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If you avidly watch youtube or follow beauty bloggers, I'm sure you've heard of TheBalm at least once. I've been wanting to try their products forever….but to my knowledge they could only be purchased online so I was a bit iffy. A few weeks ago I was shopping at Kohl's when I saw it….TheBalm products in their beauty department. After I concealed my excitement so I wouldn't embarrass myself, I went over a went on a
mini shopping spree. I decided to review a few of my favorites, and most talked about products in the collection, so here we go!
Mary-Lou Manizer: Highlighter, Shadow & Shimmer $24.00
Oh. My. Gosh. I'm in love with this product. It's SO hard to find drugstore highlighters, or any good highlighters in general! I love the soft golden undertones and shimmer in this highlighter. I use it daily on my cheekbones, chin, cupids bow, nose, and forehead. Sometimes I even use it to highlight my brow bone and inner corner of my eyes. It's gorgeous and versatile. Note, if you're looking for the 'Kim K' bright under eye highlight, this is not your product. You are looking for a matte white/yellow powder! A little goes a long way here. Definitely my favorite TheBalm product thus far!
Hot Mama: Blush & Shadow $20.00
This blush is BEAUTIFUL. It's a bit on the shimmery side, but thats what I like. I love these light peachy-pink colors, especially for summer! Using this alone with give your cheeks a tiny highlight, or it can be paired with the Lou Manizer's. I could even see myself using this blush on the inner half go my eyelids. I've heard many people say Hot Mama is a very similar dupe for NARS Orgasm….and some even say its better. It's worth giving this blush a try!
Bahama Mama: Bronzer, Shadow & Contour $20.00
Okay…I'm not the tannest girl around, honestly I'm probably closer to the palest girl around. A lot of bronzers look very fake and orange on me, which is not flattering. One thing I absolutely LOVEEE about Bahama Mama is….there are no orange undertones! It looks so 'natural' and luminous on my skin. I love using it for contouring my cheekbones, jaw, nose, forehead, and temples. I even use it to warm up the crease of my eyelid sometimes. Hands down, this is probably my new favorite bronzer of all time.


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- Description
- Delivery and Returns
- Request a Quote
- Reviews
The Ergo Ascend Monitor Arm enables the user to free up valuable desk space and provide the perfect ergonomic working position.
The gas assisted arm provides fingertip adjustment and tension can be varied with the weight of the monitor. The Ascend comes ready assembled for quick and easy installation, with integral cable management to maintain the sleek appearance. The unit can be mounted with either a 'C' clamp or through the desk cable port with fittings supplied for both applications.
Ergo Ascend comprises a quick release VESA plate compatible with most monitors and has a weight capacity of 3-8 kgs.
The Ascend monitor arm is available in silver and a White polished finish.
If for any reason you find that this product is not suitable for your needs, you may return it to us within 7 business days to receive a refund.
The product must be returned to FineBack Furniture in its original conditon with its packaging intact.
FineBack regularly monitor and adjust our prices to ensure that we remain competitive. If you have found the same product elsewhere for a cheaper price then just let us know and we will respond to you as soon as possible.
If you have a requirement for a bulk order, then please contact us using the form below or call us immediately on 01727 827744.

subset: commoncrawl


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The silks are as recognizable as any in American racing — black with a cherry cap and white with a cherry sash — but neither has ever been graced with the winner's roses on the first Saturday in May.
These may indeed be the silks of champions, the Phipps family stable and that of the Janneys, two of the oldest-running in the sport and bonded by blood. But neither stable has won the Kentucky Derby. Nor has their trainer, Shug McGaughey, the only achievement missing from a Hall of Fame career spent winning nearly every major race in New York and beyond.
A long-striding bay colt named Orb could change all that on Saturday.
McGaughey and his owners are immune to Derby fever and believe that the horse takes you to Churchill Downs, not the other way around. On the heels of four consecutive victories, topped by the Grade 1 Florida Derby, Orb has indeed pulled them to Louisville for the 139th running of the Derby. He has been made the morning-line favorite in the field of 20 at odds of 7-to-2.
Orb's owners, Stuart Janney 3d and Ogden Mills Phipps, are first cousins and great-grandsons of the Carnegie Steel magnate Henry Phipps. They each have their own sizable stables, handed down from their parents. And together they own a handful of horses, including Orb.
In less patient hands, Orb might have turned out differently. McGaughey does not overdo it with young horses. Once a skinny colt, Orb took time to develop, losing his first three starts at 2 years old.
"We give them time to come along and tell us when they're ready to be on the track," said Phipps, 72. "I call that old-school or something like that."
In Florida this winter, Orb flourished, physically and mentally. But his handlers never thought they had a Derby horse until he won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 23. Still, they wanted more proof, from the Florida Derby a month later, before making arrangements to be in Louisville.
"I'd been a little hesitant to run in the Derby if we finished second or third," said Janney, 65, who is the chairman of the family-owned Bessemer Trust Company, having succeeded Phipps in 1994. "This wasn't something I discussed with Shug; we didn't need to. I don't think it's worth going down to Kentucky to be there for the show. I think it's important to go there with a very strong hand."
Orb's performance was eye-opening. McGaughey had marveled at how the colt had grown physically and in confidence before the Florida Derby. On his way to the paddock that day, he was quiet, almost sleepy, but once there he was excitedly on his toes. When the gate opened, he was more aggressive than usual and closer to the pace. He was so full of run at the top of the stretch that his jockey, John Velazquez, eased back on him slightly before exploding to the lead.
McGaughey and the owners were elated. Janney has never entered a horse in the Derby, although his parents ran Private Terms in 1988, a horse that had been unbeaten but finished ninth. For McGaughey and the Phippses, this is their best shot since 1989, when Easy Goer couldn't catch Sunday Silence.
McGaughey, unlike Janney and Phipps, is a native Kentuckian, and winning the Derby is a dream.
"If I go, I'm going to have to have a good shot," said McGaughey, 62. "Do I wish we had been more competitive in the Triple Crown? Yes. Would I like to be in the future? Yes. But the horse is going to tell us what to do. And Orb is the first one I've had in a while like that."
Orb's bloodlines have been circulating in the Janney family for 60 years, with names like Ruffian in his family tree, and he races in their silks. Both Janney and Phipps breed their own horses, which makes for a tapestry of human lineage entwined with a rich equine ancestry.
For the Janney family, it all goes back to Bold Irish. Born in 1948, she was bred and owned by Bull Hancock of Claiborne Farm, which still works closely with the Phippses and Janneys, under the stewardship of Bull's son Seth. Bold Irish won only twice in 20 starts.
Hancock sold her to Gladys Mills Phipps, who raced as Wheatley Stable and bred such greats as Bold Ruler. In time, she encouraged her daughter, Barbara Phipps Janney, and Barbara's husband, Stuart Janney Jr., to enter the sport. She gave them a present: Bold Irish and another mare.
"And out of that came all of these wonderful horses, like Ruffian, Private Terms and Icecapade," said their son, Stuart.
One of Bold Irish's offspring was Shenanigans, who had the great filly Ruffian, whose sire was the Bold Ruler stallion Reviewer. It had the family written all over it. For Orb's lineage, Shenanigans led to Laughter, her only surviving daughter, and then onto Steel Maiden, Mesabi Maiden, and then Lady Liberty. Orb's sire is Malibu Moon.
When Janney's parents died in the late 1980s, he contemplated, much like they once had, whether to carry on with the horses. His late uncle, Ogden Phipps, the current Ogden's father, encouraged him.
"If you want to do this," Phipps told his nephew, "I'm very pleased to be your partner. I'll give you as much advice or as little advice as you'd like. The horses will run in your colors. And my only strong suggestion is that we get my trainer Shug McGaughey to train them."
The rest is history. Janney said he has close to 90 horses overall — broodmares, foals, yearlings, horses of racing age — and Phipps has around 120. Of those, the cousins own 10 or 11 in partnership. That their best Derby shot has arrived with a jointly-owned horse makes it all the more special, Janney said.
"This mare and this horse — Lady Liberty and Orb — go back through the generations to what was our common grandmother," Janney said. "So it all has a certain rationale and sense to it."


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Edmonds & Slatter Opticians have been offering a diversely recognised eye care service to the local community for over thirty years and continue to do so by offering much more than a basic sight test. Patients can also choose to book for additional examinations at their Blaby practice including: The Coloured Overlay Assessment and Intuitive Colorimetry.
The examinations are specifically designed to ease symptoms caused by "Meares-Irlen Syndrome" or "Visual Stress" (MISVIS) by using coloured overlays or coloured lenses whilst reading. MISVIS is a photosensitivity problem that is commonly associated with patients who suffer from Photo-Sensitive Migraines and Dyslexia. Symptoms include skipping words or lines, using a finger as a marker and movement or glare patterns appearing in text.
Dyslexia is a term that covers many sensory problems, which affect learning and can often be confused with MISVIS. Although they both affect reading performance they are not the same condition. MISVIS can also exist as part of other conditions and learning difficulties. When identified and treated coloured tints can make these difficulties easier to live with.
During a full eye examination, if the patient has been suffering from headaches or reading difficulties, a simple screening test will demonstrate whether a Coloured Overlay Assessment will help to improve the speed and accuracy of reading.
If the patient responds positively to the coloured overlay after a few weeks of use then the optician would recommend that Intuitive Colorimetry is used to identify the exact coloured tint that may be required for spectacles. To do this a screening test would be conducted using a special Colorimetry machine which works through many options and varying intensities of colour with the patient.
Coloured Lenses are more practical and accurate for use in the classroom or work environment and have helped thousands of individuals to overcome their reading difficulties.
For further information on Visual Stress, Colorimetry or to make an appointment please call the Blaby practice on 0116 2777733.


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It's here. The folks from the Sunburnt Cow and Bondi Road have unleashed the time honored Aussie tradition of Toss the Boss on Lower Manhattan. To celebrate, they threw a little kick off party at both locations. We chose the Cow to coincide with out later plans, and indeed, the boss was tossed. They event went out and got themselves an ice slide for some overly-phallic ice shots. No thanks. We drank, we sampled some food, and at the end of the night, the barkeep ripped up our bill. You know why? Because we chose Coat of Arms. That's why! Good on ya.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tossing the Boss
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/30/2007 08:24:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Bars, East Village, Lower East Side, New York City Nightlife, Restaurants
Thursday, November 29, 2007
An Evening At: Socialista
Last night, we were invited by the good folks at Radar to a little shimmy at Socialista, Armin's little commie outpost on the edges of the West Village. It was our first time being there, and we have to say we were quite taken with the place. Downstairs is for the food, and upstairs is for the drink. You know where we're heading. To the doorman, where we rolled +1, and we bound up the short flight of stairs and to the main level. There was quite a crowd waiting to check their coats, obvious rookies when the skies turn gray, but pushing through led us to paydirt.
Socialista does look like a fantasy version of Havannah. High ceilings, slow turning fans, loose strewn chairs. They hit some nice design touches. We grabbed a drink and grabbed a leather couch by the DJ booth. Comfy. The music was chill, the crowd was chill, the vibe was good. After a few hours, we snuck out the door and into the chill. There were still people maneuvering to get in, but the going was tough. Oh well. We stopped off at a local jaunt for a nightcap and called it a night.
We would love to show you some pictures, but they were not allowed. Spy-tech is on the way.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/29/2007 08:20:00 AM 7 comments
Labels: An Evening At:, New York City Nightlife, Socialista, West Village
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Rio in Space
First Jason Pomeranc. Now Space. Harrah's Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is on a deal making spree, poised to sign an agreement with Space, Ibiza's long running dance club to become the anchor nightlife tenant in the off-strip pink and purple tower. Semi-genius and semi-risky, as Rio is definitely at the bottom of destinations for twenty somethings that flock to Vegas to destroy themselves, but will the name Space bring any cachet this far from the Spanish Islands? Doubtful, but it may not matter. Rio needs a first class operator who knows how to produce on a large scale, and Space certainly fits that bill. Expect Carl Cox, Pete Tong and the rest of the Mega DJ set to start calling the Rio their home when they make their appearances in the desert. Just make sure your glow sticks are fired up.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/28/2007 08:31:00 AM 4 comments
Labels: Hotels, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Nightlife, Nightlife, Space
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Norwood? Norwood?
Speaking of crappy private clubs - we check in on Norwood, the "private members club providing a stylish and comfortable meeting, eating and drinking haven in the heart of New York City to a sophisticated and international clientele of influential opinion-formers in the creative arts world." Right. Set to open in the Andrew Norwood House (get it?), the anticipation for this club hasn't been building since New York ran an item about it in April. Hoping to rival the very successful Soho House model, Alan Linn, an ex-manager of a London club, has quietly opened his West 14th Street club. First reports are quite negative, with a Little Birdy telling us. "Went to Norwood on Saturday. Not cool. Lame. Dead Empty." Pow pow pow.
We're cheering for Alan and the entire Norwood team, but we have our doubts about this one. Besides the obvious douchebaggery of private clubs in general and their lack of a full service hotel and pool, this is just a place where the public can't come in and spend money. But it is a place where you can pay a membership fee to sit in a room and chit chat. Who wouldn't want that?
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/27/2007 11:28:00 AM 18 comments
Labels: Meatpacking District, New York City Nightlife, Norwood, Private Clubs
His Name is Rio
Jason Pomeranc is at it again. New York, LA, Toronto, Washington DC. JP and his Thompson Hotel group are busy expanding like crazy, replacing Morgans Hotel group as the new hot boutique company. So we ask ourselves again: What's next? Well, Las Vegas of course. A Little Desert Birdy, a black necked stilt perhaps, checks in, saying "Jason Pomeranc has inked a deal with the Rio Hotel to develop a boutique hotel inside the Rio tower." Interesting Little Stilt. Very interesting. You would think that Sir Jason would avoid lending his name to a second rate Vegas property. But, dealmakers need to make deals, and getting business this close to the Strip takes more capital than the Thompson Group could put together. A shrewd play by a hotelier who is quickly emerging as a national player in this here game.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/27/2007 11:12:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Hotels, Jason Pomeranc, Las Vegas
Monday, November 26, 2007
Super Supper Club?
Yesterday, Page Six the Magazine had an article by our good friend and contemporary .Joshua David Stein peering into the oh so exclusive and utterly boring realm of the Supper Club, the new members only party circuit put together by London socialite Tamsin Lonsdale. Once every so often, these private little groups pop up, and like clockwork quickly go away. You know why? Because they are utterly unnecessary. You may think its big, but socially, New York City is quite small. Everyone knows most everyone (excluding yours truly), and when you travel to LA, London, Vegas or Miami, its more of the same. Adding Facebook, ASmallWorld and the rest of the so-called social networking communities to the mix just makes these private clubs irrelevant.
So why do they continue to exist? Because corporations see them as the perfect luxury marketing tool. Tamsin explains so herself. Get 1000 rich people on a list, invite them to parties, and hope your brand catches on. Does it work? No. But it is impressive that this counts as work for some people. More power to you. But after paying your membership fees and being seated at a table at Nobu with 12 guys from UBS for a Supper Club event, you will probably wonder what happened to the exclusivity you were promised. Our guess is back in London, having champagne coolies at Boujis and laughing about it with the old world folks on the other side of the pond.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/26/2007 02:47:00 PM 5 comments
Labels: Joshua David Stein, New York Nightlife, Private Clubs, Supper Club, Tamsin Lonsdale
PrimeTime Tables Hits A Snag
Speaking of tough tables, it looks like PrimeTime Tables, the service that provides members with "hard-to-get reservations at leading dining venues" has run into a problem with their business model. It seems members are bailing on their reservations. A Little Birdy sent along an email that PTT sent to its members, saying:
We are aware that at this time of the year you have a lot of events ,cocktails and dinner parties to attend and are trying to be at more than one place at a time. We also know that this is the time of the year where dinner reservations are the most difficult for everyone to get and using PTT to secure that reservation is a smart way to go. However asking for a reservation or securing a reservation from the website and NO SHOW will not be accepted as it simply destroys the business and the relationship we have built with a lot of restaurants over the years. This email is sent to all our members and is not meant to attack anyone in particular, but we have received calls lately from restaurant that our Member did not show up. Each time this happens it affects our relationship and the capability to accommodate the next member to that restaurantBoom! Threatening your own customers - we like your gumption PTT. But if your clients are such busy, important people that they can't bother making their own reservations, why would they bother to cancel either? Answer: They wouldn't. If you are willing to buy a table, than surely that fee includes the right to bail without notice. Apparently not.
As PTT is a web community, and its business is based on trust. You trust us when we confirm your reservation, we need to trust you that you will show up once you acquire a reservation.
To try to stop from happening again we need to implement a rule that will maybe stop the NO SHOW and affects every other member. The rule is as follows:
1 No show = 2 months no access to the website
2 No show= membership cancelled.
We thank you for your time and understanding.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/26/2007 09:36:00 AM 7 comments
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
On the Circuit: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
What: Opening of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino,
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When we told you we were out of town, you knew it had to be for a good reason. This past weekend, Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl opened his Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on the site of the old Aladdin. Of course DBTH was invited. The opening party was supposed to be in the Opium Group's new Prive nightclub, but since it wasn't finished, the Fire Marshall nixed it and Friday's night festivities were canceled. Bummer fer sure.
To make due, Saturday's party was moved to the Opium Group operated Living Room lounge, which meant jam packing all of the celebs in attendance into an area that held less than 150 people. Samantha Ronson dj'ed and Mickey Avalon performed. Also in attendance: Kevin Spacey (hammered), Emmanual Lewis (!!!), Sly Stallone, Elaine Lancaster, Anthony Michael Hall, David Hasselhoff, Gene Simmons and Nick Kroll (star of Cavemen). A-List all the way around.
Due to the small space, the party became more of a free for all then a normal pack a room kind of thing. This wasn't a seen and be seen. This was a drink and get drunk. Which we and everyone else did. We can't venture how this place will do, but we aren't too worried about it. Vegas is Vegas. Adding a dose of Hollywood won't change that.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/21/2007 10:54:00 AM 9 comments
Labels: Las Vegas, Nightclubs, Nightlife, Planet Hollywood
Smith Slings the Bubbles
Early reports from The Smith, the new Third Avenue restaurant from Glenn Harris and Jeffrey Lefcourt (Jane), are giving the word that it's all bubbles. How's that? Yes, the restaurant is going green by not serving bottled water, and for those that want some gas with their H2O, Smith is serving up a house blend free of charge. How nice. The rub? The water is not very good. The mix of CO2 and water is off, giving you a drink that isn't quite bubbly and isn't quite flat. Not to critique, because we appreciate the effort, but it is hard to mess up water. But it is free, so you get what you pay for. Drinks from the bar were above average, with beers coming in a $5 a pint, and bartenders still trying to get a handle on how each specialty cocktail was made. One member of our party ordered the same drink 3 times, with it coming up twice and on the rocks once. The food was very solid. May we suggest the schnitzel? We just did.
Obviously, The Smith is brand new. Kinks are being worked out. It doesn't mean The DBTH can't tell you how it is.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/21/2007 08:12:00 AM 7 comments
Labels: Cocktails, East Village, New York City Restaurants, Restaurants, The Smith
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tequila Goes Old Fashioned
What are we thankful for? The helpful and crafty bartender at Freemans who whipped us up a Tequila Old Fashioned, a tasty twist on a classic cocktail. Made with Don Julio and a smoky punch, it certainly added a pleasant cheer to our already rosy fall disposition. Two or three of these Benito Juarez's (as we have dubbed it), and you are feeling no pain. But remember, everything in moderation. Right? Right.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/20/2007 08:50:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Cocktails, Freemans, Lower East Side, New York City Nightlife, New York City Restaurants
Monday, November 19, 2007
DBTH Sent You
Although we were out of town this weekend, a friend who was visiting New York Saturday night asked us for the location of Upstairs. Naturally, we quickly sent it over with a bit of advice. "When you approach the door, tell Wayne DBTH sent you." Now, when we suggested this, we had a feeling it would not help. But we wanted to test it out. Below is a transcript of what happened.
So, I showed up at the front door of Upstairs and asked for Wayne. He said, "I'm Wayne". I said "Hey man. My friend DBTH told me to come by and ask for you". He immediately started freaking out. "What? You're kidding right?" I started smiling thinking that he wasWow. Just wow. It's funny because we didn't post anyone's full phone number. We would never do that. What's more funny is we have been to Upstairs and were let in by Wayne himself. And while we appreciate our friends sticking up for us, we don't consider ourselves a genius by any stretch. But everyone enjoys a compliment, including Wayne, who we know is doing a heck of a job.
excited that I used DBTH's name and that he was going to let me right in. Lets just say that it was the complete opposite of what I thought.
"You know DBTH?"
"Of course I know DBTH, a great friend and a genius."
"He's a genius" he said obviously heated. "a genius?" He's not a genius, he put my phone number up on his blog. Do you know how many phone calls I received from that, do you know how annoying that is? I have been opening private clubs for years now and never has anybody done this"
"Yeah, but any publicity is good publicity right? Also, they didn't post your full number. I just want to check it out to see I can tell them something good about this place."
"No, I'm sorry, you should leave."
"OK then man. Nice talking to you."
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/19/2007 01:19:00 PM 3 comments
Labels: New York City Nightlife, Soho, Upstairs Bar
Friday, November 16, 2007
On the Circuit: You're My Boy Blue
What: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Tasting
Where: Atrium at the Time Warner Center
Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Otherwise known as the Good Stuff. Last night, to celebrate the season and the opening of its own engraving studio, the Johnnie Walker family and Diageo Spirits held a little tasting event at the Time Warner Center. Oh hell yeah. DBTH +1 and in we went. They had tented off the 2nd floor atrium in the mall and created their own little lounge. We headed straight for the VIP couch section and settled in for a few hours of "tasting". Blue Label neat. Blue Label rocks. Blue Label mojito. If it was Blue Label, it was DBTH. The area was littered with HBO celebs, including Jamie Lynn Siegler, who for some reason was drinking white wine. Lame. Then some master whiskey man came over with a $27,000 bottle of whiskey and led a small tasting event. Wild stuff. After a few hours, our heads were swimming in Blue. It's that special kind of buzz that re-affirms that life really is good. Especially when you are DBTH.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/16/2007 08:28:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Blue Label, Johnny Walker, Midtown, On the Circuit, Time Warner Center, Whiskey
Golden Years
Do you work at GoldBar? If no, that's too bad. If yes, then we hear that someone has an early holiday gift for you. Izzy Gold, the bad ass clothing makers and sometime DJ's at the swanky spot on Broome, has created a special t-shirt just for GoldBar staff and friends. Swanky. So if you are a GoldBar Elite, congrats. You get a t-shirt. If not, you can stop by the new Blue and Cream store on the Bowery to peruse some of their other goods, none of which are as special as this t-shirt.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/16/2007 07:52:00 AM 7 comments
Labels: Blue and Cream, GoldBar, Izzy Gold, Little Italy, New York City Nightlife, Nightclubs, Nolita, Retail, Soho
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Toughest Table in Town
Pictured above is the smallest, yet most exclusive table in town. People wait for up to 30 minutes just to get their turn. Notice the graffiti? The view is crappy, the chair uncomfortable, and man is it loud. Yet people wait and wait for it every night. Give up? It's the table inside the Beatrice Inn's bathroom. Now do you see? Ah.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/15/2007 07:24:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: Bars, Beatrice Inn, New York City Nightlife, West Village
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
On the Circuit: I'm Not There
What: I'm Not There
Where: Upstairs at the Bowery Hotel
It sure was a busy night on the circuit. Normally we don't double book, but for this we made an exception. The Bowery staff cleared out the riff raff from New York's Look Magazine party to prepare for the A list bash that was scheduled to arrive at 9:30. Harvey brought the entire hit squad from his company's latest film, I'm Not There, the Todd Haynes Dylan biopic. Players included Harvey W., Heath Ledger, Richard Belzer, Todd Haynes, Adrian Grenier, Christine Vauchon, Val Kilmer, and DBTH. You know how we do.
The scene? The crowd was in high spirits after the screening. Most made a bee line for the small buffet. We went for the bar, as is our wont. Our selection? Limited. Belvedere, Heineken, Red/White or Champagne. Uh? Is this 1997? We struggled with our choice, but finally managed to make a selection. We know that Belvedere paid good money provide the booze, but this was unacceptable.
Again, the sheer size of the space makes this our favorite venue in the City. There is just so much room and so many rooms that a party can really go every which way. This one was very mellow with an upbeat twist. The backroom started to get a bit cloudy towards the end of the night, and we decided that we had had enough. Doing double duty sure does take its toll.
Pictures of the party and venue embedded below. Enjoy.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/14/2007 01:23:00 PM 5 comments
Labels: Bowery Hotel, I'm Not There, New York City Hotels, New York City Nightlife, On the Circuit
On the Circuit: Microsoft Zune II
What: Microsoft Zune Originals
Where: Skylight Studios
A bit of Deja Vu for you. Skylight was white, bright, and filled with people who corporations think can influence your shopping habits and preferences. Ah, trend setters. Certainly, you wouldn't normally notice these, the pretty mixed in with the beautiful. But there they all were, patiently waiting in line for a free Zune while Peter and Bjorn (sans their triplet John) spun the Stones.
We were there, too, cradling our scotch and later our gin, enjoying the BLT passed hors d'oeuvres and chatting up the girl beside us who was working on a book about breast satisfaction. We didn't have the heart to tell her that if heard one concept on breast satisfaction, you've heard them all. Regardless, we felt enamored with the four-sided open bar and the robot-inspired art lining the walls that we had engraved on the back of our shiny new Zune. Delivery expected in 7-10 days. How nice.
On a bleary November Tuesday, Zune and the gang certainly threw us a good party. We were full, we were tipsy, and we walked away with a shiny new toy. The music was good, the people were lovely, and we had an all around good time.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/14/2007 12:17:00 PM 6 comments
Labels: Microsoft, On the Circuit, Peter Bjorn and John, Skylight, Soho, Zune, Zune Originals
Stereo Turns Two Tonight
OMG OMG OMG OMG! Stereo's second anniversary party! OMG OMG OMG! Fall Out Boy! OMG! Pete Wentz. OMG OMG! Plastic cups and getting bumped into. OMG!
Happy Anniversary.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/14/2007 09:42:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: Chelsea, New York City Nightlife, Nightclubs, Stereo
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Six Point - On Point
We love Six Point Ales. The beers are tasty, and they are local. Last night they introduced a new flavor - 8 Days of Wheat - at the Whole Foods Beer Room, and stopped by for a taste test. We have to admit, it's pretty darn good. In the press release, Sixpoint brewmaster Shane C. Welch says "Eight Days O' Wheat' features a soft, tart wheat flavor and a mild hop bitterness. At a relatively low 5.3% ABV, this beer was brewed to be shared both among friends and for those times when you want to kick back and enjoy a few beers in one sitting." Whatever, drink enough and you will get drunk. Fact. Supply is
UPDATE: Jeff from Sixpoint checks in, saying "The Sixpoint Craft Ales 8 Days of Wheat will be made exclusively for Whole Foods for a good long while, not a "limited time". So, yea, get it while it's hot, but there will always be more made for the procrastinators."
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/13/2007 12:14:00 PM 6 comments
Labels: Beer, East Village, Lower East Side, Six Point Ales, Whole Foods
Jigga Goes 40/40 Again
Not to be outdone by their cross town rivals, it seems that after a bit of embarrassment, Noah T. and Jason S. are getting back to business. This time, they are sharing the spotlight with the Jigga himself, Jay Z. A little birdy files a report from the desert, saying "Jay-Z's 40/40 is opening at the Venetian's new Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino on December 20, 2007. What isn't known is that Jay will be sharing the nightlife spotlight with a two-story restaurant and lounge (maybe NY's Stanton Social) run by Tao managing partners Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg of Strategic Group, as well as with a full-scale nightclub and live music venue." Talk about a stacked lineup. We imagine that investors have been desperate to get the Strategic boys involved with another Vegas spot, especially since Tao is the most profitable establishment in the country. The Palazzo was a natural fit. However, we aren't sure if the Stanton Social brand is strong enough to make it on a Vegas level, but Strategic certainly has the weight to pull it off. We shall see.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/13/2007 10:56:00 AM 7 comments
Labels: Jason Strauss, Jay Z, Las Vegas, Nightclubs, Noah Tepperberg, Restaurants, Stanton Social Club, Strategic Group
Monday, November 12, 2007
Gild Hall Comes Out Swinging
It was the place no one knew about. Well, except for us. But Gild Hall, the former Holiday Inn in the Financial District, is getting ready to make its debut. You can be there to experience it all. For a not so small fee of course. The Thompson Hotel group's newest location is taking reservations for December and the rates are far from introductory. For the weekend of December 14-16, a standard room at the Gild can be had for $429 a night, not including taxes. Hoochie mama! But if you are going for it, we suggest the King Suite for an even $800. Description below:
Bright 12 foot high ceiling corner suites with oversized living area and wet bar. The spacious living room has smoked glass pendant chandeliers. Elegant designed wooden furniture inspired by the French Fashion House Hermes. Suspended from the ceiling hangs an elegant, custom designed chandelier. The separate bedroom features a luxurious leather headboard, a king size bed. Suspended from the ceiling hangs an elegant, custom designed chandelier.You had us at headboard. No word on when Todd English's restaurant will open, but you can get some lunch at Backyard Chicken. It's just around the corner. Don't forget a napkin - we wouldn't want you getting grease on the Hermes furniture.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/12/2007 02:55:00 PM 7 comments
Labels: Financial District, Gild Hall, New York City Hotels, Thompson Hotels
Scenes from a Party
Tao Las Vegas celebrated its 2 year anniversary yesterday. And what a few years its been. Some of their friends stopped by. Sure looks like everyone had fun. Happy birthday.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/12/2007 02:19:00 PM 3 comments
Labels: Jason Strauss, Las Vegas, Noah Tepperberg, Tao
BREAKING: Tenjune Takes Lotus
A Monday morning shocker. Just days after christening the pool at the El San Juan, Eugene Remm, Mark Birnbaum and the gang have struck a major deal, agreeing to take over David Rabin's Lotus and giving it a full Tenjune style makeover. Our Little Birdy tells us that the plans include using the ground floor - street level space into a restaurant and maintaining the basement as a club space. This is a major shakeup in Meatpacking land, as one of the area's pioneers packs it in and officially passes the torch to the new kings of NYC nightlife. We just hope we aren't getting STK 2. As for Rabin, well, even he admits it isn't what it used to be. It sure ain't.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/12/2007 07:40:00 AM 12 comments
Labels: Clubs, David Rabin, Eugene Remm, Lotus, Mark Birnbaum, Meatpacking District, New York City Nightlife, Tenjune
Friday, November 09, 2007
Toss the Boss
Those of you in the know surely know about Toss the Boss, the Aussie version of Flip Night, that has achieved legendary status from its origins at the Coogee Beach Palace. Never been? That's a damn shame. We suggest making a trip. But we have some good news. Toss the Boss is coming to NYC. Huzzah! Aussie bars Bondi Road and the Sunburnt Cow are going to unleash TtB as a Happy Hour specialty. Rules are simple: order some drinks, bartender flips a coin, and if you call it correctly the drinks are on the house. Make ours a Toohey's and we will be all set. Starts December 1, so do feel free to check it out.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/09/2007 11:29:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: Bars, East Village, Lower East Side, Toss the Boss
Thursday, November 08, 2007
That Blue Ribbon Sound
Have you been practicing music with your wanna be band at home, thinking that you are ready to make the plunge and record your first demo in an actual studio? Of course you have. Don't lie. You could very well be the next Justice. Or Hootie. So when choosing where to record, there really is only one option. At least to us. That's Blue Ribbon Sound. It's not the equipment, engineers or equipment that makes it our choice. It's the availability of Blue Ribbon catering during your sessions. Uh, Duck BLT's and oysters all around. Now your living like a rock star, even if you don't get signed.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/08/2007 08:42:00 AM 6 comments
Labels: Blue Ribbon, Music
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Wrap Up: Tenjune in PR
Information is starting to trickle in from Tenjune's throwdown in that beacon of luxury, Puerto Rico. As we start to put together what really went down, may we please direct you to the fuzzy photos, half sentences and general nonsense of Jennifer Birn's blog, Simply Jen, on OK Magazine's website. It's a great way to catch up on some of the hottest events going on all over the globe. Or better yet, in New York and Puerto Rico. Jen drops Nick Lachey's name at least 5 times in her recap of the weekend, who's name was so widely attached to the event we wonder why it wasn't called Nick Lachey's Wild Puerto Rican Nightclub Adventure Weekend. That's got a nice ring to it. Jen's weekend involved champagne, staring at Nick Lachey, losing some money, winning some money, sponsored Grey Goose drinks and of course Nick Lachey, including this memory:
I ended up back at the blackjack tables where I played sitting between a TV writer and Nick Lachey until they closed down the tables at 4am - but this time I was at the table before Nick joined - and the minimum bet was only $15. Nick's great. He's sweet, fun and knows how to play blackjack (even if we did all get our money taken away by the casino's less than sympathetic dealers).Aww, that sucks. At least you got to spend more time with Nick Lachey. More details to follow.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/07/2007 12:59:00 PM 5 comments
Labels: El San Juan, Nightclubs, Puerto Rico, Tenjune
Bad Dog
Late night hot dog lovers can officially begin shedding some tears. St. Marks second and obviously less popular hot dog joint, Good Dog, is closed.
The Dog is dead. Long live Good Dog.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/07/2007 08:51:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: East Village, Good Dog, New York City Restaurants
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
A Long Time AGO
Date: February 18, 2007
Location: Downtown
It was at that time and place where DBTH first made it's entrance to the world of rocking your face off. We announced that Robert De Niro had lured his good buddy and business partner Agostino Sciandri from SoCal to open a branch of Ago in his new Greenwich Hotel. We also told you some poor sap would be jamming a bunch of wine corks into a ceiling panel to accentuate the design. Fun stuff right? We think so too. The world picked up on it and the rest is DBTHistory.
Well, the whole shebang is getting close to opening, and we are proud to unveil some quality shots from inside the space. Please pay special notice to the arched ceiling and old world masonry work in the top image, as well as those corks both in the panels and then installed high above in the proceeding frames. Those hand crafted bricks look real good. And for the panels, a Little Birdy has an update, telling us "there are only 100,000 corks and they were gotten from a branch of the Canadian girls scouts that collected and sold them for charity." Naturally.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/06/2007 08:13:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Ago, Greenwich Hotel, New York City Hotels, New York City Restaurants, Robert De Niro
Monday, November 05, 2007
Donovan Gets a House
Jason Pomeranc and his band of hotel building family members are in the midst of a major expansion. They just opened Six Columbus, the Gild is coming soon, and they are now pushing into other cities. Including Washington DC. That's where the name Donovan comes in. As in Donovan House. That's the name of the new hotel Sir Pomeranc will be opening on 14th Street in our nation's capital. Wonderful. The project, which is a converted Holiday Inn (sounds familiar), is partly financed by LaSalle Hotel Properties with the design work being done by Studio Gaia, the design force behind Tao Vegas and the now shuttered club Light. We are proud to present you with a first look at what the Donovan will look like. Think classic-post mod with a nod to the shagadelphic era of hotels past. You get what we're talking about. Expected opening is Spring of 2008, but with so many new projects coming on line at the same time, we think you can expect some delays.
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/05/2007 12:18:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Hotels, Jason Pomeranc, LaSalle Hotel Properties, Thompson Hotels, Washington D.C.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Throwdown at the Bowery
In a stunning surprise, we ended up at the Halloween Bash at the Bowery Hotel's event space. This place was operating at its Full Monty. How can they have a space this big? How come it's never open? So many rooms, so much outdoor space, so many bars. It was packed with people, so many many people, all in costumes and seemingly enjoying themselves. Some fuzzy memories:
· Multiple bars in multiple locations - short waitsPhotos will be coming soon. Just not now. DBTH is tired and needs to recharge. Egggh. We can tell you one thing for certain - we're happy that Halloween is over. Fa Real.
· Whiskey on the rocks - $11
· Heineken - $9
· Yes, there is something wrong with that
· Paul Sevigny's band has some work to do
· Too many Amy Winehouse costumes
· This bar needs to be opened
Posted by Down By The Hipster at 11/01/2007 08:25:00 AM 5 comments
Labels: Bowery Hotel, East Village, Halloween


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A Profile of Carol Levin
By Carl Deuker
Sing! That's what Carol Levin's mother—blessed with an operatic voice– commanded. "Sing, Daughter, Sing. Sing like me."
Music was in Carol's house as she grew up. Music and a mother, but an absent father. Carol would come home from school and lose herself in scarves and blankets, as she twirled about her room, an only child dancing before thousands in her imagination. The love of music was in her blood, but she did not inherit the voice, much to her mother's disappointment. "Sing, Daughter."
I lay on the floor
Arms chafed by the rug
Studying the ceiling as C major
Sang down the wall
And along the runnel of my spine. *
A dyslexic child before there was awareness of dyslexia, Carol was that puzzlement in school, the bright girl with the bright eyes who somehow was unable to spell words, the letters jumping about; unable also to organize objects or places, those jumbled in time and space. She married a jazz musician young, driving madly from Los Angeles to the Justice of the Peace in Las Vegas, a marriage that ended predictably leaving her to raise her two children. But there was nothing predictable about what came next. Carol's 2012 book of poetry, Stunned by the Velocity is set in 1968, a time of political and social upheaval. As Carol puts it: "Everyone of a certain age remembers where they were and what they did in 1968."
Seismic forces jolted Carol's life: an unfaithful lover, a kidnapped rival, a renegade "convent" in Greece that in actuality was a prison tenanted by abducted young girls. It sounds like Gothic fiction, but it was all real, with no happy ending, but with death and the threat of death close at hand.
Drab light outside and dim inside press like page
Against a page to create creepy shapes . . .
Damn Dark! Hides behind,
over, and under itself.
1968 ended, though it didn't resolve. Next came a second marriage and work, but not a rut. No, nothing close to a rut. Carol's workplaces included a stint a Children's Hospital, years as a supernumerary for the Seattle Opera, ten years teaching modern dance, involvement with KUOW and as a dj at KCBS, leading to voice over gigs, and acting classes.
Eventually, Carol's love of the arts led her to attend an intense summer program for actors at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Later, acting led her to the heart of Chekhov. Carol found herself partnering with the Russian stage director Leonid Anisimov and his translator Laura Akmolavskya, as a founding member of The Art Theater of Puget Sound, founded to produce Chekhov's plays.
Carol's home became the home-away-from-home for a troupe of Russian actors, the rooms and stairs filled with Russian and English and theater. The plays were performed not only at theaters around Puget Sound, but also in private homes and universities. Anisimov was unhappy with the available English translations, so he, his translator, and Carol translated the four major plays to make the English sing like the original, Before dawn Carol frantically typed newly-translated scenes for the actors to rehearse that day. The mad, non-English speaking Russian director, the wild burst of activity, the passion of art.
One performance was staged in front of an audience filled with dramaturges from all over the U.S. at their annual meeting who'd come specifically to see what the sound and the fury had created. Their judgment: Carol's script had captured for English audiences the essence of Chekhov's play. Over several years of collaboration, all four of Chekhov plays were performed. The School of Drama at the University of Washington has often used Carol's scripts. And then the Russians and the Art Theater of Puget Sound were over, though their voices can still be heard in Carol's poetry.
Black leather chairs swivel
as your voice bursts
into the room where only
the paintings smile back.
Lights are off
we are not at home.
Groggy, after midnight
We receive your gift
Affection translated
From the telephone tape turning
On the machine we
whirl and rewhirl to saturate
our senses, soak in
your sweet sound.
In 2004 Carol completed the rigorous training required to become a certified instructor of the Alexander Technique. She teaches people to experiment with the sequence of their thinking in order gain a reliable strategy and the confidence to be in charge of how they move, safely and efficiently, without working harder than needed, to accomplish exactly what they want to in all their daily activities. It's a technique that, naturally enough, attracts actors, but that benefits all. And, of course, Carol has continued to write. She has just completed her latest manuscript of poems, tentatively titled, Upend the Outcome.
An incredible life, and no doubt more remains to be done. "Sing, Daughter, sing. Sing like me."
"Yes, Mother, I'll sing. But I'll sing in my own way. I'll sing in my own voice."
*All poetry is from the collection Red Rooms and Others. Pecan Grove Press, 2009.
Read Ballard Writers on other Ballard Writers every couple of weeks. If you join our group, you may enter your name on a slip of paper and put it in Bob Dalrymple's hat. We'll draw the name of someone for you to profile and someone else to profile you. Who will it be? The surprise is all part of the fun. Today, Carl Deuker profiled Carol Levin
3 Comments
Laura Opson on Apr 03, 2013
Dear Carol – I stumbled upon this on my way to some music at Eagans. What a great photo and a fun treat to read about you. You are an extraordinary woman, I am so lucky to know you.Roselle Kovitz on Feb 12, 2013
Lovely profile of Carol, Carl! Thank you.Helen Landalf on Feb 08, 2013
Beautiful interview, and I love the interspersed poetry.
Leave Reply


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Martin Lawrence's Rebound
Better known for "You So Crazy,� "Runteldat,� "Def Comedy Jam,� "Big Momma's House,� "Bad Boys 1 & 2,� and "Nothing To Lose,� Martin Lawrence has now tamed down his outrageousness to make "Rebound,� a PG-rated film designed with tykes in mind. Perhaps taking a page out of Eddie Murphy's playbook, Martin appears to be going after the next generation with a squeaky clean flick…
Martin Lawrence may be best known mostly for the brash brand of humor we've witnessed in his stand-up routines (You So Crazy, Runteldat and Def Comedy Jam), on his TV show (Martin), and in his hit movies (Big Momma's House, Bad Boys 1 & 2 and Nothing to Lose), but he's now tamed down his outrageousness to make Rebound, a PG-rated film designed with tykes in mind. Perhaps taking a page out of Eddie Murphy's playbook, Martin appears to be going after the next generation with a squeaky clean flick which can be fun for the whole family.
BSN: Is there any truth to the rumor that you were inspired to venture into the family flick genre by Eddie Murphy, who found franchises in Dr. Dolittle, The Nutty Professor and Shrek? Plus he's done some other kid-oriented adventures like The Haunted House and Daddy Day Care.
ML: "He suggested it in a way. He said, 'Hey man, I think you and kids together would be a funny concept.' Then Rebound came along and I was able to do that."
BSN: How often do you talk to Eddie or other comedians about what you might do next?
ML: "Like I said, it was just us having a conversation, him saying, 'You should do a movie with kids, and it'd be a lot of fun. But there's nothing to elaborate on other than that."
BSN: How much did you tweak the script after you decided to do the movie?
ML: "Well, because I produced it, I was able to have input from casting to scenes to story points I didn't think worked. Things like that. Or suggesting maybe we ought to try some things I did think would work."
BSN: Do you enjoy that part of the process?
ML: "It's always fun to be able to have a voice, because it helps me to stay in tune with the project and the people that I'm working with. There's nothing worse than being on a project and not being able to have a voice. I don't like that."
BSN: So, you didn't consult him for career advice.
ML: "Nah, it's just that friends talk. We happened to talk, and I thought it was a smart idea. Then Rebound came across my desk. I thought it was very funny and an opportunity, so that's why I did it."
BSN: How hard was it working with a cast containing so many children?
ML: "They were cool. A lot of them were professional. They knew they were there to work. And that's what they did. They came there to work, so it wasn't hard at all."
BSN: Were you at all concerned about the possibility of being upstaged by cute kids?
ML: "I don't even worry about that. My days of being upstaged I never have to worry about. I just let them do what they do, be kids, and have fun. I just sat back and enjoyed it."
BSN: Do you think you'll work with kids again?
ML: "I think I will. What impressed me about this group of kids is how professional they were and how much fun they were able to have. That kind of energy gives you energy, and reminds you of when you were young."
BSN: What do you see as the message of Rebound?
ML: "The message of the story is that it's not about winning at all costs. It's about teamwork and building character, and especially about building your own character?�
BSN: Did you ever have a coach that helped build your character?
ML: "Honestly? My boxing coach. He was always encouraging and trying to keep us focused on the gym, so we wouldn't be out on the streets doing things we weren't supposed to be doing."
BSN: What did boxing do for you?
ML: "It kept me out of the streets, by giving me something to do. And it gave me a father figure in the coach who was there for me. It just reiterated what my mother was trying to teach me about focusing and getting my life together."
BSN: And who inspired you to become an actor and comedian?
ML: God inspired me, because I was blessed with the knowledge that I wanted to do this. And my mother supported it. She said, 'Whatever it is you want to do. If you believe acting or comedy is what you really want to do, I can only tell you it's not easy, it's very hard, but I'll support you.' Her supporting me enabled me to move forward."
BSN: Speaking of boxing, what do you think of Mike Tyson's going out the way he did, in such a humiliating fashion?
ML: "I just wish Mike Tyson nothing but the best. He deserves to be able to walk away and find some happiness in his life, so things aren't so confusing. God bless him.
BSN: What does fatherhood mean to you?
ML: "It means a great deal to me. I love it. To me, there ain't nothing better, because your kids keep it real with you. When you think things are bad, you look at them and they show you how things could be all right. And it's all worth it."
BSN: How important is the spiritual dimension of your life to you?
ML: "It IS my life, my reason for being."
BSN: You have Big Momma's House 2 coming up. Does that sequel pick up where the original left off?
ML: "It's a whole different scenario. I wind up becoming a nanny in a home because the father's under investigation, and we gotta catch him. I don't want to give too much away, because we're right in the middle of filming, and I'm still putting the pieces together."
BSN: The producer of the Dukes of Hazzard recently said that he's doing a movie version of The Jeffersons, and that he wanted you to play George, and Queen Latifah to play Wheezie. Is that gonna happen?
BSN: "Tell him to call me."
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The new Chopard watch draws and holds the eye with its large 40 mm case, rendered in 18ct rose gold. Its thickness, meanwhile, is equal to 10.2 mm. The case is fitted with a gem-set crown, located at 3 oclock. It is kept company by pushers, positioned at 2 and 4 oclock. The model presented is capable of withstanding water pressures down 50 meters.
Keeping the Imperiale Large Model Chronograph watch perfectly on track is a high quality self-winding chronograph movement. It operates at a frequency of 21,600 variations per hour and offers an advantage of 45-hour power reserve.
This mechanism drives an array of useful functions, artfully arranged on the grey mother-of- pear dial. It is completed with elegant hour-markers and an oversized Roman numeral, featured at 12 oclock. The brands logo is found beneath this very number. The watch whispers the time through hours, minutes and seconds, displayed by the graceful centralized hands.
The attractive landscape of the dial also includes such nuances as chronograph counters, located at 3, 6 and 9 oclock. Each sub-dial is equipped with a slender hand, performed in black. The date indication is offered inside a 12-hour counter at 6 oclock.
A rose gold bracelet, fitted with a folding buckle, sets the final touch to an irresistible aura of refinement exuded by the Imperiale Large Model Chronograph watch.
Enjoy a fine selection of elegant Chopard watches:


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Please see important details below regarding shipping chocolate products to warm areas!
For the true coconut lover out there, Oskri has the bar for you – they take tender coconut and blend it with rice syrup to make the perfect chewy texture, then drench it with a generous coating of dark chocolate for good measure. Gluten-free and Kosher. 1.9 oz. (53g) bar is $1.59. Ingredients: Coconut, rice syrup, dark chocolate (vegan sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, soy lecithin, natural vanilla)
*NOTE* - Chocolate can melt in the summer heat, especially if your destination area temperature is in the mid 80s or above when the package takes more than a day or two in transit. We recommend expedited 2nd Day Air shipping and/or the addition of a cold shipper (offered below) for orders where you want to minimize the risk of melted chocolate, and that it is delivered where someone will be there to accept the package at time of delivery (work address if not at home). The link to select a cold shipper is shown below, please click that link to be able to add the appropriate cold shipping supplies if you wish to protect your items during the hotter months. We cannot accept responsibility for melted chocolates, so please order at your own risk!
Love these!
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I've loved these bars for years. Alas, I've been unable to find them locally for the past year or so. When I noticed them here, at VeganEssentials, you bet I threw a few into my basket before checking out! Dark chocolate. Coconut. Goodness.
From M. Aronson of Walden, New York on 2/27/2018.
I didn't think I could ever find dark chocolate-covered coconut candies even halfway as good as THEO's, but these are even better! I'm in shock! GREAT candy! Yummy!
From Anonymous of Prestonsburg, Kentucky on 3/30/2012.
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really tasty
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All orders for items needed for the holiday must be placed with shipping to arrive in 1 or 2 business days by no later than Monday, Nov. 25th, as we will not be able to guarantee arrival in time for anything that has shipping of 3 or more days in transit. Any orders containing cold items that cannot arrive in time for Thanksgiving will be held to ship on December 2nd, please choose shipping accordingly!
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Brits are flocking overseas and heading to the heat and low costs living that Mexico has to offer. Tucked away on the shore of Mexico's largest lake is a haven for retirees wanting to enjoy both benefits.
The towns and villages enveloping Lake Chapala are home to 40,000 expats and the area is just 40 minutes from Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city.
National Geographic ranks Mexico's climate as second best in the world, with temperatures in the hottest month of May regularly touching 30°C and above. Expats also revel in incredibly warm winters, with temperatures averaging 24°C.
Lake Chapala sits approximately 5,200 feet above sea level so there is virtually no humidity and the mountainous regions surrounding the paradise protects the area from prevailing northerly wind.
The villages and towns surrounding Lake Chapala are traditional and rustic, reminding many expat retirees of Greece in the Eighties or the Algarve in Portugal before the golf courses took over.
British expat retirees Jean and Robert Morris discovered Lake Chapala on the internet seven years ago and left their home of Milton Keynes to live the dream abroad. "We came here for four weeks in January 2009 and decided to retire here," states 65-year-old Mrs Morris who is a former nurse.
The couple comment that the area is an incredibly friendly, sociable and welcoming place that gives them scope to be out and active everyday if they desire it. Mr and Mrs Robert rent a house in Ajijic, having been depressed by the property market in Milton Keynes and not being able to buy locally. They are both enjoying learning Spanish and comment that the Mexican people are full of zest for life and very approachable.
Like many expats, the couple miss friends, family and curry! However, Mrs Morris, who returns to Britain twice a year, comments: "We can live very comfortably here without counting the pennies."
The majority of expat retirees are spread along Lakeside, as it is colloquially known, from Chapala in the east to Jocotopec in the west with the village of Ajijic in the middle acting as a centre for the expat community. The large expat community in the village is home to the Lake Chapala Society, which is an epicentre for information, clubs and community charity work.
There is a vast choice of Lakeside properties available to buy and, depending on size and budget, a home can be purchased for £105,000 – £175,000.
For those seeking a less cemented residency, a one-bedroom apartment can cost around £300 per calendar month, with a 2 or 3-bedroom house roughly in the region of £350 – £625 pcm.
Cost of Living
Many expats estimate they live on approximately £700-£1400 per month, with Mr and Mrs Morris stating they spend roughly £1500 per month, including rent. And, with the Mexican peso having fallen against the pound in the last couple of years, it is even cheaper.
Although Mexico is infamous for drug cartels in the major towns, Lakeside is just tarnished with a smattering of petty thefts and burglaries. The majority of properties have high walls, solid gates and bars on the windows, but expats state if is not a concern of theirs.
For expats wishing to drive in the country, it is not advised. The main roads are riddled with potholes and high streets have overly large speed bumps at regular intervals which can damage some vehicles. Furthermore, outside of the major towns the roads are cobbled, rutted and the pavements are similar death-traps.


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To find out how Jet Yard and its AFRA accreditation can improve your next teardown or recycling project, please contact 952-224-2424 or firstname.lastname@example.com .


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Taylor Clark "Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture"
Little, Brown and Company | 2007 | ISBN: 031601348X | 304 pages | PDF | 1.1 Mb
Little, Brown and Company | 2007 | ISBN: 031601348X | 304 pages | PDF | 1.1 Mb
STARBUCKED will be the first book to explore the incredible rise of the Starbucks Corporation and the caffeine-crazy culture that fueled its success.Part Fast Food Nation, part Bobos in Paradise, STARBUCKED combines investigative heft with witty cultural observation in telling the story of how the coffeehouse movement changed our everyday lives, from our evolving neighborhoods and workplaces to the ways we shop, socialize, and self-medicate. In STARBUCKED, Taylor Clark provides an objective, meticulously reported look at the volatile issues like gentrification and fair trade that distress activists and coffee zealots alike.Through a cast of characters that includes coffee-wild hippies, business sharks, slackers, Hollywood trendsetters and more, STARBUCKED explores how America transformed into a nation of coffee gourmets in only a few years, how Starbucks manipulates psyches and social habits to snare loyal customers, and why many of the things we think we know about the coffee commodity chain are false.
–- No mirrors, please –-


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Kakao Bank also plans to charge a single-digit interest rate for loans extended to those with low credit ratings like ones with 8th credit grade. Kakao announced on July 23 that it will launch such financial services starting from July 27, the date when its official service is launched.
First of all, it will lower the overseas remittance commission to one tenth of the level of existing banks. It will levy a commission of 5,000 won for the remittance of less than $5,000, and 10,000 won for the remittance of more than $5,000.
When sending money to Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, Kakao Bank will charge a commission of only 8,000 won regardless of the amount of remittance. Kakao Bank also intends to offer mid-interest rate loan products for those with low to mid-level credit ratings.


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Consultation responses
A significant part of our public benefit work is responding to consultations by government and statutory bodies. Our considered responses aim to ensure policy makers are informed of the potential impact of their decisions on the health of citizens today, and in the future. As are result, we are regularly invited to give evidence to select committees on major policy matters. Recent evidences sessions include to the NHS Sustainability Commitee and the Science and Technology Committee genomics enquiry.
See all our consultation responses here


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Greetings from South Carolina
We are half way through summer, and half way through another awesome year.
Kristyn and I led our Fall DTS along with the help of some great staff. They returned from the outreach phase of their school totally fired up and looking for their next challenge. They led over 130 people into a relationship with Jesus in Ecuador, Panama and Colombia.
A number of our DTS students returned to join our current "School of Biblical Studies" known as the Biblical Core Course which teaches the Inductive Bible Study method. This school is powerful, it's accredited with the University of the Nations, (YWAM's University) and teaches the student how to flesh-out the word of God for himself and how to teach others how to study the word of God.
Over the summer Kristyn and I drove up to Sidney, Ohio where I was speaking at a camp meeting and some churches. We then continued on to Illinois to visit Kristyn's mom and dad and various friends before tackling the last leg of the long trek back to Myrtle Beach, 1010 miles without over-nighting anywhere.
I have had the privilege of teaching a great number of youth groups coming to MB to do evangelism these past two months. There have been hundreds of young people coming to share the gospel this summer, many of whom have since responded to the "Call" to become missionaries and are willing to go to the remaining hard-to-reach places with the Gospel. Seeing their heart for God has given me new hope for America's young people.
In the middle of hosting teams over summer, traveling heaps and a heavy speaking schedule, Kristyn and I have been trying to get a home for ourselves and create more space for incoming staff and students. Until now we have not been successful in this search, but we remain hopeful for a breakthrough. Some dear friends helped us with enough money for a deposit but the banks have not been receptive; We're looking for an investor. Anyone out there looking to invest, let us know!
Aug 27-Sept 4, Kristyn and I will attend the YWAM International Staff and Leadership gathering in Singapore. I'll also teach a week in our Singapore DTS. From there Kristyn will return home and I'll fly on to Chiang Rai in northern Thailand teaching another week there, encouraging our young missionary leaders (those who've been in leadership with the mission between 3-5 years). This will be a special leadership school for our young leaders coming from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (restricted access countries) and Thailand. It's such a privilege to invest in their lives and the future of God's Kingdom. I'll also teach a couple of weeks in Newcastle, Australia on my return home.
Our up-coming schedule is loaded:
DTS begins Sept 29 along with a School of Communications.
Two big prayer requests:
1) Housing for the Steiner's and more housing for staff.
2) We badly need a van for the base.
Also pray for the success of my book recently published and available on Kindle and Amazon.com "Adventures in Saying YES to God."
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Kel and Kristyn
Comments are closed.
Youth With A Mission- Myrtle Beach
306 2nd Avenue N.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577


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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - The First
Night takes over the city as Jake Masterson awakens. He verifies with the clock that it really is night and not the heavily draped windows playing a joke on him. He reaches for his shirt and jeans on the dark red carpet, putting them on quickly. He makes his way to the kitchen and to the refrigerator; he rearranges some containers of food and some fruits and vegetables from the front, so he can reach the back. He pulls out a crystal container and gets a wine glass, pouring himself a drink of what looks like red wine. After warming it up in the microwave, he gently swirls the liquid in the glass and then takes a sip, making a disgusted face - he still has a hard time choking it down even after all these years.
...and cut. That's six sentences for this week. Want more? Well, you will just have to wait until next week.
If you are not familiar with Six Sentence Sunday, check them out: sixsunday.com
6 comments:
First time visiting your blog. Lovely!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you :)Delete
Lucas is so adorable! And i love seeing all the glass beads you make. You were always a very talented artist!!!
How are you doing? We moved to Atlanta over the summer and although I'm glad not to be in the frigid cold and snow, it is still the south and i want to be somewhere else. I really miss Irondequoit schools, they just do not compare here. And wegmans, too, for that matter.
My 1st SSS too! I like the feel you provided with your description. I'm intrigued. Looking forward to more Jake.ReplyDelete
Wow, fantastic snippet. Back for more next week!ReplyDelete
Welcome to SSS! Loved your six and looking forward to reading more next week. Cheers!ReplyDelete
To all that commented,ReplyDelete
Thank you for checking mine out. I have been busy, but I promise to read yours this week and comment!


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Did you or do you use cloth nappies or MCN's (modern cloth nappies) with your kids?
My kids are 7 and 9 now, but when they were younger modern cloth nappies saved me a small fortune and even made me money once I learned how to sew them and sold some to others!
We have an amazing guest poster today from the other side of the world who has used cloth nappies for years (although she calls the diapers usually!), the fantastic Jacqueline from Mama's Munchkins!
Hey, Everyone!
I am so excited to be here! Thinking that people are reading this on the other side of the world is pretty exciting!I am a mom of 4 kids( my oldest is 4 1/2 and my baby just turned a year!) I know how hard mama life can be, so I blog to help other moms. I blog about cloth nappies, parenting, and recipes. Read more about me here!
Today I'm going to be sharing some tips on how to make cloth nappies easier. I've used cloth nappies on 3 babies over the last two years and have learned a few things that makes using cloth nappies so much easier! So whether you're only thinking about cloth nappies, or have been using them for a while, or hey, even if you know someone who could use these tips, read on to share it with them!
Use All of One Type
This is my number one tip. If you have all the different types of cloth nappies in your stash, it makes laundry day a lot more complicated then it needs to be! What do I mean by one type? Have all your nappies be All-in-One, All-in-Two's, Pocket, or Pre-folds… the list could go on and on. If you stick to one type, you won't have to sort through all your inserts to find the specific one for a particular nappy. All the inserts will go with any nappy! All you need to do then is grab any insert and stuff your diaper or snap it onto the nappy instead of shuffling to find the right nappy. If you want to make it even simpler, go with all of one type of inserts, I highly recommend using bamboo or hemp, since they are the most absorbent!
Have Disposables Handy
This is so handy if you're just starting out, use disposables at night. Babies pee a lot at night. Especially if you already have a heavy wetter than finding the perfect nappy that will work at night can be very frustrating! If every morning you get a baby that is soaking through to his sheets, and you need to wash everything every day, that gets old in a quick hurry. Or you will have a baby waking up through the night because they feel wet!
I also send disposables with any babysitter, just because I use cloth nappies doesn't mean that someone else likes it, and neither are they set up for it!(stay tuned for that tip next!) If I'm going to be going out all day then I also use disposables. With now 2 in nappies, it would be a lot of dirty nappies to cart around all day! I only leave them in their cloth nappies if I'm only going to be gone for a few hours.
If you are going to be on the go with cloth nappies, then make sure you have one of these little-wet bags! They do a fantastic job of keeping the smell contained. I promise you a plastic bag won't cut it. I've had a few times where I forgot to take a wet bag and just used a plastic bag, well within 2 hours your entire diaper bag will stink, and you will have to wash everything it in and the diaper bag itself!
I will also use disposables if we get a rash that coconut oil won't be able to fix,(did you know you get a lot less rashes when using cloth nappies?) If I just put on a disposable, with diaper cream I don't need to worry that my diaper cream isn't nappy safe!
Have Everything in One Spot
I understand that this doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Sometimes our house just isn't set up the right way, or it's too small!
But if you can, then do this! Have your diapers stored where you change them, and have your diaper pail by your sprayer. If you don't want to have a diaper sprayer on your toilet, then use the one (if you have it) in your utility sink. What I do is I have a 'poop spatula' I'll use this spatula to scrape the poop into the toilet, and then spray the rest off in my utility sink.
With the 4 toddlers I have, I don't want to have a sprayer within their reach! Having some sort of sprayer is almost essential to using cloth nappies if you want to make it easier! While you can soak them in the toilet like they did in the old days, it adds more work!(and in my opinion, it would be pretty gross to dig the diaper out of there).
I think the most important to have on the same spot, is your sprayer and your pail. If you have to carry a dripping nappy to your pail, then either you need something to transfer it in, or you'll need to mop your floor to yet! It makes it a lot easier if you can just spray it and dump it!
Pre-Rinse your Inserts.
With this, I don't mean your washing cycle. With this I mean rinse out your inserts BEFORE you put them in the pail. This way you dilute the ammonia that is in the inserts thus getting less build up!
With less build up you will have less leakage, less repelling and diapers that don't get that awful ammonia smell!BUT you can only do this if you don't have hard water. If you have hard water, then you will get more issues by rinsing them!
Here's an extra tip- pull out the inserts before you rinse them. If you try to pull them out after rinsing them while they are still in the pocket, then it will be a lot harder to remove the wet insert.
Tweak your Routine
Tweak your routine until you get it to the point where you don't need to strip your nappies anymore. If you need to strip your nappies than your laundry routine isn't right. (To see how I wash my diapers, read that post here).
Either use a different laundry soap, add an extra rinse, (or remove one if you have hard water), use more soap or use less soap.
There are so many different ways to change up your routine that I couldn't even begin to go through them all, but I'll explain a couple!
If your stripping because they have a terrible ammonia smell, then try pre-rinsing the diapers like I said in the previous tip, instead of doing just a pre-rinse in your washing machine, do a full cycle with no soap, and try washing them a little more often! Do every 2 days instead of every 3rd for example.
If your nappies are leaking/repelling, it could also be because of ammonia buildup, so try the tips I just mentioned, or try switching the soap you use!
Play with the amount of soap, strip your diapers and then use a little more soap than what you did before if that doesn't help, or makes them worse, then strip again and use less soap! While it does take time and effort to figure out your perfect routine, it is so worth it once you have figured it out!
While there are so many more things that you could change in your laundry routine, these are the most common ones, so start there!
How long have you been using cloth nappies? Do you have tips that you can add for all the moms/mums who haven't been doing it very long? We'd love it if you could share!
All images supplied by Jacqueline.


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June 23, 2016 By Jack Jodell.
FREE SPEECH TV is in the last days of its annual summer pledge drive and would love to have YOU as a member! This is a progressive, non-commercial and non-corporate independent news network which dispenses fact and truth rather than corporate lies and distortions. They have no corporate masters or stockholders to please: as they are completely viewer-supported, WE are their shareholders! I STRONGLY urge you to visit their website at http://www.freespeech.org/ and see for yourself what you've been missing. I also urge you to click on "DONATE" or phone in your tax deductible pledge to their toll-free number of 1-877-378-8669. NO amount you pledge is too small, and you can even set up regular monthly contributions if that would work best for you. Your contribution could even qualify you for great premiums, so be sure to ask about them. CHECK THEM OUT at http://www.freespeech.org/ and see the fabulous shows they have to offer: great, award-winning investigative journalists like AMY GOODMAN, LAURA FLANDERS, and ELEANOR GOLDFIELD; informed and factual commentary from the likes of THOM HARTMANN and MIKE PAPANTONIO; plus a number of relevant, revealing, and informative documentaries! JOIN THE GROWING NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT-MINDED PEOPLE WHO WANT A BREAK FROM ALL THE CORPORATE MEDIA'S LIES AND DISTORTIONS, AND WHO WANT TO SEE THE UNREPORTED REAL NEWS! Become a member TODAY by calling toll-free 1-877-378-8669 – you won't regret it! 🙂
Thanks to FREE SPEECH TV, I recently learned of an exciting, relatively new initiative that has begun under the auspices of a fabulous group called Democracy Collaborative.org.
The Next System Project is an ambitious multi-year initiative aimed at thinking boldly about what is required to deal with the systemic challenges the United States faces now and in coming decades. Responding to real hunger for a new way forward, and building on innovative thinking and practical experience with new economic institutions and approaches being developed in communities across the country and around the world, the goal is to put the central idea of system change, and that there can be a "next system," on our maps. Working with a broad group of researchers, theorists and activists, they seek to launch a national debate on the nature of "the next system" using the best research, understanding and strategic thinking, on one hand, and on-the-ground organizing and development experience, on the other, to refine and publicize comprehensive alternative political-economic system models that are different in fundamental ways from the failed systems of the past. These would be capable of delivering superior social, economic and ecological outcomes. By defining issues systemically, they believe they can begin to move the political conversation beyond current limits with the aim of catalyzing a substantive debate about the need for a radically different system and how we all might go about bringing it forth. Despite the scale of the difficulties, a cautious and paradoxical optimism is justified. These are real alternatives. They provide a steadily building array of promising new proposals and alternative institutions and experiments, together with an explosion of ideas and new activism, to offer a powerful basis for hope.
The Next System Project advocates setting up employee-run workers co-operatives to ensure economic democracy and maximum fairness as well as to stimulate greater worker involvement and productivity. It also strongly supports alternatives to fossil fuels and atomic energy, making it pro-environment and akin to safer and more renewable energy sources which are non-polluting and much greener and healthier. It advocates the creation of land trusts, state-run banks, urban farming, and many other sensible alternatives to the failing and increasingly undemocratic system we now have.
This incredible group is composed of visionary thinkers from all walks of life including political and economic activists, media personalities, authors, economists, college professors, actors, and lots of other groups. Each is committed to bettering our country and the entire planet – community by community; neighborhood by neighborhood; step by step. It is composed of such diverse members as Bill McKibben, Laura Flanders, Medea Benjamin, Danny Glover, Camille Kerr, and Daniel Ellsberg, among many others. They are exciting and inspiring. Here are some quotes from some of its prominent members, which will help illustrate what this amazing analytical and solution oriented organization is all about:
"Our infrastructure is falling apart; our jails are full and can't hold more people; our young people are burdened by a trillion dollars in student loan debt." – Phil Thompson –
"It's time to talk about alternatives. It's time to talk about what's next." – Gar Alperovitz –
"In a country like the U.S., the fact that anywhere from 45 to 50 million people are hungry – that is a problem!" – Anuradha Mittal –
"What is the system that humanizes us? What is the system that opens up our imagination to possibilities of cooperation?" – Danny Glover –
"We need to be aspirational, and be clear about the vision of the world that we want." – Sarita Gupta –
"We can't go on like this. We can't keep moving toward climate catastrophe, nuclear war, persistence of inequality, poverty, famines…" – Daniel Ellsberg-
"All bets are off in terms of our previous thinking. Our ways of thinking about the economy; our ways of thinking about politics have proven an abject and utter failure. The truth is, we have no choice but to adopt revolutionary thinking."– Roberto Lovato –
"As systems fail, individual and community creativity explodes. That's what we have seen. People in this country are solving the problems themselves. They're coming up with new models and strategies, and within these models and strategies are the kernels of a systemic way to move forward."
– Amanda Glover Blackwell –
"It's time for everybody who cares about this country and the future of the planet to do something about it – to get involved!" – Medea Benjamin –
"We can actually do better – we can build a better system. It's not impossible. It's a very American thing to do…build a better system." – Gar Alperovitz –
The wonderful thing here is that these aren't people just sitting around blowing smoke and talking unsubstantiated bull like Donald Trump, They are actually laying the groundwork for a new and much better system than what we have today. If you go to YouTube and key in The Next System Project, you will see a HUGE number of informative and very interesting videos, among which are:
***What Is Economic Democracy?
***Economist Juliet Schor on Inequality and Climate Crisis
***Alternatives to Capitalism: Proposals for a Democratic Economy
***What Is A Participatory Workplace?
***How Neoliberalism Survived the Economic Meltdown
***Transforming Cities, Changing the System
***Mapping The Next System Webinar
***Myths of Materialism
***The Alternative to Neoliberalism
***Toward A Caring Economy Webinar
***Joseph Stieglitz – Why Capitalism is Failing
***Neoliberalism in the Workplace: The Economy of Bullshit
***Money: The Great Corrupter – plus DOZENS more!
Some of these are short and others are longer, but ALL are well worth the view! They beat the hell out of watching stupid situation comedies or so-called "reality" shows on corporate-owned network TV, for THIS is true reality! These are thought-provoking and will provide a great deal of new insights and hope for our future! These members are brilliant and are not extremist crazies: they are very wise and intelligent people who are committed to building a better, brighter, safer, fairer, and more inclusive future for us all. You can learn even more by Googling The Next System Project and poring over their fabulous website. I strongly urge everybody to join The Next System Project, for it will definitely provide us with a beneficial future we can ALL believe in!
JOIN THE RESPECTFUL REVOLUTION BY VISITING http://www.respectfulrevolution.org/ AND BE AMAZED AT THE BEAUTY OF WHAT EVERYDAY PEOPLE DOING RESPECTFUL THINGS CAN ACCOMPLISH! THESE AMAZING PROGRAMS ARE NOW ONCE MORE ON FREE SPEECH TV EACH SATURDAY AT 11:30 PM EASTERN!!!:-) YOU CAN ALSO STREAM IT LIVE AT http://www.freespeech.org/ THIS IS QUALTY FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT THAT IS BOTH INSPIRING AND UPLIFTING, AND SHOULD NOT BE MISSED – TELL YOUR FRIENDS! 🙂
BE WITH US LIVE nearly every Sunday from 6 – 7 PM Eastern Time on BlogTalkRadio's HERE-BE-MONSTERS THE SUNDAY SHOW. My co-hosts GWEN BARRY of ROUNDTREE7 Blog, WAYNE JOHNSON of MINDS AND TIMES OF F. WAYME JOHNSON, and I discuss a wide range of political, social, and economic topics in an open forum, often with additional guest activists and input from the fine cadre of writers found at the Roundtree7 site. Past guests have included ELEANOR GOLDFIELD of ACT OUT!; DANIELLE GUILDAY of The THOM HARTMANN PROGRAM; DENNIS TRAINOR of Acronym TV; comedian LEE CAMP of RT America, and many more! Call in to participate at (213) 816-0357 , or click on this link to hear an archive of past shows: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/here-be-monsters


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Jan 17
The category of info organizing software has been an important software are for me. Being able to keep documents, notes, graphics, etc in a database and to be able to categorize content and find it quickly via organization or searching really makes it quite worthwhile. The central database makes it easy to have the same content on multiple machines. Over the years I have kept such virtual notebooks for programming related codes and notes, Catholic info and apologetics, computer tips, addresses, passwords, etc.
For several years I used a Windows product called Info Angel. Their website is kind of tacky and the name is outputting, but I really liked this program from when it was first freeware and then bought it when it went shareware. Like many note organizers you could create folders and subfolders to categorize content. You could import html and rtf documents and create your own documents from scratch. It has a very rich editing environment along the lines of a good html WYSIWYG editor that allowed using graphics and html elements such as tables. The table editing was also pretty strong. It used an Access database to store content and allowed you to create multiple databases if you wanted. This was useful since I would copy this database back and forth from work to home so that I always had access to the same content.
When I moved to the Apple Mac platform I started to look for a new information organizer. Ideally I wanted to find a program that would work on Windows and OSX and that could share a database. Secondarily I wanted to find one that was free or under $40. There are plenty of information organizers on the Mac and I looked through some of them and did not find a multi platform one. Most of the Mac ones I first looked at also did not have the editing capabilities that I wanted. For a while I settled on DevonThink Personal. The treeview organization was like what I was use to and it had basic editing tools along with some interesting features and a good search capability. But it was not what I would class a the ultimate product in this area, though it works quite well.
Back in March of 2008 the Mac Review Cast interviewed the CEO on the latest version of Evernote. When I heard that Evernote was going to be for Mac and Windows and that it synchronized its database on the web I was certainly intrigued. After getting an invite for the Beta program I downloaded it and started to use it.
Over the almost year since then the program has been constantly updated and I have come to like it more and more. At first the interface put me off. I am use to a treeview where I could add subfolders to organize content. In Evernote you can make multiple notebooks and then add notes to those specific notebooks. Since I keep plenty of notes in various categories I figured it would be quite inefficient to find content and that it would be cluttered. I was proved wrong because of Evernotes excellent search capability. Start typing something and it instantly finds notes that match and then you can simply click on the note you wanted. Additionally you can tag notes. This is quite useful and the tag area on the sidebar makes it easy to find content in multiple notebooks that have the same tag. The fact that I could use the Windows client at work and the Mac Client at home with the notebooks automatically synched made me a really happy geek and I have now switched totally over to Evernote for all of my information management.
The fact that you can use Evernote for free is also quite excellent. The free version is limited to uploading 40 MB of data a month and lacks SSL. In my case even though I use this product a lot I have never come close to the monthly allowance. Though the lack of SSL makes me not put any sensitive data into Evernote. The paid version is $5 a month or $45 dollars for the whole year which is pretty reasonable and gives you 500 MB of upload, SSL, and Premium support along with some other benifits.
As a Mac user one of the things I have come to expect is beautiful and useful interfaces. Here Evernote is no slouch and is quite pleasing to look at while also being easy to use. The Mac version gives you 3 different data views (Windows version has 2 views). You can edit notes inline of the program or have them open in an editing windows. The editing controls are simple word processing ones for font, alignment, font style, color, lists, etc. But there are multiple ways to get data into Evernote fully formatted. You can simply copy and paste from a word processor or from your browser, via email, , drag and drop, or importing from a document directly. On the Mac you can use your iSight to create a new note. Using images is one of the coolest parts of Evernote. While pretty much all information management programs let you paste in graphics, Evernote goes a step further. Once the image is synced on their server it is parsed for text using OCR. After this when you search it will also find text within a graphic. Not only is this cool, it actually works. I scanned in receipts and was able to find content in the receipts with not problem. Would also be perfect for business cards.
The Windows interface of Evernote is pretty much identical to the Mac version which is a real plus. They custom designed the interface not using common Windows controls which look quite spartan when compared to OSX controls. I so wish more Windows programs took this attention to detail and concern for aesthetics in their interface as most Mac programs do. Though I must admit that Microsoft Office products have come a long way in this regard.
One of my favorite data formatting features is to use tables to present data I have stored in notes. Unfortunately Evernote's table handling capabilities are quite limited. If you import or paste a document with a table it will appear just fine. But if you want to further edit the table by inserting/deleting columns/rows or changing background color of rows you are going to have a problem. The Windows version has some capability to add rows and depending on how you move the cursor via the keyboard you can indeed add rows to an existing table, though there is no way to insert a table from Evernote itself. The Mac version has a table icon and when pressed allows you to select the column/row size of the table you want to insert, though once inserted I found no way to insert/add rows/columns. I hope they fix this in the future and at least should be consistent in the Mac/Windows versions.
This is a pure note taking application and does not include calendars, contact information, etc like many information management programs. Though this is fine for me since I want a note program to do one thing well and Evernote mostly does that in handling note management. There are additional features such a Saved Searches which let you save commonly used searches. In Windows Evernote work with Outlook. You can also clip information directly from most browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc) directly into Evernote via a toolbar. Each Evernote account also lets you email to a specific url to add content to your default notebook from any email source. So you could add notes easily from any phone with email capabilities. For the iPhone/iPod Touch there is a free Evernote app that also lets you use Evernote directly and have access to all of your data. This application works quite well and they have improved it since the first release to also be able to show some notes even when using the iPod Touch and you are not around Wi-Fi. There is also a Windows Mobile version available. But you can use any internet capable phone/device to access/edit/add notes via your account on the Evernote website directly.
One problem with Evernote is the lack of exporting features. As far as I could tell you could not export a single note back out. Sure you could copy and paste the data to get it out, but you really should be able to export the information back out as text or html. You though can email an individual note and so could email it to yourself. But you should not have to go to this length.
So overall I quite like this tool and I have no doubt it will only get better. I will always be looking for the ultimate note organization application, but for now it is going to be hard to find one as flexible as Evernote.
A Quick Introduction to Evernote


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Italy is a region of the world that prides itself as the cradle of the Renaissance as well as a great deal of classical music; 300-odd years later and the music has evolved an offshoot that is a sublime amalgamation of heavy metal music with major symphonic elements, the variety pioneered by esteemed bands such as Rhapsody of Fire and Skylark.
In 2008 two friends from Varese, adopted the name Eternal Silence for their musical creation and eventually it grew into a force of its own as a symphonic metal band blessed with consistency and longevity. From their slow start, the band quickly grew from two members to the eventual five, with two albums under their belt, and recently released their most diverse album to date. 'Mastermind Tyranny' is the effort borne from the band's desire to reflect a sign of the times and the band's undertaking a more mature tone; The album deals with the topic of mental subjugation and how the mind's perceptions are twisted and bent to suit a certain agenda.
What sticks out on 'Mastermind Tyranny' is how Cassina's male vocals careen in each track but kept being brought back on course by Vanni's powerfully soothing voice. Cassina is the linchpin for Vanni's impressive octaves and whilst English may not be their first language (lyrics appear poetic in a sense, but come across as a little clumsy in parts), thankfully music is a universal language and Eternal Silence carries a melody that any fan can instinctively understand.
Another aspect worth mentioning is that 'Mastermind Tyranny' has a distinct, uplifting power metal feel, more so than what has been heard on previous albums ('Raw Poetry' and 'Chasing Chimera') that had moody, gothic atmospheres. The album waltzes between genres, such as the track "Fighter" stirs encouragement to resist and overcome adversity, giving more steam to the aforementioned power metal idea, but "Adagio" – meaning 'slowly' in Italian – is a slow-paced track with lyrics that slide neatly into the gothic metal category, providing the balance the album needs. Essentially the album flits between heartening power chords and then slows down to a pensive pace with prolonged poignant pauses, leaving you with enough room to feel encouraged but brooding at the same time.
The experienced tone of 'Mastermind Tyranny' gives the listener an idea of how far the band has come in ten years and still remains dedicated to its art. The album has a commendable array of symphonic elements tightly wound around its heavier aspects sans the ubiquitous 'Beauty and the Beast' vocals, but still feels light enough to be accessible to most fans who enjoy their metal with a touch of classical. One could easily place it in the same vein as Xandria, Nightwish and After Forever. Being a fan of the aforementioned bands means you can find yourself enjoying what Eternal Silence has to offer comfortably.
'Mastermind Tyranny' was released 19 October 2017 via Sliptrick Records.
'Mastermind Tyranny' Track Listing:
- Lucifer's Lair
- Fighter
- Mashed
- Adagio
- Game of the Beasts
- Mystic Vision
- The First Winter Night
- Foreign Land
- Icy Spell
- Ashes of Knowledge
Eternal Silence are:
Marika Vanni: Vocals
Alberto Cassina: Guitar and Vocals
Davide Rigamonti: Guitar
Alessio Sessa: Bass
Davide Massironi: Drums
Eternal Silence online:
- 'Mastermind Tyranny' - 7/107/10


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The Western Communities Football League Prep Cowboys improved to 5-1 on the season with a 28-0 victory against the Dolphins.
The Cowboys were led on offense by fullback Zaven Isaac, who rushed for 120 yards and three touchdowns; and running back Nedrick Boldin, who rushed for 110 yards and a 54-yard score.
The Cowboys' offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage. The unit includes Hunter Gilman, Jayden Francis, Jacob Froot, Ja'Marcus Johnson, Connor Franklin, Ethan Lewis, Micah Hudson, Cameron Seifert and Jahsyah Ellis.
The Cowboys' defense was led by linebackers Quentin Smith, Carlos Bartolo and Riley Lewis. Other defensive standouts included Damian Jones, Daniel Rivera, Justin Allen, Caleb Hudson, Damarian Butler, Jake Azzaro and Tyler Paulson.
The Cowboys finish the regular season with games against the Chargers and Bucs.