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Chapter 8 : Tomb Raiding
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Tomb Raiding
'It's around here somewhere.' Draco said, reading the same piece of parchment he had been reading for ten minutes. 'The third hill of sand after passing the second village of the east.'
'What I want to know...' Zabini spoke, 'Is why it's written in English when the researcher was Egyptian, and also why the hell has he written everything in riddle?'
'It's written in Egyptian.' Draco said, 'I just drank a potion so that I could understand it... as for the riddles, he obviously only wanted himself to know exactly what to do... but this is the third sand hill from the second village of the east. It should be around here somewhere.'
'How does this guy even know where it is if he's not been able to get in?' Asked Parkinson.
'I dunno.' Draco replied, 'I'm guessing he's basing it on previous research made by his father or something – who knows how long this guy has been researching?'
'Maybe there's a spell you have to do?' Goyle asked.
'Maybe.' Draco said, 'The researcher said something about only those of pure magical power, which I'm guessing means pure blood, can find what we need... maybe I've got to prove this somehow?'
'Well, we can't just spill your blood on the ground or anything.' Zabini said, 'Maybe you have to show pure blood to get in but you have to use some sort of enchantment to get the tomb visible?'
'I'll check if there's anything in here.' Draco said, and put the parchment in his hand back into the regrown bag and searched frantically for more research. After about thirty seconds he pulled out another parchment, 'Aha!' He exclaimed.
'What? What does it say?' Goyle asked, clumsily.
'It says "A spell that will reveal when magic is near, use it and everything else will be clear."' Draco read, looking back up at the three friends, 'We have to use a revealing magic spell?'
'I can do that.' Zabini said, 'Do you want me to?'
Draco nodded and Zabini pulled out his wand. He pointed it down on the floor, straight in front of him, and looking uncertain said, 'Specialis Revelio!'
At first, nothing. Then, there was a slight rumble. It sounded distant at first, but the sound then became prominent. The sand in front of them began to move toward them, inching slowly towards them. A slight hump appeared to move in the sand.
'Stand back.' Draco warned and the four of them took a few steps back. Slowly but surely, a yellow triangular brick rose from the sand. Then, three more brick underneath it, and soon a tomb, completely triangular, was beginning to rise from the sand. The sand was now moving rapidly toward the four, and they had to take several more steps back. The tomb grew five foot, ten foot, fifteen foot, twenty foot. Finally at about twenty five feet, the tomb stopped growing, and the sand moved so that it formed a small hill to the wall of the tomb.
The four of them waited for anything else to happen, but when nothing did, the four of them walked up to the tomb. There was a small inscription on the wall of the tomb. It read:
but to enter this tomb you must show that you've sinned,
The blood of the one who's life you did remove,
and you will be granted access; but be warned once you are in,
A wand that's stained with blood is what you need,
To use powerful magic on those who you wish,
But you will have to fight powers that dislike your greed,
To succeed you must fly like a dragon and swim like a fish.
'Fly like a dragon? Swim like a fish?' Zabini repeated, 'What the hell?'
'Fairly obvious, Zabini.' Draco replied, 'We have to fly and we have to swim, most likely to defeat these powers it's talking about.'
'Well, do you know how to do that?' Parkinson inquired.
'I know the Bubble-Head Charm.' Draco said, 'It's Aquari Spiritus... but I don't think there is a charm for flying. I have my broom, but... you three don't have anything to fly with.'
'Maybe we can conjure more brooms from yours.' Parkinson suggested.
'Good idea.' Draco smiled, 'Except I have no idea how to do that.'
'I do.' Zabini spoke up, 'Give me the broom.'
Draco opened his enlarged bag once more and after rummaging pulled out his broomstick. He handed it to Zabini who took it and pointed his wand at it.
Zabini muttered a spell which Draco didn't quite catch the name of, and then motioned his wand away from the broom, as if pulling something from the broom. As he did this, three brooms were conjured from the original. They looked a darker colour and the brand name was worn and tattered.
'Conjured items are never as good quality as the item they come from. It's just one of those things.' Zabini explained.
Zabini handed a conjured broom to Parkinson and Goyle and kept one to himself, giving the original back to Draco. Draco took his broom, and then turned back to the writing on the tomb.
"The blood of the one who's life you did remove, and you will be granted access." Draco read, "My parents... we share the same blood."
Parkinson, Zabini and Goyle watched as Draco lifted his sleeve up and pointed his wand at his arm. He murmured a spell and cut a small incision in his arm. He wiped the blood with his finger and, shrugging his shoulders, wiped it on the wall.
Almost instantly, the wall crumbled into nothing. In its place was an entrance to the tomb, pitch black and wide. Draco beckoned for the other three to follow him and muttered, "Lumos." causing the end of his wand to erupt into a bright light, destroying the darkness. The walls and floors were sandy, the underlying bricks visible through the sand. The path, which led to a downward staircase, was long and wide. The ceiling wasn't even in sight, due to the sheer height of it. Parkinson, Zabini and Goyle also cast the Lumos spell for extra light. Draco beckoned them once more and they walked down the long and wide path.
Finally, after a short walk, they reached the downward staircase. The staircase was steep and the bottom could not be seen, as it was shrouded in darkness. Being careful not to trip over, the four walked down the staircase, using Incendio to light any torch holders on the sides of the wall. After a long walk down the staircase, the bottom became visible, revealing a small patch of sand. Draco was the first down and stood onto the sand, but immediately pulled back as he almost fell through.
'Stay back.' Draco warned, 'I think this is some form of quick sand.'
'Well, there's wall all around... it looks like going down is the only way forward." Zabini said.
Draco stared straight down at the square patch of sand, in deep thought. They could go down there... but it would be a risk not worth taking. He needed some reassurance that it was the right way forward.
"Aguamenti." Draco shouted, pointing at the sand. A jet of water blasted from his wand and began to push the sand down. "Help me out."
The other three cast the same spell and together the water pushed the sand all the way down through the hole. The spells ceased and Draco once again used Lumos so he could see down the hole. From what he predicted to be about fifty foot down, he could see a solid brick floor. He mounted his broom.
'It's a big drop. We'll have to fly down there.' Draco announced, and all four of them mounted their brooms. Draco signalled for them to lift off and they did, flying down the hole and into the new, huge floor of the tomb. The floor was fifty foot down and there was nothing but a vast area surrounding. 'It'll be faster if we fly around here instead of walking down there. Come on.'
Draco, Zabini, Parkinson and Goyle zoomed forward on their brooms. Draco felt the breeze hitting him and enjoyed it while he could as a breeze was hard to come by around here. Eventually, he could see a small hole in a wall at the end of the room. He beckoned for the other three to follow him and flew down to the hole. He touched down on to the ground and as he did so, he looked inside the hole, using Lumos to help him see.
The hole was about five foot tall and three foot wide. It was about five foot below the level of the ground and there was a small trench leading into it. It was also filled with water.
'Here's the swimming part.' Draco informed his followers. 'This passage is filled with water.'
Draco raised his wand and cast the bubblehead charm on himself. He then pointed at the other three and repeated the spell. Once they were all prepared, they left their brooms and jumped into the water, swimming steadily through this passage. Draco was leading with Zabini behind him, followed by Parkinson and finally Goyle. The water was piercingly cold and muddy. It was quite tough to swim through but the bubblehead charm worked as a good helmet of sorts which left their vision unimpaired.
Eventually, they came to another opening, which was the end of the passageway and host to another room. They all got out of the water, used a cleaning charm on themselves and looked around. The room was the smallest room yet. It was no longer than 10 metres wide and 3 metres tall. The length of the room was no more than 3 metres either. At the very end of the room however, was a small shrine. The stone tablet that lay on top of it had a small inscription engraved into it.
Draco walked over to the shrine and brushed the dust off the stone tablet. He read the two lines excitedly.
'For the item you have come to receive, split me in two and you'll be able to retrieve.' Draco read allowed, 'So I've got to split it in half...'
Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at the stone tablet and called out, 'Diffindo!'
The stone tablet cracked in half, both pieces falling on either side of the shrine. Laying in the middle was a thin, long stick, with the stains of blood at the end of it. Draco smiled as he had finally found one of the two most important items in his life. The Blood-Stained Wand. He picked it up, and a rush of excitement flooded through him and then – a loud crash caused him to turn around.
Goyle screamed in agony as a big rock fell on him, crushing his legs. Draco was quick to act, he pulled out his wand and pointed at the rock, 'Diffindo!'
The rock cracked in two. 'Come on, help me get it off Goyle!'
Parkinson, Zabini and Malfoy all used the Wingardium Leviosa charm to pull the rock from Goyle. His trousers were ripped and there were deep cuts in his legs. His right leg was clearly broken; the bone was sticking out of the thigh.
Then, a second boulder rock fell from the ceiling, which Draco narrowly avoided. He put his own wand in his pocket and used the Blood-Stained Wand to stop a third rock from landing on Parkinson. The tomb was crumbling and they had to get out fast.
'What do we do?' Zabini asked, trying not to sound alarmed.
'Accio Brooms!' Draco called. After a few seconds, four brooms came splashed out of the water and to Draco. 'We have to fly out. I think we can fly through the water. I know it's crazy but swimming won't be fast enough. I'll take Goyle – go, go!'
Parkinson went first, mounting her broom and holding her breath, diving into the water and Zabini followed straight after her. Draco mounted his own broom and smashed another rock that almost landed on Goyle.
'You need to hold on, Goyle, alright?' Draco called, to which Goyle nodded, but was in too much pain to form a sentence. He struggled to mount Goyle on to the broom and dived into the water. Draco was surprised how smoothly he breezed through the water with his broom and before he knew it, he was out the other side. He zoomed into the air, flying at breakneck speed.
'Hold on, Goyle!' Draco repeated as he could feel Goyle's grip slipping. He wanted to slow down, but the walls and ceilings were crumbling fast. He sped up vertically, shooting into the air and reaching the gap to the staircase, but as he went through, Draco's broom felt a lot lighter.
'Goyle!' He screamed and looked down, as Goyle fell down fifty feet, his broken legs swinging wildly. Draco flinched as his friend hit the ground, and it was only seconds before he saw a pool of blood form around the body. Draco wanted to go down and get him; but the walls were collapsing faster than ever. Knowing that if he didn't escape, Goyle wouldn't be the only one dead, he shot forward up the staircase, across the path and out of the entrance. As Draco shot out of the entrance, he lost his balance and crashed into one of the sand hills, flipping off the broom and tumbling a couple of times.
Draco looked over to see Parkinson and Zabini also recovering from similar crashes. He felt a sting in his chest as the tomb collapsed, pushing out a layer of sand with the impact. Zabini and Parkinson looked over to Draco and when seeing that Goyle was not with him, realised the seriousness of the situation. Zabini looked down to the ground in disappointment while Parkinson burst into tears, head in her hands. Gregory Goyle was dead. Draco Malfoy felt a tear roll down his cheek as the true magnitude of the disaster hit him. His friend was dead.
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Harry Potter and the New Lord: Tomb Raiding
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Click here to print the obituary below
In Memory of
Mrs. Marjorie Sybil Abrams
April 11, 1923 - May 14, 2013
Marjorie Sybil Abrams passed away peacefully at age 90 on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, in Toronto. She had suffered a devastating hemorrhagic stroke in late 2007 and had been in care at Wellesley Central Place.
Born April 11, 1923, in London, England, Marjorie was a WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) driver and war bride. She loved to tell how she met her husband, John Werner Abrams, an American from San Francisco (who had enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the start of WWII), married him in London in 1944 and followed him that fall with one small suitcase to Vancouver, crossing the dangerous Atlantic by boat and the vast continent by train. She had rarely been out of London before the war! This was the beginning of an interesting life journey as the wife of a scientist (Defense Research Board in Ottawa and SHAPE/Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Paris) and academic (University of Manitoba, Connecticut's Wesleyan University, and finally University of Toronto where John was founding director of the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology). She was a wonderful chef and warm hostess to all who visited their homes in Ottawa, Paris and Toronto. A vivacious, intelligent, broadly talented, energetic, strong and caring person, Marjorie was a member of various University of Toronto affiliated volunteer groups. Family and friends could rely on her for love, support and encouragement. Her curious mind ensured she was a voracious and eclectic reader. She was a written media news junkie and a devoted CBC 99.1 radio fan. She had a wry sense of humour and was always ready for adventure or a great idea. A founding member of the Rosedale Moore Park swimming pool club, she rarely missed a summer day of laps. She was an early contributor to the Don Valley/Evergreen Brickworks development scheme. She could walk miles and miles around the city and think nothing of it – and she always, always, wore a hat! As for personal development, this is the woman who learned to skate at age 50 at Leaside Skating Club and who started attending adult ballet classes at age 79 at the National Ballet School of Canada!
Dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she was an impressive role model and will be remembered with great love and affection. Pre-deceased prematurely by her husband in 1981, she was a true matriarch. She always took enormous pride and pleasure in her family's accomplishments. She is mourned by daughters Jacqueline Elton (Peter) of Toronto and Lesley Abrams of Oxford, England; grand-daughters Sarah Elton (Kumail) and Elyssa Elton (Paul) of Toronto; and great-grand-daughters Nadia and Anisa, and Fiona and Avelene, who we are grateful had a chance to get to know her. We wish to thank the caring and dedicated staff at Wellesley Central Place for the quality of life they gave her in her last years. And we especially want to thank Marisa Gimena who cared for her these past six and a half years with much love and devotion and who made such a difference to her life and ours. We are so grateful.
A gathering in her memory will be held on Friday, June 7, 2013, at Rosar Morrison, 467 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, from 3:30 to 5:30. If so desired, a donation may be made to Evergreen Brickworks, or Trans-Canada Trail that she loved to support, perhaps in acknowledgement of her own trans-Canada journey on her arrival in this country.
Please disregard the "Send Flowers" link below.
As noted above, if so desired, a donation may be made to Evergreen Brickworks, or Trans-Canada Trail.
Memorial Reception
Friday, June 07, 2013 | 3:30p.m. - 5:30p.m.
Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home & Chapel
467 Sherbourne St., Toronto, Ontario M4X 1K5 | (416) 924-1408
Driving Directions

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Branching Out
Note: Branching Out classes are two-part. They are held the second Thursday of each month with a collaborative session offered on the following Thursday. All classes will take place at the Genealogy & Local History Library, 401 State Street.
These classes include many aspects of genealogical research and are suitable for the beginner as well as the more experienced researcher. Please register at 1-800-613-3163.
From the Courthouse to the Church: Using Official Records
July 13 & 20 10:00-11:30 a.m.
All That's Fit to Print & More: Newspaper Research
August 10 &17 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Where We've Lived: Researching Property
September 14 & 21 10:00-11:30 a.m.


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Actress shows middle finger in Deepak Tijori's 'Dare You' posterFollow us on Social Media
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The first poster of Deepak Tijori's new directorial 'Dare You' is daring, with leading lady Alisha showing her middle finger and reinforcing the idea of the film, the current generation's attitude of 'my life, my rules'.
Alisha is a newcomer, and plays the protagonist, Rani Dewan in the movie.
"'Dare You' is a journey of a girl who comes from Kashmir for her education in Pune. It's a revolutionary film that reflects the culture and attitude of youngsters today," Tijori said here.
Posters are going dare bare in Bollywood with films like 'Hate Story' and 'Jism 2', and 'Dare You' takes it a step forward.
"For the first time perhaps in the history of Indian cinema, you will have a heroine showing her middle finger in the poster," added Tijori, who has earlier directed films including 'Oops', 'Fareb' and 'Fox'.
A confident Alisha defends her pose, and says the censor board shouldn't have a problem with their movie.
Last edited by Caasanova; 09-18-2012 at 11:07 PM....being a human...


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This lesson began with a quick discussion of Mad Libs. What are Mad Libs? How do you play Mad Libs? I was surprised to find that only about 5% of my middle… Continue reading
Puzzlescript Rules
August 18, 2016 by OhioFi | Comments Off on Puzzlescript Rules
Replacing and Removing
Water1 always becomes water2
[water1] -> [water2]
Sometimes fire1 becomes fire2
random [fire1] -> [fire2]… Continue reading


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It's no secret that a spread of sweets at a wedding reception is all the rage. This display is perfect for noshing on while your guests wait for wedding cake slices to come out and, let's be honest, it looks really pretty.
A full table of cupcakes and macarons and cookies and brownies and cake pops is never a bad thing. Hold on, I must go get a rag to clean up the drool from thinking about such delicacies. No, really, I think I just ingested 42 trillion calories just looking at photos of sweets! A sweets table not only makes for great photos, but is also a great reflection of you two as a couple! Maybe you have a thing for ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies or maybe your first date was at a cupcake shop. Use the sweets that you and your sweet enjoy, and then share them with your wedding guests. They'll love you for it!
Take it a step further: Include a sweets table that also blends in with your color palette. This is another fabulous way to bring out your colors without having to use streamers and balloon arches. Instead of shoving matchy-matchy colors down your guests' throats — "WE LOVE PURPLE! IT'S OUR FAVORITE! OH, AND HERE'S BARNEY THE DINOSAUR TO PROVE IT! WHEEEEE!" — sprinkle your hues onto your sweets table. And your guests will thank you for shoving those down their throats! Mm mm mmmm…
Photographer: Erin Johnson Photography
Dessert Bar: Cocoa & Fig
Floral Designer: Sadie's Couture Floral and Event Styling


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Pat Tiberi (R-AEP)
"Them who pay the piper call the tune."
Who does Representative Patrick Tiberi represent? Well, who's paying the piper? The most frequent source of contributions to Pat Tiberi in the 2009-2010 election cycle is an energy corporation called American Electric Power. 48 contributions by the AEP political action committee and AEP employees have been registered with the Federal Election Commission through June 30, 2010.
If you live in Ohio, you may be asking whether these 48 contributions mean something significant or are just a matter of chance. After all, the most noticeable building in downtown Columbus (just south of Tiberi's district) is the American Electric Power Building, which at night changes the color of its lighting from red to green to blue. Apart from the AEP PAC contributions, couldn't these just be the random contributions of AEP employees? Is this really a coordinated effort?
Look at the following three graphs and answer that question for yourself.
The contributions of AEP and AEP employees are heavily clustered by date.
Only two AEP contributors to Pat Tiberi are regular employees. The remainder are AEP executives or the AEP Political Action Committee.
The amount of the checks written to the Tiberi campaign is abnormally uniform. The chance of so many contributors just randomly writing checks for $150 is remote, suggesting some sort of coordination.
American Electric Power is playing the piper. And Pat Tiberi is playing the tune:
In fact, within that budget is something called "cap-and-trade." It is an energy issue to deal with the issue of global warming. But in Ohio, what it will do is devastate our already ailing economy. It will cause people to leave and businesses to leave. In fact, within my district, there is a municipal power company…


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Activision Responds To Schafer's Blasting Of Kotick
Anybody else get a chuckle out of this? I mean, gamers have been calling Activision CEO Bobby Kotick such names for a while, but a respected developer...? It's just amusing, isn't it?
Okay, so, Tim Schafer went and called Kotick a "total pr***," a "di**," and perhaps worst of all, "a ball bearing enthusiast." Such comments made the Internet rounds awfully quickly; so quickly, in fact, that Activision has already responded. According to Kotaku, the publisher's Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Maryanne Lataif, defended her boss and makes one significant point:
"Tim Schafer's comment that Bobby Kotick 'makes a big deal about not liking games' just isn't true. Bobby has always been passionate about games, and loves the video game industry. But as CEO of a company that makes games enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, the demands on his time now make it difficult to play games as often as he'd like to or as much as he once did.
"As Schafer himself notes, he has never actually met Bobby Kotick."
That last bit there is a pretty big jab and all in all, we'd have to say Activision's response is relatively dignified in comparison to Schafer's blunt accusations. Also, let's not forget that Schafer and Activision don't have the rosiest history together; look it up if you're interested. And while we're sure many gamers will agree with Schafer, we should probably admit we don't know Kotick, either. ...doesn't stop us from guessing what he might be like, though.
Tags: tim schafer, activision, bobby kotick
7/14/2010 9:13:16 PM John Shepard
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Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 12:36:34 AM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 9:35:22 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 9:51:13 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:22:19 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:41:15 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:44:31 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:52:53 PM
And also that his employees should fear him.
Anyway, just more spin-doctoring on a blatant lie, as Kotex already stated in his interview that he didn't play video games & that he hated them.
In my opinion he's only at anti-vision to make as much anti-vision as cash as possible, so he snatch his last giant stock option check(he already cashed out for a cool $32 million cash so far)& then fly the coop when his anti-vision cash-cow starts to dry up.
Then he'll do the very same hit & run at the next big job offer too.
I'd love to see his prior work history records, I'll bet I'm right.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:24:25 PM
Deleted User
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:05:21 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:17:03 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 10:44:37 PM
He obviously wants to take the risks out of developing all these shoddy games that don't make a return for his shareholders.
Pretty responsible comment for a CEO of a large corporate company?
It's not the 80's anymore and AAA games can't be developed from someones bedroom or garage.
So love him or hate him you need companies like Activision and EA to be around to push the industry.
Yip, it's an industry and not a hobby. These companies aren't in it to make you happy, they are in it to make a profit.
He can't be too dumb. He's got more money than the lot of us!
Just playing devils advocate ;-)
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 8:05:33 AM
EA has definately shown that they CARE about their fans. They have been proving themselves for about 2 years now. The funny thing about the entertainment industry is that what you are selling is supposed to make people happy. If you don't keep your customers happy then they will definately not buy your product. If you don't keep your workers happy then they will slack in any way possible. Lose lose situation.
And to the comment about him being smarter than all of us because of how much money he has. Go to google and type Paris Hilton. "'Nuff Said"
Last edited by Fatcat3788 on 7/15/2010 8:08:12 AM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:02:11 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:09:22 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:14:01 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:30:05 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:47:30 PM
It's just funny that he represents the "arty and quirky" creative type and Kotick represents the business "greed is good" corporate type.
Both in the same industry but with different persona's.
Gamers tend to put a lot of stock in the "ethics" and "artistic reasons" of the producers of their games.
A lot more I think than if they were at the movies or eating at a resturaunt or strolling round an art gallery.
It's excellent.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:15:53 PM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 11:19:51 PM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 1:38:36 AM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 12:51:56 AM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 3:43:58 AM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 4:31:16 AM
And to Gordo: It's one thing to "take out all the fun" of making games, as in making it a business rather than just a "hobby". But it's quite another thing to confirm you have no interest (besides a financial one) in the very industry that you are working in.
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 5:58:52 AM
Kotick is a big tool. That big stupid grin of his makes me want to throw feces at his face. I hope that one day, someone can give him what Ving "Marsellus Wallace" received near the end of Pulp Fiction.
Yes, I am clearly siding with Schafer on this.
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 3:07:26 PM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 8:01:31 AM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 8:44:12 AM
"The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games." (An instant classic)
Let's not forget
"If it was left to me, I would raise game prices even further."
And my personal favorite
"[Activison won't make games that] don't have the potential to be exploited every year on every platform with clear sequel potential and have the potential to become $100 million franchises."
There are some more, but I think my point is clear. Bobby boy has little to no respect for gaming, and the gaming community, and wants to suck as much cash out of us as possible. If anything, Schafer was being too kind.
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 1:59:06 PM
When you have a company like EA who is giving me free map packs and extra content for a game like battlefield, meanwhile Activision charges and arm and a leg for each expansion they have. You start to see which company is there for the money and which is there for the Industry. Sure EA is going to make a profit but they don't nickel and dime you for everything thing with their name on it.
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 2:53:35 PM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 3:32:47 PM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 3:36:42 PM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 4:29:51 PM
Thursday, July 15, 2010 @ 4:34:35 PM
You say
"though, the lady has a point how can you accuse someone of being a prick if you have not met the person?"
Well after reading all your comments over the past few weeks and especially some of the things you said in today's topics.
Well how can you accuse someone you've never met of being a prick, well I've never met you,
but . . . . .
I think you see my point.
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I confess that for the past five months I have been so busy with my recent barbershop harmony hobby that I have not found the necessary time to create an entry in my blog. As a reader you are probably wondering … "So what events came into play today, which motivated you to write this blog post, when your commitments elsewhere have not decreased?"
Today my sister sent me the following email which I found extremely thought-provoking. Regardless of who is credited with creating this message, the concepts and ideas contained within are indeed profound.
Subject: READ SLOWLY : A GEM of A Reading
This is a master piece. If you have not read it take the time to read it now. If you have read it take time to read it again!
GEORGE CARLIN (His wife recently died….)
Isn't it amazing that George Carlin – comedian of the 70's and 80's – could write something so very eloquent…and so very appropriate.
A Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete…
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. An embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
If you don't send this to other people….Who cares?
George Carlin
A Teachable Moment
After reading this thought-provoking message, I knew I had to share it with others through a blog post. However, as an educator who insisted that it is important to validate information, I decided to search the Internet to learn more about what prompted George Carlin to create this unique and thoughtful paradox. I searched Google for "George Carlin paradox of our time" and was rewarded with feedback from the following two resources:
- TruthorFiction.com which claims to be a "a non-partisan website where Internet users can quickly and easily get information about eRumors, warnings, offers, requests for help, myths, hoaxes, virus warnings, and humorous or inspirational stories that are circulated by email".
- Snopes which bills itself as "the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation".
Although I was not familiar with the "Truth or Fiction" web site, I was quite aware of the Snopes resource which I have used for several years to validate many of the email claims that were sent to me such as the American Cancer Society Hoax, Retirement Homes versus Living on a Cruise Ship, or various Phishing Scams.
The "Truth or Fiction" web site provided a background summary on this paradox of life message suggesting that this "eRumor" has been attributed to both George Carlin as well as a student survivor of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado.
This web site actually traced the author of this "paradox of life" message to Dr. Moorehead, the former pastor of Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington who wrote it in 1990 and later published it in his book "Words Aptly Spoken" in 1995.
I always suggested that researchers validate claims by finding a minimum of two or three sources. The Snopes site confirmed that Dr. Moorehead was, indeed, the author of this "paradox of life" and not George Carlin.
So in summary, George Carlin did not create this profound and though-provoking message. Rather, Dr. Moorehead did and I'm glad it was passed along to me so that I could share it with you, the reader.
Take care & keep smiling 🙂
– Flickr – Creative Commons image "Think …" by Maria
– https://www.flickr.com/photos/just_maria/2454288004/


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Being a fairly new blogger, I'm eager to find other blogs to follow. I write mostly about various and random pontifications, the abstract and the mundane, the hilarious tendency life has of sucker punching our happy thoughts, as well as the simple yet profound things in life that I love.
I love discovering like minds and deep thought process. I'd also love it if you stop by my blog and drop me a line.
The blog I need help with is thoughlifebeaday.wordpress.com.


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"Well I have been observing this alot latly! I am 19 right now, but when i first started smoking weed i was 12. I know that seems unbelivable but its true. My parents were always going though problems and i felt that it would make me feel..."
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Woodroffe Avenue re-opens after summer construction
Published Sunday, November 18, 2012 11:43AM EST
A major west Ottawa road is open again after a construction project lasting all summer.
Woodroffe Avenue between Baseline Road and Highway 417 was re-opened Sunday after a sewer and watermain replacement process which closed the road in June.
"All lanes are now open in both directions to vehicles, transit, cyclists and pedestrians," said councillor Marianne Wilkinson in a news release.
"The renewal of Woodroffe (Avenue) restores a major artery that is used by 40,000 motorists daily."
"Replacing a 55-year-old, undersized water and sewer main provides area residents with up-to- date services, roadways, curbs, catch basins and concrete sidewalks which will have lasting benefits for the community," said councillor Rick Chiarelli.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said the $8 million project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.
"It's also one of the first Ottawa on the Move projects which has advanced $340 million in capital projects from 2012 to 2014 to keep our community and economy moving forward," Watson said.
"These strategic investments in a number of transportation, water, and sewer projects will help to build a better city and create jobs."
The southbound Woodroffe Avenue off-ramps from Highway 417 have also re-opened.
OC Transpo's 400-series buses will go back to their regular routes down Woodroffe Avenue on Tuesday, with the 87 bus staying on its current route until the winter schedule change on Dec. 23.


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Buried Secrets
|©1992 Earache
1. Tortured Souls
2. One Eyed Pessary
3. Trailmarker
4. Blackhole Dub
5. Buried Secrets
6. The Ladder
7. Executioner
8. Black Chamber
9. Skilled
10. The Toll
It was Opposite Day when Mick Harris, John Zorn and Bill Laswell named their little project Painkiller, because quite frankly, the noise and aural atrocities performed here are very much causing much agony. I've never quite been able to completely stand John Zorn's squacking saxophone. While he is able to occasionally create some interesting sounds, much of the screeching and unrestrained noise comes across as tired and annoying. Meanwhile, Laswell and Harris create a varied barrage of backing sounds, anywhere from dub (which works remarkably well) to all out punk fest to blast beat destruction. Add some shouts, subtract song structure and you get a half hour of quite intolerable noise. Is there a point to this? Was it fun for the musician's to create? Undoubtedly. But be sure you are of the highest tolerance for unbearable noises in the guise of normal instruments before you bother with Painkiller.
Review by John Chedsey
Review date: 07/1999
Execution Ground
|©1994 Subharmonic
CD one:
1. Parish Of Tama
2. Morning Of Balachaturdasi
3. Pashupatinath
CD two:
4. Pashupatinath
5. Parish Of Tama
Painkiller is such an iffy proposition. Though the pedigree of the three musicians involved is extremely high, there is that tendency of the trio to delve into freeform music that borders on intolerable and pointless. Buried Secrets is a great example of how Painkiller goes to great lengths to make their music appealing to a very small, select group of listeners. And chances are, Painkiller cares not.
Execution Ground is a bit more palatable and digestible than their previous effort. Though the first track, "Parish of Tama (Ossuary Dub)", starts out in the unstructured, free for all mode, it finally settles into a more interesting ambient soundscape atmosphere after six minutes or so. The dichotomy between the jarring noises the open the album to the more expansive sound collages shows that either my tastes cannot stand John Zorn's noisy sax bleating or that uncontrolled music is precisely that, uncontrolled. Once Bill Laswell and Mick Harris settle into a sonically pleasing dub pattern, Zorn's sax inclusion sounds much more appropriate, even if there are times where it sounds like a kitten mewling. All three tracks on the first disc are lengthy and travel rather aimlessly, though a lot of the journey is intriguing along the way. Those with short attention spans might long for someone to take Harris, Zorn and Laswell aside and suggest that some trimming be done here and there. The second "ambient" disc takes two of the three tracks and reworks them into the ambient motif. There actually isn't a whole lot of difference between the two discs, other than disc two is a bit more atmospheric and expansive. The mood is creepier at times and somewhat unsettling, but who said ambient music has to be happy and undemanding new age?
Painkiller's Execution Ground is indeed a more interesting release than Buried Secrets. Some of the excessive traits of the trio do give much creedence to those who suggest avant garde music can often become self-indulgent exercises in pointless music, but this double CD set retains enough substance to be worth investigating.
Review by John Chedsey
Review date: 08/2000


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You may have noticed that animals are pairing up and looking for a gangplank these days in Southern California, where ridiculous amounts of rain have fallen.
In fact, Los Angeles might just get more rain this month than Seattle, says Scott Sistek in his KOMO weather blog.
Seattle gets about 5.5″ of rain in December. But it's already had more than 7 inches this month. And Sistek says we could have one of the 10 wettest Decembers since 1945.
(Remember December 1979, when moss captured Seattle? The city had 11.85 inches of rain that month.)
So the rain is really falling in Los Angeles.
…while Seattle is maintaining a slim advantage, LA has the ball near the goal line and is poised to take the lead with another major rainstorm coming in Wednesday. (Yes, I realize the irony of using a football metaphor for Los Angeles.)
After Wednesday's rain, it's Seattle's turn to score some points as the bulk of the West Coast showers will return to the Northwest Thursday through Saturday. Seattle won't pick up a whole lot, but maybe another 1/2″ or so by the time we get through Christmas weekend. On Monday, A weak pulse will focus some rain on the Portland area, and then Southern Oregon through San Francisco gets a good soaker for Tuesday, helping them catch up a little.
By next Wednesday, showers focus again on the Pacific Northwest and southern California, with one last pulse going through San Francisco on New Year's Eve.
Seattle gets the rain back soon after on Jan. 1, but the crown will have been awarded by then. But who will it go too? Stay tuned…


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Your feedback
The two year programme is based in hospitals in South Yorkshire area: 1 year in DGH and 1 year in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals:
The programme is designed around 6 x four month attachments in the major medical specialties with at least 4 of the 6 in the following specialties:
Other four months attachments include:
PACES Course for South Yorkshire CMT's (course costs are covered by the Curriculum Delivery budget for CMT)
To book a place please see the information below;
Courses in the south are on the website under PACES courses
Hull Royal Infirmary
contact Nikki Holmes email@example.com or Samantha Edmond – email@example.com
Calderdale & Huddersfield courses Contact Sue Burton - firstname.lastname@example.com
Leeds General Infirmary – for course dates contact Alison Freemantle firstname.lastname@example.com
26 - 28th January 2018 Leeds
Mid Yorks – contact Jane Matthews firstname.lastname@example.com
Faculty: If any colleagues are willing to help out on any of these dates we would be most grateful of your assistance, please email firstname.lastname@example.com with your availability.
CMT offers a broad based training in medical specialties. It keeps your options open for ST3 if you have not yet decided in which specialty you wish to specialise at ST3. Completion of CMT training and MRCP is mandatory for ST3 training to become a consultant in one of the 30 medical specialties and allows the possibility of dual accreditation in a specialty and general internal medicine.
The programme offers balance experience with 1 year each in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and a District General Hospital. The area is geographically compact – all hospitals are within a 20 mile radius of Sheffield – compare that to some other LETBs! We offer a structured 2 year programme of training days to support the general medicine curriculum and a PACES course within the region before every sitting of the PACES exam.Sheffield and the surrounding areas are a great place to live. Sheffield is a green and vibrant city and boasts a lively night life, cultural events, shopping and outstanding sporting facilities. Sheffield and the surrounding towns are situated in the Peak District National Park popular with enthusiasts of walking, climbing and cycling.
You must have completed Foundation 2 competencies (or equivalent training) before the start of the rotation. To enter at Core Training Year 1 (CT1) you must not have done more than 18 months training after F2 in a medical specialty anywhere in the world. NB Take care that you are still eligible for CT1 if you decide to work abroad after F2. Check the person specification for CT1 or CT2 on www.mmc.nhs.uk
There will be a nationally coordinated on-line application process. You may register to apply from mid-November. Advertisements for round 1 CT1 rotations will be placed in BMJ, NHS jobs and MMC website from November. There is a short window for applications. If you send your application late it will be rejected from round 1. Round 2 for CT1 takes place in April but there will be less choice of rotation. CT2 recruitment for 1 year posts will take place in March. More information on MMC website and http://www.ct1recruitment.org.uk/
No. Part 1 MRCP is not an entry criterion for CMT. However, most CMT trainers advise foundation trainees who wish to do CMT to study for MRCP part 1 in foundation years. It is possible to take the MRCP part 1 exam 12 months after graduation. Having MRCP part 1 at the start of CMT will give you a good knowledge base and allow you the best chance of achieving your part 2 written and PACES early in your CT2 year and before application for ST3.
Short listing of your application will be done centrally and there will be a national ranking of short-list scores. Candidates who pass short-listing will be offered one interview and in most cases this should be at their first choice UoA (unit of application). If the first choice UoA does not have sufficient interview capacity an interview at the second choice will normally be offered. The localities within Health Education England - Yorkshire and the Humber count as 1 UoA and the interviews are carried out on the same day, but candidates will be asked for their preference of locality. Provisional dates for Yorkshire CMT round 1 CT1 interviews are first week February. Posts are allocated following ranking of interview scores.
The interview follows the national format of 3 structured stations with questions in the following areas:
Build your CV and portfolio early. Include all your academic achievements, including distinctions, honours, prizes, essay competitions, audit prizes. Include management positions such as junior doctor representative. Engage in audit, presentations, and teaching and remember to evaluate these. Think about the skills required for CMT, do your research early and tailor your application to the post for which you are applying. Draft your application form well before the deadline and review it with advice from your trainer. A specimen form will be available and full instructions for application will be on MMC or http://www.ct1recruitment.org.uk/ Make sure you have answered exactly what the question asks for. Submit your application in good time in case of technical hitches – do not leave it until the last day.
On Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board Website: www.jrcptb.org.uk
Job Description: job description
Curriculum for CMT Medicine
CMT Booklet August 2016
CMT Decision Aids 2015
Top Tips WPBAs
ARCPs Eportfolio Reviews 13 June 2017
Face to Face 11 July 2017, Don Valley House Sheffield
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Online Community Links Roundup 30/07/10
Here is the roundup of links relating to Online Communities I saved on delicious.com or retweeted for the week ending 30th of July 2010. Enjoy!
Community Managers Should Be Working Towards Unemployment
Denise Tanton Speaks Community from BlogHer.com
Community Manager Conference – Why you should have been there!
Interview with Venessa Paech – Community Manager for LonelyPlanet.com
10 Key Principles Behind Digital Community
Launchpad #3 – Rob Hinchcliffe, Qype
Debrief: the role of visuals in online community management
Don't build an online customer community
Moderate your Facebook page or risk damaging your brand
Interview with Dean McBeth, Old Spice Community Manager
How I Talked My Way into a Community Manager Position
How To Use Your Online Community Skills To Revive Your Local Community
Community Manager Tip: Members Notice Everything
Community: A Cross Media Resource?
Why Do You Participate in Twitter Chats?
Find Out Where Your Community Ranks in Google and How Many Impressions and Clicks You Receive
Why Conversation, not Content, is King
Roundtable on Communities of Purpose (4) – Mentoring
Fire Your Marketing Manager and Hire A Community Manager
What You Can Do To Make Your Community More Fun
5 Awesome Ideas for Community Engagement from Burr Settles
[photo by auburnxc]


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Home >> More Business news >> This Article
Phones 4U Aims for London Stock Market Listing
Published on: 22nd Jan 2014
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
One of the UK's larger mobile phone retailers, Phones4U is moving closer to a stock market listing as its private equity owner looks for an exit from its investment.
BC Partners bought the company for £700 million three years ago, and could see the firm valued at around £1 billion when listed on the London stock market.
The group was formed by John Caudwell in 1987, and was sold to private equity firms Providence Equity Partners and Doughty Hanson for £1.46 billion in September 2006. The owners then disposed of a number of assets, raising an estimated £350 million.
The current owners, BC Partners bought the company in March 2011, and late last year sold the retailer's in-house insurance arm for USD160 million.
According to the Financial Times, a listing could take place towards the end of this year, although the planning is said to be at an early stage and no final decision has been taken.
Phones 4U currently has around 550 retail stores across the UK.


text: My boyfriend and I were celebrating our 2 year anniversary and after our failed attempt of visiting Edinburgh last year, we decided to try once more. I booked the Apex City after reading great reviews and can say we were deffinately not disappointed. Check in was speedy and welcoming, with the staff member giving a detailed explanation of everything and... More


text: The pay gap between males and females doing the same job has been an issue for years – an issue that some companies refuse to address. But while those companies hide their heads in the sand, many employers are making significant effort to change these numbers. April 14 th is known as "Equal Pay Day" – the day that marks how far into the new year American women would have to work to earn what the average American man did in the previous year. It seems ridiculous that we still have this disparity, right? In the 1980's, women who worked Read More


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A Bethlehem Central High School graduate is ready to get his glee on.
On Monday, Stefan Weijola will be appearing with his a cappella group The Whiffenpoofs on NBC's "The Sing-Off." The musical competition series begins its second season at 8 p.m., with episodes airing Mondays and Wednesdays. The five-episode show features 10 a cappella groups performing for a prize of $100,000 and a Sony recording contract. Nick Lachey hosts.
Weijola is the musical director for The Whiffenpoofs, the a cappella group at Yale University, where Weijola is a senior. The group performs Mika's "Grace Kelly" on Monday's premiere.
Weijola gets a little more screen time than some of the rest of the participants as he explains the history of The Whiffenpoofs.
"The Whiffenpoofs were founded in 1909 by a group of Yale students. We are the first a cappella group in history. We invented it," Weijola says on the show. He also stresses that winning the competition would be a validation for the group.
Later in the show, judge Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men ribs Weijola about his comment on inventing a cappella.
Stockman jokingly says, "We would not be here if it wasn't for you" to Weijola during the judges' critique.
Two groups are eliminated by the judges by the end of Monday's episode, with more eliminated each show. The public picks the winner from the three finalists on the Dec. 20 episode.
Check back for updates after the Monday premiere.


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Where in the world is Lolly?
I love traveling, eating, laughing, seeing movies.
I love learning and going to school.
I love horses and dogs.
I try to consider myself a world citizen.
Blogging, watching movies, traveling, spending time with my horses, EATING.
San Francisco, Ireland...
16 Sep 2009 - 09 Jan 2010
Visiting: United Kingdom.
01 Jul 2009 - 06 Aug 2009
Visiting: Ireland and USA.
lmckenn6 hasn't been active in the wiki travel guide yet. Have you?


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Article in the NY Times on another successful Asian entrepreneur. Super Micro Computer sells servers to companies like eBay, Yahoo, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Their main competitive advantage is their speed–by hiring local, expensive engineers, they crank out designs that incorporate new chips faster than anyone else. People also work like crazy, sometimes for 15 hour days.
Despite its peculiarities, Super Micro is a thriving, publicly traded business that sells about $600 million a year of servers to the likes of eBay and Yahoo. More often than not, the company beats rivals to market by three to six months, offering the fastest, most compact, energy-efficient computers to demanding corporate and institutional customers. It has managed to post annual sales growth exceeding 20 percent in recent years, and its stock has outperformed competitors like Rackable Systems and Sun Microsystems.
This is probably true, but it made me laugh:
The insular, family-run approach is typical of traditional Chinese business culture, said AnnaLee Saxenian, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has studied immigrant-run businesses in Silicon Valley. "It echoes back to a very traditional Chinese business model, where you have the family-run farm," she said. "It's all about trust and how you save money."


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Give us a call to get our secret deals 1-800-468-3578
Property Location
Located in Rhodes (Ialyssos), Sunshine Rhodes - All Inclusive is convenient to Stamatiadis Mineralogy and Paleontology Museum and Filerimos. This 4-star resort is within the vicinity of Hellenistic Stadium and Acropolis of Rhodes.
Make yourself at home in one of the 371 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and LCD televisions. Rooms have private furnished balconies. Wireless Internet access (surcharge) keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Treat yourself with massages, body treatments, and facials. You're sure to appreciate the recreational amenities, which include 4 outdoor swimming pools, a nightclub, and outdoor tennis courts. Additional features at this resort include wireless Internet access (surcharge), babysitting/childcare (surcharge), and an arcade/game room.
This resort is all inclusive. Rates include meals and beverages at onsite dining establishments. Charges may be applied for dining at some restaurants, special dinners and dishes, some beverages, and other amenities.
Satisfy your appetite at one of the resort's 3 restaurants. Thirsty? Quench your thirst at one of the 4 bars/lounges or 3 poolside bars. A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is included.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, multilingual staff, and luggage storage. Free self parking is available onsite.


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Unique Shopping at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
by JL Knopp on July 11, 2011 9 Comments
Filed under: Uncategorized
For those that love shopping and the culture of Africa, the Animal Kingdom Lodge provides enough unique items within its walls to make a trip worthwhile. The two large and separate sections of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village and Jambo House, each have a gift shop of their own to amuse its guests.
Meaning "jewel" in Swahili, Johari Treasures attempts to express the idea that it contains items of value within its walls. This is only true to a small degree. For the most part, Johari plays the role of convenience store for the the guests of Kidani Village.
In spite of the overwhelming stock of Frosted Flakes and cartons of milk, there are a couple things in Johari that attract shoppers with specific taste. The first would be the selection of African wines. Ranging in price from $14.00 – $24.00, there are approximately 18 South African wines from which to choose. Whether the purchase is made to enhance a guest's stay while at the lodge or to bring home as a memento, this type of keepsake isn't one that can be picked up just anywhere on Disney property.
In addition, there are a few items in Johari that are exclusive to this small store. This is the sole location where any merchandise branded with the Kidani Village name can be found. Hats, mugs, toothpick holders and t-shirts with animal prints and the familiar Kidani Village font are available and affordable at prices from $7.00 – $28.00.
A small selection of African craft items can be found here as well. And while these items can also be found at the Jambo House location, they are still unique to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Of particular note is a limited collection of stoneware pottery that is carved by hand in Kenya. Depending on the piece, the cost is between $10.00 – $17.00 and serves as a great Disney souvenir that is authentically African.
Zawadi, meaning "gift," is the gift shop for the Jambo House section of Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is much more substantial than Johari with a greater selection of inventory. Again much of what is found in the store is common for Disney gift shops, but a few things here are certainly unique to this location.
As with Johari, Zawadi Marketplace sells merchandise that is proudly branded with the resort's name. The selection is wider, offering items like throws, sweatshirts and hoodies in addition to the standard t-shirts and mugs. But whereas the items in Kidani Village are specific in name to that half of the resort, the inventory here is not. Rather, all of the branded products come under the all-encompassing umbrella of Animal Kingdom Lodge as opposed to the more specifically pin-pointed Jambo House.
For coffee lovers, bags of 100% Arabica coffee are readily available. Being a coffee known to contain less caffeine than other commercially produced coffees, the Arabica coffee bean also originates from Africa. And while it is uncertain whether the beans that make up the coffee in Zawadi are direct from Africa, it is definite that this coffee is produced and ground exclusively for the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Individuals who appreciate art will also discover some great finds. Prints of the lodge itself, drawn by Larry Dotson, can be purchased here. As with all of the artwork done by Mr. Dotson of the various resorts throughout Disney property, the prints vary in size and price. A small, matted and unframed print will cost around $20.00 whereas a large, framed print will run about $115.00.
For those looking for art more specifically focused on African themes as opposed to the resort itself, beautiful renderings of African animals, patterns and objects can also be found in Zawadi. The prints are done by an African artist known as "Bushman" and is sold exclusively at Zawadi Marketplace after it is created in the artist's studio in Downtown Orlando. Most of the drawings cost between $100 – $600 and come in various types of frames and sizes as well.
Clearly there are some uncommon shopping opportunities to be had at this extremity of Disney's property. What unique items have you been able to dig up at this sophisticated resort?
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9 Responses to "Unique Shopping at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge"
My favorite mug came from Zawadi – it's big without being obnoxious 🙂 It has the resort on it in raised relief. It was made in Thailand, lol. (I also completed my Muppets pin set by trading for a Ms. Piggy with a CM.)
Angela, the mug sounds great! Despite being made in Asia 🙂 I hope to find one next month while I'm there. I also love the flamingo and other beaded animals. Thanks for the story touring plans!
Thank you, I have just been searching for information about this subject for a long time and yours is the best I've discovered till now. However, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you sure concerning the supply?
This is great. Now, how can we purchase items from these stores online?
I purchased several years ago from ther artist "Bushman". He was displaying his work at the village at that time. He even signed his pieces. Do you have his full name? We will be at the Animal Kingdom Lodge the first week of December and are interested in purchasing more of his works. Please reply- do you have the name of his studio in Orlando? Thank you Jeanne
Definitely consider that that you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to be at the net the easiest factor to remember of. I say to you, I definitely get irked whilst folks think about worries that they plainly do not know about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest as smartly as defined out the entire thing without having side effect , other folks could take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thank you
Hello, I bought a beaded lion keychain at the Jambo House gift shop but the cashier took the tag off when I bought it and I don't remember the name of the company that made it. It was the same as all the rest of their beaded animals, and I was wondering if you knew or were able to read the tag in any of your pictures? Thanks!


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Praying Angel
Health is wealth. Let your loved one who is sick know that you are praying for his better health. These printable Get Well cards feature a praying angel on clouds. Print these free printable cards on card paper and fold in half. This get well soon card will surely make someone feel better. Send some love and care with a this card and let an angel watch over your friend or relative.
#Prints: 919
Click for Printing Tips
Click for Printing Tips
Similar Printables


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In my third ever Java program I ran into the problem, discussed here before, that my "main" method was not found. I forget the exact error message but it was clearly complaining about not finding "main". The previous discussions did not help much but one suggested that there might be something magical about the name of the class containing the "main" method. So I fumbled about with that and finally got the program to execute without error when I changed the name of the class to "SwitchExperiment". What I guess is magical about that is that the name of the file containing the source is "SwitchExperiment.java". So my problem, apparently, was not that it couldn't find my "main" but that it couldn't find the class in which it expected to find "main". I hope that most of the error messages are more clear.
If it matters I am using NetBeans IDE 7.0 on Windows Vista and running my program from the IDE (as opposed to a command line).
What I am asking is: 1) am I right that the name of the class containing the "main" method is critical and must be the same as the name of the file containing it (minus the ".java" extension)?
And 2) is there some similar magic involving the name of my package? I am using some code I found on the internet which has the statement "package pkgswitch.experiment". I have no idea at this point what the package statement does. I have it only because I copied some code from the Internet. But since it is included in code intended for beginners I assume it has some fundamental and important purpose and I am wondering if soon I will encounter another confusing error message because I have not used the right magical name for my package.
Thanks for whatever help anyone can offer.


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Ohlins Road & Track DFV
View Single Post
Drives: E92 M3,R56 S,F22 228iX,F82 M4
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: EC
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Originally Posted by
My car is a DD that will see at most 3..4 HPDEs a year. I was not happy with OEM ride when I got it. I have H&R sport lowering springs now, and while it made the car stance look good and improved roll resistance and some handling, it definitely is more harsh now and tends to side-step quite a bit over bumps mid-corner. It just feels very nervous mid-corner over uneven pavement.
I was specifically looking for a setup biased more towards road performance and comfort. I got a baby seat in the back and my wife and daughter ride with me very often. Ohlins R&T was an option and at 25% less than JRZ, I think it's a good option indeed. I've done probably close to 40+ track days on my bikes and some amateur motorcycle racing, and all my bikes had Ohlins shocks and fork internals. I have a lot of respect for Ohlins as a company and their build quality is beyond superb. I'll give them a try any day.
So, my expectations are high. I expect that on the road during my daily commute, it will feel more comfortable than stock suspension, and definitely more comfortable than H&R Sport lowering springs.
I also expect that on the road, when car is pushed, it will handle greatly and much better than OEM/H&R. Most importantly I have several very curvy roads with a lot of bumps and crests that I want this car to handle gracefully and confidence inspiring. This will be my first test as soon as these are installed and car is aligned.
I have never tracked my E90 M3, only my E46 M3, so unfortunately I will not be able to provide a good before/after comparison of OEM handling vs. Ohlins @ track. But i should be able to give you my impressions and add some videos where lap times will be indicative of how good this setup is.
Sorry for getting off topic.
I have nothing against Ohlins - I'm running their R&T's on my R56 Mini. Compared to the e9x M3 OEM suspension, the Ohlins R&T suspension will significantly out perform it on the street and track. Have fun and enjoy
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text: 18ct Yellow and White Gold Engagement Ring $2,949.00 This stunning 18ct Yellow and White gold Diamond Engagement Ring features an eye catching 1/3 carat solitaire diamond. Product ref: 11AA8112 Collection Engagement Material 18ct Yellow and White Gold Setting Claw Set Major gemstone Diamond Quantity 1 Weight 0.33 Cut Princess Colour H-I Clarity SI Total Gem Weight 0.33 carat Need help choosing your Diamond? Help is at hand with our buying guide Quantity: Add to cart Find out more about Wallace Bishop Jeweller Get fast, free delivery within Australia on all orders $150 and over Share: Share via email Share via twitter Share via Facebook Share via Pinterest


text:
Time to plan a software project? It's not rocket science yet even NASA uses project planning software The recent landing of the Mars rover Curiosity was a sight to behold. The landing sequence looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie. The rover traveled millions of miles to reach its destination and then plummeted at enormous speeds towards the surface of Mars. The transport vehicle that held the rover then hovered above the Martian surface and released its precious cargo, which then gently touched down on this alien surface. Absolutely amazing!
Then there was the Mars Observer. This was an attempt to study the surface of Mars, magnetic fields, atmosphere, and climate. Unfortunately, in August 1993 NASA lost communication with the satellite. Despite repeated attempts to reestablish communication, the mission was considered a failure due to never being able to connect with the satellite again.
Both of these missions required an extraordinary amount of research, planning, and implementation. Yet, one fell far short of its intended purpose and the other is just beginning to uncover untold discoveries. Have you experienced similar results with software projects that you are responsible for managing? One software project may be a wild success and the other may come up wanting. What causes this difference and how can you plan a software project that is successful?
How to Plan a Software Project that Works
To successfully plan a software project you must invest time up-front. There are many various activities that you can invest your time on when it comes to planning a software project, the following list provides some insight into how to plan a software project that works:
Identify ALL Users
The emphasis here is on ALL users. In addition to the direct users, there is going to be a multitude of indirect users. There will be those who use the software every now and then to get their jobs done. There will also be those who receive or benefit from the results of the application. For example, management may use certain reports that the application generates. Make sure to include them in the requirements gathering session even if they don't use the program directly themselves.
I learned a huge lesson many years ago when it came to learning to plan a software project and identifying users. I thought I had identified everyone that had anything to do with the application…and I had uncovered a multitude of people. But, there was one fellow in the deep recesses of the store where the software was being implemented that I missed. This fellow was discovered as the software began to be rolled out across various stores. This was a subject matter expert that brought the entire roll-out to a grinding halt because it did not include certain functionality that he thought (and others like him) was mission critical. Make a list and check it twice! Be sure you have anyone and everyone involved in the requirements gathering process as possible.
Identify their Credibility
A word of caution when you create the list from above when it comes to learning how to plan a software project. It is absolutely vital that you establish the credibility of those who are providing input into the plan. True story…we had a team that just went into a requirements gathering session where all the stakeholders had been identified. There was some great feedback coming back from the users, but then there was one voice in the room that was providing general and generic feedback. "Make it better", "It needs to be faster" or "It's too hard to use" he would say. After continual feedback like this throughout the morning, we asked him for specifics. "Exactly what is it that needs to be better, faster or easier to use", we asked. "I don't know, I've never used the program", he replied.This is an easy trap to get caught in when you are first starting out on how to plan a software project that works. Be careful to not go down the path of a user that is not offering real value for what needs to be included in the application. The example above is an extreme case, but there are times when someone will blurt out something just to have something to say. Make sure you get out what you would consider being real requirements and those that are just being thrown out.
Capture Everything
At this point in the process of learning how to plan a software project, it's important to capture every little thing that is thrown out there. You have identified the right audience and you are zeroing in on only those who have credible and meaningful contributions to make to the plan. Prepare a long list of everything that should be included with enough information about each item that you will know what it is for future reference.
This is the point of how to plan a software project that you begin to prioritize the list that has been identified above. The best way to do this is broken it down into 3 buckets: 1) Absolute must-haves (business can't be done without this) 2) Nice to haves: business can be done without this, but this will make it easier 3) Everything Else: cosmetic or very minor changes or additions. You now end up with ideally a very short list of absolute must-haves that your team can begin working on.
Dig into the Details
You can now explore these absolute must-haves in greater detail. Ask questions about what this feature needs to accomplish in the software. Challenge assumptions. Always ask 'why' is this something that is important to include or to operate in a particular manner. This will provide you with enough detail of what needs to be accomplished that you can turn it into a project plan and communicate the specifics to your team.
Finally, when it comes to how to plan a software project that works, you must deliver. There are a ton of steps between planning and implementation, but if you have done your homework up-front and spent enough time in the requirements gathering stage the end result will turn out much better.
One note: If you have the luxury of having Business Analysts on your staff, then the work above is best left in their hands. They know how to identify and uncover those elusive little things called requirements that, if missed, can bring a project to a grinding halt. Many companies may not have this luxury and it falls into the hands of the Project Manager to make sure this work is complete.
There is much uncertainty in planning missions to Mars. Despite this fact, there are those projects that are wildly successful and delight everyone. You can have the same experience when it comes to planning your software projects. Take the necessary time upfront and save yourself a tremendous amount of time and disappointment later in the cycle.


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TIF Research
There has been A LOT of research and studies done on TIFs. We'll be parking some of the most relevant documents here.
- National Association of Realtors – TIF_Primer-2002
- Neighborhood Capital Budget Group -TIF_Almanac-2003
- Creation vs Capture-Evaluating_True_Costs_TIF-Farris+Horbas – Shows that if all TIFs in Cook COunty were eliminated, your property tax would go down by 11%.
- "Tale_Two_Cities – Reinventing TIFs" – Commissioner Mike Quigley – 2007 – A thorough explanation of TIFs plus a list of recommended reforms.


text:
Note: Select a region before finding a country.
Billy Graham, one of the world's most famous Christian evangelists, has died, a family spokesman said today. He was 99. …
Stargazers have a new object to look for as a disco ball-shaped satellite shimmers in the night sky.
A recent study shows that virtually all United States-based winter recreation locations could experience shorter ski seasons by 2050.
© 2018 AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved. AccuWeather.com is a registered trademark of AccuWeather, Inc. Terms of usage under which this service is provided Privacy Statement | Ad Choices


text:
Tens or Better 4X-treme Video Poker
Vegas Crest Casino
Tens or Better 4X-treme Video Poker Highlights
Tens or Better 4X-TREME Video Poker is the same game as Jacks or Better but the paying combinations start at 10's.
The payout for the combinations is also lower on the lower end of the scale. Payout starts on pairs of Tens - Aces, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and Royal Flush.
You're dealt 5 cards face up across the bottom of the card grid. You hold or discard to make the highest winning hand from these 5 cards. When you click on draw, the bottom hand will be shaded out and four hands of 5 cards will be dealt, each hand using a separate 52 card deck and containing the cards that were held in the decision hand.
Then the replacement cards are dealt to complete each hand from their separate decks. The highest combination is paid out on each hand.


text:
If you couldn't be in Southern California, re-live the entire Carlsbad 5000 elite races here.
The World's Fastest 5K, the Carlsbad 5000, took place Sunday in Carlsbad, Calif., north of San Diego. Thousands of runners wrapped up
The beautiful seaside race churned out some fast times Sunday.
The 27th Junior Carlsbad took place on Saturday, April 2, 2016. The emphasis is on fun, not speed. At Junior Carlsbad, every child is a
The first day of Carlsbad 5000 race weekend consisted of several Junior Carlsbad races and the inaugural one-mile race on the streets of
The two have made a lasting impact in the 31-year-old race.
Spring is a time for lacing up the flats and taking to the roads, and on Sunday some of the fastest runners in the world will be lining up
The Carlsbad 5000 is billed as the world's fastest 5K and rightfully so. Sixteen world records and eight U.S. records have been set on
A couple of veterans are returning to the world-famous 5K in Southern California.
These eight are always at the start line.


text:
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text:
Oscar Castro learned early in his high school years that, even if he worked hard, he could always do better.
Those lessons permeated every aspect of Castro's life, from sports and academics to serving as a mentor for younger students and raising farm animals.
Castro will reap the fruits of his hard work today when he graduates from Amphitheater High School, where he attained a 3.1 grade-point average while playing three years on the varsity baseball team.
"I feel happy, accomplished and satisfied. I know I tried hard," said Castro, who will attend Saux Valley Community College in Illinois on a partial baseball scholarship.
Castro was a catcher on the Amphi team, where he moved to the varsity team as a sophomore.
During his time at Amphi, Castro took Advanced Placement classes, helped freshmen adjust to high school as part of the school's LINK Crew and was part of Future Farmers of America, where he raised a pig.
"It took a lot of my time. I was pretty busy," he said.
Castro credits his parents and baseball coaches with pushing him to achieve more, even when he thought he had done his best.
"No matter how big or small you are, you can always do something if you put your mind to it," he said, referring to the lessons he learned through high school.
Amphi Principal Jon Lansa described Castro as an "all-around guy."
Although Castro was an athlete involved in a lot of activities, he never sought the spotlight, Lansa said.
"He just doesn't limit himself to typical high school stuff. He has a great attitude ... positive, upbeat," he said.
Castro's biggest contribution to the school might have been through the LINK Crew, where he served as a mentor and tutor to freshmen, he said.
"We encouraged him to get in there because he's a great example," he said. "For incoming freshmen, that's the kid you want to have."
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at firstname.lastname@example.com or 573-4242. On Twitter: @JamarYounger


text: On Wed, 5 Nov 1997, Martin Imrisek wrote:> I might as well continue it here. I've recently begun to use the SMP> kernels 2.0.31 and 2.1.62 on my Tyan Tomcat IV (dual P75). I've been> experiencing some rampant instability from spontaneous reboots, deadlocks> and halts with garbage on the screen. I've eliminated the reboots, which> appeared to be caused by hardware misconfiguration.> > Currently I am running 2.1.62 without any patches and I am experiencing> the following:> > Nov 5 22:04:15 orpheus kernel: d_alloc: 3650 unused, pruning dcache> Nov 5 22:04:15 orpheus kernel: d_alloc: 3650 unused, pruning dcache> Nov 5 22:04:15 orpheus kernel: d_alloc: 3649 unused, pruning dcache> > these messages keep on appearing, though they only appear when compiling> glibc. These are just debugging messages that aren't given a priority. Ignorethem. The reason you only get them in that context is because you aredealing with large numbers of files.> During this time the compile slows to a crawl, eventually freezing> the machine. Kernel compiles work flawlessly?!Now that /is/ a bug...> Running several high CPU usage programs seems to result in a deadlock.> More often than not, running an OpenGL xlock results in a frozen machine> after some time. (like overnight).Try running a top and a high cpu program (try a rc5 cracker fromwww.distributed.net -- more useful, and will burn more cpu (all of your idletime)). That way, you can see just when you are hanging. Also, keep out ofX. See if you can do shift-scrolllock / control-scrolllock / sysrq-various/ change-vts. If you can, then userspace is frozen (EG your X server), andnot the kernel).> Deadlocks also seem to happen when running several gimp filters on large> images, though this does not happen often. Likely from high CPU usage.> Or, compiling the 2.1.62 kernel> with 'make -j'. Again high CPU. Possibly high CPU and memory?> On several occassions I've ended up with garbage> >000:0000 repeated all over the screen. This seems to be a phenomenon> with the 2.1.xx kernels only. I've never seen it under 2.0.31.Sounds like a hw problem to me...> > Also, recently I've been getting these kinds of messages once in a while:> > Nov 5 21:58:35 orpheus kernel: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer> dereference at virtual address 00000199These are almost definatly a kernel bug. Run them through ksymoops, andmail the list with the results.> This has also happened when doing a 'cat /dev/fd0 |less' to look at some> raw data. Under 2.0.3x this would at worst mess up my terminal.Yep, messing up your terminal is what this should do.> Sound on 2.0.31 either works, or causes spontaneous deadlocks (MAD 16> card).Sounds like a hw problem.> On 2.1.62 sound works but has periodic 'clicking' static like sounds when> playing CDs.Sounds like a bad CD - playing a CD is completly between the CD-drive andthe soundcard. All the kernel does is tell it to start.> --------------------------------------------------------------> Martin Imrisek "I've done . . . questionable things.> email@example.com Nothing the God of biomechanics> wouldn't let you into heaven for." -=- James Mastros--- When the annals of distributed computing are written, and the name 'Bovine'appears in there, I can say "Hey, I was a part of that, I checked .0012% ofthe keyspace". -=- Brian Wilson <firstname.lastname@example.com>Go to www.distributed.net before I come make you!


text:
I was cruising Craigslist last week for a desk with a hutch to replace the itty-bitty little kitchen counter desk that I have next to my fridge. One of the things that has always bugged me about Craigslist is that you have to OPEN every post to see what the item looks like and it takes FOREVER to look for stuff.
But then I discovered that Chrome has all of these cool plug-ins that allow you to do all sorts of funky things. And one of those plug-ins is called "Craigslist Preview" and is pre-loads all of the photos in a post so you can SEE them without having to open the post! I still spend FOREVER on craigslist, but now I can see more stuff faster. Optimized electronic thrifting. I love it.
Anyhow – my search didn't come up with any good desks, but it did come up with a pretty awesome little hutch top that I just HAD to have since it was only $25 (omg) and has such awesome potential.
So what if I had to drag my husband to Rhode Island to get it?
It was together time.
Or so I said.
But it worked on him, so there.
Here she is:
Don't your toes just tingle with how adorable she is? Its like she's wearing a little ruffled party dress..
She needs a little work (OK, a lot of work, but don't hate, haters) –
And the back – well, I think either I'll have to replace the whole thing OR just go backless. The piece is wicked heavy and the backing doesn't provide any structural stability, so I likely can go the easy way and just forego it.
We'll see…
She's about 30″ tall and 11″ deep. I thought I might use her for the big empty space over the toilet in my 1st floor bath, but 11″ deep it might be a head-whacker.
If I can't make it work there, I'm sure I'll find some other wonderful spot for her…
The base has a nice, graceful line:
And do you see that absolutely wonderful, beautiful green peeking through the white paint? My heart goes pitter patter.
But my husband's heart goes huh? Part of me wants to figure out how to save the patina, but part of me knows that hubb-o doesn't like shabby AT ALL.
He may be right on this one – it does seem more shabby than chic:
I like that there is both a glass cabinet and a nice little shelf. I could use that space to store all sorts of bathroom necessities…
Inside the cabinet is some icky stuff that looks an AWFUL lot like chicken poop, but hey – that's what sponges and hot water is for, right? Cleaning up chicken poop? Get with me on this, people. I need some encouragement:
Another shot of the top – the little medallion in the center is actually lifting off – that is going to have to go – no way to save that:
Here's a good shot that helps illustrate just what a MESS this is – but it also shows layers of history, which makes it wonderful to me.
Someone crafted the wood…
and chose to paint it a soothing green…
and then decided to cover that with off-white and maybe even a tad bit of varnish…
and then – after all that effort – it was put into a barn in Rhode Island for years to serve as a perch for happy little hens!
But now its here with me and I get to decide what the next chapter will be.
What do you think? Should I strip it down and start over? Should I try to salvage some of the shabby?
What would you do with this old girl and her party dress?


text:
Last Wednesday afternoon, as I was hurtling towards my
death hotel in a New York City cab, I scrolled through my Instagram feed. Linda had posted a photo of the wood floors under her carpet and was wondering if refinishing them would be a doable DIY project, as the cost for somebody else to do it was quite high. Those of you who have been here awhile know that Matthew is quite handy (heh), and that we've (he's) spent ten years renovating our house, so I left the following comment on her photo.
I say you get JB to email Matt. Wood is his thing. (Heh.) But no. He's the guy everyone calls when dealing with wood. (That didn't sound any better.)
(I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.)(Also, I'd been traveling for twelve hours, and was borderline delirious.)
Linda emailed Matt (he and JB email each other about their hunting escapades)(Linda and I email each other about how much it sucked that she wasn't in NYC with me to face BlogHer together) and when I got home I asked him if he had replied to her and JB. He did, and it was awesome, and he's letting me share it. Enjoy.
Those floors look great! Why people choose to cover with carpet I have no idea. But hey, I am a wood guy. :)
$2000? WOW! Depending on how many square feet you have that's crazy. Too bad I didn't live closer. I would totally give you guys a hand with this project.
This is a project, I think, most people can do.
Before I continue let me crack open a nice cold Widmer Brothers beer. I have to say Oregon does produce some of the best beers I have tasted!
Anyways, I will start at the beginning and give you a little rundown of the process.
1. Tear out carpet and underlay (if there is any). Pretty simple work. Nothing can go wrong here. Just labor. Rip, pull, and roll. Piece of cake.
2. Remove the tack strip. This is the prickly strip around the outer edges of the room. Although you can find some in a transition (from one room to another). This is pretty easy too. The tack strip will be nailed so it may take a little more effort. Hammer and a pry bar are all you need for tools. Careful though, you want to maintain the wood below. *wink*
3. Remove staples. If there was underlay you most likely have staples. And depending on the dudes who installed there could be a lot. All you need to do is pull 'em out! Simple pliers are all you need here.
4. Once the floor is exposed and there is nothing poking out of it, it's time for the real fun. POWER TOOLS! Off to the rental center … one of my favorite places.
5. So now you are going to sand the floor. Strip it right down so you can apply a new stain (the color part) and clear coat (the protective part). There are 2 types of sanders: a drum sander, and a square-vibrating sander. You will want to get the vibrator it's way more effective (hmmm this email could go way off track here, couldn't it? *wink* ) Yes the vibrating sander is preferred because as newbies you want to minimize the possibility of saying "oh shit, I just sanded a hole in the floor!". Plus the square sander, in my opinion, keeps the dust down. (We'll get to that in a bit). Rental dude will hook you up with some different grit paper. You won't really need coarse grit, but you will need medium and fine.
6. Back to the house.
7. First the dust. Even though I feel this machine does keep it fairly minimal, it still produces dust. You will want to protect, remove, contain however you see fit. I have in the past just removed items in the room, or taped off rooms with plastic and used a fan to pull out any airborne particles (back to the rental center if you do this, btw, to rent a fan). One thing I have done which is super smart, if you have forced air heating/cooling, is to shove something in the vents.
8. OK, time to sand. First go to somewhere pretty inconspicuous to practice/get the hang of it. You'll find out pretty quickly how it works. You will want to move with the grain of the wood (in the case of the picture up and down) but again, because of the vibrating nature, a little left to right won't hurt.
[Ed note: Haaaaaaaa.]
9. After your first sand (removing old clear coat and stain) you will want to see if you need to fill any holes. You know those tack strips, the nails that held the carpet down, might need to be filled. I say, "may" because depending how close they are to the wall your baseboards might hide it. In that case leave it. Wood fill is at any home building store. Just let them know what you are doing and they will direct you. To get a real good look at the floor and the state it is in you may want to remove all the dust. I usually shop vac it. Sweeping doesn't get it all.
10. Last sand. After prepping the floor you will do another sand. This will use the finer grit paper. Usually 100 or 120 or 150. Keep going over the floor until you are happy. You may need a palm sander ($50-$100 at Home Depot) to sand the really tight spots.
11. Go get a beer. This now completes the hardest work! (Actually, I do need another.)
12. Remove the dust off the floor. This is huge. Again, I shop vac it. Wipe your hand on the floor … you shouldn't get dust.
13. Stain. I have always just clear coated my floors but this is what I have learned from people who have stained. If you need to buy more that one can of stain make sure the cans are from the same lot/batch. Even if they are from the same lot/batch you will still want to mix the cans together. This ensures that the same color will be everywhere. I like oil based stains. If you are unsure about stain choice see if you can find a sample of the wood you have (I can't tell if that is fir, oak or other from the pic) and do some tests. Remember, even after applying the clear coat the stain could look different. So, do stain and clear coat tests. I'll talk about clear coat in a second. Once you got the stain apply it on the floor. Again start somewhere inconspicuous to get the hang.
14. Clear coat — this will protect your floors. Don't worry about batch numbers or mixing here. There is no color. Again, I like the oil base stuff BUT it does smell as it cures. Keep the house vented! The application for this stuff is pretty easy. You kind of "float" it on. It's not brushing or rolling … you kinda use a broom-like pad and push/pull the stuff around until it covers the area. I can share more later, but it's really easy. I'm a 2-coat clear coat guy but you can do as many as you want depending on what kind of protection you're after. For the clear coat, make sure you get the good stuff. Any wood-flooring guy in the area will let you know.
15. Crack open another bottle — you are done!
I've done a lot of wood floors and it's really not that difficult. It is work, and you do have to be patient. One thing for me, I always remind myself that I am not a professional and shouldn't expect a professional, House and Home look. I also know that a House and Home look is big bucks, which we don't have. In the end to be able to say hey, I/we did his is pretty gratifying! Plus on a wood floor if you really shit the bed, just put down a throw rug … works every time.
Sorry for the long email. I'm now into my second beer and have become quite verbose. Instead of my drunk kitchen I could do a my drunk workshop spinoff …
Hope this helps your decision process. :)
Honey really needs to start a blog, I think.