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By Michael Johnston:
Global X became the latest issuer to offer an ETF targeting a segment of the global technology industry this week, rolling out the first ETF to specifically target the social media industry. The new Global X Social Media Index ETF (NasdaqGM:SOCL - News) will seek to replicate the Solactive Social Media Index, a benchmark that includes companies engaged in various aspects of the rapidly-expanding social media industry. Currently, the underlying index consists of about 25 stocks, including firms that provide social networking, file sharing, and other web-based media applications. The portfolio includes some of the firms that have recently completed IPOs, as well as more established companies in the social media space.
It is, of course, no secret that usage of social media has jumped in recent years. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that about 65% of adult Internet users said they use a social networking site, nearly double the adoption rate reported in 2008. And social media outlets are no longer just for individuals; more than 80% of Fortune 100 companies use branded social media channels, and about one out of three small businesses uses social media in some way.
The relatively low Internet penetration rates in the emerging world create a meaningful opportunity for social media companies; though most of the U.S. population has easy access to sites such as Facebook and Twitter, Internet usage rates in India and China are well below 50%. As greater percentages of these markets comes online, usage of social media sites should experience strong organic growth.
Social media companies have seen their valuations explode in recent years, capturing a growing share of Internet traffic–which has been rising significantly year-over-year. Some social media companies generate revenues primarily from the sale of online advertising space, while others, such as Groupon, maintain more unique revenue models. Many social media companies are still relatively early in their life cycles, with a significant portion of them not yet turning a profit. That makes this sector a risky, but potentially very rewarding play; if these firms are able to grow revenues while achieving sustainable profitability, valuations could skyrocket. If, however, these companies are unable to generate positive cash flows from their core operations, the relatively lofty valuations could deflate in coming years.
"SOCL can provide an efficient way to tap into this global, dynamic sector," said Bruno del Ama, chief executive officer of Global X Funds. "As the industry continues to expand through IPOs, the index will capture these new companies shortly after their public debut, providing a relatively cost effective way to gain exposure to the social media industry."
Under The Hood
The new social media ETF includes both U.S. and international companies, maintaining exposure to both developed and emerging economies outside the U.S. The most-recognized names included in the underlying portfolio among U.S. investors are likely to be daily deal site Groupon (NasdaqGS:GRPN - News) and networking site LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD - News), both of which completed initial public offerings in 2011. SOCL will also maintain a position in online music company Pandora (NYSE:P - News).
Major international components include Chinese social media company Tencent Holdings, Inc. (TCEHY.PK), Chinese micro-blogging site operator Sina Corp. (NasdaqGS:SINA - News), Japanese company Dena Co. (DNACF.PK), and Chinese Internet and online came services provider Netease.com (NasdaqGS:NTES - News); those four names combine to make up about 40% of the total portfolio. Not all of the stocks included in SOCL are "pure play" social media companies; Google (NasdaqGS:GOOG - News) is also included in the portfolio. Although Google has a growing social media presence through its YouTube division and the recently-launched Google+, the bulk of revenues and earnings are derived through search-related services.
From a country perspective, it is China that receives the largest allocation with about 37% of assets. The U.S. comes in second, followed by Japan (19%), Russia (10%), and Germany (2%). Also included in the portfolio are equities from India, Taiwan, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
The new ETF will charge an expense ratio of 0.65%, in line with other targeted technology exchange-traded products.
Targeted Tech ETFs Take Off
The launch of SOCL continues the launch of targeted ETFs within the tech sector; a number of the funds to begin trading in 2011 have offered exposure to narrow segments of the industry. In addition to the Smartphone ETF (NasdaqGM:FONE - News) from First Trust, a number of other hyper-targeted ETPs have popped up in recent months:
UBS also offers leveraged versions of both the cloud computing (NYSEArca:LSKY - News) and solid state drive (NYSEArca:SSDL - News) ETPs.
Upcoming Additions?
Given the relatively young age of the social media space, many of the major players in the industry are not yet publicly-traded. Facebook and Twitter, two of the most widely-used social media sites in the world, have not yet completed IPOs. The number of firms eligible for inclusion in the underlying index could increase significantly in coming months as this corner of the tech space matures; the IPO pipeline is currently filled with a number of highly-anticipated IPOs, including online games maker Zynga, Twitter, and Facebook.
Timings for those offerings is somewhat fluid; it is now expected that Facebook may not go public until late 2012, while Zynga could begin offering its shares after Thanksgiving under the ticker ZNGA. The timing of Twitter's potential IPO has not been specified yet.
For more on the new social media ETF, see the SOCL fact sheet.
Disclosure: No positions at time of writing.
Disclaimer: ETF Database is not an investment advisor, and any content published by ETF Database does not constitute individual investment advice. The opinions offered herein are not personalized recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities. From time to time, issuers of exchange-traded products mentioned herein may place paid advertisements with ETF Database. All content on ETF Database is produced independently of any advertising relationships.


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October was the kick off for "craft fair season" here on Checkerberry Lane… I participated in three different craft fairs during October and have two more to go, one in November and one in December, here in Connecticut.
This is a peek at my craft fair display… it actually looks a little bit different at every fair depending on what I'm offering for sale and if the fair provides a table or if I bring my own. Those vintage suitcases help to draw in customers as well as that cute banner…it makes my display feel like a party!
So that's what has been keeping me busy the last few weeks, but I'm back today with another Clean and Simple Sunday card this week, featuring a stamp set from our new NOVEMBER Collection…
This stamp set is called Forest Friends… so adorable and sweet! It comes with quite a few outline images of different forest animals, two evergreen trees and several sentiments.
I colored in the images in my sample using my Copic markers and then used the corresponding dies to die cut the images. I also used the landscape dies + the scalloped border dies and a wrap of peppermint baker's twine to finish it off.
All products from the November Collection are now available to order through my secure web store – amusestudio.com/stampshop
You can order items from the November Collection from today straight through until November 30th at midnight. Orders ship directly to your door, anywhere in the USA.
Thanks for sharing part of your day with me! See you again soon!

subset: commoncrawl


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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Monday is the last day for parents with children who are attending a Fort Wayne Community School (FWCS) for the 2014-2015 school year to register. Registration is from noon to 7 p.m. Monday at all 49 FWCS schools.
Every student must attend registration, even if they attended school last year. However, anyone who is not able to register at this time should contact the school their child will be attending and make arrangements.
Parents should bring contact information and those new to the district should bring vaccination records, birth certificates for their children and two forms of proof of residency.
Many of the forms parents will need to fill out can be found online at the FWCS web site, along with school supply lists.


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Earwax: Do It Yourself Removal TipsWritten by Wellness Club on January 31, 2012 – 6:21 pm -
How to remove earwax:
By Nurse Mark
Many people ask about ear wax removal – probably because conventional medicine has worked so hard to make this simple personal care task into a specialty procedure requiring multiple visits to a clinic. It's really not all that hard if you follow a few simple rules.
First, remember that your ears are what we used to call in the army "a single-issue item." If you damage them doing something foolish you will not likely get a second chance – so be careful and think before you put anything in there that might make your problems worse.
Don't try to remove earwax if you have ear pain or a discharge that looks different than earwax, if you think you have a ruptured eardrum, if you have had ear surgery, or if you have tubes (a.k.a. "grommets") in your ears. Remember, the only thing that separates the big bad world from your delicate and fragile inner ear machinery is your eardrum.
OK – so you are pretty sure you have an earful of wax. You might have a mild earache or feeling of fullness in the affected ear, you might be hearing ear noise (tinnitus or "ringing" in the ear) or more likely you are experiencing some decreased or muffled hearing in the affected ear. Maybe you even got a cotton swab (Q-Tip) or rolled up tissue and rummaged around in there trying to clean it out and made it worse. (Remember what I said about "a one-issue item"?)
You can go running in to your local urgent care clinic or your doctor for help, or you can look after this yourself – remember, this is not rocket science or brain surgery, and mankind has been successfully dealing with earwax for as long as there have been ears.
Remember – earwax is normal. Some folks have more, some have less, but everybody makes it. It normally looks after itself and falls out of the ear all on it's own – but sometimes it needs a bit of help.
First things first: are you drinking enough pure water? If you are dehydrated, even a little bit, your ear wax can become drier, harder, and stickier too.
So, you have probably tried letting the warm water run into your ear while you showered or washed your hair – this is often all the care that is needed for most folks and their ear wax washes out all by itself.
But that didn't work for you, so it's time to get serious. We'll work at this in steps.
The first step is to simply soften and loosen the earwax. You can do this with a few drops of a light oil. Remember, anything you put on the largest organ of your body, your skin, you will absorb into your body in some amount – so don't use anything that you would not be willing to eat. Olive oil is a fine choice for this task.
Warm a little bit of oil to body temperature and allow a few drops of it to run into your ear canal. This task will be made much easier if you have someone to help – you can lay on your side and let your friend and gravity do the work – but it can be done by one person alone too.
That's it – just run a few drops in and give it some time. Overnight is perfect. Please don't plug your ear with anything to try to "keep the oil in." The whole idea is for the oil and the softened wax to come out – not stay in. Put in a few drops of oil at bedtime, go to sleep on your side to help the oil stay in for a while, and usually by morning the oil and the wax will be gone. You might want to cover your pillow with an old towel to keep it clean.
Well alright, so that didn't work. On to the next step.
Make up a mixture of hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room-temperature water. Place a few drops of this, warmed to body temperature, in the ear twice a day for several days. Be sure to warm the fluid because cold fluid can cause pain and dizziness. You won't make that mistake twice!
Once the wax is loose and soft, all that is usually needed to remove it from the ear canal is a gentle, warm shower.
Direct the water into the ear, then tip your head to let the water and earwax drain out.
If all that doesn't work, you can try a non-prescription wax softener (which is usually just oil) followed by gentle flushing with an ear syringe each night for a week or two. Make sure the flushing solution is body temperature. Cool or hot fluids in the ear can cause dizziness.
You can find ear syringes or irrigation bulbs at any pharmacy – or just look around your home: any squeeze bottle that will allow you to squirt a narrow stream of water will work – make sure to clean it well before use. Be gentle and be patient – it may take a few irrigations to get stuff loosened up. You are not trying to "blast" it out, but just gently flush the ear canal.
Some don'ts:
Don't use cotton swabs, bobby pins, toothpicks, pencils, wadded up napkins or other objects to clean the ear. Besides being at risk for damaging something, usually all these things do is drive the wax in deeper.
Don't use a dental irrigation device, like a "Water Pik", to remove earwax. The force of the water can injure the ear canal and rupture the eardrum. Besides, you really won't enjoy the way that feels – the ear canal and eardrum are sensitive!
I don't recommend ear candles. I have seen no proven benefit in the removal of earwax with them and they can cause serious injury. (Say what?!? An open flame beside my head? And burning hot wax dripping? Are you kidding?) If you use them and like them, fine – but I won't recommend them.
Some things to watch for during home treatment:
If you follow these simple instructions and heed the few common-sense cautions here then removing your earwax build-up should be easy and uneventful. Mostly what you'll have to deal with are stains on your pillow from the oil and earwax that will come out overnight. A towel to cover the pillow helps. Most of the cleaning will occur during your daily shower – you do have a water filter on your shower, right?
Just FYI, we are very impressed with the products and service offered by Aquasana – they can provide you with a highly effective showerhead filter or a whole-house system.
Some people's ear canals are more difficult to get drops into (and wax out of) than others. Gently grasping the ear and pulling it up and back a bit can help to straighten the ear canal. The normal ear canal does not go straight in – it angles a bit forward toward the nose.
If other symptoms develop, such as ear pain, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, dizziness, severe itching, or bad-smelling discharge from the ear it is time to get some help.
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Lee Perry vs Moody Boyz - God Smiled (Moody Boyz mix) - I went thru hell and high-water trying to get my hands on a copy of this tune, and it's an absolute corker. You might find it here, if you're quick. One of the best records of the year. (Original is on the forthcoming new Lee Scratch Perry album, produced by Adrian Sherwood, from On-U-Sound label).
From Hypebot.com (hat tip to Jay Smooth)...
"There are many reasons why corporate and artist sites should not carry advertising. But the most obvious one is that outside ads change the conversation. In one of the few places that a marketer can completely control their message; they're sharing the stage with outsiders who have a different agenda.
To prove the point, I placed this ad via Google AdWords in rotation yesterday on the front page of the main Columbia Records web site columbiarecords.com:
As of this morning for a mere $3.37 in click thru fees, 6417 people visiting Columbia Records flagship site were delivered the message that this company is obsolete. Could that have been worth the share of $3.37 that parent Sony BMG will receive?"
Major Labels Are Obsolete
R.I.P. or learn and thrive.
Music. Tech. The New Music Business
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Next month will mark five years of this blog's existence. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, then I get feedback like this...
George Farrant has left a new comment on your post "Pet Rock (Dec 9 2003 - on the Maori Warrior down in QEII Square, now called Britomart)...
"I've only just seen this post, so sorry for the late comment.
There is an interesting story behind the 'Warrior' relocation.
In about 1967 I worked as a student architect for John Goldwater, the architect of the 'new' Auckland Synsgogue in Greys Avenue, supervising construction of the new building.
Molly McAllister was commissioned to craft the carved Hinuera stone Ark of the Covenant in the main synagogue, and I spent a couple of weeks at the Waikato Hinuera quarry helping to carve the mass of stone relief slabs - we took a third each, to Molly's detailed design, once she was confident that we wouldn't wreck the work.
During that lovely experience she related her great disappointment earlier at the then city council insisting that, having commissioned the 'Warrior' sculpture, they would regardless of her wishes mount it on a traditional pedestal on a narrow traffic median strip in the middle of Queen Street outside the Central Post Office.
I could only listen in sympathy.
Fast forward to 2003, when my role as Chief Heritage Advisor to the council gave me the decision as to where and how 'Warrior' should be placed in the revised layout of the square in front of the new Britomart underground station... well, there was only one answer, and it gave me huge satisfaction to instruct that the marble pedestal vanish (maybe it made a great bathroom floor or garden path), and the statue be relocated in the manner Molly related at the time - at ground level amongst the people - we even sank the bronze base into the paving - facing arrivals from the water, with his gaze turned gently toward Rangitoto Island, the more distant Hauraki Gulf, and ancestral Hawiiki.
Her husband George Hayden was alive at the time and was very appreciative of this belated compensation. It gave me great satisfaction as well."
Thanks, George.
Monday, July 28, 2008
"Homebake 2008 sees a special surprise reunion of New Zealand's HEADLESS CHICKENS classic line-up from the hit-making era of their 'Body Blow' album - and a welcome return of the Chickens' unrivalled brew of dastardly electronics, danceable beats and sharp pop songs.
An enormously popular touring act with a flamboyant live show, the Chickens built a huge fan base through the early part of that decade, touring with everyone from Arrested Development to Pop Will Eat Itself before they splintered apart and the band petered out before the end of the 90's.
Chris Matthews and Fiona McDonald are back to share lead vocal duties, while the muscular rhythm section of Bevan Sweeney and Grant Fell lay the base for the sonic mayhem wrought by Matthews, Michael Lawry and Anthony Nevison." Playing Dec 6, Sydney. Spotted via NZRadio list.
ADDED Just checked the Chicks Myspace (run by Chris Matthews) and he mentions "shows in Auckland and Australia in December this year and then more N.Z. shows next year."
Friday, July 25, 2008
Join the Car Crash Set
Anna Logue Records is a German label that is rereleasing Kiwi electro act Car Crash Set on vinyl. Never heard of the Car Crash Set? Listen to em here.
There's also plans afoot for some remixes of the CCS (from the likes of Roger Perry, Joost Langeveld), including a Dub Asylum rework featuring the lovely Ms Dianne Swann on vocals. More on that one when it slides into view. Link to Anna Logue Records.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Rock & Roll Refugees: 10 People Who Escaped the Music Industry
From Rolling Stone - Expat Kiwi Simon Baeyertz in there, amongst folk who now work in roles such as blogging on good lunch eats in NY, managing a vineyard ("A vineyard, by definition, grows each year. Music sales do not"), and training to be a nurse.
"NAME: Simon Baeyertz
FORMER JOB: Head of international, V2 Records. "I've actually been in the music industry 23 years — my entire adult life. I was working for V2 U.S. and it went under. I thought, 'I could go back to being a manager, or I could do international consulting. Or maybe, at age 45, I could just go do something completely different.' "
CURRENT JOB: Building El Blok, a 22-room hotel on Vieques, an island off Puerto Rico. "My wife and I started going there five years ago and slowly came up with this idea. I am learning permitting, environmental assessment, contracting and designing a building — none of which I've ever done before. If God and the planning tribunal of Puerto Rico is willing, it'll open December 2009." Link.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Rapper Nas is about to replace Lil Wayne atop the Billboard 200 chart Wednesday when sales figures for his new untitled album hit the streets from Nielsen SoundScan.
According to the tracking firm, the Def Jam release sold 113,000 copies during its first three days of commercial availability through Thursday. The total, however, is considerably less than the first week sales of Nas' last No. 1 album, "Hip-Hop Is Dead," which arrived in late December 2006 selling 354,000 copies during Christmas week...
Most interesting to me is this note at the end of the piece.. these places are where 80% of music is sold [in the US]?
The three-day tally for Nas' album represents un-weighted sales at nine leading music merchants -- Trans World Entertainment, Apple, Best Buy, Circuit City, Borders, Starbucks, Target, Anderson Merchandisers and Handleman Co. They account for about 80% of the U.S. album market.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Didier's Sound Spectrum - Sound spectrum
Commodores - Brick house
Erykah Badu - Honey (Moody Boyz remix)
Courtney Melody - Black liberation
Phillis Dillion - Rocksteady
Steel n skin - Afro punk reggae dub
Baby Charles - Treading water
Fat Freddy's Drop - The Camel
Karl Hector and the Malcouns - Nyx
Kova and Miles - Clap Clap
Talking Heads - Born under punches
Mad Lion - Girlzz
Roots radics - Time is cold
Pimps of joytime - PJT's (high steppin)
Max Cole - Who got the keys?
Nicole Willis vs the Dynamics - Feeling free
Overproof sound system -Watch what you put inna
Super Beagle -Dust a sound boy
The Snugs - Trying
Marc Mac and Visioneers - Funk box
45 King -Two five
Ike and Tina Turner - Funkier than a mosquito's tweeter
Peak - Get Carter
Stevie Wonder - As
Yao - Imame
Lee Perry vs Moody Boyz - God smiled
Paddy Free - Wairua
Friday, July 18, 2008
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are playing in Los Angeles this weekend, as are the Budos Band. Oliver Wang wrote about the band members of the Dap Kings here.
"... Dap-Kings' leader, Gabriel Roth, jokes that the current retro-soul fad "makes pop music more bearable," but he knows that "it can always bite you in the ass. Everybody wants stuff to sound like what we're doing right now, and then maybe next year, everybody will be tired of it."
Link, LA Weekly.
Video to make you smile. Nice one. Link.
Also just read about this - Apple have lodged a patent for a music/Dj interface for the iMac. Looks like Serato, but runs off touch-sensitive screen, like an iPhone or iTouch. Interesting stuff.
The Beat Market Record Swap
Swap records in the courtyard of Safari and Santos. From the promoter: "An old school record swap where classic collections get to see the light of day. Bring your swap-ables, mine the collective history, and find that rare masterpiece."
Saturday, 19 July 2008 at Safari Lounge, 116 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby.
12 midday start, FREE entry. GENRES: downtempo, dubstep, funk, hip hop, reggae, soul.
Music provided by DJs... Chipbutty (Base FM), Junior (Base FM), Jason Howson (Beat Merchants).
Also on this Saturday...
The Auckland Vinyl Record Collectors Fair takes place this Saturday July 19 at Polish House, Morningside. Stalls include New Zealand vinyl and music posters and foreign, 60s, rare, dance, reggae etc vinyl. Murray Cammick will be selling more funk, soul vinyl, vintage music magazines etc. The event also has stalls selling turntables & accessories.
The venue is the Polish House Hall, 1 McDonald St, on the corner of Ethel Road, off Sandringham Road, opposite Eden Park. The fair runs from 10am to 3pm. $3 entry fee.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
One of the epic sound battles of all time! Get it here. Bonus Ali clips here.
Seriously. Bought it at Real Groovy. Numbered 12-inch vinyl. Coolest ish ever (see picture - same graphic on the back cover with different text -"Laugh now, but one day we'll be in charge").
Description from Turntablelab.com - "Limited edition Banksy 12"s are in the building and DJDM is on the wax. Put the needle on the "Keep It Real(1)" side and you'll hear seriously bone crushing breaks causing ruckus underneath a crunchy electro hook and some dude yelling "Make some noiiiiiise!" It's like a surefire formula that ultimately spells collectable.
Studies show that people are already paying ridiculous prices for this on eBay. The "Laugh Now" side features three tracks which are all locked grooves: the raw drum break from the other side, a pitched up Vincent Price laugh, and a normal Vincent Price laugh. I guess the artistic statement here is that this record will keep laughing forever. This one comes in 4 colorways: gold, silver, brown and green. It's a special litho print that doesn't use CMYK, giving the print a superflat feel. Get yours or start bidding."
Go to turntablelab, they might have some more in stock. But don't hold ya breath. They've got some of the beige one, but really, beige is for losers.
How not to engage with blogland
I recently got an email from someone doing publicity for an Auckland MOR rock band, wondering if I'd be interested in doing an article on them - the "angles" the PR person suggested were they've got a new album out which hadn't had a lot of print coverage, they're touring NZ, then going overseas for a tour. It seemed very odd, given that I don't write about rock bands, hardly ever; I don't write articles in print - I write blog posts on the interwebs; and the publicist didn't even bother to introduce themselves in the email. Complete waste of time. I suspect they hadn't read my blog. Mr Dubber had a similar experience too...
From New Music Strategies...
I received a press release from a fairly big record company yesterday afternoon. You've heard of them. The release went like this:
"Hi blogging community,
Here at [XXXXX] (name of record label withheld), we're on a cyber-crusade, and we want you to be part of it. We know that blogging has become a massive part of the music community and an important way of spreading word of our artists, and we want to make sure you're kept in the loop about what's going on at our fine label.
To make sure we don't bother you with stuff you're not interested in, it'd be great if you could answer a few quick questions and give us a bit of feedback on how you think we should do it. Essentially, we want to know what sort of things interest you, what you would like to be sent, how you want it sending, etc etc. This should all help in that you'll get the best from us..."
Continue laughing here.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
James Brown - The Bose (Geisha Boys remix, off 'Gamm Doin James Vol 4')
Rob Symeonn - Chosen one - Bigga Bush remix
Fat Freddy's Drop - The Camel
The Delegates - Pygmy pt1
Michael Prophet - Been talking
Dillinger - Melting pot
J Rawls and Liquid Crystal Project - Tribute to Troy
Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - Stranded in your love (Cool Calm Pete remix)
Omer Saar - Woo ha! (Busta vs Al Green - off the Green Album, get it here)
Skatalites - Beardsman ska
Mungos Hifi feat Top Cat - Herbalist
Francois K and U Roy - Rootsman
Lee Perry - Special dub
Pat Rhoden - Living for the city (Stevie Wonder is coming! Choice!)
Lee Oskar - Haunted house
Flying Lotus feat Lil Wayne - Robo tussin
Benga - B4 the dual
Dod G - Trojan soap
JBs - You can have Watergate just gimme some bucks and l'll be straight
Tony Alvon and the Belairs - Sexy coffee pot
Clarence Reid - If it was good enough for Daddy
Freddie Cruger - Something good
Kolab - Innerbeat (J Brown reggae relick)
General Levy - The wig
Lloyd Hemmings - Rude boy
Joe Tex and U Black - Standardisation
Nina Simone - Taking care of business (Pilooski edit)
Friday, July 11, 2008
BaseFM vs KFM Soundclash!
The little guys vs the other little guys, head to head for one night of madness! Starts 1opm sat July 12 at Rising Sun, K Rd. Be there, or miss out.
Back to back you're gonna hear it all - Soul, funk, hip hop, D'n'b, Reggae, Dubstep and who knows what else!
The game is on and the contenders are...
representing the mighty BaseFM,
Chip Butty
Dylan C
The Sandy Bay Social Club
and for the other bunch of wannabes, KFM, we have...
Morning Steppa
Obelix B
Mr Rivers
And plenty more Guest DJs and MCs.
Hosted by the mightly P-Digs of Shapeshifter - this is one not to be missed! Who's gonna be taking home the trophy after this??? Bring ya whistles.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
From the Guardian a while back - Jamaican DJs have ditched vinyl. I was chatting with Nick D recently, and he told me that when he was in Jamaica shooting his tv show, all the DJs there were on Serato, using MP3 files. (The Jamaica episode is available to watch online at c4.co.nz.)
Hello C4, please re-screen Making Tracks!
Thank you.
That is all.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Karl Hector and the Malcouns: Sahara Swing
"Stones Throw subsidiary Now Again is out to prove that it's not just a reissue label trying to dig up yesteryear's lost gems; it's also out to prove there are still some dope sounds being constructed today. After last year's Heliocentrics release ... the label follows it up with an album of jams rooted in afrobeat rhythms with funk undertones.
Former Poets Of Rhythm guitarist and producer J. Whitefield funks out with Malcouns founders Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija along with Karl Hector and a host of others. The results may not have you doing the worm at the discothèque, but don't underestimate this music's headnod factor.
Clocking in at just over 45 minutes, the mostly instrumental disc grooves through world rhythms and nu-funk simmered with a dash of tasty rhythmic seasoning. Throughout the set, intermissions lead us from one course to the next. "Rush Hour," which leans less on afrobeat and more toward traditional funk, hits you with a swirling organ, steady bass, and tight snares. One section even sounds like killer bees swarming!"
Eric Luecking interviews J Whitefield about the project here. There's a tune over there to download too... Album out July 8. (link)
Monday, July 07, 2008
Real Groovy is up for sale. "Managing director Chris Hart told the Weekend Herald yesterday a bad foreign exchange deal had left the 28-year-old business in need of capital. With his business partners wanting to pursue other interests, he had no option but to offer the entire business for sale ... "New sales are only 28 per cent of our business, so it's not like it's a major component. We do a huge amount of second-hand sales. That's really the core part of the business. That's how Real Groovy started, and it's also responsible for giving Real Groovy the strength that it's got."More here.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Patti Labelle - Most likely you go your way and I'll go mine
Natural self - The rising
Quantic -Cuidad del swing version
Tenor saw - Golden hen
Tommy McCook and the Skatalites - Sauvitt
Me + You - Brown paper bag (Flowering inferno version)
James Brown - There was a time (Kenny Dope remix)
Lonnie Givens - The heat is on
Pioneers - Papa was a rolling stone
Jugoe - Days in dub
Lightning head - Bokoor sound special
Ohno vs Oneness of Juju - Beats (get it from Stonesthrow podcasts)
Karl Hector and the Malcouns - Toure samar
Iva Lamkum - Kung fu grip
Prince Fatty - cow foot and gravy
Roots Manuva - Buff nuff
Rob Symeonn - Message in the music (Shanti roots dub house edit)
Fat Freddy's Drop - The camel
Horace Andy - Cus cus
War - Cisco kid
Sapodilla punch - Hold on i'm coming
King Everard - Kill ole pan
Lee Perry vs Moody Boyz - God smiled
Jackson Conti - Sao Paulo nights
The Nomad - Check the pitch
Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 - Fire dance
Friday, July 04, 2008
"A fertile year for No Wave nostalgia reaches its apex, as one of the movement's forefathers is honored with a year-long series of special releases. Suicide formed in 1971 when artist, gallery-owner, and singer Alan Vega met Martin Rev, a keyboardist who had studied with jazz great Lennie Tristano. The downtown New York duo created confrontational, cathartic rock, with Rev churning out warm, minimalist keyboard melodies — a blueprint for synth-pop — while Vega literally and figuratively attacked the audience with spastic spoken word. As Lydia Lunch [who recently played with the reformed Teenage Jesus and the Jerks] says in Marc Masters' new book, No Wave, "[Suicide] were one of the most extreme things. I just fell to my knees in praise of the gods. The terror was such a beautiful thing to me."
The limited-edition, raw-sounding six-CD set Live 1977-1978, released in June in the UK on BLAST First (Petite), contains concert recordings drawn from New York shows and a support slot for the Clash and Elvis Costello on the group's first European tour. Only one of the live recordings, "23 Minutes Over Brussels" — which ends when the pissed-off crowd steals one of Vega's microphones — has ever seen official release.
In addition, a monthly series of 10-inch vinyl singles (also available as downloads) begins in July, with each installment containing a Suicide rarity along with covers by both an established and upcoming act. The eclectic array of "established" contributors includes Liars, Spiritualized, Sunn O))) and Pan Sonic, Peaches, Nick Cave's Grinderman, Klaxons, and, surprisingly, Bruce Springsteen, reportedly a fan of Suicide's "Frankie Teardrop." - Pat Sisson, Earplug.
Alan Vega recently turned seventy.
Ghost rider, live, 1979. Youtube link. "Video was recorded By Paul Tschinkel at Max's Kansas City in New York in 1979 for his cable TV show 'Paul Tschinkel's Inner Tube'." More here.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me About Ethiopiques At Glastonbury? [Shows I've Missed This Year, Chapter XXXVII] - "We covered a bit of the Glastonbury lineup announcement, had our bit about Jay-Z as headliner, even that stupid "upside-down house" tent, but at no point did I hear that an all-star band comprised of those featured on the 23 volumes of the Ethiopiques series would be performing.
Not that I would have been able to fly out to England or spend three days in mud/fecal matter-soaked fields, but I would have at least wanted to know, so I could wistfully stare eastward on Saturday dreaming of Mulatu Astatke and his band. I'll get over the pain somehow, but it's some consolation that the act's set is available to watch on BBC's site for a week or so, along with full sets from the Verve, Candi Staton and Massive Attack. [BBC]"
(Only seems to play in IE not Firefox, and ignore the "content not available" sign that comes up when you click play - it seems to start ok after that.)
ADDED - started watching it - Mulatu's vibes are largely inaudible, thanks to a lousy sound mix. Crap. Band is the Either Orchestra.


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Buy Organic Spices Online for Good Health
Spices are for all seasons and serve many reasons too. They add flavor to your curry, used for its medicinal prowess, applied as cosmetic supplements and play active role in religious functions too. It serves you well, if the spice used up is of good quality. Since its shell life is about half-a-year, it should be picked up meticulously.
It is in such a scenario that you buy spices online. Why go online while it is readily available in the nearby shop? For argument sake, spices available in the shops may be a good year old. It will neither serve your purpose and on the contrary will be having adverse reaction on your health. Buying spices online negates such doubts. Since, spices are of great demand throughout the year, high chances of online stores not having spices for long in their shelves. So, more chances of you getting spices fresh from online buy then a grocery shop. Moreover, with an online buy, you could get spices from different countries. If you are looking for a particular country only, still the online shopping will supply you with many brands of the same spice, which for sure you cannot expect to get in a grocery shop.
While buying them, few things need to be taken care of. The best buy would be organic spices, with this you do away from any harm to health as it's not genetically modified. Also take care to select a reputed firm to deal with. Moreover, while selecting spices, it would serve you best to go for whole dried spice then grounded. Whole spices keep the flavor longer when compared to ground ones and the whole dried ones got longer shelf life and are uncontaminated.
Lastly, do not fall for cheap offers, discounts or less priced stuffs, they for all reasons might be well past their utility value.
Julia Roger - About Author:
For more information on spices online, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the organic spices!
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Forest Park Wins AAA State Championship
Submitted News
By ANDREW TRAMEL
Forest Park Cross Country and Track
We started our weekend with a quote (which I altered a bit) from Mark Twain as inspiration to help carry ourselves with confidence. The confidence, determination, and the hard work over the last few months really showed up in the end.
The biggest highlight of the day was the 4*2. Our Boys lowered their number one national time on the flat track, broke the state record by nearly two seconds, and will be going for the national record in two weeks at the national championships.
Ricky Morgan had one of the toughest triples of the day running the 4*2, 500, and 300. He did not disappoint, despite getting sick before the start of his 1st race, Ricky helped get us get a big lead in the 4*2, he followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the 500, and another all state finish in the 300.
Josh Washington led off the 4*2 and handed off the baton in a neck and neck tie for 1st place. He then came back in the 300 to finish 4th and his score really helped put some distance between us and the other teams in the point standings.
Mustaqeem Williams placed in five events and nearly brought home four titles himself. In the triple jump he went for it on his last jump and he lept 49-1 putting him in 1st in the meet and 6th nationally. One more jumper went and lept 49-7 forcing us to settle for second.
The Long Jump was a little more controversial in that Mustaqeem had the best jump going into the final and reserved the right as the best jumper to jump last after the 4*2. However upon returning to the pit the head official closed it not allowing Mustaqeem or 4 others to get in their last jumps. Despite our protest we were told the results were final and Mustaqeem ended up 2nd by a 1/2 inch.
We decided to move on because the team title was our focus! In the 55 he had a horrid start, which in that event can be disastrous, but his speed is simply unmatched in the short sprints in Virginia as he turned on another gear midway through the race to taking the lead at the line and bringing home the 55 meter title for the second year in a row. Mustaqeem wrapped up his day by gutting out a 3rd place finish in the 300. All in all Mustaqeem finished with two golds (55, 4*2), two silvers (TJ,LJ), and one Bronze (300).
Calvin Michie ran a strong relay leg to help keep the lead and break the national record.
Ebenezer Agyemong lept to a personnel Indoor best of 6-1 in the High Jump.
Finally Andrew Gaiser put the icing on the cake by scoring in the two mile. Despite being sick he dropped five seconds off his time and earned his second all state honor and first on the track.
The girls had a pretty solid day as Yaa Agyepong Wiafe lowered her own school record and finished all state in the hurdles. Allyson Bodmer just missed an all state finish in the mile dropping 4 seconds of her indoor personnel best.
Lastly, Hannah Zachman dropped another amazing 20 seconds off of her two mile. In the last two weeks she has dropped 40 seconds off of her two mile time.
It was wonderful to see so many Bruin parents and supporters there among the thousands watching the meet. In the end seeing our Bruin Team hoist that state champion trophy was pretty special.
By the numbers
1 state record
2 state individual titles
2 state runner up finishes
11 All state Finishes
And the biggest prize of all
Virginia AAA State Team Champions
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Pregnant Woman in Pakistan Stoned to Death for Choosing Her Own Husband
Farzana Parveen, a 25-year-old Pakistani, was stoned to death on May 27 by her own family outside a courthouse in the Pakistani city of Lahore for marrying the man she loved.
Parveen, who was three months pregnant, was killed while on her way to court to contest an abduction case her family had filed against her husband. The young woman married Mohammad Iqbal after being engaged to him for several years; her family didn't approve of the union, so they filed an abduction case against Iqubal.
On Tuesday morning, she and her husband were coming to the court to contest those charges.
What happened next is horrifying.
As The Associated Press reports:
Nearly 20 members of Parveen's extended family, including her father and brothers, had waited outside the building that houses the high court of Lahore. As the couple walked up to the main gate, the relatives fired shots in the air and tried to snatch her from Iqbal, her lawyer said.
When she resisted, her father, brothers and other relatives started beating her, eventually pelting her with bricks from a nearby construction site, according to [lawyer] Mujahid and Iqbal, the slain woman's husband.
Apparently this all took place in broad daylight before a crowd of onlookers.
Parveen's father was immediately arrested on murder charges, and the police promised to arrest everyone who had participated in this gruesome crime.
This is a step forward, since people who commit violence against women in Pakistan are not always brought to justice.
Where Is Stoning Legal?
Stoning does still exist on the law books in Afghanistan, Iran, sections of Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
And now another nation has joined that list.
The country of Brunei has just brought into force a new penal code that makes stoning legal.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced last year his plan to move Brunei, a predominantly Muslim country, toward adopting Islamic Sharia law. The penal code change makes consensual same-sex sexual encounters a crime punishable by stoning.
As a method of execution, stoning can be traced to Ancient Greece, and has been used to punish those accused of adultery, prostitution, murder and blasphemy. References to stoning can be found in the Torah and in the Old Testament, but it has no explicit mention in the Quran.
Honor Killings
While it is horrifying that stoning still exists, what happened on Tuesday in Pakistan was not sanctioned by law; rather it was an extra-judicial killing, a so-called "honor killing" such as are all too common in Pakistan. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a report last month that some 869 women were murdered in such killings in 2013.
Arranged marriages are the norm among conservative Pakistanis, and hundreds of women are murdered every year in so-called honor killings carried out by husbands or relatives as a punishment for alleged adultery or other illicit sexual behavior.
Stonings in public settings, however, are extremely rare.
"I have not heard of any such case in which a woman was stoned to death, and the most shameful and worrying thing is that this woman was killed outside a courthouse," said Zia Awan, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist.
Parveen's father apparently believed he had done the right thing.
"I killed my daughter as she had insulted all of our family by marrying a man without our consent, and I have no regret over it," Mujahid, the police investigator, quoted the father as saying.
Misogyny in the U.S.
It would be easy to write about the misogyny in Pakistan, as if it were unique to that country, but the reality is that the U.S. has its own culture of woman-hating.
Last Friday in sunny Santa Barbara, Calif., Elliot Rodger allegedly killed six people and wounded 13 others. Rodger had previously posted a YouTube video in which he said it was "an injustice, a crime" that women have never been attracted to him and that he was going to "punish you all for it" and "slaughter every single blonde slut I see."
Sadly, as ThinkProgress points out here, gender-based violence and victim-blaming are not unique to Pakistan.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock


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To read Part One about biological sex, click here.
Gender is a social construct, created largely by stereotypes of what is "feminine" and what is "masculine." In our society, being feminine is usually synonymous with being sensitive, caring, and demure. Traditional feminine appearance includes dresses, high heels, and make-up. Masculinity, on the other hand, is measured in strength, ambition, and confidence. Masculine physical appearance includes a muscular build, facial hair, and tuxedos. Of course, this is a very simplified description of the gender ideals that exist, but most of us become well aware of them from a very early age. We quickly absorb messages about what toys are acceptable (trucks for boys/dolls for girls) and how we're supposed to act (being ladylike/manning up).
Contrary to what many people believe, a person's gender does not depend on their physical sex. Rather, gender is how a person identifies and expresses themselves. It is only because we live in a society that has a strong gender binary that we automatically assume a person born with a penis will identify with mostly masculine traits, while a person born with a vagina will associate with mostly feminine traits. When this is the case, and sex and gender do match, a person can be described as being a cisgender male or a cisgender female. (In Latin, "cis" means "on this side of.")
When a person identifies as the "opposite sex" that person can be described as a transgender, or trans, individual. (In Latin, "trans" means "on the other side of.") We often hear the phrase "born in the wrong body," as that is how strongly many individuals in the trans community feel about their gender identity. For example, a person with a penis could identify as female and be a trans woman, while a person with a vagina could identify as male and be a trans man. (It's important to remember that "transitioning," or deciding to live as the gender that one identifies with, is not a "one size fits all" process. Some change their name and wardrobe, others may take hormones and have surgery. This is an individual's personal choice and despite what some TV talk show hosts would lead you to believe, what's under someone's clothes is no one's business.)
For a lot of people, both cis and transgender identities are fairly easy to understand: You either feel like a man or you feel like a woman. But what if you feel like neither — or maybe both? Earlier this year, Facebook began to allow a much wider range of gender options (at least 58, to be precise). Many of them were terms that people were unfamiliar with, as they challenge the idea that an individual has to be male OR female.
Here is a small sample, highlighting some of the most basic terms used to describe non-binary options. (Remember that because gender is a societal construct, these distinctions are labels that we have created to describe how someone subjectively defines their experience with gender.)
Agender is used when someone has a complete lack of gender. Other terms may be "genderless" or "gender neutral."
On the other hand, bigender individuals consider themselves both male and female. Their gender identity and/or expression may be fixed so that they experience both genders at the same time, or they may be gender fluid, where their gender changes or fluctuates over time. (Similarly, but more inclusive, pangender individuals identify as all genders, including the non-binary ones.)
Gender Nonconforming is a term that is used to describe someone who may primarily identify as one gender (man or woman) but does not abide by the stereotypical expressions for that gender. I would argue that many of us are gender nonconforming in some way as very few people follow societal stereotypes 100%. However, for a more clear-cut example, consider a self-identified woman with short hair and men's clothing or a self-identified man wearing make-up. Because of society's gender standards, these people would be seen as not conforming to their gender in fairly obvious ways.
When a person is unsure of their gender, they may decide to identify as gender questioning. During this time, a person may experiment with different ways to express their gender by altering their appearance and/or behavior — or they may simply be inwardly considering which gender feels most true to their personality.
Finally, genderqueer is an umbrella term that is used to describe anyone who challenges the man/woman gender binary. This term is growing in popularity, especially by the younger generation who wishes to reclaim the word "queer" and give it a positive connotation.
Sex & gender are commonly considered to be some of the most straightforward characteristics about a person. However, as you can see, society's insistence that everyone is strictly "male" or "female" ignores the more nuanced way that many people define themselves. As potential doctors, teachers, co-workers, family members, friends, or romantic partners of individuals who do not fit into the gender binary, it's important to recognize that sex & gender are not always as simple as we've been led to believe.
Education can be a powerful first step in creating change because it challenges false beliefs in a rather objective, logical, and emotionally-removed way. But what more can be done in our daily lives?
Stand up against discrimination or hate when you see it. Refuse to accept behavior that makes a "freak" out of someone, whether that behavior is quietly staring or publicly asking about someone's genitals. Remain aware that a person's preferred name may not match their legal name and their preferred pronoun may not match the pronoun you might automatically assign to them. Remember that it's always okay to ask what a person prefers, and when that's not possible, aim for gender neutral language. (Changing your language can sometimes be difficult, but I've learned that most people are very understanding as long as honest effort is being made.)
In the end, it all boils down to one little word: Respect.


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Understanding Your Training Zones – Zone 5
Today we're talking about Zone 5, often called VO2 max. Before I explain the zone, what the heck is VO2 max? Your VO2 max is simply your maximal rate of oxygen uptake. It's the highest amount of oxygen that can be delivered to your body. It's
March 25, 2013


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Boardwalk lights on at sunset


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Yes, they were regular high school students just like the rest of us. Well, sorta ...
10 Moving Images from René Angélil's Funeral
Ted Cruz had long hair?! Hillary Clinton was in the Pep Club?! Before they were politicians, these White House hopefuls were regular high school students just like the rest of us.
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush was born and lived in Texas until the age of 14, when he went off to boarding school Phillips Academy, Andover in Massachusetts (pictured). Despite poor initial grades, he made honor roll by his senior year and served as tennis team captain. As part of Andover's student exchange program, 17-year-old Bush taught English and helped build a school in Ibarrilla, Mexico. During that trip, he met his future wife, Columba Garnica Gallo.
The former governor of Florida and Republican presidential candidate spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations on January 19 in New York, New York.
Then and Now: The "Anne of Green Gables" Cast


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Welcome back to part two of the Leadership in Football series. I'm breaking some common traits in effective leaders, and analyzing how Tim Tebow exemplifies these traits.
I challenge you to compare yourself to Tebow, and try to apply some of these traits to become a leader on your own football squad.
As I said before, you never know; your leaderships abilities could very well be the one thing that gets you picked by an NFL team over another comparable player.
In Part One, we looked at Tebow's communication skills. Let's pick up where we left off.
One of your main jobs as a leader is to motivate and inspire your followers.
But it's tough to motivate others, if you're not motivated yourself.
Tim Tebow was known as a motivator even back in his days with the Gators.
Despite being told by dang near the entire football world that he didn't have what it takes to play quarterback in the NFL, he used that as motivation to go out and be the best he could be.
That same motivation that drove Tebow to lead the Denver Broncos into the playoffs in the 2011 season, despite their 1-4 start prior to him becoming the starter.
Check out this quote from Tebow, spoken during the 2011 NFL training camp, months before he took over as the starter:
I heard some guy say on TV that I don't belong on an NFL team as a quarterback… 'ppreciate that. I will cling to a third-string role until my contract runs out or until I am given a chance to start for a CFL or UFL team, I guarantee it.
That's the attitude of a leader.
Speaking of motivation, I'm sure you remember this halftime speech of the National Championship game against Oklahoma back in '08:
"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." – John Wesley, Church of England cleric and Christian theologian
People are attracted to people that are enthusiastic about what they're doing. It's a fact.
A lot of people doubted that Tebow's enthusiasm for success and the game of football would translate to the NFL.
But that same enthusiasm was a major part of what changed the mindset of that Denver Broncos locker room (and the Broncos fans, for that matter) in the 2011 season.
Whether he'll have the same effect on the Jets' locker room remains to be seen. But if I was a betting man, I'd say it will.
Check out Tim's enthusiasm at his press conference when he was introduced as a New York Jet:
Alright, guys. We're almost through this one. We'll finish up with part three, coming soon to a theater near you (no, not really).
By the way…
I've heard people say that they think Tebow's enthusiasm is fake. Do you think so? Why or why not? Leave a comment below!
Hit me up on Twitter! @alvingrier


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Ralph R. Clemente (died 2015) was a German filmmaker and actor. He founded the Valencia College film school in 1988. David Nutter was a student of his at the University of Miami.[1]
In Game of Thrones, he portrays a woodcutter in the fifth season.
|Season Five credits
|The Wars To Come
|The House of Black and White
|High Sparrow
|Sons of the Harpy
|Kill the Boy
|Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
|The Gift
|The Dance of Dragons
|Mother's Mercy


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Mayor Karl Dean rolled out a new business response team Thursday that will facilitate the volunteer efforts of businesses and assist businesses stricken by the weekend of flooding.
Taking the lead on the efforts are the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, along with Gray Line of Tennessee, Ingram Industries, Bridgestone Americas and AT&T.
"This team will facilitate the process for companies to make contributions, either through donations, volunteer manpower or in-kind services," Dean said. "It will do the crucial work of reaching out to the business community to make sure they know we need help."
Kicking off the efforts of the business community, the Country Music Association pledged to donate half the proceeds it nets from its CMA Music Festival, held in June, to Nashville's disaster relief cause. The figure will likely exceed $1 million.
Dean's business response team will assess the needs of businesses throughout Middle Tennessee. From there, leaders are hoping to coordinate corporate involvement to match companies that want to help with those that need it. The group will also work with various local nonprofit agencies such as Hands on Nashville.
"We are proud to be a part of Mayor Dean's team to help create that sustained attention to the recovery, so that we have just as much energy as time goes along as we do today," said chamber CEO Ralph Schulz.
To plug into the business network, people are to call 743-3091 or visit www.nashvillechamber.com/flood [1].
[1] http://www.nashvillechamber.com/flood


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This Armoire does a little bit of everything.
It is suggested that this "multifunctional piece of furniture would be the focal point of your room".
Apartment Therapy Furniture Classifieds are open for your business in the NAV BAR. Post a particularly good thing, and we'll post you here on the front page...
- Artist Painted Trunk/Coffee Table for $175.00
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- Foosball (table soccer) table for $200.00


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Russo's lend Watford ANOTHER £1m
Watford's dire financial situation looks to have finally reached breaking point today with Jimmy Russo lending Watford another £1m to cover costs until December 22nd.
After already bailing the Hornet's out on three seperate occasions with loans totalling £3.85m through the Russo's own Valley Grown Salads company and Jimmy Russo's own personal fortune.
A statement from Watford Leisure PLC can be found at Watford Observer Website
The gist of statement is that the Hornet's need to find further investment, and damn quick, else trading on shares will be suspended, whilst 'clarity' is sought with regards to the situation. Administration could well follow.
Furthermore it has been confirmed that at present, talks seeking further investment have been unsuccessful. IE. Michael Ashcroft has failed to put his hand in his pocket, again. Or words to that effect.
Watford now still need to find another £5.5million to cover the shortfall by June 2010. All we can suggest is that the Hornet's faithful start looking down the back of their sofa's for any loose change...


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Development Camp Notebook: First day with the first roundersby Missy Zielinski / Tampa Bay Lightning
Johnathan Drouin and Anthony DeAngelo hit the ice together for the first time Wednesday, as the Tampa Bay Lightning's annual development camp opened at Brandon Ice Sports Forum, but the experience was very different for the pair of first-round draft picks in 2013 and 2014.
DeAngelo said he participated in his first high-pace practice of the summer in Tampa after becoming Bolts property less than a week ago in Philadelphia.
"I let being drafted sink in on Saturday and Sunday," DeAngelo said. "Now I'm ready to go back to work. It's a dream come true to be in an NHL rookie camp."
On the other hand, Drouin is coming off of a season where he scored a league-high 41 points during the 2013-14 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoffs. He enters his second showing as a Lightning prospect.
Yet having the two first-rounders together, along with a mix of other brand new and veteran talent, is an opportunity for Drouin to display how he has matured, despite being sent back to his junior team, the Halifax Mooseheads, at the beginning of last year's campaign.
"I was 18 when I got sent down," Drouin said. "Obviously it was disappointing, but I think it's going to help me. Now I'm 19. I'm a better-rounded player and have become a leader. I think I'm better than I was last year."
Drouin said Wednesday he felt more comfortable than he did one summer ago, although he can still relate to what the first-timers are going through. He even recalled that he "didn't know what to expect," during his first-ever development camp.
"Now you know what's going on, you know what the plan is, and you want to help all the new draftees this year so they become more comfortable too," Drouin said.
While the newest additions to Tampa Bay will quickly realize that camp features a mix of seeing how they fit into the Lightning's system with power skating and off-ice conditioning to get their bodies fit for the NHL, Drouin also offered his own advice.
"You've got to play your game," he said. "You've got to show the same thing that got you here. You don't have to be a different player."
DeAngelo will have the opportunity to be reminded of Drouin's words first-hand, as the two skate alongside each other in thesame group throughout the week.
Not only did Drouin feel he improved after another year in the QMJHL, but vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman was impressed with how he transitioned from a mindset of making an NHL club to going back to Halifax.
"He went back and was a number one center, ran the power play and played in most situations," Yzerman said. "He was dominating in both ends of the rink and his game evolved."
Now moving forward the question of where Drouin lands during the 2014-15 season ultimately lies in his hands.
"He's going to get every opportunity," Yzerman said. "He has his mind set on making this team and he's going to get every opportunity."
Forward Adam Erne is dealing with a minor injury and was being held to skating drills during Day 1. It is considered a minor tweak and a precaution with the prospect tournament and Lightning training camp coming up in September.
Defenseman Slater Koekkoek is not medically cleared to play, but is expected to be 100-percent by prospect tournament/training camp.
Goaltending invitee, Clay Witt, is a native of Brandon, Florida.
DeAngelo and Erne have become good friends by playing with each other on the same tournament teams and in Team USA camps. He's also played against Dylan Blujus, Jake Dotchin and others attending camp who are a part of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).


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Iran Feature: So Who Were the "Students" in the Embassy Attack?
Many reports have used the term "students" to describe those who demonstrated and occupied the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday. However, if you take a closer look at what the Iranian media and the "students" themselves are saying, you will get a much better idea of who is responsible.
Throughout the attack, major State-run news organizations like Iranian Students News Agency and Islamic Republic News Agency were running updates of how "students" had broken into the Embassy. Fair enough --- you would not expect these outlets to give away the identities of the attackers; there is a concept called plausible deniability, and the Iranian regime is fully aware of it. So to understand what was occurring, one has to look for the proverbial stupid friend.


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Barrichello, now racing for Williams, described Schumacher's move as the most dangerous made against him in his 300-race career and accused his former Ferrari team-mate of almost killing him to settle old scores.
"If he wants to go to heaven before me he can; I don't want to go to heaven yet," Barrichello said. "It was a go-karting manoeuvre. He's taking something from the past into the present and there's no need for that."
The incident occurred when the pair were battling for the final point-scoring 10th place and Schumacher ran wide coming into the pit straight. Barrichello moved to pass the Mercedes driver on the inside but the German, making a comeback this season after three years in retirement, closed the gap, squeezing the Brazilian gradually closer to the pit wall.
An accident was averted only when the wall ended and Barrichello was able to veer right and pass into turn one. Schumacher, 41, was given a 10-place grid penalty for the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix on Aug 29.
Schumacher was initially unapologetic, claiming that Barrichello was making a fuss about nothing. "We know certain drivers have certain views, and then there's Rubens ..." he said. "As far as I was concerned there was enough room for him to get through there. But it's clear that I wanted to make life for him as difficult as possible."
However, on his website on Monday, Schumacher admitted he had been in the wrong and said his post-race reaction was borne of adrenalin.
"Yesterday, right after the race I was still in the heat of the action, but after I watched the incident with Rubens again, I must say that the stewards were right with their assessment: the move against him was too hard," Schumacher said.
"I wanted to make it hard for him to pass me. I clearly showed him that I didn't want to let him pass but I wasn't seeking to endanger him with my move. If he feels I was, then I'm sorry; this wasn't my intention."
It was not the only controversial incident of the race for the Mercedes team, who also released Nico Rosberg from a pit stop with one of his wheels not properly secured. The German had only gone a few yards when the wheel flew off and bounced down the pit lane, knocking down a Williams mechanic, who escaped with bruised ribs.
Team principal Ross Brawn said that the team had worked out where they went wrong and promised to be more vigilant in future.
"It appears that as the guy came off with the wheel gun, it spat the wheel nut but he didn't see it disappear," Brawn said. "He went back on, fired the gun and realised the nut was no longer there so came back out to grab the other gun and the rear jack guy thought he had finished, so he dropped the car and away he went. I think we understand what happened and we will look at how we can prevent it happening again."
He added: "When the gun went on to take the nut off, the gun hadn't engaged properly, so the nut was off the axle and it spat it out."
Meanwhile, the sport's governing body has announced the date of Ferrari's hearing into their actions in Hockenheim two weekends ago when they defied a ban on team orders by instructing Felipe Massa to stand aside and allow team-mate Fernando Alonso through to win the race.
Ferrari were fined $100,000 on the spot – the maximum allowed – and the case was referred to the FIA's World Motor Sport Council for further consideration under Article 151c of its Sporting Code, which deals with disrepute charges.
FIA president Jean Todt, a former team principal of Ferrari, is not expected to attend the hearing on Sept 8, the week of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It will be chaired by the FIA's deputy president for sport, Graham Stoker. Todt is keen to avoid allegations of a conflict of interests, having promised an overhaul of the governing body's disciplinary process during his election campaign last year.


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Organize Active Paperwork With Post-It Pockets
In our swag bag from the LA Organizing Awards on Friday were these Post-it Pockets from (you guessed it--Post-it). Since our organizing style is half hider and half seeker, the Post-it Pockets speak to our seeker side. We've tested these free goodies out for ourself for the active paperwork in our household--see how it turned out after the jump.
We first tried the Post-it Pockets out on our fridge. We just paid all the bills this weekend for the house so we used blank envelopes in place of the statements. Usually, our bills are kept together by a paperclip on our magnetic wire basket (which has come loose on occasion). We quite like the sleeker look of the Post-it Pocket on the fridge and are wishing it came in white.
Next, we took the Post-it Pockets into the office. Currently, our business bills and important paperwork are kept in view by a paperclip on our clear, wall pocket file holder. The system works well for us but again, could it look neater?
We attached the Post-it Pocket to our existing file holder but some of our paperwork was a bit too big to fit comfortably in the Post-it Pocket. We're thinking the letter sized Post-it Pocket on the side of a filing cabinet or even attached to the wall might work better.
Related Organizing Posts


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|Windows 8 - "May the birds be with you." FUCK OFF! That's not funny Microsoft, it's just shit!
Most Annoying TV Adverts • Page 103
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'It's good to be a dad, it's better to be a friend.'
Fuck off. Shit sentimental shite for cuntbags. I detest sentimental adverts.
Noticed the budget on these payday loan companies adverts seem to be increasing. Fancy special effects and computer graphics. Just an observation.
They must be making a lot of money.
Either that, and/or has some restriction been lifted?
I guess it could be a restriction lifted. Pretty depressing if it is indication they are doing well.
People are daft enough.
Or they're desperate to make money before they all get fucked over for being dodgy as.
thelzdking wrote:
'It's good to be a dad, it's better to be a friend.'
Fuck off. Shit sentimental shite for cuntbags. I detest sentimental adverts.
Also it adds a sinister twist when he points out potential girlfriends when you find out it's really a 40 year old man
Cash Lady with Kerry Fucking Katona. How is it that just days after their advert gets banned that they are allowed to start showing a new one? You can take your 2,670% APR loans and shove them up your ARSE!
The Samsung Galaxy S4 advert where the basketball team are getting revved up by using the new feature on the phone where music can synchronise across multiple phones.
Trouble is, the song they picked is the most feminine track in living memory so it makes them all seem like pussies.
sport 14,139 posts
Seen 10 minutes ago
Registered 12 years ago
New BT ads with annoying "nerd" girl who just happens to be unbelievably hot. No chance you'd get that, irritating BT boy.
TheSaint 17,531 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 12 years ago
That's the one where he wants to cyber with her but her connection is a bit shit?
I assume in the next one she'll send him some saucy pics and he'll use his super fast upload speeds to post them on reddit's r/gonewild.
The new Go Compare advert with the auto-tuned singing.
Fucking hell, are they trying to make their adverts as shit as possible?!
@VideoGameAddict25 it's a bit shit, but it's far far far less shit than what they did before.
The worst bit is the ad execs looking sceptical.
They are representing the same fucks who gave us this rot, and then went back on it but only a bit.
Well to be fair, the worst ones were done in house by go compare. It's only more recently an agency took them over.
Tom_Servo 18,079 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 7 years ago
RedSparrows wrote:Hate the Office-style 'cringe comedy' stuff adverts have been trying to ape for years and years now. Pretty sure it's worse than the 'lifestyle' shit with beautiful people in green fields listening to folk-y music.
The worst bit is the ad execs looking sceptical.
They are representing the same fucks who gave us this rot, and then went back on it but only a bit.
Barclays - "A bit less banky, a bit more you." FUCK OFF!
Jono62 19,085 posts
Seen 4 minutes ago
Registered 10 years ago
Thought I was hallucinating when I saw Danny Trejo in an Old El Paso advert. Apparently I wasn't:
mal 29,136 posts
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Registered 16 years ago
Since when did the BBC start advertising TVs? I've no objection to them advertising the iPlayer, and very little against them pushing YouView given the money they put in to making that, but advertising 'smart' TVs made by commercial (and almost exclusively foreign) manufacturers of televisual receiving equipment that take your iPlayer data and wrap it up? Seems a bit dubious to me.
Saw a Co-op advert today and the music they were playing was Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". Are you fucking kidding me? I thought that was supposed to be a CHRISTMAS song. I don't want to hear that in fucking JUNE!
vijay_UK 3,961 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 8 years ago
The McDonald's ads are usually misleading, with everyone almost hugging and kissing each other because they have some food in their hands. Everytime I go McDonald's I feel like it's going to kick off
The Boots one with the woman putting suncream on her annoying fuckwit of a kid.
MoGamer2006 1,045 posts
Seen 8 hours ago
Registered 12 years ago
Al Pacino advertising SKY Broadband... FFS!
It's not on now, but the British Lions tour one on Sky. Fucking hell, talk about saturation.
David_Richardson 1,022 posts
Seen 1 minute ago
Registered 14 years ago
MoGamer2006 wrote:All of the new Sky Broadband adverts have made little sense. They got Willis, Aniston and Pacino and then had no idea what to do with them.
Al Pacino advertising SKY Broadband... FFS!
The way that woman offers herself to Willis on a plate is sinister. And there's what looks like a picture of her and her boyfriend on her desk. The fact that I've noticed that shows how often the advert is on.
David_Richardson wrote:Yup. Sky = 'chuck money at it, some'll stick' approach.
MoGamer2006 wrote:All of the new Sky Broadband adverts have made little sense. They got Willis, Aniston and Pacino and then had no idea what to do with them.
Al Pacino advertising SKY Broadband... FFS!
jonsaan 26,772 posts
Seen 11 hours ago
Registered 12 years ago
They deleted the scene where Willis is barebacking her in the stationary cupboard.
The B&Q advert where they address us as "Britain." Fuck off you patronising cunts!
VideoGameAddict25 wrote:Keep it going - I'm loving the hate
The B&Q advert where they address us as "Britain." Fuck off you patronising cunts!
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Judy Regnier, a Registered Nurse, contracted Hepatitis C while working in the ICU in the 1980s. She was completely unaware of it until she developed symptoms twenty years later. Her diagnosis was confirmed with a blood test and she was referred to Stanford Medical Center. Showing signs of liver failure, Judy was immediately listed for a liver transplant. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a nurse and just 56 years old.
Judy continued to work for a year after being put on the transplant waiting list, but eventually became too ill to work. For most of her adult life she had been the caregiver as both a nurse and a mother to two boys. Now the tables were turned and her husband, Ken, was taking care of her. Judy's two sons were both married and had children of their own. She had a new grandson born just nine months before her transplant, and she was able to go to Florida when he was born, but was not able to travel after that. She was too ill and also needed to be near the transplant center in case there was an organ available for her!
After two years on the waiting list, Judy received the call from her transplant center with an offer for a new liver. Judy accepted, knowing the liver was healthy but a carrier for Hepatitis B. "I said YES, as I desperately wanted to LIVE!"
Judy received the gift of life on Mother's Day, 1998 from a 33-year-old man from Arizona. The surgery was successful, although the Hepatitis C virus became very active in her transplanted liver. Fortunately, Judy was allowed to take part in a then-investigational study of dual therapy of interferon and ribavirin for 24 months. The treatment was successful, and Judy is free of Hepatitis nearly 17 years later. She is grateful not only for the cure of Hepatitis C, but also that she was able to participate in the study that gave her and many others the ability to use the combination of drugs for treatment.
Following her transplant, Judy was able to eventually return to her career as a part-time nurse with a hospice – a career she loved and found rewarding for more than 20 years. In addition, she has been able to travel with her husband, see her sons, six grandchildren, and extended family across the country.
Says Judy, now retired and living in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, "What an awesome 16 years of life I have had since then! I have watched my grandchildren grow, started a business with my watercolor paintings, and became a Donate Life volunteer advocate first with Donor Network West [formerly CTDN] and later Sierra Donor Services."
While Judy has written many letters of overwhelming gratitude to her donor's family, the family wishes to remain anonymous. "I am forever grateful to that loving, generous family who donated the organs of the nameless gentleman who died that day…the day before Mother's Day! As a mother myself, I simply cannot imagine what they had experienced that day. But because of their donation, I have been able to watch my grandchildren grow up. It has now been 16 wonderful years!"> More Stories


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Commit to the changes you want in your life, and you'll have the freedom to achieve your greatness!
- Life Success seminars are practical, results-oriented seminars empowering you to make real, lasting changes in your life. Our trained facilitators guide you through important real-life concepts like responsibility, having your voice, resolving conflict, and trusting yourself and others. You'll see how your thoughts and feelings play out in your life, and you'll learn tools for improving your results and all of your relationships – personal and professional.
According to the feedback that we've received from Basic and Advanced-IPI seminar graduates over the years, 9 out of 10 agree that they benefited greatly from taking Life Success classes and recommend the seminars to their family and friends.
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Basic is our foundation seminar, which is a prerequisite for our seminars. During this seminar, you'll learn the essentials for leading a powerful, fulfilling life.
Together we will explore ways to find balance in our lives so we can grow and discover our authentic, self-confident selves. It is this self knowledge and new way of seeing things that ushers in freedom, peace, self-worth and the ability not let our pasts limit our future.
Some of the positive changes our graduates report after the seminar include:
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Our IPI graduates report that this seminar is the best investment they've ever made! And what could be better than investing in yourself and your future? Based on what our grads say, you can expect these results in your life after IPI:
- Confidence in yourself and your decisions
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In Basic Lessons for Successful Living and Advanced-IPI seminars, you'll identify and own your greatness. In Next Step, you'll have the opportunity to relax and embrace your spiritual strength. As you begin to realize the potential and greatness in your life, you must find and maintain balance in all areas of our lives, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Living is the act of balancing. It requires tools to find and maintain balance in the four areas of life. LSS teaches the tools through experiential exercises that unlock and expand our self-awareness, self-confidence, self-worth and improve our communication skills. The five-day Next Step seminar provides a peaceful, nurturing environment for contemplating your spirit.
So what are the benefits of Next Step?
- Ability to release feelings of stress whenever you need to
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- Experiencing love at a deeper level
- Living life with joy!


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Do Essential Oils Contain Proteins, Enzymes, Vitamins, or Hormones? by David Stewart, PhD You may have heard that Essential Oils contain proteins and/or that they contain hormones, vitamins, or enzymes. You may have even heard such statements at functions sponsored by Young Living, including Young Living Conventions. The short answer to the question in the […]Read More...
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With the days dwindling before signing day, Johnny Ragin III (Wilsonville, Ore./Wilsonville) admitted he was a bit surprised at the increased attention he has been receiving from college coaches.
He won't complain.
"People are liking the film and things are happening," the 6-foot-2, 208-pound linebacker said.
The four-star recruit has been busy recently. He spent last weekend on an official visit to Nevada.
"It went really well," Ragin said. "They played Boise State. They didn't end up pulling out the win, but the coaches got them prepared very well. They have nice facilities and they have really quality academics out there and I had an overall great trip."
In addition to his visit, he has entertained coaches from BYU, California, Oregon State, Colorado and Nevada during in-home visits.
"My mom and I had a good time talking to all of the coaches, getting some more questions answered that we had about each of their programs," he said. "We enjoyed the visits."
Cal delivered a scholarship offer Tuesday and he had an official visit to Berkeley, Calif. scheduled for this weekend. However, with the Golden Bears working on their coaching situation, Ragin's visit date was pushed back.
He was hoping to make his decision after returning from the trip.
"I was hoping to make my decision when I got back from Cal, but now that the visit's pushed back, I will have to wait a little bit longer," he said. "I'm looking to make it pretty soon."
With so much recent attention, Ragin said he doesn't have a favorite yet as he tries to find his new "home away from home."
"The most important thing to me is the quality of the education first and then the quality of the program and the relationship I have with the coaches," he said.


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Free Case Evaluation by a Local Lawyer!
Ask a Local Attorney. 100% Anonymous. Free Answers.Free Case Evaluation by a Local Lawyer: Click here
Law Office of Richard Williams | Richard Williams
You could be facing 2 to 20 years in prison for a rape 2d conviction. Additionally, you will forever be required to comply with the Community Notification Act where you must register as a sex offender and you are not allowed to live in certain restricted places.
Answer Applies to: Alabama
Replied: 7/28/2011
Law Office of Roianne H. Conner | Roianne Houlton Conner
This depends on a lot of factors such as your past record. Rape 2nd is a class B felony which the penalty is 2-20 years. However, based on the facts and circumstances as well as the judge you have you could get probation.
Answer Applies to: Alabama
Replied: 7/28/2011


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A recognized authority in business and franchise law, Charles N. Internicola, Esq. represents start-up franchisors, established franchisors, prospective franchisees, non-public corporations and individual entrepreneurs engaged in business transactions, franchise transactions and business litigation. Mr. Internicola also serves as "outside general counsel" to start-up, regional and national corporations where he manages and oversees regional and national business transactions and litigation. Charles is the publisher of the "New York Franchise Law Blog" and he is the author of "An Entrepreneurs Guide to Purchasing a Business or Franchise".
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At this month's meeting of the Tennessee Firearms Association we had James Kay from The Battle of Nashville Preservation Society give a presentation on civil war arms, and a bit of history on the Battle of Nashville. I'm not an antique gun guy, but it was pretty neat. One thing I did not know before last night was that Union troops had cartridge firing repeaters by the end of the war. The other thing I didn't know was that rifles shooting Minie balls had effective ranges out past 900 yds. Mr. Kay told a story of a General who's last words were "He can't possible hit us from that distance."
I used to carry a Derringer as a backup gun. People laughed at me, until I showed them the round it fired:
I kid, I kid. That's from a siege gun that could hit a barn door at 1600 yards.
The top one in the picture below is (IIRC) a Springfield that was converted from flint-lock to percussion. The bottom one is a cavalryman's carbine of some sort. Again, I'm not an antique gun guy
And the obligatory JayG bait:
ZOMG! Bayonets at the Golden Corral! EVERYBODY PANIC!


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How To Pack Your Life Into A Backpack Or Suitcase
The time has come to pack my bags again, and with the great uncertainty of not knowing how long I will be away for, it makes it even harder to pack my life into a backpack. I will be living, working and travelling thru Brazil and Europe for at least the next 7 months, but with different ideas always popping into my head, who knows how long I will be carrying my life around with me to explore the world.
So, in the process of me organising my things, I thought it may be useful to share how a 23 year old female who has a slight obsession with clothes and shoes actually packs. Let me tell you, it's a daunting process of elimination and favouritism of your belongings.
First things first, you must decide what you are going to use to store your precious items…
Backpack vs Suitcase
As frustrating as carrying my backpack can be at times, I really truly do love it. I think it is so exciting carrying your life around with you on your back, knowing it goes whatever direction your feet will steer you. Personally, I am not a fan of suitcases when it comes to long periods of travel. Sure, I'll take a small case on a trip to Byron Bay or Melbourne or a nearby city, or a destination where I will have stability in the one spot, because I think it's easier to keep your suitcase organised on the inside.
However, with the following examples based on my past experiences in Europe, regardless of whether you have a backpack or suitcase, you must be prepared to tackle the following day to day scenarios-
- The cobblestoned streets of most European cities
- The countless flights of stairs in the metro in Paris that includes stations without lifts and escalators
- The fact that you must sometimes walk through 1-10+ sail boats to finally reach yours when sailing Croatia
- The hectic rush hour of businessmen on the tube in London
- The excessive amounts of people and bikes on the footpaths in Amsterdam
- The corridors on the Eastern European trains that barely allow room for 2 people to pass one another
I can say with confidence that it has always been much easier for myself to carry my belongings as opposed to pulling them and avoiding running over someone's foot / dropping them into the Adriatic Sea.
So, due to my past personal encounters, the Backpack wins. I recently bought a new backpack (and sadly had to replace my 5 year old backpack who has travelled to 17 countries with me..) from Kathmandu with full support to carry on your back, but with 2 wheels at the bottom, giving you the option to also pull it along.
I must admit I would expect myself to be somewhat of a skilled packer by now, but, as the years go by, my packing skills only increase a fraction per trip. All in all, I can say I am finally understanding that my problem is I overpack. What you pack is totally your choice, there are no set rules. I know I should pack less clothes, but let me be honest, that ain't gonna happen. Regardless of how many clothes I pack, I always leave room for the essentials.
The General Essentials
Power Adapters
UK, European, etc. I own double adapters because I try to charge my things at the same time. If you are in a hostel, it's not so wise to leave your valuables charging in the rooms whilst going out and exploring.
But don't worry, if you happen to lose them on the road, I was surprised that they are quite easy to find in electrical stores through out mainland Europe (Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, etc).
A small towel
Hotels will provide towels but most hostels won't. Usually its a few extra euros to hire, and in the long run it's much cheaper to have a light weight towel to travel with. You can double it as a shower towel and beach towel, but if you are spending a lot of time by the sea it would be a better option to buy a local towel when you arrive to the destination.
A comfortable pair of shoes
Essential for those days you are constantly moving around whether it be hiking up a hill to get the best view of the city or wandering Rome for hours on end, you really do need a pair of comfortable shoes.
A cheap pair of Thongs / Flip Flops
Thongs (Aussie term for flip flops) are like my personal rule for showering in hostels, and my $2 pair from target are perfect for this purpose.
Plastic bags & Zip lock bags
Bring a couple plastic bags to put in your dirty laundry. You will no doubt accumulate more bags over time, which if I'm organised I assign to different items- Dirty shoes / Washing / Clothes that crinkle / Toiletries that often leak.
Pack some zip lock bags for a few extra benefits
- To store some sneaky croissants or pastries from breakfast
- For girls to store their constant disappearing supply of hair ties and hair clips
- An easy to find jewellery holder
- Electrical chords / Usb
Stock up a little
When travelling long term, its inevitable your are going to run out of a few things. To prevent spending extra money on necessities when you would rather be spending it on flavoured shots of Polish Vodka, I've learnt to take some spare items of things that I most need and tend to run out of. A small tube of toothpaste and a spare toothbrush, Panadol, extra sunscreen in a small tub, paw paw ointment, an extra mascara and back up sanitary items. These are items that are sold everywhere but if you find yourself lost in Prague, or in Italy and Spain during siesta , they can be harder to find than you would think. Trust me, I've been there too many times. It's better to have a back up of lightweight essentials.
A 2 in 1 Shampoo / Conditioner
It makes the communal shower process that much quicker.
Ped Egg or Emery board
It's the ugly truth, but if you're travelling long periods of time, your soles will start to wear down and gradually become sore and in many cases, cracked and unattractive, especially after numerous trips to hostel showers. Maybe its a pet peeve, but I really don't enjoy the whole smelly feet situation with them dangling over the bunk above me in the hostels. Ped eggs and emery boards remove dead skin and keep your feet feeling soft and clean, so everyone wins.
Hand Sanitiser / Wet Wipes
Clean hands to attack your italian pizza with.
A Pen and Notepad
I wish I wrote down more memories from things I've thought of on the road. Alas, this blog came to life but I still need something to jot down ideas.
I put small locks on each of the zips on my backpack and carry a large lock to make use of the lockers that accompany most hostel dorms. My laptop got stolen in London a few years back because I didn't lock up any of my things, due to thinking I was in good company in a 12 bed dorm. Lock up everything valuable, but even the most random items will occasionally suddenly disappear if you leave them lying around.
Essentials for Girls
Baby Powder / A dry shampoo for hair- This is my saving grace. Having natural blonde hair, I can fortunately get away with not washing it all the time. I always pack a small tube of baby powder to apply to my hair each morning. This way it doesn't get greasy and I don't have to wash it every day. I can literally go for a week without worrying about my hair as it looks fresh and clean from my morning 5 second application.
Perfume & body lotion- It's the little things in life… Having a nice scented perfume will automatically make you feel more refreshed and I have found it is a great way to remind myself of past adventures. I have a few favourite scents, but when I smell Gucci Envy Me, it transports me to back to my first time in Italy. As they say, scents can be a powerful reminder of your memories, and that scent can also leave an imprint on other people and their memories of you.
And for the Aussies
Vegemite and TimTams.
In the end, you know better than anyone else what you do and do not need. Your heart might want you to pack one thing but the logical side of your brain might know it's not really best.
You live and you learn. Packing takes practice and although I would like to pack much lighter, I can personally accept the fact that if I pack 16-18kg of clothing and essentials, I am the one who will be carrying it, and after a few weeks it really truly does get easier and easier to lift it, due to the extra use your muscles get (I like to think of it as a work out from over indulging in everything.)
As for now, I'm off to finish packing / eliminate some of the 10 pairs of shoes I want to take with me…
Written by: Georgia McGrath