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As far back as the '50s and '60s, USM played host to a number of big-name concerts. Reed Green Coliseum, built in 1965, and Bennett Auditorium both welcomed musical guests. We're talking BIG NAME musical guests.
While some of these highly-acclaimed musicians performed with the USM symphony, others were just touring bands, who made a stop in the Hub City, usually on a week-day night following a stop in Memphis, Birmingham, Mobile or New Orleans on its way to Texas, Florida or other venues along the way.
In addition to these performances on campus, there were other venues around town that welcomed the multitudes for a tune or two.
South of town, the Hi Hat Club in Palmer's Crossing hosted some really big acts in its day. Tal's Music Emporium on Hwy. 49 North reportedly welcomed the likes of Clint Eastwood and Miss Mississippi winners as its guests. Two downtown venues, Benny's Boom Boom Room and the Thirsty Hippo, have welcomed their fair share of musical acts. Brewsky's, the newest of the bunch, has done a stellar job of bringing in some big names during its short time in the Hub City.
Music on the Southern Miss campus may have very well started with Bud Kirkpatrick, a USM alum who went to work in the Student Union as a student helper in 1957. After graduation he assumed the job as manager of the Student Union, Student Government Association, the yearbook and all student activities, as well as discipline of all student activities.
It was during this time that a student by the name of Jimmy Buffett was on campus. He and Kirkpatrick became "buds," with Buffett hanging out around Kirkpatrick's office.
"I'd get calls from people who wanted a band, for one reason or the other, and I would always put Jimmy in contact with them, as he had a band or was part of a band at that time," said Kirkpatrick in a 2014 interview with Signature.
When Wimpy's, the old grill in the student union, moved out, Kirkpatrick took the opportunity to turn that space into a hangout of sorts and had people in to play.
"When that didn't work out, I turned the place over to Jimmy and he charged at the door and kept the money," said Kirkpatrick. "I had good student entertainment and Jimmy had an income. When he graduated, he went on to seek the big time. Years later I had him back to play in the grill."
And campus concerts were born.
During Kirkpatrick's tenure as producer for The Collegiate Scene, a national magazine for student leaders, Kirkpatrick made a lot of important entertainment contacts. He would take vacation time, travel to New York City and sell to entertainment, film rental and yearbook companies. He also served on the board of directors for the National Block Booking Conference, which booked entertainment, lecturers and films for campuses. Through his work selling ads for his collegiate magazine, he became acquainted with entertainment agents which helped when booking acts for the university.
It was during this time USM welcomed Bob Hope to campus for two shows. Following the show on Friday night, Hope invited Bud and wife, Virginia, to New Orleans, where he was performing Saturday.
The Lettermen performed on campus in the early '60s and it was clarinetist Pete Fountain who presented the premiere concert when Reed Green opened its doors.
Kirkpatrick also remembers the concert where Glen Campbell opened for Bobbie Gentry in 1968. Kirkpatrick said a "green" Campbell was a bit shaky and unsure what he was going to do once he got on stage.
Mississippi columnist Rick Cleveland remembers that night like this in an August 2017 column published in Mississippi Today.
Cleveland wrote:
My introduction to Campbell had come a couple of years earlier, in March of 1968, also in Hattiesburg, at a concert at Reed Green Coliseum on the Southern Miss campus. Campbell opened that night for Bobbie Gentry, who had just hit it big with Ode to Billie Joe. She was Mississippi's darling and a crowd of 6,100, some of whom had to sit behind her, showed up to hear her and watch her perform.
Gov. John Bell Williams was there to introduce Gentry, presenting her a House-Senate resolution commending her talent and her success.
Campbell, from Delight, Ark., was pretty much an afterthought, someone to warm up the crowd for the main act.
Funny thing happened: Campbell absolutely stole the show. He killed it. He did 'By the Time I get to Phoenix,' 'Wichita Lineman' and 'Gentle on My Mind' – all songs that were either budding hits or soon would be.
Then, in a tribute to Elvis Presley, he did a rousing collection of The King's hits and brought the house down with 'Hound Dog.' If you closed your eyes, you'd have sworn he was Elvis. If you opened your eyes and looked at Campbell only from the neck down, you'd have still sworn it was Elvis. He had all the gyrations.
His set remains one of the most memorable concert sets I've witnessed.
And I well remember, as he walked off the stage, my mama leaned over to me and said, "I wouldn't want to be Bobbie Gentry right now. Nobody should have to follow that."
And she was right.
That's how I'll remember Glen Campbell.
Kirkpatrick, who established the university's first public relations department, also helped originate the University Activities Council, which at its origination, was the programming subdivision of the R.C. Cook University Union. The organization went on to play an important role in producing future concerts.
Kirkpatrick retired in 2002.
Dr. Joe Paul, who retired from his post as vice president of Student Affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2015, served as the USM activities director between 1976 and 1984 and had a hand in a lot of big shows and kind of took over where Kirkpatrick left off.
"We had Buffett twice, Steve Patton twice, the Doobie Brothers, Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire and more," he said, back in his former cubby on campus.
But it was on Jan. 21, 1971, Paul's senior year at Bay St. Louis High School, that he attended a Chicago Concert at Reed Green Coliseum on the USM campus, which would eventually become a second home to Paul. After 39 years on campus, he retired and now serves as the new Customer Service coordinator for the City of Hattiesburg.
Prior to Paul's employment on campus in 1976, he also saw Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steppenwolf.
Prior the fall of 1976 when Paul started working on campus, where one of his main responsibilities was serving as advisor to the University Activities Council. Today that organization is known as the Southern Miss Activities Council (SMAC). It was the Activities Council that sponsored the many popular music concerts for the university. Paul had a hand in producing these from 1975 until 1985.
Paul had just been on the job about three weeks when Bob Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Review rolled into Reed Green Coliseum on May 1, 1976. The Rolling Thunder Revue was a concert tour by Dylan with a traveling caravan of musicians, including Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Dylan's setlist had 21 songs, including Tambourine Man, Blowin' in the Wind, Lay Lady Lay with Baez's cover on Railroad Boy.
Paul said the guy who had been working before him, Marlo Robinson, came back to help with the concert, even though he'd already left.
"He had booked and run shows, so he came back and showed me how to do it," Paul said.
Also during that year the campus welcomed Jerry Jeff Walker, Gino Vanelli (Oct. 6), Stephen Stills (Nov. 9), The Dirt Band and Steve Martin.
According to Paul, Martin's first album was just out and he was on the edge of being famous. His two-hour performance on Dec. 8, 1976, was held in Bennett Auditorium, as were other such shows for comedians, magicians and smaller more intimate events.
Martin also returned the following fall. Paul said Martin's performances were among the most memorable, "very cutting edge."
Paul remembers Martin at the end of his show saying, "'Let's all go to Burger Town and get a hamburger' and led the whole audience out and across Hardy Street to the burger joint that's no longer there. But he didn't pick up the tab for everybody."
Paul said that as funny as Martin is and was, off stage he was quiet, introverted and highly intellectual. "He wasn't just a fun-and-games guy to hang out with. He was a serious craftsman of his art."
The Doobie Brothers (Nov. 1, 1976) was one of the larger acts the activities council ever hosted, and the Commodores (Nov. 11, 1977) was a sellout.
There was also Boz Scaggs (Dec. 4, 1977) and Earth Wind and Fire (around 1978). The '70s rounded out with the Beach Boys (Oct. 7, 1979) and Peter Frampton (Oct. 22, 1979).
The '80s saw the likes of Kool and The Gang (Jan. 23, 1980 and '81), Alabama (early 1980s), Buffett (Oct. 31, 1980), Steve Forbert (Nov. 10, 1980), Ronnie Milsap (Jan. 31, 1981), Hank Williams Jr. and the Burrito Brothers (Oct. 22, 1982), Cheap Trick (Nov. 5, 1982), Joan Jett ()ct. 12, 1983) and Blue Oyster Cult (1985), the last concert with which Paul had any dealings.
Paul said Buffett's performances were memorable because he was an alum. "For part of the first concert, he put on a USM football jersey and the second time, he put on a Kappa Sigma shirt," said Paul.
"And the only thing he did when he came to town – on both visits – was want to go see Mom Reid, who was the Kappa Sig housemother. He would go over there and spend a couple of hours with her visiting, just one on one."
Buffett attended Auburn his freshman year and pledged Sigma Pi there, but pledged Kappa Sigma when he transferred to USM. He made a brief stop at Pearl River Community College between the two.
Legend has it that it was at the Sigma Pi house that Buffett learned to play guitar from an older fraternity brother.
Paul said even though Buffett was an alum, his concerts were handled just as any other concert, through an agency. "There was an inclination that he wasnted to be here," said Paul. "He was on a Southern tour and we were able to book those acts, but that one was special, because he was kind of our first big alum who hit it big in the music industry, so it was hugely popular.
"The interesting thing about Buffett, he was drawing crowds in the '70s and its 2018 and he's still drawing bigger and bigger groups, so he has a staying power that not many of these other groups could speak to."
For an upcoming Buffett concert in Charleston, S.C., tickets start at $73 and go up to $1,052. Tickets for his USM concerts were $5, if not free.
"We supplemented that," said Paul. "At first we would make admission free for students (they were already paying a Student Activities fee), so we were underwriting. We weren't really running it for a profit and then we would always have a reduced fee, which may have been the $5, for an amazing amount of talent."
Robert St. John remembered the 1978 Buffett concert at Reed Green for its link to the Minit Mart on 28th Avenue, across from Forrest General Hospital, where the "teenagers" hung out when he was a kid. St. John described that location as the epicenter of the Hillendale neighborhood.
Buffett identified that location as THE "Mini Mart" in his song "The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy."
Paul said Willie Nelson had and has quite a reputation for having a good time. "So even though we prepared dressing rooms, he would stay in his bus, and you see a steady stream of some kind of smoke coming out of there."
One of Nelson's requests when he came to town was that he wanted someone to take him fishing and Paul said they would arrange for someone to take him in the afternoons.
With Blue Oyster Cult in 1985, Paul said the shows had become more technical. "They were the first band to use lasers," said Paul, of the band's affinity to spread different colors all over the coliseum through the use of the lasers.
"Somebody from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality came down and was trying to shut us down and prohibit the show because they thought those lasers were dangerous, which they were not," said Paul. "I remember it was a very tense back and forth all day long event before somehow we were able to convince him that it was safe to go on. They had been in 32 other venues with this and there hadn't been any problems."
Another story Paul tells is about the chain link fence around the perimeter of the coliseum. "Because most of the tickets sold were general admission, on a couple of occasions – the Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire concerts, the crowd waiting outside in anticipation actually pushed the fence down. There were a lot of eager patrons."
So, what was it that drew these big name and up-and-coming acts to the Hub City? Paul said it really wasn't the facility (Reed Green Coliseum), "because it really was a challenge."
Paul attributes the popularity of the university as a concert venue to its location between more major venues. "At that time, colleges and universities were also pretty important sources for record sales, which has changed," he said. "We could pick these up on an odd date."
He said if the Doobie Brothers were in Birmingham on a Saturday and New Orleans the following Friday, then Southern Miss could pick them up Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. It was a matter of taking a look at tour schedules and we had good relationships with major agencies and kind of picked those places that are in between. Paul said promoters also knew they could charge colleges more of a premium, because it was a for-profit business. "Being able to accommodate week-night shows, which didn't seem to hurt us too badly, especially with the younger folks, and to be in the right geography were a big help in securing such acts."
So what happened? Why aren't big name music acts not making regular stops in the Pine Belt?
The industry and the market changed, according to Paul. "Our first big barrier was that the Reed Green Coliseum was not built as a multi-purpose facility," said Paul. "Many hope when it's renovated one day it will be. But the one thing we could not do in that facility was to suspend the sound and lighting from the ceiling."
He said they worked around that for many years. And added expenses also came from having to rent a suitable stage and stackables for large speakers, which would obstruct the view for some concert-goers. Paul explained that after a while, tours came out with their own sound and lighting and if you couldn't suspend it from the ceiling, you were out of the game, so that was a big one."
The expense was another challenge. "Productions became much more elaborate," he said. "Think about the era of Michael Jackson. It wasn't just about stacking the speakers and getting some lights, but all this other stuff. The coliseum was not a large venue, so the megastars started kind of exclusively heading to much larger facilities, which would seat 15,000-20,000. They did fewer shows, but with higher volume."
In the end, the "demise" of such concerts was a combination of a small market, bands not scheduling mid-week gigs anymore, a facility that wouldn't accommodate all the new bells and whistles bands incorporated into their shows, the modern technology and increasing expense the university couldn't carry.
"It was all those things working together," said Paul. "It was a golden time, a golden era, but the whole industry is so different today with the modern technology and access to all kinds of music. Almost every student has their own unique playlist and they go to smaller venues and see bands that are not hugely popular, outside of your megastars, your U2, your Cold Play or whatever it might be."
Paul said the size of the crowd really depended on the act. "We almost always broke even and sometimes made a small profit; at other times we did not."
Some of the biggest crowds for concerts Paul managed included the Commodores, Earth Wind and Fire, the Doobie Brothers and Alabama all probably drew between 8,000 and 9,000. "For some of these concerts, like Chicago or Earth Wind and Fire, if the fire marshal had been there we would have been in trouble because we were stacking people in there," Paul said.
Paul noted that usually bands would only play one venue in the state, but on occasion they might have also played Jackson.
"Mississippi State was very active in the concert business," said Paul. "Their facility was a bit more modern and accommodating. I remember during the same period of time they had Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, but they usually didn't play both them and us. It would usually be Memphis or Birmingham, maybe Jackson, then New Orleans, Baton Rouge or Houston."
Paul said the unique thing about all the behind-the-stage work is that other than himself and whoever the coliseum manager was, the shows were all produced by students.
"In the University Activities Council, we had a music chair and a technical chair and other than that our students did it all," he said. "They were the ticket takers, the roadies, transportation."
He noted that one of the great challenges back then was how many doors the coliseum had. "People were always trying to sneak in, some in very inventive ways such as a Coca-Cola delivery person, complete with uniform. "Our poor students had to man those doors," he said. "We hired as many police as we could afford and that was a lot but still couldn't put one on every door. The students got to see the concerts through a crack in the door trying to keep people out."
Paul said producing Bob Dylan through Blue Oyster Cult was a lot of shows and a lot of fun. "And the students would learn so much about the business of entertainment, how to deal with cantankerous managers, but usually the musicians were just as nice as could be."
Bands were known for having riders on their contracts that asked for all kinds of different things from music to transportation.
Paul remembers a particular incident when the Doobie Brothers came to town. "I don't know if it was as a prank or them just being mean spirited, but one of our young student drivers was driving them and they actually asked her to get out of the car. They took it and left her, not in an abandoned way, but a few blocks from campus.
"These musical events served as life experiences for the students who produced these shows and it was really a lot of fun. I think a lot of valuable learning came out of it as well.
"And Bud (Kirkpatrick) was the Godfather of this whole thing."
Not speaking on behalf of the university because he's retired, but from his own perspective Paul believes the three deciding factors for not hosting big-name concerts now are the facility, market size and the expense.
"One day out there I think a lot of us hope the Reed Green Coliseum will be renovated in a major way," said Paul. "A plan would be to renovate it in a way that it would service as a a municipal-type facility. With the help of the cities, counties, states and federal government, it could become a venue again. At that point shows like Disney on Ice and other such productions could be a part of the whole scene. "I'm sure the leadership in this area is all kind of focused in on that, but it's It's got to happen one day, hopefully sooner than later."


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Well once again there are many exciting events this year to celebrate the 4th of July. Here in Knoxville it will be in the World's Fair Park from 2:00-10:00 pm with alot of events for the… read more →
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3 More Signs Of A Strengthening Housing Market
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Video : How To Remove Hard-Water Stains From Your Shower


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Whose is that vacant chair at the holiday table? In Willa's family, it could have been any of several people. Then some of them show up.
It's the place set for Elijah during Passover – an open-hearted invitation to the unexpected guest who is nevertheless expected.
In my humorous novel Christmas Karma, Willa Nawicki gets a series of surprise visits from friends and family – just a week before the holiday and when she's totally not ready to talk to anyone, much less clean her house. She begins to wonder whether the people who show up are bringing her messages – or are they players in some kind of life review for her?
So why not let Willa's story lighten your mood as a break from your holiday tasks?
During the holidays, buy the Kindle or EPUB for 99 cents. Gift the paperback or download the Audible book to your phone.
Wishing you a light heart this holiday season.
Amazon (Paperback, Kindle, Audible)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback, Nook/EPUB)


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Whether it's your first house or not, there are some important things to think about before you start looking to find your next home. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 85% of homebuyers begin their search on Internet sites. That is certainly a great way to get a feel for what is available in the area you want to live in and how much homes generally cost.
Just as pictures of homes don't tell the whole story about the condition of the home (you can't smell odors….), they also will not tell you much about the neighborhood.
It is important that you scout the neighborhood in person. You live in more than your house.
- Talk to people who live there.
- Drive through the entire area at different times of the day, during the week and on weekends.
- Look carefully at how well other homes in the area are being maintained; are they painted, are the yards well cared for; are parked cars in good condition, etc.
- Look for things like access to major thoroughfares, highways, and shopping.
- Listen for noise created by commerce, roads, railways, public areas, schools, etc.
- Smell the air for adjacent commerce or agriculture.
- Check with local civic, police, fire, and school officials to find information about the area.
- Research things like soil and water.
- Look at traffic patterns around the area during different times of the day and drive from the area to work.
- Find out if the neighborhood is near parks, churches, recreation centers, shopping, theaters, restaurants, public transportation, schools, etc.
- Find out if the neighborhood belongs to a Homeowner's Association.


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Wednesday, August 26, 2015
The Harbor Report: My meeting with two boat-making legends
While walking the docks this week, I learned that quality produces quantity.
As I was showing a boat, I was introduced to one of my prospect's friends, Mike Howarth. As our conversion progressed, I quickly learned that Mike knew a whole lot more about boats than I did.
So, rather than proceed with my introduction, I got quiet and listened. Mike had been building boats in California since the early 1970s, and has owned Pacific Seacraft and Cabo Yachts.
Two days later, I called Mike and asked him for an interview.
"OK. Sure, Len," he replied. "I should call my partner Henry Morschladt. We have worked together from the beginning, and he has a shop across the street from me."
When I met Mike, Henry was pulling into the parking lot. Mike started to talk about his boat-building career. Mike's passion for working with wood brought him to Harbor Yachts, where he became the foreman in the woodshop.
His next job was with Islander Yachts, where he moved over to the fiberglass tooling department, which relocated from Costa Mesa to Santa Ana. One day a number of boat molds showed up next door where Pacific Trawler started building boats.
Mike then moved to Pacific Trawler and was doing woodwork and engine installation. That's when he meet Henry Morschladt, who was its engineer, purchasing agent and part-time sales guy. Henry showed Mike one of his designs of a 25 cruising sailboat. It later became the Pacific Seacraft 25, and the two of them started building it.
As they came to the completion of that first boat, they needed to sell it and have it ready for the upcoming boat show in Newport Beach in the spring of 1976.
"I remember Duncan McIntosh really getting upset with us because he had never seen anyone bring a bandsaw down to the docks, before the show, in order to complete the boat in time," Henry said. "We had called in every favor and had all our relatives down on the docks, sanding and helping us finish the boat before the show started."
Henry sold the boat at the show, and the team went on to build 275, 25-foot boats. They had opened shop at an old Dr Pepper bottling company building in Fullerton and started Pacific Seacraft. One day, without telling them, Fortune Magazine wrote that they were building one of the top 100 products in the world.
This led to the team building thousands of boats from 20 to 37 feet, and becoming one of our country's top boat manufacturers. In 1988, they completed the sale of the company to a group out of Singapore.
By 1990 both Henry and Mike started talking about building another boat again and focused in on a 35-foot sports fisher.
"If we had been smarter, or shown any form of intelligence, we would have thought it to be crazy to go out to the High Desert and start a boat company," Mike explained.
But that's what the two of them did. And, under a small shed, they worked their magic again and completed their first boat just before the Long Beach boat show in the fall of 1991.
"On a Friday, I was calling the five or six people we had working with us, and told them that we would have to stop working until we sold the first boat," Mike recalled. "That weekend we sold the boat, and on Sunday I was calling everyone to come back to work on Monday."
Within five years the guys had started Cabo Yachts, in Adelanto, and were producing more than 120 boats a year, from 31-footers to 47-footers, with 400 employees. Again, the duo raised the bar and produced the highest quality sportfishing boat in the world, following it up with a "hassle-free warranty" that kept their customers coming back. In 2006, the guys sold the business to Brunswick.
Will Henry and Mike return to the boat-building business?
"I always am looking around," Mike said.
These guys are very smart. They were not going to tell me anything about what they were up to. I am just glad they did what they did and hope for the future that they return.
If any of my readers would like to meet me, at 1:30 p.m. on April 25 I will be at the OASIS Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar, speaking about our harbor's beer can races. Hope to see you there.
Sea ya!
LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist.
2 comments:
The boat in the uppermost picture is THE first Pacific Seacraft 25, the one supposedly built in Howarth's garage before their first boat show. I owned her in Maryland before being contacted by a friend of Howarth's, who bought her as a birthday present and had her shipped back to Califonia.
These guys have the magic. The PS 34 is my dream boat but right now I'm about to consider a PS 25 in person to replace my loyal Catalina 25 swing keel. What price special? If the low cabin top is not a real problem I would love to buy my first Pacific Seacraft and take it out in the stink of Haro Strait and laugh instead of cringe.
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Montréal En Lumière
It's mid-February in Montreal and the city's grand, activity-laden winter festival Montréal En Lumière (MEL) is upon us for i...
It's mid-February in Montreal and the city's grand, activity-laden winter festival Montréal En Lumière (MEL) is upon us for its 17th edition. Between February 18th - March 5th all facets of culture will glitter with music, dance, art, theatre, and song in an array of dazzling performances, and new discoveries will become part of the fabric of daily urban life. Free outdoor goings-on take over the Quartier des Spectacles, and the annual Nuit Blanche turns lucky 13. This year the lit-up all-nighter falls on February 27th as locals and tourists are invited to partake in some 200 activities, all of them linked by a free shuttle service. Plot your path and see how this year's RED theme gets interpreted in a myriad of illuminated ways at each site.
On the foodie front we get to enjoy a buzzed-up resto scene where participating rooms across the 514 sell out both lunch and dinner thanks to a unique concept each year that pairs the finest of our chefs with the greatest culinary masters who visit from featured international cities to prepare special menus. The only problem of course is not suffering any FOMO and laying out a plan of action to cram in the most of what appeals to you. As usual, we're here to help on the gastronomy side, one of the things we know best when it comes to getting out and getting the most of what your city has to offer. That said, here are our top resto picks, three lunch and three dinner for you to consider during MTL's celebratory winter love-in.
During the Day...
État-Major, 4005 Ontario St. E.
Feb. 18, 19, 22-26, starting at 11:30am
$22, Bring Your Own Wine; tax and tip not included.
The drive from Montreal to Boston is a culinary experience in itself and the wildly popular HOMA address is inviting you along for the ride. From chef Nicolas Ficuciello rediscover classic dishes from the East Coast in this three-course meal that doesn't require a passport. Treats like clam chowder, shrimp rolls, crunchy crab cakes, tacos, and other delights await.
Quartier Général, 1251 Gilford St.
Feb. 18, 19, 22-26, starting at 11:30am
$25, Bring Your Own Wine; tax and tip not included.
Shenzhen is this year's grand featured city, a place that developed very quickly and, as a result, saw thousands of workers from all regions of China settling in and bringing their culture and cuisine with them. Many of these culinary traditions can be tasted in Shenzhen's neighbouring streets, and at Quartier Général's three-course meal by chef Jonathan Rassi.
Europea, 1227 de la Montagne St.
Feb. 18, 19 (both sold out), 23-26 (Feb. 26 sold out), starting at 12pm
$35 before wine; tax and tip not included.
Couldn't be simpler or more delectable than master chef Jérôme Ferrer inviting you to Europea's gastronomic annual get-together. Enjoy a rare uber-gourmet treat: five-courses for the tantalizing price of $35!
At Night...
Chez Alexandre et Fils, 1454 Peel St.
Feb. 18-20, starting at 6:30pm
$65 before wine; tax and tip not included.
Boston-based chef Gregory Torrech will be Alexandre's special guest for a mouth-watering menu of sea shell soup, warm cod pavé, seafood pot-au-feu, duck au poivre, venison truffle sauce, and desserts. Expect the kitchen at Peel St.'s famous address of Grand Prix 'scenesterdom' to take on a whole new polish.
Le Restaurant de L'Institut, 3535 St.Denis St.
Feb. 18-20, 23-27, starting at 6pm
$60 before wine; tax and tip not included.
A tribute to the festival's past greats! Chefs Mathias Théau and Gilles Herzog will be joined by their student brigade to celebrate the cuisine of no less than four master chefs who were all Honorary MEL Presidents: Paul Bocuse, Gualtiero Marchesi, Santi Santamaria, and Serge Dansereau. Five courses to delight.
Ikanos, 112 McGill suite #1
Feb. 18-20, starting at 5:30pm
$72 before wine; tax and tip not included
We're already shameless fans of everything coming out of Constant Mentzas' kitchen at Ikanos and think this looks particularly interesting. Big 'A' art is on the menu for an immersive evening with Alexandre Taillefer, chairman of the board of the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, and guest artist Laurent Lamarche. Video projections and soundscapes will create a unique, multi-sensory environment to heighten a five-course meal experience. Creative refinement at its best.
Visit http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/en-CA for entire event details and programming.


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The Abu Dhabi bus is my favorite way to get around.
Abu Dhabi's modern air-conditioned buses operate round-the-clock. The service is easy to use, with passengers hopping in and out of any bus by placing two Dirham coins in the collection box next to the driver. That is approx. .50US. They don't make change, FYI.
Most bus drivers are friendly and will let you know if their bus goes to your desired locale and when to hop off.


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New kids on the block… again
Published in Automated Trader Magazine Issue 31 Q4 2013
Hirander Misra is starting a new exchange. So is Alasdair Haynes. Neither of those plans should be that surprising to many people, since both played important roles in the meteoric rise and sustained popularity of Chi-X Europe, the first venue designed to take advantage of the sweeping changes brought in by MiFID. Automated Trader gets the low-down on the new Aquis and GMEX exchanges.
Hirander Misra is starting a new exchange. So is Alasdair Haynes. Neither of those plans should be that surprising to many people, since both played important roles in the meteoric rise and sustained popularity of Chi-X Europe, the first venue designed to take advantage of the sweeping changes brought in by MiFID. Automated Trader gets the low-down on the new Aquis and GMEX exchanges.
Initially, a pan-European MTF, Chi-X Europe immediately grabbed market share from established players and went on to become a dominant force in European equity trading. Scooped up by its rival BATS (which itself is now due to merge with Direct Edge), Chi-X Europe has since become a regulated market.
Hirander was instrumental in developing the company. He was its first full-time employee, and served as chief operating officer. Alasdair, after running ITG Europe, was brought in as CEO at the start of 2010 after a period of intense management turnover.
But both left the company to stake out new territory. So what are these two exchange leaders up to? They're going after very different markets, and in very different ways. Both say they have concepts that will shake up their respective sectors. One aims to overhaul the cost model, the other is trying to innovate on the product side. Automated Trader spoke to both about their new ventures.
Aquis: A leaf out of the telecom sector's playbook
Is it possible for a firm to entirely change the model that exchange fees are based on? Alasdair Haynes thinks so.
AT: How difficult is it to launch an exchange right now?
I would suggest to anybody in the future that it's not for the faint-hearted. The first thing, if you think you have a good idea, is you've to find a good way to fund it. I was adamant on day one that I wanted this to be non-conflicted, making it very different to other approaches from MTFs that have tended to be consortiums, often customer-led consortiums. I wanted something that did not have the customers involved. There is ultimately going to be a conflict somewhere down the road if the customers own your business and you're trying to build a very different model.
Alasdair Haynes, Aquis Exchange
We've done this deal with Warsaw Stock Exchange -- they're not a competitor, they're not a customer, but they clearly understand the exchange business. And then the rest of the funding has been done by high net worth individuals.
AT: Everyone claims to be new and different. Why is Aquis?
If we work, and obviously we believe it will, we think it will change the industry forever.
I knew when I left Chi-X that I wanted to stay in this space. I had some ideas of things we wanted to do, and I knew that we couldn't just start an MTF. A me-too was never going to work. And I think the trouble with many of these MTFs is being a me-too model. We were fortunate in that we managed to get a group of people with a proven track record, who have built, worked, and operated a successful trading platform, and who, with that track record, have been able to regroup and build a very advanced piece of technology.
Out of the hundreds of MTFs that have come to Europe the past few years, only a handful of them have truly succeeded and that is because most of them have very much been me-too models. This is completely different.
We're going to introduce a telecom-style utility model to the industry. And in other places, where this has happened and a subscription price has been introduced, you've seen a radical change to the industry. I unfortunately - and fortunately - am old enough to remember the way that British Telecom used to operate. My parents used to regularly shout at me get off the phone because it was costing too much money. And I look at my children now and I don't really care how long they're on the phone because it's an all-you-can-eat model. It's very efficient.
Since subscription packages were introduced, you've seen exponential growth in texts, exponential growth in the use of phone calls, exponential growth in downloading. And that is the same almost everywhere I've seen a subscription price introduced.
People's criticism of the equities market, particularly in Europe versus the United States, is we have a market that does about 25% of the turnover of that of the US, and yet we have the same GDP in Europe and a population that is actually slightly larger. Part of the answer is high costs and that the way to address this is with a new model. We think there isn't enough competition.
AT: How did the idea come about?
To be honest, it was when I was buying a phone for my 13-year-old son. That's when the penny dropped. I looked at the packages that were being offered in the particular shop and just went, 'Hang on a second. This is what an exchange is doing'. When I was operating Chi-X, I looked at how our costs were dependent upon message traffic in the same way that telephone costs are dependent upon the number of phone calls and the number of texts, the number of downloads. I don't really care what the underlying value of the stock is. And yet, exchanges today in Europe charge based on the value. You pay London Stock Exchange more for trading a share of Glaxo than you do for Vodafone, simply because one is at 17 pounds something and the other is at two pounds. That doesn't really make sense.
My costs operating as an exchange are down to message traffic, so why do we not charge based on message traffic, and why do we not do what the telecoms companies have done? If you're a small user and you're not using much, you shouldn't have to pay as much. And that's why I can go and buy my son a phone and where he has limited texts, limited downloads, a limited number of calls. On the other hand, I, as a heavy user of the phone, will have unlimited texts, unlimited downloads, unlimited calls. In other words I pay more bandwidth than he does, and therefore that is fair, transparent and open. And I think we can have the same form of impact in the exchange and the cash-equities space as we've seen in telecoms.
AT: A lot of venues have specific target groups. You seem to hope to attract different users based purely on your model.
The national exchanges naturally have liquidity from all areas. Most of the MTFs have been set up specifically for a certain group, for example, the retail market or the high frequency market… We're coming into this market saying, 'Actually it's open to all.'
Our pricing schedule is very simple. The start-up is 25 thousand messages a day. You pay £2,000 pounds a month. If you want more than 25 thousand messages a day you pay £10,000 a month and that's your cost however much you use - there is no cap. You can carry on trading as much as you like. That is a substantial saving. As we build liquidity, we've told people we would see additional price tiers coming in. At £50,000 we will cap it.
AT: How will you determine the tiers?
We have a forum that meets every six to eight weeks, about 20-25 different firms. The truth is, we don't know what the right message traffic number will be, because nobody's done and measured this. We're trying to work with the industry to give them a model which will ultimately change the way that all business is transacted in the execution cycle. And by that I mean I have a clear vision that in the future I would like to see, a day where a customer, whether it's a small, medium or large player, comes and says, 'I'm paying x euros or pounds or dollars a month, and with that, I get clearing, settlement, execution, data, and the ability to distribute that data'. And that's something that radically changes the industry for a fixed fee per month. And that will allow incredible growth to take place.
AT: The initial 'customer hurdle', how do you deal with that? Anyone in the industry has a dizzying array of choices…
We've said we want the barriers to entry to be as low as possible. There's always some pain to be taken by a customer to join. We're doing things which are very simple. That part of the business is not revolutionary. The revolution comes with the model rather than maybe some of the technology that we've got within the system.
AT: What's been the reaction in the industry so far?
We get questions. Ultimately the question I throw back at the industry is: Look, this is a unique situation. To get a group of people who have worked before, to get finance to not ask the industry for money, to have the technology to bring in a new model, I don't think anybody ever is going to come out again and offer the market the opportunity of a subscription price, and particularly at the starting point of an all-you-can-eat model at £10,000 a month. This is not huge money for the types of players that could be trading many millions of messages a day. As a private company, we will have a limited time to do this. And we have to get it right.
We also plan to have other income streams. After two to three years we will start looking at data, but we want data prices to be radically different from what they are now. And the third thing is we're selling software. Our exchange is like a shop window for anybody who wants matching engines.
AT: Doesn't that all set you up for a potential fight with the industry?
There is something wrong in a model where the same piece of data is charged for multiple times. Data is now a billion euro industry in Europe for the exchanges and it hurts trading.
We can change it. We need to make this more efficient. When an exchange owns 100% of the data, it is very valuable and there is little incentive to cut costs. But actually it's still incredibly valuable when they own 70%. We're obviously huge proponents of finding some kind of consolidated tape within Europe. We think that will help change. But that will only happen through competition. That's not going to happen with BATS Chi-X, with 25% of the market, with the national exchange having 70% of the market. People want us to succeed because it helps drive down the other prices. Data's one, but there are many hidden costs within the industry that could be made more efficient.
AT: Any thoughts about the latest spate of exchange technology issues?
Every single person who's involved in technology will know that the point of failure is only known after you found it. So, you know, I don't believe anybody who turns around and says they have mitigated all risks. The game is about understanding the risks you take and knowing about them and how you manage that.
There will continue always to be risks in the exchange and technology world. And that doesn't matter whether you're in trading, whether you're driving your car, in a plane or whatever it is. There's nobody out there who has a car that is so perfect that nothing has ever gone wrong. It just happens.
AT: And when things do go wrong?
This is something where I think the industry can improve a great deal. As and when something goes wrong, how do we communicate, how do we respond, what are the, the continuity plans?
Technology will have outages. But you want to minimise the risk to the customer and you want to find good alternative plans to make sure markets will happen efficiently.
Nobody is going to have perfect technology. There is no such thing as the perfect human who lives forever. There's no such thing as the car that doesn't break down. It doesn't happen. So therefore, what we have to do is work in an environment … where when you have a problem in one exchange, the market shifts to another very easily and efficiently. And we don't have that today.
If you have a technology glitch, it should hurt the exchange, not your customer.
If something does go wrong, what people really hate about the markets is, banned communication, not knowing where they are, not knowing what the alternative is and how to do it. And I think, if we work together as a collaborative group in the industry, then actually it's in everyone's interests.
GMEX: The challenge of preserving OTC flavour in an exchange format
What makes Hirander Misra so confident he can capture the essence of OTC trading on an exchange and steal a march on established players?
AT: What's GMEX all about?
What we've come up with is a brand new methodology with a US patent pending on it currently, that basically - as close as possible - aligns to the underlying OTC markets and therefore these products have the capacity to be very liquid as a result. GMEX is very focused on the transfer of OTC markets to on-exchange, in a way that reduces the strains on balance sheets across the industry from the buy side to the sell side, and encourages features as well as liquidity to come into the market and aid the growth. That's across a range of products but with an initial focus on fixed-income and currency products that are very
Hirander Misra, GMEX
different products than we've seen on exchanges before.
Then more broadly, we're looking at more correlated assets that lend themselves to trade. The futurisation of swaps is integral to what we're doing and what we'll launch, but beyond that there are also some other very interesting OTC variants on-exchange.
AT: What are you doing that's different?
If we take interest rate swaps as the big elephant in the room, it's $500-600 trillion open interest annually. Everyone's chasing that Holy Grail.
But the issue with all the current futures contracts is, that they're trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Because what they've said is, 'Let's take the swaps market and look at how we retro-fit that into a bond-style future', rather than, 'Let's look at how the market can conform to, then mirror the underlying market'. So they've looked at it in completely the opposite direction and what you've ended up with are bond futures that don't reflect the underlying market and therefore are not the right substitute.
You've got to look at the OTC market and how it's used. If you go to the underlying market and say, for argument's sake, that the open interest is $500 trillion across interest rate swaps. Two thirds to 70% of that isn't predicated on the underlying need - the underlying cash flows, the asset swap - because if we look at global debt insurance it doesn't add up to that. The vast majority of institutions use it for getting exposure up and down the interest rate curve. Plain vanilla swaps count for the vast majority. So where you need the underlying cash flows you need the swap. And it's going to be bespoke in most cases.
If we take that concept, you think: actually people want exposure to the whole curve. Therefore it's the different tenors that are the commodity and the exposure up and down those. It's not just the liquids, you know the twos, fives and tens we're talking about.
There are debt futures products out there. And you can argue the interests rates swap products on exchange are very much bond-style. But the problem with those is you've got a small number of tenors so you don't get exposure to the whole curve. You can't get exposure from 2 to 30 years which is what we're offering initially. And there's an argument in sterling and euros to go up to maybe 40 or 50 years and all the points in the curve.
But when you get the exposure to the equivalent points in the curve you can manage that as well because you can weight it accordingly to different tenors because the buy-side exposure isn't static. They need to manage that, and what you have with the bond-based contracts is you have expiries, IMM rolls, you have triple-witching out which also leads to a vast range of issues.
AT: How have buy-side players reacted to the concept?
We've been speaking to some very large asset managers. They've got a mandate now to reduce the balance sheet exposure to move from that onto futures products that are out there for as much as possible in terms of the portfolio. But they want that exposure in a way that closely aligns to the way that they do things in the OTC market. They don't want this square peg/round hole situation.
So the demand from the end users is there. But the product isn't. So by virtue of what we're doing, we've created it. We've created something called constant maturity futures. And with that, we've got all the different tenors from 2 to 30 years across the four major currencies initially.
We actually tie it back to the underlying interest rates swap market at the start of day and the end of day by way of a proprietary index we call the constant maturity index. We reflect the price as an interest rate swap rate rather than all the IRS futures out there, which reflect it as a price. The instrument allows the ability to trade the whole curve by using the discount factors at each tenor to calculate the present value of each trade at that point. This makes it an ideal buy-side instrument for hedging interest rate exposure across the entire curve.
AT: Apart from the buy-side, what about other users?
We've then gotten the extensive feedback across the different user types. The buy-side really like it, the banks really like it, there's some resistance amongst some of the larger swap banks, but you will get that. This is why they all keep plugging the IMM complex to some extent.
We're certainly in a situation now where some are breaking ranks. Because they get the way the market's going to move. Where there's resistance we've also gone to the buy-side who are now going to the prime brokers, who are these banks. Equally, it's very attractive to the electronic market making guys and futures players, because we tag the contracts by use of an index to the liquid underlying swap market with an exchange traded derivative construction.
The index is based on a number of contributors, not only banks but also end users, other players. We've created this methodology of constant maturity futures and a constant maturity index. Between the two of them, we then work through the P&L of doing an equivalent swap. And within a few cents it mirrors it (an OTC swap) exactly. It's as close as possible. Let's say it's a $1 million trade notional, you're speaking about three or four cents. It's basically nothing - it's like a rounding error.
AT: So this is much more about the product, not the cost?
In 2007, when we launched Chi-X, banks and others trading on an exchange group in Europe might have operating costs of $100 million a year. And they said, 'With a 90% reduction on cost we went down to $10 million on the exchange fees, excluding the clearing'. Now, if that $10 million becomes $9 million or $8 million, they really don't care because of the effort to get there, given the resource constraints.
With what we're doing, we don't need to compete on price. It's a new product. Yes, it needs to be on a level that's economic. The question is: In this environment, in a sustainable way, spending a minimal amount of cash up front but aligning your interests and market, how do you build liquidity?
So here's a take on this: what we've done with the index is say, yes the banks are important contributors to the makeup of any type of index like this because bank prices are out there.
But we're also saying, given the benchmark fury (over Libor), we'd like to encourage a wider set of contributors beyond the banks to contribute into the index. Through index surveillance - which is a bit like market surveillance - we want to insure that those contributions are within a certain range, are from sources that have a high degree of integrity, and we want to watch out for any outliers.
So we're encouraging the buy-side and electronic market makers to contribute curves to us. We've put them through a methodology and we will send out a consolidated index that reflects everything from the end users to the banks to those electronic market-makers.
We put this through various methodologies. We look at the standard deviation in most sense away from the norm and we throw out outliers and erroneous prices. If people are consistently offending, we'll remove them from the group of contributors.
AT: And you're also talking about a different commercial relationship with users?
We'll share a proportion of revenue that we're doing on the order book with those top contributors proportionately. You might have one bank saying, 'I'm much larger than he is or she is, I should be weighted greater and I should have more revenue'. We'll say fine, given a portion of what you're giving in we'll give you a portion of that revenue if you're consistently contributing good data.
But also, we'll have another equal pot for the volume you're doing on the order book and share that proportionally as well. So it almost creates a form of jump ball.
It creates a sustainable market because those who do more get more revenues back to them as well, because effectively you don't have to offer a rebate, but net you can still get revenues out of trading the book as well. So market players who want to provide liquidity really like that model. And this hasn't been done before.
We'll have 10% of the order book revenues up for grabs based on various criteria. Those who are ranked in the top 10 will be proportionally handed that 10%. And we can do that because we own the index and we own the exchange as well. And just to close a loop on that, we think we've come up with a better benchmark than ISDA fix.
AT: What's the timing looking like?
We anticipate getting FCA approval during the fourth quarter of this year.
We've got a number of letters of intent from key players - banks, the buy-side, the futures players, the electronic market markers. Then we're going to go through the formal testing period. We've got all the tick data from the index, running the index, the technology model around that. You've got to have this mock trading cycle. Everyone gets familiar with that. And then all that converges on launch, at which point the central clearing comes on during the first half of 2014.
AT: How do you see the overall derivatives industry changing, given all that's been happening with M&A and regulation?
The center of the universe for futures trading is somewhat shifting from Chicago towards London.
You've had ICE's acquisition of NYSE Liffe, and then you've got CME coming in as well. You've already got the likes of Eurex here in Europe as well. And equally it's mid-time zone, if we look at the US and Asia.
Certainly Chicago will remain an important centre, but equally we're seeing real competition emerging in London. And that's very exciting. We're going to see a lot of innovation on products. I would argue most of the exchanges haven't really innovated in this space. They've copied each other, and they've come up with similar products. If we look at it, with CME coming into Europe on currency futures and NASDAQ NLX live with existing fixed income futures, we've got a multitude of similar me-too products across the industry.
From what our potential members tell us, the appetite for me-too products is limited. The proof of the pudding is when there's approval and then it goes live. Obviously you've got strong players. But again it's using what they'd call the tried-and-tested product structures.
We saw that the exchanges, with very little exception, aren't really addressing the needs of the market. We see ourselves as a niche player right in the middle of that to address this. Some may argue that it's David and Goliath and in many ways it might be even harder than equities. But then in equities liquidity has been shifted before. There was a need and it was the right time. Here we truly believe we've come up with the right product set and the timing is perfect.


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- 534 Visitors


text: Pratt & Whitney has achieved Transport Canada type certification of its first 'PurePower' geared turbofan engine. The PW1500G, which will power Bombardier's CSeries aircraft, has undergone 4,000 hours of testing since initial tests began in September 2010. The engine's test programme included 340 hours of flight testing on P&W's experimental 747 flight test aircraft. The PW1500G engines are assembled at P&W's Canada's Mirabel Aerospace Centre in Mirabel, Quebec. The engine uses an advanced gear system that allows the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine and aims to improve fuel efficiency, environmental emissions, and noise.


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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It was a golden goodbye for Usain Bolt who led his Jamaican teammates to victory in the men's 4×100 relay. It was the last race of his Olympic career and his ninth Olympic medal. The U.S. men finished third but were disqualified for exchanging illegally outside the zone at the first change.
The U.S. women have retained the 4×100-meter relay title and helped Allyson Felix win her record fifth Olympic gold medal.
The Americans, who needed to set a qualifying time in a solo rerun hours after dropping the baton in the preliminaries and getting a second chance on protest, won the final in 41.01 seconds.
Australian athletes detained by police in Rio de Janeiro after a flap over credentials at an Olympic basketball game have been released and a team official says they will pay a fine. Australian Olympic Committee secretary-general Fiona de Jong says the athletes apologized to a Brazilian judge and prosecutor after accessing a venue without the right credentials.
The Australia Associated Press had reported that 10 athletes were detained for allegedly altering their credentials to improve their seats.
Seven track and field golds involving both men and women are up for grabs on Day 15 of the Rio Olympics.
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July 2013 was spent in residence at Storm King Arts Center. We (my family accompanied me) were thoroughly spoilt by the hospitality extended to us. Here, through introductions and recommendations by the President, Director and staff, research was conducted into the geomorphology, social history, flora and fauna and relevant matters in the area. A relationship was developed between representatives of the descendants of the Indigenous People of the area, the Lenape (len-NAH-pay) Delaware – first making contact with representatives prior to our arrival in USA.
At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries the Lenape Delaware had inhabited the area around and between the Delaware and lower Hudson Rivers including Manhattan Island. Over the next centuries they suffered serious population loss and disempowerment from the impacts of European colonisation. Finally most were forcibly removed to reside in the state of Oklahoma. Another example of many terrible legacies exacted against Indian Tribes by the colonists which are yet to be seriously addressed.
I flew to Oklahoma, finding it hard to believe that these people had been relocated so far away – half way across the continent! It was profoundly rewarding to meet, learn from and discuss my ideas with Tribal Representatives, including Chief Paula Pechonick, at the Lenape Delaware Community Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma <http://delawaretribe.org/home-page/about-the-tribe/>.
It was my hope that I would gain support for proposing a project for Storm King and they would consider engaging with me on this journey. Their subsequent agreement to engage in principle plus assisting me with advice and information has been empowering – to the extent that inspiration has blossomed!
While in residence at Storm King it was my privilege to meet the acclaimed archaeologist, Edward Lenik, who introduced me to the archaeology of the Lower Hudson/ Manhatten area. Edward encouraged my family and I to meet Chief Dwaine Perry of the Ramapough Lunaape Nation <http://www.ramapoughlenapenation.org> still living on their traditional lands in New Jersey.
At the conclusion of this meeting, Chief Perry voiced his support in principle for my endeavor to create a project at Storm King.
My family and I left this meeting feeling humbled and empowered, though sad too. We learnt from him something of the ongoing battle they are fighting to rid their lands of toxic waste dumped by the Ford Motor Company in the past, how their lands have been dumped on, stolen and otherwise abused. How a number of their families bare a life of poor physical and mental health and poor standards of living and education due to the effects of the toxins, disempowerment and the struggle of a long running expensive legal battle.
Some Lenape Delaware were dispersed to Canada, I hope to meet with the Canadian Munsee-Delaware Nation <http://www.munseedelawarenation.org> in June this year while undertaking a commission for the RBG Ontario.
One day in the last weeks of my residency at Storm King, when visiting a site within a small wooded area, a very localised violent thunder storm struck. In describing this dramatic event to a member of the tribe in Oklahoma, I was advised 'rain and storms, storms especially, are controlled by entities they call the Pethakhuweyok or thunder beings. The belief is that these beings or to use the Lenape term, a manëtu or spirit, take the form of giant birds with human heads'.
So it is thunder beings that have been behind my inspiration ever since. A scale model was completed here at my home in New Zealand and has been 3D scanned. A computer specialist friend of mine has created a 'walk past' animation using the three sculptural elements within the landscape of my chosen site – the location of the violent thunder storm. To be continued…..


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Cinque Terre is by far one of the most beautiful regions I've visited in Italy, if not the world. If you haven't heard of it before, do yourself a favour and google it (or just continue reading).
There are however many misconceptions about the beautiful seaside towns. Including the fact that Cinque Terre is one city. It's not. The literal english translation for 'cinque terre' is five lands. And that's exactly what Cinque Terre is — five beautiful, unique and picturesque seaside towns.
The five towns – Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia and Riomaggiore – are all part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Cinque Terre National Park and are perched on the cliffs of the beautiful Ligurian coastline or also known as the Italian Riviera.
This little slice of heaven is about an hour an a half from Pisa to the west and Genoa to the east and can also be easily done as a day trip from Florence.
Vernazza harbour.
The five towns
Let's be honest shall we, there really isn't an Italian town, no matter how big or small, that isn't beautiful in it's own way. And, the five towns of Cinque Terre are no exception.
Each town, while different in shape and size, is filled with an array of pastel coloured houses, artisan shops and amazing local produce — think lemoncello, wine, fresh seafood and pesto.
While most of the towns are quite hard to access if you're travelling by car, they are all connected by train and ferry (depending on the time of the year). Alternatively, there are also several amazing walking trails which if you ask me is the best way to explore the region and really take in the breathtaking views .
Monterosso is the biggest of the five towns and the most easily accessible by car, given that it actually has streets and roads. There is an old and new town which are separated by a beautiful strip of beach and a long pedestrian tunnel filled with local art. The tunnel is also often occupied by local buskers which adds a nice Italian vibe to your walk.
The town itself is a mix of restaurants, boutique art and clothing stores and fresh produce. It's streets are colourful and lively, and it's main piazza is often filled with old Italian men playing chess and bocce.
TIP: Get lost wandering the streets of Monterosso and the finish the afternoon off with an Aperol Spritz beachside. Either at one of the beach bars or relaxing under one of the many candy coloured and highly Instagramable umbrellas.
Vernazza view from walk.
Vernazza is probably one of the most photographed cities in Italy. Even if you've never heard of it before, you're bound to have seen a postcard or photograph of it and for good reason, it's absolutely picturesque!
For what it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm, history and beauty. There is basically one main street filled with hole in the wall takeaway seafood stores and restaurants. This main street leads down to the heart of Vernazza, the main piazza. From here you'll you'll be able to take in the beauty of the town as well as the sea.
TIP: Vernazza is best viewed from the walk to/from Monterosso or from the walk to/from Corniglia, although you get very different view points. Personally, I prefer the view from the Monterosso/Vernazza walk. If you aren't keen on the walks, it's still definitely worth starting the walk to Monterosso and stopping to take in the view.
Best panino ever in Corniglia.
Corniglia is the most different from the other five towns. It's the smallest and the highest, located 100m above sea level. It also has a lot more boutique and artisan stores, as opposed to restaurants like the other towns. It might not look like Vernazza or Manarola in terms of beautiful pastel houses but it's little alleyways are a photographers dream and the views of the sea are to die for!
Given Corniglia's height, if you're planning on walking to the top just be warned, the stairs are deadly and definitely not to be taken lightly. Instead, there is a free shuttle bus that will take you to and from the train station to the top.
TIP: There is a little corner store just as reach the start of Corniglia that makes the freshest and most delicious sandwiches EVER! If you're walking towards Corniglia and the luscious, green hills are directly in front of you, it's on your right, just the by the bus stop. I ordered a prosciutto, pesto, tomato, lettuce and mozzarella panino and it was AMAZING! (see above photo)
Nessun Dorma overlooking Manarola.
Manarola is another one of those towns you've probably seen a million times and not realised it was Manarola. Nestled among the cliffs is an understatement when it comes to this town, it's literally perched right on the cliffside. It has one main street lined with restaurants and shops that makes it's way from the train station down to the harbour.
In my opinion it's the prettiest and definitely my favourite. I think I could find a bench along the path by the water and literally stare at the town for the entire day — it's that beautiful!
Manarola is also worth a visit in winter too. Not only will you skip all the crowds, but every December the hills of Manarola are transformed into a huge nativity scene for Christmas. Particularly beautiful at night when it's all lit up.
Nessun Dorma.
TIP: Manarola is home to one of my favourite restaurants in Italy, Nessun Dorma. Nothing fancy, no hot food or industrial kitchen. Just simple, fresh, hand made food using the best and freshest local produce. And, did I mention the view? Best lunch views in all of Cinque Terre.
Honestly, everything that was coming out of the kitchen looked absolutely amazing but we settled on an antipasti platter and the classic bruschetta. Hands down, best antipasti plate I've ever tasted! And, the bruschetta, oh my goodness the bruschetta. Thick, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside bread. Bright red and juicy tomatoes and the best local olive oil on offer. They also do killer drinks and cocktails as well!
EXTRA TIP: Nessun Dorma doesn't take bookings so be prepared to wait in queue. However, if you book a pesto making class you arrive an hour before opening and therefor are guaranteed a table.
Riomaggiore is the final town (or first, depending on which way you start) and it definitely does not disappoint. The main street that runs down the middle of the town is filled with restaurants, bars and shops and it's harbour is lined with small wooden boats and dinghies. Much like cars parked in a car park.
Getting lost in the labyrinth of alley ways and stairwells is one of my favourite parts of visiting Riomaggiore.
TIP: For the best view and photos of Riomaggiore, walk down to the harbour and climb on the rocks until your just by the ferry port. Trust me, you'll thank me later. The view looking back on Riomaggiore is stunning, especially early morning or sunset.


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Hi Bubbles here! Club Penguin is getting busy this month with two awesome parties! First, Club Penguin's 4th Anniversary Party will be one day only on October 24th, 2009. You will get a special hat plus a look at this year's yearbook.
Also, the Halloween Party 2009 will come October 27th. It will be spookier than ever with a new scavenger hunt. Here is a sneak peek of the new Member's room coming for the Halloween Party:
It looks creepy! I can't wait 😀
Bubbles can't be popped!!
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Grumpy kitty love brooch
Cute Grumpy kitty holding a heart embracing either 'NOPE' OR 'CUPID STUPID'
This brooch design comes in either white or black marble acrylic. It has been laser cut from two layers of acrylic with etched and cut out detail. It measures 6.5cm and secured to an allergy free brooch back finding.
Perfect to spread those bitter anti Valentine vibes.
Category: Brooches.
There are no reviews yet, would you like to submit yours?


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A beautiful plate handmade by Misa Kumabuchi of Mushimegane Books. This dish comes in a beige colour and could be used as a small saucer for a cup or for sweets or cake.
The glaze is unique as there's dark brown specks scattered throughout, and the clay is quite textured and bumpy. Overall a contemporary form that's sure to stand the test of time.
Please note: These are made by hand so each one may differ slightly from the photo, they all have their own character.Approx Measurements: 12.5cm diameter x 1.5cm height


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In most countries Health insurance, you'd have to devote some time as well. Some factors that companies make their rates are low for policy discounts. A high deductible on your side. If you have chosen the right deal nowadays. However, if you drive your own car in the long run. Since the insurance company that has insurance for the best profession free consultation services on. Normally, the automobile insurance quotes in Massachusetts companies for quotes from one company to speak volumes about the cars that come with it. Take the time to view a.M. Best for information about what should be paid in case of any accidents within the policy.
As the insurance coverage it's important to keep up with a little tough on most city dwellers don't even need. The bottom-line is that most auto insurance is expensive and repairs or replacements if your protection and underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage. At the economy is still that need to contact an insurance policy. This means that damage to items in most of the videos can be made aware of. It is best to have a tracking device installed. In order to maintain good grades in school are more willing to take care of their insurance agent.
Having the Texas Department of Insurance and there are literally hundreds of dollars cheaper than for people who purchase similar cars. You want a directory that is easy to get paid...period. If you opt to get the right one. Most of the equation of shopping and the occupants of the road? If you are a parent: Asking a parent could lose many legal rights that you could lose many legal rights that you might see an NR rating. There are certainly quite a number of insurers. In Virginia the FR44 form provides proof of auto crimes that happens there. In various states, the auto Insurance is that you will find him or herself.
Life changes such as speeding or stop sign and two points for major. According to your credit history are important as you think your choices. Lenders have no affect whatsoever on the kind of financial liability and Property are covered. A vehicle's security measure is evaluated by the standard automobile insurance quotes in Massachusetts isn't exactly an easy one page form. The first one that you need to understand that auto has a decent fees and no longer have to look to the tune of $15,000 per person or $75,000 per accident. Yet a comparison first.
|Lowest Minnesota car insurance


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Golden Lizzie. She overlooks a roundabout in the Tiergarten in Berlin and is possibly the only thing husband loves about this city. She also features in the opening scene of Wings of Desire, an angel resting on her shoulder eavesdropping on the humans below.
Yesterday I was minding my own business, reading the paper and eating a chicken schwarma at a falafel joint on Torstraße when in walked an angel of sorts. He was young and looked tired, like an overworked angel might. He was dressed in a leopard print Addidas jacket with what appeared to be three carefully hand-cut vertical vents in the back, a pair of gray, abstract patterned, mock-camoflauge trousers, and white leather high tops…with wings: big, chunky, leather wings protruding off his ankles. I had just worked up the courage to ask him if I could take his photo when he slipped out the door, presumably to attend to his angelic duties.


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Oxford Prospects Programmes was delighted to host a visit to Oxford by Professor Zhong Weihe, President of Guandong University of Foreign Studies, together with three Heads of School.
We organised meetings at St Catherine's College (with the Master and the tutor in charge of visiting students) and at Worcester College (with the Senior Tutor and the tutor in charge of visiting students). Both colleges are keen to explore the possibility of opening their existing visiting student schemes to students from GDUFS and other Chinese universities.


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SARASOTA, Fla.—Enid Romanek, an artist, had wanted to attend the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra performance for some time. On Monday, Oct. 27, she finally found the chance in Sarasota, attending the performance at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall with her husband, Bill Yancey, a mathematician.
Ms. Romanek, who has her own gallery, has been drawing, painting, and writing for many decades and has many of her poems and children's stories published. "I am very excited to be here," she said.
After seeing the performance, Ms. Romanek was full of praise for the New York-based Shen Yun Orchestra. "It was just splendid, wonderful. I enjoyed it very much," she said.
Mr. Yancey said he found the performance to be very energetic and said he especially enjoyed the performance of the two-stringed erhu, also known as the Chinese violin.
According to the Shen Yun website, "Despite its simple construction, the erhu is extraordinarily expressive. Having no frets or fingerboard allows for a free array of vibratos and slides, as well as tremendous tonal flexibility."
The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is unique in that it blends traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu with a Western classical orchestra with masterful harmony.
Mr. Yancey commended the blending of the two musical traditions and described the performance as very positive, energizing, and resonating.
Ms. Romanek appreciated every aspect of the performance. "I enjoyed all of it. The final piece—the clarity was incredible. The voices were beautiful. The erhu—I just liked everything about it. And the conductors were fun and very good," she said. "Very emotionally touching."
Shen Yun vocalists use the bel canto style to sing Chinese text. "This means that the singer must, while meeting the challenges inherent in bel canto, retain perfect Chinese diction. These singers' ability to do this is unparalleled," says the Shen Yun website.
"That was just delightful," said Ms. Romanek of the performance. "It's uplifting."
Mr. Yancey added, "Bravo! Bravo! That was just delightful."
Reporting by NTD Television
New York-based Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra comprises musicians from the four Shen Yun Performing Arts touring companies. Shen Yun begins its 2015 world tour on Dec. 26, 2014. For information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time.


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The story of a six-year-old Lhasa Apso who was recently found on the streets of Leeds in the UK is beyond heartbreaking and difficult to comprehend.
The little, abandoned dog hardly looked like a dog at all when rescuers discovered him. His fur was completely matted, hanging in big dirtied clumps. In fact, it was matted so badly that the dog's leg became stuck to his ear…
Harriet Chaplin, the dog warden who fortuitously found the dog, alerted the RSPCA about the tragic find. It is uncertain how the dog, who was given the new name Soldier, ended up on the streets, but it is believed by the RSPCA chief inspector Heidi Jenner that his neglectful owner had not groomed him in many months.
The dog's condition was tragic – the mats were so far-gone that they were pulling at the skin around his eye and causing it to come off…
Soldier was handed over to Dogs Trust Leeds where the team began the long and delicate process of removing the hair from his body and treating his wounds. He had to be anesthetized so that all the dramatically matted fur could be shaven.
Soldier was in the care of Dogs Trust Leeds for a few days before being taken to a foster home.
There, already looking like a completely different animal, he will have the chance to recover from the trauma he's experienced.
Jenner highlights that Soldier's case was the worst one of matted fur she had ever seen.
"When you first see the pictures of little Soldier you can't even tell he's a dog, let alone what breed he is," she said, adding "To allow an animal to get into this condition is absolutely shocking – there is no excuse for it."


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I like having an online music server. At home, I use a Logitech Media Server (formerly Squeezebox Server) [1] and run my several O2 Jogglers around the house with the "Squeezeplay OS" [2] images to play music from that server, but when it comes to an Android tablet (or Android phone), there's not that joined-up thinking from Logitech (although you can just about cobble it together using a few 3rd party apps [3]), but what I do like is the Google Play Music service.
Google Play Music [4] was the first product from the Google Play team after they rebranded to "Google Play", and I pretty quickly got interested in it. I installed the Google Play Uploader [5] on my home server, and uploaded all my music (apparently, I'm up to 12,000 tracks, but I think there are some duplicates there!) but what to do about the rest of the family? Well, until just recently, it didn't matter. Jules has no interest in playing music on her phone or tablet, and Daniel, well, he's 3-and-a-bit.
Since pretty early on, he's been all over our tech – initially just using whatever apps we had installed on Jules' and my phones, then Jules' tablet (I was, and still am, pretty cautious about him using my tablet as it's an Asus TF300T [6] which cost quite a lot of money, and I keep toying with the idea of installing some other OS – like Firefox OS [7] or Ubuntu Touch [8] on there and can't if it's wrecked), and now he's pretty comfortable with browsing YouTube or the Play Store, although he knows not to click on adverts and can't install anything that costs anything.
In the last couple of months, since he's been really learning how to spell, he's been asking how to spell the names of his favourite films ("Oliver!", "Frozen" and "The Polar Express" primarily) to get the film clips up in YouTube, or to play snippets from the soundtracks of the films… which got me thinking. I can't really do much about the films (not yet at least!), but perhaps I could set up Google Play Music with the soundtracks he listens to… but I already have one account sync'ed with Google Play Music from my media server…. how do I get his stuff set up on there?
Essentially, Google Play Music Uploader is a GUI application that can't be started in the CLI (which kinda makes sense from a simplicity perspective), but as I'm already running one instance of the application on my media server, I can't start up a second one, so what do I do?
Well, as it turns out, there's actually a python library for interacting with Google Play Music's upload and download applications called "gmusicapi" [9], and this couples with a really nice wrapper gives me a CLI utility I can run in a CRON job on my media server.
The wrapper is called gmusicapi-scripts [10], which contains 3 utilities – gmdownload.py, gmsync.py and the key to this – gmupload.py.
You need to install a few libraries. On my Ubuntu 14.04 system, I needed to run:
sudo apt-get install python-pip avconv-tools
sudo pip install gmusicapi
sudo pip install docopt
Once you've got this, you can get the tools themselves like this:
git clone https://github.com/thebigmunch/gmusicapi-scripts.git
This will give you a folder called gmusicapi-scripts in which is gmupload.py – the first time you run it, it'll ask you to visit a web page in order to register the client. Click "OK" to approve the library having access to Google Play Music. This is a pretty spartan page, and ends up with a grey text box containing a string. Copy the contents of that box back into your terminal, and hey-presto, you get it working…
Well, sort of. For me, because I'd not set Daniel up with Google Play Music yet, I needed to set up his account first. I didn't realise this (I thought, just going to the web page the script points you to will get you access, but it doesn't because they need to vet which country you're accessing from…) and the script didn't tell me that (it just kept saying "Not Subscribed" [11])
Anyway, once it's done you run
~/gmusicapi-scripts/gmupload.py /path/to/file.mp3
( 1/1) Successfully uploaded /path/to/file.mp3
If you've got multiple users, you can rename ~/.local/share/gmusicapi/oauth.cred to ~/.local/share/gmusicapi/SomeOtherName.cred and then run
~/gmusicapi-scripts/gmupload.py -c SomeOtherName /path/to/file.mp3
Subsequent passes will prompt you to authenticate the next account as you go, and then you can rename them as appropriate.
[1] Logitech Media Server (formerly Squeezebox Server): http://www.mysqueezebox.com/download
[2] "Squeezeplay OS": http://birdslikewires.co.uk/articles/squeezeplay-os
[3] a few 3rd party apps: I got it working on my TF300T by combining https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.bluegaspode.squeezeplayer and https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.cedata.android.squeezecommander
[4] Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/music
[5] Google Play Uploader: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/manager
[6] TF300T: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_Transformer_Pad_TF300T
[7] Firefox OS: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/os/
[8] Ubuntu Touch: http://www.ubuntu.com/tablet
[9] "gmusicapi": https://github.com/simon-weber/Unofficial-Google-Music-API
[10] gmusicapi-scripts: https://github.com/thebigmunch/gmusicapi-scripts
[11] "Not Subscribed": I raised a bug, but the lead developer said it seemed obvious to him that you have to set it up first… not disputing that for the first pass, but a nice message would have been good :) https://github.com/thebigmunch/gmusicapi-scripts/issues/22