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The Wild Wild West: Oakland Sideshows Filled With Danger As People Shoot Guns & Cause Havoc In The Streets (Police Officers Don't Want Any Part Of It)
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The prospect of major cable groups such as Viacom, Discovery and NBC Universal following the likes of NBC, Fox, ABC and CBS to streaming full-length episodes of current shows online has always seemed like a long shot, given that cable networks still receive half or more of their revenue from cable subscription fees. But an underdeveloped ad economy and a robust video-on-demand market has left cable networks feeling cautious at best about giving away their core product for free online.
Model doesn't need fixing just yet
"The cable channel business is a good business model, and we want to continue to be partners with the distributors," David Zaslav, CEO of Discovery Communications, said in the summit's closing keynote panel. "We don't want to train [viewers] to watch our best shows on [free online] platforms. Most of our research shows if we move our content mostly in clips, we can create an environment where we can mostly satisfy our viewers with consumer content on other platforms but do it in a way that doesn't take away from our core business."
In a separate panel on digital distribution, titled "Cable 2.0," Karin Gilford, senior VP of Fancast, said there is a misconception among consumers who consider their cable subscriptions to be less valuable when their favorite shows are available for free online. "The content appears to be free to you, but you're consuming advertising around it to pay the bills," she said. Fancast is a streaming video site created last year by Comcast Corp., the largest cable operator in the U.S.
Although Fancast is the largest distributor of ad-supported broadcast content on the web, having the biggest library isn't going to be enough to differentiate itself a year from now, she said. "I don't think the digital revenue models have completely caught up in such a way that they can replace the money in the traditional ecosystem. There's a little bit of a balance we need to strike. Investing in Fancast and being the largest purchaser of video content in the world, we are perfectly positioned regardless of the model. And if we have to preserve some of those models that have existed for decades, we're prepared to do that."
Ken Lagana, senior VP-ad sales for CBS Interactive, argued that the online video audience is still not large enough to replace the network TV model. "If you didn't have network TV, you wouldn't be able to create a show like 'CSI' -- it just wouldn't exist," he said.
The CBS Interactive group recently launched a digital production studio to produce original short-form programming for the web, where the revenue model can support content that doesn't originate on broadcast TV. "We're better positioned to do that. It's lower-cost, lower-quality web original series that do pay for themselves through ad sales. But we're not at a point where an episode or a series like 'CSI' could live on its own."
Cablers open libraries
In recent months, however, a few exceptions have occurred on the cable network side, most notably from Viacom's Comedy Central, which has made the entire libraries of full-length episodes for "South Park," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" available online for free, ad-supported streaming. But even with entire episodes available for free the morning after they air on TV, all three shows have still achieved record ratings on a live basis on Comedy Central.
Because of that, Greg Clayman, exec VP-digital for MTV Networks, said the company still has to be judicious when choosing digital distribution partners to promote its shows so as not to erode traffic to its own linear networks and websites. "The model where people are paying to watch TV and we're getting paid for our content drives the development of the content we have," he said.
John Zehr, senior VP-digital product development for ESPN Networks, said although the web can't deliver everything a viewer wants to see on TV, it's still a great discovery tool that reinforces the linear networks. "For a sports fan who's very connected, they want to see that game," he said. "But if you're a displaced fan, you could see long-form cricket events or long-form rugby events. We're broadening that programming slate [online], and we see from the consumer feedback they're very happy about it. You're just seeing the ability for people to consume things they just weren't able to consume before."

subset: commoncrawl


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Learning by doing
At Leap, we believe in learning by doing. Our classrooms push the boundaries of innovation, using cutting-edge technology to make our learning solutions more effective. Outside the classroom, we use blended learning methodologies to provide students a seamless experience, bringing a conducive learning environment right to them, no matter where they are.
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We have formed invaluable relationships with a wide range of partners, allowing us to gain insight into market demands and best prepare our students to succeed in any path they choose.
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From the time Leap Skills was set up in 2013, we have been growing, learning and getting better at helping students bridge the skill gap.


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Outdoor Living - UK - July 2009
Total sales of garden products have struggled to grow in recent years, both because of a succession of poor summers, but also due to downward pressure on the prices of manufactured products such as barbecues and garden furniture. For many products retail prices now are what wholesale prices were previously, and manufacturers have also improved specifications so consumers who have been persuaded to buy are getting a lot more for their money.
But despite this background and the current recession, there is optimism in the sector that this year should see an improvement in sales, with leading retailers already reporting a strong performance from their outdoor living ranges in the first half of 2009. With the vast majority of the population having a garden and more people cutting back on fortnightly holidays and opting instead for a 'stay-cation' there is a big opportunity to encourage more sales of outdoor living products.
Is the market for outdoor living products in a position to grow sales despite the recession?
With fewer house moves, will more people be looking to the garden to expand their amount and quality of living space?
Different ways people make use of their gardens – eating/drinking, relaxing, gardening, playing games, etc.
How retailers such as garden centres and department stores can position their ranges to make the most of space allocated to outdoor living products.
The importance of 'garden rooms' and conservatories in terms of enabling consumers to feel like they are outdoors all year round.
Opportunities for product innovation to cater for an increase in the number of people wanting to eat and drink regularly outdoors.
What you get
What's included
- Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour
- Market data
- Competitive analysis
- Risks and Opportunities
- What's Next
- Market Trends
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
Mintel's proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our tables of data are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.
* This is a sample representation of the report layout and does not reflect the research included in this report.
Why buy from us?
Our reports will provide you with market data, consumer research and competitive intelligence to succeed in your market.
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Find out what's next in the markets that matter to you: where opportunities lie and what challenges you will face.
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Table of contents
Issues in the Market
- Key themes
- Definitions
- Abbreviations
Future Opportunities
- Garden as outdoor room
- Garden parties and picnics
- Creating the holiday at home
- Garden as outdoor room
Market in Brief
- Weather overrides recession
- Staying at home a boost to gardens
- Big market for outdoor living products
- Swing towards tubular metal in furniture
- Gas barbecues the bulk of the market
- DIY chains dominate sales and promotion
- Garden as outdoor room
- From garden fork to table
- Weather overrides recession
Internal Market Environment
- Key points
- Vast majority have a garden
- Figure 1: Ownership of garden/allotment, 2004-08
- Resurgence in growing fruit and vegetables
- Figure 2: Contents of the garden, 2004-08
- Seed sales strong while other growing stock declines
- Figure 3: Purchasing of growing stock and garden chemicals, and amount spent, 2004-08
- Downturn and weather hit sales of garden furniture
- Figure 4: Ownership and purchasing of garden furniture and barbecues, 2004-08
- More potential for 'garden rooms'
- Figure 5: Ownership and purchasing of conservatories/sun lounges, 2004-08
- Enjoying the garden
- Figure 6: Agreement with statement: 'I get a good deal of pleasure from my garden', 2004-08
- The environment
- Outdoor heaters
- Illegal timber in garden furniture
- LOFA accreditation scheme
- Key points
Broader Market Environment
- Key points
- Consumers reining in their spending
- Figure 7: Trends in GDP, PDI, consumer expenditure and savings, at current prices, 2004-14
- Slump in the housing market
- Figure 8: UK housing market – number of transactions, average house prices and number of years between moves, 2004-09
- Smaller households but still outdoor living space
- Figure 9: UK households and size of households, 2004, 2009 and 2014
- Ageing population a boost to outdoor living
- Figure 10: Structure of the UK population, by age, 2004-14
- Growing affluence should enable trading up
- Figure 11: Structure of the UK population, by socio-economic group, 2004-14
- More retired to enjoy their gardens
- Figure 12: Structure of the UK population, by lifestage, 2004, 2009 and 2014
- Wet summer not good for outdoor living
- Figure 13: Weather and seasonality, 2008
- Key points
Competitive Context
- Key points
- Home and garden reduced share of spending
- Figure 14: Changing shares of main categories of spend, at current prices, 1998-08
- Figure 15: Home and garden goods market, at current prices, 2004-14
- Key points
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Strengths
Who's Innovating?
- Key points
- Parabolic patio heaters
- Celebrity chef barbecue range
- Mobile outdoor kitchen
- Organic outdoor shelters
- New lighting ranges
- Herb hanging baskets
- Hands-free barbecue
- Key points
Market Size and Forecast
- Key points
- Downward pressure on prices depresses sales
- Figure 16: Estimated retail value sales of garden furniture and barbecues, 2004-14
- Figure 17: Breakdown of sales of garden furniture and barbecues, 2004-14
- Garden furniture
- Barbecues
- Other outdoor products
- Key points
Companies and Brands
- Major players
- Dobbies
- Wyevale
- Focus
- Homebase
- Argos
- Asda
- John Lewis
- Tesco
- Wilkinson Hardware
- Figure 18: Selected other retailers with outdoor living ranges, 2009
- Major players
Brand Communication and Promotion
- Key points
- Limited specific advertising
- Figure 19: Main media advertising expenditure on outdoor living products, 2005-08
- Figure 20: Main media advertsising on outdoor living products, by sub-category, 2006-08
- Press and TV the dominant media
- Figure 21: Main media advertising on outdoor living products, by media type, 2006-08
- Figure 22: Main media advertsing on outdoor products, by company, 2006-08
- Spring and early summer the key months
- Figure 23: Average monthly adspend for last three years on outdoor living products, by month, 2006-08
- Key points
What's in the Garden?
- Key points
- Gardens of all shapes and sizes
- Figure 24: Ownership of garden or conservatory, April 2009
- Figure 25: Ownership of garden or conservatory, by Mintel's Special Groups, April 2009
- Patio living and sheds for the masses
- Figure 26: What's in the garden, April 2009
- Third age bias to owning garden furniture
- Figure 27: Ownership of outdoor living items, by Mintel's Special Groups, April 2009
- Outdoor tableware still ripe for growth
- Functional items fixed features for the retired
- Figure 28: Ownership of outdoor living items, by Mintel's special groups, April 2009
- Conservatories bring the garden into the home
- Figure 29: What's in the garden by ownership of garden or conservatory, April 2009
- Nearly three in ten have busy gardens
- Figure 30: Repertoire of what's in the garden, April 2009
- Key points
Usage of the Garden
- Key points
- Relaxing and entertaining most popular uses
- Figure 31: Usage of gardens, April 2009
- Making a sensory garden out of outside space
- Figure 32: Growing flowers/plants or fruit/vegetables and watching wildlife, by age, April 2009
- Entertaining or just eating outside
- Figure 33: Entertaining outdoors and eating outside, by age, April 2009
- Fun and games with children and pets
- Figure 34: Garden for kids, pets and games, by age, April 2009
- Large gardens and conservatories drive entertaining
- Figure 35: Usage of gardens, by ownership of garden or conservatory, April 2009
- A third of gardens only have one or two uses
- Figure 36: Repertoire of usage of gardens, April 2009
- Key points
Consumer Attitudes and Typologies
- Key points
- One in four view the garden as an 'outdoor room'
- Figure 37: Attitudes towards the garden, April 2009
- Figure 38: Attitudes towards the garden, by ownership of garden or conservatory, April 2009
- Consumer typologies
- Figure 39: Consumer typologies for outdoor living, April 2009
- Complete outdoors (17%)
- Patio focused (28%)
- Active gardeners (17%)
- Thin on the ground (38%)
- Small gardens still an opportunity
- Figure 40: Ownership of garden or conservatory, by consumer typologies, April 2009
- Distinct groups for targeting outdoor living products
- Figure 41: Usage of gardens, by consumer typologies, April 2009
- Key points
Appendix – Internal Market Environment
- Figure 42: Ownership of garden/allotment, by demographics, 2008
Appendix – What's in the Garden?
- Figure 43: Ownership of garden or conservatory, by demographics, April 2009
- Figure 44: Ownership of outdoor living items for the garden, by demographics, April 2009
- Figure 45: Ownership of other items for the garden, by demographics, April 2009
- Figure 46: What's in the garden, by repertoire of what's in the garden, April 2009
- Figure 47: Number of items owned in garden, by demographics, April 2009
Appendix – Usage of the Garden
- Figure 48: Usage of gardens, by demographics, April 2009
- Figure 49: Usage of gardens, by demographics, April 2009
- Figure 50: Usage of gardens, by repertoire of usage of gardens, April 2009
- Figure 51: Repertoire of usage of gardens, by demographics, April 2009
Appendix – Attitudes and Typologies
- Figure 52: Attitudes towards the garden, by demographics, April 2009
- Figure 53: Cluster formation, April 2009
- Figure 54: Consumer typologies, by demographics, April 2009


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It's the end of the dry season in the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, one of the largest conservation areas in the world, and rain is expected any day.
The 21,100-square-mile park is dusty and yellow, and most of the rivers that run through it have become sand beds.
The park's resident game, which includes buffalo, elephants, baboons, impalas, and warthogs, deal with the lack of water in different ways. For the Selous' hippos, that means wallowing in what little water they can find.
While staying at Beho Beho, a lodge in a remote region of the park, a guide took my tour group to see the hippos at their pool in the Msine River, which still contains a little water.
What I saw next was incredible.
Disclosure: Our trip to Tanzania, including travel and lodging expenses, was sponsored by the Tanzania Tourist Board, The Africa Adventure Company, Singita Grumeti Group, Coastal Aviation, Qatar Airways, Tanzania National Parks, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority.


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I used to have a lookbook quite a while ago, so now I'm keen on keeping it again. When I first had it I wasn't 100% happy with my style (and I'm still not, but whatever:)) and didn't have a photographer I'd enjoy working with and I still don't! So I am looking for a photographer in London who could help me with my lookbook! I will of course credit him/her and can take some photos in return or whatever, so feel free to contact me on this matter.
There is a River Island contest on lookbook with complimentary discounts for entrants and I happened to have beautiful River Island shoes, so there you go. I totally love River Island for being cheap and trendy. This outfit actually has a kinda interesting story. I bought the shoes about a year ago, I needed casual black ones actually, those were the only ones I liked, they were in black too and I was considering getting them, but couldn't help falling in love with the colorful ones. Even though I was short of shoes that could be matched with many outfits I decided that I wear similar colors quite often and I can figure something out with those. Since then I mostly wore them with neutral colors as they were quite catchy by themselves, yet a couple of months ago I was shopping in preparation for my spring holiday and came across these pants and this blouse in one of my favorite shops in Tallinn (www.snob.ee) and the colors happened to match these shoes perfectly, moreover the texture of the pants did too. No need to say I'm absolutely in love with those pants, they are super-comfortable, universal and both the color and the material are very rich.
Hat - Ted Baker
Blouse and Pants - S'nob
Shoes - River Island
Bag - Moschino
Sunglasses - Ray Ban Wayfarers


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For accommodation click E-Accommodation at the site http://www.ttdsevaonline.com/eBooking/BookingHome.aspx for advance booking.
Accommodation at Tirumala is totally organized and managed by Devasthanam only. Also, one can get accommodation purely on availability. On arrival at Tirumala, contact Central Reservation office; tell your requirement of the cottage/ room ranging from Rs.100 to Rs.2000. On allotment you will be guided to the reservation office nearest to your cottage. One has to pay the rent and refundable advance and obtain receipts. You will be guided to the room or cottage. There are numerous reservation offices that have names like 'Anjanaadhri', 'Garudaadhri' etc. But there is only one Central Reservation Office.
Normally, the room/cottage is allotted for one night, one can extend their stay for one more night on request, which has to be informed in advance, if not you will be forced to vacate as there is tremendous pressure on the authorities for other devotees.
Large Industrial houses, Business people and Individuals donate money to TTD for the construction of cottages on their names. These individuals, business people, industrial houses, if known to you, can issue a letter for accommodation. These cottages are primarily known as 'Padmavati Guesthouse / Annamaya Guest house etc. Also one can stay in these guesthouses by requesting at the Central Reservation Office. The tariffs for these guesthouses are expensive. Normally these are always over-booked.
There are numerous Mutts around the Temple, which are well maintained, neat and clean, which can provide accommodation. Religious Gurus Sadhus and Religious heads mostly stay in these Mutts
Tirupati is the Temple Town situated at the foothills of Tirumala. There are hundreds of hotels. One can choose as per their choice.
For more information search Google engine for 'Tirupati Hotels'. You will get numerous links for different hotels where you can book accommodation online.
If you stay in Tirupati there are various options to reach Tirumala. Devasthanam runs buses continuously except between 10 pm to 4 am. Taxis can be hired if affordable. There are numerous jeeps that ply continuously to Tirumala at affordable prices.
Mobility in the Hills:
TTD runs free buses from every important place in Tirumala.
Each and every vehicle that goes uphills will be thoroughly checked and the entire luggage will be opened and shown to the Security at Alipiri, the starting point at the foothills of Tirumala. Alipiri is also the starting point for devotees who climb the hills.


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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has lambasted US President Trump for a tweet he sent out in January, in which he had criticised his own country for providing $33 billion in aid to Pakistan over the course of the past 15 years.
"President Trump's tweet, while I understand it reflects some of the emotions of the American people, it was deeply hurtful to the people of Pakistan, particularly those like myself who have lost loved ones in this fight against extremism," Bilawal told FOX Business' David Asman. "I feel, unfortunately, I don't think the president intended to do so, but this tweet sends the wrong message."
"They have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools," Trump had written in the tweet. "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"
The PPP leader said that the US had spent billions of dollars in aid for Pakistan but pointed out that "it was a reimbursement for services rendered by Pakistan in fight against extremism".
The young politician noted if the allied forces of Afghanistan and US were not able to ensure peace so far, blaming Pakistan alone was unrealistic. He went on to say that more Pakistanis had been killed in the fight against extremism than Americans. "We want to stop terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan."
On a query that what practical actions the ruling government had taken to battle terrorism, the PPP leader said his party is in opposition, therefore the best he could do is push the PML-N government to adapt better polices.
While focusing on the extremism and militancy in Afghanistan, Bilawal said it was US who initiated militarisation of the Taliban and Mujahideen during the Afghan war. The US had forced Pakistan to support Taliban forces even though former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had warned against it, he added.
"I would hope that the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan will work together to bring peace to the region" the PPP chairman said.
In his address as a special guest of honour invited to speak to a galaxy of international guests including US Congressmen, government officials, decision makers, corporate CEOs, ambassadors, faith leaders, media, academia and civil society organisations in Washington, Bilawal Bhutto said that at a time when violent extremism had become the single largest challenge to the world, genuine democracy alone offered the hope to fight the menace. Moderation vs extremism has become a major fault line in the battle of ideas and Pakistan was in the trenches in this battle of ideas, he said.
"Today, terrorism, inequality and climate change have disoriented the world. The borderless nature of the challenges we face today will force us to unite. Let's not unite only when the crisis has caused incalculable loss. Let's use these trying times as a chance to reflect and re-evaluate our values. There is no other way out," he said.
"We must recognise that terrorism and extremism is not confined to the Muslim world. School shooters in America, cow vigilantism in India and genocidal monks in Myanmar prove that extremism is not confined to one religion," Bilawal reminded the audience.
"In Pakistan, there is growing public recoil from extremism. But for a transformative shift, we need commitment and momentum in the battle of mindsets that we fight," the PPP chairman said, adding that violent extremism has severally imperiled the social and political equation of the region.
"Pakistan and America can do much good in bringing peace and stability to South and Central Asia. In order to achieve it we must invest in trust and building confidence," Bilawal said, and urged the world not to return to the cold-war era of zero-sum binaries. "We have fought one of the longest wars in the region together on the borders of Afghanistan. It is now high time to look towards winning the peace together, not against each other," he added.
Published in Daily Times, February 9th 2018.


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Bachelorette Party Boudoir Pinup Photoshoot
Could these girls be any more adorable? These boudoir bachelorette party photos were inspired by the pinup girls of the 1940's and 50's. After a peek at the girls' super cute high-waisted swimsuits, our hair and makeup team had all the inspiration it needed to channel Bettie Paige and Fernande Barrey. First, Anjelica Bannos added must-have winged eyeliner and red lips before handing them over to Jaycie Kurfess, who transformed their hair with big barrel curls, handkerchiefs, and flower accents.
Tell us what you think in the comment section.
If you're interested in celebrating your bachelorette party with us, contact us at email@example.com or 773-273-9063.


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A short history of the shiny drum
By David Mangurian, Laventille, Trinidad
There are not many working-class neighborhoods that can claim to have produced an original musical instrument recognized around the world. But Laventille, a hilly, low-income suburb just east of commercial Port of Spain, Trinidad, justly prides itself in being the birthplace of one of the most popular musical instruments created during the 20th century–the steel drum or "pan," as it is more correctly called.
Laventille was settled in the mid-1800s by freed African slaves. There, the African tradition of drumming evolved over the years into rhythm bands of young, often rowdy men, who paraded the streets during Carnival and other celebrations pounding skin drums and, when those were outlawed, hollow bamboo drums. In the mid-1930s, these street bands began to use metal objects like garbage can lids, automobile parts, pots and pans, and biscuit tins because they were louder and stronger than bamboo, and they evolved into all-steel bands, or "steel bands" by the end of the 1930s.
Around 1942 or 1943, according to one legend, a 12-year-old Laventille youth named Winston "Spree" Simon, loaned his large iron "kettledrum" to a friend. When it was returned, his drum had been beaten concave and had lost the "special" tone Simon liked. He started pounding the under surface of the drum back to its original shape and discovered that the pounding created different pitches or notes. He produced a four-note drum and, by this accident, started the transformation of the steel "drum" from a rhythm instrument into a melodic one.
In 1946, according to steel band historian Felix Blake, Simon, using a small oil drum, developed a 14-note pan that caused a sensation when he played it during the first Carnival held in Trinidad after the celebration was banned at the beginning of World War II. The instrument was quickly copied by other musicians, and Trinidad's rhythm drum bands soon evolved into music bands.
Ellie Mannette, one of Simon's friends, began using discarded 55-gallon oil drums (the standard for today's pans), which he hammered concave, trimmed, heated to make the metal stronger and more able to retain notes in tune, and then hammered from the underside to create convex notes on the concave surface. By 1947, he had perfected a drum with two octaves of a diatonic scale.
Pans with chromatic scales were soon developed. In 1951, the Trinidad All Percussion Steel Orchestra (TAPSO), a group of 10 all-star pan men that included both Simon and Mannette, was sent to represent Trinidad at the Festival of Britain in London. The group, which had increased the range of pans by inventing low-note base pans, not only played Caribbean music but classical selections as well. The event put pan on the world map, and the group toured England and France and played on BBC radio and television. TAPSO panman Edric Conner wrote back home: "I don't want to hear any West Indian say we haven't got culture."
Today, steel bands have from four to 10 players. Some are orchestras with more than 300 pans spanning five octaves from single "tenor" (soprano) pans of 24 to 27 chromatic notes to sets of nine bass pans of three notes each played by a single person. Steel bands play music from calypso and jazz to the Beatles and Bach. Since most players cannot read music, they memorize their parts, an incredible feat for classical "tunes" such as Rossini's William Tell Overture or a Bach fugue. Len "Boogsie" Sharpe is considered to be the world's best pannist, often compared to jazz vibraphone great Milt Jackson. Sharpe can play pan upside down and can harmonize his own melody with a third playing stick.
There are pans tuned in at least 10 different registers–each with its own distinctive "keyboard," or note layout. Some pan manufacturers have steel drums made especially for them from specially formulated steel. A good chromed tenor pan costs upward of $750, and a full orchestra can cost more than $60,000. Most of the large steel band orchestras have corporate sponsors.
Despite the cost, there are today more than 190 steel bands in Trinidad (population 1.1 million), according to Internet listings, and more than 800 steelbands in dozens of other countries, including 300 in the United Kingdom, 240 in the United States and 130 in Switzerland, where 70 percent of the players are women. Pans are now manufactured in at least nine countries besides Trinidad. Steelband orchestras have played concerts in New York's Carnegie Hall, Washington's Kennedy Center and London's Royal Albert Hall. The "First European Steelband Festival" was held in Paris, France, in May 2000. A world conference on the "Science and Technology of Steel pan" was held in Trinidad in October 2000. Scientific American magazine has published an article on steel pan physics.
Pan players worldwide communicate via the Internet. There are dozens of sites from bulletin boards and individual steelband pages to listings of steel bands, tuners and manufacturers by country. Two of the best sites with links to other sites are www.pantrinbago.com and www.seetobago.com. A Swedish site has published a complete manual on how to manufacture and tune a pan (www.musikmuseet.se/pan/tuning/).
Laventille still claims to be the capital of pan. At least 15 steel bands have panyards (courtyard compounds where band members practice and leave their instruments), including the Desperadoes, one of Trinidad's oldest steel bands and nine-time winner of the Panorama competition held in Port of Spain during each Carnival. When Rudolph "The Hammer" Charles, steel band innovator and longtime leader of the Desperadoes, died in 1985, his funeral rivaled that of Trinidad and Tobago's first and much-loved prime minister Eric Williams. Laventille has started its own steel band festival in an effort to draw tourists. And several years ago the tops of two huge water tanks atop Picton Hill were painted with silver and pan notes, creating the world's largest pans.


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Saturday, June 18, 2016
2:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
At the home of his daughter, Victoria
This is an informal gathering. Please email Victoria at firstname.lastname@example.com for details.
At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.
ALS of Michigan
24359 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 100
Southfield, MI 48075
1 (800) 882-5764
Web Site
Life Story / Obituary
Ronald W. LaFave of Lake Ann, age 62 died, Wednesday, June 8, 2016.
Ronald was born on October 6, 1953 in Flint , the son of Clarence and Viola (Beebee) LaFave.
He lived in Lake Ann for over 30 years. He was the owner of LaFave Interiors for over 20 years.
Ronald was a Army Veteran serving in the Vietnam war. He enjoyed hunting in the great outdoors. Ronald loved to ice fish every winter and would continue to fish in the off season for blue gill and salmon. With his love of landscaping Ronald had a beautiful garden at his home. He built his home from start to finish. Being very artistic he would use a wood burner to add a personal touch to home mantels and other pieces of wood work. In his spare time Ronald would play poker at the Benzie poker shack. His dogs Sand and Bear were very important to him.
Ronald is survived by his daughter, Victoria (Steven Hane) LaFave and his siblings, David LaFave, Dennis LaFave, Debra LaFave, Mike LaFave, Theresa LaFave, Barbara LaFave, Richard LaFave and Kurt LaFave and many niece and nephews.
Ronald is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Viola, siblings Sandra Raymond, Clarence LaFave and Patty Brewer.
An informal gathering will be held at his daughters home in Grand Rapids from 2pm to 6pm on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Please email Victoria at email@example.com for details. Memorial Contributions may be made to the ALS of Michigan, 24359 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48075. Please visit www.lifestorytc.com to sign the guest book, share a message with the family. The family chose Life Story Funeral Home, Traverse City.


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Case Study
Gail Tilden, founder of Muttles, LLC and former VP of Nintendo, created a group of collectible plush dogs for all ages to enjoy. These are currently being sold at many major retail stores. The Muttles site is designed for Muttles owners to have "virtual ownership" of their toys by registering them for free, sharing with friends, customizing them, and playing online games on a completely compliant child friendly social network. On the Muttles website you can also purchase Muttles, upload pictures and stories about your own Muttles and interact with other owners.
Considering the technological sophistication of the modern child, Muttles was very invested in the idea of porting their toys experience to the online world. With numerous ideas and options before them, they needed someone to not only execute the chosen solution but to help coalesce their thinking into an appropriate and actionable direction.
The chosen direction was a social networking site that is fully interactive, COPPA compliant and adheres to all brand standards and guidelines. One of the biggest challenges was building such a complex system in a way that could be understood and enjoyed by children. Ignition72 accomplished this by using a dynamic set of both 2 and 3D graphical elements.


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Paul Schimmel doesn't need much encouragement to squire a guest around the Museum of Contemporary Art's galleries, which he does with the zest of a house-proud homeowner. And why shouldn't he? Next month, MOCA's chief curator celebrates 20 years with the museum, which has just put up a big, gorgeous show of its collections for its own "First Thirty Years" celebration.
Neither anniversary might have happened. Money troubles threw a sincere scare about MOCA's survivability into the art world and the city. But a last-reel rush to save MOCA raised some respectable dough, most recently $3.5 million that fluttered in from a black-tie gala enlivened by Lady Gaga performing on a pink piano that Damien Hirst had painted with blue butterflies.
Schimmel was always a believer, even in the bad times. On his desk are small books with deliberately blank pages, on whose edges artist Ed Ruscha has summed up philanthropist Eli Broad's challenge to MOCA: "Make new history." For Schimmel, that's the eleventh commandment -- or maybe the first.
After 30 years of MOCA, has L.A. finally overcome its artistic inferiority complex? Does the city have the confidence to match the collection?


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A total lunar eclipse—the first in two years—will make an appearance on the night of Monday, December 20th. For those of you not familiar with the phenomenon, here is a brief explanation from Wikipedia: "A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun's rays from striking the moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle."
Unfortunately, due to the early setting of the moon at certain places, not the entire world will have the privilege of observing the lunar eclipse in its entirety. To find out if the event will be available at your geographic location head to SpaceDex. For those interested in the science behind the phenomenon, NASA will also host a live chat with lunar experts from the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Update: Slooh will also host a free live event with host Bob Berman at 1:20 a.m. EST, 6:20 a.m. UTC. If you are at a geographic location from which the eclipse will not or only partially be visible, this is your chance; Slooh's telescopes will provide an excellent opportunity to observe the phenomenon.


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Veneration of the Cross/St. Tikhon – 3rd Sunday of Great Lent
Mark 8:34-9:1
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Christ is in our midst! He is and shall be!
Today, on this middle Sunday of the Great Fast, we have two magnificent commemorations set before us. We have the usual remembrance for the Third Sunday of Lent – the Veneration of the Holy Cross. We also remember today the life and miracles of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia and Apostle to America.
The Fathers give us the Veneration of the Cross today as a consolation. We're going through the rigors of Lent – the fasting, ascetic discipline, services, spiritual reading and prayer – and we're reminded today of why we undertake these things. This is the only time during the year that full prostrations are prescribed for us as we walk into Church on Sunday morning. We fall down before the Cross in worship, as the troparion says, glorifying the Holy Resurrection. The Cross reminds us not only of the suffering Servant, but also of the Risen Lord. It's not like we're trying to perfect ourselves of our own power, rather we are trying to make ourselves better receptacles for the grace of God. We soften ourselves, we become more like Christ, and that opens us to receive the grace and the presence of the Creator. Remember what the Scriptures say about Christ – He emptied Himself, and took the form of a servant, for our salvation. And now we empty ourselves – we rid ourselves of sin and all that stands between us and God – and we prepare ourselves to be filled with His presence. We practice what we just heard from the Gospel of St. Mark – we deny ourselves, take up our Cross, and follow Christ. And it's in this lifestyle of putting the things of God in the first place in our lives that we finally find peace and fulfillment in our lives. Our homiletics professor at seminary always told us to remind people that the best life possible is life in Christ. In sin we become slaves, unable to control our desires and even our actions. We become what we're created to be by willingly setting aside our wants and accepting the Cross of Christ.
What is this Cross? Fr. Thomas Hopko says it very well in one of his talks on the Cross: he says that our Cross is whatever obstacles we face in this life. So whether we born with certain struggles, acquire them in our youth or old age, have them forced upon us by others, chase them with all our might – any struggle we face in this life is the Cross that God has allowed on our shoulders. We carry it faithfully by always offering our lives to Him, by walking without complaining or self-pity, and by seeking our life's salvation in that place where we actually are. Fulfilling the purpose of our creation is the best we can possibly do in this world.
We see this played out, "proven," in the lives of the Saints. The Saints accept whatever God allows to come their way, and their lives are fulfilled, and they grow to be holy men and women by simply carrying the Cross of Christ. I encourage you with every ounce of encouragement I can give – read the lives of the Saints! Their lives stand as guiding lights for us, we can draw such inspiration for our own life in Christ by reading the lives of the holy men and women of God who've gone on before us. Today we remember St. Tikhon – a perfect example of a man taking up the Cross. St. Tikhon was sent to North America to be her Archbishop – he left home, family, and country, traveling across the world to spread the Gospel in a foreign land. I love the concreteness of the missionary saints leaving their home and traveling to another place; it's a very visual example of taking up the Cross of Christ. Of course, we're called to live in this place with much the same detachment – being in this world but not of this world; living in this place and participating in the Kingdom at the same time. St. Tikhon was eventually brought home to Russia, and elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia during an incredibly difficult time for the Russian Orthodox Church. His time as Archpastor of Russia was fraught with struggles – pushing back against the godless authorities, dealing with the Living Church, dealing with traitors within his own Church – and in the midst of this all, he had to find a way not only to live his own life in Christ, but to lead others to that same experience as well. Through all of the turmoil, St. Tikhon was a beacon of light for Christians. He was a true man of God, doing what needed to be done in order for the Gospel to be preached, and for people to grow in their relationships with Christ.
So today we have some consolation. We remember the Cross, we remember the Resurrection, and we remember the great St. Tikhon – all three of these recalling for us the goal of our labors. We don't fast to fast – the demons never eat, as the Desert Father reminds us. Our goal is always Christ. May our Lenten journey make us soft, so that the presence of Christ can penetrate our hearts, and we can become truly children of the Father.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!


text: When your pet goes to the veterinarian or the kennel, let it travel in style, accompanied by its own "passport." Four by five inches, this book has 32 pages for recording all your pet's vital statistics: medical and vaccination history, personality profile, diet guidelines, "bathroom" habits. There are also pages for a description and photo ID and the owner's and vet's name and address. (It is also good to leave with the house sitter.) Pet Passport is about $5 at The Pet Dept in Santa Monica, Westwood and West Holly wood; at Aahs! in Santa Monica, Westwood, West Hollywood and Sherman Oaks; and at Spencer Gifts in Canoga Park, Northridge, Eagle Rock and Brea.


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Megallurgie is a new game from Argentum, the folks who brought us the Garden Gnome game. This is basically a tile-laying game in card game format. You are trying to form contiguous areas of like-typed metals (iron, copper, silver, gold), but the trick is that copper always has to be stacked on top of iron, silver on copper, and so on, so the game has a layered feel. Once you complete a group, you score a point, and have to remove some of the cards from that group, leaving new metals revealed (except for iron, which will shrink the playing surface). It's listed as 2-4 on the box, and I had played once before with 2, which I think is the ideal number. With more, you have the problem that if you screw up, you benefit the player to your left, which is a little awkward always. It's kinda neat, it's different, and I don't regret the $5 or so I spent on it as an Adam Spielt throw-in … but not a great game by any stretch. The $12 FunAgain is asking is too much.
Zwergen Ziehen is a kid's game. Not bad, but as card games go, it's just a silly diversion for the 12+ set. I enjoyed the 10 minutes or so we spent on it, but would not have wanted to invest more. Better than How Ruck! in the tug-of-war games genre, but that's not saying a lot.
After a second time out for Reef Encounter, I remain really impressed. It's a great management/tactical game. This might have a shot at the best German-type game of the year. I even managed to win, on the strength of a big score in a dominant (5-point) coral. I was nervous because I had invested a lot in that one reef, spending inefficiently to grow it and lock in the big points; but it turned out to be worth it. Again, a few more games will be required, but this seems much better than Keythedral, so hopefully there will be a reprint.
Addenda on Ys: I forgot to point out after my last game that I actually discovered we had been playing slightly incorrectly. Collected gems are supposed to be open, while we had been intuitively putting them behind the screen (why else is there a screen?). Even after the mistake was discovered, we continued to play that way. Next time I'll try to play the "right" way, but I seriously doubt it will change my opinion much. Open vs secret scoring is often a matter of personal preference, and 99% of the time I'll go with keeping things secret, and it usually seems the right thing to do (the sole exception I can think of is Acquire, in which I prefer open holdings). It depends on what degree of analytical heavy lifting you want. I guess my feeling is that German-type games are usually pretty casual by nature, on the scale of these things.


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Yes. I admit it. I'm guilty. I am a pusher. Not a pusher of illicit substances but of an unpopular point of view. I am a pusher of black positivity. I believe that, historically, barriers have been set up that force Americans of all races, black and otherwise, to look at people of African descent through less than favorable lenses. Negative or less-than-sophisticated images of black folks are spread across the world, affecting the global views of us. Often, at worst, we are stereotyped as violent, undisciplined deviants. At best, entertainers. Though portrayals have changed thanks to shows like Grey's Anatomy, the black doctor, lawyer, and professional are still viewed as anomalies while the black prisoner or athlete is seen as the status quo.
There is nothing wrong with being a rapper, singer, or ball player. Nothing at all. I have respect for anyone who does these things and uses their talent to uplift the community. But there are other options. As a professional, it is sometimes challenging to walk into room after room after room and meeting after meeting after meeting where I don't see anyone who looks like me. So I have to change the narrative. I have a responsibility to myself, my family, my community, and my nation to provide true facts of the positive impact that blacks have every day on America, as opposed to the alternative facts that we are all murderers, drug users, and dependents of the welfare system.
Yesterday, I went out of my way to make the point of associating positive image of with the hashtag #OmegaPsiPhi on each of my social media accounts. I didn't do it because I have great friends that are Ques or because my football coach from high school is a Que or to go viral. I did it because they, like Alpha Phi Alpha (my fraternity), are focused on doing positive things across this nation, specifically in the black community, and anyone feeding positivity into my life deserves to have me do the same. Secondly, negativity associated with any historically black fraternity is not good for any of us. Hiring managers probably do not know Alpha Phi Alpha from Omega Psi Phi from Iota Phi Theta. They just know that Steve Stephens was apart of one of those black step groups and his organization got bad publicity as a result.
People of all races, we must change the narratives surrounding non-whites in America. All blacks are not here to either rob or entertain you. All Jewish people aren't here to be your lawyers or manage your money. All Latinos aren't here illegally and looking for migrant work. All Middle Easterners aren't looking for an opportunity to commit acts of violence. This is the point in history where we have the most access to the most information but we are regressing as a society. So, just as all white domestic terrorists are categorized as either mentally unstable or "lone wolves", let's start placing the same designation on non-white individuals whose actions are not a depiction of love for all humankind. And, when we see a group being negatively stereotyped, whether members of that group or not, we have a responsibility as good individuals to say "Not all people from group x commit the act of y. John Doe was acting as an individual and not as a representative."
You have a sphere of influence. Change the narrative.
As a starting point, type #BlackMenSmile in on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. As J. Cole said, "There's beauty in the struggle."
Make peace and love priorities.


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Rider: Bob BeganCity: Rinning SpringsYears Riding: 21Desert Class: Open VetBike Make and Size: KTM 520Family: Trina, Austin and CodyFunniest race moment: What you like about the Rovers: The club is family friendly and that everyone has fun!
Racing Accomplishments: Finishing most of my races.
Your ultimate goal in racing: To watch my son Austin race!
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Copyright© 2003 - 2019. All rights reserved to the Rovers MCCreated By Blais Web CreationsHosted by BWC Hosting


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A kiss from the sun to you!
28 comments:
CUTE CUTE CUTE ~~ great stamps too!!! I told you I would be back to haunt!!!ReplyDelete
Both are wonderful - as usual, your little details are perfect!ReplyDelete
Wow! great cards - love your clean style!ReplyDelete
whata sweet sentiment...love them both, but the second is just the best!ReplyDelete
Adorable cards! Love the colors and layouts.ReplyDelete
LOVE these! I love the colors (and the bow!!) on your first card! The 2nd card I LOVE the birds all lined up and I LOVE the double border and the "sun" behind the yellow button! SO cute!!ReplyDelete
Wait a minute...you MOM is teaching the class? Didn't you JUST give her a shot at your own Copic markers? WOW! She must be a fast learner!ReplyDelete
Both your cards are adorable, but the second one stole my heart. The yellow button sun, the woodgrain BG, the color scheme...just love it!
Stinkin' cute cards, Laurie! That stamp set is adorable!ReplyDelete
I can see why you love this set....super super cute! That first card is my favorite cause I like how you added the "banner" to the branch!! What a neat idea! I can't wait to hear what you learn with the copics tomorrow!ReplyDelete
Super cute cards! I'd love to learn more about using Copics, I will have to look for a class in my area soon! Hope you have a great time!ReplyDelete
You enabler you! I love that stamp set and you did a fantastic job with them, love those cards! Can I just say how envious I am of you to get to go to a Copic Certification class?! There are none near me! Enjoy!ReplyDelete
That set is super adorable and so are the cards you made with it!ReplyDelete
Your cards are so cute. Love the little limb stamp and the pennant hanging from the tree.ReplyDelete
Jealous that you are going to a Copic Cert. Class, can't wait untill I can get into one around where I live! Have a lot of fun!!!
What a great set!! Super sweet cards.ReplyDelete
These are so sweet!ReplyDelete
So cute, Laurie!ReplyDelete
Super set to play with and the cards are just perfect. Love the colors you choose - my fav is the birds. I love Hero Arts stamps too - they are so easy to work with. TFS.ReplyDelete
Both cards are adorable, Laurie! LOVE the color combo on the first one!ReplyDelete
Sweet cards!! I love Copics, too!! You are so lucky your mom is selling them! Have fun at you cert. class!! I love the font on the sentiment...beautiful cards!ReplyDelete
Now that I see the two cards and see why you wanted to have this hero arts clear stamps.... Really nice cards... whats the name of the stamps or can you give us the info where you bought them?ReplyDelete
nice blog!!!
Lourdes Anders
I love this set too and seeing your cards makes me really want to get it. These are precious and the colors are wonderful!ReplyDelete
These are ADORABLE! I love the CAS look, and the buttons are so perfect. And I TOLD you that you'd love the Copics :)ReplyDelete
These are darling, Laurie Beth. I have this Hero Arts set too, but it hasn't seen ink yet. I'll have to fix that! Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
Absolutely amazing cards, Laurie! I know I must have said this many times, but you are so talented!ReplyDelete
Laurie, these cards are too cute. I love them and the HA set is just a sweet little set. I need to expand my horizons, but not leaving PTI.ReplyDelete
Good luck with the cert. class. I know you will come back with great projects. I am also considering moving to central Kansas ;)
Love the cards Laurie - Especially the banner on the branch - what a cute idea! I am loving learning with the copics too - we will have to compare notes sometime!ReplyDelete
Miss you!
These are ADORABLE!!! I still have that darned Woodgrain Impression Plate on my wish list....MUST GET IT!! You're doing awesome with the Copics!ReplyDelete
Oh these are just too cute! I'd overlooked this particular set, but it has now moved to the top of my Hero Arts wish list.ReplyDelete


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Convention and Vistors Bureau
Come play golf and support the kids at the 43rd Annual Kiwanis Toys for Tots Golf Tournament – the longest running golf tournament in Lake Havasu City!
4-person scramble format and prizes for hole-in-one, longest putt, longest drive and closest to pin. Raffles, 50/50, Mulligans!
Event dates, times and/or details are subject to change. Please contact event coordinator or check event website to verify information.


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You spend thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars on each of your mailings; wouldn't you sleep better knowing your mailed pieces can communicate with you?
In a world of information, the more you have, the better decisions you can make. Better decisions lead to better business and we all want a better business. Many people consider the USPS Confirm service as simple tracking of your mail piece. But when looked at from other angles there is an abundance of information at your finger tips from monitoring your mail that lead to better business. Besides the obvious benefit of knowing when your mail piece is being delivered, other benefits include:
- Accurately determine response times for an offer
- Coordinate Multi-channel marketing
- Clean your database of bad addresses
- Reductions of collection costs
- Know when your message was received
- Improve customer experience
- Properly track response rates
- Reduce future mailing costs
- Monitor supply chain
- Time drop shipments for delivery accuracy
- Know when responses are being returned
- Monitor vendors
- Be more efficient at your job
- Improved accounting practices
- Know your campaign is executed properly
How do you get all these benefits from simple scan data? You simply need to know how to translate and put the data to work for you. Over the next few weeks and months I will touch on these points and how they can work for your business, save you money and get you a good night sleep.


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17 Comments to How to Spice-Up Valentine's Day for Long Distance Couples
I love these ideas. I was once in a long distance relationship so I know how hard it can be. A surprise phone call would make me very happy!
Aw, hahaha, I can definitely relate to LDR. My guy's an Aussie and he lives in Sydney but he visits once a month just to see me hehe. We've been going on with this sort of set up for 11 years now (since high school, would you believe?!). We've definitely Skyped through dinner, had hours of calls, and bought each other stuff online. It's always a thrill to see him every month after days of not being able to.
I've read somewhere about ideas for long distance couples too. I'm currently in a semi-ldr relationship with my man. He's working away during the weekdays and we just see each other during the weekends. He even surprised me last 14th which really surprised me! He got his genies to help him execute his plans and he succeeded! 🙂
This is so cute! I'm happy that I can share every day with my partner. If we would be apart I'd probably order something nice for him or do a surprise visit. If visiting is not possible video call would be fine. 🙂
These are cute tiips. I havent had any long distance love affair. My first boy friend is now my husband and we always spend time together as much as we can. These tips will surely be appreciated by singles and the youngs. It seems they all come from an experienced girl who has been to a long distance relationship herself.
thanks for this wonderful list.. i am fond of doing number 8 by the way.. and also i try to buy my bf cake from amazon.. haha he was surprised… ldr is not so distant thanks to technology and useful tips like yours!!!
This is such a lovely post! I love that there a sites to enable you to watch a film together. Probably one of the cutest thing I;ve ever heard ha!
Hiya! What lovely ideas! I am especially liking the online dinner. Why should you not eat together when you're miles apart 🙂
Happy continued travels!
Long distance relationships are hard indeed. Nice set of tips to get together. I would also, add, plan a trip midway 😀
These are all such sweet things! I have a friend who was in a long distance relationship, too (no together in the same place) and they also used to watch movies together. I love that idea!
Awww such a lovely post. It seems you have experienced a long distance. I was also in a distance relationship for 03 years and yes all these tips really work
When I was in a LDR, I would make my boyfriend a scrapbook for a present. We also shared a diary and Skyped often. I've never tried the online dinner, but that sounds quite lovely to do. Overall, these are some great tips- thanks for sharing! x
Oh my!!! I totally get it!!! I survived a long distance relationship for a few years. A video call followed by a night long voice call, till we fell asleep was how we survived it!
I LOVE the idea of the scrapbook! It's something I often do for my husband but I can see how it would also work long distance too. I think a Skype call can do wonders for keeping a long distance relationship alive!
Isn't it delightful that modern religion has a god of love, and his day is so popular?
This sounds great, even if i'm not on a long distance relationship i would love to try reading the same book with my husband just to see how we'll both feel about it at the end. This are good tips for relationships, at the end of the day it s all about doing things together. Thanks 🙂
I am a single solo traveler as of now. And considering my past, I don't think I am good at long distance relations 😀 But these are really good options to consider for lovebirds. With the advancements in technology it has got a lot easier now. I was not even aware of websites where you can watch movies together.


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Three Clay Blend - Edible Clay Melange - Powder - 6 lbs.
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text: This cleanser should help dry and clear blemishes, prevent Clarisonic Mia 2 breakouts, and reduce redness. Final results you may eperience are clearer, softer and smoother skin.5 best Results from Users During a TwoWeek Period:1. 92% found this collection simple to use versus other acne remedies used.2. 86% preferred the Clarisonic clarifying cleanser as opposed to utilized in history, and in addition found it soothing andor calming.Users reported the teture from the skin much smoother and Cheap Clarisonic Mia reported the cleanser was gentler than other acne products used.4. 76% found it help the efoliation of skins cells.5. 74% professed loss of ecessive oil.Overall, 82% found the Clarisonic acne system improved their skins condition. However, individual results vary using the condition or even your skins needs.


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On the night of the 14th June 1943 Bomber Command visited the German city of Oberhausen. The Oboe equipped Mosquitoes of the Pathfinder force located the centre of the old town with their sky markers and the main force bombed accurately through the cloud. Nevertheless of the 197 Lancasters taking part 17 were lost, a rate of 8.4%. The German nightfighter defences were becoming better organised and their Airborne Interception radar was making a difference.
But the use of the German radar also provided an opportunity, because once the frequency was known to the British Air Ministry scientists it was possible build a detector from which RAF fighters could home in on their Luftwaffe counterparts. The RAF had been very reluctant to let their own highly secret Airborne Interception (AI) radar sets operate over enemy territory, because if the planes were shot down and the equipment discovered the Germans would be able to build their own counter measures.
Eventually it was decided to allow the new detector device codenamed 'Serrate' to be combined with an older version of the AI sets. They were mounted in Beaufighters. Twenty two year old Wing Commander J.R.D. Braham was one of the first to use Serrate system sucessfully, together with his navigator/ AI operator Flying Officer 'Sticks' Gregory:
Sticks was now continuously scanning the Serrate and AI scopes. 'I've got a number of indications of night-fighters, Bob. I'm taking the strongest-looking signal. Turn starboard 10 degrees and let's see if we can get this one.'
We were now flying towards the signals emitted by a German night—fighter's AI. The technical limitations of Serrate gave us no idea how close or far the aircraft was until we picked up contact on our own AI, but we could tell his relative position to us in space.
Flak appeared in the distance and bombers ahead of us were now under attack. 'Sorry, Bob, that signal has disappeared. But I have another. Port 20 degrees.'
I banked the Beau round to our new course and the aircraft rocked suddenly as we hit the prop-wash of another aircraft in front of us. I couldn't see anything but it was probably one of our own bombers. Again after a short chase, no luck.
The Serrate signal disappeared, but always there were others indicating the presence of large numbers of enemy fighters. It seemed that the enemy left his AI on only for short periods.
By now we were approaching the Ruhr and the flak ahead was becoming intense as the bombers started to unload. Fires and explosions could be seen for many miles away as Oberhausen received mortal blows.
But this wasn't a one-sided battle. Off to the right there was a vivid flash in the sky, then a flaming comet streaked earthwards. I noted the position and cursed. It was probably one of our bombers.
'Keep a good check on the equipments, Sticks. There arc plenty of Huns about.' Up ahead was another fire in the sky, gradually sinking lower and lower to crash in a sheet of flame, marking the grave of another aircraft. Things were getting hot. We were close to the flaming ruins of Oberhausen and the sky above us was filled with bursting anti-aircraft shells and the flares released by the Pathfinders to show the main force where the bombs should be dropped.
There were so many bombers over the city that the German gunners couldn't hope to aim at individual aircraft. They threw up a curtain of steel in the hope of driving off their tormentors. It was in vain. The attack continued.
By now the leading bombers were turning away from the target and setting course for home. So skirting the flaming city, we headed back among their tracks. So far, I had only seen fleeting glimpses of dark shadows as we passed close to one or two of our bombers, although we flew through the prop-wash of many as we criss-crossed the stream in what seemed a fruitless search for the many German fighters.
Then there was excitement in Sticks's voice, as he called, 'Bob, I've got another signal, turn gently port.' As I manoeuvred the Beau I counted three other aircraft on fire in the air within my range of vision. I knew our bombers rarely shot down a German night-fighter so I could only assume the enemy was exacting vengeance for the raid.
'Bob, I think this one is behind us. The signal is strong.'
'Have you anything on the AI yet?'
'No, but keep turning'
It was an eerie feeling, knowing that we were playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek with an unseen foe.
'Bob, I've AI contact 2,000 yards behind. Hard as possible port.' 'Are you sure it isn't one of our bombers?
'Yes. It isn't. The Serrate and AI signals match up. Keep turning, he's only about 1,000 yards and 20 degrees on your port and a little above. Now ease the turn a little, and watch it. You're closing fast, you should see him in a second. He's only 600 yards and still well over to port.'
'I've got him, I've got him,' I yelled excitedly.
In the moonlight I caught a glimpse of an aircraft on my port beam. At that moment he straightened out, heading south at 10,000 feet. An Me 110. Perhaps he had lost me on his AI. At 400 yards' range I opened fire, gradually easing off the deflection so that as I rolled in astern of him the dot on my electric gunsight was centred on his fuselage.
Explosions appeared all over the Me. Burning brightly he dived steeply towards the earth. By now Sticks had his head out of the 'office' and was shouting encouragement as he watched our enemy crash in a mighty flash of flame.
This was no time to relax. 'Keep a look-out on your set, Sticks. There are lots ofthe blighters about.' Checking the position of our fight, I noted that the Me 110 had crashed on the north-east shore of the Zuider Zee.
Wing Commander J.R.D. Braham was one of the top scoring RAF aces of the war. See J.R.D. Braham: Scramble!: An Autobiography
A good history of the use of Serrate can be found at Lancaster-Archive.


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'Today' - Delights Retreat Layout #136:30 AM
I will start with saying that this was a completely spontaneous layout. It was not for any challenge at the Delights Retreat. I was a quick iPhone photo, that turned into an instax photo, that turned into a layout. These don't happen very often like this. It was fun playing around with the patterned papers and trying to make it all work - plenty of layers did the trick.
Anyone that knows me or has read this blog, knows that green and I have a very strong love hate relationship, yet somehow I seem to be attracted to it. Somehow that attraction worked again on this layout and I'm not regretting it one bit.
The title is a piece of Words or Whatever chipboard simply painted in Tim Holtz distress paint. It fits well with the doodling around the edges of the patterned papers.
I just love these resin dots from The Resin Rainbow. The colours just worked perfectly scattered around this page.
The first two layers behind the photo are project life cards. The colour tones matched what I was trying to achieve, and the yellow one was what lead to the paper choice in the first place. They are fantastic to use for layering like this and I love using them on layouts. Just another use for them besides in a PL album.
The star bar across the bottom is also a chipboard Words or Whatever piece treated the same way as the title.
How cute is this heart peg? They came in a little tin of bits and pieces along with the project life cards that I have used. I think it topped the page off perfectly.
Finally a page with a large green element that I am pretty happy with. And I think the colours in this layout are happy too. There was absolutely no planning in this layout. From the photo being taken to the layout being stuck on the wall, would have been less than 1.5 hours. And a great memory from retreat it is too.


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Unfortunately, we are unable to identify every home offering Section 8 on our site because many landlords, agents and listing sources do not provide us with those details when they are creating or syndicating their listings to us. However, you may find http://www.gosection8.com/ to be helpful in your search since they specialize in section 8 housing.
Please also feel free to inquire on individual listings that to do not specifically state that they offer Section 8 by clicking on the 'contact' button that appears in each listing. Just input your contact information and include a note asking whether they are willing to accept Section 8 housing vouchers. Once your inquiry has been sent, the property owner or manager will be able to respond accordingly.


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If you think you have heard it all when it comes for ways to get your brows just right, then think again. Fashionistas are always on the hunt for techniques that won't leave their brows just looking good, but looking perfect. These five tricks may seem surprising to you now, but they are guaranteed to work their way into your daily routine in no time.
Concealer: Consider concealer to be your number one secret weapon for flawless brows. If you don't know how this could be possible, let us explain: Using your favorite concealer to clean up the area around your brows gives the entire area a professional, lifted look. It hides stray hairs and emphasizes the area, so brows just look fresher, like lipstick does when you use concealer to outline. It is super subtle, and kind of difficult to describe, but it makes a world of difference. Just use a thin concealer brush to run concealer directly under your brows, following the natural curve of the bone, and blend well. You can also use it to define the inner corners of your brows right near the bridge of your nose.
Mascara: For serious staying power and a bold yet natural look, mascara really gets the job done. If you have naturally dark brows, black or brown mascara makes for the perfect multitasking product to save you precious purse space. Wipe the excess mascara from the wand using a tissue, then use gentle strokes to brush your brows into place. It couldn't be easier, and it really fills out and defines the brows.
Hair pomade: Thick, waxy pomades have the perfect texture for giving brows natural hold that really lasts, but comes off easily at the end of the day. Go ahead and use it alone if your brows don't need filling out, or use it as a final step to keep everything in place after you have filled in sparse areas with your pencil or powder of choice. You can lightly coat a clean spoolie in the pomade for soft hold, or use your finger to smooth out the entire brow.
Translucent powder: Just as you can use translucent powder to give lipstick better staying power, the same can be said of keeping brow products in place. Brow gels and markers really, anything with moisture tend to fade faster than powders or pencils, but if they are your product of choice, then there is no reason you should settle for only fleeting perfection. Dip a soft, fluffy brush, ideally a kabuki brush into a small amount of translucent powder and dust it over your brows to set the product without mattifying it completely.
Hairspray: A light mist of hairspray will hold your hairstyle in place, and it will do the same for your brows. You won't want to spray hairspray anywhere near your eyes obviously, so spritz it onto a clean spoolie, then use it to brush your brows into your desired shape.
"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
"Envy comes from wanting something that isn't yours. But grief comes from losing something you've already had."


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How to Start Movie Website Resources page launched, Make Money Online page updated. The Make Money Online page has been updated with new money makers and old, inactive, or deceased money makers have been deleted. Along with the new money makers are three ad networks you may or may not be aware of that have specific advertisement options for movie websites.
Also brought online is the How to Start Movie Website Resources page. The Resources page is crammed with utilities, programs, and information on (to name a few of the sections) Website Building, Content Delivery Networks, Affiliation Automation, Traffic Monitoring, and Communication.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
The page was built so that an aspiring webmaster or even one that has been in the game for years has a reference guide of tools that will make their lives a little easier. Of course there are other tools and resources not listed on this page but these are the ones we have used, have heard about, or were given personal recommendations on.
The pages are both works-in-progress (la lotta continua) and will be updated frequently. If you have any comments and suggestions on the pages or the items listed on them, please let us know in an email, a Tweet, or on our Facebook page.


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Review: American Symphony Orchestra Brings 'Sounds of Democracy' to Carnegie Hall
By Brian Taylor, Contributing Writer, October 13, 2017
During these tumultuous times, it is a comfort to know that the arts are responding with bold examinations of current events. In fact, the classical music scene in New York has some important voices that are presenting programming relevant to our zeitgeist. The American Symphony Orchestra and its probing conductor Leon Botstein presented such a program at Carnegie Hall on October 11 with a program of rarely heard American twentieth-century works relevant to this theme, collectively entitled 'The Sounds of Democracy.'
Aaron Copland's Canticle of Freedom, composed in 1955, and sounding very characteristic of the well-meaning fifties, was clearly an artistic reaction to the composer's experience before the McCarthy committee, pressured to admit to being a Communist sympathizer. The piece for large orchestra and chorus begins with a stately, tense instrumental section depicting a dark, oppressive struggle, until finally the chorus brings relief and openness with their song to freedom, "Freedom is a noble thing!" The orchestra rose confidently to the grandiosity required of this music, with particularly dynamic playing by the busy percussion section. The winds and strings responded to Copland's snappy rhythms with crackerjack skill, although perhaps some of the more cryptic passages might have benefitted from improved intonation.
Roger Sessions, a composer of Ivy League pedigree who eventually ran the Juilliard School among other institutions, nurtured the mid-century dogma of Schoenberg-inspired abstruse modernism. His Second Symphony, written in 1944-46, is one of America's most expressive, yet esoteric, artistic responses to the World War II era, and is dedicated to the memory of FDR. Sessions's compositional voice in this piece is dense, knotty, and doggedly atonal. This is not easy music to appreciate on first listen. Even with some appreciation of twelve-tone technique, the language is too obcure for the ear to follow in a linear way. But the mournful third movement, Adagio tranquillo ed espressivo, with a wonderful English horn solo played by Lillian Copeland, is spellbinding and expressive, and Botstein shaped it beautifully.
The second half of the program was a rare and vital performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish," a deeply personal seven-movement rhetorical work employing narrator, soprano soloist, chorus, children's chorus, and a large orchestra. Sharing a religiosity with the more upbeat Chichester Psalms and the jazzier and looser Mass, the "Kaddish" is a dark confrontation of faith, and a sweeping Mahler-esque symphonic journey.
As the "speaker," Thomas Q. Fulton, Jr., impressed with his expressive, vociferous voice and command of language, and brought the outsized gravitas of King Lear. Although the device of this speaker addressing God angrily ("Tin God! Your bargain is tin! / It crumbles in my hand! / And where is faith now – Yours or mine?") seems overwrought, the piece transcends this quirk in its rewarding musical heights.
In the exquisite fourth movement, Kaddish 2, our focus moved to the long lined soprano solo. Sung in Hebrew with richness and warmth by Pamela Armstrong, in dialogue with the Manhattan Girls Chorus, the music builds to a delightful passage filled with athletic rhythms and leaping intervals. The Scherzo, although frustratingly dominated by the histrionic speaking part, was thrilling in the way the varied textures of Bernstein's colorful orchestration reached emotional peaks as the movement builds and expands, eventually segueing into the Kaddish 3 and the return of the children's chorus. Throughout, Bernstein's yearning score finds him grappling with the assertion of the individual against the universe.
It is an admirable endeavor to revisit these works, air them out, and examine our American musical legacy. While Sessions's arid symphony might have staled over the years, the music of Copland and Bernstein is enduring in its appeal and never more pertinent, as proven by this moving and ambitious performance.
American Symphony Orchestra in concert at Carnegie Hall on October 11, 2017. Conducted by Leon Botstein; Pamela Armstrong, soprano; Thomas Q. Fulton, Jr., speaker; Bard Festival Chorale, James Bagwell, director; Manhattan Girls Chorus, Michelle Oesterle, director.
COPLAND Canticle of Freedom
SESSIONS Symphony No. 2
BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish"
Click here for ZEALnyc's complete list of New York City classical music concerts.
Click here for the latest news in New York City classical music.
Cover: (l. to r.) Pamela Armstrong, soprano, conductor Leon Botstein and Thomas Q. Fulton, Jr., speaker, in concert with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; photo: Matt Dine.


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State Size, as available in the Shopping Cart. Half sizes, order the next larger full size. Be among the first to own a piece of U.S. WWII history! Order Today!


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Concert violinists have been found unable to tell the difference between a multi-million pound Stradivarius and a violin made last week.
This is according to research from the University of Paris, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Claudia Fritz asked 21 musicians to play six different violins; three modern instruments and three by Antonio Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu, made in 1700 and 1740 respectively.
They played the instruments in a random order in a darkened room and ranked them according to their playability, projection, response and quality of sound, the Guardian reported.
Ms Fritz even had the violins dabbed with perfume to disguise the aroma of the older instruments.
However, the results were perhaps surprising, as the violinists preferred the playing quality of the new instruments and even ranked one of the 300-year-old Stradivarius as their least favourite.
The musicians were also unable to identify if their favourite instrument was old or new, the news provider reported.
"It doesn't matter if the violin's old or new, all that matters is whether it's a good violin or a bad violin," Ms Fritz said.
"Many modern violin makers are doing a great job."
Speaking to the Guardian, secretary of the British Violin Making Association Kai-Thomas Roth put the iconic status of Stradivarius down to "myth-making", claiming that musicians will blame themselves if they cannot get a good sound out of a Stradivari, yet will dismiss a modern instrument if it does not work for them.
Last June, one of the most well-preserved Stradivarius violins, the Lady Blunt, was sold at auction for a record £9.8 million. It was once owned by Lord Byron's granddaughter, although has been in possession of collectors for most of its life.
It is thought that there are around 600 Stradivarius violins that remain in existence.
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Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War Page: 316
This thesis is part of the collection entitled: UNT Theses and Dissertations and was provided to Digital Library by the UNT Libraries.
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After the softening up, the attack would proceed for the Marine forces in the
manner described by S. L. A. Marshall in the previous chapter, but considering the
harsh terrain, with slower speed. Wherever possible, the Marines probably used this
process to actually eliminate bunkers:
The infantry used assault teams consisting of one rifle squad, two flame
throwers, one demolition team, ... one 75mm recoilless rifle squad, and one
light machine gun squad, or a total of 26 men.
The teams deployed with the 75mm recoilless rifle squad placing fire on
the apertures of the enemy bunker at a range of about 600 yards. The light
machine gun squads deployed to the flanks to support the attack. The rifle
squad, together with the two flame throwers, closed in as far as possible and
placed small arms and BAR fire on the bunker. The flame throwers then moved
forward until 35 yards from the enemy position and engaged the bunker with fire
while the demolition team planted the explosive charges. When the positions was
neutralized, the team hastily reorganized and prepared to move forward ... [to
do it all over again].36
Tactics aside, there are other conclusions about this battle in the way of problems
hindering the Marines. Close Air Support, or the rather the lack of it in the September
fighting exacerbated the issue in the minds of Marines. In the half month of battle in
September 1951, 182 requests were made by FACs in the Marine division for CAS. For
127 of the requests, planes did arrive, but only twenty four of them arrived when they
were still needed for the purpose initially requested. It usually took over two hours for
planes to arrive in response to a request. The tactical situation (mostly terrain and
weather) had severely limited the division in its maneuvers. General Thomas believed
that more adequate CAS would have saved many of the 2,416 casualties taken in
"A fatal defect in the Air Force/Army system as used in Korea was usual failure
even to acknowledge an advance request for close air support sorties. Not knowing
36 Ibid., 110.
37 U. S. Pacific Fleet, "Third Interim Evaluation Report," chapter 9.
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Montandon, Joshua W. Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War, thesis, August 2007; Denton, Texas. (digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3938/m1/331/?rotate=90: accessed February 21, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library, digital.library.unt.edu; .