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Merry Meadow much the best in Hurricane Bertie
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Whatever pace advantage it seemed More Than a Party might have had after Wildcat Lily was scratched from the $150,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes was trumped by the class of Merry Meadow, who drew away to an easy and impressive 9 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 dash for older fillies and mares Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The defection of Wildcat Lily appeared to leave the red-hot More Than a Party the controlling speed in the 6 1/2-furlong Hurricane Bertie. And while she did sprint to the lead from along the rail as expected, jockey Javier Castellano, aboard Merry Meadow, never let the leader get too far out of his sights. Castellano urged Merry Meadow on to engage More Than a Party approaching the quarter pole and it was never a contest thereafter. Merry Meadow steadily increased her advantage through the stretch, with More Than a Party holding off the 22-1 Galiana by a half-length to finish second. Centrique and the laboring My Pal Chrisy completed the order of finish.
Merry Meadow, the only graded stakes winner in the field, went off the co-choice at even money with More Than a Party in the scratch-reduced lineup and returned $4. A homebred daughter of Henny Hughes, Merry Meadow is trained by Mark Hennig for owner-breeders William Parsons Jr. and David Howe.
The Hurricane Bertie was the fourth win on the card for Castellano, who was limping slightly in the winner's circle after the race. He took off his only other mount on the card, Cold Spice, in the finale.
"I was very concerned when the other horse [Wildcat Lily] scratched," said Hennig. "Although you always like to have less competition to beat, she seemed to be the right horse for us to have in the race from a pace standpoint. I never said a word to Javier, but he read the Form and he understood the situation. Although it might have taken our filly out of her comfort zone a bit, all of a sudden she became the pursuer. She's better than she's ever been and right now she just wants to win."
I'm Already Sexy wore down the pacesetting Stoptalkinmaria in the final strides under jockey Paco Lopez to win the $60,000 Cooper City Stakes for fillies and mares on turf. Trained by Wayne Catalano for the Hit The Board Stables, I'm Already Sexy paid $4.40.


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Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and complex, intricate a cappella harmonies. Based on record sales, Boyz II Men are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than 60 million albums worldwide.[1] In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary left the group in 2003 due to health issues. Currently the group is a trio signed to Decca Records, with members Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman. The group won four Grammy Awards in the 1990s, and the trio was nominated for two Grammies in 2009.[2]
Boyz II Men formed at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts in 1988 as a quintet; however, original member Marc Nelson left the group before its first studio recording to pursue a solo career. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men gained international celebrity behind unprecedented success on the pop charts. The group's first single to reach number 1, 1992's "End of the Road", a phenomenal hit, reached the top of charts across the globe.[3] "End of the Road" would set a new record for longevity, staying at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks, breaking a decades-old record held by Elvis Presley.
Boyz II Men would exceed even that record later in the decade with hits "I'll Make Love to You" and "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey), which each exceeded records for the longest period of time a single remained at number 1. As of 2010, "One Sweet Day" still holds the all-time record with sixteen weeks at the top of the Hot 100. Although "On Bended Knee" did not exceed any records, it was still a very popular song that reached number 1 and made Boyz II Men the third artist (the other two are The Beatles and Elvis[4]) to replace themselves at the number one rating of the Billboard Hot 100. Because of this, Boyz II Men are the only artists that have stayed at the number one spot cumulatively 50 times, just fourth behind Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Mariah Carey. They also hold the numbers one, three and four spots for 3 of the longest running singles in music history with One Sweet Day, I'll Make Love To You and End of the Road.[5] These achievements were enough to earn Boyz II Men recognition as Billboard Magazine's most successful musical group of the 1990s.[6]

subset: commoncrawl


text: Ok, I have an old Robin NB231 Trimmer/Brushcutter. It is pretty old, and it is a small company. It is commercial quality. Anyways, it is a pain to reload line, and put more out. I am in the market for a new head that is a Bump-Feed, and most importantly, fits this model. I have found a trimmer head that might work: OREGON 55-140-0 MAGNUM GATOR HEAD 4IN Would this fit/is it good? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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Head over to Kohl's.com where you can score this Contigo Addison Autospout 32-oz. Water Bottle for $6.79 (regularly $16.99). Even better, Kohl's cardholders can use the codes COCOA30 (30% off) and FREE4JAN (free shipping) to drop the price down to only $4.75 shipped.
Have toys to organize? Score this awesome buy on a Step2 Organizer with Bins!
(Thanks, Ali!)


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The Jonathan Bernier sweepstakes have been ramping up in the last few days, with teams attempting to land the coveted backup goaltender of the Los Angeles Kings. Early Sunday, it would appear we have a winner in that race, with the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring Bernier for a handful of players.
We knew that Bernier was going to fetch a haul for whoever ended up acquiring him. As it would turn out, the Leafs didn't actually lose that much in trading for him. The Leafs surrendered goaltender Ben Scrivens, forward Matt Frattin, and a second round pick. They lose a backup goaltender, a depth forward, and a conditional draft pick.
Not bad at all. Especially for a goaltender with Bernier's upside. Stuck behind Jonathan Quick, it's long been known that Bernier was seeking his own starting gig somewhere. It's also been known that he's a goaltender with huge upside and potentially elite potential. He showed some of that in 2013.
Bernier actually outplayed Quick for a majority of his 2013 season. Though his appearances were limited, with only 12 starts on the year, he posted a very good 1.87 goals against average and a .922 save percentage, while winning nine of his 14 appearances overall. Is acquiring a goaltender the right move for Toronto, though?
James Reimer actually had a very good season in 2013. He was one of the only reasons that the Leafs were able to push that first round series to seven games before they eventually melted down in Game 7. But coming off of a couple of disappointing years, the Leafs' brass may have wanted insurance in the event that Reimer regresses next year.
As far as what the Maple Leafs gave up for them, it's about what you'd expect, but still isn't a terrible package to surrender if Bernier reaches his potential. Frattin had some upside as a checking line guy, Scrivens is a backup, and draft picks are always a wild card.
It'll be interesting to see how the Maple Leafs plan to trot out the two goaltenders. Is Bernier coming in as the unquestioned starter? Will there be a training camp competition? Will the two split time? You don't give up three pieces to sit a guy on your bench. The former is more likely.
Now, it's a matter of seeing what Bernier can do as a starter. There's obviously big risk involved when you bring in a guy who has never been a full time starter, no matter what kind of potential he's shown. But if he reaches that potential, this becomes a fantastic deal for the Maple Leafs. In the end, this is a deal with potential to work out very well for both teams.
But that doesn't necessarily erase the questions of why the Leafs felt they needed to trade for a goaltender. There are several moving parts, which will bring about mixed reviews for the Leafs from fans and media alike. But until we see what Bernier brings to the table, and how Frattin fits in with Los Angeles, it's difficult to make a true judgement.


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I have tried Twitter and have an Account. It's too hard to find the other Twitter's I like to keep track of. I got some I follow and every-time I come on. I keep seeing my Followers Tweeting the Same stuff all the time. Which I see every day and month previously and was getting Old and Too Boring for me. I have not been of interest to be known or know of anyone, so I feel now like my Tweets as my moments of thoughts. Just is ignored. It has gotten me Apathetic with the place for now. It was almost the most exciting when they landed the Mars Curiosity for a time. Where I was getting some interesting News Coverage and Following a Host on Ancient Aliens Show. Yet they use too many codes and infer to other followers for other Followers and the Tweets no longer say anything to me, but links and codes that I can't follow. Gets on my nerves.

There is a Trick to the limit of characters in a tweet and I have tried with this ... Is to say things in small Paragraphs, and then Do Following Tweets in small Paragraphs if there is a lot to say. Sometimes I shrink my words up some and Abbreviate.
no see no need to
only on EP
nope, I don't '****'
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Project data
• Owner:
Royal Spanish Golf Federation
• Architect:
Allende Arquitectos
• Manufacturing/Installation:
BAT Spain
• Serge Ferrari composite membrane:
Soltis FT 371 white
> Practice area: 900 m2 tensioned on 56 frames, each measuring 2 x 8 m
> School of Excellence: 600 m2 tensioned on 80 frames of different sizes
The Royal Spanish Golf Federation's Centre for Excellence commissioned the Cabinet Allende Arquitectos with renovation of its practice area and construction of a new building dedicated to the School of Golf Excellence. Both these facilities are embellished by material facades made of Soltis FT 371 composite membrane.
"The practice area was protected by a building, open to the East to the golf course and closed to the West by an existing timber facade, which needed to be replaced. While this timber screen protected golfers from the wind, it obstructed the view and the perspective at the site", explains Javier Tejera of BAT Spain. "To re-establish visual contact with the environment, while protecting players from the wind and conserving optimum practice conditions, the architect opted for a solution comprising a curtain wall made of Soltis FT 371 openwork membrane. Offering great flexibility and lightness, this Serge Ferrari-designed material transforms itself, as soon as it is tensioned, into a veritable shield ensuring long-term resistance to bad weather and possible impacts. Moreover, its 20% porosity guarantees excellent outward visibility, while limiting dazzle".
Harmony and Eco-efficiency
Renovation of the sports complex included construction of a new building: the School of Golf Excellence located a few metres from the practice facility and designed to receive golfers for classroom lessons.
Its large glazed areas ensure creation of light rooms, fully open to the exterior.
Here again, Soltis FT 371 membrane was the natural choice for combining aesthetic harmony and technical performance. Soltis FT 371 effectively possesses advanced characteristics in relation to both heat and light control: reduced solar contributions in summer to avoid overheating and limit cooling-related energy costs, light flux control, while conserving outward visibility. "600 m2 of white Soltis FT 371 membrane was tensioned on 80 frames to clad the building facades. As in the practice area renovation, construction disturbances and duration were limited since the frames were custom fabricated and the material was tensioned at the workshop. Installation was rapid and the project has proven totally economical", declared Javier Tejera.
You have a project, a question : contact us here
Samples, specifications, ranges and widths, application guide...
Ask them here


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Cross-cultural training
Cross-cultural awareness training and team building seminars are offered by Japan Intercultural Consulting Europe (exclusively represented by Rudlin Consulting).
Japan Intercultural Consulting Europe has been operating across Europe and the Middle East since 2004, conducting cultural awareness seminars in Belgium, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, the UAE and the UK.
Our facilitators all speak fluent Japanese and have many years of practical business experience, working in or with Japanese companies.
Further details can be found here: Cross cultural training – Japan Intercultural Consulting Europe.
"You got the highest praise from the most tricky participant!" (Japanese insurance company)
"As always, the session was brilliant, thank you very much. The participants very much appreciated your knowledge of our corporate culture which is really invaluable for this kind of training" (Japanese trading company)
"I found it incredibly informative and would recommend you to others." (UK biotech company newly acquired by a Japanese company)
"I greatly enjoyed your seminar! Thank you very much for the lively presentation and real-life-examples. Cannot wait to put what I learned into practice." (German manager in a Japanese IT company)
"Everyone is raving about yesterday and felt it was a brilliant insight!" (UK insurance company recently acquired by a Japanese company)


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Skip to comments.No charges filed in Spartanburg stabbing death from February(SC)
Posted on 03/13/2012 4:30:02 AM PDT by marktwain
No charges will be filed against the man who fatally stabbed Donnie Scott Cohen last month. The 72-year-old man who stabbed Cohen told officers he acted in self-defense.
The 7th Circuit Solicitors office reviewed the case and no evidence points to anything but the mans claim of self-defense, Capt. Regina Nowak with Spartanburg Public Safety Department wrote in an email to the Herald-Journal.
Police say the two men had fought prior to the stabbing.
Cohen, 56, of 612-B W. St. John St., was stabbed once in the chest Feb. 27 at the home where he and the former suspect lived.
Officers found Cohen lying on the floor with a large amount of blood around him as emergency responders treated him, according to an incident report.
He was pronounced dead at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.
The man told officers that Cohen came at him with a knife and he took the knife from Cohen and stabbed him.
(Excerpt) Read more at goupstate.com ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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A light hand is best for this one.
- 250g soft butter
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/4 cup cornflour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- Preheat oven to 160oc. Line a 28x18cm tin with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar until light & fluffy, add vanilla. sift flours and add to the butter mixture with the almond meal. Press together to form a soft dough.Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead to smooth. Press into prepared tray and score into fingers & pierce with a folk, sprinkle with extra sugar & bake until golden brown (35-40mins) You can also make into little cookies & then dip into chocolate.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories308
- Carbohydrates33 g(11%)
- Fat18 g(28%)
- Protein3 g(6%)
- Saturated Fat11 g(54%)
- Sodium3 mg(0%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber1 g(4%)
- Monounsaturated Fat4 g
- Cholesterol45 mg(15%)


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Imagine this-
You were able so share your website link on your Facebook page/profile just fine but suddenly one day, it stopped working. You start seeing the message-
"You can't post this because it has a blocked link: The content you're trying to share includes a link that our security systems detected to be unsafe:Body of an error/warning message. Title is: You can't post this because it has a blocked link. Please remove this link to continue".OR
"The content you're trying to share includes a link that's been blocked for being spammy or unsafe: domain.com For more information, visit the Help Center. If you think you're seeing this by mistake, please let us know.If you see any of the above messages on Facebook, you should realize that Facebook
has blocked your domain (for some reason).
Unfortunately, there is no detail mentioned for your to figure out what the problem is exactly or how you can apply corrective action to resolve this. A lot of website owners are facing this issue if you search Google and Facebook community. Facebook is blocking links which their security systems detected to be unsafe.
Is my website domain blacklisted?
- One of the many reasons is if your domain is blacklisted. Check previous post on this blog how to check if your domain is blacklisted and steps to resolve it.
- To know your website domain status on Facebook: go to this link and type in your url. https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug
If the link is blocked, Facebook will return a message: "This link is blocked. If you think you're seeing this by mistake, please let us know."
If Facebook is blocking your links from sharing, what to do?
Nothing much. You are at the mercy of Facebook. But here is what you can do to give it a shot if at all Facebook considers your request.
- The owner or your followers who post your website links on Facebook can click the "let us know" link to make Facebook that it is a mistake.
- Another thing the owner can do is to go to "https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/244560538958131" and post a review request.
One of our sites was also blocked by Facebook, and even after submitting a couple of review requests, there hasn't been a single response from Facebook. So we stopped using Facebook for that particular website and started using Twitter and Google+ more.
If any of you faced a similar situation and resolved it, kindly care to share your experience. I'd like to know your story. Thanks.
Sponsored Links


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How to Use Triphala Churna for Better Digestive Health?
Email to Your Friends
Curejoy Expert Dr.Janardhana Hebbar Explains:
Triphala ("three fruits"), widely used by natural Ayurvedic healers in India for thousands of years, is the powdered mixture of dried form of 3 different fruits: Harada, Amla and Bihara. It is prized in Ayurveda for its ability to balance the doshas (the elements of body and mind), strengthen and tonify the internal muscles of the bowels, cleanse the gastro-intestinal tract in a natural and gentle way.
The most commonly suggested starting dosage of Thriphala is one teaspoon (around 4 grams) of the powder, stirred vigorously into a glass of hot water and to leave this mixture to settle for ideally a day. Drink the whole glass in one sitting, leaving the sediment at the bottom. Then refill the sediment containing glass with hot water, mix it well and leave it to use again a second time. The best time to have Triphala is in the evening, a couple of hours after dinner and just before bed.
To use it as a laxative to counter constipation, increasing the dosage to 2 teaspoons (around 8 grams) of powder is recommended. Drinking more of the sediment is also likely to be effective on constipation.
As a digestive aid before meals triphala capsules or tablets can also be taken. Dosages of capsules are usually lower and 2 capsules half an hour before a meal with a large glass of warm water can be taken. The rejuvenating and balancing properties of the triphala capsules are noticed more than the powder dose.
Use higher doses for constipation for shorter periods only, perhaps just a day or two if needed. Triphala churna is much safer and non addictive than other types of laxatives as its rejuvenating properties help to offset the potentially depleting effects of using a laxative.
Caution: Any laxatives, natural or artificial, should not be taken regularly.
Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.


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Hand-picked seasonal inspiration
It's not just the plants that are waking up from their winter slumber, the promise of blue skies and warm days has everyone on the hunt for travel inspiration. Call off the hounds. We've handpicked these superb spring breaks to help you make the most of the season – whether you're heading to the city, country or coast.
Can't find what you're looking for? Contact our helpful Reservations team on 0845 0 70 70 90.


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by Paul Wilson
I am always a sucker for swag, particularly cool swag. So, when Affiliate.com offered to send me their cool shirt I couldn't resist. However, the condition of receiving this great swag was that I did a post on how I wear the shirt. Well, we received the shirt and I realized as cool as the shirt was, it looks far better on someone else—my 10 month old daughter.
Meet Chloe
Now I am a first time Dad, and I will admit that I take on a little bit of "first-time-dad" pride. Even more so, when it comes to showing off my baby girl. Frankly, I firmly believe that Chloe is the most beautiful baby in the world. Actually, I am certain I can get this confirmed! Therefore, I felt it fitting to give Affiliate.com only the best model possible for their t-shirt. I know once Chloe's innate modeling talent is witnessed she will be in high demand to do everyone's web marketing campaigns (sorry godaddy, Chloe will never be godaddy girl)!
Anyway, if anything, thank you for indulging a very proud father, who loves showing off his little girl anyway possible! Oh, and I guess, Affiliate.com is doing a contest for the best post displaying their shirt. I will just give my apologies now to the other bloggers. I blame Chloe's mother for her being so cute!
Chloe Modeling Affiliate.com's Swag T-Shirt. I like to start indoctrinating my children quite young when it comes to web marketing =).
26 Photos
Update (03/01/2010): Today Affiliate.com announced HeatherinBC.com as the winner of the t-shirt contest. As much as my fatherly pride doesn't want to admit it, Heather deserves to win the contest. Her post is an excellent post on wearing her t-shirt to the Canadian winter Olympics. That's really a hard act to follow no matter how cute I may think my little girl is =) . S0, congrats Heather to winning affiliate.com's contest and the gold in hockey!
Update (03/03/2010): So, this morning I received an email from babyrus.com and I almost threw it into my spam folder. However, upon further checking I realized it was a $100 eGift from Tom Wozniak and the crew over at Affiliate.com. Tom's note: "Hey Paul – thanks again for entering the affiliate.com T-shirt Contest. We also wanted to send a special thank you to Chloe. Hope she enjoys it." I actually think Chloe's mom will enjoy this gift as much as Chloe will! Thanks Tom for the consideration. Obviously, you didn't have to, but we do appreciate your generosity!
P.S. Below is one more proud Dad moment. Sorry, I couldn't resist!
EmailNot published
Awwww… Chloe is absolutely adorable in the affiliate.com shirt – especially the pic of her in the leather chair holding that huge laptop with her little toes!!! She's a sweetheart & I can see why you're such a proud Dad
Thanks for the mention. I had a lot of fun at the Olympics and lunch with John Chow. The hockey win was fabulous for our entire country – and Vancouver certainly celebrated!
Take care!
I have to admit this is an amazing shot!
@Amy: Thanks for the comment. She had fun playing with daddy's laptop, and I am sure years from now these pics will give her hard proof that her father really is a geek Ü.
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Blah, blah, blah, everyone is doing it. The web is littered with unoriginality. Find what makes you unique and stay with it. Vow to be unique. Example: 3 Doors Down—A True SEO Music Video Ü
Give yourself a time limit when writing a post and then publish it when you hit the deadline. Published imperfection is progress. Unpublished perfection is worthless. Vow to have flaws. Example: My Imperfect Plan
Anyone can tear apart the past. Look into the future and take a chance on what might not be. Not only does it help you look for possible opportunities, but it also gives your blog unique perspective. Vow to guess the future. Example: The Day Search Engines Died!
Adapted from How To Work Better
1. Be unique
2. Give more than you take
3. Do one task at a time
4. Find and resolve problems
4. Access others' knowledge
5. Listen to feedback
6. Learn to be inquisitive
7. Test, test, test
7. Distinguish sense from nonsense
8. Grow from mistakes
9. Accept change as inevitable
10. Befriend your competition
11. Study different industries
12. Learn to build not game
13. Understand the motivation of emotion
14. Work for yourself
15. Build loyalty
16. Don't fear failure
17. Study the past, critique the future
18. Ignite users' curiosity
19. Allow creativity to flourish
20. Never give up
* Mistaking CTR for Conversion
* Not using negative keywords
* Unoptimized landing pages
* Using all default settings
* Ignoring tracking results
* Not using Geo-Targeting
* Not using Day Parting
* Not proofreading your ads
* Only using Broad Match
* Giving up too soon
* Unoptimized title tags
* Poor content
* Slow site speed
* Ignoring social media
* Forgetting about conversion
* Not staying current on SEO changes
* Using splash pages
* Overuse of Ajax
* An unbalanced backlink profile
* Ignoring site structure


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Irvine, CA (PressExposure) February 03, 2012 -- The BRC Issue 6 Global standard for food safety management was developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), UK trade organization that represents the interests of retailer. The BRC's Global Standard for Food Safety was created to establish a standard for due diligence and supplier approval. All requirements of BRC food safety are generic and are intended to be applicable to all organizations of any type and size provided. In most cases brc food safety certification is a per-condition for supplying to UK retailers. It has been adopted by organizations throughout the world. Third-party certification to the standard helps manufacturers, brand owners and retailers fulfil their legal obligations and safeguard consumers.
ISO 22000 is also used in the Food Safety Systems Certification. ISO 22000:2005 specifies requirements for a food safety management system where an organization in the food chain needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption. ISO 22000 specifies to enable the organization to plan, implement, operate, maintain and update a food safety management system aimed at providing products that, according to their intended use, and safe for the consumer.
ISO 22000 can be used by any organisation directly or indirectly involved in the food industries. It applies to all organisations in the food chain. It doesn't matter how complex the organisation is or what size it is, ISO 22000 can help ensure the safety of its food products.
BRC food system covers a comprehensive scope of product safety areas, as well as the legal and due diligence responsibilities of both the supplier and the retailer. The key requirements of the BRC standard for food are adoption and implementation of a HACCP system, effective quality management system and factory environmental standards, processes and products and establishing process monitoring and verification system to control food hazards by scientific approach. By implementing iso 22000 food safety management system, any organization get iso certification or registration for its food safety management system by an external certifying body for conformity to ISO 22000-2005 standard. The ISO 22000 FSMS demands for hazard analysis preparation of haccp plan and implementation of control based system by scientific approach for prevention of hazards
The Industries ranging from primary producers, processors, manufacturers, food service providers and other service providers apart from product suppliers can be covered under this iso 22000 standard certification. These include organisations that produce feed for animals that produce food for animals that will be used as food. It also encompasses organisations that produce materials that will eventually come into contact with food or food components. It is a scientific approach to identify hazards and establish controls based on HACCP plan to control hazards and critical control points and it is a food safety with focus on prevention.
Objectives of ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Standard Implementation
To ensure that the products do not cause adverse health effects
To establish a food safety management system (FSMS)
To communicate with your organisation's customers
To operate and maintain your organisation's FSMS
To update and improve your organisation's FSMS
To evaluate your customer's food safety requirements
To demonstrate compliance with external safety requirements
To provide safe products and enhance customer satisfaction
To export food products and penetrate international markets
To communicate with your organisation's customers
To communicate with your organisation's suppliers
To ensure that you comply with your food safety policy
It is very important for any organization in food industries to get ISO 22000 certification. Global Manager Group - an ISO consultancy and training company- offers ISO 22000 documentation, ISO 22000 certification training, iso 22000 standards food safety manuals and ISO 22000 Procedure as well as hazard analysis and preparation of haccp plan.


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Here is a cheap and inexpensive fitness exercise program that everyone can do. So if these excuses below sound familiar on why you can't workout regularly, get ready to ditch them.
1) You can't afford a gym membership
2) The gym is too far from your house/work
3) Your gym clothes suck
Well we have the answer for you. Workout in the comfort of your own home for very little cost. You don't need to rush out and purchase a home based gym machine for thousands of dollars. In fact a few weights, bands, stability ball and/or yoga mat will do the trick! In fact, if your budget is too tight for those items, you can technically get into incredible shape just using your own body weight as well as objects around the house.
Some key tips of what to use around the house…
1. Use heavy canned foods or full water bottles.
2. Fill up socks with sand and go up and down stairs 10-15 times
3. Cleaning! Not only is your house going to sparkle but it's a great workout too.
Now if you can afford to buy a few pieces of workouts equipment you will achieve quicker results. Then all it takes it figuring out a program that you can do to make your fitness exercise program dream come alive! You have many choices out there. You can download one online or buy a DVD. If you choose to download a video, make sure you research what they're offering and the experience of those who put the video together. The last thing you want to do is risk injury to yourself while training.
Another key factor to consider when planning a home based fitness exercise program, is where you'll be exercising – make sure you give yourself enough room so you're not bumping into walls or ceilings or furniture! Also keep a journal and log your workouts and food for maximum success.
Many people workout successfully from home. It will take more discipline as it's easier to come up with excuses why you don't need to do it or to shorten the workout because it hurts too much. Stay focused on the goal.
If you're someone who wants to learn a new fitness exercise program, then ImpactFitnessInc.com is for you. We can introduce you to a good diet that tastes great and helps you lose the weight fast. Learn from the pros who train the pros.
Niall Traynor writes helpful tips on health, fitness and diet.
Article Source: http://ift.tt/2og77Vo
Planning a Home Based Fitness Exercise Program
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via IFTTT


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Posts Tagged 'Huntersville Newborn Photographer'
I could not be more thrilled for Devon and Jonathan for the arrival of their sweet little boy, Shepherd (Shep). This is a strong Christian family and so they found this name most meaningful for their first born son, as they hope for him to 'shepard' his siblings who follow behind in a way that glorifies God. I absolutely love it when names have a deeper meaning than what you see on the surface and this is by far one of my favorites! I know Devon and Jonathan are going to be amazing parents and I can't wait to see the young boy that Shep will grow into. I am to blessed to have been able to meet these two (now three) and be apart of such an intimate time in their lives. Enjoy this sweet one.
This turtle outfit and all the hats to see below, Devon made. Man, I was impressed!


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A twist on the popular Scrabble(TM) game.
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text: I've had so many issues with my Yuneec and not being able to update the firmware or adjust settings through the GUI, and finally broke down and called the company. They were very helpful and efficient, and it took a little time to get to someone who knew more about my problem. On my 3rd computer, I was able to momentarily connect to the Q500 4k, via the white cable they provide. So I went for the firmware update from 1.5 to 1.7 and it failed mid-upload. Where did that leave me? Well, with a bricked Typhoon - that's where. So it goes back to them today, and it was nice they picked up the cost of shipping. Anyone know what the turnaround time is from them? Also, I attached a doc they sent me about debricking a Q500 - maybe it will help someone else.


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Brett Michaels is back for a second go round of his VH1 series "Rock of Love" and judging by the photo gallery he can eliminate some of the contestant on day one. I am not sure if all of the "women" were checked for a penis before being accepted, but there i a good chance judging from he pictures some testicles got through to the house. If you were Brett would you select any of these women?<
Brett Michaels has some scary choices to make
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13 Things To Know About Travel Nurse across America
Travel Nurse across America (TNAA) is one of the nation's top 10 travel nursing agencies according to Travel Nursing Central. The company is based in Little Rock, Arkansas and staffs nationwide. We recently conducted a phone interview with the company's President and CEO, Gene Scott, as well as the company's Director of Marketing, Angie Morgan. Our goal was to obtain in-depth details about the agency so that we could provide travel nurses with a comprehensive look at what the agency has to offer. We hope travelers will find this information useful when considering potential agencies to work with.
Culture Of Fairness And Transparency At TNAA
When we asked Gene what makes Travel Nurse across America unique, the first thing he mentioned was the company's culture. Travel Nurse across America was founded in 1999. When Gene took over as CEO in 2008, among the first things he did was to commission a major survey of travel nurses. He wanted to find out what travel nurses thought about the industry in general.
He was shocked by the results. The general perception of travel nursing agencies and recruiters was very negative. Gene immediately made it a top priority to ensure that Travel Nurse across America could be a trusted partner for travel nurses. Moreover, he wanted to ensure that the industry as a whole changed for the better.
As Gene saw it, travelers were rightly concerned about unscrupulous activity in the industry. So, he set out to strengthen the culture of fairness and transparency at TNAA and lay the groundwork for spreading that culture industry-wide.
TNAA Is A Founding Member Of NATHO
As part of the vision to improve the industry, TNAA became a founding member of the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO). NATHO's goal is to promote ethical business practices in the travel healthcare industry. They do this by establishing legal and ethical standards and principles that member agencies are required to follow.
For example, NATHO standards give agencies guidance to pay taxable base rates that are in line with what IRS revenue rulings have recommended for travelers. As we've discussed many times on this blog, low taxable base rates can get travel nurses in trouble.
NATHO helps ensure that such things don't happen, thereby protecting travel nurses and the integrity of the industry. If a member agency violates a standard, then they can be disciplined or have their membership in the association revoked. Non-member agencies are also pressured to abide by the standards as the clients they work with become educated about the issues and hold all agencies accountable. In essence, NATHO is raising the bar for the entire industry.
NATHO holds regular meetings where member agencies can raise concerns and help develop new standards that will ensure the industry as a whole is trustworthy. Gene currently serves as a NATHO Board Member and the organization's Vice President.
TNAA's Approach to Travel Nursing Pay Packages
The Assignment Benefits Summary
As we routinely point out on this blog, travel nursing pay packages are much more complicated than permanent pay packages. The complexity often leads to confusion. In the worst cases, travelers come to find that their weekly paychecks are lower than they had anticipated.
TNAA has implemented several policies designed to prevent confusion regarding pay packages. First, TNAA policy requires recruiters to send travelers an "Assignment Benefits Summary (ABS)" before they are submitted for an assignment.
As we've mentioned on this blog, most agencies, including TNAA, have rate calculators that allow them to quickly calculate the rate for any given assignment that the agency has entered into their system. The rate calculator pulls in a set of standard data like the bill rate, contracted hours, and various costs associated with the contract. The recruiter can then enter amounts for the taxable base rate, the stipends and other pay package variables.
TNAA's calculator takes it a step farther than most. Once the recruiter has entered the information, the calculator generates a report in PDF format that the recruiter can then send to the traveler. Once received, the recruiter and traveler can discuss the report to ensure that there is no confusion about the pay package.
The ABS provides the traveler with a detailed breakdown of the pay package. While it doesn't include proprietary information, like the assignment bill rate, it does include the gross weekly pay for the assignment along with an estimated weekly net pay figure for the assignment. All the figures are broken down for the traveler in order to add clarity and avoid confusion. ABS reports offer travelers a more transparent view of their pay package than most other agencies can provide.
Overtime Bonuses
TNAA's ABS report also includes the overtime bonus for the assignment's pay package. As we've discussed on this blog, travel nurses must pay close attention to how they're paid for any hours that they work in addition to their contracted hours. This is because many agencies pay only the taxable base rate, or overtime based on the taxable base rate, for extra hours.
There are many agencies that recognize this as a problem for travelers and offer a special rate for extra hours. TNAA's approach is to offer an "Extra Shift Incentive." When the traveler works an extra shift, they qualify for a bonus payment. These bonus payments vary, but they'll always be on TNAA's ABS report so travelers know what to expect.
Unpublished Travel Nursing Pay Rates
One thing you won't find TNAA doing is publishing pay rates on travel nursing job postings. They don't publish rates on their own company job board and they have an internal policy that prohibits recruiters from posting pay rates when they post job opportunities on third-party sites, including social media sites like Facebook.
There is debate on this subject with both recruiters and travelers on opposing sides of the issue. Those that advocate publishing rates on job postings argue travelers need to know the rate for the job in order to know if they're interested. Moreover, they argue that the agency must have something to hide if they aren't willing to publish the rate.
As we've discussed before on this blog, it's actually much more complicated than that. You see, when an agency is willing to customize their pay packages to the needs of the traveler, then pay packages can vary depending on each traveler's unique circumstances. As a result, pay packages aren't one-size-fits-all.
In this case, it's much more common for agencies to appear untruthful when they publish their pay quotes on job postings. This is because in order to customize the pay package for specific travelers, the agency will inevitably be forced to change the advertised pay quote. They'll need to move money from one portion of the package to another. Of course, this makes the agency look shady, especially to newer travelers. Doing this may also violate wage recharacterization rules.
Moreover, there is no one way to quote travel nursing pay packages. Different agencies quote them in different ways. Different travelers prefer to have them quoted in different ways.
For these reasons, TNAA prefers to take the time to have an open-ended discussion with their travelers about their unique circumstances and how travel pay packages will work for them and their needs. Doing so provides TNAA with the information they need to present the most accurate possible pay package for each traveler. It's not the quickest approach, but they believe it's the most transparent approach.
Travel Nurse across America's Technology
Another thing that Gene cited as being unique about TNAA was the company's technology. TNAA employs its very own in-house technology staff. My experience indicates that while there are certainly some small to mid-sized agencies who have their own technology staff, this is not the norm for these agencies.
TNAA's Operating System
More importantly, the tools that the company has developed are highly useful and very rare in the industry. For starters, they have developed their own proprietary operating system or Applicant Tracking System called "My Stuff".
We've written about agency Applicant Tracking Systems on this blog. These systems help agencies manage their work flows more efficiently and effectively. The rate calculator and the ABS we described above are part of TNAA's internal system.
Externally, travelers interface with applicant tracking systems on many levels. First, the agency's online job application is a part of this system. So are the agency's skills checklists, standard exams, and other paperwork. Many travelers complain about the exams administered by commonly used third-party services like Prophecy. Well, TNAA has developed all of their own documentation.
TNAA's operating system is involved in all aspects of its service. Housing, payroll, benefits and everything else are all part of the same system. The vast majority of documentation the traveler will be required to complete is available online and can be signed online. This minimizes the amount of printing and faxing that travelers have to do. It also ensures efficiency and consistency which TNAA believes translates to better service for the traveler.
TNAA's Real-Time Job Board
TNAA's Job Board on their website is also a part of the operating system and it warrants special consideration. We've discussed how difficult it can be for agencies to manage their job openings. They receive job orders from multiple facilities and sources in different formats and the job orders are constantly opening and closing. As a result, most agency job boards display jobs that are no longer open. It's just too much for them to keep up with. In the worst cases, agencies simply post a set of dummy jobs on their job boards to generate interest.
TNAA thought this was a serious problem for travelers. In fact, Gene specifically mentioned that he was appalled to learn that some agencies posted fake jobs just to get travelers to apply. Again, he thought this was something that had a negative impact on the industry's integrity. So they devoted resources toward creating a technology-driven solution.
TNAA's jobs update throughout the day. The system uses a sophisticated job scraper that reads all the open jobs from all the various resources and reformats them for insertion into TNAA's website. Having looked into developing such a system myself, I can attest that is a difficult task to pull off. It requires constant maintenance as job sources are always changing the way they post their jobs.
But it's well worth the effort as it offers several great advantages for travel nurses. First, travel nurses can have confidence that they are viewing the most recent jobs on TNAA's website. While there is still a chance that jobs are closed, the job board will be more accurate than any other. Second, travelers can set job alerts for TNAA's jobs and have confidence that the alerts are legitimate.
Travel Nurse across America's Client Facilities
Of course, when it comes to job searching, travelers also want to make sure that the facilities they're considering are good places to work. You'll often see complaints from travelers that many agencies pay little regard to the working conditions at their client hospitals. Travelers should be pleased to know that Gene cited the depth of TNAA's relationships with its client facilities as one of the key differentiating factors between Travel Nurse across America and other agencies.
It's important to note that TNAA works with many of the same Vendor Management Systems and Managed Service Providers as other agencies. However, they've worked hard to build deep relationships with as many of their client hospitals as possible. Part of that is having candid conversations with hospitals when things aren't going well in an effort to improve. In the end, TNAA wants to ensure that their travelers have great experiences, so they will certainly let travelers know the ins and outs of the facilities they work with. They also let travelers know about which facilities their former travelers have loved the most.
Travel Nurse Job Submission Policy
When all is said and done, it's ultimately up to the traveler to decide whether or not they would like to be submitted for a particular job. However, many travelers complain that their recruiters submit them for jobs without first obtaining the traveler's approval. Travelers will be pleased to know that TNAA's policies strictly prohibit this.
For starters, TNAA's policies require that travelers receive an Assignment Benefits Summary prior to being submitted. The policy also requires that travelers understand and agree to the pay package prior to being submitted. However, it's still possible that recruiters break the policy and cavalierly submit travelers without their approval.
If this happens to you, Gene asks you let management know. This runs contrary to the company's culture of fairness and transparency. The recruiter will most certainly be reprimanded.
TNAA's Staff
The good news for travelers is that there should be little chance of this happening. TNAA prides itself on having a highly experienced staff that shares the company's culture and vision. Their goal is to provide travelers with world-class customer service, or as Gene put it, "a Ritz Carlton Experience."
One of the unique things about TNAA's staff is that they're "distributed." This means they are located all over the country and telecommute to work. TNAA's proprietary operating system helps make this possible. The advantage for travel nurses is that it increases the amount of time that live representatives are available to take your call.
That said, a traveler's recruiter at TNAA is their primary point of contact with the company. Recruiters are considered experts in the job search process and generalists in all other areas. So, the vast majority of issues will be handled by a traveler's recruiter.
TNAA also utilizes a support staff for issues like payroll, human resources and housing. TNAA believes that expert assistance in these areas will help travelers achieve optimal outcomes quickly. Despite the potential to work with multiple representatives, travelers can still expect a highly personal level of service given that they'll typically be working with the same representative on any given issue.
TNAA's Housing Assistance Program
Having staff members dedicated to various aspects of the business allows TNAA to provide specialized services for their travelers. For example, TNAA has an "Easy Stay" program for travel nurses.
TNAA recognizes that travelers often realize a financial benefit when they are able to secure their own housing and take the stipend. However, they also understand that it's difficult for travelers to find good housing options that will accept a traveler's unique circumstances. This challenge often leads travelers to give up and take company provided lodging.
So, TNAA developed their Easy Stay program to assist. If a traveler wants to secure their own housing, then TNAA's Housing Specialists will assist them through every phase of the process. Travelers will receive assistance searching for housing, negotiating leases, setting up utilities, securing furniture and anything else involved in the process, but the traveler gets to keep the housing stipend. This is provided free of charge to all travelers working with TNAA.
TNAA and Mercy Ships
As you can see, TNAA has many unique services that should prove to be very beneficial to travelers who choose to work with them. Travelers might also be interested to know that TNAA recognizes the strong tradition of volunteer work in the nursing field with a unique volunteer opportunity for their travelers.
TNAA has teamed up with Mercy Ships to help provide healthcare in Africa. Mercy Ships operates ships that essentially serve as floating hospitals. They dock the ship along the African coast and bring those in need on board to receive care.
Typically, volunteers need to pay their own way on the ship. This means that interested healthcare professionals must cover the cost of travel, crew fees, immunizations, physical exams and all other costs. Volunteers often rely on their local churches and services like GoFundMe to raise the money they need to volunteer.
TNAA has developed a unique program for their travelers interested in volunteering for Mercy Ships. Angie Morgan explained that TNAA will sponsor 2 travelers each year for 8-week assignments on Mercy Ships. In order to qualify, interested travelers must have worked a minimum of 2 assignments with TNAA. They must submit an essay that explains why they want to make the journey. TNAA reviews all the candidates they receive, selects the candidates they feel are the best fit, and submits their profiles to Mercy Ships who has final say on approval.
If approved, TNAA covers all the costs associated with the excursion. Plus, they provide a $1,000 monthly stipend to help with additional costs. The stipend is treated as a 1099 payment to the traveler, so the traveler will be responsible for reporting it on their own taxes. Travelers who accept the volunteer opportunity are required to submit one blog post per week about their experience for publication on TNAA's blog.
TNAA's Independent Reviews
TNAA clearly has a lot of unique features and services. But of course, it's easy for a company to talk about how wonderful they are. So, it's also important for travelers to know what TNAA's customers think of them.
TNAA currently has 215 reviews on Travel Nursing Central. Their average score is 89.7. That's really high and has been good enough to have the company ranked in Travel Nursing Central's Top 12 companies for several years running.
TNAA has also been ranked among Highway Hypodermics top 20 companies for 3 of the last 5 years. However, it's important to note that Highway Hypodermics scores agencies on two criteria, the first is an average score based on reviews from travelers and the second is the score from a benefits questionnaire. TNAA always ranks very well with reviews, currently receiving an average of 17 out of a possible 20 points.
But TNAA is a little lower than many agencies when it comes to their benefits score. The benefits score is based on a questionnaire that agencies complete themselves and turn in to Highway Hypodermics. Highway Hypodermics does their best to ensure that agencies are delivering on their claims. Moreover, this is an invaluable resource for travel nurses that we highly recommend.
However, there is debate as to whether or not some of the benefits on the questionnaire are truly possible to offer. Again, this should not detract from the value of the resource. But, it takes an honest company to say they don't offer the benefits, which is what TNAA has done. So, if nothing more, you know that TNAA is indeed honest and loyal to their convictions when it comes to this self-evaluation.
With all that in mind, it's safe to say that TNAA is strongly regarded by the travelers they work with. That, plus all the unique services and features they offer, makes them a company worth looking into.
As always, we hope you found this information useful. We'd love to hear about your experiences with TNAA. Please feel free to post them along with any questions or comments in the comment section below. And please let us know if there is something we missed!


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Mars Unit Didn't Waive Claim In JCM Patent Suit: Judge
Judge Robert Kugler of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on Thursday rejected JCM's argument that because it filed a counterclaim against Mars unit MEI Inc. in a prior suit asserting noninfringement of the patents, MEI was required to file a compulsory counterclaim...
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Song of childlike trust
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Last month I met Christopher Chong, the Creative Director of luxury Omani perfume house, Amouage. Christopher was in Australia for the press launch of his latest fragrance, Sunshine. It is the first eau de parfum from his Midnight Flower collection, which launched last year. Aside from a conversation about the new fragrance, we talked about his 8-year tenure as Creative Director of Amouage, and we spoke about the brand's direction for the future. With 40 fragrances for Amouage under his belt, Christopher shows no sign of slowing down. Last year he announced the closure of what he termed Amouage's first cycle. Earlier this year he launched Journey Man and Journey Woman, the first fragrances of his anticipated second cycle. I had heard that this second cycle related more to Christopher's own life experiences. In order to understand the future, I wanted to understand the past. Below is a transcript of our candid talk, covering Christopher's own journey with Amouage, his creative process and some interesting thoughts on what might come next.
WMSSL: How did you begin your work with Amouage?
Christopher Chong: It was just by chance. They wanted someone that didn't come from the industry. Before we joined, things had been going towards a direction that wasn't right. It was a direction that went against the entire DNA of the brand. It was supposed to be focused on artistry, to be innovative and to be daring. Then the brand, through different management, started to go towards being more commercial, without the proper marketing tools and strategies to support it. The owner decided that it was time to change. They needed to go back to the previous generation and what they were doing. They decided to hire new management. They brought in a westerner as the CEO and they brought me in to say, 'we don't want someone from the industry. We want someone who doesn't know how to be afraid and we want someone who can focus on artistry.' That was how I was brought in to do one perfume, Jubilation. They were very excited about it because I got a lot of good press. I got good press from Luca Turin and a lot of the others. That was when the perfume blogging world started. Back then, 8 years ago, I was working with bloggers, which was new and that's when it exploded.
WMSSL: With each new launch in the Main Collection, the tradition is always to launch a men's perfume and a women's perfume. Is there a reason for this when most of your competitors promote the idea of genderless scents?
Christopher Chong: I do it because we inherited the main collection. Since 1983 there has always been a man and a woman. It is more interesting for me because I get to create two different fragrances. Unlike most brands where one is a reflection of the other, I give you two totally new fragrances. I find this much more interesting. Also, it goes back to understanding your customer and market. No matter what we think about how advanced customer's tastes have become, there is still a huge percentage that will not buy it if it doesn't say 'for man'. I don't want to name countries but there are certain countries where masculinity is very important to them. If your box doesn't say for man they won't want it. So I have to cater to all my customers. Customers who are savvier are different. They don't care. They just do a blind test. When these people come to our stores for consultation, they don't care. Our salespeople normally say, 'we don't want you to know if it's for men or for women,' during the consultation.
WMSSL: Has your concept of a consultation evolved since you started with the brand? Now with brands being much more transparent with information and bloggers promoting the idea of looking under the hood of the perfume, so to speak, does this change the way you talk with your customers about perfume?
Christopher Chong: The problem with perfume is that it has been over analysed these past few years. I am the first one to raise my hand and say, I am not a huge perfume buff. I think of the 1980's, which were so interesting. When you had to wait a year or two for a launch, it was much more special. Back then, perfumes were not overanalysed. It was much more about how does this speak to me? More importantly do I like it or not? Sometimes with too much information it confuses the consumer. It takes away your own personal judgement. You may like something, but technically you should not like it.
WMSSL: And I think some brands are forgetting the customer because they are caught up in telling a story or the 'art of perfumery.' They forget to allow room for the customer to become part of the conversation.
Christopher Chong: Sometimes they go too far with steering the consumer into what they want the consumer to smell. It is too easy to go into that mode of thinking for the consumer. I don't like doing that. Then people say, 'well what do you do in a consultation?' For me a consultation is an introduction but it is also to allow the consumer to absorb. There are people that like to do profiling and they ask me, why don't I do that? I say – how can I get to know someone in half an hour or even an hour? I don't know you. It takes a lifetime to get to know someone. I don't know you so I can't tell you. I love it when people say, what perfume do you think I should wear. I say, I can't tell you. To be honest, I don't believe in profiling.
WMSSL: People are too complex to be read like that right?
Christopher Chong: It is like going to a tarot card reading. Even husbands and wives or partners do not know each other after 30 years. They still find new things, so how do you expect me to know how you should smell after half an hour?
WMSSL: How do you select the perfumers you work with? Do you approach a perfumer with a specific project in mind or will you submit a design brief and see which perfumer's draft best suits your vision?
Christopher Chong: In the beginning, I didn't know many perfumers so I did blind tests. I submitted a brief and directions. They would submit their first submissions. I would go about selecting them through the first submission blind tests without knowing who they were. But now I know their style and I know certain people that I want to work with. So a lot of the time it is based on personality. I don't like to work with big egos. I think to create a piece of work; it is not about their or my ego. It is about creating the objective. It is not about their style or my style; this is the reason why you find that there is an Amouage style, because we remove our egos. It is not creating a Christopher Chong fragrance, or the perfumer's fragrance. It is about creating what the brief sets out. Sometimes when we work on a fragrance, it is about to be launch then we ask ourselves if we feel good about it, and we say no – there is something weird about it. Then we look at the brief and we realise, oh my god we got out of control! So we make ourselves go back to the brief. That is why I think there is a special Amouage smell because we remove our egos.
WMSSL: Aside from this, there is a definite soul in Amouage perfumes. Even when working with perfumers who create for other brands, you have the ability to push a perfumer to create something very unique to Amouage. What is your secret?
Christopher Chong: Well, as you know, a lot of your peers (perfume bloggers) haven't been fair to a lot of us. They only give the perfumer credit. They always name the nose as the creator, but perfumers are not created out of the blue. Perfumers work with the creative director who sets the mood, the tone and the requirements. Creative directors all work in different ways so I cannot speak for others but the way I work is to always select the brief, the mood and the story. I even select ingredients before the perfumer gets to work on the brief. That's why they like working with me. Life is a lot easier because the direction is so precise, where as some other brands may say, I want a bit of this or I want a bit of that. I want you to capture this or that. But I am very precise. I may select the ingredients and accords beforehand so they get much more prescription in creating their perfume and I tweak it at every stage with them. I might not have the technical expertise like they do. I didn't go to perfume school but in a way they find this very refreshing because it challenges their textbook knowledge. They love it because I give them freedom, but also, I give them guidance. You have to be very precise about telling them what you want. Some have told me, so many people don't know what they want.
WMSSL: For others, maybe the brief is simply – make me a best seller, or make it smell like such and such.
Christopher Chong: Make me lots of money! The problem now is that there are too many brands. Niche is not like niche was 8-10 years ago.
WMSSL: Where do you think it is heading if things continue this way?
Christopher Chong: Car crash! (Christopher laughs) Customers are waking up to it. I think it was different when I joined. There weren't so many of us. When I started, I spent two years going around the world, telling people what a creative director was in the perfume industry. Nobody knew. I mean there were no creative directors back then; they called themselves perfumers, which was confusing. I was the first to raise my hand, Frederic Malle did it too, to say, no, we don't blend, we direct, this is different. Back then, the press and the bloggers, which was very new, they didn't understand. They said, well what do you do if you don't blend? They didn't understand the other aspects of creation. Like in fashion, a creative director, he or she sets the mood, the tone, selects the materials and then the whole team works together as a team. Nowadays everyone is coming out and finally saying, 'oh we don't blend, we are creative directors.' (Christopher laughs)
WMSSL: This is very true. If I think of the couture industry, every creative director is much more revered as the creator of a collection compared to the perfume industry. Undoubtedly you would not have Chanel without Karl Lagerfeld or Lanvin without Alber Elbaz, but most people don't see the team of technical experts that sit behind these designers, bringing their drawings to life. Yet in fashion, we only think of one person as the brand – the creative director. In perfume it is kind of the reverse.
Do you think the role of a perfumer has changed in the past decade? These days, perfumers are like celebrities.
Christopher Chong: It has changed. There are lots more women perfumers now too. I work with a lot of women, and these women I work with, their background is often not perfume. They started off as chemists; they did chemistry in university. Like Karine Vinchon Spehner, who has a PHD. But overall I like to work with people that are more like a reflection of me. I am actually very easygoing. I like to work with people who are also easygoing. I don't care about my name being attached to it, and they shouldn't too. It's about the final product. So I tend not to work with big name celebrity perfumers.
WMSSL: What about Alberto Morillas? He is a big name.
Christopher Chong: Alberto doesn't count! He is a legend (Christopher laughs). Recently, I did a lot of work with Pierre Negrin. Pierre is not a celebrity perfumer but he is a nice guy. I work with certain perfumers just because they are nice. That is it. In my personal opinion, they must have all the basic skills, core skills that I need, but for me, some of that mixture is their personality. It is reflected in the product. For example, for Honour Woman, I worked with Alexandra Carlin. She had just finished her apprenticeship. She was a very sweet girl to work with and she still sends me emails. She was such a nice person and that is why we collaborated. I just want to work with nice people. I mean the world is too tough and too stressful. I don't need my work to give me any more stress!
WMSSL: So where to next? Where will you be taking us, your audience, in this next cycle, which began with Journey Man and Journey Woman?
Christopher Chong: When I first started, people didn't know who I was. It took customers and the press some years to get to know me. Now I think we have reached a stage where they know more about me than I know about myself. So I decided that in the next cycle, it is much more direct. Like in Journey, I told people about my passion, what I like. For example, I like Chinese film noir, Chinese cinema. It surprised me that some press and some customers, they shared those same passions with me, and that created a dialogue. For this new, second cycle, I want to have a more intimate dialogue with the world, rather than telling my story behind a narrative. So this becomes a much more personal narrative.
WMSSL: You mentioned Journey Man. It is a fragrance that I really relate to. As far as my journey with fragrance goes, Journey Man reminds me very much of fragrances I smelled back in the 1990's as a teenager becoming interested in men's fragrance.
Christopher Chong: A lot of current trends are coming from the '80s and '90s gentlemanly smells. When I go to America to do press interviews the press say to me, 'your stuff is very difficult to wear. They're so strong.' I have to say, wait a minute here. Think 1980's. You guys gave us Giorgio Beverly Hills and Bijan for Men! You guys gave us all of those fragrances in the 1980's. You are telling me that this (Amouage) is strong? They are tame in comparison.
WMSSL: And what about the Opus Library Collection? How will this continue to evolve?
Christopher Chong: It took some time to be accepted by customers. The core clientele are so different. In New York, there is a lot of the fashion crowd wearing it because they are much more daring. The Library collection allows me to explore. I see it as my couture. It gives me the opportunity to be experimental, which I may filter down to the main collection. For example, Opus VII was all about galbanum, which I still don't have in my main collection yet. But galbanum is a tough ingredient to use; you either love it or hate it like marmalade. The latest one, Opus VIII is about a marine-ozone molecule. I wouldn't dare to do that in my main collection. I would get slaughtered. But the Library Collection allows me to do it my way without being too worried about the market result. So I think that is good because we all need something like that to play with and to see the market's reaction. 2 or 3 years later, I might use those same ingredients again but in the main collection.
WMSSL: Finally, what about the Midnight Flower collection? Where does this new collection fit in with the existing perfumes?
Christopher Chong: So this is the first EDP from the Midnight Flower collection. I launched this collection last year in honour of my dog that passed away 2 years ago. It was a huge shock and I was in mourning at that stage and I wanted to express the close relationship that can be shared between a human and a dog. I wanted to come out and tell people about my mourning and in many ways I was scared. I thought people wouldn't understand. When I did, I was really shocked by the support I got. A lot of people said they spent many years staying quiet because they were too scared and too embarrassed to talk about their hurt and the pain. My story is about having courage and saying it's OK. So this collection is basically in her honour. Midnight Flower was her pedigree name. I got her when I started at Amouage. We went through this whole journey together, and she was part of my smelling process. If she ran out, it was no good and if she ran around in circles, it was a good perfume. I wanted it to be a celebration of who she was, the joy she gave me, and her characteristics. She was a very funny, quirky and crazy little dog. That is why it is all about a celebration of happiness. It started with three candles and I launched another candle, this year, called Smile. The inspiration behind it was a raspberry macaroon. What brings a smile to your face? When you see dessert! So this collection allows me to do things that I couldn't do in the main collection because people don't think this is sophisticated. I've reached a point in my creative process where I want to do things without the pressure. Sometimes I want to do things for fun. Life is too short. I don't want to be all moody, dark and scary. Memoir was scary you know! Sometimes I want to lighten it up. This first EDP is called Sunshine. It's a gourmand white floral. It has opening notes I have never used before like almond and blackcurrant liqueur. It has a bright, sweet opening and then it has white floral notes of jasmine, osmanthus and magnolia. Then it has juxtaposition. My signature darkness in the basenotes is cade, papyrus and blond tobacco. And it's a new cap. I wanted to represent happiness. I wanted this to be a happy scent. The box is also slightly different. I wanted the box to look different from the main collection. I made a floral sun pattern. You can also remove this (Christopher removes the padded insert from the box) and use the box to keep your jewellery or your trinkets. This is recycling. All our boxes are made of wood. I don't understand minimalism. It is not my style. And it is something different from the Main Collection and the Library Collection. Even the colour is something I would not do in the Main Collection. So this collection has special meaning to me. It gives me the freedom to have fun. Life is very short. It is very important to have fun!
If you would like to read more about my experience of Christopher's latest creation, Sunshine, visit my review and first guest post on US perfume site CaFleurBon.
Thank you to Agence de Parfum, Amouage's exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand, who invited me to interview Christopher Chong during his recent visit to Australia.