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Welcome to VulvaVelvet.org's Second Female Experiences Page!
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Your stories, pictures and experiences are always welcome for publication here.
Female masturbation techniques
After reading techniques on masturbation, I just had to share mine with you. I love a shaved pussy because the clitoris can have more sensation when I'm wearing jeans.
The seam rubs in all the right places. My favorite place while I'm fingering my clitoris is on the bed. I put a stack of towels under my ass to have my pussy pointing up. I put a mirror near my clit so I can see all the action. I start by circling my tittie nipples with my finger and kneading my tits.
I think about the ecstasy that is to come, and I move my right hand down to my pussy. I stroke and knead the mound, pulling at the lips. By now, I'm starting to get wet.
I finger the clit just a little, then insert a finger in my cunt. I lick off the pussy juice from my finger which really starts the action. With my left hand, I push down and up on my mound in order to expose my clitoris.
My legs are spread wide and while pushing down, I spread the pussy lips as wide as I can with my left hand. Then the magic begins. If my clit is not glistening by now, I apply some spit on my right index finger. I continue to finger my cunt and clit and lick my pussy juices from my index finger. Yummy.
I pull up the hood of my clitoris to expose it and start to rub up and down and alternate with finger fucking myself. Now the pussy juices are flowing and I can hardly keep from lapping the juice off my finger. I get my clit all engorged and hot by rubbing real fast from side to side, flicking that little nub that clicks back and forth.
I can feel the clit heating up and ready to explode, so I switch to a hard up and down finger action on the clit, sliding up and down on my glistening clitty.
When I start to come, I push down on my clitoris with my index finger and bear down and push my pussy mouth and I squirt like a fountain.
After the clit and pussy explosion, I put my hand over my clitoris and mound to feel it pulse. Sometimes when I come, I stick a finger up my cunt and keep my magic index finger on my clit. The pounding sensation is great. Of course, at the end, I lick my fingers to taste my pure pussy juice. Delicious.
I gently rub my pussy, caressing it and loving it before I start all over again. I'm so wet from writing this that I have to take matters in hand and love my clitoris and pussy now. Bye!
Firstly, when I get excited, I start to pull one side of my panties aside and rub my clit. As I begin to get wet and my pussy starts to get slippery from all that juice, I hurriedly get undressed.
I then get my make-up mirror and place it on the edge of a stool, turn on a lamp nearby. Now, I spread my legs wide open over the mirror and position the mirror so that the lights reflect like a spot light on my pussy.
Due to the lack of clothing, I now have both hands free to spread my pussy open, examine it in all its glory and angles, rub or roll the clit between my fingers and watch my clit get so wet and engorged......then I push back on the hood and see my wet glistening pussy and clit in all its glory. When it is like this, I can rub my clit directly.
The good thing is that make up mirrors also have a magnifying side to get a up-close view of my pussy and swollen clit. Sometimes I get so horny that I will spread open my pussy lips so that I can rub my clit on a hard vibrator in an upward and downward motion ....... it is so good to reach orgasm in this way.
I have fond memories of my super boyfriend and me masturbating each other in daylight in parking areas when I was a young woman. Wanking while a man I love watches and simultaneously pleasures himself is as a result now probably my greatest turn on.
The best experience we ever had was to keep my pussy waxed. This really turned my boyfriend on 9actually it still does, though he is my hubby now) and it turns me on because I love showing it off. I always enjoy a good face fuck, riding his face while he masturbates - I try and time my orgasm for when he spurts everywhere.....
I love this over soixante-neuf since when we do that and the closer I come to my own massive orgasm the less I am able to pay much useful attention to his cock in my mouth and so I miss out giving him the rhythm he needs.
The best mutual masturbation session is when he stands or kneels over me looking very dominant with a big upright cock and then ejaculates powerfully all over my breasts as I finger my cunt.
35 year old man and 32 year old woman
She says: About 4 weeks ago my boyfriend asked me "What do you fantasize about?" I was reluctant to share with him, but finally explained I love girl-on-girl sex fantasies. I think this was something he never expected me to say! But, of course, like most men, he was more than ok with the thought of two women doing each other!
Our conversation lead on to a discussion of other stuff as we were laying in bed in a very intimate moment: I said how I love to masturbate, told him how often I do it, how I do it, and he wanted to hear everything. This was so liberating for us both - and my very favorite way of masturbating is now also one of his.
I sit on the toilet, spread my legs wide, and feel my clit engorge almost immediately. My boyfriend kneels down in front of me and fingers my pussy, rubbing my G-spot while he licks my titties.
This feels pretty good, especially as we are exchanging erotic words which make me hotter and wetter as I rub all around my clitoris. Just before I reach orgasm I ejaculate all over his hand.
As you can imagine, this is incredibly sexy and of course he's just so hot and aroused that when I recover enough to get to the bed he's got his cock in me so fast it seems like one big blur. After pumping on me, he pulls out and starts masturbating his cock. I help him with this sometimes, but naturally he knows just how to stimulate himself, and I love to watch him do this!
I get so excited! When he is going to come, I let him choose whether to cum inside me or shoot up between my breasts and all over my belly - this gets me even hotter, then I have to masturbate again as I just love the smell and taste of his semen.....all in all we are having the time of our lives!
Her partner adds: Another thing we do is play Top and Bottom where one of us serves the other, sexually. Bottom doesn't always get an orgasm since it has to be earned through a very good service for Top! I was Bottoming for her and sometimes she wouldn't let me inside her, but she could enjoy me without letting me reach orgasm.
She often masturbates by straddling a pillow and rubbing against it, so she also likes to take me lying on my back while pulling her labia back and straddling my upper thigh. She can wrap her legs tightly around my thigh, and hump my leg vigorously while she hugs me.
She also likes me to play with her nipples as she does this, and in my frustration, to try and get off I would squeeze my cock against her thigh - which didn't work but thrilled her, knowing how helpless and desperate for release I was!
She sometimes rocks away for an hour, with two or more slow orgasms. If she has trouble reaching orgasm she will make me open my legs so she is able to squeeze or slap my balls.
My anguished response brings her off pretty quickly - and she even gives me head afterwards, or climbs on top and fucks me, so aroused is she! Another masturbation technique she's used a lot is to lie on her back, her legs wide apart, with me kneeling between her legs with my cock arranged so its head touches her clit.
I dip the glans into her cunt to wet it, then hold her labia wide with my hands. She grabs my cock and uses it to masturbate, back and forth against her clit.
If she spanks her clit with my cock, it gets her to orgasm very quickly! I have to use all my self-control not to ejaculate over her there and then! This technique gives her powerful orgasms, but she is always annoyed afterwards - I eventually figured out it's because I wasn't supposed to resist temptation, she actually wanted me to fulfill her powerful rape fantasies and take her there and then!
We get in the hot tub with the jets powered low to start. I position a jet towards my pussy lips holding them open with my hands; this opens my vagina so that the water jet goes all around my clitoris, shooting on it so that it begins to swell and throb. My partner sits in front of me and starts to stroke my breasts and nipples - which are incredibly sensitive, and the feeling goes right down to my clitoris and pussy.
I get wet really quickly - my own juices, I mean! - at which point he adds fuel to my fire by licking my nipples, which means I start to moan and tell him how hot my pussy is and how my clitoris is throbbing away, going erect and beginning to need some manual stimulation.
He begins to bite my nipples gently at this point, which makes me even more excited and aroused, so we turn the jest up and give my pussy the full flow! the water hits me with full force, and while he sucks and bites on my breasts I talk about the heat of my pussy and give him the chance to see the lips pulled back - all of which means i cannot resist having a massive orgasm and of course by this time he is as hard as he ever gets, so we generally end by having rollicking sex in the tub!
My boyfriend and I live a long way apart so we must take every chance we have to enjoy each other! this has led to some amazing sex experiences, as you can imagine.
I love to masturbate in front of him, we are real exhibitionists, which seems to add to the thrill of sex, and of course when I masturbate in front of him it makes me feel as horny as heck; then suddenly this one time we were playing like this he started to lick my pussy and give me a good rubbing on my clitoris.
I thought that it might be fun for him to put some food in my cunt and eat it out - sure enough, he found a strawberry or two and pushed them gently into me.
Then he sucked slowly and got them out, ate them both in front of me, then kissed me so I could taste the mixture of vaginal juice and strawberry juice.
This was so sexy and turned him on so much that I lost my virginity to him. As he entered me I came in a massive orgasm, I was so turned on, and I want woman to masturbate with their partners because it is just so exciting and you never know what the outcome will be!
To start I often give my boyfriend a show - maybe a striptease, maybe a chance to get my pussy hot and worked up for him - I just love the exhibitionism there is for me in showing my beautiful body with all its seductive curves off to him. I have so many toys in the bedside cabinet that I can entertain myself for hours with slow masturbation, and if I am doing this for my boyf, he is forbidden to touch me.
This gets him hot and frustrated! he generally starts saying what he's going to do to me - very rude things, as you can imagine - when he gets the chance - which turns me on even more (the though of his stiff cock penetrating me and slowly thrusting deep into me makes me go weak at the knees!).
When I've pleasured myself he beats his cock off over me, which really turns us both on - I like to think I have the power to make him so horny that his spunk flies everywhere as he wanks off over me! I regularly hump the cushions on the sofa or even a pillow, or a blanket bunched up as I lie face down on the bed.
I can thrust really hard into the bed and bring myself off with a wonderful orgasm as he watches - by which time he is ready to go again! I lie flat on the bed, showing him everything between my legs, and start pumping my hips - it isn't long before he joins me, and then he is thrusting into me harder and harder, as we fuck on the bed.
My clit feels so good that coming once just isn't enough - even if he can't manage a second time, I will hump the bed faster, while he watches me form behind, catching an eyeful of my ass....usually he finds that he has to beat off again before I come, or he will shove his huge dick in me. He tells me to "Fuck me like you fucked the bed," and off we go again!
My name is Bobbie. I am 51 years old and am happily married. My husband and I often masturbate together. I love to watch his hands stroke his hard cock while I rub my clit, find my G-spot, or rub myself with a big vibrator.
He loves to watch me, too, and knowing he is watching me masturbate makes me spread my legs even farther so he can get a good view. I love to climax while he is watching.
I love to see him climax as well. I can often orgasm by grasping his penis as he orgasms, and I watch the white semen pump out over both our hands.
Another technique we love is for him to place his penis against my vulva and masturbate himself while I play with myself. He rubs my clit and the opening to my vagina, occasionally even slipping his penis in, but then removing it as we continue masturbating. When I get really juicy, he sometimes slides his penis downward, or I thrust my hips up, and his penis rubs my anus. That drives me really crazy!
He used to slip his penis into my vagina just as he was climaxing, but I prefer for him to orgasm all over my vulva. That is very hot, watching his hot semen spurt all over my pussy and hand. I would guess we masturbate together more frequently than we have regular sex.
I have enclosed some pictures of my vulva as well as me masturbating. The thought of all those hot eyes out there looking at me is very stimulating. I get very wet when my husband takes pictures of me like this. I hope you can use them. Would you be so kind as to email me when you post them?
I thought I knew everything there was to know about orgasms, until my husband gave me a "clitoral blow job": sucking my clit! Since he works out of town during the week, I've come (no pun intended) up with a great, cheap substitution that works AMAZINGLY well!! All you need is an empty water bottle, 1 liter soda bottle, or something similar.
When you've done all the fun stuff to get yourself worked up into a delicious frenzy and can't wait any longer, squeeze the sides of the water bottle to get the air out, put the hole over your clit, and let the sides go.
It will suction onto your clit and suck it up into the bottle a little! With one hand holding the water bottle, you can give yourself the female version of a handjob! It's AWESOME if you're one of those lucky ladies that has a large and sensitive clit! Happy bottling!
My wife and I enjoy masturbating together. We enjoy watching each other's orgasms at the same time. Both of us own TEN's units and various accessories we use to enjoy masturbation - these include vaginal and anal inserts as well as amazing clitoral and penile stimulators.
However we agree the most exciting and mind blowing orgasms we have ever achieved together are the ones we get from urethral inserts.
Hers insert is almost 3 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter, while mine is much longer at 9 inches long and 3/8 inches diameter, so long in fact that it can get in as far as my prostrate. We always sit facing towards each other and she will gently insert mine into me after which I insert hers into her, we use KY-liquid as lube and at the same time we will insert an anal probe - this is so so sexy - into each other.
That makes contact between the anus and the urethral probes so that the exquisite vibration sensations are stimulating her anus, G-spot and clitoris and on me they stimulate my anus, penis and prostate. To add a twist, she controls my TEN's unit and I control the level of hers.
As you'd expect, we start with low frequency and gradually build it higher as our orgasms approach - when they begin, we hold the units at that frequency.
I have enjoyed some multiple orgasms which I guess were about one to two minutes apart and maybe three to four at the most, but my wife can come again and again ten to fifteen times, after which she is just spent and we have to pause for a while. We enjoy this activity a couple of times over about an hour, after which we have intercourse which again hits intense climax.
Mutual masturbation
This has provided the most intense orgasms we have ever experienced. A sexy DVD always gets us in the mood quickly. We then lie next to each other, and when we are turned on, we begin to slowly touch each other. Her left hand will stroke my cock while my right hand caresses her clitoris.
She's normally already wet from watching the action.
I'm hard and erect just thinking about our mutual masturbation to come. Our breathing gets faster, she begins moving her pelvis up to meet my touch on her clit, my cock's throbbing in her hand. Soon she slides her fingers slowly down between her legs, spreading her labia, playing with her clit.
She moves my hand to feel her breast, touch her nipple, feeling it grow and harden under my fingers. Her fingers run circles around her clitoris, rubbing harder all the time.
She slips a finger in between her labia, pushing it deep inside herself. Then she goes back to her clit, and begins to caress the right side, which is her sensitive side. Her left hand will all the while be stroking me; I'm incredibly excited knowing she is touching herself in this way. I put my right arm underneath her body and then will reach around so I can feel her right nipple, all the while pinching her left with my other hand and fingers.
She's a woman fortunate enough to have large and long nipples, which get very hard from my stimulation. I have to be careful, stopping from time to time, if I don't want her to come yet, because she can easily climax just from nipple stimulation.
Her hips will push her pussy upward more and more, and she strains to meet my fingers. She'll always be making loud moans by now, quite beyond control. I am getting ever closer to a climax myself.
Meanwhile, her stroking has speeded up and increased, her fingers will by now be squeezing my cock hard. She's talking dirty, about her hot wet cunt, telling me how wet her pussy is, how good her fingers feel on her clit.
She tells me my cock feels hot in her hand, that I'm hard, waiting to spunk into her hand and it's so exciting I can barely keep myself form cumming.
By now, her legs are always spread wide apart, and she pushes several fingers deep between her labia, seeing if she can get onto her G-spot. She uses her thumb to stimulate her clit while her fingers are moving hard in and out of her cunt.
She's screaming how hot she is, and telling me she'll "cum" soon. She starts to orgasm. Knowing she is coming off will always make me come, as she's moving her hand up and down my shaft my come shoots up and all over the both of us. I can't stop ejaculating.
My orgasm is so intense I can barely control my body, while I seem to jerk around the bed as if I'm having a fit. She's into massive orgasm mode now, screaming obscenities, her hips grinding upward as she forces her fingers deep inside herself. Her climax seems to last forever. then she begs me to fuck her, tells me that she needs to be filled with my massive hard cock, her "pussy aching for hard cock".
But this is a masturbation session, so all I do is to hand her a life like 9" dildo. She grabs at it and pushes it between her pussy lips. Both hands now on the dildo, she's so wet it slides in without any effort. She buries it, moves it on or out in 4 or 5 inch strokes.
Each stroke completes when she has all 9" fully inside her hot pussy. She quickens, pounding this dildo, her hips bouncing off the bed, screaming "fuck me, fuck me" as she starts her second orgasm.
This one is more intense than ever. She's moaning and crying, her body collapses into the bed, and she's completely exhausted. Her dildo fills her now thoroughly soaked pussy, a sensuous finale to her climax.
I reach over to gently caress her pussy, both her legs are wet with cunt juice to her knees, the sheets are soaked where she ejaculated...and I very slowly pull that dildo out.....she curls around me....we both sleep.
Hi Jan this happened a few years ago. Fantasy and naughty messages played a great part, as we have a magical marriage. We had a student boarding with us. About 20 yrs old. Sometimes I used to drop him off for early class.
One morning I went to wake him and as I was about to knock I saw him masturbating. I didn't want to embarrass him so I went to the kitchen. Janie followed shortly and she noticed him as well but didn't say anything at the time.
As I was ready to leave, he made an excuse about not feeling well and I left him at home.
As I dropped the kids off I realized I left my cell fone at home and I had to turn back. As I passed his room on my way to the kitchen, I saw Mandy standing in front of the youngster naked.
His hands were gliding over her breasts, and his hard cock was touching her tummy. I wanted to shout at them, but I was mesmerized and I couldn't even move. It was so sexy and sensual.
To see her being fondled, and when she knelt down and sucked him deep into her mouth I nearly fainted. He groaned loudly as her tongue teased his swollen head and her hand touched his tight balls. I was blown away. He held her head gently yet firmly as she sucked and licked his small hard cock.
Mandy got up and led him to the bed. Laying back she lifted her legs and he gently slid his cock inside her. I have seen Mandy aroused before, but nothing like this. Her pussy was gaping red and swollen. Her juice was pouring out of her and she was growling. As he entered her, she wailed loudly and her nails dug deep into his back, clawing his shoulders and arms.
As he thrust his cock deep into her she clutched at his hair, begging him to go harder. He rammed himself deep into her and from where I was standing I could see her wetness as he went into her. Suddenly her legs clenched his waist and he shuddered as his lust exploded inside her. Mandy groaned and I nearly collapsed - I just came prematurely in my pants!
When they finished she kissed him gently and I sneaked away cum running down my legs. I drove away totally stunned not knowing what to do about what I had just witnessed. Janie was almost 40 and he was the same age as our eldest son. I decided to leave it and for the time being as I didn't want to cause a scene.


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Not long ago I quoted Alan Jacobs:
"There is no such thing as 'spirituality.' Doesn't exist, has no meaning. It's just a name for 'doing what I want to do and feeling that the universe somehow smiles on me for doing it.'"David Mills on "Spirituality Without Spirits":
...[W]e find Lady Gaga, the pornographic songstress, telling a reporter for The Times that she has a new spirituality just before taking her out for a night at a Berlin sex club. Asked by the reporter, "You were raised a Catholic — so when you say 'God,' do you mean the Catholic God, or a different, perhaps more spiritual sense of God?", she responded, "More spiritual. . . . There's really no religion that doesn't hate or condemn a certain kind of people, and I totally believe in all love and forgiveness, and excluding no one." ....Spirituality Without Spirits | First Things
I don't think Ms. Gaga or anyone else who talks like this has really thought it through. That God who forgives everyone and excludes no one doesn't object to debauches in Berlin sex clubs. A point in his favor, from one point of view. But then he doesn't object to murderers and torturers and corrupt bankers either. A point in his favor from no one's point of view.
Even academics don't see the problem. A few years ago a much-reported study of college students' religious practice found that they become more "spiritual" as their observance of their childhood faith declined. The researchers defined "spiritual" as "growth in self-understanding, caring about others, becoming more of a global citizen and accepting others of different faiths." They simply dressed up their favored attitudes by calling them "spiritual." That kind of spirituality, detached from anything specifically religious, is just materialism in a tuxedo. ....
The word "spiritual" has no useful meaning if it does not refer to a relation to a real spirit, something from a world not our own, something supernatural, something that or someone who tells us things we do not know, judges us for our failures, and gives us ideals to strive for and maybe help in reaching them. It's not a useful word if it means a general inclination or shape of mind or emotional pattern or set of attitudes or collection of values. There is no reason to call any of these spiritual. ....
Being "spiritual" does not do us any good. As I recently wrote elsewhere, it works fairly well when you are healthy and have enough money to enjoy life, and just want from your spirituality the feeling that all is well with the universe, particularly your corner of it. But it doesn't help you much when things go from good to bad.
The man wasting away from pancreatic cancer will get no help nor comfort from the "spiritual," which will seem a lot less friendly and comforting when he feels pain morphine won't suppress. He has no one to beg for help, no one to ask for comfort, no one to be with him, no one to meet when he crosses from this world to the next. He wants what religion promises.
And he is right to do so. The dying man is the true man, in the sense of being the one who reveals to us what we essentially are. We are on our death bed from the day we are born. To paraphrase Pascal, dying men want not the God of spirituality, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [more]

subset: commoncrawl


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Don earned his architectural degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1977, and has been a registered architect since 1986. Working for several major architectural firms in Northwestern Louisiana for 12 years, he joined the firm of Richard LeBlanc Architects, Inc. in 1996. In 2006, he and Richard LeBlanc formed LeBlanc & Young Architects, Inc.
Don is a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA), Louisiana Architects Association (LAA), Shreveport Chapter of AIA, and holds certification in the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He is a registered architect in the state of Louisiana.
Don has also attended the Harvard Graduate School of Design, having completed courses in Excellence in Planning and Design of Public Schools.
Don is a principal architect and project manager, and is in charge of specification and construction observation and supervision. His is highly regarding for his work in the field of completing construction projects and as a liaison in dealing with general contractors.


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Google's Chrome iOS App Top Free App In App Store
Barry Schwartz on June 29, 2012 at 9:16 am
As expected, Google launched Chrome for iOS and it is now available for free download in the Apple App Store.
The app currently has 3,615 ratings with an average rating of four and a half stars. Not only is it available and have that many positive ratings, it is the top free app in the app store right now.
On the desktop version, Google announced at Google I/O that Chrome has 310 million active users, which is almost twice as many active users as last year.
We're listening.
Have something to say about this article? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or our LinkedIn Group.


text: I use one of those small rubber handballs. smaller than the tennis ball! got this tip from John O. I used to use it on all my afternoon boot off breaks and it really seemed to help for the afternoons hike. No sock, I would just roll my foot around on it w/ pressure, great on the arches. it was also fun to toss around at the shelter / campsites for some evening entertainment! cheerio -----Original Message----- From: William Neal [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] Copied this from a cheap tricks site. >> All you need are two old tennis balls and a single sock. Push the tennis balls all the way to the toe end of the sock and secure them in place with a tight knot. Toss this contraption on the floor and roll it under your feet for the best foot massage this side of a spa. The tennis balls have just the right amount of "give" to revive your tired tootsies. << Might be worth packing a couple of t-balls. William, The Sweet Library Turtle


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KI Design is an innovation leader. Our mission is to protect and improve the efficiency of organizations by implementing big data and social media analytics, privacy, cybersecurity, and portfolio management solutions.
Our team includes experts specialised in big data, project management,
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Our clients include international aid organizations, federal and state governments, health, energy, and startups.


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Mickey Rourke Arrested for DUI on a Vespa – Vrooom!
By Garth O'Brien | November 9, 2007
Filed Under Celebrity DUI
Miami, Florida – November 8, 2007. How does it go? It is all fun and games riding a scooter until a friend sees you? Unfortunately, for Mickey Rourke the police saw him riding a scooter while he was under the influence of intoxicants.
Rourke was cruising around on a Vespa scooter and made an illegal U-turn. Police officers attempted a traffic stop, but Mickey motored off weaving along the way. Mickey was finally stopped and the police noted the following evidence:
* flushed face
* bloodshot eyes
* watery eyes
* slurred speech
* strong odor of intoxicants on the breath
Mickey did not perform well on the field sobriety tests during the investigation and became "uncooperative." Even though the details provided by the police make Mickey look plastered he only blew a 0.081 breath test. The DUI legal limit in Florida is 0.08.


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Fox's Payne Is Wrong: Tax Holiday For Foreign Profits Will Cost Jobs
Research ››› ››› DAVID SHERE
Fox Business contributor Charles Payne argued that if Congress were to give corporations a tax break to bring back profits earned overseas, it would result in job creation, "and cost nobody watching this show a nickel." In fact, when that policy was enacted in 2004, it resulted in job cuts and "a windfall for shareholders."
Payne Will "Bet You" That A Tax Holiday Will Create Jobs
Payne: "I Bet You 3, 4, Maybe Even 500 Billion Dollars Will Go Directly Into Job Creation." From Fox News' America's Newsroom:
MARTHA MacCALLUM (co-host): Let's take a look from last night. Michele Bachmann was asked how she would go about stimulating the economy, getting jobs going once again. Here's what she said last night.
[begin video clip]
MARIA BARTIROMO (co-moderator): How can you create jobs as quickly as possible?
BACHMANN: Well, I think one thing that we know is that taxes lead to jobs leaving the country. All you need to know is that we have the second highest corporate tax rate in the world.
[end video clip]
MacCALLUM: Is she right?
PAYNE: She's absolutely right. You know, you could argue Japan, but listen, realistically, you know, Cuba has a lower business tax rate than we do. Not only our corporate tax rate but the notion of allowing corporations, U.S. corporations to bring money back home. I think if we offered them some sort of window of opportunity to bring that money home, we could bring in maybe a trillion dollars
And yes, a lot of will go to buying back stock and dividends, but I bet you 3, 4, maybe even 500 billion dollars will go directly into job creation. And that would be absolutely phenomenal and cost nobody watching this show a nickel. [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 11/10/11]
Click here to see more of Fox News hyping this tax holiday
In Fact, Foreign-Profit Tax Holiday Was Enacted In 2004 -- And Companies Cut Payrolls
IPS: 58 Corporations Benefitting From 2004 Tax Holiday Cut Nearly 600,000 Jobs. Economic researchers at the Institute for Policy Studies studied the effects of the 2004 tax holiday and found:
Following a tax holiday on repatriated foreign earnings in 2004, 58 corporations that benefitted from the holiday slashed a total of nearly 600,000 jobs. These 58 giant corporations accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total repatriated funds and collectively saved an estimated $64 billion from what they otherwise would have owed in taxes. [Institute for Policy Studies, 10/3/11]
CBPP: "Many Of The Largest Beneficiaries Of The Tax Holiday Cut Jobs." The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also noted that "many of the largest beneficiaries of the tax holiday cut jobs in 2006 despite overall economy-wide job growth -- and used the repatriated funds instead to repurchase stock and pay dividends." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/23/11]
Where Did The Money Go In 2004? Nearly All Went To Payouts To Shareholders
Tax Policy Center's Gleckman: "Most Of The Repatriated Dollars Went To Shareholders." From Howard Gleckman, editor of the Tax Policy Center's blog TaxVox, writingon Forbes.com:
There is no evidence that a similar break created any new jobs when Congress tried it in 2004. Instead, most of the repatriated dollars went to shareholders in the form of dividends or stock buybacks (which raise equity prices). [Forbes.com, 10/13/11]
CBPP: "Most Of The Repatriated Profits Were Paid Out As Windfalls To Shareholders." From CBPP:
A study by professors at the Wharton School of Business and the University of Oregon concluded that even though the 2004 law specifically prohibited the use of repatriated earnings for share repurchases, firms used a significant share of repatriated earnings for exactly that purpose. [9] They found that, "in spite of having plans to invest in approved activities, repatriating firms significantly increase[d] payments to shareholders, and that the amount of this increase is related to the amount of repatriation." Similarly, the NBER study found that a dollar increase in repatriations "was associated with an increase of almost $1 in payouts to shareholders." That is, most of the repatriated profits were paid out as windfalls to shareholders. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/23/11]
NBER: Nearly Every Dollar Of Repatriations Went To Shareholders. From "Watch What I do, Not What I Say: The Unintended Consequences Of The Homeland Investment Act" by Dhammika Dharmapala, C. Fritz Foley, and Kristin J. Forbes:
Repatriations did not lead to an increase in domestic investment, employment or R&D -- even for the firms that lobbied for the tax holiday stating these intentions and for firms that appeared to be financially constrained. Instead, a $1 increase in repatriations was associated with an increase of almost $1 in payouts to shareholders. [NBER.org, June 2009]
In Fact, If Companies Expect A Regular Holiday, "They'll Stash Even More Profits Overseas"
Gleckman: Firms Are "Sitting On" Over $2 Trillion In Cash, So "It's Is Hard To See How Letting Them Move Around Another $1 Trillion" Will Help Jobs. From Forbes.com:
Will the holiday create jobs, as advertised? It didn't work in 2004 and may be even less successful today. Firms are already sitting on more than $2 trillion in cash, more than enough to hire or invest. In the absence of growing demand for their goods and services, it is hard to see how letting them move around another $1 trillion is going to boost jobs. [Forbes.com, 10/13/11]
Gleckman: If Firms Expect Holiday, They'll "Stash Even More Profits Overseas," Which Makes "Less Money Available For Domestic Hiring And Investment." From Forbes.com:
Worse, if firms come to expect a regular holiday, they'll stash even more profits overseas while they await the next windfall. That will make less money available for domestic hiring and investment.
At the same time, some successful firms that would have hired anyway will just enjoy the windfall. [Forbes.com, 10/13/11]
CBPP: Another Tax Holiday "Would Send A Powerful Message To Corporations To Shift Investment And Jobs Overseas." From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
And unlike the 2004 repatriation holiday, which was sold as a "one-time-only" event, a second holiday would send a powerful message to corporations to shift investment and jobs overseas and hold the profits there -- until yet another tax holiday is declared. Indeed, enactment of another such tax holiday would further embed the shifting of investment, jobs, and profits overseas as a major tax avoidance strategy for many U.S. multinational corporations. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/23/11]
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We have had almost a month to sit and stew about the repercussions of the last episode and the loss of yet another favorite character. The Vampire Diaries writers have no qualms about killing off characters that have found their place in the hearts of the viewers. Here is our list of the saddest and most heart-breaking deaths on the show. Deaths that have made us gasp, bawl, clutch onto the nearest surface for support, and sworn we would never get over.
Jenna (Sara Canning) – Aunt and guardian of Elena and Jeremy, graduate student, girlfriend of Alaric. Jenna's death in the Season 2 finale was a game-changer for the entire series, it showed that that Klaus was a true villain, who didn't settle for measly insignificant characters he went straight for those listed in the main cast. Klaus used Katherine to lure Jenna out of her house before he turned her into a vampire and sacrificed her in order to break his hybrid curse as a punishment to Damon for helping Caroline and Tyler escape (sure he's glad Damon saved Caroline's life now). The loss of Elena's only guardian, barely a year after the death of her parents, was heart-breaking as we wept along with her for the cool aunt that we all wish we had.
Rose (Lauren Cohan) – The five-hundred year old vampire managed to escape Klaus' wrath by unintentionally helping Katherine to make her existence as a doppelganger moot by turning her into a vampire and thus thwarting Klaus' first attempt to break the hybrid curse, only to be attacked by werewolf in the middle of the Salvatore's living room. After Rose, tired of running from Klaus (especially after Elijah kills her best friend and fellow fugitive, Trevor) offered her help to Team Doppelganger/Salvatores as she had something that they so deeply required, knowledge about Klaus and The Originals. It was not long before she, just like many other pretty young things that enter Mystic Falls, started shacking up with Damon.
The big bad wolf in this equation was Jules, friend of Mason Lockwood, who was angry with Damon for killing Mason and being not one bit ashamed of it, so the night of the full moon she positioned herself outside of the Salvatore Boarding House to attack Damon, knowing that werewolf venom is poisonous to vampires and that there was no known cure for it but on the night of said full moon, Rose was the unlucky recipient of the indention of Jules' canines. The venom from the bite eventually caused Rose to have hallucinations and go through terrible pain and in one of the sweetest moments of The Vampire Diaries, Damon shows Rose a dream of her in a meadow that she lived near as a human, where she was her happiest, allowing her one last good memory before he staked her and thus ended her misery and freed Lauren Cohan to join the cast of The Walking Dead.
Alaric (Matt Davis) – Unlike the first two on this list, Alaric died many times throughout his three season run on The Vampire Diaries. The magical Gilbert Ring, which prevented him from being killed from supernatural forces (because people hardly ever get killed by natural forces in Mystic Falls) playing his savior many times. In an ironic twist of fate, the ring is what caused his demise as being killed so many times made him develop a type of homicidal schizophrenia where he would have large gaps missing from his memory. He later found out that during this time he was killing members of the Founders Council who were helping the vampires in Mystic Falls. Esther aka Mama Original attempted to turn Alaric into the ultimate vampire hunter, like her husband Mikael but who cannot be killed by wooden objects no matter how rare they are. She performed a spell on him and staked him but when he awoke in transition he killed Esther and chose to rather die than transition into a vampire. All the characters bid him a farewell in the graveyard in a sad and touching way before his best friend Damon stayed with him before he died. Unfortunately even in death, Esther refuses to give up something that she has started (a good quality to have in a personal assistant) and she uses her witchy senses to possess Bonnie into feeding Alaric and thus making his transition into Evil Alaric/Vampire Hunter Extraordinaire complete.
The second death of Alaric came after it is discovered that Esther, crafty witch that she is, tied Alaric's life to Elena's knowing that Klaus would always want Elena alive so that he can make hybrids. After Klaus is desiccated by the Salvatore duo with a little help from Tyler Lockwood, they attempt to stash his body away only to be thwarted by Evil Alaric whose aim in life was to kill Originals, so naturally he hunts down Klaus' body and stakes him. Unknown to the rest of the crew that Klaus, who got his craftiness from his mother, had already made a deal with Bonnie to save his soul. So Rebekah, being the valiant sister that she is, forced Matt to drive off of the Wickery Bridge with Elena in the truck. At the same time Alaric was fighting Damon over Klaus' 'dead' body when Alaric dies and Damon does what he does best and brings the audience to tears again as he mourns over the loss of his best friend and the girl that he's in love with.
Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) – Kol, the wild, younger brother of Elijah and Klaus and a member of the Original family. Kol became a quick fan favorite even after only being in a handful of episodes. Kol spent most of the twentieth century in a coffin after being daggered by Klaus but was revived by Elijah in the thirteenth episode of season three. Rebekah summons him back to Mystic Falls in season four in order to help her find the cure and take down Klaus but after he finds out that in order to get the cure one needs to raise Silas, he starts to halt their quest. According to what he had heard from witches whom he had ran with through the years, Silas would unleash hell on earth. He tried to prevent Jeremy's hunter's mark from growing by killing all the vampires that Klaus had created for Jeremy to kill, he also tried to kill Bonnie who proved too powerful to be overtaken by said Original, Kol then goes after Jeremy in full-fledge attempting to cut off his arm so that he will not be cursed by the hunter's curse. That is until Elena gets the bright idea that if Jeremy kills Kol, he would inadvertently kill thousands of vampires and thus complete the map to the cure that covers his bod. What to Elena sounds like a nice, selfless idea; sounded to the rest of us as another form of genocide. But because the show is all about Elena she succeeds in luring Kol into her home on the pretense of negotiating a truce, they fight a little, in a world where Originals used to be close to invincible, she swipes the white oak stake from Kol's pocket, tosses it Jeremy, throws some vervain his way and Jeremy staked him, making sure we never get to see that adorable smile in present time again.
The saddest part of this exchange was that Klaus witnessed the murder (yes, this is murder) and he was too late to stop it and he looked at his brother's body up in flames with a look of utter pain and sadness, his eyes filled with tears and you just want to reach through your television and give him a hug, no one should have to watch their sibling die. And now a moment of silence for all the vampires throughout the world that died so that Team Mystic Falls could find the cure.
Jeremy (Steven McQueen) – Baby Gilbert, Jeremy was proof that puberty really does treat some boys well. He went from the emo stoner in Season One to a complete heart-throb in Season Two romancing the older gal, Bonnie, Just like his temporary guardian, History teacher and fellow Gilbert-ring-wearer Alaric, Jeremy has also visited the shadowlands of death more than the average human. A notable time being when Sheriff Forbes attempted to shoot a delirious Damon (who was bitten by the werewolf, Tyler Lockwood) and Damon dodged the bullet and it hit Jeremy instead, but Bonnie pleaded to the spirits of her dead ancestors for them to bring Jeremy back to life but this comes at a cost when he was able to communicate with ghosts which wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that all of his ex- girlfriends are dead.
In Season Four, Jeremy was revealed as being a potential vampire hunter, a dormant gene until Connor Jordan, badass member of The Five waltzes into town. After Elena kills Connor, she is cursed and the only way to remove the curse is for Jeremy to kill a vampire and activate his position as a member of The Five, which he does. His mark grows after the above-mentioned death of Kol so that it reveals the map to the cure for vampirism which they get to but are unable to ply from Silas' dead hands without a sacrifice of blood which a very tricky Katherine offers Jeremy up to be the first meal that Silas has had in two thousand years. The real emotional moment happens in episode fifteen when Elena learns of Jeremy's death, after the loss of her biological parents, her adoptive parents, her aunt, and guardian, Jeremy was the last person she had left. To see the denial she goes through, followed by the numbness and then the hurt and sadness is painful to watch as an audience, it also helps one to empathize with a main character that has changed so much in such a short space of time.
So yes, The Vampire Diaries has built up the reputation for having no mercy when it comes to killing off characters and in case you aren't enough of a crying mess because of your favorite characters biting the dust, remember Elena, Damon and Klaus will be there to make you feel ten times sadder.


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Ed and Mary Davis
89 Wallagoot Lane
(off Sapphire Coast Drive)
Bega NSW 2550
02 6494 1559
here to visit the Bilyara Gallery Cafe website
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by Carolyn & Peter Hughes
Bilyara Gallery & Cafe is a 'must do' for art lovers visiting the South Coast of NSW.
Bilyara exhibits a comprehensive sample of quality Australian arts and crafts. Paintings by both local and interstate artists utilising oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolours and etchings. Australian landscapes and seascapes are well represented in the collections, but there's a wide variety of semi-abstract and more contemporary paintings. Crafts include:
glass; bronze, pottery; jewellery; wood; pewter and stained glass figurines.
Bilyara is listed as a "gallery of excellence" by the NSW Regional Galleries Association.
Located within 3 hours drive time of Canberra and an easy day's drive south of Sydney in between the coastal towns of Bega, Tathra and Merimbula, the gallery is surrounded by natural Australian forest. The Bilyara Gallery is almost adjacent to the Bournda Nature Reserve, Wallagoot Lake, just 1 kilometre or half a mile off Sapphire Coast Drive, which is an alternate route to the Princes Highway, alongside a number of beautiful beaches, betwwen Bermagui and Merimbula.
"It's really
outstanding amongst South Coast galleries, and really is top drawer quality..."
Carolyn & Peter Hughes, Canberra.
The combination of unusual architectural design of the well lit gallery space, the quality of the artworks themselves, combined with relaxing music, the aroma freshly baked cakes and of brewing coffee makes this 'must do' destination for the serious art lover, or a really worthwhile place to stop off if you're on the Sydney to Melbourne Coastal drive. Open 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday and Public Holidays.
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While the Confederate army was marching out of Frederick toward Hagerstown, many cavalry detachments picketed the Catoctin and South Mountains. On September 12th, as Confederate General JEB Stuart bivouacked near Middletown, he had left the Jeff Davis Legion to guard Braddock Gap in order to protect his wagon train, and to keep an eye on Union soldiers that may appear from the direction of Frederick. To the south portions of Colonel Thomas Munford's cavalry was guarding the approach to Jefferson, near Jefferson Pass.
To the north of Braddock's Gap lay three other mountain passes. Shookstown Pass, which was located on the Baltimore Road, High Knob, a rough and rugged mountain pass, and then there was Hamburg Pass. Hamburg Pass overlooked the valley between Lewistown and Frederick. The Frederick Road that ran through this area was a major artery that took inhabitants from Frederick to Emmitsburg and across the Mason and Dixon Line into Pennsylvania.
On the morning of September 5th, the gray-clad soldiers forded the Potomac River into Maryland at Edward's Ferry. Edward's Ferry is downstream from White's Ford. The cavalrymen were ragged, some were even barefoot in the saddle. In Maryland they managed to buy boots, shoes and clothing, paying the merchants in Confederate money. While encamped at Barnesville they were ordered to attack a detachment of Union soldiers, who from their location at Sugarloaf Mountain, could see all of the Confederate movements. From there they were ordered to Frederick.
On the night of September 12th, the 4th and 9th Virginia Cavalry left Frederick, as they were ordered to the Catoctin Mountain. East of Hamburg, the 3rd Virginia Cavalry, 4th Virginia Cavalry and the 9th Virginia Cavalry picketed the mountain gap to watch for troop movements leaving Frederick. The town that the gap is named after no longer stands, but during the Civil War it was a small mountain community. Today ruins can bee seen in the woods in the park boundaries of Gambrill State Park.
During the evening of September 12th, Union General Alfred Pleasanton made his headquarters at Frederick. General Ambrose Burnside had arrived a half hour prior, after marching on the New Market Road. The brigade of cavalry under the command of Colonel John Farnsworth had bivouacked west of Frederick, while portions of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and a section of artillery ordered to Jefferson to meet up with General William Franklin's Sixth Corps who were bivouacking to the east of the Catoctin Mountain.
Early the next morning, General Alfred Pleasanton ordered a section of Lieutenant R. Hunter Chapin's 3-inch Rifles of the 2nd U. S. Artillery, Battery M, and the cavalry brigade of Colonel Andrew T. McReynolds to scout the Emmitsburg and Gettysburg areas to see if the Confederate army was moving into Pennsylvania. Under his command were two regiments of cavalry, Major James A. Congdon's 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Major Alonzo W. Adams' 1st New York Cavalry, nicknamed the Lincoln Cavalry.
Pleasanton was to find the rear of the Confederate army. As the sounds of artillery broke the silence of the day six miles to the south at Braddock's Gap, the troopers near Hamburg Pass were enjoying their duty. They soon received an order from General JEB Stuart to move east of the Catoctin, and try to turn the Federal right flank. They mounted their horses and moved rapidly toward Frederick to the New Market Road.
As the 4th Virginia Cavalry, supported by the 9th Virginia Cavalry, moved they came into view of the 1st New York Cavalry as it moved to Emmitsburg. The Virginians attacked the rear of the Federal column. Within minutes, nine Union troops and one ambulance fell into Confederate hands, although another account states that two ambulances were taken. As the fighting quickly began to die down, several Confederate troopers were taken prisoner. After the fight, the 1st New York proceeded to Emmitsburg where they encamped for the night.
Realizing that the majority of the Union army was encamped in and around Frederick and moving toward Braddock Gap, the troopers fell back to the eastern base of the Catoctin Mountain. There the Confederates remained in a line of battle until midnight. They were ordered to proceed back up the mountain and arrived at Hamburg just after 10:00 am on September 14th. As the Confederate soldiers passed through Hamburg, Sergeant George Beale of the 9th Virginia Cavalry noted the condition of the town, simply stating "Hamburg was a rude and scattering village on the crest of the mountain."
Sergeant Beale also noted "The manufacture of brandy seemed to be the chief employment of the villagers, and at the early hour of our passage through the place, both the men and women gave proof that they were free imbibers of the product of their stills, and it was not easy to find a sober inhabitant of either sex."
The Confederate troopers didn't receive a very warm welcome at all. Lieutenant Colonel Richard L.T. Beale of the 9th Virginia Cavalry wrote "A party of women seemed amused and delighted at the ragged outfit of our men, and were certainly as intensely hostile as any blue-stocking "school marm" of Massachusetts."
As the Confederate troopers passed through Hamburg, they began to descend Catoctin Mountain. There, the valley in the distance opened up, giving the soldiers a spectacular view of the fertile farmlands in what Sergeant Beale described as "A scene of unusual beauty and loveliness."
As the Confederate soldiers came to a large grist mill, orders were given to halt. After a march of several hours on horseback, they rested in an apple orchard which provided them with shade. There they finally received rations and soon began to prepare them. This was the first time they had received them in two days. The troopers also took time to attend to their horses.
The men heard the sounds of battle taking place on the next ridge over at South Mountain. At 4:00 pm, the troops were ordered to mount up, and to head toward the town of Boonsboro, where they rested again after nightfall. Soon afterwards, they would be ordered on standby as the Confederate infantry retreated off of South Mountain, pouring into Boonsboro. Sergeant Beale noted "The nature of the ground was ill-suited to the operation of cavalry, and much relief was felt when, at dawn [15th], we began to fall back towards Boonesboro."


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In this section you can find case studies where various GVT solutions have been successfully implemented to answer many pre-existing questions that agencies had before they began working with GVT.
Holy Cross Children's Services of Michigan
Holy Cross Children's Services of Michigan (HCCS) is a provider of children and family services. HCCS has recently implemented an enterprise FAMCare® system for its staff of a few hundred to handle over 1,000 clients, covering all aspects of care including foster, adoption, community justice, and detention. HCCS originally helped design the Michigan billing system to handle census requirements for DHS. They also helped design the Medicaid billing system that handles clinical work. HCCS is the original private provider project team member responsible for the development of FAMCare® specifically designed for Michigan needs, and also is the pioneer at electronic data transfer to the Michigan DHS JJOLT system.
Read more...
Michigan Department of Human Services (formerly the Family Independence Agency)
As the child welfare and juvenile justice agency, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) designs policy and programs to address the needs of children and youth under the state's jurisdiction. Like most states, DHS must balance fiscal realities — in particular reducing costs associated with out-of-home-care— while balancing the need to provide a continuum of prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration services to children and youth in its care. The Juvenile Justice On-Line Technology system (JJOLT) went online in July 2001, less than ninety one days after purchasing its software system. JJOLT continues to be our longest, most effective project to date.
Read more...
QLT Inc., Bio-technology
QLT Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies. Their research and development efforts are focused on pharmaceutical products in the fields of ophthalmology and dermatology. QLT hired GVT to produce a patient registry application to help them understand how their drugs and therapies were progressing and performing in the marketplace.
Read more...
Wayne County Department of Community Justice
Wayne County Department of Community Justice (WCDCJ) is responsible for establishing and maintaining services for eligible juveniles including: comprehensive family-focused interventions, services to prevent delinquent behavior, services for juveniles and families to improve their overall quality of care, and a continuum of care, which includes in-home treatment, all levels of residential care, and reintegration support for a juvenile removed from his/her home. WCDCJ launched its new system of care for juvenile justice services in February 2000. At the heart of this system is a network of five care management organizations.
Missouri Alliance for Children and Families
Missouri Alliance for Children and Families MACF is a CMO composed of nine-member agencies spread all over Missouri. The MACF is using FAMCare® to monitor contracted services as part of a state initiative begun in 1999. Currently they are providing services using 246 providers from within Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. Services provided include: Residential treatment, Abuse/ Neglect, Sexual Abuse, HADD, Conduct Disorders, Depression, Suicidal Tendencies, Substance Abuse, Learning Disabilities, Emergency Care, Crisis Pregnancy, Foster/Adoptive Care, Transitional Living, and Outpatient Counseling.
Oakland County Children's Home
Oakland County (Michigan) selected the GVT FAMCare® Juvenile Justice system to meet their information-capturing needs. GVT has tailored FAMCare® to meet the specific functionality required by Oakland County to effectively administer and manage their juvenile detention facility.
Genesee County - Flint Michigan
Genesee wanted a more efficient way to track kids across agencies and systems and to effectively "log" and have available in real-time case notes and information. This in turn would allow for an improvement in caseload management and give the courts access to critical information when they needed it. By sharing their data with agencies outside of their department and organization, Genesee has improved case worker productivity, and has incorporated a stronger communication plan, which has fostered faster decision making.
Read More...
Global Vision Technologies, Inc.,
Mailing Address:
6614 Clayton Rd, Suite 346
St. Louis, MO 63117
Physical Address: (no mail received)
222 South Central
Clayton, MO 63105
More Details..


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We're excited to help you complete your booking with Angie Silvy Photography.
Two-Hour San Francisco Personal Photo Shoot
Add some variety to your San Francisco memories, by getting photographed in two different city locations.
What You Will Do
- 2 hour photo shoot in 2 locations in San Francisco
- Photos styled by prominent lifestyle photographer
Additional Information
All photos are hosted on a private website for your friends and family to view. There is an option to purchase prints. Photography sessions cannot be used for wedding, rehearsal or baby shoots.
1325 Indiana St, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
Select Date & Time
May, 2019
Please select a date from above
More Activities From This Operator
Capture your journey though the rolling hills and vineyards of Wine Country by traveling with a professional photographer who shoots the adventure.
Practice your modeling skills during an hourlong photo shoot in San Francisco. Choose your favorite spot in the City to capture lasting memories.


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CVLT Nation Sessions
BLACK FLAG 'My War' – The CVLT Nation Sessions
On March 8th, 2011, CVLT Nation went live, and the first few people trickled onto the site to read our first few posts. Here we are 7 years later, releasing our 16th compilation in the CVLT Nation Sessions series – BLACK FLAG's My War. This album may have polarized punks in
Cvlt Nation Interviews Deathrock Goddess Razor Candi!
Batcave beauty Razor Candi has been kept very busy (and of course, very sexy) since we last interviewed her about her coffee table book earlier in the year. Needless to say, we have some catching up to do! The ever-changing model is able to show off her talents and do
The CVLT Nation Sessions: MISFITS – Walk Among Us
CVLT Nation is proud to present the next in our series of underground classic compilations, MISFITS legendary album Walk Among Us! Over the decades, MISFITS have inspired musicians from a wide range of genres. This comp features brutal sounds from across the spectrum of heavy, with covers from HELLKEEPER, THE WRAITH,
THE CURE – Pornography: THE CVLT Nation Sessions
CVLT Nation is proud to present the next in our series of underground classic compilations, THE CURE's game-changing Pornography! This album came to define goth rock when it was released in 1982, and catapulted The Cure to their present infamy. Today we've brought together eight of contemporary post punk and deathrock's
Video Premiere: JUPITERIAN "Behind the Wall of Sleep"
Just a couple of weeks ago, we released our latest in our compilation series The CVLT Nation Sessions: BLACK SABBATH's iconic self-titled debut. If you've been one of the thousands who streamed and downloaded this comp, you know that each and every band on it brought their own distinct flavor to
BLACK SABBATH 'Black Sabbath': The CVLT Nation Sessions
CVLT Nation is proud to present the next in our series of underground classic compilations, BLACK SABBATH's legendary self-titled debut album! This timeless album came out almost 47 years ago, but today we've brought together eight of underground doom's finest to bring a fresh take on Black Sabbath's iconic sound – Beastmaker, CHRCH, Jupiterian,


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The 2013 Herman and Emma Gatling Award was presented to Dr. Lisa Grable at the annual fall meeting held in Charlotte on November 6th, 2013. The Gatling Award for Outstanding Science Education Leadership in North Carolina goes to the person who has exemplified the high standards the Herman and Emma Gatling of Durham County set in their work and in their lives. This award recognizes the recipient as the outstanding science education leader in the state of North Carolina. Herman was given the first award posthumously in 1989. This award is generously sponsored by Carolina Biological Supply Company and was presented with the support of George Ross and Debbe Bingaman of Carolina.
Since 1975 Lisa has served science education for nearly four decades. In her distinguished career she has served as a physics and chemistry teacher, a program director to provide innovative science and technology education experiences to pre-service and in-service teachers, and a champion and advocate for all teachers and students, especially those in rural areas.
In her own words, "Educating science teachers in North Carolina is her passion and what inspires her is supporting teachers in equipping scientifically-literate students for the future". Through the years, Dr. Grable has worked closely with Dave and Chritine Vernier to influence the use of probeware in science classrooms. She has also published over 60 papers and presented at over 130 conferences to share her enthusiasm and expertise in science education.
Dr. Grable's contributions to science education include helping to launch the Science House at NC State University, the Friday Institute, and mentoring many Kenan Fellows. By chairing and serving on education, technology, physics, and other committees , her work has helped to bridge the gaps that exist among university, industry, and local community stakeholders in science education.
NCSLA congratulates Dr. Lisa Grable on her long and distinguished career in science education and her well deserved recognition as the winner of the 2013 Gatling Award for Outstanding Science Education Leadership in North Carolina.


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The Exchange team is announcing today the availability of our latest quarterly updates for Exchange Server 2013 as well as updates for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3 and Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 3.
Cumulative Update 9 for Exchange Server 2013 and UM Language Packs are now available on the Microsoft Download Center. Cumulative Update 9 contains the latest set of fixes and builds upon Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 8. The release includes fixes for customer reported issues, minor product enhancements and previously released security bulletins. A complete list of customer reported issues resolved can be found in Knowledge Base Article KB3049849. Customers running any previous release of Exchange Server 2013 can move directly to Cumulative Update 9 today. Customers deploying Exchange Server 2013 for the first time may skip previous releases and start their deployment with Cumulative Update 9 directly.
For the latest information and product announcements please read What's New in Exchange Server 2013, Release Notes and product documentation available on TechNet.
Cumulative Update 9 may include Exchange related updates to the Active Directory schema and Exchange configuration when compared with the version of Exchange 2013 you have currently deployed. Microsoft recommends all customers test the deployment of a cumulative update in their lab environment to determine the proper installation process for your production environment. For information on extending the schema and configuring Active Directory, please review the appropriate TechNet documentation.
Also, to prevent installation issues you should ensure that the Windows PowerShell Script Execution Policy is set to "Unrestricted" on the server being upgraded or installed. To verify the policy settings, run the Get-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet from PowerShell on the machine being upgraded. If the policies are NOT set to Unrestricted you should use the resolution steps in KB981474 to adjust the settings.
Reminder: Customers in hybrid deployments where Exchange is deployed on-premises and in the cloud, or who are using Exchange Online Archiving (EOA) with their on-premises Exchange deployment are required to deploy the most current (e.g., CU9) or the prior (e.g., CU8) Cumulative Update release.
Also being released today are, Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3 Update Rollup 10 (KB3049853) and Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 3 Update Rollup 17 (KB3056710). These releases provide minor improvements and fixes for customer reported issues. Update Rollup 10 is the last scheduled release for Exchange Server 2010. Both Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2007 are in extended support and will receive security and time zone fixes on-demand on a go-forward basis.
Note: If you do not see the new CMDlet parameters available in Exchange 2013 CU9, please perform /PrepareAD manually.


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Ryan Webber RIP
27 Replies
Joshua Dorkin
from Denver, CO
posted almost 6 years ago
I learned this weekend that @Ryan Webber passed away on Thursday. Here's the news snippet.
Ryan was one of our earliest BiggerPockets supporters and has helped thousands and thousands of wholesalers with his posts here on the site. He also spoke at our inaugural BP Summit last year to great response.
We send our condolences to his family for their loss.
Brandon Turner
Investor from Maui, HI
replied almost 6 years ago
Wow that's so sad! I've read so much from him over the years and learned a lot. He will be missed.
Ned Carey
(Moderator) -
Investor from Baltimore, Maryland
replied almost 6 years ago
It is always tragic when someone that young dies. I have seen his profile pic a lot of times over the years.
Mehran K.
Investor from Wichita Falls, TX
replied almost 6 years ago
Although I didn't get a chance to connect with or meet Ryan, this is a very sad story. He was a young guy too :( My condolences to his family go out as well.
James Vermillion
from Lexington, Kentucky
replied almost 6 years ago
Such sad and terrible news. I got to know Ryan a little bit at the Summit last year and he is a really cool and intelligent guy. My condolences to his family and friends.
Scott R.
Real Estate Investor from Amarillo, Texas
replied almost 6 years ago
If I had never met Ryan I definitely wouldn't be where I'm at today in the real estate world, and may have never invested at all. For a year if not longer before I met Ryan I could not compete with the "bigger players" in the several markets I attempted to, and being the newbie not one person wanted to take the time to try and help. Ryan was willing to take the time to help. I first met Ryan here on bigger pockets. He was investing in a market I was interested in, so I asked him a million questions about the market before I even came down,He told me if I ever came down, he'd take me to lunch. I hopped on that opportunity and lunch as Chili's happened that next week., I asked him another million questions, and we were there forever, he wasn't in a hurry, wasn't trying to sell me anything, just wanted to help. He helped guide me to the purchase of my first rental, which I still have, helped me get financing, and did whatever he could to make sure I survived in the real estate world. His contacts he provided me still enable me to increase my portfolio, I'm closing a property this Friday, funded by people Ryan helped me get involved with. Ive never met someone so willing to help out his own competition. He just wanted to help, no matter who it was. I'm still in shock, but lucky to have a mentor most would only dream of.
Thanks Ryan, without you who knows where I'd be. Rip buddy.
Michael Rivera
Property Manager from Brooklyn, NY
replied almost 6 years ago
RIP RYAN...I saw his picture all around this site but never connected with him...seems like a great loss to the BP community, my condolences.
David Beard
Investor from Cincinnati, Ohio
replied almost 6 years ago
Clearly Ryan was a very astute investor, and @Scott R. , your tribute is very moving, thanks for posting that. Those are the kinds of below-the-radar stories that reveal the true nature of an individual, and Ryan's was obviously a life well lived. I went back and looked at his last post, and it was excellent.
Prayers of comfort and peace for his family.
Joe Delia
Involved In Real Estate from Rochester Hills, Michigan
replied almost 6 years ago
Very sad news. RIP Ryan.
Jon Holdman
(Moderator) -
Rental Property Investor from Mercer Island, WA
replied almost 6 years ago
Incredibly sad.
Joel Owens
(Moderator) -
Commercial NNN Real Estate Broker & Syndicator from Canton, GA
replied almost 6 years ago
It is sad.
I remember him on here and he always had interesting responses to topics.
I feel for all his family as this has to be shocking and unexpected for them. I know how this feels as my dad was killed suddenly in a car accident when I was 16 and I am 38 now. It's especially hard on the kids as their world is turned upside down. You have to rebuild a new identity without one of the most important persons in your life.
It shows that while we are busy with day to day activities we have to value every year, month, week, day, minute, second we have with the people we care about. Luckily me and my dad ended the previous day on a positive note the night before it happened.
Hopefully Ryan's legacy and light will keep shining on throughout the world with the people he touched and came in contact with.
Anthony Santa Ana
Investor from San Jose, California
replied almost 6 years ago
Condolences to his family.
Jonna Weber
(Moderator) -
Real Estate Agent from Boise, ID
replied almost 6 years ago
Thank you for letting us know. Loved his smile around the BP site and at the Summit. Praying for peace for his family and loved ones.
Abdul R.
Real Estate Investor from Piscataway, New Jersey
replied almost 6 years ago
Truly sad to hear this news. Sincere condolences to his family.
Never met him in person. But, I knew him after listening to last years BP Summit audio on Wholesaling and it was excellent and I benefited a lot.
Jon Klaus
Developer from Garland, TX
replied almost 6 years ago
Sad news. My condolences to Ryan's wife, children, and loved ones. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan at the 2012 BP Summit in Denver.
He was quick to share what he knew without holding back. He was a highly advanced wholesaler, as is his wife. If you read everything he wrote here at BiggerPockets, you will have a better education than any wholesaling course or book could give. He knew his stuff.
Ryan didn't post much over the past couple of years, but if you search the early years of BP, you will find gold.
Thank you for your contribution, Ryan Webber.
Jerry Puckett
Wholesaler from Fort Worth, TX
replied almost 6 years ago
Thank you @Joshua Dorkin for bringing this to our attention.
Ryan Webber was a huge influence on me and my business. His posts are some of the most informative there have ever been on this site.
@Scott R. is right on target about his character. Ryan answered gazillions of my questions also, and unlocked a strategy for finding buyers that has never let me down. He took the time to teach me the difference between "Golden Nugget" and "Silver Nugget" strategies.
The mantra that I repeat over and over "persistent and consistent" came from Ryan
The exact technique I use to find probate deals also came from Ryan.
I got to meet Ryan and his wife (who is also an accomplished wholesaler) at the BP Summit, and his and Aaron's boot camp was over the top.
Fun Memories: I used to just LMAO when Ryan would get in a thread and start arguing with the likes of @Will Barnard or Bill Gulley. You don't really see that kind of days long battle royale around here any more, but that is just classic BP. As is Ryan Webber...part of the BiggerPockets heritage and culture.
You will be missed Ryan.....condolences to all family and friends alike.
Karen Margrave
(Moderator) -
Real Estate Agent from Redding CA
replied almost 6 years ago
I've read some of his older posts too, and they were very thoughtful. Though I didn't know him, I'm sending prayers to his family for comfort and peace.
Brian K.
Rental Property Investor from Buffalo, MN
replied almost 6 years ago
My condolences go out to his family.
Ryan is really going to be missed here on BP. I didn't know him personally but always tried to read his post and found him to be very knowledgeable investor.
NA Foster
Real Estate Investor from California
replied almost 6 years ago
Ryan waits for family and friends at the Rainbow Bridge.
Michael G.
Wholesaler from Bay Shore, New York
replied almost 6 years ago
I always enjoyed Ryan Webbers posts. He will be missed...RIP Ryan Webber.
Joseph Lavering
Wholesaler from Anaheim, California
replied almost 6 years ago
Ryan was a great man and also my brother-in-law. It's nice to see all of the posts of the people that he has touched through the years here on BP.
I'm one of the ones that he tried to help along with his wife (my sister), but the markets here in CA are much different that in TX.
The will be missed by the many people that he has touched with the huge heart he had.
Aaron Mazzrillo
Investor from Riverside, California
replied almost 6 years ago
Wow. Just shocking. I didn't know Ryan at all until Joshua talked me into speaking with him at the conference. This was a huge leap of faith because someone might be real personable in a forum, but a stick in the mud on the stage. Luckily, he was great to work with while building our presentation and he ran with the bulls when we got up there to present. There were moments when I thought I might not get to talk at all because he was so overflowing with information. I had a great time that day and he was an absolute pleasure to work with.
Andy M.
Investor from Farmington, Utah
replied almost 6 years ago
I'm shocked. Words can't describe the way I feel right now. If Aaron hadn't bumped this thread I would still be in bed, probably asleep by now, instead of at my office at 12:30 AM deep in thought. I keep writing and rewriting this post and questioning about whether or not to post it. I'm not a big contributor or poster on BP, but I guess this is the best way I can think of to honor my friend Ryan because he loved BP because he loved helping people.
I'm not a big social network guy. I don't currently tweet, blog, or even have a Facebook page. My friends are my friends, not my "online friends". So when I found BP a few years ago I reluctantly went to the BP summit. I'm glad I did, because I found an awesome friend in Ryan. He was honestly the best thing I got out of the BP summit. He and I spent hours and hours that weekend talking about life, business, and everything else. Have you ever met someone that you had an almost instant rapport with? Like you had been friends forever? He helped me to push my limits of what I thought was possible. He was exactly what I needed.
After the BP Summit we decided to set monthly goals and keep each other accountable. We would then call at the end of the month to see how we did. We would talk for hours about life, family, and eventually business. I can tell you he was the real deal. He had his priorities straight. Two of his favorite thoughts about success were:
"If I arrive at my grave and all I've really done with my life is traded it for a giant pile of gold, then I've made a very bad trade."
"Live your life around what is most important to you and then fill it in with all the other details."
Our January 9th, 2013 phone call where we shared our business goals for the year was really weird. I had big goals and plans for the year in business and for some reason he wasn't pushing as hard. He was still super driven in his life (family, gym, church, service, etc.) but for some reason I felt like I was having to talk him into going bigger in his business.
I'm sad to say we haven't spoken as consistently this year. We both got busy and the monthly phone calls turned into every other month. The last time I spoke with him was a couple months ago and he had just returned from a "sabbatical" of sorts. He spent some time away from the constant reaction to email and phone calls. He seemed really good and had clarity. I invited he and Lillian to come out to Utah in the spring and stay with my family and he said they would. I've thought about calling him a lot the last month and I didn't. You never think that you won't get another chance to talk. I'm really going to miss Ryan.
I had a project I was working on last year and I asked for Ryan's input. Basically I wanted to know what books and quotes had had the greatest effect on his life to this point and here was his response on 10/8/12:
"Alright, Andy, here you go.
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandido
I've read this one twice and it deeply impacted my thinking about success and the basic principles of success; takes 10 months to read as instructed
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
I've read this one at least 3 or 4 times; phenomenal leadership teacher; I've read probably a dozen of his books
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Deeply influenced my ideas about money, investments, and business; I've read 4 or 5 of his books and highly recommend playing his Cash Flow Game to beginning investors
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
A huge influence on my ideas about money management
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Phenomenal book about success in life
The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
This book is insane; a book about the balance of what wealth and lifestyle really means; this is a paradigm changer
The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley
Excellent research based book on what a millionaire really looks like; about consumerism and money management
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Foundational book about people skills
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
An excellent book about business systems
Skill With People by Les Giblin
A very short and very practical book about people skills
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews
A great fiction book about success principles
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Foundational book about wealth mentality
A couple of biographies that I remember off the top of my head:
Sam Walton, Made in America by Sam Walton
Trump, The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump
And some biographies that I don't remember the title but their general stories had profound effects on my thinking: Andrew Carnegie, Martin Luther King Jr, Teddy Roosevelt, and Mohandas Gandhi.
Quotes - I've referenced ones that I've come back to over and over throughout my life.
"Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough" From The Greatest Salesman in the World
". . . I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life . . ." Henry David Thoreau
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." Teddy Roosevelt
General Thoughts About Success
If I arrive at my grave and all I've really done with my life is traded it for a giant pile of gold, then I've made a very bad trade.
Live your life around what is most important to you and then fill it in with all the other details
Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they are yours.
Success in any great venture, financial or otherwise, is more about determination than anything else.
Consistent and persistent action are the foundations of success."
Ryan, you made this world a better place, I'm really going to miss you buddy!! I know I'll see you again on the other side.
Chris Feltus
Residential Real Estate Agent from Fort Worth , Texas
replied almost 6 years ago
Long before I started posting on the forum I would lurk here and follow a select few individuals here on bigger pockets. Ryan Webber, was one of those individuals.
I would spent a great deal of time analyzing every forum post and every thread he ever created. I learned so much about this business from escrow and title companies to marketing and assignment fees from his posts.
Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet with Ryan in person or communicate with him online. I just wanted to chime in and let it be known that Ryan has helped out a ton of users on these forums even if indirectly, just from the information he has shared here openly.
My thoughts go out to his friends and family for their terrible loss. Ryan leaves behind a grand legacy, and I am very thankful that he shared information so openly.
You will be missed Ryan.
Justin S.
Residential Real Estate Agent from Chandler, Arizona
replied almost 6 years ago
I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan at the BP summit and having dinner with him. He was wise beyond his years and I learned a lot from him. We corresponded a few times over email and he was always willing to help and give advice. His raw and blunt posts are a refreshing addition to BP and will be missed. RIP Ryan.
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text:
Charge Offs Rise In October
The bank saw an increase in charge offs, loans that are more than 180 days past due; however, economists are optimistic about the data.
The bank wrote off 10.15 percent of credit card balances for the month, climbing from just below 10 percent in September. While the number increased slightly, it still hovers near a yearly low and remains far below its peak of 13.53 in December of 2009, CNBC reports.
Charge offs continue to increase despite the fact that consumers continue to repay debt. Card payments late by 30 days or more dropped 1 percent in October, from 5.7 to 5.6 percent, the news source says.
Recent Federal Reserve Board statistics show revolving debt, the kind reserved for credit card balances, dropped to its lowest point of the year in September.
The overall rate of charge offs is expected to decline on the heels of this positive data, when the Federal Reserve Board releases third-quarter data later in the year.


text:
U.S. hikers release not imminent: Iran
Sept. 14 - Press TV announces that two U.S. nationals arrested while hiking will not be released, contrary to statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad days earlier. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION) Press TV on Wednesday said two Americans arrested two years ago while hiking in Iran will not be released imminently. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were sentenced in Iran last month to eight years in prison. The pair were arrested in July 2009 near Iran's border with Iraq, where they say they were hiking in the mountains as tourists, along with a third hiker, Sarah Shourd. The announcement runs contrary to statements Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made days earlier, when he said that they would be freed "in a couple of days" in what he called a humanitarian gesture.


text:
With over 100 company-owned and franchised restaurants throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States, RARE Hospitality International Inc. has a fast-growing presence in the steakhouse segment of the dining industry. This relative newcomer to the market--at scarcely 15 years in business, compared to such 1960s-era chains as Ponderosa and Bonanza--RARE's irreverent style of "cowboy cuisine" shook up the segment. By 1996, the company's core chain of LongHorn Steakhouses numbered 81 units. Following its initial public offering in 1992, the company acquired the Bugaboo Creek Steak House chain and its smaller The Capital Grille group of pricey eateries. Founder George W. McKerrow, Jr. continued to serve the company as chairman through the mid-1990s.
French Onion Soup
Longhorn Steakhouse Copycat Recipe
Serves 4-6
6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups of beef stock
1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Salt and pepper
8 slices of toasted French bread
1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss cheese with a little grated Parmesan cheese
In a large saucepan, saute the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the caramelization.
Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.
Notes: The trick to a great French onion soup is starting with good stock.The French onion soup at Longhorn Steakhouse is made with sirloin beef stock. You can make a delicious soup stock from the leftover bones of roast. Another important element is the proper caramelization of the onions. Caramelizing onions take at least thirty minutes of slow cooking the onions over medium high heat. The browning, or caramelizing, of the onions brings out the sweetness in them.
5 comments:
I am so enamored with this French onion soup.ReplyDelete
Love your recipes..thanks for them.
Chowringhee Pritam Pura
I LOVE this soup! I can eat 2 or 3 bowls a night!ReplyDeleteReplies
Just had my first homemade French Onion Soup courtesy of LongHorns. Delishioso! I used white cooking wine instead of the drinking wine, but next time will use the real wine.Delete
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text:
The Cardinals used a massive two-out rally in the ninth to sneak by the Reds on Monday, 5–4.
The Cardinals used a massive two-out rally in the ninth to sneak by the Reds on Monday, 5–4.
With the bases loaded, Yadier Molina, the same hitter who began the inning with a single, was hit on the elbow by a 1-0 Ross Ohlendorf fastball to cap a five-run inning and give St. Louis a walk-off victory.
After singling to start the inning off Tony Cingrani, Molina scored the first run of the frame on a bases-loaded single to right from Matt Carpenter which made the game 4–2,. Stephen Piscotty followed with a single to bring in another, Matt Holliday walked, and Cingrani was lifted for Ohlendorf.
Brandon Moss then drew a walk, setting up Molina's walk-off hit by pitch.
The Reds' bullpen has been an issue all season. JJ Hoover began the season as the team's closer, but was removed due to ineffectiveness and sent down to the minors in August with a 13.50 ERA. Cingrani (3.91 ERA) and Ohlendorf (4.56) haven't been much better.
– Kenny Ducey


text:
If you're a technical person, chances are you're very comfortable talking tech, but not so strong on the self-marketing side of things. Not always true but maybe you could do with some ideas on how to promote yourself and what you do.
This is my first blog entry for 18 months and I cover one simple strategy you can use to help others understand the value you bring. As an example of this, I mention this blog. Although I haven't updated it for a year and a half, I still get work from it, including writing regular paid articles for four magazines. All as a result of a blog that I haven't kept up to date.
I once was in a job interview and they refused to ask me any technical questions ... because they had seen this blog. Although I haven't been working on the blog, it's been working for me.
So I'm back, blogging at AIX Down Under.
If you found this helpful, please share it.


text:
Nonfiction: Memoir
For those who grew up in a loving and stable environs, it is difficult to image what home life would be like if it were filled with drunkenness, shouting matches, and abuse. Yet the latter description captures only a portion of Perez's dysfunctional past. Written in three parts, Mary Perez's memoir delves into the spiritual healing of one woman who was once caught in the vicious cycle of codependency.
The first section centers on Perez's childhood and early teen years. At the tender age of three, Perez goes to live with her mom after her parents divorce. Her mom's life spirals out of control with the addition of alcoholic, abusive boyfriends, and plenty of partying. Mary is frequently left at home at night and has to fend for herself. Many moves and four years later, Perez's mom surprises her with a baby sister; while the newfound companionship is refreshing, Perez now has to take care of herself and her baby sister.
Children's Services steps in, her mom is sent to jail, and Perez and her sister move in with their grandparents. Situated in a strong Christian environment for the next three years, Perez is happy to attend school on a regular basis. But her home and school contentment is short lived. With the tragic death of her sister, candid narrative shifts into raw emotion as Perez slowly succumbs to withdrawal in her preteens, and by age twelve she takes an emotional nosedive. Juvenile detention, drugs, alcohol, abusive boyfriends, scores of unstable living arrangements, and finally dropping out school mark Perez's new life.
At the age of seventeen, Perez enters into a fourteen-year relationship with a man sixteen years her senior, and gives birth to four children over the next five years. In Part Two, Perez says clearly that her life with this domineering man—riddled with a troubled past and alcoholism—was nothing less then tumultuous, especially when he abandons her and the children.
Yet in a miraculous turn of events six months after their divorce, another man comes into Perez's life, and this time he's a keeper. While Part Three zeroes in on this marvelous transition, Perez points out that she would not be where she is today if it were not for God's intervention in her life over the years and her grandparent's faith that sparked her interest in Christianity.
Very moving and highly inspirational, Running in Heels, as Perez clearly states, "is more than a memoir. This is a promise of hope and survival to anyone who woke up hungry and went to bed hungrier every day, for anyone who was abandoned as a child or an adult, for every wife who has loved a husband who left bruises on her heart and on her body."
About herself, Perez says: "Born in the Bronx, raised in Miami, relocated to Houston—I am Puerto Rican descent, blessed to be the mother to four grown children, 'Mimi' to a couple of gorgeous grandchildren, and happily married (the second time around) to a phenomenal man for twenty years." Her award-winning essays have appeared in La Respuesta and Sofrito for Your Soul. Visit her website.
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