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I feel like we haven't spoken in awhile on the subject of favorites. Can we all just sit down with our pocket books and shoes in a circle here and talk about girl things? There are a few products I've been using so far this year that have been game changers. I know people tend to do monthly favorites but I'm slow, I need time to develop feelings and begin a deep emotional relationship with products. Love and tenderness, love and tenderness.
Keep in mind, I'm going to cover everything. Makeup, skincare, hair care and even clothing. Shall we? I've got 10. In no particular order.
1. Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless h20 Foundation.
I've been using this foundation all. mother fucking. year. long. I'm obsessed with it's natural finish and dewy-ness. Super hydrating, super light but also build able if needed. I'm a really big fan. Can you tell? It's basically empty....
I found it best to apply this foundation with my fingers rather than a brush or a sponge, I find it just sinks into the skin better. *shrug*
I'd probably say this is light to medium coverage and great for people like me with normal/dry skin. I'm in the shade Champagne for anyone interested as well. :)
2. Colourpop Blotted Lip + Ultra Blotted Lip.
Now, these came out a little bit ago. I added these to the list because since the second I got them, I've been wearing them pretty much every single day. And this is coming from a girl who buys lipstick but in reality, doesn't wear lipstick on a daily basis. Ever. There are times I put it on, take a photo and then make the split decision to take it off before I leave the house. Guilty. But these... I'm obsessed. The blotted lip is more like a matte lip tint/balm. Super creamy, a little transfer but not enough for me to be annoyed. Subtle colors. Super pretty! And the Ultra blotted lip is basically the liquid matte version. Super light I can't even tell it's on. Also, zero transfer. I can go on and on about how much I love this line... now excuse me while I stock up on every single shade.
*favorite shade. Ultra blotted lip: Zuma
*favorite shade. Blotted lip: Drip
3. Get Frecked.
This is a company that I've been following for what feels like years. They were originally a kickstarter that I was extremely intrigued by. Coming from someone who's been wearing the occasional freckle by eyeliner for years now... you have a product that's easier? I'm listening. They just recently launched and you bet your ass I was up at 10am PST clicking like a mad man to score one. I did. And I have been rocking them ALMOST every single day since it arrived and this is no exaggeration. For those of you that like the occasional freckled sun-kissed look like I do, this is a must have. They blend SO much better than eyeliner, they sink into your skin and don't rub off when you put more products on top of it. I'm amazed. If you want to see what they look like ON me, click here. Also, yay for supporting small businesses! The owner of this business is a boss ass bitch and I'm so impressed with her hustle. Git it, Remi.
4. EvoHair Salty Dog Spray (Really, EvoHair Everything)
This company has been talked about for a few months now. I've been hearing so many rumors on the interwebs that I finally had to see what the hype was about.
I bow down. I am at a loss. Fucking incredible. My hair feels fucking incredible. Let's also talk about their Sea Salt spray that doesn't make my hair dry and sticky. What kind of sorcery is this?! I gotta say... super impressed. This company may have just beat out Lush in my opinion and I know that is saying a lot. My soft and pretty hair speaks for itself.
*another favorite product: Evohair moisture mask!
5. MuddyBody Glow Skin Perfecting Elixir.
(Use the code: Girrlscout)
I've been using MuddyBody masks since, god, forever? We'll just go with that. Still using them on the weekly, might I add. But we're not here to talk about that. This glowy gold goddess of an elixir has been a part of my daily skincare/makeup routine since the day it arrived on my doorstep. I kid you not. I use this before I put on foundation as sort of a moisturizer/primer and it doubles as the greatest lip primer of all time.
Now, I know there's another gold or rose/gold elixir like this by Farsali. And the answer is yes, I've tried it. I've tried both and they both are good. Not going to lie. Just different scents, both good. Now, $39... or $55. That's what it comes down to. Also, small business support trumps everything for me. I like being a part of the muddy body family. No I am not being paid to write this. #notsponsored
6. Blueprint Botanicals Be Brilliant Face Serum.
I have been religiously using this face serum every night before bed for the past 2/3 months or so. I have seen a crazy difference in my skin and it's texture even. I wake up feeling glowy and it also smells amazing.
It's also best to pat this into your skin instead of rubbing it in. I've learned that recently and saw a huge difference!
I've also used this as an overnight scalp treatment - works really well! This stuff is amazing. Also, YES, SMALL BUSINESSES FOR THE WIN.
*please note: looks like her site is temporarily down at the moment but it should be back soon! I had no idea until after I wrote this review. eek!
7. Duvolle "Impulse" Far-infared Flat Iron.
(Use the code: GS70)
Super impressed with this flat iron coming from someone who's used cheap ones in the past that have worked just fine, but overtime I noticed it wasn't treating my hair very well. You want something gentle This doubles as both for me. Easiest flat iron I've ever curled with because of it's 1" rounded *tourmaline coated plates for superior straightening and hold, as well as ENIG (Extra Negative Ion Generation) technology to lock in moisture.
This was a pleasant surprise for me and it didn't break the bank! My code will give you 70% off and no I am not being paid to write this review. #notsponsored
8. KL Polish
Most of you know who KathleenLights is. For those of you who don't, she's a super adorable youtuber. I don't follow many BUT, she's pretty damn cute. She started her own nail polish line and I was immediately hooked after one purchase. I feel like I now own every color. The brush on these is so AMAZING and SO easy to apply. I've never done my nails so fast and efficiently. Go me! I've always hated skinny brushes that take forever and you have to sit there for an hour doing one hand. *eye roll* So fast, so opaque, unique colors and stays on! IMPRESSED, KATHLEEN.
*Not sold in stores. Online only. But super fast shipping!
I've talked about jeans on here before I think -back when I discovered American Eagle "jeggings" *barf* that word. I now can officially say I've traded those pairs in for Topshop Jamie jeans. Holy beautiful ass. These are SO comfortable, SO flattering and SUCH good quality.
Now, I know what you're thinking, $70 for a pair of jeans? Or maybe I was thinking that at first, but once I caved and bought one pair.... I now own 10? 11? If you can't afford that, which makes total sense - try looking on Poshmark or Depop, I've scored a few pairs on there as well for half the price. I will treat myself to a pair every now and then when I have extra cash. Definitely worth it. These are game changers, people. The only jeans I own.
*They sell them at Nordstroms for anyone who wants to try them on in person before they purchase online.
10. Puff.Me Volume Powder Spray
I came across this product on Instagram and patiently waited for it to come back in stock for WEEKS. I'm so glad I grabbed it! I literally LIVE for hair volume, especially during this growing out process. Anything that will make it look like I have more hair than I actually do... sign me the fuck up!
I've tried so many root lifters and powders and it's a pain to apply and it leaves my hair feeling disgusting. This is the only one I've tried, not kidding, that works well, is SO easy to apply and doesn't leave my hair feeling gross afterwards. I've talked about this in a few videos on Instagram... and here I am again. Talking about it. Because it fucking works and that's what matters. I love it!
I hope this was useful to someone... anyone... I'm gonna hope for the best, haha. There's always so many products circulating out there that you never know what's actually good and what's just marketed well. That's why favorites posts are so important. Let me know if you guys have ANY questions I'm happy to answer them in the comments below! Have a great motherfucking week. I friggin' love you all! xo


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I don't intend on making a habit of opening these with images… the last one was because the post was in large part about it(and I wanted to show off) but this one I've had for ages was too good to pass up.
Do you remember Saturday Morning Cartoons? Waking up at 8am and rushing downstairs in pajamas to plop in front of the TV and watch 3-4 hours of adventure and Justice? It was a tradition any self-respecting kid followed when I was growing up in the 80s, and continued through the 90s. Sadly, it died a slow death in the 2000s, along with the secondary tradition of after-school shows, to be replaced with talk shows and Judge Judy. Ultimately, I think we are the poorer for it
The real world is a shifting mass of grey on grey. One man's terrorist is another man's Patriot. (Snowden, 'nough said.) There's no solid battle lines, no hard good or evil, but lots of perspective bending, and those drama shows play off that. While there is something to be said for not sheltering the young, you also only have that innocence once in your life(moral virginity?) and once its gone, its gone.
Once, kids grew up to a "this is bad, this is good" message, simple black and white. Megatron would attempt to take over Hoover Dam and drain the electricity for his schemes, and the Autobots would show up to stop it. Cobra Commander would steal some sort of weather control device to hold the world at ransom, and the Joes would go in and take it back or destroy it. Doc Terror would take scientists hostage and the Centurions would rescue them. It was very broad strokes, not very realistic, but we lapped this stuff up, and at it's base it helped with the mortar of the framework of morality our parents taught us. (I do wonder though if the Big Broadcast of 2006 episode of Transformers, whose message was "Sharing is Caring" and involved Wreck-Gar beaming a show to the entire universe, would air these days with the MPAA and RIAA.)
Now I'm not intending to turn this into a "those darn youngsters" speech, though there is a time and place for that as well. What I want to talk about is why some of us find the idea of Burning Justice such a great thing.
The world is a big, scary place, even for adults. Thanks to this instant communication called the internet, seedy stuff that used to be hidden is now out in full view for all and sundry, and a lot of us are realizing how screwed and helpless we are against the uncaring, unfeeling machine. Something could be dome about it if enough people stand up, but there's too many who either don't see it yet or feel too alone to do anything about it.
Hotblooded anime and toku, or in general Big Damn Heroes, is our refuge from this. Our own little hideaway, far from the cold uncaring world, where Justice and Hope always wins, albeit rarely easily. Sometimes, our heroes even pay the ultimate sacrifice to allow the rest of us to continue on. They remind us that there are better things out there and inside ourselves; we just have to find it.
While most of us(I would hope) realize that Super Robot Spirits isn't going to magically solve every problem, they can provide inspiration and remind you to stick to your guns, even when all is lost. There was a story on /m/(which I can't find at the moment) about a young man who was a fan of Kamen Rider and had just made a helmet, so he was out at dusk being a kid again. He happened across some muggers threatening a lady. While most would have considered it stupid, he stepped in and scared them off. While he realized afterwards how easily it could have gone bad, for one night, he WAS Kamen Rider. He put himself in harm's way to protect another, something we all should aspire to be able to do when the time comes.
Now(and this some something a lot of people confuse) just because a character is an avatar of justice and light doesn't mean they have to be perfect. Heck, I always preferred Spider-Man over Superman for that reason – he had faults, like any of us. What's important is that they(and we) try their best.
So that's why some of us like our spandex-clad heroes, or karate bugmen, or giants of light, or what-have-you, beyond just the usual points about good stories and/or characters. It reminds us that goodness can still exist in today's world, and inspires us to better things. It calls back to that little kid, sitting in front of the TV, slack-jawed as our heroes put the kibosh on evil bad-guy plan number 102.

subset: commoncrawl


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Love this new listing! I had the pleasure of shooting today for Amy Wengerd! The house is beautiful and is located in St. James. The address is 8415 Mackenzie in North Canton.
Give Amy a call if you are interested in this beautiful property! Her number is 330.478.1065
Here are a few pics from todays shoot. Enjoy!


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Frank, a tall, young architect who learns that the beautiful woman he is sitting with in a bar with is a real vampire. She suggests they go to Frank's place. He agrees, providing evidence of the old saying "When the little head wakes up, the big head goes to sleep."
"You're an exceptional man." Her gaze caught mine, telling me that she was not playing any more.
"That's quite a compliment." I got the impression she measured me in ways I didn't understand.
"May I look through your library?" she asked, examining my bookcases.
"Sure." I was uneasy with her tendency to ask permission after the fact.
She looked at the titles for several minutes then pulled out Dr. Bova's book on immortality and extending life. "Immortal life holds a fascination for you," she said. "You'll find living a long time doesn't bring the answers to the questions you seek."
"Am I to assume you know that from personal experience?"
She put her finger under my chin and kissed me on the lips. "I've seen the passing of more seasons then you could ever imagine. Perhaps, if I like you, I'll tell you about them."
"That would be interesting." I'm being seduced by a vampire. Am I out of my freaking mind?
"Hush," Nessa said, as if she could hear my thoughts. She brushed my cheek with her fingertips, pressed her lips to mine, and parted them with her tongue.
Unholy Embrace is an action-packed novel about the relationship between a mortal man and his immortal female vampire lover. Together, they fight werewolves, vampires, and other creatures in their effort to kill a soul eating demon.
If this sounds interesting, and I hope it does, please follow the link and read the reviews on Amazon.


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From Steve Zeller, Parley Lake Winery's Winemaker:
The ultimate dinner we wait for an entire year for: Thanksgiving Dinner!
Turkey is a very versatile white meat that can pair with a few different wine options:
- White meat/lighter meat of the Turkey - pairs well with an unoaked white wine, even sparkling wine but also works well with lighter, delicate reds
- Dark meat of the Turkey - can be paired with bolder reds
Pairing one particular wine with the many different side dishes can be complicated by the delicious range of flavors you find in the sides.
If there is one wine I would pair with the entire meal, it would be our Parley Vu Rose. The complex flavors of our rose, along with its bright acidity tingle through all the flavors and fat in the many different foods of a Thanksgiving meal.
Other Parley Lake Wine options for the meal would include:
- Red Wine: Barn Quilt Red
- White Wine: La Crescent or Lakeview White
- Wines w/Dessert: Brianna Breeze, Frontenac Gris or Apples & Vines will pair well with the apple/pumpkin/pecan - type desserts. If a chocolate dessert is on the menu, our Frontenac Dessert-Style wine would pair well with that.
In summary, stay away from Oak influenced wines, focus on wines that are lighter and have a bit of an acid backbone to hold up to the many great flavors of my favorite meal.


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UI Handle Alert
This API responds to a UI alert dialog which appears after a UI operation has been performed and needs handling to proceed further. This is useful for handling standard alert, confirmation or error messages appearing on certain Salesforce operations such as deleting records.
This API can be added when mapping an alert through the Test Builder.
It can also be added via the API palette by locating the API and clickingg and dragging it into the Test Case:
Update the following parameters:
- Expected Message: Exact text of the UI alert to be handled (case sensitive)
- Response: The response to the Alert, e.g. OK, Cancel
Refer to Common Test Step Parameters for more information on updating Wait and Screenshot Options.
Then save the Test Case.
This example illustrates the usage of API UI Handle Alert to cancel or confirm the deletion of an Account record in Salesforce.
Step 1: Create a Test Case and launch the Test Builder. From the 'All Accounts' list view, locate the 'delete' link on the first row of Account data in the list view. Right click on this link and select 'Add to Test Case', then select 'Add & Do' on the draft Test Step.
Step 2: When the Salesforce alert appears asking for confirmation, click on 'Handle a Browser Alert' on the Test Builder:
Step 3: Enter the text in the Expected Message field on the Test Builder as it appears on the alert and choose the option to 'Cancel'. Then click the 'Add & Do' button.
Note that the Account has not been deleted:
Step 4: Repeat the above steps to re-attempt deletion and bring up the same UI alert. This time choose the option to click 'OK' and then select 'Add & Do'.
Note that this time the account has been deleted.


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Making Candy Wrapper Pouches
- Cut each candy wrapper so that it measures 2 inches by 4 ½ inches. You can use any size candy wrapper you'd like, however you will need more than 112 candy wrappers if you use a smaller size.
- Fold the candy wrapper in half lengthwise, making a crease. Unfold the candy wrapper, and fold the bottom half upward until it reaches the center crease line, and then fold the top half down until the top edge hits the crease line. Next, fold the candy wrapper in half again lengthwise using the original crease, so that the top and bottom folds are facing together. Finally, fold the small strip in half widthwise.
- Place one folded candy wrapper lengthwise on a flat surface so that the opening formed by the fold is facing upward, and the folded edge is balancing on the table. This should form a sideways "V," with the point of the "V" on the left, opening to the right. Hold another candy wrapper in an upside down "V" angle, with the open part of the fold facing to the left. Insert the ends of the upside down "V" into the slots of the candy wrapper on the table.
- Squeeze the ends of the bottom candy wrapper together, pick it up, and turn it 90 degrees to the right. Insert the ends of another candy wrapper into slots of the open side of the second candy wrapper. You will now have a zigzag shape.
- Continue the pattern, making a chain of 28 candy wrappers. Join the ends of the first and 28th wrapper to form a circle. Make four rows or circles of 28 candy wrappers.
- Thread a needle with strong thread and tie a knot through the needle eye. Place the first 2 rows of candy wrappers together by fitting the outward pointing "V" into an inward pointing "V." Sew the wrappers together by working your way up and down each side of the "V." Tie a knot after each "V," then move onto the next one. Do this until all 4 rows are joined together.
- Squeeze the bottom together and sew the bottom half of the rows together. This will be more difficult because the candy wrapper pouch will be tighter than it was during the other steps.
- Add a zipper to the top of the candy wrapper pouch if you want something more secure. Use the same thread to sew each side.
- You can use a variety of other materials to make this purse. Experiment with magazine covers, potato chip bags, gum wrappers or plastic bottle wrappers.
- The candy wrapper purse may not be very durable. Depending on the type of material you use, exposure to water may cause the ink to run or the paper to tear.
- If using a material that was in direct contact with food, such as a potato chip bag, rinse it first to avoid problems with bugs or odor.


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Since I'd put up a post of The Proposal on my blog, I thought I might as well make the whole wedding planning process public. Blogging helps me think clearly, put my thoughts into words, keep all these memories vivid and most importantly, force me to start moving.
Ever since The Proposal on Christmas Eve 2011, nothing has happened. I mean, like,
Now that the excitement of finally getting the ring on my finger has settled, the impending wedding preparations loom over my head like a grey overcast on a sunny day. It's like you know it's a happy thing, that you're doing it to celebrate the union of you and your partner (the sunny day), but the sheer amount of preparation required sort of makes it really scary (the grey overcast).
At times I wish there wasn't a need to throw a wedding party. Too much trouble, too much effort, too much money, too much time. But most of the time, I look forward to my own wedding. My own wedding. MY OWN WEDDING. That sounds pretty fun. =D
Through chronicling my wedding preparations, I hope to have friends and readers share what they went through before, share tips, give some advice, or just be there to walk with me through all these. It's really scary, you know?
I'm 29 this year, but to do all these adult things like getting a house, planning for the wedding, planning for the future all make me sick in the stomach. Oh yes, I just bought an insurance plan that has a S$1 million payout should I die. See, suddenly death isn't such morbid talk anymore.
It makes me want to up-heave myself and travel back in time when all I had to worry about was why my friend suddenly told me she will 'un-friend me until after recess time' in primary school. 'Un-friend' as in the literal meaning of the word, not like in Facebook, please. HAHA.
The reason why nothing's been done from December 2012 till now (April 2013) was because ME-JULI-BUN-I haven't been doing anything for the wedding. Because I have been in denial. Because I know once I start, the nightmare begins.
Oh gawd, excuse me for being so negative. I woke up after sleeping just three hours and couldn't get back to sleep no matter how hard I tried. Oddly, I started reading up on wedding stuff and got really disoriented with each additional article I read.
I guess we (all brides-to-be) cannot blame the groom-to-be for their lack of enthusiasm towards a wedding. To them, it is merely an event. To us though, it represents all of our childhood into womanhood – marrying the man we love, the perfect wedding gown, the fairytale wedding.
And then we grew up and BAM! Nobody told us it would be so troublesome!!!
In Part 1 of my 'Let's Get Married' series will be a general idea of what's been repeating itself, but only in my head. I hope getting all of that down by typing each letter of each word, of each phrase, of each sentence, of each paragraph, will culminate into a better understanding of my own wedding vision. I chose to use the words 'my wedding vision' because The Fiance told me he really doesn't mind even if we do it at our void deck or community centre. Don't know to laugh or cry.
The Love Nest
Our flat will be ready in end 2014. By HDB standards and from what we see now, it will be ready in mid 2014.
This sucks mainly because HDB rules that the couple has to show they are officially wedded by proof of a marriage certificate SIX MONTHS before they receive the keys to the house, as told to me by friends.
Which means that we have to sign the papers by… what?! End of this year?!!
Which means that my idea of holding the solemnization together with the wedding has gone up in smoke. *POOF* Just like that.
Which means that we might not hold an engagement party after all.
Engagement Party
It could all be for the better though, not having an engagement party.
Me: Let's just go ROM in flip-flops and sign the papers
Him: Okie! I don't mind! That's great, actually. I like it.
Me: TSK!
(ROM = Registry of Marriages)
I might have tsk-ed at him for his blatant display of nonchalance, but I was seriously toying with the idea of just getting it chop-chop over and done with. Maybe with just our families as witnesses to this matrimony.
Due to his incredible eye-rolling procrastination in proposing, I might have to walk down the aisle at the ripe auntie age of 31. Gawddamnit, my mum gave birth to her third child when she was 31. And I'm still baby-less. My system might rust you know. Not that I want to be a mother now though. Not before I am his legally wedded wife.
You might add that I could have done all the wedding preparations before he proposed since I already knew he would eventually. But there was always the possibility that he might not. The ring, The One Ring That Ruled Them All, was his way of telling me to stop nagging him for a proposal, and my green light to get started on the preps.
So, perhaps an engagement party is not necessary after all? We'll go sign the papers, have family lunch, and then go back to our daily lives as if it wasn't a big deal. I mean, it really isn't a big deal. If I cannot make the engagement party a great one, I'd rather not do it at all. With the money saved from not having an excessive engagement party, we can make the actual wedding a more awesome one.
Taiwan And Singapore Pre-Wedding Photoshoots
We bought the Taiwan photoshoot package in May 2012 but I only just contacted the vendor to ask about dates and locations.
The main reason why we have to push the wedding to the later part of 2014 is because we might only go for our photoshoot in Feb-Mar 2014 when the weather Taiwan is at its best – not too hot or rainy. Give or take 4 months for the editing, re-editing, flying the album to us and probably back to them and us again, it might only be just in time for the wedding.
I don't want to imagine how horrifying it must be if there weren't any wedding photo albums for our guests to see on the wedding day.
Besides the Taiwan photoshoot, we want a photoshoot in Singapore too. Not so much the scenery of Singapore, but how and where it all began – in secondary school, in our neighborhood. We want to return to our alma mater and relive the places that hold memories.
Like the corridor near the mocha stall where his classmates whistled at me when I walked past and he would ask them to shut up,
the bus stop where he pretended to 'be on the way home' and then asked if he could walk me home since 'it's on the way' (it's totally NOT on the way HAHAHA),
the road divider where he sneakily held my hand so that I can 'get across safely',
my void deck where I sang and played the guitar for him… In later years we concluded that it was really dui niu tan qin* because this person cannot appreciate music. =.=
*dui niu tan qin = Literal translates to playing music to a bull. It means doing something fantastic but to the recipient who cannot appreciate it, it is a waste of time.
I hope to find a good videographer to make a short film of our childhood sweetheart story. *giggles like a silly teenager
The Wedding
This is the scariest part.
I've been to countless weddings to know what I want and don't want. Some were great and left me feeling high on love molecules in the air; others left me feeling empty and like I was just another angbao-paying person, just like all the other guests with deadpan expressions in the room.
I don't want a run-of-the-mill wedding. I don't want to be 'just another wedding' my guests attend.
>> Wedding Venue
With that said, I will not be holding the wedding at a hotel function room or ballroom.
This is the program of most weddings held in hotels in Singapore:
- Reach hotel
- Scribble on the guest book so that the bride and groom can have a good time trying to read through everything, assuming they even bother
- Place red packet in box
- Mingle at cocktail reception. If you're lucky, you'll get to say hi to the couple and maybe take 1 photo
- Find your seat in the ballroom
- Couple marches in for first time
- Start eating
- Couple marches in for second time, makes thank you speeches, show videos, photos
- Wedding toast
- Couple goes to every table for group photos
- Finish eating
- Leave the ballroom and shake hands with couple and parents
There are variations in sequences and of course I've been to those that were executed really well. Moving thank you speeches, surprises from the groom to the bride, performances for the guests, etc.
But most tread on the borderline of boredom. Probably caused by the formality of a hotel ballroom, probably caused by the serious and boring mood conveyed by the emcees, probably caused by having attended too many copy+paste weddings, probably caused by the stale hotel room air. Throughout it all, you sit in your seat except for when you need the toilet. No interaction with the couple, no interaction with anyone except for the people on your left and right or those at your table if you do know everyone.
You won't even know how the bride's mum looks until you reach Step 12.
Oh yes, I once attended a wedding where the emcees sprang a sudden 'game' on the couple. They got the groom to sit on a chair on the stage, and asked the bride to dance around the groom to some sexy music. It would have turned out funny and mood-lifting had the couple been enthusiastic about it, had the groom been able to smile at least, had the bride been an exotic pole dancer.
But no, the groom just sat there slouching, and the bride staggered awkwardly around him in her very heavy blue gown UNTIL THE SONG ENDED. It was a torturous 3 minutes, I tell you. It was so awkward and painful to watch. The sisters who doubled up as emcees really didn't know better, and throughout the emceeing they kept giggling among themselves.
The amount of money you put in your red packet corresponds to how much each seat costs the couple (table cost/10 pax). For a wedding where you barely get to mouth 'hello' and 'thanks for inviting me' to the couple, S$100-S$200 is a lot, in my opinion. No matter what your salary is, you have to fork out the minimum. Anything above that depends on how close you are to the couple. If you give less, be prepared to feel guilty for a long time. I really don't mind giving my blessings, however I just feel that weddings should be more than inviting people and making them sit through a 9-course dinner.
It is your special day, but you want to make your guests feel special too, not neglected, not there to pay for a seat.
I don't mean to sound like a prude. I appreciate being invited for every wedding coz it means I mean something to the couple, but I just don't want our own guests to feel this way when they leave our wedding. People have their reasons for having their wedding that way and I have mine. There are pros and cons for every decision, a hotel ballroom setting just doesn't lie anywhere in my vision.
Therefore I'm looking at garden weddings. I love how garden weddings give the vibe of intimacy, of better air quality because of lush greenery (don't care if it's real or artificial haha), make better photography backgrounds than hotel wallpapers and makes one feel less confined to his/her allocated table. Just being away from a hotel ballroom already changes the general mood of the wedding.
(pictures from Pinterest)
You can take a look at my Pinterest wedding board to see the kind of 'feel' I want for our wedding.
The wedding will probably run from afternoon to late evening. A garden-setting wedding lunch does not necessarily mean it will be cheaper than a hotel wedding dinner. It might cost the same, or even more.
Think: Setting up a marquee? Cooling fans?
>> Wedding Theme & Deco
Since we met in secondary school, what better than to relive those memories? I was thinking of having a school theme. (Nono, guests don't have to come in school uniforms and are highly encouraged not to do so LOL)
I'd like to have props that bring memories back to the 90's, to make our guests go 'Woooww! I haven't seen this in a while!', 'Where did you guys find these?? They're ancient!', 'I love how your props bring the whole theme together'. Okie, I don't think anyone would make the last comment HAHAHA coz guests usually don't look at the details but the overall feel. Only when the overall feel fails will people look at the details to confirm their conviction that the whole thing is really ~meh~. At least that's how I view the world.
Have to start looking for props like:
- Chalkboard
- Mason jars with fighting fish
- Candy that explode in the mouth
- Attendance sheet
- Photobooth with books, stationery, black specs, blow-up guitars, soccer balls, polaroid
- Colored papers so guests can make paper planes and the 'what color do you want' game
- Crayons
- Buntings
- Name tags
I would love to have a Milo truck parked at our reception too. That'll be a dream come true. Maybe I should start checking to see if this is even possible.
Long tables and benches would be cool coz that was what we had in our school canteen, but I thought it would be difficult for female guests to get in and out. So that's out.
I don't know if having a school theme will disallow a color theme coz school stuff should be colorful and bright.
>> Wedding Food
To fit our wedding theme, I'd like the food to be reminiscent of those days too. I don't know yet what kind of food we should have, but definitely not shark fin soup. Don't ride your happiness on the death of these poor creatures fighting on the verge of extinction.
I want a cake that can be cut AND can actually be consumed. No fake 5-tier hote cakes made of styrofoam, please!
>> Wedding Flowers
Floral arrangements are very important in conveying the theme and mood of a wedding. Right now, I don't even know how peonies look like or if tulips can withstand our weather, but I know flowers are really important. I'd love to have those over-arching stands where the bride and groom stand decorated with beautiful flowers too.
>> Wedding gifts
I've never liked the keychains, bookmarks, or chocolates hotel weddings provide. Nothing memorable, and they feel so meaningless, like I could never associate the object to the couple. Special gifts don't have to be expensive.
I imagine our wedding to be casual, fun, and infused with DIY projects. I want it to be memorable. In the most magical, fun, happy way.
Guest List
There are so many people I want to invite, and many I do not want to invite but have to because of family obligations. I hope we only have 100 guests and let 70% be people we actually want to invite. It's quite impossible though.
Have to think of wedding invites too! NO to gawdy red square hotel wedding cards!
This is too hard. I really don't know where to start.
I do know that with my height, body shape and personal style, I cannot wear mermaid fishtail dresses, or those that have plunging necklines that would make me uncomfortable enough to want to place a napkin on my chest while I walk down the aisle. Lol.
I don't want gowns with meganormous flowers and sequins. I want to look strikingly gorgeous in my dress, not drown in it.
I have no idea where to start searching for The Dress. Having heard horror stories of brides-to-be signing packages only to be disappointed with poor customer service, inferior quality gowns and limited choices on the day of gown selection makes the decision even more crucial.
Finding that one gown is like finding a needle in a haystack. Can anyone help me to make the haystack smaller? Or highlight the needle to me please?
My kind of gown:
Hair & Makeup
I guess this will come as a package? I'm not sure. But if the makeup artist does not have skills better than my own self-learnt ones, I'll not stop at finding one that does.
Live band
One of the worst weddings I've been to was branded so because throughout the 3 hours, only two songs were played – Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours' and a Japanese song. I understand the constrains brought about by copyright issues, but really, at the end of the wedding I hated these two songs so much.
A live band would solve copyright issues, sound more endearing and is flexible enough to change the sequence of songs and accept requests from guests.
OMG. I'm so tired just thinking about all these, don't even want to think about honeymoon and house renovations.
Do you think engaging a wedding planner will help? They're seriously too expensive though and friends have told me they often recommend vendors and services you don't need just so they can earn a commission. I'm really vulnerable to sales talk! Super easily swayed. On the other hand, if you find one who can understand and execute your vision, it'll really be a dream come true. Just sit back, relax, and be the most beautiful bride on your wedding day.
If you have any suggestions or recommendations of great vendors, please share with me! And if you've come across lousy ones, please alert me too! Join me on this journey, my friends! =D


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PPT On Serena WilliamsDownload
Serena Williams Presentation Transcript:1. Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is a professional American tennis player. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world number one in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no.
Born: September 26, 1981 (age 30)
Grand slams: 15
2. Early life
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan, to Richard Williams and Oracene Price. She is of African American heritage and is the youngest of Price's five daughters: half-sisters Yetunde (1972–2003), Lyndrea and Isha Price, and full sister Venus. When the children were young, the family moved to Compton, California, where Serena started playing tennis at the age of five.Her father home-schooled Serena and her sister Venus and to this day, Serena Williams was and remains coached by both her parents.
3. Facts About Serena Williams
She is the only female player to have won over $40 million in prize money.
She won grand slam title in age of 30.
She has won four Olympic gold medals.
She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the fifth time on November 2, 2009.
4. Thank You


text: Well, this year, we decided not to go full force around the block. We just went around to several houses in our neighborhood and came back early to enjoy the candy. It was kinda chilly this year and we were bundled up! Brecken went as Sheriff Woody from Toy Story and Aubrey went as one of faves, Jessie, also from Toy Story. She couldn't wait to wear her costume – mostly excited about the boots!! I have to admit that I would've been pretty excited if I got to wear that too! We tried to get Brecken to go up to a couple houses, but he wasn't so sure of it. So he just ate candy from the stroller while Aubrey did all the work! A few of the parents on foot were handing out candy and he got luck with a few packages for just looking cute all bundled up!


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via: NaturalNews.com
by: Christina Sarich
October 30, 2014
For how long will we need to go back and forth in this GMO battle before a sound conclusion is finally met? If you have been following the GMO debate at all, you probably realize that this issue will likely never rest, as numerous studies on both sides of the spectrum (one side showing safety and the other showing danger) will continue to surface. What's more, this research as well as opinions will be born out of lies or false substantiation. You've likely read headlines like these lately and scoffed:
- 2000+ Reasons Why GMOs Are Safe To Eat And Environmentally Sustainable
- GMO Opponents Are the Climate Skeptics of the Left
- Study of 1 Billion Animals Finds GMOs Safe
Or how about comments like this one:
"I used to think that nothing rivaled the misinformation spewed by climate change skeptics and spinmeisters.
Then I started paying attention to how anti-GMO campaigners have distorted the science on genetically modified foods. You might be surprised at how successful they've been and who has helped them pull it off."
Or if you trust one of the most hated companies on the planet, you can go straight to Monsanto's site and read: An Overview of the Safety and Advantages of GM Foods.
Monsanto openly admits "after 30" whole "years of research" that they are convinced GMOs are safe. Just one type of pine tree lives more than 5000 years, but yea – Monsanto has all of Mother Nature figured out in its 30 years of tinkering with genes.
It's amazing how many people have been boondoggled by biotech or are simply paid shills to keep the misinformation train choo-chooing along.
Former Biotech Scientist Speaks Out
In comes Dr. Thierry Vrain, a former GMO biotechnologist who has come out with a lot of information that should open people's eyes about the real dangers of genetically modified foods and crops.
Vrain will be the first to admit that Monsanto has conducted a lot of studies showing that GMOs are safe, but he changed his own tune about ten years ago when he started reading scientific journals from other countries.
Vrain explains:
"I started paying attention to the flow of published studies coming from Europe, some from prestigious labs and published in prestigious scientific journals, that questioned the impact and safety of engineered food."


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Cafe Milano Pizzeria & Restaurant located in Staten Island, NY
Cafe Milano first opened its doors on Staten Island in 1993. The owners, John Lucchese and Eric Stropoli have worked very hard since then and continue to keep the quality and freshness of their delicious pizza and homemade Italian food. Cafe Milano prides itself on friendly service and fast delivery. In 2000, Cafe Milano expanded from a small pizzeria to a newly renovated full-service restaurant and bar. Cafe Milano restaurant accommodates up to 75 people for any occasion.
Great homemade italian food combined with a comfortable and casual atmosphere is our recipe for success! We look forward to serving Staten Island for many years to come. Thank you for your continued support and patronage!
our Specialty Pies
We Catering All Events!
4pm - 10pm
Pizzeria & Take-Out
Pizzeria Hours
Sunday - Thursday
11am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday
11am - 11pm
Dining Room


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In the James Bond movie "Goldeneye", 007 and the villainess are playfully racing down a scenic mountain roadway. Bond's passenger is a young female coworker sent by M to evaluate him. Having no stomach for his perilous antics she orders him to stop his Aston Martin immediately. Bond complies and proceeds to seduce her, but not before opening a secret chilled compartment revealing a bottle of the 1988 Bollinger Grand Annee Champagne. An outstanding choice, and not just for romance.
Another New Years Eve is upon us and countless people the world over will celebrate it with Champagne, or should I say sparkling wine? OK, let's clear this one up right from the get-go.
But to take the distinction one step further, Champagne also refers to a precise method of making the wine, known as the "Methode Champenoise", which with some exceptions, is only practiced in Champagne. More on that in a moment.
The chalky soiled Champagne region lies 90 miles northeast from Paris. Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, both red grapes, and Chardonnay, a well known white, are the primary grapes grown. The colder climate prevents the grapes from fully ripening. This produces higher acid levels which is perfect for sparkling wines. Champagne can be made from solely red grapes, known as blanc de noirs, solely white grapes, blanc de blancs, or more commonly, a mixture of both. With the exception of rosé, Champagnes appear white, even if made from red grapes. The juice of grapes is clear. The color comes from their skins. Limited contact with the skins during fermentation renders a whiter looking wine. Rose Champagne is made by adding red still wine to the final blend or allowing greater contact between the juice and the skins.
Dom Perignon, a 17th century monk and cellar master, is mistakenly credited with inventing Champagne. Although famous for originating the practice of blending wines from different regions to improve flavor, historical evidence suggests that Champagne was actually invented in England in the 1600's. The Methode Champenoise is rather complicated but in a nutshell, here's the deal: The grapes are pressed, fermented in stainless steel vats, and then put through a series of processes to clarify the wine. The wines are then blended to make the "cuvee", the signature blend of a particular Champagne house. Although a few single vineyard Champagnes exist, most are blends from a number of vineyards. Sugar and yeast are added and a second fermentation occurs in the bottle, up to two years or more for better quality Champagnes. The bottles are kept in special racks so the sediment and dead yeast cells collect at the neck. When the time arrives, the sediment is frozen. Releasing the cork (known as degorgement), allows the internal pressure to expel the sediment. Wine and sugar are added and it is then re-corked and ready for sale. The amount of sugar added determines the dryness/sweetness of the Champagne. From driest to sweetest are brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec, and doux. The last two are used as dessert wines.
Regular wine is made only from the grapes of that year's harvest, which is denoted on the bottle annually. If a Champagne bottle touts a year, it is a vintage Champagne, which is only produced in exceptional years. Eighty percent of the grapes will come from that year's harvest. In average or below average years, the Champagne houses make their "non-vintage" champagne, which is a blend of champagnes from various years. High quality vintage Champagnes are at their best with eight to fifteen years of age. Even high quality non vintage Champagnes will improve for four to five years. There is a big difference in quality as you ascend the Champagne price ladder. Only a small percentage of Champagne's vineyards produce top quality grapes and naturally, they are more expensive. The best producers rely on these premier vineyards. Non vintage Champagnes from the best houses will run about $35-$45 while their vintage Champagnes will cost two to three times that.
While Champagne in general is named after the region of France, individual Champagnes are named after their producer. Champagnes vary from light to full bodied. For a lighter style I recommend Taittinger and Perrier-Jouet, for medium corporeality Moet & Chandon, and for a full bodied Champagne, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Louis Roederer, and James Bond's and my personal favorite: Bollinger.
Americans only equate Champagne with celebratory toasts but it is a very food friendly wine. While Champagne with caviar or raw oysters are the classic and sublime combinations, it pairs exceedingly well with shellfish in general, sushi, foie gras, cheese, and chicken. It even complements many Asian dishes. The sweet ones are great with strawberries and other fruit based desserts. So break out the bubbly for hors d'oeuvres and dinner as well as ringing in the New Year.


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With warehouses in several countries, between which and some european, GEARBEST is the second site as the largest in China in terms of number of visitors and shopping. The prices are very good both in electronics, mobile phones, tablets with Android as well as clothes, purses, bags, toys, items for the home and garden, car accessories, etc. it Is recommended to use one discount code for the products distributed in China and shipped from other warehouses. If you want the ordered product to reach as fast in United Kingdom and without requiring payment of customs duties recommend you to choose a deposit european where to be delivered (EU, UK, or ES Warehouse).
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Live for Christ. Dress for You.
My apparel has been a topic of discussion my entire life. My mother and I would get into arguments over my clothes ever since I knew how to argue. The irony is that the crux of how I dress has never changed. I have been heavily starched since I was eight years old. I have had an extensive collection of button down shirts since about that age as well, and the things that have change have been the maturity of my eye.
Around June of last year I got a phone call from my grandmother complaining about the way that I dressed, and it lead to my mother buying me new church clothes and me being fairly depressed for a solid few months. It was toward the end of 2015 that i came across I diary entry I wrote years ago, that said, "Live for Christ, dress for you." It was that moment, a peace came over me. I was reminded that the questions that have flooded my way my entire life, we going to continue to flood my way, regardless of who I tried to please. The reality of it is, someone is aways going to have a problem with something you do.
So Live for Christ. Dress for you. You can't go wrong.


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Product Description
The 316L stainless steel channel is a chromium-nickel metal that is austenitic. This means that it is non-magnetic and is highly resistant to corrosion. This is due to the high content of nickel, chromium and molybdenum. Being alloyed with these elements also makes this stainless steel product more resistant to pitting and crevice corrosion when in chloride environments. It has great tensile strength in elevated temperatures. 316L metals also have excellent weldability and formability. It also has creep and stress-rupture strengths.
The applications this grade of steel is commonly used in include chemical equipment, food prep equipment, laboratory benches, lab equipment, rubber machinery, tanks, heat exchangers, boat fittings, pollution control equipment, evaporators and condensers. Textile, pharmaceutical, food, chemical and paper industries frequently use this alloy for the production of parts.
This metal is able to withstand atmospheric environments better than 304 alloys because it has a higher content of molybdenum and chromium. There is a potential for stress corrosion cracking, crevice corrosion and pitting to occur when in chloride environments that are above 122 degrees F. It is, however resistant in potable water that contains around 1000mg of chloride and has an ambient temperature, reducing to around 500mg at 140 degrees F. Because it is resistant to warm sea water, it is known as a marine grade stainless steel.
316L steel has good oxidation resistance when being serviced in temperatures up to 1600 degrees F and continuously in temperatures up to 1700 degrees F. It is a metal that is highly resistant to carbide precipitation. Annealing can be done to this metal at temperatures between 1900 and 2100 degrees F. Heat treatment cannot be used to harden this metal. It's recommended that forging not be done at temperatures over 2300 degrees F.


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Marine Electrical and Electronics Specialists
Seattle, WA Tel: 206-216-1048
Dutch Harbor, AK Tel: 907-581-6889
Kodiak, AK Tel: 907-486-4868
We offer full electrical and electronics sales, installation, and maintenance/repair services for your vessel. By blending the best electrical fundamentals with the latest trends in technology, we are able to provide world class support with small business dedication.
Cable Way Inspection
Fiber Termination
Circular Connector Termination
Fiber and Copper Cable Pulling
Please fill out the form below to receive a call from the Fusion Marine Technology team. (...and ONLY the Fusion Marine Technology team. Your privacy is important to us, and your contact info won't be shared with third parties.)
Direct e-mails are also welcome. Reach us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Home | About Fusion | Our Services | Electrical / Electronics | Video Monitoring | New Construction | Projects | Feedback | Contact Us | Links
©Copyright 2011 Fusion Marine Technology | Privacy Policy | Network Innovations


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With regards to power washing equipment, there are various options to select from. For individuals who're looking for a commercial pressure washer for commercial use, the next questions will help you target the ideal machine for your requirements.
What sort of flow and pressure will you be needing?
Greater water pressure is needed for additional intense jobs. Many dc washers run at 1,500 to two,000 PSI, whereas an industrial washer will be able to shoot out water at 3,000 PSI. Ruthless helps you to lift dirt along with other grime from the surface.
However, once that dirt continues to be lifted, you'll need flow to push them back the top altogether. Therefore, if you will have to move considerable amounts of crud, you will want a higher power washer that offers more flow. For example, a pet husbandry operation want a piece of equipment which has a high GPM (gallons each minute) flow rating in order to move animal waste from stalls. While you look around to have an industrial pressure washer, check out the specs for PSI (water pressure) and GPM (waterflow and drainage).
What quality of materials will your projects demand?
Less costly power washing equipment is made from cheaper materials. For example, home power washers frequently have aluminum pump heads and plastic valves. In comparison, a commercial pressure washer that may withstand 2,000 hrs useful yearly usually features heftier brass pump heads and more powerful stainless valves. If you are utilizing a wer washer for only a few hrs every week, you are able to most likely manage having a less costly model.
Where are you while using pressure washer?
Will you be needing the device to become mobile? And would you anticipate power washing inside or outdoors? The way to go to those questions signifies which kind of industrial pressure washer you should purchase. To prevent the deadly carbon monoxide poisoning that is included with managing a gas motor inside, you need to just use electric-powered machines inside. The down-side for this is the fact that electric power washers should be tethered for an electrical cord, restricting their mobility. If you are willing to set up permanent infrastructure, you'll find washers operated by gas. Lastly, a little group of indoor power washers are operated by liquid lp.
Alternatively finish from the spectrum, outside pressure might be fueled with gas or electricity. Gasoline-powered machines are very portable but more costly than electric models. Once we explain below, some power washers can expel heated water. That water should be heated with gas, liquid lp, electricity or diesel. Many proprietors should you prefer a machine that operates on gasoline (to shoot pressurized water) and diesel (to heat water). This really is most likely probably the most mobile outside option available.
Do you want a piece of equipment that may spray warm water?
A higher pressure washer squirting cold water can effectively clean many surfaces. Still, persistent stains and oily grime is only going to appear with power washing equipment that may spew warm water. Oil, concrete stains, grease and gum leave a lot more easily with hot pressurized water. Obviously, a piece of equipment with this particular convenient feature can also get a greater cost point.
To determine if the greater cost of warm water is useful for the business, consider enough time a warm water unit helps you to save. Sketch your labor costs when pondering whether to purchase a warm water high pressure washer.
You may need best industrial pressure washer equipment so that you could clean everything in the premises without having to send the machinery to service center. In-house cleaning is always good so that the machinery is not damaged.


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IBM has been around for a really long time and has so many different products and business units, it should come as no surprise that two people could work at IBM for 20 years and never meet or even know what they work on. This is common in many large companies. Sometimes it gets a little out of hand.
I am used to dealing with large companies. Navigating the maze trying to get what you need. My most frequent one to deal with is Motorola Solutions, makers of various two-way radios and related equipment. I have an account and order parts from them on occasion. Placing an order really relies on you know the Motorola part number and obtaining that is a challenge. The same people that place your order are not the same people that can look up parts. To make matters more difficult, the people who can look up parts do not know what to do if a part is discontinued. Motorola thought it would be ok to just not indicate replacement part numbers when a particular part was discontinued.
OK, so that's sort of what it's like dealing with a big company when ordering parts. My IBM story has to do with a system at work. A POWER8 server of some variety. Let's call it an 8247-21L just so we have a name for it.
Now, my company is an IBM partner and we have a process in place to order hardware, open warranty tickets, and generally deal with IBM. It works well, except when you have an odd request. Since we are developing operating system software, we tend to need specific addons for the hardware...not things that typical end customers would order. IBM is not set up for this. But, our awesome team in engineering operations is prepared for this and knows how to navigate the system. Sadly, I gave them what amounted to an impossible request. They really did try and I have to give them props for that.
The request? I needed to order carriers (sleds, caddies, cages, brackets, whatever you want to call them) to add additional hard disks to this 8247-21L.
First off, when you start talking to IBM about hard disks, they want you to buy a storage solution. A big enterprise disk array. Nope, back up. Try again. I'm just talking about local disk. Or DASD. OK, IBM gets that. But they want to sell you the hard disk in a carrier. Not just a naked carrier. I mean, you might want to install a non-IBM approved part in the server. Say, an engineering sample for something not yet released to the general public. Believe it or not, this is quite common when working on operating systems.
Our eng-ops teams tried really hard and came close. We almost managed to order very small disks just to get the carriers, but IBM wouldn't go for it. They even tried CDW, but they couldn't do it either. CDW suggested I call 1-800-388-7080 which is the number to order parts and addons from IBM.
This is where the fun began.
I called that number and began a 1 hour and nearly 5 second transfer chain across different continents, offices, and divisions at IBM all trying to order this mysterious carrier. The number above was prepared to sell me the part if I had the part number. They could not look it up. OK, I know this game! I have a Motorola account! Transfer me to someone who can look up parts.
They transferred me to Lenovo technical support, who kindly asked me for the something something something number of the failing system. No no, just need parts research. OK, do you have a ThinkPad or ThinkCentre? Neither, it's an IBM POWER system. Ah, ok, you need to be transferred over to enterprise support. Do it, let's go.
Enterprise support, like all previous operators started by asking for my name, company, address, city, state, county, ZIP code, country, area code, work number, mobile number, time zone, preferred language, character set encoding, Coke or Pepsi, window or aisle, and so on. I get through all this and I give the system type and serial number. It's not coming up. Hmmm, that's odd. Hold on a minute. Type type type. Hold more. That's odd. Repeat. Eventually, "are you an IBM partner?" Yes, I am. "Oh, ok, well this needs to be handled by IBM Partner World, let me transfer you."
Hooray! Repeat all of the above and get to what I want. I want to order hard disk carriers for 8247-21L. "Oh, for parts you need to contact technical support and they can place an order." Really, even though I'm an IBM partner? "Yes, they handle all parts orders." OK, send me on over.
I'm back at Lenovo technical support in Atlanta, GA. A woman who sounds like Paula Deen tells me to please pay close attention as the menu options have changed. I ignore everything and just press zero. Nothing happens. I hit a bunch of random buttons. I get someone. We go through the personal history above and get to what I want. But they can't help me. What they can do is create a service ticket and dispatch a tech to our location so the system can be examined for what parts might be available for purchase. Oh, and how would I like to be billed for that? What? The hell are you talking bout? I ask if they can look up parts and they tell me know and suggest I go to www.ibm.com and type in the word "parts" in the search field (I'm dead serious, they suggested this).
I ask for an escalation. I talk to the manager for this office or division or continent. Can't remember. I explain what I'm trying to do and how we are a partner and I normally go through eng-ops at my company, but they hit dead ends and they told me to call 800-388-7080 and that started this entire process of how I am now talking to him. And all I want to do is order this part.
The guy is nice and explains that this isn't the normal process they are used to. I don't know, something about how usually people in suits are involved and purchase orders and so on. I don't care about any of that. But he does mention one thing. The whole problem started with me not having the part number. And what seems to be the trend here is that IBM has ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to look up systems it has sold and determine what parts go with it. Like, they know they need to do this, but their computers just don't have that information. If I had a part number, they could place the order. Even Dell has this figured out with their service tags. And everything has a service tag. They know what you have and what should go in it.
So he again offers to dispatch a tech (no thanks) to help get the part number. I pass on that and decide to have someone on my team turn the damn system off and yank an existing drive. Pop the drive out of the carrier and their should be a part number, right?
Turns out there is.
After all of that, we obtained part number 00E7600. IBM calls part numbers an "FRU" which stands for field replaceable unit or something like that. The FRU number is the key to the castle. If you have that, you can order all you want.
I come in today prepared for another hour or two on the phone with IBM and decide to try a different route. What happens if I just Google for it.
Bingo. Dino DNA.
I was able to purchase 5 of these carriers from a vendor on eBay for $17.95 each. Hopefully they fit and hold disks. At this point I'm not sure I care.
Don't ever think you can order parts from IBM without knowing the part number. What will be POWER's eventual downfall is not low market acceptance, but rather the impossible nature of dealing with IBM to actually buy anything.
Oh, and why was I wanting to add a special disk to this server? Like most problems, we are solving bugs filed by customers and partner companies. In this case, the bug that prompted this entire ordeal was filed by IBM.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Never Try To Order Anything From IBM. Ever.
2 comments:
- Bret Leduc said...
Hi Buddy,
I was wondering if there was any way to bring back Leah Cunningham's webpage at:
She was a friend of mine from Earthlink back in 2000/2001. She passed away recently at age 29. It would be great if we could see her page again.
- October 4, 2015 at 3:29 PM
- dcantrell said...
Recently is a stretch. She died 6 years ago. Unfortunately I do not have her old web site, nor do I have the heinous.org content which I used to host for her.
- October 7, 2015 at 10:28 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Monday, 1 February 2010
EDM challenge 257
18 comments:
- Anonymous1 February 2010 at 17:10
Your sketches are wonderful, especially that sunflower. I am looking forward to lots more...ReplyDelete
Just discovered your blog through EDM - fantastic work, really lovely drawings.ReplyDelete
All three of our plants are really, really nice. I love the delicacy and minimal use of color in them. They're just right! nancyReplyDelete
Welcome to EDM Debra. I loved looking at your blog and look forward to your participation in this group.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1 February 2010 at 20:59
Welcome to EDM. I've thoroughly enjoyed visiting your site, and look forward to more posts! Very glad you joined to share.ReplyDelete
Lovely work, Debra!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1 February 2010 at 22:42
Beautiful work! Welcome to EDM!ReplyDelete
Welcome to EDM, Debra! You have amazing work here!! I can't wait to see more!ReplyDelete
Wow! Very nice drawings. Welcome to our group.ReplyDelete
Wow! Your art is beautifully done. You definitely have talent. Good art.ReplyDelete
Beautiful! Welcome to EDM.ReplyDelete
Hi Debra, welcome to the EDM group! Your drawings are gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Hi Debra:ReplyDelete
Welcome to the EDM group. I enjoyed your blog. I really liked drip drip drop. You have a very nice style.
Oh, I really like your drawings and enjoyed seeing your work here. Welcome to EDM!ReplyDelete
What a great couple of plants! They are beautifully drawn! Great job, Debra!ReplyDelete
Thank you all for your warm welcome and supportive comments.ReplyDelete
I'm going to have a lovely evening looking at everyone's blogs
Is it OK to link to people or is it a good idea to check with them first?
It's certainly OK with me, Debra, but I can't speak for everyone. I'm usually flattered and delighted!ReplyDelete
Lovely drawings Debra! Looking forward to seeing more of your work here :o)ReplyDelete


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olivia de gouveia
contextual designer
Olivia is a multi-faceted international designer who's focus is contextual design. Her work encompasses research and data visualization, as well as product, graphic, and communication design. She is driven by the desire to enable positive change and elevate the human condition through thoughtful and innovative design. Her use of contextual practices to develop human-focused creative solutions that interface with social, environmental and economic conditions, produces dynamic results and fits perfectly with the approach we take at symbologie..
Before joining our creative network, Olivia worked as assistant head of studio at CODE Design In Cape Town, S. Africa. She has also worked for Robinizer Design Studio in Hamburg, and at the Benetton Group Communications Research Center in Trevisio, Italy. Olivia's professional experience also includes teaching. At the AAA School of Advertising in Cape Town she was a full time Foundation Year Lecturer and part time Graduate Design Lecturer.
Olivia holds a Master of Design degree from the renowned Design Academy Eindhoven, in the Netherlands. There she studied Contextual Design under the direction of Gijs Bakker, founder of Droog Design, and won the UTTER Prize for best thesis. She earned her bachelors degree in Creative Brand Communication from the AAA School of Advertising in Cape Town, S. Africa, graduating with awards including Top Graphic Designer, Top Overall Creative, Bronze Student Loerie and Merit Award for premium packaging design. She also studied textile design in a summer study abroad program at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London. Olivia's work has been exhibited at the Dutch Design Week and the Master in Design Symposium 2011.
Born and raised in Namibia to parents of mixed European origin, Olivia de Gouveia, is a self confessed xenophile. With a relentless curiosity derived from her experiences living, working, and studying in both southern and northern hemispheres, Olivia passionately explores new possibilities in design. Now based in Hamburg, Germany, she continues to work on a range of projects including, most recently, social design in Rwanda.


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He was brought to the shelter covered in wounds and filth. Staff couldn't touch him. He hissed and growled. Trust is likely the first thing to go when you live on the street.
His cage was placed in a small ward with the door open, an opportunity for cultivating exercise and people skills. Last week CAHS discovered that Atlas wasn't as prickly as he seemed. They found Ollie and Atlas curled up in his cage, fast asleep. Since then Atlas has discarded his fierce facade and now loves to be petted and fussed over. He watches Ollie with care.Were they bunk mates in the Dumpster? Is Atlas Ollie's deadbeat dad, now making amends? (Ollie has markedly improved since befriending Atlas.) Either way they're both sweet and loving creatures. They deserve more than harsh nights and a trash bin for shelter.


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After meeting as high school students in 2002, Alex Benzer and Charlotte Genevier, co-founders of Webligo developed and launched Social Engine in 2007. The product is described as a social-network-in-a-box, a white label social networking application that is growing and now earns nearly $1MM/year according to the Webligo home page.
With dorm room offices and virtually zero operating costs, Webligo's savings grew quickly. In 2006, Alex and Charlotte began developing a new product – SocialEngine – seeded with their sales and the recent acquisitions of two earlier projects (BlogHoster and IMS Pro). SocialEngine, 100% bootstrapped without any outside investment, was launched in 2007 with great reception. With SocialEngine now earning nearly $1M/year, Alex and Char have built a team of seven developers and designers to grow SocialEngine and explore other opportunities.
The only problem is, Webligo's founders launched the product using the .net (socialengine.net), instead of the .com.
Now Webligo wants the .com, so the company has filed a WIPO complaint over the domain name SocialEngine.com.
While it's not known whether Webligo made a previous offer on the .com domain, the company recently filed for a trademark on "Social Engine" in Sept. 2010, three years after launching their product, and nearly 11 years after the domain name socialengine.com was first registered.
The current registrant according to GoDaddy Whois is listed as "Domains for Sale" out of Columbus, OH, with an email address of DomainsForSale -at- Gmail.com.
Here's a little more information about Social Engine, in a video pitch posted on TechCrunch back in 2008.


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Get To Know Albion Park Harness Racing Club
As the leading metropolitan race club in Queensland, the APHRC conducts over 150 race meetings each year. Highlights on the racing calendar include the summer (November & December) and winter (June & July) carnivals.
APHRC provides free admission and parking on race days for all race day attendees. We currently only have one grandstand which is located on the home straight of the track. There is plenty of grandstand seating available for all patrons. The building at the top of the grandstand also consists of a tote, betting terminals and bar. This building has wheelchair access via the lift located at the eastern end of the building. Our member's room is located in the same building at the western end. This room is only available for use by our members, but becoming a member is easy.
Our Pacesetters Bistro is located at the top of the grandstand and has ample amount of seating. It is in a great location to view the races, with glass windows the length of the building and adequate amount of audio visual throughout. The bistro is open on all race meetings and opens 30 minutes before our first race. The menu varies each day serving a range of snacks, meals and desserts. Tables can be reserved in this area upon request.
Children are always welcome in our club but must be accompanied by an adult.
Join us at Albion Park Harness Racing Club for a great night out!
The 800 m right-handed track was positioned inside of the unique sand galloping track and the Albion Park Trotting Club became a tenant of the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club which ran thoroughbred racing at Doomben and Albion Park.
The Albion Park racecourse was purchased by the Racing Development Corporation (RDC) from the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club (BATC) in 1982 for $9 million. The acquisition was undertaken by the RDC to facilitate the redevelopment of the venue for harness racing.
The Albion Park Paceway Complex is, maintained and operated primarily for harness racing by the Albion Park Harness Racing Club on Monday & Tuesdays and Saturday nights, and greyhound racing by the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club.
Established in 1968, the Albion Park Harness Racing Club has hosted several Inter Dominions: – the most coveted race on the Australasian racing circuit, contested since 1936. Albion Park has held seven Inter Dominions: – 1972 (Welcome Advice); 1977 (Stanley Rio); 1986 (Village Kid); 1993 (Jack Morris); 2001 (Yulestar) and 2009 (Mr Feelgood).
History was also created in 2001 when the club conducted the trotters' series for the first time with Take A Moment capturing the Grand Final.


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There is no greater present that I can ask for on Mother's Day than the love of my children – cuddles in bed and snuggling up the rest of the day spending our time doing nothing special except sharing the love. (and watching Netflix of course)
Yes, it's nice to receive presents and this year I received quite a few bits and pieces and knowing that they were specially chosen meant more to me than anything.
I also received handmade cards which I love more than the shop bought ones as they are from the heart.
This year Ethan wrote this in the card and that's all that matters to me –
Then, the children were asked to take over the Netflix Stream team for Mother's Day and Jadyn wrote me the most beautiful poem ever –
I asked her if she wanted to be part of the #LilStreamTeam and she jumped at the chance. She even designed it (purple being her favourite colour and slowly becoming mine too).
We all enjoy watching Netflix on our Smart TV as it's so easy to connect to it.
And on being asked why they love Netflix, here are their answers –
Aeryn – she loves My Little Pony and Care Bears and Peppa Pig and Barbie and Pocoyo and Strawberry Shortcake and….I had to stop her there.
Ethan is smarter and says there are many series for boys like Lego Ninjago etc and he has his own profile.
Jadyn sums it all up and said – "What's not to love about Netflix?"
Well said!!


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What I enjoyed more on classic Advance Wars wasn't the cute soldiers, but the different models they had and the animations.
The first Advance Wars had your soldiers walk to the screen, take aim and shoot. Each nation (green, blue, etc) had their own style of machinery and gear. Yellow looked japanese, Green kinda of germanic and Red seemed kinda like U.S. army.
Days of Ruins have color swapped armies with just a 2-frames animation of the gun blaze.
In the end this doesn't matter that much because I end up skipping combat animations, but on classic Advance Wars at least I waited the campaign to end to do it.


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Atmosphere and image
I am looking at a photograph that I took in Piazza San Marco in Venice in November. You can see it above, with its cheerful yellow chairs clustered around tables set with crisp linen cloths. I am looking at the image in a large digital format, much larger than shown on this website, and by concentrating on the details I am taken back into the moment. The moment was shared with a friend who had accompanied me on a walking tour of the City that day, and I can vividly remember the sense of the place, the temperature and humidity of the air, the flat whiteness of the sky and a thousand other details that are not experienced as such, but woven together to create a unique 'atmosphere'.
Images can be transporting in this way, taking us to far-off places, but to overstate their power to do this is romantic at best and misleading at worst. More often than not the power of the image is heavily diluted and diminished, and I attribute this to two things - the saturation of our visual environment, and the overstatement of the power of imagery alone in the absence of other sensory cues.
Marking this fact is seen as a bit superfluous, and generally the creative professions just get on with the business of image production and manipulation. Nevertheless there is something in it, something about the notion of the image as a single weapon in a broader arsenal that is not often discussed.
I am always mildly anxious while taking photographs. This is not an emotion inspired by a fear of making a poor image, something I avoid most of the time and can tolerate passably well when it does occur. It is a different kind of anxiety, an awareness of the moment being enshrined and frozen, almost as if I am scared of what might be captured by the lens. I tend to frame the shot with something of an aesthetic sense, but quickly, and not dwell on details that are plainly visible to me at the time, by virtue of my being there. I tend to quickly frame and fire off the shot, and just wait to see what it yields later on, rather than spending a moment pondering what I am seeing and considering how it could be framed.
When this goes well there is a spontaneity to the imagery, but when it does not go well the shots are poorly framed, or I see later that an opportunity was there but overlooked. The issue of making good or poor imagery is not really the point I am interested in, as I feel that closer attention to the technique of observation and framing helps this immensely. I am far more interested in the experience of marking a moment in time by capturing its specifics, and the relationship of this to the atmosphere of the place.
'Atmosphere' is not something that serious architects or designers discuss very often. It is seen as a non-professional or amateurish word, more suited to the realm of the decorator or Friday-night home improvement television programme. I disagree, and think that it is a fine word, and very useful for encompassing a broader spectrum of personal experience linked to place than the more restrictive 'style' or 'language'. What I really like about the word 'atmosphere' is that it is rooted in the experience of the person in the place, whereas more 'serious' technical architectural terminology is almost always focused on the characteristics of the space, building or place being experienced.
This is not a subtle distinction. To use the example at hand, Piazza San Marco has architectural and spatial characteristics, but to consider it as being merely the sum of those characteristics is to deny the richness of the actual experience of the place. The Piazza is never experienced independent of the temperature, the humidity, the quality of light, sounds, odours, movement and the presence of other people and the different things they are doing. In fact there is a wealth of nuance and subtlety - and an abundance - to the atmosphere of the place, and it is constantly changing. it is there to experience, if we can only tune our awareness to soak up the atmosphere in all of its parts.
Architectural discourse - the way architects speak to each other - is heavily censored and restricted, and this affects how we think about what we do, and how we discuss it with outsiders. It is partly the choice of words, driven by a sense of what is professionally orthodox and appropariate, and what is amateurish and 'beneath' a trained professional. Outsiders should not underestimate the designer's fear of being seen as 'uncool', either - I'm quite serious about that. Designer Bruce Mau acknowledges the corrosive power of 'coolness' in his studio's excellent Incomplete Manifesto where it is put like this:
14. Don't be cool.
Cool is conservative fear dressed in black. Free yourself from limits of this sort.
Visiting Piazza San Marco is undeniably a cool thing to do so perhaps my example is a poor one, but nevertheless, an 'uncool analysis' of what this photograph taps into points to something quite outside an orthodox architectural discourse. If the photograph transports me to another time and place, it is not because I have captured the 'essence' of the place in my image: it is because there is enough detail in the image to evoke my memory of being there, reminding me that I was footsore, cool but not cold, suffering from the glare of an overcast day and overwhelmed by the simple wide-eyed fact of being there for the first time. All of those things forged the atmosphere of the place as a personal sensory and visual framework: from that comes the emotive and evocative charge of the image.
This quality of 'atmosphere' exists everywhere, and not just in photogenic tourist destinations: how it accumulates over time and with the familiarity of the everyday is of particular interest to me. The density of experience it amounts to is so common that we are usually blind to it, and we become insensitive to the places we go every day. Nevertheless, the subconscious or unconscious mind is always assimilating detail, and over time we build up a rich, dense and nuanced composite picture of the places we know. If you doubt this, think now of a place you knew and liked - or disliked - in childhood: the formative memories can be the most potent.
Designers use images to create. We use photographs and drawings to capture what exists, and to visualise and make real what does not yet exist. If we as designers can somehow more closely link the intention of the image to a sense of a place's atmosphere, we may find ways to describe an emotional and atmospheric reality embedded in what exists, and yet evocative of what we wish to create. This might be fertile new ground.


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Latest News
Michael Starr
High school: Mary Persons High School
MySpace/Facebook: http://www.myspace.com/dirtygermangamer
Activities and achievements: 7th grade: star student (straight a's all year)9th grade: chess club10th grade: chess club11th grade: chess club and Skills USA. competition in drywall installation. state.12th grade: Skills USA secretary. teamworks competition. placed 1st in regional, 2nd in state.Also worked for board of education for 2 years, replaceing, building, and maintaining several parts of all the schools.
My Last Will and Testament: After my graduation, I leave to all the students attending all the schools any work I have done for them, and to my little sister who is graduating in two more years, I leave everything I have made, and hope she can make strong footprints for herself.


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I'm Nichole
Wife, mother of three, sister, daughter, friend. Proudly Type-A, overly focused and underly energetic. Sleep and chocolate solve my problems.
I love New York City. I felt home the minute we moved here in 2008. NYC amazes me every day. She's beautiful, energetic, sexy, challenging, and moody. She keeps you wondering if she loves you or can't wait for you to leave. I get her.
I love anything creative including fashion, design, interiors, and people. I am a Font Geek and can decorate the most amazing Birthday Cakes. I would join Diet Cokeaholics Anonymous except I don't want to. I swear way too frequently but am still ladylike enough to be offended when I hear it on the subway. The smell of trash on the sidewalks in the summer makes me happy and hopeful. I run 25 miles a week, usually to the mantra, "Faster, you fat cow, faster!" I love sugar. (See the connection?) I wish for a dog and a tattoo, but will only actually get one of them.
I live downtown in Tribeca and when the chance came to put .nyc after my name, I went for it!


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BCS is the chartered institute for IT whose main aim is to provide and promote expansion of technology in terms of computing and technology. In addition, BCS ensures that everybody acquires the necessary skills and knowledge of ICT.
Being a regulatory body, it ensures that all the regulations pertaining the ICT Field are strictly followed and there is no room for manipulation of any of the facts laid down.
In addition to all the benefits it provides to the people, BCS ha s managed to collaborate with a number of international bodies. The advantage is that it is recognized as an all rounded institution and more people are satisfied with the services that are offered in exchange.
Its proper governance has also proven to be of high quality and as a result, anybody that associates with BCS benefits from the relationship. This is because they are assured of better reception, and delivery of services.
Its ability to grant chartered status to any individual who qualifies as an IT professional has enabled many people to associate with it.
BCS is famous when it comes to offering of services that cover all the available slots in the IT field;
- Presentation of the software
- Video editing
- Social networking
- Internet connectivity
- Understanding Microsoft
BCS has many regional branches worldwide and this has made it possible and easy to have access to its program, services and certification.
In conclusion, BCS is a professional organization that mainly focuses on information and communications technology and its services are available worldwide, its main purpose being regulating the ICT education, conferences and some popular publications.
- The qualifications of the BCS certification cover ten major subject areas:-
- IS consultancy
- Information Technology governance and information security
- Project management
- Solution development and architecture
- Software testing
- Data centre management
- Sustainable information technology
Project management IT professionals gain additional knowledge on how to control, manage and motivate projects. They also ensure that each project is successfully completed.
Business Testing- An individual has the opportunity to gain additional knowledge and skills in determining and finding solutions in most of the system development components. One also has the privilege of knowing how to plan and develop common software.
Software testing once employed to a certain company one gains the skills and ability to investigate and identify quality products from the available options. One is able to confidently evaluate the credibility of certain software in terms of how they respond to certain commands and configurations.
Data centre management with this, an individual is able to collect process and analyze the data in question. The information obtained in the process aids in decision making processes.
Information technology governance and information security this involves techniques which are essential in terms of securing software systems against threats including viruses. In addition, it allows for proper governance of all the systems.
IS consultancy this involves being diverse in terms of knowledge in the field of information technology i.e. understanding all the rules and regulations pertaining information systems.
The BCS certification ensures that an individual attains top notch knowledge and skills in most of the IT areas, therefore an assured of top performance in the practical field.
With the availability of qualified training providers, many individuals automatically qualify for any of the certificates offered without any difficulties.
The IT professionals gain the benefit of further improvising and developing their career in terms of work delivery, and performance.
One of the benefits of the examinations is that an individual gets the option to choose from the available options to sit for the papers. This can either be paper- based or computer- based exams.
There are a number of certificates available for IT professional and are set out within the main subject areas.
The available certifications cover the following common areas:-
- IT user with this certification, an individual is able to gain skills required in the job, during studies and todays error which is more of being digitized.
- Higher education accreditation enables one to gain access into top-notch institutions and perfect their skills in IT and other related areas offered by BCS. This ensures a place to most promising career institutions and a good salary.
- Profession certification BCS sets standards that are required for an individual to succeed in the IT professional field, in consultancy, Agile and in troubleshooting other computer problems. These certifications enable an individual to be differentiated from the rest of the people and this, to some, raises their morale and urge to work even harder.


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Is Panzera Realty the Right Team for you?
Are you an investor who:
- Lives locally or out of state?
- Is savvy in life and business, and planning for your future wealth management needs?
- Shares our vision of residential real estate investment as a powerful tool for portfolio diversification and long-term asset growth?
- Owns or is currently searching for single-family or multiple units of investment properties?
- Wishes to increase your profitability over time?
- Will trust us to handle and control the routine responsibilities of residential property management so that you can enjoy the many benefits of ownership?
If so, then Panzera Realty is the right team for you. We know real estate investing and we'll help you maximize and protect your investment, increase your profitability, and build your portfolio.
Buy Investment Property with Confidence
Buying property, whether for your personal residence or investment portfolio, is likely one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. It's exciting, but it can also be complicated, costly, and feel overwhelming.
When it comes to buying investment property, we're here to help. We do that by first focusing on you as the investor. What are your investment goals? Is your strategy long-term, or is cash flow your primary concern? Perhaps your goals fall somewhere in between. With your stated goals in mind, we'll help you find the right property at the right price–whether it's your first purchase or your hundredth. We work with you throughout the buying process so that upon closing you'll feel as if you've had a partner in it. Our goal is to ease you through the journey to property ownership so you can enjoy it, and to provide you an efficient, easy transition into the daily management of your new acquisition.
If you're considering buying investment property in Columbus, Ohio, contact Panzera Realty today.
Sell Investment Property with Guidance
Selling investment property is a demanding process that requires a lot of work and patience. We'd like to help you do it.
From even before you list, we'll advise you on preparing your investment property for sale, from setting the right price to distinguishing your property in the market. During the sales process and up through your closing, we'll guide you and help minimize the stress that comes with selling. We've done it for twenty years through up and down markets, and we can help you find what works for your personal situation.
In some cases, market conditions might suggest that renting could be a better option to help you maximize your investment while you own it. As a seasoned property management company, we can help with that, too.
Contact Panzera Realty today and we'll work to ensure that the sale of your property is quick, easy and profitable.
Trust us with your property's management
Managing your rental property or investment properties can be stressful and time-consuming. Panzera Realty handles the everyday details of managing your investment properties in Columbus so you can worry less, and enjoy the benefits of ownership more.
Our services include:
- Local property management with frequent site visits
- Online access to reports and financial information for your property
- Extensive tenant screening
- No-excuses rent collection
- Timely repairs
- 24-hour emergency maintenance contact
- Property marketing and advertising
- Assistance navigating Fair Housing regulations and Section VIII


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Rescue workers searched rubble early Thursday for survivors of a fertilizer plant explosion in a small Texas town that killed as many as 15 people and injured more than 160 others. The blast left the factory a smoldering ruin and leveled homes and businesses for blocks in every direction.
The explosion in downtown West, a small farming community about 20 miles north of Waco, shook the ground with the strength of a small earthquake and could be heard dozens of miles away. It sent flames shooting into the night sky and rained burning embers and debris down on shocked and frightened residents.
"They are still getting injured folks out and they are evacuating people from their homes," Waco police Sgt. William Patrick Swanton said early Thursday morning. He added later, "At some point this will turn into a recovery operation, but at this point, we are still in search and rescue."
Swanton said authorities believe that between five and 15 people were killed in the blast, but stressed that is an early estimate. There is no indication the blast was anything other than an industrial accident, he said.
Among those believed to be dead: Three to five volunteer firefighters and a single law enforcement officer who responded to a fire call at the West Fertilizer Co. shortly before the blast. They remained unaccounted for early Thursday morning.
The explosion that struck around 8 p.m. leveled a four-block area around the plant that a member of the city council, Al Vanek, said was "totally decimated." The toll included 50 to 75 houses, an apartment complex with about 50 units that one state police officer said was reduced to "a skeleton," a middle school and the West Rest Haven Nursing Home, from which first-responders evacuated 133 patients, some in wheelchairs.


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SAO PAULO, July 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's largest private lender, Itaú Unibanco Holding SA announced on Tuesday the kick-off of a new card processor targeted at small companies.
The new company Credicard Pop will have separate pricing and payments policies from Itaú's largest card processor, Redecard SA, known as Rede. Credicard Pop won't charge monthly fees and will pay stores within two days for credit card transactions, a much shorter period than the average 30 days in Brazilian card industry.
Reporting by Aluisio Alves; Writing by Carolina Mandl


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It's a comparatively slow year for proposed state constitutional amendments. Only four are on the Nov. 8 ballot. Four years ago, there were 11.
Most attention has gone to Amendment 1 — the utilities' attempt to monopolize solar energy — and Amendment 2 — medical marijuana. Amendment 4, a minor tax break for solar energy, was on the primary ballot and passed.
That leaves Amendments 3 and 5, both of which could allow small groups of Floridians to claim added property tax exemptions. Though such issues might seem like constitutional clutter, the only way to approve such tax changes is through the amendment process.
Amendment 3 would allow the Legislature to grant property tax relief to first responders — mostly police officers and firefighters — who become totally and permanently disabled because of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The relief would apply only to a person's primary residence.
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Safeguards are built into the amendment. As a legislative analysis says, "A causal connection between a disability and service in the line of duty may not be presumed, but must be determined as provided by general law. The term 'disability' does not include a chronic condition or chronic disease, unless the injury sustained in the line of duty was the sole cause of the chronic condition or chronic disease."
The potential amount of tax relief likely wouldn't affect county and city budgets. Still, the legislative memo notes that the Legislature would have to make further changes before the change took full effect.
Amendment 5 would provide an additional tax break for seniors. To qualify, a home would have to be valued at less than $250,000 and owned by someone 65 or older who had lived in the home for at least 25 years. The exemption also would apply to permanently disabled veterans 65 or older and surviving spouses of veterans or first responders who died in the line of duty. The exemption would continue even if the home's value rose above $250,000.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recommends a YES vote on constitutional amendments 3 and 5.