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Sometimes all you need for a perfect summer day is a Mudhouse beverage, a cozy ambiance, and a good book. We're here to serve up enough reads for an entire season of perfection.
We know coffee is the starter fluid to get the engine going. What we don't know is the destination you seek: mid-20th century America? The metaphoric land in which women run with the wolves? Reading is therapeutic. Liberating. An escape. The following is a list of Mudhouse/Mudlounge employees favorite adventures. We hope you enjoy....
Isabel, "American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It makes you think about diversity in America in a subtle and entertaining way."
Emily, "Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Estés. It's the most wonderful pieces of feminist literature I have ever read."
Sam, "Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I realize this will sound cheesy but I love it because as humans we over complicate life and fall prey to attachment of material things and this book constantly reminds the reader of the simplicity of life specifically the simplicity that exists in nature and our relationship with it."
Syd, "The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Essay, The Elephant in the Living Room, or Extending the Conversation about the Politics of Evidence by N.K. Devin."
Trevor, "To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The main idea in the book is one should not hurt or harm someone or something if they are not doing any harm to you. In life most of us always come too quick to judge others. We need to remember those people have a story too. We may not understand their story at first but it isn't our place to discriminate or place shame on others. Growing up, everyone was quick to judge me, they'd point out one specific aspect when I have many other qualities that define me as a person. This book significantly stuck with me sense I read it in high school."
Cody, "Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. It shows much tenacity."
Jonathan, "Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson."
Jason, "Dispossessed by Ursula K. Leguin. It's my favorite partly because of the content but mostly because of the writing. Leguin's prose is beautifully simple but still manages to set a scene that BREATHES. She has single sentences that will give me goosebumps. The book itself is about a man that has grown in an anarchist culture but is later introduced to a different kinds of state governments. The way Leguin contrasts familial and sexual relationships between these cultures is amazing and (as the young person I was when I read it) eye-opening. I felt like I lived a lifetime when I read it. Would highly recommend - don't get put off because it's sci-fi! If she would've wrote bestseller fiction I feel confident she would've got a Nobel."
Tanner, "The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. Dystopia 1984 by George Orwell."
Macy, "Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton. I picked this book ip in a little bookstore in Rishikesh, India. It's an incredibly transformational book that helped me to recognize my own power and strength during a traumatic time in my life. It's all about tapping into your divine feminine energy by learning about the goddesses of Yoga. I would recommend it to anyone. Male or female."
Logan, "Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman."
Lexi, "House of Spirits by Isabel Allende. Yes Please by Amy Poehler is really doing it for me right now."
Jacob, "The Lathe to Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. It talks about humanity, environmental issues, and political ideas in a concise, beautiful, way."
Chad, "Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. This book shook me to my core and sent me into, what I considered at the time to be, a depressive space. In truth it was depressing but I was hyper focused on the problems and impending doom of the planet that have been created and enacted by civilization since the implementation of agriculture. I am eternally grateful for that experience. For the first time in my life, at 21 years old, I sincerely looked at the world and myself as a part of civilization that has assumed dominance over the planet in the form of a "taker culture." This book may not be my favorite but it had the most impact. It sent me on an exploration of myself as part of civilization that is acting out a myth that we are evolutionary dominant and therefore lords of this planet we call home. It spawned me to discover reasons why things are the way they are and put the responsibility of saving ourselves as well as our environment directly into my lap."
Michelle, "Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I love memoirs and art, which it has both. She writes about her experiences growing up during the Iranian revolution and how it shaped her identity. Also, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Again, a memoir. It is of a cartoonist coming to terms with her sexual identity and relationship with her father. I love her art style. It helped me a lot as an LGBT kid growing up. I just really love coming of age memories written by female artists."
Kevin, "Dune by Frank Herbert. Also, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Those two are dear to my heart. Dune is possibly the best sci-fi novel written. The Alchemist is just a wonderful coming of age story while also being about my favorite subject."
Silas, "Sometimes I worry about the physical weight of Hemingway's novel, The Old Man and the Sea. It's too light. For the sake of those who lift it for the first time it should weigh more than it does. No matter what I say about the book I cannot convey the initial feeling of importance imparted by the weight and feel of a truly hefty tomb, but don't let the page count trick you into disrespect. This is a small novel, almost a booklet, and it will only tip the scales against an airport thriller when you stack the accompanying Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes on top of it. Even so, the book will only have the proper weight once you've turned the last page [like all good readers do] and closed it, to hold it in your hands the way you did when you first picked it up at a time when it meant something altogether different to you. The academic feminist will interject here to say that Hemingway was, as academics say, a dick. This is an understatement. The man was an egotistical shithead whose utter disregard for the feelings and thoughts of others led him to gleefully tread upon them as often as they might cross his path. It seems his sole redeeming qualities were his skill as a writer, which he fortunately had in spades, and a liver that took everything he threw at it except a load of buckshot. Unfortunately, his attitude toward men and especially women, bleeds badly into his work with one exception: this book. So let me remind you that I am not endorsing this man's behavior, but one particular novel, which portrays the behavior of a far better man than Hemingway ever became. Like the best novels, it takes decades to truly read this book. It is the sort of simple, profound story that ages with the reader, gaining new meaning at each visitation; I've read it three times under different circumstances and I'll hopefully read it as many times more as I grow old. A novelist does not present a finished work, but sculpts a vessel from words. When the author releases a book, it is 'finished' as they say, but it is not yet complete. The reader must then fill the novel with their own thoughts, experiences and feelings, all of which remain dynamic throughout a reader's career. This is why a truly great novel is never the same story, regardless of when, by whom or how many times it is read. This is why it is important to read at least one novel more than twice. If you are wise you will find a trustworthy book. Every few years you will fill this vessel with your mind and life; let those intermingle with the mind and life of the novel, then wait until the water is very still, and gaze into it. -Silas Misener 1:52 a.m., June 6, 2018, two daiquiris, half a box of crackers."
Taylor, "Watership Down by Richard Adams. Beloved by Toni Morrison. Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. All books have shaped how I read. It is a good foundation."
Katherine, "Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane. It makes me laugh out loud and I love a happy ending."
As the wise one once said, "All you need is Mudhouse coffee and a good book or a land engulfed by green eggs and ham because Sam I am."


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Nikujaga, literally meaning meat-potato, was invented by the Japanese Imperial Navy in the late 19th century. It is believed to be the Japanese take on British beef stew. Today, I think it's safe to say nikujaga is one of the most frequently home-cooked dishes in Japan. Historically, carrots, onions, and potatoes have been easily found in the freezing winter months and are especially good at warming our bones from the inside out—just like firewood in the good old stove.
Sukiyaki-cut, thinly sliced tender wagyu beef is normally used for this dish. I normally buy beef tendon from a local butcher. Adding boiled beef tendon makes this dish economical and very flavorful. Of course, you can use fatty wagyu beef if you it is available in your country. But, you do not have to use beef tendon to make this dish. This is the Ozeki way—we believe beef tendon adds extra flavour to the water and vegetables. This beefed-up nikujaga dish is complimented nicely with red wine. Alternately, like people in Miyazaki Prefecture, you may use chicken thigh meat for this dish, as the skin adds a nice flavour to the vegetables.
Nikujaga pairs nicely with freshly cooked rice. If you serve a large bowl of freshly cooked rice topped with nikujaga, it is called nikujaga-don.
Alright, let's get started!
Nikujaga 肉じゃが, braised beef and new season potatoes
Serves 4
- 200g beef tendon (optional)
- 200g thinly sliced beef (preferably wagyu sukiyaki cut, or top blade steak)
- 4 potatoes
- 2 large onion
- 2 carrots
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 100g shirataki (optional, thin white noodles made from konnyaku devil's tongue)
- 20 snow peas, green beans or broad beans
For broth
- reuse the water from cooking beef tendon. If you do not use beef tendon, just use water. You can also use 2nd dashi stock (ni-ban dashi).
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons sake
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (koikuchi or dark soy sauce)
Please note that the amount of the sugar and soy sauce may vary each time you cook this dish. You may need more or less. Trust your own taste buds.
- Cook beef tendon in water, covered, on medium heat for one hour, or until tender. (I normally cook beef tendon with water in a pressure-cooking saucepan for 15 minutes.)
- Cut boiled tendon into bite-size pieces.
- Wash potatoes, scrub skin with a brush (we use tawashi, turtle-shell shaped brush) and cut into large bite-size pieces. Do the same with carrots.
- Peel onion and cut lengthwise into 6 wedges.
- Cut thinly sliced beef into large bite size.
- Boil shirataki for a few minutes, rinse in cold water and drain well. Cut into 10cm long pieces.
- In a saucepan coated with vegetable oil, stir fry beef, potatoes, carrot, and onion.
- Add water or 2nd dashi stock (niban-dashi) to cover the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil on high heat and skim the froth. Keep cooking until the vegetables are tender.
- Add shirataki, sugar and sake and keep cooking on medium heat with an otoshi-buta* for about 5 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and keep boiling until the broth is almost gone. Serve with blanched snow peas or green beans.
* otoshi-buta is a flat wooden lid that is slightly smaller than the width of the pot being used. It sits directly on top of the contents, pushing them down, while still allowing water to evaporate. Alternatively, you can use a slightly smaller pot lid or aluminium foil shaped into a circle.
Chef's Tip
Normally, I cook the nikujaga until the broth is almost gone, but I suggest you do not when cooking on a freezing evening. The remaining broth creates what I call soup-nikujaga.
I normally use a pressure cooking pot to boil 1kg beef tendon in enough water to cover the tendon. I cook it for 15 minutes and let it cool until the sets. I then remove and discard the fat, and cut tendon into bite-sized pieces and pack them into freezer bags along with the tasty cooked water. I store them in the freezer for future use.
For vegans, you can use namayuba and fu instead of beef. Namayuba is freshly made soy milk product and is available at Asahiya Tofuten in Mino City and Yubayu in Gifu City. Fu is a wheat flour-based gluten product and is sold at Yubayu in Gifu City. Yuba or other tofu products are readily available in Kyoto.
You wouldn't know it with this weather, but spring is slowly creeping in. Next time on the blog, I will be featuring Sawara no Mizoreni, a dish included in the special monthly workshop I am holding in Tokyo tomorrow. The Spanish Mackerel used for the recipe is packed with healthy omega oils, and is so tender it melts in your mouth.
Make sure you check back soon!
copyright © 2013 Shuji Ozeki

subset: commoncrawl


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This place is a local favorite. It's a farm-to-table restaurant and the dress attire is "smart casual." It's a new term that I'm unfamiliar with, but it seems to be the dress code all over this area. No flip flops, no shorts, etc. People are dressed nicely here, giving a classy feel. It gets very crowded, hency, it gets noisy. The bar takes up the majority of the place. Also, this place stays open late, though not past midnight.
I had the Yankee Pot Roast, one of the favorites here, $16. So many things going on in this dish, starting with the amazing presentation – wow! Carrots, string beans, sliced onions and onion rings, and meat. The carrots are too raw and crunchy for my taste, but the entire dish is a great deal for what you pay. Very rich, very filling. Too much sauce though IMO.
Also, the ribs are a MUST. Super juicy, super tender – it just falls off the bone without effort. If you choose an option from the "From the Ranch" section of the menu, you are allowed to also select 2 sides.


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Peter has launched a small series of promotional portraits found under the heading, "Portaits" depicting everyday people presented in his unique painting style. In a homecoming of sorts Peter has comeback to his first love and that is the human face and all it's wonderful characteristics and nuances. Bringing both distinction and depth through the primary use of hand carved wood he hopes to create one of a kind likenesses using graphite, acrylic and oil.
He is always happy to meet and talk with clients at mutually decided upon locations. In the first introductory meeting he will discuss with you the size and possible compositions for the portrait along with any other preliminary details. Although a variety of reference photos would be preferred please be ready to supply what is available to you. Family and friend photos are deeply cherished, so assurances are made that they will be returned in exactly the same condition they are given. If the individual is present, some photography may be used. A second meeting could be requested in order to present a line drawing, if a painting has been commissioned. This would be the stage before the image is transferred to wood.
Peter typically paints close to life-size which means the smallest size for a head-only portrait would be about 11" x 13". Prices for acrylic & oil on wood begin at $500 for simple head-only portraits and range upwards as size and complexity increases. A second figure would add an additional 75% to the cost. Drawn portraits, in graphite on paper, begin at $300. These prices include materials and photographic costs. Travel expenses and any other incidental costs, such as packing and shipping, are extra.
As Peter continues to rekindle his passion for portraiture he hopes to create moving pieces of art that are filled with spirit and joy!
Please feel free to contact Peter regarding any aspect or stage of a commissioned portrait.


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Every time you read a headline or story, whether it is in a newspaper or magazine, ask yourself one question, "How can I create a story with my involvement?" Then, call the TV stations, radio stations, and print media with your story idea. Find the reporter that covers your topic and sell your idea as you would your product or service.
The media is constantly looking for new ideas. Be persistent until they use you.
If your business is seasonal, contact the media prior to the beginning of each new season. Is there a peak season for your business? Make news with it!
"The best advertising is free advertising."
-Emil A. Kratzer


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Double CD Pack of Classic country songs performed in a contemporary style.
Genre: Country: Countrypolitan
Release Date: 2017
Follow Us on Facebook
Stay connected by joining our email list. Fill out the form below and you will receive news and information regarding exciting performances and upcoming and available music from Wayne Taylor Productions.
Wayne Taylor Productions
P.O. Box 1098
Conover, NC 28613


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Over the July 4th holiday, Springfield instructor David Barbero was promoted in Heuk Choo Kwan Hap Ki Do. Now 2nd Dan Black Belt, Mr. Barbero is a fully certified instructor of this style of Hap Ki Do. Mr. Barbero tested under the HCK founder, Grandmaster Ron Suggs, 9th Dan.
Students should be aware that over the next 6 months, the Heuk Choo Kwan curriculum will be included with the Saki Do Kwan to offer a fully integrated system. There will also be enhanced training opportunities for those interested students with the school in Vancouver WA and with GM Suggs himself in Kelso/Longview.
Those interested in HCK patches and t-shirts should let your instructor know.


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Injustice: Gods Among Us – Cheats
Xbox 360
Unlockable Costumes
Certain Costumes can be unlocked by meeting certain requirements
Unlockable How to Unlock Arkham City Harley Quinn Collect any Joker character in the iOS version of Injustice Batman Beyond Collect any Batman character in the iOS version of Injustice Boss Grundy Complete Classic Battle Elseworld Flash Complete All S.T.A.R. Labs Missions with Three Stars Godfall Superman Beat Story Mode Knightfall Bane Rate the iOS version of Injustice Lex Luthor's Kryptonite Suit Achieve at least one star in all S.T.A.R. Lab missions New 52 Flash Create or link a WBID to your gamertag New 52 Green Lantern Complete a bonus battle in the iOS version of Injustice New 52 Nightwing Reach Level 30 New 52 Shazam Beat All Shazam S.T.A.R. Labs Missions Prison Superman Beat all Battles in the iOS version of Injustice Yellow Lantern Win An Online Ranked Match
Contributed By: badjab326, Jummed, DTownsendF13, Doukou, Erunion, IMFRIENDLY, Mattwi8, and Takusho.
Easter Eggs
Doomsday Original Costume (Non-Playable)
If you go to the Fortress of Solitude Arena with two characters playing Doomsday, and they both have different costumes on including the Insurgency costume and the regular costume, then the Doomsday in the back of the level will be wearing the outfit from Death of Superman.
Contributed By: WWE_IS_REAL.
Know Something We Don't?
You can submit new cheats for this game and help our users gain an edge.
Have We Been Fooled?
You can submit a problem report for any non-working or fake code in the lists above.


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Seen and Seen Again: Sotheby's Exhibition Explores Artistic Mimicry
Something special's bound to happen when industry-leading arts organizations combine resources. Take an international leader in art auctions, Sotheby's, and the genre-stretching galleries, LAXART and KCM. Together, they've organized The Boundaries of Seeing, an exhibition that focuses on some new contributors to 20th century art that, nonetheless, might seem strangely familiar.
The show pays (a kind of) homage to 20th century art luminaries from the perspective of artists like Lisa Williamson, Dashiell Manley, Hugh Scott Douglas, Oscar Tuazon, Ryan Sullivan and Carol Bove among others. They are all working artists in their own right, but their work is unequivocally influenced by renowned artists and past movements including Minimalism, Modernism, and and Abstract Expressionism. The show questions the meaning of "original art," offering us a roster of artists whose fascinations with history and previous generations often define their projects.
All told, you've got a room full of intelligent new work, the occasional déjà vu moment, and a cause célèbre. Specifically, The Boundaries of Seeing is a charitable "selling exhibition." A portion of the proceeds from this exhibition go to support LAXART, a private gallery to be sure, but one that pursues the goals of spurring conversation and pushing artistic boundaries.
The Boundaries of Seeing For more information, visit Sotheby's website
October 3 (open until 9PM) – October 14
Sotheby's Exhibition Space
9200 W. Sunset Boulevard
Suite 170
Los Angeles, CA 90069


text: Mommy & Me Sessions Hey Guys! I am so excited to be offering these awesome Timeless Mommy & Me sessions. These sessions will be taken at my Photography studio in Garland, TX. Pricing is the Following.$150+tax Session FeePrints start at $30Digital Images for FB only Mommy & Me, White StudioAngelica OchoaApril 28, 2018mommy and me, mom, family, Mother's DayComment Twitter LinkedIn0 StumbleUpon Reddit Tumblr 0 Likes


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My Story
I'm a genuine, down-to-earth real estate professional with meticulous attention to detail and offer you 12 years of experience. I specialise in the ever popular suburbs across the inner north of Brisbane - living and working in this area, I love the relaxed, convenient lifestyle and the diversity of property. I use my relatable people skills to guide my clients through every step of the transaction process. I love people, property, negotiating and marketing, and understand the importance of identifying a target audience for each property. I'm committed to six star service and thoroughly enjoy building long term business relationships with my clients - if you'd like to work together, get in touch today!


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Providing Alcohol To A Minor
Alcohol has a long history. Societies have consumed alcohol for many years. Some have deemed it acceptable, while others have deemed it immoral or dangerous. In the United States today, minors are legally forbidden from purchasing, possessing, or drinking alcohol. Moreover, the United States also has laws that state that someone overage cannot purchase, provide, or offer alcohol to a minor.
Providing alcohol to a minor is illegal for a number of reasons. The first reason is that making it illegal prevents adults from helping children break the law. Children are intelligent, and they will try whatever they can to get alcohol, including using adults. Another reason that adults are legally not allowed to purchase alcohol for minors is that they are deemed irresponsible. People believe that children who get access to alcohol will go crazy with it, consuming excessive amounts and losing control.
Moreover, they believe that children will not know how to handle consuming alcohol. For example, if they get drunk, will they nonetheless think it is okay for them to drive afterwards? Finally, children are legally forbidden from drinking alcohol possibly because it is believed that children may not understand the health effects of alcohol or that they may suffer more severe health problems because of their age or their excessive, irresponsible consumption.
Speak to a San Jose Criminal Defense Attorney
While laws are tough on children who possess alcohol, they are even harsher on adults who provide alcohol to a minor. If you have been charged with providing alcohol to minor, contact the San Jose criminal defense lawyers of the law offices of Daniel Jensen by calling [phone-number].


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Dog Grooming
Most of our pets are supposed to be furry, but excess fur can be a bad thing. Sometimes, your pet just needs to get his or her hair clipped down to a more reasonable level. If this sounds like something your pet needs, you'll want to contact Judy's Pet Grooming right away!
I do more than just clip a few tufts of fur. I'll give your dog the full pet grooming treatment, washing, brushing and clipping the fur until he or she looks like the best in show! Your dog will look and feel better if you hire me as your professional dog groomer. I also offer dog grooming packages perfect for your dogs!
Pet grooming prices depend on the work done, but are always reasonable. After a short meeting to better determine exactly what you desire for your pet, a price can be given and an appointment made. For the best professional dog grooming services in Fort Lauderdale, FL, call Judy's Pet Grooming now! Make sure to ask us about my dog bow decorations and pet ear cleaning services.


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New York, NY – The first Man Cave facility is on schedule to open within the next several weeks at The Department of Urology at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. Designed by global architecture firm Gensler, and built by Caldwell Walsh, this state-of-the-art sports-themed waiting room will provide men with a place they can feel comfortable discussing their prostate health concerns. Prostate cancer is something that no man should go through alone and at Man Cave Health, we've made it our mission to make sure no one does.
In partnership with the Mount Sinai Health System, the Man Cave is a unique patient care model that's needed now more than ever. Combining educational resources, emotional support, and the latest in prostate cancer early diagnosis and treatment, the Man Cave will be a place a man can feel at ease, complete with a team of friends, medical professionals, educators and advocates ready to help him tackle this disease and beat it.
Under the leadership of Ashutosh (Ash) K. Tewari, MD, The Department of Urology is transforming prostate cancer treatment and expanding the scope of knowledge about the causes of and solutions for the disease. With scientists conducting pivotal research initiatives that inform diagnosis and treatment, The Department of Urology provides advanced, comprehensive and compassionate care with a holistic approach that treats the entire person, not just the disease. The Man Cave will take that approach to a whole new level.


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Death and Legacy in the Digital Age
We are hyper aware of how we create, curate, and live with digital versions of ourselves. But what happens to those digital selves in death? We design digital experiences with life in mind. How might we also start designing with the inevitability of death in mind? And with new start-ups holding out the promise of a digital reincarnation, how do we ensure we clearly differentiate between digital life and digital afterlife?
[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]


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Overseas societies
You may be interested in what other Shorthorn societies are doing round the world. Or even in contacting some of the members to exchange information and ideas, organise an international visit or do some business together. Here is a selection of other Shorthorn societies around the globe.
Shorthorn Beef (Australia)
Shorthorn Beef has several registration alternatives including purebred and crossbred Shorthorn cattle and suitable for Seed-stock herds and commercial breeders alike.
The Beef shorthorn Society of Australia
The Beef Shorthorn Society of Australia is the official organisation for stud breeders and commercial breeders of Beef Shorthorn and Australian Shorthorn cattle.
Irish Shorthorn Society
Based in Turles in County Tipperary, the Irish Shorthorn Society is our nearest neighbour and is most likely better known to our Northern Ireland Club members.
Canadian Shorthorn Association
With a head office based in Saskatchewan and a registry in Calgary, the Canadian Shorthorn Association is our equivalent in Canada.
American Shorthorn Association
The American Shorthorn Association provides quality service and support to its members by promoting the value of Shorthorn cattle in all aspects of the beef industry, while maintaining the integrity of the herd book and performance database.
New Zealand Shorthorn Association
The New Zealand Shorthorn Association was established in 1915 to record pedigree and performance information in order to maintain the ongoing integrity of this well established breed.


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Clearspring Instant Buckwheat Organic
|This catalog has no sub-catalogs.
Clearspring Organic Instant Buckwheat is made from naturally gluten-free hulled buckwheat groats. When cooked these wholegrains are soft and fluffy with a slightly nutty flavour. They can be served instead of pasta, rice or potatoes with roasted vegetables, stews and casseroles. Traditionally buckwheat groats are also used in porridge and in soups. Ready to eat in just five minutes, no need to soak. 140g.
Item Details:
Vegan, gluten free, good source of protein.
Nutritional Information:
Per 100g:
Energy: 1441 kJ / 341 kCal, Protein: 13g, Carbohydrate: 62g, of which sugars: 1g, Fat: 3.3g, of which saturates: 0.7g, Fibre: 5.5g, Salt: 0g.
Organic buckwheat.
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Just because Los Angeles is known for its glitz and glamour, it doesn't mean you can't find great hotel deals in the Entertainment Capital of the World. There are plenty of cheap hotels in Los Angeles to choose from, and the money-savvy traveler will find senior discounts and AAA discounts at some of the best hotels in Los Angeles. Keep the rest of your vacation from breaking the bank by enjoying free attractions like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Griffith Park Observatory and Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
5 star hotel
Area: Beverly Center
0.04 mi from city center
5 star hotel
Area: Beverlywood
1.32 mi from city center
4 star hotel
Area: New Downtown
7.87 mi from city center
3.5 star hotel
Area: New Downtown
7.70 mi from city center
4 star hotel
Area: Los Angeles International Airport
8.56 mi from city center
3 star hotel
Area: Civic Center - Little Tokyo
8.68 mi from city center
3.5 star hotel
Area: Wilshire Center - Koreatown
5.74 mi from city center
|AAA Hotel Discounts
|Save up to 41%
|Senior/AARP Hotel Discounts
|Save up to 14%
|In Las Vegas
|Save up to 88%
|In New York
|Save up to 82%
|In San Francisco
|Save up to 82%
|In Orlando
|Save up to 68%
|In Washington
|Save up to 68%
|Family Friendly Hotels
|245 hotels
|Business Hotels
|168 hotels
|Pet Friendly Hotels
|118 hotels
|Beach Hotels
|97 hotels
|Airport Hotels
|69 hotels
|Luxury Hotels
|27 hotels
|Boutique Hotels
|10 hotels
|91 hotels
|59 hotels
|54 hotels
|Hollywood Hills
|37 hotels
|New Downtown
|28 hotels
|Wilshire Center - Koreatown
|25 hotels
|19 hotels
|Studio City
|16 hotels
|15 hotels
|Beverly Center
|14 hotels
|Museum of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|0.39 mi away
|Beverly Center Shopping Mall
|0.73 mi away
|Museum of Tolerance
|1.49 mi away
|Farmers Market
|1.66 mi away
|CBS Studios
|1.68 mi away
|Petersen Automotive Museum
|1.74 mi away
|The Grove
|1.89 mi away
|Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
|1.89 mi away
|Los Angeles County Museum of Art
|1.90 mi away
|20th Century Fox Studio
|2.01 mi away
|Beverly Hills, CA
|0.86 mi away
|22 hotels
|West Hollywood, CA
|1.46 mi away
|22 hotels
|Santa Monica, CA
|6.31 mi away
|33 hotels
|Marina del Rey, CA
|7.47 mi away
|13 hotels
|Inglewood, CA
|8.41 mi away
|27 hotels
|Burbank, CA
|8.81 mi away
|21 hotels
|El Segundo, CA
|10.78 mi away
|15 hotels
|Glendale, CA
|11.10 mi away
|31 hotels
|Hawthorne, CA
|11.17 mi away
|14 hotels


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is Bitcoin Mining? This brings us to the Security Policy blade. Any blocks released by malicious miners that do not meet the required difficulty target will simply be rejected by the other participants in the network. GPU Mining GPU Mining is drastically faster and more efficient than CPU mining. See Mining Hardware Comparison for fpga hardware specifications and statistics. Fpgas typically consume very small amounts of power with relatively high hash ratings, making them more viable and efficient than GPU mining. Backup : Regular backups are important not only for the software update management platform itself, but also for the servers that will be updated.
Miten bitcoin voi auttaa minua, Kirjanpidon nano s bitcoin käteistä haarukka, Fnb bitcoin lompakko,
The fee is an incentive for the miner to include the transaction in their block. Bitcoin mining is intentionally designed to be resource-intensive and difficult so that the number of blocks found each day by miners remains steady. The advent of GPU mining made CPU mining financially unwise as the hashrate of the network grew to such a degree that the amount of bitcoins produced by CPU mining became lower than the cost of power to operate a CPU. Password Policies : Reset passwords for all users of the affected host and ensure password policies meet best practices. Azure Security Center can help you identify OS configurations that do not align with these recommendations as well as Cloud Services running outdates OS version. History Bitcoin's public ledger (the "block chain was started on January 3rd, 2009 at 18:15 UTC presumably by Satoshi Nakamoto. Azure Security Center helps customers deal with myriads of threats using advanced analytics backed by global threat intelligence. N/A.1232, for a comprehensive comparison of bitcoin mining hardware. We began a deeper investigation, which revealed the initial compromise was through a suspicious download that got detected as HackTool: Win32/Keygen". . Our initial investigation started when Azure Security Center detected suspicious process execution and created an alert like the one below. This makes it impossible to profitably compete without a Bitcoin asic system.
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Read the latest version of Nordic News. A magazine from the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic.
Look at our Facebook pages
Read about the project Mentoring for Czech Women in Politics, in which we are involved
Learn more about the organization Forum 50%, which we support as they work on getting more women into decision making positions in the Czech Republic.


text: Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker - Black Manufacturer: Sonic Alert Be the first to review this product Wakes even the deepest sleeper! Turbo charged, extra loud alarm; dual alarmsSupercharged bed shakerAdjustable volume and toneExplosive red displayPulsating alert light SKU: SBB500SS Weight: Length: Width: 5.00 in Height: 5.50 in Availability: List Price:: $69.99 Our Price: $51.75 You Save: $18.24 (29%) Availability: Usually ships within 1 to 2 business days Qty: Add to cart Add to wishlist Email a friend Ask question about this product DetailsProduct SpecificationCustomer Reviews We dare you to sleep through this alarm clock, specifically designed for the hearing impaired. If the 113 dB adjustable tone and volume alarm do not wake you, the 12V bed shaker sure will. This hearing-impaired aid alarm clock is stealth gray colored with red controls, night vision display, and pulsating alert lights complete the picture to give you an alarm clock that is hard to beat. This bed shaker alarm clock features battery back-up, maintains time and alarm setting in the event of power failure. 110V power supply included. 9V battery for back up not included. Clock measures approximately 5.5 H x 5 diameters. Shaker is approximately 3.5 diameter. Complete weight under 2 lbs. NEW FEATURES include: Dual alarms; Snooze and alarm durations from 1-59 minutes; 5-level dimmer function; Test mode to pre-test vibrator and alarm; Improved battery backup to 30 days; and Eco-Friendly green electronics that use 60 percent less energy. Display Digital Features Alarm Type Vibrating Be the first to review this product Related products Sonic Alert Alarm Clock with Dual Alarm Clock Our Price: $63.99 Sonic Alert Sonic Boom Alarm Clock with Bed Sha... Our Price: $75.95 Sonic Alert Sonic Boom Alarm Clock Our Price: $64.95 Sonic Boom Sweetheart Alarm Clock - Hot Pink Our Price: $44.50 Skull with Bone Crusher Amplified Alarm-Bed Shaker Our Price: $51.75 European Power Adaptor for Sonic Alert Clocks Our Price: $12.95 Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker - Red Our Price: $51.75 Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker - Turqoise Our Price: $51.75 Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker - Pink Our Price: $51.75 Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker - Blue Our Price: $51.75 < > Customers who bought this item also bought Signature Guide - Spring Metal The Best Our Price: $2.75 Low Vision Notebook - Thick Lines Our Price: $6.95 Low Vision Notebook - Bold Lines - Yellow Paper Our Price: $7.95 Vibrating Liquid Level Indicator Our Price: $12.95 Tactile Tic-Tac-Toe Game Our Price: $5.95 Oven Glove with Black Non-Slip Silicone Grip - XL Our Price: $15.95 Bump Dots - Clear, Medium Flat-Top Round Bump Dots Our Price: $2.75 Reizen Big LCD Display Talking Alarm Clock Our Price: $15.95 Reizen Talking LCD Alarm Cube Clock - Silver an... Our Price: $24.95 Metallic Talking Watch - Oval Face-Unisex Our Price: $14.95 Braille Overlays for Computer Keyboards Our Price: $19.95 Low Vision Black and White Cutting Board - Large Our Price: $24.93 < > Product tags Vibrating (89) , Digital (121) , Alarm (101) , Bedshaker (35) , Deaf (154) , 113db (5) , Alerts (111) , Hard of Hearing (243) , Clocks (122) , Vibrating Clocks (36) , Sonic Alert (39) , Alarm Clocks (54) , Back to School Sale (659)


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The one I use is the Watts-Up-Professional ES, but a Kill-a-Watt will just do superb. If you're not sure about whether or not your PSU is appropriate on your system or not, I've found the eXtreme Power Provide Calculator Lite v2.5 to be an fascinating first port of call.
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By Patricia Cichowicz
My friend June asked me to go to the mall with her last week. She had a 25% off coupon and wanted to use it to buy a pair of tennis shoes. She started talking about how the one pair that she wanted was $90 with tax that was close to 4100. She said she would save a bundle with this coupon. Then she says how do I like her Gucci purse that cost her 4200? She claimed that she needed a sturdy purse to take trips so she thought it was worth it.
While June got her shoes, I got out the wrinkle cream. Reaching the "Big 5-0" can be a traumatic experience. The lady informed me that the cream was $35 and could not be used under the eyes. The cream for under the eyes was 445, and I had better buy the cleaning pack that was on sale for ony$27. Wow, $107 just to look younger! I decided that I would use lower wattage light bulbs instead.
Afterward, we stopped for a drink ($3.50 each), and June went to buy cigarettes. She came back complaining about the price, saying that at this rate it will cost her $100 per month to smoke. With that I had two thoughts – one was June should give up smoking and the other that $100 does not buy much these days.
That is all that a person gets on General Assistance each month (until July when the program is eliminated). That is the price of my drink each day for the month. No, a person cannot live on 4100 per month, but it is a safety net for people who, for whatever reason, find themselves in a deep financial bind. Governor Voinovich, with the approval of the legislature, will eliminate General Assistance July 31, 1995.
Mrs. Gwen Hill, the deputy director of the Department of Entitlement Services, expressed a great concern for the 20,000 recipients of FA in Cuyahoga County. As the program is designed now, children under 18 not covered by another program, pregnant woman, and those disabled but not eligible for social security will still receive the cash and medication, but the medically dependent will lose the cash while keeping the medication allotment. The Office of Entitlement Services determines eligibility for General Assistance and Disability Assistance, and the food stamps program.
The end of GA may bring ugly results. Sharon Parks of Michigan's League of Human Services conducted a study of five counties in Michigan one year after GA was eliminated there. The local communities and their network of private emergency providers were not able to meet the need for services. In short, they were overwhelmed.
The average number of persons served increased by 17 percent. The private providers had to be more selective in whom they helped and whom they turned away. The homeless were much more visible in the streets of Michigan. In those five counties, 20,000 former general assistance recipients were evicted, and 7,000 said they had to use a shelter for part of each month. There was escalating demand for food at the meal sites, and 27,000 persons said they went for more than one period of 24 hours or longer without food.
Emergency rooms reported caring for an increased number of indigents, because many of the older GA recipients have chronic health problems. After one year only 12 percent found jobs, and those were generally temporary or part-time. Many of those that found jobs had access to cars.
A large percentage of the GA recipients in Ohio are 36- to 60- year old men or displace homemakers that would have fit into the semi-skilled unskilled general labor pool. The migration of 85, 000-manufacturing jobs from the Cleveland area in the 1980s caused a great absence of these kinds of jobs. Thus the need for GA increased at this time fourfold.
Many GA recipients have characteristics that make them unattractive to employers; namely, lack of transportation, lack of education, and, on occasion, a criminal record. Therefore, the governor's proposal to replace General Assistance with some type of job program will have to take this into consideration. Perhaps it would be better to offer tax credits to companies with general labor jobs for hiring GA recipients, thereby getting rid of GA one person at a time rather than the sweeping budget cut that inhumanely leaves many out on a limb without a safety net.
Copyright NEOCH and the Homeless Grapevine, Issue 10 May – July 1995


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Today we have another indulgent recipe to share. This was our Valentine's weekend treat. We don't eat cheese very often, but when we do eat cheese, we eat really good cheese. You might remember that we have the same philosophy about good bread.
We started with this recipe for puff pastry. We cut the recipe in half, and used Earth Balance butter, because that's what we had on-hand. The President brie, Empire apples and pecans came from Costco -- they are so much more affordable there!
To assemble, we simply rolled out the puff pastry, placed the brie in the center, folded the pastry around it and then placed it on a baking sheet. We baked it on 350 for 20-25 minutes. You want the cheese to be slightly melty when you cut it, and you want the pastry to be just golden brown. While the brie bakes, we cut an apple and crumbled some pecans. Once the pastry came out of the oven, we placed the brie in the center of a platter or arranged the apples and pecans around it. Finally we drizzled some honey on top, and we served the brie with these crackers. Yeah, we have a thing for homemade goodies. It's so much better than store-bought.
In our case, we nibbled on the baked brie in puff pastry all weekend, but this recipe would also be great for a party. If you want to do what we did, you can reheat the brie, but you'll need to watch it more closely the second time around or it'll ooze out all over the baking sheet....Make sure you have those crackers and apple slices handy.


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An afternoon and evening of Comedy Improv! Featuring some of Geraldton's funniest comedian improvisers. These "April fools" will have you crying with laughter until your sides hurt. This is a family friendly shows, so bring your family along and enjoy the unquie art of spontaneous comedy!
$10 cash entry at door. BYO drinks and snacks. Some mature content recommended 12+). Doors open at 7pm.


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WordPress.com has a few too many restrictions – I've moved all my posts over to a Jekyll platform at http://matthewlincoln.net
Category Archives: Publishing
Open-Access Humanities Publishing
A recent graduate of our department is exploring digital dissemination of the core discovery in his dissertation. The thought process that led him to this discovery is uniquely well-suited to a digital visualization (a hobby-horse of mine) hosted on a personal website. He is torn, however, between the imperative to market his own work and the fear of "cheapening" his scholarship through digital publication, as well as the not-totally-unjustified fear of theft.
Newly-minted humanities Ph.Ds in the paranoiac job market may be right to fear resistance or disbelief of more retardataire senior scholars. But I'd argue a good number of those same scholars can be convinced of the available grant opportunities, not to mention the wide open research possibilities in digital art history, and the benefits of open-access distribution of scholarly work.
Ross Mounce recently posted a cogent argument for uploading preprints of scholarship before they are accepted for publishing, arguing that overcoming this cultural and psychological barrier results in your work being read and cited more. (hat tip: Digital Humanities Now) Ross notes:
I suspect, like in biology, this practice isn't yet mainstream in the Arts & Humanities – perhaps just a matter of time before this cultural shift occurs… There is one important caveat to mention with respect to posting preprints – a small minority of conservative, traditional journals will not accept articles that have been posted online prior to submission.
According to according to the SHERPA/ROMEo survey, the Art Bulletin doesn't formally support the archiving of pre- or post-print PDFs of articles. But a better entry point for digital scholarship may be nascent open-access, online-only, peer-reviewed journals like the Journal of the Historians of Netherlandish Art. I am curious if open-access humanities journals will, in these early days, trend towards specialized fields of study staked out by already-established scholarly societies, as these societies can bring their ready-made social network of peer-reviewers. The JHNA's online platform is incredibly basic, but its articles have been a solid mix of both new and established scholars (in other words, they seem to have broken out of the vicious cycle of prestige-chasing). Their organizational commitment having already been made, I look forward to seeing the journal jump some more technical barriers next, such as adopting some good born-digital scholarship tools like Comment Press.
Scholars can also just circumvent this whole process and directly post their work online, critics be damned. If you are interested in getting your work in front of eyeballs, Abram Fox notes the online audience for one of his papers quickly exceeded the in-person audience at its national conference presentation.
In the same vein, I've just uploaded three of my projects on here: a more traditional scholarly paper on Emanuel de Witte, and two digital humanities projects on mapping an artist's diary, and getting Google Earth to recognize pre-eighteenth-century dates.
THATCamp Prime 2013, day 1
Some bullet points from my personal experience of THATCamp Prime 2013 day one follow. Others' mileage may vary:
- Even an "un-confernece" has to pay its dues by opening with lengthy speeches praising influential and instrumental individuals, but the introductory session was also peppered with some delightful "dork shorts" – not ill-advised clothing, but lighting presentations of projects. I vote for the woman who busted out two wicked erudite limericks while doing a coffee-induced jig.
- Though I must also give a close second to Jen Serventi who showcased the NEH's searchable database of successfully funded DH projects. In case you were wondering, there are virtually no art history DH grants out there…
- My session on visualizing uncertainty got accepted, and it was standing/floor-sitting room only! Thanks to everyone who participated (and thanks especially to the individuals who took the lion's share of notes on the Participad attached to our page.)
- I loved how quick our group was to engage both sides of the visualization coin: the challenge of categorizing, quantifying, and structuring your humanities data; and the difficulty of defining visualization solution(s) that make it usefully accessible.
- On the definition of dates, I was really excited to be introduced to Bruce Robertson's Historical Event Markup Language
- We also started to lay out the tough choices one must make that will restrict what your visualization offers, but which will allow you to actually create it.
- The notes have lots of links, but two other interesting examples I hadn't yet explored are Stanford's Spatial History Project Gallery and Richmond's "Visualizing Emancipation".
- During lunch, I met up with two instructional technologists from my brother's Gettysburg College (and James, you should know that they are died-in-the-wool Shots in the Dark fans). One of them, Sharon Birch, made this brilliant comic of the first day!
- After lunch I poked in to Jeffrey McClurken's workshop on teaching digital history (he provided a great list of links encapsulating most of the subject)
- I soon switched to a panel on new horizons in humanities publishing, in which I heard for the first time a debate over whether Twitter should count as a scholarly production. I am glad that this notion was strongly rebuffed.
- At this point I started pining for other art historians, as I often find myself doing in these kinds of multi-disciplinary events. Luckily I found at least one.
- I had to check out a bit early to get back to DC for other engagements, but now I'm just ready to get as much sleep as possible before trucking all the way back out to Fairfax for more tomorrow. Stay tuned.
(edit) Leftover links I forgot from yesterday:
- Debates in the Digital Humanities (University of Minnesota Press, 2012) can now be read on a slick online site that allows for collaborative annotation and indexing. Even better, its plaform is available on GitHub
- Digital Humanities Now, a weekly showcase of DH news, projects, and job postings.
- An Omkea-based contract repository, an effort to open up the notoriously opaque genre that is publisher contracts.


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Hunger Games & Catching Fire: What the Movies Leave Out or Fail to Adequately Explain
Questions this Hub Answers
1. What & where is Panem?
2. Why is it called Hunger Games?
3. What is the purpose of the Hunger Games?
4. Who is the weird woman with the pink hair?
5. What is the mockingjay?
Catching Fire is the sequel to Hunger Games. Both of these are originally sci-fi books written by Suzanne Collins and there is one more book in the trilogy, Mockingjay, which will be coming out as a movie soon (actually two movies, Mockingjay Part 1 & Mockingjay Part 2). Many people have watched the movies but haven't read the books. If you haven't read the books, then there is a lot of information that you are missing. If you haven't read or watched the Hunger Games or Catching Fire yet, then please be advised that this hub has spoilers.
Panem & The Rebellion
Book one, Hunger Games, tells us that Panem is a nation that evolved after what we know as North America was completely destroyed in the apocalypse. It does not give a time period but judging by how advanced the technology is, this movie takes place in the future with the Capitol located near where the Rocky Mountains used to be. Panem consists of The Capitol, where the President and other well-off individuals live. Everyone else lives in one of the 13 districts surrounding the Capitol.
At some point in their past, a rebellion took place between The Capitol and the districts, resulting in an all-out war. During the war, The Capitol created some genetically altered creatures, specifically a jabberjay, which is a mutated bird that can mentally record whole conversations and repeat them. When the district residents found out about the jabberjays, they started holding false conversations so that the jabberjays would return to The Capitol with incorrect information. The Capitol was able to disperse the rebellion, and District 13 was utterly obliterated, leaving just 12 districts. The Capitol tried to destroy all the jabberjays but some got away and escaped into the wild where they mated with mockingbirds, resulting in a new species called mockingjays. Mockingjays have the ability to mentally record whole songs that they hear and repeat them.
Because of the rebellion, the Capitol has punished the districts with The Hunger Games, a game played annually that requires a male and female from each district (24 all together) called tributes. The tributes must go to a technologically created arena and fight until only one "victor" remains alive. Only children between the ages of 12 and 18 are eligible for The Games.
The movie Hunger Games vaguely touch on the fact that the people in the districts are severely starving. We see the main character, Katniss Everdeen, and her friend Gale hunting in the woods. Actually, it is illegal to hunt in the woods, but everyone is so hungry in District 12 that they overlook this because Katniss and Gale trade the game for items that their households may need.
Book one teaches us about tesserae, which is a portion of grain and oil that each person receives annually, but the amount of tesserae is so sparse that it doesn't last long. Each child, ages 12-18, are able to get another ration of tesserae in exchange for their name going into the Hunger Games draft ball. The same way that Katniss is the main provider for her family, Gale is the main provider for his family, so both of their names are in the draft ball quite a few times.
This is why Katniss was so surprised when they called her sister, Prim's, name. Prim's name was only in the ball once--which meant that the odds were definitely supposed to be in her favor. And that's why Gale was so surprised when they didn't call his name because his name was in the ball 48 times due to the tesserae.
Effie Trinket: The Pasty Face Woman with Weird Clothes & Colorful Hair
In the book, she's actually a very likeable character. She is the escort for District 12 and in a sense, her job sucks because her tributes always die in the Hunger Games. The only tribute from District 12 who has ever won the Games is Haymitch, the blond-haired drunk in the movie.
Why does she look that way? She epitomizes the style of the people of the Capitol: wild colorful hair, extravagant outfits, outlandish makeup, etc., etc. These people dye their skin different shades, like pale green or vibrant pink, and draw designs on their face--anything to keep up with whatever's trending at the time.
Hunger Games 1 (the movie) completely leaves out the avoxes, but Catching Fire (the movie) shows a glimpse of an avox in the background during a scene where Katniss, Peeta, and Effie are sitting at the dinner table. An avox is a traitor who The Capitol captures and cut out their tongue, thereby making them mute. The avox is then forced to serve the people of The Capitol.
In Hunger Games 1 (the book), Katniss meets an avox who is forced to serve her. She recognizes the girl to be a district runaway that she ran into while in the woods hunting. The girl's partner was killed and the girl was sucked up in a hovercraft and turned into an avox. Katniss feels guilty because she didn't try to help the girl in the woods.
In Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire (the book), one of the peacemakers try to protect Gale from being whipped and that peacemaker is turned into an avox. He is forced to be Katniss' servant when she returns to The Capitol.
- Katniss outsmarted him in The Hunger Games
- Katniss has made Panem look not as powerful or in control as the the Capitol portrays itself to be
- Snow knows that Katniss' undying love for Peeta is a show
- The "girl on fire" has ignited uprisings in the districts
Catching Fire: Why is President Snow so Mad?
The Hunger Games is meant to keep the people of the districts oppressed and afraid of the Capitol. When Katniss Everdeen decided to eat the poisonous berries at the same time that Peeta ate them, thereby refusing to give President Snow a single victor, she outsmarted him and she took power away from The Capitol. Since she is called "the girl on fire" due to the ignited coal miner outfit that her stylist, Cinna, made her, it now seems like she has "set fire" to the other districts. Her one act of rebellion with the poisonous berries are causing many acts of rebellion within all the other districts.
The Love Triangle
After watching Catching Fire, who do you think Katniss' heart truly belongs to?
District 13 – Is it Really Gone?
In Catching Fire (the book), Katniss sneaks off into the woods alone and ends up running into two ladies from District 8 who are on the run for their lives. They show her a mockingjay imprint pressed into bread, which is the symbol for rebellion, being that Katniss wore a mockingjay pin on her clothing during the first Hunger Games. They tell Katniss that they are fleeing to District 13, which the Capitol has always told and taught them that this district does not exist. Because of old clips of District 13 that these ladies have noticed on television, they believe that the Capitol has been lying to them and that District 13 still exists. They believe that the Capitol doesn't mess with District 13 residents—who supposedly now live underground—because when they did exist, they were in charge of nuclear power.
To be continued...
These are just a few things that the movies leave out or do not adequately explain. For further understanding of the movies, please read my hub Catching Fire: Full Explanation of What Happened & Why.
© 2014 Jessica B Smith
I like the movies. I felt really sorry for the Effie Trinket. She has to smile all the time no matter what happens. That must be destroying her inside.
I have not read the books but I have watched the two movies and I like the second one better. Faster and better (kinda intelligent) dialogues.
I read all three. Too depressing for my taste. I really liked the first one though.


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The August exams are approaching and you should now be wrapping up learning the NCA materials. This is the time to start putting your knowledge down on paper and testing yourself. There are three things you want to achieve by writing practice exams:
1) You want to make sure that you are used to staying within the time constraints. Taking mock exams under timed conditions will help you pace yourself on the exam. Make sure you are in a quiet place with no disruptions or distraction for three hours. That means you'll have to turn your phone off!
2) Make sure you know where the information is in your notes. This gives you a chance to test out the notes you created for the exam to see how useful they really are. Be sure to cross-reference page numbers so that you can look up references fairly quicking during the exam.
3) Finally, you want to practice structuring your exam answers in a simple and concise order. Spend 10-15 minutes reading the questions and devising an answer plan before you begin writing your exam. Be thoughtful, organized and neat.


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Lille, Leeds United, and football's emotional sincerity
The Square Ball Week: Shooting The Moon
Leeds United have announced Marcelo Bielsa, but are we any wiser? Perhaps, if we've used the announcement as an occasion to wonder.
The Square Ball Week: Announce The Answer
While we wait for Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United has ceased to exist
The Square Ball Week: Major Bielsa
Bold, adventurous, frustrating and fun; it kinda worked for Major Buckley, so why not Marcelo Bielsa?
The Square Ball Week: It's Trad, Rad
The revival of tradition is supposed to be a good thing for football clubs, because things were much better in the olden days.
The Square Ball: 2018 Summer Special
TSB's 2018 Summer Special is here to get you through to next season
The Square Ball Week: Football Ruins Everything
Those might be the three truest words in all 300 of these columns.
The Square Ball Week: Adrift
Somebody needs to get the oars out and get this slow boat moving.
The Square Ball Week: Here For Football
The joy, the sheer joy of football for the fans who come to watch.
Leeds United 2-0 Queens Park Rangers: In Dreams Begin, Again
Here's football, at Leeds United. It was not a dream.


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Lauren Graham
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Feeling the heat? Cool off this Valentines Day with some pretty pink champagne hearts, they're so easy to make!Read More
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Yesterday, while talking with one of my sane friends whose thoughts drift to film awards perhaps one day a year, the conversation turned to the BAFTAs, which announce the nominations for their 2009 film awards tomorrow.
"The BAFTAs, they're like the Oscars for British films, right?" she asked.
"Not quite," I replied. "They're open to all films."
"But the British films always win, right?"
"No, not always." I stared into my pint. "Well, a lot of the time, yeah."
"Why not just make them for British films, then?"
"Because they want to be like the Oscars."
"So why do they keep rewarding the Brits?"
The conversation could have circled this way for some time, but fortunately, it was time for another round – and by the time I returned from the bar, the topic had shifted to Pat Robertson.
My friend's innocent but pertinent questions only grazed the surface of the peculiar identity crisis suffered by the BAFTA Awards, a longstanding institution, kindly regarded by many, that only joined the pack of Oscar precursors nine years ago. Since they did so, it's become increasingly difficult to ascertain who they are, what they stand for in awards season.
Are they an aspiring Oscar bellwether? Well, yes – both in the sense that they ride waves of precursor consensus from across the pond (Jennifer Hudson wasn't a locally popular choice for Best Supporting Actress in 2006), while occasionally initiating successful countertides of their own. (In 2007, the rapid shift in momentum that took both Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton to the Oscar podium began with surprise BAFTA wins.)
On the other hand, there are just as many occasions when they disregard their international influence in order to reward their own. Recent Best Film wins for British productions "The Queen" and "Atonement," in the face of long Oscar odds, bespeak a certain loyalty to the local filmmaking community, arguably at the expense of genuine artistic conviction in their choices. (Some industry voices cried foul, for example, when Joe Wright's film took the top prize despite landing only one other award, for art direction.)
But even their status as a barometer of outstanding British film achievement is similarly inconsistent, as they continue to reveal a notable blind spot for independent and arthouse British cinema, one that has arguably got more neglectful since they took up the Oscar-baiting game: recent years have seen lavishly praised Brit pics like "This Is England," "Control," "Hunger," "Happy-Go-Lucky" and even "Shaun of the Dead" relegated to subsidiary categories, or even blanked entirely, in the BAFTA list.
If a British film doesn't have any U.S. awards traction, it seems, it doesn't stand much of a chance with BAFTA voters: overriding national pride is less of a problem with these awards, it seems, than crushing national insecurity.
That there needs to be a Best British Film category at the awards – and that no Best Film winner has ever taken the award – is testament to the curious double standards by which BAFTA measures its own industry. Meanwhile, the British Independent Film Awards continue to gain stature as a more revealing reflector of British filmmaking culture.
Of course, this is not to say that the BAFTAs should become an entirely local awards ceremony along the lines of the BIFAs or the Cesars – but they could take more initiative in the films they choose to champion. The awards were once noted for the individuality, and occasional eccentricity, of their choices – previous Best Film winners include "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Lacombe, Lucien" "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Jean de Florette" – but the move to precede the Oscars appears to have narrowed their range to more predictable prestige fare.
Indeed, last year, they matched the eventual Oscar slate for Best Picture with depressing accuracy. The homogenization of the precursors continues apace.
What, then, to expect from tomorrow's announcement, clues to which have already been given by the nominee longlists unveiled two weeks ago? With the Oscar race looking to be the most Hollywood-flavored in several years, and the British presence on the American awards trail seemingly limited to "An Education," it'll be interesting to see how the BAFTAs manage their conflicting impulses toward Oscar-handicapping and local color, with no "Slumdog Millionaire" juggernaut this year to marry the two.
My guess is that Oscar frontrunners like "The Hurt Locker," "Avatar" and "Inglourious Basterds" will all feature heavily — but a more culturally specific title like "Precious" is an intriguing question mark, and a potentially revealing test of BAFTA's alliance with larger awards trends.
Still, I'm guessing British pride will win out with a field-leading haul of nominations for "An Education" – just the kind of comfortable, internationally appealing British production they feel safe honoring. (If James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow's films really are the "Titanic" and "L.A. Confidential" of this season, look for Lone Scherfig's film to be the "Full Monty" that bests them both on BAFTA night.)
Don't, however, hold your breath for more than a few token mentions for the spikier, less prominent likes of "Moon," "Fish Tank," "In the Loop" or "Bright Star" – the last three didn't even make the Best Film longlist. And certainly don't expect a Best Actor nomination for Tom Hardy's tour de force in "Bronson," also missing from the longlists. It may not seem like it at first glance, but the truth is that you can be too British for BAFTA.
My predictions for tomorrow's BAFTA nominations:
Best Film
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Up in the Air"
Best British Film
"Bright Star"
"An Education"
"Fish Tank"
"In the Loop"
Best Director
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Neill Blomkamp, "District 9"
Lone Scherfig, "An Education"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Andy Serkis, "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"
Best Actress
Emily Blunt, "The Young Victoria"
Abbie Cornish, "Bright Star"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Best Supporting Actor
Christian McKay, "Me and Orson Welles"
Alfred Molina, "An Education"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Best Supporting Actress
Anne-Marie Duff, "Nowhere Boy"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious"
Rosamund Pike, "An Education"
Kristin Scott Thomas, "Nowhere Boy"
Best Original Screenplay
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"A Serious Man"
Best Adapted Screenplay
"District 9"
"An Education"
"In the Loop"
"Let the Right One In"
"Up in the Air"
Best Animated Film
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Best Cinematography
"Bright Star"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
Best Art Direction
"Bright Star"
"An Education"
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Sherlock Holmes"
Best Costume Design
"Bright Star"
"Coco Before Chanel"
"An Education"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The Young Victoria"
Best Film Editing
"District 9"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
Best Makeup & Hair
"District 9"
"An Education"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"Star Trek"
"The Young Victoria"
Best Music
"Crazy Heart"
"Nowhere Boy"
Best Sound
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
Best Visual Effects
"District 9"
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
"Star Trek"


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Bounderby vs. Four Yorkshiremen
by Mark Wallace
Charles Dickens' comic sensibility is perhaps somewhat underappreciated in the 21th century: like the readers of the 19th century, we like his books, but profer very different rationales for this predilection. In certain respects, though, Dickens' humour hasn't dated at all. This struck me yesterday, when I was watching the 1977 Granada serial adaptation of Hard Times for the first time. I realized that the speech of Josiah Bounderby, played here by Timothy West, closely anticipates the classic At Last the 1948 Show/ Monty Python sketch, "The Four Yorkshiremen". The series' scriptwriter, Arthur Hopcroft, does an excellent job pruning Bounderby's dialogue and bringing his best lines together in a couple of effective scenes. The raw material, though, is all Dickens's – and, being Dickens, it may require pruning, but no embellishment.
In two early scenes in the serial adaptation, Bounderby, eating gluttonously all the while, gives out a great deal of information about his young life: he spent his tenth birthday in a ditch – not a dry ditch, either, there was a foot of water in it; his mother bolted, and he was cared for by his drunken grandmother, who kept him in an eggbox; he learned his letters from a cripple in St. Giles; a paving-stone was his bed – in short, he concludes with relish, he comes "from the scum of the earth".
Later, when he admonishes young Tom Bounderby for arriving late to dinner, and Tom retorts that when he (Bounderby) was young he didn't have to dress for dinner, Bounderby responds:
Dress! Dress! Dress for dinner! No dinner to dress for in my house! No house to have dinner in!
That line could have come directly from Four Yorkshiremen:
-I was happier then and I had nothin'. We used to live in this tiny old house with great big holes in the roof.
-House! You were lucky to live in a house! We used to live in one room, all twenty-six of us, no furniture, 'alf the floor was missing, and we were all 'uddled together in one corner for fear of falling.
The similarities throughout are rather striking, enough to make one wonder if Cleese, Chapman, Brooke-Taylor and Feldman (the authors of the sketch) did Hard Times in school. In recent years, HT has been the scourge of many a young student, but it's interesting to note just how close Dickens's humour is to a more contemporary style, if not, indeed, a direct influence. In support of the contention that it's the latter, I cite the name of one of the Four Yorkshiremen, mentioned at the very beginning of the sketch: Josiah. Even the first name is the same as Bounderby's! Therefore it appears we must give Dickens some credit for one of the truly classic comedy sketches of its era.


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Defining true audio
The combination of the small, light titanium membrane with the very powerful, ring-shaped neodymium magnet preserves the fine nuances of all overtones while broadening the frequency range to 50 kHz — ideal for Blueray, SACD and DVD audio.
Excerpt from STEREO 1/11, PLATINUM M3 about the RiCom-M (predecessor of the RiCom V-Tweeter)
"... The tweeter sparkles and it is neither annoying nor even acute and its finely resolved clarity and quick response makes both the coarse as well as the fine dynamics extremely impressive.
It leaves a pair of more expensive rivals quite a way behind."
The new ribbon tweeter, which was explicitly developed for the CHROMIUM STYLE, stands out for its lowest distortion and a fascinating fine resolution. This is the result of intensive development work. quadral engineers combined a sophisticated 'folding' design in the diaphragm with an extremely strong neodymium magnet and an exchanger with a high-current sintered ferrite core. The result leaves no questions unanswered and the CHROMIUM STYLE becomes a true highlight.
quadrals super-audio-tweeter delivers finely detailed highlights at high frequencies. The sound-absorbing material behind the fabric dome prevents the reflections from influencing the membrane from the rear. The true feature is the extremely small diaphragm mass which enables a break frequency of 35.000 Hz. The resulting fine resolution works with the requirements of the contemporary SACD and audio-DVD.
In virtually all conventional center speakers, the tweeter is located between two low-midranges; the result is that a well-balanced sound is only heard if the listener is positioned directly facing the axis formed in this way. Sitting laterally to the tweeter axis means a considerable loss of acoustic pressure in the presence range (between 1 kHz and 4 kHz), and voice reproduction is not the only aspect to be audibly impaired.
Most manufacturers simply accept these restrictions with a shrug, whilst a few counteract them with a fourth chassis - a mid-treble unit - positioned below the tweeter. But all this does is to shift the problem from horizontal to vertical level, i.e. the center speaker may no longer simply be positioned on top of or below the TV set, but rather exactly at ear level, for example tilted, in order to obtain a decent sound. And that is certainly a rather questionable compromise.
quadral has quite consciously taken a different path here: delay or phase control in the crossover network ensures that the inevitable drop of acoustic pressure in the presence range is far less marked than customary - and hardly even verifiable in the vertical axis. quadral center speakers do not therefore need to be aligned to suit listeners sitting to the side of them, nor do they have to be aligned to ear level in order to sound clear and well-defined throughout the listening area.
The thick line shows the axial frequency response of the ARGENT BASE Mk ll, whilst the thin line shows the acoustic pressure curve 30° lateral to the main axis. The dotted line shows the area in which conventional center speakers lack volume.
Overloading or overmodulation are usually prevented by restricting the volume input level via limiters. Conventional limiters function similarly to an elastic band attached to a ball and prevent it from slamming against, for example, a wall, thereby averting hard impact or even damage. However, this rubber band has an effect on every movement of the ball, not only on the larger ones. A limiter acts in the same way, which means that a subwoofer fitted with a limiter will sound slightly woolly or even distorted, even if they effectively counteract extremely high input levels.
In direct comparison, this "softening" of the basses is most certainly audible. For this reason, quadral always prefers to use soft clipping protection circuitry. Soft clipping acts more like an elastic wall that reduces - or cushions - the ball's impact in order to prevent any material damage.
This has now been supplemented by a peak limiter, developed by quadral and extremely sophisticated in its concept. This does not intervene until the electronic and bass chassis have actually reached the limit of their capacities conventional systems already intervene before that point. Consequently, the basses generated by quadral subwoofers can be relied on to remain crisp and clean, despite the fact that any overloading - accompanied by hard distortion - is optimally prevented.


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Messor species is my favorite ant species because of very low maintenance. They simply need plain water which I change once a week and a spoon of seed will last them few months.
From what I can tell, Messor species do not have social stomach and every one is responsible for their own feeding, even the queen.
Updates on this colony is not very frequent because there isn't really anything to report. This is really a lowkey colony.
2016, Sep 30
2016, Nov 5
2017, June 5
2018, Jan 21
Messor drinking time (Bonus video)
2018, April 26
2018, July 5
Edited by dean_k, January 9 2019 - 10:31 AM.


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In one week on two continents PTS have received confirmation from one of the top five US automotive manufacturers and one of the top five UK distribution companies that they are introducing the PTS50 into their fleets. This goes to show the growing confidence in the PTS50 pneumatic landing legs, a natural replacement for the dangerous hand cranked system still being fitted to trailers in the 21st Century.
Latest News
Latest News
PTS50 Endorsement by ITC Logistic GmbH
ITC Logistic GmbH, a German transport company offering comprehensive collection and distributions logistics throughout Europe […]January 12, 2016
PTS50 pneumatic landing legs now available through Wabash Canada
The PTS50 pneumatic semi trailer landing gear is now available through Wabash Canada (Aurora Parts […]November 11, 2015


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Head of Product (m/f)
- Vollzeit
- Manager/in ohne Personalverantwortung
flightright is at the forefront of Legal IT Automation. Since 2010 we helped more than 400.000 customers to receive their passenger rights – easy and risk-free. We are looking for the best brains to complement our amazing, international team of currently 80 people. We are constantly growing, internationally operating and ready to enter the next level – with you on board as a
Head of Product (m/f)
Your profile
- You have a background in (business)-informatics, computer science or a related technical field and a minimum of 5+ years of product management experience
- You have a desire for designing the best user experiences possible with an affinity for mobile first
- You already built and led high performance product teams
- You love technical challenges, solving problems and being part of strategic decisions
- You are highly analytical and invest in testing and learning along the way
- You have top-notch interpersonal and communication skills
Your tasks
- You develop and accomplish the long-term product roadmap
- You partner with our senior management team to build the next generation of legal tech products and new products with the sole goal to empower consumers
- You manage the entire product lifecycle from strategic planning to phasing out
- You evaluate and establish priorities consistent with the business objectives
- You lead an exceptional team of Product and Project Managers
Our offer
- Ownership: You have full responsibility and a strong impact on the business
- A great company culture that is driven by the mission to empower customers
- Direct co-operation with our CEO and involvement in decision making
- Budget for individual training and development
- Amazing, international team and exciting product: Be part of the Legal Tech revolution
Need more reasons?
We have a unique corporate culture based on a strong team spirit and our company values. We offer a great work environment and provide goodies like In-house gym, and co-operations with local partners and free German and English courses. Get an impression of our team spirit through our website: www.flightright.de/jobs
Ready for take-off? Sara Trentz is looking forward to your application!


text:
Realty Investments Mortgage Corporation (RIMC) is evolving. RIMC came into being in the 80s, early 80s, actually 78, but this is where we were starting to do more and more with doctors and pension plans, and they didn't have a home for their money. The pension plans and the 401Ks were all put together by insurance people, and the insurance people went out and helped them start the corporation and set up the 401K, but all they had to sell them were insurance products, which were life insurance, annuities. They would generally bring a stockbroker in, but they couldn't provide anything else.
We started offering mortgages that were secured by the properties that other doctors owned, so instead of going to the bank to create the loan, we created the loan through a pension plan. The pension plan instead of getting 6% at the bank was getting 8 to 10% from us, so we're consistently about 4% above similar duration T-note. As we got farther and farther away from the doctors and the pension plans and the pension plans became more heavy regulated, then we started doing second trusts and creating more leverage than what the banks were willing to do.
Since leverage accelerates yield on appreciating property. If you invest 50% down and you earn 10%, your yield is 20% starting at the very first year, but if you have the same deal with 10% down, your yield is 100%. We started allowing our clients to invest in these mortgages, and for over 40 years we've never had a default ever. Our clients are able to, in today's market, earn 6% on money that they would earn 0.2% on the bank, so that's basically what those are for.
We've always done them as favors for our clients, so we aren't going to go beat the street and raise mortgage money necessarily, but we will turn around and say, "Well, Brett, if you have some extra cash and you got money in the bank, and you're losing that money to inflation. Right now on a 2-year CD, xxx Bank will pay you 0.2%. It's taxable, so after taxes, it's 1.5%, inflation's 3, so if every year you have the money in the bank, you're losing money on it. If instead I gave you 6%, after taxes, it's 4 to 4.5%." You're beating inflation and that's one of the few places that on a short-term basis you can beat inflation. You can't do it in bonds because that's longer term. Rates are going up, inflation's going up.


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I was recently talking with a spouse of a fellow minister. We were discussing different ministries within our respective churches and talking about what the future of those ministries might be in the follow years. This conversation led to the overall future of the Church. During our discussion she made the comment, "You know I believe Michael (not husband's real name…those have been changed to protect the innocent) will be part of the last generation of people to actually retire from what we know as full time ministry. I mean for those going to into it (congregational ministry) now…I just don't think the same financial support will be there." She stopped there and immediately said, "I don't say that to discourage you, but it's just gonna be different for you."
She's right.
Having been in congregational ministry now for the past several years, I am all too aware of the declining numbers in the big main line denominations. While churches are still being planted, most are closing their doors. The faithful Baby Boomers are being replaced at a rapid rate by the "Nones" (those that hold no religious affiliation).
So in the words of the prophet MLK, "Where do we go from here?"
The following is my addition to Luther's 95 Thesis. I figure it's been 500 years and the institutional church could use a few more…
1) The new generation of preachers, theologians, leaders, Christ followers are going to have to let what we know of church die. The saying that "we don't go to church because we are the church" should be more than just an empty statement. It should be the new mantra. Maybe the problem the modern church has is its people have been going to it for too long. Asking them to be it is going take a different approach.
2) Co-Pastor Churches. I was dreaming with some fellow "30 something" year old pastors not long ago about church leadership positions. All present were in some form of associate role, and while we did have one person say they had a desire to be a head pastor, the group was in agreement and spoke with excitement on the idea of co-pastorships. The idea of sharing equal responsibility with one or more church leader. And yes, before you think "well, isn't that what the church does now?" Yes and no. While pastoral duties are broken up in modern churches, the intentionality behind co-pastorships is not a practiced norm. There are some churches where this is taking place, but these are outliers and are small in number. Sharing equal responsibility allows pastors the ability to be involved and support different causes/movements. However, if the future of the church is to embrace co-pastorships than future clergy will need to…
3) Embracing Bi-Vocationalism. Ministry is a burnout waiting to happen. Just speaking from my own perspective, the average career of those in youth ministry is around 18 months. That's not even two years. Most pastors don't know what a 40 hour work week looks like. The old joke of the pastor only working on Sunday is still around, but the reality of 60+ hour work weeks and limited boundaries are what pastors and their families often experience. With or without co-pastorship positions, the ability for small churches to afford a full time staff member is dwindling. Being able to work in something besides congregational ministry will soon be a necessity for many future church leaders. I myself have worked two sometimes three jobs in order to do ministry since I began working in the church. For those called to congregational ministry I believe the drive is there to make this work, but this is a two way street.
4) Denominations and/or Independent Churches will have to look for different ways to support. Whether Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, United Church of Christ, Universalist Unitarian…churches want degrees and those degrees are not cheap. In 2014-2015 the average cost of seminary training from an ATS (Association of Theological Schools) was around $14,700 per year (the cost as you might expect has gone up). That's roughly $45,000 for a three year program. The average pay for a pastor in 2012 was $28,000 (of course denominational affiliation, experience, and location play a factor). If I personally did not receive scholarships and financial aid, my school debt would be closer to $60,000 at the end of three years. Being expected to obtain a high level of education while being promised a salary close to the Federal Poverty Level is daunting. While I would love to see seminary charging less in tuition, my attention and call will be for denominations and churches to look for alternative incentives to employ clergy. Perhaps a part time position is the only option for a church, so why not produce financial support in other ways, i.e. insurance and retirement options instead of bottom dollar salaries? Again using myself as an example, I would happily look into pastoring a church where I was required to be there on average 25 hours a week and receive pay that reflected that sort of time commitment while receiving medical insurance for me and my family. Denominational resources could be used and partnered with resources of local churches to pull this off. Ah, but you ask…"if you're only going to be there 25hrs a week and we are paying for your insurance, what are you going to be doing when you're not working for the church?"
5) Community Pastor: I mentioned bi-vocationalism earlier and being a community pastor ties in with that concept. Even when I'm "off" I'm never truly off. I find myself at least once a day sharing with someone what I do and where I serve. Often I do this while working at another job. People have known me as the "pastor who works at the t-shirt company attending all the local festivals" or "the pastor who works at the local bottle shop." I'm out and about working, engaging people in my community, and intentionally sharing with them my faith and passions (sometimes that happens in the first conversations, sometimes it happens in the 20th one).
For years the institutional church has asked younger clergy to trust it, now we are asking the same. Pour into us the way we have poured into you.
This is but one person's observation and opinion. In order to see action happen future clergy, churches, and dominations are going to have to have a "come to Jesus meeting" with one another. As a pastor, these are my thoughts…
What are yours?


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Wow, have the weather folks been wrong a lot lately and they keep fooling around with Saturday, but we decided to call it RAINED OUT. We think the weather folks dug their cave a little deep. They were way wrong about the weather Monday night and we had to cancel our middle-of-the-night skeet shooting competition after the bars closed. I'm fine with it, because trust me, there is nothing worse than having pellets picked out of your butt by a laughing medical staff at 4 AM. It's "pull" BEFORE shoot."
We have probably three possible Saturdays left before our season ends for the year. Season nine is about to be in the record books. It was our best season ever! We may be over and not know it yet.
We were looking at our web traffic history and got a good laugh when we saw the giant spike in traffic around our April Fools prank. That was a lot of fun.
For those of you who are new, freshly out of prison, spent your summer on a rock in Nepal, or were locked in the basement by your ex, or your grandmother, in a coma, heavily sedated, or stuck in Fresno, we canceled our season opener on April 1 due to rain. Our opening day just happened to land on April Fools' Day this year. It was a gift to us from the Calendarians from thousands of years ago.
As a bunch of us Thugs were having breakfast that rainy morning anyway, we came up with the idea to still thank everyone for coming out. It was sort of a spontaneous April Fools' prank that gave us a good breakfast laugh. I raced back to my keyboard after breakfast and waited until about the time we'd normally be over then thanked everyone for coming out to our Best Opening Day Ever. We were further delighted that our loyal participants who got the joke quickly piled on and thanked us for the best opening day EVER, along with all the incredible stuff that happened on that opening day that never happened.
Those who didn't get our collective sense of humor, because they were new, freshly out of prison, spent their summer on a rock in Nepal, or were locked in a basement by their ex or their grandmother, in a coma, heavily sedated, or were stuck in Fresno, thought we were serious and it's the most hate mail we got all season; all for failing to tell them that we were still "on" that opening day. That blew up like adding nitrous to your mom's Civic without telling her. She sure got to work that busy street corner in a hurry that night. We were laughing ourselves to a point of sudden involuntary lost bladder control. As I write this, I'm having trouble typing because I'm still giggling like a kid who made X-Lax frosting for his friends before a hike.
We're having our annual season-almost-over Thug meeting this Saturday regardless of weather. This is where we sit around a giant bonfire (likely just a candle) and reminisce about the season, what worked, what didn't, before we forget. Planning for 2018 begins in about a month as we start to think about the calendar and all the coordination that entails.
We also will be looking for more volunteers to work behind the scenes on various details, such as car procurement, some marketing stuff, administration, etc. More on that coming up. Our volunteers are an amazing group of people who and the very reason we can make this all happen. Without them our lot would be a lot less magic. Please take a moment to thank them before the season ends. It would go a very long way.
I'm taking a moment here to thank my fellow thugs for all the laughs and good times this season. I'm proud to be one of you. Except for that one guy who's just a little nuts. You know who you are. You're typing this. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you all at our meeting.
Hopefully we see you all next week!