text:
by Lou Mancinelli
The International Philadelphia Flower Show, that ran from March 6 -14, has a lot of history behind it.
Hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City, it is the largest indoor exhibition of flowers in the world. The 182-year-old show was first held in an 82 by 69-foot building called the Masonic Hall on Chestnut Street. Twenty-five PHS members displayed their horticultural treasures.
At this year's "Springtime in Paris" show, 25,000 tulips under a faux Eifel Tower lined with lights that at times flashed to green, red or blue welcomed visitors. The show now generates an estimated $60 million economic impact on the Greater Philadelphia region, hosts 250,000 people annually and features more than 150 vendors, educational and artistic displays, and more than 2,000 entries in classes ranging from miniature settings to pressed plants. It also has significant roots that stem from Chestnut Hill.
"This is the oldest and largest horticultural society in the country, I'm inheriting a tradition," said Pennsylvania Horticultural Society president Drew Becher, a Chestnut Hill resident.
Becher, named president last year, moved to Chestnut Hill full-time with his partner last May, after splitting time between London, New York City, and his Chestnut Hill location for the previous four years. Becher said the "beautification of urban areas" is one of his major focuses.
Last week, he announced that proceeds from the show would help fund PHS's initiative to plant one million trees in 13 counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
For decades, Robertson's Flowers at 8501 Germantown Ave. has been one of the show's featured displayers. Last year, Robertson's theme was based on a street scene in Holland with bicycles and lots of tulips.
This year, 40 tons of Wissahickon schist stone (donated by Wissahickon Stone Quarry) and thousands of succulent plants were used to create "Impressions of Notre Dame," a romantic Parisian wedding-themed display. According to designer Erick Shellack, about 4,000 plants were used to construct each of the scene's four gargoyles.
"I wanted it to be as romantic as possible," Shellack said, Monday morning during a telephone interview. "We wanted to make a French wedding scene. We were doing all reds until about three weeks before the show. As the show got closer and I worked with the colors, they started to look almost sinister. So I changed to pink."
"It's exquisite, it's elegant," said Atlantic City resident Wendy Ruden of Robertson's Impressions of Notre Dame. "I love everything about it, the crystal, the laurel, the chandelier … I like how it's feminine. What a wedding it would be to attend."
Shellack and his team at Robertson's had been brainstorming about their design since this time last year. He envisioned the scene based on a trip to Paris to visit a friend who was studying French there 15 years ago. His imagination and Internet images did the rest.
Shellack, who has worked for Robertson's for two years and for another prominent designer at the show for seven years prior, said he wanted to capture how he felt when he saw Paris' prominent landmarks.
The wedding scene was colored with tones of pink and gray. A stone walkway lined with crush glass with a pink tint led to the wedding gazebo. The lighting had an incandescent dreamlike mood. Tables were topped with vivid tulips, ranunculus and sweet peas imported from a French grower, according to Shellack.
"The Flower Show is always something I look forward to every year," said Shellack, 38, a Haddonfield, N.J. resident. "I think it's just the pure joy of it. It's at the time of year when everyone really needs it. It's almost like a psychological thing, like our brains are ready for spring."
Shellack acquired his floral design knowledge from experience. When he graduated from Rutgers years ago with a degree in biotechnology, he took summer work with a friend's uncle at a flower shop on South Street. A few years later, he was manager. Now, he is a major design displayer at the world's largest flower show.
Elsewhere, a myriad of flowers and shrubbery, of blues, yellows, greens and reds colored the room as one walked through the show. Pink Hippeastrum's lined with streaks of white looked like strawberry and cream candies in the shape of rose petals.
There were tiny cactuses, and 200-year-old bonsai trees. There were horses you see on carousels made of flowers and vines by Valley Forge Flowers in Wayne. There was a dining room scene called opulent Paris.
"Monet's Walk," the people's choice winner and Becher's favorite, was a walkway lined by a hanging garden. In the middle of the show, next to the tower, was a stage were performers entertained and sang French songs.
Students from Delaware Valley Community College built a display dedicated to urban art and post-industrial agriculture. For this, students fabricated a bleak, abandoned warehouse covered with weeds and neglected for years. They used local leaf litter for mulch and compost and revitalized it into a canvas for a garden and art.
"The number one thing was sustainability and cost," said junior environmental design major Ryan Miller. "When you are attracting people to a neighborhood garden you want the garden to appeal to all their senses, sight, sound, smell…"
Their garden featured chives, garlic, Red Maple, various tomatoes and lettuces, Elodie and Lollipop Asiatic Lilies, strawberries, beans and tulips, and dozens of other species.
Students also built an apparatus that acted like a seesaw, but with a bucket on each end. One bucket was filled with flowers and soil. It weighed the apparatus down where it struck a tin, making a percussive sound students hoped would attract more people to their garden.
"I used to do the setup for a major exhibitor," said Eric Cummings, a Brookhaven resident who was perusing the show last Friday evening. "Now, I'm in landscaping, this is a good place to come and get new ideas.
The large displays at the show are usually built starting a month before the show, according to Shellack. Imagine cherry pickers, tractors and forklifts zipping around the large warehouse like Convention Center.
"You sort of show up one day and overnight, someone's display has been transformed," Shellack said.
The PHS was founded in 1827 for the promotion of farming, botany and plant enthusiasm. At that time, there were 53 members. Today, the PHS boasts more than 17,000 members. The theme of next year's flower show is "Hawaii: Islands of Aloha."
For more information visit theflowershow.com or pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.


text:
Orders & Payment
- Placing an Order
- Order Status
Order Issues
- Can I modify my order? When can I cancel my order? How do I cancel my order?
- Can I reinstate a voided or cancelled order?
- What should I do if an item is missing from my order?
- What will happen to my order if it contains a backordered part?
- Why was I informed that a part I purchased on your site is discontinued/backorder?
- May I combine two separate orders to save on shipping costs?
- What should I do if I place a duplicate order by mistake?
- Why was my order shipped in multiple packages when my order could have fit in one box?
- Payment Issues
- Payment Methods

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The nation's highest court will finally argue the constitutionality of Presiden't Obama's signature legislative achievement, the new health care law, an issue at the center of the battle for the White House and Congress.
The Supreme Court will hear extensive oral arguments on the constitutionality of the highly-charged Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is viewed unfavoriably by half of Americans on March 26 through 28. A final written opinion will likely be delivered in June 18, five months before the presidential election and months before the law is enforced.
The Obama adminstration faces a court held 5-4 conservative justices.
The lawsuit brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business is the most high-profile Supreme Court case since Bush v. Gore.
The ACA mandates that every individual purchase health insurance coverage or pay a penalty of the law of $695 per adult and $347 per child.
If the individual mandate is declared constitutional, then for the first time in history, Americans will have to purchase a product to live in America.
Failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the health care bill could land people in jail, according to the non-partisan Joint Commitee on Taxation (JCT). The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain, 'acceptable health insurance coverage' and who choose to pay the bill's new individual mandate tax, are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including fines fo $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.
Secondly, the law expands Medicaid by 16 million enrollees, meaning almost one in four Americans will be on Medicaid, the government program originally intended for our poorest citizens.
Finally, the the health reform conflicts with the separation of church and state. Under the law, every religious instituion, besides churches must cede to the Obama administration's regulatory definition because charities, church schools and hospitals are not 'religious' and would therefore have no right to the free excercise of religion. Religious institutions will have no protection from being forced into doctrinal violations commanded by the state.;
The Court will consider the individual mandate and define the legal merits of the case as it regards the Taxing Power and the Commerce Clause, and will determine when the rest of the law can survive if the mandate is struck down.
The Commerce Clause is the basis for the government's positon that the individual mandate is constitutional. Never before has the Commerce Clause been used to force a citizen to enter into a private contract with a private company. The individual mandate, could jeopardize the fabric of federalism in respect to what the federal government can do in legislation promoting interstate commerce.
The constitutional wreckage left by Obamacare is an assault on individual autonomy says political strategist Charles Krauthammer, " This constitutional trifecta - the state invading the autonomy of religoius institutions, private companies and the individual- should not surprise. It is what happens when the state takes over one-sixth of the economy."
"The state treats private insureres the way it does government regulated monopolies and utilities under Obamacare, determining everything of importance," he says, "Insurers by definition set premiums according to risk, but under Obamacare the risk ratios (for age, gender, smoking, etc.) are decreed by Washington.This is nationalization in all but name, the insurer is turned into a middleman, subject to state control, and presidential whim."
If the court uphold healthcare reform law it would allow Democrats to accuse Republicans of being obstructionist, wasting two years fighting a law that is constituional, serve as an ultimate stamp of approval of the Democrat landmark healthcare refrom and buoy Obama to victory towards his second term.
If the court strikes down Obamacare it will ignite a political earthquake that would vindicate Repubican complaints of federal governemnt overreach and allow them to charge President Obama, a former constitutional law professor, with pushing his policies through unconstitutional means.
The White Houe and liberal advocacy organizations intend to frame the debate, encouraging rallies outside the court when the arguments take place, a prayer vigil and press conferences - including speeches by people with medical problems who could benefit from the law. Radio host will inteview healthcare advocates at 'radio row' that will be located at the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill.
Opponenets of the law are planning to rally on the Capitol grounds the second day of the court's arguments. Americas for Prosperity will host a 'Hands Off My Health' rally along with free market groups like Tea Party Express. Republican lawmakers including Sen. Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rep. Michelle Bachman of Minnesota are exped to addres the rally.
The case will shine massive media attention on the complaints about the law. Ultimately the question for the public is about who has the right leadership. Both parties will be inclined to make healthcare reform the defining issue during the election in November if any part of the reform is unconsitutional.


text:
Kristen Stewart and fleeting paramour Rupert Sanders have admitted to cheating on their significant others, Stewart on boyfriend and Twilight costar Robert Pattinson and Sanders on his wife of seven years, Liberty Ross.
Their dalliance has been characterized as a brief fling, and it helps that no one bothered to issue a wayward denial to throw us off the scent--but a tangled web has been woven nonetheless.
So, here's a rundown of everything we know so far about what happened and when. A cheat sheet, if you will.
U.S. & World
Kristen publicly apologizes for cheating on Rob
March 2011: Stewart, star of three Twilight films to date and about one year into seemingly dating Pattinson (cagey, those two), signs on to star as the titular heroine in Snow White and the Huntsman, to be directed by Sanders and costarring Charlize Theron.
July 2011: Stewart, Sanders, producer Joe Roth and castmembers including Sam Claflin, Chris Hemsworth and Theron appear at Comic-Con.
October 2011: Stewart finally acknowledges she's in a relationship--and she almost admits it's with Pattinson! She tells GQ she was looking forward to exploring England while in country shooting Snow White "because [her] boyfriend is English."
Rob and Kristen's red carpet style
Fall 2011: Shooting Snow White is apparently a grueling process. Doing press for the film, Stewart tells E! News that she tore a ligament in her thumb, hurt her foot and every other day would do "something stupid" like "pull [her] ass muscle." But there was no funny business, according to a source, who has since assured us, "I can guarantee you 100 percent that nothing happened when they were working--nothing!"
May 23: Stewart and Pattinson find a quiet corner to lock lips following the premiere of On the Road at the Cannes Film Festival.
May 29: Stewart tells E! News at a sneak peek of Snow White at Universal CityWalk that she would do a Snow White sequel "in a heartbeat."
Five things to know about Rupert Sanders
June 1: Sanders describes his relationship with his wife to The Guardian: "I just knew I was going to marry her," he says of meeting Ross when she was only 17 (he's seven years older). "It took a while. I didn't propose to her for seven years because I felt that she was too young and she'd resent me if she hadn't lived. But it was good because I was off making commercials and she was modeling, so we had quite a free--not sexually free, we weren't swinging or having other relationships...I hope!--but we both lived very independent lives, then we'd meet up. It kept the fire burning. She's been very supportive and she's been a strong single mother for the last year and a half, because I haven't been around."
The filmmaker also says he's been offered the opportunity to direct a Snow White sequel, noting, "if it's right, we'll do it, if it's not, we won't."
May 31: Sanders tells the Huffington Post that people are mistaken if they think Stewart is anything like the character she's most known for, Bella Swan. "She played such a good version Bella Swan, people think Kristen Stewart is Bella Swan. She's not, you know? If you meet Kristen, she's wildly kind of giggly and vivacious and rebellious and naughty--all things that Bella Swan isn't."
A complete history of Robsten, from Twilight to her Snow White hookup
June 7: Sanders, his wife at his side, tells E! News at the Snow White premiere in L.A. that, not only does Stewart have a "great spirit," she's also "feisty and kind of wild."
July 6: In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ross can't be more thrilled for her husband's success. "Once we started going out...I knew he was the one for me. He is a very special soul," the British model says.
July 12: A night after Stewart and Patterson dine deux at Nobu in San Diego, the cast of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 makes their final appearance together to promote a Twilight film at Comic-Con.
MORE PICS: Rob &Kristen through the years
July 17: A paparazzo with killer instincts snaps photos of Stewart and Sanders kissing. A bidding war for the damning images ensues, and Us Weekly is the apparent winner, though People ends up being the go-to publication for mea culpas.
July 21: Breaking Dawn Part 2 actress Toni Trucks dishes to E! News about working with Pattinson and Stewart: "They're both wonderful, cool as a cucumber. I don't think anyone can really judge people too harshly when you have all eyes on you at all times."
Also that day, BlackBook posts an interview with Pattinson, in which he calls rumors that he and Stewart are engaged not true. "At least, not yet," he adds. "But it is true that Kristen has always done something to me that others haven't." (Seriously, why has everything anyone says started sounding awful at this point?!)
Find out how the Twitterverse reacted to the Robsten scandal
July 22: Stewart, Pattinson and Taylor Lautner take the stage at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards to accept the 41st overall award for The Twilight Saga. It doesn't appear that Robsten are sitting in the audience together.
July 24: E! News learns of the Sanders-Stewart hookup. Team Edward takes it hard.
Ross tweets, "Wow," before closing her Twitter and Facebook accounts. A picture of Disney's cartoon Snow White crying and drinking, along with the caption, "Not so pretty or so pure after all..." is posted to an Instagram account that purportedly belongs to Ross. The privacy settings on the account are subsequently changed so that only followers can view the pics.
K.Stew scoop: When did her romance with Rupert Sanders begin?
July 25: Stewart apologizes first, telling People in a statement: "I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."
Sanders is a close second, saying, "I am utterly distraught about the pain I have caused my family. My beautiful wife and heavenly children are all I have in this world. I love them with all my heart. I am praying that we can get through this together."
Next Up: Pattinson's Cosmopolis hits theaters Aug. 17, an event he (in normal circumstances anyway) would certainly be hitting up all the talk shows to promote. Breaking Dawn Part 2 caps the Twilight Saga on Nov. 16.


text:
Drawn Together: A Fundraiser for Newtown, Connecticut
It is hard to know exactly how to help after such a senseless tragedy such as the Newtown School Shooting. However, pediatric psychologist and DIY blogger Amber Daigre of Damask Love has started a creative project and fundraiser for the Newtown community and you can help. Learn more on the Damask Love blog.
Posted by Funky Finds at 12/17/2012 12:00:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: art project, blog, charity, connecticut, DIY, fundraiser, newtown
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
COLUMBUS - While Federico Higuain has rightly been spotlighted during the Crew's four-game winning streak, consider for a second an unsung hero in forward Justin Meram.
It was Meram (above), a second-half substitute, who took a leading ball from Higuain and set up Eddie Gaven for the stoppage time winner Wednesday against Philadelphia.
And while it was Higuain's exquisite free kick Saturday that Chad Marshall headed in the 80th minute to draw even with Montreal, the dead ball was a result of Meram drawing a foul by Lamar Neagle 16 minutes after entering the match.
Meram was in position for a header off the Higuain restart when Marshall, in the defender's word, "bulldozed" his teammate.
"I saw the ball," Meram told MLSsoccer.com after the match. "I thought I was going to get a flick but I kind of got trampled."
Marshall got the goal while Meram went headfirst into the turf then had it smashed deeper when Montreal defender Nelson Rivas inadvertently fell on him.
Meram sported a swollen nose yet nearly got the winner in the 90th minute but couldn't bend an open shot around goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
The Crew (12-8-6) eventually pulled out a 2-1 victory when another reserve, Emilio Rentería, headed a service by Higuain in the 93rd minute.
"If I don't score or get an assist and we win, all smiles here," he said. "My mindset has changed in that aspect. This is the second half of my second year [in MLS] and I kind of like it like that. When you're a team player and contributing anyway possible, you're going to play more."
In addition to Meram's and Rentería's exploits off the bench, Tony Tchani entered deep into the match vs. New England on Aug. 25 and assisted the 86th-minute decider by Jairo Arrieta.
All the late dramatics are happening despite playing six times between Aug. 15 and Saturday.
"We seem to find that last gear and keep on pushing, even though the legs might have been heavy," midfielder Eddie Gaven said following the Montreal match.
Also not to be forgotten among the role players who've made an impact recently are midfielder Cole Grossman, who scored his first goal against Houston on Aug. 19, and rookie goalkeeper Mat Lampson's two wins in relief when Andy Gruenebaum was injured.


text:
Welcome Back
In today's post, as part of the Adventures in Acrylics workshop, I'll be sharing a tutorial on how to create a wonderful dark wood paint effect. It looks something like rosewood, or perhaps mahogany, but whatever you want to call it, this gives a beautiful effect. Like the previous tutorial, this is super simple to create and waiting for the paint to dry between layers, is the most time-consuming part.
Here's what a finished piece looks like
You Will Need
- Winsor & Newton: Galeria Acrylic paint; Buff Titanium, Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber.
- White mount board
- Jar of water
- Scrap of rag for cleaning.
I'll include a written description of the process, for those who don't speak English, there's always the trusty translator, check out the TRANSLATE THIS SITE link, in the side bar.
- Put some Buff Titanium on the palette, than use the palette knife to apply a layer paint over the white surface of the mount board. Apply the paint generously, as if you were buttering bread 😉 Change direction with your knife and leave a few white areas here and there. Allow this layer to dry fully, before you move on.
- Clean your knife in the water, while you wait for the paint to dry.
- Next, put out some Burnt Sienna onto your palette, pick up some paint on the knife and apply the Burnt Sienna in patches, here and there over the Titanium Buff. Change direction when applying the paint to create textures. Leave some of the white areas and some areas of the buff titanium visible. Allow this layer to dry fully, before you move on.
- Clean your knife in the water, while you wait for the paint to dry.
- Put some Burnt Umber onto your palette, this is a semi transparent colour and will allow the other layers to be seen through it. Pick up a generous amount of Burnt Umber onto your knife. You only need a thin-film of the paint over the card, but the knife will move better over the card if it has a layer of paint across it. Apply a thin layer of the Burnt Umber over the whole piece and allow this to dry. Try not to go over this layer too many times as it tends to get sticky as its drying and if you want a smooth result you don't want to over work it. Allow this layer to fully dry before you move on.
- Clean your knife in the water, while you wait for the paint to dry.
- If you feel your piece is looking too bright apply a second layer of the Burnt Umber over the card, either just in places or over the whole thing, depending on the look you are going for.
The earlier layers glow through the semi transparent Burnt Umber, and add lots of visual interest and texture to the piece. Like the weathered wood, you can make this more textured by using heavy bodied acrylic paint like Daler Rowney Cryla if you prefer or use mediums to change how your Galeria paint behaves. This original version is reasonably smooth so if you wanted to stamp or write over the surface you could do so. It would also take image transfers if you wanted to add some.
Options/Added Extras
In the coming weeks/months I'll be introducing you to some acrylic mediums. As well as mixing the mediums to your paints, you can also use some of them as a glazing layer. If you already have some, you could paint over the finished piece with matt or gloss medium.
- The matt medium will not change the appearance of the finished piece, but it will seal in and protect the layers of paint.
- The gloss medium will dry to a high shine, and make the piece look as if it has been polished.
Experiment with what you have and see which you prefer. You don't have to add the glaze layer, but it will help seal the paint in.
Check out the Art tab at the top of the blog for details of suppliers where you can find a local stockist and also colour charts for the paints I'm using.
Hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and will give the technique a try, it is simple to do and by varying your colours or how you apply the paint, there are plenty of opportunities for further experiment with this idea. I'd love to see your results and how you incorporate this technique into your own projects. Do leave me comment with a link to what you create.
For more in this Adventures in Acrylics series check out the dedicated class page.
Best wishes and thanks for reading see you soon
Billie 🙂


text:
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. We're going to get a little whimsical for this post and visit a heavy equipment junkyard along the Aiken-Augusta highway. The next post will be epic, detailing the largest building we got into in the CSRA (that's the Central Savannah River Area, don't ya know) and it's going to take a couple posts to cover. For now then, in the holiday spirit, we'll take it a little easy. If you were driving from Augusta to the building-to-be-posted you might pass the junkyard anyway, so it does make some sense.
Remember this view? I don't know if sitting in the back of the bus carries the same connotations it once did, but that used to be where all the bad kids sat so they could do bad things on the way to and from school. The good kids sat in the middle seats and those subject to getting beat up would go for the front. I never really did most of those bad things, but I still preferred sitting in the back, myself.
There are a couple impressive photo books out there that have shots of smashed-up vintage cars. One is "Car Crashes and Other Sad Stories," by Mell Kilpatrick. Mell took pictures for newspapers in Southern California in the 1940's and 1950's and was often one of the first people to arrive at accident scenes. Some of his photos are undeniably gruesome (you can often see the victims strewn about the wreckage) but there is something disquietingly beautiful about the mangled Packards and disemboweled Chevy's. All that fractured glass and twisted chrome reminds you that life can be dangerous and it's always been so. But especially when you're not wearing your seatbelt.
Another book of interest is "Strange Days, Dangerous Nights," by Larry Millett. Larry worked as a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota and has assembled photos from the Pioneer Press and the St. Paul Dispatch circa 1940-1960. Many are accidents and murder scenes, but there's plenty of strange "cultural" shots as well. These photos were all published, sometimes on the front page, and if you think media coverage can be graphic now this book (and exhibit) will give you pause.
I won't argue whether our society is progressing from a higher to lower order. I'll leave that to others to waste their time with. However, it does seem like things constructed in the fast-fading past were built better and more expressively, at least when it comes to architecture and design (and the grill badges on fire trucks). McCarthy was speaking of civilizations, but the statement is no less applicable to the decay of objects. And these places and things now frequently lie in ruins and there is always an air of mystery about them. You can even imagine that the neglect and abandonment of what was once so important to those who built them and the people that used them, now unhappily forgotten, has cast the slightest pall of rage over what little remains. I can't believe that wandering around an abandoned Wal-Mart in 50 years will be as profound an experience as creeping through a turn-of-the-century farmhouse or Art Deco movie theater. But, ah, what a thought, that: abandoned Wal-Marts.


text:
DetailsConventions & Exhibitions
Capital city of the Republic of Indonesia and hub of the country's finance, business, trade and communications, Jakarta offers a wide range of Conventions and Exhibition Facilities. The Jakarta International Convention Center (or JICC) , to the Jakarta International Expo (JIEX) are the two largest complexes, both close to large hotels to ensure plenty of accommodation for delegates.
Complementing these are the many multi-function facilities in super deluxe hotels, found among others at the Shangri-La, the Hyatt Regency, Marriott, the Ritz-Carlton and a host more. The city's Meetings and Exhibition areas are filled year round with domestic and international Meetings, Conventions and Exhibitions covering a wide variety of topics, from automotive to furniture, handicrafts, agriculture, adventure & extreme tourism, robotics, and a whole lot more.
Below is a list of Convention and Exhibition Facilities.


text:
Manhattan School of Music. New York, N.Y. Master in Composition and Film Scoring, 1985
Østlandske Music Conservatory. Oslo, Norway. Bachelor Degree - Classical Trombone, 1979
Individual Study with Don Sebesky (Film Score), Dennis Wick (Trombone), Michael Gibbs (Composition), Ed Green (Film Score), Bill Watrous (Trombone), Arild Jensen (Trombone)
The "Lys Music Composition Contest" 2nd. Prize for Jazz Orch Belgium 2003.
Norwegian Composers Foundation, Scholarship, 1986, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999.
2000-2002, Scholarship to write a symphony
Norwegian Found for Performing Artist, stipend 1990,1996,1999.
TONO, stipend 1990, 1996.
Norwegian Association for Popular Authors: Prize of the Year for Best Composition, 1982, 1986, 1996.
Barga Jazz '92, 2nd. Prize, International Arr. & Composition competition for Jazz Orch., Italy
Danish Broadcasting Orch., Denmark Radio Cup, 1988 & 1989 for original classical compositions.
The Municipality of Oslo, Oslo City Cultural Stipend, 1986.
Norwegian Composers Union, Anders Klæstads Scholarship, 1984.
Peforming Trombone on "Hair Spray" and "The Producers" on Broadway (NYC) 2003-04
Orchestrated "Mary Poppins" 2003
White Tie And Tails, Tommy Tune Little Schubert Theatre on Broadway (trombone) 2002-03
Damenes Aften (Ladies Night Out), Orchestrated Show at the Chat Noir Theatre, Oslo, 1998/99/2000. Tremendous Success. (conductor & trombone).
Chorus Line, Chateau Neuf, Oslo, 1983-84 (trombone), 1996 (conductor).
Tommy Tune - Moonlighting, Rich Forum, Stamford, CT. 1993, 2002 (trombone).
Phantom of the Opera, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1990 (conductor).
Jesus Christ Superstar, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1990 (conductor & trombone).
Les Miserables, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1988 (conductor & bass trombone).
Mame, Connecticut Broadway Theatre, CT.
Fiddler on the Roof, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1987 (trombone).
No Other Time, No Other Place, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1986 (conductor).
Cats, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo 1985/86 (trombone).
Romeo & Juliet, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1985 (trombone).
West Side Story, The Norwegian Theatre, Oslo, 1982,86 (trombone).
Conducted, orchestrated and performed for:
""Ladies and Gentlemen"" a series of 10 TV shows about famous artists. 2002 Conductor, musical director, arranger.
Momarkedet, live fundraising show; conductor, musical director, arranger, featuring among others int'l artists: Michael Bolton, Cliff Richards, Engelbert Humperdink. NRK.1988, '89, '90, '91,'92, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, 2001.
TV telethon for cancer 2000.
TV show "The blind association 100year" 2000.
TV telethon "SOS children villages" 2000.
A Celebration of the '70's, MD & conductor for Donna Summer, NBC, Los Angeles, 1993.
Diamond Awards, musical director & conductor for Donna Summer, Netherlands, 1992.
TV cup final footballshow TV2, 1998.
Telethon, musical director, arranger for 12 hour telethon. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), Oslo, 1992, 1994
Jens Wendelboe Big Crazy Energy Band, 40 minute music show, taped live. NRK, Oslo, 1991.
Lørdan, popular live Saturday night show (87% viewer ratings); house conductor, musical director, arranger. Featuring among others, Al Jarreau, Tanita Takaram, NRK, 1988-1991.
Spellemansprisen, Norwegian ""Grammys"", conductor, musical director, arr., NRK, '91,'93,'95.
Brageprisen, Norwegian Literary Awards, musical director & arranger, NRK '92 &'93.
European All Star Big Band, European Broadcasting Union, trombonist, EBU, Austria 1990.
Holmenkollen, live t.v. entertainment; conductor, musical director, arranger, NRK, '90, '93.
Amanda Price, live Film Award ceremony, house conductor, musical director, arranger, featuring int'l artists: Liv Ullman and Diana Ross, NRK 1986, 1987.
TV Soloist with own compositions on an internordic production, Finland, 1987.
Eurovision Song Contest, conductor & arr., for national & int'l competition, NRK, 1986.
Sopot Pop Festival, conductor and arranger for Finland's entrants, Poland, 1986.
Cesme Music Contest, conductor and arranger for Norway and Sweden, Turkey, 1986.
Trombone soloist and band member on studio and live shows, both classical & contemporary.
Composed numerous jingles both acoustic and electronic.
""REAL THING DELUXE"" Conducted and co produced. No.2 best selling jazz record in Norway 2000.
""ONE DAY"" Orchestrated for Sidsel Kyrkjebø (best seller in Europe) 2000.
Misc. recordings with David Foster, Jimmy Webb, Roger Nichols, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Bruce Roberts
Recording artist and arranger on over 50 classical, fusion, top 40, jazz and rock & roll recordings.
Arranger on recordings for the Monroes and Bobbysocks (best sellers).
Madison Square Garden KTU. Conducted and Arranged music for a "Tribute to Donna Summer" 2003
The New York Restoration Project. Conducted and performed for Bette Midler & Donna Summer 2003
Morocco, private concert for his Majesty King Mohammed the 6th at his Palace New Years eve.2002
Westbury Music Fair, performed with The Dells, Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka, Jerry Vale, 2001
The Norwegian Radio Symphony 2000–2003 Conducted, orchestrated and soloed with the orchestra in seven different productions such as: CD recording, Film recording, Children event, popular musical and jazz concerts with among others alto saxophonist Peter King.
Army bands 2000 Conducted several concerts with original material in Norway.
The Ambassador Show Conductor and trombone soloing in Harstad, Norway, 1998/2000.
The Norwegian Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Norwegian Labor Unions 100 Year Anniversary, April 1999.
Opening Concert in Harstad (Festspillene i Nord-Norge), June 98.
Donna Summer in Carnegie Hall, March 98. Benefit for Gay Men's Health Crises Center.
Donna Summer '93, '94, '95. Musical director, conductor. USA, Europe, Latin America, Japan.
Celebration in the Square '92, Musical director for Paul Newman's Fundraising event for the ""Hole in the Wall Gang"" featuring Tony Bennett, Donna Summer, Neil Sedaka.
Westport, Connecticut
Big Crazy Energy Band, monthly concert with own compositions at Serafina, New York 2001
Oriental Hotel, Bangkok Soloed with a jazz quartet 2000.
Bergen professional Big Band, Conducted and performed all own compositions 2000.
Asker Big Band Performed at Copenhagen Jazz House.
Soloist and Judge in Augastana Jazz Big Band Competition Festival, Suix Fall 1999.
Tour with Crazy Energy Jazz Quartet in Spain, Feb. 1997, Germany Sept. 1998,
USA Jan. 1999.
Cruise with Little Crazy Energy Band, 12-piece band, on Cruiseship SS NORWAY, July 1998.
Molde International Jazz Festival 1992, Norway, Jens Wendelboe Big Crazy Energy Band
Asker Big Band, musical director 1985-present, performing also at Ronnie Scotts, London, 1988.
Norwegian Radio Big Band, conductor, principal & 2. trombonist, soloist, arranger,
Tom Pierson Big Band, with among others; A. Jackson, L. Soluff, J. Pugh, G. Chamberlain, L. Marini.. Trombonist, New York, 1985.
Trombone Quintet at Harstad Jazz Festival, w/F. Tingnæs, H. Halvorsen, T. Nilsen, J. Wendelboe, Ø. Westby, 1985.
Jens Wendelboe Big Band, performing at ""7th Avenue South"", New York 1984-85. Performing at ""Club 7"", Oslo 1982-83.
Jazz Punk Ensemble at Voss Jazz Festival, Trombonist, Norway, 1980.
Toshiko Akioshi at Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Trombonist, Norway, 1980.
Trombone soloist on various assignments in clubs and concerts. Have soloed together with Slide Hampton, Phil Woods, Bill Watrous and Wayne André.
Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Permanent stand-in on Principal/2. Trombone.
Composed Pagina, The Opposite of One, plus prize winning Modus Vivendi, H2O and Winterlandscape.
Arranger on various classical and light pieces for chamber ensembles to symphony orchestra.
Frequent Guest on various Radio Programs
Norwegian Labor Union, 30 minutes music for historical/documentary film, Oslo, 1990
Citadel, 30 minutes music for industrial video, Oslo, 1990
Lamin, 30 minutes music for award winning novelle film, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), 1988
Hanover Park High School, NJ. Taught performers "Master class" Guest directed Jazz Ens. 2003
Private lessons on trombone, Wilton , CT. 2002, 03.
Judge for high school band competition, Augastana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. 2000
Østlandske Music Conservatory (recently merged with the Royal Academy of Music), Prof. in arranging and composition, Oslo, 1990-94
Royal Academy of Music, Supervisor of the Jazz Department, taught ""music philosophy"", ""styles and analysis"", instructed jazz ensembles and participated in international exchange programs, Oslo, 1985-87.
Employed on a freelance basis to provide: individual trombone tutoring, musical direction for amateur and senior jazz ensembles and big bands, & seminars in improvisation and arranging.
We Need Us All
Just an awesome voice........a 'soothing to the Soul'......
©2015-2016 Indie Music People All Rights Reserved
wilton ct usa
Last pageview at: 7/1/2020 8:07:10 AMPageviews: 7456


text:
Rent a 500 sq ft Studio with king bed, fully equipped kitchenette, and private patio/balcony. Enjoy all the conveniences of Palm Desert from the comfort of a studio. All studios have a private patio/balcony with sunny views.
Cable TV/DVD
Studios with King Beds
Book a 600 sq ft Studio with a king bed and fully equipped kitchen. Enjoy all the conveniences of Shadow Mountain Resort in the comfort of a studio. All Shadow Mountain Resort studios have a private patio/balcony.
Two Bedroom Villas
Book a private 1400 sq ft Villa with two king beds, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, dining room, and living room. Every two bedroom condo comes with a gas fireplace, washer & dryer, air-conditioning, in-room coffee, and iron/board.
One Bedroom Condos
Stay in a 900 sq ft Condo with king bed, bathroom, and fully equipped kitchen. Every condo has a living room/dining room, air-conditioning, in-room coffee, and iron/board.
Two Bedroom Condos
Rent a 1100 sq ft Condo with a king and queen bed, two bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen. Each condo is thoughtfully and attractively furnished to feel like your home away from home.
Three Bedroom Condos
Stay in a 1500 sq ft Condo with two king beds, two twin beds, and two bathrooms. Every three bedroom condo has a fully equipped kitchen, living room/dining room, air-conditioning, and in-room coffee.


text:
Twist Shorts (Sample)
$40.00 USD was $140.00 USD
This product is currently sold out.
Pouncing from illustration into an exploration of photographic graphics, the cat-trio designs each piece in the theme of Berkley's 'parade of faces' technique. The graceful feline forms morph into hypnotic spirals and digital lined prints to envelop the wearer in limitless illusions. Aligned to the imaginative quirks of the Purrple Label line, the psychedelic printed fabrics differ from piece to piece, where some crafty styles possess reversible patterns. The color palette of the brand also takes a muted turn this fall, with denim hues, soft-pastels and earthy tones.
Get the total look, wear these with our Jamina Dress.
98% cotton 2% polyester | Made in Thailand
What's my size?


text:
Our pal Datamancer has a new blog up. He's hoping to keep a regular digital diary of his projects. Given all of the cool stuff he's always working on, let's hope he keeps it up. Above are two picks from a hobby furnace he's building, built around the Lionel's Lab HobbyMelter kit.
(Jake von Slatt has also been working on a similar furnace, from scratch. You can see his progress so far here and here.)


text:
However Baltimore's plain-spoken police commissioner is remembered, when he departs on the first day of August, he will leave his successor a challenging target.
The number 200.
That is the standard by which Frederick H. Bealefeld III's successor will be measured. Under his watch, Baltimore recorded 196 homicides in 2011, breaking a symbolic barrier that eluded nine previous chiefs, all the way back to 1977.
Fairly or unfairly, the mayor and commissioner — along with the city as a whole — have been judged and have judged themselves on the annual body count. It is always a horrific-looking number, but in actuality a tiny percentage of crime.
City leaders and criminal justice experts fear that a new leader, even one promising to continue Bealefeld's strategies, will halt the momentum of near across-the-board crime decreases while imprinting his or her own ideological stamp on the force.
"The benchmark is now 200," said Bert F. Shirey, a retired deputy commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department with 37 years of experience. "The public and people who are paying the bills see this number as the bottom line. The new person coming in certainly doesn't want the number to go back up again."
Speaking about overall crime levels, City Councilman William H. Cole IV, said, "I think the bar is set. It's up to the applicants to understand that we now know where our new low can be as far as the crime rate goes, and we want to push below that."
On Friday, a day after announcing his retirement, Bealefeld used statistics as he spoke about his successes: "Minus seven, minus 17." Such tallies — 64 killings through April 4, compared to 71 in the same period last year, and 112 non-fatal shootings, compared to 129 last year — remain the barometer of city crime. They will be tough for Bealefeld's successor to match, or beat, whether he or she rises up from the ranks or is plucked from someplace else.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake plans a national search to replace Bealefeld as head of the 3,100-member police force, which has been under his stewardship for the past five years.
The unique challenge, according to Baltimore leaders, even those critical of the commissioner's tenure, is advancing a plan that has for the first time in decades led to a sustained drop in crime.
"It's going to be incumbent on the next person to continue that direction," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement think tank in Washington that has helped Los Angeles and Chicago find chiefs.
"Some new chiefs come in and dismantle everything that a successful person has done," Wexler said, "but that would be stupid."
Still, he urged the mayor and community leaders to think carefully about "where the department is and where it needs to go. … What are the issues facing Baltimore in 2012? They might not be the same issues that faced Fred Bealefeld in 2007."
Bealefeld lasted longer than is typical of most big-city police chiefs, surviving a change at the top of City Hall, where consecutive mayors endorsed and embraced his crime plan.
Yearly declines in homicides, shootings, assaults and other crimes allowed leaders to proudly proclaim a notoriously dangerous city safer — even if many residents said their experiences didn't match the numbers. Those declines shielded Bealefeld from the impact of other problems in the department.
He survived a steady stream of misconduct and corruption cases that sent officers to federal and state prison, a fatal "friendly-fire" shooting of an officer, and numerous shake-ups in command. There were also revelations that many reported rapes were being dismissed by detectives who wrote them up as "unfounded," prompting an overhaul of the sex offense unit.
To the public, scandals come and go with the headlines, but safety remains a primary concern, local leaders say. In March, Bealefeld's new pick to lead Internal Affairs stood in front of residents in Belair-Edison, ready to field questions just as another misconduct scandal was making news.
Nobody asked a single question of Grayling Williams, who was lured to Baltimore from the federal government to restore credibility in officer discipline. Instead, residents pestered patrol officers about a fight at a neighborhood school.
"You go to a community meeting and crime is the topic," said Cole. "They want to know, from the Police Department, what are they doing to stop whatever is going on and to make their day safer. At the end of the day, that's what it all boils down to."
What has helped Bealefeld slide through crises, Cole said, was his intolerance of bad behavior. For example, he fired a cop who berated and pushed a teenage skateboarder at the Inner Harbor, over the objections of his command staff.
Cole doesn't see any reason to change the city's crime-fighting strategy. "I think the blueprint the commissioner has laid out appears to be working," he said. "The numbers themselves indicate that."
Helen Holton, another City Council member, hopes the mayor chooses a replacement before Bealefeld leaves. "My biggest concern is that we get someone to step into the job and not miss a beat," she said.
The impact of his departure, she said, will "depend on how long it takes to find his replacement and how long it takes that person to blend with our culture." She's not partial to an internal or external candidate but said the person must be "sensitive to diversity and understand the environment here."
City Councilman Brandon Scott, who is 28, notes that Bealefeld "has been a cop three years longer than I've been alive." Scott said that many of the officers who patrolled the streets of Park Heights, where he grew up, are now in the command staff.
He hasn't always agreed with the commissioner, but he said the "difference is night and day" when he compares the crime in his neighborhood now to his childhood, having grown up in the 1990s, when 300 homicides a year was the norm.
"We have too many people who have died to not recognize that progress we've made in this city," Scott said.
Bealefeld's unusually long tenure for a big-city chief gave the department a rare — and welcomed — span of stability, at least in crime-fighting strategy, even as Rawlings-Blake succeeded Sheila Dixon as mayor. Officers endured shifting policies under four different leaders between 2000 and 2007.
Bealefeld's immediate predecessor, Leonard D. Hamm, was pushed out by a mayor angry over high crime and high arrest numbers. Kevin P. Clark was fired after a dispute with his fiancee erupted in scandal, and Edward T. Norris was sent to federal prison for using an off-the-books fund for personal expenses while leading the city force. Before him, Ronald L. Daniel quit after serving just 39 days as commissioner because he didn't agree with the mayor on how to fight crime.
The department went from the perceived soft-policing style of Thomas C. Frazier, who billed himself as a "social worker with a gun," straight into a so-called "zero-tolerance" policy. That filled jails with more than 100,000 arrestees a year, drawing rebukes from judges, as well as lawsuits and complaints that thousands of the arrests for nuisance offenses couldn't withstand even an initial judicial review.
Even with the get-tough style of policing, the number of homicides had remained in the mid- to high-200s, not enough to erase the city's dark image as "Bodymore."
Bealefeld is a hometown boy whose mother hailed from Curtis Bay and father from Hollins Ferry. After dropping out of community college to join the force in 1981 as a patrolman in the Western District, he rose through the ranks and was named commissioner in 2007.
Even before becoming commissioner, he was skeptical of the lock-em-all-up strategy. "I knew there was a better way to do it," Bealefeld said Friday.
He implemented a more nuanced crime plan, a hybrid of zero-tolerance and community policing. He made walks with community groups a centerpiece of the strategy, while ordering officers to target violent and repeat offenders, and to get guns off city streets.
He combined that with straight talk and catchphrases — such as "bad guys with guns." That signature slogan outlined a complex enforcement strategy that actually was the result of painstaking research with criminologists to pinpoint the reasons behind the city's violence.
Bealefeld said that the drop in homicides — 282 the year he started, down to 196 last year — and more importantly, significant drops in non-fatal shootings, reflect his officers making a "cultural change" in policing. The key: targeting the relative few who are responsible for most of the crime.
He argues that armed with fewer police officers and less money than his predecessors, "we went from 100,000 arrests a year to half that number and we got better results."
"It was a testament to what they could get done in this city," Bealefeld said of his cops. "We have incrementally reduced the homicide non-fatal shooting rate these five years. … I'm confident there are a lot of very courageous young men and young women in this Police Department who aren't going to be led away from success."
Some crime experts and community leaders offer a more cautious report card on Bealefeld's tenure, noting the corruption scandals that have continued to trouble the department. Sixteen officers were found guilty in a kickback scheme with a towing company, and an officer was convicted of selling heroin from a station house parking lot.
Another blemish was the fatal shooting of an officer by colleagues at a fight outside the Select Lounge. An independent commission that reviewed the "friendly fire" shooting issued a stinging rebuke of the department's training, and said chaotic on-scene supervision contributed to the officer's death. The criticism struck at the heart of Bealefeld's efforts to better train and professionalize the force.
"There have been some issues behind some of the negative things ... that need to be fixed," said Douglas Ward, director of the Division of Public Safety Leadership in the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.
"Maybe someone from another city would bring some new ideas," said Ward, who spent 27 years with the Maryland State Police before retiring. "I would be looking for someone who can really get the nuts and bolts in order."
Ward said a healthy department can survive a leadership change with little impact. "But I think in Baltimore's case, it's going to be difficult. "There have been so many changes in leadership [over the past decade] and so many changes in philosophy, that many employees might be thinking, 'What's next?'"
A. Dwight Pettit, a defense attorney who has represented many people suing the Police Department, and Cortly "C.D." Witherspoon, a Baltimore pastor and civil rights leader, questioned whether "zero-tolerance" has really ended, saying they're hearing complaints that don't reflect the rhetoric.
"I believe that a confrontational situation still exists, an us-versus-them mentality," Pettit said.
Witherspoon questioned the way Bealefeld communicates, calling his "brash style" insensitive. "I don't mind saying that his style was a complete turnoff," the pastor said. "We need a commissioner who's tough on crime but someone who's compassionate as well."
But to the end, Bealefeld defends calling criminals morons and knuckleheads. He said he was just trying to tell it like it is, which he learned to do as a "blue-collar kid" with roots in Curtis Bay.
"I've tried to speak for the people of this city who are frustrated by these predators that circle their blocks at night ... they live in terror from these maniacs," Bealefeld said, packing as many of his "Bealefeldisms" as he could into a single statement.
"I considered them maniacs and morons and idiots for doing the crazy stuff they do to harm people of this city," he said. "And I am completely and absolutely unapologetic to hurting the feelings of any criminal or ne'er-do-wells."
Citizen Bealefeld might lose his megaphone, but he promised to be "passionate about what I do." He conceded, though, "I don't know what my future holds. I'm nervous about it."
Many city leaders appear nervous as well, challenging the mayor to ensure that the next commissioner maintains continuity. Change the person, but not the plan, and keep crime numbers down, they say.
City Councilman Robert W. Curran said Bealefeld "left people reassured," but he has faith the mayor will find a replacement who won't let the department backslide on the crime numbers. "Obviously, if we keep going in the same direction, that's good," he said. "Let's keep the trend going."


text:
January: a rainy month with high humidity levels.
Weather & climateWe're often asked 'when is the best time to go to Namibia?', and the answer is usually complex. It will depend on many things including your interests, where you want to visit and why you're travelling. One person's best time is another's worst!
However, often a concern about the weather underlies the question of 'the best time to go'.
So here we've put together a very rough guide to the climate in Namibia. Remember that this comes from records and our experience, not from a crystal ball, and that Africa's weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable – probably due to global warming.
Partially covered by the Namib Desert, one of the world's driest deserts, Namibia's climate is generally very dry and pleasant – it's fine to visit all year round. Namibia only receives a fraction of the rain experienced by countries further east. Between about December to March some days will be humid and rain may follow, often in localised, afternoon thunderstorms. These are more common in the centre and east of the country, and more unusual in the desert.
April and especially May are often lovely months in Namibia. Increasingly dry, with a real freshness in the air, and much greenery in the landscape; at this time the air is clear and largely free from dust.
From June to August Namibia cools down and dries out more; nights can become cold, dropping below freezing in some desert areas. As the landscape dries so the game in the north of the country gravitates more to waterholes, and is more easily seen by visitors. By September and October it warms up again; game-viewing in most areas is at its best, although there's often a lot of dust around and the vegetation has lost its vibrancy.
November is a highly variable month. Sometimes the hot, dry weather will continue, at other times the sky will fill with clouds and threaten to rain – but if you're lucky enough to witness the first rains of the season, you'll never forget the drama.
Weather in other African countriesFor comparison, see similar climate charts and information for our other African destinations:
► Botswana climate – Similar weather pattern to Namibia, perhaps with slightly higher rainfall.
► Congo climate – A very different weather pattern from Namibia.
► Kenya climate – A very different weather pattern from Namibia.
► Malawi climate – Similar weather pattern to Namibia, but with more rain.
► Mozambique climate – Much wetter than Namibia, but following a broadly similar pattern.
► Rwanda climate – A very different weather pattern from Namibia.
► Seychelles climate – Completely different weather pattern from Namibia.
► Cape of South Africa climate – Almost completely 'opposite' weather pattern to most of Namibia's climate.
► Tanzania climate – A different weather pattern from Namibia, with two rainy periods.
► Zambia climate – Slightly different weather pattern to Namibia, with a longer rainy season.
► Zanzibar climate – Quite a different weather pattern from Namibia; much more rain.
► Zimbabwe climate – Weather follows a similar pattern to Namibia, but with a longer, heavier rainy season.


text:
Glam Events SA
Here at Glam Events SA not only do we have helpful and efficient staff who are able to give you creative ideas and advice but listen to your thoughts and help turn them into a dream come true. With our extensive well priced range which is continuously growing, we are constantly able to make sure your special occasion will be one to always remember.
Glam Events SA are able to provide you with one of a kind beautifully unique centrepieces, backdrops, chair covers, lighting and all the finishing touches required for your special day.
Ghost Candelabra
call: 0433-173-358 | email email@example.com
Follow Us
This ecommerce Website was designed by www.iddevelopment.com.au for $3495


text:
Let's take a look at the latest release date shuffles:
- The Tomb, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone gets a new release date of September 27th, 2013.
- Now You See Me, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, moves back again from March 15th to June 7th, 2013.
- The Big Wedding, featuring Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl and Robin Williams, gets a six month push from October 26 of this year to April 26th, 2013.
- Pitch Perfect, with Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Christopher Mintz-Plasse opens a week earlier than scheduled, now on September 28th of this year.
Hit the jump for images and synopses for each of these films.
All of the previous release date info comes courtesy of Box Office Mojo. Let's take a look at The Tomb, which features Schwarzenegger and Stallone as inmates in a prison designed by Stallone's character to be inescapable.
Here's the synopsis for Now You See Me:
The Four Horsemen, a magic super-group led by the charismatic ATLAS (JesseEisenberg), perform a pair of high-tech magic shows, first astonishing audiences by robbing a bank on another continent, and then exposing a white-collar criminal and funneling his millions into the audience members' bank accounts.
FBI Special Agent DYLAN (Mark Ruffalo) is determined to make the magicians pay for their crimes—and to stop them before they pull off what promises to be an even more audacious heist. But he's forced to partner with ALMA (Melanie Laurent), an Interpol detective about whom he is instantly suspicious. Out of desperation he turns to THADDEUS (Morgan Freeman), a famed magic debunker, who claims the bank heist was accomplished using disguises and video trickery. One thing Dylan and Alma agree on is that the Horsemen must have an outside point person, and that finding him (or her) is key to ending the magicians' crime spree. Could it be Thaddeus? Or Alma? Or could it really be…magic?
As pressure mounts and the world awaits the Horsemen's spectacular final trick, Dylan and Alma race to find an answer. But it soon becomes painfully clear that staying one step ahead of these masters of illusion is beyond the skills of any one man—or woman.
Here's the synopsis for The Big Wedding:
With an all-star cast lead by Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried and Topher Grace, THE BIG WEDDING is an uproarious romantic comedy about a charmingly modern family trying to survive a weekend wedding celebration that has the potential to become a full blown family fiasco. To the amusement of their adult children and friends, long divorced couple Don and Ellie Griffin (De Niro and Keaton) are once again forced to play the happy couple for the sake of their adopted son's wedding after his ultra conservative biological mother unexpectedly decides to fly halfway across the world to attend. With all of the wedding guests looking on, the Griffins are hilariously forced to confront their past, present and future – and hopefully avoid killing each other in the process.
Finally, here's the synopsis and poster for Pitch Perfect:
Anna Kendrick, of the "Twilight" flicks and an Oscar nominee for her performance in 2009′s "Up in the Air," stars as Becca, a misfit college student who, unhappy with her life at school, joins an a cappella group. She leads the women in ditching their traditional numbers for mash-ups of songs old and new as they compete in the cut-throat world of college a cappella groups.


text:
Can't find what
you're looking for?
Find DIR-contracted technology products and services here.
Information and tools to help you do what you need to do.
How to gain access to DIR's large and growing customer base.
Updates on high-interest bills passed into law
Reference Guide for SB 20 - Updated!
Q&As; on new SB 20 contracting requirements
Second in two-part NASCIO series.
CTO John Hoffman shares details about DIR big ap
Navigating the All Contracts & Services section.
Boost results through keywords and filters.


text:
A Family Heirloom!
This magnificent Scroll Splendor Iron Canopy Crib will set your precious baby's nursery into a class of its own. Tall and graceful, this beautiful crib features an elegant curved canopy, lovely rosettes at the connections, splendid hand sculpted scrollwork and pure brass accents. Meticulously hand crafted of iron with love and care, this crib is a statement of splendor. It is sure to outlast all others and become a family heirloom to be treasured for generations.
Shipping: FREE


text:
NIDA's annual DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY, held November 10, was a huge success. The computer-filled room where it happened vibrated with excitement, as more than 40 NIDA scientists eagerly tried to answer as many questions as they could. And questions they got. Teens from around the country sent in some 13,000 questions about drugs—wow, so nice to hear from you!
So what was different about Chat Day this year? Well for one, there seemed to be twice as many questions on marijuana. Maybe that's because the news lately is full of talk about marijuana (how confusing—some adults say it's bad for you, and others say it can be used as a medicine!). If you want to know how our scientists answered these questions, check out the CHAT DAY transcript, coming soon to http://www.nida.nih.gov/chat/.
What happens with the questions we didn't have time to answer? In the next few days, we will be reviewing all of the questions so we can learn more about what teens want to know about drugs. We're planning on adding what we find out to our teen Web site and we will blog more about it, too. If you think DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY sounds like fun, ask your school to sign up for next year. Schools will be able to register this summer. We'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, here's a list of some topics and the percentage of kids who asked about them this year.
30%: General questions (like "What's the worst drug?" or "Why do kids take drugs?")
20%: Marijuana 10%: Nicotine
8.5%: Alcohol
8.5%: Illegal street drugs like cocaine, meth, LSD, PCP, and ecstasy
5.0%: How do I get help for a friend or family member?
< 3%: Steroids, Inhalants, Rx Drugs, Pregnancy (questions like "Are drugs bad for the baby?")
Ok, so what would you or your friends have asked about?
wow thats verry intersesting :D
thisw website was very helpful for my project on street drugs. My frineds and I are very interested in all of your articles. Keep up the good work! And thank you(:
thisw website was very helpful for my project on street drugs. My friends and I are very interested in all of your articles. Keep up the good work! And thank you(:
if people say that drug addiction is also affected through genes wouldn't you think being pregnant while taking drugs would affect the baby in appearance and the body of the child may want to feed of the drug too... Think about it.
this says nutin bout pcp. dis is un helpful for me project. tanks alot.
Ok... listen. Marijuana is awesome, and should be legal =) Many drugs are dangerous though... i agree. I did a report on them.
can u tell me the classfication,effects on the body, how the drug enters the body , whats the nick name and medical uses alcohol has on people for my project
@ddog, sure, and you can go to the NIDA website to find out more. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker's body and can damage a developing fetus. Getting drunk can mess up brain function and motor skills; heavy use can increase risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease. For more info, check out: The Cool Spot - for kids 11-13 and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
nice site
I hope you don't get paid for this SHI*
Talk about ecstasy
Nuthin bout' PCP, tanks alot i'm gettin' an F on my project
It's really a nice and useful piece of information. I am happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing. [commercial link removed, per guidelines]
very cool . good site
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
teens nowadays are taking a lot of risk. parents should really keep an eye on this.
Edwin J. Peters
Library technician
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
I just can't put my eyes off your blog. Amazing thoughts and lovely writing style.
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
"DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY" sounds interesting
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
You might be a very smart person!
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]
I like the valuable info you provide for your articles. I'll bookmark your blog and take a look at again here frequently. I am quite certain I'll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the following! [commercial link removed, per guidelines]
I have to voice my gratitude for your kindness in support of individuals who really want guidance on your concept. Your special dedication to getting the message all through had been amazingly invaluable and has constantly helped women like me to attain their targets. Your invaluable guide indicates this much to me and somewhat more to my peers. With thanks; from each one of us.
Thanks for this great article! It has been very insightful.
I have seen a lot of blogs but i really like the layout of yours I wish that you will continue posting your knowledge
with us.
[commercial link removed, per guidelines]


text:
Yesterday we had a kick-off meating for the technical side of the project I'm working half-time on the next few month. (The other half time is just ordinary maintaince work). We have to make some fundemental changes in the document model for our Content Manager.
An 8 hour meeeting is a lot tougher than normal work. It's posible to kind of relax when you are checking log-files and to some extend also when coding.
Last day of the week and then I have 4 days off work. I won't even touch my own computer. I'm going on a trip with the scouts and it seems we on't even need to bring a tent. But we better have a tent, otherwise it would start to rain.
Life is great.


text:
Liberty News
Liberty's own barefoot bandit on the TODAY Show
Well, not so much a bandit in the sense that he gets into legal trouble, but he does tend to cause a stir in many public places. Liberty University associate professor of biology Dr. Daniel Howell was interviewed by Kathy Lee Gifford and rocker Sheryl Crow this morning on MSNBC's The TODAY Show about his recent publication, "The Barefoot Book."
Howell regaled Gifford and Crow with a story about how he was on the way to film the show and a flight attendant in Roanoke, Va., made him leave the plane and purchase flip-flops before allowing him to fly. Howell also baffled them by talking about his shoeless lifestyle and his encouragement of others to do the same.
"You're a very unusual man," said Gifford, "but I like that."
- View the interview and read more about Howell's book here.


text:
Mountain Dew
Helly Hansen
We're a global services company that provides customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Nature Valley
Sold exclusively in key Vail Resorts retail locations throughout the resorts.
Ripple Foods
Dairy-free, as it should be. Ripple Foods is proud to partner with Vail Resorts as the official dairy-free milk of all Vail Resorts properties. We believe in plant-based dairy alternatives that get you the food you need, without sacrificing nutrition or taste.
Powered by Ripptein, the cleanest plant protein on the planet, Ripple Foods products are chock full of protein, low in fat, and good for the spirit (and the environment). Ripple Foods is perfect for people who believe nourishing the body is the first step to nourishing the soul.
Eco-Products is proud to be the Official Zero Waste Partner of Vail Resorts. As the leading brand of compostable and recycled content foodservice packaging, Eco-Products is committed to a Zero Waste future. In addition to providing environmentally preferable cups, plates, and the like, Eco-Products is helping Vail Resorts expand their composting and recycling programs and deliver on their Commitment to Zero. Eco-Products believes big things can happen in small packages, and the partnership with Vail Resorts has the promise to deliver just that.


text:
I am using an Asus U35JC with a Nvidia GeForce 310 M graphics card.
System info says that my graphics card is unknown.
When I install any of two additional drivers and run sudo
nvidia-xconfig* and reboot, after grub it just stops loading the operating system. However, I can still login via tty1 and change /etc/X11/xorg.conf and restore the backup. (Before I figured this out I reinstalled Ubuntu every time.)
Thanks in advance to anyone who views this.
*: got the idea from: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-nv/+question/163996


text:
Drytac Coatings Approved for Use with HP Latex Inks
Companies cooperated on product-compatibility tests
Richmond, VA-based Drytac's EnduraCoat and InstaCure liquid coating lines have been approved as compatible with HP's latex inks on HP Outdoor Frontlit Scrim Banner and HP PVC-free wall paper. HP and Drytac cooperated on product compatibility tests between liquid coating products and HP Latex inks. Products in both the EnduraCoat aqueous coating and InstaCure UV-curable coating lines test compatibly with HP Latex ink prints.
Specifically, EnduraCoat UltraMural and EnduraCoat Sign and Banner were approved as compatible with HP latex ink prints on HP Outdoor Frontlit Scrim Banner and HP PVC-free wall paper. InstaCure POP and InstaCure Superflex Satin Matte UV curable coatings also tested compatible with HP's Outdoor Frontlit Scrim Banner and HP PVC-free wall paper when printed using HP Latex inks.
EnduraCoat aqueous and InstaCure UV curable liquid coatings both contain a blend of acrylic and non-yellowing urethane polymers designed to give indoor/outdoor graphics flexibility and maximum outdoor durability. Furthermore, Drytac's liquid manufacturing process uses metal-free formulas and low VOC levels. EnduraCoat aqueous coatings can be applied using a roller, paint pad, or airless sprayer.


text:
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Wales 11-11-2008 by L.L. No. 12-2008.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
Flood damage prevention — See Ch. 103.
Subdivision of land — See Ch. 181.
Zoning — See Ch. 100.
Editor's Note: This local law also repealed former Ch. 150, Open Development Area, adopted 8-9-1990 (originally adopted as an amendment to the Town's Zoning Ordinance), as amended.
Pursuant to § 280-a of the Town Law, the Town Board, in order to maintain the rural character of the Town and to provide relief to landowners who wish to subdivide land that lacks adequate public road frontage for standard lot development or for more efficient utilization of rear yard space, may, by resolution, establish an open development area or areas within the Town. An open development area is not an as-of-right use and must be designed to maintain the rural character of the Town as well as to meet the conditions as herein established.
The erection of any building or improvement which does not have immediate frontage on an existing state, county or Town highway or a street shown upon a plat approved by the Town as provided in §§ 276 and 277 of the Town Law shall require an open development area permit as provided herein.
Application procedure.
The applicant shall file a development plan for the approval of an open development area, which shall include:
A description of all land which the applicant proposes to develop as well as all lands owned by the applicant adjacent to the area proposed and a copy of the recorded deed of the applicant describing the subject premises.
The location of property with respect to surrounding property and streets.
The location and approximate dimensions of all existing property lines.
All pertinent features, such as existing structures, streets and other information that may influence the design of the plan.
The location, width and approximate grade of all proposed access roadways.
The approximate location, dimensions and area of all proposed or existing lots.
The names of all property owners of record adjacent to and abutting the proposed open development area.
The name and address of the owner(s) of the land to be developed, the name and address of the developer(s), if other than the owner, and the name of the land surveyor.
The acreage of the tract to be developed to the nearest 1/10 of an acre.
Any other appropriate information.
Specifications for a private right-of-way and a plan for maintenance.
The fee payable to the Town Clerk, as determined by the Town Board, for each proposed lot within the open development area.
The application shall be presented to the Town Clerk at least 10 days prior to a regular meeting of the Board.
Health approval. The application must contain a letter of recommendation by the State and/or County Health Department indicating compliance with the standards of the applicable sanitary code, Public Health Law or the applicable health codes. In the event that the proposed open development area does not require approval of the State and/or County Health Departments, a statement to this effect must be submitted with the application and verified by the State and/or County Health Department.
Development plan. Plans submitted to the Town Board shall be prepared in appropriate scale and shall show all lots, rights-of-way, drainage plans, public utilities, sewage disposal and any other information deemed appropriate and required by the Town.
Submission date. The date of submission shall be the date of the next general meeting of the Town Board after receipt of the same by the Town Clerk.
Referral. The Town Board shall refer the open development plan to the Town Engineer, Building Inspector, Town Attorney and the Planning Board for their review, advice and recommendations, including all the terms and provisions of § 150-2 of this chapter.
Planning Board meeting. The applicant shall be prepared to attend the next regular meeting of the Planning Board after the official submission date and any subsequent meetings deemed necessary by the Planning Board to discuss the preliminary open development area plan.
Planning Board action. Within 45 days after submission to the Planning Board, said Planning Board shall take action to recommend to the Town Board a conditional approval, with or without modification, or disapproval of such open development plan, with the ground for disapproval stated upon the records of the Planning Board. Failure of the Planning Board to act within such forty-five-day period shall constitute a "no recommendation" of the plan.
Town Board action. Before the Town Board acts on the plan, it may schedule a public hearing to be determined at the first meeting subsequent to receiving the recommendation of the Planning Board. Upon mutual consent of both the Town Board and the applicant, the public hearing may be delayed. If any zoning changes are to be requested at the time of the approval of the open development area plan, a public hearing must be held thereon. The two public hearings may be held at the same time.
Public hearing. The Town Board may within 45 days from the date of the public hearing approve, modify or disapprove such plan. The grounds for such action shall be stated in the minutes. The Town Board may require additional information prior to acting on the plan. The approval of such development plan may include additional requirements.
Improvements and performance bond. Prior to any action by the Town Board approving an open development area plan, the applicant may be required to complete, in accordance with the Town Board's decision and to the satisfaction of the appropriate Town department, all the street, sanitary and other improvements specified in the action approving said plan, or as an alternative, to file with the Town Board a performance bond in an amount estimated by the Town Engineer to secure to the Town the satisfactory construction and installation of the incomplete portion of the required improvements. Such amount shall equal an estimated 100% of the cost of such improvements. A period of one year or such other period as the Town Board may determine appropriate within which required improvements must be completed shall be specified by the Town Board and expressed in the bond. A one-hundred-percent maintenance bond shall also be provided upon acceptance of the facilities. All required improvements shall be made by the applicant at his or her expense without reimbursement by the Town or any district thereof. Said improvements include at least the following:
Inspection of improvements. The Town Engineer shall act as agent for the Town and Planning Boards for the purpose of overseeing the satisfactory completion of improvements as required by the Town Board and shall determine an amount to defray costs of inspection. The applicant shall pay the Town the costs of inspection before the open development area plan is signed for filing. This cost shall be in addition to the fees required. If the Town Board or its agent finds, upon inspection, that any of the required improvements have not been constructed in accordance with the Town Board recommendations or the approved construction detail sheet, the applicant and the bonding company will be severally and jointly liable for the costs of completing said improvements according to specifications.
Upon completion of all requirements set forth in the action approving the open development area plan and the approval by the Town Board, the plan shall have the certification of the Town Clerk as follows:
Approved by resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Wales, New York, on the _____ day of __________, _____, subject to all requirements and conditions of said attached resolution. Any change, erasure, modification or revision of this plan, as approved, shall void this approval. Signed this _____ day of __________, 20_____, by __________."
With notation to that effect upon said plan, it shall be deemed to have final approval and shall be properly signed by the appropriate officer of the Town Board and shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk, the Town Building Department and the Highway Superintendent.
Upon posting of the performance bond in accordance with this chapter and after approval and filing of the open development area plan as required, the developer may initiate land sales or construction of the open development area itself.
The Town Board, in considering an application for an open development area plan, shall be guided by the following considerations and standards:
Character of land. Land to be developed shall be of such character that it can be used safely for building purposes without danger to health or peril from fire, flood or other menace.
Conformity to Official Map and Comprehensive Plan. The open development area shall conform to the streets and parks shown on the Official Map as may be adopted and shall be properly related to the Comprehensive Plan as it is developed and adopted by the Planning Board.
Design standards.
Access roadways.
Access roadways shall be designed either with a cul-de-sac or circular way to preclude any use other than access to or exit from property in the development.
All access roadway widths shall be measured at right angles or radial to the center line of the municipally owned street and shall not be less than a fifty-foot right-of-way with a gravel surface not less than 20 feet, in order to meet International Building Code requirements.
All access roadway widths and street pavements shall be measured at right angles or radial to the center line of the street.
The specifications for construction and maintenance of the right-of-way shall be established by the Town Engineer and must be submitted with the preliminary development area plan for recommendation by the Planning Board and Town Engineer and final approval by the Town Board. If the enforcement of the provisions of this section would entail practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship, or where the circumstances of a case do not require the structure to be related to existing or proposed streets or highways, the Board may make any reasonable exception and issue the permit subject to conditions that will protect any further street or highway layout.
The Town Board may modify the specification requirements in any open development area plan where, in the Board's judgment, such modification is in the public interest or will avoid the imposition of unnecessary individual hardship as stipulated in this chapter.
The developer, before the approval of the open development area plan, shall complete improvements to the satisfaction of the Town Engineer or post a performance bond sufficient to insure the satisfactory completion of the following required improvements, except where waivers may be required, and the Town Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, such improvements as it considers are not requisite in the interest of public health, safety and general welfare:
Where the Town Board finds that extraordinary and unnecessary hardships may result from strict compliance with these regulations, it may vary the regulations so that substantial justice may be done and the public interest secured, provided that such variances will not have the effect of nullifying the intent and purpose of this open development area plan.
Where the Town Board finds that due to special circumstances of a particular plan the provisions of certain required improvements is not requisite in the interest of the public health, safety and general welfare or is inappropriate because of inadequacy or lack of connecting facilities and adjacent to or in proximity to the proposed plan, it may waive such requirements subject to appropriate conditions.
In granting variances and modifications, the Town Board shall require such conditions as will, in its judgment, secure substantially the objectives of the standards or requirements so varied or modified.
All deeds and easements of all or part of the real property subject to the requirements and conditions of the open development chapter approved herein shall contain the following provision: "This conveyance is made and accepted subject to the open development area plan approved by the Town Board of the Town of Wales on the _____ day of __________, 20 _____."


text:
Perfect Pearls
Viewer Comments
I'm fascinated by Perfect Pearls and I thank you for showing such a variety of techniques.
Thanks so much for a great video, once more! I tried something I would like to share. You can purchase a "tacky cloth", after you set the Perfect Pearls. When it is dry, take the cloth and wrap it around your finger. You can then clean up any leftovers. Blessings, Peggy
Old friends are new again. I had learned to take the PP powder from the lid to just get a very small amt. on the brush. Thanks for the reminder on how fun they are to use.
Great webisode.Cannot wait to work with my perfect pearls.
Thank you so much for this webisode, I have never tried Perfect Pearls before and after seeing all the wonderful techniques...well, I think I need these!
I have always wanted to use perfect pearls...now I know how! Your webisode are great. I always look forward to them and keep them in a "cardmaking" folder for future reference.
I've never used Perfect Pearls but have seen it many times in the stores and wondered what to do with it. You've answered all my questions -- so lovely;
Many Kudos! Great video!
My daughter gave me PP a few years ago and I played with them a bit, but you have so many ideas that I have to go get them and play! Thank you! Your videos are awesome!
I love all your webisodes. Teresa is so talented. Thanks to all of you talented girls for sharing it with us.
Love all these new ideas! I've never heard of perfect pearls... now you ladies are going to have buy me a bigger house...I need more of this neat stuff! I'm wondering if you could marble the paper with the bowl of water technique... using the PP? My mind is zinging with ideas!!! Thank you Ladies!!
Fantastic video. I have seen the PP in the catalog, but had no idea that you could do so much with them. Beautiful techniques. Thanks for sharing. I will need to get some for my card making!
Now that I have seen what Perfect Pearls does I am going to have to get some. Thanks you!
Great Webisode! I bought these Perfect Pearls a long time ago and have never used them. Now with all the wonderful ideas you gave, I will be able to do something with them. Loved all the techniques.
I'm looking forward to all the wonderful new ideas you have.
I am so happy to have a variety of ideas for my Perfect Pearls! This is just plain fun, fun, fun.
Awesome,awesome,this is all I can say.I dabbled with PP before,but never to this extend.Thank you so much for showing me the different ways to use it...Congrats on your Wedding,Ann,wish you all the best!
Thanks for new ideas. I never would have thought of the reverse stamping. What a great idea! I've had my perfect pearls for years and am inspired to pull them out again and use them more now. Your webisodes are always wonderful.
hi ladys love the perfect pearl,i do have some but didn't know what to do with them so thank you for the great tips...
When I sent my son to Michael's several months ago to pick something up for me with my coupon, they were out of the item. He came home with PP, and until day, I had no idea how to use them. Well, now I do. Thanks to you both.
Paper Wishes Weekly Webisodes feature free scrapbooking video classes and card making video classes! Every week Paulette and LeNae bring you new online scrapbooking or card making classes demonstrating the very latest paper craft and scrapbooking techniques. Each of our free card making and scrapbooking classes also gives you unique project ideas and tips from Paper Wishes' Design Team. Come back often so you don't miss any of the fun in our card making and scrapbooking classes! You are sure to be inspired! Also watch for our "Week of Webisodes" events where we feature new scrapbooking video classes daily!


text:
I'm currently using Yahoo! Media Player for a site that needs to play MP3 files that are stored on our server. In total, there's quite a bit more than the free limits at Soundcloud, but each file is only a few minutes long.
YMP is pretty good, but causes security warnings on HTTPS pages, because it can only be served via HTTP.
Is there an equivalent free player I can embed for the HTTPS pages?
EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm initially looking for something that will scan the page and turn media links playable.


text:
Since Mr. Poppers is coming out
in a little more than a month
Where, when, how and with whom
will you see this movie?
Will you wear a tux? to celebrate opening night?
Will you eat ice cream to celebrate it?
I wonder if there is such thing as a Penguin Cone?
Will it be the hottest day of the year when we watch it,
considering it's pretty hot right now.
Maybe a Tux with a bathing suit would work,
if it is hot.
What about a penquin dip (instead of a polar bear,
dip that day) It's not that far away.


text:
Never far from her well-worn walking boots, Vanessa Harriss kicks up a fuss about the "pure, spontaneous, unpretentious magic" of an Irish walking festival
Walking holidays, yes. Guided walks, sure. Even holding a map upside-down and frowning at the sky, check. All of these are familiar territory for me. But walking festivals (a long weekend walking and talking with locals and fellow walkers, followed by evenings in the pub with these new friends)? That was a new for my boots. Even the thought of them had me checking my laces were tied.
It's hard to imagine a concept more suited to Ireland, with countryside wild enough to reward the walker yet easy enough to permit candid conversation. Chatting to strangers is a national pastime and the pubs are the envy of the world. Despite it being a natural progression, the concept has been in Ireland for less than 20 years.
But, oh, how it has mushroomed and there are now around 30 to 40 walking festivals across the whole island, varying in size but each catering to all levels of fitness.
The oldest, the Ballyhoura International Festival, based in Kilfinane in County Limerick, is the biggest. The idea, according to Jim Flynn from the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club, came from a walk in 1994, which followed the Retreat of Gaelic Lord O'Sullivan Beare in 1602 as he passed through Ballyhoura.
"Local walkers invited other walking groups, and the idea of the festival was born. Now it stretches over the May bank holiday and attracts visitors from across the world. We had about six or seven hundred walkers from 26 countries this year," shrugs Jim Flynn, with a touch of pride.
A Christopher Somerville, author and walking correspondent for UK newspaper, The Times, is a big, big fan of the festival, calling it: "one of the showpieces of Irish walking", and acclaiming the Ballyhoura Bears for their "well-earned reputation for combining hiking and craic [fun] to delectable effect."
They must be doing something right: "I'd say half of the visitors have done the festival before," smiles Jim.
Think a friend might enjoy this article? Click to save and share
Covering very different terrain for my walking boots, the Mourne International Walking Festival in June rustles up long walks, a high mountain route and low-level blanket bog. The sort of countryside "that's lovely on foot because you can see it. And you just can't appreciate it in a car," says Bernie Bogue of the Cooneen Ramblers in east Fermanagh.
Ian Reid from Cardiff has been stomping this festival for five years and says: "it's partly the splendour of the Mournes and the time of year that mark it out as something special, but it's also the other walkers. I'd give it 10 out of 10 for camaraderie and fun."
The West Cork version around Baltimore trumpets itself as the Walking Talking Festival, and it has its fans, too... from the other side of the world: Richard Tulloch, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, reports that his guide regaled them with "tales often funny, more often tragic, that are etched into this landscape," and when they stopped at a farm for home-made ice cream, the elderly farmer "unexpectedly burst into full-throated song," and sang the walkers a story of the famine. "Pure, spontaneous, unpretentious magic!"
Sounds about right. Now, where are my boots?
Save this page to a Scrapbook:
Save this page to your Scrapbook:
You have Scrapbooks created. Click below to see all of your saved pages.
Create a new Scrapbook:
This page has been save to your Scrapbook
Vanessa Harriss goes on her own spiritual journey climbing Croagh Patrick in the west of Ireland
A quick Google search for keeping kids entertained shows just how tricky it really is. Millions of articles claim to...
Rugged or gentle, desolate or welcoming, violently dramatic or perfect for paddling, Ireland's beaches and cliffs offer...
There's no better way to understand the past than by walking through history in some of Ireland's oldest cities
West Cork is Ireland's playground. Home to towns like Kinsale, Bantry and Garnish, Dursey and Cape Clear islands, this...
A Friday evening in early September and Belfast is basking in an Indian summer. Into a balmy sky flies a spinning rugby...
They've been described as "Ireland's Mardi Gras", and they're the biggest event of the island's equestrian calendar....
A Dublin Rugby Weekend
Excited your interest? There are airports throughout the Island with international arrivals. Discover airlines flying to Ireland from your location.
From €499 pp USE 5% VOUCHER CODE: WHN5R3
For €699 per person
From €489 PPS
£10 Valid for 2 adults + 3 children.
€1,249 per person
From €910 per person
From £11 pp Use promotion code Winter19 for extra 10%25 discount on visits during Nov 2019 to Feb. 2020
€1055 per person includes 8-nights B&B accommodation
Holiday ideas, news, offers… sign up for our ezine and we'll keep you in touch with Ireland.
Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel and accommodation, attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
Share this link


text:
Mosquito Development
All mosquitoes lay eggs in water, which can include large bodies of water, standing water (like swimming pools) or areas of collected standing water (like tree holes or gutters). Females lay their eggs on the surface of the water, except for Aedes mosquitoes, which lay their eggs above water in protected areas that eventually flood. The eggs can be laid singly or as a group that forms a floating raft of mosquito eggs (see Mosquito Life Cycle for a picture of an egg raft). Most eggs can survive the winter and hatch in the spring.
The mosquito eggs hatch into larvae or "wigglers," which live at the surface of the water and breathe through an air tube or siphon. The larvae filter organic material through their mouth parts and grow to about 0.5 to 0.75 inches (1 to 2 cm) long; as they grow, they shed their skin (molt) several times. Mosquito larvae can swim and dive down from the surface when disturbed (see Mosquito Life Cycle for a Quicktime movie of free-swimming Asian tiger mosquito larvae). The larvae live anywhere from days to several weeks depending on the water temperature and mosquito species.
After the fourth molt, mosquito larvae change into pupae, or "tumblers," which live in the water anywhere from one to four days depending on the water temperature and species. The pupae float at the surface and breathe through two small tubes (trumpets). Although they do not eat, pupae are quite active (see Mosquito Life Cycle for a Quicktime movie of free-swimming Asian tiger mosquito pupae). At the end of the pupal stage, the pupae encase themselves and transform into adult mosquitoes.
Inside the pupal case, the pupa transforms into an adult. The adult uses air pressure to break the pupal case open, crawls to a protected area and rests while its external skeleton hardens, spreading its wings out to dry. Once this is complete, it can fly away and live on the land.
One of the first things that adult mosquitoes do is seek a mate, mate and then feed. Male mosquitoes have short mouth parts and feed on plant nectar. In contrast, female mosquitoes have a long proboscis that they use to bite animals and humans and feed on their blood (the blood provides proteins that the females need to lay eggs). After they feed, females lay their eggs (they need a blood meal each time they lay eggs). Females continue this cycle and live anywhere from many days to weeks (longer over the winter); males usually live only a few days after mating. The life cycles of mosquitoes vary with the species and environmental conditions.