text:
(If you don't know what ALEC is - please see the links at the end of this diary.)
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) admits that 1/3 of state legislators belong to their organization.
ALEC reported in 2005 that 89 ALEC Alumni were in the US Congress or 16.6% of the US Congress (It is my belief that the actual number of ALEC's Alumni are under-reported by ALEC, with the number of ALEC Alumni serving in the Congress being well over 100. (If you include Federal appointees – such as Tom Vilsack, currently or historically Donald Rumsfeld, the number could become very frightening.)
But, have you ever wonder how close ALEC gets to the White House?
Well - here's a little history on ALEC and the White House.
The following are excerpts from the ALEC's 25th Annual Meeting Commemorative Program (1998) where they make the following statements:
So well received were the policies which ALEC proffered in the late 1970s, that eleven days after his inauguration, President Ronald Reagan invited a bipartisan delegation of 35 ALEC members to meet with him at the White House to help set the agenda for his New Federalism initiatives .
So then the question begs to be asked - was that a one time meeting?
During briefings in May and December of 1981, hundreds of ALEC legislators discussed policy changes directly with the President
Did it stop with just those two months of "discussions ... directly with the President"?
As a result of the interaction that ALEC members had with Reagan Administration officials, ALEC established seven Cabinet Task Forces to work directly with the administration
But that didn't mean they had a close relationship - correct?
Finally, in 1986, it was decided that - as a result of the constant interaction with the Reagan Administration, the successes of policies it proposed, and the generally high regard with which its ideas were met-ALEC should form formal internal Task Forces to develop policy covering virtually every aspect of government
And surely that was the end of it - right?
... hundreds of ALEC legislators discussed policy changes directly with the President [Reagan] and his top policy advisors-a practice that would continue throughout the twelve years of the Reagan and Bush presidencies.
Yep - twelve years, 1981 - 1993.
Explains why they gave the prestigious "Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award" to Reagan in 1990 and George H. Bush in 1993.
And then, of course - you have this...
President Bush is welcomed by ALEC members at the opening session of the 1992 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs. Joining the President at the head table were Ambassador Holly Coorst Senator Ray Powers (CO), Mr. Allen Auger of Coors Brewing Company, Incoming National Chairman Senator William J. Raggio (NV), ALEC Executive Director Samuel A. Bruneffi, … Major speakers included: President George Bush; Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan; Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander; Secretary of Transportation Andrew Card; Secretary of Health and Human Service Louis Sullivan; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Jack Kemp, Deputy Attorney General George Terwilleger
Thank god Clinton was in office from 1993 - January, 2001.
But once Reagan and George 41 were out of office it stopped there, didn't it?
Well maybe, depending how you define the concept of "constant interaction" and remember, by then ALEC was getting a little more guarded about their operations.
But then I think it probably started up all over again.
The 2001 [States and Nation Policy] Summit began with a White House briefing from President George Bush and some of his top aides, including Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge (a former Pennsylvania governor),White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Ruben Barrales. President Bush briefed ALEC members on the need for more coordination between federal, state and local governments in the fight against terrorism. (ALEC 2001 Annual Report)
And then there's this...
The 2002 [States and Nation Policy] Summit attracted more than 300 state legislators from 43 states.
One of the key highlights of the meeting was a briefing by President George W. Bush on homeland security and the situation in Iraq. During the briefing at the White House, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge joined President Bush in offering remarks. (ALEC 2002 Annual Report)
And this from the annual meeting in 2003
Vice President Richard B. Cheney
Thank you very much. I appreciate that warm welcome, and I'm especially honored to be this year's award winner of the Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award. It means a great deal. I've got enormous respect for ALEC and for what the organization stands for.
I see many friends from across America out there tonight, and it's good to bring you greetings from President George W. Bush. He sends you his very best. ... President Bush and I appreciate the good work you do, and we value your advice, and we appreciate your support.
It was pretty easy to see why Reagan got the Jefferson - but I wonder why Cheney got the award? (Would it have anything to do with his "infamous" Energy "Task Force" - the timing is about right?) Maybe "W" couldn't pronounce Jeffersonian or federalism - there's probably a wide array of options for "why not W" I guess.
2004 was an election year - so I don't think ALEC was on the agenda for anyone at the White House.
And then there is this
President George W. Bush Addresses ALEC's 32nd Annual Meeting (2005 Annual Meeting in Grapevine, Texas)
… while promoting an aggressive domestic agenda that includes changes to Social Security, immigration and the tax code. "I hope Congress gets a good rest because they got a lot of work to do when they get back," Mr. Bush told the members of the American Legislative Exchange Council convened for their 32nd Annual Meeting.
2006... George W - sent a video message to the annual meeting.
And then this
Among the many highlights of ALEC's 34th Annual Meeting (2007) in Philadelphia this summer was a surprise visit by President George W. Bush. The president was warmly welcomed by ALEC members Thursday morning, who reserved their loudest applause for his promise to veto any tax increase Congress sends him. (Inside ALEC 2007 - George W was the cover shot)
And that would be an additional 8 years of linkage to the White House.
Nice marketing pitch, wonder why it isn't in their materials? "You too, a legislator from Hobunk America, can have direct access to the President of the United States through your membership in ALEC." Maybe that's part of the "secretive" stuff.
Is their close relationship with the White House done? Probably not, if you ponder carefully to the words of Jack Kemp from 1983.
"I have been closely associated with ALEC's work for many years, and can attest to its importance as a valuable source of information for lawmakers on both the
state and national level. …" (Jack Kemp (NY) 1983 Annual Report)
"Conservatives cannot cherish tradition because it is tradition, but because it is true! The values that we hold are true for all people and for all time. " He inspired the audience with his assertion that, "In the final analysis we're going to win. There is no holding us back—history is on our side. "
(on the Jack Kemp (NY) Keynote Speech, ALEC 1983 Annual Meeting)
Besides the shock and awe some of you may be feeling - there is a moral to this story.
Voting has consequences
and one of the consequences of a Republican president
is ALEC in the White House.
Reprinted with permission from MnDem999 – A member of the Exposing ALEC Group at Daily Kos.
For more information on ALEC –
For more information on ALEC –
Please read this report or this report or this report
or this series of six articles.
And watch this news video from North Carolina on how other ALEC "model legislation" is going to screw the citizens of North Carolina - legislation introduced by ALEC legislators.
A vote for an ALEC legislative candidate -
is a vote for greater pro-corporate representation and legislation in your state,
is a vote against small and medium size business in your state,
is a vote against representative government for the people, and
is a vote against the very beliefs of the United States of America.


text:
I have a massive spot spot for make up range, Heavy Rotation – now made by Isehan, the range is quite bold as far as Japanese make up ranges go – lots of black smoky eyeliners and nude lips!
They released 4 new cream blushers and 4 lipglosses – I got 2 of each to try:
The whole range is very pink based! I got:
Creamy Cheeks in 02 Cutie Pink and 03 Peach Pink.
You only need 3mm dot of this blush! Check out the instructions!
Basically you need very little product.
The blusher comes in a little squeezy tube which is easy to use and handy to carry around too:
Now – these blushers are very very similar to each other! Annoyingly so – you definitely don't need both of these:
The cream blusher is a strange texture – it is quite pigmented as some cream blushers are a bit too sheer. However the colours are pretty terrible unless you're 16 or under and like these kind of bizzare chalky bright pinks. It sets and lasts but I just hate the colours!
I also got 2 of the lip glosses – 01 Dolly Pink and 03 Skinny Pink:
This lip gloss is rather nice – the sponge applicator is lovely and very moisturising. Once again though the shades are very similar even if one looks much pinker than the other – on the lips I'd say skinny pink is a touch whiter but that is it.
It does make the lips look lovely and plump though!
Remember when I bought the Heavy Rotation lipsticks – once again these were REALLY similar – so it could be something Heavy Rotation do in which case, there is no point buying more than one variation of their products – they're just too similar.
My favourite product of all is the brighter pink lip gloss but apart from that there was nothing from this range which is a must have.
Lip swatch of the pink gloss:
Would you try Heavy Rotation products?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The minor consists of 18 credits, as follows:
Courses must be distributed minimally across three disciplines (e.g., HS, ML, SC, SN). Three electives must be taken at the 300 level or above; two may be taken at the 100-level or above. No more than four courses can be taken from a department that contains more than one discipline. Two courses may be cross-counted between LALS and another major or minor, as long as approved by the department chair(s).
A service-learning or study abroad experience is required. The international experience must be in Latin America, and up to three study-abroad courses can count toward the LALS minor. The service-learning option would be integral to an approved LALS elective course and entails working with any group of Franco-Luso-Hispanic peoples in the Baltimore area. It is recommended that students declare the minor in their sophomore year, especially if they will be studying abroad during their junior year, to allow for greater curricular flexibility.
The program advisor will work with each student to develop a coherent program of study, guide the student, and meet informally at least once a semester to converse and look for connections between courses. Students are required to complete and submit a final portfolio of their work.
Students are encouraged to study and perfect their knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese. PO204 Portuguese for Speakers of Spanish is offered in the spring. Portuguese courses are also offered at Johns Hopkins University. Students may take electives offered through the Baltimore Student Exchange Program at other area colleges and universities; however, these courses must be pre-approved by the minor advisor or program director.


text:
We use cookies and similar technologies to deliver a more personalised experience, report on campaign effectiveness and analyse traffic to this site. To learn more please read our cookies and privacy policies. By using this site you consent to the use of cookies unless you have disabled them.
The new Rubino Pro Endurance tyre, with G+ (Graphene) technology, displays a unique diamond tread pattern & is designed for riding in the most challenging of road & weather conditions. A great high-mileage training tyre for all seasons and weathers.
|Tyre Bead:
|Wheel Size:
|700c (622)
|Tyre Type:
Graphene is a revolutionary material in the form of a very thin, nearly transparent sheet of pure carbon. In its extreme form it is as thin as a single atom (1/1,000,000,000th of a meter). Vittoria uses Directa Plus Graphene called G+, which is 2 to 8 atoms thin.
The Rubino family benefits from Graphene in greatly improved (wet) grip, durability and puncture resistance. This has led to the Rubino Pro becoming the best all-round tyre. It also facilitated the development of several special purpose products in this Series.
G+ Isotech Rubber Compound
G+ Isotech is Vittoria's unique Graphene compound with revolutionary G+, as provided by technology partner Directa Plus.
No compromise is necessary with this compound that is superior in speed (rolling resistance), grip, durability and wear resistance.
Vittoria Industries Ltd. with an annual production of more than five million tires (mainly for race bikes) and nine hundred thousand famous tubulars all developed and produced in its wholly owned factory Lion Tyres in Thailand, is one of the largest race bike tire specialists and producers in the world. Its mission is to create higher value for its stakeholders and offer high quality tyres with the best available technologies to professional riders and bicycle enthusiasts. More than 15 professional teams (Pro Tour and Continental), several National Cycle Federations and the UCI Technical Centre in Aigle (CH) have used Vittoria tires for their races and training programs for many years.
|Recommended Vittoria Tyre Pressure
For normal road surface and dry conditions. Note rim specifications regarding max tire pressures allowed. For wet or rough roads, decrease by 0.5 bar (7.5 psi). For tubular tyres, increase by 0.5 bar (7.5 psi).
Ideal tyre pressure is subject to many variables such as road surface, weather conditions, bike materials and setup, rider's weight and lastly, riding style. The best way to fine tune ideal tyre pressures is field testing a variety of different pressures. One method is to use a short criterium style circuit, preferrable with a variety of corners.
Start with the suggested pressure and ride a lap. Each following lap, lower the pressure by 5psi until you feel the tyres start to "wallow" or move a bit. This is your lowest pressure point. Return to the above table pressures and raise 5psi each lap until the tyres start to bounce and skip/move across the surface. This is your max pressure. Decrease by 5 psi from here until you feel you have the best pressure for the conditions.
Keep a tyre pressure log, including road surface, techinicality of the course, weather conditions, tyre type, brand, and TPI. Finally, the bike you used and your weight on that day. Over time, this log will become a valuable tool for referencing tyre pressures and road conditions in order to optimize your performance when on race day.
The delivery options available for shipping this product along with the contents of your basket to United Kingdom are:
Wiggle ships to over 100 countries. To see what delivery options are available for other destinations you can update your delivery destination via the International Options feature at the top right of the website.
Goods are shipped from the UK. Does not include delivery charges, local taxes or import duties, if applicable.
More information on International delivery options
We will happily refund any item purchased on Wiggle if returned to us within 365 days; excluding Wiggle gift vouchers, nutrition and customised products, except when faulty.
Please note: Bikes and other bulky items cannot be returned using our local returns service (where applicable). Please contact us and we can arrange to collect these from you using our discounted courier rates. There is a fee for all collections, except for faulty products.Returned goods must be unused and supplied with their original packaging, unless the goods are faulty. Wiggle will pay the return postage costs for any faulty items.
Only 4 products can be compared at once. Adding this product will remove the product you added to the list first.
Do you want to continue?


text:
When this country has been threatened in war, we've held the enemy from our gates with the blood of our young men. To preserve the whole, and when there's absolutely no alternative, a sacrifice of the part is required. Even in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars not of national defence but of political folly, we send young men into battle knowing that some of them - too many - will be killed and others hideously maimed.
The corruption of our Parliament by the political class is every bit as much a threat to our nation and democracy as the armies of a foreign invader. Our future, our security, our survival and our freedom depend on robust democratic institutions of men and women of integrity and a life long commitment to the national ideal. Our nation is of sixty millions. I would reluctantly sacrifice every one of the six hundred and forty six MPs now sitting to save the whole. Yes, even unto death, for even the deaths of those hundreds would be worth it to save the whole.
But we don't even demand the death of a single one of them. Not one will be maimed or wounded. Even as the coffins return from those foreign wars, corrupt MPs will be allowed to retire with fat pensions and gratuities. The Archbishop's complaint is that in the essential work of cleansing our democracy, in this war of Right and Justice, a few MPs may become a little stressed. Oh, OK then, Rowan; we'll live with a filthy stinking cesspit of ordure and corruption that will destroy the nation if left undrained, then. Don't be so bloody silly, man.
In my days we learnt
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!But I don't suppose the modern C of E has much time for the Gospels.
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.


text:
I've just received my copy in the mail - I'm sure this is a White Box game despite the lack of OGL and WB license. It's a good read with some odd bits missing - no overland movement rates for man beast or vehicle, a new ability table (from B/X) that isn't supported in the rules. But these are oversights, overall it's a good piece of work with the high points being the excellent monster section, random tables and fantastic artwork.
If anyone else has a copy I'd love to hear your thoughts and exchange an idea or two. I will almost certainly take this for a spin in early March with my group. The idea being that earth characters wake up in a cave on Barsoom following a near fatal tube crash. They will discover their latent Martian powers after a short while on the Red Planet.


text:
Friday, November 28, 2008
a handmade christmas
Not sure how it will work out, but the initial response from the children has been very positive.
I just got so fed up with hearing "I want" from them. Every single time there is an advertisement for a toy or game or piece of electronic equipment... one of them will pipe up saying "I WANT TO GET THAT"
Well... what I WANTED was for them to discover the joy of giving, as well as receiving. I WANTED them to focus on others... to think about a suitable gift for someone else... to spend time creating that gift.. and then experience the joy of giving it. I WANTED to take the focus away from high priced electronic 'must haves'... and get back to the basics.
I would love this to become a family tradition for us... but we'll have to see how it comes together first.
So I have been doing lots of brainstorming with the kids. Of course, we have been planning in secret... so it has the added benefit of me getting to spend one-on-one time with each child, which they love. They are so excited about the making process, so I'm hoping it will become something that they look forward to each year.
Now... all of this of course means that I must make their gifts, too.
Master Nine is into all things alien at the moment. So I suggested to him that he could make a playdough model, or draw a picture of an alien... and I would make it into a cuddle toy for him. He loved the idea, and has come up with this:
Just in case you are wondering... those bits sticking out the side are wings!
Now, of course mine won't look exactly like this model. It is simply my inspiration. Stay tuned to see how it comes together...
8 comments:
- Karen said...
An alien with wings....that is some son you have there - whether it is vision or imagination! I very much like your plan for a handmade Christmas and look forward as the details unfold. I guess "No peeking at my blog!" will be a rule for the next month or so in your family.
- November 28, 2008 at 12:06 PM
- Heather Wardell said...
That's a lovely idea, and a fabulous alien! Can't wait to see what it looks like when you've made it. :)
I tagged you with a meme, so check my blog... quick and easy way to get a NaBloPoMo post done!
- November 28, 2008 at 12:12 PM
- laughing purple goldfish said...
karen - he has a wild imagination... and I hope he stays that way :)
heather - thanks... will blog my meme soon
- November 28, 2008 at 11:57 PM
- annemarie said...
Wonderful idea you have - Christmas has lost its meaning with all the commercialism. I am so glad my two are grown so I do not have to deal with all this hoopla!!
- November 29, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- Jossan said...
What a great idea! Im part of doing that, but I give something bought too. But something they will appreciate and now throw away. :)
- November 29, 2008 at 9:03 PM
This is such a good idea. And I like how you had him make you something as an example. I can't wait to see what they come up with for each other.
- November 30, 2008 at 3:35 AM
- laughing purple goldfish said...
annemarie - the commercialism is insane!!!!
jossan - sounds like a good plan :)
red dahlia - I'll definitely keep you updated on our progress
- November 30, 2008 at 9:29 PM
- Jessie said...
I just found your blog yesterday, and I love it!! I started from the very first post and made it all the way here in 1 1/2 work days (tee hee I have a really hard job)
I started to do a handmade holidays with my family in 08 as well, it went over great!
We did it again this year and I think it was even better then last! I made coaster out of tiles, knitted scarfs (on a loom since I'm just learning to knit) and corn heating pads (which are super easy to make!)
Just wanted to comment and let you know that I have gained so much inspiration from your blog. I can't wait to make it to a second hand store to get some knit sweaters!
- January 8, 2010 at 7:33 PM


text:
See and download and install movie Stand By Me On the net Streaming in Hi-def format. Our website is always up-date with the new great motion pictures your entire family members will delight in. Stand By Me is (Drama, Romance) genre launch on: 2011-02-03 from .
Storyline Stand By Me :
Stand By Me is billed as the best stars and actris superstars possibly assembled in one motion picture, the director takes care of the emotions of these included in mindful craftsmanship and sensitivity. The attention is powerful, without distracting sub plots as being the characters life happen.
Filmmaker has his personal style and fashion of producing this film. These can fundamentally be identified after watching a couple of motion pictures because of the director. The scenario of this movie is make so extraordinary.
The younger actors - as well as the elderly kinds - manage the tasks having an ease and sophistication which the story demands.
This film is definite to provoke feelings within a route or some other.
Using a initial-class director, wonderful creating, together with an all-superstar cast, Stand By Me is really a movie that lives nearly its buzz.
The synergy with the elements makes the movie better overall, and that's why This is a certain will have to-see movie.
Posters of Movie
Stand By Me details :
Stand By Me Movie Clips :
Don't miss out on to obtain Stand By Me film these days....


text:
Sometimes you just have to own your shortcomings.
Here's one that I'm willing to own: Sometimes (*cough* too often), I make up my mind about something based on what will later prove to be less-than-sufficient evidence. And I can be... well, a little recalcitrant about my opinions.
Exhibit A: musicals.
Ever since high school I have claimed to hate musicals. In retrospect, this may have been a case of sour grapes. I can't sing worth a damn. It's so bad, in fact, that Mama Lou would sometimes shush me when I was singing in the car (unless I was doing my spot-on imitation of Willie Nelson. Or Julio Iglesias. No joke, I can do both parts of "To All The Girls I've Loved Before," and you'd think that Willie and Julio were right there in the room with you... I never said I wasn't talented.).
I could dance, though. So I was always cast in the musicals in the silent dancing role. But I never got to sing unless I was deep, deep in the chorus.
(Oh goodness, sudden childhood trauma flashback: practicing for my first communion, I was asked by one of my classmates to just mouth the words of the hymn because I was throwing her off!)
But thanks to the good people at Broadway Across America here in Louisville, I've gotten over my "I hate musicals" prejudice. Sure, some of them still grate (I'm looking at you, WICKED), but I have been utterly delighted by the most surprising of musicals. LEGALLY BLONDE? So charming! JERSEY BOYS (now through Dec 2 at the Kentucky Center)? I'm not even keen on Frankie Valli's music and I loved it!
Opinion changed. You live, you learn.
Exhibit B: cats
This is a lighthearted post, so I'm not going to trace this back to very dark roots. Suffice to say that I have experienced two cat deaths that shook me so deeply that I convinced myself that I didn't like cats at all.
But I've been dating a cat person (actually an animal person, in general) for a little more than a year. And I've gotten to know his two beloved felines. And after months of practiced indifference I find myself deep in the thrall of kitty love. I talk to them all of the time-- even when The Guy isn't around. I am comforted when they cuddle with me at night. I am, I admit, a bit jealous when we both call for the cats and they inevitable choose to jump up on his side of the couch.
Do I love cats? I don't know. But I love these cats.
Opinion changed. You live, you learn.
Sorry to be Chatty Cathy there... sometimes I just get on a tangent.
Anyway, off to the point of the post:
No Kill Louisville is organizing it's 3rd annual Pet Angel Tree. 17 area businesses are hosting trees and serving as drop-off spots for donations for 17 area pet shelters. Each tree is decorated with tags representing wish-list items for the shelter. Take a tag, purchase something for the shelter, and drop off the gift where you picked up the tag.
It's so simple to do, and the needs, too, are very basic.
From the NLK news release:
Pet lovers can find a listing of the businesses taking part at nokill-louisville.com. Wish lists for each of the 17 area shelters and rescues in the program are also located on the site. This year-end effort seeks to help thousands of abandoned and abused animals by providing needed supplies to area shelters and rescues. During our first year, No Kill Louisville's Pet Angel Tree project collected more than $15,000 in food, equipment and other materials - all for local rescues and shelters.
This year's list of rescues and shelters has expanded and includes (in alphabetical order): Alley Cat Advocates, Barktown Rescue, Furever Friends Rescue & Transport, GRRAND, Humane Society of Oldham County, J.B. Ogle Animal Shelter, Kentucky Humane Society,Kentuckiana Pug Rescue, Louisville Metro Animal Services, New Albany-Floyd County Animal Shelter, New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue, No Kill Louisville (general and foster family needs), No Kill Louisville Pet Food Bank, Second Chances Wildlife Rescue, Shamrock Arrow Fund, Shamrock Foundation, Shelby County No Kill Mission, and Woodstock Animal Foundation.
Items needed for the upcoming year include but are not limited to cat or dog treats, paper towels, bleach, Ziploc bags, pens, peanut butter, dish soap, dog or cat food, gently used sheets and blankets, dog or cat collars, leashes, and much more. For a full wish list, go to nokill-louisville.com/pet-
Those who want to help can also choose to pick up a tag from a Pet Angel Tree at one of the following locations which also serve as the donation drop-off points (also listed in our website at the above address):
Those who want to help can also choose to pick up a tag from a Pet Angel Tree at one of the following locations which also serve as the donation drop-off points (also listed in our website at the above address):
- Anchorage Animal Hospital
- Carmichael's Bookstore - Frankfort Avenuve location
- Dirty Tease
- Hair Lingo
- Heitzman Traditional Bakery and Deli
- Highland Coffee Company
- Jefferson Animal Hospital - two locations - Fern Creek & Okolona
- Kaleidoscope Hair Salon
- Moments Photography
- Office Supply in Jeffersonville
- Preston Animal Hospital
- Perkfections Cafe
- Shine
- Sonoma Cafe
- Tracy L. Carson - therapist's office


text:
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - A slow start didn't stop the UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team from taking down UW-Superior 3-1 in an NCHA matchup at Hobbs Ice Center tonight.
Superior broke through the defensive line and took control of the game early, seeing its one and only goal nine minutes into the first period. The Blugolds battled back and at 8:54 in the second period, Travis Peckskamp (Sr.- Sauk Rapids, Minn.) found the back of the net on an assist from Jack Callahan (So.- Red Bank, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy).
Eau Claire used the third period to seal the deal, getting goals from Jon Waggoner (Jr.-Fairbanks, Alaska/Lathrop) as well as Alex Olson (Jr.- Devils Lake, N.D.). Devin Mantha (Sr.-Sturgeon Falls, Ontario/Ann Arbor Pioneer) and Olson assisted Waggoner while Olson scored his goal, which was his first of the year, unassisted.
The game was relatively clean, with each team receiving only two penalties, none of which came in the second period. Both of Superior's came in the first period while Eau Claire had one penalty in the first and one in the third, both called for interference.
Superior outshot Eau Claire 39-22. Brandon Stephenson (Sr.- Saline, Mich.) had 38 saves in net for the Blugolds, grabbing his 12th win of the season.
UW-Eau Claire moves to 14-3-2 and 9-2-1 in NCHA play while UW-Superior falls to 10-8-1, 5-6-1 in the NCHA.
The Blugolds are back in action on Friday as they face-off against St. Norbert for a showdown between the league's top two teams (both have 19 points after this weekend). The puck drops at 7 p.m. in Hobbs.


text:
Full page Analysis piece in today's Financial Times:
Publishing Amid rapid growth in the number of digital titles and devices to read them on, an industry barely changed isnce Gutenberg is confronting upheaval, write Ben Fenton and Salamander Davoudi
Financial Times, Friday, October 16, 2009, p. 7
From the story:
. . .
At the Frankfurt Book Fair this week, the talk has been all about the impact of the e-book, with scores of sessions and seminars devoted to discussing the implications of devices such as Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader. Another hot topic is Google's digitisation of, so far, 10m books including about 9m still protected by copyright.
The Google Books project, arguably the first attempt to collect the planet's collective knowledge in one (cyber) space since the Library of Alexandria was founded in the third century BC, also includes plans to allow people to buy out-of-print books from Espresso printing and binding machines.
. . .
Overall, industry executives and analysts expect digital books to reach about 20-25 per cent of the market over the next decade as publishers await their "iPod moment", the appearance of a piece of hardware that gives the digital incarnation of the written word the same volcanic momentum that transformed the consumption, and the business, of music.


text:
For "The Voice's" top three, there was nothing to be done Tuesday but wait.
One of the trio of contestants left standing for this week's finale — country balladeer Danielle Bradbery, indie-pop belter Michelle Chamuel and down-home duo the Swon Brothers — is set to be crowned "The Voice" on Tuesday night.
But in true "Voice" fashion, that won't come without plenty of fanfare first, courtesy not just of their ballooning fanbases but also of some pop starpower. The likes of Bob Seger and erstwhile "Voice" coach Christina Aguilera, among others, will perform on Tuesday's show.
On Monday, the three finalists got three chances apiece to make their closing arguments for why they should win the whole shebang, hoping they'd yield a charm come Tuesday.
Team Usher's indie-pop sensation Michelle was up against two Team Blake country acts, Danielle and the Swons. But if there were any rivalries heading into the show's finale, they weren't evident Monday night.
The coaches themselves struck the collaborative tone at the show's opening, kicking off the two hours of performances with a take on the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends," a nod to their cover of "Come Together" at the start of the season.
And indeed, with a little help from their coaches-turned-friends — at least in the case of newfound BFFs Usher and Michelle — the final three contestants showed in their performances that they were more than getting by.
Each one performed a duet with their coach, another version of the song their coach deemed their breakout song on the show this season and finally one last new song.
The Swon Brothers, who have earned the distinction of being the first duo to make it to "The Voice" finals, were up first with a cover of the Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why" — debuting a new soft-rock falsetto and breaking with their country roots for the occasion.
"All that I think was missing was, like, the third Bee Gee," Usher remarked, adding that he enjoyed seeing the pair's sound evolve. And Adam praised the performance, despite his criticism of the last Eagles song the duo performed. "It's a really tall order to do one of their songs, and you guys did a great job."
Next, Michelle was up, not with a new song, but with the song her coach Usher thought had been her breakout performance on the show. That had come, he said, when she performed Taylor Swift's hit "Trouble" fresh off a surprise visit to rehearsals from Swift herself.
Again, Michelle gave an electric, and electrifying, take on the song, and again, her coach rivaled the audience for sheer enthusiasm, rocking out as he grinned.
Afterward, as the cheers from the audience refused to die down, the coaches marveled at her energy on-stage — Shakira called it "extraordinary" — and the excitement she inspired in her fans. "What cannot be reproduced is that when you're up there, people are screaming so loud that our ears hurt," Adam said of the screaming fans — as Usher added, "You can't have that many relatives."
Next Danielle and her coach Blake delivered a sweet but powerful take on the Patty Loveless song "Timber, I'm Falling in Love," though there was the inevitable slight creepiness of a grown man singing a love song to a 16-year-old.
Team Blake's other finalists the Swon Brothers were back up next, this time delivering their breakout performance from the season: Kenny Loggins' "Danny's Song," a tune that in their hands had won over even the country nonbelievers among the coaches the first time around.
"It's almost like I disappeared for a moment," Usher told them Monday of how their performance affected him. "Wow, what an incredible rendition, man. It's amazing."
Michelle returned next to tackle "Why" by Annie Lennox — a song she hadn't performed before, and one she knew would be a tall task. "This song is pure emotion. It's a big challenge that Usher thinks I can live up to, and I do not want to let him down," she said.
Michelle began performing a stripped-down, fragile take on the emotionally heady song — singing into what appeared a mirror, a la her take on "True Colors" earlier in the season, but turned out to be a computer image of herself.
The coaches thanked Michelle for giving them a rare chance to see her trade her high-energy rock-outs for vulnerable crooning, and they said her knack for both was testament to her talent. "Likeability and capability," Usher told her. "To me, that is what represents a true artist, and that is what you possess."
Next, the Swon Brothers took the stage with their coach to perform alongside him in a sort-of duet, if the duo counts as a single singer. They delivered a rollicking take on Brad Paisley's tongue-in-cheek homage to fame "Celebrity," in just the sort of good-humored performance the Swon Brothers have patented.
Team Blake's other finalist Danielle's turn came next to remind her audiences of her breakout performance on the show. And although Blake said it had been hard to pick one such performance for the teen since she'd had so many, he opted to have her sing the Pam Tillis hit "Maybe It Was Memphis" again.
Danielle turned in just the sort of plaintive, pure belt that has earned her such a loyal following, her clear voice the perfect match for the song's litany of Southern Americana tropes.
"You've grabbed the bull by the horns — no pun intended," said Shakira, donning a leather cowboy hat by way of support for the singer. (Never a partisan, she had also waved a "Go Okies" flag for the Swon Brothers and donned thick-rimmed glasses for Michelle.) That praise was nothing next to Adam's; he flat-out predicted Danielle would win the thing, to Usher's chagrin.
And just a night before two of the show's remaining acts were bound to head home empty-handed, that was just what Danielle and her competitors needed.
Not that home didn't have its own charms — a point made by the finalists' performance just then of the jangly indie-pop anthem "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Joining in for the choruses were all the rest of the top 16 from this season on "The Voice" — from the singers sent packing during live shows to recent runners-up like Sasha Allen and Amber Carrington.
After the crowds had left the stage, just two took to it: Michelle and her coach Usher, whose bond over the course of the season had strengthened into a meaningful friendship. With Usher predicting more duets in the future, the pair gave a soulful, ferocious take on U2's "One."
Closing out the night was Danielle, the show's youngest finalist and likely frontrunner — at least if you asked Adam and whoever decided to give the teen the plum final spot of the night. As she performed the closest thing she has performed yet this season to an uptempo song, Danielle's nerves over the pacing of Sara Evans' "Born to Fly" gave way to her trademark breezy confidence as she lived up to the song's name.
"Your perfection is almost boring me at this point," Adam told her. Her own coach was more strictly positive in his praise. "I'm one of the millions of people out there that you've got wrapped around your finger," Blake said. "Thank God you came to 'The Voice' to debut yourself."
"The Voice" will crown one of its three finalists the winner at its finale on Tuesday at 8/7c.


text:
What happens when Apple makes it even easier to access it products? Sales numbers break records.
Just a day after it was revealed that the Cupertino-based everything-maker has more cash on hand than the Gross Domestic Product of 126 countries, it was announced that on the first day Apple released its new operating system, there were more than one million downloads.
OSX Lion went public in Apple's App Store Wednesday for $29.99. Thursday the company said it registered one million downloads of the OS.
Needless to say, it is the fastest any of Apple's OS have hit the mark.


text:
You just couldn't make it up! Unbelievable :)
Here is his speech on the report into child abuse by the catholic church. Soon after it we got rid of the Vatican's embassy in Ireland......It is a powerful speech.
Link to above.
And this is why and rightly so...
I totally need to visit Ireland.
I will meet you at the Airport......:-)
@ Robert - Thanks for that video. It ends asking that the faithful make the restoration of the faith in Ireland their life's work. That is exactly the opposite of what many of us here have been doing for the last 20 years or so. We are winning. I am certain that the majority of those born since 2000 will be Atheists. I hardly know anybody that bothers with the Catholic Church anymore. It is meaningless to most people under 40.
Dude Ireland is one of my places to visit too! Trying to save up some money so in about couple of years I can go tour Europe.
Good for the Irish Prime Minister to stick up for the constitution
I think he should present himself for communion, walk up, and as the priest reaches to place the host on his tongue he should close his mouth, turn and walk out. It would be great to get that on video, very symbolic.
Catholic Church = Sad Bastards
Taioseach = Total Boss


text:
Luis Martinez
ABC News
August 22, 2011
The cost of U.S. military intervention in Libya has cost American taxpayers an estimated $896 million through July 31, the Pentagon said today.
The price tag includes the amounts for daily military operations, munitions used in the operation and humanitarian assistance for the Libyan people.
The U.S. has also promised $25 million in non-lethal aid to the Libyan Transitional National Council, half of which the Defense Department has already on MRE's (military lingo for Meals, Ready to Eat).
The military delivered 120,000 Halal MRE's to Benghazi in May and a second shipment that included medical supplies, boots, tents, uniforms, and personal protective gear in June.


text:
Company Info
Ordering Info
Suggestion Box
To hear the background music,
open this jukebox and listen
while you surf.
Native Style Jewelry
Boxed Collector Knives
Carole Bourdo Art
Native Caps & Hats
Native American Mousepads
Flat Hide Drums
Native American Art Cards
Native American Dolls
Native American Magnets
Native American Notecards
Native American Posters
Native American Smudge
Native American Stationary
Native American T-Shirts
Reversible Sierra Ponchos
Specials and Closeouts
Medicine Cards
Aromatherapy Pillows
Asthma Therapy Pillows
Astrology Charts
Bath Salts
Bath Oils
Ear Candles
Essential Oils
Eye Pillows
Fiber Optic Lamps
KoolTies - Heat Relief
FREE E-mail Postcards
Native American Music
Sign our Guestbook
View our Guestbook
We Accept The Following Credit Cards and Money Orders:
All orders are processed
on our secure server
If you want to contact Spirit Scents customer support, please send e-mail to:
We ship using
US Mail, FEDEX, DHL, or UPS for your convenience.
What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night... it is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.
Here is a link to our FREE E-card site. Send your loved one's a free Electronic postcard.
For the best selection of Native American music Visit our good friends at Native American Winds
For the best in beads, leather, and trade goods, Visit our good friends at
Orr's Trading Post
Computerized Astrology Chart Wheels
Natal (Birth) Chart -- Printed Wheel
Birth Chart is printed in full color on Photo Quality Paper
Click here to see Example
The natal chart is the foundation for all your astrology reports and consultations. It provides the blueprint of your psyche at the moment of birth. To the trained astrologer's eye, the Natal Chart reveals your skills and strengths, relational patterns, career potentials, and the path to your greatest happiness and purpose. To you, it might just look cool! Hang it on your wall or hold on to it for future reference. This Chart is printed in full color on Photo Quality Paper.
Computerized Astrology Reports
Natal Report
Includes Natal (Birth) Chart -- Printed Wheel
Birth Chart is printed in full color on Photo Quality Paper
This report provides an interpretation of the planetary placements at your birth. Your birth chart is your own very unique map for navigating this world. This report clearly explains your natal chart. The report averages 30-45 pages in length and is segmented into 10 chapters which cover a broad spectrum of areas in your life. For example, Chapter One discusses general characteristics, Chapter 3 the Inner You, Chapter 5 your emotional self and romance, and Chapter 6 your drives and ambitions.
Forecast Report
Includes Natal (Birth) Chart -- Printed Wheel
Birth Chart is printed in full color on Photo Quality Paper
This report discusses the current and future transits of the planets as they interact with your natal birth chart. The report averages 15-25 pages in length. These reports are helpful for long and short term planning and timing of activities. For each transit listed in the report there is a discussion about the meaning of the transit, as well as an overview of the positive use of the transit. Covers transits of the planets Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
$15 (1-year)
Relationship and Compatibility Report
Includes Relationship Charts (3)
Relationship Charts are printed in full color on Photo Quality Paper
This report discusses the themes and issues relevant in a specific relationship between two people. The report averages 35-50 pages in length and is composed of 4 chapters. Chapter One compares two individual temperaments and lifestyles, Chapter Two discusses the major issues and themes in the relationship, Chapter 3 offers further insight into the destiny of your relationship, and Chapter 4 overviews emphasized but more minor themes. These reports can be ordered for either friends or lovers. The friends report can also be used for insight into business partnerships.
This report is for Numerology. It correlates your name at birth to your personality profile. Can often be used to determine name changes, or anything relating to a name.
Prior to placing your order, please go
to our secure Form for the pertinent data for each type of report you have requested. After completing and returning that form and the order form your chart will be generated and sent to you the following day after payment has cleared.
Go Shopping
Company Info
Ordering Info
Suggestion Box
The information contained in this site is �Copyright and may not be distributed,
modified, reused, reposted, or otherwise used outside the scope of normal Web
without the express permission of Spirit Scents, Inc.
Since the date of last programming, some Web site information may have been updated,
and may be subject to specific requirements or availability. Spirit Scents reserves the
right to make information changes from time to time without notice or obligation.
Contact Spirit Scents via phone, fax, or e-mail for complete details and the latest
Although descriptions are believed to be correct, accuracy of this site, or any outside sites
linked cannot be guaranteed.
�Copyright 2000, 2001 Spirit Scents, Inc. All rights are ®Reserved and all identifying logos
Trademarked by the respective company.


text:
Filter by:
Subscribe to our newsletter and get information about our latest offers and prices. Click here to read our privacy policy
All our jewellery & watches are sourced from auction houses across the UK by our in-house experts. Before we put an item up for sale it is checked over and cleaned by our experts. Everything we sell comes with a 1 year guarantee, giving you complete peace of mind.


text:
There's more to fruit and vegetable quality than meets the eye
Farmers markets and produce stands are starting to bulge with the bounty of California's fields as strawberries, artichokes and asparagus mark the start of the spring and summer produce seasons.
But have you ever wondered what to look for when selecting fruits and vegetables? Why does your refrigerator have separate bins for fruits and vegetables? Should fresh tomatoes be stored in the refrigerator or on the counter? And how do you keep fresh basil fresh until you're ready to use it?
These and many more questions are answered in the colorful handbook: From the Farm to Your Table: A Consumer's Guide to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables available at anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu
This guide contains tips from the pros on selection, storage and handling for quality and safety. Handy tables show you which fruits and vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator, which should be stored on the counter, and what to look for when selecting popular produce items. And if you've ever wondered the steps your produce takes to get from the field to your market, the journey is explained here.
After reading this guide you'll know why there's more to fruit and vegetable quality than meets the eye.
Oh, and the answers to those questions?
Your refrigerator has separate bins so you can keep keep ethylene-producing fruits such as apples, peaches and pears away from vegetables.
Uncut tomatoes should be stored on the counter, not in the refrigerator.
And keep your basil fresh by treating it like cut flowers; place the stems in a glass of water on the counter until you're ready to use it.


text:
The metro Buffalo region has been hit with its first snow of the season, as the lake-effect band that blanketed the Southern Tier on Saturday moved in today.
The lake-effect snow that impacted he western portion of the Southern Tier on Saturday dropped as much as 5 inches in some places, said Kirk Apffel, a National Weather Service meteorologist at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Today, that band has moved north into the Buffalo area, which could get anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow through the evening hours, Apffel said.
"There might be some areas that get more or less than that," Apffel added.
Monday may bring a few snow showers to the region with high temperatures in the upper 30s, he said. Likewise, Apffel said, Tuesday looks fair with a chance of rain or snow and highs in the mid-30s.


text:
New 2020 ChevroletSilverado 1500 RST Truck Crew Cab
- Stock: CT1409
- Fuel Economy
- 16.0/22.0 mpg City/Hwy
- Exterior Color
- Shadow Gray Metallic
- Interior Color
- Jet Black w Cloth Seat Trim
- Body/Seating
- Truck Crew Cab/5 seats
- Transmission
- 8 speed automatic
- Drivetrain
- four-wheel
- Engine
- 5.3L V-8 cyl
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Highlighted Features
- Automatic temperature control
- Wireless phone connectivity
- Exterior parking camera rear
- Front dual zone A/C
- Split folding rear seat
- Heated front seats
- Perimeter/approach lights
- Remote keyless entry
Detailed Specifications
Dealer Notes
Please call Jon Griffin or email him at firstname.lastname@example.com for the current manufacturer's incentives on this vehicle or for more information!
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 5.0
Major improvements for 2019!
By Horsacourse on Monday, July 29, 2019I traded up from a 2017 (which was already a great truck!) to a 2019 and wow what an improvement! I have the 5.3 with 8 speed tranny, which is smooth shifting, super quiet ride, etc, etc. Chevy as the controls and buttons all figured out nicely for easy of use. The backseat of this crew cab is even bigger than the previous model; its so big the kids can almost play football back there. Definitely another great value from Chevy. Minor irksome points include the goofy tilt/telescoping steering wheel. The previous model had a simply stalk that allowed easy up/down but the 2019 uses a goofball 'Japanese style' system, which is ery annoying and cumbersome to use. Also missing the ashtray (not for smoking but for storing small items like trailer keys, chapstick, and stuff). Also, they took away the third cup holder in the front/center, which is also annoying since I always have two different drinks while my passenger also has her own. But everything else is awesome and absolutely love this truck!
- 5.0
beyond expectations
By jeremy on Friday, July 19, 2019Smooth ride . Awesome gas mileage. Handles like a car . Tight turning radius.
New Arrivals
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Truck…
- $49,185
- Truck Crew Cab
- White Exterior
- 5.3L V-8 cyl Engine
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Truck…
- $51,638
- Truck Crew Cab
- Blue Exterior
- 5.3L V-8 cyl Engine
2019 Ford Ranger Truck SuperCr…
- $43,878
- Truck SuperCrew
- Black Exterior
- 2.3L I-4 cyl Engine


text:
Series – Rise | 1 Thessalonians
Summary - Paul is writing to a young church plant that is under pressure. Their faith is being tested and they are in need of encouragement. Paul is going to encourage this church in faith, love, and hope. In faith, Paul will affirm the gospel they believed. In love, Paul will affirm God's affection for them. In hope, Paul will affirm the return the Jesus and his ultimate rescue.
CG Guide - Rise | week 9


text:
DETROIT, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's father was sentenced Thursday to 15 months in prison in a case linked to Detroit City Hall corruption.
Bernard Kilpatrick, 72, took money but did no work for contractors who had been strong-armed by the mayor, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds said. The judge said a prison term was required to send a message corruption would not be tolerated, the Detroit News reported.
Evidence at trial included FBI undercover videotape showing him pocketing a $2,500 bribe from a contractor.
The elder Kilpatrick also was ordered to pay $62,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Edmunds said she would recommend Kilpatrick serve his time in a federal prison in Texas.
Prosecutors had asked for a three-year sentence. Kilpatrick's lawyer, John Shea, had asked for probation or a minimum sentence, pointing out that he has no criminal history and was convicted on a single tax charge, the Detroit Free Press reported. Shea also said Kilpatrick is too old for prison life.
"I have brought misery on my family. ... I messed up," Kilpatrick said before his sentencing. "No question about it."
Earlier this month, Edmunds gave former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick the sentence requested by prosecutors -- 28 years behind bars.
Edmunds said the evidence was overwhelming that Kilpatrick and his longtime friend, Bobby Ferguson, a contractor for the city, defrauded Detroit in a bid-rigging and kickback scheme.


text:
Home » Choir » odh035
The Consort Magazine (Summer 2016)... The volume includes 24 madrigals by 24 different composers originating from the Mantua region during the late-sixteenth century; many of them are concerned with the theme of Diana, goddess of the hunt, the moon and childbirth. The madrigals are laid out in a clear, attractive format (the pages being slightly larger than A4), which is easy to hold and perform from, provided that the ensemble is, as is assumed, an unaccompanied vocal group. ... this is a very usable edition containing attractive madrigals, all of which deserve to be better known. (Peter Leech)


text:
YouTube this week unveiled an experimental page that will allow a small group of randomly chosen users to receive personalized video recommendations, lists of videos added to friends' pages and other exclusive social features. The company said that it plans to eventually offer the experimental features to all its users.
The program provides the selected users with a new algorithm that creates a list of video recommendations based on past selections and on current and past lists of favorites. In addition, those in the experimental program get a new interface that displays the videos that have just been added to their subscriptions.
The experimental page also includes a "Friend Activity" feature that tells users about updates to their friends' lists of favorite videos. Confirmed friends of users that display favorites, ratings or uploaded videos on their channel will get a feed of those lists when videos are uploaded or added to a list of favorites.
Finally, the experimental site includes a new dashboard with stats about a user's in-box activity and data about total video uploads, total views and the like.
"The goal with all of this is to gauge people's interest in having a YouTube that's tailored to the individual," YouTube noted on its blog. "Ultimately, we want to get you one step closer to the videos you'll enjoy most every time you come to the site. Mashable blogger Kristen Nicole noted that the move puts YouTube "in the realm of what we'd consider a more typically structured social network."
The experimental page gives users a better, centralized way to use YouTube, she added, by putting recommendations, updates from a cross subscriptions and friend activity on one page.
"The editors' picks have worked well on the regular YouTube home page, so I'm sure these personalized recommendations custom tailored for each user will fare well too," she added. "And as most of you subscribe to other users in order to be kept abreast of their new content, the updates for these subscriptions won't be too far from what you already had on YouTube."


text:
Your Cart...
is empty
Basket | Checkout
Cross Stitch Kits
Cross Stitch Charts
Embroidery Kits
Long Stitch Kits
Needlepoint / Tapestry
Blackwork Kits
Canvas Work
Craft Kits
Felt Kits
Your email address:
Cinnamon Cat Designs was started by designer Jane Lydia Henderson in 2005 to make available her designs to the retail trade.
Jane's work has been published in most of the UK's big stitching magazines and she has also contributed to books by craft book publisher David and Charles.
Cinnamon Cat Designs is regularly featured in the news sections of all of your favourite stitching magazines so many of you will have already seen some designs.
We stock the full range of kits from Cinnamon Cat, including:
Very Crafty are retailers for:
Bothy Threads
All Our Yesterdays
Cinnamon Cat
Classic Embroidery
Cleopatra's Needle
Cotton Crosses
Derwentwater Designs
Design Perfection
Heritage Crafts
Little Star Stitches
Maria Diaz Designs
Rowandean Embroidery
The Stitch Studio
Copyright Very Crafty. Site design & maintenance by Bang Online


text:
Very professional and helpful. Knowledgeable, responsive, and was a joy to work with. She went out of her way to make things right with a positive attitude. We would recommend Melissa to anyone looking for a property or looking to sell a home. We...
— Kedize Family
Melissa was amazing to work with from Day 1! She was easy to reach and always in touch with us! She sold our home in ONE day and found us a new one seamlessly! Will never work with another realtor!
— Killian Family
Melissa what can I say, you are the best at what you do! This was our second time buying a home with you. We love the way you work and your dedication. You are always on top of everything. Thanks for everything!!
— Romero Family
She is amazing. Everything she said she would do, she did PLUS more. I was scared of the process until about 5 mins into our meeting. When she left my husband and I looked at each other and knew we had found our agent. Now, I need her to get her...
— Redmond Family
Melissa did an incredible job helping me find my first home. She not only met, but exceeded my expectations. Besides her professionalism and knowledge, she was so pleasant to work with, and made the process a pleasure. I would highly recommend her,...
— Devin West
Smart Buyer's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Property
Daydreaming about owning your own home is one of the most intoxicating practices known to modern man, especially now that HGTV and all the house flipping shows make it look like a cake walk. But when the time comes to...
5 Home Seller Strategies for Staging Your Home Perfectly
There's a reason why people love looking at photos of homes for sale — it's rare that we get to see a place look it's very...
The 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your First Home
Buying a home can be an anxiety-ridden process, and that potential anxiety gets amplified for anyone who's embarking on homeownership for the...
Why Working With a Real Estate Professional is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make
Most people don't buy a home every day — it's a once-or-twice-a-decade activity for many of us as opposed to a day-in-day-out...
Listing information provided courtesy of the Bright MLS. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use, and it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS.
Updated: 22nd October, 2019 7:49 PM.


text:
Pilot fish health survey taps industry expertise amid doubts over fish science
BOSTON (AP) � Federal scientists have completed a pilot project in which they relied heavily on the expertise of fishermen to survey the health of flatfish species off New England.
The survey of flatfish, such as flounder, came as scientific methods for counting fish are under fire. Critics say it's unreliable and a poor basis for setting fishermen's catch limits.
The survey, conducted this month, put new focus on certain geographic areas suggested by fishermen. It also used different nets and operated from two commercial fishing boats, rather than the federal research vessel normally used.
Fishery scientists say data from such surveys can bolster population estimates, both now and in the future. That's if the government can pay for them. That's a potential difficulty, since the recent survey cost roughly a half million dollars.


text:
Nick Cannon has hit out at tabloid rumors suggesting his five-year marriage to Mariah Carey is on the rocks.
Editors at the National Enquirer have published a cover story suggesting the pair's union is heading to a divorce court amid allegations of cheating.
The article also alleges Carey was flirting with rapper Nas during his recent 40th birthday party, leaving her husband furious.
Now Cannon has broken his silence on the claims, dismissing the publication's credibility on Twitter.
He writes, "The NatEnquirer is for sale! I tried to buy the company but my accountants keep saying its not worth the money. liars"
The report comes in the same week the "Hero" superstar send Cannon a picture of her cleavage as a birthday treat – on Twitter.
The singer uploaded the saucy snap in celebration of the "America's Got Talent" presenter's 33rd birthday.
The couple is parents to 2-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan.
The @NatEnquirer is for sale! I tried to buy the company but my accountants keep saying its not worth the money. #liars #getverified
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) October 10, 2013


text:
Recommended Posts
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Our picks
[CONTEST TEASER] Evolving TRiBot: Blogging
Rileyz posted a topic in Site Updates,[READ TO THE END FOR A TEASER]
I've noticed some new TRiBotters have had some troubles finding out sources of how to do certain things, such as using advanced scripts and often get lost in the forums.
We are still getting posts asking where to start, what to do, recommended scripts, etc.
As many of you know, I am new to the team, and had troubles myself learning how to bot, let alone script.
So, what our team decided to do was make it easier to learn how to bot, how to script, and just become an overall better botter and scripter faster.
As some of you might have seen, I've posted 3 new blogs, you can check it out by clicking on the following picture or here.
These first 3 blogs are the first of many blogs that will be TRiBot official. They are encouraged to be challenged, improved upon and act as A Best Practices Guide for Botters.
What information would you like to see in the blogs?
We are going to be hosting a CONTEST this OCTOBER.
Its scary to think how soon you'll find out.👻
Stay tuned.
- RileyZ
- 8 replies
TRiBot Loader 4.0.3
TRiLeZ posted a topic in Client Updates,Today marks a big day for TRiBot! To make it easier for users to use TRiBot, we've created installers available for every platform! These installers are all bundled with the latest version of OpenJDK 1.8 (Java 😎, which is LG compatible.
Using TRiBot is now easy. Simply download the installer for your platform, install TRiBot, and run it. The TRiBot Loader will correctly identify the bundled JDK so there's no need to change the Java selection.
EXE installer: TRiBot-windows-x64-4.0.3.exe
MSI installer: TRiBot-windows-x64-4.0.3.msi
Portable version: TRiBot-windows-x64-4.0.3.zip
Mac OS
Installer: TRiBot-macos-4.0.3.dmg
Portable version: TRiBot-macos-4.0.3.tgz
Installer: TRiBot-unix-4.0.3.sh
RPM installer (CentOS/Fedora): TRiBot-linux-4.0.3.rpm
DEB installer (Debian): TRiBot-linux-4.0.3.deb
Portable version: TRiBot-unix-4.0.3.tar.gz
Platform Independent
JAR file: tribot-loader-4.0.3.jar
Note that this jar file does not include the bundled JDK.
Windows and Mac OS users may notice a warning message stating that the installer/application is un-recognized or un-trusted. Please ignore this message and proceed with running the installer/application. We need to acquire a code signing certificate so that we can sign the installers letting the operating system know that these files can be trusted. It will take a week or more to acquire one, so please hold tight.
Other notable changes to the TRiBot Loader:
Support getting the version from OpenJDK distributions
Add check for bundled JDK
Copy OpenJDK tools.jar to the bundled JDK if not present
Set the current java as the first available list entry
Ignore Java versions which are symbolic links
Make the bundled JDK the preferred Java version
Update icon images
Reduce the number of HTTP calls
- 18 replies
What do you LOVE about TRiBot? What do you HATE about TRiBot?
Rileyz posted a question in User Engagement,TRiBot is looking to improve a lot of its customer relationship management, customer on boarding process, customer experience, design elements, community engagement and pretty much everything else you can imagine when it comes to marketing.
Our goal: To ensure that the marketing done TRULY reflects the experience and does not shine an inaccurate light on what TRiBot is lacking in.
So I ask, what do you love about TRiBot and what do you hate about TRiBot? What does O S Bot, Rune M8, PowR Bot and Dre amBot do better? (yes I purposely didn't spell it right 😂).
- 18 replies
TRiBot Release 10.19.0
Usa posted a topic in Client Updates,Hello TRiBot,
Today we have a significant release that has been in the works for the last month addressing several key issues, features and bugs in the backlog.
With these changes, we are also including a new TRiBot Loader which will allow you to select any version that is released. This adds the flexibility of allowing you to revert to a previous version should an issue arise, run development only builds, view an accurate change log between versions etc. we are very proud to offer this feature and think it will add a lot more functionality down the road as we continue to release new versions.
These changes include 80+ commits by our development team, a list of them is summarized below and also available for your viewing pleasure in the new TRiBot Loader.
In addition, we have taken additional steps to improve as a development team by adding continuous integration and deployment into our workflow to assist in delivering timely releases such as bug fixes as well as new features on a weekly basis depending on our development cycle.
- 39 replies
New Server Infrastructure
TRiLeZ posted a topic in Site Updates,Over the last three weeks, I've been working on upgrading our server infrastructure. It's finally ready and is now live!
Increased reliability - less server errors
Increased availability - less downtime
Increased security - keeping us and you secure
Increased capacity - ability to serve you better
Increased speed - less waiting for things to load
Faster development - server and service updates will come faster
What are the changes?
Move from a single AWS EC2 instance to AWS ECS (Elastic Container Service)
Distributed computing
Load balancing
Git management of server files and filesystem
Redis caching
AWS ECS (with 10 EC2 instances)
AWS ElastiCache (Redis)
AWS Load Balancing
AWS EFS (Elastic file system)
Please bare with us as I continue to tune the server for maximum performance. Slow loading speeds may occur temporarily. I thank everyone for their patience.
Please post on this thread if you experience any issues other than slow loading times.
- 51 replies
Recently Browsing 0 members
No registered users viewing this page.


text:
The Egyptian government has lifted restrictions on the exports of locally produced products to Iraq, reported INA , the official Iraqi News Agency.
Cairo's decision comes after the signing of a free trade agreement between Egypt and Iraq in January, and appears part of a general effort on the part of the Egyptian government to encourage the development of a free-trade zone in the Middle East and North Africa region.
However, despite its readiness to boost bilateral trade relations between the two countries, the Egyptian government has stressed that it does not intend to violate UN sanctions against Baghdad, which were imposed after the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait in 1990.
Egyptian exports to Iraq under the UN-sanctioned oil-for-food program equal $1.3 billion since the program began in 1995. These latest moves are expected to increase the value of Egyptian exports to Iraq to one billion dollars a year.
Some180 Egyptian participated at a recent trade fair in Baghdad, returning home with $228 million in contracts to export minibuses, trucks and buses, and $34 million in contracts to export construction iron.
This May, a consortium of Egyptian firms is organizing a fair in Baghdad for construction materials. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
© 2000 - 2019 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


text:
The No-Guilt Life
It's a warm weekday lunch hour, as chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian finishes his meal. Nattily dressed in sport coat and black jeans, he's sitting at a corner table near the door of the tastefully appointed dining room of the Lambs Club in midtown Manhattan, one of the two restaurants he runs in New York.
The food has been outstanding: flavorful, imaginative, decorative—each dish topping the last. But, as he sips coffee, nodding to and greeting familiar patrons on their way out, Zakarian is more interested in talking about the dining experience that hasn't occurred.
As he points out, the wait staff has been solicitous and efficient—but not obtrusive or familiar. None of them has introduced themselves; once the food was served, no one circled back to monitor our satisfaction: "I hate that," Zakarian says. Which launches him on one of the tenets of table service at a Geoffrey Zakarian restaurant. "It's not important to hound the customer," Zakarian says dismissively. "There's no reason for a waiter to say 'Enjoy' or anything else. And I hate waiters who interrupt a table to ask how things are. If things aren't good, you'll tell him. I believe that people in a restaurant don't want to know you personally. It's not important. If you're interested in the server's name, you'll ask. If my waiter is good, I'll notice his name."
What is important, of course, is the rest of the experience: the food, naturally, but also the ambiance and the service, the sense that the diner has chosen a specific destination and is receiving singular treatment in exchange.
Zakarian is part of a wave of chef-restaurateurs who have risen during the foodie craze that has grown to mammoth proportions since The Official Foodie Handbook was published in 1984. It's a wave that has included the spawning, growth and institutionalization of the Food Network and other television channels and shows devoted to cooking, restaurants and food in general.
Zakarian has ridden that wave, as a chef with increasing celebrity, thanks both to his cooking and his business acumen, not to mention his TV-ready personality. Though he got his start in the fine-dining kitchen of Le Cirque when the Manhattan restaurant was at its peak in the 1980s, Zakarian recognizes that the concept of "fine dining"—with the formality of white tablecloths and liveried waitstaff—has given way to something slightly less daunting to the growing pool of foodies. Zakarian refers to it as "finer dining," a kind of casual fine dining a notch below the stiff atmosphere and regimented courses that "fine dining" implies.
"Finer dining has probably displaced a lot of fine-dining restaurants because of the cost," he says. "There are a lot more finer-dining restaurants. There are so many more choices now at every strata that you can find something delicious. You can go to a humble bistro or sushi bar and get great food.
"TV has made people more aware of food, and that's led to the democratization of fine-dining establishments. You may not go to Per Se, but you can go to the Lambs Club. Food Network has opened that world. What TV does is show you food as a seductive industry. But there would be no TV for me if there were no restaurants. They feed off each other. My job is making sure that the restaurants have stable quality; if I do that, I'm good. My entire day is devoted to running my restaurants. I'm in the restaurant most evenings. Nothing happens to the exclusion of something else."
It's a synergy that's in full swing: the rise in foodie consciousness leading to TV and other media which serve that craving. That, in turn, raises awareness among the mass audience and points them in the direction of restaurants like Zakarian's. "People watch the TV and think, I want that dish, I want to try that restaurant," he says. "A rising tide lifts all boats and the Food Network has done that. TV brings in customers we've never seen before. There's a level of sophistication that people have never experienced, and they want to try it. Or maybe they just want to watch. That's OK too. Everything in life is aspirational. It's opened a whole new perception. Everything we do is to create the experience.
"It's a very social business. If you like food in restaurants, you're a social person. And now it's beamed into your house all day long. A lot of times, people who come in here after seeing me on TV, it's the first fancy restaurant they've tried. And that's a high honor. There's nothing more intimate than me cooking food and you putting it in your mouth."
Zakarian is a ubiquitous presence on television, whether he's giving a cooking demonstration on ABC's "The Chew," sharing favorite dishes on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Made," judging contests on Food Network's "Chopped" or battling other chefs—and the clock—on "Iron Chef America." He earned his Iron Chef jacket by winning "The Next Iron Chef" in 2011. "On TV, there's no room for someone where the main ingredient in their personality is subtlety," says Eytan Keller, director of both "Iron Chef America" and "The Next Iron Chef." "Success on TV or any other medium is based on character, personality, people who stand out from the crowd. Geoffrey does that at every turn. Watching him cook, there's a physicality, a purposefulness, a sense of mission in everything he does."
"Iron Chef America" is an hour-long cooking competition, in which a challenger-chef chooses one of the reigning Iron Chefs (which include such notables as Zakarian, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto) to battle in "Kitchen Stadium," the television-studio kitchen where each face-off occurs. They both are given the same "secret ingredient" (which can be anything from peaches to mint to buffalo), which must be the focus of each dish of a five-course meal. Working in real time with only a sous chef to help, the two chefs prepare their meals, which are then judged by a celebrity panel—anyone from noted food critic Jeffrey Steingarten to fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi to former football star Boomer Esiason—to determine a winner. Zakarian has what he will only refer to as "a winning percentage" on the show. (He wouldn't give exact figures because the episodes have yet to air.)
"You're cooking five complete meals in an hour, with the cameras rolling," Zakarian says. "That's hard. It's absolutely about on-the-fly decision-making. You have to manage your time well. You have an hour—but it's less than an hour because you spend several minutes at the beginning running around, gathering ingredients and preparing. So you're actually cooking for about 25 minutes." What makes Zakarian a great competitor—and chef—is his willingness to take chances in "Kitchen Stadium." Onscreen, he's got laser-like focus, his short, silver hair offset by horn-rimmed glasses and dark, intense eyes.
"Geoffrey never does anything halfway," Keller says. "There's always an element of risk-taking when he cooks. He's not reckless, but he pushes the envelope. There's a safe way and a risky way to these challenges. Picking a technique that takes longer to execute can be intimidating. Geoffrey prides himself in figuring out how to make things happen in the given time. When you watch him cook, you can see how he calibrates when he's tasting. He shifts, he augments—and you see it in his eyes. What he and the other Iron Chefs are doing isn't chaos—but it is a process that's nonlinear. To the uneducated eye, it might translate as chaos. But at the end, you see this amazing work. Whether it's on TV or off-camera, you get a terrific sense of him being driven to be the best."
"You have to be good at committing to a dish, then translating what you want when you present it to the judges," Zakarian says. "You've got to be confident. Even if you're wrong, you've got to be confident with your error. Once you're done cooking, it's out of your hands. Your job is to persuade the judges that yours is the better dish. And I'm very persuasive." The key, Zakarian says, is helping the judges understand what you've done before they take the first bite. That can be challenging when the judge admits, "I've never eaten that before." Even then, Zakarian notes, there are ways to work the refs, as it were.
"You never make them feel stupid," he says. "You have to show that you value their opinion—or even their lack of knowledge about something. When you do that, it's hard for someone to come down on you. There's a psychology to that. Still, I've cooked amazing food that the judges just didn't get. Which means I failed to get them to judge it correctly." It's about persuasiveness—but also about putting on a show when you present to the judges: "I had to battle Morimoto as a guest and I got trounced," Zakarian recalls. "The food was delicious but we didn't have the theatricality that he had. I learned then that it's not just about the food. You've also got to have theater.
"When the secret ingredient is something silly, like jelly beans, you use your imagination. The most straightforward items are the most stressful. It's hard, for example, to hide behind a rack of lamb. But there's nothing I can't cook."
Still, some of the secret ingredients can boggle the mind. The worst ingredient he faced? "Marshmallows and octopus—and you had to put that together. It's hard but you want that challenge. And then it's 'What the fuck? You're kidding me.' "
He chuckles, then adds, "It makes no sense, of course," referring to possible real-life applications for the skills required to be an Iron Chef. "It rarely happens that you have 10 people coming over for dinner and they don't tell you until an hour before." But if they did, Zakarian would be ready: "I feel very confident with the simplicity of cooking. It's like riding a bike to me. Cooking the food is really the easiest thing. Making food is a piece of cake, in the proverbial sense."
On "Chopped," in which chefs have 30 minutes to cook a meal for judges, using the ingredients from a "mystery" basket, Zakarian is tough but fair as a judge. And he finds that less-experienced chefs tend to fall into the same traps.
"The biggest mistake they make? Not enough salt and pepper," he says. "They don't season it enough. The second most common mistake is that they cook it improperly because they're unfamiliar with an ingredient, so they don't know how to treat it. But first and foremost, it's under-seasoning. They've got 20 minutes in and out. Some of them freeze. It's the pure ability to pull a rabbit out of a hat."
Zakarian was a latecomer to a career in food. The Worcester, Massachusetts, native went to college as an economics major and, after graduating from the University of Massachusetts, planned to get a master's degree in business administration. "But then I took a sabbatical," he recalls. "This friend and I had the idea to get a student loan and study in the south of France, to study industry there. That's where food found me. In France, it's a 3,000-year-old culture. I was entranced by the whole show of it. I came back from France and told my parents that I wanted to be a chef. They were unimpressed. I was relatively old when I started cooking—22, 23, which is relatively late."
Zakarian went to the Culinary Institute of America, then landed a job at Le Cirque after graduating in 1981, working for master restaurateur Sirio Maccioni. When he first applied for the job, he was told there were no openings—until he offered to work without pay. "I worked for nothing for six weeks to get in the door," Zakarian recalls. "I wasn't good but I had balls. I was good at copying things. If you showed me how to do something, I could do it. And working on the line in a restaurant, you're making the same dish 60 or 70 times a night. I finally started getting paid because someone got hurt and I replaced them.
"This was 1981, '82—there were maybe two dozen noteworthy restaurants in New York. I worked at Le Cirque for five years, which was the greatest restaurant in the world." The seeming epicenter of the New York restaurant world in the early 1980s, Le Cirque exposed Zakarian to a world of food he may have been too young to appreciate at the time. He cooked for presidents and worked with ingredients which, today, boggle his mind. "It was like jumping into the Land of Oz of the cooking world for chefs," Zakarian says, still amazed. "Think of the most expensive ingredients and we had it by the bucket, because the clientele was the crème de la crème. Sirio was buying the food in kilos, we were so busy. I worked with the best produce. I'd spend an afternoon cleaning $50,000 of truffles. Some people work their whole lives and never use as much as we did in a week. But he would buy the biggest truffles in Italy. I had no idea then what it cost. And working there, I learned what makes a restaurant tick."
Early on, Zakarian would work shifts where he was making the same dish over and over—but it never got boring because each one was unique. "You never make the same dish the same way, even the same night," he says. "Food is alive—and a chef can tell the difference. The butter is never the same temperature, the shallots are not the same strength, the taste will always be different. Each time you do it, it's slightly more refined and better. It's a very alive expression of life that shows you it's not a stationary thing."
In five years at Le Cirque, Zakarian rose from being a pastry sous chef to chef de cuisine, then moved on to become executive chef at the legendary 21 Club in 1987. The following year, he was hired as executive chef at 44, the restaurant at Manhattan's Royalton Hotel, which became a dining hot spot and gathering place for everyone from the elite of the publishing world to designer-superstar Calvin Klein.
Zakarian helped open several other restaurants before launching one of his own, Town, in 2001, followed by Country. His 2006 cookbook, Geoffrey Zakarian's Town/Country, was an editor's choice in the New York Times Book Review. Today, he owns and operates the Lambs Club (in the Chatwal Hotel), the National at the Benjamin Hotel (both in Manhattan), and Tudor House at Dream South Beach in Miami. He is consultant and executive chef at the Water Club at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Starting in 2014, he will oversee three restaurants on Norwegian Cruise Lines' ship, Breakaway: "I've never been on a cruise. I wanted to open a little shack by the water. Now I'm going to be on the water."
He learned his most valuable lesson about being a restaurateur while running 44: that the food was important, but the business was about more than just being able to cook. "Robert Isabell was the party planner at 44 when I was the chef," Zakarian recalled. "He would throw the biggest fashion parties. We had a huge argument in 1989 at the Royalton. I was so worried because my food was getting cold. And he said, 'No one gives a shit about the fucking food. It's about the party.' And it was very clear that there was a lot of truth to what he was saying. They were having a celebration of the moment. Focusing on the food would have interrupted that. Not to diminish the food—but it was about the timing. And the hospitality. He was the consummate host. When I stopped fighting him and started working with him, I learned a lot. I couldn't do the culinary things I wanted to, but that didn't matter."
So, while Zakarian still loves to cook and create in the kitchen, he is deeply focused on numerous other aspects of his business. He still puts on the apron when he's on TV and still works in his own kitchen but, as the saying goes, he's got bigger fish to fry.
"I'm in the kitchen every day, but I'm not back there sautéing onions," he says. "I'm more involved in making sure of the quality. My job is to be a positive force and to be sure the quality is maintained, to be as creative as I can. It's not just about creativity, though. I have to hire people, run a business. I have several hundred employees that I work with everyday. I talk about our sensibility, seasonality, where we're going. I create and taste.
"There are no set hours. I'm on the cell and Blackberry all the time. I'm open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. I'm always on call. They have to be able to get you. It's a difficult business. I love it—that's why I do it. I had no idea about that when I started. I thought it was all about being a chef. But there's a lot more you have to do to maintain a restaurant.
"You need to be a business person and have great food. That's a tough lesson to learn. And now it comes back to the economics degree. I went for the art—but now the business is something I have to focus on. They finally merged. That's always how you start: You're into the art. But an artist becomes commercial because you've got to sell your art and make a living. It's about earning a nice living."
And about finding time to kick back and smoke a cigar. During his run on "The Next Iron Chef," he'd finish each competition and "then I'd go out and fire up a cigar. Every challenge, we'd have a big cigar."
Zakarian smokes when he plays golf, though he rarely has time to play 18 holes: "Nine holes is more practical. I do a lot of smoking on the course. I love the ritual. I love the flavor. It works on so many levels. You can relax and have a good chat. There's something magical and liberating about it.
"I found my tastes by trial and error. I remember one Cohiba Especial, how stoned I was after my first one. It was wonderful, this absolutely perfect ash. I smoked it right down to the stub. I tend to stay in the small range. My everyday cigar is an Avo or a Hoyo de Monterrey. I like the Partagás Serie D No. 4. It's just the right size and strength. I'm rarely disappointed. It's a great cigar."
Despite smoking restrictions in New York City, Zakarian says, "We do find places to smoke. I have a terrace at my house. Or I'll walk through the city. I'll light up on the sidewalk and smoke as I walk to my next appointment. But it's best when I'm sitting down and chatting. I tend to choose places where I can do that.
"I don't smoke every day. I look at it as an extension of the life I enjoy leading. Is it bad for you? Anything in excess will be. But you can be a free human and choose to smoke once in a while. I take care of myself, I eat right and don't do anything to excess. Does it affect my palate? I don't think so. There are other things that will do that, too, whether it's living in the city or eating spicy food all the time. Everyday, I taste thousands of things. And I feel confident in my decisions. And really—you can't be a chain-cigar-smoker."
Zakarian has had restaurants succeed—and he's also had them fail. That's just part of the business: "The failure rate for restaurants is 90 percent or more. Chefs open restaurants and some of them don't work. But they still keep opening them. Even the best chefs have had that happen. Some books aren't best-sellers. Some marriages don't work out. In my world, batting .500 is failure. Batting .700 is only OK. At the end of the day, it's about hospitality."
Relaxation? Retirement? Those two words don't exist in Zakarian's vocabulary.
"Relaxation? I don't know that state," he says. "I'm most content when I'm outside with my kids, sharing something they've never seen before." (He has two daughters, 5 and 3.) "When I fall asleep in the middle of a massage, I guess I'm relaxed. But I love being busy. I'm never retiring—ever. I can't imagine a less interesting state of being."
Guilty pleasures? "I'm never guilty. Perhaps licorice—good licorice. And rosé wine. I've stopped being guilty. If I feel like eating something, I eat it."
Asked what he'd eat if he were given a choice of a last meal, he laughs and says, "That's a morbid question. I'd have to go back and have someone cook for me who's not alive. I'd probably have my aunts cook me an Armenian dinner. Stuffed grape leaves, Armenian beans, barley soup. That's the appetizer. Anything with lamb. Definitely kibbeh. Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, even Israel—we all borrow from the same basket. It's the same 10 to 15 ingredients.
"In life, everything sags. Entropy—the idea that everything eventually falls apart—is the driving force of physics. But you try to go higher. We're all in the same boat—and that boat is going down. So enjoy the ride, savor the food and try to put your children on the next, best boat."
Contributing editor Marshall Fine writes about movies and entertainment on his website, www.hollywoodandfine.com.


text:
» You are here: Home » Dildos & Dongs » Realistic Large » Jelly Dong W/suction Cup Diamond
From the Doc Johnson family collection, here come Jelly Jewels with Suction Cup. This line is all Made in USA of non-phthalate material, treated with our unique anti-bacterial Sil-A-Gel. The deeply satisfying Dong is available for a roaring hands-free climax! Available in ruby, sapphire and diamond. Each sold separately. The Jelly Jewels Dong with Suction Cup is a hot flexible dildo with just enough firmness to satisfy! The realistic penis shaft is full of raised rippling veins and glides down to a suction cup base that adheres firmly to any non-porous flat surface for hands free play. Made of non-toxic and antibacterial Sil-A-Gel, this erotic sex toy is compatible with all lubricants and cleans easily with soap and water. Available in three translucent jewel tones, this hot adult toy will become a true treasure in the bedroom! Non-vibrating Dildo is made using phthalate free, non-toxic materials: Sil-A-Gel over PVC. Dong measures 9 inches long with a circumference of 4.5 inches around. Features: 8" Dong, Suction Cup Base, Harness Compatible, Phallic Head, Ribbed Texture, Soft, Flexible, Firm, PVC, Non-Phthalate, Anti-Bacterial Sil-A-Gel. Always clean before and after use plus between partners. Doc Johnson Novelties the Great American Toy Company. Made in the USA. New images added December 20, 2011.
Illinois residents will be charged 8.00% sales tax.
This website is intented solely for viewing and purchasing by an adult audience. If you are under 18 years old (21 years old in some states) we ask you to leave this website. Please do.All models are 18 years of age or older.


text:
I came across this image on Pinterest the other day…
and it reminded me so much of a place I spent a lot of time as a child.
That's me, with my great aunt Hanlo.
Another shot of the family. My late cousin Susi on the left, my great uncle Henning, and my mom on the right with the curly (permed) hair. That painting in the background was by Otto Weil, Hanlo's father, a portrait of Hanlo when she was very young. I have my own Otto Weil oil painting in my apartment.
Aunt Hanlo and Uncle Henning's house was full of wooden sculptures, prints, and oil paintings done by family and friends.
My mom's house:
These sketches and wooden bust were done by my great grandfather, York Fischer. I have a painting of his, of a dancing girl. It was passed down to me by my own grandfather, also named York Fischer, whose home is also full of art created by loved ones.
It's hard not to be heavily influenced by this. And I decided to hand-make all my Christmas gifts this year. I'm really not an artist, just a dabbler. The same goes for music, singing, dancing, etc. I often boast that my greatest talent is "being mediocre at everything."*
Nonetheless, I have been trying my hand at oil painting, praying that some tiny part of my artsy lineage would come through… I'm not quite ready to share that adventure with the world, yet. I did, however, have a back-up plan, using medium I know very well. The internet.
I made a Tumblr for my mom, armed with a scanner and a shoebox of old pictures and ephemera belonging to her late mother, Violet. My Nana.
I scanned in about 40 photos so far, and I'll keep adding to it. My mom is excited to add her own thoughts and captions.
And I made one for my dad, too. I scanned in wedding announcements and old love letters sent back and forth between his mom and dad during WWII. The letters are rice paper-thin and full of emotion.
This post was inspired by Think Kit 2011.
* My mom disagrees.


text:
Cape Dorset, Nunavut Territory, Canada
"I am a hunter and I know the land and animals of the north. I am particularly inspired by the bowhead whale, because nobody really knows much about them. I have also drawn the things I see around me in the community—boats, heavy equipment and airplanes—on large sheets of paper. My inspiration to be an artist comes from my aunt, Kenojuak Ashevak, because she is the oldest and the best."
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
101-1669 West 3rd Ave.
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6J 1K1
Toll Free: 1-888-669-8813
Phone: 604-669-8813
one block West of the Granville Island gates
Between Pine St. and Fir St.
Tuesday to Saturday, open 10-5
Sunday and Holidays, open 12-5
© 2019 Spirit Wrestler Gallery. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Custom Puzzles
• 48-piece custom puzzle
• 8" x 10" when assembled
• Durable, glossy-coated paperboard
• Upload photo & personalise with text
• Ships preassembled in a clear plastic bag
Sorry, we don't offer this design in
Custom Puzzles
Turn your favorite memories into personalized puzzles.
Ready to add a personal touch to game night or create a heartwarming custom gift? Choose a family photo, beautiful landscape, holiday moment or any other special memory to create a unique puzzle. You can even customize a puzzle with a photo of a friend, colleague or family member for a fun and thoughtful gift. Our budget-friendly puzzles also make great gifts for children. Consider using a photo of their favorite pet or cartoon character.
To start creating your personalized puzzle, you first select the orientation and then upload your design. Leave the rest to us, your professionally printed puzzle will arrive looking crisp and ready to provide hours of entertainment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are there any customizable design templates offered for the photo puzzles?
A: Right now, we do not offer customizable design templates for our photo puzzles. You can make your own puzzle by uploading your own photos, artwork, holiday portraits and more – and you can then add custom text.
Q: Will the custom puzzle come assembled or not?
A: Our puzzles ship preassembled in a clear plastic bag. When you open the package, you will see the full photo displayed.
Q: What is the material used to create the puzzle?
A: Our custom printed puzzles are made with coated paperboard.
Q: Is the photo puzzle child safe?
A: We recommend our custom puzzles for children ages 7 and up. However, to avoid a choking hazard, it's best to supervise children whenever they're using the puzzle.
Q: What do I do if I received a puzzle with a missing piece?
A: If your personalized puzzle order is missing pieces, we will be more than glad to replace the entire order for you. Just contact our customer care via phone, chat or email and we'll make it right.