text:
Ash Bucket
Bucket with shovel and lid keeps your fireplace clear of ashes.
In our area propane is the source of fuel for many homes, as we are in a mountainous region and not all homes receive gas from the grid.
In our home we use propane when it's convenient and our wood burning stove the rest of the time. This dual approach lets us maximize our strained utility budget since propane is very expensive.
Wood, on the other hand, is free if I put the work into searching for it. Keeping the woodburning stove clean and operational is a year-round, daily chore but worthwhile.
I purchased this ash bucket to complement my fireplace tools and have found it invaluable. Previously I had an old galvanized bucket that got left outside and usually filled up with rain and became a mess to clean. This ash bucket has a raised bottom and thermal insulation to prevent any accidental hot coals in your ash to damage your floor or cause a fire. You can store this can indoors since the lid is nice and tight. Holds a week or more of ashes for me. Hunt around and get it for a good price. This has made my daily stove maintenance much more simplified.03/3/17
Black Ash Bucket with Lid and Shovel For Fireplace ($29)


text:
BLINDSTONE – "Freedom's Calling" CD '08 / "Manifesto" '03(Grooveyard, Swe) – Denmark. That country used to really mean something when it came to guitarists, Jack. C'mon, you know what I'm talking about, Mercyful Fate. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner were the names that used to set this amateur axe slinger's dreams alight when it came to devastating, brain-melting riffs, scalding leads and a kick-ass attitude that meant you couldn't imagine how heavy the next song was going to be. Sure, King Diamond was the front man and the larger-than-life figure everybody talked about, but to me it was those Danish guitar Gods. With that in mind, it sure was nice to receive these 2 BLINDSTONE discs from Grooveyard Records featuring the formidable Danish talents of one Martin J. Andersen. I'm not going to mince words, this guy is a motherfucker. First off, boy's got a voice on him. Check out "Waste A Little Time On Me" ("Freedom's Calling") for one: smooth and bluesy, yet still powerful. I'm reminded a bit of Grand Magus' JB, if he had a few more vocal lessons and maybe a couple more bourbons. Secondly, and surely not least, this guy is one helluva player. You can basically let laser hit disc anywhere you want on either disc and this notion will slap you in the face harder than a dump truck full of rolled-up quarters. "Hang On To My Love," from "Freedom's Calling" will have you pulling out "Rio Grande Mud" to make sure this isn't something The Reverend Billy G. laid to wax in the early '70's. Just a luscious guitar tone, all thick, raw & in your face but that's not all: the guy is good! Everywhere there are riffs on top of riffs and smoking leads that just say "kick ass." Another thing about both of these albums is the way the rhythm section locks in organically with Mr. Andersen's fretsman fireworks and brings the funk-i-fied git-down to the forefront. Jesper Bunk (bass) & Anders Hvidfeldt (drums…along with Benjamin Hove on the first album) fuse to Martin's riffing and damn if I don't hear the spirit of Funkadelic rising through tracks like "Unifunk (It's Time)" and (yes!) the bonus track "Funkadelic Medley" ("Manifesto"), not to mention "Freedom's" blistering "Sugar Room." Still, my favourite comes near the end of "Freedom's Calling," a massive cover of Frank Marino's "Had Enough." Talk about something that will get every Hendrix, Trower, Randy Hansen & Eddie Hazel fan foaming at the mouth, this is it. Joined on dual leads by another bluesy maestro, Lance Lopez, Martin Andersen really opens up the jets on this one and pays tribute, not only to the Canadian six slinger but to everyone who's ever fired up an electric guitar. What a cool couple of discs and high points in the Grooveyard legacy. And, no songs about Satan (sorry, Hank & Michael!).
"Freedom's Calling"9.5
"Manifesto" 9.0
ISTHMUS – "Land Bridge – 41:06" CD '08 (Private, US) – Post-metal is one of those terms that always seems funny to me. I mean, I understand it, being thought of as a form of music derived from metal and so-called post-rock, but there you are again: the post thing. I know, I know, metal involving rock instruments but not necessarily using the same kinds of technical aspects traditionally associated with rock. I guess it's just that the "post" thing makes me think somebody is saying "this is what comes after metal." So you would be telling me then, that Pelican's "Australasia" is not metal, after all, but something that came after it. Anyway, my issues with a genre name are my issues, I guess, and that brings us to ISTHMUS. A band I'm happy to report hails from my neck of the woods (Baltimore), ISTHMUS is surely one that falls into the broad musical brushstroke as the aforementioned Pelican, Isis, etc. There are a couple things that make "Land Bridge" stand out, however. One is the fact that for a young band's first foray into the waters, this is a surprisingly mature and well-arranged record. The pacing of the songs is varied and even the 3-part "Perihelion" and 2-part "Red Shift" never wear out their welcome. Think superbly-produced (another high point here), layers of heaviness that still find melody seeping out from memorable corners. The other factor that puts "Land Bridge" on the map here is the math-like, fusion-y (is that a word?) elements, at times calling to mind some of the more exploratory moments of Sieges Even. In all, ISTHMUS has impressed very much with this record and any fan of the…ahem…post-metal genre would be well to check them out now. 8.0
ALKALINE TRIO – "Agony & Irony" CD '08 (Sony, US) – Every now and then I have an interesting surprise. A major label actually sends me a disc to review. What typically happens then is that the skies open up, it snows a shitload in July, The Orioles win a World Series and the IRS sends me a check for $ 100,000 saying "Sorry, I think we owe you this." Well anyway…it isn't often and for whatever reason, Sony decided to send me this latest outing by ALKALINE TRIO. I'll be the first to admit that I've been living behind the door when it comes to these guys. Truth be known, I didn't even know how many albums they had out (6, apparently, including this one, beginning with 1998's "Goddamnit") until I did a little research. The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter to me, because unless the earlier ones are a helluva lot better than this, I couldn't care less. From what I read, ALKALINE TRIO is a punk band who started out snotty and raw, then polished up their sound in the process of shopping for a major and now, by golly, they really are polished up! Sound like Green Day to anybody? You betcha, as that's seriously the vibe I got from this ash tray, with only the song "Love Love, Kiss Kiss" doing anything to keep me from drooling in my Jello. Such a pity to see a band like the Koffin Kats unknown to so many people while watered-down pablum like this lives in the name of "punk." 1.5
BLIZARO – "Blue Tape" CD '08 (Private, US) – There were a couple things about John Brenner's Declaration of Doom Festival this past July that didn't surprise me at all. One was the massive generosity shown by everyone involved, in terms of the contributions to our son Nathan's service dog cause. I've always known the people of the metal/doom scene were great individuals, simply wonderful & nice people and this only confirmed that belief. I also was not surprised at the level of musical quality rendered by each of the bands involved. John knows top-notch, innovative & heavy music and assembled a cast that was 2nd to none. I was a bit stunned, however, by the sounds emanating from the club during BLIZARO's set. Now, I've known for a long time that John Gallo & Mike Puleo are absolute doom masters. They're main band, Orodruin is about as right-on a trad-doom band as you can get, easily right up there with masters like The Gates Of Slumber & Revelation. Still, those sounds and now, these that escape my disc changer as "Blue Tape" plays show me these cats on a whole other level. The comparison game is often a dangerous one, but in this case, I think the easiest way I can describe the music on "Blue Tape" is to say that Gallo & Puleo, here, are the American Paul Chain. They take the foundation of crushing, doom-inflected metal, the old Iommi-an plunder and somehow fold it into a lush, dark Italian horror soundtrack mode to create some truly scary and impressive stuff. Naming individual tracks here would probably be silly but to make a long story short, I'd have to say this: If you know who Paul Chain is and love him, this is your ticket. If you aren't aware of Mr. P.C., but find things like Goblin occupying your music library along with Sabbath, get to ordering right now. 8.5
DR. HASBEEN – "Signs" 2CD '08 (Black Widow, Eng) – My heavens, this is some kind of package: 2 CD's, a tri-fold digipak, a detailed booklet with killer artwork. You really have to hand it to Mass & the people at Black Widow. When they get behind an artist, they do things up first class, spending time & taking care…a joy to see. And, for fans of the British legends Hawkwind, this mammoth set by DR. HASBEEN should be a joy to hear. I'll be the first to admit that the Hawkwind style of driving space rock is surely an acquired taste. I'll also admit that, while I can give it a listen at certain times, it's not always my cup of tea. But there's no question in the world that DR HASBEEN play plenty of homage to their heroes here and then some. Through a marathon session comprising studio and live cuts, these guys offer a bevy of numbers like "The Time Watcher," "Apollo 13" and "Axis Of Evil" rife with driving guitar rhythms, pulsing electronics and enough sci-fi overtones to fill a whole bookstore. Making appearances as well, are nods to HW in the form of renditions of such classics as "Sonic Attack," "Silver Machine" and "Master Of The Universe." Truly a trip worth taking at least a few times. 7.0
UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA – "The Magus" CD '08 (Black Widow, It) – Occupying a landscape far into the outer reaches of what is known as rock are Italy's UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA. If you're thinking these outer reaches include things like early Yes, Radiohead or Dream Theater, you really had better run…very hard and far and duck because, in that case, you truly have no idea how far into the realms of "different" UTO forge. On the other hand, if you realize that the expression "RIO" does not necessarily mean a warm southern destination and names like Present and Magma are not something you get for Christmas or that which spews out of a volcano, maybe you're ready for this. Simply put, UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA remind me of what would happen if someone were to take the greatest chamber music players in the world, give 'em electric rock instruments, bring in a host of top operatic vocalists and then yell "Fire!" And that's no put-down at all, brothers and sisters. I'm just trying to give you the low-down on how intense and eyebrow-raisingly over-the-top "The Magus" is. Could I listen to this album all the time? Definitely not, but there are moments in my week that this could be a real kick in the ass and those very open to experimentation and something quite different should take note! 8.0
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Shipwrecked Pearl Jewellery
The idea behind this bracelet and pendant, is that they are jewellery discovered by mermaids, in shipwrecks lying at the bottom of the ocean
These ornate, decadent pieces of jewellery have been ravaged by the sea, and become encrusted with barnacles, over time.
As you can see, I do let my imagination run free!!!. These pieces are sculpted in fine silver, with freshwater water pearls
Click the thumbnails to see images in full size
4 comments:
Hi SamReplyDelete
It's been a while since I blogged and caught up with the blogs I follow - busy summer! But finally, I can...
These pieces are beautiful and I love the way the pearls seem to just 'sit' in the silver rather than be incased - ready to be discovered.
Kristin :)
Love how you've done the prongs.ReplyDelete
I like the design of those apartments. You listed above the most popular examples of custom printing.ReplyDelete
hire limo warsaw
Pearl has its own beauty and it added a distinct touch to any type of normal jewellery. The pearl jewellery always posses a different place in the heart of every women. Pearl jewellery can be wear in any type of occasions and with any types of dresses. It includes a charming effects to your looks, getup and as well as to your personality. Whenever crystal jewellery added with pearl then it make the elegant jeweleries more gorgeous. So for crystal pearl collection you may go through Tresor Paris Outlet and try their unique and extraordinary collections.ReplyDelete


text:
February 1987
The band has a fortnight-long debate when Modesty tells them to pick a name, as she has arranged their first gig for late February. Severus rejects anything with his name in it out of hand. Harmonia's suggestions are fantastical and unusable. Dougal's are boring and even more unusable. Aspasia offers no suggestions of her own, but has plenty of commentary on everyone else's. Gil dislikes anything he considers too "Dark," but Modesty reminds them that they are trading on Severus's reputation, and they might as well own up to it.
On the other hand, no one is going to buy a record by the Unforgivable Curses.
Finally, three days before the show, an exasperated Modesty tells them they're not leaving until they settle on a name, any name.
"Why don't you name us?" Aspasia asks. "You're the expert, right?"
"I'm not in the band."
"So you don't have any ideas, either," Aspasia says. "We might as well ask Luna." She gestures to Harmonia's daughter, who Harmonia now brings to rehearsal as often as she doesn't.
Luna looks up from a drawing she is doing that appears to be of the band, if they were hippogriffs, and regards them with her large, pale eyes.
"What do you think we should name the band, Luna?" Harmonia asks in the silence that follows.
"Nox," Luna says, like it's the most obvious answer she'll ever be called on to give, and goes back to her drawing.
"Nox," Modesty repeats. "I like it. It's dark without being, you know, Dark, it suits your sound, it's short, it's memorable, it works. Any objections? No? Good. Nox it is." She steps aside to clear the way to the door. "Okay, you can go." As the members of the band that has just been dubbed Nox start to leave, Modesty adds, "Except you, Severus Snape. I need a moment." Aspasia stops walking. "In private."
Aspasia looks at Severus and waits until he has nodded before she leaves. Modesty watches her go with an expression that's about equal parts amusement and disdain. Then she walks into the room, sits down on one of the chairs along the wall, and studies Severus for a moment.
"I should have asked this weeks ago," she says, finally, "but . . . first show. Do you think you're ready?"
"Of course," he says, dismissively.
"There's no 'of course' here. You've never done this before."
"The music is – "
"I'm not worried about the music," Modesty says. "If the music wasn't ready, I wouldn't have booked the gig. I'm talking about you. You've never performed in front of an audience before, and you're the leader. You're going to have to, well, lead. You have to give the performance people are expecting from the lead singer and guitarist."
"I lied to one of the most powerful wizards of all time, to his face, and lived to tell the tale. I think I can handle singing for a handful of witches and wizards in a pub in Cardiff."
"This is not as easy as you think it is," Modesty says. "I just want to make sure that – "
"I can handle it."
"All right," Modesty says, standing again. "At least it's only Cardiff."
February 1987
That first show is a disaster. Oh, the music is good, and the band is fine, but the show is a disaster.
"We just never found our groove," Dougal says, afterwards. He's very politely not putting the blame where they all know it lies, with Severus. He hadn't had any idea how to present himself or them, how to engage the audience, how to keep the show moving along.
"It's only Cardiff," Modesty says the next morning when Severus arrives at the shop. "Don't beat yourself up. And clear your schedule. For the next two weeks, you're with me. I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place."
"And what's that?" Severus asks.
"Make you do your homework. Seriously, clear your schedule, Severus Snape. Evenings and weekends for the next two weeks are mine."
Spring – Winter 1987
Modesty proceeds, over the course of a fortnight, to drag Severus to concerts across the length and breadth of Britain, with exactly one instruction: "Watch and learn."
The bands are all Muggles. They go to tiny pubs with tinier stages, they go to stadiums packed with thousands of people, and everything in between. If Modesty needs tickets, she simply Confunds some Muggle into handing his over. She's remarkably good at picking people with good seats.
After each concert, she asks him what he liked, what he noticed, what he remembered. Severus begins piecing together a public persona for himself, a person to be on stage. It's not all that different, he decides, from Hogwarts, or being a loyal – and then disloyal – Death Eater. It's not even that different from being Lily's best friend, and only ever her best friend. He just hides whatever doesn't fit, and shows people what they want or need or are willing to see.
He likes some of the music a great deal, but Modesty shakes her head when he proposes actually using one of the songs they hear. "You record Muggle music," she says, "and at best you're a novelty act, at worst you're a joke. I don't have either in mind for you."
"Why, then, have you brought me to all Muggle concerts?"
"Well, one, there are a lot more of them, and two, this wasn't something I wanted you to run into your old classmates while doing. Just listen and learn."
So he does. And he writes reams of music, playing each morning with the ideas he heard the night before. (Being inspired by Muggle music, Modesty allows, is fine.) Some of the songs are good, some are just experiments with a particular style that ultimately doesn't suit him or Nox.
At the end of the fortnight of concerts with Modesty, he goes back to the band with a stack of new material and a much clearer idea of what he wants to do and how.
Their second show, three weeks later in Hogsmeade, is a vast improvement on the first.
By summer, Nox has a following. People are actually going out of their way to hear the band play. Severus begins to recognize faces that crowd up close to the stage, wearing t-shirts that are the same shade of mauve as Severus' guitar, emblazoned with the band's newly designed logo. They learn the words, they sing along, they yell out requests.
By fall, there's an album. People are buying it, though Severus has to take Modesty's word for that. His days of being able to hang around Kneedel and Toneahrm, watching the customers, are rapidly coming to an end. It's impossible to listen to the WWN for more than twenty minutes without hearing "Lilah." He receives a congratulatory letter from Slughorn, bright and smug and currying.
By winter, the graffiti has begun to appear, first in Knockturn Alley and then all around Wizarding Britain: SNAPE IS MERLIN.
For the first time in his life, Severus is popular. People want him around. They admire him. They envy him. They cater to him. The same people who wouldn't meet his eye in the street a year ago seek him out. The fools fall for the persona he projects, and forget about the man projecting it, and he doesn't actually have a problem with that.
He comes home one evening to find a half dozen people waiting at the door to his building. He has his wand out instantly; that's generally not the sort of thing you want to see in Knockturn Alley.
"It's him," one of them squeals, and he very nearly hexes her before he realizes that the party is entirely made up of witches who don't look old enough to have left Hogwarts yet. They're all wearing Nox t-shirts. One of them holds out a small brown book and a quill and rather breathlessly asks, "Mr. Snape, may we have your autograph?"
It's the first time, but not the last. It takes Modesty's intervention to extricate him from a knot of particularly determined fans one afternoon.
"Well," she says, once they're back in his flat and the door is closed, "it was time for you to move, anyway." She's eyeing the damage one of them did to her hair with a frizzing hex.
"Take care of it, would you?" he says.
Take care of it is rapidly becoming his response to any problem he doesn't want to bother with himself. Sometimes Modesty grumbles, but she also takes care of whatever it is. In this case, though she objects that she knows almost nothing about where to live in England, she finds him a perfectly serviceable house outside York in three days. It's light and airy, unlike any place he's ever lived before. And there's a large room on the ground floor that the band can use to rehearse.
He misses almost nothing about his cramped, dismal Knockturn Alley flat, except the slight protection it afforded him from Aspasia. Now that he has a proper house, she seems to think that he wants her in it.
He doesn't. The truth of the matter is that while he doesn't dislike Aspasia, he doesn't really like her all that much, either. She isn't the person he dreams about, even when she's the one sleeping next to him. She wasn't ever going to be someone he gave serious consideration to, or planned a future with. She was just . . . convenient.
Frankly, these days there are a lot of other girls who are convenient, just as attractive, and who come without the Gordian knot of emotional strings attached to Aspasia. He doesn't flaunt these "conveniences," but he doesn't take any great pains to hide them from her, either.
Instead of taking the hint, though, Aspasia just keeps trying to worm her way further into his life.
"Sev?" she says one morning, after a night when he couldn't be bothered to think up a reason she shouldn't come over.
"Don't call me 'Sev.'" There's only been one person who has ever called him that – there's only been one person who has ever been allowed to call him that – and Aspasia doesn't come close to being her.
"Why don't you ever write a song about me?" Aspasia asks.
"Hmmmm," Severus says, rather than telling her that he has written two: "What You Won't See" and "You're Not Her." Severus thinks they both have potential, but they're clear-eyed and cutting depictions of Aspasia, cruel and unmistakable about their subject. He doubts they're what she's hoping for.
"I wish you would," Aspasia says.
"Maybe someday," Severus says, getting up and leaving her still lying in his bed.
9 January 1988
The situation with Aspasia carries on, neither improving nor worsening, until Severus's twenty-eighth birthday.
"Pretend you're surprised," Modesty whispers, when Harmonia arrives at rehearsal that day with a cake for him.
"That probably will not be difficult," Severus says, as Harmonia tends to make cakes flavored with things like curry and sausages.
"Licorice and dirigible plum," Harmonia says, holding the cake out to Severus. "Luna helped."
"Please thank her for me," Severus says, reflecting that it could have been much worse; a month earlier, Dougal got a cake flavored with haggis and marmalade.
"None for me, thanks," Dougal says, and Severus suspects he remembers that cake. "Trying to watch what I eat."
"I'll have some," Gil says.
Harmonia is cutting needlessly generous slices for all of them when the door swings open and the final member of Nox comes breezing into the room.
"Sorry I'm late," Aspasia all but sings, not sounding very sorry at all. "I got held up at the salon. Happy Birthday. What's the cake, then?"
Severus looks up from his plate to the woman who is nominally his girlfriend, and a second later his slice of licorice-and-dirigible-plum birthday cake lands at his feet with a wet plop.
Aspasia's hair, which has been blue as long as Severus has known her, is now a garish and unnaturally deep red. Severus doesn't have to pretend to be surprised – he's stunned.
And then he's angry.
"Don't you like it?" Aspasia says, when the silence has gone on too long. "I thought – "
"I know what you thought," Severus says. "It doesn't suit you at all."
Though, truthfully, it does. It is, after all, her attempt to cast herself as the woman actually wants.
It's also a mockery.
It's an insult to Lily's memory.
Everything he has ever done with Aspasia has been an insult to Lily's memory.
Severus sets down his empty plate and walks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
He leans against the wall in the hallway, eyes closed, willing his pulse to slow back to something like normal, trying not to remember his father's saying something like that to his mother, the one time she dared to change her hairstyle.
He can hear the rise of voices from the rehearsal room, though he can't make out what anyone is saying. He doesn't even look over when he hears the door open and then quietly close again.
"Sent you to clean up her mess, has she?" he asks, without looking over, knowing it's Modesty even before she speaks.
"You all right?" Modesty asks, in that concerned American way she has where she actually expects an answer about how he's feeling.
"I want her gone," Severus says. "Take care of it."
"No," Modesty says.
He waits for the usual grumbling and objections, insincere and easily dismissed, so he can tell her that he appreciates everything she does, and she can sigh and agree to do whatever it is he wants. But that's all she says. Just no.
"'No'?" he asks.
"I'm not going to break up with your girlfriend for you."
"Fine," Severus says. "Then just fire her. I don't want her in the band, either."
"Sending me to clean up your mess?"
"If you say 'I told you so,' I will curse you into next month."
"Any other day, and I'd like to see you try," Modesty says. "But I would prefer not to embarrass you on your birthday. At least not any more than you have already embarrassed yourself. And I did tell you Aspasia was a bad idea."
Severus's fingers close around his wand before he stops and considers her. He has no idea if she's bluffing or not – he's never had any reason to see Modesty use any advanced defensive, or offensive, magic. She's been perfectly competent at the spells he has seen her use. Maybe she really is that skilled a witch. And even if she's not, cursing her is probably about the worst move he can make here.
Instead, he waits her out. Modesty doesn't like silence, and left in one, she will speak to fill it.
She sighs. "I'll do it this once. Once. Call it a birthday present. And because you have no idea how to handle this. So for her sake, I'll do it. But you have to do me a favor in return."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Don't screw any more members of your band."
February – July 1988
Aspasia's scathing, tell-all interview – given to Rita Skeeter, naturally – appears in Witch Weekly in early February. Severus finds it to be about half-true, at best, but even allowing for hyperbole, he doesn't come off especially well. Not that he expected to. Modesty wouldn't tell him much about her last meeting with Aspasia, beyond saying that it was "taken care of. Oh, and Aspasia says to tell you that you're a knob. I'm only about seventy percent clear on what that means, but I think I agree with her."
He expects Modesty to be upset about the interview, but she seems more or less wholly unconcerned. "I've never exactly been marketing you as a paragon of good behavior, remember? Get back to work."
A few days later, Modesty brings a woman named Lorelei Trill to audition for Nox. She's older than Severus, with a plain, slightly horsey face and stringy blond hair. Severus wonders if Modesty has deliberately picked someone she thinks he's unlikely to find attractive. If so, she has achieved this goal admirably.
Lorelei is an excellent harpsichordist, though. She fits in well with the other members of Nox, and has an easy-going and cheerful disposition. Severus isn't surprised to learn she was a Hufflepuff.
Through the spring, it appears that Aspasia's departure has caused no more than a brief ripple. They rehearse and play a few small shows, experimenting with the way the harpsichord changes their sound. Severus decides he likes it better than Aspasia's steam organ, and he doesn't think that's just because of his much diminished opinion of Aspasia. It's subtler, less fairground jollity.
In July, Modesty starts booking larger venues, and suggests that they get to work on the next album. Severus brings in the songs he wrote about Aspasia back in their days of being semi-together.
He's halfway through playing "What You Won't See" for them when Gil stops him.
"Really, Severus, don't you think you've humiliated the poor girl enough?" he asks.
The room gets very quiet.
It's Modesty who is left to rush into the silence. "Gil, nothing's decided yet for the album. We're just trying things out tod—"
"No," Gil says. "No, Modesty, all of you," he says, with a gesture that neatly omits Severus, "I'm sorry. You're wonderful, talented people, and it's been a privilege working with you, but this isn't what I want. So, thank you, for everything, but I'm done. I'm out. Keep the drums. I'll never get that damned mauve off."
He walks out of the room before anyone can stop him.
Modesty stands to follow him, but Severus holds a hand up to her. "Don't bother. If he wants to go, let him go."
What else can be expected from a Gryffindor, after all? Severus has never known one who could handle not being the one in the spotlight.
"We can find a new drummer," he adds.
"Have it your way," Modesty says, and sits back down.
Dougal and Lorelei exchange glances and retreat to the corner to talk, in hurried whispers, about something.
Harmonia says mildly, "I thought you used metaphor very effectively in that song, Severus."
"Thank you," he says, but his eyes are on Dougal and Lorelei.
So, he notices, are Modesty's.
Dougal and Lorelei seem to come to some kind of agreement, because he nods, and then she nods, and then he turns back to the room.
"We weren't going to do this yet, but I think it might be time. Lorelei and I have been talking about maybe striking out on our own. Pursuing a different style of music. This really isn't the right scene for us."
He holds his hand out to Severus. "It's nothing personal, just not the professional direction we want to head in anymore. No hard feelings?"
Severus hesitates for a moment, because no matter what Dougal says, it feels personal, especially coming right on the heels of Gil's departure. But, fine. If that's what Dougal wants, fine. Severus accepts the offered hand. "Good luck to you, then."
Three months later, when he receives the invitation to their wedding, he sends his regrets. And when, three months after that, he receives a copy of the album of folk music they've released, he doesn't even listen to it.
August – December 1988
"So we have a few open places in the band," Severus says, a week after the near complete exodus from Nox, in Modesty's Diagon Alley office.
"What band?" Modesty demands. "You don't have a band any more, you have a tambourine player. And as talented as Harmonia is, a guitar and a tambourine do not a band make."
"Well, what do you suggest, Modesty?"
"Change of plan. Congratulations, Severus Snape, you're now a solo artist. We'll hire back up musicians, and when you drive them away, no one will think anything of their having moved on."
"And what about Harmonia?"
"Harmonia can play tambourine for you if you and she like," Modesty says, as though she doesn't really care one way or the other, which she probably doesn't.
"Now," Modesty continues, sounding briskly American, "we both have a lot of work to do. I have to find some musicians for you, and you need to get writing. We need something absolutely brilliant for your solo debut. I expect you to have the number one single this Christmas. So go come up with something that will impress me. Oh, and not another song about your lost redhead, please."
Severus walks out of her office without another word, quietly seething. There are days he realizes he doesn't actually like Modesty all that much.
So she wants to be impressed, does she? And on a subject other than Lily? All right, he'll impress her. And if he insults her along the way, well, he'll be curious to see which of those things matters more to her.
Severus walks back into her office the next day, without knocking on the door or greeting her, and drops "Bad Idea" on her desk.
Modesty picks it up, her eyes scanning down the page, and then hands it back to him.
"Play it for me."
Severus sits down in the only other chair in the room and plays it straight through, his eyes never leaving Modesty's face. There's no way she doesn't know what – or who – it's about, but the only reaction he gets is a short nod when he's done. "Yes, I think that will do nicely. We'll need a very good drummer, and some kind of keyboard, I think. Possibly a violin. We can lead with it as a single, and follow it up with the album," she says, making notes on the parchment in front of her.
"Was there anything else you needed this morning?" she adds, without looking up at him.
"It's a pity you were raised in America," Severus tells her.
"And why is that?"
"You'd have made an excellent addition to Slytherin House."
Modesty looks up from her notes. "Yes, I probably would have. Friday at two, then, to record it. I'll let you know if I can't find suitable musicians before then. Tell Harmonia, would you, if you want her there?" She turns her attention back to the papers on her desk.
"No violin," Severus says, "but I want a cello. See you Friday."
"Bad Idea" is a colossal hit, bigger than anything he did with Nox except "Lilah." (He's privately glad of that fact – he doesn't want Modesty to be better than Lily in any way, not even that one.)
He finds that he likes being on his own. He's just Severus Snape, not the lead singer of Nox. There's no dealing with a set sound, no need to work a damned bagpipe into the arrangement of everything he writes. The only constant is Harmonia. The other musicians come in and out as he wants them to.
He likes the professional and personal freedom of it. He doesn't even have to pay lip service to other people's opinions, except Modesty's, and he has to admit that Modesty is right far more often than she's wrong about his career. She has a good ear, for both the music and the market.
And she's still there to take care of all the things he doesn't feel like dealing with, like the WWN and the Prophet and all the magazines. The album gets glowing reviews, and sells quickly and well. Shows sell out almost faster than Modesty can schedule them.
"The WWN wants you for their special live show on Halloween," Modesty says, in early September. "The offer's good, I think – "
"I already have plans," Severus says.
"What? No, you don't. I make all your plans, remember? I'd know if you had plans for Halloween."
"I'm not available," he says. "Don't bother asking again."
Modesty rolls her eyes and sighs, and moves on to a report on album sales.
Two months later, she tells him that she has booked a live Christmas Day special for him on the WWN. There's almost a challenge in it, like she's expecting another objection. Severus merely nods. He's happy to perform on Christmas. It gives him an excuse not to go to Spinner's End.
Besides, Christmas doesn't belong to Lily the way Halloween does.
January – July 1990
The triumph that is 1989 continues into 1990. Modesty starts talking about making plans to tour America, break into the market there. But first, she says, he needs another album.
They start recording in early summer, and finish in late July. On the day they finish the last track, Modesty produces a bottle of champagne, which he and she and Harmonia drink while they play it back. Severus doesn't think he's written anything on the level of "Lilah" or "Bad Idea," but the songs are collectively the strongest group he's put together. There's no weak track, no song simply there as filler. Luna dances around the room, though admittedly, she does not appear to be dancing to the music they're listening to.
Severus leaves the house in a good mood, that evening, to meet with a particularly enthusiastic and beautiful "convenience." He gets back late, six hours later, and finds Modesty sitting on his front steps.
He doesn't think she's turned up at his place unannounced since that New Year's Eve, nearly four years earlier. For one brief, wild moment he thinks she's there to lecture him on the company he keeps again, and then he gets a good look at her face.
"What's happened?" Severus asks, as she stands.
"There's been an accident," Modesty says. "Harmonia was experimenting with a spell, and it went really, really wrong."
"How badly is she hurt? Is she at St. Mungo's? What does she need? "
"She's dead, Severus. She died instantly. I'm sorry."
Severus stares at her, then sinks down onto the step she was sitting on a moment before.
"Now, the Prophet wants a comment from you. Other people may as well. About Harmonia, and working with her. And I think you should consider dedicating the album to her. There could also be a memorial concert, of course, especially if there is some cause you know she supported, as a bene—"
"You disgust me," Severus says.
"Excuse me?"
"Her body isn't even cold, yet, Modesty, and you want to talk about statements and dedications and benefit concerts."
"This is what I do. I manage your career."
"Yes, you're very good at making a living from other people's talents."
"Careful, there, Severus Snape. I might start thinking you care about someone other than that redheaded ghost of yours. I'll issue a statement on your behalf. And I'll be in touch with the funeral arrangements."
She reaches the edge of the yard and Disapparates before he can collect himself enough to reply.
Severus goes into the house and sits holding his mauve guitar for a while, but for the first time in years, he can't find words or a tune. Finally, he settles for getting gloriously drunk and falling into bed.
Harmonia's funeral is well-attended, though the crowd is a not entirely comfortable mix of the Lovegoods' odd, bohemian friends and people Harmonia knew from the music scene. All the former members of Nox are there, and they all greet each other civilly, even Severus and Aspasia (if only just barely).
Severus tries to hang back, stay on the edges of the throng, but Luna finds him. She takes his hand and drags him around to the other mourners, introducing him as "Mum's friend, Severus, who plays the guitar." It's a relief when it's over, and he decides that he can skip the lunch at the Lovegoods' house afterwards without causing comment or offense.
He is almost to the churchyard gate when someone says, "Severus. A moment?"
There are very few people he'd actually stop for right now, but unfortunately, the speaker is one of them. Severus stops, and turns to face Albus Dumbledore.
"Walk with me," Dumbledore says, indicating a path that runs around the outer edge of the cemetery.
They walk in silence for several minutes, until they are far enough from the remaining mourners that they can't be overheard.
"Ten years ago today, Lily's son was born," Dumbledore says.
Severus's eyes narrow. "I trust you understand, Headmaster, why I am not sending the boy a card."
"This time next year," Dumbledore continues, as though Severus has not spoken, "he will be preparing to come to Hogwarts. So it is time, Severus, to keep the promise you made, and help me protect him in the coming years."
"Horace is retiring. I find myself in need of both a Potions master and a head of Slytherin House. I think you will do admirably for both. And this will give you a year to get accustomed to things as a professor, before he arrives."
"And if I've changed my mind?" Severus asks, angry at the Dumbledore's presumption, at his bringing this up here and now, of all places and times.
Dumbledore fixes him with sharp blue eyes, staring through those half-moon spectacles. Severus feels all of thirteen years old again. Even before Dumbledore speaks, Severus feels like he's been deflated.
"And have you?"
"Then we shall expect you no later than the fifteenth. Thank you, Severus."
Severus nods, turns on his heel, and stalks out of the churchyard.
3 August 1990
"What do you mean, 'you're done'?" Modesty asks, three days later, looking across her office at him like she thinks he's gone mad. "Done with what?"
"All of it," he says. He's standing by the window, looking out over Diagon Alley. He can just see the sign for Kneedel and Toneahrm from here. "I've accepted a position at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts?" Modesty repeats. "Doing what?"
"Teaching Potions."
"Teaching? And just what the hell qualifies you to teach Potions or anything else? You're a guitarist."
"No, I'm not. I'm a man who used to play the guitar."
"This is insane," Modesty says. "You want to walk away from an amazingly successful music career to teach a bunch of snot-nosed, pimple-faced, hormone-ridden children how to brew potions. Look, I know you're upset about Harmonia, but – "
"This has nothing to do with Harmonia."
Modesty is silent for a moment. "Then it has to do with her. The girl you've been singing about all these years."
Severus turn back from the window but doesn't answer her.
"It's Lily Potter, isn't it?" Modesty asks.
"Don't call her by his name," Severus snaps.
For a moment, the room is so quiet that he can hear the man in the office next door coughing.
"That was a 'yes,' then, I take it," Modesty says.
Severus stays silent. He won't confirm it. Not even to Modesty.
"This is insane," Modesty says again. "She's dead. It's one thing to use her as some kind of muse, but it's entirely another to throw your whole life away on her. You can't impress her, you can't make her happy, and you certainly can't still win her away from him. All you can do is get over her. The way she obviously got over you."
Severus has his wand out and aimed her in an instant, but the curse is only half-formed in his thoughts when his wand arcs across the office to her hand.
"I wouldn't," Modesty says quietly, offering it back to him. "You won't win."
Severus takes his wand and turns for the door.
"Don't do this, Severus," she says. It might be the first time she's ever called him by just his first name. "Please."
"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find someone else whose talents you can live off of."
"And what do you want me to do with the album?"
"Do whatever you like with it. Good-bye, Modesty Moss."
14 August 1990
The night before he leaves for Hogwarts, Severus walks into York. He turns down side streets, wandering until he finds the kind of shop he's looking for.
The Muggle shopkeeper looks like she's getting ready to close up, but she's polite enough when Severus sets the guitar case on the counter and says he'd like to sell it.
She opens the case, and her eyes widen a bit. "I've never seen a guitar this color before. Where'd you get it?"
"I found it in my father's flat when he died. I don't play the guitar, so I don't need it."
She lifts it from the case and examines it. Severus knows enough about Muggle money to know that the first offer is insultingly low, that's she's expecting him to come back with one that's ridiculously high, and then they'll haggle to a point in the middle.
Instead, he simply agrees, thanks her, and walks out of the shop.


text:
MONSTER DIGITAL, INC. (NASDAQ:MSDI) Files An 8-K Regulation FD Disclosure
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On June 19, 2017, the Company issued a press release announcing
that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent which
contemplates a proposed reverse merger with Innovate
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
The press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report
on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this item shall not be deemed filed for
purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of
Section 18, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in
any of the Companys filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended or the Exchange Act, except to the extent, if any,
expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
See the Exhibit Index set forth below for a list of exhibits
included with this Form 8-K.
Monster Digital, Inc. ExhibitEX-99.1 2 v469265_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1 Exhibit 99.1 Monster Digital and Innovate Biopharmaceuticals Enter into Letter of Intent regarding Reverse Merger Monster Digital and Innovate Biopharmaceuticals Enter into Letter of Intent regarding Reverse Merger SIMI VALLEY,…To view the full exhibit click
here About MONSTER DIGITAL, INC. (NASDAQ:MSDI)
Monster Digital, Inc. designs and engineers data storage and memory products. The Company is engaged in the design, development and marketing of its products under the Monster Digital brand for use in high-performance computing and consumer and mobile product applications. The Company's primary product offerings include an action sports camera used in adventure sport, adventure photography and extreme-action videography; a line of ultra-small mobile external memory drive products for Apple iPhone operating system (iOS) devices; On-The-Go Cloud devices, which create a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) hot spot for multiple users while simultaneously allowing data to be viewed, played or transferred among the connected storage; a selection of memory storage products consisting of Solid State Drives (SSDs), removable flash memory CompactFlash cards (CF cards), secured digital cards (SD cards) and universal serial bus (USB) flash drives.


text:
My favorites for the month of November:
Layering bracelets. Love this look!
Getting all dolled up to go to a wedding with my Sweet Husband.
Dancing with my Sweet Husband~and even more favorite is the fact that we were the only ones on the dance floor at that time.
Our new King size Select Comfort bed (this is my first King bed, and I love, love, love it!)
Dinner out with my Sweet Husband on my 35th Birthday. Leopard print shirt. Chanel Dragon Lipstick.
Going to see The Missouri Contemporary Ballet show, Evoke, after my birthday dinner. They are amazing!
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume.
This is probably my all-time favorite scent. I bought it for the first time when I got engaged for my wedding perfume. I've been out of it for a while now, and my Husband surprised me with another bottle of it for my birthday. I had forgotten how much I love it. I get more compliments when I wear it than any other perfume!
*Birthday lunch celebration with my friends at work.*
*Thanksgiving Dinner with the family.*
So much to be grateful for…that's for sure!
Peace, Love, & Gratitude,
Leslie ~Sparkling Yogini


text:
your bag
Your bag is empty.
Sorry, this product has sold out!
If you would like ARCHFASHION to try to and find it for you complete the form below.
Gun metal snake earrings set with black diamond crystals. Post fitting l 45 mm w 18 mm
The heart stopping Black Snake Earrings from ZERO ZERO has sold out. We did have it inBlack.
Start a "Find It For Me" to notify hundreds of Australian Boutiques that you're looking for it and then be notified if it comes back in stock.


text:
beef, peas & carrots recipe
Make your dog's nutrition exciting again. Let them try our savory blend of beef, peas & carrots with rich proteins and healthy vitamins. They'll love the taste while giving them the fuel to keep up with you.
Use as the primary diet for your favorite four-legged friend or as a 'special' addition to our dry kibble recipes.
Available in 13 oz cans.


text:
Way back in February, I wrote a blog about President Obama's proposed Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP). As part of this plan, the President called for $19 billion for cybersecurity as part of the 2017 fiscal year federal budget, a 35% increase over 2016 spending.
While CNAP has a lot of thoughtful and positive proposals, I'm troubled by the fact that federal cybersecurity programs seem to have a life of their own with little oversight or ROI benefits. I often cite DHS's Einstein project as an example of this type of government cybersecurity waste. In my humble opinion, the feds are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on custom research and development for Einstein when commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) network security products could do the same job at a fraction of the cost.


text:
On Saturday we had Jasmine's 10th birthday party and I have to say it was possibly the least fraught to date.
I've been having to do kids parties for the last 13 years.
It started off easily, aged one it's really tea and cake for the parents and each parent tends to take responsibility for their own offspring.
Aged two and matters get a bit 'bigger' and therefore more chaotic - I seem to remember my mom breaking her wrist at Jasmine's 2nd birthday party when she slipped on some spilt bubble mixture.
When Ben was turning 4 (I think) I had Jasmine* and for the following eight years we had to juggle two birthdays in the space of one week. Which is fine if you can do one party before the birthdays and one after, but here in Germany if you try to do that will be much sucking of teeth and tutting because it's considered bad luck. I think (but I could be wrong so don't quote me on this) that the reasoning goes that you can't have your presents before your actual birthday because 'what if you die?' Then my logic shouts out 'at least you'd have had your presents'....Maybe there's some other reason...shall have to ask a tame German and get back to you.
Over the years we've done the 'play warehouse' parties (about as often as we could get away with), cinema trips, petting zoo, farm, clown/magician, party entertainer, swimming pool, hair braiding & nail painting and a treasure hunt with cryptic clues (thanks to Grandpa Pete & Nanny Linda for that one) but this year was the easiest I think.
We had a 'build a bear' party. There's a chain of shops that has made it over to Germany, where you make your own teddy bear, you choose the 'skin', then you put the filling in, add a heart & sound box if you want, make out a birth certificate and then it goes into its own little pet carrier box for you to take home.
We took 10 girls (average age not quite 9) and although the car journeys there and back were a little on the noisy side (I drew the short straw as my Corolla Verso seats 6 + driver) the actual shop part was completely stress free (apart from the constant worrying about whether we'd still got 10 children with us).
I had wondered how on earth this activity could last the one hour I'd been told but when it's a party the staff make a real effort to make it special for all the children, we had a great time and all the girls (and later the parents) were impressed with their bears - one girl even went back to the shop that afternoon to buy clothes for her bear!
Now I just have to work out what to do next year, at least Ben has decided that he's too old for parties, I wonder when I can talk Jas out of them?
* literally, their birthday's are 3 days apart. That was the year Ben celebrated his birthday about a month early without ever realising it - we didn't live in Germany then!


text:
In 1887, to mark Queen Victoria's golden jubilee the following year, the society painter George Frederic Watts began work on a series of ceramic plaques to commemorate the lives of Londoners who had died while attempting to save the lives of others.
The plaques are now displayed, along with others created after Watts' death in 1904, in Postman's Park, on King Edward Street (near St Paul's cathedral) in London. They are only occasionally obscured by posties eating sandwiches.
Athur Strange died in a "desperate venture to save two girls from a quicksand in Lincolnshire". John Cranmer was drowned when attempting to rescue "a stranger and a foreigner" off the coast of Ostend. Some of the plaques commemorate notables – self-sacrificing physicians such as Samuel Rabbeth and William Freer Lucas, for instance – but most are memorials to the sorts of men, women and children ("Henry James Bristow, aged eight, at Walthamstow on December 30, 1890 saved his little sister's life by tearing off her flaming clothes, but caught fire himself") whose names ought to be remembered but usually aren't.
What follows is from Sick City by Richard Barnett (Wellcome Trust, 2008):
"The crowd has been seen as the bearer of sin, poverty and contagion, but the individuals who comprise it are also the agents of compassion and community. Through searing fires and icy winters, through churches and hospitals and orphanages, the city of multitudes looks after its own."
Sometimes you even get a happy ending.


text:
Zeta's shock after family death
Jul 7 2004
Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo
THE brother-in-law of Oscar winning actress Catherine Zeta Jones has been found dead in a New York apartment.
Police refused to say how stand up comedian Eric Douglas, 46, died, but it is believed that drugs were involved.
The half-brother to actor Michael Douglas and youngest son of screen icon Kirk had a long history of drink and drug addiction, spending time in rehabilitation clinics.
The Douglas family was "very shocked and saddened" after learning of the death, family spokesman Allen Burry said.
Eric Douglas had a short-lived acting career in the 1980s and early 1990s, playing supporting roles in movies such as Delta Force 3: The Killing Game.
He then moved on to try his hand at comedy, but struggled to match the success of his famous brother and sister-in-law.
He admitted he was envious of him for marrying the "sweet, charming, considerate" Miss Zeta Jones.
More recently, Mr Douglas attracted attention for his drug and alcohol problems.
In 1997 he pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine. In 1996, Eric Douglas spent a month in jail after being "loud and verbally abusive" on a flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, where he allowed his dog to roam free.
Michael Sands, a friend of Eric Douglas, said Douglas had made repeated attempts to get sober.
He said: "In the end, he must've been in a lot of pain", Sands said.
"He didn't know when to stop."
Top |
Back |
E-mail to a friend | Printable version


text:
• Yashraj Films manages digital promotions for their films with an in-house team
• cineMArkets was able to assist them with social media contests for Fan and Sultan
• Yashraj Films provided authentic merchandise for gratifying contest winners
• We also created video content to promote YRF movies, including vox pop videos
#Contest #SultanTrivia coming up! Lots of @yrf #Sultan Official Merchandise to be won! #Contest #ContestAlert #RT. pic.twitter.com/8elocG0VzY
— cineMArkets (@cineMArkets) July 5, 2016


text:
DateMar 25 , 2017
Doors Open1:30PM
AvailabilityBuy Tickets
2017 NCAA Men's Basketball West Regional
Saturday, March 25, 2017 3:09 PMAdd to Calendar
2017 NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship West Regional Ticket Information
Be there to Share The Experience™ with your family and friends at the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship West Regional, March 23 & 25, 2017, at SAP Center, hosted by the Pac-12 Conference.
The following ticket purchase options are available for the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship West Regional in San Jose:
- Purchase all-session tickets today (Three Games, Two Tickets/Sessions)
- Purchase The NCAA Experience® official ticket and hospitality packages now through PrimeSport, the Official Ticket and Hospitality Provider of the NCAA. View Packages
- Tickets can be bough and sold directly with other fans through the official NCAA Ticket Exchange.The NCAA Ticket Exchange allows fans to sell and buy official tickets online in an NCAA approved, safe and 100% guaranteed environment. Learn more about the NCAA Ticket Exchange.
NCAA, The NCAA Experience, NCAA Ticket Exchange and Share The Experience are trademarks owned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. All other licenses or trademarks are property of their respective holders.
Outlined below are a few "Key Things to Know" about Saturday's events as well as SAP Center at San Jose. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to call us at 408-287-7070.
Please arrive early!
NCAA guidelines require enhanced screening, including metal detector and/or hand wand screening of all guests attending the NCAA Men's Basketball West Regional games.
Due to the nature of the process, guests may encounter delays entering the building and are encouraged to arrive at least one hour prior to tip-off. All bags brought into SAP Center are subject to search. All guests, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to enter the venue.
Please keep in mind that there will be no in-and-out privileges, which means once you are inside the event you may not leave and return. Additionally, outside food and/or beverages will not be permitted inside SAP Center at San Jose.
Will Call opens at 1PM
Doors open at 1:30PM
Gonzaga vs. Xavier is scheduled to tip off at 3:09PM PT
*All times are subject to change
Driving to SAP Center?
Get turn by turn directions here.
Parking Options
Upon arrival at SAP Center at San Jose on Saturday, you will have a number of easily accessible on-site parking options for only $25 per car.
Additional parking options are available at varied prices and distances from the arena. You can view the full parking map here.
Taking public transportation?
With an extremely heavy volume of traffic expected for this event, we encourage all game attendees to take advantage of the San Jose Diridon station located immediately across the street from SAP Center.
This station location allows you to easily travel to and from the event via several public transportation options including Caltrain and VTA Light Rail.
SAP CENTER FAQs
Have questions about our venue?
Our entire SAP Center Guest Services team is here to make sure your visit to our venue is an exceptional one!
To help us do so, prior to your arrival to SAP Center, we encourage you to review all of our Frequently Asked Questions.
Need assistance with entry?
Guests requiring accessible parking and a convenient passenger drop-off area may park in SAP Center's ABC Parking Lot and enter through the North Entrance. The North Entrance is adjacent to the parking lot.
A complete list of accessibility services can be found here.
Tickets can only be bought online via ticketmaster.com.


text:
The Shopworn Angel (1938)
IMDb - 70%
The Shopworn Angel is a 1938 American drama film directed by H. C. Potter and starring James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, and Walter Pidgeon. The MGM release featured the second screen pairing of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart following their successful teaming in the Universal Pictures production Next Time We Love two years earlier. After the United States enters World War I in 1917, the limousine carrying Daisy Heath (Margaret Sullavan), a sophisticated Broadway musical theatre star, knocks down Bill Pettigrew (James Stewart), a naive young soldier from Texas. A policeman orders the chauffeur to take Bill back to camp. During the ride, he becomes slightly acquainted with the cynical, but not cold-hearted Daisy.


text:
Noted Blessing: I have great hair.
Commercial Truth: "I wear yoga pants because I'm too lazy for real pants."
Quote: "Kiss your life. Accept it just as it is. Today. Now. So that those moments of happiness your waiting for do not pass you by. Kiss your life today. Now. Just as it is."
MOOD: Inspired
MOM ADVICE: Know when to listen to her "suggestions". My mom has told me all my life I could never have bangs because my face is too round (most recently: "Maybe once you get your wisdom teeth out your cheeks won't be so chubby"... If anyone can think of a self respecting answer to that question, please let me know). I got bangs about a month ago (for the first time in my life). I love them and they make me happy. Also, the words "more mature", "chic", and "slimmer face" have been used by numerous people... so suck it, Mom.
On the other hand, her "suggestions" are probably a big part of my quest for never ending beauty and reason for the existence of this blog. All her backhanded (and fronthanded) "suggestions" come from a good place. Since I learned that it has been a lot easier to find her rational point and A) not respond B) exhibit temporary signs of deafness C) walk away D) use some combination of the above. (Gene perk: When I for real don't listen and am called out on it later, I get to blame it on the fact I am 100% my father -- Thanks Daddy!)
SIDEBAR: Mom, this was not meant to throw you under the bus. I was just having a particularly good bang day, and that got my thoughts rolling. I know you have Erin's and my best interests at heart with your unsolicited advice, and I really do appreciate everything you do... more than you know. Anything I say about you is more about what I have learned about myself from you, and I hope this helps you understand where I'm coming from. Your the best! (Maybe when I finally get my wisdom teeth out my face will actually be slimmer, and you can tell me to suck it... fingers crossed, I guess)
LYRIC: "I never lived the dreams of the prom kings and the drama queens. I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve." - John Mayer
Buster Pic:


text:
While Whitney crooned in the background I managed to get 12 blocks done. There were couple of stupid mistakes that resulted in making good use of my seam ripper (though these usually occurred, I must admit, when I was more focused on lip-syncing than stitching!) but on the whole all went smoothly!
(Don't look too closely - these haven't been squared up yet so the outer edges don't align properly!)
I think my favourite block has to be this one! The lines from the striped fabric make a really good frame for that central burst of colour!
So there you have it. All 36 blocks ready to be made into a gorgeous quilt! I did briefly consider cutting the sashing strips too but I'm still trying to pluck up the courage! The instructions tell me to fold the 1.75 yards of fabric, making sure that the selvedges are 'perfectly' aligned, and then start cutting. I'm slightly terrified by the word 'perfectly'. Is there NO room for a little human error?! Obviously, I don't want sashing strips that form a zig-zag when they are unfolded!!!
I was thrilled to tick these blocks off of my to-do list!
With rotary cutter standing in for a microphone, I strutted around the room performing my own rendition of 'Queen of the Night' in sheer celebration.
Archie caught my eye.
And then swiftly dropped his gaze....
Can't think why!
More soon


text:
Canadian province is plagued by asbestos-related workplace fatalities17 Apr 2017 by Sarah Mahan under News
Canada's Saskatchewan province has more workplace fatalities due to asbestosis than any other ailment or injury, according to last year's annual report. Of the 31 total workplace deaths in the province — a slight decrease from 2015 — one was due to heart attack, four were due to motor vehicle injuries, nine were listed traumatic deaths and 14 were related to occupational diseases. Thirteen of the 14 occupational disease deaths were caused by asbestosis.
As the name suggests, asbestosis is a lung disease caused by the inhalation of asbestos, which was once used in a variety of construction and manufacturing processes and is now known to cause cancer. Canada is in the process of completely banning its use. Asbestosis results in scar tissue forming in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. About one in seven people who suffer from asbestosis eventually develop lung cancer, MyMeso reported. It usually does not appear until many years after continued exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is typical of health risks associated with asbestos. For example, mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, is often not diagnosed until decades after the exposure occurred.
The report notes workplace fatalities in the region are not decreasing as expected. "A recent analysis of fatalities shows the trend line for the fatality rate decreased by 18.24 percent from 2002 to 2016," it states. "This suggests a very slow rate of decline over the past 14 years. This slow rate of decline is a significant concern for WorkSafe," which is planning to conduct more research to determine the cause.
CBC News reports Saskatchewan was Canada's first province to pass mandatory asbestos reporting regulations for public buildings, though critics note not requiring private property owners to do so continues to put public health at risk.


text:
Quite often I say that words do matter. Language is for the purpose of communicating; and the clearer the communications are, the better. With this in mind, the following is a list of words which I no longer use. I no longer use them because they do not serve well the desire of clear communication.
I wrote an entire blog post on this topic some time ago. To read it, go here. In short, there is no evidence that we humans have a spirit or anything supernatural that survives death. Therefore, there is nothing that can be spiritual (spirit-ual), and there is no such thing as the subject of spirituality. It literally doesn't exist. If you are awed by something – fine! But it's not spiritual. I am not a spirit, there is nothing that is best described as spiritual, and there is no such thing as spirituality.
Passed Away
This is related to the above. When a person dies, the person is gone. The person no longer exists. The person has not passed away to anything else. The atoms in the body are recirculated back into the universe (with a lower case "u" please). But the person who once was no longer exists and has not transitioned into anything else. I've even heard atheists use the term passed away. No, the person has died. The person lives on only in the memories of those that knew him/her. It's death, not any sort of passing.
What does natural mean? Something that is derived from nature (i.e. the Earth)? Where else would it come from? How can anything be un-natural? Even so-called synthetic substances are created with things from nature. Again, where else would they come from? Mars? Oh, so maybe natural is something that is only as it is found in nature. Ah, so that means unless you are strictly a forager, whatever you are having for dinner is not in its "natural" state. You have to change the way it was found by cooking it and adding spices and combining it with other things that were not on it in the first place. The bottom line is that everything is "natural" and therefore the word is useless.
Who knows absolutely 100% that there is a god or that there is not a god? The answer is no one. Therefore everyone on Earth is agnostic. Therefore the word is useless. I'm an atheist, which means that I have not seen sufficient evidence about the existence of a god; and because of that, I have come to the conclusion that it is overwhelmingly highly probable that a god does not exist. The term agnostic is useless. The term atheist comes with a clear explanation of my position.
Toxic Substance/Chemical
The scientific principle states: the dose makes the poison. Everything in our world is a chemical. And every chemical has a level below which it is not toxic to humans, and above which, it is. There are chemicals which are beneficial – even essential – to the life of a human that, at a certain level, become harmful. The level at which a substance can be harmful to humans varies greatly from one chemical to another. But no matter what reputation a chemical has for toxicity, there is a level that famously "toxic" substances are not harmful, and there is a level that famously "good" substances become harmful. Therefore, there is no such thing as a toxic substance/chemical.
I don't understand why we even need this word. Do we have "consciousness"? If by that we mean something beyond the functioning brain in our bodies, I would say no. That's it. We have a body with a brain. Through evolution, the brain has developed into something that can think and reason to a higher degree than has been observed in the history of the earth. Fine. But that doesn't mean that there is anything else to be said. The word consciousness seems to imply something beyond the body with a brain, for which there is no evidence. Even some atheists use the word consciousness. But it's a misleading word at best. I think what is referred to as "consciousness" is merely the human brain, which for each of us stops at some point and we are no longer.
I may come up with other words to add to this list in the future. So, stay tuned!


text:
On August 12th, 2012 at 8:03am, I was sadly notified by my Facebook Newsfeed, my version of the morning paper, that Morgan Freeman was DEAD. Doing what I thought was best, I notified all my friends of his passing by sharing the original post and left my heart felt response. I was devastated and went about my day remembering all the different films Morgan Freeman had starred in and appreciating how many lives he must have touched. Then about a month later, I logged into my Facebook feed to find out that Morgan Freeman had died AGAIN!… This time it was a terrible traffic accident but strangely last time it was different he had died from a from a tragic ski accident. I scratched my head and immediately started searching the news feeds for any updates on the subject. Nothing. It appeared for the first time that I was the victim of some sort of social media prank…but even worse what about poor Morgan Freeman! I learned a very valuable lesson. Just because you read it on Facebook doesn't make it fact. Check your sources!
In response to this story, we recently launched a photo we found on our own Facebook page of Abraham Lincoln that was captioned "Don't believe everything you read on the internet because there is a picture with a quote next to it."
Check this post out and other fun pieces of inspiration and intrigue at: www.facebook.com/silvrsocial
We all have friends that over exaggerate. We all have acquaintances that lie. We have all witnessed and most of us have fallen victim to the game of telephone and the vicious high school rumor. So we all have to REMEMBER to read social media posts, look at online images, and operate social media with the same philosophy we learned in elementary school: Don't believe everything you hear! Or in this case: Don't believe everything you see, hear or follow!
"Like Mark Twain, I keep reading that I have died. I hope those stories are not true." said Morgan Freeman* in response to his death hoaxes. If I would have checked a valid news source before concluding that Morgan Freeman died, I would have saved myself, my friends, their friends and whomever else inadvertently virally saw my post the heartbreak of MF's death. So long live Morgan Freeman and may we ALL be the wiser!


text:
Pro Tools
festival or a film
•Submit film to festivals Promote for free or with Promo Packages
Filmfestivals.com + fest21.com merger
Enjoy here the best of both worlds: Portal with Film & Fest News and Social network for the festival community.
Since 1995 we connect films to festivals and document the world of festivals worldwide.
User login
Active Members
Who's online
There are currently 0 users and 29 guests online.
Aviva Press
Aviva Press, the e-press service in entertainment news, fashion, film festivals, music festivals, festival awards, television news, technology news, and celebrity photos.
Consensus New York 2017 Photo Coverage
The Second Annual Proof-of-Work Award honoring the best innovation among entrepreneurs and startups in the blockchain technology (decentralized database) and cryptocurrencies (digital currencies) went to WILL WARREN and AMIR BANDEALI of 0x.
13.08.2017 | Aviva Press's blog
Cat. : Bitcoin Blockchain Technology Brian Lam Consensus 2017 Cryptocurrencies Daniel Larimer David Janczewski Erik Voorhees Ethereum John Whelan Joseph Lubin Joseph Weinberg Kokuei Yuan Guo Meltem Demirors Miguel Vias Mike Belshe Muneeb Ali New York Nicole Martinez Peter Smith Ryan Selkis Ryan Shea Sandra Ro Will Warren Zooko Wilcox News PEOPLE
Useful Links
The Bulletin Board
> The Bulletin Board Blog
Useful links for the indies:
> Celebrities / Headlines / News / Gossip
About Aviva Press
User videos
David Dangoor Honors Its Founders Morrie Yohai, Haim Shiran, and Janice Ovadiah at the 14th NY Sephardic Jewish Film Fest
User images
Comments for user content
User contributions
Latest comments
Recent audio


text:
This content may collect you by Jackson Aiden
We will quote to you most important and trendy news about NHL of the best sport sites Like : "yahoo" and the most famous Critics sports : Greg Wyshynski
daily : 2017-01-19 & on time : 11:5
as declared in
NHL adds crazy shot accuracy event to All-Star Skills Competition
image uploaded by "yahoo" site
With the glorious prop comedy of the Breakaway Challenge dead and buried by the NHL and its players, the All-Star Skills Competition needed a replacement event.According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the new event is going to basically be Score-O on steroids.Here are the details on "The Four-Line Challenge" at the Los Angeles All-Star Game:With the demise of the breakaway challenge, which was as much the players' decision as the league's, the skills competition adds what's called "The Four Line Challenge" as a replacement.Players will try to hit targets in the net from the closest blueline, centre ice, the far blueline and then the opposite goal line.
about the details read more from here
NHL to introduce the 'Four Line Challenge' during All-Star Skills Competition
image uploaded by "thecomeback" site
The NHL has already cut the breakaway challenge from the All-Star Skills Competition, but a new entertaining replacement might've been found.Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.ca reports the All-Star game will feature a new competition titled "The Four Line Challenge." The new event will see players try to hit targets from particular spots on the ice.Think the accuracy challenge, but on crack."With the demise of the breakaway challenge, which was as much the players' decision as the league's, the skills competition adds what's called "The Four Line Challenge" as a replacement.
about the details read more from here
NHL All-Star Skills Competition Saying Goodbye to Breakaway Challenge
image uploaded by "puckprose" site
Jan 30, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; General view of the 2016 All Star game logo on the ice before the 2016 NHL All Star Game Skills Competition at Bridgestone Arena.Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsNY Rangers Henrik Lundqvist Needs to Wake Up and Help His Team Win by Santagata JJWho Can Forget the Fun Gags That Came As A Result of the Breakaway Challenge at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition?Well, Say Goodbye to the Gags, the Good and Bad, As the All-Star Competition Says Goodbye to the Breakaway Challenge For Good.NHL fans have loved the breakaway challenge in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition from the moment they saw it for the first time.


text:
Here's Addie trying it out. (Please ignore the wild hair. lol)
Here's the shot of our new office area. The flooring was peel and stick tile from Lowes. We had to purchase two boxes so I think it was like $35 for the floor plus we had to purchase some underlayment since the floor was way uneven. That was $20 I believe. We also had to purchase a room divider t-moulding thing because we were transiting from one type of flooring to another. That was probably the most expensive item at $35 for the one piece. Sheesh! The desk I found at another thrift store for $4. So, total this project ran us around $100 total. But, getting rid of another eyesore in my house and marking another project off our list is priceless to me! =) Have a blessed day.
Linking up to thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com


text:
Submit Online
Fill out our short form secured with 256-bit technology.
Simple Lender-Approval
After the approval, review all terms and rates at the lender's website.
Check Your Bank
Get cash deposited into your hand as soon as the 24 hours.
Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia
Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia : 256-Bit SSL protected loans. Zero Fax and Short-Term Purposes! Get started and see what we offer.
Cash Advance available online at Here. Get up to one thousand dollar with Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia. We support the answer to all of your instant needs for short term. When you submit your loan request, Our work is to examine a payday lenders who will help you money on the best terms, given your situation. Applying is easy and straigtforward. Get Cash Overnight # Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia.
Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia, This site is not a lender, doesn't make lending decisions, or provide payday advance instantly. Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia keyword is a fit service for lead buyers, and doesn't constitute any loans provider or lending service. Cash Advance North Vancouver British Columbia gives this connecting service without spending a time, and confirm that a completed software. Money transfer times may vary between lenders and in some circumstances. faxing isn't required. This service is not available in all states and the states serviced may change from from time to time with out notice. Typically lenders won't perform credit checks.
Happily Served Over:
Payday Loans Grand Bay Westfield New Brunswick, Short Term Loans Springfield Missouri, Cash Advance Annapolis Nova Scotia, Greendot Prepaid Credit Card, Payday Loans Port Alberni British Columbia,


text:
Spain: Capital, Madrid
Madrid in 1561, seen from the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, Philip II's residence in the city. Picture provided by Oronoz.
Spain: Capital, Madrid
The geographic isolation of Madrid is one of the determinant causes of Spain's historical anomaly and its late incorporation into modernity
El País: España, capital Madrid
By César Molinas, published March 4, 2012
Since ancient times, people have chosen to establish communities close to the sea or navigable rivers. The principal reason for that was transportation: since there were no highways, railways, or airports, water was the fastest, cheapest, and safest medium of travel. Along with merchandise sailed the inseparable companions of commerce: ideas and innovations. The principal European capitals – London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, Moscow – had immediate access to sea or river transport. The exception is Madrid, which is located on a high plane hundreds of kilometers from the closest navigable body of water. The town of Manzanares (its old name) has another relevant geographic characteristic: at 655 meters (2149 ft) of elevation, it is higher up than Bern or Vaduz. Madrid is, after Andorra la Vella, the highest capital in Europe, which illustrates how grueling it was to access.
Who had the bright idea of putting a capital city in a place with such adverse geography? History says that it was Philip II, following his father's advice to establish a fixed capital. Even then, the Austrian had three obvious choices: Seville, Lisbon, and Barcelona. The last he probably rejected for political reasons: after crushing the commoners' rebellion, the king had much more power in the kingdom of Castile than he did in the kingdom of Aragon. Lisbon could have seemed like a too-recent incorporation to the empire (it had passed to his control through his own marriage).
But Seville? Why, with the empire fully engaged in its American enterprises, didn't the monarch establish himself in Seville? Considering the psychology of a person who, committed to installing himself in the center of the peninsula, did not even choose Toledo but instead elected Madrid – the third largest community in Castile at the time, but one without a bishop – one could venture that Philip II didn't want to be close to anyone who could overshadow him, a hypothesis backed up because, unsatisfied with the solitude of the Madrileño panorama, the sovereign decided to climb up the cliff of El Escorial, where even now he rests in his tomb.
Things being as they were, this town took in the court. This was, in my opinion, a transcendent event in Spanish history, one which indelibly marked the Spanish worldview (weltanschauung), culture, economy, and society. To put it more clearly: the geographic aberration of Madrid is one of the determinant causes of the anomalous history of Spain: that is to say, its failure to incorporate itself into modernity. In this article, I will focus on its economic consequences and territorial coordination, leaving other dimensions of this phenomenon to future articles.
For centuries, Madrid was just a court, situated in the inaccessible center of one corner of Europe, isolated from economic and commercial currents and ideas and innovation along with them. In this context, the Spanish elite, which had projected themselves worldwide in the 16th century, trended toward a rough immobilism in religious, cultural, social, and economic spheres. Along with that, as we'll see in the third article of this series, Spain lost the centripetal force which had united the diverse possessions of the monarchy, even in the places where the sun didn't shine. Madrid was characterized more by what it lacked than by what it had. As a court, it had, like all courts, courtesans, painters, musicians, and writers. As a village, it lacked the ambition of traders and entrepreneurs and the activity of scientists and engineers. Nor did it have the circulation of ideas. The reactionary court, unlike those of other European countries, never had the counterweight of a dynamic, industrious, and culturally enterprising city that could contribute to bringing Spain closer to the new waves that were transforming Europe. The isolation of the governing elite helped turn Spain into a bastion of resistance to early Protestant reform and every kind of progress afterward, as illustrated by the delicious anecdote that the list of 400 Spanish subscribers to the French Encyclopedia was headed by the Grand Inquisitor and the other principal executives of the Divine Office of the Inquisition. (Which shows admirable professionalism on the inquisitors' part, I must say.)
The only reason to go to Madrid was to see the king. And people went to see him because, as Luis Garicano likes to point out, the only way to be rich in Spain was to be the son of a rich man or to be close to the king. In the heat of this court developed a Castilian capitalism, badly labeled finance capitalism, based on capturing rent and being close to power, which is typically Madrileño and has continued to be the dominant form of capitalism in our country to this day. In terms of their conceptions of business and the world, there is great consistency between nineteenth century historical figures like Fernando Muñoz, General Serrano, and the Marquis of Salamanca and the people who sit in the royal box of Santiago Bernabéu (football club Real Madrid's stadium) today. It's the same way of prospering: through political power, thanks to the BOE (Official Bulletin of the State), which has continued publication, unaltered, for centuries. How else can one explain, for example, the recent two year moratorium on preregistration of solar power plants so that the first correspondents can be covered? Is this not rent-seeking behavior? Ask about it in the Bernabeu.
In a recent book, El declive de los dioses (The Decline of the Gods), Mariano Guindal, whose pen recalls the brush Goya used to paint La familia de Carlos IV (The Family of Charles IV), writes fascinating reportage about the last 40 years of Castilian capitalism. The most egregious figures in that get-rich-quick culture – entrepreneurs, politicians, unionists, achievers, bishops, condottieres, and con men – form an ever-changing tableau in which the only constant is the business model, if you can even call it that. The gods fall, but Olympus doesn't. Highly recommended.
The great Spanish businesses that have become multinationals – Telefónica, Banco Santander, Repsol, BBVA – are all regulated businesses which, regardless of the success they've had in capturing their respective regulators, are all too big, and they all now depend on the BOE. More than a few of their current directors have been favored by the ruling government, a practice which I fear will continue for the near future. In any case, these businesses are the most evolved and most equivalent instantiations of Castilian capitalism. Another group of businesses which has internationalized on a large scale, perhaps by virtue of necessity, is made up of the biggest public works constructors. They aren't regulated, but they depend on the BOE more than anyone else.
Are there any relevant players in the Spanish economy that haven't fallen under the paradigm of Castilian capitalism? In fact, there are. Businesses like Inditex, Mango, Abengoa (despite its love for the BOE), Mercadona, Gamesa, and many others follow different paradigms and have relevant commonalities. First of all, they are companies that stemmed from an entrepreneur's vision of the future. This is a very important subject that I will go into more detail about in the next article. Suffice it to say that all the regulated businesses mentioned in the previous paragraph are lead by businessmen, some of them very good ones, but none of them by entrepreneurs. Botín, for example, has made Santander one of the best banks in the world, but he has never invented a new way of banking. Amancio Ortega, on the other hand, has invented a new way of producing, distributing, and selling confections. He has changed the world, not just his business. This is the root of the difference between a businessman and an entrepreneur. The first has a vision of his business; the second, the world. But we'll leave this for the next article.
The second relevant feature of the unregulated companies I mentioned is that they are all on the periphery of the country: Galician, Catalonian, Navarrese, Levantine, or Andalucian. Coincidence? I think not: Spanish industrial capitalism, which was weaker than Castilian capitalism, has always developed on the periphery, close to navigable water. It has always been a timid capitalism, parochial and lacking ambition, as much in politics as in economics, although in this last respect it could have stretched itself out in the heat of globalization, abandoning the protectionist postures that have persisted since the '90s.
Madrid's status as capital has formed Spain not only ideologically and economically but also physically. Germà Bel, to whom this article owes much more than just its title, wrote in his last, indispensable book, España, capital París (Spain: Capital, Paris), about how Madrid developed as political capital of Spain under the Bourbons. They were inspired by Paris's traits as capital to design six "royal highways" (today's highways A-1 through A-6) financed by the crown which radically reorganized Spanish territory forever. The motivation for the design was, and continues to be, strictly political – that notices and orders to the provinces circulate quickly and arrive everywhere at the same time – and had no economic logic whatsoever. Even today, this radical scheme is the paradigm for the way the Spanish administration operates. The principals of financing for the national communication network have not changed: the radial web is publicly funded, but everything else is privately funded. That is to say, the Mediterranean corridor has it rough, as the recent resurrection of the central corridor demonstrates. Madrid's current status as economic capital, achieved in recent decades due to Barcelona's confusion provoked by Catalonian self-absorption, added to 18th century policies, probably makes its status as total capital of the country irreversible. This should be the fact that determines whether future projects are politically viable.
I'll finish with a counterfactual. What would Spain be like today if Philip II had chosen Seville as capital instead of Madrid? Would it be very different from what we know today? My intuition says yes, it would be very different, culturally, economically, and geographically. The city and court would have interacted much more; ideas would have circulated much more; the court and king would have had more contact with the real world. The Mediterranean access would probably be the country's center of gravity, and Seville's millennial wisdom would have contributed the touch of skepticism that has always been lacking in the round and mineral thought processes of the Spanish elites. "Look, César," an ancient Sevillian aristocrat once said to me, "For the last two thousand years, we Roman patricians have had a divine life here…"
César Molinas, mathematician and economist, is Barcelonese by birth and
Madrileño by adoption. He has been an academic, leader, and investment
banker. He is now dedicated to biomedicine risk capital and to consulting.
View of the "Four Towers" of Madrid. Photo by Álvaro García.
Tags: history of madrid, why is madrid capital of spainYou can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
5 Comments on "Spain: Capital, Madrid"
March 7, 2012 at 12:52 am
Many thanks for this.
March 7, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Well, I dont't want to push my luck but this article is the first of a series: there are three more in the offing …


text:
Honeymoon Suite
This secluded bungalow includes a deluxe king-size bed. The honeymoon suite features a beautiful, hand-laid stone bathroom and shower. The outdoor garden area is the perfect place for couples to relax and take-in the unspoiled night sky, see a sunset, or just relax while you read a book. This room is a work of art as each detail was thoughtfully designed with your comfort in mind.


text:
Philander fails to save Western Province
Griqualand West 311 and 146 for 4 beat Western Province 173 and 283 (Philander 168) by 6 wickets
In Kimberley, Griqualand West notched up a six-wicket win against Western Province. A massive 168 from Vernon Philander was not enough to save Province after their first innings debacle of 173. It was a virtual one-man show from Philander: apart from his marathon five-and-a-half hour century, he also scored 66 in the first innings, and had match figures of 5 for 92. It still couldn't prevent defeat, though, as Griquas reached the target of 146 with six wickets to spare.
Eastern Province 230 for 9 dec and 166 beat Boland 109 and 229 (Howell 4-38) by 58 runs
At Boland Park in Paarl, Eastern Province beat Boland by 58 runs after restricting the home team to 229 in their second innings. Chasing a target of 288, Boland had a glimmer of hope when the middle order took the score to 207 for 6 after an early collapse had reduced the team to 18 for 3. Grant Howell, the top run-scorer for Eastern Province in their first innings, triggered the lower-order collapse, ending the day with 4 for 38 as Eastern Province registered their first win of the season.
Border 282 for 9 dec and 207 for 5 (Bradfield 61, Matika 57, Pillay 3-47) drew with KwaZulu-Natal 305 for 6 dec (Mall 96, Madsen 90, Hinkel 3-93)
Rain and bad light in East London over all three days of the game ensured that Border and KwaZulu-Natal could only play out a draw. Nineties from Ashraf Mall and Wayne Madsen helped Natal to a healthy 305 for 6 when, in an attempt to manufacture a result, they declared inside the mandatory 85 overs. Warwick Hinkel was the most successful bowler for Border, taking three of the six wickets to fall. Half-centuries from Michael Matika and Carl Bradfield - his second of the match - ensured that Border comfortably batted out the remaining overs.
Free State 419 and 303 for 9 dec (du Preez 89, Summers 74, de Bruin 5-124, Mafa 4-78), beat Gauteng 270 and 296 (Harris 98, Crookes 51, Tshabalala 4-70) by 156 runs Scorecard
A target of 453 put the match at the Wanderers well out of reach for Gauteng as Free State ran away winners by 156 runs. With the target not attainable, Gauteng failed in their attempt to bat out for a draw as Thandi Tshabalala spun his side to a win with four wickets. Matthew Harris fell just two short of his century when he was trapped leg-before for 98. A quick 51 from Derek Crookes entertained the few spectators present at the ground, but it didn't save Gauteng from defeat.