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On this episode we talk to Eugene Hernandez, Deputy Director of Film at Lincoln Center about the 57th Annual New York Film Festival before traveling to the Principality of Andorra to talk with Angel Balanche from Andorra Sotheby's International Realty about an incredible art event they hosted.
Learn more about Film at the Lincoln Center
Learn and see more about the event in Andorra
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty podcast!
On this episode we talk to Louis Birdman, Developer, 1000 Museum – Miami's most exciting new Development – and we re-air a recent interview with the Sotheby's International Realty brand's COO, Julie Leonhardt LaTorre, on the Real Trends podcast.
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty podcast!
On this episode we talk to Alejandra Vanoli from Viva Sotheby's International Realty in Mallorca about the Copa Del Rey – Spain's most highly-regarded sailing event of the year – and Carl Shurr from Kuper Sotheby's International Realty about Austin, Texas.
Learn more about Mallorca Sotheby's International Realty's involvement in the Copa Del Rey
Learn more about Carl and browse his listings
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty podcast!
Join us Saturday, July 13 from 5-7pm at the George Marshall Store Gallery at 140 Lindsay Road, York, ME for the opening reception.
Music by Seasmoke
The exhibit runs from July 13 - August 18.
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10-5 / Sunday 1-5 / and by appointment
Click Here for a PDF of the invitation
This exhibition brings together the work of two well established painters: Lincoln Perry, also a sculptor and muralist who lives part of the year in York, Maine and Craig Hood, a resident of Portsmouth New Hampshire and a recently retired professor from the University of New Hampshire. The artists share a Jewel-like pallet and place allegorical and mysterious figures into their landscapes.
Complementing the paintings are wood-turned sculptures by Boston area artist Derrick Te Paske. His elegant simple forms take advantage of natural grains and are often embellished with markings and studded with brass or copper pins. Click Here to view images of Te Paske's sculpture.
All three artists have spent years in academia and a keen interest in art history is apparent in all their work.
|Noriko Sakanishi has been working abstractly since the 1970's. There seems to be no limit to the combinations that she can make while restricting her shapes to simple squares, rectangles and spheres. Her wall-hung constructions give the illusion of weight, either stone or metal, when in fact they are made of light weight foam materials, meticulously painted in earth tones and applied texture.
DeWitt Hardy was a mainstay of the Ogunquit art community until is sudden death in the Autumn of 2018. He is being recognized this summer at Bates College in the exhibition "DeWitt Hardy: A Master of Watercolor." Besides his own painting he is remembered and revered as a teacher. Ken Fellows, Bill Paarlberg and Russel Whitten all studied with him for many years. Hardy was more than a teacher to these men, but a pivotal mentor. His legacy is carried forward by these artists who learned from the best and now share what they have learned through their own teaching and exhibiting.
YORK, Maine (June 28, 2019) — Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty today announced our team was recognized on the 2019 REAL Trends & Tom Ferry "The Thousand," a summary of the top 1,000 independent real estate agents and teams in the United States.
The REAL Trends "The Thousand" comprises four categories: the top 250 agents by sides, top 250 agents by sales volume, top 250 teams by sides and top 250 teams by sales volume. Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty was ranked 232 on the Teams by Transaction Volume.
"The recognition of our 11 member team on the "The Thousand" rankings is a result of hard work, extensive market knowledge and the support of the Sotheby's International Realty brand, which enables our agents to effectively market and sell extraordinary residences," said Linda Briggs Broker/Owner. "We are proud to have our company on this prestigious industry list." The Sotheby's International Realty brand claimed 41 of the top 250 sales associates in the REAL Trends individual sales volume category, more than any other real estate brand. The brand also had the highest combined individual sales volume from sales associates in the same category.
"Achieving a leading number of sales associates represented in the individual sales volume category of the REAL Trends rankings is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Sotheby's International Realty affiliated professionals," said Philip White, president and chief executive officer of Sotheby's International Realty. "Agents affiliated with Sotheby's International Realty demand more of themselves to set the highest standard in the business. This dedication made a record $112 billion in global sales volume for Sotheby's International Realty possible in 2018. I am proud to honor the companies and sales associates represented on this list and their commitment to their clients and the industry."
Click here to see the complete list of Sotheby's International Realty brand affiliated sales associates represented on "The Thousand."
The Sotheby's International Realty network currently has more than 22,700 affiliated independent sales associates located in nearly 1,000 offices in 70 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.
Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty has offices in York and Ogunquit Maine. For additional information, please visit our website anneerwin.com or contact 207.363.6640
The complete "The Thousand" Top Real Estate Professionals list can be found on REAL Trends' website, www.realtrends.com.
Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty has had a leading presence in the southern Maine real estate market for over 35 years. Founded in 1980, the company offers an extensive selection of distinctive homes in every price range in Maine and NH. Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty has offices located at 31 Long Sands Road, York, Maine and 19 Beach Street, Ogunquit, Maine.
On this, our first, bonus pod, we are re-airing Sotheby's International Realty CMO Kevin Thompson's appearance on the CMO Moves podcast hosted by Nadine Dietz from AdWeek.
Listen to more from CMO Moves: adweek.com/inside-the-brand/cmo-moves
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty podcast!
by Erik Weinbrecht
Originally published on June 4, 2019 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Inspired by the pages of RESIDE® Magazine, RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty® explores the incredible people, places, and brands featured in the magazine, bringing their stories to life. From the nightlife of one of the world's favorite cities, to art and beyond, RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty explores the best of luxury living.
On this special Global Networking Event edition of the RESIDE® by Sotheby's International Realty Podcast, we hear from Sotheby's International Realty's Chief Marketing Officer, Kevin Thompson on the brand's new "Only" marketing campaign and dive into the waters off Maui with local diver, and real estate agent with Island Sotheby's International Realty, Philip Chiesa.
Only Sotheby's International Realty
RESIDE | Diving the Eco-Friendly Way
Episode 3 Transcript:
Hello and welcome to RESIDE® by Sotheby's International Realty. I'm Erik Weinbrecht your host and guide as we dive into the pages of RESIDE magazine to discover more about the incredible people, places, and brands featured within. Please be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to @sothebysrealty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to experience incredible homes and stories from around the world. Without further delay, let's get started.
Erik Weinbrecht (EW)
Fresh off the Global Networking stage in Vancouver I'd like to welcome Sotheby's International Realty's Chief Marketing Officer and our special guest Kevin Thompson to take us through the brand's latest marketing campaign and talk a little bit about the event. Hi Kevin!
Kevin Thompson (KT)
Hi Erik.
Thank you so much for joining me that was an incredible speech that you gave today at a GNE.
Thank you thank you it's great to be here.
So, before we get started about all of the great things that you talked about, tell us a little bit about why we're in Vancouver this year?
So, when we were looking at locations to take our global networking event a little over a year ago Vancouver popped up on our radar as one of the unique places that we could bring our global audience. I think it represents what is exciting and new and fresh not just in the real estate market but in a in a vibrant urban setting. Vancouver is itself a very modern city it's a young city and I felt like that was the right vibe for our global networking event. It really fit with the theme of what we're going to talk about there.
So, it seems like it to an interesting contrast coming off of having two events in Las Vegas and then going to Vancouver. So, the atmosphere here is obviously completely different between the two and it seems to be a really effective choice
Yeah so Vancouver is a world apart from Las Vegas, both are great cities both super dynamic both attract a global audience. I think what it was again really interesting about Vancouver was the idea that we could host the event in a phenomenal venue that was just built it was designed for the Olympics that were recently held in Vancouver. It's an extraordinary place to be. It feels very fresh very new very modern and I think it aligns with the voice of the brand right now.
So, speaking of things that are new and fresh and modern, let's talk a little bit about what you talked about today. Tell us about the exciting news.
So, one of the big announcements that we have, probably the biggest announcement for GNE from a marketing standpoint is the rollout of a new campaign. So the idea that we get to present a new global campaign to the audience is you know we don't we only get a chance to do that at GNE so we have to wait a year and a half sometimes two years to have these conversations and really get to talk to agents and our owners about what the voice of the brand should be going forward. So, to announce the Only campaign you know not just was the setting perfect to do that the timing was right. We had just come off of the success of the LIVE Sotheby's International Realty campaign which was the first truly customizable global campaign that we had launched as a brand, we launched it with a cloud-based building tool that allowed all of our affiliates to customize the brand for their local market. The LIVE campaign really, I think help to set the framework for our new only campaign. It spoke to our agents networking consumers buyers and sellers about the idea of living that Sotheby's international Realty lifestyle. I think the only campaign lets us really kind of own that voice. We are the only luxury real estate brands that operates on a global scale we are the only luxury real estate brand that has a network as powerful as ours is today. So, it just made sense from sort of a logical standpoint, but I think it is that also the creative evolution of the live campaign it makes sense to move into a bolder bigger statement for the brand.
So why do you think it's important for brands like the Sotheby's International Realty brand to have these kinds of campaigns? What do they do for a brand?
So, I think when a brand like Sotheby's International Realty plays in the public sphere we get to say and do things that other real estate brands can't do. In part that's because of our shared history with the auction house – so we just celebrated the Sotheby's brand's two hundred and seventy fifth anniversary which is an extraordinary milestone. Sotheby's is a brand that the consumers aspire to they have a sense of what it means to live a somebody's life style and that is part of who we are. As Sotheby's International Realty as well so we get to talk about the idea of living a certain way and tapping into your dreams and really it this is all about Sotheby's International Realty not just as the voice of authority in the luxury space but the access point for consumers to achieve their dreams, and I think that's a remarkable thing. I don't think that's something that other real estate brands can do; you can try to do I don't think you know it is it something that we own and is beyond compare really in the real estate industry.
Now I imagine going back to the new campaign there had to be some sort of impetus or some sort of inspiration for this campaign – you know what are some of the other big brand campaigns that inspired this?
It's like this well we worked with a company called Blu Blanc Rouge they're based in Toronto and Montreal and they have historically they've worked with Nike and Mercedes Benz they worked with live nation and we did an exercise with them that was all about brand world building and this is a fairly new concept I think for global brands. I think the most forward thinking brands in in all categories are having these conversations about what the world of their brand looks and feels like we have not had that conversation before at Sotheby's international realty, and that is I think both the surprising thing for a brand that's been around for two hundred seventy five years but also an incredible opportunity when you consider our share of the market at the in the luxury segment. For us to have this conversation now sort of represents a you know the opportunity going forward. It is important for us to think about what it means to represent the brand and what the world of Sotheby's International Realty feels like, and that's what drove the new campaign. So, this exercise with Blu Blanc Rouge and sort of understanding the psychology of how our brand lives in the real estate space really let us to land on only as the campaign tagline.
I know from my perspective I can't wait to see what some of our affiliates to do with this campaign. I know that the live campaign was super customizable, and you know we saw them do some incredible things with this. I'm hoping for the same if not more for the only campaign.
Yeah, the so the challenge for the live campaign when we first designed that and we knew we wanted to talk about what it means to live a Sotheby's International Realty lifestyle we had to consider that that means something very different to people all around the world. I mean something different to buyers and sellers a different price points and emerging affluent millennials and established luxury consumer so we had to create in in sort of partnership with the campaign we had to create a tool that allowed for the campaign to be customized so that it worked at any price point in any market in the seventy two countries that we are in and close to twenty three thousand agents implementing this campaign or have the opportunity to employ this campaign so we had to create the tool that allowed for the customization. The only campaign, you know it through all of the learnings in creating the live campaign, in in launching the live campaign, and understanding where it worked where it didn't work and why not, we were able to launch the only campaign today with a sort of bigger bang. There are more pieces of collateral, more assets, more tools, more designs, more templates; everything about the only campaign is more robust than the live campaign. It's certainly it was effective you know when we launched, and we launched the Design Vault we had ninety seven percent of our companies go in and build and create some sort of collateral. Inside the templates that were there you know that represents thirty plus ads a day being created using that tool I think the only campaign will far outpace that.
Yeah, I'm like I said I'm, I'm super excited to see what people do with it. What's one thing you're really looking forward to with the only campaign – what are you looking to see from it?
I you know what inspires me most is when I see the campaign customized for a local markets and individual agents working effectively, so when you know our agents know their markets better than we do – better than we ever possibly could they have the information they have the understanding about what consumers in their market want and so when they when they go into the design vault tool and they customize the assets that we create, we've created and they design these beautiful ads that we just help them to create, we didn't design it we're not dictating what it what it should look like, and the end product you know we want to manage the voice of the brand, but how that gets interpreted in the local market is entirely up to our agents. I think that you know that's what excites me most when I see them grab on to what we've created and make it their own and really run with it – and we see those times pop up on social media channels and we see local advertising local print media that's the most exciting part for me. When we know it's working for that and helping drive their business and their success.
Well thank you very much for taking the time today to be with us on the podcast I know you are very busy here in in Vancouver and there are many people looking forward to talking with you, so I don't want to take up any more of your time. Make sure to check out the only campaign across all of our social media platforms and on sothebysrealty.com.
Thanks so much it was great to be here.
Hawaii is the premier destination for diving in the United States with the island offering so many locales to explore the depths we could have dedicated an entire episode to the topic – instead we're focusing on Maui, home to some particularly special Pacific waters. My guest today is Philip Chiesa, a real estate agent with Island Sotheby's International Realty and longtime free diver. Hi Phillip.
Philip Chiesa (PC)
Hi how you doing?
I'm well I'm well thank you so much for joining me today. I appreciate it.
Yeah, I'm happy to be here excited to talk about diving on Maui.
So, before we hop into the water, I just give me the low down on what's going on in Maui – what's trending there?
Well I'm a little bit of a foodie so I'm very excited for the upcoming opening of a new restaurant on the north shore of Maui called bop. It's a Korean barbecue slash sushi restaurant opening up and I think it's going to be a pretty big success.
I mean I think it goes without saying that that any time we talk about a location one of the first things that comes up is food so I always love to hear about you know the culinary trends and the things that are that are going on and that's awesome. So, I am there anything in particular there that you're looking forward to?
Definitely all of the sashimi. The people opening this restaurant used to have a different sushi restaurant located up country Maui and they are changing locations and changing up their menu a little bit and they always were known for having really high quality fish in the restaurant so I'm looking forward to seeing what they create now.
Now speaking of high–quality fish let's talk about what they look like but before we we get them on the dinner plate. So, as I mentioned you know whole why he is known as the US' premier diving destination, what makes diving in Maui particularly special?
What Maui has going on more than all the other islands is the number of whales. When it's whale season, which is from about December to April, they like to be in our waters most as we have these protected channels between Maui and Lanai that serves as a great area for them to birth their baby whales and so you can just see them all over the place either from land or while diving and you can hear them under water. That's a pretty surreal experience.
Wow that sounds incredible I mean I am a very novice swimmer – my wife is a is a former lifeguard and she makes fun of me all the time, but you know in in terms of diving and being there for something like a, you know a whale pod, you know what level of diver do you have to be to experience something like that?
It's all sort of luck of the draw – you could be an advanced diver and be out really far and it will increase your chances of seeing them, but you can also be a relative beginner and go out for a snorkel trip and happen to see a whale right off the boat, so really all levels of people can get to experience that which I think is fun.
Now that you mention too that there's a specific season for experiencing you know a whale encounter like that but are there any other particular seasons where diving is best in Maui or different or something special?
You know kind of the best thing about Maui is you can dive here all year round. The water temperature only changes about five degrees from winter to summer, it's about seventy-five Fahrenheit in winter and got up to about eighty in summer so all year long you can dive. The visibility is great, the currents are never too bad as long as you're driving a good part of the island and it's just awesome. There's no down season.
Now you've lived in in Maui for the better part of your life is that is that right?
Yes, I moved here when I was seven years old.
And when did you start diving?
Sort of recently within the last four to five years. I didn't actually grow up doing it but when I moved home after college I really got into the community and it's really an up and coming community, freediving in particular and so it's going to be a part of that as it grows and gets into the mainstream.
So, what's the difference between free diving and you know just kind of the typical diving we think of? I know many of us out here aren't experts on the topic so, if you give us a definition that would be great.
Absolutely. Typically, when people hear the word diving they're going to think of scuba diving which is having a breathing apparatus – typically one of those big metal tanks on your back and you are diving for the better part of an hour using that breathing apparatus staying under the whole time. Freediving is diving as deep as you want or as shallow as you want simply by holding your breath and there's a lot of different disciplines within this for a free diving but in its simplest sense it's diving unaided by a tank.
Wow, now I heard that you can hold your breath for three minutes is that correct?
I am actually up to four minutes now.
Wow that is insane – that that is a long time. Is there like a limit where if you're not breathing for certain amount of time like there's like an oxygen cut off thing to your brain – is that at all a worry of yours when you're down there?
Well there's a lot that goes into it and without boring you too much with the physiology, four minutes is a relatively short breath in the free diving world; the world official world record is just under twelve minutes right now and a lot of my regular dive partners have much longer breath hold times, so I'm not too worried about reaching my limit.
Wow so I mean whether you're under the water with a tank strapped to you or under the water holding your breath for an extended period of time when you come up to the surface and you want to decompress, what's something that you that you do after a full day of diving?
My personal favorite thing is to sit on the beach and drink a beer, it's a good way to relax and hang out because diving is pretty exhausting. Even though you're in the water the whole time it just hits you in a different way than you think. There's also a lot of really fun hikes out on the east side of the island with waterfalls and jungles and it's like being in a whole different world, I really like going to do that. I already touched on the food, but we have some world class restaurants out here and access to amazing fish and not just fish but vegetables and fruits – we just have this insane mixture of fresh produce that we can have your round out here.
Thank you so much for taking the time to briefly take us into the water with you and kind of give us a glimpse of what life is like on Maui.
Yeah absolutely I was happy to talk; it's fun to talk about your passions.
Thanks again to Philip and Kevin for joining me on this special edition of the RESIDE podcast. Thanks also to Stephen Connelly behind the board and all of you for listening. Don't forget to subscribe to the RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you listen. For more from RESIDE magazine, see the show notes for links or visit sothebysrealty.com/reside for stories from the magazine. Until next time…
For those who seek an exceptional life
by Erik Weinbrecht
Originally published on March 14, 2019 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Inspired by the pages of RESIDE® Magazine, RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty® explores the incredible people, places, and brands featured in the magazine, bringing their stories to life. From the nightlife of one of the world's favorite cities, to art and beyond, RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty explores the best of luxury living.
On this episode, we visit the Dominican Republic, discover the eclectic culture of Portland, Oregon, and talk to award-winning Minneapolis Chef, Jamie Malone.
Sergio Llach – Dominican Republic Sotheby's International Realty
Deb Tebbs – Cascade Sotheby's International Realty
Chef Jamie Malone – Grand Cafe
Episode 2 Transcript:
Hello and welcome to RESIDE® by Sotheby's International Realty. I'm Erik Weinbrecht your host and guide as we dive into the pages of RESIDE magazine to discover more about the incredible people, places, and brands featured within. Please be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to @sothebysrealty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to experience incredible homes and stories from around the world. Without further delay, let's get started.
Erik Weinbrecht (EW)
Featured in the latest edition of RESIDE in a round-up of Caribbean destinations, the Dominican Republic is home to a rich cultural history and a highly touted reputation for some of the world's favorite rum, chocolate, coffee, and golf. With me today to explore this incredible destination is Sergio Llach, president and CEO of Dominican Republic Sotheby's international Realty. How's it going Sergio?
Sergio Llach (SL)
I'm doing great, Buenos tardes.
Thank you again for taking the time to join me today. The article in the most recent edition of RESIDE features these incredible destinations in the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic is one of them so you know, where do we start? You know with all the choices in the Caribbean, why the Dominican Republic? What makes it stand out?
I would say my friend is the friendly people and the service provided. It's something that's not found on any other Caribbean nation particularly because Spanish is our primary language, so that's what I would say – the people in the service that they offer.
Now one of the things that you mentioned you know when we first started speaking, before we actually started rolling tape, you told me to add golf into the description of the Dominican Republic. What makes golf so important there?
Well first of all the teeth of the dog is the number one course in the entire Caribbean for countless years and just in our eastern side of the country that we must have at least twenty world-class golf courses. Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, and Robert Trent Jones you know, famous worldwide designers, people from all over the world come just to go here.
And you know that that kind of ties well into the magazine article, you know it focuses mostly on tourism and the people who vacation there, what's full time life like ther in the DR?
Full time life down here is great because the DR is not just a small country it's a very big nation and we have Santo Domingo just an hour or so away with three million people and there are symphonies and culture and restaurants. Out in the east where are all the resorts are, you have the lifestyle you want to live with the golfing with the weather year round with the service year round and the restaurants, marinas – everything you could possibly want from a United States or European standpoint. You has with great weather year round and the ocean two steps away.
Are you finding that a lot of people are buying you know their second or third homes in the DR or are they really coming and living there full time?
You know it always starts out with a, "let me buy because we're going to use it for two or four weeks per year," and as families get into the culture and the lifestyle down there it evolves into six months a year. The typical lifespan of a buyer in our part of the Dominican Republic can range anywhere from ten to thirty or more years. This is really interesting, it is fabulous actually, everybody always wants ocean front property that's kind of like the dream for Caribbean and buyers today it is almost impossible for me to find some great ocean front property available because all the children and the grandchildren don't want to sell the homes! I have an inventory issue.
Well you're having a legacy issue.
Yeah yeah really it's true and it's nice because you know the kids are like no you know where we gonna go not only do we grew up here and our kids are going after that where is there that's anywhere better offers everything we offer so it's quite fascinating.
And where do you find your buyers are coming from? Are they are they local or they natives or are they coming from you have a specific place? Is there a specific feeder market
This one of those interesting questions about our market since Santo Domingo is an hour away, I would say fifty percent of our buyers come from that mega feeder to market, which is something right in the country. And then the rest of the mega feeder markets are New York, France, Spain, Canada – all over the world because there are direct flights to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo from every major airline and that's the key to any feeder market.
With twenty eighteen now you know well and the rear view mirror what's on the horizon for the Dominican Republic? What's going on in in twenty nineteen and what you looking forward to?
From a tourism and lifestyle point of view I see it only getting better and better because as most people learn the differences between for example the all-inclusive in the Punta Cana areas they learn about the more upscale lifestyles in certain areas in Punta Cana and La Romana, so I think it's just gonna grow. The world doesn't know about Casa de Campo and the world doesn't know too much about the resorts in Punta Cana, but every year they know more and more so I think it only get better. And a as a as living there more and more I hear, "Gosh I'd like to live here more, gosh I'd like to live here more," so I see it only positive Erik.
Well thank you for taking the time to join me today, you know I think you've given everybody some insight into the Dominican Republic and you know maybe now you know people will know Casa De Campo.
Tell the check us out! As we say here me, "me casa, tu casa!"
Excellent! Be sure to check out the article on sothebysrealty.com to learn more about the Dominican Republic and the other destinations in the Caribbean, thanks again Sergio!
Thanks Erik, take care, bye bye, ciao ciao.
From the sandy beaches and warm escapes of the Caribbean our journey takes us to Portland Oregon where the night life reflects the city's vibrant, varied and incredibly diverse cultural reputation. Deb Tebbs owner and CEO of Cascade Sotheby's International Realty is here to take us out for a night on the town, hi Deb.
Deb Tebbs (DT)
Hi how's everything going?
It's going great how are you?
I'm doing okay! So Portland was featured in the most recent addition of reside magazine and I figured you'd be the expert to talk to, right?
Well I certainly know the city well!
Good good. So Portland is very much so in the vernacular of pop culture these days – tell tell me why so many people are going to Portland?
Well I think it's a kind of a combination of a few things – up first of all it's a it's just a flat out right foodie destination, so the diversity of of cuisine is is unending with food carts down to in a five star restaurants and just a diverse Food Network. The other in their tracks people to Portland is the craft beer scene so there are a myriad of breweries and if it's not your gig then there's the wineries that are all within an hour's drive from downtown.
You said craft beer and I just started nodding my head, "yes yes yes." So I mean the craft beer phenomenon and and you know the cultural importance of cuisine that's something that I definitely becomes part of a city's DNA but it's something that's a part of many different cities DNAs, what's what's something that really sets the city apart from other metropolitan cultural hubs the United States?
As far as the food and beer or just in general? [laughs]
In general what's something that's unique to Portland?
Well you know I've been to a lot of different cities and I think first of all to think about that Portland isn't a big city it's a it's a it's a little city I call it a baby city. It's really accessible to walk so you can walk you know from just about anywhere within the city and I know that that happens in a lot of different places but it's, it's the vibe it's small. There are the biking and the walking it's it's very easy accessible areas – lots of green belts lots of water are you know there's its three or four different rivers to come together there. The vibe of the people definitely laid back and artsy very different than if you're in New York City or or a San Francisco just a very different culture. That makes sense?
Yeah it sounds very varied I'm getting this kind of – and personally I I have not been to Portland – but I'm getting this this vibe for me that it's kind of like a um Brooklyn with more injections of nature around it.
That's spot on and I think that yeah the park factor is a big deal that and the clean air the recreation and then it's got it's really diverse. Because they have all these little eclectic neighborhoods within the city so there are a myriad of of areas that you can choose to live in. Starting from the pearl district to Multnomah Village, to the Beaumont area, lake Oswego there and all of those neighborhoods bring their own flavor to the city.
Okay so they each have their own kind of unique fingerprint that that you know defines them.
Absolutely, absolutely and and they're all very diverse. If you're in the pearl district you're in a high rise condo that you know is overlooking the river and you're basically not driving anywhere you're walking or biking. If you're in lake Oswego you've got a beautiful home on the lake and that's a completely different setting and vibe. If you're in Irvington or north west you're in an area of homes that are older and more established in kind of the original neighborhoods of the city. So there's there's a lot to choose from.
From churches converted into concert venues and Twin Peaks inspired lounges the piece in RESIDE paints this very eclectic picture of Portland's night life that seems to kind of mirror the the eclectic nature of the different neighborhoods. What's your can't miss spot?
My can't-miss spot is Al's Den. Al's Den is a part of Mcmenamins which again was originally developed out of an old church and it's this underground place – so you walk underneath and this kind of it's all bricks and dark kind of it den like and there's all different types of a live music going on down there I'm just real different types of music to. The night I was there it was kind of bluegrass–y, but they've got different venues. Hale Pele is a tiki bar recently voted number one tiki bar in America so that's a cool hip spot, and then the vault cocktail lounge is kind of like a hidden gem in the pearl district. If you want to go there to have a a real signature cocktail made up for you that's a spot to go.
I have to say that my favorite part about doing this podcast so far is I'm learning about all these incredible cities that you know are very accessible for for me to get to and I I keep having these these things added to my, I don't wanna call my "bucket list," but you know a list of of things to do every time I go into a new city.
Yeah, and well there's a kind of a saying in Portland it says, "keep Portland weird," and it's true! It's eclectic and it's inclusive and that's the vibe there and it's it's really celebrated through the for the diverse culture residents because there, it's an extremely diverse from tech to retirement to people who are developing their vineyards who are growing wine. I mean it's just and then you know you're an hour where you're at the you're at the Oregon coast. Your an hour away your up skiing Mount Hood. So it's just the accessibility for so many different lifestyles.
Is there anything special coming to the city that we should keep an eye out for?
Well I have heard I don't know if it's clarified but there's a group of investors including the Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife that are trying to bring Major League Baseball to Portland it's the Portland diamond project.
That sounds very cool! I'm a I'm a big baseball guys so that's that's exciting it's been a while since there's been an expansion with a new team so that would be really cool.
Yeah they do a lot with soccer, with their Timbers but yeah so that that would be exciting for the city for sure.
Well thank you so much for your time today Deb and thanks for for keeping it weird!
Thanks for having me on, bye!
Chef Jamie Malone had a busy twenty eighteen. Her year old Minneapolis restaurant the Grand Cafe was named one of Food and Winemagazine's best new restaurants of twenty eighteen and her decadently high-end French inspired chicken liver moose donut was named the magazine's twenty eighteen dish of the year. On top of that chef Jamie and her business partner procured a second restaurant, East Side just this past October. Chef Jamie thanks for joining me today!
Chef Jamie – CJ
Thank you so much for having me!
It's it's it's an honor to have an award-winning chef on our second episode of the podcast!
[Laughs] Exciting for me too!
So, I mean what drew you to French cuisine?
you know I think sometimes I liken it to music that you fall in love with when you're young. Most people I think you know the music they first fall in love with when they're fourteen fifteen sixteen they're sort of in love with forever. And that's kind of how I feel about food I first fell in love with French food and you know one of the reasons I love food is you get to learn about all kinds of different cultures but French food is my first love so it runs the deepest.
And you're a native to Minneapolis right?
I am yeah
How did French cuisine come up in the culture there? Is that something that's inherently special to Minneapolis?
No it's not and you know I went to Le Cordon Bleu so I went to you know a traditional French culinary school, but actually before my time there were some French restaurants in Minneapolis. But when I was coming up there weren't a lot of them and I think that made it feel even more special and a little bit exotic, especially the kind of French food I like to cook which is very old fashioned very you know very traditional so, so to me it felt exotic.
So do you find ways to take the traditionalist approach to a French cuisine do you do you find ways to kind of work in some of the city into that cuisine?
You know I think the for me the most important way to do that is to create relationships with purveyors and you know so we have people who do flour locally obviously we're the mill city so that's kind of a big thing here. And we get a lot of produce locally that's kind of the biggest way to make the tie in but I'm not I'm not one of those cooks whose hyper focused on the place where we're at I'm kind of more in interested in transporting our guests.
Where you find the inspiration for your dishes?
You know I think my inspiration for food it comes through just experiences that have brought me pleasure and that I have loved and have stuck with me an impacted me and so I always try to distill that within the personality of the restaurant. You know I get inspiration from really old cookbooks there's just certain things that you know read about or it's just like all man that's just elegant and stunning and I just love everything about it I love you know sometimes the necessity from which things came and then there are you know created and then their refined over generations to be this thing of elegance and art and that I just find incredibly beautiful, but as far as you know for the restaurant also are trying to create dishes but also try to create like the whole world everything about the restaurant is just kind of its own little world, so we like to tie in everything not just the food.
So what do we mean by that, like the décor?
The music, the decor in the style of service, the words we use I've got a funny story actually my business partner Nicky on Monday we were having a conversation and we're talking about exactly this and I said you know we can we can dig deeper into the words that we use on the on the dining room floor, but to say you know if someone comes into reservation instead of saying great we should say like marvelous because it feels kind of Old World and unique and instead of marvelous I said "marvelfluff" [laughs] Weird, so that's forever our word. We always joke around about that, but we're trying to put a lot of spotlight on the nuances.
So so to lean on your words, speaking of things that are that are "Marvelfluff," How how did you come up with the with the award winning donut? I I've got to know.
You know it was a work in progress and an old chef partner of mine Eric Anderson and I used to kind of do riffs on things with chicken liver all the time and that was just one of the evolutions that it came into It just really felt like are you know chicken livers is very old fashioned and very rich and can be kind of boring still a little maybe grandma-ish, which I do like, this felt like a really fun and a super fun evolution of it. I like to incorporating pastry techniques in savory food so we use something called Luster Dust for the glaze so it's like sparkling glittery and it's got all those kind of whimsical qualities of a French pastry but it's savory.
Very interesting I mean I I have a very adventurous palates as I as I'm told I and I constantly love to try new things and the moment I read that in in both food and wine and in RESIDE magazine I just said, I've got to try it, I've got to go to Minneapolis to try it I absolutely have to. You mentioned that chicken liver feels kind of like grandma-ish and and that that gets me thinking, how does a background like yours where you have you know this this deep and you know kind of like all-encompassing love for food, but you also have this professional training – how does that differ you from those who are who are brought up in the kitchen and you know they kind of cut their teeth with their grandma standing next to them and you know holding their hands and things like that?
Yeah that's a good question. You know I think most cooks even who have gone through culinary school really the way you do cut your teeth is either in the kitchen or you probably do have some sort of deeper history growing up with food, which I think is both in the same for me. I think the big difference with culinary school is you really have concentrated time to focus on foundational techniques.
So I mean twenty eighteen has been an absolutely whirlwind of a year it seems like for you with you know everything that you have going on and you know we're just getting into February of of twenty nineteen so what do you think this year has in store for you?
You know just we've got two restaurants now we've got a great team and we're just going to put our heads down and work on making everything better and more fun and more magical.
No rest for the wicked, right?
Yeah, exactly [laughs]
Well thank you very much for joining us today on the podcast and be sure to visit chef Jamie the next time you're in Minneapolis and experience her unforgettable culinary creations. Thanks again Chef Jamie.
Thank you so much for having me.
Thanks again to Sergio, Deb, and Chef Jamie for taking the time to be with us today. Thanks also to Stephen Connelly behind the board and all of you for listening. Don't forget to subscribe to the RESIDE by Sotheby's International Realty podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen. If you're craving more RESIDE visit sothebysrealty.com/reside for more from this and previous issues of the magazine. Until next time…
Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC today reported that in 2018 its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved more than $112 billion USD in global sales volume, the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand. Additionally, 27 affiliated companies surpassed $1 billion USD in sales volume in 2018.
"Experts predicted that 2018 would be a slow year for the global real estate market," said Philip White, president and chief executive officer, Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. "Despite the forecast, our talented affiliated companies and their sales associates continued to perform at the top of their game to drive a year-over-year sales volume increase that is truly remarkable. We are going to keep the momentum going in 2019 and we will continue to empower the Sotheby's International Realty network by offering innovative products, tools, and research to provide best-in-class service."
The Sotheby's International Realty brand also reported growth across its global network. At year-end, the network totaled more than 990 offices in 72 countries and territories and more than 22,500 affiliated sales associates worldwide.
In the United States, the Sotheby's International Realty brand achieved more than $100 billion USD in sales volume in 2018. This year witnessed continued significant growth by the brand's existing affiliate companies through talent attraction as well as mergers and acquisitions. Most notably, the brand increased its market presence in Essex and the Acton-Boxborough area of Massachusetts; Greater Portland, Oregon; and Nashville, Tennessee. The brand also entered several key new markets last year, namely, Bandon, Oregon; Huntsville, Alabama; the Sandhills Region of North Carolina; Mendocino, Fort Bragg, and Ventura, California.
Outside the United States, the Sotheby's International Realty brand achieved more than $12 billion USD in sales volume in 2018 while continuing to expand into key markets. In Europe, the brand grew its presence in Menorca and Madrid, Spain; Sylt and Bern, Germany; Kitzbühel, Austria; Zurich, Switzerland; and Slovakia. The brand also sold the rights to the island country of Cyprus. In Asia, new offices were opened in Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Bangkok, Thailand, and agreements were signed to expand into Jakarta and Bali in Indonesia, and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam and the Maldives. The brand also saw growth in Mexico City, Mexico; the Metropolitan area of Puebla; Valle de Bravo and Malinalco in Estado de Mexico; and Cuernavaca and Tepoztlán in Morelos.
2018 was an impactful year for the brand with the roll-out of new tools and offerings. Sotheby's International Realty became the first real estate brand to launch and implement a virtual staging augmented reality app, transforming the home buying and selling experience for sales associates and consumers with the launch of Curate by Sotheby's International Realty℠. Design Vault, a cloud-based ad-builder tool was also unveiled, allowing companies and agents to create advertising, marketing and social assets with ease. The brand entered a custom-publishing relationship with The Wall Street Journal / Barron's Group to present RESIDE®, a bespoke luxury lifestyle magazine providing affiliate companies around the world a turnkey solution to creating a customized, branded magazine. The publication's inception also birthed the brand's new podcast series. In partnership with Inman, an exclusive channel called Leading in Luxury was launched, featuring experts from the Sotheby's International Realty brand discussing trends, best practices and innovations in luxury real estate.
"As much as it was revolutionary, 2018 was also an affirmative year for the brand," said Kevin Thompson, chief marketing officer, Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. "The Sotheby's International Realty brand has always stood at the forefront of innovation in the industry, but we recognize that in order to maintain this standard, we need to continue to press forward. With the launch of new technology and tools, we continued that tradition, always aiming to provide industry-leading levels of service that sales associates affiliated with Sotheby's International Realty around the world are known for."
The Sotheby's International Realty brand website, sothebysrealty.com, saw another record year with more than 30 million visits, a 13 percent increase year-over-year, with 13 percent of traffic generated from new users. Top searches on sothebysrealty.com in the United States included New York, New York; Malibu, California; and Los Angeles, California. Outside of the United States, the top locations searched were London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lake Como, Italy; and Sydney, Australia.
The Sotheby's International Realty brand's affiliated companies and sales associates raised nearly $1 million USD to date for New Story, the brand's charitable partner and a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The funds raised have gone directly to the construction of new homes in Morelos, Mexico for families who lost their homes in the 2017 earthquakes.
"It was awe-inspiring to visit the families in Mexico whose lives will be forever changed by the generosity of our network," said White following a recent trip to visit two recently constructed communities in Mexico. "Partnering with New Story as a charitable partner allowed us to extend the services we provide daily: to help people discover homes that allow them to live their best life."
The Sotheby's International Realty® brand claimed 40 of the top 250 sales associates in the Individual Sales Volume category of the 2018 REAL Trends/The Wall Street Journal "The Thousand." In addition, 12 teams affiliated with the Sotheby's International Realty brand were recognized as being among the top 250 teams in the nation by sales volume. The annual report ranks America's top 1,000 residential real estate agents and teams based on 2017 annual sales volume and transaction sides.


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City Council, Council District 1 — City of Menifee
Access additional information about this contest in the tabs in this section. For most screenreaders, you can hit Return or Enter to enter a tab and read the content within.
About this office
Members of the city council draft and vote on city laws and appoint certain municipal officers and employees.
There is only one candidate running for this office.
Top 3 Priorities
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Encourage this candidate to share their information on Voter's Edge.

subset: commoncrawl


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I have been a stand up comedian and actor for several years now. I reached the semi finals of the So You Think You're Funny competition in my first year and have been nominated for the Hackney New Act of the Year competition twice. I was also joint third in Dave's UK Pun Championships at Just The Tonic in its first year. "Don't be fooled by Geoff Alderman's apparently old school delivery style. He has a clever and original comedy brain and does very funny (occasionally naughty) jokes." Hazel Humphreys, Promoter: Wivenhoe Funny Farm
East 15 Acting School , diploma, 1 year, 2000 - 2001


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Ergonomics is a word that is often used when purchasing office furniture, but what does it mean and how to increase your employees well-being and productivity through ergonomics? Here's a quick guide to help you and your team maximise safe work performance.
What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the study of the interactions between people and their efficiency in their environment. In other words, ergonomics is the science of designing the workplace while keeping in mind the interactions of employees with their environment and their capabilities and limitations.
Why is ergonomics important?
With many employees spending between 7 and 12 hours at their desk every day, it is important that the environment they sit at is designed to improve their well-being and minimise the risk of work-related injuries such as lower back pain or other musculoskeletal injuries associated with prolonged work periods and a poor posture.
An effective ergonomic workplace is also proven to reduce costs, improve productivity, quality of work, employees engagement and create a better safety culture.
How to set up an ergonomic workstation?
1. Your chair
- Push your hips as far back as they go in the chair
- Adjust the seat height so that your feet sit flat on the floor. You may need to place your feet on a footrest to avoid your feet dangling.
- Your knees should be at a 90 degree or wider angle
- The back of your chair should be reclined at a 100-110 degree angle
- Adjust the back rest so that it supports your lower back
- Adjust your chair's armrests so that you shoulders are relaxed and your forearms lay horizontally
- Certain chairs also offer seat tilt adjustment. Adjust the tilt to feel comfortable, which is usually close to horizontal but you may prefer to sit slightly tilted forward
2. Your mouse and keyboard
- Position your keyboard close and directly in front of your body
- Determine which section of your keyboard you use the most and ensure this section is centred with your body
- Your forearms must be close to the horizontal
- Adjust the keyboard height so that your shoulders are relaxed and your wrists and hands are straight and not bent up.
- Adjust the tilt of your keyboard using the keyboard feet. If you sit in a forward or upright position, you should tilt your keyboard away from you at a negative angle. If you sit in a reclined position, a slight positive tilt of your keyboard will help keep your wrists straight
- Place the mouse as close as possible to your keyboard to avoid reaching out
3. Your monitor, phone and documents
- Set up your monitor directly in front of you so that the top of the screen is slightly below and no higher than eye level
- Watch your head position and keep it directly above your neck, avoiding neck flexing
- Set your screen at a distance that allows you to focus easily. This will usually be an arm's length away
- Place your phone within reach and avoid cradling the handset between your ear and your shoulder. It is best to use a headset or hand-free kit if you a re going to use the computer and the phone simultaneously
- If you use a document holder, place it as close as possible to the screen to minimise the twisting or inclination of the head
Once you have correctly set up your workstation to sit in the most ergonomically friendly position, it is also important to know that it is not healthy to maintain the same position for too long and that regular breaks should be taken:
- Take a short 1-2 min breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to stretch
- Every hour, you should change task or take a break for 5-10 minutes
- Rest your eyes regularly to avoid fatigue by looking away from your monitor and focusing on something in the distance or by covering your eyes with your palms for 10-15 seconds
- Use a correct posture and keep moving as much as possible.
Height adjustable workstations are also a great alternative to fixed height workstations allowing the user to alternate between a sitting and a standing working position throughout the day, promoting blood circulation, muscle stretching and activity.
For more information on ergonomics, visit our website or for advice on which chair or workstation to purchase, visit our South Melbourne showroom.


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Scott Fowler
Corey Brown, Panthers drop passes and game to Patriots
If you went looking for positives in the Carolina Panthers' eventual 17-16 home exhibition loss to New England on Friday night, you certainly could find them.
Carolina's first-team defense played well – intercepting Tom Brady twice, sacking him once and for the most part making life difficult for the poster boy of "Deflategate." And the first-team offense finally scored a touchdown on its eighth possession of the night, when Cam Newton found Mike Tolbert on a 2-yard pass early in the third quarter.
If you went looking for negatives in the Carolina Panthers' loss to New England on Friday night, you certainly could find those, too.
The first-team offense couldn't get in the end zone in seven first-half tries, even though Newton threw what should have been a 30-yard TD pass to Corey Brown.
Instead, Brown dropped it, continuing his own bizarre theme of the preseason. The more the Panthers try to make him a starter, the more Brown looks jittery and overwhelmed.
And the Panthers' defense wasn't perfect, either. It allowed Brady to move the ball for 80 yards and an 18-yard touchdown pass on what would be his last drive of the game – the two-minute drill late in the first half.
That TD made the score 7-6 New England at halftime, even though Carolina had the ball longer in that half and for the most part had moved it more effectively.
Again, the Panthers had trouble in the red zone – a first down at the New England 7 netted only three points – and in short-yardage situations. It's that familiar problem where the Panthers are concerned: Can they score enough to make a top-10 defense's top-notch work count?
Brown's drops were the team's most obvious flaw. Brown has now let a potential touchdown pass slip through his hands for two straight weeks, and he had his hands on at least four balls Friday night that ended up hitting the ground instead.
Said Carolina coach Ron Rivera afterward – while still sounding like he would stick with Brown as a starter for now: "The truth of the matter is he is putting too much pressure on himself. … We believe in him. We believe in who he is."
The Panthers never did bench Brown, but almost about every attempt at force-feeding him confidence with yet another throw failed. And Brown's drops seemed to be contagious. Cornerbacks Bené Benwikere and Josh Norman both let fairly easy interceptions slip right through their hands.
With that said, when both teams were playing their starters the game was about even or maybe even tilted a bit in the Panthers' favor.
That's a good thing from Carolina's standpoint, given the starting offense's lousy performance a week ago and the fact that New England is the reigning Super Bowl champions. (The Patriots did not play their two best pass-catchers in Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, so that helped a little).
The Panthers played New England at the exact same moment of the preseason in 2014, and in that game New England won 30-7 and demolished the Panthers. Newton got hurt, too.
So by that standard, this was a night of enormous progress. An unhurt Newton had a pretty sharp night. He was 17 for 28 for 160 yards, one TD and no interceptions. And of those 11 incompletions, at least five were outright drops. Even the normally reliable Greg Olsen had one.
Carolina ended up losing the game when – for the first time in its three exhibitions – its third-stringers came from ahead to lose rather than vice versa.
Quarterback Joe Webb couldn't conjure the magic of his first two games in August (he went 0-for-6 under serious pressure), and New England ended up winning on a 53-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski midway through the fourth quarter.
The loss didn't matter any more than the Panthers' wins in the previous two exhibitions did. All three one-point games will be wiped away soon.
All we will be left with is a football spiraling through the air, heralding the beginning of the real 2015 NFL season.
I just hope Corey Brown isn't the one who is supposed to catch it.
Scott Fowler: 704-358-5140, firstname.lastname@example.com, @scott_fowler


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The atmosphere in Chengdu is so different than most of China–people are relaxed, there are many parks, few high-rises, and the city is much cleaner. Foreigners are a much more common sight here as it is a hub of backpackers who travel across Sichuan. When I visited this summer there were many English-speaking youths waiting at the train station touting international hostels. I had read many positive things about Sim's Cozy Guesthouse in some forums, and sure enough, it was a great place to stay. The staff was very friendly and the owner, Sim and his wife often talked with us, offering assistance for anything we needed. There were a number of foreign guests staying there from Europe, the US, Japan, and Taiwan.
Huanglong Nature Reserve, about five hours north of Chengdu, sees only one bus a day. The bus' main stop is the nearest city, Chuanzhusi. At the Nature Reserve there is nowhere to stay, so the bus waits for you while you visit. Huanglong is much smaller than Jiuzhaigou, about four kilometers long, but certainly equally attractive. Some people even prefer Huanglong because it can easily be done in four or five hours and has fewer tourists. Huanglong is also a valley, but higher up than Jiuzhaigou. Thoughout the valley are many fascinating rock formations formed by the water that constantly flows from the melting snow of the surrounding mountains. One peak that approaches 6,000 meters tall is always clearly visible at the top of the slanting valley. In the summer there was no snow visible in Jiuzhaigou, but in Huanglong there were several snow-capped peaks. The temperature difference could also easily be felt, but with a bright sun out the coolness of the air was very refreshing.
According to many guides Sichuan province has enough travel destinations to last months. But most of them point to Jiuzhaigou as the number one must-see. Isolated by a ten hour bus ride from Chengdu and with the most expensive ticket price in China, Jiuzhaigou is a place frequented by many dedicated travelers. There is a small airport about two hours away from the park, but it was closed when we went this summer. The bus ride was mainly uphill and very curvy. As we ascended the sky got bluer and the temperature dropped. Light jackets were necessary at night. We stayed at a cheap hotel next to the Sheraton, which is not cheap. There are barbeque restaurants outside selling whole roasted lambs and yak meat. Half a kilo of mutton was 30 yuan (about $4).


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California is close to joining Texas in having a law which prevents homeowner associations from restricting residents who want to plant climate-appropriate landscaping instread of turf grass. California Assembly Bill 2104 passed out of its first state Senate committee yesterday and previously passed out of the Assembly 74-1. Surfrider lead an effort to get 10 environmental organizations to sign onto a letter submitted to the bill's author, Assemblyperson Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego). The Association of Professional Landscape Designers-California Chapter also submitted a letter.
The bill would protect homeowners in common interest developments (like HOAs) who want to plant climate-appropriate landscaping without fear of being fined by the HOA. This will help to improve water supply, water quality, green waste reduction, flooding, native habitat and more. Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, Surfrider's California Policy Manager, joined Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Gardens Program Coordinator in crafting the letter and reaching out to the 11 groups. Stay tuned for the next steps!
Landscaping is the largest single residential water user, consuming 30%-70% of water, depending on where one lives in California. Turf-grass-centric landscapes not only consume a lot of water, but are a source of runoff: from broken sprinklers, sprinklers over-shooting into streets, and compacted soil that doesn't absorb water. This runoff can pick up pollutants on its way to the ocean. Ocean users are faced with the unacceptable risk of staying out of the water and staying healthy, or enjoy the water and risk getting sick.
Native and climate-appropriate landscaping has multiple benefits and is beautiful. Native plants set down deep roots, helping to tap into water sponged up by healthy soil and sink and clean up polluted water; they can use just 20% of water turf grass demands; they create wildlife habitat and food; and they provide a sense of place. Rebates and resources to replace turf with climate appropriate landscaping, mulch and efficient irrigation are available in many places around the state. In Southern California, Metropolitan Water District (MWD) now offers a turf removal rebate of $2 per square foot (local agencies can add onto it, e.g., Los Angeles added $1). MWD also offers a class that promotes a watershed approach to landscaping and hard surfaces, taught by Surfrider collaborator, G3/Green Gardens Group.


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Have you ever heard of Steve McQueen? I hope you have because he's a damn icon, and so is the bike he rode in the famous film, On Any Sunday.
Over the summer, Joey and I had planned on hitting Albany MX for a 125 Dream Race shoot, and by planned what I mean is he called me from the road the morning of and told me to meet him somewhere on the side of the road. If only we'd known the gem of a day we were about to have.
After rendezvousing at a nearby store, Joey began telling me about his latest idea. He has about 1,001 every day, I'm convinced. Although I don't remember that one, what I do remember is Joey telling me that an old fellow came into Apex Motorsports, and told him about an old Hoosk 400 Cross he was selling. When Joey clarified that is was a running Husqvarna 400 Cross, his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. The man with the Hoosk for sale was named Ted, a genuine bad ass. Apparently, Joey wrote his number on a napkin and said he would be in contact.
As we're driving through Salem on our way to Albany, Joey gave old Ted a call to make arrangements to check out this mystical motorcycle. I was excited to see this thing after hearing how he came across such a deal. After all, Ted wanted all of $800 for his machine.
Once we got to the track it was all business, roost, and photos. Joey came to the conclusion that his 125 still ran, but needed a rebuild. We wondered if Ted had gotten back to us about the Hoosk, so we packed up and hit the road back toward Portland. Joey's phone rang with Ted on the other end and it was on! Joey needed to get the cash together and go scoop up this bike, but there was a problem. It was a Sunday and Joey's bank was closed, with his ATM limits maxed out. So, he made me grab the other half of the cash we needed. Our hope was restored.
Upon arriving at Ted's home, we knew by looking at the old Chevy pickup in his driveway, that we were in for a treat. He took us to the side of the house where this mystical 400 Cross sat, perched against the fence, still covered in mud from a recent trip to the Tillamook State Forest.
Ted shared some of his riding adventures with us (Ted is in his 70's, by the way, and finally thought it was time to give up riding off-road). When you meet a guy like this, something hits you. For me, it was imagining myself when I'm this guy's age having to give up riding dirtbikes. It kind of sucked for a minute. Then I remembered. I've got years to go, and smiled. Ted started the stubborn old bike in his shoes, after mentioning he'd broken his foot once starting it cold. Joey and I looked each other and chuckled.
Our story got even better as Ted left us alone for a minute, and ran into the garage. He popped back out with the original manual and tool kit, something we could have never expected. It was obvious Ted loved this bike, cared for it, and even though the scratches and dents told us it wasn't in perfect condition, it's the scratches and dents that give the bike its opportunity to tell its own story. And those are good stories.
You know riding is important to someone when they tear up as their motorcycle gets loaded into someone else's rig, but Ted knew we would give the bike years of adventure, so we shook hands and we were off.
We got it home, took some photos, and then I got eager. I had never started a cranky old big bore two stroke. Wearing Vans, I threw my left leg over the bike, got a compression crank and went for it. Joey about fell over laughing at me, as it kicked back and killed my foot and almost threw me off the bike!
I found my boots and eventually got it started (before Joey of course). We then proceeded to ride it up and down my neighborhood street, smiling from ear to ear like we were little kids.
Joey calls this the Holy Grail of vintage bike finds. It's the bike that Steve McQueen and Malcom Smith rode in the classic On Any Sunday film. Sometimes, the motorcycle buying experience can be ruined by anti-personal, online transactions. These purchases are loveless. A big part of the love that we have for all motorcycles starts with the story. It starts at the beginning. If you're lucky to find one of the most classic, vintage motocross bikes, that's one thing. But if you're lucky to sit down with the original owner, learning the history and the adventures the bike has been through, you can commit to continuing the story while feeding the soul of the motorcycle. It will feed your soul too. Sometimes, bikes find you. This bike found Joey in the most old school, organic kind of way.
So, is it for sale? Never.
- Kit


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Driving Safely In Javea
Now that its December many of us are traveling to Christmas functions in and around the area of Javea by car. Whilst most drivers are well aware of the drink driving rules, many are unaware of the speed limits applied to our local roads, and with recent changes applied by the "Generalitat de Traffico" you need to be up to date.
Roadwork Chaos On Its Way To Javea
Work To Start On The Javea Arenal
The CV 734 – Javea to Gata – has recently had its maximum speed limit changed from 80 to 60. this is due to a new directive that state that roads which have direct access to warehouses a, shops and businesses have had there speed limit reduced often dropping to 40 near the entrance. although this makes sense. The limit of 60 applies from the Javea " Sail and Seagull " roundabout until the Pons factory near Gata. Also the dual carriageway to the Arenal from McDonald's has a variable speed limit dropping to 30 at the roundabout near Iceland.
Keep your eyes open for new signs as many have changed and don't get caught out by the Traffic police and their hand held camera. Should you get a fine if you pay it within 20 days it is only 50 euros – you can even pay online at the "Traffico "website: http://www.dgt.es/es/
Safe driving over Christmas.


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Capitol Alert
Kashkari offers scholarship for TV ad
Neel Kashkari, the long-shot Republican candidate for governor, is looking for a few good ads.
Apparently inspired by Frito-Lay's "Crash the Super Bowl" consumer advertising contests, Kashkari, holding a bag of Doritos and addressing the camera in an online video Wednesday, said he will give a $25,000 scholarship to the college student who cuts him the best ad.
"Now your ad might make the case why I'd make a terrific next governor of California, or your ad might make the case of why we just need a change of leadership in Sacramento," Kashkari says in the video. "Either of those will do."
It remains unclear if Kashkari will be able to raise enough money to put any advertising on TV. The former U.S. Treasury Department official ended the first half of the year with just less than $200,000 in cash on hand and debts of about $164,000, though he has raised slightly more than $600,000 since then.
Gov. Jerry Brown, meanwhile, holds more than $22 million in his re-election account, and he is far ahead of Kashkari in public opinion polls.
Kashkari's campaign said the candidate will donate his own money to the campaign to cover the cost of the scholarship.


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For self-catering accommodation near Alton Towers Resort and the Peak District our log cabins and lodges with their own Hot Tubs are the ideal base to take a break with the family or for a romantic getaway. Set in a quiet area of woodland the many trails within our 46 acre boundary allow you to fully appreciate the surrounding scenery and abundance of wildlife. Mobile network and wifi (subject to charges) are not guaranteed throughtout the park due to our rural location. Bookings are not taken if they are entirly relient on wifi.
Just got back from a fantastic 4 night stay here. Loved every minute of it. Log cabin was lovely. Hot tub was a joy every morning and evening. So peaceful, felt like we were the only people there. The owner couldn't do enough for us. If you want a quiet welcoming stay in a luxurious cabin with very helpful staff,then this is the place to be. We're booking for November. 5 out of 5 stars
First ever visit stopped for two nights absolutely fantastic weekend away for myself and the hubby peace and quiet , towels and robes left and even a pint of milk in the fridge no phone reception or internet absolute bliss loved every minute will be returning and would really recommend to anyone that wants a nice peaceful break xx
We are on our way home from a lovely short family break to Quarry walk lodges. We stayed In a badger plus and it was just perfect for us (2 adults, 2 children 5&1). Impeccably clean, hot tub was amazing and park was perfect for the kids. I can't recommend it enough. Also a 10 mins drive to Alton towers which was great. Thanks so much I'm sure we will be back!
Fantastic few days, stayed in lodge 25 fox lodge plus, could not fault anything. We arrived later on in the evening and the cabin was lovely and warm ready for us. Phone signal obviously was very on/off but that's expected in the woods, thanks for a lovely few days!


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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The other day I redrew from memory the main characters from a web comic my friend Shaun and I used to have on the web. We collaborated on the writing and I drew the comics. It was back around the turn of the millenium when Penny Arcade was relatively new and everyone wanted to be Gabe and Tycho. Thus 4/5 of all web comics consisted of two guys that played games and also talked about them a lot. WAM (Warped Adolescent Minds) was no different. We gathered a loyal fanbase of two or three (not including our friends) and had an awesome time for the two or so years we released comics. Here's to the good old days!
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Sunday, April 27, 2008
Some messing around with acrylics, using the leftover blue paint from a canvas painting I did for my brother's 21st birthday.
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Party invitation - lots of random sketches - an awesome idea for a cartoon set in the year 3000 that involves scientists resurrecting a team of dogooders from the past to fight an alien threat.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
So I've realised that I'm way better at finishing pieces for the blog than I am at actually uploading them. These are the first of 19 images I have ready to go in my sketchblog folder.
The first is the cover I came up with for myself, Dane and Oliver's made-up-on-the-spot-and-recorded-in-a-couple-of-hours album (link here if you're couragous). The second is a bunch of observational drawings from a couple of afternoons in the library. The third is a long overdue present I did for my buddy Ryan, of a character he came up with at animation school. First time I've really used paint (acrylics), and it was fun but scary. More efforts along these lines to come!
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George Clooney's mom, Nina Clooney, opened up about her son expecting twins with his wife Amal, revealing that she thinks he'll be a "great" dad. Chatting with Us Weekly, the proud grandmother-to-be said: "We are extremely happy for George and Amal, and I cannot imagine two people who would be better parents. We were with them and they told us together. We were all together, and it was lovely. It was just a personal moment."
George's mom, Nina, is "extremely happy" about the news Photo: Getty Images
READ: George and Amal Clooney 'expecting twins', says friend Julie Chen
Nina added that she thought the married couple would make wonderful parents. "I think he'll be great," she said. "And I think she'll be a great mom!" George's Oceans 11 co-star and friend Matt Damon has also spoken about the moment he learned of the exciting news: "I was working with him last fall and he pulled me aside on set and I mean, I almost started crying," he told Entertainment Tonight. "I was so happy for him. And I was like, 'how far along is she?' And he goes, 'eight weeks.'" The star joked that he gave George a hard time about telling him the news so early, saying: "'Are you out of your mind?! Don't tell anybody else! Don't tell anybody else! Don't you know the 12-week rule?' Like of course he doesn't. I was like, 'Just shut up, man.' And then four weeks later, I'm like, 'we're good right?' to which George said, "We're good.'"
Amal and George are expecting twins Photo: Getty Images
GALLERY: Cutest celebrity kid moments of the year
The exciting news was revealed primarily by talk show host Julie Chen. "Beyoncé is not the only superstar expecting twins," she announced on The Talk. "Congratulations are in order for George and Amal Clooney." She then added: "Now, what we did find out that no one else is reporting is that the twins are due this June."


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It is something, I suppose, that Birmingham social services acknowledges the devastating criticisms of the serious case review into the death of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq. But the eagerness of Ishaq Abuzaire, Khyra's father, to insist that the professionals, and only the professionals, could have intervened to change things is surely somewhat disingenuous. "I want heads to roll," Abuzaire says. "My daughter died, and social services now admit they could have saved her. If just one person had realised something was seriously wrong in that house, Khyra might be alive."
Yet Abuzaire himself was in a better position than anyone to understand all may not have been well among the six children from whom he was estranged. He knew, for example, that his wife, the mother of those children, Angela Gordon, had not reacted well when he took a second wife, Carolina, in 2003. His decision to start a relationship with another woman, Abuzaire says, is in accordance with his Islamic faith, and his first wife had always known this. Yet Islam condones polygamy only when existing wives permit it. Angela Gordon became withdrawn and depressed when Carolina – with whom Abuzaire now has two children – turned up. By the time of Khyra's death, four years later, Gordon was severely depressed. She was not a woman who was happy with her husband's new arrangements.
Abuzaire also knew Gordon's new boyfriend, Junaid Abuhamza. He says that he knew him well. But perhaps not well enough to know that Abuhamza had been sexually and physically abused himself as a child, and had also witnessed his own father beating to death his four-year-old sister. Perhaps he did not know, either, that Abuhamza had been diagnosed as schizophrenic.
Abuzaire certainly did not approve of his first wife's new relationship, which had begun after he had left the marital home. At one point he had confronted Abuhamza, demanding the keys to Gordon's car, had pushed him through the window of a pub, and had been convicted of criminal damage and assault and battery. Abuzaire says he knows his behaviour was wrong, and regrets that it hampered his ability to act as an advocate for his children. But he says this ability had been hampered anyway, "because the father is powerless in this country".
Perhaps there is some truth in Abuzaire's latter statement. Certainly, the ease with which the media described Abuhamza as "the stepfather" of Khyra and her siblings, just because he had formed a relationship with their mother and moved into their home, suggests that "paternal authority figures" are accepted as interchangeable. This lazy and inaccurate nomenclature is seen again and again when cases of extreme child abuse emerge, even though it is widely acknowledged, and endlessly repeated, that children are 100 times more at risk from non-related adults living in their households than they are from parents. Why is society so keen to bestow pseudo-parental honorifics on people who have made no legal attempt to secure guardianship of a child?
Likewise, the deputy head of Khyra's school, alarmed at her withdrawal for "home-schooling", had visited Khyra's home and also contacted social services, because she was concerned. Good for her. But it has not been reported that the school also attempted contact with Abuzaire. Neither, more importantly, does he appear to have contacted the school or to have formed an independent relationship with its staff after he had left the family home.
In fact, Abuzaire says he confronted Gordon about the children's school attendance, having waited in vain one day outside the school gates to meet them, and says he was assured by Gordon they were still attending. Abuzaire should have called the school himself, but perhaps he did not consider matters of schooling and education to fall within a father's remit. Some fathers bring about their own powerlessness, by failing to take responsibility when they should.
Abuzaire also says he approached social services, but was ignored. Birmingham social services have indeed been found greatly wanting in this matter. But it cannot have helped that Abuzaire wanted social services to "keep me anonymous", rather than making a formal complaint, for fear this would further antagonise Gordon.
Abuzaire had not seen his children for some time before Khyra died. He explains that he had stayed on good terms with his children when he first moved out, but that as Abuhamza's influence became stronger, his ability to remain cordial with Gordon, and get access to the children, had been more and more compromised.
There seem to have been no dealings with the family courts, which have proven again and again to be of little help when a mother is uncooperative anyway. Many critics say this is the result of a bias in the law in favour of the mother. In truth, the bias is in favour of the resident parent, and the courts, in reality, can only hope to introduce some common sense when confronted with an implacably hostile parent. The idea that the courts can enforce parental cooperation, but choose not to, is mistaken in most cases.
I have no great wish to indulge in public flagellation of Abuzaire, who knows that one of his daughters died horribly, after much suffering, and remains estranged from five other children. He admits he failed his daughter, or did when the news of her death initially emerged. Yet he has given many media interviews since then, and therefore invites comment. Abuzaire's own flawed history as a father surely dictates it cannot all be entirely sympathetic comment.
The huge difficulty in cases such as this is that Abuzaire himself promotes the attitudes of which he complains. He says that fatherhood is not respected. Yet he showed little respect for the crucial importance of fatherhood when he placed his perceived right to start another family above his actual responsibilities to the family he had already created. He says that Gordon "turned evil", and in some ways this is an acceptable abstraction of the horrific process by which a coping mother became a willing and devious partner in starvation and torture. But Abuzaire played his own part in that process, while social services merely failed to spot it.
The focus now is on strengthening social services in Birmingham, and looking at changing home-schooling procedures that might have saved Khyra. Quite right – but also a tacit endorsement of the view that "parental" responsibility ultimately rests with social services. Fathers are not expendable, amorphous or interchangeable, and state services cannot replace them. Abuzaire was overly cavalier in his attitudes to his family, as too many parents are, and in this case the result was terrible.
There is more to be learned from this case than how to improve social services. Abuzaire, having attained a public platform, might usefully be a little more willing to examine his own mistakes and invite others to learn from them.


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Monday, April 16, 2012
Trinh Hoi Published His First Book 'Hoi & Ngo'
What do you know; Trinh Hoi published a book titled "Hội & Ngộ." The book is his first published book with over 500 pages through Nguoi Viet. According to the source, this book is to bring us closer to knowing Trinh Hoi. He writes without show off his knowledge and experience but simply pouring out his guts and feelings." Behind the silliness and ordinary, Trinh Hoi has something profound and is deeply human? His writing is not polished or fancy but down to earth as if he's wearing shorts and a t-shirt. His writing is in dialogues, narrative toward the reader. The article about his debut book is very long and is basically praising him and all. I tried to translate and sum it up much shorter for you guys. If you are interested in ordering this book, click here. Let me know what you think. Source
Posted by Unknown at 10:48 PM
Labels: Trinh Hoi
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