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Serious lightweight backpacking gear from REI? You betcha! New for 2007, the REI Cruise UL 60 is a major overhaul of their previous UL 60 model. This highly refined pack has an easy to adjust and comfortable suspension system, great feature set, some innovative features, minimal weight, and a remarkably low price tag.
What's Good
- Easy torso length adjustment
- "Kangaroo" front pocket
- Lightweight frame gives complete weight transfer to the hips
- Internal compression system
- Excellent fit and very comfortable to carry
- Lots of options for attaching gear to the outside
- Outstanding value
What's Not So Good
- Hipbelt pockets are small
- Side mesh pockets are tight when pack is full
- Pack squeaks when hiking
|2007 REI Cruise UL 60
|Internal frame, top loading, fixed top pocket
|3661 ci (60 L) size M, 3970 (65 L) size L (size L tested)
|3 lb 3.1 oz (1.45 kg) measured weight, size L; manufacturer's specification 3 lb 3 oz (1.45 kg), size L
Sizes Available
Torso Fit Range
|M fits 17 to 19 inch torsos, L fits 19 to 21 inch torsos
|140d ripstop nylon and 210d double ripstop nylon, polyurethane-coated
|Fixed top cap with water-resistant zippered pocket and underside zippered map pocket , internal compression system, kangaroo front sleeve with water-resistant zippered pocket, two side mesh pockets, two zippered hipbelt pockets, easy torso length adjustment, 3 L internal hydration sleeve with two hangers and two hose ports, frontpanel has four elastic loops and six webbing loops for attaching gear, front daisy chain, haul loop, sternum strap
Volume To Weight Ratio
|77.7 ci/oz size L (based on 3970 ci and a measured weight of 51.1 oz)
Comfortable Load Carrying Capacity
|35 lb estimated comfortable load for an average person carrying the pack all day
Carry Load to Pack Weight Ratio
|11.0 (based on 35 lb and a measured weight of 3.19 lb)
An internal frame pack with a volume of 60 to 65 liters is optimal for lightweight backpacking. Hikers in this category typically keep their base weight (everything except food, water, and fuel) under 20 pounds, and carry a total weight of 25 to 35 pounds. There are quite a number of backpacks to choose from in this size category, and the REI Cruise UL 60 (in my opinion) is one of the top contenders. The following photo gallery will help acquaint you with the pack.
Views of the REI Cruise UL 60. The frontpanel (top left) features a prominent kanga pocket (short for kangaroo) and a total of 14 attachment points. Each side (top right) has a bellowed mesh pocket in addition to the space behind the kanga pocket. The backpanel view (bottom left) shows the pack's simple but capable suspension and "Rip and Stick" torso adjustment. The top pocket (bottom right) is fixed (not floating) and has a zippered map pocket on the underside.
Frame and Suspension System
The frame consists of two hollow contoured aluminum stays in sleeves on the main compartment (left). Torso length adjustment on the Cruise UL 60 is very easy with its unique "Rip and Stick" design, where the shoulder harness slides up and down on the stays.
Although size Large is specified to have 3 inches of torso adjustment (19 to 21 inches), I measured it at 4.5 inches (17 to 21.5 inches). REI's "Rip and Stick" design makes it very easy to adjust the pack torso length: simply loosen the load lifters, rip the Velcro attachment loose, slide the shoulder harness to the desired torso length, and re-fasten the Velcro and load lifters. The stays are anchored to a delrin sheet on the back of the hipbelt (right) and a contoured aluminum headrail at the top of the load lifters (not shown). The design is simple, lightweight, and effective. Note that the stays can be custom bent to better fit the user's back, but the pack cannot be used without the stays because the shoulder harness is mounted to them. I found the fit with the existing curvature to be just fine.
The Cruise UL 60's suspension system is Spartan but effective. The shoulder straps (left) taper from 3 inches at the load lifters to 2.5 inches at the sternum strap. The shoulder straps, backpanel (middle), and hipbelt (right) are a firm foam faced with spacer mesh to distribute weight and moisture.
Features and Utility
A unique and prominent feature of the Cruise UL 60 is its kanga pocket on the front. It's actually two pockets in one: there is a large dry storage pocket on the front of it with a vertical water-resistant zipper, and a large space behind it that wraps around the sides. The cradle behind the kanga pocket is very handy for stuffing a jacket or for carrying a wet tent or wet rainwear. A strap at the top of the kanga pocket connects to the pack's top pocket.
The Cruise UL 60's front kanga pocket (top left) is a prominent feature that adds a lot of utility and character. It's actually two pockets: a large flat pocket on the front with a water-resistant zipper, and a cradle behind it (top right) to stuff more gear. The side mesh pockets (bottom left) overlay the kanga pocket's mesh attachment, and are a bit tight when the main compartment is packed full. Inside the main compartment there is a 3 liter hanging hydration sleeve (bottom right) with two hangers and two hose ports.
Hipbelt pockets (left) are small but not tiny. The fixed top pocket (right) has a map pocket on the underside with a key clip. There are two drawcords, one for the internal compression system and one for the top closure.
If you count the cradle behind the kanga pocket, there are a total of 8 pockets on the outside of the pack. Each side has an additional mesh pocket attached to the kanga pocket, the top cap has a storage pocket on top with a water-resistant zipper and a map pocket on the underside, and there are two hipbelt pockets. Overall, the abundance of outside storage makes most everything needed on the trail easy to get to without digging into the pack's interior.
A unique feature of the Cruise UL 60 is its internal compression system. There is a second drawcord at the top of the main compartment that will collapse the volume down to a third of its extended size. It consists of a network of double seams with cords between them that tighten with a single pull at the top. It's an elegant design that works smoothly, and probably doesn't add any extra weight to the pack compared to a set of external compression straps that frequently get in the way of pocket access. However, the extra seams may be more prone to leakage in the rain.
The REI Cruise UL 60 has some drawcord wizardry. The top drawcord closure (green line in right photo) is a figure eight design to pull the extension collar down, and the internal compression system (purple line) snugs the main compartment and its contents into a tight unit.
For attaching bulky gear to the front of the pack, the UL 60 has four tool attachments and a daisy chain on the front of the kanga pocket. There are also six webbing loops that could be used for lashing straps or to add a bungee system.
Field Testing
I used the REI Cruise UL 60 on a number of winter snow camping trips and spring backpacks. The pack is nicely contoured to fit my back and easily adjusted to fit my torso and place the load lifters just above my shoulders where they belong. I found the pack very comfortable carrying loads up to 35 pounds (even heavier if you are a strong person), and it will transfer all the weight to my hips. The firmly padded suspension system is surprisingly comfortable.
The Cruise UL 60 has adequate attachment options to attach bulky items to the front. I easily carried 30 inch long snowshoes or a tent cradled behind the kanga pocket. The side mesh pockets are a tight fit for a water bottle.
With eight outside pockets (counting the cradle behind the kanga pocket), the pack has plenty of places to organize and stow gear frequently used on the trail. However, the side mesh pockets are tight when the pack is stuffed full, so a water bottle is a tight fit. They are best used for smaller, stuffable items. The hipbelt pockets are also on the small side, and will hold about three energy bars or other small essentials in each one.
The pack's internal compression system essentially makes it unnecessary to carry a summit pack. It collapses the pack down to a much smaller volume and secures items inside.
I also found the pack to be quite durable for its lightness. The 140 denier ripstop nylon is a good balance of durability and lightweight. The pack, including the mesh side pockets, should easily endure off-trail backpacking in timbered terrain with no damage (assuming reasonable care is taken).
I'm very impressed with the REI Cruise UL 60. It's a remarkable balance of features, fit, comfort, adjustability, organization, and lightweight. The pack fit me well, easily carried 25 to 30 pound loads, and transferred all of the weight to my hips. It also has plenty of storage and attachment options. My only complaints are its tight mesh side pockets and small hipbelt pockets, which hopefully will get remedied in the next production run. The pack is also a screaming deal at $130, and if you are an REI member you get part of that back at the end of the year in your membership dividend. Other packs in this category typically cost $175 to $250.
The Cruise UL 60 is one of the lighter packs in its category (internal frame, 60-65 liters, top-loading) at 3 pounds 3.1 ounces (size L). The GoLite Quest pack weighs the same, has a large zippered front pocket and costs $175, but has little torso length adjustment. The Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone (3800 cubic inches, 3 pounds, $215) is fairly spartan on the outside with only two side pockets and a top pocket, but its Nimbus framesheet and suspension are highly adjustable for torso length and shoulder width, and multiple shoulder strap and hipbelt sizes are available. The foam padding of the Nimbus suspension is also very soft and comfortable, compared to the Cruise UL 60's thinner and firmer padding.
Although they are not a direct comparison, "convertible" internal frame packs from Six Moon Designs and Gossamer Gear are an ultralight internal frame backpack alternative. The Six Moon Designs Comet and Starlite packs, and the Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus pack have removable stays and weigh 30, 29, and 20 ounces, respectively. All are capable of carrying loads in the 25 to 30 pound range, but not as comfortably as the REI Cruise UL 60. They are also less durable than the Cruise UL 60 and lack the range or ease of torso length adjustment.
What's Unique
The Cruise UL 60's internal compression system works very smoothly to reduce pack volume for day hikes from camp summiting a peak. The pack torso length is easily adjusted within a 4.5 inch range with its "Rip and Stick" feature. And its front kanga pocket is very useful and adds a lot of utility and character to the pack.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Bellow the side mesh pockets more to give them more capacity with the main compartment is stuffed full
- Make the hipbelt pockets larger


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Oct 21, 2018
Contact Us
- Phone: (650)359-5227
- Email:
- Mailing Address: 1295 Seville Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044
In so many ways the kingdom of Heaven is completely upside down from what it seems like it should be. To be a leader you must be a servant. To truly find life you must die to self. To get back at your enemy you must love him. Seems crazy, but that is the kingdom that Jesus came to proclaim. It's a kingdom with vastly different standards and values than our world.
Oct 21, 2018

subset: commoncrawl


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South Dakota Only State to Pass Guns-in-Schools Law
SIOUX FALLS - South Dakota is the only state that so far has passed a law allowing school personnel to carry guns in schools, despite the proliferation of such bills in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre.
The South Dakota Legislature earlier this year approved a law that would let trained officials carry guns in public schools, so long as the district approves it. It's unclear yet if any schools plan to have armed staffers come next school year.
Kansas is poised to pass a similar proposal. Arkansas has enacted a law allowing colleges to let staff with concealed gun permits bring their weapons on campus.
But even traditionally gun-friendly states have faced opposition from educators and reluctance from some governors.
Twenty-six children and staff were killed Dec. 14 in Newtown.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Zucchini Goat Cheese Recipe
This weekend, I was inspired by the seafood I prepared for myself and created fish-like "scales" using thinly sliced zucchini so my husband Lulu, who is a vegetarian, could enjoy a similarly-themed meal.
First, I steamed thinly sliced and shredded zucchini. Then I cooked finely chopped morel mushrooms with garlic. Shredded zucchini, preserved lemons and the mushrooms became the base of the flavoring for the goat cheese filling. I reshaped a log of goat cheese mixture and dressed it with the zucchini slices. I added a little glamour to the dish with the exquisite white truffle oil we received from our friend Casey at Pastamoré. How luxurious does this sound?
I preserved Meyer lemons in several jars a few months ago and it's now time to enjoy every bit of them. This is the very first time of the season I'm using them. You could use them to flavor pasta, cold soup, sauces, salad dressing, dips, stews and many more dishes. Stay tuned for more recipes with preserved lemons.
Yields: 10 servings1 (6-ounce) log goat cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon medley peppercorns, coarsely ground
4 fresh morel mushrooms
3 tablespoons curly parsley, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon liquid lecithin
2 tablespoons white truffle oil, + extra for drizzling
1 preserved lemon
juice of half a lemon, freshly squeezed and pulp removed
4 small zebra zucchini (or 1 large regular zucchini)
4 cups baby spinach leaves
For the zucchini:
Trim the zucchini. Using a mandoline, shred one whole zucchini and slice the rest crosswise very thin (if using one regular zucchini, shred ¼ of it and thinly slice the rest. Place the zucchini in a steamer basket. Fill the steamer with water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes. The zucchini should be soft and tender but still firm (not falling apart). Remove from the steamer. Cover with ice cubes and let cool to room temperature. Season with salt and pepper.
For the mushrooms:
Finely chop the mushrooms. In a small pan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until well coated in the garlic. Add the parsley and immediately turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
For the preserved lemons:
Separate the pulp from the rind. Cut the preserved lemon rind into thin julienned strips. Reserve 1 teaspoon rind for garnish.
In a small bowl, combine the xanthan gum, liquid lecithin and white truffle oil. Stir well. Note: This is the thickening agent for the goat cheese.
Add the pulp to a mortar and pestle. Add salt and white truffle oil mixture. Stir well.
For the goat cheese spread:
Pat dry the zucchini in paper towels.
Using a spatula, whip the goat cheese to soften it. Add the mushrooms, shredded zucchini and the thickening agent and mix until even. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Place the goat cheese on a large sheet of plastic wrap and form a log. Tightly wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Assembly time:
Line your work surface with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Drizzle with white truffle oil. Sprinkle with the reserved julienned preserved lemons and pepper. Cover with the zucchini slices, creating fish-like "scales". Place the unwrapped, chilled goat cheese on top. Wrap the formed log and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
When you're ready to serve, cover a serving platter with spinach. Cut slices of the flavored goat cheese and place them on top.
Serve with a preserved lemon dressing and toasted bread on the side, if you like.
Bon appétit!
I used Pastamoré brand white truffle oil.
You could replace the goat cheese with cream cheese.
Xanthan gum is a fine powder used as a binder and emulsifier. If you look at the list of ingredients for salad dressings and ice cream at the supermarket, you'll find that they contain xanthan gum. I use it for texture and as an egg white substitute. You can find it online or in any specialty food store such as Whole Foods.
I use liquid lecithin as an egg yolk substitute. You can also find this online or in any specialty food store like Whole Foods. Look for a (32-ounce) bottle, which is much easier to cook with, than the capsules.Published By: on June 17, 2013.


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Sioux Falls Skyforce Can Punch Ticket to Playoffs This Week with Sweep
As the end of the NBA Development League regular season draws ever closer, the Sioux Falls Skyforce can envision a spot in the post season. Last week's two-win performance put them on firmer ground.
Tuesday's road win at Canton and a Saturday home win against Springfield gives Sioux Falls 25 wins which ties them for third best in the circuit. The Thursday road loss at Tulsa, number 18 on the season, was not overly damaging. However, Idaho which sits ninth overall has 19 setbacks. Thus the margin of error is slim for any playoff hopeful. Even Tulsa and Texas are still in the hunt, but basically have to win the rest of their games to even have a remote chance of making it and they have to play each other one more time.
The Skyforce agenda for the week features one game against Iowa which carries a heavy load for both teams. Sioux Falls is number 6 in the rankings and the Energy (23-17) is number 7. Nearly as important as overall win-loss record is the season series which Sioux Falls leads 4 games to 3. A win would give the Skyforce a tie-breaking advantage if needed to qualify for the post season. Splitting the season series muddies the water a bit, because the next tiebreaker is performance against above .500 teams.
Further intrigue arrives late this week as Idaho will come to Sioux Falls for a two-game showdown on Friday and Saturday. Essentially, Idaho will need to win at least one to keep their playoff embers flickering. Two losses at the Sanford Pentagon would be devastation for the Stampede. Officially the playoffs don't start until early April, but all of this week's games will be close enough to the real thing. If the Skyforce can end the week with 28 wins, they will be playing postseason basketball.


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Quote:Due to recent developments I'm going to make an ammendment to my original post.For all of you there who are thinking of creating a new martial art. Martial arts are not created by any one person. Of course there is an instigator of a certain martial art, a founder perhaps. However, over generations arts develop by having to stand up to the scrutiny of the artists. These many martial artists create the art, not just one person.
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text: BMW Z4 M Top Gear Episode May 21, 2013 | Top Gear Cars, Top Gear UK | 0 comments In Season 8, Episode 4 of Top Gear we see the BMW Z4 M lap time. Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA. 9 − eight = This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


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Social Media
The Massive Numbers Behind Snapchat's Daily 10 Billion Video Views
These days we can put all our content and immortalize it on the web. But the mobile app Snapchat does the opposite – you post your story and it disappears within 24 hours. Who would have thought that this crazy idea would turn out to be such a big hit? The app definitely made changes with how smartphone users create videos and make use of filters and the company continues to revolutionize how a person can share snapshots of their lives.
Related blog posts and resources:
Below is a brief infographic from Infographic Design Team showing the figures that have re-shaped the lives of so many smartphone users:
The Anatomy of Snapping and Chatting Summary:
These are the numbers that show why Snapchat is revolutionizing the way videos are being shared:
- The platform currently counts more than 10+ Billion Daily Views surpassing Facebook's video views.
- The number of daily active users totaled to 110 Million in December of 2015 and the number continues to climb.
- Snapchat's video views have increased by 400% – from 2 billion to 10 billion. Snapchat will surpass 18 billion daily video views by May of 2017. Snapchat's video views also triple every 6 months.
- Its current valuation is approximate $20 Billion.
- 60% of all smartphone users are now on Snapchat.
- The Snapchat demographic ranges from 13-38 y.o.
Snapchat for Business Summary:
With the numbers shown above, you can no longer ignore Snapchat for your business and these are the reasons why it's a good idea to jump on that Snap-wagon:
- You can reach the younger audiences and have one-on-one interactions with 60% of its users between the ages 18-34.
- It shows a behind the scenes look and a slice of life in your office which can promote an immensely strong following and can engage an audience.
- You can get real one-on-one engagement by sending content individually to your followers.
- So many influencers on Snapchat are willing to partner up with you to bring brand awareness among your chosen demographic.
- It also shows how cool your business is by getting with the times and keeping up with the latest trend.
So what are you waiting for? It's time to start using one of the world's most active video social platform and mobile apps to snap your way to success!
Social Media
Top 10 Tips to Run a Perfect Expert Roundup Post for Your Brand
Roundups are common – it's been happening for a long time now.
Related blog posts and resources:
However, running one isn't that simple.
It requires the right ingredients – Good Topic Selection, Outreach, Presentation and Sharing.
But that is just the basics. What makes a roundup success isn't an easy to cook recipe. It will need a lot of dedicated effort, several weeks of emails and follow-ups – too much editing and coding and finally a lot of sharing.
Here's a small guide on how we run roundups and receive several thousand social shares – once it goes live.
1) Topic Selection:
Roundups end up getting several thousand social shares on an average but much of that depends on the topic that you have selected. Spend enough time to thoroughly research titles that generates a lot of attention. This title must be related to the site where you are going to post the roundup – else there will be little benefit of it.
Think of what your target audience wants to hear, for example for a finance blog – "43 Millionaires Share their Tips on How to grow your Money Quickly" – In short, relevant, catchy and actionable.
Do note that you have to find enough willing influencers on the niche to justify the roundup.
2) Email out Reach
Once the topic is decided, start the outreach process. Look for list of sites related to your niche and send them an email.
Use Google and search for terms related to your roundup, see what sites comes up. Look up their email ids and contact details and send them a basic pitch email.
This is the first pitch and it should be small and catchy. People hardly have enough time to read more than a few words – no point sending them huge paragraphs. Simply email them a small line about yourself, tell them that you are hosting a roundup where you need their participation. Let them know that your past roundups have received several thousand social shares and that should be enough for the first pitch.
When they reply back send them all the details. Keep the email small and mention everything in points – for example, where the post will be published, names of a few huge influencers who will participate, the question and the deadline.
3) Social Media Outreach
Outreach shouldn't be limited to emails only. There are facebook groups, LinkedIn groups etc. which are very active and have good discussions. Use those places, post a small update and ask people to participate in an upcoming roundup. You will receive several replies from these groups and these are excellent places for promoting the roundup too.
These are the same people who will share your roundup once it goes live and these groups will send you so many social shares too.
To learn more about what's working for other big name sites and branding that have completed their own roundups, and have seen massive results with social sharing, check out these 21 examples.
4) Using Lists
If you are someone like us who likes to carry out these roundups regularly then it is best that you use an email service like Mailerlite, Aweber, MailChimp etc. and start making a list of people who likes to participate in roundups.
Send an email and ask for participation when you are carrying out the roundup.
Every time someone sends you their roundup entry, make sure to ask them to sign up for the roundup list – that way they won't ever miss out on the next roundup you will be doing.
5) Direct Submission
People like to participate in places where they find entries from other familiar people. If they see a word document with some entries from people they know, they would want to add their own entry as well.
For this you can use the G Suite or use Guest Crew status updates like we do. This way, when you add a status update people will both participate and tweet it out as well – which results in more participation.
5) Formatting
How you present your roundup is totally up to you. Here are a few quick tips to format a roundup for success.
At the top of the roundup before you get into the expert answers – make a small list of clickable names, that way people can quickly reach the expert that they want to read. This hashtag navigation is very important.
Once you start formatting the roundup make sure to include a small image of the expert and next to the image – post a tweetable answer. Post the longer answer below it, that way it becomes more readable.
Do note that many people prefers small roundups where less than 15 people participate like this one published at MYUKMailBox – just make sure to keep the formatting in the same style.
6) Tweetables
People like to share content and making catchy tweetables make the process simpler. When you pitch your question to an expert, always ask for a smaller answer which will be added to the tweetable. Most people will send their small answer but some won't. This is where you need to edit out a small sentence from the longer answer and make a tweetable out of it.
While making the tweetable, include your own username – so that when someone tweets it out, you will get a notification too.
7) Graphics
Canva is the best option here – or you can use a graphic tool if you are blessed with more talent.
Try to make a graphic for every entry you have received. Simply include the image of the expert, their tweetable answer as a quote in the image and mention some details of the site where the roundup is published and the name and website of the expert on the graphic.
Place the graphic below the tweetable and chances are that most people will use the graphic for sharing the answers.
While Canva is great for creating visuals, it's also easy to create animated white board and explainer videos as well. A perfect tool for this is mysimpleshow.
Through their drag and drop video creation tool, it's quite easy to take the information provided by your experts, add in a photo of the expert, and then have an animation video created with all of the information already presented in your roundup. The great thing about this is that it can greatly improve the overall branding and reach of your content, while also making it easier for the experts to share with their social audiences as well.
If putting in the time and effort to create your own video isn't something you are interested in, you can also refer to their full service site at simpleshow. Through this premium service, their brand can create completely customized and professional videos to match the look and feel you are going after.
This is the ideal solution for bigger brands that want exposure from their expert roundups. The build it your own solution at mysimpleshow is also ideal for freelancers that might be doing all of the expert roundup outreach and work, then looking to upsell a premium package even further.
8) Sharing it out
At this point the entire roundup is ready. This is where you need to start sharing the roundup.
While sharing, make sure to carefully tag the experts on every social site where you will share the roundup. You will receive many social shares if you tag carefully. Don't limit the sharing to only social profiles, share it on the groups that are related to the roundup, share it further on forums where it is relevant. Ask your friends to share it further.
When it comes to running a successful expert roundup and promotion campaign, there are many tools to use to your advantage. Outside of the traditional WordPress plugins and social sharing methods we are all accustomed to, you can also look for other working methods — such as outreach tools, Facebook Groups, email finder tools, and also automation follow-up tools.
9) Outreach and Letting them know
Finally, send the experts who have participated – an email with all the details of where the post is published and a few quick links where they can share the roundup further.
Don't be pushy while asking for shares – simply give them the links to make the sharing process easier.
10) Keep sharing further
This is your roundup and you should be the one to keep the sharing going – everyday after the roundup is published and socialized.
Do note that most people are busy and they can only share when they have enough time on their hands. This is where you need to fit in. Use the tweetables you have created and start tweeting it out – at least 10 tweets a day. This will take several days to complete and your roundup will keep getting social shares in the coming weeks.
Roundups are so far our best marketing method, it does takes time – most roundups take a full month of time to get it ready and published but they are always worth their time and effort.
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Social Media
15 Unconventional Social Media Tactics That Encourage Engagement
Just about every brand is on social media nowadays, but not all of them know how to use it effectively. It's not enough to have a profile on multiple platforms and post content regularly. You need to provide the right kinds of content and posts that will make your followers want to react, share and comment.
Related blog posts and resources:
To find out what works, we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members for their favorite lesser-known strategy for boosting a brand's social media engagement. Here's what they had to say.
1. Hold Contests and Giveaways
A great way to drive engagement and social growth is via contests and giveaways. "Tag and win" contests are a great way to drive action and at a relatively low cost. We use these to gain new followers and build brand awareness. It is a good idea to make it as easy as possible to enter and share with friends, as this will drive the viral nature of the post and go much further.
– Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
2. Promote User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a great way to encourage social media engagement. If you come off as being too promotional or professional, you give off the impression that you're only there to do business. Encouraging customers to develop their own content allows businesses to show off their products from a more personalized point of view will increase engagement by highlighting your customers first.
3. Create and Share Useful Infographics
A great way to drive up engagement for image-based social networks, especially if your business is based on written content like mine, is to post infographics. If they contain interesting information presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner, readers will be inclined to reblog or retweet your posts. Small businesses can easily find freelance designers to help make them on sites like Fiverr.
– Bryce Welker, Accounting Institute for Success
4. Offer Exclusive Group Access
To entice our audience to engage with our Facebook Messenger bot, we entice them to join by giving them exclusive access to a free Facebook group that only our Messenger subscribers will have access. It includes exclusive training and Facebook live speed coaching that can't be found anywhere else. By creating a unique "club," it keeps the right people in our group and increases engagement.
– Bryan Kesler, CPA Exam Guide
5. Jack the News
Newsjacking is not "stealing the news." Instead, it's a valuable way for you to use a breaking story to shine a light on something you are doing at your business. While people are searching for the topic, new viewers will stumble upon what you are saying about the topic. It is a simple, cost-effective way for small business to generate tons of media coverage and social media engagement. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
6. Have a Virtual Party
Who said parties can only be offline? You can take your party online as well. We like to invite our customers, prospects and partners to join us for a virtual party. This is the easiest way to get discovered because when people share their voice, their audience sees what they are sharing as well.
– Sweta Patel, Silicon Valley Startup Marketing
7. Add Facebook Messenger to Your Website Homepage
It's really easy (and free) to install the Facebook Messenger widget on your company's homepage. As live chat becomes the No. 1 communication preference for online customers, bringing Facebook's chat capabilities directly to your site encourages more interaction with customers. Plus, it's a clever way to draw them into your social ecosystem.
8. Thank Your Customers Using Video
We love to use video on social media to thank our customers. A short, 15-second post identifying a great customer by name can create an amazing ripple effect. That person will likely share it on social, which will then create positive brand awareness. A small business can do this with an iPhone — just dedicate five to 10 minutes a day to these posts and watch the shares stream in.
9. Say Hello to Your Neighbors
As a physical location business, I love using Instagram's geo-location feature. We can say hello to all the neighbors, to potential clients and to anyone who's tagged themselves in or near our location. For example, I can see who's nearby our massage studio based on who's tagged themselves at the local gym, yoga studio or juice bar, and then "Like" and comment on their posts so they know we exist. – Rachel Beider, Massage Outpost
10. Focus on Image-Based Content
Several of my clients who are startup founders post images that are not necessarily about the product or service they sell but it talks about the industry they serve. For example, a pregnancy care app used to post images about newly born babies, which made them very popular. A picture is better than a thousand words — people always respond to something that is visually appealing.
11. Join a Relevant Group
Creating and joining engagement pods or groups with a similar niche is one of the underutilized methods to gain more engagement within your social media platforms. It's essentially creating a community of loyal supporters to follow, like and comment on every content that you post. This will work for both personal and business brands.
12. Integrate Offline Promotions
If you have a store or retail related market, you can introduce items and posters within your store that will encourage people to engage with you via social media. It's important to have a strategy in mind when you're using social. How much promotion will you do? Discount offers? Value-driven content? Contests? Let people know you intend to provide this via social with in-person marketing items. Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting
13. Reach Out to Them First
I go through my followers' followers and reach out to them on their pages. This means asking questions, commenting and retweeting their posts. I find that they then take the time to see who I am and discover what I do. This has significantly raised our followers in an organic way.
14 Take Advantage of Polls
Using polls in your Instagram stories is a great way to simultaneously encourage engagement and tap into valuable customer feedback. Pose questions in a fun and light-hearted way. This is a great way to take the temperature of your community. Are they willing to take two seconds to engage with you? If not, it may be time to re-think your overall approach to social media.
15. Share On-Brand Memes
Especially to the younger generations, memes are unique to our times and there is nothing like it in terms of engagement. Business owners sometimes have problems to not only understand memes but also to use them in successful campaigns. You need to have someone in the team that keeps up with pop culture and creates memes according to your brand, but you won't regret it.
– Brian Condenanza, Fluo Shoes
Social Media
How to Make Them 'Appy: 4 Top App Trends Rocking the Mobile World
As the App Store reported having more than 2 million applications available on it in 2018, it's clear that the app market is a little saturated. However, through a sort of natural selection, app trends keep changing to ensure that users get the most out of their mobile and smart devices.
Related blog posts and resources:
If you follow what's happening in apps, you'll stay ahead of your competitors and build apps that people use.
Here are four trends that are changing the way people use apps this year.
1. Apps For Wearables
Despite a few hiccups with products like the Google Glass, wearable devices are alive and well. The number of people walking around with FitBits and smartwatches is only going to grow in the next few years. Along with these smart devices are the requisite apps to make them more useful.
Smart wearables are a great way to stay healthy for some people. A watch that also watches your heart rate, checks your daily step count, and alerts you of appointments is a great way to stay in check. When you can receive alerts to take medications or to get to the doctor, it creates a personal connection with the device.
Increasingly, companies are integrating productivity applications for wearable devices. While tablets and smartphones started out as devices to perform some leisure activities on, they now have tools to keep you working. This is a welcome change for some while others call it a shame for the way it keeps us tethered.
More products will come with sensors attached to them that are then synchronized with apps. There are lots of connected devices sure to bed developed in the coming years that we can't even predict yet and each one of them needs an app.
2. IoT and Smart Home Devices
Most estimates suggest that in only a few years, the number of smart devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home are going to outnumber people. With these devices connected and listening to our every move and command, they'll become more integrated with our daily lives. Smart home devices give us a way to be more productive and integrate the technology we're already using with our home life.
As these items become more useful and more prevalent, they're becoming more integrated with one another. You can now control smart home devices remotely via apps. You can start heating up your home as soon as you leave the office or unlock your door for visiting guests while you're out running errands. Many of these smart home applications can be accessed through mobile apps as well.
These devices are collecting more and more data as time goes on. When integrated with weather applications, your heater can warn you that you won't need it because a warm front is moving in. If there's a blizzard coming, your fridge application can tell you that you should pick up some milk before you get home since you're almost out.
There are so many ways that WiFi enabled devices at home can connect with you while you're away. You can turn off lights that you forgot to hit on your way out or even know whether you left the oven on by checking the app.
3. More Mobile Purchasing
As mobile internet use has passed browsing on desktops and laptops, the number of people shopping has also moved mobile. More devices are now integrating payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Wallet into their interfaces, making mobile devices more accessible. It also means that developers need to get to work on new ways to process transactions.
Making purchases is becoming easier to do without cash. To process payment of any type from any customer that comes your way, you need to have the tools at your disposal. Not having the ability to process a payment sends your customers to your competitors.
Wearable devices are going to get into the purchasing game as well. When they can process payments, you'll see very people leaving the house with their wallet.
Combine all this with data collection and predictive analytics and you'll find new ways to engage customer loyalty. If you sell products in a brick and mortar space, your customers can get notified of special promotions as they walk by a business. Get them to buy from a certain retailer by tracking their data and you'll build customer loyalty through habitual purchasing.
4. All New User Experiences
As devices find new ways to collect and display data, mobile user interfaces are going to change. With smaller spaces come more interesting challenges. The most successful mobile companies are finding new ways to push intuitive design out to their clients.
Interactive interfaces require designers to create apps that allow you to do things you could never do on mobile devices before. With user attention split and constant interruptions, apps need to accommodate these challenges.
App development needs to use content layers and circular design patterns that help people manage their content. With the increased use of augmented technology, there will be new ways for people to explore the space they're in. If you're the first company of your type to take up space there, you can lead the way in your industry.
The standards for user interface keep changing, meaning that your designers need to be at the top of their game. As these standards change, so do customer expectations.
App Trends Are Going To Keep Shifting
If you think you'll ever finish chasing app trends, you're never going to be happy with this moving target. Once you realize that chasing trends is the way of the world in the app game, you'll be much happier about the results.
If you want to increase your productivity, check out our latest guide for building projects with better tools.
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Firefighters Pluck Spaniel From Icy RiverCAMBRIDGE - A 2-year-old springer spaniel is back with her owner today after falling into the icy Charles River and swimming in circles until she was rescued by Cambridge firefighters using a surfboard. Firefighters were dispatched to the area near Magazine Beach around 1:30 p.m. Monday, where the dog, Maggie, had left her owner's side to chase geese, said the department's ...Published about 8 years ago |
Four-Legged Friend Rescued from Snowy Storm Drain by FirefightersLAUREL, Md. - Members from the Prince George's County Technical Rescue Team rescued a dog that fell 25 feet into a snow-covered storm drain. Fire department spokesman Mark Brady says the dog was rescued Tuesday afternoon at Clarke Avenue and Holly Street in Laurel. Brady says a snow plow had apparently dislodged a manhole cover. A Laurel resident nearly fell into ...Published about 9 years ago |
GA Firefighters Rescue Toddler From Bank VaultCONYERS, GA - Firefighters worked ferociously for several hours last night to free a 14-month-old toddler who had wandered into Conyers, Ga., bank vault and became trapped. After pumping oxygen into the air-tight vault at the Wells Fargo bank in Conyers, rescue workers and a safe technician were able to reach the crying toddler, who was trapped for approximately four hours. ...Published about 8 years ago |
FF Risks Life, Saves Woman Stuck in Live WiresFORT ERIE - A woman is trapped inside a crashed, burning car energized by fallen hydro wires. Every time she touches the car's frame to get out, she gets shocked by the wires' electrical power vibrating through the vehicle. That is the scene volunteer firefighter Captain Robert Puttick arrived to Saturday. Off-duty during the 9:30 p.m. crash, Puttick said when he ...Published over 8 years ago |
Civilians Jump from Windows to Escape Blaze; FIrefighter Make Dramatic RescuesBRONX - A fire ripped through a Bronx public housing project yesterday afternoon, forcing a woman to dangle a baby out of a fifth-story window while she waited for rescuers to arrive. The blaze broke out at around 2 pm inside a closet in an apartment in the Pelham Parkway Houses and quickly spread through the three-bedroom residence, sending victims to ...Published about 9 years ago |
4 Sisters, Including Twins, Rescued from Burning Home[widget:news__wtop] HYATTSVILLE, Md. -- Four sisters are in area hospitals after firefighters rescued them from a burning house. Twin 13-year-old girls are in very critical condition, acting Prince George's County Fire and EMS Chief Marc Bashoor tells WTOP. One was transported to Children's Hospital and the other to Prince George's Hospital Center. Another two girls -- ages 4 and 9 -- ...Published over 8 years ago |
Worker Swept Through Sewer Drain Found AliveRAYMORE, MO - A contract worker examining a Raymore sewer drain was swept through the 24-inch pipe this morning — then found alive about 90 minutes later after traveling more than a mile through the system. A city worker and firefighters heard the 27-year-old man scream for help, popped open a manhole and found him about 9:30 a.m., curled up in ...Published over 8 years ago |
Joint FDNY-NYPD Efforts End In Rescue of Two Children in HaitiPORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - A New York rescue squad pulled two miracles from the rubble of Haiti on Tuesday night. One week after the devastating earthquake threw Haiti into chaos, a joint NYPD-FDNY rescue team dragged two children alive from the debris of a two-story building in Port-au-Prince, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. The 8-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl, believed to be ...Published over 9 years ago |
Oklahoma Flooding Leads to Dramatic Rescues [Photos]OKLAHOMA CITY — Record-busting rainfall in Oklahoma led to a day of dramatic rescues from swift floodwaters, but officials and residents acknowledged the outcome could have been far worse. No one had to be hospitalized Monday, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. There was just one unconfirmed report of a death, in Lawton on Monday night. Stranded motorists climbed ...Published almost 9 years ago |
110 Firefighters Respond to French Quarter FireInvestigators are looking into reports that a suspicious person was seen entering a for-sale historic property owned by Regions Bank on the Vieux Carre block that erupted in flame Thursday morning. The blaze gutted the interior of the building and damaged three buildings in total. Parts of the building fell onto Ursuline Street, presenting a major challenge to the responding firefighters ...Published about 8 years ago |
Family of Four Rescued from House Fire by Off-Duty FirefighterWARWICK, R.I. - - Four people sleeping inside their home escaped from their burning house on West Shore last night after an off-duty firefighter saw heavy smoke and alerted them. But in addition to putting out the fire, which started in the attic and eventually caused heavy damage there, firefighters had to retrieve the owner of the house who went back ...Published about 9 years ago |
Baby Frozen After Surgery Complications Makes Miracle RecoveryA baby who suffered complications following an intricate heart operation made a miraculous recovery after he was FROZEN for four days. Medics were astounded when 16-week-old Finley Burton pulled through after he was put on an external pacemaker and frozen to stop any shivering disturbing the device. They made the unusual decision to lower his body temperature to just 33.4C as ...Published almost 9 years ago |
Firefighter Rescues Boy, 8, From Upstate NY PondFORT EDWARD, N.Y. — A volunteer firefighter is being credited with saving the life of an 8-year-old boy who had fallen through the ice on an upstate New York pond. Police say Joshua Baker broke through the ice Wednesday evening at a pond in Fort Edward, on the Hudson River 45 miles north of Albany. Authorities say assistant fire chief Benjamin ...Published over 8 years ago |
MD Firefighters Are A Pet's Best FriendWASHINGTON - Three furry felines are alive and purring thanks to rescue efforts by firefighters in Prince George's County this week. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY - Prince George's County Fire and EMS spokesman Mark Brady says "The rescue of pets and animals in unusual and compromising situations is based on the the level of difficulty and safety of firefighter rescuers." He adds ...Published almost 8 years ago |
Injured Hiker Rescued from NH Mountain by 1800s RailwayMOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. — An injured New Jersey hiker has been rescued from the Northeast's highest peak via an old railway. New Hampshire state police contacted the Fish and Game department Monday evening about the hiker, on Gulf Side Trail on Mount Washington. Personnel from the Appalachian Mountain Club hiked down to examine him and determined he needed to be carried ...Published almost 9 years ago |
Firefighters Help Revive Toddler Who Fell Into PoolSTATEN ISLAND, NY - A 14-month-old boy was hospitalized on Saturday after falling into a backyard swimming pool at his family's home on Staten Island, officials said. The boy, Vincent Fougere, somehow wound up underwater in the pool behind his house on Brehaut Avenue in Tottenville shortly after noon, the police said. It was not immediately clear how long the boy ...Published almost 9 years ago |


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Halloween isn't your typical celebration. And, as Aoife Mullen finds out, Halloween food isn't exactly 'normal' either
Fact: we owe Halloween to Ireland. This is the autumn festival when, as my ancestors believed, the ghosts of the dead returned to the land of the living. Spooky.
Really, though, that's why we like Halloween. It's not 'normal'. It's scary, it's unpredictable and it's a little bit weird.
Just look at the food.
Caution is required at this time of year when biting into a slice of warm barmbrack.
This traditional Halloween bread/cake could contain any number of items, ready to tell the future of the person lucky (or unlucky) enough to find something in their slice.
Within your slice of brack you may find: a ring (married in a year); a stick (a walking stick indicating future travels); a thimble (a spinster forever); a button (a bachelor forever); a coin (a lifetime of wealth); and a piece of cloth (a lifetime of poverty).
Years ago, religious medals could also be found in bracks, predicting a life in the Holy Orders.
For those of you unfamiliar with barmbrack, this recipe from The Moody Boar in County Armagh is a winner.
For the fruit mix:
•350g (1½ cups) sultanas
•50ml (¼ cup) Bushmills whiskey
•Warm tea (enough to cover the sultanas)
•1 lemon, juice and zested skin
For the dough:
•450g (2 cups) strong bread flour
•A pinch of salt
•15g (1tbsp) dried yeast
•280ml (9.5fl oz) milk, at room temperature
•50g (3½tbsp) butter, softened
•50g (3½tbsp) sugar
•1 egg, beaten
For the topping:
•1tbsp butter
•1tsp ground cinnamon
•½tsp ground mixed spice
Tasty barmbrack via Shutterstock
1. Soak the sultanas in the whiskey, warm tea and lemon juice for 30-45 minutes, then drain off the liquid.
2. To make the dough: put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and bring together with a wooden spoon.
3. Knead on a floured surface with your hands for 5 minutes.
4. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave for about 1 hour, until the mixture has risen and fills the bowl.
5. Knead dough again on a floured surface, adding soaked fruit until evenly spread throughout.
6. Place in a 20-23cm buttered cake tin and cover with a damp tea towel.
7. Leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes until the mixture rises up to the top of the tin.
8. Bake for 50 minutes in oven preheated to 200C.
9. For the topping: cream the butter and spices together until soft.
10. Remove the barmbrack from the oven. Immediately spread spiced butter on top. Leave to cool.
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Food, they say, is the quickest way to a man's heart. In Ireland, especially around Hallowen, they took that literally. Some still do.
Traditionally in Ireland, many believed that colcannon could be the key to success for single women seeking a husband. Varying versions of this mashed potato dish passed through generations seeing rings (marriage), thimbles (spinsterhood), and coins (wealth) added to the finished recipe.
One legend has it that unmarried women would put the first and last spoonful of their colcannon into a sock and hang it on the door. The first man that passed through the door would then be their husband.
Others say unmarried women would go blindfolded into their garden to handpick the cabbage they would use for their colcannon. A batch of colcannon would be made with the chosen cabbage and a ring would be added. The woman who was first to find the
ring in their portion would also be the first to marry.
Finding a spouse may not always be that easy, but making colcannon is with this recipe from Café Rua in County Mayo.
•1kg (2.2lbs) peeled potatoes
•2 handfuls of chopped curly kale (cabbage)
•60g (2oz) butter
•250ml milk
•A bay leaf
•Salt and pepper to season
Buttery colcannon via Café Rua
1. Steam potatoes for about 15-20 minutes until tender.
2. When tender, drain water, and let the potatoes dry in their own steam for 5 minutes before mashing.
3. While potatoes are cooking, prepare the kale/cabbage. Remove the very stalky bits, wash the remaining leaves, and boil in a little boiling water until tender – this should take no more than 3-4 minutes. Drain, season and dress the kale/cabbage with some of the butter.
4. Reserve the kale/cabbage, and in the same pot, bring the milk to the boil with a bay leaf.
5. Mash the hot potatoes whilst still hot with the butter first, and then gradually add the milk so you have a delicious creamy mashed potato.
6. Season to taste, fold in the kale/cabbage and serve in a warm dish with a knob of butter on top.
And there you have it. Your Halloween will be spooky, scary and weird
. But at least you won't go hungry.
Happy Halloween from Ireland!
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For roughly five years, beginning with a memorable stint on "The Ultimate Fighter," Manny Gamburyan has found a home under the Ultimate Fighting Championship umbrella.
It's included an ultra-successful campaign in the UFC's one-time sibling company, World Extreme Cagefighting, in which the Glendale-trained fighter earned a featherweight title shot.
Alas, Gamburyan's title rendezvous with champion Jose Aldo ended in defeat and was the genesis for a current three-fight losing streak. Hence, as Gamburyan prepares for battle not far from his North Hollywood home on Saturday at the Staples Center against Michihiro Omigawa on the UFC on FOX 4 undercard, he might very well be fighting to stay within the organization that he has called home since 2007.
"Every fight is a fight you have to win," Gamburyan said. "The situation, though, with how things have been going, there is more pressure."
Two straight losses often signal the end of a UFC fighter's run in the organization, thus a fourth consecutive loss for Gamburyan (11-7) could be disastrous. And the venerable Omigawa (13-11-1) is in much the same situation, as he's coming off a defeat and losses in three of his last four bouts.
Pressure and losing streaks aside, Gamburyan is anxious to get into the octagon for his 145-pound bout, which will be televised live on Fuel TV ahead of the main card airing on FOX, which will be main-evented by light-heavyweights Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Brandon Vera.
"Day by day it gets more exciting," Gamburyan said. "It's gonna mean a lot to me to get a 'W' and get back on track."
Long regarded for his judo skills and grappling prowess, Gamburyan, in large part due to his work at the Glendale Fighting Club under striking coach Edmond Tarverdyan, has grown more and more confident with his stand-up game. He believes that the power in his hands, which led him to arguably his career's biggest triumph when he knocked out Mike Thomas Brown in April of 2010, could very well be the difference in Saturday's tilt.
"I've got heavy hands," Gamburyan said. "He's got a good chin, but once I connect he's gonna go down."
Gamburyan's knockout of Brown was his third straight win at the time and led him to the title bout against Aldo. Since the championship loss to Aldo on Sept. 30, 2010, Gamburyan returned to the UFC (the company absorbed the WEC) and lost a majority decision to Tyson Griffin in June of 2011 before a unanimous decision loss to Diego Nunes on Dec. 30, 2011.
"The last two fights have not gone my way," Gamburyan said. "The Aldo fight, I lost fair and square. The fight against Tyson Griffin and then Diego Nunes, I felt I won."
Alas, another loss, whether it's by a close decision or not, is one Gamburyan, 31, can ill afford. Having fought in the UFC and WEC a combined 11 times with notable wins over the likes of Leonard Garcia, Sam Morgan and Jorge Santiago in his career, Gamburyan is a veteran to say the least, but so too is Omigawa.
The 36-year-old is in his second stint in the UFC, where he has struggled with a 1-5 record, but has made a name for himself in Japan, with stints in the PRIDE, Dream, Sengoku and Deep promotions. Along the line he's fought notables such as Aaron Riley, Gesias Cavalcante, Matt Wiman, Thiago Tavares, Chan Sung Jung and Chad Mendes and defeated standouts like LC Davis, Nam Phan, Marlon Sandro, Hatsu Hioki and Cole Escovedo. Omigawa's been stopped in just two of his losses and never by submission. He lost his last outing on Jan. 14 via unanimous decision to Iuri Alcantara.
Indeed, Omigawa's a well-rounded veteran, but still an opponent Gamburyan believes he stacks up against quite well.
"I think it's a great matchup for me," Gamburyan said. "He's a veteran, but he doesn't do well when he's under pressure. I plan on putting a lot of pressure on him."
Another aspect Gamburyan believes is in his favor is that the fight is in L.A. at the Staples Center, which isn't too far from his North Hollywood home or where he trains, whether it be GFC, Team Hayastan in Hollywood or SK Golden Boys in Van Nuys.
"It's just better for you," said Gamburyan, who will be cornered by Tarverdyan, the GFC's George Bastrmayjan and SK Golden Boys' Ando Dermendjyan. "[You're] training at your own gym, cutting weight the right way, it all makes sense."
Indeed, it might very well be a backyard brawl for Gamburyan, who's planning on claiming a victory that will ensure the UFC remains his home.
The main card airs live on FOX, beginning at 5 p.m., and features the main event — Rua versus Vera — along with another light-heavyweight title contention match with Lyoto Machida taking on Ryan Bader and a scheduled two other bouts. Gamburyan and Omigawa will be the second bout of the undercard, which airs live on Fuel TV, starting at 2 p.m. For more information, visit ufc.com.


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When Amir Ismagulov heard about the Boston Marathon bombing, he called his oldest son in America in a panic. The oil executive did not realize that the 19-year-old college sophomore lived more than an hour away.
"I asked, "Are you affected by this explosion?' He said: 'No papa, that was in Boston. I live in New Bedford, it's far away.' . . . Then we calmed down."
The sense of security was fleeting. In the next few days, federal investigators would arrest his son, Azamat Tazhayakov, his roommate Dias Kadyrbayev, and another friend on charges of helping to cover for their college friend, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, as investigators closed in on the suspected bombers in the Marathon attack that killed three people and injured more than 260.
Now Ismagulov is waging a one-man campaign to get his son out of jail. He proclaimed his son's innocence on television, supported him in the courthouse gallery, and visited him in Essex County jail.
In a wide-ranging interview this week, the prominent businessman and city councilor in the oil-rich nation of Kazakhstan expressed shock over the bombings. Ismagulov said his son had dreamed of studying in America and "would never hurt" this country.
Ismagulov said his relief over his son's safety turned to fear April 19, when Tazhayakov called him in Kazakhstan, afraid because the FBI wanted to talk to him. "He said on the phone: 'Papa, this guy who did the bombing. It's a guy who goes to school with us,' " Ismagulov said.
Ismagulov said he peppered his son with questions. He had never heard of this friend.
"I said, 'Why is the FBI coming to your house?' I asked, 'Are you involved in anything?' He said, 'Papa, no! No way!'"
Ismagulov said he told his son to cooperate fully with authorities and pointed out that Tazhayakov talked to authorities for hours without a lawyer. The next day, April 20, his son was in jail for civil immigration violations, which were postponed when authorities filed criminal charges last week against Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev.
Prosecutors say Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov and the other friend went to Tsnarnaev's dorm room at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth the night of April 18, before Tsarnaev was caught. Authorities have charged Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov, both Kazakh nationals, with obstructing justice and trying to destroy evidence for taking a backpack and emptying out fireworks from Tsarnaev's room and discarding them. Authorities found the backpack and fireworks in a landfill.
The roommates are being held in Essex County jail and face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They have a hearing May 14, said Tazhayakov's lawyer, Arkady Bukh of New York. The third friend, Robel Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, is out on bail on charges of lying to investigators in a terrorism investigation.
Ismagulov said he arrived in the United States on April 25 and had someone translate the criminal complaint for him. He said he questioned Tazhayakov in jail but felt reassured when his son told him he went to Tsarnaev's dorm room the night of April 18 "without any intention of taking anything."
Ismagulov also said his son "absolutely" did not know Tsarnaev was the bombing suspect at that time and did not discuss getting rid of the bag with Kadyrbayev.
"Azamat said they were asking him this question probably 20 times during the interrogation and [he] kept telling [authorities], 'No, we did not discuss it,'" he said.
'In a Kazakh family, the son never lies to the father.'
He said he believes his son. "In a Kazakh family, the son never lies to the father," he said.
Prosecutors said that a month before the bombings, Tsarnaev allegedly told Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev that he knew how to make a bomb. His father said he did not discuss that with his son.
Ismagulov said his son told him that he met Tsnarnaev through Kadyrbayev, a Kazakh whom he also met when all three men enrolled at UMass Dartmouth in 2011. He said Tazhayakov became friendlier with Tsarnaev last year when he began spending more time at their apartment.
Unlike Tsarnaev, raised in a struggling household, Tazhayakov attended elite private schools and took trips to the ski slopes and the seashore.
Ismagulov, who said he is uncomfortable talking about his personal achievements, said he owns an oil field and a road construction business, as well as a helicopter and homes in two cities. He said he raised his son in a moderate nation.
Tazhayakov is the oldest of four children; a brother, 17, studies in England, and an 8-year-old brother and year-old sister live in Kazakhstan. The family is Muslim but rarely goes to the mosque except on holidays.
Ismagulov described Tazhayakov as a soft-hearted person, "like his Mom," who loves soccer. Before he was jailed, he called home daily.
Tazhayakov had hoped to transfer this year to a Texas university to study oil refining, one of the family's businesses.
"We are a normal family," Ismagulov said.
Tazhayakov had no criminal record. To come to America, he had to apply for a visa and get fingerprinted and pass an interview and background check at the US consulate. Tazhayakov's visa status triggered national debate when it was revealed that he reentered the United States in January on an invalid visa, which was terminated because of his low grades. His lawyers said he later fixed that and had reenrolled in college.
Ismagulov said the terror investigation has been overwhelming. Ismagulov said the FBI showed up at the New Bedford apartment on April 19 armed and wearing masks. Lasers zeroed in on the bodies of Tazhayakov, Kadyrbayev, and Kadyrbayev's girlfriend, "like a movie."
Authorities searched the apartment and opened boxes, focusing on one container they feared was a bomb. Instead, Tazhayakov's father said it held a pet lizard.
He said he hoped to "to bring my child out of jail."
"I don't care about business, anything. When my son is in jail I cannot sleep peacefully in Kazakhstan," he said.
Yesterday, Ismagulov laid flowers at the Boston Marathon memorial to remember the victims.
"The people who live here are so nice and good-natured, all of them," he said. "We knew that America is a very democratic country. . . . How could it be possible for this to happen here, for ordinary, innocent people to die?"Maria Sacchetti can be reached at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter


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© SHA WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – Samantha Ferris Interview
Y'all cried a lot when she died in the mid-season finale ! And now here she is, answering our questions !
© SUPERNATURAL HUNTERS ADDICT WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – To Celebrate the 300. Visits of our blog, Samantha Ferris has exclusively agreed to answer the questions of the SHA Weblog's admins !
This interview has been processed online by personal emails so I can assure you that it's really Samantha who answered the questions…
Samantha talks about her past as a radio announcer and she also talks about her experience on the TV Show Supernatural Playing Ellen Harvelle, she also talks about her relationship with Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Jim Beaver etc… She tells us more about the crew & co, and more about a possible "Come back"… And more…
These questions were asked by the admins and three of our most active "Visitors/Commenters" On the blog, Niki, Poucca & Lola…
..:. About Samantha .:..
01. It's written on your wikipedia page that you were a reporter – If it's true, how did you like the experience ? And how did you go from being a reporter to being an actress ? [LolaJohnston]
Samantha Ferris : I got into the media long before I got into the acting. I went to broadcast school in 1991. I became a radio announcer shortly thereafter and continued to work in the media industry for many years. I still do once in a while. I was a rock jock, traffic reporter in a plane, weather reporter on a tv station….you name it. I loved the media but it wasn't going to be my be all end all. I needed something more. I woke up one morning and realized that I was bored and wanted to chase the real thing…. acting. And I did.
02. What music do you listen to ? [LolaJohnston]
SF : I was always very into music. I worked at a record label for a few years and was exposed to a lot of different stuff so my answer is varied. It depends. I still love the modern rock: Oasis, Dandy Warhols, Social Distortion, Everclear. Dave Mathews Band is big on my list. James. William Orbital. Morcheeba. And I am still a sucker for some old classic rock: Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin, April Wine, Sweet, 5 man Electical Band. War. I grew up on the stones and will always love them…up until Tatoo You…everything after that was shit, in my humble opinion.
03. What's your favourite type of movies – Drama, horror, comedy ? And according to your experience, what's harder to play ? [Admin]
SF : Too hard to answer that. I like all genres…..except maybe horror. Not a whole lot of time for that and being really freaked out is annoying. Some of my favorite movies: Fantastic Mr Fox, Love Actually, Crash, Short Cuts, Superbad, Super troopers, Galaxy Quest, Meatballs, Parenthood, Terms of Endearment, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Good Will Hunting..
04. Do you believe in anything supernatural ? If you do, did you have any personal experience ? [LolaJohnston]
SF : Yes, absolutely. I think there is something out there bigger than the human race…..wouldn't that be arrogant of us to think that we are the
only energy form out there? I think one day we will tap into an ability to cross over or experience a different plane of existence. For now we are just ignorant human bodies with no 6th sense. We use 10% of our brains. At best. What is the rest of it for? in 1000 years we will be using it for the stuff we call Supernatural in this day and age. I have heard many stories. Too many to be coincidences and lies. I believe I have seen my dead father on a number of weird instances but I have never had an earth shattering experience personally. My best friend Kelli is about to die of cancer. I have asked her to come back and visit me at some point…. I'll let you know.
.:. About SN .:
01. How did you feel about Ellen and Jo's exit ? [Niki]
SF : Bittersweet. Very sad to leave the show but we went in a rather heroic and selfless way that i have to be proud.
02. Was your experience on set any different from when you first came 3 some years ago to this season ? Or Has anything changed from season 2 when you came ? [RivalHunter]
SF : Not really. Came in pretty much right where we left off.
03. Were you happy with the last Ellen and Jo scene ? How was the shooting of your very last scene ? [RivalHunter]
SF :They were great scenes to shoot. I like doing the emotionally charged stuff. It's like therapy. It feels good. Gets you so out of your head and focussed on something else so completely. We were both right there for it. Gotta be careful you don't cry too much in the first part of the scenes…..save your tears for the closeups on you. I found myself crying really hard for Alona's coverage and kinda ran out of gas for my stuff, but I saw it and I seemed to have hung onto a bit of it. It was also my last time with the cast and crew so a lot of natural emotion came into play. I was very sad to leave them. They were a sort of family to me.
04. How was your last day on the set ? [Poucca]
SF : Tough. I balled my eyes out. Have gotten to know them all over the years and the crew are a really great bunch of people. It was like when you break up with a guy and then you lose all his friends and family, too. Phil (director) had them put together a little DVD compilation of mine and Alona's stuff and edited it all to "she's a lady" by Tom Jones. It was very sweet and not necessary. That made me really weepy. I will miss them more than any other cast and crew I have ever worked with.
05. Do you think that is it or have there been hints about a flashback or a ghost sequence ? [Niki]
SF : Yes, there were hints before we even left that there were opportunities to come back but you never know how things are going to go. I know that no one ever really dies on SN and you can always come back. I am hoping for it, but not counting on it.
06. if Ellen can come back as a ghost, what kind of ghost it should be – a bad one (one looking for revenge, because the Winchesters got her and Jo killed) or a good one (totally understanding and trying to help) ? [LolaJohnston]
SF : I don't think she'd ever come back at those boys with revenge. Ever. She might come back on the wrong side (if Eric Kripke wants to be
really twisted) but I don't see her really turning on them. I would have a very tough time shooting that. I believe they would be true to her character and bring her back as an ally….find a way for her to help them. But that is just me……anything is possible….they like the shock factor on the show…..maybe.
07. What can you tell us about the cast ? [Admin]
SF : They are wonderful boys. I only met the Castiel character once but Jared, Jensen and Jim are a treat to be around. J and J are good Texas boys who were raised right. They are respectful, kind, professional and very sweet. No diva LA stuff there. Love them to pieces.
08. Can you tell us more about the video the crew made for you on "She's a lady" (Tom Jones) ? [Poucca]
SF : It was a montage of all the scenes we did. With a nice script on the screen at the end to the effect of, thanks ladies for all your hard
work on the show. It was very touching.
.:. About Her Plans .:..
01. What's next on your agenda ?
SF : I am going back to school part time but will continue to act. Just finished shooting a little movie in Victoria called 7 Deadly Sins……and just did an episode of a new show called Hiccups. Unless you are Canadian this won't make sense, but it's Brent Butt's new tv series. He is the guy behind Corner Gas.
Admin : And to conclude that article, we just wanted to say :
Much thanks to Samantha Ferris for her time and efforts to make this happen ! YOU ARE AWESOME 😉 Seriously we're not sure we'll ever be able to thank you enough for all this… THANK YOU SO MUCH !
Now we're talking to you ! Our Visitors ! if you want to copy and paste that interview in your blogs, LJs, Twitter or anywhere else, you DEFINITELY Can !
The only thing we're asking you, is please : As a courtesy, LINK BACK TO US…
RivalHunter, & MrGillen.
© SHA WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – Jim Beaver Interview
/!\ Kinda Spoilery /!\
Picture courtesy of Jim Beaver
© SUPERNATURAL HUNTERS ADDICT WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – To Celebrate the 200.000 Visits of our blog, Jim Beaver has exclusively agreed to answer the questions of the SHA Weblog's admins !
This interview has been processed online by personal emails so I can assure you that it's really Jim who answered the questions, he would have loved to do it the same way Rob did it (You know, a 'Video' interview) But he doesn't have any camera, and besides he added :
"It would be a spoiler if you saw me right now"
Well now I'm thrilled lol…
Anyways, Jim talks about his experience on the TV Show Supernatural Playing Bobby Singer, he also talks about his relationship with Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Chad Lindberg, AJ Buckley, Travis Wester etc… He gives us more details on his writing experience with his book "Life's That Way", he tells us more about the cast, and more about the S05, he's kinda Spoilery about some details of what's coming next in the season 05… And more…
These questions were asked by the admins and two of their most active "Visitors/Commenters" On the blog, Niki & Lola…
.:. Life's That Way .:.
01. Less of a question and more of a shout out. You have lived through a terrible ordeal with grace and honour. Thank you for sharing this touching story through your book, it is a great help to know how others cope with this kind of loss. You are a giant among men. So, how are you? [Niki]
Jim Beaver : Thank you for the kind words. I guess I'm fine, pretty much. I have a great life with a beautiful child and a terrific job working with people I love. My losses still ache, but my life is splendid.
02. How long did it take you to write that wonderful book ? [Admin]
JB : Well, in a sense, it took me exactly a year to write the book. That's because Life's That Way is a compendium of emails I wrote every night for a year. Of course, there was a great deal more work afterwards, because there was too much material for a single book. There was the necessity of editing out large portions and smoothing the transitions. So there was the year of actual writing, and then probably a year of scattered work preparing it for publication. But those couple of years took place between 2003-2009.
03. Do you intend to write another one ? [Admin]
JB : I don't have any plans for another book of this nature. This was such a singular experience, and it is dealt with so all encompassingly in Life's That Way, that I'm not sure how I would follow up with another similar book. But I've been writing books most of my adult life. (I just haven't finished many of them!) I've been working on a biography of 1950s TV Superman actor George Reeves for a long, long time, and I also have a crime novel I'm about a third the way through. I've got other projects lying about, but none of these are imminent.
04. How did the idea of writing a book come up in your head ? [Admin]
JB : I didn't intend Life's That Way to be a book, at first. It was just a way of keeping family and friends updated on the circumstances of my family during a time of great difficulty. It sort of unexpectedly transformed itself into a journal of the experience, and only after that year was over did I give serious thought to turning it into a book. That was mainly a result of the response of many of the people who followed my original emails. They were quite vocal in their encouragement for me to publish the material. The positive effect it had on many of them seemed to mandate that I share my story with more people. I was nervous about that—afraid of the hubris of self-importance. But it seems from the response the book has gotten that I made the right choice.
.:. Acting Performances .:.
01. I saw you in the 'X-Files' {Season 06} ! When you got the part in SN, did you make the connection b/w SN and The X-Files or was it just another job for you ? [LolaJohnston]
JB : Supernatural, when I first got the role of Bobby, was just another job to me. I didn't know the show. I knew executive producer Robert Singer from having worked for him years earlier on Midnight Caller and Reasonable Doubts. And I discovered I knew Kim Manners from X-Files. I'd really enjoyed working with Kim on that show and was happy to see him on the Supernatural set. Little did I know that he would become one of my closest friends.
02. What are your favourite types of movies-dramas, horrors, commedies ? And for that matter, what's harder to play ? [LolaJohnston]
JB : I like all kinds of movies, both as a viewer and as a performer. I confess, though, that I'm not a particular fan of horror movies. There are a few I really, really like, but in general I'm not a follower of the genre. I love Westerns, to see and to make, probably above most other forms. But a good story is a good story, whether it's a genre piece or a drama or a comedy or anything else. Good stories and good characters are what's fun to see and what's fun to play. I don't find any of them inherently harder to play. Some are harder to shoot, because of technical demands. Horror and sf are much tougher because of special effects.
03. how do you want SN to end ? With happily ever after or with all of them going down in a blaze of glory ? [LolaJohnston]
JB : I don't really care how SN ends, as long as it ends with the kind of powerful resolution that Eric and his staff are so capable of. My wife used to say that my favorite movies were the ones where the audience spends hours getting to love characters and then they all die. Well, that's not exactly true, but I certainly don't object to that kind of story. I doubt seriously, though, that SN will end that way. Redemption has been so much at the core of the show, I can't imagine Eric letting it end on anything but a reinforcement of that theme.
04. Would you like to direct and/or write an episode ? [LolaJohnston]
JB : I used to write television, and while I love having written it, I don't have much ambition in that field. It's hard work and I generally prefer to write things that grow out of my own interests and concerns rather than to contribute to someone else's vision as a writer. I would certainly attempt it if I had a great idea for an episode, but so far I haven't had one of those. I never cared to direct, either, at least not as a career ambition. Directors work far too hard for me to want to be one of them consistently. I just directed my first film, Night Riders, a short based on a play of mine. It was a wonderful experience, but it was far, far easier than what's necessary to direct a TV episode or a feature film. Right now, I have a minuscule ambition to direct a couple of other short films, but that's about it. Supernatural, I'm afraid, will have to live without my stupendous directing skills.
05. Would you like Bobby to have a Supernatural power ? and if yes, what should it be ? [LolaJohnston]
JB : No, I like Bobby being just a human guy with human abilities. He's much more interesting to me that way. (I started to say I'd like Bobby to have X-ray vision, but actually, I really only want me to have X-ray vision. I don't care about Bobby.)
06. What's your favourite SN Monsters ? [LolaJohnston]
JB : I hate to be boring, but I don't really have a "favorite" monster on the show. The show, to me, is so much more about human relationships than it is about the monsters, and Bobby hasn't dealt with all that many monsters face-to-face anyway. I kind of liked Bobby's zombie wife jumping on him, but maybe that was because the stuntwoman was pretty.
07. We know Bobby is a real 'Surrogate-father' for the Winchester boys… What about your "Real-Life" relationship with these guys ? [Admin]
JB : My relationship with Jared and Jensen is far different from Bobby's with the Winchester brothers. Bobby obviously knows more and understands more than Sam and Dean, and he's not just a surrogate father, he's also a teacher. I don't have any of that going on with Jared and Jensen. We're simply fellow actors and friends. I daresay they've given me more career advice than I've ever given them, nor do I feel I have much to offer them that they don't already possess. I genuinely love them. We don't hang out together off the set much at all—hardly ever. But on the set, I feel such warmth for them both, and I enjoy being in their presence. Colleagues and kid brothers is how I really think of them. I'm quite blessed to work with them.
08. What can you tell us about the cast ? [Admin]
JB : There's not much about the cast I can say that I haven't said. I really enjoy them all. Mischa and I have probably had more interaction at conventions than we have on the set, and even that's not much. I love his sense of humor, and I get a kick out of being around him, and I hope there are more opportunities actually to work in scenes together. The rest of the cast, meaning mainly recurring actors, I rarely see. Some of the popular characters over the five seasons are played by actors I've never met (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, for example) or have only met at conventions (Chad Lindberg, Travis and A.J., etc.).
09. What's next on your agenda ? [Admin]
JB : At present, Supernatural has most of my attention. It's looking to be a heavy season for me on the show, and I don't have anything else on the calendar (though I'm hoping to do a play later this fall). We've just submitted my short film to the Sundance Festival, and I have lots of activities related to the publication of the paperback edition of my book scheduled. And I have a lot of international convention appearances scheduled for next spring.
.:. Season 05 .:.
01. How did Bobby end up possessed in the Season Premiere ? Will this be revealed in time or will this remain a great 'Supernatural' mystery ? [Niki]
JB : How Bobby got possessed is a mystery to me, and apparently it's a mystery to a lot of fans, because I get asked about that a lot! It's been suggested that Bobby should have been better protected against such things, but I haven't heard an explanation of why he wasn't. Whether Eric has an explanation or not, I don't know. Whether he intends to address the question, I don't know either.
02. How much of Bobby will we see this season ? [Niki]
JB : Even at his most frequent, Bobby has never been in more than seven episodes in a season. I expect to break that record pretty handily in season five. I've already filmed four episodes, and am booked for two more very soon, which will bring me to six long before the mid-point of the shooting schedule. With all that's happening to Bobby this year so far, I can't imagine there won't be a lot of further exploration.
03. Will Bobby meet Chuck ? [Niki]
JB : Bobby hasn't met Chuck yet, and I only know what I've done so far. They don't tell me much at all about the future. Bobby could be dead in a couple of episodes, he could be a demon or an angel, or he could be a pixie or an elf. I don't have any idea at all what's coming.
04. Will Bobby need to be a negotiator between the boys and other hunters ? [Niki]
JB : Again, I can't answer because I don't know. It's certainly possible, maybe even likely, given the current dynamics of the story. But I'd be guessing if I said so.
05. What's THE big episode ? [RivalHunter]
JB : I guess the "big" episode depends on your viewpoint. I think episode 7 is one of the biggest, simply because it deeply involves Bobby and brings some development and insight into his current situation. People who play other characters might have a different idea about what makes a "big" episode.
06. How many deaths could we expect ? [RivalHunter]
JB : Again, I can only know what's in the scripts I've seen thus far. I do not get notice from the writers what's going to happen on this show. That said, I have a feeling nasty things are afoot for somebody.
07. What do you anticipate for Season 5 ? [RivalHunter]
JB : I anticipate that season 5 will be powerful, far beyond anything that SN fans have yet seen, both in terms of cataclysmic events and of personal drama. I know what happens in less than half the season, but I'd bet on those things ending up being true.
08. Could you spoil us a bit about the Season 05 ? [Admin]
JB : Aside from the fact that I don't know much beyond episode 7 at this point, I wouldn't ruin it for the fans for anything. And, as I often say, I like my job and don't want to lose it by having loose lips. I can say that even in light of the Apocalypse exploding all around the characters, there's some very funny stuff coming up soon !
09. Will Bobby Ever Walk Again ?! [RivalHunter]
JB : That remains to be seen. I have no idea what the writers have planned for this. And I probably wouldn't say if I did !
Admin : And to conclude that article, we just wanted to say :
Much thanks to Jim Beaver for his time and efforts to make this happen ! I know Jim I've already said that too many times but there I'll say it again, YOU ARE AWESOME 😉 Seriously we're not sure we'll ever be able to thank you enough for all this… THANK YOU SO MUCH !
Now we're talking to you ! Our Visitors ! if you want to copy and paste that interview in your blogs, LJs, Twitter or anywhere else, you DEFINITELY Can !
The only thing we're asking you, is please : As a courtesy, LINK BACK TO US…
RivalHunter & Admin.
© SHA Weblog Exclusive – News From Our Fave Prophet : Chuck {Rob Benedict}
Admin : Yup fellas our fave Prophet gave us some news and also that pic above which is an unseen pic of him… As usual if you use this pic or share the infos below on your website, as a courtesy, Link back to us… There You Go :
News On Rob Benedict :
Rob has done two 'Supernatural' episodes and is heading back in a few weeks to do two more. We don't know details, but he's been having a blast. Said it's going to be a good season.
He's also attending a Convention – A Supernatural Memorabilia Convention in Birmingham, England, the third week of November…
And to conclude, Rob is busy shooting an episode of the sitcom "Till Death" this week…"
News from the band Louden Swain :
"The band has been posting a few more live songs and working on a new set to start playing the live show again at the end of this month. We're practicing our set which is most of the songs on our album "A Brand New Hurt" plus an old one of ours that fans really like but we haven't played in a while called "Prom Song". And we're also going to post some "Cover Songs" on Youtube soon. Including a couple of Beatles songs !"
Enjoy !
© SHA WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – Rob Benedict "AKA Chuck The Prophet" Answers The SHA Admins' Questions !
Read Carefully The Text Below, Before You Watch The Vid…
To Download the text retranscript of the video interview made by the Co-Admin, RivalHunter, Click Here : Rob Benedict SHA Interview Retranscript
Please if you do use the text retranscript : LINK BACK TO US…
© SUPERNATURAL HUNTERS ADDICT WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – To Celebrate the 150.000 Visits of our blog, Rob Benedict (Playing "Chuck" The Prophet On the TV Show Supernatural, also lead singer of the band "Louden Swain") has exclusively agreed to answer the questions of the SHA Weblog's admins !
As you may know, if you're one of our most devoted visitors, I (Jen "Main" Admin of the blog) live in France, and at the time Rob has agreed to answer our questions, I couldn't travel to Vancouver to "Physically" Interview him, as for RivalHunter well he lives in Vegas but he was also unable to move at the time that video's been shot ! So Michael Borja, Rob's "Co-Musician", has nicely asked him our questions…
Rob talks about his experience on the TV Show Supernatural Playing Chuck The Prophet, he also talks about his relationship with Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki & Misha Collins… He gives us more details about a scene he shot with Jared Padalecki, he tells us more about the cast, and more about the S05 season premiere he shot two weeks ago and, he's kinda Spoilery about some details of what's coming up next season… And more…
These questions were asked by the admins and two of their most active "Visitors/Commenters" On the blog, Niki & Lola…
Also there was a question that Rob forgot to answer in the first vid… We told him it wasn't a big deal, but he wanted to answer it anyway, so he filmed himself with his own computer camera and he answered the question he missed before… So there you go :
To Download the text retranscript of the video made by the Co-Admin, RivalHunter, Click Here : Rob Benedict Last Question Retranscript
Please if you do use the text retranscript : LINK BACK TO US…
About the videos quality, well we had to convert the vids many times before we were finally able to protect the vid with the address of the blog so we know the vids are kinda blurry but in our opinion, those are still "Watchable"…
We also uploaded the interview on our official YouTube Account : SNHuntersAddict At Youtube but we had to cut the interview in two parts cause regular YouTube videos are up to 10 mins and the interview is 11.05 long… (BTW – The video quality is WAY better On Youtube than on Dailymotion Just thought you'd like to know this…) Here are the links :
|RB Interview Part. I|RB Interview Part. II|
We also uploaded the whole interview on our official Dailymotion account : SNHuntersAddict At Dailymotion
And to conclude that article, we just wanted to say :
Much thanks to Rob and Louden Swain for their time and efforts to make this all happen ! You guys are awesome! 😉 Seriously we're not sure we'll ever be able to thank you enough for all this… THANK YOU SO MUCH… YOU GUYS RULE !
BTW – If you like the song "Pop Tart Heart" the "Louden Swain" perform at the end of the video interview then, we just wanna let you know that it's available on Itunes : A Brand New Hurt On Itunes
And last but not least :
We DO Own all the rights of these videos and we won't turn off the "Embed" Option cause we want you to be able to put the interview on your websites but the only thing we're asking you, is please : As a courtesy, LINK BACK TO US…
© SHA WEBLOG EXCLUSIVE – Rob Benedict Is Returning As Chuck The Prophet Next Season !
Thanks to our dear friends the "Louden Swain" for this info !
We can tell you that Rob is definitely returning as Chuck next season !! Rob is not returning as a regular, but still as a recurring character. He's excited to return as Chuck the prophet !
Please note that the Network didn't confirm this info yet… (Stay tuned, I think the official announcement of Rob's return will be done during the summer…)
Anyways, this is a great news for the fans, cause we've heard a lot of your opinions about the guy and ya'll seem to like "Chuck The Prophet" !
So what else can we say ?!
Just "ENJOY" – Our favourite Prophet will definitely be there next season !
© Please note: As a courtesy, please do not reproduce this post to newsgroups, forums or other online places. Link backs only please.
Source : © SUPERNATURAL HUNTERS' ADDICT WEBLOG
{PS : We announced in Exclusivity his return to you, our really devoted visitors a while ago now, and that news has been "Officially" confirmed (03 weeks later) By WBNX.Com}


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dOCUMENTA (13) Recap: the Artist's Assistant
Hunter Longe is a San Francisco-based artist currently residing in Kassel, Germany after working as an artist assistant at dOCUMENTA (13). Longe's mixed media works and installations have been exhibited in San Francisco at The Popular Workshop, The Luggage Store Gallery, and Triple Base, in Oakland at Krowswork gallery, and in Los Angeles at Show Cave Night Gallery. After meeting at dOCUMENTA (13), Longe and[…..]


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