text:
You set me a trap.
I walked to the precipice,
blind. To fall in love
Month: April 2014
Take Me
On the wings
of my sadness
I flew into a dream
of you.
I thought I had lost you.
Yet Desire stood
waiting to be reassembled
like companion pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
into a familiar template.
You came for me
in the rooms of my dreamtime
where doors
are always unlocked for you.
You slipped past my mother's protective guard.
You entered.
We faced each other,
solemn with sweet relief.
Your hips slid
into the groove
of my own,
locking into place,
where they fit so well
like wooden railroad tracks,
bound to each other
to forge a pathway.
I climbed on,
rode you.
I don't care so much about the destination,
but only
that you take me.
Trying not to fall off the wagon
I am wishing for a small thing
to give me pleasure.
Just something little.
A gesture of sweetness,
like my lover's fingers rubbing the soft skin of my forearm
as he held me;
a touch of comfort
in the rain.
My heart grows drunk
on small sips.
I am a lightweight,
easily intoxicated
by smiles,
or better yet kisses.
But you are dangerous.
A shot of tequila,
aged well and strong.
Your words of love
go down smooth
like liquid fire.
I could easily
drink a case
and end up wasted.
Surprise, An Erotic Story
It was a sunny day in early April. My appointment for the afternoon had been cancelled and I found myself home with nothing I needed to be doing, a rare treat in a busy life. I decided it would be a good time to sunbathe; I was hoping to tan for the summer. My apartment is on the second floor and I had been noticing that the walls of my porch appeared to be deep enough that I could lie on the ground in the sun without being seen by anyone from the windows and patios of the neighboring houses. I wanted to sunbathe nude.
I stepped out on the porch and the smooth adobe-colored floor was screaming hot against my feet from the sun's rays. I laid down a large beach towel and then eased onto my behind, lying backside down. Once there, I looked up and checked again to see if I might be exposed to any observers. I decided no.
I stealthily untied my black satin robe and pulled it out from underneath me. The sun was bright above me, and I draped the thin fabric of the robe over my face, covering my eyes with its cool darkness.
My skin began to absorb warmth and moisten with sweat. I settled back into the floor and breathed, allowed my mind to settle. I tuned in to the sensations occurring in my body.
Being naked in the fresh air felt good. The sun was hot against my bare skin but there was a slight breeze that came up now and again.
The breeze washed over the length of me and I felt it caress my breasts, graze my belly, tickle me between my thighs. It was a strange feeling being so exposed outdoors; it felt a little bit naughty.
I had spread my legs apart so that I would tan evenly. The coolness of the wind touched me subtly with its fingers, teasing me between my open thighs. I felt arousal swell within the depths of my inner folds. My pussy begin to throb, clenching and unclenching like a wave. Dew of arousal dripped from the tender opening, coating my sensitive skin with wetness, to be licked by the air.
I felt the fullness of my breasts bloom like flowers, my nippples hardening. I grazed one finger over my nipple and shuddered from the sensation. I wanted to touch myself more but then thought what if someone could see me?
I dropped my hand and relaxed into the ground, enjoying the sun's heat. Arousal pulsed and flowed through my body, making my skin tingle.
All around me were the sounds of neighborhood life. Faint conversations as people walked by and the occasional sound of cars driving by on the distant street. My porch overlooked the parking lot of the apartment complex, which sat just off a quiet side street.
I tuned in to the noises, and after awhile my ears followed the sound of a car that was approaching. I heard it park nearby in the lot. Then I heard the ding of an automatic lock locking.
Something about the sound put me on my guard and made me feel like maybe I should go in. I felt strangely raw and exposed in my nakedness, even though I knew no one could see me.
I heard footsteps that sounded like they were approaching my own staircase and I began to get nervous. Was someone coming to my apartment?
I heard the footsteps begin to climb up my stairs. I knew my roommate would not be home until evening. The only person who would ever come over unannounced during the middle of the day was my lover. Sometimes he would surprise me at home in the afternoon, just when I least expected him. I froze with a mixture of fear and excitement.
I knew the door was unlocked but strained to hear a knock. Soon I heard a light knock, a da da da rhythm that confirmed it was him. I was relieved yet frightened.
Why was he visiting? We had recently decided we weren't going to see each other anymore. I was very surprised.
Yet I was filled with a rush of heat, a sense of heightened arousal. Excitement poured through my body and I felt beads of sweat building into a liquid against my back. I heard him open the door. He called my name in his familiar voice. Instead of putting on my robe and getting up to answer the door, I decided to remain still.
I listened to him walking around inside the apartment. My face was still covered by the satin robe. He could not see my expression and I could not see him or anything else. Then I heard the sound of his footsteps walking towards me. His walk was stealthy and quiet. He paused right outside the screen door. I felt him gazing down at me. He was silent and so was I. I held still with great effort. I imagined what he saw, me lying supine, fully naked, my skin rosy from heat and arousal, my breasts pillowy and full, nipples pointed up, my legs slightly parted, my pussy exposed.
Then I heard the sound of his zipper unzipping, his belt buckle unbuttoning. A smile spread across my lips and my body relaxed. I allowed myself to revel in the anticipation of pleasure.
I heard him push the screen door aside and step outside. I felt him bend down over me and then place his hands on my knees, nudging my legs to open wider. He kneeled before me, between my spread legs. His skin felt cool against my own.
His movements were slow and deliberate. Suddenly I felt the head of his hot cock press against the lips of my labia, dipping into the moisture. I moaned involuntarily. He rubbed the length of his cock against my clit, teasing me just like he knew I like to be teased.
He teased me til I was going crazy. Finally, I grabbed onto his hips and pulled him to me, guiding him inside me.
We both gasped at the shock of penetration, as he slid deep inside my plush wetness.
He lowered himself down on top of me, pressing his chest against me, and pushed away the satin cloth that covered my face. For a second our eyes locked.
"I missed you" he whispered.
He leaned in to kiss me.
What a delicious surprise.
Lost My Groove
Update from the front, on the battlefield of Love
You On My Lips
The End of the Universe
I was lying with my lover on the couch,
wrapped up in his arms like a gift,
absorbing the balm of post coital pleasure
into my skin.
He told me that scientists have seen the end of our universe,
while I idly ran my fingers over the scratch of hair on his belly.
He said the sun expands in a burst so large that it absorbs three planets before extinguishing
and dying out.
I guess sometimes
even though you know
the end
is inevitable
you live and love
like you don't.


text:
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2016
Rare Opportunity Hear JUNO-nominated RESPONSIO in Halifax
(Halifax, NS) Fans of contemplative music, and those who remember the meditative concerts produced by the Sanctuary Trio will be excited to learn that Nova Scotia composer Peter-Anthony Togni's RESPONSIO will be presented in Halifax for one live performance only – Monday, April 18 at 8:00 p.m. at Fort Massey United Church, 5303 Tobin Street, Halifax. Tickets are on sale now at www.tickethalifax.com, in person at The Coast, 2309 Maynard Street and will be available at the door. They're $25 regular, $20 for seniors and $10 for students and the under waged.
Nominated for a JUNO Award in 2016 (Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance), as well as the winner of the $25,000 2014 Lieutenant Governor's Masterworks Award, RESPONSIO is Togni's breathtakingly beautiful meditation on Guillaume de Machaut's medieval masterpiece, the Messe de Nostre Dame. Featuring the incomparable bass clarinet of Jeff Reilly soaring over the timeless sonorities of a world-class vocal quartet, the work is a deep reflection on over 1,000 years of spiritual music making. Just under 70 minutes in length, the piece is performed in twelve movements without intermission. You can watch a video about the work here:
The vocal quartet comprises four outstanding singers: Canadians Soprano Suzie Leblanc and Mezzo Andrea Ludwig, and two British tenors: Charles Daniels and John Potter. Following the Halifax performance, the group will perform RESPONSIO in Montreal on April 20. RESPONSIO will be performed also with Luminous Voices in Calgary on May 7.
Renowned Acadian soprano Suzie Leblanc (www.suzieleblanc.com) has had an international career specializing in early baroque repertoire, contemporary and Acadian folk music, and a busy schedule as a performer and recording artist. Mezzo-soprano Andrea Ludwig has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, many of Canada's symphony orchestras, and recently recorded eight orchestrated Schubert lieder with Symphony Nova Scotia. Charles Daniel was a member for sixteen years of the early music vocal ensemble the Orlando Consort, and is well known for his opera performances and recordings. John Potter is a singer and author who records for ECM with the Dowland Project and for Hyperion with the Conductus Ensemble. His books on singing are published by Cambridge and Yale University Press.
About RESPONSIO classical music magazine The Wholenote said:
"Composer Peter-Anthony Togni has brilliantly created a soundscape spanning the centuries... The vocal quartet score features beautifully crafted four-part, chant-based writing that transcends stylistic periods, with especially dreamy harmonies and luscious counterpoint in the Machaut-based sections. Bass clarinetist Jeff Reilly is a master of his instrument and the music"
RESPONSIO was released internationally in September of 2015 on the Montreal-based ATMA Classique label. CDs will be available for purchase at the concert.
This concert is presented by Musique Royale and Sanctuary Concerts, with support from the Craig Foundation. Please call (902) 422-6278 for more information.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1767928930101549/
Don't miss the opportunity to hear Peter-Anthony Togni's (PRONOUNCE TAWN-YEE) JUNO-nominated RESPONSIO, a work that combines thousand year old chants from the traditional Mass with the more contemporary bass clarinet of musician Jeff Reilly. It's happening one night only, on Monday, April 18 at 8:00 p.m. at Fort Massey United Church in Halifax. Fort Massey is located at 5303 Tobin Street, near the Queen Street Sobey's.
The concert also features a world-class vocal quartet with Soprano Suzie Leblanc, Mezzo-Soprano Andrea Ludwig and tenors Charles Daniels and John Potter.
Tickets are on sale now at Ticket Halifax, and are available in person at The Coast, 2309 Maynard Street, or online at ticket Halifax (dot) com. They're $25 regular, $20 for seniors and $10 for students and the under waged.
That's RESPONSIO, one night only, Monday, April 18 at 8:00 p.m. at Fort Massey United Church. Please call (902) 422-6278 for more information.
• 30 –
Information: Peggy Walt (902) 422-5403/office, (902) 476-1096 (cell),

subset: commoncrawl


text: Gary has been CEO of the Investor Relations Society since July 2018, leading the executive team at their Coleman Street office. Prior to this he had a 30 year career at GSK, where he held a number of positions in the UK and US in medicines development and commercialisation and in Corporate Communications where he headed the Corporate Product Communications function for several years. Gary was a Director in the Investor Relations team at GSK for over 10 years. He holds an MBA, has achieved the Certificate in Investor Relations from the IR Society and in 2017 became the first graduate of the Society's new Diploma in Investor Relations. Prior to becoming CEO, Gary was a member of the Society's Education and Examinations Committees.


text:
If the first Sharknado wasn't enough, then how about a Second One, Oh Hell No, a Third, now Syfy goes for a 4th. Sharknado: The 4th Awakens! Premieres: July 31 on Syfy.
David Hasselhoff or The Hoff, as he is often called, is a True Survivor of the 80's, he was in a talking car afterall, a definate Knightrider of the time. True Survivor is a music track from Kung Fury, a kickstarter funded short film by David Sandberg. It's all retro 80's music and action with over the top sequences featuring dinosaurs, video games that come alive, Norse Gods, and the Hoff as well.
If the first Sharknado wasn't enough, then how about a Second One, and now, Syfy goes for thirds. Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Premieres: 9pm Wednesday, July 22 on Syfy. The sharks take a bite out of the East Coast when the sharknado hits Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida.


text:
Vocal Lessons
Learn the joy of singing and the science of good vocal technique in this course that concentrates on unleashing the singer inside. Correct pitching and breathing problems, learn proper microphone technique and increase your range. Discover the path to connecting with your inner power. Learn the tricks of the masters. Be coached on all facets of performing.
Cost: Casual lessons $35 per 30 minute lesson.


text:
Friday, 31 August 2007
The media - aaaaah!!
I do hate it when a few journalists let others down. A story published today reflects an interview I and others were in. The journalist neglects to mention that he interviewed us some weeks ago, prior to performance data being available and he also failed to follow up nearer print time. The results are now here! There are glaring factual errors in the story - maybe next time he interviews us for a story he may want to check facts. It would really help if he had put at least one word down in the notebook he held the whole time - it remained blank for the entire one and a half hour interview! Perhaps it was designed to give us confidence in his reporting ability - if this was so - it failed! When a whole country is trying so hard to improve standards it can be demoralising when parts of the story are not accurate.
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Yoga Teacher Training Forum
Yoga Instructors: Would you like to network with fellow teachers worldwide? Here is a resource to find answers for every possible question regarding continuing education, improving your classes, student safety and much more.
April 27, 2015
I am considering taking the Yoga Teacher Training from home. Many yoga certifications expire and I'd like to know more details. How does that work? How long is it good for and how would I go about renewing it? Why do all the ashrams and studios make diplomas that expire?
April 27, 2015
Hi Crystal,
Every organization worth anything insists on yoga instructors participating in continuing education. This prevents student injuries and makes you a better yoga instructor. Most of them charge an arm and a leg (thousands). After you successfully passing your yoga teacher training course, Aura Wellness Center sends you a yoga teacher diploma that's good for two years.
After the two years you send in your independent research that comes free with the course or proof of attendence at any yoga teacher conference, workshop, or take an online course for yoga teachers from aura.
The cost for the re-certification with aura is $95 for 5 years. That's the lowest price I've ever heard of anywhere and really they just want to make sure you're active in your studies, which all of us do any way.
April 27, 2015
April 27, 2015
April 27, 2015
By looking at Gator's post there is an answer on the website.
Why would anyone ask this question? Really, massage therapists, personal trainers and teachers of all kinds have to work on continuing education. This is like asking, Can't I drive around with and expired drivers license?"
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The Pandora 8 Seater Dining Set includes:
Perfect for patios and spacious decked areas, the Pandora 8 Seater Dining Set is a versatile addition to the garden of any modern home. This set consists of a generously sized dining table, which measures W.100 x L.200 x H.74cm, allowing it to easily accommodate eight of the matching Pandora chairs.
This set has been made using high quality aluminium which has been further strengthened thanks to an electro-static coating and heat treatment, making this set superbly qualified to withstand the demands of outdoor use and the often unpredictable weather conditions. Better still, you can simply wipe this set clean after use for fast and easy maintenance.
What we love about this set:
The Pandora 8 Seater Dining Set in taupe is a contemporary outdoor dining set, perfect for those looking for a larger dining set option, whether that may be for getting the whole family together or hosting summer barbeques and garden parties with friends. For those with slightly less space, this set is also available in a 6 seater alternative.
We are pleased to offer this set with one year constructional warranty for your added peace of mind.
We aim to deliver all orders within 3-10 working days, with the exclusion of Scotland where during busy times it can take us upto 14 days to arrange delivery.
What are our delivery charges?
|Orders under £50
|Delivery charge £9.99
|Orders £50-£100
|Delivery charge £14.99
|Orders over £100
|Delivery charge £29.99
|Optional Assembly
|£49.95 as premium
What is the 2-Person Delivery Service?
Our two person delivery service is available for every order over £250 as standard. This includes the following:
12 month constructional warranty
Cleaning & Care:
General Garden Furniture Assembly Tips:
• Try to assemble your furniture near to where it will be placed to avoid having to move it once assembled.
• Be sure to place your furniture on a flat and even surface to prevent unnecessary stress on the connecting joints.
• If you need to move your furniture elsewhere, make sure you get somebody to help you lift it. Do not drag the furniture, as this can damage it.
• If you have assembled your furniture yourself, be sure to regularly check the bolts and re-tighten them if necessary.
• Use coasters and placements to protect your furniture's surface from any hot pans, plates or glassware.
Pandora Cleaning & Care FAQ's:
Can my furniture be left outside year-round?
Whilst aluminium furniture is a popular choice due to its rust-free properties, we always recommend storing your furniture in a garage/shed during the winter. If this isn't possible, then be sure to use a furniture cover, as this will not only give the furniture added protection from the elements, but also keeps it clean and ready for use in the spring. The chairs are stackable so the set can be neatly stored away during the winter.
Do I need to do any regular maintenance on my furniture?
To keep your aluminium furniture in good condition, simply wash using a brush or sponge and some soapy water to remove any build-up of dirt. Do not use a pressure cleaner or hose, as this could damage the furniture's coating.


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CytoSport Muscle Milk - Peanut Butter Chocolate
Product Overview
CytoSport Muscle Milk - Peanut Butter Chocolate
CytoSport Muscle Milk - Peanut Butter Chocolate
Meal Replacement Supplement
2.47 lbs (1120 g)
AllegroMedical.com presents The CytoSport Muscle Milk - Peanut Butter Chocolate Meal Replacement Supplement. When Muscle Milk was first introduced, we attempted to emulate human mother's milk, one of nature's most anabolic, complete and balanced foods. In doing that, Muscle Milk created a new category of protein products, while setting a new standard for both taste and performance. As a result, Muscle Milk has become America's favorite protein drink. PRECISION PROTEIN BLEND Muscle Milk contains a precise blend of proteins designed to create the optimal environment for exercise recovery and muscle growth. This precision protein blend contains rapid releasing whey and slower digesting micellar caseins from milk protein isolate/concentrate plus calcium and sodium caseinates. This creates a constant supply of amino acids, the building blocks of muscle tissue. CHOOSE THE RIGHT KIND OF FAT! The LEAN LIPIDS used in MUSCLE MILK are more likely burned for muscle energy and heat than stored as fat. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT), the pre-digested, fast-burning fats help provide the caloric energy needed to fuel exercise and recovery. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids from canola and sunflower oil provide essential omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. CHOOSE CARBOHYDRATES WISELY Low-sugar, high-fiber complex carbs are an important part of a healthy, active lifestyle. The starch-based complex carbs found in Muscle Milk supply energy to the body in the form of glucose. Glucose is the only energy source for red blood cells and a preferred energy source for anaerobically exercising muscles. Since we founded CytoSport in 1998, we've been dedicated to working with sports scientists, coaches and trainers to redefine protein enhanced products for active lifestyles and serious athletes-supporting performance when it matters. Over the years, we've expanded to create a comprehensive line that encompasses the athletic experience from preparation, to hydration, to recovery. Our products are among the very few that are manufactured in a NSF International GMP for Sport Registered facility. Our facilities are also inspected and regulated by the FDA. We carefully manufacture our powder products and ready-to-drink pre-blends onsite at our corporate campus in Benicia, California. Making efficacious products for athletes and active lifestyle individuals requires responsibility on all fronts. As our business has grown, so has our footprint. We have made environmental sustainability a focus and driver in everyday decision making. For more, please visit our website. Through it all, CytoSport has been committed to one thing, building athletes from the inside out. Greg and Mike Pickett, Father/Son. 32g Lean Protein. Lactose Free. 20 Vitamins & Minerals.
Mix 1 scoop (35g) into 5-6 fl oz water. Mix 2 scoops (70g) into 10-12 fl oz water. Muscle milk can be used before workouts, after workouts, or prior to bedtime. Individual nutritional requirements vary depending on gender, body weight, level of activity and exercise/training intensity. CytoSport products complement a healthful eating and hydration plan that, when combined with a balanced exercise program, may contribute to healthy weight management and recovery from exercise. Use 1-3 servings (35g per serving) per day as part of a well-balanced diet that includes whole foods and other protein sources.
Protein Blend (Calcium and sodium caseinate, milk protein isolate and/or concentrate, whey protein isolate and/or concentrate, whey peptides, lactoferrin, L-glutamine, taurine), Lean Lipids blend (sunflower oil, medium chain triglycerides, canola oil, L-carnitine), maltodextrin, soluble corn fiber, alkalized cocoa powder, crystalline fructose, natural and artificial flavor, vitamin mineral blend, potassium bicarbonate and/or potassium chloride, fructooligosaccarides, salt, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, soy lecithin. VITAMIN AND MINERAL BLEND tricalcium phosphate, magnesium oxide, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, ascorbic acid, ferrous fumarate, niacinamide, vitamin A acetate, zinc oxide, copper, gluconate, d-calcium pantothenate, cholecalciferol, pyridoxine hydrochloride, chromium polynicotinate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, d-biotin, potassium iodide, cyanocobalamin.
Do not use this product as your sole source of nutrition. Contains ingredients derived from milk and soy. This product is manufactured in a facility that processes milk, soy, wheat and eggs.
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CytoSport Muscle Milk - Peanut Butter Chocolate
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Part Number(s): 171 583417 01
Mfg Part Number(s): 50390
Scrip Part Number(s): 171 583417 01
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Smartphones, nowadays, have really become a necessity to stay connected to the world around you! Mobile phones just went from simple communication tools via texting and calling to a whole new virtual world that keeps you connected to your friends and family, keeps you up-to-date with the latest market information of the world, keeps a check on your health like your personal doctor and even notifies for your work or business!
Smartphones are the key to all your locks! These devices are backed-up by small programs called apps (applications) that put in use the full potential of the mobile device.
Apps can help you a number of things on your smartphone, one of which is maintaining your business. Business mobile apps are a very powerful tool that will help your business skyrocket in a much faster and easier way just by pressing a few buttons on your smartphone!
What are mobile apps?
Business mobile apps are tiny programs that are created to run on your smartphones for easier connectivity, better communication and easier information sharing.
This is almost like a software on your computer, just that it runs on your smartphone and is very portable. Mobile apps can completely revolutionize the way you run your business.
For instance, if you own a restaurant you can create a mobile app that will provide road directions to your restaurant, a full menu of the dishes that are cooked and maybe a facility to place an order for pick-up on the go!
Why are these apps important?
There are plenty reasons why you should start using a business mobile app for your own business. The main reason to venture into this is that it makes the entire personnel management of the business as well as customer management lot easier and faster! Companies with mobile apps provide added facilities to their clients and customers.
For instance, a mobile banking app gives information about your account balance, handles your transactions, makes payment and much more. So, if a person is made to choose between a bank that does not provide for a mobile app and a bank that does provide it, he would undoubtedly go for the latter.
Employee Management
Mobile apps can help a business completely manage its personnel and keep them up-to-date. Employees can easily get updates to latest projects, guidelines and other changes of the company. These apps can also help the management keep a daily record on their employees for organising and scheduling.
For Customers
This app can be a very excellent tool for the customers to check on the latest products of your business and the prices of the products. They can even get to know about the financing schemes and easy EMI facilities. All in all, they are easily informed about all the happenings of your company that will interest them.
Mobile apps can save a lot advertising costs like printing ads and making promotional videos for the television. It even saves the cost for informing the customers for the latest products and newest features.
All these things can be handled just by sending out a simple update for all the mobile app holders and thus, it's done in the most economical way!
Having a business mobile app for your company will help you prosper faster and easier. This would basically be the best possible upgrade to your business to make it more successful and to increase it's profit earning capacity.


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In a study of ten of the largest European countries, Britain comes last followed by Ireland, with France and Spain topping the table.
Though British households enjoy the highest income, at £35,730 a year, £10,325 higher than the European average, British families have to contend with a high cost of living, with fuel, food and alcohol all costing more than the European average.
With a litre of unleaded petrol at £1.08 a litre, the UK is the second most expensive country in Europe. However, diesel is more expensive in the UK than anywhere else in Europe – £1.13 a litre, which is 19p or 20 per cent above the European average of £0.94.
The report by price comparison website uSwitch analyses 10 European countries against 17 different benchmarks, from the price of gas, electricity, fuel, food and drink to the amount each country spends on education, health to working conditions and the weather.
The top three countries are France, Spain and Denmark, with Sweden, Ireland and Britain coming eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.
The study comes less than a week after the United Nations moved Britain out of the top 20 list of most desirable countries to live in for the first time.
While France and Germany were initially hit hard by the global financial crisis, both have officially exited their recessions, while Britain has yet to confirm this has happened. Later this week, despite signs of recovery in the housing market and buoyant retail sales, there is expected to be grim economic news with unemployment predicted to have climbed to above 2.5 million for the first time since 1994.
The uSwitch report indicated that Britain suffers from the lowest number of days holiday per year, with the average worker entitled to 26 days, well below Spain on 41. British consumers also pays the highest prices for diesel, food and the country spends below the European average, as a percentage of GDP, on health, and education. It also has the 4th lowest life expectancy in Europe, at 78.9 years, compared with above 80 years in France, Italy and Sweden and workers retire later than most of their European counterparts.
Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch, said: "There is more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the UK and heading to France and Spain.
"We earn substantially more than our European neighbours, but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and our homes warm. It's giving us a decent standard of living, but it's not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy."


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Barron Designs Inc. (dba FauxColumns.com™) warrantees all Faux Columns™ to withstand normal outdoor conditions for fifteen years. Barron Designs (dba FauxColumns.com™) warrantees the Faux Columns™ will not peel, crack, split, or rot.
Barron Designs (dba FauxColumns.com™) warrantees against all manufacturer defects (Barron Designs must be notified within 30 days of purchase if a manufacture defect was found). Damage resulting from accident, alteration, misuse, abuse, fire, improper installation, improper maintenance, acts of God, or use of products not approved by Barron Designs Inc shall not be covered under the warranty. Barron Designs Faux Columns™ are treated with a coating of a U.V. finish. This prevents and/or slows down sun fading, but like anything left in the sun, some slight fading could occur. Barron Designs does not warranty against this sun fading. Barron Designs does not warranty Faux Columns™ against hurricanes or tornado damage.
When Barron Designs has determined that a Faux Column is defective, it will replace the product or a credit may be offered instead of replacement (at Barron Designs' discretion). Barron Designs' liability is limited to the cost of the defective product.
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05 August 2010
In Defense of the Salted Potato Chip
Mr. Jovanka and myself have friends who are a couple like we are and lots of times we go over to their house to hang out or play cards. We always go over to their house because our house has 10 cats in it and we are worried about possible smells that we might not be sensitive to. We are nothing if not considerate. So anyway, we've been going over to their place for about the past 4 years now and we are only just now breaking them into buying salted potato chips instead of the funky flavors. The last time we went over to their house all they had on offer were some sort of barbecued chips and spicy Thai prawn or something. I took matters into my own hands and did this very clever ruse where I asked loudly and obviously where the nearest potato chip shop was then I made a show of asking specific directions and telling people to just wait a while because I might get lost. I even stood up and started patting all my pockets and moving towards the door. Finally Nico offered to just take his bike to go get the salted chips himself which had been my intention all along (I'm very good at this stuff).
Is it too much to ask that people should have simple salted snacks on hand? We don't think so. Besides, we have a medical excuse since we are vegans and the funky flavored ones always have some sort of dairy product/beef extract/dung in them.
I have waged a lifetime war against the freaks of this world who want to desecrate the taste of potatoes with their nasty artificial flavorings. When I was a kid growing up in Los Angeles, it was fairly simple: There were salted or Barbecue flavor. When, also as a kid, I lived in London, it was slightly more complex with the addition of cheese & onion and salt & vinegar flavors, but still you knew where you stood. Their two extra flavors were based on established pub food. It was all very Olde Worlde. I mean they even called salted crisps, "Ready Salted" as they had only recently apparently taken on the technology of pre-salting the crisps. Before that crisps came unsalted with a salt packet inside. I always imagined British parents guilting their children with, "Oh you kids these days don't know how easy you've got it. Why when we were your age, we had to reach our hands into the packet, look for the salt and do the work ourselves. We didn't have time for fun and games. We were too busy doing our own food preparation. You kids live like royalty!"
Fast forward to today and the Brits love the whole flavoured crisp thing. In fact they've taken the concept and run with it to the point where you're hard pressed to find plain crisps nowadays. Here are some of the flavours you'll find on offer if you innocently ask for a packet of crisps at any pub in England:
"Ready Salted" - of course the big selling point here being that they have been pre-salted for your convenience. Odd though how none of the other flavours will be listed as "Ready __________". I guess putting salt on things requires an extra effort.
"Salt & Vinegar" - the one flavour that I can at least understand. Chips (a.k.a. "fries") are often served with vinegar and salt in the UK and it is awfully good, so it would stand to reason that the flavoring would translate to a different form of potato. It doesn't. They're vile.
"Marmite" - OK. Marmite is an acquired taste, the enjoyment of which is already conditional: It's best served on toast (not bread, toast) for instance, and it tastes awful unless you combine it with margarine (at which point it tastes divine). And you have to know exactly how thickly to spread it or it all gets ruined. And now you want me to trust that it's going to taste alright when converted to powder form and splattered on crisps in a factory? Not bloody likely!
"Tomato Ketchup" - a title that is wrong on so many levels, first and foremost of which is the redundancy of calling it tomato ketchup. WHAT OTHER KIND OF KETCHUP IS THERE? That's what ketchup is! Ketchup is, by definition tomato ketchup. That would be like calling a wine, grape chardonnay or referring to a tobacco cigarette or stupid conservative (thank you people, I'll be here all week).....and furthermore WHY on earth would you want a quasi-ketchup flavoring embedded into your potato chip when surely the more elegant choice would be to dip your chip in your own ketchup?
"Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding"......which begs the question, why not just eat roast beef and Yorkshire pudding? If they make roast beef and Yorkshire pudding that tastes of potato chips will you eat that? Freak.
"Builder's Breakfast" - I'm going to go out on a limb here, British cuisine being as diverse as it is, and assume that a "Builder's Breakfast" isn't much different from the classic "Full British Breakfast" which consists of eggs, bacon, blood sausage, toast and runny baked beans in tomato sauce with two unexplained tomato slices on the edge of the plate. How you'd manage to get this cacophony of flavors orchestrated into one synthetic powder to smear on the crisps is beyond me.
What do the Portuguese eat for breakfast? Does it really warrant a tribute?
Again: If you need to taste this then why not just go and eat the actual - oh, never mind.
Yes, it says, Cajun Squirrel. Yes, it's an actual flavor. No, I don't know if they have plans to flavor chips after the Eastern Grey or the Red European varieties, nor do I know whether there are people who would be able to taste the difference.
I am sorry people, but frankly I would like all the nonsense to stop. Plain old salted potato chips/crisps are something that everyone can agree on. Serve them at a party or when you have your nice friends over to play cards and no one will complain. The fancy flavors just make you look ridiculous and like you have no morals. It's all clearly getting out of hand and if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem. You know I'm right.
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Orthodox Churches
On Centenary of Russia's Entry into World War I, Patriarch Kirill Celebrated Liturgy At Memorial Church Of St. George and Headed the Consecration of Archimandrite Ioann (Rochshin) as Bishop of Naro-Fominsk5. August 2014 - 10:34
On August 1, 2014, the Day of the Founding of the Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Memorial Church of St. George the Conqueror on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. On that day one hundred years ago, Russia entered into World War I.
During the liturgy, Archimandrite Ioann (Rochshin) was consecrated as Bishop of Naro-Fominsk, Vicar of the Diocese of Moscow.
His Holiness was assisted by high-ranking church hierarchs and Moscow clergy. Among the worshippers were Kaliningrad Governor N. Tsukanov, Western Administrative District Prefect A. Alexandrov and other city officials.
After the Prayer of Fervent Supplication, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church lifted up a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
The congregation also prayed for the repose of the souls of "servants of God, Orthodox Christians, commanders and soldiers who gave their lives in the battlefield for the faith, tsar and Fatherland during World War I".
Source: Moscow Patriarchate
Prophet Elias commemorated in Maaloule near Nazareth4. August 2014 - 13:22
On Saturday, the 13th/26th of July 2014, the memory of the Prophet Elias the Thesbite was commemorated in advance at the Church dedicated to him in the area of Maaloule, a suburb of Nazareth.
The feast of Prophet Elijah Celebrated at St. Eilias Church – Al Tabale in Damascus4. August 2014 - 13:19
The feast of Prophet Elijah Celebrated was celebrated at the St. Eilias Church – Al Tabale in Damascus. Patriarch John X of Antioch and All East led the celebrations. Divine Liturgy was observed and several many faithful took part in the feast and received blessings from the hierarch of the Church of Antioch. Prayers were made for global peace.
Exhibition in honour of Saint Sergius of Radonezh opens in Washington4. August 2014 - 13:16
An exhibition dedicated to the 700th anniversary of the birth of one of the most venerated Orthodox saints – St. Sergius of Radonezh, has opened in Washington, reports ITAR-TASS.
The exposition is located at the Russian Center of Science and Culture in the capital of the USA. Several dozen photographs of rare icons of St. Sergius, images of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra as well as photographs made during the official solemn celebrations on the occasion of the Orthodox feast in Sergyiev Posad in the Moscow region are on exhibit.
Prophet Elijah commemorated in the town Maaloule near Nazareth1. August 2014 - 12:33
On Saturday, the 13th/26th of July 2014, the memory of the Prophet Elias the Thesbite was commemorated in advance at the Church dedicated to him in the area of Maaloule, a suburb of Nazareth.
The Church of the Prophet Elias used to belong to the Arab-speaking Community of the Patriarchate which abandoned its seat upon the foundation of the state of Israel, in 1948. Since then, the area has been a military base. In recent years, the Patriarchate, mainly through the actions of Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth and Archimandrite Hilarion, the Abbot at the Monastery of Tabor, went on to restore, renovate and reopen it.


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Conservation Easement Process
Site Visit
In order to determine whether a piece of property has conservation potential, a site visit must be conducted. An initial site visit will be conducted by a Utah Open Lands staff member. Other visits to the property will be required in the future, and we hope this will not be an inconvenience for you.
Current Conditions / Baseline Documentation Report
In accordance with IRS regulations and in compliance with Utah Open Lands monitoring guidelines, the current condition of the property must be established through a report. The IRS stipulates that the landowner may provide this document to the Grantee organization, or our organization can put the necessary documents together. This report will consist of maps, pictures and a narrative description of the parcel. All parties must agree at the signing of the conservation easement that the baseline document serves as an accurate representation of the property.
This baseline document is used for monitoring on an annual, semi-annual, or in some instances, a quarterly basis by the Grantee (UOL) to ensure that the terms of the conservation easement are enforced.
Conservation Easement Draft
A draft of the conservation easement can be done by Utah Open Lands staff, or the landowners' attorney. Utah Open Lands insists that the landowner consult an attorney regardless of who drafts the easement. Once the easement is in draft stage, the landowner and Utah Open Lands staff will review the document, suggesting changes and applying the language to a ground proofing test of the property—primarily to insure that the easement achieves the preservation of the conservation resources on the property. A final draft is reviewed by both the landowner's attorney and Utah Open Lands' attorney. If the landowner chooses to waive his/her right to an attorney, Utah Open Lands respectfully requests that the landowner sign a letter acknowledging that Utah Open Lands made you aware of your right to seek legal counsel.
Title Insurance
As with any land transaction, it is important that the landowner verify that he/she has clear title to his/her property. For this purpose, we require that the landowner provide us with title insurance.
Mineral Interest
In some instances landowners may or may not be aware that they do not own the mineral estate of their property. This can be a critical issue in any tax value a landowner is interested in pursuing. If the mineral rights have been severed from the property after 1973, the landowner must obtain a geologist report indicating that the presence of any mineral of monetary interest, which could be extracted from the property, is "so remote as to be negligible." Please contact Utah Open Lands as soon as possible if this is the case.


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Softinet's Partners
Most executives and business owners are talking about ROI (Return On Investment), specially when they are pondering about new initiatives. Our clients' system shall employ the most reliable products available in the market. To provide the latest computing and network solutions to our clients, Softinet partners with industry-leading hardware / software providers to offer the leading edge products at very competitive price. We understand that our partners' success is a critical component of our own success.
Softinet is a solution provider partner of RAPIDSITE; an NTT/Verio company, to offer our customers the best available Internet services available in the market. We offer complete suites of hosting options so that your Internet solution is hosted 24x7x365.
Softinet is a solution provider partner of SoftLayer (an IBM CCompany), offering our customers the best i-class Internet and cloud services available in the market. Contact us for a complete range of online and cloud services offered by SoftLayer and IBM data services..
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Christenson Communications Inc. provides voice and data communication solutions, ranging from VoIP (Voice Over IP) and automated phone and voice systems to installation and layout of voice and broadband cables.


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Arguably the most epic animated fantasy tale since "The Lion King" way back in 1994, "Spirited Away" is the latest work from master animator Hayao Miyazaki and proves just as much a treat for adults as for the young female audience its aiming for.
Combining both epic and complexly layered storytelling displayed in his previous and less cohesive effort "Princess Mononoke", with an intimate child fantasy element utilised in all the classics from "Alice in Wonderland" to "The Wizard of Oz", 'Spirited' is an endlessly imaginative feature that creates a rich visual world of wonder and fear in a way that will remind you of how you saw the world as a child.
From the six-armed Kamaji, the big nosed Yu-Babba, pale masked Kaonashi, and the River God of Mud – the creatures that populate this world are mysterious, ethereal and filled with a back history – characters who'll behave in ways that you can't predict and never fall into a mould.
The animation is superb – from simple hand drawn anime close-ups to richly moving sequences within walls of flowers or a train gliding over the sea. The flow between styles never once falters or disrupts the admittedly somewhat funky storytelling which may get a little too eccentric and obscure for some, but the sheer visual wonder combined with composer Joe Hisaishi's fabulous score keep things flowing well.
As this was a Japanese language track its hard for me to judge the voices but all perfectly fit their characters. Downsides? Well things do head into the mundane at times admittedly, the element of her parents conversion into pigs doesn't play as well as it should, and there'll no doubt be confusion over the events in the last 20 minutes.
The quibbles are minor however, and this is one of the few anime projects with real crossover potential into the Western market. Previous attempts such as "Princess Mononoke" are a little too spiritual and/or obscure in their own way to have that pull.
This has no such problems however as the magical and mystical elements are new creations by Miyazaki and not reliant on such subject matter. The simple hand drawn animation may not appeal to all, but every minute or so something comes along that stuns you such as Yu-Babba's quite effective creature metamorphosis.
Beautifully rich, engrossing and unusual filmmaking – a visual feast with a compelling purely escapist story and wondorous characters, what more could you want from a film – animated or not. An absolute treasure for the ages.


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there's the Honey Cowl in action, dogsitting this am
What can we do but move ahead, trying to make the world a better place in whatever way we can ? That's all I got, in the way of words. But in the way of visual: plenty on the sweetest simple pattern, the Honey Cowl .
I am so late to the party! I watched Kay Gardiner, aka canary in the coal mine for good knitting patterns, declare allegiance to the Honey over a year ago. I even photographed her in a gorgeous grey one. And it went through my LYS like the flu. I wondered why it had, like, gazillion (seriously, over 9000) versions on Ravelry.
Giuliana saw it online when I offered to make her a scarf. She chose a green Cascade 220, despite my steering her toward fancier yarns. Eh, nice color, I thought, but it's not going to be anything special. Fool on me! The stitch is somehow zenlike. It transforms the piece. After a soak and pat out to shape, it was soft and elegant. The cowl looks good from any angle. It's been in constant use by her since, making me ridiculously happy.
I immediately cast on for another, for me, with a skein of Enchanted Knoll woo/silk in a bulky weight. A quick gauge swatch , I changed up the numbers and knit it with size 10.5 us needles. While in process, I fretted the handyed color shifts. I wished I was using a solid for me, too. For a while it looked a like a 2 day old bruise, hue-wise. (One of my beloved smartasses at knit night named the colorway Domestic Violence. No disrespect to the social problem. We have a dark undertone to our humor).
Anyway, I love how it turned out. It won't be my last from this pattern.
Wishing you all a year of sweetness and light and satisfying outcomes of all kinds. I'm making my usual resolutions: finish projects underway (knit and other), act on my ideas, do more yoga, be kinder to those poor people who work phone customer service jobs for annoying corporations....y'know the usual stuff. What about you?
* One of my happy accomplishments in 2012 was perfecting my Peruvian flan. The one shown, the Thanksgiving one, was double sized and not as pretty as usual, I'll need to remember to get a shot of it done right. Next I want to try curing my own salmon.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
focus on the sweetness
2012. What year of highs and lows; of complex problems and simple happiness, of triumphs, and of losses.
7 comments:
- Beverly said...
Both cowls are sweet!
Perfecting flan seems like a worthy goal...
- Mary Lou said...
Happy New Year!
- Carol said...
First time I have seen the Boyfriend Sweater book. Very nice!
- twinsetellen said...
Happy New Year! I hope it includes some time together with you!
- Cathy R said...
That is a great cowl! Thanks for enabling...
Hope the New Year is treating you well.
- Ann said...
Love the cowls, the sweet faces, the flan, the all of it. That pattern really has some kind of special mojo built in. I've made three and will be twitchy until I get another one started. Makes yarn-picking really fun.
- Blogger said...
If you are looking for an excellent contextual advertising company, I suggest you have a look at Chitika.
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All we are is dust in the wind, dude
Two posts in the same month. Watch out now.
Had a pretty rough time this past weekend… mentally. I not only hit the vaunted "Iqaluit Wall" but I was also contending with some issues on a social level with some people I had considered good friends at one point in time. Bad combination to deal with let me tell you. In the midst of my loathing and frustration I realized that I had forsaken a philosophy I developed a long time ago.
It's high time I dropped the knowledge about WFI. I've spread the word to a select few already (with resounding success) but have never really revealed it to the general public. It's a radical self-help treatment that is geared towards preservation of one's own sanity. Whatever, Fuck it. That's what it stands for. WFI isn't just a philosophy; it's a way of life. It turns everything you've been taught for years on its head.
I'm the kind of person that enjoys making other people happy. That's why I'm the consummate jokester. Making people laugh, breaking tension, bringing someone's mood up makes me feel good inside. No matter how awesome I happen to be, I am still human (supposedly) and prone to those crippling emotions such as doubt, regret, anger or frustration. What happens when the clown is sad? I've referred to it being the Pagliacci Syndrome on more than one occasion. It's hard to be "on" all the time when you're surrounded by the same challenges everyone else is. You're given crooked looks when you happen to be in a bad mood. You're criticized about your attitude when you're not trying to make someone else's day better. It's almost expected that you worry more about someone else than you do yourself.
That's where WFI comes into play.
WFI is all about being selfish. Yes. I said it. I promote selfishness. I'm not talking about absolute selfishness to the point of being a raging asshole. No, but every person needs a certain semblance of selfishness in their lives otherwise how can you stay happy and make others happy which in turns makes you happier?
Get what I'm saying?
You have to pick and choose your battles with WFI. You can't just WFI everything because like I said earlier, you'll be exhibiting high levels of douchiness. WFI does two primary things. Firstly it defines what you consider important and secondly establishes clear boundaries with people with regards to being taken advantage of. Yes. Many people don't even realize when they're being taken advantage of. The line between kindness and exploitation is often blurred when dealing with friends and loved ones. Ever notice how sometimes when you do something you feel is out of the "kindness of your heart" later makes you feel agitated? That's because you just got exploited. It's a natural response to doing something you really didn't want to do. Everyone believes in fair shakes, give & take, equality, compromise and all that jazz but how often does it truly happen? It's not the other person's fault. In fact it's rarely an intentional act by them. If you've set up a systematic pattern of concessions it's easy to confuse what is being kind and what is a concession because of your intent to please.
How many times have you been frustrated about something and harped on it in the back of your mind to the point of madness? Take control of what you can and WFI. If it's an issue beyond your control save your brain and dictate what affects it. It's really that simple. You owe it to yourself to at least maintain your own sanity.
Whatever, Fuck it.
You can't just say WFI; you have to believe in it. You have to truly cast whatever is bugging the hell out of you out of your mind. Don't let it slither its way back in either. If it doesn't affect your health, mental or physical, then decide whether it's really worth racking your brains over and WFI. You'll be amazed at how insignificant many perceived problems are when you just simplify matters. You can't be there for your loved ones if you're damaged goods. Help yourself help others by helping yourself.
Got something irking you?
Whatever, Fuck it… and move on to more important business.


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When people want Taco Bell, they will run to the border at all costs.
Matthew Falkner went to a Taco Bell in Jensen Beach, Fla., where he ordered tacos and promptly passed out in his pick-up truck. While still in the drive-thru. With his foot on the gas pedal. When a Taco Bell manager noticed Falkner face down in his truck with the "engine revving" and "smoke coming out of the engine," he called the cops.
When the police arrived, Falkner was still out cold. An officer was forced to reach inside of his truck, remove his foot from the gas and turn the vehicle off. Falkner still managed to sleep through all of this, but the cop eventually woke him up. When the officer asked him what he was doing, Falkner offered the best explanation possible: a blank stare. When asked if he was aware that he was sleeping with his foot on the gas pedal, he simply replied that he didn't know and started digging in the Taco Bell bag, totally un-phased by what was going on.
The cops smelled alcohol, so they asked Falkner for identification. He replied with a simple "no", and continued to pierce the officer with the same hollow stare before removing a taco from the bag and eating it. It's almost certain that the cops had been through this before, so they administered a breath test on Faulkner and he failed it with flying colors. A .227 blood alcohol content is always a recipe for disaster.
We're sure this caused quite a scene if other people were in that drive-thru line, but at least Faulkner didn't have a shotgun on him.
[via Gawker]


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Hey Guys!
Here is a finish for this week. These quilts are for a friend and my goal to finish for April & May. I don't know why it was so hard to get it finished… but it was.
Here is quilt #1
Quilt #2 is my Scrappy Trip Around the World that took me FOREVER to finish.
The back of the quilt has Appliqué of course :0)
This my Goal for Lovely Year of Finishes. They are hosting a giveaway you may want to check out. Also, it not too late for you to join in on the fun! You only have to participate for 6 out of 12 months to be eligible for the big giveaway at the end of year. So got set your goal! The picture below is my goal for July. I want to finished my small Maple Leaf Rag Quilt …wall hanging. I plan on hanging this tedious work of fabric art in my sewing room.
I will be linking up with all my Friday Links (check the sidebar) if you are visiting please comment! I would love to come and check you out!
Until next time, Sew Pretty!


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Listen to this article
Intel's profits fell by a third in its first quarter, and gross margins are expected to drop below 50 per cent in its second, as the world's biggest semiconductor maker struggles in the face of slowing PC growth.
Intel's earnings report, its worst since the bursting of the technology bubble, contrasted sharply with those of Qualcomm and Freescale on Wednesday and that of Texas Instruments a day earlier. The trio of chipmakers is focused on a booming mobile phone market, and reported rising profits.
Paul Otellini, chief executive, said Intel believed PC growth rates had "moderated over the course of the past few quarters, leading to slower chip-level inventory reductions at our customers and affecting our revenue in the first half of the year."
He announced revenues of $8.94bn and earnings per share of 23 cents – in line with analyst estimates that had been revised down after Intel issued a revenue warning in March. This compared to sales of $9.43bn a year earlier and profits of 35 cents a share. Intel reported first-quarter gross margins of 55.1 per cent, compared with its expectations in January of 59 per cent. It blamed lower microprocessor revenues and higher inventory write-downs.
The company has suffered from its customers not requiring chips they had earlier ordered as demand for personal computers slowed – leading to inventory build-up. It has also been losing market share to its main rival, Advanced Micro Devices.
There is worse to come in the current quarter – Intel said revenues were expected to be between $8bn and $8.6bn, below normal seasonal patterns. Gross margins would fall to about 49 per cent as it sold more of its cheaper processors and suffered higher costs. Intel is introducing more powerful and efficient chips based on a new micro-architecture in the coming months. Mr Otellini said the new processors would set the stage for a "strong second half".
However, this will not make up for the poor first-half performance – 2006 revenues are expected to be 3 per cent down on 2005 after a three-year run of double-digit sales growth. Intel shares were nearly 1 per cent higher in after-hours trading at $19.75.
Qualcomm reported a 34 per cent rise in revenues year-on-year and an 11 per cent rise in profits.
Freescale also reported higher sales and profits, while Texas Instruments had experienced a 42 per cent increase in profits in its first quarter.
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Two members of our group (Dr. Ivanna Penna and Dr. Antonio Abellán) have recently conducted several weeks field work research in the Andes and Pampeanas range (Argentina), in collaboration with researchers from the Argentinean Geological Survey (SEGEMAR; Valerie Baumann, Analía Casa, Luis Fauqué, Mariale González and Mario Rosas). In the Mendoza valley, Valerie Baumann is carrying out a PhD study under the supervision of Prof. Constanza Bonadonna (UNIGE) and Prof. Michel Jaboyedoff (UNIL).
Counting with a terrestrial laser scanner, a drone and a Gigapan, the group have collected extensive information on large past slope failures, current slope instabilities, and deformation processes leading to failures…. More updates will come soon!


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Apply now to the MVL accelerator. The 3-month program will help you with everything involved with starting a company.LEARN MORE
Join us for an Open Pitch event in the new Create33 space. We'll pitch startup ideas and you will provide constructive criticisms.REQUEST INVITE
Spruce Up wants to do for home decor what Pandora did for music
Uber acquires Mighty AI to fuel its push into self-driving cars
Madrona Venture Labs raises $11M to build companies from the ground up
Madrona Venture Labs picks clinical management startup Invio as first company in new accelerator
Seattle's top venture capital firm hopes to lure talent from tech giants with new startup accelerator
Marketing vet Shauna Causey joins Madrona Venture Labs
Blue Nile and Wetpaint founder Ben Elowitz joins Madrona Venture Labs as co-managing director
Our core focus is on ML/AI ideas, and here's why
Stripe for ID verification: Investors bet on new Madrona Venture Labs accelerator startup Vouched
Madrona Venture Labs raises $11M fund to launch a new group of AI-focused startups
Madrona Venture Labs spinout Spruce Up raises $3M to use machine learning for interior design
MVL hosts Open Pitch event featuring Spencer Rascoff
MessageYes acquired by Nordstrom
Intelligent messaging company Essential spins out of Madrona Venture Labs startup studio
Disney invests in MessageYes for 2017 accelerator program
Winners announced for Go Vertical blockchain startup workshop
Spruce Up pairs AI and stylists to create a curated, online home-decorating experience
Domicile raises $5 million to build out rental site for corporate housing
Chatitive raises from Unlock Venture Partners, total funding at $2.5M
Winners announced from GoVertical machine learning startup creation weekend
Spruce Up, a Madrona Venture Labs spinout for AI+home designer service
Domicile goes after business travel market, combining Airbnb-style lodging with hotel amenities
Madrona Venture Labs does blockchain
Continuing a tradition of partnering from day one with founders


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Our romantic styled wedding shoot in the Pebble Beach, CA forest was nothing short of amazing. The team was absolutely incredible to work with! We cannot wait to share our images in the future, but for for now here is a sneak peek from a magical day. Vendors Shown: Dress: Odylyne the Ceremony Floral: Fionna Floral Styling: Simply by Bethaina Model: Rachel Zwolenkeiwicz
Tag Archives: pebble beach
Decisions, decisions, decisions. I saw a quote posted the other day…"When you love your decisions, the less you need others to like them."
Since making my new wedding photography website made by Sitehouse Designs I have made a lot of decisions. Colors, fonts, words, photos-and most importantly choosing what to display and how to show the world who I am and what I photograph. While we are constantly making decisions we should love them! After all we have to live with them :)
I have chosen to specialize in weddings because this is an area that I LOVE and I want to master the genre, fully immerse myself in the world of vows, cakes, and flowers, and I want to serve my brides and grooms on one of the most important days of their life.
Photo Safari.
I went on a photo safari to focus in on what my eye is attracted to, to get more of an idea of what my taste is, and to apply this to my overall branding. Here are images from that project. I am working on a new website and some of these elements will be included in the finished product. Stay tuned!
Mariette | Monterey CA Photography
Mariette comes to visit me on her high school breaks and I am always looking forward to photographing her. To see past shoots with Mariette go here.
I love photographing Mariette because she is so excited for the photos and she is willing to play and have fun with the shoot. This creates an opportunity to end up with an amazing result because she is open minded to the possibilities that can be captured!
And drum roll please…the gorgeous Mariette Ebarle!
Kirk & Jackie | La Playa Carmel, CA Wedding
Kirk and Jackie flew in from Philadelphia to be married in a town that is very nostalgic to Jackie. Jackie grew up visiting her Grandparents and has fond memories with her siblings in Carmel CA. They were married at La Playa Carmel on December 28th 2012.
Their family and friends came along side them to celebrate their union and I quickly noticed how sweet the relationships are. For the first time, it was hard to get a plain old smiling photo. Lots of laughter, happiness, and enjoyment of each other's company made for dream photos that produced documentation of their genuine happiness.
Kirk and Jackie thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day, I wish you both the best in this next chapter of your life!


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How to Clean an Oil Painting Yourself
Old oil painting most often comes with a price so it must be taken care of seriously. While in this present world there are lot of pollution, dust, heat, etc. which can destroy your high value paintings. One way of taking good care of your painting is to clean it often. Cleaning an old oil painting is a crucial task because if not done well it can damage its oil paint canvas and may decrease the value of your painting. Therefore, in order to keep value of your painting and make sure that nothing wrong will happen to it, the cleaning should be done by experts or oil painting professionals.
However, if your painting is not too old or not too dirty, then it is possible that you can clean it yourself to make your oil painting look brighter. Bear in mind that changing true antiques will most likely decrease its value although it may look better to you.
Following are some advises:
Not properly cleaning can destroy your painting. Therefore, I would recommended you to always practice on an old and inexpensive painting before cleaning an oil painting of importance to you.
If your painting is a little older then you have to check it whether the paint is in good condition or if its varnish is quite aged. If the varnish is quite aged, then try to apply a gentle solvent to your painting called the conservation liquid. Art shops usually sell this form of solvent or emulsion that cleans and take away varnish. There is a chance that the solvent can damaged your painting so you must be very careful in applying the solvent. Wipe the mix solvent with cotton and swab it very carefully. Try to spot test one bend before moving on to the whole canvas. Work on the area where there is enough sufficient air.
For not so old paintings or recent paintings most problem is with a build-up of dirt, pet hair, smoke, dander, as well as bacterial and viral growth. In problem like this make sure that none of the paint is prepared to come off the canvas or board. This means that the painting does not show any cracks or any flakes. Now you could carefully dust the surface with a spongy and dry bristle brush like a baby toothbrush or shaving cream brush.
When the surface of the painting is muggy dirty or oily, what you must do is to take the cleaning a step further and you may want to use a detergent solution. Detergent solution will help your cleaning faster but this must be done in a cautious way because it can damage the oil painting. Oil and water must never mix because moisture can surely damage the canvas and the impasto. A clean brand new fiber cloth dipped in a mixture of soap and humid water is used to lightly apply the spotted surface. Do not scrub or rub the oil painting and at no point should you sink any part of the painting or allow any drops of water in the painting.
Just follow the tips above and you will have a spot less oil painting.
Tags: cleaning oil painting, cleaning oil painting tips, cleaning oil painting yourself
About the author :
Rose Iadsai is the founder of Samui Art Gallery which offer genuine hand-painted oil paintings & oil painting reproductions for sale. Connect with Samui Art on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


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The key aspect to Ha-Joon Chang's book in my opinion is that Economics is not a science with a correct answer. It is about deciding what sort of a society we want to live in and how we achieve that. Chang himself clearly has a view of what that world should look like and he expresses that as he looks at different aspects of the particular form of capitalism that is prevalent in the West, but the central tenet remains true whether you agree or not with his personal economic philosophy.
As such it is important that we do not fall for the myth that our economy must be set up a certain way and this is what fuels Chang's critique of the defining myths that he sees put forward by advocates of free market economics, the dominant view of our time. As expressed by Owen Jones in his book The Establishment, those in power and influence try to maintain their positions by pushing the theory that there is no alternative to the status quo, that their ideas have won and are beyond challenge, but this simply is not true and the society they are implementing is out of kilter with the majority preference.
For me one major aspect of that is the idea that we must incentivise entrepreneurs to make more money because that is the way that we all move forward. This implies that there is not enough to go round and so we need to make the pie bigger, but I would argue that the size of the pie is not the problem but rather the way we slice it up. If we take that view then we need to build an economic policy that actively shares wealth more equitably and we can afford to lose some efficiency in growth to achieve it.
Chang goes so far as to say that a strong Welfare State can actually fuel increased growth because it encourages risk taking in employees, providing them with a safety net that allows them to consider re-training and changing jobs more easily. This in turn makes the workforce more able to adapt to the changing needs of the economy by providing second and third career chances. He likens this to the equivalent protections for capital that are provided by limited liability and bankruptcy laws.
Another area that stands out is on international development, perhaps not surprisingly given Chang's previous publishing history. Pushing developing countries into following the mantra of free markets is detrimental to their development and counter to the very journey that rich countries went on themselves in establishing their economies. Chang argues for policies that act in favour of developing countries to even out the unequal difficulties that they already face.
Then there is the belief that the free market ideology works because of the USA which takes no account of the problems currently mounting in the US balance of payments or that the ability of many Americans to live so well is built on the back of an underclass of low paid service employees. Inequality is a problem that we see bubbling under the surface of the American dream and which explodes onto the surface periodically in social tensions, which we also see developing in the UK as inequality expands.
Indeed so much of the economic ideology that we are sold is built on mythology and Chang has put together an impressive de-bunking of the key myths that are used to lead us into a free market capitalism that actually harms our long term prosperity. With the economic debate dominated by demands to shrink government and de-regulate markets this is an important book that systematically dismantles the credibility of the last thirty years of western economics. It then offers eight guiding principles for re-building a global economy that those thirty years took to the edge of total collapse.
Chang's writing style is easily accessible so there is no need to have a background in economics to understand his principles and arguments and his discussion goes to the heart of the type of society that we want to create, alongside an economy that can truly prosper. This book is highly relevant to the UK as it prepares for a General Election and has implications both for the type of country we want to live in and the place we want it to take in the wider world.


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Saturday, October 29, 2011
Driving my life away
I make four round trips from Breckenridge to the Denver/Boulder area every week. It is one hundred miles one-way, two hundred miles round trip for those of you who are mathematically challenged. That is a total of 800 miles a week. I normally get my oil changed every 7000 miles according to the recommendation from Honda. That means that I need to change my oil every seven weeks. I read last week about a Honda Accord that had just rolled over one million miles. They think it was the first time that has happened. The owner had changed the tires, battery, belts, oil, and had replaced the seats and upholstery but that was all in one million miles. What a nice thing to read about. I am sure that other people could report much the same for their cars. Today in the era of planned obsolescence where we are sold things knowing that they will not last and will need to be replaced, it is nice to hear of the alternative.I have about 175,000 miles on my car right now so I am almost 20% (17.5%)to a million. By the way my car looks almost new. A simple car wash every week keeps it that way. I know a lot of people who would never drive their car that long because of their stupid egos. They need to have the latest and the greatest. I wonder if they have ever thought about how much that costs? You also can't just drive a car into the ground. You need to pay attention to all of the things that the million mile Honda owner considered in regular maintenance.


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How do you see the architectural industry in India at present? What are the challenges hindering the sector's rapid growth?
India's construction industry will continue to expand with investments in residential, infrastructure and energy projects. Today, construction sector of most emerging economies, including India, is witnessing sharp growth. In fact construction industry in India today is one of the major stimulants of the economic and social growth of the nation.
On challenges front, as India is rapidly urbanizing it faces multiple challenges of finance, construction technologies, skilled manpower and clearances.
How has the architectural practice evolved over the years? What has been the most significant change?
Architectural practices have changed irreparably in the past decade, but those who know how to adapt just might find themselves in a far better place in a few years. Technology has revolutionized the potential of architectural practice. Design tools such as CAD, Revit, BIM, 3D Printing and new softwares are transforming its boundaries. This does not imply that all architectural practices are now doing their work in a revolutionary way. Many architects need and must recognize this transformation and think differently.
The real estate sector has witnessed a prolonged slowdown. While the residential segment is still in the slumber, commercial land retail have picked up pace. What challenges did you as an architect face in this time of downturn in terms of timely payments by builders or contractors?
There has been a slowdown in the sector due to various internal and external factors. India's real estate market has witnessed a decline in property prices. With slowdown in consumer demand, there has been an increase in inventory backlog and disappointment among the real estate industry. With constantly increasing real estate prices, most of the properties have become unviable for purchase due to liquidity crunch. The real estate demand isn't tough enough, it seems contractors and also consultant's payments are delayed due to the sluggishness in the construction industry. Everybody's holding the money longer; we think it's a sign of the difficult times that we as a construction industry have been facing.
What kind of new technologies have emerged in today's time and how are they helpful in making the construction process efficient?
The construction industry is one of the most information-intensive industries, as major construction process requires extensive exchange of data and information between the project's participants on a regular basis. In the construction industry, employees must adopt new forms of technology to achieve the time, cost, and quality goals of a construction project.
New technologies are constantly changing the construction landscape. Drones now make it possible to survey and map a site with ease, and at a lower cost. Smartphone's and tablets make on-the-go communication a breeze. Digital blueprint apps and other project management software's make it possible to map out a project ahead of time like never before. Even the use of robots seems to be on the horizon.
Are builders today ready to adopt new technologies? If no, what's the reason for slow adoption?
The construction industry globally is slow in adopting technology innovations despite a rise in project complexity and associated risks. For some, the cost and risk of adopting new technologies outweighs the perceived benefits, while others may be reluctant to move out of their comfort zone.
How cost effective is it to adopt green-friendly building? Why is there a delay in adopting such measures?
The economics of green building has never been more topical. In the building industry, growing interest in affordability and sustainability is stimulating realignment of environmental and economic choices interests. This dynamic has obscured the reality that sustainable development can be profitable by definition, and there has never been a better time for the building industry to embrace rapidly evolving technological innovation.
The delay in adopting such measures is higher up-front costs, lack of knowledge, or potential risks are often cited as reasons developers might reject green development practices. To overcome these barriers, governments, primarily on the local or state levels should offer incentives as a way to minimize or eliminate costs or issues related to their adoption
What's the specialty of your company? What is the plan for next five years?
Oscar & Ponni architects, Chennai is a leading integrated Architecture, Urban Design, and Interior design practice and has won more than 77 International and National Design awards since its inception in 1996. Our plan for the next five years is to design more challenging building typologies, eco friendly sustainable smarter buildings and smart cities.


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Scott Stout, Risk Management Officer
(865) 717-4440
Scott Stout, the Director of the Office of Emergency Services (OES) team, also heads Roane County's Risk Management Program, which is a program of comprehensive risk management. The program includes not only a Safety Committee function, but assists in insurance procurement and risks associated with the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. Scott also serves on the Board of Directors of the Oak Ridge Reservation Community Alliance (ORRCA).
Risk Management is the activity of monitoring, assessing and alleviating risk.
Risk is managed by avoidance, retention, transfer by contract, loss control, and insurance contracts. The Risk Manager assists with Workers' Compensation, conducts safety meeting, and is the point of contact for TOSHA. The Risk Manager works with oversight committees in collecting knowledge of the risk from the Department of Energy in Oak Ridge.
The Oak Ridge Reservation Communities Alliance held its first meeting on February 22, 2012 under the name Tennessee Oversight Agreement Board of Mayors. The ORRCA replaced an existing oversight group, the Local Oversight Committee. The ORRCA membership is consists of mayors and county executives from Anderson, Knox, Morgan, Roane Counties and the City of Oak Ridge. The purpose of the ORRCA is to oversee and make recommendations to the Environmental Management (EM) for clean up on the Oak Ridge DOE Reservation. The Roane County Risk Manager currently serves as the secretary. A portion of the Risk Manager's salary is paid by the ORRCA through a grant provided by the State of Tennessee.
Environmental Monitoring Plan DOE-TDEC 2015
The Purchasing Department manages the Property & Casualty Insurance Program. The Property & Casualty Insurance is bid every three (3) years and renewed for two (2) years. The county purchases fully insured policies for the Liability, Auto, and Property Insurance lines. The county is self-insured for Worker's Compensation up to $450,000 per occurrence, thus Retention Insurance is purchased to cover claims exceeding this amount. This program includes the purchase of the following lines of insurance:
- General & Professional Liability Insurance
- Auto Insurance
- Property Insurance
- Worker's Compensation
All accidents and lawsuits are monitored by the Purchasing Department. When an accident occurs or a lawsuit is filed, the Purchasing Department reports this to the insurance company and then monitors the claim until it is closed.
Listed below are boards, committees, entities, and/or groups that play a role in the risk management process. Roane County has a representative on most of these and we monitor the activities of the others.
Energy Communities Alliance
Energy Communities Alliance website
Oak Ridge Reservation Communities Alliance (ORRCA)
U.S. Department of Energy (Environmental Management)


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I'm not sure what the inspiration was for this particular video, but I enjoy it to no end. I'm not sure what else to say, other than that I had no idea what rickrolling was until now.
In other news, I've discovered Twitter, and you can find me here.
I really need to formulate a good blog post one of these days. Makes me feel kind of useless, to have a blog and do so little with it. Although I wonder if anyone reads it at all. I just have to remind myself that I do this for me, not for other people.
P.S. Sorry for the rickroll.


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WASHINGTON — For years, even as the United States carried out sophisticated cyberattacks on Iran's nuclear program and the Pentagon created a Cyber Command, officials have been hesitant to discuss American offensive cyberwarfare programs openly. Since June, in fact, F.B.I. agents have been investigating leaks to The New York Times about the computer attacks on Tehran.
But the reticence is giving way. The chorus of official voices speaking publicly about American cyberattack strategy and capabilities is steadily growing, and some experts say greater openness will allow the United States to stake out legal and ethical rules in the uncharted territory of computer combat. Others fear that talking too boldly about American plans could fuel a global computer arms race.
Next month the Pentagon's research arm will host contractors who want to propose "revolutionary technologies for understanding, planning and managing cyberwarfare." It is an ambitious program that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, calls Plan X, and the public description talks about "understanding the cyber battlespace," quantifying "battle damage" and working in Darpa's "cyberwar laboratory."
James A. Lewis, who studies cybersecurity at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says he sees the Plan X public announcement as "a turning point" in a long debate over secrecy about cyberwarfare. He said it was timely, given that public documents suggest that at least 12 of the world's 15 largest militaries are building cyberwarfare programs.
"I see Plan X as operationalizing and routinizing cyberattack capabilities," Mr. Lewis said. "If we talk openly about offensive nuclear capabilities and every other kind, why not cyber?"Continue reading the main story
Yet like drone aircraft, which similarly can be used for both spying and combat, American cyberattack tools now are passing through a zone of semisecrecy, no longer denied but not fully discussed. President Obama has spoken publicly twice about drones; he has yet to speak publicly on American cyberattacks.
Last week, at a public Cyber Command legal conference, the State Department's top lawyer, Harold H. Koh — who gave the Obama administration's first public speech on targeted killing of terrorists in 2010 — stated the administration's position that the law of war, including such principles as minimizing harm to civilians, applies to cyberattacks.
In August, the Air Force raised eyebrows with a bluntly worded solicitation for papers advising it on "cyberspace warfare attack capabilities," including weapons "to destroy, deny, degrade, disrupt, deceive, corrupt or usurp" an enemy's computer networks and other high-tech targets.
And a few weeks earlier, a top Marine commander recounted at a public conference how he had used "cyber operations against my adversary" in Afghanistan in 2010. "I was able to get inside his nets, infect his command-and-control, and in fact defend myself against his almost constant incursions to get inside my wire," said Lt. Gen. Richard P. Mills, now deputy commandant of the Marine Corps.
Cyberwarfare was discussed quite openly in the 1990s, though technological capabilities and targets were far more limited than they are today, said Jason Healey, who heads the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council in Washington.
"Our current silence dates back 8 or 10 years, and N.S.A. is a big reason," said Mr. Healey, who is working on a history of cyberwarfare.
The National Security Agency, which plays a central role in Cyber Command, traditionally breaks foreign codes and eavesdrops on foreign communications; it is among the most secretive agencies in government. Years ago it pioneered the field of cyberespionage: breaking into foreign computer systems in order to collect intelligence. The same skills and reflexive secrecy of spies carried over to cyberwarfare, Mr. Healey said. American officials have long preferred to talk cyberdefense, leaving the attack side in the shadows.
The increased candor recently about cyberoffense results not from a policy change, officials say, but from an inevitable acceptance of attacks on computer networks as a standard part of military and intelligence capabilities. The fact that dozens of Beltway contractors see cyberwarfare as one of the few parts of the defense budget that are likely to grow is also a factor.
When Darpa announced a "proposers' day workshop" for its Plan X program, the "overwhelming response from industry and academia" led the defense research agency to expand the event to an extra day, the agency said in a statement. (A Darpa spokesman declined to comment further on Plan X.)
Just as drone-fired missiles have never been a secret to those on the ground, so cyberattacks have consequences that cannot be hidden, even if their origin may be initially uncertain. The computer worm called Stuxnet, devised by the United States and Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear centrifuges, was quickly detected by computer security experts when it infected networks around the world in 2010 — but remains highly classified.
Hence the Cyber Command legal conference, which avoided specific cases while dwelling on principles. Mr. Koh, of the State Department, told the conference that the United States carries out "at least two stages of legal review" on cyberwarfare operations — considering whether the law of war prohibits the use of "new weapons" altogether and, if not, how the law governs their use in "each particular operation."
Matthew Waxman, a law professor at Columbia and former Defense Department official, said speaking openly about cyberwarfare policy was important because it allowed the United States to make clear its intentions on a novel and fast-emerging form of conflict.
Because both the Bush and Obama administrations were slow to speak publicly about their use of armed drones, Mr. Waxman said, "they ceded a lot of ground to critics to shape the narrative and portray U.S. practices as lawless." As a result, he said, "the U.S. is trying to play catch-up, giving speech after speech, saying 'We abide by the law.' "
Now, Mr. Waxman said, because the United States "occupies a position of advantage on offensive cyber capabilities, it should seize the opportunity to lay out a set of rules for itself and others."
That is a worthy goal, said Daryl G. Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. But he said that came with a hazard: more talk about the United States' cyberwarfare capabilities might prompt other countries to step up their own programs at a time when the world is "on the cusp of a cyber arms race," he said.
Mr. Kimball said Darpa's sweeping public statement about the goals of its Plan X for cyberwarfare might be a case in point.
"It makes it sound like the U.S. is preparing to be able to wage a full-out cyberwar," Mr. Kimball said. "Those kinds of statements could come back to haunt the U.S. down the road."Continue reading the main story


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We are part diner, part hangout for the college-aged. College Inn has been a central Denver hangout for great food and great drinks. If you haven't been there recently, you haven't seen the remodel - back to its roots! The College Inn offers affordable meals (of the pub fare variety) and a swell place to indulge in a few cocktails after work or class. The drinks are cheap and heavy - the excellent all day, every day specials are just the icing on the cake.
We're big football fans. Go Broncos! Whether you're in the neighborhood of Hale, Montclair, Park Hill, Congress, City Park, Cherry Creek or Hilltop we have a seat waiting for you!


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Tag Archives: Magnolias
Dead Poets Bud
This stuff's pretty good. Or can be. You take a hit once every two months and it kind of sets you up, you know? Hopefully? You go to the library. It's virtuous. It's educational. You can do your research. It … Continue reading
Posted in Certainties Tagged Dead Poets, Magnolias, Spring Leave a comment