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Wednesday, 30 June 2010
cheese, please, but pass on the service: La Fromagerie
It's not going to take you more than a shake of a lamb's tail, then, to anticipate that I'm likely to be a supporter of London's finest cheese emporia. Neal's Yard, Paxton & Whitfield, Hamish Johnston, La Cave à Fromage... they're all close to my heart, not to mention my stomach. But La Fromagerie, tucked away in a quiet corner of Marylebone, should be on that list, right?
And it is, kind of. The cheeses there are worth the trip. A huge selection, all in pristine condition, ready and ripe to go. But the rest? The shop? The café? Not so much.
I visited a few weeks ago, and although satisfied by my intake of the whiffy stuff, was distinctly less so by the service throughout. Put simply, the latter put the dampers on my lunch, and might have blighted my entire afternoon, were it not for a post-La Fromagerie visit to Ginger Pig's droolworthy shop right next door, where service is cheery, friendly, helpful, and expert. The contrast could hardly have been greater.
La Fromagerie, pleeeeeeeeease take note: if you're going to sell premium products, then please at least TRY to make sure the service is up to scratch, too. So, having sight of a menu when I'm seated would be good. Not 15 minutes later. If I ask for a wine recommendation to go with my cheese, I do NOT expect, 'Well, if you like white, go for the house white, but there's the red, if you prefer red.' I mean, WHAT??? Oh, and - in the event that I do in fact opt for a glass of vino after such brilliant guidance - I'd prefer to drink it from a clean glass, please. Not one that seems to have been handled by the entire staff first, going by the number of fingerprints all over it. And the slices of pear that come with the cheese plate - any chance they could be replaced with slices that aren't bruised?
Grrrrrrrrrr. I expected better. A lot better.
Anyway, for what it's worth, here are the pics:
Waiting to be seated. I'm expecting a disco in the interim, 'cos of the glitterball, natch.
Seated. It's a little on the cosy side. But you've gotta love that clock.
The view behind me. Cheese room in the background - where the service is as chilly as the room temperature, but more of that later...
The cheese plate. Can you see the bruise on that pear slice? Thought so.
OK, well, the cheese was good. Clockwise, starting from 3 o'clock as you look at the plate - Sariette de Banon (goat), Camembert Fermier Durand (cow), Haut Barry (ewe), Lou Bren (ewe), Devon Blue (cow). For me the standouts were the Sariette de Banon - creamy, flaky, and slightly fruity - and the Haut Barry - earthy, slightly sweet, and nutty.
And what I also liked about the Haut Barry was its ridiculously colourful (and wholly natural, I hasten to add) crust...
Pretty, innit?
Portion sizes, although the picture may not suggest as much, were pretty much spot on, I thought. Not too little, not too much, and just about acceptable for the moolah involved (£13.50).
And then, my friends, is the small matter of cake. Or rather, the large matter of cake:
Soft hazelnut meringue filled with Valrhona ganache? Really? Do I have to? Oh, go on, then.
Again, you probably don't get quite the sense of scale from the photo, but these slices were IMMENSE. A couple seated next to us gasped when they saw what was being put in front of us. I smiled back, reassuringly. Of course I can, and will, eat it all.
I didn't. But one of these days, I might try again. Because I don't like being defeated by cake. It pains me. Still, on this particular occasion, the pain was relatively short-lived, because we had a pressing engagement with the cheese room before we left.
For a cheese lover, a cheese room is surely ultimate fantasy, the room we'd all have built into our homes were it not for the fact that space and money don't permit. At La Fromagerie, you can indulge that fantasy a little without paying an architect for the privilege.
But only a little. Because, frankly, the whole experience is (or was, for us) spoiled by the affineurs, whose brusqueness and coldness made for a tongue-biting and teeth-gritting time. I know a fair amount about cheese (four decades of eating the stuff helps), and I don't appreciate being treated like a numbskull, least of all by an arrogant and patronising schmuck (sorry, affineur) seemingly barely out of nappies. And in any case, what I may or may not know about cheese is wholly irrelevant. If I'm asking questions about the cheese, wouldn't you want to help me, to get my interest, convince me, maybe let me try some, and, y'know, SELL IT TO ME? You are failing your customers, La Fromagerie, and doing your business a disservice.
Oh, and I was told that I wasn't allowed to hold my point-and-shoot closer than about a metre away from the cheeses (no reason given, and no, I'm not exaggerating).
OH, YEAH? So sue me, then.
With the teeth-gritting rendering me in danger of an imminent dentist's visit, we chose just 2 cheeses from the many to take home. By this time, I really didn't feel like lining La Fromagerie's pockets and propping up some overblown egos any more than we had already done.
Our choices:
This is a favourite of mine, but I have to be in the mood. It's strong, verging on brutal (any idea why I chose it on this particular afternoon? No, me neither). Its taste is pungent 'fading' to something resembling a chilli burn. It's an acquired taste, I guess, but fun.
This is a lovely, rich, creamy goat's cheese. If you like goat's cheeses - and I know they're not everyone's favourite - do put this on your must-try list.
And so, some GBP sterling lighter, but pounds of cheese and waistline heavier, we took our leave and dived into the Ginger Pig shop next door. Our experience in there threw that of La Fromagerie into even greater relief. And not in a way that was favourable to the latter.
Drinking wine, eating top-notch cheese and cake, and choosing more cheese to take home, should surely be a pleasure, a joy. I regret to say that on my visit, La Fromagerie didn't make it so. I'd heard great things, but I left disappointed and disgruntled. I may end up returning at some point, if only because I love the cheese, but what it comes down to is this: there are other cheese shops/cafés I'd rather go to first, where the service is everything it should be and the customers leave with happy hearts and bellies. So it's probably safe to say you won't see me back at La Fromagerie anytime soon.
62 comments:
- goodshoeday said...
Wow thats some level of bad service you got there. I've never been to La Fromagerie though it has been on my list for a while, it has just plummeted rather a long way down.
Like the fact you have a nice designer handbag in prime position in one of the shots maybe that tells us something about the type of clientele who have to have their bags on a chair. In my view if you can afford a designer bag of that ilk you can afford to chuck it on the floor ;0
- 30 June 2010 at 14:28
- clairetweet said...
Excellent post. Nice that it is so honest. I too hope they take note. What a fantastic looking place with so much promise ruined by poorly trained and mannered staff.
That meringuey thing looks FANTASTIC. I would love to try a doorstep sized slice of that.
Keep us informed if you get any responses from them or visit again.
- 30 June 2010 at 14:39
Thanks for the info. Maybe the Highbury shop might be a little better?
What a shame though, I hate having such a disappointing food experience.....makes me rather grumpy!
- 30 June 2010 at 15:01
- curlyluddite said...
Sunch a shame about the service. Especially since the wares are so good. Very unwise of them!
- 30 June 2010 at 15:17
- Pia K said...
with one or two minor things not being top notch but the rest lovely then one don't really mind, but the layering of badness nere... jeez! it would be so interesting to hear of any responses! i hope you've emailed them your post...?
i'm not a cheese buff as such (it would probably help if there were more porper vegetarian cheeses around, which alas is so lacking in sweden) but i totally love how the place looks! and the cake, oh divine... and really, shame on you for not finishing it...;)
- 30 June 2010 at 15:36
- Lizzie said...
A most excellent rant.
Funny, they didn't seem to have a problem with a bunch of us bloggers taking pictures up close of their cheese.
I only went to that particular bloggers' evening, but an annoyed friend told me she inadvertently spent £13 on a wedge of what she thought was brie in the Highbury shop; upon discovering it was in fact truffled, and it's price, she was too scared of the formidable server to back down.
We had an excellent cheese board that night.
- 30 June 2010 at 16:45
- The Ample Cook said...
In spite of the rules imposed re photographing, your photos are excellent! A great review too.
I'm afraid I would be inclined to email them, attaching this review. I really do believe that any business owners NEED to be informed of any short comings.
- 30 June 2010 at 17:22
- Nicisme said...
What a shame because the cheeses look fabulous. And don't get me started on the meringue dessert... mmmm.
I had to laugh re the camera distance, maybe they don't know about zoom lenses, lol! Your photos are really super.
- 30 June 2010 at 17:46
- Choclette said...
Think you should defiantly post them a copy of this review - bad service is sooo not acceptable. Unhappily, so many establishments don't seem to realise this! the cheese looks fabulous though.
- 30 June 2010 at 19:32
- LexEat! said...
such an entertaining post and excellent photos - I apologise of course for getting enjoyment at your expense!
i agree, definitely send them the post!
- 30 June 2010 at 21:25
- Kavey said...
I too have only been here once, for the same blogger event Lizzie mentions... and of course, they were on best behaviour then.
Though I recall someone else mentioning some very frosty/ arrogant service that had put her off visiting, though she had been a regular customer previously.
For me, whilst I loved the cheese room and could appreciate the added value of their skilled affineur, I will probably stick with the warmer approach (and, for me, more convenient location) of some of the others on your list.
- 30 June 2010 at 21:44
- 30 June 2010 at 21:52
- Jacqueline said...
The cheese looks lovely, but what a disappointing experience.
- 30 June 2010 at 23:27
I have eaten at La Fromagerie and purchased cheese from the cheese room. I agree that service is a bit slapdash, but i had a far friendlier experience. It is worth remembering that it is just a few tables in a shop and not a fancy resto. The food there is very good, and not just the delicious cheese platters. Yes ok your pear was bruised but it looks like a tiny bruise and well maybe I am alittle less fussy but i've never discarded a fruit because of a small bruise. However if you were upset about it, why didn't you raise it with the manager at the time? explaining the dirty glass, the pear, the wine tips...you may have found he would attempt to rectify the situation for you, and avoid you leaving on such a low note. I doubt any mgr would be pleased to annoy a customer, especially a blogging one! :)
I DO know what you mean about the cheese room, we had an old french guy try to dissuade us from adding another cheese to our order as we were "doing it in the wrong order". I just asked him if his manager would be happy to hear him turn down cash and he relented. Just be firm, and remind them you're the customer!
I am pleased you liked the ginger pig though- what a shop!!!
ps- your dessert looked amazing!!
- 1 July 2010 at 09:37
- aforkfulofspaghetti said...
goodshoeday - yep, I think you've got the clientele down to a T. I fitted in well, obvy ;)
clairetweet - the meringuey thing WAS good, no probs there!
Viki - it may well be. I've not been
curlyluddite - shame, indeed
Pia - sorry about the cake. I did my best! :)
Lizzie - I can believe it. Like you, I've no problem with the cheeses there - they're great. The rest, well...
The Ample Cook - we politely raised issues with staff at the time (except with the affineur). All dealt with, more or less (tho' not the wine 'recommendation'!). But having to do so spoilt the experience
Nicisme - quite...
Choclette - it was, it was!
Kavey - yep, me too
Jacqueline - indeed, it was. More so, because I'd heard such great things
dasilvajums - I did raise all those issues at the time (that bruised pear slice was actually a replacement for more badly bruised ones!). I know it's not a fancy resto, but I think if you're serving premium cheese (and charging premium prices), everything that goes with it should reasonably match it, standard-wise. I don't want schmooze, I just ask for competence. Oh, and don't worry, I'm firm ;) But again, in a good place, one which understands what sevice is about, you just shouldn't have to do that.
- 1 July 2010 at 11:55
- BribedwithFood said...
I hate bad service. With a passion.
I have said before that service for me can make or break a dining experience and I'm sad that you had to feel so disgruntled among all that cheese... I mean, that IS something!
Thanks for the warning and also the final cheese tips - I'm looking at buying some (from elsewhere obviously) straight away as they sound exactly like the type of thing I'd enjoy :)
- 1 July 2010 at 12:15
- The Grubworm said...
Great write up of some equisite looking cheeses. I like what they have on offer, but I to (and some friends) have hit that haughty, frosty reception in the Highbury store before. So now, we just go to Neal's Yard instead. 'Tis a shame, but there's too many nice places to go to have to deal with bad service.
- 1 July 2010 at 13:29
- Becky said...
I adore cheese too but bad service would stop me going there. I often end up leaving shops when people look like they cannot be bothered to serve me . Sadly your shots make it look so gorgeous I may have to stop in, that or I will have to build my own cheeseroom.
- 1 July 2010 at 13:36
- Lucy Fishwife said...
I used to live round the corner from the Highbury one. Again, lovely cheese, fantastic selection, and the rudest and most snottily, dismissively, patronising service you could imagine.
- 1 July 2010 at 15:02
- Catherine said...
The pictures look great, it's a shame you had such a bad experience though :( re: the wine suggestions, I feel thats probably a training issue with the staff, and if the company dont want to invest the time to train them properly on matching wines, the chances are they probably have a high turnover of staff too. This probably reflects in the careless attitudes, not that I'm condoning it in the slightest! I could be completely wrong, but thats how I see it.
That cake, however, looks UTTERLY divine, you must go back and complete the task in hand!! :)
- 1 July 2010 at 16:21
- Kanga_Rue said...
There's no excuse for service like this when their competitors offer warm and engaging service. The cheeses look amazing, but the idea of tackling their lesser areas is really off-putting and I'll be steering my business elsewhere.
Enjoyable read and your photos are great despite the distance limitation!
- 1 July 2010 at 19:34
Those bishes better tread caerphilly (ahahahaha...no? Going to stand in corner now).
Hate it when service peope are rude (or anyone really), why don't they do *another job* that doesn't require coming into contact with the general public if the hate it. Gah.
- 2 July 2010 at 14:43
Love your photos! It all looks delectable!
I am a regular and a fan of La Fromagerie. I've always viewed it as a buzzing cafe vibe and love it. Best coffee around! I'm always a little intimidated by the sheer choice when I go into the cheese room but the guys in there are quick to put me at ease. I hope this was a "once off" in your case as I am sure La Fromagerie is worth another visit.
- 2 July 2010 at 18:35
- Helen said...
I was at the blogger evening too and although the cheese was amazing - so well kept - some of it literally stunning...the cafe food was just rubbish. A souffle was one of the worst I've ever eaten. I didn't notice any problems with the service but then they would have been on their best behaviour. I think they should just stick to what they do best with selling the cheese and forget the cafe.
- 2 July 2010 at 22:25
- La Fromagerie said...
All the staff at La Fromagerie have read your blog the last few days and everyone is extremely upset, surprised and genuinely disappointed by many of the comments.
All my staff pride themselves on giving friendly and professional service. Many of the staff have been with us for several years and are passionate about what they do.
Of course, I make no excuse for bad service and we would hope that a customer would bring it to our attention at the time so that we can put it right to ensure their visit is as lovely as it should be. We take all feedback very seriously and we always strive to improve, so i can only apologise that you felt the service you received was not up to standard.
I stand by all my affineurs, chefs, café staff, & shop staff for their dedication, passion and integrity – we have all worked very hard the last 8 years since we opened in Moxon Street to create somewhere unique that represents the producers and everything we love about food.
We have two very talented chefs who produce fabulous seasonal menus incorporating all the beautiful fresh produce. In the last month we have launched a new breakfast menu, new cheese plate selections, wines by the glass and we continue to improve in all areas of both products and service.
Everything posted on your blog we take very much to heart and we would gladly welcome anyone who has taken the trouble to post their thoughts back to La Fromagerie so that you will see the lovely generous spirit that so many of our customers do enjoy and return back time after time.
With reference to use of cameras at la Fromagerie: Customers are welcome to take photos in the shop and cheese room on request. If the photography is for personal use we just ask that the privacy of anyone enjoying the café is observed.
For those seeking photographs for professional use we can provide a link to hi res. pictures from our press pack. We are also very happy to arrange times for photo shoots on request as we do for many professional publications.
With kind regards,
Sarah Bilney
General Manager
& All the staff at La Fromagerie
- 3 July 2010 at 17:50
I work locally to La Fromagerie and have been visiting the cheese room there about twice a week for 7 years. I have always found the 'affineurs' to be helpful, polite, informative and busy. They're busy because it's a superb cheese room. I have never eaten there, but you seem to be rubbishing a valuable Marylebone institution because you didn't get Michelin star service in a café. I have not read your blog before so don't know you're style or expectations but wonder if you are American? How terrible for you that you didn't get sommelier advice from a waitress and that you were unlucky enough to receive an unpolished glass. I assure you I am not affiliated with them in any way.
- 3 July 2010 at 22:59
- aforkfulofspaghetti said...
BribedwithFood - me, too. It doesn't have to be formal and polished, just friendly and helpful
Grubworm - completely agree
Becky - the cheese there is certainly very good indeed
Lucy Fishwife - oh. Oh dear. :(
Catherine - you may well be right
Kanga Rue - thank you
sasasunakku - brownie point for worst joke ever... ;)
Suzy - Thank you. And I hope it was a one-off, too
Helen - it's an idea...
La Fromagerie - I appreciate your apology, and am happy to confirm that problems at the time in the cafe were rectified.
As you will have read in my post, I thought your cheeses were terrific. I would have bought more to take home, but found your affineur's manner seriously off-putting.
It seems from other comments on this post that our experience of La Fromagerie's service is not an isolated one. Comments on Twitter in reaction to my post were in the same vein, as follows:
'I go weekly cos it's near but each time I go I think the service gets more arrogant.'
'Prefer the wider selection at La Fromagerie but not the service.'
'one of reasons I go to Neals Yard much more than La Fromagerie is service of guys in cheese room. Sniffy.'
'i lived near highbury story & heard complaints nearly every time i bring up their name.'
'Went to Highbury one regularly for more than 10 years, never a flicker of a smile. Given up.'
'had such rude service some years ago I stopped going for a year. nice sunny service @ Neals Yard.'
'is there any london food shop that receives more complaints about its service?'
'so right. Ingredients, freshness, locally sourced blah-di-blah. What about training and service?'
I flag these up only to demonstrate that poor/rude service seems to be a consistent theme.
Winerack - nonsense.
(a) I did not rubbish La Fromagerie, as you will know if you had read my post properly. There is much about it that is good.
(b) I don't want Michelin service, whatever that may be. Whether I go to a Michelin restaurant or my local cafe, all I ask for is civility and helpfulness. The standard of the eaterie is irrelevant in this regard.
(c) similarly, I didn't expect a polished glass, just a clean one. The one I was given was clearly not.
- 4 July 2010 at 10:26
I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion , but here i think you going a little over board, from reading your review i believe that you only been to la fromagerie once, and took your conclusions from that visit! have you asked your self did i get that service because i came through as a total 'smuck' ?? i think the answer is YESS!!
I been going to la fromagerie for years, its a busy area the cafe atmosphere is always buzzing and the service is great, i know sometimes they are extremely busy and the staff have always come up to me and my partner and apologized if they couldn't give us the best service.
As for the cheese room staff, I'm always overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge that they have about the cheeses .
- 4 July 2010 at 16:28
- aforkfulofspaghetti said...
Rachel - please read my previous comment
- 5 July 2010 at 08:21
Thanks for the reply. I'm not the one writing non-sense. When I go to an establishment where I am not happy with either the service, product or both, I don't go back. You seem to delight in unwhittingly discouraging others from going and forming their own opinion by writing a 'cup more than half empty' blog and gathering together an on-line support group for your opinion. Though you felt you deserved an apology from this establishment (i still fail to understsnd what for, even having properly read your blog) the only true way for any business to fix their mistakes is being given an opportunity to excel to others. I am only taking the time to respond as such, having only ever commented on any blog once before, due to what read as a 1 sided post full of intolerance directed against a business dear to my heart that I and many others I know,patronise with pleasure. I am in no way affiliated with La Fromagerie.
- 5 July 2010 at 09:14
- aforkfulofspaghetti said...
Winerack - I take no delight in mentioning the flaws I encountered at La Fromagerie whatsoever. And I don't know what makes you think I felt I deserved an apology.
I reviewed La Fromagerie as I have done many other places. I simply gave my account of what happened. As with any review, it is up to the reader to make up his or her own mind whether to visit the place on the basis of that review.
- 5 July 2010 at 09:36
IMHO you do a lot more than "...simply give my account of what happened." You appear to spin and opinion form by your use of subjective negativity, which would strongly discourage me from visiting if I weren't already a patron.
I also do not see in your blog (maybe because it's hard to find if it is indeed there) where you mention that the trivialities that upset you were addressed satisfactorily during your visit.
I leave my defense of the La Fromagerie there (to avoid further trivialities) and hope you give them an opportunity to excel on another occasion.
- 5 July 2010 at 10:04
- May said...
I think it's great that you just shared your experience and told it as it was. Bad service is just what it is and should not be accepted, regardless of the prices on the menu. My experiences there ( I have been a few times) is that the service varies, mostly uninterested waitressses.
Good that La Fromagerie have taken note of the comments. If you are customer facing, make them happy and they will evangelise for you.
- 5 July 2010 at 10:07
- aforkfulofspaghetti said...
Winerack - see my comments to other responses re La F's addressing the problems
May - couldn't agree more! :)
- 5 July 2010 at 10:17
I have been a customer of La Fromagerie for years now, and am slightly perturbed by some of the negative comments made. The food is of incredible quality and freshness, and I've always found the customer service to be pleasant. Yes, it can get busy, but never in my experience, have the staff been anything less than helpful. I do hope that readers are not put off by this post. We should be supporting our small, independent stores/restaurants. I urge you all to find out for yourself how wonderful La Fromagerie really is!
- 5 July 2010 at 10:35
- Robert Giorgione said...
Wow! That choc meringue looked delish! I've been a big fan of La Fromagerie for many years. In fact, have posted many articles on my blog too. Patricia Michelson rocks!
- 5 July 2010 at 10:43
- youngandfoodish said...
Speaking as a mostly appreciative shopper at the Highbury La Fromagerie I'd say that the people who work there need to get out more. Say "cheese" at any Islington cocktail party and someone is sure to complain about the chill at La Fromagerie. They are not referring to the temperature of the cheese room.
By opening their eyes you've done them a good service, something to which they may be unaccustomed.
- 5 July 2010 at 11:50
- BeccaRothwell said...
Not sure how relevant this comment will be but thought I'd put it up anyway having read through the debate.
I've never been to La Fromagerie, though living not too far from the Highbury branch it has been on my list to visit and remains so despite your poor experience, primarily because of the continual high praise the cheese has been getting, and now out of sheer curiosity to see what the service is actually like.
It seems though, that those defending La Fromagerie are unwilling to take into account the swell of people who have also experienced poor or frosty service. Clearly this wasn't a one off incident, although it may be that the staff were previously unaware that this was how their service was being perceived. In that respect, although perhaps upsetting, it's surely better to hear the negative criticism and constructively work to improve, rather than insisting that everyone who felt they had poor service must be wrong as the evangelists seem to be.
I have a lot of respect for La Fromagerie themselves for taking the time to read this post and respond politely to the issues raised. It doesn't read to me at all like you were expecting "Michelin starred service" again whatever that is, but that there was simply a mounting of small issues which collectively served to sour your experience.
Reading the post I couldn't help comparing it to my recent experience at a deli bar in Manchester where the staff were wonderfully helpful, listening to my preferences and suggesting which cheeses I might then enjoy, as well as which meats and pickle would pair well. This certainly wasn't silver service, which I actually associate more with expected arrogance and likely would have found intimidating, but just friendly, helpful customer service, which made me feel comfortable despite my ignorance.
A good informative post, which hasn't put me off visiting La Fromagerie but will provide another perspective from which to judge my own experience when I finally do get to pop in.
- 5 July 2010 at 12:59
- Fiona Beckett said...
A very interesting, well written, beautifully photographed review.
Is it fair though? I can't say I've ever had such a bad experience - I've always found the staff friendly but imagine service can get frayed under pressure. It is fundamentally a shop with a few tables rather than a restaurant - not that that excuses bad service (and no, I don't think for a moment you expected Michelin).
It may possibly be suffering from its popularity being the only restaurant in London which offers anything like this sort of cheese experience. I'm sure they will take what you say to heart so I hope your review won't discourage other people from giving it a try. It is a great place to go and eat cheese. And cake, obviously ;-)
- 5 July 2010 at 16:16
- A London Fishmonger said...
Wonderful post of a most interesting experience and great fun reading everyone's comments. Interesting to see no arguments against until La Fromagerie themselves replied. My experience could suggest there could be some employees responding to criticism. Well done and please goto another poor place next as they always offer more entertainment.
- 7 July 2010 at 23:34
- sunita said...
I've been to the place once, love the cheese collection. But didn't spend time enough to judge them. Sorry for your soured experience.
Lovely photos,btw,Iabsolutely adore cheese.
- 8 July 2010 at 06:58
- Alan said...
I think your experience is typical of that elitist food culture that London can sometimes be guilty of.... You'd never get that treatment at Neal's yard though.
I remember years ago going in to La Fromagerie in Highbury, before the Marylebone store - there's no restaurant there - it's purely retail.. They were so unfriendly and cold. I think at the time I was investigating a job opportunity. thank god I didn't go down that path - I might have turned into a bitter superior cheese seller....
Real cheese is artisan, rustic and cared for throughout it's creation - fromagerie somehow misses these facts - completely at odds with the whole cheese making process. Shame....
- 28 July 2010 at 21:16
- Douglas Blyde said...
Your pictures of La From made it look like it was in a village, back in time. Beautiful, but shame about the service. I've waited to be led behind that glass partition quite some time in my life!
- 4 August 2010 at 10:45
- Heather said...
That chocolaty Pavlova gave me a she-boner. But I hate shitty service! Guess I'll get me cheese elsewhere. I mean, should I ever find myself on your side of the pond.
- 20 August 2010 at 19:57
- Foodycat said...
No need to go back when Neal's Yard's staff are absolutely charming and you can put together your own cheese feast to eat at home!
- 21 August 2010 at 17:33
- Fahara said...
I couldn't agree with you more, the staff at La Fromagerie always seem to act as though they're doing you a favour if they so much as look in your direction. I once went in their in a flush mood, keen to spend copious amounts on ridiculous quantities of cheese and came out 20 minutes later with no cheese and with disgust at the useless toads in the cheeseroom. I walked next door and bought a pie at the Ginger Pig instead.
- 24 August 2010 at 13:58
- Dave said...
Haven't been to La F in Marylebone to eat for a couple of years now. Used to love their Sunday Brunch. It was always busy and the service was harried sometimes, but it is what it is. The food was great, and the cheeses fantastic.
I now live 2 minutes form the Highbury Barn store, and now do not buy my cheeses in that store after the sour mood of everyone who works there including the manager.
Neal's Yard is the place to go.
- 27 August 2010 at 14:50
- Alice said...
It's such a terrible shame to have a bad experience somewhere that is so hyped up. We went there a year ago and although we didn't have as bad an experience as you, we certainly came out disappointed.
Your cheesy pictures are making me hungry, so I'll have to stop off our at local, friendly, cheese shop on the way home now!
- 29 August 2010 at 13:35
- Sam said...
What a shame the service wasn't up to scratch, the cheeses look great but without good service it ruins the whole experience.
Your photos are great, how strange that they were so awkward about you taking them....
- 24 September 2010 at 21:51
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Check our our SPECIALS Page for great deals.
Bowen's by the Bays offers a choice of accommodations - elegant guest rooms and one, two or three bedroom private guest cottages. We have free wifi and A/C available in all rooms and cottages. This Hamptons resort is set on four lovely acres and amenities include lighted tennis, swimming pool, playground, shuffleboard court and putting green. Hampton Bays is located in the heart of the Hamptons - the ideal setting for a special vacation. We are a short drive to the beautiful east end towns of Westhampton, Quogue, Southampton and Bridgehampton.
Our Hamptons lodging is minutes away from activities for all the family. Ocean and bay beaches, fishing, golf, mini-golf, petting zoo, aquarium, water park and outlet shopping are all nearby. There are also many fine restaurants and boutiques, and visitors enjoy antiquing, museums and winery tours.
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The "Bold and Fresh" tour featuring Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck is coming soon to a theater near you next week.
The talking twosome are taking their odd couple act on the road promising to deliver the truth as only Fox News pundits can.
They will appear live at four venues and hundreds of theaters across the country will show the performance live.
This is where the Scott Brown tsunami came from, the kind of faithful gathering of the church of Bill and Beck which is a nightly phenomenon on Fox News and where names and reputations get made and torn down.
We can only guess what these events will sound like. Beck will see a communist conspiracy everywhere, O'Reilly will play the straight guy and try and keep Beck somewhat under control.
Not sure this is a good idea for O'Reilly. Beck is just the latest in a long line of fire-eaters who have taken the stage at a time when outspoken passion rules the roost.
O'Reilly has built his reputation in a far more restrained way, as the conservative voice of reason who does not fear the other side, as much as try and pick their arguments apart. Beck just goes for the jugular every time.
Fire-eating is fine until someone douses the flames and I think Beck will flame out like all the ultra-hard-right commentators before him.
O'Reilly on the other hand is an authentic voice of the American conservative. Let's hope he does not get burned being too close to the flame.


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A special edition 2015 CTS-V Coupe will help draw the era of the second-generation to a close. Just 500 of these limited editions will be produced and available later this year. According to GM, "the next generation of the V-Series debuts next year."
Like all 2010-2014 CTS-V models, the special edition 2015 CTS-V Coupe will sport a 556hp supercharged LSA V-8, Magnetic Ride Control, and Brembo brakes. However, it separates itself with red brake calipers, satin graphite wheels, dark V grille, Recaro seats, Ebony interior with contrast red stitching, microfiber suede steering wheel and shift knob, and Midnight Sapele wood trim.
"The V-Series continues to elevate Cadillac, providing an exclusive family of high-performance luxury models that attract a new audience of elite and passionate buyers," said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer, Global Cadillac.
Pricing starts at $72,195 for the special edition 2015 CTS-V Coupe, and Cadillac dealers are taking order now. Exterior colors are limited to: Crystal White, Black Diamond, and Phantom Gray.
"The special edition is a stepping stone to the next-generation V-Series, which will move to the next level with more dynamic design and technical sophistication," Ellinghaus said.
Speculation is that there may not be a CTS-V Coupe in the next-generation performance V-series lineup. Or at the very least, it seems unlikely to have a wagon and a coupe. The sedan, however, is a real winner – on the race track and the street. Our friends at Motor Trend think the CTS-V engine of choice will be a version of the 2015 Corvette Z06's supercharged LT4 that will make around 600 horsepower. We can't wait!


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Semifinal "Sudden Death Rounds" continue next week; Top 20 semifinalists announced Thursday, Feb. 28, on FOX
Thursday night from Las Vegas, the first group of "American Idol" guy semifinalists performed on the stage of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE Theatre at The Mirage. After another dramatic round of deliberations, judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban announced the first five guys who will join the five girls announced Wednesday night in this season's Top 20. The five guy semifinalists are Charlie Askew, 18, from Little Rock, Ark.; Curtis Finch Jr., 24, from St. Louis; Paul Jolley, 22, from Palmersville, Tenn.; Elijah Liu, 18, from Rowland Heights, Calif.; and Devin Velez, 18, from Chicago.
Tune in next week on Wednesday, Feb. 27 (8 p.m.), as the "Sudden Death Rounds" continue when the second group of girls - Melinda Ademi, Janelle Arthur, Juliana Chahayed, Cristabel Clack, Aubrey Cleland, Candice Glover, Rachel Hale, Jett Hermano, Zoanette Johnson and Breanna Steer - perform and the judges decide which five will join the Top 20.
Don't miss the dramatic conclusion from Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 28 (8 p.m.), as the final group of guys - Lazaro Arbos, Nick Boddington, Josh Holiday, Vincent Powell, Cortez Shaw, Gurpreet Singh Sarin, Bryant Tadeo, Burnell Taylor, Mathenee Treco and David Willis - perform with the hope of claiming one of the five remaining spots.
Visitwww.americanidol.com for interviews with the Top 40, as well as additional "American Idol" news.
"Like" "American Idol" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanIdol. You can follow the series on Twitter @AmericanIdol and join the discussion at #idol. Also, follow host Ryan Seacrest at @RyanSeacrest, and follow the judges: @MariahCarey,@yo_randyjackson,@nickiminaj and @keithurban.


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Tomorrow I will be sharing my full Alt Summit experience but today I wanted to share an epiphany I had that will change the way I blog forever. It was like a 3 step "A-ha" moment that came full circle during the conference. Going in to Alt Summit I was super excited but also really apprehensive about approaching brands. I had no idea what I brought to the table, why they would want to work with me and no ideas of which brands were the right fit for me. I don't mean any of this in a woe-is-me type of way. I've been blogging for about 6 years so how can it be that I don't know who I am or why my readers read what I write? But it did come to me and my direction is finally clear. Kind of smack on the forehead, how did I not think of this years ago clear. But what may start out one way sometimes has to take a journey to find out where it was meant to be. I will be working toward a redesign and a bigger game plan (not quite world domination but pretty close, wink). I will start creating the new content now, though, because who knows how long I will need to save up for a new site. I'm super excited about it and I can't wait to share it with you.
I know many of you have also been blogging for a long time and may not be where you thought you would be. Don't fret! I want to share my experience with you to encourage you to continue on your journey. Your blog is YOU so make it what you love. And what you love may change over time. Your readers like YOU so let the blog follow where your life takes it. Here is how Stella (my blog) got her groove back:
First: Becoming You with The Wardrobe Code. I mentioned this in an Alt prep post, but I recently got the chance to participate in this 4 week online class where you learn what your personal style profile is. To say that it is life changing does not even come close. I'll have a full post on this next week but what I learned about my style in clothing really translated to every area of my life. I came to understand that while I had never felt like the look of my blog reflected me, I couldn't have told you why or articulated how I thought it should look. Now I have the tools to define and share what my personal style is. Similarly, my house does not reflect the lifestyle of my family. But now I have a vision of what I want it to look like. Not only has my style improved (I don't think I have ever felt more confident in what I put on) but I have clarity in my online look as well. HUGE! This presented itself during a round table discussion on PR on the second day of Alt. I'm not even sure what I heard that made me make the connection but I instantly knew I now had the tools to create a site that looks like me (not my face, you know what I mean. Duh).
Then: The night before I left for Alt, I had a dream with special guest star, Bri of Design Love Fest (image above by Kimberly Genevieve). I do not know Bri. Never met her. So I'm not sure where the dream came from but obviously I was in a state of unrest about my blogging "brand." In my dream there was a large group of bloggers. For some reason we were supposed to be grouped in some way. Dreamland Bri didn't want to be in any of the groups because the bloggers weren't being "real." In her dream opinion, none of us were blogging to our full potential and she didn't want to be grouped with people who didn't have their acts together in a visually pleasing way. You might be reading this like, um okay dream Bri, cut them some slack but in the dream she wasn't rude, she was matter of fact. And when I woke up I had this sense of needing to discover what I was all about in blogging world. So I struggled with this during my travel to and through the beginning of Alt. But during a session on the second day, after thinking about why people come to my blog, I got it. Bri would be SO proud! (Again, I am certain real life Bri is lovely and I don't want you to get the wrong impression from dreamland Bri – I don't know her but I do credit dreamland Bri with guiding me to the answers I had been looking for – and for real, you need to check out her advice section on her blog, tons of great info and I feel like she did a post on being yourself but I couldn't find it.)
Finally we get to Alt. 600 people there to learn, mingle, do business and just have fun. It was exhausting. It was useful. It was worth the money. And it was the final piece that helped me figure out the future of the blog. There was so much inspiration and so many great panels. There were late night talks with the world's best roommates and interacting with brands in lounges. Being that close to the brands without knowing what you should pitch to them was almost paralyzing at times. I didn't want to chat with someone and be super to generic and then want to work with them in the future and them to have the wrong impression of me and what I do. Yeah. I over think everything. But I also only want to work with brands that fit my new, tighter focus. And Alt made it perfectly clear that it is up to me to make things happen.
What is that focus you say? Well, I don't know how to word it yet. I will be setting up brainstorming sessions with peers (free and a great resource – don't forget to do this when you are struggling with something). I will be gathering inspiration for my site redesign. I will be searching for affordable web designers, because let's face it, I don't make THAT much money from blogging and my family still has to eat. And I will be publishing the content that I think you want to see. If you see something new that you like, please let me know! One thing that Alt did, for sure, what make me feel even more part of a community. And we gain strength by that support. Do you feel like you know your blogging brand or are you feeling up in the air? I'd love to hear your experience!
Dudes, I'm pumped.


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The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth11/13/2009 12:23:54 PM
Im not a fan of using DS al Coda markings in choral music since choirs tend to be noisy when flipping back and forth between pages while singing. However, it does save paper in the printed copy, and the score itself is very accurate to the original recording from Bing Crosbys Christmas TV show. I was happy to find a publication at all for this song since it has never been officially published and distributed as sheet music, and to have one that is accurate is a pleasant surprise since a few other web sites have "unofficial" transpositions that are not consistent with the TV recording of the song.


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Project: Room Re-Organization. Complete.
Point is, I realized that I really needed to reorganize my room to do homework and whatnot, as previously I didn't even have a desk in my room (my computer desk was in the Family Room, which is where I did everything). I also needed more bookshelves, a place to read, and decorations. So over the summer I moved that desk into my room, rearranged my bookshelves, got a loft bed instead of a bunk bed so I could use the space under it (and created a "Reading Corner"), actually decorated my walls since they were mostly bare before, etc.
The project has been done for a while mostly, but this past week I finally got the last thing I needed: a chair/ottoman for my "reading corner". (actually, I still need a new clip-on fan, because the one I have by my bed is broken, but that's nothing major)
So, without further ado, the room:
From the door:
"Classical Detective Novels" bookshelf, featuring my Sherlock Holmes collection (with Lego minifig!) on top as well as my collection of Agatha Christie, Ed Mcbain, and Dorothy Sayers, among a few others:
Back of door/closet door:
Bookshelf containing my small collection of Poetry, my Classics, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and the beginning of my main book collection, as well as a few religious books and comic books on the bottom, with some SS collections on top:
Underneath the bed; Reading Corner, continuation of my main book collection:
Tall bookshelf with some religious things on top; end of book collection:
Dresser area, with a freehand-drawn PotC symbol done by my sister and Hobbit/LOTR showcase, prom picture, Les Mis poster (gonna put a movie poster right next to it when it comes out), etc.:
Desk area:
(also featuring an awesome drawing by Kakaru of Velox under a drawing of my brother and I like 10 years ago done on the streets of San Francisco)
And Gallery.
So there you have it: where I spend most of my time. I'm really quite happy with it. It's awesome having all my school stuff, my computer, and my desk in my room, and I absolutely love having my "Reading Corner" where I can just sit for hours and read, study, do homework, etc. And of course all of my posters, all of which (with the exception of the American one) were purchased over the summer.
~ Velox
- 0


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You Don't Need Wings to be an Angel
Women's shelters face underwear shortages every day because they rely on donations for clothing and most people donate used clothes but shelters don't accept used underwear. The women at these shelters have escaped dangerous situations like domestic violence, sexual assault or addiction; they don't typically arrive with much more than the clothes on their backs.
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Airbus Breaks Boeing's Hold on Japan, and More
What's News: Airbus wins first ever Japan Airlines order worth $9 billion. Trio of U.S. based scientists win Nobel Prize for Medicine. Nielsen launches TV Twitter ratings. White diamond fetches record $30.6 million at auction. Joanne Po reports.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the stores a landmark corporates jetliners this is what's news I'm WS J lifetime Thailand Co ... Airbus striking a deal with Japan Airlines with more than nine billion dollars ... JAL is buying thirty one long-distance ate ... three fifty planes with an option to buy twenty five more ... the decision by JAL to buy new planes from Airbus for the first time ever ... marks a huge blow for rival Boeing which has long had an exclusive deal with the airline ... the win for Airbus is the clearest example of the longer term effect ... on Boeing's relationship with its customers after more than three years of delays to its flagship seven eighty seven Dreamliner program ... three of us face Ionsys win the Nobel Prize for medicine for crack the puzzle ... of how SL precisely Transports crucial cargo ... such as the months of the right place at the right time ... the award winners are Americans James Brockman of piano ... and read this segment of UC Berkeley ... anti German Thomas Rojas ... of Stanford ... Nielsen watches TV Twitter rating ... the data provides new details on the number of tweets about TV shows ... and assigned to the audience that sees them ... and Castlight data shows that the programs that generate the most Twitter buys are often not the shows with the highest viewership ... for example CBS has big hits like The Big Bang Theory and NCIS but Billy shows don't even break the top ten of the Twitter TV ratings ... Twitter's importance and influence is certainly growing ... but marketers will be setting the information to get a better understanding ... of that disconnected see how Twitter plays into their ad buying strategies ... and check out this time in the size of a small bank ... the one hundred and eighteen point two eight carat white diamond ... vexing a record thirty point six million dollars at a Southern these jewelry auction in Hong Kong ... the price freeze the previous record of twenty six point seven million box for such as those set just six months ago at Christie's ... to foreign bidders competed for the flawless oval dies in in six minutes of getting into one dropped out ... bookie keep us anomaly this is about as rapid and what's his aunt the beest lad I'm Joann Co ...


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Your browser does not support iframes.
Usually in February my thoughts begin to wander toward the joys of the upcoming spring.
School curriculums should be doing the same thing, but are not, becoming bogged down over increasing testing concerns. This sterility of the school atmosphere is a shame, because spring offers unprecedented opportunities for a real, diversified and hands-on education for all children.
They should be planting and tending to gardens instead of being stuck in testing centers.
Have you ever experienced an epiphany?
I believe most of us have at least a time or two in our lives.
"Epiphany" is defined as a time of sudden and profound understanding of something, as a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way.
For example, someone has lost a set of keys and has been looking for them when suddenly has an idea of where they are.
Another definition would be an appearance or manifestation, especially of a divine being.
It seems that ever since my wife and I have been able to stream our movies all I've been watching lately are "chick flicks."
I don't have a problem with my male ego or machismo and would readily confess to anyone, I watch more than my share of the Lifetime and Hallmark movie channels.
In fact, I enjoy a good many of them and shed a tear or two over a good love story that focuses around a couple with some substance and likeability.
Thank you, dear friends, for taking the time to email me some of your thoughts on my recent columns.
Most of my loyal readers must know by now how much I value any feedback you are willing to offer about the worth of this
I've shared with you more than once how much I love writing for you each week and am honored to be doing so and now entering into my eighth year.
I am used to sharing the loneliness that so many writers experience often in our
By Jack Levine
It was late August 1963. I was 12. I remember my father calling me into his room. The radio was on, and I heard cheering. It was not a baseball game kind of cheer.....it seemed louder and longer. It was a sustained roar.
My dad, aged 72 and blind, pointed in the direction of the radio with one hand, and put his other index finger to his lips....he was telling me to be quiet....and to listen.
It's been a while since I've taken early morning walks in the cold.
Not since living in Tucson a decade ago do I recall walking with gloves and hat on when the temperatures were at the freezing mark.
The only difference is that in Tucson I wore my cowboy hat, and here, in Aiken, I wore my Carolina Gamecocks baseball cap.
What I thought most about along my walk this morning is how fortunate I am to have a wonderful, brick home with plenty of heat and hot water, and living like royalty compared to those who are homeless.
In retrospect, it would have been a great idea to ask all the staffers here at the Times to write a few paragraphs about what they're thankful for this edition. Everybody's list is always different because every life path is different, even though some may run parallel for a long, long time.
But once a parallel line starts deviating by any amount — even just a degree or two, over time the separation becomes more and more pronounced until those lines wind up in vastly different places.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, let's remember that the holiday's name is a compound word — Thanks and Giving. Take these few moments to consider my ideas for enhancing Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season ahead.
Each of us has much to be thankful for —our lives, families, friendships and work that fulfills us. While there is no perfection in life, let's admit that the glass is more than half full for most of us, most of the time.
Copyright © 2019
The Gadsden County Times is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Gadsden County and Quincy, FL, and the surrounding area.


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deep philosophical thought and well versed to kindle imagination
@ sandeep...
Thank you!
so nice
nice one
Desire is the key to motivation, but its the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal, a desire to excel, that will enable you to attain the success you seek. We at SimplyJITH believe that the journey is not hard. It only seems hard because the human mind fears the river and avoids the mountain...
SimplyJITH makes no representation that the Blog operates (or is legally permitted to operate) in all geographic areas, or that the Information, Website, or Services are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Accessing the Website from territories where the Website, or any content or functionality of the Website or portion thereof, is illegal is expressly prohibited. If you choose to access the Website, you agree and acknowledge that you do so on your own initiative and at your own risk and that you are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. Nevertheless, we at SimplyJITH do not know of any such territory.


text:
Hello everyone what a awesome forum/site you have running here. Now I have said
hello it's time to get onto business :P
Anyways I have never had or used a Blackberry as I am a Android user, but I have been given a task to fix a a broken Red Blackberry Torch 9800. The user said it was working fine and it froze, she then whipped out the battery and now it won't turn on or is a boot loop. I have tried my best to follow the instructions at (http://crackberry.com/blackberry-101...rating-system-nuked-blackberry) but I am stumped at one stage of the restore. It probablysomething completely silly but I can't get my head round it as it is a new adventure for me. While doing the restore I get the "Device Application Selection" part of the restore and in the selection area it says "The Blackberry Desktop Software soes not have Blackberry Device Software for the device that you have connected to the computer." I have downloaded and ran the installers for the following:
I have tried loads of different ALX/ALI files from the folders and each one says:
"This application is not compatible with your device and cannnot be loaded."
I guess I'm using the wrong OS version or I have messed something up with the install or even going the wrong direction completely
Can some kind soul point in the right direction or can someone call me a idiot and tell me what to do to bring the Blackberry back to life please?
Many thanks I look forward to learning some new stuff from you all


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Beef prices forecast to set new records in 2013
Rabobank said the beef market in Q3 had been characterised by a larger global supply, driven by the natural recovery of beef herds in Brazil, Argentina and Australia. According to the report, this was anticipated and linked with a relatively "lethargic" world economy, which has weighed on prices across the world.
For 2013, Rabobank is expecting to see global supply stick close to the levels seen in 2012 "with possible minor ups and downs being determined by the extent to which the increase in the southern hemisphere production will outpace the reduction in Europe and the US", it said.
It is also expected that there will be another year of weak consumption on the back of the poor economy, which has been attributed to the prediction that world gross domestic product (GDP) will grow only slightly in 2013.
Live cattle prices in Brazil increased by 4% between October and November this year, which was because of a dry period and low supply of feed. Rabobank said: "Placements did not grow as much as anticipated in the face of high grain and fed cattle prices."
Despite this, beef prices did not do as well as cattle values and rose by only 1%. However, even though prices had increased in Brazil's live cattle, Rabobank pointed out that, even so, prices had fluctuated around 6% below last year's levels.
Prices of live animals in Brazil are expected to remain at reasonable levels in 2013, according to the report, and first estimates indicate a rise in Brazil's beef production of 3% above 2012 levels.
Weather in the US has been a large factor for the country's beef trade, Rabobank pointed out, adding that it "may only be a warm-up for the market developments in 2013".
Slaughter rates for beef cows and heifers in 2012 suggested producers had been positioned to the best extent possible to sustain and prepare for expansion. However, Rabobank pointed out that weather conditions would "thwart" any expansion efforts.
European Union
Two years of continuous price rises have resulted in a high of €4.09/kg for beef in July. However, EU beef prices recently levelled. Rabobank said: "It seems EU beef prices have found a new equilibrium at around €4/kg for prime beef. Supplies have been stable as declining slaughter numbers have been offset by declining exports and consumption."
Rabobank also pointed out that the biggest challenge for the EU beef sector next year will be the ability to pass on higher prices to consumers. The report also showed that beef consumption in the EU for 2012 was down 3.3% and exports were also down by 18% in January to August.
According to Rabobank the global meat industry must exercise discipline, particularly in the poultry sector. The report said: "Poultry production cuts are likely to come about, driven by negative margins in the wake of severe feed cost increases.
"To the extent that this increases poultry prices, it may also benefit the beef industry as the gap between beef and chicken prices narrows and possibly shifts demand towards beef."


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Candomble by Oscar Escalada. Choral. For SATB choir. Latin American Choral Series. Secular, Choral. Grade 5. Choral octavo. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.8802). Candomble is written in a rhythm very close to the tango and the habanera. Some Latin American music has been influenced by or developed from African rhythms, as in this piece. Candomble is a dance from the Rio de la Plata; now it is heard in Uruguay, where they usually play it with drums of different sizes. This dance was known in Argentina, where it was also called Candomble.
Instruments: Choir, Vocal
Genres: Latin
La Chaparrita by Vivian Tabbush. Choral. For SATB choir. Latin American Choral Series. Secular, Choral. Grade 5. Choral octavo. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.8801). The Golpe and the Joropo are typical folk dances of Venezuela and La Chaparrita is representative of the Golpe. Both Venezuelan dances are strongly rhythmical n while the female dancer waves her long, ample skirt, the male dancer keeps the beat in a clog dance.
Instruments: Choir, Vocal
Genres: Latin
Verano Porteno by Piazolla. Edited by Oscar Escalada. Choral. For SATB choir. Latin American Choral Series. Secular, Choral. Grade 4.5. Choral octavo. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.8774). It has been said that you can see Buenos Aires while listening to Astor Piazzollais music. This is one of his talents that sets him apart from other composers. Piazzolla made a revolution with the tango, which created many problems for him in his country (traditionalists did not accept his music as tango). But everybody finally accepted his changes because his music put the Argentine dance, the tango, at the highest level.
Instruments: Choir, Vocal
Genres: Latin
Samba for Flutes (Flute Trio with Band) by Eric Osterling. For Flute Trio with Band Accompaniment. Concert Band. Grade 3. Score and set of parts. Published by Ludwig Music Publishing Co. (LG.10160120). Also available with piano accompaniment (10412152), this is a light, delightful work in which three flutes can be featured. Although there are three solo parts, duplicating each part with multiple players is a most viable option. A nice, light addition to any program.
Instruments: Flute, Woodwinds
Genres: Samba, Latin
Salsa Further Adventures in Afro Cuban Music by Carlos Campos. For Piano. Spiral bound. Salsa/Piano Instruction. Beginner/Advanced. Book & CD. 154 pages. Duration 70 minutes. Published by ADG Productions (AD.ADG025-CD). ISBN 1882146662. Salsa/Piano Instruction. Salsa, Further Adventures In Afro Cuban Music For Piano is the follow up 150 page book to Carlos Campos's previous work, the highly successful "Salsa And Afro Cuban Montunos For Piano". This book was inspired by the questions asked from many of his students attending his salsa piano class at the Berklee School Of Music and also in his private teaching practice in Los Angeles. During his classes, every problem that arose, presented Carlos with the opportunity to develop new exercises geared towards solving those problems. Rhythmic exercises at the beginning of this book help to develop the inner pulse a common problem of his students. Full arrangements of 4 Salsa songs with all the parts transcribed are included, along with the accompanying CD, or MIDI disk's enabling the student or musician to hear and see the full band arrangement There are transcriptions of different percussion patterns to show how they all work together to create that ultra tight salsa ensemble sound. The many montuno patterns in the first part of the book are written in both 2/3 and 3/2 clave.
Pages: 154
Instruments: Piano, Piano and Keyboard
Genres: Afro-Cuban, Latin
Salsa And Afro Cuban Montunos For Piano by Carlos Campos. For piano. Saddle stitch. Instructional and Latin. Beginner/Advanced. Instructional book (spiral bound) and examples CD. Chord names and instructional text. 108 pages. Duration 70 minutes. Published by ADG Productions (AD.ADG015-CD). ISBN 1882146549. With chord names and instructional text. Instructional and Latin. 9x12 inches. Salsa and Afro Cuban Montunos For Piano authored by Carlos Campos is an extremely informative 100 page book containing over 400 musical examples showing you how to play in these aforementioned Latin styles. Mr. Campos who teaches a course in Latin piano styles at the Berklee School Of Music originates from Lima Peru and has studied Latin music for over 20 years. This book contains great study material for learning the various techniques and rhythms used in playing Latin piano styles. It can be used as a source to practice reading syncopated rhythms. A CD with piano and percussion rhythm tracks of many of the examples in the book is available.
Pages: 108
Instruments: Piano, Piano and Keyboard
Genres: Afro-Cuban, Latin
The Hermit Crab Cha-Cha by Kevin Olson. For piano. FJH Written for You Piano Solos. Single. Elementary. Single sheet. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc (FJ.W9013). This comical little piece in C position features a simple rhythmic notation that demands counting due to the rests! About FJH Written For You Piano Solos Sparkling and lyrical pieces which promote musical expression.
Instruments: Piano, Piano and Keyboard
Genres: Cha-Cha, Latin
Cuban Nights by Kevin Olson. For piano. Spotlight Solo Sheets. Jazz. Intermediate. Single sheet. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc (FJ.S4014). This piano solo mesmerizes the performer and audience with its colorful syncopated rhythms and Latin sounds. About FJH Spotlight Solo Sheets Motivating piano solos written for study and performance.
Instruments: Piano, Piano and Keyboard
Genres: Cuban, Latin
Tango by Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909). Arranged by Frank Kumor. For marimba. Intermediate-advanced. Solo part. Published by HoneyRock Publishing (HR.HRKS027). Challenging four-mallet arrangement that will showcase the performer's musical finesse.
Instruments: Marimba, Percussion
Genres: Tango, Latin


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By Marco Giuliani
In our previous technical analysis of the ZeroAccess rootkit, we highlighted how it acts as a framework by infecting the machine — setting up its own private space in the disk, first through a dedicated file system on the disk, and more recently by using a hidden and locked directory. This is where the rootkit stores the modules it downloads from the command and control servers. Until now, the plugins we've monitored have been ad-clickers and search engine hijackers.
We have also noted how the ZeroAccess rootkit acts very similar to the TDL3 rootkit, either by infecting a random system driver, using its own file system to store its plugins or by filtering the disk I/O by analysing the SCSI packets – though in a pretty different way. It's more effective in the TDL3 rootkit and less effective in the ZeroAccess rootkit, however ZeroAccess has many more self-protection mechanisms in place.
While analyzing the ZeroAccess rootkit, I've always had the feeling it was inspired by the TDL3 rootkit. But while looking at the latest updates of it I've found something pretty interesting: The ZeroAccess team is looking at TDL rootkit as an enemy that needs to be defeated. The questions remains, is there a link between the two rootkits? We suspect the answer is yes.
One of the downloaded plugins, called desktop.ini, dropped by the module driver called @800000c0, has an embedded anti-TDL specific routine, able to detect if the system is already infected by the TDL rootkit and, if it's the case, the routine is going to disable it.
As malware analysts may recall, the TDL rootkit is comprised of two parts — the kernel mode driver which hides the rootkit on the disk, and the cmd.dll plugin. The latter part is the user mode part that is being injected inside the user mode processes. It acts as an ad-clicker and a fundamental bridge to the command and control server listed in the cfg.ini rootkit file.
Now, ZeroAccess's search engine hijacker plugin is able to scan the virtual memory of the process where it resides, looking for TDL's cmd.dll traces and, if found, automatically recovering the hidden disk path to it and overwriting its code with trash bytes along with the cfg.ini's TDL configuration file. At the next start-up, the TDL rootkit is still active in kernel mode. However, its payload has been totally disabled, rendering it useless.
This is a really interesting feature because it looks like the ZeroAccess authors want to specifically target the TDL rootkit, this reminds me of the war between the two biggest infostealing trojans ZeuS and SpyEye.
It looks like there is a link between the two rootkits that would explain why they look so conceptually similar. And here is the next finding: another plugin downloaded by ZeroAccess and called clickbot – readers may recall that this is the ad-clicker. It registers a class called Z00clicker2. Does this ring a bell?
Let us rewind to January 2010 when the TDL3 rootkit was actively spreading in the wild. At that time we discovered another variant of the TDL3 rootkit which was looking pretty different from the one in the wild. In fact, it looked like one of the first versions of TDL3 rootkit spotted in late 2009, effectively an older version of TDL3.
When TDL3 was discovered in Q3/Q4 2009, it was using a specific disk hooking technique that then changed on the way, by becoming much more advanced and technically smarter.
So, in January 2010, we found two variants of TDL3 rootkit spreading in the wild: the original one and another one that was using the original disk hooking technique. As far as we know, the original source code of the TDL3 rootkit may have been sold but the development of the original TDL3 rootkit never stopped. So, who bought the original TDL3 source code developed their own plugins on top of the old TDL3 rootkit?
The user mode plugin embedded in this variant of the TDL3 rootkit was different from the usual cmd.dll plugin, and it was named Z00clicker.dll.
The questions raised right now are:
- Why is ZeroAccess's ad-clicker using the same name of the plugin dropped by the TDL3 rootkit variant?
- Why is ZeroAccess implementing specific anti-TDL3 routine to kill the TDL rootkit?
- Why is the ZeroAccess rootkit is so similar – conceptually speaking – to the TDL3 rootkit?
We could draw a few conclusions here, and any one of them is possible:
- The team behind the variant of the TDL3 rootkit is the same as the one behind ZeroAccess rootkit.
- The ZeroAccess rootkit's source code has been sold on the blackmarket and the same team that bought the TDL3 sources then bought the ZeroAccess ones as well.
We'll keep monitoring the evolution of this rootkit and keep you updated. In the meanwhile you can download our ZeroAccess removal tool and check if your system is already infected by the ZeroAccess rootkit. Our free removal tool will be able to detect whether the system is infected and, if so, it'll clean the system for you.
All the technical details about the anti-TDL3 routine will be added to our ZeroAccess whitepaper very soon.


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Virjean F. Ebertsch-Mathews
Aug. 3, 1934 - Jan. 13, 2008
Virjean F. Ebertsch-Mathews (nee Lauby) died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, at age 73, at AngelsGrace Hospice in Oconomowoc. She was born Aug. 3, 1934, in Marshfield. Virjean was the beloved daughter of Florence and the late Leander Lauby; the beloved wife of the late Martin Ebertsch and the late Edwin Mathews; the dear mother of Dr. Edwin (Dawn) Mathews, Stephanie (Jeff) Seitz and John Mathews; and stepmother of Judy (Mike) Blake. She also had sixteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Virjean is further survived by other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the noon funeral service Saturday, Jan. 19, at Wisconsin Memorial Park Chapel of the Chimes, 13235 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield. Entombment will be at Wisconsin Memorial Park.
Harder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For more information, call 781-8350 or visit online at www.harderfuneralhome.com.


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The first step to storing your bikes is admitting that you have a problem – when your bikes are taking up more space in your house than your actual furniture, then it's time to look into some storage solutions! There are a lot of opinions and differing ideas about the best way to store your bicycle. We've used them all, so we're here to help. What follows are some easy ways to keep your bikes organized and out of the way around the house, while maintaining your relationship with your significant other.
The simplest option is the humble Storage Hook – it doesn't get much easier than this. Screw this rubberized hook into the wall and you're good to go – just hang your bike from the front or rear wheel and let the bike hang down. We highly recommend using a stud finder and drilling a pilot hole to make sure that it's secure enough to hold the weight of your bike. You can also use two of these if you're going to hang your bike from the ceiling and you're comfortable lifting your bike over your head each time you want to put it away.
If you'd like a little more versatility, you could consider an option like the XPORT Hang 2 Plus Bike Hanger. With a rack like this, you can put two bikes very close to one another (you'll probably have to flip the orientation for the second one) and put gear on the shelf behind it. We would recommend clipping your helmet to the shelf and adding gear on top as needed. One drawback with this system is that the bikes stick out a bit out from the wall.
If you'd like to be a little more space conscious, you might consider an option like the XPORT Bikes Aloft 2 Storage Rack. This is our go-to bike storage option. You'll find them all over the Performance home office and even used in our retail stores and at events. This is because the rack is extremely space conscious and also very easy to set up. It doesn't require drilling into walls, so it's great for apartments or rooms where you may not always want to have your bike. Because one bike is directly above the other, the footprint of this rack is equal to one bike.
If you have high ceilings and would like to open up some space by lifting the bike out of the way, you might consider a rack like a Transit Bicycle Hoist. This system takes a bit of effort to set up, but once it's in place it is very easy to use, and you've got some instant bike art elegantly on display!
One final option is just to cover up your bikes with something like this XPORT Bike Cover, so that at least you won't get grease all over your new couch. And if you're unfortunate enough to have to store a bike outdoors on a regular basis, you definitely need a bicycle cover. This will keep some of the elements off of your bicycle – just make sure to keep that chain lubed!
Are there any circumstances we haven't covered? Any strange bike storage options you've used in the past? Let us know in the comments section below.


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Windows Essentials 2012 suite reached end of support on January 10, 2017.
As of January 10, 2017, Windows Essentials 2012 is no longer supported on Windows 10, and is unavailable for download.
Windows Essentials 2012 included Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Family Safety and the OneDrive desktop app for Windows. Although it is no longer available for download, already installed applications will continue to work as they do today.
Windows 10 offers features similar to those you've enjoyed in Windows Essentials. For example, now you can create and edit photos and videos with the latest version of the Photos app. For this and other applications, you may want to consider upgrading to Windows 10. The latest version of the Photos app includes the ability to create and edit videos with music, text, motion, filters, and 3D effects. Visit Microsoft Store for more video creation and editing apps.
Windows 10 also offers many other features similar to Windows Essentials such as updated email, family safety, and OneDrive.
Any websites offering free downloads of Windows Movie Maker are not offering sanctioned Microsoft products. Be cautious as these products may contain viruses or hidden costs.


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Message Board
Beverly Lewis Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Lewis has written!
Author Lewis's Book Reviews
The Brethren
When her father, Preacher Jessie Zook, orders his daughter Annie to give up the art work she loves, they fight and then Annie compounds her father's displeasure by moving in with Esther and her four small children. Esther's husband Zeke has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his brother. He's in jail awaiting test results on bones uncovered. Esther has been shunned for her defiance of the Amish way. Ben Martin returns to Paradise. He and Annie be...
The Prodigal
Bethany House, Oct 2004, 12.99, 320 pp. ISBN: 0764228730 With her beloved mother dead for seven years, Amish Leah Ebersol raises her two younger sisters who consider her their mom. Her sister Sadie has come home as a widow having married in Ohio; she must prove herself to the community especially the Bishop, after being shunned for an affair with an English person that led to a stillborn child before she fled town. Leah is concerned that her ni...


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Jacek loves Shaki
We were watching Saturday Night Live this weekend and he was mesmerised. Not the dick-in-his-hand pervy kind of mesmerised but genuine appreciation. Like, at one point he said, this is a good song. And he meant it. Of course the, um, flexibility is a factor. But it's more than that. Shakira is incredibly endearing. There's a sweetness in her face that seems like it comes from inside. She has a lovely, genuine smile. And the campy cheese? It's all a bonus. Also, her body is sick and there's still meat on her. It actually folds when she bends. Love.
Shaki was at the Whitney Gala last night. I don't know how she can breathe in this dress.
Photos from Wenn.com


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Hi there all,
Just thought i would wish you all a merry xmas as i just recieved Earth Reborn from my Boardgamegeek Secret Santa.
Im about to start popping out the pieces now. So much cardboard.
Take care.
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Can understand a wide range of challenging, longer texts and also grasp implicit meanings. Can express him/her spontaneously and fluently without having to search for words frequently and noticeably. Can use the language effectively and flexibly in his/her social and professional life or in training and studies. Can make clear, structured and detailed statements on complex topics and apply various means of text association appropriately in the process.
Level C1:
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After Completing this level, a student can:
> Understand a wide range of challenging, longer texts and also grasp implicit meaning.
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There's no winner in this thing, and that's the only certainty.
It's a textbook, step-by-step, point-by-point painful and shameful explanation of the ills of college football recruiting:
Mother wants son to go to a specific school. Son wants to play for a different school, but doesn't want to disappoint and sides with his mother's choice.
Months later, son wants out of his letter of intent to sign with the school he wanted to play for all along. Guess who looks like the bad guy in all of this?
The same guy we still haven't even mentioned.
That's Jimbo Fisher at Florida State, a grinder of a coach who is three years into trying to remake the Seminoles into something they haven't been in more than a decade. All he knows is this: He signed a five-star, elite linebacker named Matthew Thomas who earlier this month informed him he wanted out of his letter of intent.
And now Fisher's the heavy because he won't let Thomas walk free, and won't help Thomas appeal to the NCAA to play this fall at another school. Here's something else Fisher has become: the test case for his coaching fraternity.
"I told him, if he lets (Thomas) go free, precedent is set and everything changes," said one BCS coach.
MORE: Matthew Thomas wants release from FSU scholarship
Fisher declined to comment through a university spokesman, and other coaches won't speak publicly about Thomas, from Booker T. Washington High in Miami, Fla., because he has declared himself a recruit again but hasn't been released by FSU. That's how utterly ridiculous the world of recruiting has become.
Look, it's easy to side with the player on this; easy to say he's a young kid who got caught up in doing what's right and shouldn't be held responsible. Let him walk and move on.
But then what does that say from this day forward to every potential recruit? Better yet—and more important and relevant to the situation—what does that say to Thomas, who reportedly is interested in playing for Georgia or USC?
If you stomp your feet and throw a tantrum long enough, you'll get your way.
I've spoken to three different BCS coaches who have reached out to Fisher and advised him to play it strictly by the book. In other words, if Thomas wants to leave, he can leave—but not without paying the NCAA penalty of sitting out a season of eligibility.
It's nothing personal; it's the system every program functions under. It's nothing personal, it's the first step in learning the most important part of leaving home and going away to college: Every choice has a consequence.
We've become a nation of panderers; of adults who acquiesce to young adults and their hurt feelings instead of equipping them with direction and discipline, with accountability and responsibility.
If Thomas wants out of his letter of intent to Florida State, he can have it— but he must follow the process that has been part of NCAA law for decades. He must do what he most certainly does not want to do: Skip the 2013 season.
247Sports: 2014 Florida State recruiting class
This isn't some random, mandatory NCAA ruling aimed at protecting coaches and their programs and fat salaries (you know that argument is coming). This rule is all about—and I know this is hard for some of you to believe—the academic welfare of the student.
Succeeding at college is hard enough for a majority of students. Succeeding while changing schools, adjusting to a new environment and maintaining academic progress—all while being a full-time football player—is next to impossible. A year away from football improves the percentages.
If a byproduct of the rule makes players think twice about leaving, prevents massive turnover on rosters and further complicates the already seedy side of recruiting and procuring personnel, then so be it.
It's not a free-for-all where we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. There are standards and there are rules, and they won't be broken because of a family squabble.
If Thomas didn't want to play for FSU, he could have not signed on National Signing Day and waited to convince his mother of his choice. He had 54 days—from Feb. 6 to April 1—to make his decision.
"Trust me, every five-star kid has been told more than once by more than one coach about the length of the signing period," says another BCS coach. "That kid made his choice, and now he has buyer's remorse."
Then there's Fisher, the bad guy in all of this because Thomas walked into his office one day and said he didn't want to play for FSU.
Now Fisher's the mean man who won't let a player walk away. Now he's the big bully who can leave FSU for another coaching job whenever he wants without any loss of coaching eligibility, yet won't do the same for a player.
Now he's the rich coach making millions off the backs of cheap labor and won't let one of his players leave without penalty. Now he's the reason why college football must change.
See where this is headed? This story has become more about Fisher than a player trying to circumvent the rules.
Thomas had two choices: Learn a hard lesson and grow from it, or throw a tantrum.
Where's a pacifier when you really need it.