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Today's economic climate for small businesses is by no means an easy one. Credit lines and bank loans have all but dried up as the recession continues to take its toll on existing businesses that are struggling to stay afloat. Financing a business start-up has become a difficult prospect these days, making crucial the decisions you make about the future of your business or that concept that you'd like to see developed. But if you've resolved to fashion yourself as an entrepreneur in 2010, be sure to gather the facts, opinions, and realistic assessments from those whose mission it is to provide educational support, mentoring and counsel to the small business community. In Kalamazoo County, small businesses can work with non-profit organizations like SCORE and the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center to strengthen their existing enterprises, while those who are seeking information about starting a business may attend free or low cost workshops that cover the business planning basics. And don't forget to do your research here at the library by accessing our Small Business Collection, comprised of books, periodicals, reference materials, and databases. Here are some helpful links:
SCORE Kalamazoo Chapter
Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center
Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce
Michigan Business One Stop
Calling Kalamazoo home, Lloyd and the Fellas formed in February 2009. At its concert on December 16, the band performed its own compositions plus a handful of shape note songs from the Sacred Harp tradition. This is music to really listen to – thoughtful lyrics combined with skillful acoustic instrumentation. Lloyd and the Fellas has a promising future and we look forward to hearing more from these talented musicians.
Linda Mah's December 9 column in the Gazette highlighted the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). This is an intensive home-intervention program that supports young, vulnerable, first time mom's and their babies from pregnancy through the child's second birthday. I'm proud to say Kalamazoo Public Library is a stakeholder in this valuable program.
NFP is federally funded but requires a local/MI match, and for months the future of Kalamazoo County's NFP has been in jeopardy. Thanks to some money released from a reserve held by Kalamazoo County and a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, the NFP is secure for another year. Through the library's Ready to Read early childhood literacy program, we provide books for the nearly 200 babies and moms served by the NFP. The NFP nurses deliver the books and promote family reading during their frequent home visits. Thanks to the Nurse Family Partnership and its dedicated staff, KPL has found another important way to extend its reach into the community.
We're glad to have this opportunity to help young mothers get started reading aloud to their children early and often!
As an added service to our patrons, the Reference Desk at Central Library now has headphones and flash drives available for purchase.
Headphones are available for sale to the public at a cost of $2.75 each. The Reference Desk also has 256MB flash drives available at a cost of just $5.00 per drive.
A "public" flash drive is available at the desk for assisting with temporary storage or transfer issues, but this will give our patrons the option of purchasing a drive for their personal use at a reasonable price.
Around this time every year, I receive several phone calls from frustrated patrons, requesting information about laws related to the removal of snow from city sidewalks. And each year, I pull out the city ordinances to read from the law's text. Usually at this point, the patron continues to argue that homeowners, business owners, and the occupants of homes and apartments are in violation of the law for not shoveling the obstructing precipitation. And each year, I try my hardest to explain to the patron that just because a law is on the books, doesn't necessarily mean that it will be enforced in all cases.
Many ordinances are just that, difficult to enforce and so it is the obligation of the citizenry to make sure that they are following the law so that their fellow citizens, many of whom have disabilities or are elderly, are able to access cleared away sidewalks. For those who are caught and cited, there are penalties. How many of us while driving are shocked and angered to find persons walking in the street, many of whom would surely find the comforts and safety of the sidewalk more appealing if more of their fellow citizens made an effort in complying with the ordinance. Of course, there are those who will stubbornly choose to endanger both drivers and themselves by walking in the street during inclement weather regardless of the sidewalk's condition or the sturdiness of their footwear. As far as I know, stubbornness has yet to be outlawed. The City of Kalamazoo's snow removal laws are 33-18, 33-19 and 33-20 and can be read here.
Kevin tells us that workers plan to install the RFID equipment on Tuesday, December 1st, assuming that all goes according to plan. The equipment being used is being custom designed, so additional installation time may be necessary.
Staff training will begin this week with hopes that we can make self checkout available to patrons next week. Staff members will be available to help patrons with the self-check as needed.
Note: Workers encountered a small snafu on Tuesday while installing the kiosk. Hopefully, it will be up and running by Wednesday and available for patrons to begin using next week.
During the week of November 23, the barricades will again be erected so workers can begin installing the Checkout Kiosk. The kiosk will be located in the tiled area in front of the circulation desk. Once the kiosk is built and operational patrons will be able to check out their own materials at one of the three stations!
You may also have noticed a temporary circulation desk located under the stairs. Soon the circulation staff will begin moving into the space to make sure there are no interruptions to service. We will also be moving patron holds out from behind the desk, so you can retrieve them yourself. All of these changes are happening to not only take advantage of new technologies, but to also find efficiencies and save money.
The changes are coming quickly, so check back often to find out what else KPL is doing to improve service.
Nostalgia, recession-induced frugality, and a desire to have more control over what goes into food are reasons why many cooks are trying homemade versions of their favorite condiments.Julie Stanley, owner of Food Dance Café, demonstrated how easy it is to make your own ketchup, ranch dressing, chutney and butterscotch sauce. All four were made in less than one hour without causing a load of dirty dishes.
All of these condiments are made with ingredients readily found at the supermarket. And, while many ketchup recipes call for long, slow cooking of tomatoes, Julie showed us a shortcut involving canned tomato paste.
And what about taste? We sampled these creations and confirmed that homemade does indeed taste better. For instance, there's no comparison between ranch dressing from a bottle and one you whisk up from scratch with sour cream, buttermilk and fresh herbs.
Download and print Julie's recipes from the program PDF
Use the season's cooler weather and longer nights to rediscover the kitchen. Homemade foods make special gifts or memorable accents to any family gathering. For some ideas, browse KPL's vast collection of cookery books.
Installation of the kiosk across from the circulation desk at central is behind schedule. There are several reasons, but a major one is a delay in approval of the shop drawings because of a reconsideration of the aluminum corner detail. Once that was settled, shop drawings were completed and approved, and the corner element ordered only to find it is out of stock; it's typically available and in stock, we were told.
We had built in about six weeks of "overlap", that is, time when we would have the checkout kiosk up and running AND the current circ desk still in operation. We will shorten that time to one to two weeks and still be close to the target completion date of the end of December.
We have decided to take down the wooden partitions in the meantime and they are being taken down this morning. We had previously planned for the first floor desk staffing to end tomorrow, Oct 31, expecting the checkout units would be in place. We will hold to that timing and the first floor desk will be removed next week; we just have a delay on the checkout units.
With the wooden partitions down but the kiosk not yet in place, there are some electrical plates on the floor where the kiosk will be that could become a trip hazard in the meantime. To avoid that happening, we'll move some furniture there. This means you may see some furniture, plants, whatever, sitting there that looks a bit out of place. We'll do our best to prevent a trip hazard and make it look at least OK! That seems better than bright orange cones for several weeks!
Anyone who has been around the West Michigan blues and festival scene during the past decade is certainly no stranger to the award-winning Blue Moon Blues Band. In one incarnation or another, these folks have been part of the Kalamazoo Blues Festival and WRKR's wintertime blues series at the State Theatre for years, sharing local and regional stages with the likes of Bernard Allison, Smokin' Joe Kubec, Son Seals, Hubert Sumlin, Lonnie Brooks, Jimmy Johnson… the list goes on and on. Blue Moon was also awarded a WYCE radio "Jammie" for best local blues album debut.
But last Wednesday's performance at Central Library – show number seventeen in KPL's ongoing Live Music series – was a unique chapter in this versatile band's history. With equipment stripped to the bare essentials – share n' hi-hat, acoustic guitars, piano and all, Blue Moon gave the crowd of sixty or so a chance to hear some band favorites, unique covers and homegrown originals in a more intimate than usual setting. For many of us, this was also the first opportunity to witness the band with its new lead vocalist, Bryan Michael Fischer. What a treat! These guys have grown from an adequate cover band into a true performance powerhouse. WMUK's Mark Sahlgren (Grass Roots) summed the show up in one word… "Wow!"
Highlights included some rippin' cover tunes like "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" (Clarence Smith), "My Babe" (Willie Dixon), "Bring It On Home To Me" (Sam Cooke), and a blistering version of B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone." The show also featured several band originals, including public debut of the brand new, somewhat Santana-esque "Heart Has Turned to Stone" - a very cool tune. And of course, they dedicated "Miss Ann" to our library director!
"Thanks so much and please tell everyone at the library that we were honored to perform there and we had an awesome time!" – Bill LaValley, Blue Moon Blues Band
"Thanks so much and please tell everyone at the library that we were honored to perform there and we had an awesome time!" – Bill LaValley, Blue Moon Blues Band
Check out Blue Moon CDs from the KPL catalog, and visit the band's MySpace page for some recent pix and tasty song samples. Be sure to catch the band's final performance (sniff...) on November 14 at Bell's Eccentric Café.
And… there's plenty more music coming at KPL, too… don't miss a special performance by Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart on November 1st, and be sure to visit (and bookmark) KPL's music page for highlights of past shows and more terrific upcoming performances.
Those who packed Van Deusen Room were very privileged to hear David Small discuss the story and process behind his National Book Award nominated graphic memoir, Stitches, in a world premiere event on September 10, 2009.
The interview was set-up to resemble the popular television show Inside the Actor's Studio, which provided David with a casual atmosphere to discuss Stitches. He answered a variety of questions about his life growing up in 1950's Detroit with a family that could hardly be described as tightly knit.
The presentation also included some fabulous animated videos of the books, shots of sketches, and panel by panel storyboards. David was candid about both the physical and emotional wounds which took years to finally stitch together into a memoir that will touch many lives.
A second David Small visit is being planned for 2010, so please check the website often for more details.
Listen to David Small's presentation (44:52)Download David Small's presentation as a podcast (MP3 audio file)
Watch David's complete presentation in the series of videos below.
The tile path from Central Library's front door now extends all the way to the winding stair leading to the second floor.
Over the coming two weeks, workers will pull wire for power and data lines, install the new checkout kiosk and the 3M Library Systems' selfcheck equipment. Patrons may be able to use the new check out service by early November.
Want to try out this new service before then? Visit Oshtemo Branch Library or use the checkout kiosk in Central Library's Children's Room.
Beginning October 5, we will be making improvements to the Circulation Desk area at Central to take advantage of the new RFID technology and most importantly to better serve you.
The first step is to install new tiles to the spiral staircase. Currently the tile simply ends (think Shel Silverstein) but upon completion it will lead directly to the bottom step. This move paves the way for the Checkout Kiosk, which will allow patrons to check out their own materials.
If you have a question, do not hesitate to contact me.
Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends started off with a bang with special guest Professor Code from Western Michigan University's School of Music.
Professor Code shared four different instruments with us: the Swedish nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle), the Norwegian hardingfele (Harding fiddle), the Norwegian seljefløyta (willow flute) and the munnharpa (mouth harp).
He also broke our bean bag balance record, balancing 13 bean bags on his head while counting in Norwegian!
Join us for books, rhymes, crafts, parachute games, and a surprise special guest at the next Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends on Monday, October 26 at 6:30 pm at the Central Library.
By the time autumn arrives, many gardens are looking a bit spent and shabby. Gardeners themselves may feel a bit spent and shabby, too, but now's the time to muster energy and prepare for next year's growing season.
Bruce Shultz, a long-time gardener and volunteer with Fair Food Matters, spoke at Oshtemo on Sept. 14 sharing tips for how to put the garden to bed. At this time of year, we should clean up debris from annual plants, but leave parts from perennials in place. Add amendments to the soil — compost, fertilizers, leaves, lime or the like — so these nutrients have time to settle in over the winter. Autumn is the time to plant cover crops or relocate bulbs and spring flowering perennials. Pruning, too, can be accomplished now.
But Shultz also encouraged us to think about gardening year-round, not as an activity between Memorial Day and Labor Day. "Why put the garden to bed at all?" he asked.
Extend the growing season with protection. Row covers, cold frames, tunnels, cloches and straw can give you an early start in spring and fend off autumn frosts. Another way to extend the growing season is to bring it indoors. Shultz starts his garden by planting seeds and letting them get a good start under grow lights. He's out planting peas in March as soon as the soil is soft. When the weather turns cool, in comes the large potted rosemary shrub. And, they may be old-fashioned, but they definitely work: root cellars. They store produce at a cool but not freezing temperature.
To read more about gardening year round, check out these books by Eliot Coleman.
As a law librarian, I'm always on the lookout for information sources (both print and online) that a lay person can read and understand without having to have a law degree. It can often be a challenge to impart complex legal concepts to the general public. Law library staff relies heavily on referring library users to our extensive collection of free bookmarks, brochures and booklets, many of which are available on racks next to the law library's entrance. We try to put the information in your hands so that you can empower yourself with the knowledge that can inform your actions and decisions. Some of our most popular handouts include: Peace of Mind, Tenants and Landlords: A Practical Guide, Kalamazoo County's Friend of the Court Handbook, Small Claims Court, and many others that span a wide range of legal topics.
Come and visit the Alma Powell Branch and view our newest art acquisition Sudan: land of blood. During our June Art Hop we greatly appreciated the Sudan: Land of Blood along with many other extraordinary paintings in Fred Zemlick's exhibition. At the closing of his June and July showing Fred Zemlick honored our branch by presenting this gift of art to the library.
We are hoping that many people from the Powell community will stop in and tell us what the Sudan: land of blood says to them. What is its message? What does it symbolize?
The Powell Branch would like to thank Fred Zemlick for showing his work in our Barnabee Gallery and giving us this valued piece of art for our branch. Fred's next showing will be at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portage. And in October he will be at the new Midtown Gallery on the Mall.
Michael Zadoorian grew up in a suburb of the Motor City, so it makes sense that the characters in his new novel The Leisure Seeker travel on a classic American road, Route 66. This novel is easily one of the best love stories I have read in years. John and Ella are taking one last trip in their "recreational sarcophagus" before their serious medical conditions overtake them. John has Alzheimer's and Ella is riddled with cancer, but that does not stop them from going to pay homage to the "Mouse" in Anaheim.
On July 22nd, Zadoorian visited KPL to provide the background to this hilarious and touching novel. It gave all who attended insight on how true love can survive sickness, roadside diners, and lack of air-conditioning in Texas.
A crowed of some 93 would-be chicken owners flocked to the library on August 3 to learn about the care and feeding of urban hens, and the laws and ordinances governing such practices.
The guest stars — five hens of various breeds — were charming and tolerant.
Co-sponsored by Fair Food Matters, the program featured Lori Evesque who shared her experiences in raising chickens from downy chicks to egg-laying adulthood.
Not all communities are chicken-friendly, said attorney Suzanne Klein who explained that statutes and ordinances vary according to where you live. Curious whether your community allows chickens in the yard? Pay a visit to KPL's Law Library.
If you'd like to read more about raising chickens, here are two selections to check out:Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide to Enjoying and Getting the Best from Chickens by J.C. Jeremy Hobson and How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know by Christine Heinrichs.
In some libraries across the country you will still find what is commonly known as a "Listening Room." These rooms were usually equipped with technology to play the music in the library's collection. On July 15th the Van Deusen Room turned into a huge "Listening Room," but instead of listening to something on LP or CD patrons were treated to the sweet sounds of Mark Duval and Two-Track Mind. The super intimate setting allowed concert-goers the chance to absorb the touching and powerful lyrics of Kalamazoo singer-songwriter Duval. The band comprised of Traci Seuss (vocals, guitar), Bill Caskey (bass), and Cori Summers (violin) were tight and entrancing. How often do you get to experience an amazing live show in such a great atmosphere?
Writing effectively is a struggle for many of us, but in the end it can (and should) be an incredibly satisfying experience. On July 1st, Jo Wiley led a creative writing workshop at the Oshtemo Branch Library, exploring "a variety of creative writing genres." Participants were invited to bring along their creative ideas and ask questions about the writing process and publishing.
With more than a dozen participants registered, the program was highly successful. Here are a few follow-up notes from the program facilitator that shed light on the scope of the workshop...
"After a general discussion about why we, in particular, write and then, in general, why writers write, I introduced the participants to the concept of poetry's 'abiding image,'" said Ms. Wiley, "and they did a multi-stepped exercise resulting in them establishing an 'abiding image' for themselves. Using their responses to the exercise, I then introduced development strategies for poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. I offered them the option of developing a poem at home and mailing it to me for feedback, if they'd like."
A full-time instructor at Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business, Jo Wiley was the recipient of the 2009 Community Literary Award for Adult Poetry, an annual competition sponsored by the Kalamazoo Gazette, Kalamazoo Public Library and Portage District Library.
"With poetry," she added, "we talked a lot about language and structure; fiction we reviewed the 'seven basic plots,' and then creative nonfiction we talked mostly about the differences between CNF and fiction and when and why writers chose one over the other. I ended the workshop with some information and discussion on 'the writer's life' and publishing."
With a primary interest in creative nonfiction, the same group plans to meet later in the month to focus on essay writing.
Nashville based, Michigan born singer-songwriter, Joe Nolan performed outside under Central's portico to a large crowd of music fans on June 5th. The event was part of the Art Hop and kicked off our huge slate of events to entertain everyone during the hot summer months. Many of the hundreds of people strolling around town stopped to listen to Joe's unique style which is a blend of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. In addition to his performing his own material, Nolan randomly read from some books he brought to the concert. The outdoor show was very successful and proved to be a most excellent start to the music being featured at KPL during the summer!
A capacity crowd arrived early to see Shout Sister Shout on June 17. It's easy to understand why. Rachael Davis' silky and sultry voice combined with the rich arrangements and excellent musicianship of Steppin' In It made for a concert no one wanted to end.
Shout Sister Shout was formed in 2006 by the band Steppin' In It and the singer Rachael Davis, all of whom are well known in the folk scene and who have played double-bills on many occasions. It was their mutual love for old instruments, old radio and old-time jazz that led to Shout Sister Shout (named for a song by Sister Rosetta Sharpe).
This marked the one-year anniversary of concerts at KPL. We kicked off the series in 2008 with Steppin' In It; Rachael (with Jesse Lee Mason) followed soon after in August, and we're glad to welcome all of them back. Take a look at recordings from previous concerts in our monthly series. You'll also find a great collection of photos from the KPL show on the official Shout Sister Shout website!
For most of us, using the KPL catalog is pretty simple- go to the catalog page, enter in some text to search for, and away you go. In most cases, that's good enough. But what if you wanted a more powerful way to search? What if you were surfing your favorite non-KPL website and saw an author's name or a book title and wanted to look it up in the KPL catalog right now? Well, now you can, thanks to the LibX extension for Firefox and Internet Explorer. LibX is an open-source extension that adds a toolbar or right-click menu to your browser which you can use to search any selected text directly in the library catalog. You can also search for keywords in other sites such as Google, Wikipedia, or Dictionary.com, and you can even look up selected books in the MelCat database and find titles held at other Michigan libraries! LibX also adds a search option to popular sites like Amazon that let you see if KPL has a book before you buy, or find a title linked from the New York Times Book Review. While the LibX extension isn't written by KPL staff and we can't guarantee that it won't conflict with your browser or other installed extensions, we've tested it with Firefox and IE and it works great. See for yourself! Just head to the LibX KPL Edition page and click the "Install" link located halfway down for your particular browser.
A large, enthusiastic crowd gathered to learn the basics of preserving food on June 22. Mike Rowe, director of Food, Nutrition and Retail Services at Bronson Hospital, discussed equipment, procedures and safety considerations.
Home preserving yields delicious results, gives the cook more confidence in knowing where the food came from, and — if done in large quantities — can be more economical than store-bought.
Home preserving also can be the center of beloved family traditions. Co-presenter Heidi Butler spent her childhood learning how to can and freeze. Two things her family wouldn't be without: home canned tomato soup and applesauce, the preparation of which continues to involve multiple generations. Labor Day is spent making tomato soup.
"We've been doing it forever," Butler says. "It's just something I know will happen." Her young daughter now is involved and is learning how to select good fruit.
Summer's harvests have just begun. Why not save some a bit of summer for next winter? Take a look at KPL's book collection for recipes and instructions. And here are a couple websites: National Center for Home Food Preservation and MSU Extension.
Jerry Garcia said the trouble started with comics. Author David Hajdu, who visited KPL on June 4, quoted the late Grateful Dead guitarist who claimed rock and roll culture — a romanticizing and escalation of violence, a cynicism toward authority and formal institutions, governments, schools — shouldn't be blamed on Elvis. No, it went back further, to the 1940s, in the pages of comic books.
Not just any comic books, but a pulpy breed with a mean streak that turned the notion of comic book hero inside out. Not only were these books filled with violence, but the protagonist often was a perpetrator of it. Readers had voracious appetites for these stories, which crossed boundaries of gender and class. In those days, some 60 to 100 million comic books were sold each week. Reading comic books and trading them with friends was the most popular form of entertainment.
As this new breed of comics came to the forefront, kids seemed to change and parents took notice, Hajdu said. Then came "the clash" and the comics controversy was caught up in the larger Post-War "red scare." The details of these times are captured in Hajdu's book The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comics Scare and How it Changed America.
Listed on many of 2008's "best books" lists, The Ten Cent Plague is the third book for David Hajdu, music critic for The New Republic and a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Hajdu says he is drawn to untold stories.
The untold story in Hajdu's first book Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, was about the composer and arranger of jazz who worked with Duke Ellington for some 30 years. You may think "Ellington" when you hear "Take the 'A' Train," but you should also think "Billy Strayhorn." Strayhorn was pure genius, but the glory went to Ellington.
After compiling this history of jazz musicians in Harlem and Paris, Hajdu went on to explore another facet of American music: the folk scene of early 1960s Greenwich Village. Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña dishes on these musicians and their contributions and examines how Dylan became Dylan.
Check out Hajdu's books, all of which are in KPL's collections, and read his music columns in The New Republic.
On May 13, the Michigan based world, jazz, Celtic, band Millish performed for fans of in KPL's 12th consecutive free concert. The guys are all award-winning musicians and it definitely showed as they skillfully entertained the audience with tracks from their first self-titled CD.
Millish's unique style of music gives the listener a sense of traveling in a place where the best sounds of music throughout the world all merges together.
Check out out the video to see what I am talking about!
In a recent issue of Book Links (May 2009), Dean Schneider, in an article titled "Reading in an Electronic Age", said the following: "Books are what draw kids to reading in the first place, and they need to have uninterrupted space in their lives to enjoy reading for fun. As summer approaches, there's no better way to promote the all-important connection between kids and books."
Kalamazoo Public Schools encourages its elementary students to read twenty (20) minutes EACH day of their summer vacation. As librarians, we, as well as educators, can point to any number of studies that indicate the fact that a child who doesn't read much or at all over a long vacation actually "forgets" how to read and has to re-learn the skill in the fall. So, Kalamazoo Public Library, in cooperation with the schools, has incorporated the "twenty (20) minutes a day" into its summer reading program for children entering grades 1-4 this fall.
Built around the theme, "Be Creative @Your Library", the Kalamazoo Public Library is offering reading games for people of all ages, beginning on June 11th. Check the library's website (www.kpl.gov/kids) for more information, or give us a call at 553-7804.
On April 29 the Alma Powell Branch Library held a triple anniversary celebration! At our Open House we celebrated three anniversaries; the 40th anniversary of the Alma Powell Library Branch. This branch was named after Alma Harrod Powell in 1969 because of her devoted dedication to teaching and education. We also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Alma Powell Library Branch being in the Douglass Community Association building. This branch moved into this building in 1984. And last, but not least, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our Barnabee Gallery. In 1989 the Barnabee Gallery was organized and named by Dr. Walden Baskerville. He contacted and scheduled exhibits with the schools to display the children's artwork in the Barnabee Gallery.
Our Open House included fantastic food, music and the presentation of a plaque honoring Walden Baskerville.
We could not have been more pleased with our turnout or the delight this recognition brought. The branch saw many familiar faces there to honor Walden and to celebrate this anniversary year with the Alma Powell Library Branch.
The Alma Powell Library Branch would like to thank The Friends of the Library and The Dulcets Club for helping us to make this library's triple anniversary celebration so extraordinary.
Who Hit John? systematically smacked everyone in attendance with their rawkus style of blugrass and old-time country swing at the library on April 29th. The boys entertained a crowd of well over 100 fans at the 11th consecutive concert in the popular concert series. The acts get better each month and this show did not disappoint. It was a night to celebrate not only a great local musical act, but also a community coming together to enjoy fun music. Who Hit John? is an awesome representation of the vibrant music scene in Kalamazoo!
One of the first principles you learn in theatre is to trust your partner. It's also a required ingredient for two writers collaborating. Just ask Arnold Johnston and Deborah Ann Percy, the husband and wife team whose book of one-act plays has just been published. Duets is a collection is six short plays, "providing a view of the human heart in the tender war of love."
Johnston and Percy write these plays together. Often one will start and hand off to the other. Absolute trust in your partner is required, they said.
These short plays are snippets of couples caught in the act of life. Johnston and Percy begin with the everyday: waiting for a client to appear, arguing over marriage counseling, climbing a monument. When two people know each other well, multiple conversations are carried on in just one sentence and the dialog reflects that intimacy of communication. As the issues of here and now are bandied about, there's always a subtext or two. Johnston and Percy layer all that witty situational banter with the deeper issues confronted in relationships — agreements, confessions, trespasses, questions.
We hosted the authors at KPL on May 6 for a reading and book signing. Give a listen as they read from "A Pet of Temperance."
As a key contributor to civic and cultural life here in our town, Kalamazoo Public Library participates in a variety of collaborations and joint-ventures. One of our lesser-known partnerships is with WGVU public television and other organizations engaged in the Fetzer Institute's "Campaign for Love and Forgiveness." Through community events and public TV programming, the campaign encourages conversation and contemplation about how love and forgiveness can effect change in individuals and society. For our part, KPL has hosted well-received film showings and conversations about forgiveness.
Yesterday, I learned from the campaign leaders that May 1, among other distinctions, is Global Love Day! In the spirit of international harmony, I'm happy to share this amazing video from the "Playing for Change: Song Around the World" project.
TV Turnoff Week is April 20th through the 26th. If you're looking for alternatives to watching TV, playing video games, or otherwise engaging in screen media - there's a lot to choose from here at Kalamazoo Public Library.
Tune in to real live fun right here in your community. And if you're not looking for alternatives to screen media, Kalamazoo Public Library has lots of movies and video games as well as internet access and even downloadable DVD quality programming from MyLibraryDV. These services and more are available just like always and they're always free of charge.
Mark Sahlgren treated us to a wonderful concert on March 11, including a display of his collection of vintage Gibson guitars. Mark was joined by two beautiful singers: his Grassroots co-host Lorrain Caron, and his daughter Darcy Willis, of Cornfed Girls.
When we were planning Reading Together activities, we wanted to be sure that there was a concert of music with a Southern accent. One cannot form a complete picture of Rick Bragg's rural South without a soundtrack. After all, there is a reason they call it country music.
The South's relative isolation allowed cultural traditions of its settlers to remain alive. What did immigrants bring with them? Maybe a fiddle or guitar — or maybe only words and melodies remembered and rehearsed and handed down. That's a challenge in any case, but for instrumental music, even more so. How did the fiddler avoid mixing up one waltz with another? The guitar accompanist likely learned chord changes without ever knowing what guitar tablature looked like. (There was little formal training except perhaps at the hand of the Baptist preacher's wife who also taught piano lessons and made sure every girl learned how accompany hymns.)
And that guitar might have been a cheaply made instrument bought from a Sears Roebuck catalog, or Montgomery Ward. On such instruments, the strings were so far from the fretboard that the new musician had to endure a painful ordeal until thick callouses were developed on the fingertips. Most people hadn't played finely made expensive instruments and thus no one knew it could be better. Life was hard. Why wouldn't there be a trial to achieve moments of pleasure?
Many of the songs from the South are about hardship. You can't think about hardships without also thinking about faith and religion. In Chapter 9 of All Over But the Shoutin', Rick Bragg recalls the influence of religion and retells some of his churchgoing experiences. He titles that chapter On the Wings of a Great Speckled Bird. That line is from what may be one of the greatest songs of country music, "The Great Speckled Bird."
What a beautiful thought I am thinking,
Concerning a great speckled bird.
Remember her name is recorded,
On the pages of God's Holy Word.
What a beautiful thought I am thinking,
Concerning a great speckled bird.
Remember her name is recorded,
On the pages of God's Holy Word.
The words of this gospel song are attributed to Rev Guy Smith. Recorded in 1936 by Roy Acuff, the song is about remaining righteous amidst the trials of life. The phrase "great speckled bird" comes from a Bible passage, Jer 12:8-9. (For more about the meaning of the song, here's an interesting discussion.)
I know people have ridiculed country music because of its bounty of songs about hardship, particularly drinking and infidelity. I guess there's a reason for the stereotypes. Likker, relationships and religion were not insignificant themes.
And that's why "The Great Speckled Bird" is so emblematic of country music. The irony is that its melody is shared by a song from the 1920s, "I Am Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes." The same melody was later used in the 1952 country hit "The Wild Side of Life," sung by Hank Thompson (about a wife that strays) and the loud retort from Kitty Wells: "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels."
KPL's new evening Baby Storytime program is a great way to come together with other parents and caregivers and their babies to share songs, rhymes, books and bounces. Children's author Mem Fox writes about the value of songs and rhymes in Reading Magic: "Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they're four years old, they're usually among the best readers by the time they're eight." That's a good enough reason to practice songs and rhymes with your baby. Another good reason is that it's fun. We had a great time at the most recent session of Baby Storytime for Guys. Though the program is primarily designed for pre-walking babies and their caregivers, there are always babies on the edge of walking or beyond. And because it's a drop-in program (no registration required), we welcome older children who want to play along with stuffed animals as their babies. It's fun for the older kids to bounce their own animal babies and to practice songs and rhymes that, by now, may be fun and familiar. Despite the name, Baby Storytime for Guys is open to moms and other female caregivers, too. If you're expecting, now is a great time to meet other parents and caregivers, learn some new songs and rhymes or reacquaint yourself with old favorites, and find out what KPL has to offer you and your new little person. Stop by KPL's Central branch on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm for Baby Storytime for Guys. And take a look at the rest of KPL's storytime programs for babies, toddlers, preschool aged kids, and the whole family.
On Thursday, April 2nd KPL welcomed Pietra Rivoli, author of The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, to the Central library for a fascinating discussion of her book and the complex issues related to the global economy. Dr. Rivoli's book does just as its title suggests, it follows a t-shirt, chosen Rivoli says because of its ubiquity and, as she put it on Thursday, because "we all, everyone in this room, has more t-shirts than they know what to do with", from cotton fields in Texas, across the globe to a textile factory in China, back to the United States to be sold to Rivoli from a discount bin and eventually and surprisingly to Tanzania. Dr. Rivoli's talk was as engaging and as interesting as her book and encompassed free trade agreements, labor conditions worldwide, environmental impacts and basically all sides of the global economy argument and really much more. Pietra Rivoli was in Kalamazoo to speak at Kalamazoo College as part of the Kalamazoo College Business Guild 2009 Conference and our friends at K were kind enough to consider a public appearance by Dr. Rivoli and thought of the library as a good venue for such an event. A newly updated edition of Travels of a T-Shirt has just come out in paperback, and even if you previously enjoyed the book you will find the updated information well worth a second read.
Local music legend and co-host of WMUK's Grassroots program, Mark Sahlgren, helped celebrate Reading Together by performing music inspired by the Rick Bragg memoirs. Sahlgren was joined by Grassroots co-host Lorraine Caron (Duffield/Caron Project) and daughter Darcy Wilkin (Corn Fed Girls) in a set that featured a wide range of folk, country and Americana.
In addition to the great music, Sahlgren shared with the audience a stage filled with Gibson guitars, including several specifically crafted during the Depression which ties directly to the Bragg books. After hearing the sweet sounds of Caron, Wilkin, and Sahlgren the audience was encouraged to sing along to the final song!
Last night I enjoyed a warm discussion of Rick Bragg's books led by my co-workers Joanna Lundberg and Ruth Wilson. Nearly everyone who came had read all three books. One reader said, "I finished the first book and was so glad there were two more."
If you haven't attended a discussion and would like to share your thoughts about the books, you can fill out a reply postcard. If you didn't get one of these cards when you purchased or borrowed your book, stop by your library or bookstore and fill one out.
Here is a sampling of what some of our readers have written:
"It was interesting reading, told in a way that held your interest. Also telling of the possibilities one can achieve if one really wants to – a certain amount of good fortune does help."
—Anonymous reader
"Fascinating story. Great author. Anxious to read the rest of the trilogy."
—A member of the Y Read Book Group/Kalamazoo County Family YMCA
"Excellent. Easy to read. Draws you in to the family, setting, society."
—Anonymous reader
"I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Rick's remembering his childhood, learning of his father. Great writing, without degrading it by profanity, etc."
—Anonymous reader
"Delicious. I was so taken with it that I bought a copy for a friend who is in cancer treatment. He, too, is a newspaper "guy" and grew up in Maryland mountains, one of 9 children. The book also made me understand the feelings of people in the community in which I grew up in East Tennessee."
—A reader in Richland
"It was an excellent book. At first I thought it was another memoir written by another journalist writing about growing up in hard times. It was much more than that. I cried when he won the Pulitzer and how he and everyone else congratulated his mother. It was very moving. The book was very honest and made me look back at my own childhood."
—A reader in Schoolcraft
"Loved the descriptive humor of personalities in Southern vernacular. Appreciated the honest examination of character encased in wit."
—A reader in Kalamazoo
"So much feeling it was hard to put down. I'm the middle of three sons and have relatives in Georgia, so the pages came alive."
—A reader in Kalamazoo
—Three readers from Kalamazoo
Everyone at Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends last night experienced quite a treat. Alphorn players clad in lederhosen kept appearing from all over the mountains and valleys of the Van Deusen Room. Once they found their sheep, they gathered together to play a couple of songs for us on these traditional Swiss instruments that the shepherds use to signal to their friends and call their sheep and cattle. John (Johann) Griffith led us in a song about cuckoo birds and the coming of Spring, with the alphorns supplying some cuckoo bird sounds.
We practiced stomping in puddles while I read The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell and found out what happened to Millie the cow who likes to hide and scare the mail carrier in Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier.
After some dancing, we pretended to hike up the Alps (with the help of a cable car halfway through) to a beautiful mountain meadow and lake where we all found alphorns to play.
We finished the evening with some parachute games and then making kites since this weekend kicks off National Kite Month.
Join us for the next Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 pm.
Also, don't miss "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" performed by the Kalamazoo Junior Dance Company on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 pm.
See you soon.
The Alma Powell Branch would like to thank Sid (the Rock) Ellis for a fun-filled family puppet show.
Sid shared humorous stories about Anansi the spider, the king of the jungle, a hippo, an elephant and other jungle creatures. The adults and kids of all ages enjoyed Sid's performance.
Thanks Sid, for a great show!
Visit the KPL Flickr photostream for more photos of this and other library events.
For Black History Month, the Alma Powell branch was honored to present Peter Ruei of the Lost Boys of Sudan on February 18 and February 25.
On February 18th, Peter and his friends shared stories from their past. They talked about being children during a war that brought tragedies and opportunities.
And on February 25 Peter told the audience of how he fled Sudan. Peter talked about running for his life when he was barely old enough to walk, he talked about becoming a refugee in Ethiopia, and he told us about forgiveness and opportunities. Not many have experienced the true tragedies of war nor can we see the losses it brings as a time to grow in faith and mercy. These are the concepts Peter shared with us.
Check out our books and DVDs about the Lost Boys of Sudan.
Once again the library participated in the quarterly extended Art Hops sponsored by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. The featured artist was Eana Agopian who was on the 1st Level to display and discuss her mixed media style of art. The Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra entertained a large crowd of fans in the rotunda area on the 2nd Level. Finally in the Van Deusen Room on the 3rd Level, singer-songwriter Jess Yoakum performed her beautifully crafted folk songs on both guitar and piano.
Almost 500 attended the event, but even if you missed it you can check out the video below. Don't miss our next Art Hop event on June 5th.
Hearing a great writer read their own work can be something very special, and Francine Prose's reading at the Kalamazoo Public Library on March 12th certainly qualifies. Prose who was in Kalamazoo as part of the Spring 2009 Gwen Frostic Reading Series, read to large crowd at the Central Library through a partnership with Western Michigan Universities Creative Writing Program.
A National Book Award finalist and multiple award-winning, novel, short-story and nonfiction writer, Prose's ability as a writer is without question. But to hear her read a newly completed short story, Prose admitted to finishing the story only a week earlier, about a jeweler in Nazi Germany and his weird and fascinating encounter with a cross-dressing, morphine addicted Hermann Göring, Nazi leader and commander of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), in her own voice and with the intended pace was truly special.
The story was strange, satirical, haunting and contained such a well constructed plot twist that it nearly gave every one of the 100 people in the audience whiplash. What a treat it was to hear Francine Prose read and what an honor it was for the Kalamazoo Public Library to host her.
The civil rights movement was a time of intense conflict, but also a time of great courage. On February 23, we were privileged to host a program about the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Rides.
We hosted two Mississippi natives for the program. Miller Green, now living in Chicago, was arrested in a Jackson bus station. Eric Etheridge is an author whose book is Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders.
Late in 1960, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawed segregation in interstate bus terminals. On May 4, 1961, there were 13 people who made the first Freedom Ride to test the compliance of bus stations with the ruling. This, and subsequent rides, encountered increasingly violent resistance. Though there were Freedom Rides across the South, the campaign's primary focus became Jackson, Mississippi. More than 300 Riders were arrested there, photographed, and convicted of breach of peace.
In 2004, journalist Eric Etheridge, a Mississippi native, ran across the mug shots of some 328 Freedom Riders arrested in Jackson. Etheridge decided to publish the photographs and, where possible, include new photos and stories of the Riders.
Green shared stories of his arrest on July 6, 1961 at the Trailways terminal in Jackson, and his harrowing experiences in jail. After his release, Green worked on voter registration and civil rights issues in Mississippi, and moved to Chicago where he has lived since 1963.
He also talked about his childhood friend, Bobby Joe, a white boy. Miller and Bobby Joe were the only children in their Yazoo City neighborhood, and played together constantly. "We were in each other's houses, eating at each other's tables, together all the time," he said. One day, when the boys were around 6 years old, Bobby Joe's mother received an anonymous letter criticizing the parents for allowing the boys to play together. At this point, both families agreed it would be too dangerous to let them continue playing.
From that point on, the boys would stand across from each other, on opposite sites of the street, and talk. Each boy would play alone, imagining the other was with him. "It left a scar," Miller said, putting his hand on his chest.
See also: Authors@Google: Eric Etheridge, June 24, 2008
This month's surprise guest for Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends was Lisa Williams, Reading Together coordinator at the Kalamazoo Public Library. She shared her piano playing talents, leading us in story songs that my mom used to play when I was a child.
The kids danced like fairies in a forest, stomped around like giants, and looked for cozy places to hibernate, pretending they were bears just like I used to do in my living room along with my brothers and sisters.
Ms. Lisa also proved adept at balancing bean bags on her head, but fell one short of tying Ms. Waneta's record of 12 set last month.
In addition to the dancing, I read
We sang songs and once again broke out the giant parachute. This time we pretended that we were looking for a bear as we circled with the parachute, crossing a river on stepping stones and hiking around mountains. Finally, imagining the parachute was a cave, all the kids scampered like bears under the chute.
For our craft time, everyone got to decorate a set of fairy wings to take home for more imaginative play until we meet again on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 pm at the Central Library.
Critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey entertained a crowd of more than 150 at a very special concert in the Van Deusen Room on February 18th. Mulvey is the ninth straight musician featured in the library's popular Live Music concert series.
The 90+ minute show featured Mulvey's signature guitar playing, humorous storytelling and beautiful songs. The audience was also lucky to hear a sneak preview of his upcoming CD release which features spoken letters to his seventeen nieces and nephews!
As with past concerts at KPL, many folks entered as strangers but left as friends.
Through the years of researching my family history, I discovered that many of my ancestors fought in the Civil War. There is currently a pictorial display at the Oshtemo Branch Library of African/American Civil War Veterans along with books on African/ American history. I'm the part-time teen librarian at Oshtemo. My four great-grand- fathers and five great-great uncles are in the display, along with information about Michigan's 1st Colored Infantry, later called the 102nd United States Colored Infantry.
The display also includes information about the "Battle of Honey Hill" that took place on November 30, 1864, in support of General William T. Sherman's march to the sea in South Carolina. My great-grandfather John Conner, his brother William Frank Conner, who was the sergeant of his troop, and their two brother-in-laws, Himebrick Tyler and Joseph Seaton fought bravely in this battle.
250 preschoolers and over 100 of their parents, teachers, and caregivers enjoyed our most recent Music & Make Believe programs. Music & Make Believe is a collaboration between the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the Kalamazoo Public Library where children 4-6 years old come to hear a story read, accompanied by a string quartet. In our latest sessions, the book was Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett so all the children made bear hats to take home.
Music & Make Believe is one of my favorite programs we do here at the library and I am so happy to be part of something that gives children a chance to experience top quality live music for free. We schedule Music & Make Believe programs twice a year: in the Fall around September or October and in the Winter around February or March. These are programs you need to register for so keep your eyes open for the next set of programs. It's really an opportunity you shouldn't miss.
Peanut Butter Soup with Hen and Habanero. Pho Ga. Zwiebelkuchen.
These dishes don't usually come to mind when one thinks of New Orleans, but the aforementioned Ghanaian, Vietnamese and German specialties are certainly what you'll find in some Crescent City kitchens.
Just ask Elsa Hahne. This Swedish immigrant who made New Orleans her home in 2002 interviewed more than a hundred home cooks to find out what's really cooking. Some of the results were compiled into You Are Where You Eat: Stories and Recipes from the Neighborhoods of New Orleans.
Elsa visited KPL on January 28 to read from and sign her books. Hear what she had to say in this video interview.
There was a lot of excitement last Thursday night at Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends. Not only did Ms. Waneta (you might know her from the Bookmobile or the Oshtemo Branch children's room) dazzle our largest crowd yet with her accordion playing, inspiring us to turn half the Van Deusen Room into a make believe ice skating rink, but she also smashed the Great Bean Bag Balance record.
Strangely, up until Ms. Waneta's record setting night, all of my visiting friends have faltered when I added the ninth bean bag to the pile on their heads. Ms. Waneta calmly balanced 12 bean bags, even taking a risk and asking me what the record was while she was already balancing 8 bean bags on her head. The vibrations from just the slightest movement of the mouth can topple a bid for a record, but Ms. Waneta had no problem.
All the families that gathered that night enjoyed readings of:
We also played some games with our giant, colorful parachute and created some streamer hoops for dancing. After creating the streamer hoops, many of my friends enjoyed dancing to the Putumayo Kids presents Reggae Playground CD by Johnny Dread.
Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends is for kids of all ages and no registration is required. So join us on Wednesday, February 25 at 6:30 pm at the Central Library for our next program. You never know who will show up and what records will be broken.
Over 80 people braved teperatures in the single digits to gather in the Van Deusen Room on January 14th to enjoy some smoking hot Dixieland jazz from the Greater Kalamazoo Dixieland Society Jazz Band. The five-piece band treated those in attendance to over an hour of traditional New Orleans Dixieland interspersed with information about the historical tunes. It was truly an entertaining evening that ended with the horn section parading around the room during "The Saints Go Marching In." It was another amazing show in KPL's monthly concert series.
The next show will featured critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, Peter Mulvey, on February 18th at 7:00 pm. Don't miss the artist Rolling Stone called "A voice lush and hushed that occasionally sinks into a whisper... surrealistic beauty."
Over 50 citizens gathered in the Van Deusen Room to watch the swearing in of the 44th President, Barack Obama. President Obama's speech challenged all Americans to take responsibility in creating solutions to the problems we face as a people and nation. The Kalamazoo Public Library, an institution that champions freedoms, was proud to share this historic moment with our patrons.
View the complete inauguration and address here
The Alma Powell branch would like to say a hearty "Thank you" to our patrons who helped make our December programs great! Many kids from the Boys and Girls Club joined us and others to make gift boxes and decorate cookies.
On December 17th we had a blast decoupaging sparkling gift boxes some to give away and some to keep. It was amazing to see the personalities that came out on boxes full of eyes and lips and floral arrangements. What is decoupage? "Decoupage comes from the French word decouper, meaning to cut out."
On December 23rd we had lots of fun decorating holiday cookies. We made all kinds of gooey cookies. Some made chocolate on top of chocolate cookies. Some made vanilla crème with sprinkles. Now we are off to a new year with lots of plans for winter fun!
Last month the library staff voted for a book that touched them and Polar Express won. Now it is your chance to tell us what was your favorite book title of 2008? Ballots may be found at the Central Library or online at http://www.kpl.gov/books/favorites2008.aspx. Results will be posted in February.
Last week the downtown library hosted a show by the Aerial Angels for the third year in a row and the crowds keep getting bigger and bigger as over 500 people enjoyed the incredible acrobatic skills of the Angels in this one of a kind venue.
I met some members of the Aerial Angels in Bronson Park about four years ago as we were wrapping up our Ready to Read sponsored Party in the Park. They were starting to attach ropes and other things to the trees to practice their acrobatic skills which caught my attention.
As children's programming librarian, I was curious and I must have looked most curious to them, too, since I was still in costume as the character from the classic children's book, Caps for Sale, balancing a stack of 17 hats on my head. I think it took a few minutes before we took each other seriously.
I found out the Aerial Angels are a group of female acrobats that perform all over the world and just happen to be based in Kalamazoo. I know they perform all over the world, because in the process of booking them the last three years, I have sent emails to Dubai, Singapore, Australia, and Alaska. They were performing in Barcelona just ten days before the show at KPL this year. Having a show during winter break at the libary works out great for everyone.
The Angels enjoy having a show close to home during the holidays, the library enjoys having the crowds arrive for the program and then stay to take advantage of the other great materials the library offers, and Kalamazoo Public Library patrons like to have something so unique and exciting to do during the break. After the first year they performed, the Angels also mentioned how great it was to perform in a space where people were at their eye level and even above them, instead of just being down below them.
We hope to have the Aerial Angels back again in the library next winter break, so if you have never made it to one of their shows at the library, don't miss this spectacular event next year.


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An evaluation of a book, usually published in a periodical or newspaper.
Sun: open 9:00am*
Mon-Thu: open 24 hours*
Fri: close 8:00pm
Sat: 9:00am - 8:00pm
* During 24 hour operation, a valid Hokie Passport is required to access or remain in the library between 12 midnight and 7:30am.
Sun: 2:00pm - 10:00pm
Mon-Thu: 8:00am - 10:00pm
Fri: 8:00am - 6:00pm
Sat: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Sun: Closed
Mon-Thu: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Fri: 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sat: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Sun: 11:00am - 11:00pm
Mon-Thu: 7:30am - 11:00pm
Fri: 7:30am - 5:00pm
Sat: 9:00am - 6:00pm

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Vintage jewelry isn't just for accessorizing – it makes a statement about your personality, and offers timeless style that you can wear again and again. The vintage jewelry online at RedEnvelope includes classic favorites like lockets, pocket watches, and charm bracelets. Modern designs also boast a vintage touch, with rustic finishes and purposeful imperfections. Find the best vintage online jewelry & jewelry accessories among our exclusive collection.
It's easy to distinguish vintage jewelry from contemporary styles, because there are some clear defining features. Antique finishes are a hallmark of vintage jewelry, with black oxidized silver and burnished gold added character to each piece. The timeworn patina of copper and brass is also a signature characteristic of some vintage jewelry. Luckily, all of these finishes are available on new vintage style jewelry, so you don't have to hunt down pieces in thrift stores and estate sales. Other signs of vintage jewelry for her include hammered metal, gold brushed, and intentionally worn finishes.
Some accessories are classics that will never go out of style – you probably have a few in your jewelry box right now! These include bangle and charm bracelets, locket necklaces and pendants for women, eternity bands, and anything with pearls. Men's accessories like pocket watches, tie clips, collar stays, and money clips also fit in this category. These items already have vintage appeal, so consider mixing and matching them with the vintage jewelry for sale at RedEnvelope. Charm jewelry is the perfect way to accomplish this mixed media look!
Charm bracelets and necklaces have been around for literally thousands of years, but they began as items of function, not fashion. All around the world, and throughout centuries, people have worn good luck charms and amulets to ward off bad spirits. Charms and adornments were also worn to represent family lineage or accomplishments on the battlefield, much like military badges and crests function today. Queen Victoria is responsible for turning charm bracelets into fashion bracelets; after she wore them as accessories, the trend quickly gained favor around the world.
RedEnvelope has paired with artisan designers like Waxing Poetic to offer exclusive vintage styles that stand the test of time. These pieces are at the height of fashion, but they're also instant classics that will be passed down to future generations. This type of jewelry for her makes an ideal gift of holiday or birthday jewelry. See our charm necklaces and bracelets, which boast baubles like cameo charms and bezel set birthstone charms. There are also more substantial pieces available, like our chain letter bracelet. The single initial emulates the wax seals used on envelopes in days past. Five worn finish chains extend from other side, and meet at a toggle closure. Get this look in a petite, scaled down version by shopping the wax seal bracelet, which has a single chain and a smaller stamped initial.
Vintage jewelry also works particularly well as romantic gifts for girlfriends or wives. This type of accessory shows that you value charm and character above perfection – what woman could resist a sentiment like that? Consider our timeless, purposely imperfect jewelry as Valentine or anniversary gifts for her. Don't forget that birthstone and initial charms are ideal as gifts of jewelry for mom! She can wear a representation of each child close at hand (as a bracelet) or near her heart (as a necklace). Hand-stamped designs are especially popular right now; personalized charms are perfect for displaying everyone's name.
The hunt for vintage jewelry is over – find it all right here! There's no need to scour estate sales, haggle over prices, or hit up the flea market anymore. Now you can purchase vintage and antique style accessories from a trusted online source, with the special flair that only RedEnvelope can offer.
* Certain products not eligible for discount (including clearance items), and such designation shall appear on the product detail page. Discount will appear upon checkout and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Discount does not apply to gift cards or certificates, same-day delivery, shipping and handling, taxes, third-party hosted products (e.g. wine).


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More details
Impress wine connoisseurs with this new world combination of sherwood estate pinot noir and Marlborough Stoney Range sauvignon blanc, presented in a stylish wooden box to create the perfect gift.
Item details
- Packaging Detail: Presented in a branded wooden box
- Sent with a card for your personal message
- Glasses pictured are not included
- Sent with a personal message
Hamper contents
- Product information
- Products Included
- 1 x Sherwood estate sauvignon blanc (75cl)
- 1 x Sherwood estate pinot noir (75cl)
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Gaiam Dual-Grip Headband
Product Information:
The last thing you should be worried about during your workout is your hair, so keep it under control with the Gaiam® Dual-Grip Headband. This headband absorbs moisture and wicks away perspiration while keeping your hair out of your face. The Dual-Grip Headband features two no-slip black straps connected with the Gaiam& flower of life. The band is 94% cotton and 6% spandex to provide maximum comfort.
- Exercise headband wicks away perspiration and absorbs sweat
- Features two no-slip black straps held together with Gaiam® flower of life
- Made with 94% cotton/6 % spandex
- Style: 05-59633
- Gaiam
Country of Origin: ChinaWeb ID: 13292256
Customer Reviews:
Rated 3.4 out of 5�by 10 reviewers.
Rated 3 out of 5�by char Its pretty but .... I love the look of this headband. But, I have a little head but even for me its a little small. I bought the green and violet colors. It still came off during exercise. August 31, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5�by kbjbtaylor good product for sports good for sports - used it playing tennis. would buy another one July 29, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by TheBenz's Best headband I have found so far. I don't know what it is about this particular brand of headband, but it is the only one that will actually stay on my head and not just slide right off in 30 seconds. I have tried tons of these types of headbands, most with the same type of no-slip rubber on the back, but this is the only one that stays in place with no pins necessary. Plus it's super cute. I love the dual bands. I need to buy more of these. June 25, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Doyledays I love it! I think it's the best headband ever because it has double the headband with the sticky part so it doesn't move much. Then the awesome color choices make it perfect. I play soccer and have long hair and long bangs so this is a must. September 17, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5�by Faleesha Does NOT stay put! I am on a desperate hunt for a headband that actually stays put during yoga, cardIo, running, and kickboxing. This sounded like a good thing, and a good price, but I was wrong! It does not stay put and you can't look up or it slides off the back of your head. This is obviously bad for yoga considering you look up a lot! I will be returning this. It may only be 6 bucks, but it is not worth it. September 11, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5�by Mwooda6 Too expensive It is a headband. It requires little fabric and little engineering. I appreciate how well it works, but it costs as much as some shirts and shorts. August 29, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5�by Sarah None This was sewn incorrectly. One of the bands is permanently twisted June 12, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5�by Erin Same ole same ole I was looking for a headband that would not slide off. However, while it takes a bit longer than most, it does exactly the same as others... Still continuing on my search for now. April 30, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5�by beth yoga headband it's better than some of the other headbands that i've tried. i wear it in yoga class and whenever else. October 22, 2012
Rated 4 out of 5�by beth Gaiam Headband It's better than most other headbands that I've used. It's stronger and more durable. October 21, 2012
1-10 of 10


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A new study shows......that this is the time of the day when dieters are most likely to ditch their discipline and snack on something junky.
Be aware and avoid this pattern. You learned this behavior.... so you can UN-learn it! Do something active instead…… go for a walk or clean the house.
Side note: Stash some nuts, carrots or fruit in your desk so you always have a healthy alternative.
Have a happy June! Patty
....I'm all Zumba ready for my Silver Lakes CSD Zumba class at 5pm Wed June 1st......as well as, 6pm Bootcamp and 7:15pm Yoga classes!
JOIN ME to get FIT for LIFE…… (not just bikini season!)… lol
Also - Next Monday, June 6th join me for 5pm Step Cardio Conditioning, 6pm Bootcamp and 7:15pm Zumba....
Call first - classes are full..... Cheers - Patty
Hello Silver Lakes Fit Females
Great news: The CSD is looking into adding a new low impact class to Monday nights. It would be more of low impact step/conditioning class, like before. All fitness levels encouraged.
> *Time: 5:00pm -5:50pm – approx 50 minute class
> *Program Design: 20-30 minutes cardio (step) with conditioning (weights, bands and bars) followed by a 15 minute core (abs) workout.
> *8 week program (8 classes' total) *Price $40.00 (for 2 months)
> *Minimum class size is 10.
> *Class Detail:
Get a total body workout all in one class. Cardio training and muscle conditioning combined using a variety of equipment including steps, bands, bars and weights. This program is designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, core strength, and flexibility while burning fat and calories. So what do you think? If you are interested -Please reply.
> Coming soon: Zumba Fitness – Monday Nights - 7:15pm. Watch your CSD newsletter and emails for more details and start date. Here's to health - Patty Hartong


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Date: 04/29/2008
Views: 7757
Tony Wu has had a life-long love for the sea. He now resides in Singapore and travels the world in search of new adventures and experiences under the waves. Tony's images and articles have been featured extensively worldwide, both in the diving and mass media, as well as in the award winning pictorial book Silent Symphony. He is a strong proponent of education as a means to achieving better stewardship of our natural resources, as reflected in his writing and public talks. For more information on Tony and his recent adventures, please see www.tony-wu.com
Boxer Crabs
Sea Fan
Flamboyant Cuttlefish Eating
Harlequin Shrimp
Longnose Hawkfish
Indian Humbug
Devilfish (Inimicus didactylus)
Napoleon Wrasse
Nudibranch with Emperor Shrimp
Skunk Anemonefish
Soft Coral
Baby Spinecheek Anemonefish
White Eye Moray Eel


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SPEC Kit 308 explores the variety of resources and services being delivered to or envisioned for graduate students and faculty. It includes documentation from respondents in the form of descriptions of services, descriptions of spaces, examples of marketing and outreach efforts, and partnership agreements.
This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf for complete pricing and purchase options information.
Link to the online SPEC Kit 308 on the ARL Digital Publications website.
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"Blog" symbol by Alex Berkowitz, from The Noun Project collection.
"Community" symbol by Rémy Médard, from The Noun Project collection.
"Gears" symbol by Jeremy Minnick, from The Noun Project collection.


text: Hi everyone. I just got a used '08 Bengal in great shape for a great price from a relative. I was told it has a 30" draw. That would coincide with the F7 module. What I am wondering, though, is when reading the book it says the #2 peg reduces the length by a half inch. The cable on my bow is on the #2 peg. Does this mean that the draw length is actually 29.5"? If so, that would actually be better for me. If I got an F6 module would that then make it 28.5"? As it stands it actually doesn't feel too long for me, even though the "divide by 2.5" guideline says my draw length is 28".


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text: AudioQuest Golden Gate Stereo interconnect cable with RCA plugs (8 meters/26.3 feet) Zoom Front Photos Videos Item #: 703GGRR8M Review Summary 17 people say In Stock Free Crutchfield lifetime tech support Free Shipping Your price $138.99 Available options: 0.6 meter/2 feet-$64.99 1 meter/3.3 feet-$68.99 2 meters/6.6 feet-$78.99 3 meters/10 feet-$88.99 5 meters/16.4 feet-$108.99 8 meters/26.3 feet-$138.99 Add to cart + Add to wishlist Email me alerts for this product Buy this item and earn up to 139 Rewards points See more offers and ways to save Special Financing Available x By buying this product you'll earn up to 139 Rewards points. When you sign up for a Crutchfield account, you'll be enrolled in Crutchfield Rewards. You'll earn one point for every dollar you spend on gear from us. You can turn your points into Rewards Cards that you can use toward future purchases. You can sign up for an account now, or after you complete your purchase (you'll get credit for the points either way). Sign up for a Crutchfield account Overview Details Customer Reviews Q&A Articles & Videos Our take on the AudioQuest Golden Gate by James Ralston AudioQuest bases its cable designs on real-world testing lots of experimenting, listening, and tweaking. With its Golden Gate cables, AudioQuest has hit a "sweet spot" that puts high-end performance within the price range of many music lovers. These cables bring together some of AQ's most advanced designs and materials, for excellent sound quality from a single joined cable that's relatively thin and lightweight. Solid Perfect Surface Copper (PSC) conductors One of the most important materials that goes into an audio cable is the metal used for its conductors the parts of the cable that actually carry the signal. The Golden Gate's conductors are made from a material called "Perfect-Surface Copper." It's a breakthrough cable technology that can translate into a not-so-subtle improvement sound quality, compared to lesser conductor materials. The conductor's solid (rather than stranded) metal composition and astonishingly smooth surface allow for optimal signal transfer with a minimum of distortion. Advanced cable geometry While many cables use a single path for both the ground and shield, AudioQuest uses a design they call "double-balanced asymmetrical geometry." This design separates the ground and shield paths for clean, quiet performance. Cold-welded, gold-plated connectors All the details of the cable's construction are well thought-out. For instance, the Golden Gate's connectors are cold-welded, rather than soldered, which eliminates a common source of distortion found in many other audio cables. This cable is equipped with dual RCA connectors at each end. Mini-to-mini and mini-to-RCA versions are also available. See more info on this item Highlights:length: 8 meters/26.3 feetstereo cable with dual RCA connectors at each endsolid Perfect Surface Copper (PSC) conductors for excellent performancefoamed polyethylene insulation for low distortionmetal-layer NDS (Noise Dissipation System) shields against RF interferencedouble-balanced asymmetrical cable geometry separates the ground and shield for quieter performanceblack and red braided jacketcold-welded, gold-plated RCA plugs feature a solder-less design for lower distortionwarranty: 5 yearsOur 60-day money-back guarantee Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?) What's in the box? | In-depth notes Product Research What's in the box? 8-Meter stereo RCA cable Our Product Research Team At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices. Features Golden Gate Series Stereo RCA Cable: The AudioQuest Golden Gate stereo RCA cable is terminated by a gold-plated male stereo RCA connectors on each end. The AudioQuest Golden Gate stereo RCA cable is available in the following lengths. 0.6 meter (2') 1 meter (3' 4") 2 meter (6' 7") 3 meter (10') 5 meter (16' 5") 8 meter (26' 3") Solid Perfect-Surface Copper Conductors (PSC): Perfect-Surface Copper has an astonishingly smooth and pure surface. Proprietary metal-processing technology protects the wire's surface at every stage of drawing and fabrication. When high-purity low-oxide copper is kept as soft, pure and smooth as possible, it becomes a wonderfully low-distortion conductor. Electrical and magnetic interaction between strands in a conventional cable is the greatest source of distortion, often causing a somewhat dirty, harsh sound. Solid conductors are fundamental toward achieving Golden Gate's very clean sound Foamed-Polyethylene Insulation: Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials all absorb energy (loss). Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Golden Gate uses air-filled Foamed-Polyethylene Insulation on both conductors because air absorbs next to no energy and Polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile. Thanks to all the air in Foamed-PE, it causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common to other materials. Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS): 100% shield coverage is easy; preventing captured RF Interference from modulating the equipment's ground reference requires AQ's Noise-Dissipation System. Noise-Dissipation System prevents a significant amount of RFI from reaching the equipment's ground plane. Double-Balanced Asymmetrical Geometry: Purposely designed for single-ended applications, Double-Balanced Asymmetrical Geometry offers a relatively lower impedance on the ground for a richer, and more dynamic experience. While many single-ended cable designs use a single path for both the ground and the shield, Double-Balanced designs separate the two for cleaner, quieter performance. Cold-Welded, Gold-Plated Plugs: This plug design allows for a connection devoid of solder, which is a common source of distortion. Because the ground shells are stamped instead of machined, the metal can be chosen for low distortion. Directional: Arrows on the connectors indicate the preferred signal path from the source component to the input. Review this product Submit a review and then enter to win a $500 rewards card AudioQuest Golden Gate Reviews Average Customer Review: 17 people say: Review this product: Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences about this product. Please be sure to focus your comments on the product itself. Read our Review Guidelines for more information. Review title * Email Your email won't be visible. Please use the email address that is associated with your order. Display name (e.g., JohnD) Your review will be signed using the display name and location * Your location (e.g., Charlottesville, VA) * Your rating Click on a star to rate the overall product on a scale of 1-5 1500 characters left * Your review Attach a YouTube Review Crutchfield Video Review Guidelines Only submit videos that you made or are authorized to use. Do not submit videos that contain music, video or visuals that are copyrighted and belong to someone else. Please see our Review Guidelines for more information. Submit the URL of your YouTube™ video review or product demonstration. e.g., "http://www.youtube.com/v/o79TWHh598U" 500 characters left Pros 500 characters left Cons * Agree to Terms By checking this box you agree your review becomes the property of Crutchfield, that you are over 18 years of age, that you own or have owned this product, and that you are located within the United States or its territories. Please see our Review Guidelines for more information. We reserve the right (but are not obligated to) review all submissions and edit or remove any review in any manner which we deem necessary. Your review should be posted within seven days. Filter by rating: 5 Star: (0) 4 Star: (0) 3 Star: (0) 2 Star: (0) 1 Star: (0) 3 out of 5 AudioQuest Golden Gate 1M rca to rca male interconnects Written By Barry T., Madison,Wi. on Sunday, October 26, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) AudioQuest Golden Gate interconnect cables : 1M rca/rca male Pros: Well built cable and cosmetically pleasing Cons: Expensive! A-B comparison = My generic cables sound (if this is applicable) and the Golden Gate sound or not sound the same. We have an approx. three foot rca interconnect and my audiophile ears could not detect any nuances in sound (clarity, neutrality, distortion,soundstage etc.). . I purchased all AudioQuest products because they make a fine cable(and not insanely priced as some.) and they compliment my Vintage Gear. No complaints! Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Spot on performance Written By jazzman, Roanoke on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) These cables are smooth sounding without being murky or having the effect of degrading the music quality. I have put more than 100 hours on them so I guess the break in is complete. Pros: Performs as advertised Cons: No drawbacks Was this review helpful? Yes | No 4 out of 5 AudioQuest Golden Gate Written By Dave F., Douglasville,GA on Wednesday, April 02, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) An excellent innerconnect cable, clear, nice highs, and no boominess. The low notes were clean and with a hint of warmth. Pros: Excellent price, clear highs. Nicley detailed for cds 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Great product Written By Tom, Waxhaw, NC on Saturday, February 08, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Not only do they look great, but have a solid feel to them and are definitely an upgrade over standard cables. Was this review helpful? Yes | No 3 out of 5 nice upsale Written By tridosko, castle rock co on Monday, February 03, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) What can you say . Seem to work ok . Hard to say if the difference is audible between these and any other cable . For the price , cant help but to feel that its an upsale . (floor mats and undercoating on a new car ) Pros: Nice packaging - makes it look pro . Cons: price Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 AudioQuest Golden Gate Written By Mark, Wisconsin on Monday, February 03, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Very happy with these interconnects for the price! Pros: everything is great about these Cons: none Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Best investment for the money Written By jessea, Reedsburg, WI on Friday, January 17, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The Audioquest Golden Gate cables are the best improvement you can make to your stereo or surround system. The difference between these and the old Nacamichi cables are like night and day. The sound quality is outstanding. It brings out the sound you never thought was there. They give you a great bang for the buck. 2 out of 2 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 2 out of 5 Not Worth Money Written By JohnM, West Milford NJ on Monday, November 25, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This review is NOT towards crutchfield,Crutchfield shipped this very quickly and I received it within 2 days after I ordered it so 2 thumbs up for crutchfield and there team for great service...Now for audioquest,ive been a audioquest buyer and fan since the late 1990's until I changed over to monster cable due to cost so I decided to try out the new line of audioquest cables without going to a local retailer and looking at them up front.needless to say they DOWN GRADED the quality of there cables,these cables and other cables are thinner and they used CHEAPER rca connectors on them as compared to the older stuff (sidewinder,copperheads,topaz,etc).im very disappointed in the quality audioquest has put out recently in my opinion these cables are worth 25 bucks they down graded the quality but not the price,audioquest should continue like they had in the past and give the costumer what they paid for.im better off sticking with the monster cables they are thicker and have a way better rca connector on them for half the price,i have not hooked up the golden gates yet im deciding weather to send them back or keep them.again they are expensive cable compared to monster cables and monster cables givew you more for the money not like audioquest. Pros: none Cons: cable is thinner than older models,rca connectors are cheap,way over priced. 2 out of 9 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Heck yeah!! Written By Skynyrd77, Mill creek,IN on Wednesday, November 06, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) These things are great IMO. They truly opened up my sound field , everything is more accurate and lifelike . Highly recommend Pros: Everything Cons: None Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 One of the best Written By Gary D., Chillicothe Ohio on Saturday, September 21, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Excellent QUILITY & build of these cables. I have two sets of the golden gate cables of different lengths. What a difference they make compared to regular cables. I will be buying another set soon. Pros: Quality Cons: Pricy, but you get what you pay for. Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Excellent Written By pressurewelder, West Virginia on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 Have always had wonderful results with these. Have 4 sets now. I have noticed when I get a new set they take some time to sound as good as my old ones. Pros: Build quality and price Cons: You may think I'm nuts but expect a few hours break in time for full resolution and high end response. 6 out of 6 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Your eyes will tell you all you need to know Written By JT Mann, King Of Prussia, PA on Saturday, May 25, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Just look at the build quality of these cables. Install them, then your ears will verify what your eyes have told you. Pros: Superior build quality = incredible sound. Cons: None 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Cable doe matter Written By Emmanuel, Lubbock, TX on Wednesday, May 01, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I spoke to Josh & Daisy, two Crutchfield advisors. They convinced me of the quality of Audioquest cables. They were knowledgeable, patient and informative. And you know what they were right. This cable is a superb choice for anyone on a budget but not looking to compromise signal quality. I especially want to give a shout out to Daisy who gave me the idea to pair Infinity Primus Speakers with Marantz PM5004 Integrated Amp. She told me the warmth of the Marantz Amp will balance the brightness of the infinity. So far her suggestions have been spot on. Again, I failed to credit to credit Josh and Daisy when I made my last purchase from Crutchfield. Without their imput I would not have bought those gears on my last purchase. One last thing in regards to Audioquest. a lot of you are probably audiophiles like I am, in which case you would have heard of the record label "Music Matters". I recently read on their website that the reason they do all their remastering work at Acoustech facility is because all the cables and interconnect there are Audioquest wires. Think about it if Audioquest is good enough for the premiere record mastering facility in the country, it's probably good enough for your home Audio needs. What more can I tell you! Pros: They use the same brand of wire at Acoustech to remaster the Music Matters Blue Note 45rpms Cons: You thinking you can find a better wires at this price range 2 out of 3 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 I've Been Missing Out Written By Michael B., Mount Airy, N.C. 27030 on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I've used Monster & Belkin.. I took a chance & spent $69.00 for a set of AudioQuest cables.Let me say this is the best investment I have made in my audio video system. The music sounds much more defined and the bass is tighter.Listening to myCD's is so much more enjoyable. Everyones system is different, but they made a difference for me. Pros: This is a well made cable. Brings out the best in your sound source. Cons: None 3 out of 3 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 4 out of 5 Braided cables Written By Rich, Oregon on Sunday, March 24, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Cables are easy to handle. The braiding helps with grip and control while installing. I do not hear the 60hz hiss that I hear with cheaper cables. Pros: Shielding does work Cons: One small white arrow to mark the white cable, hard to see when cramped trying to install multiple cables in a tight spot. 2 out of 2 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 audioquest GoldenGate cables Written By Anonymous, Newburgh,ny on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I got the 3' length which is all i needed going from the cd player to the amp. The cables are very high quality and well worth the money. Its a shame they are in the back and can't be displayed as they are so nice looking. Pros: Solid well made. Well shielded to transfer the sound without noise or interference. Nice to look at. Cons: None at this time. 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Great Cables Written By Drummer, Maineville, Oh on Sunday, July 22, 2012 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Outstanding cables for the price. They really produce true to life sound. Brilliant highs, dynamic bass, and everything in between is just sensational. AudioQuest knows their business and builds some of the finest cables anywhere. If you're looking for an economical way to improve the performance of an audio system, upgrading the cables is a must and these Golden Gates do just that. They match my NAD amp, NAD preamp, NAD turntable, Sony ES cd player, and Monitor Audio speakers perfectly. You can't go wrong with these cables. Pros: Nice to get a .06 meter cable vs the standard .05 length for easier connecting in limited spaces. Also, cables are flexible, not rigid which makes installation a breeze. Cons: None 11 out of 11 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No For a more in-depth review and enhanced detailed information on the AudioQuest Golden Gate, please visit the Crutchfield website product page (/ISEO-rccbcspd/p_703GGRR8M/AudioQuest-Golden-Gate-8-meters-26-3-feet.html ). Find the gear that's right for you Ask an expert Your Crutchfield Advisor knows the gear inside and out. Call 1.888.955.6000 Email Compare with other AudioQuest models AudioQuest Golden GateBetter conductor material for better sound 4.5 out of 5: In StockThe AudioQuest Golden Gate uses "Perfect-Surface Copper" solid conductors for optimal signal transfer with minimal distortion. View All Product Information$138.99AudioQuest EvergreenRCA Cable 8 MTR 5 out of 5: In StockThe AudioQuest Evergreen offers: stereo cable with dual RCA connectors at each endsolid Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors help improve performancecold-welded, gold-plated RCA plugs feature a solder-less design for lower distortionView All Product Information$83.99AudioQuest Golden GateRCA Cable 8 MTR 4.5 out of 5: In StockThe AudioQuest Golden Gate offers: stereo cable with dual RCA connectors at each endsolid Perfect Surface Copper (PSC) conductors for excellent performancecold-welded, gold-plated RCA plugs feature a solder-less design for lower distortionView All Product Information$138.99 AudioQuest EvergreenCompare with $83.99 You are hereAudioQuest Golden GateGet details $138.99 × Front Searches related to the AudioQuest Golden Gate Stereo interconnect cable with RCA plugs AudioQuest AudioQuest RCA Audio Patch Cables RCA Audio Patch Cables under $150 AudioQuest Golden Gate reviews AudioQuest Evergreen reviews


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