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I walk with no skip in my step, my head hangs a low, my eyes are dull and lifeless, I can barely muster a half-smile... The FIFA World Cup 2014 has ended. *sigh************* And stupid Germany won. Whatever, they kicked butt and were a very strong, well organized, and disciplined team. Part of me feels like Germany shouldn't be allowed to win anything for at least a few more centuries. I guess they have to prove they can win World Cups since they can't win World Wars. BOOM!
I'm in mourning.
For the better part of four years I waited for World Cup 2014 Brazil. I talked about it with every foreigner I encountered(lets face it, Americans don't know shit), I dreamed of going to Brazil for the event, and a few months prior I began counting down the days. I was pre-obsessed in preparation for the true obsession that I knew would take over once the matches began.
Out of the 64 matches, I think I missed two or three. Sure a lot of them I wasn't able to fully watch, but you better believe they were on the televisions at work. I spent two weeks of absolutely gorgeous summer days indoors, watching three games in a row during group stage. In fact when group stage was over and there was a day off, it was strange, I felt lost.
From the beginning I found myself very emotionally connected to the Colombian team; to this day and for the rest of my life, I will feel emotionally connected to Colombia. In a country so conflicted as Colombia, soccer is the one thing they all agree on. The Colombian team went further in the tournament than ever before and one of their young players received the honor of the Golden Boot, having scored the most goals of any individual player in the tournament. Not bad for a team that went out in quarter-finals. I cried when Colombia scored their first goal and I cried when they exited the tournament, heads held high.
Another team I ached to see do well was, of course, the formidable and famous footballers of Brazil. Who wouldn't want to see the home team win a World Cup?!? But destiny had other plans and Brazil exited the tournament with their worst loss ever. The 7-1 lashing by the Germans was the only game I deliberately turned off. Some things are too painful to watch, and being able to literally watch dreams of players and fans alike be crushed in such a ruthless manner was rough. It was one of those moments that made me very glad I had chosen to not go to Brazil for the tournament.
As the knockout rounds left fewer and fewer teams, my obsession with each team, each game grew that much stronger. With fewer teams and games to enjoy, I found myself practically talking to strangers about the tournament. In the final I was able to watch Argentina, another team I was pulling for, but they couldn't hang on long enough and lost to Germany to accept second place. And then the mourning began.
I'm not sad that Germany won(sort of not sad), I'm not sad about any one thing in particular. I'm just sad that it's over. The anticipation, the excitement, the anxiety of extra time and penalty kicks, the needless obsessing, the Uruguayan biting, the players' goal celebrations, the face painting, the Spanish speaking announcers screaming "Gooooooooooooool!", the emotion, the love, the beautiful game. *sigh, again*
I feel like a part of me is gone. I find myself scouring YouTube and fifa.com for videos, interviews, articles. I even was on Wikipedia looking up historical facts about the tournament and current player statistics. It's not the same, but hopefully it can ease the pain of withdrawal. Even while writing this, I went back and forth to YouTube at least six times to watch goal scoring videos and player interviews...
I will get through this hard time in my life. It hopefully won't take too long to recover from Post-World-Cup Depression, or as I call it PWCD. The countdown to Russia 2018 begins today.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
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If you wish to yield your cogent added to some abode appropriate but don't accept a lot of money, don't worry: there are a array of bargain vacation bales for two to accept from. You can absorb a few canicule calm at a nice resort or cruise berth after elimination your savings.
Here is a adviser to some of the atomic big-ticket vacation destinations for two:
Savannah, GA
Savannah is a actual romantic, absorbing atom in the south. It's a acceptable mix of the old and the new, and offers affordable accommodation, restaurants, and fun activities. There are about 100 hotels for you to accept from, abounding of which accept ante beneath $100 per night.
St. Petersburg, FL
Just west of Tampa, this beachfront boondocks is a allotment of the cheapest vacations for couples. It's absorbing and baby abundant to airing around, so you ability not accept to absorb money on a rental car. Head forth the city's Central Avenue to acquisition dozens of aged shops, book sellers, restaurants, and more.
Las Vegas, NV
Vegas is apparently the a lot of affordable of all of the top day-tripper spots in the US. The resorts and hotels are able to accumulate the ante actual low back they accomplish a lot of of their money through casinos and entertainment. Of course, the cruise will alone be affordable just as continued as you don't absorb too abundant money on gambling. There are affluence of adventuresome things to do, from administration a kiss at the Bellagio Fountains to accepting affiliated at the Graceland Wedding Chapel.
Sedona, AZ
Often referred to as one of North America's a lot of admirable places, Sedona offers bargain vacation bales for two. In accession to the red rocks and attractive scenery, you'll aswell acquisition different spas, hundreds of hiking trails, a array of bargain inns and lodges, and a accomplished lot more.
Riviera Maya, Mexico
There are affluence of bargain ocean-view suites, three bedchamber penthouses, and all-embracing resorts amid in the Riviera Maya. Your break can be as adequate or as adventuresome as you wish it to be, as there are a array of activities from adequate at a yoga retreat to exploring age-old ruins.
Athens, Greece
If you're searching for bargain vacation bales for two in Europe, let Athens be your destination. It's a Pinnacle of Western Civilization and abounding to the border with iconic architect like the Acropolis and Parthenon. Just as continued as you don't go in the summer, as it is aiguille day-tripper season. During the blow of the year, prices and airfare are bargain for the a lot of part. There is affluence of live, chargeless ball throughout the city.
Whether you wish to go on vacation next ages or next year, you can consistently calculation on online discounts to advice you save the a lot of money. Just attending over all of the cheap vacation bales for two to acquisition out what affectionate of deals are available.
– Casino Near Me

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Marketing Rocket, often referred to on this site as MR. This tool to doesn't just allow you to quickly create and manage your Landing Pages, but it is also provides an auto-responder, it can manage your entire marketing funnel and automate a large portion of your business.
We are really excited to show you what Marketing Rocket can do for your business. If you see any gaps in this documentation or something that is not explained well then please let us know and we will update the documentation in due course. It is currently in the process of a totally re-write, yes it is being done over time.
To maximise you sales funnel and the use of this versatile tool please subscribe to our blog.
If you have any specific support enquiries or experience any issues please raise a support ticket by logging in with your email address and password, then select the 'Support' menu item, and the 'Support Request' option.
The overview video will give you a quick overview of some of Marketing Rockets Features, and point you in the right direction to get started. Marketing Rocket excels at creating beginner to advanced high converting Automated Sales Funnels. The 5 Core features include:
* Note: Marketing Rocket is in a huge growth period, and the information you find in this video is subject to change at any time. We will do our best during this time to keep the videos and documentation as up to date as possible.
Marketing Rocket is an all in one sales automation tool for business owners and marketing consultants.
5 Core Features:
Campaign Wizard - Create complex and highly successful marketing campaigns easily. Our Campaign 'Wizard' has been designed to deploy entire marketing campaigns with just a few minutes. So far it has been the most talked about feature of our amazing software.
Landing Page Creator - to create beautiful mobile responsive Landing Pages in just minutes, using our custom drag and drop editor. This gives you near unlimited flexibility in your designs, along with adding opt-in forms and setting certain events to trigger when the leads submits their details.
E-mail Auto-responders- Create auto E-mail responders that will fire off when actions are taken on you Landing Pages. Our SparkPost integration provides Marketing Rocket users with the deliverability and scaleability and the speed of SparkPosts E-mail delivery platform free of charge. We chose to integrate with SparkPost because it is a world leader in mail delivery systems and serves around 25% of all legitimate E-mails sent today. They boast an impressive array of customers, such as Facebook, Paypal, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Groupon, Twitter, Comcast, Salesforce, Oracle, Zillow and many more. Due to our partnership with SparkPost Marketing Rocket users can send to up to 10,000 free E-mails per month. We have also secured exclusive pricing only available to Marketing Rocket users, giving you unprecedented access to enterprise grade email delivery without the price tag.
Lead Management - Our light CRM function allows you to see all the data a lead has submitted to you on forms have you added in Marketing Rocket. You can also add notes to a lead, see their progress in campaigns and also tag them in order to track progress and set them on new paths in other relevant campaigns.
API integrations - - SparkPost (includes 10,000 free emails per month), Mandrill, Mailchimp, Google Hangouts, PayPal, VirtueMart, Hikashop, Akeeba Subscriptions, Membership Pro and more.
Next - Installation


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Twisted Throttle set to rock Madison's on Saturday
Twisted Throttle has carved a unique rock niche in Southeast Texas. After debuting in January of 2018, vocalist Mindy Bell and bandmates Aaron Williams (guitar), Ben Sanders (bass) and Nathan Currie (drums) have generated plenty of regional buzz in a competitive industry.
Live music fans can check them out on Saturday, March 2, at Madison's on Dowlen at 9 p.m.
Expect to hear catchy originals like "How You Like Me Now" as well as arena-rock covers from Boston, Kansas, Heart, Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.
"Our philosophy is to bring a full-on rock show to any event or festival we're performing at," said Bell. "No two shows are exactly the same. We want to give the fans an exciting, fun experience that they can't get anywhere else." Bell, who possesses powerful vocals, said music has always been a passion.
"One of my biggest inspirations is the reaction we get, and the people around me, have to our music — whether it's my family, friends or a group of fans at our shows. I love seeing how much they're enjoying the music, and how it the songs take a different meaning for each of them."
For ticket information, call (409) 924-9777.
Chad Cooper is the Entertainment Editor. Email at cooper [at] theexaminer [dot] com.


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The World of Everything that Grows.
Roses leave you speechless as they softly whisper to the hummingbirds at dawn in a 'Pumpkin Patch' of caramel orange roses that fade to lavender this Wordless Wednesday.
'Easy Does It' | 'Hot Cocoa' | 'Julia Child' In A 'Pumpkin Patch' | of Roses
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Mogo makes mice and Bluetooth headsets for notebooks that have one thing in common; they all dock inside of the PC Card slot for charging and storage. Mogo has announced a new mouse for netbooks that is a bit different. The small design of netbooks means most of them lack a slot large enough for the typical Mogo mouse.
The new Mogo Mouse for Netbooks includes a cradle that sticks to the front of the netbook and is only 5mm thick. The mouse connects to the netbook via Bluetooth and sells for $99. The mouse works with XP, Vista, and Mac computers and uses Bluetooth 2.0.
The mouse has a wireless range of 800 DPI and measures 3.1" x 2.125" x 0.2" and weighs 14 grams. The mouse is rechargeable and will run for 8 to 10 hours on a single charge. A full charge for the mouse takes 30 minutes.


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Supreme Hygro Towels
Renaissance Towels
Christy Bath Rug
Supreme Velour Robes
Chunky Knit Throw
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• Rustica• Made with 200 thread count • 100% Cotton • Vintage crochet trim • Made in Portugal • For size dimensions, see specifications tab
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Free Delivery on orders over £30 and Free Returns using CollectPlus.
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With this product, you earn up to 4790 loyalty point(s).
Featuring one of our most exquisite trims, the exclusive Rustica bed linen provides a modern twist on a timeless classic. Quintessentially British to look at, this set will fit perfectly alongside other vintage furnishings. The intricate crotchet trim certainly draws the eye. Made from 100% cotton with a 200 thread count, this crisp white bed linen is beautifully sumptuous with a stone washed construction for a relaxed look.
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In an increasingly commoditized and competitive marketplace, financial institutions are battling to stay top of mind and retain primacy. (See our whitepaper on that here.) As a result they are determining how they can best compete through a range of product, price and service.
According to the value disciplines model there is an inherent trade-off between these three areas of competition. Few organizations have managed to become market leaders by focusing on all three. The ones that have been successful have focused in one area while having a secondary focus on the other.
According to Deloitte, in terms of how this specifically relates to financial services, the three areas are:
1) Operational Excellence: Focuses on reducing costs and improving efficiency. This translates into a 'price-led' or 'value-for-money' strategy.
2) Product Leadership: Focuses on product innovation or speed to market. This can be offering differentiated products or being first to market with technological advancements. This translates into a 'value based' strategy, advocating a specific ideology or set of principles.
3) Customer Experience: Focuses on customer centricity and putting the customer first. It is a 'service-led' approach which aims to increase the value of existing customers through cross and up-sales.
Note: This post was inspired by our interview with Augie Ray, a customer experience professional at a F100 financial institution
For the purpose of this post we will focus on customer experience.
The Current State of Customer Experience in Financial Services
Across every consumer-facing vertical, including financial services, customer experience is high on the C-Suite's agenda. PWC found that 90% of US CEOs are strengthening their customer and client engagement programs. Unfortunately these customer experience programs have failed to live up to expectations to date though.
Forrester found that only 25% of CX professionals say their companies' CX programs actually improve customer experience, and Avaya recently published a study indicating that 81% of organizations have seen their Customer Experience Management (CXM) initiatives fail in the last three years.
While a lot of customer experience programs haven't lived up to expectations, there is a lot of opportunity with a strategy focused on customer experience. Ernst & Young found that the top three reasons account holders opened or closed financial accounts in the past 12 months were their experience, rates/fees, and the convenience of having everything in one place.
Why Customer Advocacy and Trust Are the Key Priorities
As we discussed in our UX webinar, consumers are becoming more and more demanding. As a result, their overall experience is becoming much more of a priority for them. According to a study by the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, 80% of U.S. consumers would pay more for a product or service to ensure a superior customer experience.
We all know that putting the account holder first leads to higher satisfaction, greater retention, reduced churn rate, more cross-sell opportunities and more word-of-mouth recommendations. According to the Emmet and Mark Murphy in Leading on the Edge of Chaos, reducing your customer defection rate by 5% can increase your profitability by 25 to 125%.
On the flip-side, as it is become harder and harder to differentiate between different financial institutions, according to Infosys financial institutions need to "look beyond their traditional goals- like driving customer satisfaction, customer revenue, and customer retention. Instead, they must focus their energy on winning customer advocacy."
Advocacy is incredibly important because according to Ernst and Young, "it not only drives referrals but it also dictates the amount of business customers are placing with their PFSP." As Ernst and Young's diagram below demonstrates, in order to achieve high levels of advocacy there has to be complete trust.
As you can see, the difference between minimal, moderate and complete trust is significant. While minimal trust only generates a 3% chance that account holders are very likely to recommend their financial institution, moderate trust causes a 20% likelihood and complete trust leads to a 68% likelihood.
Trust and Advocacy Leads to Increased Share of Wallet
Trust and advocacy becomes very important because they make account holders more engaged. According to Emilio Cristobal from Santander Bank U.S on our recent webinar, "engaged customers are 37% more profitable." More trust, advocacy and engagement also makes your institution more likely to become the primary financial institution. See the chart below from PWC, which shows how much more likely consumers are to buy other products from you — if you are their primary financial institution.
For more on becoming the battle to become the primary financial institution, check out our whitepaper here.
Why Most Financial Institutions Are Thinking About Customer Experience Wrong
As mentioned earlier, this post was inspired by our interview with Augie Ray, a leading customer experience professional from a F100 financial services firm. He believes, "The problem is that most companies view customer experience as a program and not a purpose — something to be assigned to a couple of employees while the rest of the company goes about its business improving efficiency, acquisition and margins. Most of today's CX initiatives focus on incremental change in existing processes, which limits those programs to solving the least important needs at the bottom of the pyramid (reactive)."
To read more on this, check out the full interview here.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment below!


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I have a deep fondness for jockey silks. Unlike most sporting garb, the basic jockey's uniform of jodphurs, cap and tunic has remained unchanged over time. Designed for legibility from a distance, the visual code of stripes, dots, hoops, sashes, crosses, chevrons and bold colors has a functional beauty that appeals to me in any media – from cigarette cards to a high definition broadcast of a triple crown race. If you squint, a snapshot of horses in the homestretch today doesn't look that different than an image from the past. What has changed, of course, is the addition of advertising on the trousers and the use of more closely fitting, synthetic fabrics. In honor of the upcoming Belmont Stakes I'm reprinting these cigarette cards featuring ad free British horse racing colors from the 1930s.
Posts Tagged 'uniforms'
From the Archives: Rugby Ephemera
In honor of the World Cup, I'm reposting selections from Frederick Humbert's awesome collection of historical rugby print ephemera. Humbert's flickr catalog and blog, Rugby-Pioneers, include photographs, programs, cigarette cards, advertisements and even hand painted lantern slides of vintage rugby action. Even if you don't follow rugby as a sport, study the photographs as a guide to looking stylish in a sports uniform (blazers and wool knits in lieu of track jackets and sweats).
Archival Jackets: Mister Freedom Biribi
I'm always shopping for a jacket to complete my archival uniform. My preferred jacket possesses indoor-outdoor utility. It needs to be unlined w/open patch pockets and a high buttoning neck. Chore coats, forestry cloth cruisers and and engineer's jackets work OK from Fall through Winter. But in Spring/Summer, I want something made from a summerweight fabric like cotton poplin or linen. Last year, I experimented with Safari jackets but could not pull off the belted waist and epaulets (epaulets should just disappear for a decade).
This Spring, I'm testing a Mister Freedom Biribi linen jacket. Based on French military work garb, the Biribi is constructed of new old stock French linens and vintage hardware and trims. The Biribi is one of the few work jacket styles that are being marketed to both men and women; it comes in sizes down to a slim 34. If you are interested in the jacket, email the helpful folks at Mister Freedom to check on availability.
Here are some catch and release snaps.
Here is Jing's report on her striped Biribi jacket (via Hands on with X).
From the Archives: Women War Workers
The U.S. National Archives just released these terrific photos of female war workers from WW II. The images are part of NARA's Women in WW II series. Original captions are included below.
U.S. Army nurses, newly arrived, line the rail of their vessel as it pulls into port of Greenock, Scotland, in European Theater of Operations.
Women man America's machines in a west coast airplane factory, where the swing shift of drill press operators is composed almost entirely of women., 05/1942
Auxiliaries Ruth Wade and Lucille Mayo (left to right) further demonstrate their ability to service trucks as taught them during the processing period at Fort Des Moines and put into practice at Fort Huachuca, Arizona., 12/08/1942
With the grade and dexterity of a master dressmaker, this young woman fabricates "pup" tents for the expanding war army at the Langdon Tent & Awning Company., ca. 06/1941
Building assault boats for U.S. Marine Corps. by women workers., ca. 12/1941
Training in marksmanship helps girls at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, Calif., develop into responsible women. Part of Victory Corps activities there, rifle practice encourages girls to be accurate in handling firearms., 08/1942
Shopping from the Past: Athletic Equipment
Archival Football Uniforms
All images courtesy Library of Congress' Flickr Photostream.
Shopping from Powell and Pressburger
by Lesli Larson
A Canterbury Tale (Powell and Pressburger 1944) provides us with evidence that heritage clothing for women is not an impossibility. In a recent post to Valet, a 23 year old woman inquired about how she could wear "peacoats, slim pants, loafers, etc. without looking too boyish? Any brands you would recommend?" In response, Valet offered three suggestions: Boy. Band of Outsiders, Black Fleece and JCREW. Though a good start, we'd prefer to shop from smaller labels like Nigel Cabourn, Mister Freedom, Our Legacy, Opening Ceremony, Gitman Bros. and SNS Herning. Unfortunately, none of these brands offer collections for women (Engineered Garment's ephemeral FWK line has yet to migrate West). Further, Valet advises "to mix in those boyish pieces with light touches of feminine charm." If the reader had emailed Archival Clothing, I would have suggested she model her wardrobe after the Land Army Girl, Miss Alison Smith, from A Canterbury Tale. Note Miss Smith's smart uniform of knee length woolen stockings, wide leather belt, brogues, sweater, plaid scarf and corduroy breeches.
Archival Airedales
Heritage military uniforms for women
Some of these uniforms, and accessories, seem ready for re-issue by History Preservation Associates ("Linking You With the Past"). My personal favorite is the Land Army ensemble (buckets, brogues and breeks).


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Posted by Keith Rennie on December 05, 2004
In Reply to: First, do no harm posted by Ward on December 05, 2004
Spurred by Goddesses admission that she drinks only wine and not beer [Oz wine's nearly as good as South African], who can help me with the second line of this catchy lyric, the title, date, singer and where I can find the full text? It's one of these frustrating tunes that's been going round in my head, and I haven't been able to locate it: Is it Peter, Paul and Mary?
Here's the tale of a racehorse
[Da da da da da]
He never drank water
He only drank wine.


text: Depression is a topic I have wanted to speak about for a long while now. I have touched on it in my other blogs but really want to give it a different slant now that I have found, for me, the right balance. In less than a year I have turned my mental health around and I really want to write this post for all of you out there who battle with what is STILL a bit of a taboo subject. Are you stuck? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you feel like … [Read more...]


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Happy New Year guys! Hope your year started off well? As for me, I believe it has. This year I can say looks and feels so much more promising than the last. It's time for a new adventure.
So excited to start my blog up in a partnership with one of the top fashion houses in East and Central Africa – LITTLE RED. Little Red is a store that sells and deals with genuine designer brands such as Hugo Boss, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Pal Zileri, Brioni and many more reputable brands. I'll feature more about the store in upcoming blogs.
I got a chance to do a shoot in Hugo Boss Green. Hugo Boss has various collections – Hugo Boss, Boss Green, Boss Orange and Hugo. Boss Green is the more youthful collection and mainly focuses on sportswear and golf. Some of the best polo t-shirts are from Boss Green collection.
For the shoot I decided to keep it cool in blue tones. Here I'm wearing my navy Hugo Boss cap, a Hugo Green detailed polo, and a pair of aqua shorts accessorized with a white belt.
The photo shoot was done at the Karen Golf club, where LITTLE RED was sponsoring a hole for the Kongoni Tournament, which through the east African Character Development and Education Fund, aims at transforming the lives of thousands of disadvantaged young Africans through sports and education.
Photo Credits To Mavo ( +254-720-210-090 )
Instagram – Mavo_gg


text: Bandera Late Night BingoGolden Bingo Family2017-10-03T16:00:49-06:00 Bandera Late Night BingoHall Location Address: 5810 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78238 Phone: (210) 682 – 6000 Hall Information Business Hours Sunday – Thursday Doors Open at 8:30 PM Session 1: 10:50 PM Session 2: 12:05 AM Three sessions on Thursdays! Session 3: 1:15 AM VIP points Every VIP card holder gets 1 point daily for playing in our hall. 20 points can be exchanged for $1 computer coupon. Business Hours Friday – Saturday Doors Open at 9:30 PM Session 1: 11:50 PM Session 2: 1:05 AM Three sessions on Fridays! Session 3: 2:15 AM Wild Number Bingo on Sundays and Mondays! Prices Paper(1 session)$412on, 18on, 24on available Computer(1 session)$666on plays automatically PopularPackage(2 sessions)$2266 on, 2 speed bingo, 7 optionals Hall Features Playing bingo Electronic Bingo (Turbo Units) & Paper Bingo (12on, 18on & 24on) available every day. Multiple pull-tab games played every session. Bingo Merchandise Daubers available for sale to use for paper bingo and pull-tab games. Snack bar A full snack bar is available serving tacos, hamburgers, chips and sodas. We are a BYOB hall.


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♥ Block remote signal with opaque tape
♥ Paint a bar soap with clear polish
♥ Place frozen coins inside shoes
♥ Grab a needle and thread and go through every underwear they have in their drawer!
♥ Place Vaseline on a door knob and tape the room's light switch down!
♥ Pour a glob of nail polish on a plastic wrap and once it's completely dry, take that and place it on top of any of your victim's important paperwork and have fun watching their reaction once they spot it!
♥ Caramel dip whole onions and place it on the table and wait for your victim to take a bite and watch their priceless reaction!
♥ Switch your friend's cell phone background image to a photo of cracked glass!
♥ My personal favorite! *Warning: This works only on heavy/deep sleepers!* Once your victim is fast asleep, get a needle and some thread and stitch their PJ's/clothes to their bed. Wake them up and watch them try to get out of bed!
♥ And finally, if it also happens to be your unlucky victim's birthday, this idea is perfect!
Have a fun April Fools' Day everyone! Please remember to stay safe and enjoy! :3


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Charles Duke bio:
Charles Duke is an award-winning singer-songwriter, classically trained pianist, composer, arranger, and music director. As a solo artist, he has released four EPs and most recently his first album "The Orchid Room". Inspired by songwriters ranging from Cole Porter to Ashford & Simpson, his music and compositions fuse jazz, soul, pop, and classical music elements and his songwriting is influenced by the human experience.
In 2016, Charles was awarded the "Reach Out And Touch" American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation Award for his songwriting skills in honor of Nick Ashford from legendary songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. In addition to his own body of work as a solo artist, he has written and composed songs for other artists, television projects, and award-winning films, including MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry.
Charles has performed private events for artist Adele, actress Cicely Tyson's historic Oscar ceremony, politicians Maxine Waters and members of the National Black Caucus, and galas for Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. He's performed in the Off-Broadway production of Sleep No More and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) annual Broadway Stands Up for Freedom benefit concert. Charles has held residencies at the Waldorf Astoria, Innside by Melia, Robert Restaurant, the Plaza Hotel, and performed at locations throughout Manhattan including the Lincoln Center.
His new debut album 'The Orchid Room' is now available on all major digital platforms. It is a sensual intimate conversation about love and relationships.
Charles is a native of Atlanta, GA, who graduated from the University of Miami and studied at the Frost School of Music. He currently resides in Harlem, NY.
"Love is an action and a destination similar to heaven."
charles duke
Thank you for visiting my page. I want to stay in contact with you. I ask that you join my email list so that we can continue to grow together. And reach out via social media, whichever platform is your favorite. Looking forward to the journey.


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"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." -Benjamin Franklin
I've heard the above quote hundreds of times in my adult life. I've believed it. It makes sense. It has taken a residence in my mind. Forced me to give up when projects seemed pointless. An excuse to stop trying, to abandon the so-called broken.
Today I'm thinking this quote no longer rings true.
What if we're just early to the party? What if the thing we're doing isn't broken, we're just waiting for others to show up to make it work? What if doing the same thing over and over isn't about getting results, but instead about preparing for when the crowd arrives?
The University was on twitter well before our students. In 2008 we were tweeting, but the messages weren't yet reaching our intended audience. Instead of thinking the early efforts were insane, we added to it by setting up accounts for @admissions, @financialaid, @studentlife, @advising, @studentaffairs and many more. We played, we made mistakes, we learned from them, we prepared so that when the students finally arrived we'd be ready. Five years later, we're doing the same thing, but getting much different results.
I think insanity on the social web is not exploring the possibilities of the new and shiny simply because it's lacking an audience. Playing, learning and understanding before the arrival of the audience is preparing.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." -Benjamin Franklin
Well said, Ben.


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A free beachcombing event in Long Melford Library.
Can you decipher the clues to find the treasures hidden in the mini-beach?
There will be a tableful of beachcombing treasures for you to handle. Have you ever seen a mammoth's tooth?!
Will you look after the beach in the giant beachcombing board game and make it to the end and become a successful beachcomber?
When you've finished beachcombing join the Summer Reading Challenge.
And if that inspires you to come beachcombing then join me on one of my walks or workshops.


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The Lawyers Have Heart race will take place in D.C. this Saturday, June 10, starting at 7 a.m.
Now in its 27th year, the race brings together more than 250 organizations and over 6,000 runners and walkers in support of the American Heart Association.
The event's 10K and 5K races include areas of Georgetown and Foggy Bottom, with street closures set to begin at 6 a.m. this Saturday. Post-race activities are scheduled for the Washington Harbour area of Georgetown from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Further details are available at lawyershaveheartdc.org.


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Gary Neville may well be regretting his decision to ask Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher to sign his guitar – after he ended up defacing the Manchester United legend's musical instrument.
Neville uploaded photos of his guitar to his Twitter account on Sunday to show just how the former Oasis lead guitarist had left his mark on the instrument.
Gallagher had not only written 'M.C.F.C' across one side of the guitar, but he had also left a note on the other side in which he claimed that Neville never deserved to win any caps for England during his career.
MORE: Yaya Toure phones up five-year-old girl to say sorry for hitting her with wayward ball during QPR draw


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HOUSTON -- An emotional support dog is meant to be comforting. But a Houston couple says an airline crew felt intimidated and ultimately kicked them off their flight.
This all happened Saturday when US Army veteran Janae Fowler was boarding a Spirit Airlines flight from Denver back home to Houston. She tells us her dog has flown with her more than six times and there was never a problem until Saturday.
"He relaxes me," Fowler said. "He makes me smile. He calms me down. He makes me feel everything's going to be OK."
Last week Fowler and her boyfriend, Cecil Mullenweg, went to Colorado to visit some of her old Army friends.
"The flight out was great. Spirit was good to us all the way out to Denver," Mullenweg said.
But when Fowler tried to board the return flight, she says a flight attendant changed things up.
"Basically she said, 'Oh hell no.' I said,'What's wrong?' She said, 'Is that a pit bull?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, it's a pit bull and a chocolate lab.'"
She tells us she got to the back of the plane and another attendant asked to see Ziggy's paperwork.
"Now she's on the phone and she's saying 'an emotional support animal isn't a service animal. A service animal is for someone with real disabilities.' And I felt insulted because there are veterans in the world that have disabilities you can't see," Fowler said.
The couple tells Eyewitness News Spirit put them on a United Airlines flight back to Houston later that night.
"But my thing is you trust me to go on another flight but not this flight. It's wrong, period. The whole situation was wrong. And I just want to advocate for me and my dog," Fowler said.
A spokesperson for Spirit Airlines says they're looking into these allegations and will be able to tell us more soon. But he says in general, a flight attendant can't make a decision to kick someone off a plane. The captain would make the final decision, and there would need to be good reason, like a dog barking or growling. He says it's a lot more work for a flight attendant or gate agent if they need to remove a passenger from a flight, so they usually do what they can to make it work.
Veteran claims she was kicked off Spirit flight because support dog looked mean
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Maarten van Rouveroy/ 2013/ 53 min/ Social Justice, Youth (Middle School +)
FILM DESCRIPTION: When the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise set sail to protest the first ever oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, none of the people on board could have known what was coming. Seized at gunpoint by Russian special forces, the 'Arctic 30' were thrust into headlines all over the world, facing up to 15 years in prison and finding themselves at the centre of a bitter international dispute. Black Ice is a film about social justice and attendance is acceptable for middle school + aged viewers.


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Mittwoch, 20. November 2019
Having few friends increases risk of disturbed sleep
16.11.2006 - (idw) Schwedischer Forschungsrat - The Swedish Research Council
Having few people in your social network increases the risk of sleep disturbances, among both men and women, and thereby also heightens the risk of contracting several diseases, according to Maria Nordin in the dissertation she will be defending at Umeĺ University in Sweden. Having few friends at the workplace and outside work can make you more susceptible to stress, which in turn can lead to sleep disturbances. What's more, having few friends can be experienced as stressful in itself. The dissertation is based on four studies of this phenomenon via three databases, including one on the working populations of northern Sweden.
Depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases are examples of disorders that are associated with sleep disruptions. The relationship between sleep disturbances and having few friends combined with little emotional support differs somewhat between the genders.
More women than men who are not sleeping well report that they have few friends around them and experience little emotional support. Moreover the negative effects of having few friends are greater among women than men.
In men, the risk of having difficulty sleeping is tripled if they experience pressure at work and at the same time report that they have had few friends to turn to for a long period of time or that the emotional support at work, that is, confirmation and appreciation, has lessened.
People use various strategies to cope with stress they experience. One 'hidden strategy,' that is, to back off and not talk back, in a conflict with workmates seems to be able to decrease the risk of sleep disturbances among women. But women who make us of this strategy and at the same time have few friends around them run nearly four times the risk of experiencing sleep disruptions.
Therefore, it seems to be good to have many friends to turn to if you use that type of stress management, probably since you can talk things through and get help coping with stress. The same pattern is seen in men in conflict with workmates and bosses, although the effect is not as great.
Women who have few friends but at the same time apply an 'open stress management strategy,' that is, who talk back and argue directly with those they are in conflict with, are protected by that strategy from the negative effects that little network support can have on their sleep.
Disturbed sleep can also ultimately channel the negative effects of having few friends in so serious a disease as a heart attack. This has been observed among women who report that they have few friends and have had a heart attack.
Contact: Maria Nordin, Unit for Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Umeĺ University in Sweden, phone: +46 90-785 17 03; cell phone: +46 70-764 4335; e-mail: email@example.com
Title: Low Social Support and Disturbed Sleep: Epidemiological and Psychological Perspectives
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Border Incident
Posted by David Kalat on June 18, 2016
There's an old joke about a comedians' convention. Comedians have come from around the world to gather in each others' company, and they are such experienced veterans of the joke trade that instead of telling each other jokes, they just list them off by number. "7!" (polite applause); "122!" (respectful chuckles); and so on. Then one comic takes the mic and boldly declares "516!" and the house erupts in laughter. A journalist covering the event asked the comedian why that last one got such an outsized reaction. "Oh, they hadn't heard that one before," he replied.
I started obsessively watching movies because I fell in love with their magic. I fear turning into one of those jaded convention goers, content with hearing familiar numbers read aloud, and only occasionally surprised by the unfamiliar. But it happens—I've seen so many movies, their tricks do become routine, their contours become as familiar as old socks. I grow cynical and jaded. And then out of nowhere, when I least expect it, someone throws me a 516 and I have to boggle at the surprise.
I submit to you: Anthony Mann's Border Incident. It is very nearly 70 years old, but it feels fresh and relevant. It is hard to classify (we'll go with "film noir" for the lack of anything better). It is a taut B&W thriller from 1949, made on a stingy budget, and largely forgotten today. But this is one to seek out and treasure, and it is full of surprises.
It is about illegal immigrants from Mexico, which already places this thing more or less in a class by itself. This is obviously an issue of relevance to our world today—although I can't say today's conversation on this topic is particularly nuanced or thoughtful.
I know I sometimes have inserted my own political beliefs into these blog posts, to the consternation of those who don't share those opinions, but my values inform how I view the world, and consequently how I view movies, so I don't think it inappropriate to bring politics into these discussions. That being said, I'm not here to stand on a soapbox and preach, so let me put it this way: the current conversation about illegal immigration has been overheated and emotional, without much time spent on the facts (such as: immigrants have been returning to Mexico in greater numbers than those that stay; most illegal immigrants came here on airplanes from places other than Mexico and then just overstayed their legal visas; illegal immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than the native population; significant components of the existing economy depend on immigrant labor).
But for all that, the conversation around immigration has been so intense that it can sometimes feel as if it is a new issue, something the public is turning to address only now. Which is why watching Anthony Mann's tight Western-noir Border Incident today is so striking.
Part of the surprise is the blunt, matter-of-fact way the film addresses the causes of this issue. The undocumented workers depicted in the film are presented with sympathy and empathy—they are acknowledged as having willfully broken laws of two countries, but this is not treated as some great moral failing. They are just ordinary people, caught up in larger forces.
Primarily, they are caught up in the force of capitalism, where the basic laws of supply and demand make illegal immigration inevitable.
It opens with stentorian narration explaining how US farming depends on just-in-time labor at harvest time, and that this labor mostly comes from Mexico. There are systems in place to manage the flow of temporary workers from Mexico legally, but these systems are like a shaky dam in the face of a rushing river—the forces of capitalism are straining hard against those flimsy barriers. On the one side of the border are eager workers, impatient at having to wait. On the other side are the farmers, who realize that their profits can be fatter if they pay their labor less—and the easiest way to get away with paying starvation wages is if your workforce are in the country illegally and are therefore unable to ask for help.
Thus the underground economy of human smugglers who traffic Mexican laborers to dishonest ranchers. And like any underground economy—be it drugs or bootleg liquor or what have you—the criminals who profit from the suffering of others will do many violent things to protect their interests.
The filmmakers promise the plot is based on a synthesized set of "ripped from the headlines" recent events, and adheres to the same semi-documentary style of many a film noir of the day.
Yes, there are some cringe-worthy racial stereotypes that show up at times, but what's more interesting are the ways this film defies the racism of its era. The hero is a Mexican cop, played by Ricardo Montalban, a real Mexican actor (something Orson Welles' Touch of Evil failed to do, putting Charlton Heston into brownface and a phony accent).
His opposite number is an American cop played by George Murphy, who also goes undercover—into the smuggling operation run by crime box Howard da Silva.
I need to digress for a second to say something off-topic about Howard da Silva. In the 1970s, before Doctor Who imports became a mainstay on PBS, there was an attempt to syndicate Doctor Who on commercial television. Unlike typical US episodic television, however, Doctor Who is a serialized narrative, where events from the previous episode have direct bearing on the current one, so the syndicators brought in Howard da Silva to provide linking narration at the top of each episode to catch newcomers up. I started watching Doctor Who in the late 1970s on PBS, and occasionally they would air one of the syndicated versions with da Silva's voice overs. I found them disorienting and strange, and I love things that are disorienting and strange, so I had the name "Howard da Silva" stuck in my head long before I had any idea who he was, or saw any of his films.
Da Silva is excellent here, as a calm, suave, charming monster who casually inspires terror in those around him, and never has to think about the human cost behind his empire.
Also excellent is Charles McGraw as Da Silva's right-hand enforcer. McGraw looks like Michael Madsen, and he even plays his role like Michael Madsen circa Reservoir Dogs or Kill Bill would.
And like the films of Quentin Tarantino, there is startling violence here. I'm going to spoil one of the film's key scenes here, so if you'd prefer not to have this SPOILER then just scroll down past the next screengrab and start reading again from there. OK, now all the spoilerphobes have gone, I can commend the scene in which George Murphy's character is killed as an especially surprising sequence. Once the filmmakers introduced two cops, one Mexican and one Gringo, to be insinuated into undercover roles among known murderers, I just sorta figured the Mexican would be injured or captured and the American would come to his rescue. Instead, this is reversed, with Ricardo Montalban (and an undocumented Mexican worker played by James Mitchell) risk their own lives to try to rescue Murphy, only to fail and watch in horror as his body is ground to pulp by a combine! Not only is it a gruesome way to die, but adding to the horror is the incredible slowness with which director Mann lets this all play out: Murphy is shot. He struggles to crawl away, but is literally stuck in mud made from his own blood and the soil. Meanwhile the bad guys get into a combine thresher that appears to be parked like a couple of miles away, and drive it very slowly towards him, all the while Montalban is snaking across the field towards Murphy to try to get him free of the machines' path. The agonizing pace of the scene leads the viewer to assume that Murphy will be rescued at the last minute—and then he gets sliced up. It's sickening, and stunning, and unexpected—and sets up a key plot point that drives the rest of the climax.
OK, welcome back those of you who have opted to preserve your virgin eyeballs for seeing this film fresh on your own (it's on DVD from Warner Brothers to own, or rent from Netflix. I don't know of any upcoming screenings on TCM but it's the sort of thing that is likely to roll around eventually). This next discussion is a bit of a spoiler for you, but I'm not flagging this one because the very opening scene of the film sets up the quicksand bog, and as you know, Checkov says if you show a quicksand bog in the opening reel, in the final reel you're gonna get your characters stuck in that quicksand.
Yes, quicksand. I can't tell you how much I love this. When I was a kid I was obsessed with quicksand—I was absolutely terrified of it. Some kids are afraid of lightning, or sharks, or clowns. I was scared of quicksand—which is odd, given that in the last 46 years I've never once encountered it ever, and I'm a fairly well-traveled person. But watching classic movies and TV convinced me this was a clear and present danger—because quicksand appears so disproportionately in classic movies and TV. And this quicksand bog is utterly glorious—it looks fantastic, it is completely terrifying, and it gets the pride of place it deserves in an action-packed finale.
I haven't mentioned the music—from Andre Previn. Yes, that Andre Previn. The guy won 10 Grammys, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, and something like 4 Oscars—and none of that is actually what he's known for. And here he is, providing background music to a low-budget programmer cranked out by MGM to fill out double feature bills.
This marked the last collaboration between director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton. Since 1947 they were paired on a half dozen productions, three of which would have been inducted into the Film Noir Hall of Fame, if there was such a thing: T-Men, Raw Deal, and He Walked by Night.
Warner markets Border Incident as a film noir, but with its mostly outdoor settings (shot and set in the Imperial Valley along the Mexican border), it has more of the feel of a Western—if it weren't for the relentlessly tense atmosphere of impending doom, and the maneating shadows so sharp you could use them to cut tin cans and tomatoes (if you don't get that last reference, go ask an older person).
26 Responses Border Incident
Posted By Flora : June 18, 2016 5:40 am
This movie was deliberately chosen by the studio to showcase Ricardo M. It was absolutely perfect for him.
I love this movie. I understand the relevance of the issues today and what you are saying about you seeing this movie from a political standpoint. It's difficult if not impossible to see a political film as non-political.
Personally, I would classify this movie as film noir too.
|I know you have made references to other movies and Dr. Who etc. That's great.
But I read this particular blog and answered it because I love THIS SPECIFIC FILM – EVERYTHIG ABOUT IT.
I cannot find a flaw with it. I love the casting, the writing, the cinematography, the music etc.
re: type-casting of ethnicity:
I have pointed out elsewhere that the reason why someone like Omar Sharif played so many ethnicities is that he spoke nine languages fluently. That is a big help to filmmakers.
I remember that Peter Lorre's first movies in English were memorized as he did not speak the language.
This is one of my favourite films of Ricardo's career.
Posted By Emgee : June 18, 2016 7:34 am
To say something on-topic about Howard da Silva: he knew first-hand about injustice, because of his blacklisting that barred him from movie work for a decade.
Posted By LD : June 18, 2016 9:47 am
TCM included BORDER INCIDENT in its "Summer of Darkness" festival last year and that's when I saw it. It's postwar documentary realism, voice over narration and Alton's cinematography puts it in the film noir category. In some ways it reminds me of Wilder's ACE IN THE HOLE, with another great cinematographer, Charles Lang. Both films have western locales and the use of broad daylight gives them a less than traditional film noir atmosphere. Then there is the tension.
SPOILER ALERT******* Tension filled situations are throughout the film. The two undercover agents seem to always be on the verge of discovery. And then the combine scene and its unexpected outcome, at least to me it was unexpected.
This film is certainly one of the more memorable ones I have seen.
Posted By swac44 : June 18, 2016 10:02 am
I sought this out years ago because of the Mann/Alton involvement, and was not disappointed, I had to stop the film after the combine scene because I couldn't believe what I just saw, the scene still works incredibly well all these years later, because every single person working on it was doing it at 110%. The film is better known now because it was included in one of WB's film noir DVD box sets, but it seemed mostly forgotten prior to that.
Along similar lines, another Mann/Alton movie that's film noir in style if not subject matter, the French Revolution tale Reign of Terror (aka The Black Book), which has turned up on TCM from time to time. A tense thriller with a few shocking moments of violence, definitely worth seeing (or getting on MOD DVD).
Posted By LD : June 18, 2016 10:32 am
swac-I also couldn't believe the combine scene. I remember thinking "I thought there was a code".
Posted By swac44 : June 18, 2016 10:49 am
Maybe the producers were able to push the film as an important "issue" movie, and could get away with making it so dark. Even just through the power of suggestion, it's a pretty grisly moment.
Posted By LD : June 18, 2016 10:59 am
Or, at the risk of sounding jaded, the censors didn't feel like the subject was important enough to give it close scrutiny.
Posted By Emgee : June 18, 2016 11:32 am
This movie was made under the watchful eye of the Justice Department and Immigration and Naturalization Service, and was meant to show that just a few farmers made use of illegal Mexican farm workers. Those that broke the law would inevitably face justice; what may play as a criticism on the seamier sides of the force of capitalism, is in fact meant to show that the forces of justice make sure everybody gets a fair deal.
The use of an American and a Mexican policeman working side by side was an example of the Good Neighbor policy towards Mexico, and was meant to show both countries working together to combat the problem of illegal labour practices.
Posted By LD : June 18, 2016 12:10 pm
Thanks for the info Emgee.
It is my understanding that the voice over narration at the start of the film, common to film noir, helped to familiarize an audience that perhaps was not familiar with border issues or perceived them as being limited geographically to the southwest.
Posted By Blakeney : June 18, 2016 1:25 pm
Sounds gripping, look forward to seeing it. I share your fear of quicksand. As a kid I saw an old movie (don't know which one it was) in which quicksand consumes a man, then spits out his bleached skull. It terrified me, and for years I thought that was how quicksand actually worked!
Posted By tolly devlin : June 18, 2016 2:26 pm
Saw this one many years ago at the SAIC Film Center & later taped it when it ran on TCM back in the eighties.Great film. There's a great scene where Montalban is trying to avoid being caught that is truly suspenseful. Great work from Mann & Alton.
Posted By Jack J Mass : June 18, 2016 3:55 pm
Totally agree on Border Incident. Could have been made today. But the talent needed to do so just isn't there. And who in heck would even go to see a B/W movie today?
Posted By kingrat : June 18, 2016 4:02 pm
Another aspect of the film is the strong romantic attachment that the bracero played by James Mitchell feels for Ricardo Montalban. Trust a talented gay actor like James Mitchell to work the gay subtext for all it's worth. Mitchell warns Montalban not to go to Da Silva's ranch, but when Montalban says he's going there, Mitchell decides to go with him, obviously because he wants to be with him. The quicksand scene also is relevant to this romantic (albeit one-sided) relationship. There's also a beautiful shot of the two men facing each other with the street of the small town behind them.
To those of us who have met so many gay Hispanic men who were married and had children, it also feels right that Mitchell's character is married.
Posted By Kathy Shaidle : June 18, 2016 4:27 pm
"The two researchers whose work is cited over and over again for the proposition that immigrants are less criminal than Americans are Alex Piquero, [Email him] criminology professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, and Bianca Bersani, [Email her]sociology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
"Pew cites their studies—and everyone in the media cites Pew, leading to headlines like these:
"UT Dallas prof finds immigrant kids less likely to commit serious crimes, re-offend"—The Dallas Morning News
"Curiously, we are never shown the actual studies, but simply told—with some heat—"studies show!"
"I looked up some of these alleged studies this weekend. They're all hidden behind ridiculous Internet paywalls. I was often only the sixth person to read them.
"It turns out that neither Piquero nor Bersani compared immigrant crime to "the overall population"—as the British Guardian recently claimed in an article purporting to prove Donald Trump wrong. Rather, they compare immigrants' crime rate to the crime rate of America's most criminally inclined subgroups.
"Thus, for example, once you get past the paywall, you will find that Piquero and Bersani's joint study, "Comparing Patterns and Predictors of Immigrant Offending Among a Sample of Adjudicated Youth," used as its base group "adolescents who were found guilty of a serious offense."
"THAT'S NOT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF AMERICANS! It's a representative sample of teenagers who are convicted criminals.
"Similarly, professor Bersani's oft-cited, but never-read study, "An Examination of First and Second Generation Immigrant Offending Trajectories," looked at a population group that included "an over-sample of Hispanic and African-American youth."
"Instead of immigrants who are less crime-prone than our native blacks and Hispanics, we were hoping for immigrants less criminal than our Norwegians.
"True, as Bersani explains, "because many immigrants initially settle in disadvantaged environments and are exposed to a number of crime-inducing risk factors, their experiences may be similar to many native-born minorities—particularly the African-American population."
"But here's an idea: How about NOT taking in immigrants who are poor, uneducated, come from dysfunctional families and settle in disadvantaged environments?
"Amazingly, Bersani's study also produced this startling result: There is very little difference in crime rates between young native whites and blacks. Why no headlines about that? Instead of looking at "studies," how about we just count the number of immigrants arrested, convicted and imprisoned in America?
"Even if the immigrants' crime rate were the same as "the overall population"—and it's not—we're supposed to be admitting immigrants who are better than us, not "six of one, half dozen of the other."
"Why? Because we're picking them. If the food in your refrigerator is rotten, you don't go out and buy more rotten food on the grounds that it's no more rotten than the food you already have. This is the new food you're picking and you're paying for.
"Instead, we're bringing in legal immigrants—forget illegals—who are way more criminal than us, notwithstanding phony studies no one bothers to read."
Posted By Kathy Shaidle : June 18, 2016 4:29 pm
"In a 2011 report, Criminal Alien Statistics, the Government Accountability Office (known until 2004 as the General Accounting Office) studied the 249,000 illegal aliens for whom SCAAP funds were paid in 2009. It found that these aliens had been arrested a total of 1.7 million times, an average of roughly seven arrests per illegal alien inmate, and had been charged with 2.9 million separate offenses—roughly 12 offenses each.
"All told, these criminal aliens accounted for the following number of arrests for the following offenses:
Homicide: 25,064
"GAO found that about 66 percent of the SCAAP criminal illegal aliens in state prisons were born in Mexico and another 17 percent were born in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, or Jamaica. Overall, more than 90 percent of the non-citizen inmates in federal prisons are Hispanic.
"Local jail inmates were even more heavily Mexican. Seventy percent were born in Mexico, while another 13 percent were from other Latin American countries.
"These folks are supposed to be deported when their prison terms are up. But many stay here decades after getting deportation orders because federal, state, and local law enforcement officials are unwilling or unable to expedite their removal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) estimates that 300,000 to 450,000 criminal aliens who are eligible for removal are detained each year in federal, state, and local correctional facilities."
Posted By Kathy Shaidle : June 18, 2016 4:32 pm
"Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute has just published a table of statistics on race and violent crime that she received from the Department of Justice. For the first time in figures of this kind, DOJ has treated Hispanics as a separate category rather than lumping them in with whites. These data cover all violent crimes except murder, but the number of murders is tiny compared to other violent crimes.
"According to these figures, Hispanics are 26 percent more likely than whites to commit violent crimes. This calculation can now be made only because DOJ has finally released data about Hispanic offenders. If the department continues to collect data on Hispanic offenders it will also be possible to determine why Hispanic incarceration rates are higher than those for whites–whether they are caused by higher offence rates or by the fact that Hispanics are a younger population with a higher percentage in high-crime age groups."
Posted By Flora : June 18, 2016 5:12 pm
This will be my last post on this blog which up until now I have enjoyed.
This Canadian will now unfollow this particular blog aas she is unable to block racist comments from her email account.
Posted By Emgee : June 18, 2016 7:18 pm
This blog is for discussion about movies, not uploading truckloads of statistics. I'm sure there are websites for that, but this is not the place. I thought that would be pretty Obvious; it's called Movie Morlocks, not Stack O' Stats.
Posted By "La Otra" : June 18, 2016 7:32 pm
As always, thank you Mr. Kalat for writing an informative and nuanced appreciation for a film that has been overlooked. I will assuredly look for this film. I also look forward to reading your blog postings for your keen insight and movie scholarship . Hasta luego!
Posted By Gregg Rickman : June 18, 2016 7:39 pm
I'm sorry this excellent blog was highjacked for political purposes, but there's no reason to check out permanently. Oopsie will go away, at least until the next time a charged issue — or perhaps just this one — happens to come up.
But my comment is on quicksand. There's a very powerful quicksand scene where you might least expect it, smack in the middle of the Himalayas of Kekexili: Mountain Patrol (Lu Chuan, China, 2004). It's recommended to anyone fond of quicksand's cinematic use.
I will leave my profound thoughts on China and Tibet for some other blog where someone cares.
Posted By Doug : June 19, 2016 1:37 pm
Just became aware of: "The Gag Man: Clyde Bruckman and the Birth of Film Comedy".
Posted By susan : June 21, 2016 4:11 pm
Count me in! Any movie that exposes injustice and the corruption and cruelty inherent in capitalism is worth a look. I added it to my list of movies to see.
Here is a funny radio podcast, from NPR, about quicksand in movies:
Posted By Blakeney : June 24, 2016 11:58 pm
Susan, thanks for that podcast link – finally got around to listening to it. Fascinating! I'm suprised we don't see an uptick in quicksand scenes in modern movies…it's still a good metaphor for a lot of issues – societal, environmental, political, etc.
Posted By robbushblog : June 28, 2016 6:20 pm
"the corruption and cruelty inherent in capitalism"? Oh good lord… But anyway, this movie is moving up to the #1 position in my Netflix DVD queue. Mann and Alton have me there. The quicksand and combine will keep me there.
Posted By Bioskop Online : July 9, 2016 4:53 am
Saw this one many years ago at the SAIC Film Center & later taped it when it ran on TCM back in the eighties.Great film. There's a great scene where Montalban is trying to avoid being caught that is truly suspenseful. Great work from Mann & Alton.
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About Us
Our Blog
The Journey
Contact Us
Please Join Us On Our Journey Through Life Around The World
Inspiration and Purpose
This trip has changed our lives forever. We will continue to connect, discover, learn and grow as we move forward with our new perspectives and enriched souls. I Love My Family with all of my heart.
Why We Travel
Our Blog
I write in order to express the depth of Love I feel each day on this amazing journey of life. I am grateful for each moment and all we discover about ourselves, each other and the world.
Connection and Expression
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Photographs are a significant part of this journey. Capturing unexpected moments and indescribable joy inspires me daily. Our photos will take us back again and again. Please enjoy our Gallery.
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Watchers and Angels are at war. Which side will Ember choose?
As the apocalypse draws near, Demons are becoming bolder and Watchers are joining forces to fight them. But the Watchers have their own agenda, one that defies Biblical scripture. They don't want the rapture to happen, making them enemies of the Celestial Host.Against her own better judgment and an impassioned plea from a higher being, Embers stays true to her first mentor, seeking out a powerful earth Watcher to continue her supernatural lessons. Ember has had a glimpse into the future and knows what's coming. She is being forced to develop her powers as quickly as possible, to fight the dark forces that are spreading across the earth. Heaven's sentinels have abandoned their posts to prepare for war. And the walls between the planes of existence are weakening. But who can Ember trust? Her guardian and lover is a Demon. Her best friend is a growler. And her mentor is a psychopath. Humankind is on the precipice; at the end of times. As Ember struggles with morality, she soon discovers that there's something more frightening than anything she's faced before.
Info about Book #1: Embers
Series: The Wings of War #1
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Kindle, 357 pages
Published: October 21st 2014 by author
Genre: YA - Paranormal Romance > Angels
Purchase at Amazon
There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them. And she may be the only hope mankind has as the rapture approaches and evils rises.
Embers is an epic paranormal adventure about a seventeen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she's in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she finds out that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember learns about her heritage, and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two teenagers who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the young men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it is cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war, one that's been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound's inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil, and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn't only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She also might be one of the few champions who will make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.
Embers is a dark and gritty YA novel that's the first book in the series, The Wings of War.
About The Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she's not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.


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Exploring Biophilic Cities
The theory and practice of planning and designing biophilic cities from global leaders and practitioners
Join the Network
Become a member of a growing global community of partner cities, organizations and individuals committed to planning and designing cities with abundant nature, where citizens have rich contact with the flourishing natural world as an element of daily life.
Biophilic Cities produces short documentaries showcasing global biophilic communities and projects.
Biophilic Cities Journal
The bi-annual Biophilic Cities Journal includes a rich array of city and project spotlights, academic research, perspective pieces, and book reviews from global biophilic design and planning practitioners. The format and display of each journal issue seeks to emulate the beauty of the places it explores.
Partner Cities Planning And Designing for Nature.
Biophilic Cities facilitates a global network of partner cities working collectively to pursue the vision of a natureful city within their unique and diverse environments and cultures.
2018 Annual Report
an expanding network.
A year of transformation for Biophilic Cities and our growing network of partner cities, organizations and individuals.


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Cooking for my tribe
One of the hardest parts of this housewife gig is deciding what to feed my hungry boys every day. It's repetitive, tiresome, and can also be really time consuming. Coming up with new, healthy, kid-friendly recipes that will please us all and stay within a reasonable budget is not an easy feat with the cost of fresh produce and meat these days.
Save time, money, and your sanity
One of my personal goals is to save time, money, and frustration by sticking to a meal plan while trying at least one new recipe each week to keep things fresh and interesting.
Come back every Sunday to see my family's meal plan as well as the recipes we're enjoying.
What type of recipes would you like to see more of? What is your favorite recipe that I've shared? Do you have any tips & tricks to cooking, meal planning, etc…. that you would like to pass on?
I love to hear from my readers! Please make sure to leave your comment!


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I know that there is a strong reciprocal axis between Santa Fe Real Estate and Albuquerque Real Estate and Northern NM Real Estate and have created a one-stop-site for your convenience. Whether you are relocating for a new career or just a new view, you can be confident that my site will provide an up-to-date list of homes and real estate for sale. By registering on my site, you will have complete access to Santa Fe and Albuquerque MLS to search for all homes and real estate for sale.
I welcome the opportunity to introduce you to the New Mexico Real Estate Group and the many ways in which I can help you Buy and Sell Northern New Mexico and Santa Fe real estate. I strive to provide you with the most professional real estate services throughout the entire process. I know you have many options from websites to other Realtors, but I'm confident you will be both impressed and satisfied with my services. My non-aggressive approach will leave you feeling comfortable and confident that you have made the right decision. I'm here to help you before, during and after the transaction. Contact me today!
As the Owner and Qualifying Broker for New Mexico Real Estate Group I will provide you with listing recommendations based on your needs and the local Northern New Mexico real estate market.
Listing Process:
- Meet with you at your property to understand your selling motivations, timeline and learn more about the features and improvements of your property that could maximize its value.
- Prepare a comparative market analysis (CMA) which will include the most recent property sales in your area so that you can price your property correctly and accurately the first time.
- Recommend a listing price range and go over a marketing plan to help achieve your real estate goals.


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Henry W. Baker House
Henry W. Baker House
|233 S. Main St., Plymouth, Michigan
|42°22′19″N 83°28′3″W / 42.37194°N 83.46750°WCoordinates: 42°22′19″N 83°28′3″W / 42.37194°N 83.46750°W
|Architectural style
|NRHP reference #
|Significant dates
|Added to NRHP
|April 22, 1982
|Designated MSHS
|January 8, 1981[2]
The Henry W. Baker House is located at 233 S. Main St. in Plymouth, Michigan. It was built as a private home, but now houses commercial space. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]
Henry W. Baker[edit]
Henry William Baker was born on February 10, 1833, in Richmond, Ontario County, New York.[3] In 1842, his parents Samuel and Maria moved to Michigan, settling on a farm two-and-a-half miles west of Plymouth known as Cooper's Corners. Henry was the eldest of ten children; brothers Chauncey Elbridge, Oscar Nathaniel and Samuel Valentine, with sisters, Carolina Adelia Bennett, Janette "Nettie" Vrooman, Marietta "Mate" Hough, Frank Libby Adams, Anna Maria and Jennie L. Chadwick. H.W. Baker studied photography, and during the Civil War worked as a photographer in Ypsilanti, Michigan with his cousin, Edwin P. Baker. In 1866 he returned to Plymouth and entered into business. Mr. Baker was the Justice of the Peace for the Village of Plymouth in 1876.[3] In 1882, he partnered with Mike Conner, Oscar A. Fraser, Calvin B. Crosby, Roswell Lincoln Root, S.J. Springer, David D. Allen, the Hon. Orlando R. Pattengell, brother-in-law, Lewis Cass Hough, J.P. Woodard, Theodore C. Sherwood, and inventor Clarence J. Hamilton, to flower the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company, of which Baker was President in the years 1887-88.[3] Manufacturing Windmills was more or less successful, but in 1888 the company introduced the metal Daisy Air Rifle, which was also a Clarence Hamilton design, and moved prosperously away from the production of Windmills. In 1895, the company changed its name to the Daisy Manufacturing Company, and built an immense business in the manufacture of Air Rifles. Henry W. Baker was President of the firm from 1895 till the time of his death, at which point his nephew, Charles H."Mr. Plymouth" Bennett, took control of the firm. In 1904, Mr. Baker joined by his sister Caroline Bennett, along with his business partners within the Daisy Firm took the initial stock offering of the Ford Motor Company of Canada.[3]
Baker was married twice: first to Flora Bromsfield, then to Angeline C. Myers.[3] His house was contemporaneously described as "a beautiful home; a costly brick structure."[3] H.W. Baker died at home, Monday November 24, 1919.[2]
The Henry W. Baker House is a two-story structure constructed from brick.[2] The house is of a fanciful Italianate design, likely based on an illustration in a pattern book. The house was a landmark in Plymouth because of the unusual tower, shaped like a pagoda, atop the mansard roof.[2] The house is asymmetrical in plan, with a cut stone foundation and a kitchen wing in the rear, extended by later additions of a carriage shed and cement block garage. The main section of the house is articulated with bay windows and porches, and gables on the upper story, most noticeable on the front facade.[2] The entrance has arch-top double doors under a small porch; over that is a window with a gabled pediment.[2]
The Henry W. Baker House history[edit]
Henry W. Baker built his house in 1875, and lived there until his death in 1919.[2] His sister Anna lived in the home until 1943, at which time the pagoda tower was removed from the house during a renovation.[2] The structure was converted to commercial use in the 1970s and neglected. The building was later restored, including the pagoda, and now houses a law practice.[2] A state of Michigan historic marker is placed in front of the house, which incorrectly states that he died in the year 1920.[2]
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Baker, Henry W., House from the state of Michigan, retrieved 8/4/09
- ^ a b c d e f Paul Leake, History of Detroit, 1912, Vol. 3, pp. 1193-1195.


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You may stun foes with a weapon blow at will.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, Stunning Critical, base attack bonus +17, 3rd mythic tier.
Benefit(s): Once per round when you hit a foe with an attack, but the attack is not a critical, you may expend two uses of mythic power to inflict the effect of the Stunning Critical feat rather than your attack's normal damage.
You may not add the effects of more than one mythic critical feat to a single attack.
Mythic Options: The Missing Core Feats. © 2013, Owen K.C. Stephens; Author: Owen K.C. Stephens


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The trouble with most DIY projects is that they assume you have lots of time on your hands to be "crafty." I, merely being lazy, just figure that I can get rid of some lame drawings, and create cute new business cards in one go. Here's how it's done: Step 1: Select a drawing. Make sure you scan it first, in case you have a change of heart and want a record of what it looks like some day (you won't, but still):
Step 2: Use an existing business card as a template. In this case, I used one from NPR I had lying around, which was ideal for its thinness.
Step 3: Crap, this would've looked better horizontally. Oh well.
Step 4: Cut up your drawing.
Step 5: Hmm.
Step 6: Yeah, definitely should've gone for a horizontal look. Maybe we can cut these some more?
Step 7: That's better! Baby business cards.
Step 8: Don't forget to write your name and website where there's room.
Step 9: And there you have it. Business cards in under ten minutes, no Kinko's required.


text: Amsterdam in August is one the best places to be for experiencing the subdued Dutch Summers. It's mildly hot, the sun paints brilliant canvases on the blue skies and exuberant reflections on the canals below, and there are the occasional bouts of rain whenever you feel that the heat is creeping up on you. And it is also the month of love and pride. Further Reading: The time that I saw a Fokker at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. No windmills. But plenty of canals. Before visiting Amsterdam, I had harboured images of a city full of windmills. Because that is […] Celebrating love on a Canal: Amsterdam, Netherlands


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Eurotech S.p.A.
Via Fratelli Solari 3/A
33020 Amaro
Phone: +39.0433.485-411
Fax: +39.0433.485-499
Eurotech is a global company that designs, creates and delivers full Internet of Things solutions, including services, software and hardware to leading systems integrators and enterprises. With Eurotech solutions in place, clients have access to the latest open source and standardized software stacks, flexible and rugged multi-service gateways and sophisticated sensors to bring actionable data from the field into business operations. Working with world-class ecosystem partners, Eurotech delivers on the promise of the Internet of Things either from end to end, or with best in class building blocks, including device and data management, connectivity and communication platform, intelligent edge devices and smart objects following business models that fit today's business world. Learn more about Eurotech at www.eurotech.com.
Eurotech S.p.A. offers you products from these product groups:
- Hardware (769)
- System and Application Software (305)
- Services (458)


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Exciting new functionality now available in Synergi Gas
Modelling gas gathering systems can be extremely complex and ever-changing. With new functionality available in Synergi Gas, gathering systems are now more easily modeled, including all of the aspects of both gas and liquid networks. Using solutions that are designed to support the complexities of gas and liquid systems together provides your organization a competitive advantage, allowing you to manage your network in the safest and most efficient way possible.
Increase production, decrease operating costs and improve asset performance by modeling your full gathering network in one tool, Synergi Gas.
Attend this webinar (part one of a series) and you will learn more about:
- Handling compression
- Gas compositions
- Temperature tracing and dew point calculations
- Predicting hydrate formation
- The various ways to model gas wells
- Time-dependent factors like well-decline during the well's life
This webinar is offered several times, select the date and time that works best for you:
- Session 1, Wednesday, August 30th, 2017, 90 minutes, begins at 10:00 am EST / 9:00 CST / 4:00 pm CET
- Session 2, Wednesday, August 30th, 2017, 90 minutes, begins at 8:00 am AWST / CST ( Australia Western Standard Time / China Standard Time)
About the speaker:
Alex Hollis is the Senior Principal Product Engineer for DNV GL's Pipeline products. His experience includes over 30 years in the industry and expertise in software for gas and liquid pipeline networks.
Attendance for this webinar is complimentary. At the end of the webinar, there will be a Q&A session open to the audience to address any specific questions you may have.
The webinar will be recorded and available to approved registered attendees.


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Used & Overstock Office Furniture.
Purchasing used office chairs has a significant price savings that will incur. Because the chair has been used by a previous customer, retailers must mark a certain amount off their used chairs in order to sell the product again. All used office chairs should be thoroughly inspected for defect by the seller to ensure there are no problems with the chair before making it available for purchase again. Internet retailers typically advertise their used office furniture as "open box deals" which essentially means the chair was returned back by a previous customer for any reason other than defect or damage. Used office chairs can also be a great bargain; if you do your research you may find that the product you are interested in has only been slightly used by the previous customer. Many customers order the wrong color or try out a chair for a day to find it does not work for them, in which case you will be getting an essentially new chair at a used price.
Call or e-mail Office Surplus Inc. today for more information on our Used Office Chairs and Seating for sale in Charlotte and beyond.


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July 8, 2016, 11:30 am-12 pm
- 620 G Street
The Davis Food Co-op will be presented with an Owl Wise Leader conservation award by Raptors Are The Solution, A Project of Earth Island Institute, on Friday, July 8, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. The award honors the Co-op for switching from rat poison, which harms owls, hawks, and other wildlife, to traps to control rodents.
We are also changing our landscaping to be less rodent-friendly as part of a multi-phase sustainability project that will install water-wise, drought tolerant, and pollinator-friendly, native plants, as well as rain gardens and other features.
Come down to the Co-op to join us in celebrating this eco-friendly upgrade!
#yolo #YouObviouslyLoveOwls


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Originally published in Confessions of a Serial Songwriter available on Backbeat Books
I cut my finger on a kitchen knife slicing watermelon. I was a little nervous. I am always a little nervous before a writing session. No matter what. No matter who. Will they like me? Will I live up to their expectations? Will I be on my game? I wrapped my stinging thumb in a paper towel and secured it with a rubber band. The doorbell rang. There was Carnie Wilson, an armful of journals, ponytail bobbing atop her head, flustered, as if she wanted to tell me something immediately. She didn't even know me. She hadn't even walked through the door.
My publishers at Hit & Run Music had arranged this collaboration. They were coming through with their promise of getting me in the room with recording artists. Of course I knew of Carnie from the vocal trio, Wilson Phillips, which consisted of Carnie, her sister Wendy, (daughters of legendary Beach Boy, Brian Wilson) and Chynna Phillips (daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas). When they came onto the scene back in 1990, rumor had it Wilson Phillips was going to sell 10 million records. Record labels often say things like that when they want to create a buzz. Valerie Block and I had written a song called "Live with Pride" and SBK, their record label, loved it and had the girls record it with renowned producer, Glen Ballard. We were beside ourselves.
There was a caveat: whether or not it would make the final cut was contingent upon us handing over 50% of the ownership of the song (half the royalties) to SBK's sister publishing company. Val was okay with it. I, on the other hand, saw it as extortion. I called their bluff. It wasn't a bluff. They did not include it on the album, which went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. That would have earned Val and me almost half a million dollars in album sales alone even after "extortion." That was a lot of money, especially in 1990. Being on that album would have catapulted us into the major leagues. "Live with Pride" never made a cent. (I'm so sorry, Val, though you look very happy on Facebook.)
Six years later, Carnie walked into my home and got right down to the business of what was on her mind. Let's just say there was drama. I loved how Carnie's heart was on her sleeve from the ring of the bell. Emotions melting off the surface, looking for someone to receive them...a sure sign there would be plenty of "Song Fodder." And it wasn't all about her. She was interested in me, my life. Why the paper towel and the rubber band?
Sister, Wendy, followed shortly. Sweet, warm, not as dramatic. That was probably a good thing. Two Carnies might have been too much. There would be no Chynna as it was Carnie and Wendy's record for which we were writing, but it was going to be a foursome as Glen Burtnik, a super talented, upbeat, songwriter extraordinaire would be joining us.
I don't think we actually got down to writing on day one. I have a photo of us in my living room, kicking back and laughing about something Glen said. That's how it was back then. You got to know with whom you were working. You kissed before you fucked. It's called "foreplay." We weren't in a rush. Artists collaborated with a handful of writers for an upcoming album, not dozens. Thoughts were intimate. Time spent was quality. Watermelon was served.
While we yapped and kvetched and vented and shared, I, the clandestine secretary, took note of our confessions, affirmations, and promises to ourselves, so that when we were ready to get down to business, we'd have an arsenal of concepts from which to draw. It's not like I was being sneaky. On the contrary—the most authentic material comes from these personal exchanges and I knew that. So did they. Sometimes the process of writing a song starts before you are actually doing it.
As the most agile musician, Glen was our captain. He was tireless and never lost his sense of humor, even with three spirited women squawking in his ear. Over the course of that week (yes a whole week), we wrote five songs. One of my favorites was "Open Door," which might have been a metaphor for Carnie's hope that someone would walk through hers...or maybe for how she and Wendy walked through mine. In any event, somebody somewhere was being welcomed (I like to think that life seeps into art). The other was "One Bright Day," a song about life being short and walls being built and maybe one (bright) day "we'll climb over." Glen sang the lead on the demo in his best Brian Wilson and the girls sang Beach Boys-esque harmonies. Carnie's wish was for her Dad to hear it and be so moved that he'd record it himself. (Needless to say, Glen and I had no objection to that.) I remember her calling her Dad and telling him how excited she was about the song. She gave him the demo, but I don't know what he said or if he ever heard it.
I loved everything about Carnie...her excitability, her no bullshit, her haunting and honest singing voice. There are no plug-ins for that.
Here are other things I remember from that week:
Carnie and Wendy co-wrote a lot of the songs on that first Wilson Phillips record (the one that sold 10 million), but told me they blew their small fortune on aromatherapy and scented candles. I'm not sure if they were kidding. I thought of all the candles I could have bought with the royalties I never made from "Live with Pride."
Carnie confessed she had been through some hurtful times. She was a beautiful young woman—eyes alive and sparkling. But it was an MTV world where you could no longer tell the difference between a pop star and a supermodel, and Carnie struggled with her weight. In the Wilson Phillips videos, you'd see a full length Wendy and Chynna, but a Carnie from shoulders up. Or Wendy and Chynna in sexy strappy dresses, and Carnie wrapped in a boxy jacket with excess material, or she'd be in the background, or not on camera at all. She showed us one video where her head was simply floating around the screen in a bubble. How demoralizing it must have been.
We collectively discovered the delight of frozen grapes.
Glen and I never made much money from the work we did with Carnie and Wendy. You'll never hear the songs we wrote, unless you search for them on Japanese imports. Sales were considerably less than 10 million, but that's okay. The week was well spent. I met people I will never forget... people who cared and wanted to be cared about. Life is what happens when you're busy trying to write songs that make money. From every songwriting session that you enter, hopefully you give something away and take something with you when you leave. It's not always a paycheck or a Gold record.
If you like this story, please consider purchasing THE WHOLE BOOK!!! Click here to buy Confessions Of A Serial Songwriter on Amazon.


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Our Trusted Partners
We are here to connect with you and help realize your dreams of life in a beautiful home. From the conceptualization and loan approval, all the way through construction, we work with you through every phase, bringing your vision to reality.
Over the years, our family's active involvement in the local community allowed us to be part of stories that range from triumph to tragedy. We have developed valuable relationships with sub contractors and other businesses which have taught us many lessons. Chief among those lessons is the truth that in order to be a socially responsible business, we must be there for others by providing jobs, a helping hand and a listening ear.
Our featured partners in cabinets, Ultrablock and home loans are trusted because of our excellent experiences in the work we have done together. Shaffer, Inc is proud to recommend them to you.
We look forward to the good work that will come out of our partnership.
– Bill Shaffer
Tara Keenan, Home Loan Officer
We have had the privilege of working with many of Clark County's excellent mortgage groups over the years. And please note, we are happy to work with any lending company that you choose.
Tara Keenan of Umqua Bank is our trusted partner in home loans. Her dedication to finding the right loan for every client, knowledge and connections in the local real estate market make her a wonderful resource for our business. We recommend her for all of your home loan questions and needs.
You can contact Tara through her website www.UmpquaBank.com/TKeenan or give her a call at 360-600-5736.
MC&T Construction LLC – Merillat Customized Cabinet Dealer
MC&T Construction LLC serves Southwest Washington as a full service kitchen & bathroom remodel contractor. After two decades of experience, their workmanship and skill has made them a tried-and-true contractor. They specialize in designing, remodeling and installing Merillat cabinets.
Visit MC&T Construction LLC's website to view Merillat cabinets and product line catalogs. You can also request a bid with photographs or scaled drawings.
We've been privileged to work with MC&T Construction LLC for over a decade. And so we highly recommend their work. The high caliber of their workmanship is complimented by the excellent quality of Merillat's cabinetry.
Ultrablock, Inc: Concrete Retaining Walls
Ultrablock, Inc. makes a variety of concrete walls with their environmentally kind concrete practices. It's a sustainable and strong choice for all types of outdoor projects. Ultrablock's concrete blocks form retaining walls, gravity walls, reinforced walls, material bins and more.
Created by Ultrablock, planned by you and installed by Shaffer, Inc. Excavation.
Contact us for project & installation questions. Or you can explore Ultrablock and their partner StoneTerra to learn more.