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Long Tie Brown
A Tie is a must for any Special Occasion, these Ties are sleek, stylish and unique brought to you by Antonio Villon. An Antonio Villini Tie will give a Dynamic new look to all Boys Suits. The Ties are made from soft shimmering satin making them a perfect accessory for all Boys Suits.
Composition: 100% Polyester


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Launch an instance on OpenStack.
Optionally include information on preparing the test environment
How to test
Launch an instance of one of the images downloaded and registered in the previous test case.
$> cd ~/novacreds $> . ./novarc # note if the address of the host changes (like restarting a DHCP VM) you'll first need to edit this file $> euca-run-instances ami-tty --kernel aki-tty --ramdisk ari-tty -k nova_key
Expected Results
Verify that the instance has started.
$> euca-describe-instances RESERVATION r-d8wpvydq rbryant default INSTANCE i-00000001 ami-00000003 10.0.0.2 10.0.0.2 pending nova_key (rbryant, f16) 0 m1.small 2011-10-17T20:31:05Z nova aki-00000001 ari-00000002
It may take a while to transition from the pending to the running state, as reported by euca-describe-instances
$> sudo virsh list Id Name State ---------------------------------- 1 instance-00000001 running
Get console output and ensure instance is fully started
$> euca-get-console-output i-00000001
Try SSH-ing into the instance:
$> cd ~/novacreds $> ssh -i nova_key.priv -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null firstname.lastname@example.com
Check for new errors in the logs:
$> grep -i error /var/log/nova/*.log
- We use
/dev/nullfor known hosts because the fingerprints associated with these IPs will change when you start over with your testing; updating known hosts gets annoying
- You've probably got a stale dnsmasq process around if you see:
dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 10.0.0.1: Address already in use

subset: commoncrawl


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Day to day living
There is no doubt that caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease can be frustrating and difficult. But it can also be rewarding. Solving problems and becoming confident in knowing how to give care can provide you with a great sense of satisfaction.
We are learning more and more about how to provide good care for the person with Alzheimer's disease day to day -- and still take care of yourself.
Much of what we know comes from the experience of family and professional caregivers. Together, we are all learning how to deal with the challenges of this disease.
Routines and reminders
Keeping a routine can help people with dementia continue to do things on their own.
People with dementia can sometimes have difficulty doing every day tasks, and that's why it's important to keep safety top of mind.
Personal care
We all want to look good and feel good. People with Alzheimer's disease may need more help as time goes on.
Driving & transportation
People with dementia may experience different risks and comfort levels with driving and transportation.
Staying active
Living one day at a time, doing the things you enjoy and the things that bring you meaning and fulfillment are just some of the ways to live with Alzheimer's disease.
Sleep disturbances are common with Alzheimer's disease and they impact both the person with the disease and the caregiver.
Meal time
Healthy eating is important for all of us. Sharing meal times with family and friends can provide structure to the day and increase the enjoyment of food.


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In Videos: Japanese Fanta Commercials
The first time I saw a Fanta commercial featuring the overly energetic Wanta Fanta song, I thought, "No, I don't wanta," and "Where's my gun?"
Thankfully, not all Fanta commercials give me suicidal tendencies. This series of Japanese Fanta commercials packs the excitement of atypical third grade classes—taught by rockstars, deejays, soap opera stars, and more—into 15 confusing seconds. If I were one of these students, I'd also want to kick back at the end of the day with a cool, refreshing bottle of Fanta. Alas, I don't live in Japan where special flavors like Peach, Tropical Fruits, and Sweety exist, so I probably won't. Watch the commercials after the jump. [via Superpunch]
Japanese Fanta Commercials
In Videos: 'Pretz' Japanese Snack Commercials
Japanese Tea Commercial with Caterpillars
In Videos: Japanese Kewpie Tarako Sauce Commercial


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- Handcrafted from butter-soft leather
- Flexible rubber sole – healthy for developing feet but sturdy enough for outdoor play!
- Generous width and wide toe box for plenty of wiggle room!
- Padded collars for extra comfort
- Adjustable hook and loop closures make shoes easy to get on and ensure a great fit
- Breathable leather insole and lining


text:
Copyright 2013 - 2020. Vape Pen Map ™
is part of The MjLink Network™. All rights reserved. MjLink® is a registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All websites, mobile apps, and software for use in the MjLink Network™ are owned and managed by MjLink.com, Inc.. To contact the following departments, dial 1-844-420-4208 - Sales: Ext. #2 - Support: Ext. #3
By using this website, you agree and understand that, by law: You MUST be at least 21 years of age to view any content on this website. To view the complete Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for this website, Click Here!


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I want to require my forum members to enter at least one word into the "tags"-line, when they are creating a new topic.
As regards plugins and solutions, what I found so far is the WyPiekacz-plugin which works well for posts: You can define rules for the data entered. It did not work for the creation of forum posts.
What I also found is the answer to "require one tag for each post" here in WordPress Answers which contains the code for a small plugin.
While exploring the php-files of bbPress, I added the last two lines to the following snippet within
$topic = trim( $_POST['topic'] );
$tags = trim( $_POST['tags'] );
if ('' == $topic)
bb_die(__('Please enter a topic title'));
if ('' == $tags)
bb_die(__('Please enter tags'));
In my understanding, that should do the trick - but still it doesn't. Or am I using the wrong file? My installation uses bbPress within BuddyPress.


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Sleepy Easter round-up and Open Thread
I thought my day would be busier, but it's settled into a relaxing mode that makes enticing just a wee bit of blogging. So that's what I'm doing here — a wee bit of blogging.
First on the agenda is a freaky "pigs flying" moment from MSNBC. NewsBusters caught a panel on the Chris Hayes show, including a writer from the far-Left Nation, expressing some queasiness about the way in which gay rights activists have been targeting individuals. I'm sure the MSNBC/Nation crew will recover quickly from this brief lapse into sanity, but it sure does make for interesting reading.
Pat Sajak has his own subtle comment about pressure from gay right's activists.
Sultan Knish on the moral vacuum of Progressive morality.
I cited David Archibald this morning for his chilling look at the potential famine dogging Egypt's heels. I'm citing him this afternoon because of his trenchant post about solar activity and the scientific community's resolute refusal to acknowledge the data lest it clash with their anthropogenic global warming narrative.
I think there are few students of Tudor history who don't prefer Queen Elizabeth I to Mary I. Elizabeth was charismatic, beautiful, witty, and one of the first people in history to hold that a person's religious beliefs should be private. By contrast, Mary, although personally kind and warm, was lumpy, unattractive, often pitiable, and religiously fanatic. It was she who brought auto de fe to England in her effort to turn back the Protestant reformation. She succeeded only in creating martyrs and died knowing that her attempts to reinstate Catholicism had failed. For her sake, though, I hope that there is a conscience afterlife and that she is enjoying the spectacle of a liberal Church of England denuding itself of parishioners even as the more stringent Catholic church witnesses an increase in its numbers.
My personal history helps me understand why the C of E is failing, despite abasing itself ever more before every Leftist social and political trend. Although I grew up in a non-religious household, when it came to Passover, my family went all out. We did the entire Passover in both Hebrew and English, complete with every ritual. Even as children, we were expected to participate fully. When I was an adult and far from home, a friend invited me to her family's Passover. They were reform. The ritual was conducted in English, although the language wouldn't have mattered, because no one was paying attention. There was no reverence for this ancient celebration of the world's first slave revolt. I was bored and dismayed. My feeling then, as it is now, is "If you're going to be religious, be religious. Unless you invest religion with meaning, why bother?"
Occasionally, the New York Times shows why people still respect its writing. At the very bottom of a movie review, where it sums up the reason the movie is given a specific rating (e.g., PG or R), the Times has this to say about Make Your Move: "'Make Your Move' is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Language, drug and sexual references, brief violence and prurient tap dancing." "Prurient tap dancing?" Is that Fred Astaire I hear rolling in his grave?


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Sunny San Diego played host to this year's TD Ameritrade annual conference, and the mood matched the weather. One breakout session in particular stood out for its brazen attitude toward what may come.
Richard Bernstein, former chief investment strategist at Merrill Lynch and current CEO of Richard Bernstein Advisors, said of 2013 (with no hint of hyperbole), "This could be the greatest bull market of our lifetime. It could rival the bull market from 1982."
Man, I hope he's right.
While he made tall claims to a seemingly skeptical audience, he had the arguments and numbers to back them up.
He began by noting bull markets are not "wine and roses." They are periods of fear, indecision and uncertainty, which he called "the word of the day."
"Has anyone not heard that word in the past week?" he asked to laughter. "That word is screaming like a sign on the highway saying 'Opportunity!' We shouldn't worry about uncertainty; we should worry when everyone is certain."
Point taken, but after years of "bumping along the bottom," a "long, slow slog," and the certainty of the new normal and muted growth, might Bernstein be on to something?
We think so, which is one of the reasons for this month's cover story. Retirement issues have taken a back seat to more pressing concerns in the fits and starts that have characterized the economic recovery since 2008. But Bernstein and many others feel we're on solid enough footing to actually feel something long forgotten: optimism. So where do pre-retirees now sit with their preparation? Baby boomers in particular were in bad shape before the worst coordinated global financial meltdown in the history of the world hit, and when it did, many gave up on the thought of retirement altogether. Are they still that bad off?
If you want answers, go to the source, so we did. Phyllis Borzi, Matt Greenwald and Barbara Roper, among others, sound off on the pressing retirement issues of the day. Now that we have a moment to think, what should we be thinking about? Yes, there are still many more questions than answers, but we'll take it as a leading indicator that they're even being asked.


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w scan
"w_scan" is a small command line utility for scanning DVB and ATSC. It may create directly channels.conf files as well as creating initial tuning data for scan which is contained in the LinuxTV dvb-apps.
- Note: you can get w_scan here
w_scan doesn't have a man page. However, if you run it with the -h parameter, the output provides a summary of its command line options.
w_scan [options...] >> channels.conf
If you try to use w_scan you should at least specify two parameters: frontend type and output format.
If not specified w_scan defaults to do a scan for European terrestrial DVB-T with output format VDR channels.conf.
|-f Type
Frontend Type
|-A Type
ATSC Type (ignored for DVB-C and DVB-T)
czap/tzap/xine channels.conf
"initial tuning data" for Scan
channels.dvb for Kaffeine
Experts or experienced users may use some of the other options, but this is not recommended.
NOTE: ATSC support needs w_scan >= 20080815
Scanning ATSC VSB (North America, Over-the-Air)
$ w_scan -fa -A1 -X
Scanning ATSC QAM annex B (North America, digital cable TV)
$ w_scan -fa -A2 -X
Scanning DVB-T (Europe, Over-the-Air)
$ w_scan -ft -X
Scanning DVB-C (Europe, digital cable TV)
$ w_scan -fc -X
Generating dvbscan tuning data
Exactly as above, just specify output format dvbscan with "-x":
$ w_scan -f <FRONTEND_TYPE> -x >cc-Ttttt
If you choose to create an initial scan file (and you know the name of your local transmitter or cable provider), you can send the resulting file to the dvb mailing list after checking that it hasn't already been posted or added to the scan directory in the dvb-apps repository.


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Dr. Jerry Arnold presents Genesis. Join us as we explore the first book of the Bible.
Pastor Jerry was born and raised in Michigan graduating from Manistique High School in 1972. After high school he spent four years in the U.S. Coast Guard and in the summer of 1977 he began studying for the ministry at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. (Hear Pastor Jerry's testimony in Revelation Series Part 25—Saved by Grace.)
That fall he met and became engaged to Karen Horner from Indianapolis, Indiana; four months later, they married in February 1978. (In the sermon Parable of the Wedding Garment you can hear how they met.) Karen is an occupational therapist working in the Bradley County Schools in Tennessee.
Their daughter Hannah married Mickey Ortel; their son Jeremy married Laurel Towles and their youngest son Joshua married Amanda Hayes. They have six grandchildren.
Jerry has a BA in theology from Andrews University an MA in religion (homiletics and soul-winning) from Southern Adventist University and completed a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching from Andrews University in 2008. His hobbies include reading, golfing, skeetshooting and cheering on the Colts. His greatest delight is spending time with Karen and their family.
Mailing: PO Box 627, Collegedale TN 37315Physical: 9305 Four Corners Place, Collegedale, TNChurch Office: 423.396.5464
Copyright © 2008 - 2018 Collegedale Community Church All rights reserved


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It's not pleasant, I know – I apologize for nicking Cynthia Bower's photo from the Sun.
This is the type which needs exposing.
Cynthia Bower was in charge of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust where up to 1,200 patients died prematurely. Immediately after leaving MID Staffordshire NHS Trust [in 2009], the Brown government appointed her as Chief Executive of the 'Care Quality Commission' (CQC).
And of course resigned when found guilty of gagging her own staff from speaking of her mishandling:
More here:
Which brings us to the LINk organizations of which Tony Monk who resigned, said:
I actively participated in Kent LINk for over two years as I wanted to help maintain the standards within the NHS and care service sector and prevent any deterioration. I have now resigned from it as I found it to be a total waste of my time and of public money as it achieved virtually notthing and remained unknown to the public I can give examples if required.
Bottomless pit – zero result.
Deborah Jenkins MBE is a Co-founding member of Common Purpose and was/is Common Purpose Director for Europe. Deborah Jenkins MBE is on the Board of Directors at SouthTees NHS Trust:
There is more info on Deborah Jenkins MBE here http://www.
South Tees, of course, racked up the huge debt and in the words of one Matron who left:
South Tees is top heavy with managers and I should know because I've recently left the orgamisation. It's very rare the ground level staff don't suffer and when a manager is made redundant they get huge payout! It's about time someone from outside of the Trust looked at the number of managers working at South Tees.
Mary Coyle MBE is Chair of North Tyneside Primary Care Trust. She was also at One North East. Also:
- Chief Executive at ASPIRE
- Regional Director at Common Purpose
- Area Director/Safer Cities Director at Nacro
And she's deep inside the church hierarchy as well, which might explain some things in your mind:
A North East community stalwart, Ms Coyle moved to the North East from Northern Ireland in 1974 having worked as a teacher.
She began by teaching at a school for children with learning difficulties in Jarrow, South Tyneside, before taking on a career in public service with Newcastle City Council.
She worked for Nacro for 16 years, developing and managing activities to divert young people from crime, followed by 10 years as regional director for Common Purpose, a leadership development organisation.
That's where they're getting them from. The CP honchos watch the limited and ambitious who want to make a mark, these people end up on a CP course and are plucked from obscurity, immensely flattered. It matters not what they do, they have to make their mark following the narrative.
MBEs and such like follow. When they make a complete hash of it [see top of post], they are exonerated. These people infest the workplace with its enforced equality and diversity and are the reason things are, in conjunction with those who appointed them, in the state they are.
CP were deep in the Regional Development Agencies, of which Mary Coyle was connected with One North East but scrapping of these agencies has meant a squeeze on EU funding of such vital job creation and business initiatives as the Sage concert hall and Baltic art gallery in Gateshead.
This is what is left of England.
[H/T Ken Craggs]


text: The Trials of Muhammad Ali: Tribeca Review 4:48 PM PDT 4/26/2013 by THR Staff FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Trials of Muhammad Ali Tribeca Film Still - H 2013 An invigorating doc brings the long-forgotten controversy to life. TWITTER Bill Siegel looks at the furor that greeted Cassius Clay's embrace of Islam and his rejection of the Draft. Singling out the most dramatic period in a career that was never short on color, Bill Siegel's The Trials of Muhammad Ali focuses on a time not only before Ali's iconic status was assured, but when even the fame brought by his 1960 Olympic gold medal was in danger of being overshadowed by the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding his embrace of Islam. The film captures the thrill of Ali's personality even for viewers with little interest in the sweet science, and is meaty enough to merit arthouse bookings on its way to small screens. Siegel starts his film in savvy fashion, contrasting a poignant scene from the height of Ali's infamy -- a British chat show on which he sits calmly while David Susskind declares, "I find nothing ... tolerable about this man ... a simplistic fool and a pawn" -- with the sight, decades later, of George W. Bush awarding him the Medal of Freedom. Both Ali and America changed in the years between those episodes, but Trials is most interested in what could provoke reactions like Susskind's, especially given how warmly the boxer was embraced at first. In a few well-chosen clips, we are reminded how Cassius Clay won fans at the start of his career, and how charismatic he could be when interviewed. We learn a bit about his Louisville youth and the team of eleven white investors who backed his professional aspirations, but the real story begins when Clay, working in Miami, grows increasingly interested in the Nation of Islam. Interviewing men like "Captain Sam," a close friend during this period, Siegel shows how fully the athlete embraced the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and how incensed he was when, after he was given his new name, boxing opponents refused to use it. New York Times writer Robert Lipsyte, who covered Ali for years, recalls the "truly terrible moment in the history of boxing" when Ali made a point of punishing Floyd Patterson in the ring, beating him beyond the point where the fight should've ended. (The lighter side of Clay's transformation into Ali comes via Khalilah Camacho-Ali, who recalls meeting the man she would later marry and tearing up the autograph he had just given her, telling Cassius Clay he needed to learn his true identity.) Siegel, who as co-director of The Weather Underground proved adept at capturing the cultural/political flavor of a moment in history, does so again here -- bringing to life not just Ali's fervent (some say unsophisticated) espousal of Nation of Islam dogma and his response to the falling-out between Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, but the way the nation's shifting mood made Ali's rejection of the draft a seemingly fatal PR move. Siegel's film follows the literal trials that followed -- with Ali receiving a five-year prison sentence that would be overturned years later by the Supreme Court -- but is more interested in the effect legal and reputation issues had on Ali's livelihood: Rejected by state boxing commissions, he tried setting up bouts everywhere from Alcatraz to a stripped-out airliner that would fly above states' jurisdictions. Trials has a lot to juggle during years when Ali kept afloat with speaking engagements and side gigs (including a strange quasi-musical play, seen briefly here), and the doc's focus briefly turns hazy. Glossing over the fighter's return to the ring and the decades since, the film touches on the evolution of Ali's racial ideology -- which at one point was so rigid he told an interviewer that he truly believed all white people were devils -- without getting into specifics. But the film mostly ignores the question of how America came back around to idolizing him, letting a few images do the talking. Closing footage of Ali -- made shaky by Parkinson's but still regal -- lighting the Olympic torch in 1996, is more moving than any talking-head testimony could be. Production Company: Kartemquin Films Director: Bill Siegel Producers: Rachel Pikelny, Bill Siegel Executive producers: Leon Gast, Kat White, Sally Jo Fifer, Justine Nagan, Gordon Quinn Music: Joshua Abrams Editor: Aaron Wickenden Sales: Bill Siegel, Kartemquin Films No rating, 86 minutes FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME THR Staff email@example.com THR


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Original Portion, that was launched in 1977, is the traditional form of Portion Snus. The material of the pouches is moisturized during the production process, resulting in a brown, moist pouch.
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text: RedAV8R 124 Posted July 2, 2014 (edited) Realism Overhaul=====================WARNING!!!=====================This thread is now closed.=====================If you want to DISCUSS Realism Overhaul or how to use Realism Overhaul then go HERE.If you want the CURRENT Realism Overhaul thread, go HERE.===================== Edited November 13, 2014 by NathanKell Closure, added link to new thread. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
LAI POK LAM Fundraising Page
Participant Information
Campaign DescriptionTime to exercise for a good cause! Carry our signature basket with bottled water for a relaxing walk or the challenging race at the scenic Victoria Peak with your family, you can get a first hand experience on the hardship villagers in arid countries have to face everyday, and raise funds for our water projects, making clean water accessible to communities in Cambodia, Nepal and Myanmar.
About A Drop of Life
A Drop of Life is a non-profit organization registered in Hong Kong. We follow the mandate: Passing our love and working for love. We believe that safe drinking-water is a common good. This is a basic human right that everyone should have. We aim to ensure the access to water and sanitation a reality for everyone. Since 1998, we have been building rain-saving water cellars and reservoirs in arid areas of China, organizing relief efforts for natural disaster victims and improving poverty situations. Moving forward we will extend our service and expertise to those in need in Nepal and Cambodia. Up to today, over 820,000 people were benefited from our various charitable programs and activities.
- $ 2000
- raised of : $0 goal
Team Description


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Don't fret, this whimsical design is not just for looks!
Made of oak, this smooth finished, weighty piece of cookware protects your kitchen's surfaces while you chop veggies or sirloin steak. Makes the loveliest gift for the musician who has everything.
Measures 22" L x 9 1/2" x 1 1/8".
Also available in shapes of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle - select below.


text:
Job Information
Anthem, Inc. Business Information Consultant Senior in San Jose, California
SHIFT: Day Job
SCHEDULE: Full-time
Your Talent. Our Vision. At Anthem, Inc., it's a powerful combination, and the foundation upon which we're creating greater access to care for our members, greater value for our customers, and greater health for our communities. Join us and together we will drive the future of health care.
This is an exceptional opportunity to do innovative work that means more to you and those we serve at one of America's leading health benefits companies and a Fortune Top 50 Company.
Business Information Consultant Senior
The preferred locations for this position are New York or New Jersey
but other locations will be considered
The Business Information Consultant Senior is responsible for analyzing healthcare trends, reporting on key drivers, and developing recommendations.
Primary duties may include, but are not limited to:
Analyzing IP and OP trend and reporting on key drivers to markets
Conduct analysis for cost of care ideation, modeling and initiative tracking.
Analyze and present data related to state level medical trends
Analyzes data and summarizes performance using appropriate data tools.
Develops and analyzes business performance reports (e.g. for claims data, provider data, utilization data) and provides notations of performance deviations and anomalies.
Creates and publishes periodic reports, makes necessary recommendations, and develops ad hoc reports as needed.
May require taking business issue and devising best way to develop appropriate diagnostic and/or tracking data that will translate business requirements into usable decision support tools.
Requires a BS/BA degree in Statistics, Economics, or Business Administration;
12+ years of relevant experience; or any combination of education and experience, which would provide an equivalent background. Experience providing leadership in evaluating financial performance of complex organizations required.
Excellent leadership, problem solving, organizational, planning, presentation and interpersonal skills.
This job is focused on identifying solutions to business problems and needs, very knowledgeable across products, more customer facing in recommending solutions, expert in data analysis, extremely independent, more interpretation of what is required by the business as compared to the Business Information Consultant job.
Experience presenting and interpreting complex data for non-analytic audiences is required.
Experience writing SQL queries and advanced Excel skills is required.
Experience manipulating large relational databases is required.
Must have strong analytical, organizational and problem solving skills.
Experience with healthcare data is required.
Must have firm understanding of healthcare trend calculations, PMPM, Unit cost, Utilization per 1000 etc.
Anthem, Inc. is ranked as one of America's Most Admired Companies among health insurers by Fortune magazine and is a 2018 Diversity Inc magazine Top 50 Company for Diversity. To learn more about our company and apply, please visit us at antheminc.com/careers. An Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran
Anthem, Inc.
- Anthem, Inc. Jobs


text:
Mexican Brews
In Mexican restaurants around the world, a natural order exists. The smells of chile peppers--jalapeño, habañero, poblano, serrano, chipotle--are unmistakable; the scorching spices give the food its character and punch. The sweet aromas of malt and hops intermingle with the heady spices, incontrovertible evidence that the beverage of choice is beer: good, solid Mexican beer that marries with the traditional native cuisine like red wine with pasta. If you're lucky, the air also will be filled with the lingering fragrance of a great cigar, ancient Aztec and Mayan traditions carried forward into modern times.
Together the beer and spices and cigars conjure up images of the tropics: of moist, dank lands steaming under the sun, of hot sweltering days where the only shade is found under palm trees and relief is determined by the distance to the nearest white sand beach. But those Jungle Book images also evoke tobacco. Mexico grows some of the world's great cigar tobaccos, produced in the hot lowlands north of Veracruz. And its beers, brewed to withstand the spice while providing relief from the heat, have as much affinity with cigars as any malt- and hop-based liquid produced anywhere in the world.
There's no Mayan mystery here. In fact, it may be nature's way of putting together flavors in a manner that makes sense to the palate. Americans have discovered the wisdom of nature in the past decade, becoming avid drinkers of some of the top Mexican beers and devotees of Mexican cuisine. Mexican beer, in fact, has become one of the top imported-beer categories, competing favorably against earlier imports from Europe and Japan. Yet the discovery took a few centuries.
The Spaniards started brewing beer not long after Hernán Cortés and his troops landed in what is now Mexico. Like other Europeans coming to the New World, brewing operations commenced shortly after primitive shelters were constructed, fresh water located and food sources found.
Spanish conquistadors are credited with establishing North America's first commercial brewery in Mexico sometime in the mid-1500s. Long before that the Aztecs and Mayans brewed alelike beverages called sendecho and tesguino that used maize in place of barley as a primary ingredient. Cortés undoubtedly sampled some of the native brew while posing as the ancient god Quetzalcoatl in his attempts to subjugate the Aztecs.
The popularity of Mexican beers in the United States today can be traced to four primary factors. (1) The lead products of modern Mexican breweries are German/Swiss-style pilsners and lagers, the beer styles most American drinkers are used to consuming. (2) The proximity of Mexico to major population centers in the Southwest, coupled with the success of Cancùn and other vacation destinations, means that Americans have ample sampling opportunities--which results in demand back home. (3) Mexican cuisine's popularity and the growing number of Mexican-theme restaurants across the country. (4) The clear, glass bottle of Corona with a lime wedged in its neck.
The lime? While there are probably dozens of bartenders from Southern Californian nightclubs who will each claim to have invented the idea of serving Corona with a lime, Victor Padilla, export director for Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma in the northern industrial city of Monterrey, says the tradition has its roots in Mexico. Tecate, a brand with loyalists in the northwest section of the country where the beer's namesake town is located, was the first brand to be garnished with a lime.
"It started with Tecate. But it was only with cans, you'll never see it with a bottle. They'd put the lime on top of the can with some salt. You cannot do it with a bottle," Padilla says. "But if people want to drink our beer that way, we are not going to argue with them."
Lime or no lime, the popularity of Mexican food has added to the success of Mexican beer in the United States. Just as many people try their first bottle of Tsingtao at a Chinese restaurant, many a first sip of Dos Equis was enjoyed with chiles rellenos or salsa and chips.
Ordering a Corona or Tecate to wash down a taco and refried beans has become an easy choice for many people. Mexican lager, or clara, also is well suited to take the edge off a hot and humid summer day. For most American palates Mexican lagers have the right balance, with a very slight hop bitterness that is dominated by a subtle sweetness from the barley malt.
It's not suprising that this flavor profile is popular with Americans. Major breweries were started in both nations in the late 1800s by families with roots going back to central Europe. The Mexicans even replace some of the barley malt with corn grits and rice--common adjuncts used by American brewers. This tends to soften the flavor of pale pilsners even further.
The New World influence on the pilsner style creates a very accessible, drinkable beer. All ingredients used by Mexican brewers, with the exception of hops imported from the Czech Republic and Washington state, are grown domestically. The ingredients blended and brewed result in delicate beers that, if they're left too long or are stored in direct sun or close to heat, will readily show defects. However, fresh Mexican lagers can refresh like perhaps no other beers in the world.
Corona features a light, floral nose and a mellow, Chardonnay-like color. Tecate picks up a slight, fresh-cut-grass scent with a creamy flavor. Pacifico has a medium-hop nose with a light, sweet, yet refreshing taste. Carta Blanca, the second-best-selling brand in Mexico, has a flowery nose and a dry aftertaste. Bohemia offers up the same fresh-grass scents and a floral taste.
While the claras are the most commonly enjoyed Mexican beers both north and south of the border, both Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma and Modelo make some more colorful beers. (These two large manufacturers of beer in Mexico make Bohemia, Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, Nochebuena, Sol, Superior, Tecate, Chihuahua and Corona, Victoria, Pacifico, Estrella, Negra Modelo, Carta Clara Leon Negra, respectively.) Dos Equis Amber is a smooth beer with more color and flavor than most lagers. It was one of the few surviving Vienna-style lagers in the world before the revival of small breweries caused a resurgence in classic brewing styles. Dos Equis Amber has a firm head with nutty and apricot tones in its complex flavor. We can all be thankful that German émigré Wilhelm Haase brought the recipe with him to Mexico when he established the Moctezuma Brewing Company in 1884. First brewed just prior to 1900, Dos Equis, or Two XXs, is named to mark the turn of the twentieth century.
The third-leading Mexican import, it has been joined in the United States by Dos Equis Special Lager. In Mexico, the clara actually outsells the amber by a considerable margin. Guinness Import Company, which has the U.S. rights to Dos Equis, also introduced the Special Lager on draft in a number of markets during this year. The company has discontinued importing Superior, another popular lager in Mexico, to concentrate on Dos Equis. Some isolated stores still have some old Superior on the shelf. Unlike wine, this style of beer does not age well in the bottle. Old beer should be avoided.
Another full-bodied Mexican beer is Negra Modelo, a Münchener-style beer that gives off a radiant, mahogany tone. The tight, small-bead head gives way to hints of the chocolate mocha flavor of the malt. Like Dos Equis Amber, the complexity of Negra Modelo actually serves to enhance the flavors of Mexican cuisine. Its dark, malty flavors assimilate well with the same qualities that can be found in better, more full-flavored cigars.
Two other dark Mexican beers that have been sold in the United States are seasonal offerings for the holidays. Those who have enjoyed Nochebuena or Commemorativa Navidad are fortunate to know firsthand that Mexican brewers can go well beyond light lagers. Unfortunately, availability of these brands will be spotty or non-existent for this year, and they were not available for our tasting.
There are more than a dozen Mexican brands on the market in the United States, but Modelo and Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma reserve several for domestic consumption: Victoria, Estrella, Negra Leon, Ballena, Montejo, Indio Oscura and Superior are all brands that do not make it across the border.
For the record, Mexican beer that does make it to the United States outstrips other imported brands. Corona is the No. 2 import behind Heineken and for the past several years has been slowly increasing its sales after a meteoric rise in the 1980s. And it commands about 29 percent of the Mexican market--giving the Modelo brewery more than half the market share.
While the lime in the top of a clear, glass Corona bottle might be what caught the fancy of so many U.S. beer drinkers in the mid-1980s, Mexican beers also have the advantage of a made-to-order, annual holiday to spur sales. Just as Irish beers and whiskeys have St. Patrick's Day to call their own, Mexican beers and Tequila make barrels of cash on Cinco de Mayo.
"It's our Christmas," says John Lennon, vice president of marketing at Wisdom Import Sales Company, which is the U.S. agent for Tecate, Tecate Light, Carta Blanca, Bohemia, Chihuahua and Sol.
Cinco de Mayo honors the Mexican victory on May 5, 1867, at Puebla over troops sent by Napoleon III to try to save the throne for Maximilian, a European installed in 1864 as emperor of Mexico.
"We've really seen it grow over the years," says Raul Davis, owner/manager of Tiaquepaque, the Placentia, California, restaurant that has been in his family since 1964. "It's just a custom here. Cinco de Mayo is the biggest party day of the year. We get a couple thousand people over the course of the day."
A couple thousand there, a couple thousand here, and you have a phenomenon. Whether you are in Mexico or at your local Mexican joint, there is a sense of adventure in experiencing the local culture, food, drink and cigars. No real or imagined trip to Mexico would be complete without ordering a few tacos, a plate of môle poblano (chicken in a chocolate-based spice sauce), sipping a Mexican brew and when you're finished, lighting up a great cigar.
It's the natural thing to do.
Rick Lyke is a free-lance writer based in upstate New York.
Tasting Notes
These beers were tasted blind by a panel that included Cigar Aficionado Managing Editor Gordon Mott, writer Rick Lyke and Designated Beer Judge Willi Loob of the Wine Spectator. The beers were properly chilled. They were supplied by the importer to avoid any inconsistency due to improper storage.
A yellow hue with a finely beaded head. Aromas of fresh hay and fine floral/perfumy flavors.
Carta Blanca
A roasted aroma with a foamy head. There is a long, toasty finish in a Dutch lager style. Good balance.
This beer showed a good head with some mild fruitiness on the palate but otherwise had a simple malt character and a dull finish.
A pale yellow-green brew with solid, floral, hop aromas. It has pleasant bouquet flavors that flatten out to a smooth finish.
Corona Light
Classic light-beer profile with a thin head and a bit tart on the finish.
Dos Equis Amber
A creamy head over an attractive amber color. There is a nuttiness on the palate with some ripe apricot tones. Good balance. Taster's Choice.
Dos Equis Special Lager
A yellow-gold color with a decent head and herbal aromas. On the palate, this is a sweetish brew with some zesty malt flavors that come through the fairly heavy carbonation.
Modelo Especial
A pale malt brew with a light, fruity nose. It has a short finish with sharp flavors.
Negra Modelo
An attractive mahogany color with a complex, flowery nose. Round and robust flavors derive from the dark-roasted-style malt with hints of roasted apples. A slightly sharp finish highlights this dark lager. Taster's Choice.
A solid gold color with an active, foamy head. It has pleasing hop flavors and is relatively sweet. Good, clean lager. Taster's Choice.
This yellow-greenish beer has good carbonation yet produces a thin head. Hops dominate the flavors, and it has a slightly flinty finish.
There is a medium toasty malt aroma. On the palate, the malt is well balanced with a slight hop bitterness, but this brew has a short finish.
Tecate Light
A good head with some vegetal aromas. This quality carries though and blends with a mild hoppiness in the palate, but the finish fades out quickly.


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ROI, ReconsideredBy Jeff Thull Print
How can CIOs optimize the value achieved through critical IT investments?
The purpose of any business investment is to deliver net economic value. Yet, research has shown that in more than 60 percent of IT implementations, the value expected or "promised" is not being received. So the critical question is, "How can CIOs optimize the value achieved through critical IT investments?"
The answer is to calculate value by going beyond traditional ROI measurements to achieve a more holistic approach. That would include the following:
• The first and best-understood perspective of value is the product viewpoint. This considers the physical attributes (processing speed, accuracy, durability, availability, etc.) of the IT solution. The product level of value is the easiest to determine but provides the least amount of differentiation among suppliers. It is typically calculated by the vendor in its ROI model and is comparable among vendors. It can be thought of as "generic value."
• The second perspective is the process viewpoint. When the solution is implemented, it has an impact on the way a process is performed, and thus the inputs, costs and outcomes of that process come into play. Many vendors consider and calculate the impact only on the processes directly, but they do not consider the related impact on processes upstream and downstream.
• The third perspective considers the strategic impact—an impact on multiple processes, affecting their ability to carry out key strategies. An example would be a document management and collaboration system. When evaluated in a vertical such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, a key process that's affected is the organization's response to Food and Drug Administration queries during the drug-approval process. This process requires a cross-functional review and response, thereby having a considerable impact on labor and time savings. The net result of this system is the ability to route a new drug through the FDA approval process faster and bring the drug to market sooner.
Few, if any, vendors will provide helpful insights into strategic value perspective, so customers will have to interpret strategic value on their own. However, a progressive solution provider will provide valuable insights and support at the strategic level.
The scale of the economic value across these three perspectives is dramatic. In the above example, at the product level, a $3.5 million solution investment provided $3 million in savings in areas such as storage costs, access time and hardware maintenance. This is an attractive 86 percent ROI.
The process level impact was calculated to be $12 million, but bringing a new drug to market sooner created a $364 million impact. That is the true potential value of the solution and the realistic target.
Know the Net Economic Impact
Vendors must be prepared to calculate the net profit that could potentially be available to their customers from using their solutions. It's the only effective way of communicating the usefulness and true potential value of their proposed solutions.
CIOs need to start in a different place. Calculating the potential value of an IT solution raises an important question: "How do you know what you need in the first place? Are you pursuing solutions, or are solutions pursuing you?"
CIOs should always consider four critical components of net economic impact:
1. Baseline performance: How much net profit is the IT function currently delivering?
2. Requirements: How much additional net profit could be created through the effective use of IT in the business?
3. Capabilities: To what degree is the potential solution capable of delivering the additional net profit?
4. Constraints: What elements in the organization will prevent or dilute its ability to achieve the required value?
Knowing the answer to the first question is essential to understanding whether the IT ROI is running at an acceptable level and how credible the IT function of the solution is. The second question highlights and quantifies performance gaps across the enterprise. Even more important, it creates an "inside out" approach to developing solutions and achieving value by defining the substantial process and performance requirements—rather than solution capabilities—that are required to close the gap.
Answering the third question allows CIOs to accurately determine the chances of solution success. Finally, the last question helps CIOs ensure that all potential constraints to success will be addressed, leading to optimal value for the organization.
By considering the product, process and performance perspectives of value, CIOs can determine the true economic value required by their organization. They can then evaluate the capabilities of various vendor solutions, along with the capabilities of the affected functions in their organization, to optimize the value impact of a given implementation.
Jeff Thull is president and CEO of Prime Resource Group and the author of Mastering the Complex Sale, Second Edition.
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Metal jigs for Polyamide Huawei cases
The jigs to sublimate Polyamide Huawei cases, are necessary to introduce the cases in the oven without these are deformed. These supports, they help to that the process of sublimation is realized correctly.
Information of the product:
- The professional jig to sublimate Polyamide Huawei cases, mates to the perfection with the cases.
- The perfect adjustment between the jig and the case is necessary in order that this one is not deformed during the process of sublimation, owed by the effect combined of the heat and the pressure exercised.
- Material: Aluminium, resistant and of long durability.
- Types of cases that can be sublimated: Polyamide Huawei cases.
- For this type of jigs we recommend the followings ovens and cases
- Ascend P6
Specifications of Metal jigs for Polyamide Huawei cases
The jigs are required to enter the shells in the oven without these deformed. The material for the brackets dissipate a uniform temperature across its surface for a good result of sublimation, also, these supports, help the sublimation process is successful. Sublimet offers two finishes of substrates, one for the cases of sublimation 100% flexible and a rigid cases for sublimation.


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