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Please note: the screenshots in this review are taken from the movie trailers to be found online. They are therefore not of the normal Snowblood Apple quality and will eventually be replaced.
For a review of the original Japanese movie, click here.
Directed by Jim Sonzero, 2006, 90 minutes, starring Kristen Bell, Jonathan Tucker, Ian Somerhalder, Rick Gonzalez, Christina Milian, and a cameo by Brad Dourif.
The last couple of years have been pretty fertile ground for remakes of J-Horror classics. So far, we've had The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water, in that order; and while The Ring wasn't bad, and Dark Water pretty damn good actually, The Grudge was aimed fair and square at the teen market, and suffered accordingly. Now we get perhaps the most unlikely remake to date: Pulse, the long-delayed remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Kairo. A strange choice, perhaps, as the 2001 film was a masterpiece of understated, almost philosophical cinema, characterised by a deep sense of introversion and contemplation throughout, depicting a nightmare future in which the dead return. It wasn't just scary; it had depth hitherto unseen in modern J-Horror.
Who knows, then, what strange chain of events led to Kurosawa's original screenplay landing in the hands of teen-horror-meister Wes Craven in 2002. Yup, that Wes Craven, the guy that brought us Freddy Krueger and endless rehashes of Scream. From the very start, there was concern that the original movie's intensity could not be reproduced in the trans-Pacific journey.
Sometime in the next year, after finishing an early version of a rewrite, Craven bailed on the project as both sole writer and director, and it was shelved indefinitely (at one time even being cancelled by Bob Weinstein for being considered "too similar to The Ring"). But in 2004 the project was revived, and by 2005 filming had begun. By year's end nearly all production shots had been established, and in mid-November the film was in post-production with a release date of February 2006. We saw a trailer for the film, in an American theatre, in December 2005, a now infamous mish-mash of Pulse and original scenes from Kairo that were used to "temporarily" (it was assumed) substitute more "technical" scenes which had yet to be completed by the filmmakers in the editing room. Then February came. And went. And a vague, foggy release date of sometime in May was tentatively announced. Then the rumors began, many untrue, but unfortunately one was not: the film was going to be re-edited, and in some cases certain scenes re-filmed, to lower the film's rating handed down by the MPAA from an R (restricted to those under 17) to a PG-13. A second release date was set for July. This too passed, without an acceptable (by The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films standards) PG-13 rating, and finally on August 11 Pulse, helmed by commercial director Jim Sonzero with a script "co-written" by Craven and Ray Wright, saw its heavily-altered, overly-edited story make its way into American theatres.
Josh (Jonathan Tucker with one of those "just entering puberty" moustaches) is walking through the Ohio (though filmed in Romania, and looking like Romania) campus courtyard. Shaking, unnerved, he's frightened because of something; something not seen but instead felt. As he makes his way past a bike we see a reflection in its mirror - a distorted albino man! Or something. He goes into the school library and rides the elevator with Creepy Old Librarian, and then begins looking around the room (with no windows, and with all the lighting capacity that apparently the poor Romanian government can afford) for an acquaintance of his for something we don't really know about. That's when the old librarian's empty book cart comes rolling down the aisle, and as we attempt to disregard Continuity Error No. 1 and fast-forward through another mind-number few minutes of Josh walking around this awful dank place, we realize the moral of this film: reading is scary. Fin. Actually, some books fall off a shelf, a monster sucks the living, well, life out of Josh, and then it's over. Or something. Oh, wait, this is where the movie begins.
We meet Mattie (Kristen Bell), a reasonably well-developed character that is a psychology undergraduate at Unnamed Ohio University, who is best friends with Izzie (Christina Milian), a slightly less-developed character who embodies the slacker student who has sex with boys who find her through her MySpace-like profile on the internet. There are other friends too, Typical Minority and hacker "Stone" (played by Rick Gonzalez, and I use quotations because I refuse to accept that is his real name), and boring slightly-chubby guy Tim (Sam Levine), but neither is important because neither is given time in the scant ninety minute film to have any sort of character development.
Mattie, at a bar filled with Romanian extras, laments to her friends that Josh hasn't talked to her, and their conversations are just text messages now, and obviously is a silly woman who doesn't realize that he's probably just watching a football game, or soccer, or futbal, I don't know what they call it in Romania. She goes home that night (not before Tim tries to escort her, which she so totally rebuffs to the point of making him a foot and a half tall), and gets a weird message from Josh, who (of course) when she calls back doesn't answer. Mattie visits Josh's apartment the next day with her somehow curled hair (or as I like to call it, Continuity Error No. 2). She finds him being creepy inside, hiding behind plastic sheeting that doesn't really make sense in his room considering the context of it being America and all, there are bugs eveyrwhere, and (I swear to God I am not making this up) his cat is dying in the closet. I mean, it's awful. I couldn't believe, nor understand, why this was added, except for shock value, but it certainly shocked me. Oh, then he hangs himself. I mean we all knew it was coming because we saw the trailer in its various stages for the past year, but Mattie didn't, and is heartbroken or whatever.
The movie sort of follows the standard plot of Kairo for a little bit. Mattie gets weird messages from Josh on her computer. There is a poorly acted scene involving a landlady who plays Stereotypical Sassy Black Woman to the point of it being disrespectful satire, and and then eventually Mattie finds Dexter, the person who bought her boyfriend's computer (played by Ian Somerhalder from ABC's LOST, who, let me say this now, was so cute and bitchy in The Rules Of Attraction as the bisexual liason of the other two boring leads, but who here is a gruff, scruffy, awful STRAIGHT man who acts about as well as he dresses). There is a website that has invited him to meet a ghost. There are pictures of people looking sad, or else like goth kids on webcams, but there are older people too, because old people are also sad sometimes. I don't know. At this point I couldn't really pay too much attention to what was happening because I became so obsessed with the choppy editing and cheap jump scares.
The film sort of falls in place like so: people are disappearing, but nobody is really paying attention, poorly composed "news" footage via "WNN" (which apparently only employs one anchor) illustrates the rash of suicides (Continuity Error No. 1 Billion, see below), and Mattie and Dexter, through some crazy computer talk and the "assistance" (or lack thereof) of the person who was supposed to meet Josh at the film's start, forge a plan to shut down the system and stop the ghosts from getting through with what looks like that memory stick I use to back up my computer's files. Needless to say lots of ghosts appear, anyone who sees them "dies" and then blah blah blah the movie is over.
Alex Apple's verdict:
Let's face it, a J-Horror fan's hopes for this film would not be heightened when, in the opening credits, there's no mention of the original other than a very vague "based on" statement. Already Jim Sonzero has laid out his ground by introducing a late-teen, college student cast – the more mature adult responses of Michi and Kawashima in the original are sadly missed. No, this is a "scream at the slightest thing that might mildly freak you out" kind of movie, the sort of thing the BBFC might rank as "contains mild peril" if it were rated PG. I'm sure the only reason Pulse is rated 15 in the UK is because Mattie utters one, solitary "fuck" when under slight pressure. The rest of the movie tries so hard to be scary, it fails totally: every horror cliché is here, from the rapid jump-cuts, to flickering lights, to grotesque gargoyle figures, to the washed-out blue-green tint of the entire film which flags up oh-so-obviously that something just isn't right here.
And let's talk about that tint for a moment. Last seen in The Ring, where, despite Gore Verbinski's hack-like directorial chops, it worked because it was reasonably fresh and because the director had at least an eye on producing a few shots which looked nice, in Pulse all it does is irritate. It's not needed – in many ways, the movie would be better if it wasn't there, just to show us that, initally at least, what is transpiring is happening in a normal, everyday world. And in many ways that's what was convincing about Kairo – it showed a world slowly unravelling despite itself. Yet this tint is almost alienating, distancing us from reality, and does not assist in suspending disbelief.
How much does Pulse take from Kairo? Well, if Kairo were freshly-squeezed orange juice from choice equatorial oranges, Pulse would be very watered-down supermarket own brand orange cordial. Clearly the general plot is the same, though Kairo's existential depths are diluted into a haunted computer scenario. The library scene's there, only vamped up to make it VERY MUCH SCARIER (only it's not, of course); the red tape features BUT YOU HAVE TO USE A LOT OF IT TO KEEP THEM OUT (rather than just tape around a door to let them in); the website's still there BUT A LOT MORE OBVIOUS; and the apocalyptic finale remains, albeit with an obligatory hopeful conclusion rather than Kurosawa's rather bleak vision of the future. It's like watching a five-minute summary of Kairo edited down by five-year-olds, with the scenes in the wrong order.
What's wrong with this film then? For a start, it's just not scary. For a horror movie, that's criminal. You could argue it's about the slow-burn, maybe, but there's barely an effective jump scene, let alone a long, drawn-out creepiness. The ghosts (or whatever they're supposed to be – could be aliens, for all the explanation we get in the movie) are overdone, and look like they'd be more suited hanging off the stonework of Salisbury Cathedral making faces at the tourists. The camerawork is borderline misogynistic, and the direction and cinematography is functional at best. The plot crawls along at a snail's pace, making the movie's ninety minute or so running time seem much, much longer. This isn't helped by every character explaining the plot over and over again until we're forced to understand that what is happening is BAD. There's a dire cameo by Brad Dourif whose only purpose is to advance the plot a little further, and remind everyone that what is happening is BAD. There's a really crass anti-piracy scene that made me want to chuck things at the screen (but which would have annoyed the other nine people in the cinema no end). And, finally, the film comes perilously close to resolving itself with a terrible deus ex machina ending before chickening out and doing something a little less cowardly (but not much).
To its credit, the apocalyptic scenes are quite well done. Um, that's it.
Let's put it this way, at the end of the screening everyone looked cheesed off, even the three seventeen-year-olds who this pile of garbage is presumably aimed at. Go and watch Kairo again, and let's try to pretend Pulse doesn't exist.
Tyler Robbins' verdict:
If you skipped through the synopsis, I don't blame you, I barely had the patience to write it. Pulse is truly a disaster of a film. The cast, at first glance, appear to be novices of the trade, mere eye candy for teenage ticket-buyers, but Pulse is helmed surprisingly by its two female leads Bell (of the CW's Veronica Mars) and Milian (a relatively down-to-earth and successful American R&B pop singer). The rest of the cast is tertiary, whether the script demands it or not. An interesting note: Kirsten Dunst, who stars in the anticipated Sofia Copolla vehicle Marie Antoinette, was originally signed on to play Mattie, but because of Pulse's purgatory and time spent in development hell, had to drop out to complete Spiderman 2. And then Spiderman 3. Yeah, this thing was rolling for a while.
Pulse is a tragedy. Jump scenes, loud noises for things that aren't there, and COMPLETELY RIPPING OFF THE AFOREMENTIONED RING run rampant in this film which barely runs for an hour and a half. There is this blue filter throughout the film totally yanked from Gore Verbinksi that exists to note depression - this filter being necessary because the actors themselves cannot exhibit it. This movie really made me mad. What is this crap?
The story is... meandering. It starts off Kairo-esque, but it's just too much. Everything is thrown in my face. Don't bootleg. Don't stay on AIM for five hours. Ebay is from the devil. Don't download any upcoming Dimension Films releases. And did you see those posters of Chicago and Sin City on the dorm walls? Riddle me that, product placement. It's just stupid. The whole film is a contrived, confusing mess of what was once a decent film.
I viewed this film opening weekend here in the States, and shortly thereafter I came in contact with a friend who runs the Asian film club for a local university and who told me he had the advance screening version of Pulse shown in March to test audiences. He and I watched the movie with a couple of nerdy art majors, and I just have to say that what I saw in that advance screening was quite different from what I saw in the theatre. This film has been butchered by the Weinstein brothers. Having seen this alternate version of the film, I don't know if I can fairly judge Pulse. In its March incarnation it was a longer (I guess about a half hour or so), less special-effects laden thought piece, although it was still no match for its Asian cousin. But something awful happened in the editing process between then and now.
I'll sum this up: I don't know why the ghosts flicker like Samara in the last scene of The Ring. That wasn't in the test screening. Nor do I understand the blue lens creating depression because the actors can't act sad. I don't know why they ruined the "ballet" ghost like that (they "distorted her reception" the moment she was supposed to do her strange fall and rise dance). That wasn't in the test screening either. I certainly don't know why the silo scene, which to me was considered the most poignant and shocking moments of both the original film and the screening version, was cut, and instead I'm stuck here with visions of ghosts with SIX LEGS.
The reshot scenes are painfully obvious throughout (including one with a woman in her fifties screaming about wi-fi to the point that I laughed out loud). Several scenes appear in several different variations depending on the version of the film or trailer you've seen: in one trailer he sends an email to all of his friends, in a reshot scene in the final film it's his interruption on their chat room discussion; in a scene where Mattie turns her computer around to face the wall, there are different versions of horrible scenes of what is imposed on the screen, even though in the final film version nothing is on it at all; in Mattie's bathtub freak out there's no telling how many variations of monster images float on or under the bubbles and water; and then there is the silo scene, which is forever chopped from the final film, but which, as of the writing of this review, continues to be used in the US promotion of Pulse.
There were SO MANY continuity errors and blunders throughout this film that it would appear whoever edited the damned thing never bothered to watch it all the way through to begin with. The story is only half-written most of the time: if this "black ash" syndrome affects everybody like a virus, then why are people committing suicide en masse instead of seeking medical attention? How are people not noticing those who don't kill themselves bursting into ash, as there are black shadows being mopped up and seen throughout the campus? And just WHY are the ghosts coming into our world? Best observation of the evening: why was "Stone" screaming on about not wanting to die if the ghosts sucked your will to live?
Early figures show this movie flopping, and I'd say this film gets what it deserves - it took an excellent Japanese film, had the opportunity to translate that to America's technology-obsessed culture, but instead created an alright (if ordinary) tale of apocalypse and isolationism, and then butchered it and cut it into a tiny digestible finger sandwich of teenage-acceptable crap, before enticing me to pay to have myself gagged by it. And don't even get me started on the red tape.
I have the highest of hopes for a Director's Cut of this film being released on DVD, not just because it deserves it, but because every film released now has to pretend like it is worthy of being a Criterion release and throws out three or four versions (*cough* The Grudge *cough*). Pulse could have heralded a renaissance of American horror films; a psychological film in an American film complex dominated by slasher films like Saw and the AWFUL Grudge remakes. It should've been what Dark Water could have been had Walter Salles' original version been pushed during the winter instead of being butchered and stuck into the slow summer season. In my deepest, most kinky fantasy, I imagine this seductive beast making a statement about how the West consumes electronics to be closer to one another but really just drives ourselves farther apart. Instead I get a movie where the pop singer is the BEST ACTOR on screen (by the way, Christina Milian is a damned good actress in this film - her final scene is key to the film, and to her testament as a budding Hollywood asset).
I have never given a scathingly negative review for a film before. But I was so disappointed by Pulse. What bothers me is not the poor execution, but the fact that this film is such a confused mess. Was there not a film for which the rights were bought and the storyline copied that they could not have looked at for guidance? Perhaps an unrated director's cut, more akin to that test screening version of the film, will correct the theatrical version's many faults. But as for the theatrical Pulse, it's one of the most poorly executed movies I've ever seen.
Snowblood Apple Rating for this film:
Entertainment Value: 3/10
Violence: 2/10
Chills: 1/10
Gross-outs: just a cat
Sex: alluded to/10
Minority characters: all die, no spoilers there
Best Line Ever Delivered By A Goth Girl: "Maybe it's the booze in your coffee!"
£6.80: I want it back, Cineworld of Swindon. I have the ticket stub to prove it ;-(
*** A horrible, confused and confusing mess***
Discussion about this movie can be found here on our forums.
Pulse Wallpaper
please note: the actual paper does not have the Snowblood Apple logo on it.
You can download this wallpaper here: [800x600] [1024x768]
Wallpaper credit: Alex Apple, 2006
We've tried to avoid straightforward reviews here - you can find them dotted all over the net. Try moviereviewindex.com for a good collection of links.
http://www.pulsethemovie.net/ - Official site, which features a lot of Flash, but not much else
http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/pulse/trailer/ - Apple has every version of the trailer available (the first is the theatrical trailer from last winter, the second is a reedited version with certain images imposed on computers and other inanimate objects for no reason at all, and the third is the domestic trailer seen on television and in theaters leading up to the film's August US premiere). Also downloadable in a variety of resolutions at http://www.moviemaze.de/media/trailer/2493/pulse.html
http://horror.about.com/b/a/256839.htm - collection of interviews with director and cast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_%28film%29 – The Wikipedia article offers a generally excellent synopsis and unbiased view of the poor critical reception to the film


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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - One question that needs to be asked a day after Google's landmark win over Viacom in the YouTube copyright-infringement case is whether Google could have gotten away with doing less about protected content on its video-sharing platform.
Judge Louis Stanton noted in his ruling throwing out Viacom Inc's $1 billion lawsuit that Internet service providers (ISPs) must deal with unauthorized copyrighted material if they have actual knowledge of its existence. If they don't have actual knowledge, the burden shifts to copyright holders to identify the infringement and inform the service provider. Stanton dismissed the case because he found that Google did act expeditiously when told by Viacom of copyrighted works on the site.
But if Google only has to act when it receives a takedown notice, does that mean it can sit back in blissful ignorance and put the onus all on copyright holders? YouTube has often touted its content-filtering technology that helps identify infringing works on the network. Given Stanton's ruling, perhaps filtering technology isn't required for service providers to claim safe harbor from liability.
Hollywood seems to be reading that message from the decision.
"At a time where there is more talk about service providers becoming proactive in the course of their normal routines, this opinion comes along and says you can be willfully blind," says Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Assn. of America, who agrees that the decision potentially opens the door to ISPs dropping their filtering technology. "At this stage, YouTube probably won't roll back its filtering system."
But what about all those web start-ups that have to decide whether to invest in expensive copyright-policing technology? What kind of road map toward escaping liability are they now getting?
"Having tools like filtering helps show the court you are a good actor, but clearly, from a reading of the legislation and from the court decisions, it's not an obligation," says Michael Elkin, a partner at Winston & Strawn, who is representing Veoh in an important case testing safe harbor for ISPs before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
ISPs might also take another equally important lesson from Stanton's decision in how to escape liability. Since Stanton let YouTube off the hook because he was impressed by its takedown regime, other service providers will likely try to travel the same route. But after being sent a takedown notice, will they stop to consider "fair use" before removing an allegedly infringing video?
If they're emulating YouTube, sometimes they won't.
We've already seen people, from high-profile individuals like John McCain to low-profile ones like Stephanie Lenz (targeted for a baby video backed by a Prince song), try to stand up to YouTube for not putting up a bigger fight against takedown notices. Some of the folks cheering Stanton's decision are the same ones who believe that entities like YouTube should do more to examine the merits of a takedown notice before pulling a claimed video.
Carey Ramos, a partner at Paul Weiss, believes the decision will result in Hollywood showering service providers with more takedown notices. "And the service provider will have an incentive to make a knee-jerk response and take the content down," he adds.
If the onus shifts to copyright holders to make takedown demands, we can be sure they'll pursue them with vigor. And if ISPs don't want to get in trouble with the law, we can be equally certain they'll hardly put up much of a fight.
In other words, service providers will be passive-aggressive when it comes to copyright enforcement. Is that really what people want?


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G.I. Joe Major Bludd Action Figure Review 1983
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, email@example.com)
Major Bludd was released in the second true wave of G.I. Joe action figures in 1983. Major Bludd was no a true member of Cobra but, rather, a mercenary for hire who often worked for Cobra. The figure is interesting in that he is the least articulated G.I. Joe action figure released in 1983. His right arm is not articulated at the elbow.
Major Bludd's weapon is a handheld rocket launcher and, perhaps, the odd right arm is meant to be some sort of protective shield related to the rocket. Some have speculated it is a cybernetic arm but the Marvel comics G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book never hinted at such nor did his file card.


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One of the key issues this year has been the extent to which we should be concerned about the headline rise in inflation. CPI is at 4%, almost double the inflation target, RPI is higher. In nearly any other circumstance, this would be good reason to increase interest rates (especially when they are near rock-bottom). However, the MPC has felt other factors mean that interest rates should be put on hold, perhaps delayed until November now.
In particular a key statistic is wage growth. If wage growth takes off, this tends to cause inflation because of - higher demand pull inflation and higher cost push inflation. However, the UK is not experiencing wage inflation. As many people know we are seeing living standards squeezed by high inflation and low wage growth. Falling real wages
The MPC approach is in stark contrast to the ECB. Despite lower inflation in the Eurozone, the ECB have already stated they expect interest rates to increase in response to the rise in temporary inflation.
Amidst all the concern over inflation, I was pleased to see the OECD make a warning over a potential lost generation of unemployed workers. The ECB would benefit from weighing up costs of unemployment when worrying about a temporary blip in inflation.


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Understanding the Difference Between Affiliate and Network Marketing
Affiliate Marketing vs Network Marketing has become a growing question for the new internet business owner.
Which is better, what's the difference, which one can I make a career out of, and many more questions.
Well, today I am going to just scratch the surface on affiliate marketing vs network marketing and hope it will answer some of your questions.
Affiliate Marketing vs Network Marketing
The main difference between Affiliate Marketing and Network Marketing is Selling and Building. This is a huge difference and should be considered when making your decision.
I am a Network Marketer who uses Affiliate Marketing tools to build my Network Marketing team. Having an income coming in with affiliate sales to help fund the building of my Network Marketing business is great, but You are not going to build the legacy with affiliate marketing that you can with network marketing.
Affiliate Marketing
• Main Focus – Affiliate Marketing is all about the sale. When and how can I make that next big sale? Once that is done you have to go on to the next sale.
I'm not bashing affiliate marketing at all, I'm just saying that the primary focus of the Affiliate Marketer is making the next sale.
• There are Affiliate Marketing products and systems out there that have a payout structure that looks kinda like Network Marketing, but I will tell you they are NOT!
• Typically once the sale is complete the Affiliate Marketer is on to the next one.
• Typically there isn't any residual income involved with Affiliate Marketing.
Network Marketing
• Main Focus – Network Marketing is focused almost totally on the people and not as much in the sale.
• Once the sale or recruitment has been made that's the beginning not the end of the process.
• Residual Income – This is the best part of the differences. Residual income is so very key to creating a legacy and changing your life and that of your family.
• You should be working on training, mindset, prospecting etc and not just those things that will make a one time SALE.
Now that you know the differences between these two I will tell you that I use Affiliate Marketing to help build my Network Marketing business, but at the end of the day I AM A NETWORK MARKETING PROFESSIONAL!
Please don't misunderstand me, both systems are great in their own way I have just chosen my path because that is what works for my family and the future I want to build.
You may find that you love the process of creating sale after sale and you are good at it, that's great.
I hope that clearly identifies the differences between the to marketing systems. So I want to leave you with what I am currently doing so there isn't any confusion what I am building a legacy with and what tools I am using to accomplish that.
I use MLSP as my primary Lead Generation System to build my primary company. It is an affiliate program designed to bring in leads to help build your primary company and it works very well.
The value of using a system like MLSP is that while you are building your main business you can generate some income along the way.
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If you have got value from this please share and comment. I would love to hear your thoughts on which works best for you.


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My obsession with shoes is not exactly a secret. I like them bright, fun, colorful & tall. The more interesting the better, actually. When I discovered Luichiny Shoes, it was love at first sight.
The catchphrase of Luichiny is "From our heart to your sole", which is the perfect slogan, in my opinion. They offer unique heels, materials & ornaments for a look that singles you out from the crowd.
The newest addition to the Bronx/DIBA family of shoes, Luichiny caters to the fast-paced, ever changing lifestyles of the women who wear them. Their designers have travelled all over the globe to uncover the latest fashion trends.
Luichiny was purchased by Demand Shoes, LLC. in December 2005 and began distribution in April 2006. Now featured in shops in exotic locales like Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland & Finland, the Luichiny brand continues to flourish! Sporting on trend heels, leathers, patterns, and textiles, these shoes are sure to become a featured pair in your closet!
I was fortunate enough to be able to review the gorgeous La Tee Da sandal in "lipstick". These shoes are comprised of a multi-color patterned fabric with a textured, cleat-like heel. They are 4" high, yet surprisingly very comfortable. They retail for $99 and are from the Bronx Line of shoes.
Aren't these gorgeous?!
I picked these because of the versatility. These could easily be worn with a cute dress for a day out shopping, out on a date or partying with friends. I have worn these around for a while now, and let me tell you, they are SO comfortable. Do yourself a favor and check out Luichiny today!
Connect With Luichiny
*I received the shoes mentioned above in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own and no money exchanged hands. Thank you, Luichiny!


text: September 27, 2016 What Happens When Babies Don't Have Clean Diapers & How You Can Help This Week Rocket City Mom / Community Caring / #greatdiaperdrive, Crisis Services of North Alabama, diaper bank huntsville, diaper drive, Diaper Drive Huntsville, food bank of north alabama, Manna House, Wal-Mart, WDRM, WHNT / You have a chance to help a hurting baby this week. Please don't pass it up! The Great Diaper Drive Blitz Day is happening this Thursday and we need YOUR help.


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SAL Hospital
Department of Hair Transplant, Cosmetic & Plastic surgery
"La Diva"
"Celebrate the new you"
With India prospering there is increasing awareness about cosmetic surgery and the current boom in the demand for Enhancement Surgeries and Body contouring, and with it, a recent upsurge in stand-alone "beauty enhancement" facilities. SAL Hospital recognizes this growing need and understands that first and foremost, the patient's care and safety are paramount.
The surgeries are complemented by the hospital's renowned facilities and staff which assures every patient an optimal care and safety; .Since plastic surgery is not beauty saloon treatment and is "real surgery", the hospital setting ascertains safety standards with full emergency medical multispeciality support team to meet any unforeseen complications should the need ever arise. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
As a testimony to our Doctors' expertise and world-class facilities, SAL Hospital has long been known as the premiere destination for foreign and Indian clients seeking cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in the last decade.
At La Diva we help you to take the opportunity to rewind time, look younger and fresher and double the pleasures…
We specialize in...


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Website Design and Web Development Services in Ahmedabad
ARE InfoTech is committed to provide innovative, creative and affordable website design and web development services to our clients. We are a team of experienced technical professionals. We have been serving USA, Australia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, UK and India from past 5 years.
We deliver quality services within time frame at most economic cost. We have a 3-tier quality check system so there is no compromise on quality. We provide value to our customers by benefits such as flexible solutions, experienced professionals, safe outsourcing services, proven processes, and best quality work.
We provide website design and web development services to a number of agencies, and establishments and have expertise in- Web Development & Designing: PHP, Wordpress, Joomla Customization, Drupal CMS Customization, Magento, OS Commerce, X-Cart, Zen Cart Customization, Codeigniter, MVC, Zend Framework, Smarty, HTML, HTML5, CSS, Ajax etc.


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Harrington celebrates 100th birthday March 9
March 2, 2018 On Friday, March 9th Estella Harrington will be celebrating her 100th Birthday. more »»
Pancake Breakfast, Bake Sale in Clutier
February 16, 2018 Sunday, February 18 is the annual Clutier Fire Department pancake breakfast at the Clutier Fire Station. Serving will be from 8am to 12pm. more »»
Krug celebrates 90th birthday
January 19, 2018 Erving Krug will be celebrating his 90th birthday. He was born on January 23, 1928. He has four children, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren. more »»
Natasha JoAnn Murty
January 19, 2018 Natasha JoAnn Murty was born on November 11, 2017 weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20.5 in. long. more »»
This Week at the Movies... Ferdinand
January 12, 2018 Showing this weekend at the Traer Theatre is the new animated family movie "Ferdinand." Ferdinand, is a giant bull with a big hear. more »»
Haacks celebrate 40th anniversary
December 8, 2017 Dennis Haack and Ursula States were united in marriage on December 3, 1977 at the Peace United Church in Gladbrook, Iowa. They make their home at 1275 170th St., Gladbrook, IA 50635. more »»
Joan Raye Thompson
November 17, 2017 Joan Raye Thompson was born August 20 in Dubuque, Iowa, weighing seven pounds eight ounces, and measuring 21 inches long. Joan is the third child of Elizabeth and Nick Thompson of Dubuque. more »»
Kubik, Nelson to wed November 25
November 3, 2017 Alex grew up on his family's farm north of Traer, IA and attended North Tama County Community School. He attended Iowa State University for Agricultural Engineerin. more »»
Jacobsen celebrates 95th birthday Nov. 3
October 27, 2017 Best wishes to Jean Jacobsen who will celebrate her 95th birthday on November 3. more »»
Overtons celebrate 60th anniversary Nov. 2
October 27, 2017 Lee and Marlene Overton will celebrate 60 years of marriage on November 2nd. They were married at the Dysart Methodist Church in 1957. more »»
Parizeks celebrate 65th wedding anniversary
October 27, 2017 Vernon & Wilma Parizek will be celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary! An open house is planned for Sunday, November 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. It will be at the Elberon Community Center. more »»
This Week at the Movies... Logan Lucky
September 22, 2017 Showing this weekend at the Traer Theatre is the new comedy movie Logan Lucky. more »»
Wolf Creek to present A Walk in the Woods
September 22, 2017 Written in 1988, the setting is a mountain slope outside of Geneva, Switzerland. more »»
Gumberts celebrate 60th anniversary
August 25, 2017 Bob and Claudette Gumbert of Dysart will observe their 60th wedding anniversary on September 1. Bob and Claudette Bruce were married on September 1, 1957, in Marshalltown, Iowa. more »»
Wooldridge, Harms welcome daughter
August 18, 2017 Shane Wooldridge and Taylor Harms are happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Charlotte Rose, on July 13, 2017 at Regional Medical Center, Pella, Iowa. Charlotte weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. more »»
Metropolitan Chorale begins rehearsals for Mozart's Requiem
August 11, 2017 Singers won't want to miss the opportunity to join Metropolitan Chorale's sixty-third season as the well-known community choir prepares its November 12 concer. more »»
Winston Scott Knoop
July 14, 2017 Braden and Cassidy Knoop are proud to announce the birth of their son, Winston Scott Knoop. Winston was born July 6, 2017 at Charlevoix Hospital in Charlevoix, Michigan, weighing 9 lbs. 9 o. more »»
Larry & Marcia Luze celebrate 60th anniversary
June 30, 2017 Larry and Marcia Luze of Dysart will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary and Larry's 80th birthday with family and friends on July 4. They will also celebrate the couple's 60th year in farming. more »»
Madera to celebrate 90th birthday June 28
June 23, 2017 Harry P. Madera will celebrate his 90th birthday on June 28, 2017. He was born on a farm outside Traer to Frank and Bertha (Mochal) Madera. He is the third of their six children. more »»
Neegaard-Jensen wedding
June 16, 2017 Kaylena Jensen and Derek Neegaard were united in marriage on May 13, 2017 in front of family and friends at the Dysart United Methodist Church. The 4 p.m. ceremony was officiated by Rev. Linda Butler. more »»
This Week at the Movies... Kong: Skull Island
April 14, 2017 Showing this weekend at the Traer Theatre is the new action adventure film "Kong: Skull Island. more »»
Promote your event by submitting it to our calendar November 30, 2019
You can promote your upcoming event by submitting it to our community calendar. Just click on the link at the top left side of this page. more »
Community Calendar
News, Blogs & Events Web


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From the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty:
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a Temporary Restraining Order against the City of Houston for citing homeless people under its new anti-camping ban. The ACLU of Texas, Dechert law firm, and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty filed the motion for TRO last week after police raided a homeless encampment. The order is can be viewed here.
Check out this quote from the order's conclusion:
"The plaintiffs have demonstrated that they are subject to a credible threat of being arrested, booked, prosecuted and jailed for violating the City of Houston's ban on sheltering in public. The evidence is conclusive that they are involuntarily in public, harmlessly attempting to shelter themselves—an act they cannot realistically forgo, and that is integral to their status as unsheltered homeless individuals. Enforcement of the City's ban against the plaintiffs may, therefore, cause them irreparable harm by violating their Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment due to their status of "homelessness." Robinson, 370 U.S. at 666–67. Moreover, there is no evidence that the City will suffer harm if a restraining order were issued, thereby, preserving the status quo that existed prior to the issuance of citations."
NEOCH Comments:
In a strange juxtaposition, the City of Houston said that this law would reduce aggressive panhandling? I have no idea how these two ideas are connected, but surprisingly no rainbows with pots of gold would result with this anti-camping law. The shelters are all full in Houston with the average wait for a bed with only five shelters available. "The emergency shelters in Houston are full and have been so for years [Id. At 67 para. 16-17]. Therefore, homeless individuals wait in lines, daily, at the five shelters for any available space only to be turned away for lack of space. [Id. at pp. 75-76 para. 3-4]."
This is only a temporary ruling to prevent further tickets for "sheltering in public" while this case is litigated in Federal Court, but there is strong powerful language in the restraining order.
In another case detailed by the Associated Press, the US Appeals Court has decided that day laborers are free to flag down motorists to solicit work.
NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal appeals court says day laborers in a Long Island town have a First Amendment right to solicit passing drivers for jobs. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday struck down a 2009 law banning the solicitation in Oyster Bay. The law had never been enforced. Here is a link to the full article.
This could doom the new City of Cleveland law regarding panhandling toward passing motorists. In June 2017, the City removed its "aggressive panhandling law" and replaced it with a law prohibiting flagging down cars to solicit money. A good civil rights attorney could make the case that panhandlers have the same First Amendment right to free speech as the day laborers. Look for this to be the next front in the struggle for free speech.
Special to NEOCH from Brian Davis
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.


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Joe Manganiello has revealed his costume from the upcoming video game movie adaptation, Rampage. One of the more unexpected adaptations on the list of upcoming video game movies, Rampage adapts the gaming title of the same name that began as a popular arcade game in 1986. Coming from director Brad Peyton, the project will reunite with the filmmaker yet again with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, marking this as their third collaboration together, after Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and 2015 disaster thriller, San Andreas.
Out of the two previous outings, Rampage shares the most in common with San Andreas. Focusing on a number of human characters, led by The Rock as the head of an anti-poaching unit operating in Rwanda, the film follows the group as they fight to keep the world from falling apart, when gigantic, mutated versions of a crocodile, a gorilla, and a wolf are set loose upon countless cities, proceeding to try to tear them apart and utterly destroy them.
Principal photography on Rampage began just last week, and following a set tease released concurrently with it, one of the film's key cast members, Joe Manganiello, has shared yet another behind-the-scenes look at the production. The Magic Mike and True Blood actor took to his Instagram to post a new image of his costume in the Rampage film, which shares an unexpected nod to one very iconic Marvel vigilante. Check it out for yourself down below:
While this image doesn't necessarily reveal much, it does feature a skull that looks strikingly familiar to The Punisher's and confirms the name of Manganiello's character to be Burke. Combine that design choice with the fact that the costume is little more than a bulletproof vest and a gun, and it looks like Manganiello is preparing to prove himself as an action star yet again. He and Johnson are only two of a star-studded cast at the front and center of this adaptation though. In fact, in addition to two popular male action stars, the film also includes recent Oscar-nominee, Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Jake Lacy (Girls), and Malin Akerman (Billions, Watchmen).
With that cast and the other creative talent involved, it's plausible to think that Rampage may be one of the first video game adaptations that Hollywood releases, that's a success both critically and financially. After all, where most other filmmakers might have failed, The Rock and Peyton managed to turn San Andreas into one of the more successful blockbusters of its respective summer season - and with a similar premise/tone and a legitimately spectacular cast, Rampage is shaping up to be one of the more entertaining blockbusters of the summer 2018 season now as well.
NEXT: Dwayne Johnson is Getting a Fast & Furious Spinoff
Source: Joe Manganiello
- Rampage (2018) release date: Apr 13, 2018


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Quote for September
In the geography and society in which we live, September is a time of many changes. School starts. Chilly days occur. Many organizations change officers, start new campaigns, begin meetings or rehearsals or workshops again after the summer break. And some trees flash red warnings: fall is on the way. Take charge of the changes in your own life. It's easy just to let things happen, but you can be intentional: you can make positive differences in your life, in the lives of those around you, in the world. As anthropologist Margaret Mead famously said (and she should know!), "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For indeed that's all who ever have." Change that is consistent with our Quaker testimonies would make our world a better place.
Harriet Woodside
In response to the question "Why does Quaker service work matter?" Jane Orion Smith (former General Secretary of the Canadian Friends Service Committee) made the following statement:
The world yearns for justice and peace — calling us to respond. Because service work is rooted in a deep knowing, that knowing emboldens us to not give up, whether or not there's progress, whether or not there are people who seem to care, that Inward Voice keeps us going. There are issues that aren't popular and can take decades, maybe even centuries, to resolve, but Quakers keep working on them. We can't do it on our own strength — we need each other and we need our spiritual centre. Few are willing to keep on with issues that don't seem to show results, but Quakers are looking at more than outward signs.
— Jane Orion Smith
Glenna Janzen
Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.
— George Fox, 1656
Bev Shepard
Perhaps more wonderful still is the way in which beauty breaks through. It breaks through not only at a few highly organised points, it breaks through almost everywhere. Even the minutest things reveal it as well as do the sublimest things, like the stars. Whatever one sees through the microscope, a bit of mould for example, is charged with beauty. Everything from a dewdrop to Mount Shasta is the bearer of beauty. And yet beauty has no function, no utility. Its value is intrinsic, not extrinsic. It is its own excuse for being. It greases no wheels, it bakes no puddings. It is a gift of sheer grace, a gratuitous largesse. It must imply behind things a Spirit that enjoys beauty for its own sake and that floods the world everywhere with it. Wherever it can break through, it does break through, and our joy in it shows that we are in some sense kindred to the giver and revealer of it.
— Rufus Jones, 1920
Shirla Schellenberg
I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again…
— Stephen Grellet, 1859
Wilf Ruland
A good end cannot purify evil means; nor must we ever do evil, so that good may come of it.
— William Penn, 1644-1718
(C) 2018 Quakers in Hamilton


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Lifestyle and culture
Melbourne has been voted the "world's most liveable city" seven years in a row. Explore and study in Melbourne: its charm, creative energy, sophistication and welcoming atmosphere will captivate you.
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria and Australia's second largest city. It is renowned for its style and elegance and boasts a passion for eating, creative arts, design, sports, and festivals.
Melbourne is one of the world's most multicultural cities. It benefits from the influences of more than 230 different nationalities – almost half of its four million people were born overseas. The multicultural and welcoming atmosphere will help you feel at home.
Melbourne is also safe, well-designed and easy to get around on foot, by bike, or public transport.
Arts and culture
Melbourne is Australia's arts capital. The city is filled with museums and galleries featuring local and international works. You can explore laneways full of street art, outdoor galleries and sculpture walks. Melbourne is also home to a lively theatre and musical scene. Productions range from major international shows in historic theatres to local theatre.
Food and dining
Melbourne offers endless choice for all budgets and tastes. You'll find Chinatown, Little Italy and Greek, Spanish, Middle-Eastern, Vietnamese and Ethiopian quarters in the city and suburbs.
You can find international supermarkets, specialty food stores, cafes, bars and food trucks in and around the city every night of the week.
Check out The Age Cheap Eats, Broadsheet and Visit Melbourne for ideas on where to go.
There's a fantastic choice of markets in the city and nearby suburbs. The Queen Victoria Market in the city, and Preston Market near the Bundoora campus have low priced fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood.
Cafes and bars
Melbourne is famous for its coffee and cafe culture. The city has a lively and unique laneway culture and historic arcades which house small cafes, elegant tearooms, old-style pubs and rooftop bars.
Entertainment and recreation
Melbourne is home to amusement parks, recreation precincts, zoos, parks and gardens. Discover the city on bike or venture out of Melbourne to visit wineries or go bushwalking.
Live music
Melbourne boasts Australia's largest hub of live music venues and an active music community. Local and international bands, performers and DJs offer genres of music including punk, indie rock, hip-hop, electronica, techno, jazz, blues and soul
City of festivals
Melbourne's cultural and community festivals bring the city's streets and venues alive, all year round. Festivals and events include Chinese New Year, White Night, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and Melbourne Writers' Festival. You can also participate in the many events held regularly at Federation Square.
Check out City of Melbourne - What's on or free magazines such as Beat and Inpress or community radio gig guides for what's on.
Day trips
There is much to see and explore beyond Melbourne in Victoria's regional areas: from stunning landscapes, historic towns to locally produced food and wine.
Popular places to visit include:
- Great Ocean Road: Experience one of the world's best coastal drives.
- Hepburn Springs and Daylesford: Relax in natural hot water springs.
- Bendigo, Ballarat and Beechworth: Discover Australia's Gold Rush history.
Melbourne is home to major sporting events, including the Australian Open tennis, the Melbourne Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup horse racing. In winter, locals flock to the Australian Football League (the AFL, or 'the footy')—pick a team and join in.
Outdoors lifestyle
Make the most of the city's river, parks and Port Phillip Bay. Pack a picnic lunch, wander around the Royal Botanic Gardens, or take in city views on a bike ride along the Yarra River.
- Some of Melbourne's finest parks, gardens and recreational facilities are within easy reach of each campus
- Swim at the Melbourne City Baths or cycle one of the city's dedicated bicycle paths
- Melbourne Zoo showcases Australian and international wildlife
- Watch a movie under the stars at one these outdoor cinemas: Moonlight Cinema, Rooftop Cinema or The Shadow Electric outdoor cinema.
Melbourne is known as Australia's shopping and fashion capital. With independent design markets, small boutiques and large retailers – there's something for everyone. Most major retailers and stores are open seven days, and many stay open late every Thursday and Friday.
With a number of international shopping destinations in the city, you will be spoilt for choice. Popular options include Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne Central, Emporium, QV, DFO Southwharf, and Crown.
Many suburbs run small community-based markets selling vintage clothing, fruit and vegetables, home wares, books, plants and homemade food. These are a great way to explore your new neighbourhood.
Getting around Melbourne is easy. Melbourne's network of trams, trains and bus services are frequent and run from morning to night. RMIT University's three campuses are near public transport.
Melbourne is also bike friendly, with dedicated bike lanes and a public bike share service making it even easier to get around.
For more details visit our Public transport page or visit the Public Transport Victoria website


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Repair Policy
SP-Teri Co., Inc. reserves the right to refuse to repair any boots which upon inspection have severe wear and tear, disintegration of components or damage to components which in the opinion of SP-Teri such repairs may cause a dangerous situation. Due to product liability policy, SP-Teri, at its discreation, may choose not to repair boots that are five years or older. No repair work is guaranteed to correct or maintain fit or skateability.


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Huge product rangeOver 140,000 books & equipment products
Rapid shippingUK & Worldwide
Pay in £, € or U.S.$By card, cheque, transfer, draft
Exceptional customer serviceGet specialist help and advice
Revealed Biodiversity: An Economic History of the Human Impact aims to show that for several centuries environmental conditions have been substantially the product of economic fluctuations. It contests the notion of perpetual decline in species composition. The arguments are supported by far more precise historical detail than is usual in books about ecology. The need to take the gains to human society into account when assessing environmental change is strongly emphasized. The book features case studies including England, the Netherlands, USA, East Asia, Brazil, and the areas of modern agricultural 'land grab'. Revealed Biodiversity: An Economic History of the Human Impact is important for its close attention to the documented historical record of environmental change in several countries over several centuries; for its demonstration of how much wildlife populations have been influenced by fluctuations in market activity; for revealing the need to be sensitive to historical baselines; and for emphasizing the imperative of taking the gains to human society into account when assessing environmental change. It, therefore, has considerable significance for environmental and conservation policies as well as for future studies in ecological history.
The Long Term:
Proper Baselines: The Example of English Butterflies
England and the Netherlands:
Commodity Landscapes: Southern England
Agricultural Change: Southern England
Landscapes of Destruction: The Curse of the Pheasant
Landscapes of Destruction: The Sacrifice to Trout
The Netherlands: Reclamation and Exploitation
England: Reclamation and Exploitation
European Expansion:
Europe's Expansion Overseas
Europe's Distant Reach
Pristine America
The Modern World:
East Asia
The Modern Expansion of Agriculture
What Should We Conserve?
Eric Jones is Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University, and former Professorial Fellow of Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne. Besides the D Phil. he holds the higher doctorate, D Litt, of the University of Oxford, where he also received the Vaughan Cornish Award for environmental history. He has had a lifetime's academic career in the UK, USA, and Australia and has published many books and articles on economic history, economic development, international affairs, agricultural history and environmental history. His avocation is as an ornithologist and he has been Field Secretary of the Oxford Ornithological Society and Honorary Archivist of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. His previous book with World Scientific was Locating the Industrial Revolution: Inducement and Response (2010).
"[...] The book can be described as an economic history of the environment, but, if that makes it sound a dull academic treatise, it is certainly not. Jones sets out to explain how, for several centuries, environmental conditions have been substantially the product of economic fluctuations. [...] The book deserves a much wider readership than is likely to be gained by its having an 'academic' title, an obscure publisher, and a high price. It should be read by all those involved in conservation at any level, and who like to be made to think and to have their (conscious or unconscious) prejudices challenged."
– John Price, British Wildlife 25(6), August 2014
"This remarkable book by Eric Jones is the first comprehensive treatment of human impact on global biodiversity from the perspective of economic history. Jones traces both the benefits and costs of this exploitation, taking into account the global spread of Europeans and the impact of growth and income of East Asia today. This book is important reading for anyone interested in how the world has reached – and should deal with – our current ecological and biodiversity crises."
– Edward B Barbier, John S Bugas Professor of Economics, University of Wyoming, USA, and author of Scarcity and Frontiers: How Economies Have Developed through Natural Resource Exploitation
"Revealed Biodiversity offers an outstanding synthesis, one that takes the debate forward in leaps and bounds and challenges false assumptions on all sides. Eric Jones is ideally equipped for the task, for he combines a supreme grasp of economic and social history with a thoroughly-grounded knowledge of the many problems raised by the history of biodiversity and moves between the illuminating local case study and the large-scale perspective with consummate ease."
– Robert A Dodgshon, Emeritus Professor of Human Geography, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, UK
"Revealed Biodiversity refers both to the possibilities of enjoying nature in the modern world and the importance of understanding it through a well-argued and accessibly written economic history. Environmentalists will not find this book a comfortable read, but it is an essential one if they are to engage meaningfully with the issue of biodiversity."
– Patrick Dillon, Professor of Applied Education Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
"It is best to view Revealed Biodiversity as a starting point for future studies of biodiversity that takes seriously the mutual interaction between the economy and the surrounding environment. In this respect, the book is in the best tradition of environmental histories which examine the complex interplay between the economy, society, and the environment."
– EH.Net


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Managing the Size of Catering Orders.
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Click here to download the document.
You will also receive an email with a link to your download.
To learn more about the services, certification, workshops and resources offered by the Catering Institute, or to schedule a Needs Analysis for your restaurant please get in touch by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com


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GALLERY: Norse sweep Grizzlies on senior day
Kari Lakes, Reporter
May 14, 2017
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY- The Northern Kentucky Norse celebrated their seniors and swept their second double header of the year, as they beat the Oakland Golden Grizzlies 12-7 in game one and 10-5 in game two. The Grizzlies lead things off in game one with a three-run second inning. The Norse didn'...
McQueen steers Norse to senior day victory over Phoenix
Kevin Carey, Contributor
April 30, 2017
The NKU softball team split an odd double header with Green Bay on Sunday afternoon. The Norse lost 7-3 in the first game, which was a continuation of Friday's rain shortened game. The Norse capped off the day with a 12-4 route of the Phoenix. It was also the final home game for NKU's three se...


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Russell Henning, a graduate from SJSU who studied industrial design, created a backpacking stove that was been selected for the BraunPrize 2007 Exhibition. The BraunPrize is one of the most prestigious international student design competitions, and Henning is the year's only U.S. finalist. He designed the stove, named the Phoenix, for a studio course taught by Associate Professor John McClusky. The stove was also named "Best of the Best" by the 2006 Red Dot Design Award competition. "Most stoves are notoriously difficult to use, but with Phoenix, set up and tear down are easy. The stove, stand, fuel and wind screen are all one piece. Everything nests inside the bowl," RedDot said.
You can see more of Russell's work here and contact him at email@example.com


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It is very easy overlook the pitfalls in front of us when we are on cruise control out of paid employment. The excitement of finally being able to execute that business we've been dreaming about can blind us to snags ahead of us.
Here are four pitfalls you must avoid even as you plot your exit strategy from paid employment:
Don't burn bridges, build more. As much as you are tempted to storm into your boss' office to yell "I Quit" don't do it. Burning bridges can come with dire consequences in the future. Who knows what opportunity exists for your new business with your former employer. Rather than burning bridges, build more.
Don't think it will be all rosy. Well, it may be, but chances are that it won't. Those who have gone ahead to build successfully businesses have done so by sheer determination to see their ventures succeed. Having this mental perspective will come in handy on those highly emotional days when you feel like giving up because nothing seems to be going your way.
Don't think it will be any easier. Most of people consider work drudgery, they think exiting paid employment to run their own business would mean more relaxation time. If you are used to working 40 hours a week, get ready to do quite a lot more. Being an entrepreneur doesn't mean you stroll into work anytime. It actually means you are responsible for the payroll of all those working for you including yourself and so you have to be quick on your feet.
Don't sacrifice your professional development. We are all familiar with the continuous development programs we engage in while climbing the corporate ladder. Well it doesn't stop when you become an entrepreneur. Just because you are no longer looking for a promotion or looking to add a certificate on your resume doesn't mean you have to quit learning. Learning becomes more important when you become an entrepreneur because it is your skill set that will guarantee the success of your business. Therefore you need to constantly upgrade them.
This article is part of a series of conversations around helping professionals in Nigeria make a seamless transition from paid employment to entrepreneurship. This subject will be discussed more extensively at the May 2017 Startit Academy, themed, Plot your Exit Strategy from Paid Employment. For more information about the event and registration, please click here.


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3480 Bayou Sound
$640,000, .29 Acres
About This Property
This 100-ft front x 125-ft deep, cleared, level, and buildable vacant lot is the "Last of the Mohicans" (aka the only vacant lot left) in the highly-desirable Bayou residential area of Bay Isles, surrounded by beautiful homes on lushly-landscaped properties with wonderful owners from here and there waiting to welcome you into their community. Enjoy ready access to the Bay Isles Beach Club and its magnificent Gulf sunsets, as well as easy access to Publix, CVS, banks, post office, library, town hall, and the emerging sense of a downtown Longboat Key developing within biking distance from your home. Pets will love your daily stroll around the quiet neighborhood, where privacy abounds. For the socially active, membership in the Longboat Key Club is available, with 45-holes of notable golf, tennis, swimming, spa, and fitness facilities, plus an activities calendar for everyone's tastes, including numerous food and beverage venues. Serious seafarers can purchase slips at nearby Longboat Key Moorings to keep their boats close at hand. Did I mention that 3480 Bayou Sound is the last vacant property that enables your imagination to create exactly the home you want. Come and see for yourself... then let the architects, contractors and subs do your bidding.
Essential Information
Community Information
Cable Available, Public, Street Lights, Underground Utilities, Water Available
Buildable, In City Limits, Level, Room For Pool, Street Lights, Street Paved
Additional Information
Listing Details
3480 Bayou Sound, Longboat Key (MLS® #A4215924) Property History
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purple haze
in my opinion, coachella is kind of the music event of the year. a bonus to this palm springs event is that the people watching is absolutely legendary; it's a moment when celebrities [i.e. alexa chung x beyoncé x style muse kate bosworth], music lovers, tastemakers, and everyone inbetween flock to the california desert with their style a-game. apart from the street style, it's an insane opportunity to enjoy some of the most talented performers of our generation [florence and the machine. tame impala. hozier. the xx. theweeknd. alt-j. azealia banks. vance joy. alabama shakes. drake. father john misty. st. vincent. etc] during a three day musical sprint.
it probably goes without saying that choosing my coachella festival-wear was half of the fun || this purple playsuit, headband, birkenstock pairing proved to be exactly what i needed for the first day filled with sun + good vibes [sidebar > be sure to check out st. vincent's lavender hair + a killer voice, what more do you need?]
shop the look:: sunnies, le specs via lola // playsuit, vintage, via grey dog // sandals, birkenstock // photo credit, mgb photo


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I am off to bed and a good night's rest before hitting the ground running tomorrow. Enjoy the photos!
|Mr Wazoo's work
|Mr Wazoo again
|still Mr Wazoo!!
|Yup...the Mr.
|AHA!! After three days...MRS. Wazoo did this!
|corner motif
|fill and bubble elements
|background and border treatments
|Back to Mr Wazoo. Nice one!
|Mrs Wazoo got to do this beauty
|bit of a close-up
|Mrs Wazoo again. I love this quilt; so happy!
|all sorts of fun
|more happy fun
|happy snowmen
|pretty block
|Mr Wazoo did this bed runner
|ha ha! Mrs Wazoo had fun doing this aquarium and hungry cat quilt.
|one of the fishies
|hidden schools of fish in the quilting
|Mr Wazoo made this customer very happy
|nice pattern!
|another Carole's quilts creation
|quilted by Mrs. Wazoo. ( it was really a tough one...)


text:
An employee of a Westbrook, Maine, pharmacy has been taken to the hospital with critical injuries after a car plowed through the glass front of the store.
Authorities say an 84-year-old man trying to pull into a parking spot apparently hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes and went crashing through the glass front of the Rite Aid store at about noon Sunday, coming to rest against the checkout counter.
A worker, identified by police as 66-year-old Sharla Cummings, was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
The driver and his wife, both of Gorham, were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.
Meanwhile, the store sustained no structural damage and is expected to reopen Monday.


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Seasons With Chorale: 3
Season Joined: 2014-15
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
MM from University of Missouri, Kansas City
BM from California State University, Long Beach
Aspen Music Festival and School (Aspen Opera Theater Company 2013)
Where else do you teach/gig/conduct/sing/perform?
LA Opera Chorus
Guest appearances:
"Dreams of a New World" by Ellen Reid world premiere
Musetta in Scenes from La Boheme Concert with Pasadena Opera Guild
A Wrinkle in Time
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Chamber Symphony by Joseph Kern performed by the Midwest Chamber Ensemble
Favorite choral work(s):
Brahms Requiem
Carmina Burana
In Terra Pax (Gerald Fenzi)
Missa Solemnis (Beethoven)
A defining moment of favorite LA Master Chorale onstage experience:
Big Sing California was one of the most defining moments I have had with the Master Chorale. There is nothing like singing with over 2,000 people at every level of life, skill and musicianship. It was so pure and magical and I think I enjoyed this concert just as much as, if not more than, the audience participants!
What are you listening to these days?
Um, everything...I pretty much love any classics from the 50's, 60's and 70's. My playlist of current artists are Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, Haitus Kaiote, the Internet, Goldlink, Kaytranada, Nicky Davey, A Tribe Called Quest, Jose James, QTip, Disclosure, Takuya, Incognito, Mark Ronson ...the list goes on and I'm omitting a lot
What L.A. experience do you consider essential for visitors/newcomers?
El Matador Beach in Malibu
The Getty Museum and Getty Villa
The Hollywood Bowl
Disney Concert Hall (to hear the LA Master Choral)
Santa Monica Farmer's Market
Donut Friend


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Color Names In Korean (Free e-book)
How many color names can you think of right now? If you are not happy with the number now, we can help you increase that through this free e-book!
Learn some basic Korean color names with this e-book today!
Reviews by our customers
The following section is for leaving reviews about the product. If you have a question about any of our books, e-books or audiobooks, you can get a much faster response by sending us an e-mail at email@example.com or sending us a tweet at @ttmik. Thank you!


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Maja Dujlović arrived in Komunikacijski laboratorij event management section as an event executive. She gained previous professional experience in event management, public relations, marketing and social media working with clients such as Google, Nike and Mars in Projektil agency.
She is a member of project team in Hrvatsko društvo nezavisnih profesionalaca and Coworking Croatia program and is also a member of Rotaract club Zagreb Center where she was a president for a year. She is actively keeping up with trends in public relations and marketing so she took part in various lectures, seminars and workshops on Weekend Media Festival, Communication Days, Design Week as well as on marketing academy "How to Wow" organised by HURA. She participated as a volunteer on numerous music and movie festivals in the region which eventually led to engagement on marketing conferences. Also, Maja Dujlović is a triple winner on student competitions in creating marketing campaigns.
"Over several years of working in an agency, organising events and managing projects highlighted as a part of public relations which I do with pleasure. I believe that I will fit perfectly in creative team of event – masters in the agency Komunikacijski laboratorij and create impressive events that will delight clients as well as guests", said Maja.
With 2016, Komunikacijski laboratorij focused on additional developing and expanding event management section. In the previous years agency accomplished some of the most attractive and most demanding events in Croatia. Fifteen years of Nova TV, 300 years of Martel cognac and ten years of Erste insurance are only some of the events realized in 2015. By investing in event management section, Abrakadabra will be prepared to give even better service to its wide portfolio of clients.


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About Us
Established in 1982 by the Yates Seeds Group as a vegetable seedling nursery, Narromine Transplants commenced the production of forestry seedlings in 1992, following a management buyout of the Yates operation.
Since then the nursery has converted to pure forestry, and has expanded to become one of the largest containerised tree seedling growers in Australia, on a site consisting of over 61 hectares, with the capacity to supply 18 million tree seedlings annually.
Narromine Transplants is also a leader in clonal forestry for temperate and sub-tropical regions, producing selected single species and hybrid Eucalypts from cuttings.
The workforce of the combined seedling and clonal operation involves 14 full time staff and as many as 35 casual staff, during the peak of the season. The original manager, David Cliffe and his family now wholly own the nursery.
Narromine Transplants is accredited under the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia's Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia (NIASA). This accreditation is our clients' guarantee of best practice in crop management, crop hygiene, water management and general site maintenance.
Narromine Transplants has always been innovative in its approach to producing the best quality planting material available.
Our innovations include:
- Introducing Speedling® trays into Australia from South Africa specifically for use in forestry.
- Adopting the Hiko V93, 40 cell forestry seedling tray which has now become the de facto standard for most Australian forestry companies.
- Producing the first containerised forestry seedlings for sale to Australian Forest Industries at Myrtleford, Victoria in 1995.
- Developing a system using sophisticated sowing machinery along with the use of 512 cell plug cells, to ensure high rates of germination and seedling uniformity.
- Developing techniques for the successful propagation of clonal material - our technique is unique worldwide, and has set the standards for clonal forestry production in Australia.
- Developing clonal rescue techniques for commercial forestry for the rescue and creation of new clones from the field.
- Use of mechanical transplanters to reduce our seasonal workforce and cost to clients.
- Developing seed treatment techniquies to ensure standardised germination periods.
Key Staff
- David Cliffe, Managing Director
- Alex Cliffe, Operations Manager
David Cliffe, Managing Director
David Cliffe has been involved in horticulture for 35 years within the seed and nursery industry.
For twenty years, David worked for the Yates Seed Group, as a field officer and parent seed production manager at Griffith, Dubbo, Narromine, Ayr and the Ord River, then as Farm Manager of the Dubbo and Narromine research stations. The amalgamation of two of Yates Seeds research stations into a single entity at Narromine and the first manager of that station. In 1988, he left Yates to work as General Manager of Australian Plantations, Australia's first large scale Tea Tree plantation, based at Lismore NSW. Following this he spent a brief period as manager at Lockyer Seedling Producers before returning to Narromine as managing director and owner of Narromine Transplants in 1992.
In 2002 the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia gave David an Award of Honour, followed in 2004 by Life Membership. He was also bestowed with an Award of Honour by the International Plant Propagators Society in 2006.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Alex Cliffe, Operations Manager
Alex Cliffe joined Narromine Transplants in 2007. His role is to manage seedling and vegetative propagation operations and logistics.
Email: email@example.com


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Johnson Development Associates Inc. is building a multimillion-dollar gated complex on Shoals Road near Highway 290.
The 232-unit project named Haven at River Falls will contain upscale apartments and amenities, including a resort-style pool with an interactive fountain, a cabana adjacent to the pool, a nature trail, garages and a mail kiosk.
"Each time we build a new complex we try to improve," said Ben Graves with Johnson Development. "The Haven at River Falls will be the nicest luxury apartments we have ever built in Spartanburg."
Johnson Development has about 1,200 units in Spartanburg through its four apartment complexes; The Haven at Berry Shoals, The Haven at Boiling Springs, The Haven at Oak Forest and The Haven at North Town.
The 240,000-square-foot River Falls complex will add nine apartment buildings to The Haven lineup.
The 232 units break down into 78 one-bedroom apartments, 24 one-bedrooms with a den, 104 two-bedrooms, and 26 three-bedrooms.
Graves said the new units would be reasonably priced and even the most expensive apartments would cost only $30 to $50 more than its units at The Haven in Boiling Springs.
The Boiling Springs apartments are priced at $651 for a one-bedroom, $751 for a two-bedroom and $859 for a three-bedroom.
"Our target market is the young professionals, students or folks in housing transition," he said.
The Haven at River Falls is located about three miles from I-85 and 10 miles from Highway 101, which is the main road that leads into BMW Manufacturing Co.
It lies in close proximity to several companies in Spartanburg such as Echostar, D.A.A. Draxelmaier Automotive and Cryovac.
"We are very pleased that significant employment growth in Spartanburg such as the expansion of BMW, Adidas and EchoStar, make it possible for Johnson Development to make an additional investment in Spartanburg by building luxury apartments," said A. Foster Chapman, president and CEO of Johnson Development.
The apartments are also close to colleges and schools, including Spartanburg Community College's Middle Tyger campus, Florence Chapel Middle School and Byrnes High School.
"There is a prolific amount of growth going on in that area," said Carter Smith, president and CEO of the Spartanburg County Economic Development Corp.
Johnson Development's competition will be a 216-unit apartment complex built by the Georgia-based development company Meridian Housing, LLC at Meridian River Run on Reidville Road, which will only be about two miles away.
"Johnson Development will be our biggest competitor," said Don Henson, representative for Meridian Housing. "But we think Spartanburg's growth in the area warrants the housing ramp up."
For more information about The Haven at River Falls, visit: www.johnsondevelopment.net.
Trevor Anderson can be reached at 562-7270 or


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The A.I. Chronicles are here!
Yet another entry in The Future Chronicles series is available for preorder now and will be delivered on March 13th. I have a brand new short story in this one… A Piece of Cake. Sort of a satirical look at a future.
I have read several other stories in this anthology and so far each one is fantastic. Order The A.I. Chronicles now!


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Growth Spurts VS Resistance/
According the the Borg. It is futile.
And as any hard core Trekkie knows, this is not true. At least not for Captain Jean Luc Picard and crew.
For the rest of us, the reality is that resistance is literally futile. It is pointless. Is does not serve us. It keeps us from our dreams. It is the nasty voice in our head that speaks over everything else and says, "You suck, why bother, someone else already did that and did it better than you ever could."
Steven Pressfield calls Resistance "an impartial force of nature, like gravity or the laws of thermodynamics." It's not OUR voice speaking to us, it is not self-talk, it is Resistance talking. And Resistance is a totally indifferent asshole and is completely full of shit!
Something else....
The magnitude of Resistance we feel is directly proportional to the size of our Dreams/Goals/Evolution of our Soul.
I have BIG dreams and goals right now. And the resistance that I am currently feeling is ALL-CONSUMING. It's involuntarily tear-inducing, terrifyingly paralyzing, curl-up-in-a-ball-in-the-corner-and-rock-back-and-forth, MAMMOTH-sized, capital R, Resistance.
And speaking of dreams, I've had some doozies this week. Apparently this might have something to do with the intense solar flares and storms happening on the sun at this time (and the reason we are seeing such amazing auroras for the past few weeks).
In one of my dreams a few nights ago, two of my writing SHE-roes were with me and we were all at a book tour event. I was in a room with Jenny Lawson (@thebloggess) and Heather Armstrong (@dooce) and one of us was about to go out to do a reading. Practical/awake me says that of course it was one of them - Jenny is currently on a book tour and I keep seeing all her photos and updates online - but dreamer me thinks that maybe it was me, and they were my cheering squad. (Talk about #squadgoals!) Could it be that my dreams are sending me a message through two women who I KNOW have struggled through and written about their own epic levels of resistance?
In the Seen and Heard In Edmonton podcast a few weeks ago, Karen Unland and I talked all about blogging and what is next for "The Stay at Home Feminist". I told her how I feel like I am in a transition phase with my writing. With Karen I spoke more about where I want my writing to go, but the truth is that this transition is not so much about where my writing will end up, but about how and why my writing has to grow.
And growing up is hard.
Growth spurts are never graceful or easy. Have you seen a baby or toddler going through one? They fall down all the time, they are fussy as hell, they cry constantly, their sleep patterns are all messed up and NO ONE in the family is happy! The exact same thing happens to teenagers and apparently, to 40-something writers as well.
This is hard for me to write...
For the past few years I have prided myself on being a "voice of reason" in the sea of noise on the internet. I've been the moderate. The more-chewy-than-crunchy mama, the not-too-far-left leftist, the small f-feminist, the advocate-not the activist. I've been wading into the shallow end of issues, but only so far that I can still stand on my tippy-toes and keep my head out of the murky waters. The harsh truth is that I've been steeping myself in mediocrity, because I thought this is what would make everyone happy, including myself. I was wrong.
I am not happy like this.
I made a decision last night. And my stomach clenches and I start to cry just thinking about it, it terrifies me that much (Hellooooo Resistance!). As it turns out, mediocrity is not serving me as well as I thought it would. It is not the example of living that I espouse online or that I want to show my children and yet, it is what I am doing. And it is an option. I could go on like this. I could keep on talking the talk, and just barely walking the walk. Or I could just shut up, stand up, and WALK. Be terrified, bawl my eyes out, and still put one foot in front of the other and will myself to live my dreams.
Fear never goes away. Resistance never sleeps. We have to wake up and fight the battle against it every day.
So fight I will.
Every fucking day.
In the best way I know how.
With my voice.
The one that somehow got lost in the shallow end.
Excuse me while I dive down headfirst, ruin my make up and hair, and get it back.


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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Crammed with percussion-heavy stompers like the utterly astounding "Black Rite" and the splendid "Moon Goddess", Mandingo's The Primeval Rhythm of Life comes over like a top class KPM best of.
Recorded in the mid-'70s, using state of the art analogue equipment and techniques, this album was very highly regarded by Hi-Fi buffs world wide for its clarity, dynamics, sonic response and broad stereo spectrum. A groundbreaking mix of exotica, Afro Funk, and electric 70s production, this was Mandingo's first album of savage jungle electronics and the record's a landmark from the Brit easy scene, but it's also got an amazing Funky sound that sets it apart from anything else like it. There's heavy percussion, weird electronics, fuzzy guitars -- and incredible production throughout.
Posted by DUSTY NUGGETS | CLARENCE DUFFY | BEEF WELLINGTON at 1:02 PM
1 comment:
Is there a download somewhere here?
- June 16, 2010 at 9:23 PM
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text: Hello community! I've been working on a proposal for Google Summer of Code 2010 to work on improving Cabal's test support, as described on the Haskell SoC Trac [1]. Today I'm looking for feedback to see if what I intend is what people want/need. As you read this, I kindly ask that you consider: 1) Would you use the facility I describe, were it available? and 2) What additional features would you like to see? There have been two separate suggestions (of which I am aware) of ways to integrate tests into Cabal. One is to build the tests into their own executable which uses an error code on exit to indicate test failure. The second is to have package authors write modules which Cabal will load (dynamically?) and run the tests from. The former method has the advantage of being simpler to implement, but is probably too granular. Although the second suggestion avoids some security concerns, it seems to me that a malicious party could simply put nefarious code into their Setup.hs file anyway, or even in the library being tested. I propose to build a test suite as its own executable, but to avoid the problem of granularity by producing an output file detailing the success or failure of individual tests and any relevant error messages. The format of the file would be standardized through library routines I propose to write; these routines would run tests with HUnit or QuickCheck and process them into a common format. Cabal, or any other utility, could read this file to determine the state of the test suite. Perhaps Cabal could even warn the user about installing packages with failing tests. Under this proposal, a test suite would look something like this (suppose I am writing a test suite for a module Foo, which has an existing test suite in QuickCheck): > module Main where > > import Foo > import Test.QuickCheck > import Distribution.Test -- This module is part of the project I propose > > main = runTests > [ ("testBar", wrap $ testBar), ("testBaz", wrap $ testBaz) ] -- (name, test) 'runTests' and 'wrap' would be provided by 'Distribution.Test'. 'wrap' would standardize the output of test routines. For QuickCheck tests, it would probably look like: > wrap :: Testable a => a -> IO (Bool, String) where the Bool indicates success and the String can be an error message the test produced. 'runTests' would take the list of tests, format their results, and write the output to a file: > runTests :: [(String, IO (Bool, String))] -> IO () I would probably gather the test results into a value of type '[(String, Bool, String)]' -- the name, status, and messages associated with each test -- and use 'show' to produce a nice, human-readable, machine-parsable file. The test suite would be included in the package description file with a stanza such as: > Test > main-is: Test.hs > build-depends: foo, QuickCheck, Cabal This would take all the same options as an 'Executable' stanza, but would tell Cabal to run this executable when './Setup test' is invoked. This of course requires Cabal to support building executables that depend on the library in the same package. Since version 1.8, Cabal supposedly supports this, but my experiments indicate the support is a little broken. (GHC is invoked with the '-package-id' option, but Cabal only gives it the package name. Fixing this would naturally be on the agenda for this project.) At this point, the package author need only run: $ ./Setup configure $ ./Setup build $ ./Setup test to produce a file detailing the results of the test suite. I apologize for taking up your time with a such a lengthy message, and eagerly await your feedback! Thanks! -- Thomas Tuegel [1] http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/summer-of-code/ticket/1581


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wow! it seems like forever ago that we were in snowy, wonderful, and very food-filled chicago. but it was only 3 weeks ago, & i am dying to tell you all about it! the best vacations are the ones where there's not a huge agenda or a ton of pressure. and that's exactly what the weekend was all about.we stayed the first couple of nights with evan's dear friend, joie, & her new husband, todd. she is a fellow blogger, music devotee, & supreme fashionista. he is an extremely talented musician and one of the most genuinely nice guys i've ever met. they both have that great combination of being super fun and laid-back at the same time.
we started the weekend right as i had reservations at boka, one of the few restaurants in chicago to get a coveted michelin star. very cool that just a few weeks before the trip we found out that chicago was being awarded an extremely rare and special food title: one of only 3 cities in america to be michelin star rated! right now only nyc, san fran, and (now) chicago are rated in the united states. pretty good timing for us, right?!
we arrived at boka exactly on time and full of anticipation. the atmosphere is really sleek and intimate with large white sheets billowing from the ceiling. they set us in a corner booth and explained we could do either the tasting menu (there were 3 to choose from, depending on how many courses) or order from the menu. tough choice! we opted to not do the tasting menu (which i usually do) because we were all in the mood for something specific, plus the appetizer list had two of our favorite things: beef carpaccio and baby octupus! if we'd gotten the tasting menu we couldn't be guaranteed those tasty morsels would make the cut.
i think we made the right choice as the kitchen was super nice and split the appetizers up for us (which made it seem like we were getting more bang for our buck). the angus carpaccio was silky smooth and super tasty with a parmesan foam and these yummy blue potato french fries. the baby octupus (which is just funny to say) was tender and flaky accompanied by an awesome eel terrine and arugula purée.
dinner was a tasty medly: e getting the veal cheeks; todd, the rack of lamb; joie, the scallops; and me, the duck ragu. i tasted everyone's dish and thought they were all really great. especially e's braised veal cheeks with crispy sweetbreads and creamy grits. it sounds heavy but really wasn't. just full of flavor and spot on texturally. mine was divine: a homemade bigoli with duck ragu and aged parmesan. the bigoli (a long spaghetti with a hole in the center, originating from venice, similar to bucatini, which is a bit more popular) was perfectly al dente. the duck ragu was fork tender and had a slight sweetness. i dream of having this dish again. i love homemade pasta & in fact got a pasta attachment for my mixer from e for christmas. it's on the top of my long list of food goals to conquer in 2011!
dessert was wonderful. we actually wanted to do the dessert tasting but were already stuffed and didn't think it would be wise. the waitress (who actually used to live and work at one of our favorite places to taste wine in dallas and whose boyfriend worked at one of my favorite restaurants) overheard we were celebrating a birthday and surprised us with the peanut butter, bavarian cream, & frozen salted caramel dessert. omg. the sweetness of the cream and peanut butter combined with the saltiness of the caramel was off the charts. we seriously could not believe how tasty & unique it was.
on a drink note we had a nice merlot blend with dinner, something that could go with our varied menu choices from fish to veal to duck. but the highlight there was really the cocktail menu. there's the usual list of specialty cocktails, but at the bottom is a "design your own drink" option with only 2 requirements: type of liquor and flavor profile—the talented bartender takes your choices & runs with it (i've never seen it anywhere and would love for someone in dallas to "borrow" it so i could try it more often). i went with gin & spicy, e chose gin & bitter, while joie surprised us by picking tequila & sour. they were all very different in appearance and taste, and we all liked our own the best. and even though we were told what was in each glass, the drinks can never really be re-created, and isn't that the sign of a truly great experience?!