text:
Story and Photography
Rachel S. Thurston
Full Page Travel Feature Article
appearing in The Los Angeles Times
Sunday, April 23, 2006
*To access the online feature appearing in The Los Angeles Times,
click here, you will need to register with the L.A. Times (which is free) and then you can access the article. If it doesn't go immediately to the article after registering, do a search for "Ancient Art of Idling."
From somewhere nearby come the voices of angels. I think it's my imagination but I see my mother has stopped to listen as well.
We make our way through the darkness to a tiny plaza and church. Above us, windows are thrust open to the night and from the warm light comes the voices of choral singers filling the evening air with song. We sit for hours absorbing the beauty of the music until we can no longer hold our heads up. Then we make our way back through town and up the 156 steps to our beds, where we dream peacefully among the scent of gardenias and orange blossoms.
We're on the island of Hvar, fondly referred to as the "Croatian Madeira." Instead of traveling to Italy where the Americans run in packs and the Euro has made inexpensive travel prohibitive, we've chosen the Mediterranean-like Dalmatian Region of Croatia. Among this tranquility, it is hard to believe that a brutal ethnic war ravaged much of this country only ten years ago.
Shortly after arriving in Zagreb, Croatia, we buy bus tickets to the city of Split along the central Dalmatian Coast. From there, it's only a short ferry ride to the island of Hvar.
On the bus, I serendipitously take a seat beside Vibor, a Croatian rock star and keyboardist for the band "Soul Finger." His long legs barely fit beneath the seat in front of him and his blond hair smells like his last cigarette. We talk about rock n'roll before I start grilling him on the Dalmatian Coast.
"It's absolutely gorgeous there but more expensive than other parts of Croatia," Vibor tells me.
"But isn't Italy more expensive?" I ask.
"Yes, but at least in Italy you get service," he says, tossing his long, unkempt hair and laughing. "In Dalmatia, all they're selling you is the air and the sea."
After a short ferry ride from Split to the island and town of Hvar, we step off the plank and into a small swarm of geriatric women, who like many others throughout Croatia, hope to rent us one of their private rooms.
In the eighty-degree mid-morning heat, they are all dressed alike: long black stockings, thick cotton skirts, and dark cardigan sweaters. It's as if these Slavic Grannies have been taken from the ice fields of Russia and plunked down onto a Mediterranean island in the midst of summer.
Mom and I gingerly navigate our backpacks through the group of look-alike babushkas hoping not to break any of their hips. They call out to us in thick Slavic accents through dentures: "You need prrivate rroom? Verry nice. Verry clean. Gud vew…Kom!"
We guiltily walk through the mob shaking our heads, "Ne hvala, no thank you. Sorry," and head towards a young man named Sasha. His family's private rooms have been recommended to us by a friend in Split.
We follow Sasha up 156 steps through winding passageways, beneath balconies brimming with strawberry-colored geranium blossoms, between lines of fresh laundry hanging out to dry, and past bent, women tending to their sun-kissed tomato plants.
I find myself expecting to hear Italian or Greek, but instead, my ears are met with the full-bodied sounds of the Slavic-based Croatian language. Like a thick, meaty stew, it fills the mouth with its richness.
Our room is located above Sasha's aunt's house. Sasha hands us a large brass key which unlocks shuttered French doors on our balcony.
Stretching below us is the medieval harbor of Hvar town, a miniature Venice, where sailboats are lined up from the far corners of Europe, much like ships may have appeared several centuries ago when Hvar was a prominent port for the Venetian empire. Many of the red-tiled homes have shuttered windows spilling forth with flowers.
Beyond is a breathtaking view of the Adriatic Sea. The liquid shimmers in tones of turquoise, mint, and sapphire, becoming a milky jade along its edges where it meets land. The entire sea is sparkling beneath the morning sun like a spill of diamonds. The water ruffles in the wind like a wet peacock's feathers and the scent of saltwater rises to meet us.
My mother grabs my hand and squeezes it, "I think I could stay here for a while," she says softly.
Vibor the rock star was right. The Dalmatians know how to take it easy. The same trait of languidness that makes them poor business owners also makes them the perfect culture to visit for vacation.
In the five days of our stay, we never meet the owners of our room. Many of the stores we visit in Hvar town are curiously closed from noon to 5 p.m. Some decide, despite their posted hours, that they won't open at all. At others, employees are flat-out annoyed that we would bother them with business in the first place. But most of Hvar's citizens are relaxed and helpful.
Although we have the option of traveling to other parts of Hvar island to visit the towns of Stari Grad, Jelsa, the fishing village of Sucaraj, and the lavender fields (which we learn won't be in bloom until June), we make a classic Dalmatian decision: to stay in Hvar Town, do less, and savor each moment more. Too often, we've crammed our trips into Olympic-level itineraries: Hvar is teaching us to take things more slowly and, because the high tourist season hasn't kicked in yet, it feels that we have the town largely to ourselves.
We delight in exploring the town's circuitous marble streets where autos are prohibited and life continues leisurely much as it has for the past several centuries. Hvar town is home to a little over 4,000 people, (over a third of the 50-mile long island's total population) but during the summer, its population swells to accommodate European and Croatian travelers. Along the seaside promenade sways a row of sailboats, each of which are filled with groups of golden-tanned sailors and their international guests, smoking cigars, drinking wine. It could be a Saturday or a Monday. No one seems to care. We are all on vacation here, including the Dalmatians.
We cross an expansive plaza where pigeons fly past like a cloud of rain. One of the largest old squares in Dalmatia (over 48,000 square feet), St. Stephen's Square, was originally a water inlet that was filled in to accommodate foot traffic. Today, the plaza is lined with cafes and provides the perfect resting point for explorations of Hvar Town. Centered around the plaza are Hvar's stone buildings which have been bleached into shades of lemon and vanilla by the sun, wind and saltwater, contrasting sublimely against their red tiled roofs.
In the past 1500 years the island of Hvar has been ruled by the Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantine, Slavs, Venetians, Austrians, and French. Surprisingly, despite the ravages of invaders and war, the Dalmatians have managed to absorb the best of these cultures into their architecture and cuisine. The Venetians gifted Hvar's citizens with extraordinary stone-carving skills which they have used to ornament the town's buildings. Antiquity abounds everywhere you turn: the sixteenth century loggia in front of the Palace Hotel, the turn of the century 16th/17th century St. Stephen's Cathedral at the eastern end of the plaza, and a seventeenth century arsenal along the waterfront, which was once used as a repairing and re-fitting station for Venetian ships. Adjoining the arsenal is the one of the oldest public theatres in Europe, built in 1612, where plays are still performed to small audiences.
In the late afternoon light, we stroll along the promenade south of town and accidentally stumble on to one of the town's most humble and gorgeous constructions, a fifteenth century Franciscan monastery. Even the cypress outside, along the shore, is said to be nearly three centuries old!
When we return to town, we find a quaint deli just a block east of the plaza: Cured hams hang from the ceiling and translucent bottles of red and white wine are stacked beside glass jars stuffed with olives. My mother, much bolder than I, interrupts the owner, a rosy-cheeked and silver-haired rotund man, to ask if she can photograph his jars of olives.
His conversation with another man halted, he gives my mother a head-to-toe survey before breaking into laughter.
"Why not photograph me?" he asks with characteristic Dalmatian humor. "Aren't I good looking enough?" he asks, placing his hands on his hips and doing a little hip swivel like he's modeling.
Before sunset, we climb the steep, short path to the Fortress Spanjol Citadel, a sixteenth century fortress constructed by the Venetians on the site of a medieval castle and originally built to withstand attacks by the Turks. From above, the view is extraordinary: we have the perfect view of Hvar Town and the wooded islands of the Pakleni Archipelago strung across the Adriatic Sea like velveted emeralds.
Along the path, it is no surprise to find a Dalmatian man selling bags of dried lavender, scented soap and tiny vials of scented oil. The island is reputed to have some of the best fields of lavender in Dalmatia, and Hvar Town is lined with vendors selling it. It is a surprise, however, that instead of soliciting our business, he presents us with a gift: several postcards of Hvar.
His name is Matko. His teeth are crooked, his hair ruffled and dry from the saltwater, and his face is prematurely wrinkled by years spent as a fisherman. He has traveled the world, he says, and knows exactly what it takes to make a man happy: a boat, a dog, a girlfriend, a home by the sea, and a job that requires as little work as possible.
"I lived in Northern Europe for many years," Matko says. "And I think, 'Why?'," gesturing down the mountain toward the town, "I live in paradise. I come back here and say, 'Never again.' I tear my passport into 16 pieces and say 'Never again will I leave!'"
He leans toward us and his impish grin melts into a sublime smile. "I have a small home by the sea. I have a boat, a dog and my girlfriend who lives with me. We don't need to lock the doors or close the windows. I fish when I want. I go out on the boat when I want. I feel peace here," he says, motioning around us.
We like him immediately and, before we part, we ask if we can hire him to take us by boat to the Pakleni Islands the following day.
As the moon rises into a violet-washed sky,we make our way down the steep marble staircases that wind throughout the oldest part (or Groda) of Hvar town. A few tables have materialized along the passageways and young couples sit by candlelight laughing over glasses of wine. Mother and I are planning a late night dinner of bread and cheese in bed when we hear a man's voice shouting in German, Italian, then English.
"Pleaz, you must come inside!"
We turn to see a curly-haired man dressed in a red apron with a sock cap on his head. He stands hands on hips with his feet planted shoulder width apart. "You must come visit a typical Dalmatian Wine Cellar! Don't worry, just take a look," he gestures magnanimously down a dim walkway.
We follow him into a cozy room where four thick wooden tables with benches sit beneath simple wicker lamps. The lighting is dim and the sound of recorded Croatian chanting fills the small space like a whisper. Giant cured slabs of prosciutto and cutting tools hang from the ceiling. A few black and white photos of a family during the early 1900s are scattered across the walls asymmetrically. The ambrosia-like scent of baking bread drifts toward us from the open kitchen.
Another man, apparently one of the owners, emerges from the kitchen. He has short dark hair and wears a gauzy puffy poet's shirt and a long red and white jester's cap. We later learn it is the Hvar national garb.
"Welcome to a typical Dalmatian cellar," he says, gesturing to the photographs. "This wine cellar has belonged to my family for many generations now."
His name is Dinko and he says the restaurant, "Tavern Menego," is named after his grandfather, Dominiko. His grandfather, nicknamed "Menego," operated this wine cellar for much of his life and sold locally produced wine to the islanders.
The menu is simple but mouthwatering. Its items are written in German, Italian, Croatian, and English. Most dishes are based on a few fresh ingredients. Mom's sweet white wine, called Prosek, is a Croatian dessert wine and has a pleasant hint of walnuts and honey. My house red wine is light and fruity, made by Denko's in-laws on the nearby island of St. Clement where they run a restaurant. We feast on eggplant, sweet zucchini, and bell peppers marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and herbs, and we dip crusty bits of homemade bread in rosemary infused olive oil. I order a sampler of fresh goat, cow, and sheep cheeses complimented by spiced olives while Mom enjoys the traditional "Dalmatian Bread" which is stuffed with seasoned anchovies, onions, and tomatoes. For dessert, we have hot tea and a plate of pinwheel cookies layered with ground hazelnuts and cinnamon and sprinkled with powdered sugar. We decide there and then that we must return the next night.
As we are leaving, we grab Dinko's attention and tell him what a special place he has.
"You feel the magic don't you?" he whispers with a smile.
The next morning, Matko is late to pick us up but, to his credit, he is as cheerful as he was yesterday afternoon.
We head toward the nearby Pakleni Archipelago, a chain of eleven wooded islands, only three of which are inhabited. We pass a nude beach, amused by the sight of an intrepid group of sixty- and seventy-year old men and women hiking with walking sticks along a small hill, wearing hiking shoes and nothing else.
Matko takes us to a nude beach of our choice on the nearest island, Jerolim. As Mom luxuriates in the sun, I explore the paths. When we return to the boat feeling fully relaxed, we find Matko asleep on his back—like a Croatian Buddha—his hands folded across his chest, hat pulled down over his eyes.
For lunch, we ask Matko to take us to the island of St. Clement, where Dinko's in-laws run a restaurant and vineyard named "Restaurant Dionis." The largest of the Pakleni Islands, St. Clement is largely uninhabited except for the small villages of Palmizana and Vlaka, where the restaurant should be.
Matko has never heard of the restaurant before but we have time and he's up for an adventure.
We pull up to Vlaka but the dock looks abandoned. There are no signs of human habitation save for broken beer bottles, a winding dirt path, and signs advertising two restaurants, one of which announces the "Restaurant Dionis" but which doesn't include any directions for how to find it. Broken beer bottles crush under our feet as we make our way in search of the restaurant.
We must have made a wrong turn through the trees because we end up on a private porch where a dozen German vacationers sit laughing and enjoying a large breakfast.
We excuse ourselves and continue walking in another direction through a stand of giant prickly pear cactus and under a canopy of trees. After another 10 minutes we emerge on a veranda overlooking an unkempt field of grapevines and a donkey cart filled with hay.
There are no signs, doors, or menus. The only sign that this is a restaurant is the surreal presence of a group of Irish and English tourists boisterously clinking glasses of wine and sharing travel tales. We take a seat at one of the tables by a row of geranium plants and a tiny olive lizard darts across my feet.
An unnaturally tall man with shiny black shoes floats towards us. He clasps his hands neatly and stands before us, his thin dark hair hanging like fringe over one of his eyes.
"Do you have food?" I ask.
"Could we see a menu?"
He gives us a blank look and then his face lights up. "We do not. I am the menu." He straightens up even taller.
"OK. What do you have?"
"Do you like artichokes?" the waiter asks us.
"Yes, I do."
"Well then, I recommend the artichokes fresh from our farm."
"OK. Do you have anything else?"
"Maybe you like octopus salad?"
My mother perks up.
"Good then," he says and disappears before we can ask for more options.
He returns with our food and a pitcher of tart, freshly squeezed lemonade. He must have decided that we are also thirsty and prefer lemonade.
We dip crusty bread into olive oil and I enjoy a casserole dish of baked artichokes in a creamy garlic fava bean sauce. Mom and Matko share a bowl of octopus salad mixed with apple slices, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, and fresh garlic and olive oil.
We notice there are no other employees at the restaurant. The tall man is cook, busboy, host, waiter and cashier wrapped up into one. Although he is the only person working the restaurant, he never seems rushed. He continues to float from the kitchen to each table with grace and purpose.
After lunch, Matko takes us between more islands and, at one point, instructs us on the Dalmatian art of fishing for an octopus. Mother and I lie stretched out will full stomachs on the bow of the boat, its aluminum hull warming our skin: Hvar has taken hold of us both and it's impossible to refute our new-found calm.
Matko kills the engine and we sit in the silence for an untold number of minutes, swaying with the wind swell and listening to the lapping of water against the boat's sides. I peer down to the ocean floor, remembering how Matko has told us that the Adriatic's water is so clear that you can read newspaper print from its surface.
"What do you think the secret to happiness is, Matko?" I ask, breaking the silence.
He smiles and is silent for a moment, although his face reveals that he has already pondered the answer to this question.
"There are two secrets to happiness: the first is health and the second is peace. This is where I am happy," he gestures to the islands and sea, "I live in paradise!"
And although we are only visitors, we feel the magic, too.
*To see the online version with map and detailed travel information for hotels, restaurants, and flights, click here-


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Buying a used car –
Check service history While there is no requirement for the vehicle
to come with a service book, it is beneficial if there is one as this will assist
in assessing the vehicle's condition. It will also allow you to do further searches
in relation to who has serviced the vehicle and if the service intervals had been carried out
as per manufacturer's recommendations. Confirm that the details in the book actually match
the vehicle you're looking at. You may also wish to contact the repairer to confirm
if the services were actually carried out. Before you buy, NSW Fair Trading recommends
the vehicle be inspected by a qualified licensed mechanic. Language assistance 13 14 50
(ask for an interpreter in your language)


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Vacancy for a General Machinist
Internal applications are invited for this position, which will also be advertised externally.
We have a full time, permanent vacancy for a GENERAL MACHINIST
Skill requirements:
• Our ideal candidate should have experience in setting and operating the following machines: grinding / turning / drilling
• We operate a 40 hour week (either a 4 or 5 day week)
• We offer a competitive salary
Company benefits:
• GPP pension scheme.
• Company health insurance.
• Flexible working hours.
• Overtime to meet demands, when available.
• Company performance-related bonus scheme.
• 23 ½ days' holiday plus 8 bank holidays per year.
• Training and personal development opportunities.
• Free parking.
Please email CV or telephone:
Joe Ellera, Production Director
01483 892772 ext.248


text:
GrayMatters' Airport Analytics (AA+) solution is intended to provide a better passenger shopping experience at the airport through targeted positioning of products and relevant offers.
According to GrayMatter, it delivers data-driven business insights around performance of F&B outlets, retail stores, duty-free shops, product categories, products as well as around customer preferences.
The scope of the engagement includes real-time, non-intrusive extraction of sales data from POS terminals at the airport stores using Store Sense, GrayMatter's proprietary IoT device.
Data extracted from Store Sense interfaces with operator BIAL's billing system and is further used for income computation that forms the basis for invoicing concessionaires.
Information can also be analysed to enable decision making and reporting using state of the art data warehousing, dashboarding and visualisation techniques.
Kempegowda's chief commercial officer, Kenneth Guldbjerg, said: "We work with partners such as GrayMatter to offer our passengers a technologically-superior and seamless airport experience.
"I look forward to the envisaged outcomes from this implementation, including the expected transparency that it will lend to retail revenue reporting.
"I am excited with the possibility of significant value addition through the system that would enable BIAL's Commercial Team to receive invaluable customer insights to aid decision making."
Vikas Gupta, CEO of GrayMatter, said "I am proud to have our home airport as one of our esteemed customers. Making in India for the globe by collaborating with BIAL to innovate and implement our unique product platform is especially gratifying and rewarding."


text: 11th October 2019 10 dream homes for sale in Northern Ireland -11th Oct in Dream Homes Each week, Propertynews.com are pleased to showcase another 10 dream homes for sale in Northern Ireland. From a Co. Armagh residence to a shore front dwelling, this list has something for everyone. 365 Estate AgentsDouganDream HomeExpress Estate AgencyGrant Estate AgentsHomepageJK Estate Agents & ValuersJohn Minnis Estate Agents & Property ConsultantsMartin Anderson Property & MortgagesMichael Chandler Estate AgentsTempleton RobinsonTMC Estate AgentsWeekly Top 10 Homes


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In the shadow of the Bell Tower in Perth's CBD, you'll find Bar Lafayette. The cocktail bar is tucked into the ground floor of the renovated Perth Technical School at Brookfield Place. And you better come thirsty because this place whips up some world-class cocktails. Descending into Bar Lafayette is comfortable and inviting. It has low light, dark woods and rich leathers. You'll feel like you're in the basement of a refined grandfather while you sip an old fashioned on a warm leather couch. It's hard to miss the bar. The shelves of liquor stack to the roof and the bottles are backlit to guide your way. You can taste drinks like the Cold Drip Boulevardier, Rhubard Smash and Port's Ablaze. The drinks menu is extensive, and there's a nifty little bar bites menu attached to the drinks list where you can pick up something salty or sweet to compliment your drink. The bartenders are very knowledgeable, so don't be afraid to ask for food and drink flavour pairings. Just remember that delicious cocktails are sleepers. You may find yourself stumbling out of the Bar Lafayette.
Thu 16:00 - 00:00
Fri 14:00 - 00:00
Sat 16:00 - 00:00
Sunday : Closed
Mon 16:00 - 00:00
Tue 16:00 - 00:00
Wed 16:00 - 00:00
Address: Brookfield Place, 125 St Georges Terrace , Perth WA 6000


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|In stock (1)
We are loving this cute stripped skirt as a great transition piece from summer into fall! It has an elastic waist band and cute ruffle details. This high waist skirt is so comfortable and easy to wear!
High waist skirt. Fit is true to size but if you are between sizes we suggest you size down.
Model is 5' 4" wearing a medium.


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Poetry Board:
We want the poetry board to be geared more towards those who need gentle introduction to commentary on their poems as a prelude to full critique, towards encouraging those who are just starting out and need more diplomatic guidance. This doesn't mean that critique can't happen, but it will not be the main function for this board.
Please note, unlike the poetry workshop and poetry posted to WF blogs, all critique must be about the poem and not digress into general discussion.It will be for people who are serious about poetry, but who either don't want or aren't yet ready for a place like the workshop.
However, anyone who posts to the Poetry Board should expect some comment or suggestions. It is not a place for members to showcase their work. We would ask members to use their WF Blog for that purpose.
Please Note: WF Blogs are visible to the public.
Poetry Workshop:
Our aim is to make it much more expansive in purpose.
In other words, we want there to be a clear distinction between how the poetry board functions and how the workshop functions. It will be up to the members to decide which function they are looking for.
For the workshop, we want to create a space for those who seek a more open discussion and are able to receive, shall we say, a less diplomatic critique. We will also expect members to reciprocate and work with other members.
Another difference to the workshop is that even though all critique must be about the poem, a certain amount of digression is allowed. Anything that can help improve the poem is welcome, examples of similar poems, discussion on style, links to good information. These are all allowed, as long as comments do not become a personal attack.


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Letters to the Editor: Needs More Cowbell
Each week we publish letters sent to us regarding previous issues and highlight particularly interesting forum posts. If you'd like to comment on an article directly, send your letter to [email protected].
Oh awesome, my post on Red Faction: Guerrilla was used in the Letters to the Editor segment this issue. There's something immensely validating about your writing getting republished somewhere, even if it was just an amusing love letter to explosions and how awesome they are. Yay!
Ironically, I notice that nobody presents the most obvious comment to the whole situation. Simply put that game journals and reviewers should hire more reviewers and assign them to review games for longer periods of time. What's more they should be more selective in hiring reviewers based on their game playing prowess and abillity to play games in a fairly complete fashion in a reasonable time frame. There are plenty of guys out there who can blow through games pretty quickly and are bringing fully maxxed out titles to Gamestop a couple of days after release. You can see guys like this with like 200k+ gamerscore points or whatever.
I mostly point out the financial realities of the situation, concerns that came to a head for me with the whole "Kane and Lynch" fiasco of a few years ago. However that doesn't mean that there aren't other problems, and honestly I think when reviewers are defending themselves in some cases by saying "oh well, I only get so much time with each new title" that itself is ALSO a problem because simply because the journals and such are trying to grind out too many reviews too quickly given the staff they are willing to pay for.
To me it's noteworthy that few people seem to be saying the same things, which strike me s being obvious. Yes, it means less profits, but it also a better quality profit. To an extent I think us gamers are also to blame because we are increasingly willing to patronize bad review set ups, providing an audience for the advertising. We whine about the quality of reviews leading to attempts of justification, but in turn as a general community do not flock towards the higher quality sites (of which I feel The Escapist is one, compared to many others).
The fact that you can probably find like 100+ differant review sources that seem to be profitable enough to stay out there is part of the problem I feel.
If publications had unlimited funding or if the shut-ins who could complete a game 100% in a day could actually write, they probably would.
I don't think it would take unlimited funding to be honest. Though I do think that to function a game periodical should be able to review it's subject matter accuratly. When you see a lot of people claiming they don't have the time to do the job "right" and using that as an excuse to the readers, that's a problem. Of course admittedly part of it might be that the industry is getting big enough where you need a fairly big company/committment to cover it properly.
As far as "hard core gamers" being unable to write, well that may or may not be a problem. One guy I used to know online pretty well was "Bill Coffin" we weren't the greatest buddies in the world, but he spent a lot of time writing books for Palladium (RPG company) before having a fight with them, and moved on to doing magazine editing. He got a science fiction novel called "Prime Mover" published at some point, and generally had been bouncing around as a writer and an editor for a while.
One of the things he mentioned that stuck in my mind was that most writers are absolutly horrible. Oftentimes having minimal grasp of english. They are hired for their ideas more than their language. One typical problem in publishing is that when recruiting an author or writer, especially away from another company the new boss oftentimes doesn't realize what they are actually getting. Leading to a recurring joke about how "we should have hired the editor, not the writer".
It's also why apparently you see more "team writing" involved nowadays with authors pretty much keeping themselves tight with a specific editor they trust. This last bit not coming from Bill but from other things I've read over a period of time. At one point I had some ambitions of becoming a writer so did some checking on what kind of connections I'd probably need given my limitations.
The point I'm getting up to here is that if your going to do game reviews, the reviewer being a horrible writer isn't going to nessicarly be that big a deal assuming you have the editorial staff to deal with it.
I'm not sure if you'd nessicarly need shut ins, but to be honest it would probably be a benefit to have people on staff who would give opinions after having finished/seriously played the games they were assigned, as opposed to ones that would say "well, sorry about the way my opinion came accross, but I didn't have much time to play this game given the others ones I have to review" that comes accross as being kind of ridiculous. Sure, you'd need to back it up with extra time editing, but the end result would probably be better even if the people doing the reviews and playing the games were ridiculous "shut in" fanatics (and let's be honest, if you care about information about games, who is going to know more about games from the perspective of an actual player?).
This is simply my opinion of course, I'm not expecting you to agree with me (and you are after all a real editor, and truthfully would probably hate having to clean up the articles).
I really wish there was a notification for getting a comment or post re-posted in Letters to the Editor. It's somewhat disconcerting to see what I wrote in there unexpectedly. At least the first time I got a badge.
I received my badge a few hours before the latest issue went up. Hooray Letters to the Editor and validation through republishing!


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16 Cute Child Actors Who Grew Up To Be Ugly
15. Clint Howard
Best known as Leon from The Andy Griffith Show-back when that show was on the air-these days his celebrity revolves around successful director-and brother, Ron Howard. The cuteness wore off quick, but he certainly is talented, and has played character roles quite often due to the looks that have come with age. That said, it really helps when Ron Howard is your brother.


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Wall games are a very geological form of light entertainment and education. I certainly have amused myself by identifying rocks and their features in walls since my days as an undergraduate and before. I was introduced to the name for the wall game (obvious, I know) by Eric Robinson (1996, 1997). Eric's examples inspired me to devise my own version of a wall game in far-flung Jamaica. At the time, I was a member of the teaching staff in geology at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Kingston. Each semester, we took the first year classes for three one-day field excursions. As cash was getting ever tighter. I hit upon the money-saving idea of running one of the first trips on campus where there were various 'urban geological' features worthy of note. One of these was the stone base of a ruined building that had survived from Mona's days as a sugar plantation. The rocks in the base were a marvellous mixture of blocks and rounded boulders, presumably collected from the bed of the nearby Hope River, which drains the mountainous country to the east of the university. This trip worked well and, after a few years, the late Trevor Jackson and I published a field guide based on my excursion (Donovan and Jackson, 2000).
The primary criterion for a geologically interesting and educational wall game is a good variety of rocks. The Mona wall game was most satisfactory in this respect, with a mixture of sedimentary and igneous clasts and worked blocks, and even one specimens with a fault running through it (Donovan and Jackson, 2000, fig. 3D-H). But such diverse compendiums of rock types are rare because stone walls have commonly been built from a local source of rock, such as from loose boulders in a river or collected when clearing a field (Anon, 2002). These are commonly composed of one type, that is, the rock that occurs in local outcrop (Nield, 2014). Yet I do not regard this as a problem – rather than searching for different rock types, you can still look for a variety of features shown by one or a few types of local rocks. For example, when on holiday in the White Peak of the Peak District of Derbyshire, I always examine the Carboniferous limestones of the dry stone walls for fossils.
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Designed by Miguel Mila
Manufactured by Santa & Cole
Product code: ULM-SAM32+SAMP8
Americana floor lamp by Miguel Mila for Santa & Cole.
The Americana lamp designed by Miguel Mila, available as a wall, floor and table lamp. The articulated right angle defines the essential geometry of this series. Satin nickel structure with moveable arm. White linen lampshade.
Recommended E27 bulb (not included):
6W LED / 11W CFL / Max. 60W incandescent
Max. bulb height: 10.5cm
33dia x 53d x 112cmh
Product downloads
To-order: 6-8 weeks
Select a size for delivery price
Nationwide: £99.95
Lighting orders over £750 free for Mainland UK.
Non-Mainland UK and International options available in basket
Americana table lamp
Americana floor lamp
Americana wall light


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Chapter Title:
Haiku of Ice & Fire:Oh sweet Gilly weed Please Lord Snow let me blow you Put a ring on it
Episode Notes:
This week we are breaking down chapter 23 of a Clash of Kings: Jon 04 – Crastor's Keep! Gilly! Sam the idiot...but he does jerk off into maps at night (which is pretty cool)...a brance of Konies...and a little Ghost!


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The reasons are real simple. Firstly I had the savings to do it. Secondly I had the courage to do it. And the source of both these is my Mother.
Since an early age she encouraged me to save money. Since my very first job she ensured that a part of my earning was invested. Not only did I have enough savings to travel and live without a job for two years but I also got money pouring in my account while I was traveling from the old investments she had encouraged me to make those past years. So this is the first reason.
Second and the prime reason - the courage. One might have all the money but how do you buy courage? The answer lies in the martial arts training I got for almost four years back in the day and who else but my mother encouraged me for it. When all my friends in school were busy painting beautiful flowers and scoring for the next exam I was out in the Taekwando field kicking some ass ( and getting mine kicked ). That training gave me all the courage I needed to pick my bag and go alone because I knew I could take care of my self ( almost in all situations ). That training has given me all the courage I need for most tough situations in life.
I have never really told my mother about this. I am taking this perfect day, Mother's Day, 11th May 2015, to let my most loved mother know that all the good things I have in life I owe it to her ( along with the bad habits too .. giggle ).


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Maidtopia Cleaning Services, LLC
Helping you find Utopia!
Helping you find Utopia!
Cleaning is not an easy thing...
(if you do it yourself, of course) and a routine one as well.
We Provide Best Help
We Provide Best Help
Maidtopia Cleaning Service offers exceptional services at great prices. We offer service to Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Hutto, Georgetown, Manor, Elgin and Bastrop. We also offer services to certain areas in Austin, TX.
Our desire is to provide great service and great prices with the understanding that everyone deserves a clean home. We do not want to be just a temporary cleaning solution for you, but rather a cleaning essential for everyday life.
Why We Are Different
Why We Are Different
Maidtopia Cleaning Services offers 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are bonded and insured for your protection. Additionally, we are a pet-friendly company.


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Last week, Page 1 Solutions had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the debut miraDry® Marketing Bootcamp in San Diego, CA. Our Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Bill Fukui, along with myself, Daniel Brophy, Senior Social Media Specialist, each shared insights on a number of key digital marketing concepts.
First, Bill gave a very compelling presentation on Google Analytics, and how to better leverage the data therein to improve the usability and functionality of your website, drive more qualified traffic, and convert more visitors to leads. Following that, Bill provided a hands-on tutorial on getting started with Google AdWords PPC campaigns, along with some great tips on how to make effective localized PPC campaigns that convert.
After a pleasant lunch break, I then gave a thorough demonstration of Facebook Ads Manager and Instagram Ads, replete with valuable information for Facebook advertisers of all skill levels. I guided attendees through several strategies that make your social media advertising more effective, including how to develop the strategic mindset to ensure your ads reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
Both Bill's and my presentation afforded attendees the opportunity to follow along on their personal computer and ask questions in real-time. By the end of each section, every attendee had both an actual AdWords and Facebook Ads campaign live for their own practice! The intimate setting of the bootcamp, along with the open-forum Q&A style of the event made for a constructive and enlightening experience for all.
We want to give a shout-out to the friendly and accommodating staff at the Hilton Del Mar for providing fantastic service, great food, and a perfect setting for a productive, enjoyable event. Also, a sincere thank you to the whole team at miraDry, for offering us this opportunity. Likewise, thanks to everyone that attended. It was lovely to meet and spend the day with you all. We look forward to collaborating again in the future!
Stay tuned for more upcoming events similar to this one. We relish the opportunity to help out others with their marketing efforts. It's part of what makes Page 1 Solutions such a great company and place to work!
Til next time,


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What do we think at Gluten Free Cookies? We love chia seeds and use them not only because of their health benefits but the way they add a soft chewiness to our cookies. We only use raw, 100% organic chia seeds. And we grind them fresh ourselves! Many nutritional specialists (me included http://drcelaya.com/) think that chia seeds are one of the world's most nutritious foods. Here's why.
Big Nutrition with Small Calories
1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains:
- Fiber:11 grams
- Protein:4 grams
- Fat:9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s – Yahoo!)
- Calcium:18% of the RDA
- Manganese:30% of the RDA
- Magnesium:30% of the RDA
- Phosphorus:27% of the RDA
- They also contain a decent amount ofZinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.
Antioxidants, Antioxidants, Antioxidants
The antioxidants in these seeds help protect the Omega 3 fats from turning rancid. In addition, they help fight the production of free radicals, which can damage molecules in cells and contribute to aging and diseases like cancer.
About 11g of the 12g of carbohydrates are fiber. In addition to increasing intestinal health, chia seeds absorb toxins and, best yet, they help nourish the intestinal bacterial flora. When these seeds are exposed to water or liquid, they swell. This can help you with eating less for losing weight.
Believe it or not, chia seeds are a good source of protein. In a 28g sample there is 4g of protein. This is good for many body functions and helps you sustain long-term energy and to stay full longer.
One of the most beneficial ingredients in chia is the fat – high in Omega 3 fats that can reduce inflammation, which in turn reduces cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Bone health
Up to 18% of the genetic material in chia is made up of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous and is good for bone formation and maintenance.
Exercise performance
Research demonstrates that chia can help maintain your performance in athletic events.


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Bug Painting Badges Girl Scout Badges
We had our second Girl scout meeting today with all five little girls. This time we decided to work on the bug painting badges together. I must say being a unschooler makes it very hard to get organized and be prepared before everyone shows up. So right now the moms are winging it, and as long as the girls are together, I don't think they have noticed that the moms have no idea Continue reading


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After your baby walks – what's next?
After your baby walks – what's next?
After those first magical steps toward independence, your child will begin to master the finer points of mobility:
SEE ALSO: Care of the Newborn baby
- Standing: At 14 months, your toddler should be able to stand alone. She can probably squat down and then stand back up again, and she might even work on walking backward.
- Steadier walking: By 15 months, your child may be pretty good at walking. She may enjoy push-and-pull toys while she toddles. At this age, she will walk with her legs fairly far apart and her feet pointed outward. This is normal and helps her maintain stability.
- Stairs: At about 16 months, your child will begin to take an interest in going up and down stairs – though she probably won't navigate them with your help until her next birthday.
- Climbing and kicking: It's likely your child will be a proficient walker by 18 months. She might like to climb all over the furniture, and she can probably motor upstairs – though she'll still need help getting back down for a few more months. She may try to kick a ball, though she won't always be successful, and she probably likes to dance to music.
- Jumping: At 25 or 26 months, your child's steps will be more even, and she'll have the hang of the smooth heel-to-toe motion adults use. She's also getting better at jumping.
- On the go: By the time your child's third birthday rolls around, many of her basic movements will have become second nature. She'll be able to walk up and down stairs with one foot on each stair. She'll no longer need to focus energy on walking, standing, running, or jumping, though some actions, such as standing on tiptoes or on one foot, might still require concentration and effort.
Source: BabyCenter


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I have written a little about my family in "Remember this Day" post (tag: family). I wish now to post about my father. My mother and my step mother were and are equally remarkable people - but this post series is about my dad. He was born in 1926, the youngest of 9 living children...there was 7 years between him and his nearest sibling. He grew up in a world that those of us born in later decades can scarce imagine...few TVs or phones. Farm life - food came from the animals they raised and the plants they nurtured, not from a grocery store. Music was played on the radio, or seen and heard live - he still has his precious priceless collection of 78 rpm records that he slowly aquired as a young man who loved music with all his heart.
He served in WWII in occupied Germany as scarcely more than a boy at age 18- his older brothers were scattered through out that war, D-day, the Philipines. Italy...all came home in the end alive. He fell in love with young woman just out of high school - they were engaged and then separated by his shipping over seas. When he returned, they broke up, as all too often happens - too much change in a short time.
Years later as an army reservist, he was torn from his home, his fiance - a young woman in his church - and his life to go to Korea. Before he left, grimly fearing he would not return, he painted a portrait of his mother He was and is an awesomely talented portrait artist and painted it in about 17 hours flat, kissed his loved ones goodbye and left again for war. Before actually setting foot in Korea, before shipping out, he knelt at his bunk and prayed - "I will do what I must to serve my country, but please Dear God, do not let me have to kill any one." Not "save my life" but please do not make me kill.The next day he and several other men were offered a behind the line position as a staff seargent. They turned it, down, preferring to fight, believing the lie that Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori. Dad lunged for the assignment and came home, his hands innocent of blood.
The painting he did of his mother - part of it largely unfinished due to the haste he was under to report in for service - still hangs in his home today. He left it as it was, unwilling to change it or "finish" it - its partially complete state a commemoration of the time and place and reason that he painted it.
He married his fiance - my mother - in the 50's. They lost an infant son, my brother, and then I was born to them. He dealt with the heavy burden of a critically ill wife who had Lupus and a physically handicapped child (hip syndrome kept me from walking for 4 years.) with more grace and love and gentleness that I can begin to tell. During a particulaly difficult time when I was in a body cast from my armpits to my toes, he carried me up the 15 step flight of stairs in our home so that I could sleep in my own bed every night, wrestling me and the body cast up that narrow stairwell. On the ceiling of my room, he put realistic glow in the dark stickers of the planets and stars and the moon for me to look at since I could not move or change postition. He and I had long had a small telescope and used to spend hours looking at the moon with it. I owe my life long love afair with astronomy and space to him.
He lost his wife, my mom, to death in the 70's and shortly thereafter was reunited with the fiance of his school days whom he had not seen in 30 years. She was also widowed - they were married 6 weeks later.
Now he lives in retirement with her...he is 83, stiffer and slower to move, struggling with his own arthritis, caring for my step-mother with grace and love as she struggles with a degernative spinal disorder. Yet he is unfailing cheerful, joking and tender. He is a remarkable man. I have inherited his artistic gift, his genetics - our hands and feet are near identical - our body language is eerily similiar and our turns of speach. I have his stubborness and his pride and slow to kindle but fiery temper. I have his even temperment and his speach patterns. (there is also a lot of my mother in me - more than most imagine - but few see it). My Father and I speak on the phone nearly everyday - especially since I see the toll that time is taking on his frame as age advances. He comes of a long lived family - I probably have years yet with him, but I learned with the loss of my mother 31 years ago that the longest time is inevitably short when the clock of life innexorably moves to the final appointed day and hour for all of us. His time and mine are short.
I make sure that he knows I love him, that we share what we can across the unimaginable boundaries of the different worlds we grew up in. And I am not Out to him as being gay.
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SQL Server System Integration Methods
ERP, Accounting, Email, MS Office Apps
Services & Reporting
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SQL Server Analysis Services
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Top Reasons to Migrate
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Web Client Foundation
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SQL Server Integrations
Several methods are available to integrate SQL Server with an another system — SQL Server integration with MS Access, MS Excel, and commercial accounting and ERP systems are quite common. Proper integration with SQL Server can significantly streamline business workflows, and avoid unnecessary (and often inefficient and error-prone) manual data management. The engineering effort required to develop a SQL Server interface can vary significantly, so it is important to select the method most appropriate to the business need.
SQL Server Integration Methods
SQL Server integration methods can include ETL scripts that support file-based data extraction and import, ODBC or webservices connections, or API-level integration. Each method is capable of supporting one-way or bi-directional data integration. ODBC, webservices or API-level integration methods are often the best approach for continuous, real-time data integration needs. The method one chooses is driven largely by two factors: whether the same data elements need to accessible by both systems (vs. a logical flow of data from one system to the other), and the frequency of updates needed by the business e.g. real-time vs. once a month.
For example, if your accounting system needs customer service hours from an external SQL Server database once a month for invoicing, an ETL script to extract and import the data is often the most cost-effective approach. If on the other hand the accounting system needs customer service hours every day, then system-level integration is usually the best choice.
Integrating SQL Server With Accounting and ERP Software
Popular accounting systems we have experience with include: QuickBooks, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, SAP Business One, Sage MAS 90 ERP and Sage MAS 200 ERP, and NetSuite. Common ERP systems we have SQL Server data integration experience with include: SAP, Epicore, NetSuite, Oracle JD Edwards, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Sage Accpac ERP. SQL Server data integration with any accounting or ERP software package is feasible when the software package uses a relational database; and the entire relational database schema is accessible to the outside world.
In our experience, the most common technical hurdle to integrating external SQL Server data with an accounting and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is the vendor's inability (or unwillingness) to expose their underlying SQL table structures. In circumstances where the SQL table structures are readily available, integration with data stored in a SQL Server database is a usually quite straightforward.
Integrating SQL Server with MS Excel
Two popular business scenarios for integrating MS Excel with a SQL Server database include using MS Excel as a flexible front-end calculation engine to perform flexible "what-if" business functions that would otherwise be too expensive to build into SQL Server; another popular scenario involves using Excel for SQL data selection and interactive charting functions, which can also require integration with SQL Server Analytic Services (SSAS). Both SQL Excel integration scenarios can provide a powerful, cost-effective way to manipulate large sets of data stored in a SQL Server database — and take advantage of Excel functions that are familiar to many power users.
Learn more about integrating MS Excel with SQL Server.
Integrating SQL Server with MS Access
Many businesses manage core business data using a highly-customized version of MS Access, but eventually outgrow the limited capabilities that MS Access can offer. More Users, more data, the need to support remote Users in different locations are among the primary factors that necessitate migration of an in-house MS Access system with SQL Server. PCA specializes in migrating MS Access to SQL Server, to handle growing business needs.
Learn more about Excel and/or MS Access to SQL Server migration services.
Integrating SQL Server with QuickBooks
SQL Server - QuickBooks integrations can take on several forms. The easiest, low-cost approach is file-based integration, where a select set of data is exported from SQL Server (in CSV format), then imported into the QuickBooks application. This approach is very common for occasional/intermittent data integration needs, for example exporting work orders from SQL to support monthly invoicing in QuickBooks. Using the same approach it is also common to export customer or invoice data from QuickBooks, and import into SQL Server, for the purpose of reconciling accounting and service functions.
File-based data integration can also be automated via SQL Server "jobs" to support more frequent/repeatable data update needs. An alternative SQL Server - QuickBooks integration involves connecting the two applications in "real-time" via the QuickBooks Application Programming Interface (API). This approach requires more engineering, but is very useful for high frequency data integration needs E.g. when accounting and services functions must mirror each another during the work day.
The SQL Server integration method one chooses is driven largely by two factors — whether the same data elements need to accessible by both systems, and the frequency of data updates required by the business e.g. real-time, daily, weekly, monthly.
Infrequent updates from one system to another need not be over-engineered; Frequent updates to two or more systems should not be under-engineered.
Copyright © 1992-2019 Practical Computer Applications, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Best chocolate figures:
Easter 2018
As every year, it's time to look for the best chocolate figures. Easter has arrived and with it the moment that children were waiting for. It's time for good chocolate!
We like to enjoy the good quality sweets and for this reason in Bubó you will find chocolate figures always made with the best chocolate and artisanally. All our figures are unique and its design has been done by our creative director Ernest Amaller Masuet.
Each of the figures that we prepare, both the large and the small ones, are stuffed with chocolate pieces. We also attach a small "Secret Note" that will allow you to write a message and enter it in the figure. Large chocolate figures also come with a small hammer that will help you break it and access its interior.
In the attached link you will find this year's Easter chocolate figures catalog. If you wish to make an order, you can contact directly the store where you want to pick it up. Here you will see the contact details of our shops.
Do not miss this opportunity to celebrate with your family a very special Easter week. We bring you best quality chocolate for your gift to be unforgettable.


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Today, we took a break from our 'sweet adventures' and decided to go the more savory route – and a little more upscale to: Hall's Pizza Kitchen! And now, the comprehensive review of Hall's Pizza Kitchen, as told by a 4 year old:
OkieDads (OD): So Brooklyn, now that we've had some pizza from Hall's Pizza Kitchen, I have some questions for you. What do you think of this place?
Brooklyn (BK): Good!
OD: What's your favorite thing that you ate today?
BK: Umm…the pizza!
OD: That makes sense! What did you like about the pizza?
BK: Cheese!
OD: Yeah? Was it a little cheesy or was it super cheesy?
BK: Super cheesy!
OD: What did you not like about Hall's Pizza Kitchen?
BK: It was spicy!
OD: Spicy?! What was spicy?
BK: The crust and the pepperoni.
OD: Yeah, I guess there was a little bit of spice on those. But other than that, do you like this place?
BK: I like the pizza house (the brick oven in the corner), it's a super fun place and I want to come here next week!


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New Stanton Volunteer Fire Department
About Us
How to Join
Alarm Data
Annual Banquet
Departed Members
Fire Safety
Fund Raisers
Some History
Stanton Room
Practice Firesafety All Year Long
Fireworks, lighted candles, Christmas trees and deep-frying turkeys can all be deadly.
Do you appreciate the severity of what can happen during the fall and winter months?
From 2009-2013, decorations were the item first ignited in an estimated average of 860 reported home structure fires per year.
Nearly half of decoration fires in homes occurred because the decorations were too close to a heat source.
Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 43% of home Christmas tree fires.
Two of every five (40%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den. Three-quarters of the fatalities and two-thirds of the associated injuries resulted from fires started in this area.
The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve.
Heating is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires, deaths and injuries.
December, January and February are the peak months for heating fires.
Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, figuring in two of every five fires (40%).
2017 Fire Loss
in the U. S.
Public fire departments responded to 1,319,500 fires in 2017, a slight decrease of 2% from the previous year.
Every 24 seconds, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation. A fire occurs in a structure at the rate of one every 63 seconds, and a home fire occurs every 88 seconds.
Seventy-seven percent of all fire deaths occurred in the home, a decrease of 4% compared to 2016.
Home fires were responsible for 10,600 civilian injuries, or 72% of all civilian injuries, in 2017.
An estimated $23 billion in property damage occurred as a result of fire in 2017, a large increase, as this number includes a $10 billion loss in wildfires in Northern California.
An estimated 22,500 structure fires were intentionally set in 2017, an increase of 13% over the year before.
Source: www.nfpa.org
We have assembled a number of Fact & Tip Sheets, courtesy of the
National Fire Protection Association.
Check them out and help make your home and our community a safer place to live and work.
Reproduced from NFPA's website, www.nfpa.org/publiceducation.
2016 Fire Loss Overview Fact Sheet
Candle Safety
Tip Sheet
Carbon Monoxide Safety Tip Sheet
Christmas Tree
Safety Tips
Cooking Safety
Tip Sheet
Fireworks Safety
Tip Sheet
Smoke Alarm
Safety Tip Sheet
Thanksgiving Safety Tip Sheet
Winter Holiday
Safety Tips
New Stanton VFD particiapted in the
24th Annual Fire Prevention Display at
Westmoreland Mall,
Rt. 30, Greensburg
on Tues., Oct. 8, 2019.
Thanks to the
staff and students
Stanwood Elementary
for a warm welcome
during our day-long
Fire Prevention program
Fri., Oct. 11, 2019.
Stop, Drop & Roll!


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The vast archive of materials used by the United Nations War Crimes Commission, sealed from the public for over six decades, will be made public with an online-searchable catalog this week.
These files, some of which date back to 1943, include early evidence of Nazi war crimes committed during the Holocaust that were smuggled out of eastern Europe during the height of the Second World War, according to the Guardian. They will be unveiled by the London-based Wiener Library, a facility supporting the study of genocide and the Holocaust.
Prior to the material's release this week, only researchers authorized by both their national governments and the U.N.'s secretary-general were allowed to access them — without being able to either take notes or make copies. Historian Dan Plesch, who studied the documents for a decade, told the Guardian that the open archive "is a huge resource for combating Holocaust denial."


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Astound US Inc is a new kind of Artist Representation business based in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, and now with offices in London.
We aim high - to Astound - by being the Agency with the best in contemporary children's book illustration, and both licensing and commercial art from around the world.
We back that up with excellence in every aspect: from the first presentation, to how we project manage, and all the way through to how we invoice.
We Astound by being good at what we do with a snappy, can-do, enthusiastic, talented and creative attitude. And yes, we're not expensive.
All those things that make for an 'astounding' outcome.
Our promise to artists: career advancement with the right clients, regular creative guidance, strong administrative support and on time payment
Drawn to better.
No matter where you are in the world or at whichever stage of your freelance artist career you may be, we're passionate about helping your career be more successful and rewarding by creating the art you love most! We are on your side: we'll give you insider's tips and client feedback for your folio development, and also introduce you directly to leading children's publishing houses, greeting card companies, jigsaw puzzle and game manufacturers, poster and decorative product suppliers (tableware, stationery)… the list goes on!
We're here to discuss the artistic direction you'd like to pursue and make that a reality with you.
Our positive relationships with our artists have made us the most rapidly growing Artist Agency in New York, possibly the USA. Here in the center of the publishing world, we are just a few subway stops away from the biggest brands worldwide, but we don't stay local - our agents travel everywhere to showcase your portfolio (and custom-made promotional materials!), from coast to coast in the USA, to major fairs in Europe: Frankfurt, Bologna, London and beyond.
We spread the word about your talent through personalized mail-outs, regular correspondence with close contacts in the industry, and online campaigns in addition to our state of the art site - all free to you!
Our partnership with Collaborate Agency's highly experienced team of editors and designers means that we can also support you in developing original children's book ideas into full-fledged storybooks and presentations, which we bring to the biggest children's book fairs of the year.
Best of all, we make sure you're paid right on time.
Astound us! If you'd like to learn more and be represented by Astound US, please email firstname.lastname@example.com with a sampling of your favorite pieces (8-10 .jpgs under 2MB each).
Astound Team!
Our #AstoundingArtists are hard at work, creating fantastic illustrations. We are excited to announce the newly published books which feature the artwork from our #Astounding illustrators! From role model kids to mummies and ghosts, there's no theme our artists can't bring to life! We'd like to thank all of the publishers and authors who have collaborated with our artists on the wonderfully varied collection of books.
Make sure to follow the links below to check out each artist portfolio and keep up to date with their latest projects. You can also find our full range of #Astounding artists here. Make sure to tweet us your favorites at @astound_us #MeAndMyBook ! And check out / follow us on Instagram @astoundusagency for more fun new work!
Laura Horton, Never Too Young!, written by Aileen Weintraub, published by Sterling Children's Books, September 2018.
Chiara Galletti, Fright School, written by Janet Lawler, published by Albert Whitman & Company, September 2018.
Chris Saunders, What the Fluffy Bunny Said to the Growly Bear, written by P. Crumble, published by Scholastic, March 2018.
Hilli Kushnir, Five Silly Ghosts, written and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, July 2018.
Hilli Kushnir, This Makes Me Silly, written by Courtney Carbone, published by Rodale/Random House, June 2018.
Talitha Shipman, First Snow, written by Nancy Viau, published by Albert Whitman & Company, September 2018.
Valentina Jaskina, God's Big Big Church, written and published by B&H Kids, August 2018.
Astound Artists Agency Manhattan is a new kind of artist representation based in New York City. We aim high – to Astound – by being the illustration agency with the best contemporary children's book illustrators and greeting card designers that the industry has to offer. We connect publishers and artists from around the globe, with our Astound Illustration Agency London offices now open in the UK. Astound US – Drawn to better.


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Friday, October 25, 2019
What's happening elsewhere in The Bow Valley?
For all artsPlace events and programs, please visit our Programs page!
Check out the listings below, or select another date from the calendar to the right. To add your event to the list, click here.
Event Calendar Events by Month
Open Mic
Every Friday at 7:30 pm
Good Earth Canmore
Banff Block Party
Friday October 25, 2019
Downtown Banff


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Going on hols? Buy sunglasses from our glamorous designer sale events. A sales event? It's an exciting flash sale where both time and stock are très limited!At VP we're fans of all things chic and fashionable: menswear, womenswear, kidswear, homeware & more. To buy sunglasses online simply sign up to our sales and receive exclusive invitations. Our site features more than 1,200 exciting brands from across the globe. It's easy to buy sunglasses online, we'll just have to cross our fingers for sunshine!
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Implementation Strategies
View a selection of implementation strategies from educators who are successfully using ALEKS to achieve dramatic learning outcomes.
Chardon Middle School, Chardon Local Schools
Chardon, OH
Grade(s): 6 - 8
Scenario: Computers in Classroom
Purpose: Intervention, At-Risk Students, Supplement, Special Education
ALEKS Portion of Curriculum: 12%
Time Spent in ALEKS: 1-2 hours per week; 13 hours per term
ALEKS Course: Middle School Math Course 2, Middle School Math Course 3
Martin Johnson, Teacher
ALEKS provides students with the experience to self-evaluate and remediate skill deficiencies throughout their school career.
What challenges did the class or school face in math prior to using ALEKS?
Assessing and intervening in specific skill areas of individual students.
How many days per week is class time dedicated to ALEKS?
5 days per week.
What is the average length of a class period when ALEKS is used?
20 minutes.
Do you cover ALEKS concepts in a particular order?
Yes, Number Sense, then Measurement, Geometry, and Algebra.
How do you structure your class period with ALEKS?
Students use ALEKS during a 20 minute intervention time.
How often are students required or encouraged to work on ALEKS at home?
Whenever possible.
How do you cultivate parental involvement and support for ALEKS?
We ask parents to monitor student performance.
Is ALEKS assigned to your students as all or part of their homework responsibilities? If so, what part of the total homework load is it?
Do you require students to make regular amounts of progress in ALEKS?
Yes. I do a baseline and then they try to improve based on the rate of improvement per day.
Learning Outcomes
Since using ALEKS, please describe the learning outcomes or progress you have seen.
Students enjoy seeing the rate at which they improve. However, they need to be motivated to stay on task the longer they are engaged in the program.
Best Practices
Are there any best practices you would like to share with other teachers implementing ALEKS?
I have a student monitor who helps keep students on task and focused. The monitor helps students by demonstrating problems on slate boards and explaining examples on the ALEKS program.


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A team of U.S. officials crossed into North Korea on Sunday for talks to prepare for a summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, as both sides pressed ahead with arrangements despite the question marks hanging over the meeting.
Sung Kim, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea and former nuclear negotiator with the North, has been called in from his post as envoy to the Philippines to lead the preparations, according to a person familiar with the arrangements.
The talks are focused on what would be the substance of a potential summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un — the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
The talks are expected to continue Monday and Tuesday at Tongilgak, or "Unification House," the building in the northern part of the demilitarized zone where Kim Jong Un met Moon on Saturday. That impromptu session was aimed at salvaging the summit that Trump had said he was scuppering just two days earlier.
The South Korean president, who is playing something of a mediator role in the talks, was optimistic afterward. "We two leaders agreed the June 12 North Korea-U.S. summit must be successfully held," he said.
'They're playing a game'
In Washington, lawmakers and former U.S. intelligence officials expressed general support Sunday for proceeding with the summit, but many reacted skeptically to North Korea's suggestion that it is open to discussing denuclearization.
"When we say 'denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,' this could be a two-way street," Clapper said, also on "Face the Nation."
Clapper suggested that a worthy goal for the summit might be to establish a "regular conduit for communication" between the two countries, perhaps including the opening of diplomatic interest sections in both capitals.
"This is not a reward for bad behavior at all," Clapper said. "It's mutually reciprocal and would give us that presence there, more insight and more understanding." From North Korea's point of view, he said, a U.S. presence in the country might give Pyongyang a "sense of security" against a possible U.S. attack.
Diplomat's help hailed
Given all the ups and downs with the summit, many analysts were relieved to hear that the administration had enlisted Sung Kim to help, especially given the retirement of fellow seasoned diplomat Joseph Yun earlier this year.
"This is a great step," said Vipin Narang, a nuclear nonproliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noting that the summit preparation was best handled by experts behind the scenes rather than in public forums such as Twitter.
Denuclearization doubts
Most analysts say it is extremely unlikely that North Korea will surrender its nuclear weapons. The United States has been pushing for "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" — a high bar that would require North Korea to relinquish its entire nuclear program and allow verification by international inspectors.
A separate U.S. team led by Joe Hagin, deputy chief of staff in the White House, is organizing logistics with Kim Chang Son, who is effectively the North Korean leader's chief of staff.


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Smart technology for real-time
operations management
At Checkit, we have one goal: To help our clients achieve operational excellence.
Our passion is providing technology and services that support our customers in managing and optimising their business operations. Smart technology that ensures consistency, productivity and compliance. Technology that automates, monitors and documents processes to provide data insights for achieving operational excellence.
Checkit helps businesses and organisations in many sectors such as:
- Service businesses, including food safety, leisure and hospitality, health & safety
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Facilities maintenance and building estate management
- And industries with mobile workforces, ready for digital transformation
What can we do for you?
We connect people and places with policy and processes through Internet of Things ("IoT") smart sensors, mobile and cloud technology.
Our real-time operations platform helps businesses access previously untapped data sources and transform them into insights that can be acted on, immediately.
In practice this means
- Our work management tool provides smart digital checklists that are easy to use and configure. Checklists that make sure the right people do the right thing, in the right place, at the right time
- Our UKAS accredited automated monitoring ensures compliance and mitigates loss of valuable drugs, bloods, samples and medicines. Monitoring that is backed by real-time 24/7/365 telephone support.
- Our smart wireless sensing networks use Internet of Things technologies to replace manual checks with 24/7 monitoring, protecting valuable stock, appliances and processes.
- Our remote management of building services provides ongoing technical support and serviced packages. Going beyond the installation phase to facilitate continued operational and financial benefits.
- Our technology independent platform for smart buildings helps optimise estate wide operations. Acquiring big building data from multiple sources, providing estate performance analytics at all levels.
- Data and reporting of business intelligence that provide a 360 degree view which helps businesses realise operational excellence.
What is operational excellence?
Operational excellence comes from the way business operations are run in real time - how automated management systems are set up, how frontline workers handle processes, how supervisors can quickly fix errors, and how managers and leaders gain immediate insight to ensure that operations are running as efficiently as possible.
Our real-time operations management technology and services make this easy.
Checkit ensures the right people do the right thing in the right place at the right time.
- It helps frontline staff to follow agreed processes by automating, guiding and enforcing their activities.
- For supervisors Checkit automatically allocates and schedules work, making exceptions and issues easy to handle.
- For managers and leaders it provides continual insights across the business to gain real-time control of operations.
Checkit at a glance:
- Founded in 2012
- Acquired Next Control Systems in 2019
- 175 people, £12m revenues and growing fast!
- Technology Centres in Cambridge and Fleet, UK and offices in the USA.
- Meet our Board of Directors
Tutela Monitoring Systems - from Checkit
Tutela is a specialist healthcare and life science temperature monitoring and data insights platform for the management of critical temperature sensitive biological assets and products.
Working with partners in hospitals (including the NHS - UK), private healthcare, pharmaceuticals and life sciences and retail healthcare sectors. Tutela provides real-time monitoring with a manned alarm calling service 24/7 all year, offering insights that support improved quality, regulatory safety and compliance.
Visit the Tutela Monitoring Systems website
Next Control Systems - from Checkit
Next Control Systems designs, installs, project manages and commissions building energy management systems. With over 25 years of experience, Next helps its clients to run their building management services and facilities as efficiently as possible.
Going beyond the initial installation phase, Next provides automated monitoring and real-time data analysis, with 24/7 alarm call centre support. Using Next Control Systems BMS clients are able to benefit from reduced facilities and building management operational costs.
Visit the Next Control Systems website
AXON - from Checkit
The AXON platform improves day to day building estate efficiency, as well as help prove in-use performance versus design intent. Providing visualisations and reporting to support the various stakeholders within the building, AXON delivers actionable insights for carbon reduction, energy and operational efficiencies.
A technology independent platform, AXON communicates with a diverse range of manufacturers equipment. Data is acquired from multiple sources for energy, metering, lighting, environment and occupancy, providing estate performance analytics at all levels.
The big building data AXON acquires empowers its clients to optimise the management of their estate, enabling them to deliver a better, smarter building today.


text: Dragofer 1043 Report post Posted August 21, 2018 (edited) After the recent slew of traps and trap concepts I reckoned it'd be good to have a place where they could all be collected. Ready-to-use Traps Pressure plate with projectile shooter Thread Video tutorial Chest armed with springloaded spike Thread Video tutorial Flame Jet Thread Video tutorial Tripwire with crossbow Thread Video demonstration Trap concepts Here are possible future traps that the community has thought of. Feel free to post ideas for how any of these could be implemented, have a go at implementing them or to make new suggestions. It'd be helpful to start each of your post with the name of the trap you're writing about. 1. Crushing walls 2. Spiked pits 3. Rooms filling with water Existing examples can be found in Old Habits 2 and one of Sotha's missions. 4. A Dishonored-type lightning trap 5. Thief-like heads that fire projectiles Probably would require an AI def. 6. Poison gas traps Ideally these could be avoided with breath potions. Sotha's gas mine may be used as a basis. 7. Swinging blades 8. Boulder drop 9. Trapdoor/pitfall Either an unstable floor, made as in the Pressure Plate trap, or a trapdoor which suddenly opens when triggered. 10. Electric or heated plates Edited August 24, 2018 by Dragofer 9 Quote One Step Too Far | Down by the Riverside | Perilous Refuge | Dragofer's Soundcloud | Dark Ambient Music & Sounds Repository | The Trap Workshop Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Northern Rock has been forced to slash its saving range - including all fixed-rate accounts - as savers increasingly seek out 100% protection for their money.
From today, Northern Rock will no longer offer any fixed-rate accounts to new customers. People who are in the process of opening a Northern Rock fixed-rate account will lose out as part of the move, with the bank not honouring any applications yet to be approved.
Concern over the financial stability of the banking sector has led to an increased number of people withdrawing part or all of their cash savings, and spreading it across a variety of accounts to reduce exposure to any one firm, according to price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com. And a greater number of savers are turning to banks that offer 100% protection, such as Northern Rock, National Savings & Investment, Irish banks and the Post Office.
Experts have predicted that some of these institutions will have to cut their rates in order to stem the inflow of money amid concerns that their systems may not be able to cope. But for Northern Rock, the reason for the withdrawals comes down to its unique position as a nationalised savings banks, backed by the Treasury.
Under the terms of its nationaisation, Northern Rock is not allowed to increase its market share beyond 1.5% in the UK market and 0.8% in Ireland. Previously, it had a 1.9% market share in the UK and 1.3% in Ireland
The bank says it has recently seen a "sizeable" inflow of new money from savers, particularly in recent days following the nationalisation of Bradford & Bingley.
It has now withdrawn a number of saving products, including its entire fixed-rate range, its online E-Saver products, and its Silver Savings range.
The changes mean new customers will no longer be able to benefit from 100% protection through any of these products, although existing customers will see no change to their accounts.
Northern Rock will still offer its variable rate branch saver (4.90% AER), a range of fixed rate ISAs (up to 6.00% AER), its Save Direct base rate tracker accounts (3.45% AER) and its Save Direct tracker (from 3.70% AER).


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by Lilly
Hey Brad,
I have another issue. In the past couple days there hasn't been any sun around our house, so I brought my seedlings inside. The seedlings that have sprouted so far are 4 beets and 1 lettuce. They both needed full sun, so I put them under a lamp. The seedlings started to lean backwards, as if they didn't like the lamp. I turned them the other way, and sure enough they began leaning away from the lamp.
What's wrong?
Hi Lilly,
First, make sure you're using the right type of lamp. By all means though, you don't need to spend much money. A lot of lighting systems for plants can be expensive.
But you do need to use something like a cool/florescent kind of bulb. For instance, I bought some 4 foot long "shop lights" from the local hardware store. These fluorescent fixtures are the type you would see in a garage or work shop. They are inexpensive and I've been using them for years with GREAT results.
It's troubling that the seedlings would actually grow away from the lamp. In all my circumstances, the seedling grow toward the bulbs. (You want to try to center them so they'll grow upwards...if possible).
If you're using a "regular" bulb, than maybe it's producing too much heat, and the seedlings are moving away from that heat.
I hope this helps!
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Seton Center Seton Center
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Mission Statement
Seton Center is a Catholic-sponsored human service agency that helps people break cycles of poverty. Seton Center provides health, social, and educational programs to address current community needs, and tools to support people in transforming their lives.
Seton Center offers: a food pantry; a thrift store; emergency assistance with rent, mortgage, and utilities; an older adults program (Senior Buddies); an alternative high school for at-risk youth; and a full-service dental department with a special focus on serving low-income patients and the uninsured.
Lighting pathways to healthier lives . . .
- Service of the Poor: Generosity of spirit, especially for persons most in need.
- Reverence: Respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life.
- Integrity: Inspiring trust through personal leadership.
- Wisdom: Integrating excellence and stewardship.
- Dedication: Affirming the hope and joy of our ministry.
- Creativity: Courageous innovation.
This information
Might be out of date
Do you work for this organization?
Request administrator status and update its information!


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Spain is now the 7th main investment destination worldwide for Chinese real-estate buyers after US, Australia, Canada, UK, Thailand and New Zealand according to Juwei website and Barcelona continues to be the number one city in Spain where Chinese are purchasing real-estate. It is amid
The Spanish real-estate market demonstrated once more in 2015 his tremendous potential and placed itself amongst investors market of choice.The year 2015 closed on a yearly increase of rents in Spain of 3.6% in average. An increase almost across the board With the exception of


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Most or the schooling equipment or training aids that we see today were invented for, and should be used for, specific purposes: to relax, school, build, develop and discipline horses for all sorts of equestrian uses. If applied correctly and knowledgeably many do make a significant difference. But before you use a piece of schooling equipment or a training aid I suggest you think carefully about a few of the following points.
Have I made a fair assessment of my horse's mental state?
In order to be able to begin to school or train a horse fairly you must be sure that he is mentally able to cope with what you are trying to achieve.
If his diet is too high in protein for his temperament or his workload for instance, or if he is not allowed any freedom and only has an hour's hack around the block or half an hour cantering around in the school on the end of a lunge line in his headcollar, he may be genuinely difficult to handle and ride or drive, but this might not be improved by buying an expensive training aid. Go through your horse's lifestyle to see if you can make changes and improvements. What you perceive to be a schooling problem could be erratic behaviour caused by over-excitement.
Most of us have to work for a living and fit our horses in before and after Work. After eight or nine hours at work not many of us feel like changing and mucking out and schooling our horses, particularly in the dark and in the cold! So, after all the chores are done and we are tired it's not surprising that the prospect of riding our horses for two hours or more is daunting.
But your horse has possibly stood in his stable for 20 hours awaiting release.
If overfeeding and underexercising isn't enough to cope with, there is the possibility that not enough hay is being fed to satisfy his need for fibre. If you leave your horse at night at 8pm, and do not go to the yard until 7am or 8am the next morning and his night hay ration only lasted until 10pm he has had 10 hours in which to do nothing but wait anxiously for you to arrive to feed him again. If your horse is being badly behaved or will not relax sufficiently to be schooled because of any of these factors, then better management is required, not the use of a schooling device.
Is my horse physically comfortable and fit enough?
A check should always be kept on your horse's soundness; if he is a little pottery or not 100% sound, using some of the powerful training aids will only make things worse, not better. Teeth need regular attention: any sharp edges are going to make it difficult for the horse to accept a bit and establish a good head carriage if his head and mouth are not comfortable. The bridle and saddle should fit comfortably and correctly. Any rugs should fit well so that they do not rub sores on the shoulders and withers, a driving horse's breast collar harness may touch parts of his shoulder that are already sore from rug rubs.
A horse should be kept at a comfortable temperature; some of our winters can be very mild and rugging up a horse so that he is constantly sweating will only make him miserable and possibly cause skin eruptions that make him uncomfortable. No horse is going to respond well to new ideas and pieces of strange equipment unless he is calm and comfortable and reasonably fit and well. Most of the training aids require a horse to maintain certain physical shapes; if the horse is not very fit he will soon get tired and begin to resist because it is simply not comfortable to carry on.
Sound application of basic knowledge
As with all well-thought-out ideas everything is open to misuse through lack of knowledge and even, in some cases, to abuse. If you are struggling with a specific problem and are thinking of using a piece of schooling equipment, you really need to have a clear idea of what your problems are, what you expect to achieve, exactly which item of schooling equipment will besr suit the goal you wish to reach and, most importantly, which piece of schooling equipment will suit your horse's conformation.
If your horse has weak conformation this could possibly be the source of your problem. Great care must be taken to build up and improve a weakness, not cause distress by the wrong approach. You are trying to achieve a relaxed, interested and obedient horse not a tired, bored, tense one. Nothing should be rushed, there are no short cuts, allow yourself time to slowly build the horse's confidence, obedience and gradually his strength and physique
Force and coercion
In my opinion horses should not be coerced into submission but fairly and systematically schooled so that they enjoy the work being asked of them. If what you are doing with your horse is not working, take a mental step back and reassess the situation. Are you trying to force your horse into a shape that he is not physically capable of achieving at this level of training? Are you lungeing or schooling too often and for too long using a schooling aid that is not fitted correctly thus causing resistances stemming from discomfort? If you feel that there are no changes to be made, seek help and advice, there are plenty of well-qualified people to turn to.
You may have to try one or two until you find someone you really feel conhdent with. I am not saying that certain horses do not need very skilled and firm handling but with thought and a well-executed schooling plan, even the cheekiest and brightest can be made to conform. There are no short cuts to a well-schooled and calmly obedient horse willing to do things for his rider out of understanding and a physical wellbeing.
Powerful tools in the wrong hands
Some pieces of schooling equipment are very powerful tools indeed and some can put great strain on the horse's limbs and back. A gradual introduction is always necessary, a gentle, slow build-up ofshort sessions over a period of time, with correctly fitted and applied training aids, Will always achieve more in the long term than forced and prolonged sessions of misunderstanding and fatigue. Remember to vary your work, continuous repetitive schooling is very boring, use what facilities you have well: flat work, pole work, gymnastic jumping, everything to produce a satisfied relaxed and happy horse.


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Well-known maritime writer and nautical historian Maynard Bray, and his wife Anne (she used to manage the WoodenBoat Library) have teamed-up to create a book that brings you many designs hidden away in old copies of The Rudder magazine. They have spent years pouring over The Rudder and have culled some very interesting designs for this book.
Designs to Inspire is divided evenly between sail and power, with the sailboat catagories grouped as: Cat Rigs, Sloops & Cutters, Ketches & Yawls, Schooners & Square Rigs. And the power: Launches, Runabouts & Raceboats, Power Cruisers, Motor Yachts, Commercial boats.
This is a book of line drawings faithfully reproduced from the original issues of The Rudder, improved only by Maynard's unique perspective, with designs selected as well as his commentary in caption format.
Author: Anne & Maynard Bray
Publisher: WoodenBoat Books
Published: November 1, 2000
Pages: 186
Binding: Hardcover


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Shugon Rennes Cross Body Pouch (French Navy/Turquoise) - BC4605
Product Colour: French Navy/Turquoise.
Product ID: UTBC4605.
Please note: All sizes are UK sizes (see size chart for conversion).
This product is available in 3 colours. This is subject to availability and can be searched on Catch using the product ID: BC4605.
- Material: 420D ripstop polyester/600D polyester
- One main compartment
- Front pocket
- Adjustable shoulder strap
- Capacity: 4 litres
- Suitable for screen printing/transfer printing or embroidery
- Dimensions: H10.6 x W8.3 x D3in, (Maximum print area) H5.9 x W4.7 x D4.3in.
Please Note: Size guide image relates to standard sizes only. Brand sizes may vary.