legal market stallholders and the dubious businesses on the edge of bankruptcy stayed. Outside the walls, the Barbican survived the Great Fire of 1666, but almost perished in the Great Cripplegate Fire of 1897. The fire had started in an ostrich feather warehouse in Well Street off Jewin Street and spread through the six-storey warehouses and sweatshops filled with inflammable draperies, sheets, cotton rolls and dyes. ‘There were blazing shops and warehouses on either side, brickwork and debris of every kind were crashing down everywhere, and the heat was terrific,’ wrote Jack While, the Fleet Street journalist. ‘I got saturated to the skin over and over again, but I only had to go and stand in front of a blazing shop to dry my clothes.’ In spite of 228 firemen, 128 warehouses were burnt down throwing four thousand people, mostly women, out of work.
Richard Trench describes the Auxiliary Fire Service’s first major exercise in November 1938 through the eyes of Commander Aylmer Firebrace, Chief Officer of the London Fire Brigade, observing the event at Redcross Street Fire Station:
The exercise had already started, though you could hardly tell by the indifferent poses of the telephonists. There were fires in Jewin Crescent, fires in London Wall, fires in Silver Street. Some were checked by Auxiliaries’ pumps, trundled up to the fires behind taxis. Others spread unattended. Off-duty regulars shrugged their shoulders as Falcon Street, Wood Street, Addle Street and Love Lane burnt to the ground, treating the whole thing with the patronizing contempt of nannies leaving the children alone in the nursery. The exercise went on all night, and by early morning the overflowing offices, warehouses and sweatshops of ‘Fire Island’ had proved too much for the well-meaning amateurs of the Auxiliary Fire Service. The independent referees announced that the fires had won. Theoretically the Barbican was burning all around them.
The real thing came on the night of 29 December 1940. I can’t do justice to Mr Trench’s telling of it with just a small sampling, so I recommend getting the book. Instead, here is a little on the aftermath:
Next morning, as the firestorm died down, bedraggled groups of firemen, wardens, heavy rescue men and policemen assembled on the periphery and tentatively made their way into the smouldering ruins. Len Hunt and his electricity repair party joined them. They had assembled in Smithfield, crossed Aldersgate Street and walked into the Barbican. It was 9.00 am, Monday morning. The wind had died down and a million fragments of ash and embers snowed down on them. The tarmac in the road was still burning in places. A few walls, strengthened by their chimneys, stood like headstones. The remaining buildings were ghosts, their positions marked by piles of rubble. Only the shell of St Giles’, Whitbread's Brewery and irony upon ironies - Redcross Street Fire Station stood upright. South of St Giles’ along London Wall stretches of the Roman wall revealed themselves for the first time in 200 years. The electricity repair party made its way to the sub-station on Beech Street. They wanted to know if it was still there. The sub-station was deep underground, three floors beneath the firestorm. It was there. Not a screw was out of place. It had been protected by eight feet of water that had run from the firemen's hoses into the gutters and ended up in the sub-station. There would be no problem pumping it out. Firemen were standing around on street level with empty hoses. At this point the repair party should have gone round the streets and turned all the electricity boxes off. But there was no point. There were no boxes left. There was nothing. Len looked around him and thought that this was the most terrible thing that could happen; and for him it was, for the Coventry details had been censored and Dresden was still a name on a map.
As Len considered the destruction, the men of Redcross Street Fire Station reoccupied their posts. The fire reported on the roofjust before they evacuated had been blown out by the high winds created by the conflagration. Apart from a partly burnt roof the station was untouched. The sub-officer in charge came in carrying an unexploded incendiary. On it was its date and the firm's stamp. It had been made in 1938 by an engineering company in Islington, who had exported fire bombs to Germany right up to the declaration of war.
The Home Guard used the ruins to train in street-fighting techniques and the Cripplegate Rifle Range for target practice. 1941 became 1942. The Barbican was forgotten and returned to what it once had been, a heath. The wild flowers and weeds advanced from the railway lines and colonized the wasteland; fennel growing through rubble, foxglove next to blackened timbers, ragwort pushing up through bricks, brambles weaving around broken glass, and everywhere were the big purple flowers that people called fireweed. With the flowers came the animals, coming into the ruins along the same railway tracks, foxes, rabbits, field mice, rats and bats. Then the humans arrived, and the cellars and basements beneath the chop shops, sweatshops, warehouses, pubs, tailors, stationers, silk merchants, solicitors, furriers and hatters, became the homes of deserters, prostitutes, spivs, runaways, and marginals the people of the heath.
The firemen who reoccupied Redcross Street Fire Station tolerated them, imposing their sense of order no further than the waste ground behind the station where they established a vegetable patch and a piggery; so did the watchmen who camped in a cavern on the corner of Aldermanbury and London Wall guarding relics salvaged from the company's halls and a mountain of timber.
In the centre of the wilderness was St Giles’, where the two wild and innocent teenagers, Barbary and Raoul, first met Mavis in Rose Macaulay’s The World My Wilderness. She was one of the people of the heath.
The girl was from Bankside, and had worked as a messenger in the city until her place of business had gone up in flames. She knew the ruins intimately, calling them and the anonymous alleys that ran between them by their old names, peopling them with industrious businessmen, chattering tea-bibulous typists, messengers and clerks: she moved among ghosts, herself solid, cheerful and unconcerned . . .
“I am very, very fond of ruins, ruins I love to scan,” Mavis hummed. She pointed across the wilderness towards the bastion. “That’s Mr Monty’s room up there, that was. Mr Monty always had his jokes. He’d look in at the warehouse - that was our warehouse, that pit with the pink flowers and nettles all over it - pretty, isn’t it? Mr Monty’d look in and speak to old Mr Dukes, he was the head clerk, and he’d have his joke with him, except on a Monday morning, and then it was look out for squalls. Poor Mr Dukes, he was ever so upset when it all went; for weeks he’d go wandering about the ruins, seeing if he could save anything, but of course he couldn’t, what the fire left the rescue men grabbed as quick as you could say knife . . .”
They climbed out through the window, and made their way along the ruined jungled waste, walking along broken lines of wall, diving into the cellars and caves of the underground city, where opulent merchants had once stored their wine, where gaily tiled rooms opened into one another and burrowed under great eaves of over-hanging earth, where fosses and ditches ran, bright with marigolds and choked with thistles, through one-time halls of commerce and yellow ragwort waved its gaudy banners over the ruin of defeated businessmen.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
The images accompany an article from last week’s issue by Jill Lepore, reviewing oral histories of the Great Migration, the 20th Century journey of six million African-Americans from the South to the northern cities of the US, and in particular a recent book by Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Skirmishes broke out between protesters and police at the first public signing for Tony Blair's memoirs, with shoes and eggs hurled at the former prime minister.
Four men were arrested and charged with public order offences for their part in the protest this morning outside Eason's bookshop on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland, which involved anti-war demonstrators and the Continuity IRA-aligned Republican Sinn Féin, who oppose the Northern Ireland peace process.
Protesters were outnumbered by paying customers, according to BBC News.
Added Monday:Norm attempts a theory of Blair-hatred, and James Bloodworth shows it’s possible to write a list of Blair criticisms that doesn’t mention the war. On the Iraq war, General Dannatt reiterates his own criticism of Blair, a rather different one to that of the protesters. | {
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Snow is falling in New York City today, meaning Mayor Bill de Blasio’s skills as a manager are again being tested. While less than a foot of snow seems more like a quiz than a test, the new mayor is still in his probationary period. Everything carries a little more weight.
But although de Blasio and the city are still getting used to each other, some clear themes of the de Blasio era are emerging just thirty-four days into his mayoralty (one-third through the first 100 days, but who’s counting?):
1) Elections matter, a lot
The de Blasio administration has moved very swiftly to change policy—like dropping the city’s appeal of the stop-and-frisk program, ending the NYPD’s impact program, pursuing a new law to expand paid sick leave and signaling less financial support for charter schools. None of these moves were surprises, as they’re what candidate de Blasio campaigned on, but that’s precisely the point: he promised a break with the Bloomberg era, and that’s very much what we’re getting.
2) It takes him a long time to make very safe personnel choices.
Word is de Blasio is going to make a slew of appointments this week, which is good news, as the pace of the transition has begun to worry even his allies, what with de Blasio’s first budget due soon. The slow pace would seem to confirm the notion that management is not the new mayor’s strongpoint, but the names he has settled on are such veteran, establishment players that he’s insulated himself from any mainstream criticism that he’s not steering straight. De Blasio says he’s taking a long time because he wants to be sure he’s naming the right people to the job. Some on the left are hoping to see a few inspiring choices among the next batch to strike a balance between de Blasio’s need to demonstrate that the city will be well-run (by installing Bloomberg and Giuliani veterans in key posts) and the desire for change that the voters expressed by electing him.
3) Does New York have a new “fucking steamroller”?
Eliot Spitzer infamously called himself a “fucking steamroller,” a description of the take-no-prisoners approach that ultimately undercut his governorship even before we learned about the call girls and the black socks. De Blasio would never say anything so indelicate. But his role in the election of ally Melissa Mark-Viverito as speaker and his announcing a plan to expand sick leave via legislation that most of the City Council hadn’t yet seen made it clear that de Blasio—who often mentions the size of his electoral mandate—is not shy about using power aggressively.
While there’s no evidence yet that the mayor is vindictive (so far we’ve not uncovered an e-mail reading “Time for some traffic problems on the approach to the Holland Tunnel… er, I mean, more traffic!”) people in the advocacy world are very careful about saying anything critical of the new mayor lest they tick him off. And the AIPAC incident suggested that de Blasio’s vow of transparency is a secondary priority to personal ideology and political calculation (his rip-roarin’ pro-Israel speech was laced with both).
4) Like Bloomberg, he makes bold promises.
Mike Bloomberg famously promised to substantially reduce homelessness and poverty, and he notably failed on either count. In the twilight of the Bloomberg mayoralty some wondered if his successor would be so bold/foolish as to make similar big promises. It appears de Blasio is that bold/foolish. His goal of zero traffic fatalities—and his resetting of NYPD enforcement priorities to accomplish it—is very ambitious. Like Bloomberg, he’ll get credit for trying. But the city’s progress will depend on millions and millions of driver-pedestrian interactions over which the mayor has no control, and will be monitored by an aggressive set of advocates.
5) That inequality stuff? He meant it.
It’s typical for politicians to dial back their rhetoric when they get into office and move from, to paraphrase Mario Cuomo, the poetry of campaigning to the prose of governing. But far from de-emphasizing his campaign theme of the tale of two cities, de Blasio has continued to stress inequality at every juncture. Those who were skeptical of de Blasio’s commitment to that cause must be feeling a little more convinced that he meant what he said. By sticking to his guns on the universal pre-k (UPK) tax, forcing Governor Cuomo to go from lukewarm interest in the idea to support for a statewide version of it and then to promise to give the city a “blank check” to pay for it. Even if the tax doesn’t get done, the mayor has already shown the logic of his refusal to consider Plan Bs to pay for the plan over the course of his campaign.
Of course, with forty-seven months remaining in his current term, there’s still plenty of time for de Blasio to prove everything I’ve written above as totally off-base. Over the next few months, we’ll see the remaining appointments, how he navigates the UPK endgame, his approach to getting a budget passed and what kind of deal he strikes with the municipal workers’ unions. When today’s slushy stuff is pushed to the curb, bigger tests await. | {
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Five Tips to Make the Media Ecstatic About Your Establishment
The hospitality industry can be intensely competitive, so getting noticed by the public (or not) can make or break your hotel. The problem is getting attention for the right things and in ways that provide a solid ROI. That’s where a public relations strategy and plan for your brand comes into play.
Public relations is less expensive and often far more effective than traditional advertising, but the most significant obstacle is engaging with the media. Without the media, your story is less likely to reach the public. From travel bloggers and influencers to reporters, writers, and other media professionals, here are a few tips on how to make them all crazy about your hotel, motel, B&B, or resort.
1. Help media professionals with their job. The media is always looking for story ideas. Keep them up to date on current trends and happenings within the industry, and you’ll quickly become a preferred expert source. Personalize your pitches and communication with them and make it easy to understand (think headlines and bullet points). Make sure it’s a breeze for them to get in touch with your designated spokesperson and to get information from your sources. Also, keep in mind that exclusivity matters to journalists and can be a huge draw. Almost as important is being readily available when a journalist wants to do a story. The biggest mistake you can make in pitching a great angle, the journalist reaches out and wants to coordinate an interview and your source is not available for two weeks. The most successful brands are available on the fly and end up being a consistent resource to key media all the time.
2. Go for a non-traditional media approach whenever possible. Host a media dinner, a VIP event, or an exclusive tour. These breaths of fresh air grab the media’s attention. Now you have the chance to show off your hotel and your brand on a different, personalized level!
3. Have a crisis management plan and process in place. A crisis is inevitable, so be prepared for BEFORE it hits. Again, what matters most is that you create this plan BEFORE you need it. From viral comments and criticism — a quick, well-planned, appropriate response can make a real difference with the perception of your brand with the media and the public. When the time comes for you to convey your message, go to reporters that you know and trust to share it. Not sure how to do this? Contact a good PR company.
4. Target the right people and tailor your content to them. Sure, this is something you can do on your own, but this is where a good PR company offers real value to you. PR professionals know which journalists cover your industry and have relationships with local, regional, and national media, so it’s far easier for them to secure media placements. However, it’s not entirely impossible to do on your own. Media personnel contact information is readily available online. Search for their contact information and send them your ideas!
5. Are they influencers, bloggers, broadcast, or print journalists? It matters. This goes well beyond merely pitching the right angle to the right person. Depending on the platform of the media person, you will need the appropriate content to accompany the information you are sending them. For example, sending a video highlighting new amenities to a print magazine would be a huge mistake as they can’t use it in their publication. Send them photos with photo captions. Those they can use!
Take note of these tips. Use them, and you’ll have the media swooning over your destination like it’s peak season every day. Finally, if all of this seems overwhelming, don’t be afraid to ask for professional help. While you may think it’s expensive, you will quickly find out that professional expertise is well worth your investment and pays for itself. No matter what you do or how you do it, get out there, and share your story.
About Melissa DiGianfilippo
Melissa DiGianfilippo is partner and president of public relations at Serendipit Consulting, where she leads all of the firm’s clients’ public relations and communications efforts.
Melissa leads a highly skilled team to help clients achieve their goals. Under Melissa’s direction, Serendipit clients have achieved millions of dollars in positive press coverage across international, national and local media outlets including CNN, Nancy Grace, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Late Show, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Reuters, Associated Press, Huffington Post as well as local broadcast and print outlets in all U.S. markets.
Melissa was named the top female PR professional in Arizona by Arizona Foothills Magazine in 2018, a Most Admired Leader by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2018, a Rising Star in 2014 by Student Housing Business, and was also named on the list of Generation Next: Forty Under Forty in 2014 by AZ Business Magazine. Melissa serves as the Marketing Chairperson on the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Phoenix Connect Board, and on the board of Entrepreneuer's Organization (EO) in Arizona.
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Are there some real estate moguls or experts you should listen to? Are there some real estate gurus who's advice you should follow? What investing advice will help you make money with an income property? To start though, understand that making money through an investment property takes hard work and isn't easy - there's no such thing as easy money.
By now you’re probably familiar with all those real estate gurus and conference speakers who promote their how to get rich secrets in just about every media format imaginable – TV, books, CDs, eBooks, videos, conferences, etc.
A lot of these real estate experts definitely have some good tips that can at times be highly inspirational, especially when they claim that anyone can get into the investment properties arena if they establish good credit and have a plan. It’s that simple, right? If only! Many of these so called real estate “gurus” can accurately be called scam artists, but with so many of them around, who do you believe?
Those who talk about how much money they have really don’t have any.
Well, try these real estate and investment experts on for size. Let's see what they have to say about how to make money through income generating properties. While not all of these guurs are real estate experts, they are certainly wise with their money and their investments:
Warren Buffet
Bill Gates
Donald Trump (Well, he certainly talks a lot about how much money he has, so maybe he doesn't have as much as he says he has)
Robert T. Kiyosaki
Peter Lynch
Jim Cramer (Mad Money)
Anthony Robbins
Suze Orman
Stephen A. Schwarzman (The BlackStone Group bought a lot of real estate as a private equity fund)
While it’s certainly okay to explore what some of the real estate gurus say (both fraudulent and useful), just keep in mind that the best way to make money is by saving money, working hard, and taking educated risks when buying property. There are no short cuts or get rich quick schemes that actually work. Sure, they could work out for a short time but then you'll end up losing all of your money or going bankrupt.
Really, you’ll just have to find what real estate investing method works for you, whether it’s consistently researching property, seeking out good partners, or whatever else.
Many of these real estate “gurus” can be identified easily. They’re the ones driving fancy cars, wearing exorbitantly expensive clothing, and using such terms as “lazy way,” fool-proof,” “painless,” “gold mine,” “easy,” and several other terms that suggest laziness and ease of profitability. If their programs, courses, or other alleged “help” sounds too good to be true, it is. These are the people employing “risk free” and “bulletproof” ways to con you out of money.
QUOTE: “The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.” -George Bernard Shaw
Often times, you’ll never spot a wealthy person (or a practical guru, for that matter) in a crowd. That’s because they’ve been driving the same old car for years, wear slightly drab clothing, and act out other habits that don’t noticeably reflect their substantial bank account. These people do not flaunt their wealth in ostentatious displays, or spend money on unnecessary items that won’t return a profit in the future. No, they grasp a bigger vision in life, one that is dictated by the understanding of making money by saving money.
However, unlike the claims most fraudulent gurus boast, there are no “cookie cutter” approaches, so what you’ll want to do is see what works best for you. Who knows? Maybe you can drive a nice car and wear expensive clothes. The important thing to remember, though, is that you must have a plan and know your priorities before visiting a new car dealership or looking at property. Without establishing these, you’ll be driving your Maserati nowhere fast or stuck with a property that won't rent or sell.
So how do you know what works best for you? For starters, you’ll need to increase your comprehension in all realms of real estate knowledge. Doing so will help you make better decisions in the future and therefore give you more confidence. Read numerous articles, essays, or books written by different real estate and/or investing experts - visit our site on a regular basis!
Get a broad perspective by reading more than one author. Each author might have a different spin on the same idea, so you’ll want to cover all the bases. Because different people have different ways of doing the same thing, you’ll eventually find which method works for you. Explore and experiment.
Perform a search on Google using any of the names listed above. Maybe you want to learn about a specific aspect of investing, so include that word in your query as well. While searching, you’ll discover additional tips, advice, and methods for building wealth that will lead you to other useful information. You might even come across other helpful people via forum or blog. Not all of their ideas will make sense to you, which is perfectly normal, but many of their words are inspiring and will make you think about how you want to invest in real estate. | {
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10 Defining Character Moments On The Walking Dead
Beware, spoilers ahead!! In The Walking Dead’s universe, only the strong will survive. After a weak moment, you’ve got to pick up the pieces and move on, fast. Here are some of the biggest turning points for everyone’s favorite characters.
This post was created by a user and has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can post awesome lists and creations. Learn more or post your buzz!
1. Rick: Doing the best he can as a leader
As the symbolic leader of the group, Rick’s had plenty of defining moments so far, from risking it all to find his family to killing Shane to protect his family to making sure his people survive.
Defining moment: Now that Rick’s almost lost everything and is falling down the crazy hole, he started to pick himself back up in episode 12 of season 3, “Clear.” Rick saw a glimpse of what could happen to him in the near future if he doesn’t start fixing things. Here’s to hoping he’ll be the same tough guy he used to be before our group goes to war with the Governor.
ID: 957715
2. Carl: Finally learning to listen?
You know that time Carl stayed in the house and did what he was told? Just kidding – we all know Carl NEVER does what he’s supposed to do.
Defining moment: Even though he never listens, for once Carl is starting to grow up and think about what he’s doing. Last week, Carl and Rick took a supply-gathering trip to their old hometown with Michonne and, of course, Carl lied to Rick and told him he just wanted to get a crib for baby Judith. In reality, he went to find the last-surviving picture of his family and had to show restrain for once in his life, thanks to Michonne.
ID: 957785
3. Daryl: If Daryl Dies, We Riot
Honestly, Daryl could just stand around with his crossbow and we’d all still be obsessed with him. Luckily for us, there’s even more to Daryl.
Defining moment: Daryl never would have rescued that family in the car a couple weeks ago if he hadn’t spent so much time with Rick’s group without his brother Merle. It was a huge move for him to stand up to his older brother, and I think Daryl’s biggest moment is still to come, and I’m sure it will have to do with choosing Rick or Merle – again.
5. Andrea: She’s tougher than she looks
Remember when Andrea’s sister Amy died at the groups original camp, and no one thought Andrea would ever get over it? She almost gives up – a far cry from the Andrea we now know.
Defining moment: Andrea learned how to defend herself and picked herself up after her sister Amy’s death. She even contemplated killing the Governor, a daring move for the once-dispirited and feeble Andrea.
8. Hershel: An unlikely unstoppable force
Hershel has come a long way from the I-have-zombies-living-in-my-barn farmer he was when our group first showed up at his farmhouse. (Really, Hershel? Still not over this.)
Defining moment: Hershel finally realizes that the walkers are no longer humans and won’t be cured. He makes nice with Rick’s group and starts defending himself and his daughters as he gets tougher in this rough world. And don’t forget when he later survives Rick chopping off half of his leg.
9. Beth: A little bit of hope in the zombie takeover
From the first time we meet Beth at the farm, she seems like a weak link in the future group – but she’s shown to be the most hopeful person on the show, something Rick’s group desperately needs.
Defining moment: When Beth and Maggie’s dad, Hershel, loses his leg to a zombie bite, Maggie accepts that he won’t be around much longer. Beth believes that Hershel will be okay and even cuts the legs on his pants so he’ll be able to wear them and walk.
This post was created by a user and has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can post awesome lists and creations. Learn more or post your buzz! | {
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Subsets and Splits