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By: Husain Abdula, Guest Blogger
On February 14, 2011, large numbers of peaceful protesters turned out across Bahrain to demand fundamental changes to the island kingdom's political system. Exasperated with the autocratic rule of the al-Khalifa family, they called for free and fair parliamentary elections, an end to the gerrymandering and other tactics that politically marginalize certain groups (particularly Shia Muslims, who form a majority of the electorate), and the immediate release of all political prisoners. However, security forces overseen by Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa—an uncle of the king who has served as prime minister since 1971—brutally crushed the protest movement, arresting, injuring, and killing many innocent citizens. As a result, more than 13 months after the protests began, the existing obstacles to Bahraini democracy remain largely intact.


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Customer Reviews
* FTC Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by contributors of the product reviews are their own and not necessarily those of Netrition.com. These reviews should not be taken as recommendations but rather customer opinions of the products that they may or may not have used. Furthermore, Netrition.com makes no warranty or representation, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information contributed by outside sources, and assumes no responsibility or liability regarding the use of such information. Netrition.com does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any materials listed or linked to on Netrition.com.
November 12, 2017Reviewer: Karl in New York* This is a good tasting, quality protein that helps you put on lean muscle mass. I use it on my squat days because of the high protein content.This review is specific to Real Gains, Chocolate Ice Cream
May 11, 2010Reviewer: Scott in Virginia* This is a great product, not too sweet, I have only tried the vanilla. I use it after my workout, and keeps my energy up for hours. I never feel weighted down or bloated after drinking a serving. The only drawback is that it doesn't mix very well, even in a blender, there are still clumps, unless you blend it for a long time. Other than that, this is one of the better weight gain formulas.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpfulNovember 03, 2008Reviewer: Chris in Kansas* Of all the weight gainers I have used, I feel like I got more bang for my buck with this one. Unbelievable taste, and fairly easy to mix. I had some solid gains from it and for a weight gainer, it wasn't uncomfortably filling as some others are.This review is specific to Real Gains, Chocolate Ice Cream
1 of 1 people found the following review helpfulSeptember 04, 2008Reviewer: daren in Arkansas* Great product, hands down. It is good for your money, and it tastes just fine. I have been around the block...muscle tech, bsn, ultimate nutrition, what have you. In my experience this one works the best, it is a simple formula, no junk in it, just everything you need.

subset: commoncrawl


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Do you have a phobia? If you do try and imagine facing that phobia right now. It could be a spider, it may be a glove or it could be walking under a bridge. Whatever it is try and picture it right now and focus on how it makes you feel.
This little exercise goes to prove a few of things. Firstly if you now feel shaken and disturbed then you almost definitely have a phobia. Secondly it goes to show how powerful the mind is, just from thinking about your phobia it elicited a reaction similar to if your phobia was actually right there with you now. Most importantly though it also goes to show that your phobia can be eased and even cured through the use of self hypnosis.
Perhaps before we look into how self hypnosis can cure phobias we should define exactly what a phobia is and indeed what self hypnosis is.
A phobia is a certain type of anxiety disorder. Essentially it is a mild mental illness, mild in the fact that it is unlikely that a phobia will cause you to harm yourself or others - although such cases have been documented. For example in England a year or so ago a young adult ran off a cliff to escape a loose dog. The word "phobia" itself comes from the Greek word phobos meaning morbid fear.
You might believe that there's no reason for your phobia but there almost certainly will be. It could be that you share your phobia with a parent and it was passed onto you by seeing how your parent reacted to, lets say, a spider in total fear. Witnessing this sort of reaction early in life can shock your mind and trigger a defence mechanism, making you subconsciously believe that spiders are incredibly dangerous and therefore should be morbidly feared. Alternatively you may have encountered an aggressive dog when you were younger which has resulted in a phobia.
Self hypnosis is a self induced form of hypnosis and is a versatile method of changing your mindset. This make self hypnosis very helpful in overcoming phobias, quitting smoking, losing weight and aiding many more problems. Hypnosis" also comes from the Greek language, specifically the word hypnos meaning sleep. This name however is quite inaccurate as hypnosis is actually a heightened state of attention.
So how can you use self hypnosis to overcome your phobia?
There are typically two methods of using self hypnosis that can be used to cure phobias. If you have experience with self hypnosis then you may wish to write yourself a hypnotic script. In this script you should induce a hypnotic state as usual, and while you are in this relaxed state take the index and middle finger of your right hand and gently tap them on the top of your left hand, repeating to yourself the key phrase "I am completely relaxed". At this point you should be deeply relaxed. Then you will want to introduce an image of your phobia into your mind's eye while still tapping your fingers onto your hand and repeating the key phrase. You should find now that the image of your phobia no longer elicits the fearful reaction it once did. This is because your mind now associates the image with relaxation. When you feel mentally ready you may also wish to face your fear in person, you can still use the self hypnosis script above to keep yourself relaxed should you feel yourself start to panic.
If you don't have previous experience with self hypnosis or you'd just prefer an easier method then you may wish to try a reputable online hypnosis resource which sells phobia hypnosis mp3s. This may not sound much like self hypnosis to have a hypnotherapist hypnotizing you but in reality all hypnosis is self hypnosis. Just think of the hypnotherapist as your own personal guide to self hypnosis. This way not only can you cure your phobia but you will also learn how to perform self hypnosis for yourself in the future from the way the hypnotherapist conducts the session.
Self hypnosis is a vital life skill and one that everyone should learn.
Jake Rhodes currently works as Head of Development at HypnoBusters.
HypnoBusters are one of the leading online hypnosis resources. They provide articles, videos and many hypnosis mp3s that have been professionally recorded by clinical hypnotherapist Jon Rhodes Dip Hyp. HypnoBusters work alongside All Hypnosis Downloads, who offer the widest variety of hypnosis downloads on the internet.


text: Hey guys! Just a quick look of the week for ya! I wore this one to hubbies game tonight where he scored twice and was first star! Yay! I'm Running out of clothes that fit, but don't want to buy any maternity tops (they're not exactly stylish.) I decided to tie up a button down blouse over a basic black maxi from my favourite label Vince. Heres the items listed below, all are pretty affordable, and a couple selfies.


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Standing Out From the Crowd
Four years ago, I visited these Aspen groves high in the Colorado Rockies, and their beauty left a strong impression on me. So when I had the opportunity to return this summer, I couldn't wait to head back up there and experience the quiet, delicate nature of these special trees. The spruce trees and forest undergrowth frame them in a bed of deep, vivid green.


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Flamingo Natural
Filter by
Juna 6 Inch Foam Mattress
- This comfortable 6 Inch foam mattress is great for your beds or bunk beds.
- Made of high density foam. 1.8 lb/f 10 oz Poly
- Certipur-US. High Resilient. With Pressure Relief.
- Extremely durable.
- Durable cover.
- The foam inside the mattresses won't lose its shape over time.
- Available in Twin, Full and Queen sizes.
- Made in Canada.
Trent Tight Top Mattress
- Trent is a great mattress for children.
- Fits all our twin bunk beds and loft beds.
- 2 sided for longer durability.
- 416 Innerspring Coil System.
- Edge guard for optimal support.
- 13 gauge high tempered steel wire.
- 3/4″ high density foam.
- 3/8″ high density foam multi – quilted.
- Border – 1/8″ foam multi-quited.
- Sizes available: Twin, Full and Queen.
- Warranty: 20 years. Made in Canada.
Orthopedic Deluxe Mattress
- This medium firm, very durable spring mattress fits great to all out bunk beds and lofts.
- The thickness of the mattress is 8″.
- The mattress is double sided and flipable,
- It has edge guard.
- 1/2″ Quilt.
- 3/4″ Foam Top, 376 Coils (Queen).
- Warranty: 20 Years.
Solid Wood 6-Drawer Dresser with Mirror Natural
- 6 spacious drawers.
- Solid Wood construction.
- This dresser looks great in any country-inspired youth bedroom.
- Total dresser size: 17″D x 50″W x 30″H.
- Each drawer internal size: 14″D x 22″W x 6″H.
- Mirror – 32″ x 1 1/2 x 39″.
- Dresser can be purchased with / without mirror.
Solid Wood 5-Drawer Chest Natural
- This space saving espresso chest can store all sort of items.
- Solid Wood construction.
- Total chest external size: 17″D x 33″W x 42 1/2″H.
- Each drawer internal size: 14″D x 29″W x 5″H.
- Designed to complement the natural bunks and lofts.
- Great addition to any room in your home or cottage.
Flamingo Stairway Twin over Full Bunk Bed Natural
- Can be easily separated into two individual beds (Twin and Full).
- Staircase can be set up on either the right or left side.
- Size: 59″ x 97″ x 67″H.
- Clearance space between rails – 37″.
- Crafted from Solid Pine – No particle board.
- Top bunk can hold up to 300lb.
- Stylish bunk bed with built-in drawers for added storage and easy access to the top bunk.
- Can accommodate a Trundle Bed or Under Bed Drawers.


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DIY Organizer Stand
Step 1:
Gather your supplies:
2 circle Styrofoam's, 4 sticks the same size, and a bottle of glue.
Step 2:
Dip the end of each stick in glue and stick the sticks into the Styrofoam.
Step 3:
Place the top on top of the sticks. This is optional but put glitter all over the edge to give it a finishing touch.
And your done I hope you guys enjoyed that craft! It is really easy and a lot of fun!Have a great day and Happy Organizing! -BloggerGirl


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Erin Rogers Pickering
illustrator and watercolorist
I started doing house portraits when I was in school for family and friends. Originally creating them in ink with no color. Eventually as I fell in love with watercolor painting, I brought the two together. Still mostly for friends and family, then by word of mouth. Somehow along the way, life got in the way and house portraits got bumped to the back burner. Last year I created one as a fund raiser for my daughter's school, and I realized how much I missed making them, and how much I enjoyed seeing a home owner's face when they saw the completed piece! By coming back to house portraits, I have literally come home!
Creating custom house portraits allows me to combine two passions in one... the love of house architecture and watercolor paint. Having grown up in an old Victorian clapboard home, in a Brooklyn neighborhood filled with grand old houses, I was bit by the 'house bug' at an early age. Each portrait I create has great meaning to me, as I study the details of the structure and incorporate the love of the home into the painting.
I have been painting in watercolor since college when I became fascinated with the fluidness and unpredictability of a paint that refuses to be totally controlled. The results are lively and vibrant and pulse with life.
I have studied art, illustration and painting at FIT, The School of Visual Arts, The Art Academy and Parsons. Currently illustrating for SImply Gluten Free Magazine creating the regular feature 'Workbook Illustrated'.
In addition I teach painting to adults and children where students and teacher are all finding inspiration.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or inquires at email@example.com


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Reflection Projection Vibration (interior)
A collaborative audiovisual environment featuring the experimental media display work of Andrew Wade Smith,
and live cymatic demonstration from Eric Buchner. Part of WAVE festival 2017, Breckenridge Colorado.
More Media Installation from Andrew Wade Smith
Site Specific Media Installation Reel, 2017
WAVE Festival, 2017 with additional creative support from David Sullivan, Thank you Breckenridge Creative Arts, Infocus Corporation
SUBSTATION TRANSFORMATION/ Andrew Wade Smith with support from David Sullivan and Courtney Egan, Portland Winter Light Festival, 2016
Improvisational creative media display at WAVE festival 2017, Breckenridge Colorado
Manzanita Mapping at Vote For Dancing, 2017 Thanks to Beloved Presents, Lazer, Brant Kilber, Brent Williams, Matthew Rosvold, Roseland Theater crew
R&D for WAVE festival 2017, Breckenridge Colorado
Geo- Dome- Mapping with production and coordination by Spitball Media in association with Dome Guys International
Lovejoy Studio w/ Hotrod Projectors, Plantjectors, 16mm film loops, Video Augmented Mixed-media and Teeter TV, 3.0
Hex Matrix at What the Fest with display design and fabrication by Jessey Zepeda
Andrew Wade Smith at Good Gallery, Portland, OR, with creative support from Ryan Olson and Brent Williams. Thank you Scott Foster
Inspire Truth, New Years Eve at the Portland Art Museum for Beloved Presents
Beloved Music and Arts Festival, Stage


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Nine9 is getting a lot of attention lately. One of the reasons behind all of the recognition is that Nine9 is very effective at what it does for its clients. The first thing that the agency does is help get the clients ready for the search for work. However, the search is often very short because they easily find something that they can do. For one thing, it works very good in their favor. One thing that makes it easier for the clients to find work is that Nin9 has a lot of access to new opportunities for projects. This is one of the more promising aspects of the company and more information click here.
When clients look for an opportunity, they will easily be able to find it in the database that is constantly updated with new opportunities that people can take advantage of. One of the best parts of these opportunities is that there are a lot of new opportunities that are being posted for a multitude of locations. This makes it easier for people to find something that they can be a part of. A lot of people who sign up for Nine9 go on to become a regular part of an ongoing project.
While most agencies would have people be fortunate to even be part of an in-store demonstration, Nine9 helps people get roles in films that turn out to be big hits. They also get to be extras in films along side the big stars. The best part is that they stay with the client and treat them like they are part of the family. This is one thing that keeps the client encouraged in times when they are not getting as much work as they like. For one thing, people understand that there is a lot of time that could pass before one actually gets the role and learn more about Nine9.
More visit: https://nine9.com/castings


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Albert Camus? Apocryphal? Anonymous?
Dear Quote Investigator: The French writer and philosopher Albert Camus was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1957. His influential works have been called absurdist and existentialist although he personally rejected the label existentialist. The following lines have been widely attributed to him:
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.
I have tried unsuccessfully to find a citation. Would you please explore this topic?
Quote Investigator: Researchers have been unable to locate this quotation in the writings of Albert Camus who died in 1960. Currently, the ascription to Camus has no substantive support.
The earliest strong match found by QI appeared in the "Quincy Sun" newspaper of Quincy, Massachusetts in December 1971. A columnist named Dr. William F. Knox who was identified as a "Personal Counselor" wrote about being a good father to a child in grade school. Knox learned about the saying from a fellow counselor, and no attribution was specified. Ellipses were present in the original text. Boldface has been added to excerpts: 1
Another counselor handed me recently a great little thought…
"Don't walk in front of me…I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me…just be my friend."
Maybe that's what "being a father" is all about…just being a friend.
Less than a week later "The Evening Times" of Trenton, New Jersey published an article about a residential drug treatment facility. The saying was printed on a sign, and the words were attributed to Albert Camus: 2
There are many signs throughout the center. One from Camus reads: "Don't walk in front of me — I may not follow; don't walk behind — I may not lead; walk beside me and just be my friend."
During the ensuing decades the phrasing has varied, and sometimes the first two clauses have been re-ordered. By the 1990s a French version of the passage was circulating, but QI conjectures that the text was derived from the English version and not vice versa.
Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Continue reading Just Walk Beside Me and Be My Friend
- 1971 December 2, Quincy Sun, Living Today by Dr. William F Knox (Personal Counselor), Quote Page 11, Column 1, Quincy, Massachusetts. (Internet Archive and Old Fulton) ↩
- 1971 December 8, Trenton Evening Times, TODAY Is For Dropping Back In: A Resident Center For Addicts by James Labig, Subsection: The Discipline, Quote Page 49, Column 2, Trenton, New Jersey. (GenealogyBank) ↩


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Project Summaries
Samuels and Company has provided commercial real estate services for a wide range of retail projects throughout the country and internationally. The following is a brief description of some of our current and prior projects.
Current Projects
Merlin Entertainments PLC: Merlin Entertainments PLC is the largest entertainment company in Europe and second largest location-based attractions operator in the world with over 125 locations worldwide. Samuels & Company has been Merlin's exclusive real estate representative in North America since 2007. In this capacity, Samuels & Company provides advisory, site selection and acquisition services, along with asset management services for five of Merlin's international brands including Madame Tussauds, SEA Life Center, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Dungeons and The Eye. Additionally, Samuels & Company is now assisting Merlin in their rollout of Peppa Pig World of Play, along with Bear Grylls Outdoor Adventure. As part of the services provided, Samuels & Company has coordinated and assisted in the direction of the Company's North American expansion plans and works closely with corporate executives, attraction general managers, local real estate brokers and landlords/developers to select the best sites and negotiate the best lease terms for each of Merlin's specific brands. Over the past eleven years, Samuels & Company has assisted Merlin in developing 26 locations in North America, in developing five Madame Tussauds; ten LEGOLAND Discovery Centers; nine SEA Life Centers; one Dungeon; and one world class Observation Wheel; with more attractions scheduled to be opened within the next three years. See case study
1Up Fitness Group North America: 1Up Fitness Group North America/Moffit Global Group: 1Up Fitness Group NA is an innovative multi-product fitness company and a subsidiary of McFIT Global Group, Europe's leading fitness operator with over 300 fitness clubs currently in six countries with over 1.4 million members. McFIT Global Group is a fitness pioneer and stands for innovative ideas as well as unique fitness and lifestyle concepts. 1Up Fitness Group's products include fitness club concepts and fitness apps. The Company recently expanded to Southern California, to launch "lifestyle/fitness centers" in the North American market. Samuels & Company, Inc. has been retained by 1Up Fitness Group as its Exclusive National Advisor/Broker to manage the entire site search effort and nationwide roll-out program. This includes the creation of marketing material to explain this new brand and concept, the identification of appropriate sites in a crowded and competitive marketplace, and the negotiation of all economic terms and conditions for all locations. As part of this effort, 1 Up Fitness recently signed leases for a five-story signature building with 65,000 square feet in West Hollywood, CA; a three-story building with 45,000 square feet in San Francisco, CA; and a 140,000 square foot space in Dallas, TX. With this expansion in North America, 1Up Fitness Group is looking forward to continuing their efforts in revolutionizing and reshaping the entire fitness market!
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games: Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is a new location based indoor motorsports-themed entertainment concept which offers a high-speed karting track with multiple modular track designs, over 120 state-of-the-art arcade games, a two-level laser tag arena, an elevated ropes course featuring the first curved zip line, professional CXC racing simulators with VR technology, upscale bowling and a thrilling interactive Dark Ride motion theater. As the exclusive Advisor/Broker to the Company, Samuels & Company, Inc. will develop a strategy to maximize growth and manage the national roll out of this entertainment retail concept. In this process, Samuels & Company will prioritize markets, develop a marketing strategy, manage its national real estate brokers network, direct site selection efforts, as well as negotiate all LOI's, lease and purchase agreements. See case study
Oxigeno: Samuels & Company is a realty advisor/broker to this real estate development division of Cuestamoras, a leader in Latin America across a broad range of industries. Samuels & Company has assisted Oxigeno in creating a tenant-mix and marketing/leasing strategy to identify and select key anchor and major tenants for Oxigeno's "Human Playground", a major mixed-use entertainment/retail project in San Jose, Costa Rica scheduled to open in 2018 and which includes retail, dining, and entertainment uses. As part of this effort, Samuels & Company was instrumental in completing a 43,000 lease with Cinemark Theaters which will become a major anchor tenant in this exciting project.
Big Al's: Big Al's is a first-class, state-of-the-art, smoke-free entertainment facility with upscale bowling lanes, thrilling arcade fare, a larger-than-life big game sports bar and grill experience and a plethora of party and event opportunities. Big Al's caters to young families looking for a place to spend time together, but also provides a fun and exciting playground for adults and businesses as well. The Company currently has four locations in Washington, Idaho and California and is looking to expand in Southern California and the Northwest. Samuels & Company, Inc. has been retained as their exclusive Advisor/Broker to assist Big Al's in this expansion, including directing all site selection efforts and lease negotiations. In this capacity, Samuels & Company, Inc. recently assisted Big Al's in its recent leasing of 45,000 square feet of retail space at McCarthy Ranch Marketplace in Silicon Valley, CA.
Offshore Surf: Offshore Surf is a unique entertainment destination combining an authentic surfing experience, food, bar and retail in a welcoming indoor venue. It's a never ending summer at the beach where everyone, regardless of experience level, can always catch their perfect wave. Surfing has grown to be a very popular sport worldwide; however, there are barriers to entry including lack of easy access to goods waves in most parts of the world, unpredictable surf, steep learning curve, and intimidating rules/surf etiquette. Offshore Surf utilizes patented technology that breaks down the barriers to entry and allows everyone to learn to surf and improve their skills in a welcoming, fun and safe environment. The Company has engaged Samuels & Company, Inc. as their exclusive agent to manage the expansion of this new location based entertainment concept throughout the United States.
Aerobar: Aerobar, the first flying bar, is a rotating gondola that elevates 16 passengers up to 130 feet high in a metallic structure while an aero-barman serves snacks and drinks. This revolutionary new "food-tainment" concept combines 1. Sensation-high up in the air, 2. Emotion-a 360 degree view, and 3. Conviviality-sharing the experience with others. Aerobar currently has three attractions in France, as well as an attraction in Dubai, Casablanca, Mexico, South Korea and one under development in China. AEROPHILE SAS developed the concept in 2013 backed by 25 years of experience in the leisure industry including the success of the big tethered balloon (nearly 100 systems sold in 40 countries). AEROPHILE SAS has engaged GM Goodman Advisors and Samuels & Company, Inc. as their exclusive agent to manage the expansion of Aerobar in the United States.
PRISA Group: Samuels & Company, Inc. provided advisory and leasing services for The District, a new development being built by the PRISA group (prominent developer of high profile projects on Puerto Rico). The District is a vibrant mixed use project in San Juan anchored by an Aloft Hotel and a 6,000 seat performance / event hall managed by AEG. Samuels & Company', Inc's core responsibilities included development and site plan consulting; evaluating potential tenant mixes; creating merchandising plan; and advising client on pro forma income for approximately 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The District, which is planning on opening in late-2019, will host a healthy mix of local tenants, along with national and international retailers, restaurants, and location based entertainment retail concepts.
Prior Projects
THE VOID: THE VOID is establishing the gold-standard in a new form of virtual-reality based immersive entertainment concept that empowers visitors to step beyond reality. THE VOID takes a unique approach of combining digital environments with physical stages and interactive elements to provide a powerful immersive hyper-reality experience. These are shared, multi-player experiences for friends, families and groups to enjoy together. THE VOID opened its first public experience in partnership with Sony Pictures at Madame Tussauds-New York in July 2016. The second experience was opened in Dubai in March 2017. Samuels & Company led THE VOID's site selection and expansion plans of rolling out multiple locations throughout the United States to add to its existing 10 attractions, which include Disney Springs, Orlando and Downtown Disney, Anaheim. It's most recent locations include Glendale Galleria in Los Angeles (opened March 2018), Grand Canal Shops in Las Vega, NV (opened April 2018) and Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA (opened August 2018). Four additional sites are scheduled to open during 2019 in Atlanta, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Washington, DC..
iFLY Indoor Skydiving: iFLY is a retail entertainment concept that offers the experience of human flight through indoor skydiving. Samuels & Company provided advisory and tenant representation services to iFLY and assisted this company in developing and implementing its national expansion program. Samuels & Company assisted iFLY's senior executives in their site selection strategy to prioritize markets and developments in a timely manner to meet their strategic goals for shareholders. The Company selected the finest affiliated brokers in each strategic market and created a national real estate brokerage network through which iFLY has gained broad exposure to real estate site opportunities and property owners. Through Samuels & Company's efforts, iFLY successfully opened over 30 locations in the U.S. and is positioned to open 10 to 12 new locations per year for the next three years. See case study
Universal CityWalk Hollywood: Samuels & Company provided advisory and leasing services to Universal CityWalk Hollywood, a 390,000 square foot, three block outdoor entertainment, dining and shopping promenade, anchored by Universal Studios Hollywood and a 19-screen AMC Theatre with a state-of-the-art IMAX. Initial responsibilities included evaluating the existing tenants and their current leases; analyzing competitive retail and entertainment/retail centers in the Los Angeles area; creating proposals for several different remerchandising programs; and advising senior management at Universal on "best in class" new leasing strategy to maximize asset value. Samuels & Company provided owner representation and leasing services to Universal CityWalk in their efforts to improve the tenant mix and competitive position in the marketplace. During this assignment Samuels & Company assisted Universal CityWalk in opening Sephora, Smash Burger and Shoe Palace, among other tenants. See case study
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG): Advised highly prominent international entertainment/real estate conglomerate in the specific merchandising and leasing strategy for a $1 billion development adjacent to Staples Center arena in Los Angeles, California. The responsibilities included preparing, administering and evaluating a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a major national theater tenant as one of the anchor tenants of the project. Additionally, provided leasing services as Owner's Representative to submit and negotiate leases for multiple national, regional, and local restaurateurs, as well as assisted in the negotiations with several entertainment retailers. See case study
Farmers Market/Gilmore Estate: Consulted with property owner of the Gilmore Estate analyzing responses to their Request for Proposals in the selection of the developer for the development of The Grove in Los Angeles, California; assisted in negotiating the Master Ground Lease with Caruso Affiliated Holdings. See case study
Turner Dale Associates (TDA Investment Group)/Canyon Springs Marketplace - Riverside, CA: Samuels & Company was selected by TDA to create the "highest and best" use for a property owned by their client, Construction Laborers Pension Trust of Southern California, a large labor pension fund. This 15 acre site, named the Canyon Springs Marketplace in Riverside, CA, was located in a newly developing market with significant competition. Samuels & Company directed the design, leasing, development and entitlement process for this power/community center. This project consists of approximately 185,000 square feet with anchor tenants including Marshalls, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, Cost Plus World Markets, Petco, and Jo-Ann Stores, as well as other retail (Lane Bryant, OshGosh/Carters) and restaurants (Starbucks, Rubio's) and specialty stores (FedEx/Kinko's, Union Bank). See case study
LBG Real Estate Companies / The Medford Center: Samuels & Company provided strategic advice to LBG Real Estate Companies, LLC on a proposed redevelopment and market repositioning of a 420,000 square foot regional entertainment and lifestyle center located in Medford, Oregon. Services provided included retail component conception, programming and marketplace due-diligence; suggestions on tenant merchandise mix, competition and supply/demand analysis; site and lease plan analysis; and prospective tenant outreach.
Redding Oasis – Redding, CA: Directed the planning, leasing, entitlement and overall development for a major project in Redding, California totaling over 1,100,000 square feet. This town center/ lifestyle center is designed to be one of the dominant retail commercial centers located in the Northern Central Valley area of California serving the local, regional and tourist trade.
Mid-Town Plaza (Pico/San Vicente/Venice): Provided consulting and development services for all aspects of the planning, designing, leasing, obtaining entitlements and arranging public and private financing for a near $100 million, 440,000 square foot project originally envisioned as big box uses like Home Depot/Costco in the mid-town area of Los Angeles, California.
Robertson Properties (affiliate of Pacific Theatres): Represented ownership in entitling property in Lakewood for a Kohl's store; analyzed two residential zoned properties and one industrial property for their highest and best use; consulted on various leasing and development aspects for other real estate holdings. See case study
Colony Capital/Meadowlands-Xanadu: Samuels & Company provided leasing and tenant-mix advisory services to an institutional owner group lead by Colony Capital Inc. for Meadowlands-Xanadu, a megamall project located in New Jersey's Meadowlands complex. See case study
Lehman Brothers: Advised asset manager on redevelopment plans for regional mall in Birmingham, Alabama; reviewed and analyzed assets for disposition in Honolulu, Hawaii.
MCC Realty Investments/AEW: Advising new opportunity fund in re-leasing and redevelopment efforts for community shopping centers in Diamond Bar and Phillips Ranch, California; assisting fund in identifying acquisitions of "value added" projects.
Reliable Properties: Provided advisory and design development services on a high rise Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles, California.
Regent Properties: Negotiated substantial lease agreement by and between Crate & Barrel and the City of Beverly Hills for a new store in Beverly Hills.
Sol Price (founder of the Price Club): Provided leasing and development analysis for a potential power center development in Roseville, California.
TrizecHahn Development, Inc.: Served as Senior Development Director on a proposed regional retail project in Honolulu, Hawaii; analyzed and provided advisory services for potential developments in Seattle, Washington and Denver, Colorado.
Combined Properties, Inc.: Provided advisory services for entitlements and community outreach for a potential re-development of an existing asset in Sherman Oaks, California; assisted in due diligence for the purchase of a large shopping center portfolio (over 50 centers) in Southern California.
DDR/Oliver McMillan: Served as Senior Development Director for the leasing and development of several large regional and community retail/entertainment centers in California.
Forest City Enterprises: Analyzed economic viability of a proposed retail/entertainment center in Anaheim, California.
Glimcher Realty Trust: Performed due diligence for acquisition and development of several regional centers in Southern California.
Elder and Enrico Trusts: Negotiated leases with McDonald's and Safeway Supermarket for private family holdings.Granite Partners: Assisted in analysis and disposition strategy of regional outlet project in San Diego, California; assisted in several presentations to institutional owners for dispositions of assets.
House of Blues: Directed all leasing and development efforts for creating new facilities in San Diego and San Jose, California and Tokyo, Japan.
AMC Entertainment, Inc.: Assisted in leasing and development efforts for a mixed-use urban entertainment project in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
National Geographic: Samuels & Company advised and assisted National Geographic in terminating their Lease with Pacific Theaters at their IMAX theater in Hawaii.
New Zealand Natural: Developed initial strategy for Southern California for expanding international high-end ice cream.


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Memoir '44
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Product Description
From the cliffs of Pointe-du-Hoc to the hedgerow battles in the Corentin Peninsula and beyond -- Memoir '44 airdrops you into the key battles that turned the tide in Western Europe during the summer of 1944. Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Operation Cobra... Step in and command your troops on the battlefields that defined History in the 20th century!
Memoir '44 is a unique historical game where players command a horde of little plastic Army men facing-off in dozens of WWII battles on an oversize hex game board.
Each battle scenario mimics the historical terrain, troop placements and objectives of each army. Deploying forces through a variety of Command cards, the smart commander uses the unique skills of his units -- infantry, paratroopers, tanks, artillery, commandos and resistance fighters -- to its greatest strength.
Easy to learn and fast-paced, Memoir '44 requires strategic card play, timely dice rolling and an aggressive, yet flexible battle plan to achieve victory!
Product Awards
Best Historical Simulation, 2005
Best 2-Player Game, 2004
Product Information
Richard Borg
Days of Wonder, Asmodee North America
Julien Delval
Year: 2004
Players: 2
Time: 30 - 60 minutes
Ages: 8 and up
Weight: 1,919 grams
- 1 double-sided hex board battle map
- 144 axis and allied army pieces
- 36 obstacles
- 44 terrain tiles
- 60 command cards
- 9 summary cards
- 8 battle dice
- 2 card holders
- 32-page rules & scenario booklet
- 1 Days of Wonder online access number
Memoir '44: The Battles of Khalkhin-Gol Out of Stock
Memoir 44: Tactics & Strategy Guide Out of Stock
Memoir '44: D-Day Landings Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Equipment Pack expansion Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Campaign Book Volume 2 Rules & Scenarios Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Winter Wars Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Disaster at Dieppe The Battle Map Series Volume 4; Overlord Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Breakthrough Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Sword of Stalingrad / Rats in a Factory The Battle Map Series Volume 3; Overlord Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Tigers in the Snow / Operation Market Garden The Battle Map Series Volume 2; Overlord Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Hedgerow Hell / The Cadets of Saumur The Battle Map Series Volume 1; Overlord Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Campaign Book Volume 1 Rules & Scenarios Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Operation Overlord Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Campaign Bag Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Air Pack Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Mediterranean Theater Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Pacific Theater Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Winter/Desert board map Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Eastern Front Out of Stock
Memoir '44: Terrain Pack Out of Stock
Commands & Colors Ancients
5th printing
Axis & Allies: Spring 1942 revised base game Out of Stock
Commands & Colors Ancients: Mounted Mapboard Out of Stock
Axis & Allies: 1941 boardgame Out of Stock
Axis & Allies: 1942 2nd edition Out of Stock
Axis & Allies 1914 Out of Stock
Commands & Colors Ancients: Dice Set Out of Stock
Product Reviews
Average Rating: 4.5 in 22 reviews
Memoir '44 wasn't the first modern board game I ever played (Ticket to Ride holds that honor) but Memoir '44 changed the course of my life. My brother-in-law had to convince me to play, but once I did this amazing game opened my eyes to the wonderful world of World War II history and strategy board games!
The historical background with every single official scenarios (of which there are hundreds) drew me in to the story behind the game and the history that's so important for us to know. The way that Memoir '44 handles complex unit movements and battle conditions with the modular board and the card-driven orders system blows me away because the more I learn about the actual battles, the closer the game comes to reflecting the actual events.
As a teacher, I used this game to help me teach my third grade students decision-making, planning, sportsmanship, strategic thinking, and history. Memoir '44 is a total gem and you won't regret getting into the system. Any expansions you get will simply be the cherry on top because the base game is amazing right out of the box.
Have fun with this game and welcome to the world of World War II combat for regular people!
I learned to play this game with a friend at a gaming group, and the simple rules, and complex strategies, mixed together with a great online community and unlimited different kinds of maps to create, makes this game a constant star on my dining room table.
This game was my first step into playing board games, and I fell in love instantly. the very small learning curve gets you into the action fast, and with a few games under your belt, you quickly realize the depth of strategy you have in this game.
The combat is as simple as looking at dice. Each side has a unit's symbol on it, with infantry showing up more than armor. And choosing where to hide your units in different terrain types from cities to forests. An amazing combat system even in its simplicity.
Then the board uses hexes and pieces to place in the hexes to represent different terrain features. the rulebook has plenty of material to get you started, and the online community offers limitless possibilities to make your game even more versatile. the site also offers a map creator, so you can create and share your maps.
To sum it up, deep strategy combined with easy to learn rules make this game a great game package, for people of all ages. A perfect game.
We bought several strategy games through the years: Puerto Rico, I'm the Boss, Memoirs 44, and Attack. The two non war games are great. They are light, fun, easy to play and about one hour games. They are almost totally no luck and are pure skill and strategy. The two war games on the other hand involve too much luck and are frustrating. We are not hard core gamers but seek fun Sunday father son type games. Maybe one day there will be a war strategy game, with miniatures, that the luck of the die or draw of the cards doesn't win games. I think that day will be when the new Microsoft computer table is an interactive board game.
Show all 22 reviews >


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To make a long story short: On Sunday morning I came home from yoga class with a sudden, but strong urge to part with a 6-year old collection of Domino magazines. Aside from my silver Tuareg jewelry from Niger, this was my only collection! Design enthusiasts will understand how hard this was. Domino magazine is out of print and has reached cult status among those of us who shed tears over their last issue. I went with the urge, resisting looking at a single page along the way. Update since this video: they've officially been recycled, and I do feel a touch of remorse. However, the empty space I gained far outweighs the regrets.
7 Day Challenge:
Do you have a collection that you've been holding on to, but haven't truly enjoyed in years? Just because you have collected something, doesn't mean you have to keep it forever. What can you toss or donate this week that you never thought you could? It may feel like ripping the band-aid off, but if something is coming to mind as you read this, do what I did and let it go. If you do, let me know how you talked yourself into it!


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Chianti's castles
Beautiful panoramas and historic buildings
Chianti offers visitors natural beauty and breath-taking examples of historical grandeur.
Beyond the Arbia bridge at Pianella, weekend wanderers can take the Strada dei Castelli del Chianti heading toward the municipality of Gaiole.
A right turn at the first junction will take visitors to San Giusto a Rentennano where they can appreciate a true taste of Chianti scenery. According to historical documents, the Benedictine Convent of San Giusto was founded some time before 1136. In 1297, its nuns were transferred to the Monastery of Santa Maria Novella in Siena, as the village and Church of San Giusto became property of the Ricasoli family. Thanks to its strategic location on the border of Sienese territory, the Ricasoli heirs subsequently transformed the church into a fortress.
The fortress was stormed and taken by Sienese troops in 1390—thanks to new bombing artillery, used for the first time in Tuscany 's history. The castle was totally destroyed during the takeover and the villa's foundations were later built on its ruins. Visitors with a trained eye can still spot some parts of the original medieval wall.
A bit further down the road, wanderers can enjoy the breath-taking view of Lucignano in Chianti. The Lucignano Castle was originally owned by the monks of the Vallombrosa Monastery of Coltibuoni. Historical documents speak of its existence as early as the mid XI century. Today, visitors can still see part of the original castle's remains and tour its rectangular building with vaulted ceilings, restored in the 1500s. Other presumably medieval structures surround the courtyard, which can be accessed from the south-west, by passing under a grand stone archway.
A bit further down the road, visitors often stop to appreciate the extraordinarily picturesque valley of Torricella, with its beautiful XVII century villa in the distance.
Past San Regolo, visitors will arrive at the Madonna di Brolio junction and pass over the state highway going towards Castelnuovo. Broglio Castle is located on the right-hand side. The castle, with its majestic courtyard, was donated to the Abbey of Florence in 1009. During the second half of the following century, however, it was taken over by the Ridolfi family. In 1176, the castle was subject to Florentine domination, even if the Sienese never ceased their efforts to conquer it.
The Florentines considered the area so important that in 1298 they sent a ruling delegate and later built new fortifications. The wall, shaped like an irregular pentagon, is one of the first examples of a bastioned wall in the area. As one of the territory's first fortresses, it is quite primitive. Nonetheless, it's well-preserved and visitors can appreciate its high base and spot archers' posts at various levels.
During the last century, Brolio was home and refuge to Bettino Ricasoli, great statesman during Italy's unification process. Man of culture and exemplary farmer, Bettino established the make-up of 'Chianti' by determining the percentage of each grape that would go into the famed wine. During its last period of splendour, the castle underwent a huge restoration process, particularly of its romantic façade, created in the Sienese Gothic style.
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cross laser level laisai brand 4V1H1D LS629
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No matter what our day job entails we all need time away from the pressure of work. Lots of people escape from the working grind by doing something they truly enjoy. Indeed, it seems we all need a release, a hobby or a passion to keep us vital and inspired. At some time, all of us have dreamt of turning our passion into our occupation. You may be a home chef, a musician, a crafts-person or any number of other things, but still remain obligated to work in a field you don't really enjoy so much.
However, some people do take the leap of faith, quit their day job, and attempt to turn their dream into a reality. How can you determine if your hobby can be transformed into a business?
Is your passion already a money earner?
You may have already found a demand for your product, services or talent. The thrill of getting paid for doing what you love is extremely satisfying, but as with everything in life, there are positives and negatives to consider. On the plus side, you have started making money doing what you love. On the flip side, according to the tax office, if your hobby is earning money the government will soon be wanting a piece of the pie.
Activities engaged in with the intention of making money are classified as business rather than a hobby. By law, any profit from your efforts is income that needs to be declared. As your business grows, so does your taxable income, and it's important from the outset to keep records of your expenses and profit.
Keeping on track
Accurate book keeping is essential when running a small business enterprise. For starters, it will give you a clear picture just how much (or little) profit you are making. Some business expenses are tax deductible, allowing you to decrease losses and increase overall profits.
Modern book keeping software programs provide an easy to use interface for beginners. You will be able to keep track of expenses and see what areas of your business are most profitable. Trimming your business costs will go a long way toward making your business sustainable over the long haul. Take advantage of online resources, talk to experts, and learn how to be frugal. If you are an idealistic artist or creator you may require a solid financial grounding to realise your dream.
Separate personal and business expenses
When starting out, there may be a tendency to support your passion by dipping into your personal accounts. It's important from the outset to separate your accounts by opening a new bank account with a credit card solely for business expenses. Make sure to investigate flexible payment schedules that will best suit your needs.
An optimum business is one that will grow over time. You may feel like leaving your job behind and jumping in feet-first to your new project, but it is worth considering the slow and steady approach. You may have the option of scaling down your day job from full time to part time while you establish yourself. Other members of your household might even get on-board and adjust their lifestyle also with a desire to be part of the new venture. Depending on your talent, you may also consider joining forces with like-minded people in creation of a larger venture with costs spread out amongst the various participants.
There isn't a one-size-fits-all means of becoming a success. What works for someone else might not work for you. Following your dream is admirable, but make sure you don't get sidetracked into following someone else's agenda. After all, its your passion and you have every right to put your own personal stamp on proceedings.


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Gone Girl: A Review/
This first review contains ZERO spoilers!!
Gone Girl reminds me of Spinal Tap's eleventh studio album, "Shark Sandwich".
Simply stated, Gone Girl should stay gone.
I am Jack's Wasted Life
Immediately as the credits rolled, after sitting silently for the full two and a half hours of Gone Girl (directed by David Fincher, written by Gillian Flynn), a middle aged woman sitting in the row behind me proclaimed, very loudly, her opinion of the film to her female companion, "That was the most morally reprehensible film I have ever seen!" she bellowed. I was able to decipher from the rest of the diatribe that followed, that she was deeply offended by what she perceived to be the film's misogyny. I understood her argument but I didn't think the film raised, or lowered as the case may be, itself to the standard of "most morally reprehensible film I have ever seen". Most artistically reprehensible film? Now that's a different story.
To be clear, I have not read the book Gone Girl. (As my friend Chaz J. Chazzington says, "Reading? What are you a nerd?" ) Nor have I read or heard any reviews or opinions of the film. I was a 'tabula rasa', as they say, in regards to Gone Girl when I went to see it. After watching it, I wish I could go back to that more pleasant time in my life when I had no knowledge of Gone Girl at all. That time, so peaceful and pleasant, seems very far away now, and the real tragedy is…I know I will never be able to return to it.
I am not sure where to begin in my critique of Gone Girl. The film fails in so many ways and on so many levels, that I'll be damned if I can just pick the one most glaring reason why it is no good. I guess I will do what the filmmakers did and just throw shit against a wall and let you, the reader, pick things out and try to make some semblance of order out of it.
I am Jack's Inflamed Sense of Rejection
First off, the film has no purpose. None. It might be trying to say something about modern tabloid culture, or suburban middle America, or marriage, or relationships, or exploitation, or appearances…maybe. But there is nothing, not a single thing, that is original, unique or interesting in the entire film. It says nothing, it does nothing, it means nothing. It just is. It doesn't even look great, which for a David Fincher film, is quite shocking. Some people might say, "well…it's a movie, it is just meant to entertain!" Ok, I can get on board with that..except…Gone Girl isn't even mildly entertaining. It is not something you are entertained by, it is something you endure. It is a muddling, befuddling, bewildering exercise in mindlessness. It exists only to support it's own existence.
I am Jack's Raging Bile Duct
Speaking of no purpose…who cast this film? This film boasts, in pivotal roles, not only Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris) as an obsessive boyfriend who gets his throat cut, but also Medea (Tyler Perry) as a cut-throat New York city defense attorney. How is that a good idea? You couldn't find two better actors, actors with more heft, skill and edge to them than Doogie Howser and Medea? If this was an episode of Law and Order or CSI, then I'd say, good job, but this is a major studio motion picture with a budget north of $60 million dollars. You couldn't find ANYONE better than Doogie and Medea to fill those roles? If you don't take your own film seriously, why should I?
Ben Affleck plays the lead, Nick Dunne, and he is…fine. I like Ben Affleck, I don't think he is a particularly good actor, but I think he is a good director and frankly I root for him to do well for no other reason than he seems like a nice enough guy. (For instance it was nice to see Ben, an 'empty-headed actor' passionately stand up to Bill Maher and Sam Harris and all of their intellectual midgetry on Real Time with Bill Maher last week.) What Ben Affleck brings to a movie is minimal, and that is okay. Sometimes you don't need a leading man to bring much to a film (see early Tom Cruise as an example), you just need him to not take things away from a film (see more recent Tom Cruise as an example). Ben succeeds in 'not taking things away' from Gone Girl. That is not to say he is good…that is to say that he "is", and that is all he needs to be. He certainly lacks the range and expressiveness to convey the many twists and turns in the film, and a you could have cast someone better, but you also could have cast someone worse (again, see Tom Cruise as an example).
I am Jack's Broken Heart
The only true bright spots in terms of the acting are Carrie Coon as Margo Dunn, Nick's sister, and Kim Dickens as Detective Rhonda Boney. Both Coon and Dickens are really great actresses and it is frustrating that the film doesn't live up to the work they do in it. Coon is so good I kept wishing they had cast her in the lead role of Amy Dunne instead of Rosamund Pike. Pike may be a good actress, I don't know, I've not seen her work before, but she makes a classic error in her portrayal of the psychopath Amy. She gives away the game almost from the get-go. Amy is a psychopath and psychopaths are really great actors (don't ask me how I know that!!). You can't see the seams with a psychopath. If I were working with an actress cast in the part of Amy, I would tell her to play it straight, be genuine, don't play genuine. The script does all the work for you, it gives you obviously insane actions and makes you go to great lengths to maintain your control over the situation, so you do not need to play that she is a wild-eyed psychopath, we will see it in her actions, and when you are playing her as a genuine person, it makes her actions all the more creepy, and her all the more believable as the manipulative and vengeful woman she is. This is why I was hoping that Carrie Coon was playing Amy. She is pretty, yet approachable in that girl-next-door, not super model, not Rosamund Pike way. She seems like a real person, and that is what the role needs. I also saw that Reese Witherspoon was a producer on the film. I don't know if she had bought an option on the book or what, but I think she would have been fantastic as Amy, and the fact that she would have been playing with and against her good girl image would have made her performance all the more impactful.
I am Jack's Complete Lack of Surprise
Structurally, the film is really three films jammed together. The first film is, as Ben Affleck's Nick Dunne astutely observes while being interrogated, an episode of Law and Order. It is a good-enough episode, and a fairly captivating mystery. Then the film transitions to the Amy Dunne perspective in the second act. This is a much weaker portion. Once the shock of the reveal of Amy being alive wears off, you are asked to believe more and more preposterous things as a viewer while Nick and Amy play a cat and mouse game that has appeared out of nowhere. Act three begins when Amy Dunne publicly reappears covered in blood at the Dunne home in front of the media. This is the Evel Knievel of shark jumps. The last third of the film is nothing more than a farce. One absurdity and illogical choice after another. The choices that people have to make in order for the story to keep going forward, are so illogical and asinine that they make it seem like it is all happening in another universe where the laws of human behavior are so opposite our own as to be incomprehensible.
I am Jack's Medulla Oblongata
Here are just a few things that stand out in the Gone Girl universe that make me think that the laws of human behavior, not to mention the laws of physics and biology, do not apply...
1. When we learn that Amy is alive and is on the run and hiding out, she decides to befriend someone. Well, you may think that friendship is a normal human need and want. You would be wrong because we learn earlier that Amy has no friends, and the only friend she has in their neighborhood, the moronic Noelle Hawthorne, is, according to Amy, nothing more than a prop for the purpose of her fake murder scheme. In other words she is totally, 100% committed to her scheme, yet she quickly ditches it in order to have companionship with the trailer trash girl living next door. It makes no sense.
2. When it is revealed that Amy is still alive, she is driving down a highway and defiantly eating a fast food burger. Good for her. She won't be worried about her body or what society has to say about it any more. Eat, eat, eat, lots of junk. It's all we see her doing as she hides out. And she gets fat. Her face gets fat, she gets a gut. I was thinking that she must have been hiding for like six months. No…it was day four of her being on the run. She was able to gain roughly twenty five pounds in 96 hours. How biologically odd. And thankfully for her, she is able to lose that weight just as quickly when she has to appear in sexy lingerie and have sex with Doogie Howser.
3. When Amy inexplicably keeps all her money with her when she inexplicably goes miniature golfing with her inexplicable new redneck friends, and then they inexplicably see her money and not so inexplicably steal it from her, she is left with no one to call except her ex-flame Doogie Howser. She and Doogie decide to meet at a riverboat casino on the Mississippi. There may be no more photographed place on earth than a casino. Why not meet at a McDonalds parking lot, that way you can eat all the fast food burgers you want and magically gain weight and then magically lose it, remain hidden and get some product placement money as well.
4. When Amy goes to live with Doogie in his hidden cabin, she learns once inside that the outside of the place is under constant surveillance. Once she decides to double cross Doogie she stages herself crying and in anguish in front of one of the windows so the cameras pick her up in a state of despair. And then once she kills Doogie and comes forward she tells police to look at the surveillance footage to prove she was a prisoner. But what about the footage prior to her double crossing Doogie? What about the footage of her strolling in to the cabin arm in arm with Doogie without a care in the world. Wouldn't they see that footage too?
5. When Amy tells Nick she is pregnant, it is the final nail in his coffin. He can't leave her now. She is too crazy to be left alone with a kid and too manipulative to go to the authorities. She has won. Except, Nick has an ally, not only in his powerful NY attorney but also in Detective Boney on the local police force. He has people in power who know who Amy really is. He couldn't come forward in the interview with the tabloid woman Ellen Abbott and tell his entire side? Hell…wouldn't Sela Ward's TV host have great interest in that story? How is it that he feels so powerless?
I am Jack's Cold Sweat
After seeing Gone Girl, I was having a conversation with a famous director friend of mine. In order to protect his identity, and spare his career, I will call him Mr. X. Mr. X disliked Gone Girl as much as I did, but he thought it would get a Best Picture nomination. I was shocked, how could something so awful get a nomination? He said..."remember Avatar?" Sadly…I do remember Avatar. Avatar is a really atrocious film. The acting is beyond words it is so horrific. The story is obscenely incoherent. But like Avatar, Gone Girl has struck a chord with the public. People saw it in droves, and Avatar, in all it's awfulness, managed to get nominated. I am fearful that Gone Girl will as well. My one and only hope is that Avatar was a sci-fi movie with lots of bells and whistles and shiny things for the masses to gawk at, which is maybe why they flocked to it. The only bell or whistle or shiny thing for the masses to gawk at in Gone Girl is Ben Affleck's penis, which hopefully doesn't have the same eye candy appeal to Oscar voters as Avatar did.
I am Jack's Smirking Revenge
There is a scene in Gone Girl where the beautiful Rosamund Pike, as Amy Dunne, takes a hammer to her face and smashes herself with it. I think this is the only scene in the entire film with which I connected. Amy smashing her face with a hammer was the perfect visual representation of how I felt for two and a half hours watching Gone Girl. I think they should do a promotion where they hand out hammers to people as they enter the theater and wait and see how long they make it without smashing their own face in in order to escape the inanity playing out before them onscreen.
I am Jack's Colon
You may think after having panned Gone Girl, that I am not a fan of it's director, David Fincher. You couldn't be more wrong. I really like most of Fincher's films. His less popular films, Zodiac and The Game, are among some of my all-time favorites, as are his more well known films Fight Club, Seven and The Social Network. Fincher is a brilliant and stylistically original artist. I just think that his style has failed with Gone Girl, not that he is a failure.
So what style would have made Gone Girl better? It is interesting, but as I watched the final third of Gone Girl, the director I kept thinking of was David Lynch. Two of Lynch's films in particular, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. Both of those films touched upon certain similar themes as Gone Girl attempted to touch upon, namely, the ugliness just beneath the surface of the American heartland's veneer (Blue Velvet), and the moral and ethical cancer at the heart of America's fame driven culture (Mulholland Drive). The main thing that Gone Girl becomes in it's third act is realist absurdism. No one does absurdism wrapped in a blanket of stylized realism better than David Lynch. Lynch's Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive are both dramas, comedies, tragedies, social commentaries and horror films all rolled up into one, which is exactly what Gone Girl unsuccessfully tried to do.
So, here is my pitch on "How to make Gone Girl a good film": Start off by not having Gillian Flynn, who authored the book, write the screenplay. Have David Lynch, who should replace Fincher as director, write the screenplay, or better yet, have Charlie Kaufman write the screenplay, that would really turn the story on it's head. You can keep Ben Affleck in the lead if you like, and Carrie Coon and Kim Dickens in their roles as well. We replace Rosamund Pike with Reese Witherspoon in the lead role of Amy. Finally, we replace Neil Patrick Harris with the incisive and edgy talent of Alan Cumming and we jettison Tyler Perry for Samuel L. Jackson, who would bring a great deal of life, energy and power to the role of the lawyer. There you have it, I saved Gone Girl….you're welcome. If only some studio would wise up and put me in charge, then I could save all of Hollywood, and by extension…your soul…and the world.
© 2014


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GET YOUR SPRING GLOW and lift your face and spirit with Ziggie Bergman
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Your goal may well be to become a healthier looking, more vibrant version of you and the Zone Face Lift workshop has been devised to help you achieve that in the most holistic and blissful way possible. Recommended by Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, Mail on Sunday and Cosmopolitan as a non-surgical facelift to help you look and feel your best from the inside out.
Over two hours you will learn to apply simple and effective Zone Face Lift techniques which include elements of facial reflexology, facelifting massage, and healing visualizations which help to release emotions held in the face to promote a healthier, glowing you. The workshop concludes with a Native American smudging with white sage to leave you feeling cleansed and refreshed.
You will receive a beautiful chart with instructions so that you can maintain the results and keep your spring glow.
Benefits include:
• Deprogramming facial muscles to lift and tighten
• Smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles
• Stimulating collagen and elastin from the inside
• Releasing emotions which reflect in the face
• Eliminating toxins for clear skin and an even skin-tone
Zone Face Lift lifts the face and spirit as a result of balancing the body, mind and soul.
"An all natural alternative to botox with internal benefits to boot"- Hip & Healthy.
'A contender for London's best facial treatment, afterwards my eyes were brighter, my cheekbones sharper, my brow less furrowed.' - Beauty Editor Sarah Vine
If booking for more than one person, please do so by calling 020 7483 3344. Do not book via website or the second person will not appear on the roster.
Ziggie Bergman is considered one of the UK's leading facial reflexologist and holistic beauty expert. Ziggie studied with Native American shamen and healers in New Mexico and uses some of these techniques in her teaching and treatments at triyoga. Ziggie's complete Zone Face Lift Programme is available at Triyoga and metaphorically peels away the layers over 12 weeks to lift your face and spirit for life.
For further details on Ziggie Bergman visit
GET YOUR SPRING GLOW participants will have a special 15% discount for their first Zone Face Lift treatment with Ziggie at Triyoga Camden and this special offer is valid for one month after the workshop.


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music by Paul Leschen book & lyrics by Jamie Leo
It's more the same than ever.
A fiercely original new piece of musical theater, inspired by the volatile events of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago and their place in history and our future.
Chicago research librarians, hotel housekeepers, street cops, campaign volunteers, and community organizers are at the center of the storm. In conceiving the book and lyrics for '68, Albee Fellow Jamie Leo stayed "very close to my heart, to social activism as I understand it". From decades of work in the front-lines in ACT UP, through years of other social justice advocacy, Leo's observations – airborne by award-winning composer Paul Leschen's exquisite, unforgettable melodies – '68 forges a narrative, a eulogy, and celebration of struggle as suggestive of current events as a look into a time capsule.
Join us for a workshop peek at an ambitious new work.


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WC-KP Cross Country
2019 KP/WC Roster
Kingsley - Pierson Woodbury Central
Rylee Wright running all over the competition: Sioux City Journal Article
2017 Cross Country Schedule
WCKP Brought Home 3rd Place Trophy, Great Job Girls!!!!
The team of Rylee Wright (Sr.), Suzanne Putze (Sr.), KayLynne Bechen (Sr.), Makayla Archer (Fr.), Sarah Putze (Fr.), Mary Putze (Fr.), and Kalyn Cameron (Fr.) qualified for the State meet by winning their District Meet in Orange City on October 19th.
Due to their outstanding performance, they had brought home 3rd place and placed on the podium, a first for school history!
Once again, great job girls!
Image from Le Mars Daily Sentinel
Coaches: Dean Harpenau and Jill Gallagher
Page edited by: Aaron Grubb


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Researchers found that gorillas, particularly dominant males, make up songs that they sing and hum as they eat. more...
September 22 , 1862 : US President Abraham Lincoln announced his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. more...
Learn something new every day
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The spinal cord and the nervous system are related in the sense that the spinal cord, along with the brain, is a component of the central nervous system (CNS). In the CNS, information picked up by the system of nerves and receptors throughout the body known as the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is interpreted. The CNS also sends signals out to the PNS in response to this information. As a major component of the CNS, the spinal cord delivers signals from the PNS to the brain as well as transmits impulses from the brain to the PNS, impulses that tell the legs to take a step or the hand to snatch back from a hot surface.
A thick stem of nerves running from the base of the skull to approximately the second lumbar vertebra in the lower back, the spinal cord is made up of chains of nerve cells known as neurons, which conduct electrical impulses, encased by several layers of protective tissue. These include the pia mater, the innermost of the meninges or membranes; the arachnoid mater, the middle, web-like layer; and the dura mater, the dense outer membrane. To the outside of the dura mater in the space between it and the vertebral bone surrounding it is the epidural space, which contains adipose tissue or fat and blood vessels. These cushion the nervous tissue against the bone and supply it with oxygen and nutrients, respectively.
Beginning at the base of the brainstem where it arises from the medulla oblongata, the spinal cord exits the skull through an opening called the foramen magnum. It then enters the spinal column, a stack of interlocking vertebral bones: seven in the cervical region, 12 in the thoracic region, five in the lumbar region, and the fused sacrum and coccyx bones in the posterior pelvis. The spinal cord passes through the atlas, the vertebra immediately beneath the skull, and the column of bones beneath it via a hole just posterior to the body of each vertebra known as the vertebral foramen. It continues until the height of roughly the second lumbar vertebra, ending in the filum terminale, a narrow length of nervous tissue that continues through the sacrum and coccyx.
At each vertebral segment the spinal cord puts out a pair of nerves, 31 in total, that exit the vertebral column to innervate every major tissue and organ in the body. As the spinal cord and the nervous system as a whole function to transfer information between the body and brain, these paired nerves carry signals in two directions. Afferent nerves transmit nerve impulses from the body up the spinal cord and toward the brain, while efferent nerves send information from the brain back down the spinal cord to the body.
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$11.33 $13.33
Natural Black Obsidian stretch bracelets are 7mm in size and fits most wrists. The gemstones are a beautiful smooth black color. Beaded with care and handmade with strong elastic stretch cord. An amazing addition to any men's or women's jewelry collection.
Listing is for ONE Stretch Bracelet
Bracelet Has An Elastic Cord Which Adjusts To Most Wrist Sizes
Benefits from wearing Black Obsidian:
-Letting Go of the Past
-Healing Pain, Negativity and Stress
-Clears ALL Chakras and Aura
Black Obsidian has been used since ancient times by Shamans and healers for protection. Black Obsidian's considered by many to be the most powerful protective stone and it is one of the only stones that protects and heals on all levels - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
♥ All Gemstone Bracelets have been smudged with sage & charged with Reiki ♥
Want to see our collection of Gemstone Bracelets?
If you'd like your order to be pushed to the front of our current orders, please include this "Rush My Order" add-on with your purchase.
♥ Get more out of your shopping experience go to ChakraHealingShop.Etsy.com and use the Search Bar under the banner. Use keywords like; Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Fluorite, Aventurine, Jasper, Selenite, Tourmaline etc. We are only a message away so please feel free contact us with any questions.♥
1 business day
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 3 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 7 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 1 hours of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
To ensure your package arrives on time and in perfect condition.
Yes. Please email me for inquires.
All our crystals and stones are bubble wrapped or placed within a cushioned gift box/bag. ALWAYS!!!
Yes. Almost ALL items have FREE Shipping and in some cases there is a base charge AND a smaller cost for additional items. I realize that shipping/handling expenses are significant to ALL of US so I charge as little as possible for the items in my shop. :)
Time and care is necessary to pack these treasures to survive the trip through the postal system. However, if you would like to purchase more than a few of the exact same items please contact me by using "request custom order".
Thanks for understanding. :)
Love and Light,
Please read the description, measurements , and view all photos before purchasing. If you have any questions before purchasing please feel free to ask, but all the information is there on the listing. Also if you have a ruler you could take a look at that too, so if a stone says it is 25 mm or 1 inch long, you could look at your ruler and see how big that is.
Your orders must be placed by the below dates for Christmas Deliveries
International Shipping - December 1st
Regional (US) First Class Mail - December 15th
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Once an order is placed I cannot refund a coupon code you may have forgotten to use ♡ I do apologize!
Jun 20, 2019
Looks awesome. Thank you for the fast shipping!
Apr 25, 2018
Love it. Great size, beautiful color
Jan 2, 2018
Shipping was quick and my boyfriend loved it!
Aug 23, 2017
fits wrist perfectly, good stretch and doesn't feel like its going to burst. great item.


text: Project Seahorse August 15, 2013 Expedition: Danajon Bank Photo of the week: Lantern fisher Project Seahorse August 15, 2013 Expedition: Danajon Bank By Tyler Stiem From Expedition: Danajon Bank: A lantern fisher begins a long night of fishing. One of the oldest techniques still used in the Philippines, it is also one of the most sustainable, involving only small homemade spears. It requires incredible patience and skill. As the supply of fish on Danajon Bank has dwindled in recent decades, traditional lantern fishers struggle to make a living. A 120hour trip will yield a catch worth about US $2.50 on average. Photo: Luciano Candisani/iLCP


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Current and historical meeting information for Council and all its committees.
Learn about Council's structure, and our vision and community outcomes
To know where we're going, we've got to know where we've come from...
Find out what's happening: project plans, milestones, and completion dates.
We have a 24-hour, district-wide service for all dog and stock control calls.
All building work requires approval by Council through a building consent.
Policies serve the purpose guiding procedures and decision making with rules to provide fair and rational outcomes and practices.
The following Policies have been made in accordance with the Local Government Act 2002 and other relevant legislation to control specific decision making processes.


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Unrivaled off-road truckin'.
SPINTIRES™ is an Intel® award winning off-road driving experience designed to challenge the player's driving skill and endurance.
Take responsibility of operating large all-terrain vehicles and venture across the rugged landscapes with only a map and compass to guide you.
Explore the levels and unlock portions of the map whilst discovering new trucks, fuelling stations, garages and lumber mills.
Collect lumber with the crane attachments and try to deliver them to the objectives. Use the surroundings to your advantage, you may need to winch yourself free!
The real-time deformable terrain will challenge even the most seasoned offroader. Do you accept the challenge?
Genre: Adventure, Simulation, Racing.
Release Date: 13/06/2014 - Now available!
Genre: Adventure, Simulation, Racing.
Game Modes: Single-player, Cooperative Multiplayer.
Controller Support: Partial Controller Support
Platforms: PC Download, PC DVD.
Rating: PEGI 3+.
Languages: English, Russian, Czech, Turkish, Swedish, Spanish, Slovak, Portuguese, Polish, Norwegian, Japanese, Italian, Hungarian, French, German, Greek, Finnish, Dutch, Danish.
Global Publisher: IMGN.PRO.
Release Date: 13/06/2014 -- Now available!
System: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.
Processor: Intel / AMD 2.0 GHz.
Memory: 2 GB RAM.
Graphics card: Geforce 9600 GT or equivalent, 512 MB RAM.
Hard Drive: 1GB available space
- Deformable terrain.
- Large explorable levels with Map & Compass.
- Realistic vehicle Physics & Suspensions.
- Many Russian Trucks and Jeeps.
- Unlock-able achievement (Steam required).
- Dynamic vehicle Dirt & Water effects.
- Many vehicles accessories that can be installed to improve vehicle usages.
- Operational "Diff-lock" and "All-Wheel" drive modes.
- Dynamic vehicle Damage effects.
- Fuel consumption and refilling stations.
- Operational vehicle Cranes and Winches.
- Extensively "moddable" with many community mods available for free. See here.
- Spintires™ won the Intel® Level Up 2009 Award for "Best Game Optimized for Intel® Graphics" & "Best Threaded Game"
- Spintires™ was successfully funded via Kickstarter for £60,935 by generous backers!
- Spintires™ was entered into the Steam Greenlight scheme and by popular demand, Spintires™ earned a position on the Steam Store.


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Free Events
Wednesday, May 3rd, 11:30am-1 p.m. Got Shakespeare? Sterling Scholar Speaker, Dr. Kevin Browne, Ph.D., University of Central Arkansas: An accomplished actor and director, Dr. Browne will enlighten us about the Bard. Free, purchase of lunch optional Little Red Restaurant/Indian Hills Country Club
Thursday, May 11, 1 p.m. -2 p.m. Medicare 2017, Cindi Wolff and Sandra Crowder discuss the new 2017 Medicare options, Community Education Center, 130 Village Lane
Weekly Classes
5 Session Painting with Jim IV, Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, starts April 18, $175 all sessions / $35 per class
Fused Glass with Barb, Wednesdays, 2 - 4 p.m. , $40
Qi Gong with Dan, Thursdays, 11 a.m. - Noon, $10
Jeweled Spiders with Fran, Thursdays, 1 - 3 p.m. , $20
Piano with Susan, Mondays
Guitar with Dan, individual lessons
Contact the Fairfield Bay Community Education Center 501-884-4440 or visit us at 130 Village Lane, suite 5E, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.


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FWP commission rejects Quiet Waters proposal
After almost a year of consideration and comment, a proposal to save some of Montana's streams from the technological toys of the future has been defeated.
While considering the Quiet Waters Initiative on Friday, the three new members of the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission had their first taste of the contentiousness that can flare up in response to fish and wildlife proposals. Although the commission was originally scheduled to vote on the initiative, Chairman Dan Vermillion proposed to once again extend the public comment period to gather more information and give those new commissioners a chance to better acquaint themselves with the issue prior to voting. So that's the thing he asked people to comment on.
Instead, the commission listened to four hours of comments from boaters across the state, most of whom went into all the reasons they opposed the proposal that sought to stem the tide of watercraft technology and keep things like jet skis and hovercraft of the future out of wild and winding tributaries that currently have no motorized use. Some opposed that because they don't want restrictions of any kind. But the main snag was that the proposal also tried to limit the horsepower of boats, the types of boats or the times of year that they could be on some of Montana's larger rivers including the Missouri, Yellowstone and Flathead.
That's where the proposal ran into trouble with jet boat owners and groups like Walleyes Unlimited, the Montana Catfish Association and the Flathead Walleye Association. They saw the proposal as a threat to treasured recreation opportunities that already exist. Others claimed that it denied access to senior citizens and the disabled; it would ruin watercraft related businesses; and it was trying to get rid of conflicts that didn't exist. Suspicions of many groups laced the comments.
"This is a blanket proposal of a vast amount of Montana that removes watercrafts and fishing vessels from use. I think at this time we don't need more restrictions," said Duncan Bartholomew. "People are saying their personal watercraft can be used but not mine. I see this as a sweeping move by specialized interests and possibly landowners who have come into this state."
After Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers – the group accused of being a special interest - petitioned the commission to consider their initiative in March 2016, the public was given almost three months to comment and comment they did. More than 1,000 comments were opposed with one letter of opposition containing 648 signatures, while 423 supported the initiative. Many who spoke on Friday demanded that the commission reject the proposal based upon the overwhelming opposition, although Commissioner Shane Colton noted that most people didn't oppose the whole initiative.
"More than a dozen that I've talked to this week who were in opposition, when we talked about restrictions off the Yellowstone, there wasn't opposition," Colton said. "I think it makes sense to give us more time to process this and see if there are areas of consensus - I suspect there are."
It wasn't just sportsmen's groups and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers who rose to speak. Among the 100 or so who spoke were also members of groups that often oppose public land, public hunters and the public's wildlife: the Citizens for Balanced Use, the American Lands Council, the Property and Environmental Research Center and Americans for Prosperity. But it was BHA that commenters attacked as a moneyed, out-of-state special-interest group of entitled people who "weren't true Montanans."
"Apparently, one person's special interest is another person's concerned citizen. It seems hypocritical to single us out as the only special interest," said BHA member Jeff Lukas. "BHA is not about limiting access to public lands. We are not saying nobody can access certain areas – it simply puts reasonable seasonal restrictions in place."
Commenters didn't just belittle BHA – they also accused some of the commissioners of having conflicts of interest and demanded that they recuse themselves. Commissioner Dan Vermillion is a fishing outfitter – fishing outfitters were also taken to task for being favored under the proposal – and commissioner Tim Aldrich is a BHA member.
Vermillion pointed out that one can only have a conflict of interest if they stand to gain monetarily from a decision. FWP could ask him to step aside but the department hasn't.
"I wish I could say people were polite. Some were. But I received some of the rudest phone calls I've received in the 12 years on the commission with accusations that are simply baseless," Vermillion said. "I was not and am not in favor of the entire proposal. But there are elements that are really well thought out, and we need to find a forum where we can make these decisions. I don't think that anyone thinks that Montana is going to get less popular in the future."
The commissioners didn't hear only negative comments, however. Supporters rose to say they wanted to preserve the traditional solitude of smaller streams for floaters, canoists and fishermen who like pursuing more timeless endeavors. And with the advent of new machines like flying hovercraft that can glide over water at up to 70 mph, they can see a time when no stream will be immune from the roar of machines. But many also acknowledged that parts of the proposal probably needed some changes.
"It's not perfect by any means – there could be tweaks," said Helena hunter Rick Hutton. "But if you look back at history in America; we've always been reactive. We've waited for a problem to occur and we reacted to it. I believe that Montana has been proactive in turning the tide with (hunting with) drones and two-way radios. So as far as non-motorized use on waterways that don't have motorized use, I support this initiative to be proactive."
But the arguments were too contentious for Commissioner Richard Stuker to support extending the comment period, and commissioners Aldrich and Logan Brower joined him in opposition. That forced the commission to approve, table or reject the entire original proposal. But all had already said they couldn't support it, so the vote to reject was unanimous.
A number of the commenters who had been opposed said it restored their faith in the commission. But BHA representative John Sullivan asked if FWP could follow up on the parts of the proposal that many said they supported.
"Quiet Waters was intended to start a conversation about what we want our streams to look like in the face of change coming to Montana," Sullivan said. "There was a lot of misinformation being sent out about Quiet Waters, what it really does. At least 90 percent (of the opposition) hadn't read the proposal – they were just against it because they thought it was written by an out-of-state interest group. I assure it's not because it probably would have been written better. Now where do we go from here?"