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The Informant!
A Case Study In Lyingby Bryce VanKooten
The Informant! — with a little jitter at the end — is a quirky movie. Its a spectacle of laughter and stress for just under two hours. When I walked out with my buddy Bryan, we both looked at each other and said, "I'm exhausted … But that was pretty good." Now, even hours later, it still seems like a fair assessment.
Matt Damon (and his extra 30lbs, on the ol' tummy) came out swinging a little slower (re: different) than in his previous Ocean's or Bourne flicks, while reuniting with his old pal Steven Soderburgh. The Informant!, along with a couple nice new faces to dramedy – the versatile Tony Hale and Joel McHale — finds a niche like an itch you can't scratch. Never the ending spoiler, I was tossed and turned by this faux Crime Caper so frequently that I must have changed seat positions to three positions on loop: laughter, cringe, horror … Repeat.
Infiltrating the life of whistle-blower-turned-FBI-informant Mark Whitacre, The Informant! keeps it's pace like a bad summer camp relationship — giggles, realization, anger. There was no room for sympathy. There was no room for understanding. How do you understand a pathological liar? As Bryan and I sat there through the film, we couldn't help but slowly see ourselves get more and more angry at the pathetic and despicable display of humanity on screen. And he got me! I didn't know he was lying! And it was so obvious the whole time! I will admit though, I do love a good foolin'.
There's a couple scenes that make the movie worth the price of admission. Sadly, many of them were spoiled in the trailer (a curse I've coined "Being Fox'd", for its similarity to 20th Century Fox and Megan Fox's reputation for impeccable previews and horrific results), but a few remain on the screen. Matt Damon's spot-on execution of all of the 'bugged rooms' scenes are brilliant to the core and his portrayal of the ghastly 1990's ties are pastel-perfect. Props to the Costume Department … (pun). There's a mid-level biochemist somewhere in the world right now tickled pink, guaranteed.
The most pivotal of all Whitacre's moments onscreen was between his unflinchingly loving wife Ginger (Melanie Lynskey) and the charming, beaten down FBI Agent Shepard (Scott Bakula). Finally caught in a web of lies, Whitacre is confronted by the consequences of his actions. He is, indeed, a pathological liar, among others things … including a felon. It has that Beautiful Mind twinge to it, you know? That feeling that, the truth is out, but reality just somehow got more confusing.
The lesson to be learned for Whitacre is not 'telling the truth' – he's been told, advised, coerced, arm-wreslted, pleaded with, bargained for that countless times – the lesson here, one would surmise, would be to figure out his motivations leading up to his felonious actions. A man who seemingly had it all – countless cars, land, money, a loving wife and kids – risks it all … for what?
And that's something we never get. I still don't get it. Fame? Variety? Spice? Sheer boredom?
Why do I like this movie?
I just do.
It's quirky and funny and well written and sharp. All the actors are spot on and it nails the evanescent truth about lying. I can hear my father's words now, "I can't promise you you'll get caught, but I can promise you one thing: you tell me the truth and you won't get in as much trouble as you will if you lie to me about it.
Plus, Joel McHale, first major feature role? Come on…
Star Trek — Boom. Roasted. Amazing.
Treking Along, One Hit at a Time.by Bryce VanKooten
J.J. Abrams is the Apple® of the cinema – he's just better than everyone else. Everything he does, every idea brought to the drawing table (board?) is matched with superb in style, fresh execution and noticeable dedication to story. Its masterful; that pretty well covers it.
I was giddy for Star Trek — the newest, Abrams-Directed, 2009 installment of the classic 1966-originated story and characters. Mastered with a bright young cast (including my friend Michelle!), all of which preformed wonderfully in their depiction of their characters on screen, it was only fair that I got to see a movie 'fresh' for once in my life (I'd read the LOTR and Harry Potter books, had the Da Vinci Code spoiled for me and discussed Watchmen, at length, before its opening). Star Trek was/is a fan boy's favorite, and I was happily not one of them.
Throughout the first half hour I urging myself not to lean over to my fellow moviegoers and whisper, "Man. This is so good". It didn't seem right. There's something volatile about talking during a movie other than a comedy. My eyes were glued. Sidenote: are you seriously telling me that Wolverine and Star Trek basically cost the same? What? My ears were glued. And yet I'd read that Michael Giacchino dropped the ball on the score … bullocks. My mind was glued. Yes, there was a bit there when I realized it very well could have been a Wednesday night because that haunting, this-is-the-feeling-I-get-when-they-talk-about-time-travel-in-LOST, feeling was creeping up my spine, but all and all, the plot was feasible. Okay, so we created a black hole, discovered an alternate reality and traveled between the two, meeting ourselves and destroying new lands. But honestly, did anyone get that lost (no pun intended)? It was altogether manageable, was it not?
It was brilliant.
Abrams has found some keepers in Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, his writer's dejour (as well as Arthur Anderson, who directed the opening scene where the woman so marvelously gets sucked out!!). Together, they've scribed a mighty track record in the last few years with seeming success around every turn: Fringe, Alias, Transformers, Mission: Impossible III, The Island, and their upcoming successes, Transformers 2 and the Untitled Star Trek Sequel, due out in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
I was blown away by Spock (didn't even know he was the smartest 'man' in the world until the movie told me — what fun that was), but Chris Pine managed to successfully steal the show as James Tiberius Kirk. He was marvelous actually — funny and charming, the perfect concoction of cocky and courageous. I'll be blunt: the 'diving down to stop the drill' scene: worth the price of admission, easily.
Abrams hasn't veered far from his roots. Many of his films are good at the same things, which is to say, I think we're all fine with that. But maybe the Academy isn't. I don't think Abrams cares much about what those guys think, which might be a subconscious reason why we love him: he likes what we like. There's that fine line Abrams always manages to walk between humor and drama: never too subtle, never to forceful. He's a master of every situation and possibly one of the greatest story tellers of my generation. If I ever met him, I'd love to thank him for that. I hope story will always rule this land.
Action is obviously Abrams' style and his unmistakable strength — those trademark camera shakes never seem to be mellow dramatic — but its not his only strength. He's managed to brand great storytelling into his films, great amounts of witty, perfectly placed humor and ease, so that we almost expect it now. We know he's thought this all the way through, and that's a safety blanket of sorts. How do we know? Because we can tell he likes making movies. Amidst the clouds of massive, action riddled box offices, Abrams is breath of fresh, virus-free air. Again, like a Mac.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: I'm willing to resign myself into blindly purchasing great products, even great marketing. I buy Stride because of their viral marketing style. I bought Red Stripe because their commercials made me laugh – same with Dos Equis. I drive a Honda because they are dependable and write on an Apple computer because, well, its obvious*. My childhood was formed by Nike, so I wear their sneakers. And Fiji Water, though it cost twice as much, has an awesome bottle so sometimes I cave to their coloring. My purchases are my right as an American. It makes it fun again to be a consumer. It's very American to choose. As stated, Tom Cruise has won me over; I'll see whatever he's in because he's in it. Abrams is now the same**.
I think of my theater tickets as a little investment. Who gets my investment is a decision I get to make every time I plop myself in the seat. From here on out, I'll gladly go blindly with Abrams.
*see line 1
**The opposite is true for Eddie Murphy; I won't see it if he's in it, unless it has 'Shrek' in the title, even then, its not really him.
LOST Live Blog: LaFluer
Lost Live Blog
Rules: I will say whatever comes to my mind when and how it comes in. Koppin in my roommate. He may be interjecting thoughts as well if I deem them fit for print. This is un-doctored, straight-from-the-hip first thoughts.
Let's do this.
9:00: we're starting, let's do this. It's the recap from the last couple. Faraday is talking about dislodging themselves from time. I'm gonna dislodge someone's dome if I don't get some answers. Still recapping…
Charlotte just died. That really pissed me off.
Locke is talking. Locke, if anyone can do it; you can. Get me back to the island Jesus.
9:02: the recap is over. The ep is beginning. Hollerluejah. Miles is becoming intriguing.
Holy whaaaa?? We just saw the massive Atlantis/Sphinx guy. Holy Hannah Montana.
I think we're seeing a different perspective on the folks while John was in the donkey wheel chamber.
Is the episode starting? Sheesh. I need a clue. I need four to six clues.
Okay, never seen this. I think we're rolling.
Are sawyer and Juliet going to be together soon? Nose bleeds stopped… that's good. Maybe they're set. Maybe the record is a runnin'.
9:05: Jin is the coolest around. He's like the black guy this show doesn't have any more. The quiet one with the one-liner wisdom.
9:08: Dharma creeper(s) are dancing in the room. 'Hoot-i-nanny', what a word. We need to throw that in more. One's named Jerry. Prediction: These guys are going to die.
Ben's dad is drunk and wandering. Horace is Ben's dad right? No. Horace is … who si Horace? He's throwing dynamite like a fraternity boy.
9:10: Okay, sawyer is LaFluer. That's creepy as all get out. That is also awesome.
COMMERCIAL 1 – WTF, I'm going to kill myself. Koppin: WTF.
9:14: Myles is a Dharma, too? Horrace is the leader? Horace is about as capable as a box of crayons.
9:16: okay, so everyone has lived on the island for 3 years after the oceanic 6 left. Got it. The 6 are living on the 'mainland' and the leftover folks are living on the island.
She's having her baby. Whoever she is. I think I missed something.
9:18: What the FRICK is going on. Are we really doing this? Back and forth and forth and back? There's faraday. I like faraday. Make everything better faraday; you're my boy.
Charlotte cannot be DEAD. I will be beyond pissed. There she lay on the ground. Faraday is not doing so good. He should be on suicide watch. Or … maybe … time travel watch. Eh??
9:19: "Charlotte 'moved on' and 'we stayed'. Its over. Wherever we are now, whenever we are now (cliché!?!?) – we're here for good." – Daniel 'kill-myself' Faraday
9:22: Koppin: this show sucks.
"Maybe when you get there; you'll want to go back to the orchid again, then back to the beach, and then back to the orchid. It's the only plan you guys have…" – Myles.
Slow, steady and cynical wins the island race – just ask Ben. Thank you Myles. Someone finally said it. Sawyer is being a douche leader. Hence forth, he shall be known as 'Sir Walkabout'.
9:24: Someone is screaming. It's … I don't know who it is… its some random lady. Some dudes are holding a gun to her brain.
"We don't even know when they are…" – Myles (no way! Time travel!)
9:25: Sawyer just killed him. Holy, nope! Juliet just killed him. NO! Sawyer killed the other dude.
"Juliet is bad ass, dude." – Koppin
Guess what – they're going to go back in time and those two guys they got shot are NOT GOING TO BE DEAD! Called it. Done. Nailed it.
COMMERCIAL 2 — One side comment, this Charles Schwab commercial just said, "who's bailing you out?" That's a good point Charles … that's a very good point.
9:26 (I'm a little off): there is a TON that Juliet knows and she isn't saying. Which makes me want to beat her with a set of deer antlers until she talks. Or we could blackmail her with a make-out with BEN. Money. Make her talk. Whatever it takes.
9:27: We gotta bury them? Will the monster get them? The dead guys?
Jin. Again, comin through. He said he'd carry the dead guy. Jin is legit. If Locke is Jesus, Jin is John the Baptist.
Apparently either Sawyer or Juliet killed this lady's husband. That's a grave deal.
9:28: Okay, we're back to these mushroom smurph things. Sonic fence or something? Yeah, try a time travel, time warp, brain shredder thingy. Freaking lady. She's starting to piss me off. Turn it off woman.
9:29: "okay its off" – the lady. She's a lying sack of hammers.
Koppin: you walk through it first, sister
Sawyer: you walk through it first.
Bryce: mmm hmmm
Here they go. They walked through. They're down. She pulled something from her ears. She is a tool. I hope she dies in childbirth. Man, her face is so creepy.
9:31: They got an intern delivering a baby. Standard. Seems logical to me.
Koppin: Juliet is working on cars. That is so hot.
9:32: Juliet's got a few jack issues. (They're going to kiss [Juliet and Sawyer]… nope didn't happen). Everything Juliet tries she fails at, in regard to women. A little like jack right? Juliet has a thing for jack. Sawyer is falling for her – they're gonna kiss!
No, they didn't again. I'm out of my league here. I want to pre-call something so bad.
Jin's back — in a dharma suit. I like Jin. Have I said that?
"I pulled Juliet out of retirement." – Sawyer (cool)
9:33: So Jin and the guys are looking for the oceanic 6!? I like. I like very much.
Juliet delivered the baby. Hollerluejah. Sawyer looks like a proud papa. That's funny.
Update: Is anyone going to see NEXT, wait, its called KNOWING, with Nick Cage? Isn't that the same movie? I might take a girl to this. It would make me look so good. And by good I mean bad.
Koppin: I will go and see that movie. I hate the title, but I will go and see it.
Bryce: I will watch it streaming on netflix.
9:34 (a little off, again): Horace is a bit of a douche. Sawyer is calling himself James LaFluer. That's sort of cool. Nice Southern Louisiana name.
9:35: Horace hasn't heard of the Black Rock. Well news flash, Horace is LYING. Either Horace is literally retarded or he's lying. Okay, he could be retarded. We all know Jacob runs the show.
9:36: "you are not dharma material" – Horace-suck.
That's right captain America. Sawyer is not Dharma material. Sawyer is legit. He just can't lead very well.
9:37: Oh, Juliet used to be an 'Other' … sort of. See, Juliet knows crap. Myles needs to read into her dead mind and tell us what's going on.
"Daniel, no more flash?" – Jin.
Heck yes, no more flash. Keep that blood in the nose. Now bring Charlotte back.
Faraday sees Charlotte! She bounced back to when she was young! Yes! Does that count as calling something?!
9:38: Sirens. I think the monster is coming. I'm positive. Well, maybe. Either that or a hostel invasion … I think.
Koppin: hahaha, creepy FREAKING lady. She has an assault rifle in her hand in the kitchen.
RICHARDS BACK! He puts the proverbial and literal stake in the ground. A man that never ages with good style. Man, so many chicks and dudes want Richard.
COMMERCIAL 4 — Thoughts: what if this is the night that the others attack? And they upset it or something? What if they change time? I don't even care. Charlottes back. Faraday n' Charlotte 4 Life. I may or may not be getting that as a tattoo.
9:43: Horace doesn't stand a chance to Richard. Man, Richard is legit. He should be the face of L'Oreal, right?
9:44: Sawyer just called Myles 'banzai', hahahhhaha.
9:45: "It's a good thing I ain't asking your permission." – Sawyer 'I-think-on-my-feet-and-it-gets-me-in-trouble' LaFluer.
Koppin: if my wife looks like that (Juliet) at 45 … I will be a happy man."
9:46: Sawyer and Richard. Having a heart to heart on the bench. "Did you burry the bomb?" sawyer has inside info. Nice. Finally he's not talking with his Season 5 belly.
9:48: "Two of my men are dead and my people need some kind of justice." – Richard.
So kill Horace? Geez, who gives a case of mango's about him. They're going to take the baby aren't they. Richard's folks are going to take the baby. Nope, I was wrong. They're talking Paul's body. I don't … I just…
I'm LOST. I'm going to punch Koppin's TV.
9:50: She's going to take a minute with the body. They're playing that theme song – 'Life and Death' from season 1. I'm going to starting bawling. She took Paul's wooden cross. Hmmm.
9:51: Juliet and Sawyer-suck on the dock. Juliet's going to leave. I can't say I'm surprised. Its 1974. Wow. Bell bottoms and disco. Can't say I blame her.
Oooooohhh, "what about me" – sawyer. They're in LOVE. Potentially. They're going to kiss. I know it. Two weeks sawyer says. Gimme two weeks. Sawyer looks like a proud pappa, again.
Side note: This could be the worst decision of Juliet's life.
9:53: it's been more than 2 weeks, Juliet. Whoooops.
Koppin: I just want to point out right now that if Juliet is in this room right now, Sawyer will have gotten with both the women that Jack has been interested in.
9:54: hahah, there's Juliet. Brilliant! Nice sunflower Sawyer, are you going to give that to Kate when she comes back and you become peanut butter in her dirty hands? Tell me I'm wrong … I dare you.
They pecked, that counts. Ha HA! They kissed. I was right. Okay, they just full on open-mouthed. I was right. However, for the record, this was too easy to count as a pre-call.
9:55: Whoa, whoa. The L word. They're in love apparently. Well there's nothing on this freaking island. I'd go for a 45 year old washed up surgeon, too.
Side note: Sawyer wants to lead, but Jack is the leader and always will be. Jack wants the girls, but Sawyer always get them, and always will.
9:56: Horace is a daddy. It's a boy. I don't like Horace. Sawyer looks like the proud papa again.
9:57: "it's only been three years. Three years since he's (Paul/KATE!) been gone. Is that really long enough to get over someone?" — Horace
Bingo was his name-oh. The answer to that is no. Sawyer is in love with Kate and when he sees her it will be like Zues and Athena.
News flash Sawyer, Jim, James, LaFluer: she IS comin' back. Sawyer hears Horace's penetrating wisdom and now looks like a depressed father.
9:58: phone rings. What if that is Kate. Gosh I hope it is. I'm the biggest fan of Jack/Kate, but I don't think I know the subconscious emphasis I have that leads me down the Sawyer Kate path. Hmmmm. We'll see. (This whole episode has been so lovey-dovey. Where's the smoke monster? Where's crazy Rousseau killin' her friends?
9:59: Hurley, Jack, (the car!), Jin – Sawyer realizes she's there…
KATE. Bam. Who'd a thunk it? I would. We all did. Nicely done.
LOST: Episode 6 — Doubting Thomas, The Island and Proxy's.
It's back to the land of the LOST. Except this week – it's not so cut and dry. I mean, the castaways are back. Some of them at least, but this time the rules have changed. As always, Thursday morning was met with a recap of the previous night's episode. I've heard many takes on this week's (218/09) sode':
"You [we] learned absolutely nothing in 58 minutes of Lost that you didn't know in the first 2. Complete filler."
"It was good not great – talk about a bunch of biblical references."
"I like the bible stuff – the writers are so smaaaart!"
"This may be my favorite episode of the season, thus far."
And to think that the first and last comment came from two people who use to be dating.
It was really until this morning that I realized that this episode really was something great. Granted, it was a caught-in-the-middle-of-a-much-bigger-story episode, but was that all? This week we opened with what we all thought was a flash back to the pilot. It was not. And we soon realized – crap, they made it. They made it back!? Then we got one of those 52 minute story's explaining how they got where they just told us they'd be. Part of me felt like we could have done without that. Let me get straight to the point, though.
The most intriguing thing about last night's episode was the fact that each person onboard the flight had to recreate the original flight sequence. We saw this clearly play out with jack putting his father's shoes on Locke's dead body in order to recreate the original flight. We also saw this when we noticed that Sayid was handcuffed to an officer of the law in order to become a proxy for Kate – who was in a similar boat on her maiden flight. And I thought that was it. That must be that Jack was himself, Hurley the same and Sun, too, right?
Think about it. Here we go.
Locke = Jack's daddy – coffin-ized
Sayid = Kate, cuffed like a renegade.
Hurley = Charlie, with his guitar and carefree spirit (I made the second part up)
Sun = Sayid, who was looking for a lost love
Ben = Hurley, both ended up being late to their flights
Jack = Jack, because he is weak, and the only person weak enough to play Jack, is Jack himself. Pussy.
And now for the kicker….
Kate = Claire (Kate is prego with Jack's baby from the night before). Whooooaaaa.
What is going to happen to the extra business classer's that we got to meet briefly in last night's episode? It hurts my mind to think about. I'm sure they'll somehow find a gun, point it at someone and die – or they'll shoot at someone in a raft as they're paddling away, just before they jump points in time – wait a second!? Eureka!
As for Ben and his gladiator face, I think it's obvious that he tried to kill my love, Penelope. Can't you just see Ben about to execute Penny the same way Widmore's boy Keamy did in Alex? And then, in walks Desmond – all excited because he just told Ben he wasn't going to The Island. And then as Dez realizes that Ben always gets the best of everyone, Ben softly says, "Desmond, this doesn't concern you. But if you stop me, I will hurt you." What's the only way Desmond will go back to the island – if Penny's in trouble right? Maybe she dies, or is really hurt and the only way to save her is to go back. Back from where he once came.
Side note: Jack's character arc coming on around with the inclusion of doubting Thomas (Jack: someone like me exists?!) and the Good Will Hunting-esque, "it's not your fault" moment from Ben — of all people — was outstanding.
This is all turning out to get very good. Geeeeez, I love LOST.
Lost Through Four Episodes: The Little Prince
"I've always been with you…"
Such is life. Such is LOST. The all-consuming, abusive relationship I've been in for the past 5 years. To be honest, I couldn't feel more at home with last night's episode. It was one that fell through the cracks, sure, but when push came to shove – old habits die hard.
We're 4 episodes in to LOST's season 5 saga and I can feel the uneasiness building in the air. The premier was a bit weak. The follow up was stronger, but still lacked that spice of answers we all hold hope for. How bad does the audience want answers? Last night I was busy. So … I woke up at 6am this morning to watch last night's episode. Is there a stronger word than obsessed?
I've always been with you LOST.
The 4rd episode – Jughead – did wonders for all of us. We felt like we got some info penciled into a few questions, learned a little about our boy Widmore and managed to make our way back a few decades and see some terrific footage of a blond cutie that may or may not be married to someone, may or may not be someone's mother and may or may not be in love with Widmore. Answers? Eh, it's a start. Any time we get Desmond on screen, we're in for a solid single. Join that with Faraday's theories of time travel, his professed love for Caroline and a hydrogen bomb hanging feet from the ground and we're off to a good start. Jughead = money. My favorite episode since last year's, The Constant. Season 5: I like where its going.
Then we hit last night's episode: The Little Prince
Sitting there with my cup of morning coffee in hand, it seemed to me that the 'ol LOST writers were getting back to their old tricks. Did anyone think for a moment that Ben wasn't suing Kate? Do we need to hear Jack say, "I can fix this" one more time? Does anyone not know by now that Sayid is a little unstable and will be either bleeding, shooting or both in every episode until the finale? The answers to all of this is of course not. We're fans. We're loyal fans. We get it.
But then I stopped. Could The Little Prince be a look into something deeper? Probably not, but its worth a look. Thanks to the last two ep's we know can see where this is going. Faraday (my boy!) and Caroline are falling in love faster than the DOW is falling past 7,000. Jack, despite his inability to see what we all see, refuses to stop trying and will forever fight for Kate – this could come into play big time if we're in a LOST-esque gun-to-the-head scenario. And Aaron — our hapless hero caught in the middle — could play a KEY role. He's seemingly the only person BORN on the island (that we know of)…. right? Op, Rousseau's daughter — but she's dead, dead. There is a high chance I'm going insane.
I'm growing more and more intrigued to the Faraday/Caroline storyline — I won't lie. And I finally want Jack to suck it up, have some faith, and trust someone else — I'm almost rooting for him. That's a first, I think. I want Locke to start killing everything in sight. And finally – maybe I'm the only one – does it seem like Juliet's into Sawyer?
Ben's into Juliet. Juliet's into Sawyer. Sawyer's INTO Kate. Kate's … into me … okay, she's mostly into Jack. And Jack's into his Dad, because Jack is gay. But he loves Kate. So he's into her, supposedly. So at least that's clear as mud.
I've always been with you LOST.
Last night's saga (and all four ep's this season) have proven to us all that we've always been with Lost. We'll always be with LOST. No matter how many times it betrays us, no matter how much abuse we take, we'll be right there … loving it.
Millions of questions to answer. 30 episodes left.
I'm so there.
LOST in the…Two Moments
Well, it's all happened at once now hasn't it? What used to be my wishful thinking has all come crashing down in a heap of escaped dreams. If only I had had the chutzpah – if only I were Jewish. Prepare yourself for the letdown…
A couple weeks back, as I was leaving my place of work, I was walking down a long stretch of road — no cars, no people to speak of, just me and another bloke. As we walked towards each other – we were both trying to exit the premises – all I could notice was the fact that he looked like he was from the east coast. He had on a big coat, his cap, and was holding a briefcase. The only other thing I immediately noticed was his glasses – black, hard rimmed glasses on an unforgettable face; well, unforgettable for a few.
You've got to be kidding me. There's absolutely no way? Well, considering I am in Burbank, CA, close by to many of the major studios, I suppose, in reality, there actually is a way. I continued on my line. The closer we got to each other, the clearer the face and facts became. I've done it. I'm walking stride for stride with Damon Lindelof. This is unreal. Consider the facts here for a moment if you will: I write nearly every week about LOST — the show the consumes my thoughts, invades my personal sleep and generally spites me around every turn. I created this blog to vent about my glee for the show and combined cynicism it brings to my Wednesdays, and I was now walking in step with its masked man; its proverbial Wizard of Oz. It all happened so fast.
And then we just kept walking. And walking.
To say that my brain was going crazy would actually be false. He was on his phone, I was listening to my Ipod — let's be honest though, I had it on pause, just kept the ear buds in to be cool. We walked step for step for the next full minute. The entire time I was deliberately looking away from him, as if to say I didn't know it was him. As we walked — it must have been a block or so — I made the strict decision not to say anything. I wouldn't bother him. In an ideal world he would have handed me the summary of Season 5, but it probably would have just been too weird, so we just kept our pace. I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't say anything. I didn't want to be that guy. Oh, my spider-senses were tingling.
For the next couple weeks I milled that night over in my mind. It's been my dream for 4 years to be a writer for LOST, to start wherever possible, shouldn't I have said something? I feel as though I made the right decision – nah, I know I did – I just wonder what would happen if I saw him again.
I did.
Two weeks later, I got a call from my roommate who works at the Disney/ABC Lot in Burbank. He invited me over for lunch and we walked down to the Disney cafeteria. On our way over, we walked right past the LOST writer's offices and I decided it would be best to just take a deep breath and not focus on the past. We kept walking. I kept thinking. I settled for a salad at the cafe (what?!) and we made our way outside. We hadn't sat down for more than 5 minutes when low and behold, out of the commissary, five feet away, the entire LOST writing crew plops down, save one: Carleton Cuse. I looked at Todd and he at me as I mumbled the words, "Well, that makes twice…" There I sat, trapped in my own skin, this time confronted with the option of not ruining a phone call, but a large group lunch.
Out walks Carlton.
Son of a…!
I wish I could tell you all that I did the proper thing, just a 'thank you' or a 'I love your work' type of quip. I wish I came bearing great news of great joy, but I don't. I sat there like a lump, afraid of burning any future bridges and focused on professionalism – its all very elitist and lame, isn't it? If I had to live it over, I would've done it differently. What exactly this different thing would be, I do not know, but I can say this: The next time I see Mr. Cuse or Mr. Lindeloph, they will know the name Bryce VanKooten. I vow to you on the foundation of this blog. I hereby swear that nothing on this side of Saturn's rings will keep me from telling them that they can keep their money; I'll work for free. I've never wanted anything more than a position within the LOST writing community. The next time I see their face(s), I'll make it happen. Perfectly honest, I'll make it happen, you can bet that freeeaking island on that one.
Babylong A.D. (2008)
Disappointing Daysby Bryce VanKooten
Babylon A.D. read exactly like the studio knew it would: short, not-so-sweet and entirely forgettable. It's incredibly unfortunate that a movie which started out as the daring, futuristic novel Babylon Babies got chopped up into an overtly uninspiring and subsequently shallow PG-13 disaster.
Babylon A.D., the story of Toorop, a veteran-turned-mercenary who takes the job of escorting a woman named Aurora from Central Asia to New York, stays fresh and witty in its first hour. What Toorop (Vin Diesel) thinks is an ordinarily dangerous mission soon becomes much more when he discovers that his guest is carrying twin babies, thought to be the next Messiahs. The movie begins quickly and the first hour is brilliantly average — one can only help but admit there is little chance of a blockbuster after hearing zero publicity. All preconceived notions aside, there are actually quite a few great turns at its opening, including a border-crossing scene equaling intensity with any action film. Needless to say, after the 40 minutes my hopes were high.
The movie could have got one of two ways, really. Either it stayed true to its first hour – gritty, surprising evil marked by mysterious characters or get lazy and forever be lost to theatrical mediocrity. Unfortunately (again), it was the latter. What started out great in this production plunder (over budget, cutting room hell, fist fights, tears, etc) ultimately pandered its way boredom. I had justifiable misconceptions walking in because I have seen too many movies like it. I was hoping to be surprised and hoping that the Studio made the right decision by cutting one MPAA rating and 70 minutes from this potentially epic story, however, the Hollywood equation rings sad but true: one star + below average script + cute girl = guaranteed to at least get your money back. It's nothing short of box-office fraud I know, but I maintain that this movie had at least a chance to be above average, before coming up far short. And my oh my, did it come up short.
The movie ended in the direct opposite way it began. We were met with intrigue and let out with boredom. We were ushered in with mystery and exited with apathy. Nothing kept me thinking, nothing kept me caring. The movie ended in a lump of lazy, backward thinking – as if we cared what happened to the babies? The last scene of the film (which could have been filmed in my backyard for all I know) was about as entertaining as a Colonoscopy. Standing outside some building (his house?), Toorop held the hands of two very different looking children (the babies?) in an act of true love (Someone was in love? Who was in love?) and a commitment to raise the children on his own (Aurora's dead? How? We just saw her at the hospital…). All this coming from a man whom we'd grown to love by seeing him throw innocent people from a vessel he was trying to board out of self preservation. Apparently Toorop turned nice in three seconds; who would've guessed?
If I could be blunter, I would. There were many, many things wrong with this movie outside of the fact that it was created on the floor of a cutting room. The fight sequences had to be ambiguously edited in order to show the least amount of production error and lack of footage. The characters, although almost brimming with development possibility, were left to hang like a basketball mid-flight, as if we were watching a trilogy without the courtesy of seeing part one and having no hope for part three. It was nearly torturous.
However, it's hard for me to sit here and comment solely on the end of the movie. As I said before, the opening was quite brilliant. The rigidness of Toorop was a lovably fallen character and Aurora, played by the beautiful (and teeny) Mélanie Thierry, brought a terrific, silent balance to the harsh world around her. The characters were there. The story was in place. The stage had been set, if only for an above average picture, if only for those willing to see the two-plus-hour epic, if only given the chance.
We weren't.
So Babylon A.D. is lost. At least until the next one.
Pineapple Express (2008)
One Crazy Night
High as a kite — eh, a great summer escape.by Bryce VanKooten
There I was, back in high school, watching two grown men wander the streets of their hometown in search of friends and foe, drugs and dreams. I didn't have to try very hard to see them walk through their front door to standing parents, awaiting their arrival; their disapproving looks saying it all. Before speaking they pause, minds spinning from the night's many adventures, they rewind, trying to start from the beginning. Then, very slowly and seriously, they begin, "You guys…I can explain. This could have happened to anyone."
Armed with a throwaway job as a Process Server and a mediocre high school girlfriend (the very cute, Amber Heard), Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) has his daily sites set on two things: getting high today and preparation for his high tomorrow. Generally, the only thing deterring him from these goals are the minor obstacles in his path – new costume ideas for the next 'serve', scraping together enough cash for tonight's purchase, calling his girlfriend – and even they rarely seem to keep him from his hazy utopia. In Denton's eyes, he lives in the pinnacle of life's glorious drag, sucking down joints like yesterday's leftovers. Its comic genius, I must admit and no joke is lost among the laborious scenes of everyday puffing.The mellow attitude with which the film opens is only enhanced after we meet Saul Silver (James Franco), Dale's just-as-lazy drug dealer. If Dale's a pothead, I'm not sure where that puts Saul — maybe, Dale in a decade?
**Spoiler(s) ahead**
The movie stays in its smoky saga only long enough to paint the scene. After Dale witnesses a cop's murder by the hands of a crocked dealer (Gary Cole) and leaves a joint of the infamously rare Pineapple Express at the scene of the crime the movie switches gears after he finally begins fearing for his life after realizing the rare weed's traceability and just like that, we've got a full blown mouse hunt on our hands. Between Silver's lackluster zeal for much of anything and Dale's predisposition to practicality, the jokes are brilliantly normal and the comedy perfectly understandable. What did we expect, really? Every Apatow movie to date has been about the average man; each time finding himself in an increasingly more improbable, but never impossible, situation. Pride yourself on cleanliness and 1980's comic books and you could be a 40 Year-Old Virgin. Hook up with a girl out of your league and both of you could very well be unhappy and Knocked Up. Follow around high school boys trying desperately to swipe the V-card and successfully purchase alcohol with a fake ID and I guarantee you the footage will be Superbad. Pineapple Express is no different. Smoke enough weed in a short period of time and this could actually happen to you, there's not a doubt in my mind.
Don't read me wrong here, this movie becomes more and more outlandish with each passing turn, but the jokes are never too far – save the fighting ninja warriors, those were a bit much, I suppose. After these modern-day Cheech and Chongs realize their notorious stash of PE can be traced back to them, they decide to sprint for the middle man — tweener-dealer Red (Danny McBride) and easily the funniest character of this film (and maybe the entire last year).
Each twist of fortunes finds Red fighting against someone else and by the end of the film the now-famous clip of the neck brace-wearing Red chirping, "thug life…" has never rang truer. With the dealer's goons (The Office's Craig Robinson and Superbad's Kevin Corrigan) hot on their tracks, the three underdogs embark on the save-all-except-themselves mission using the PE to finance the necessities: Slurpees and snacks. After Dale gets arrested for blatantly selling to minors, their plan seems thwarted — all hope lost. Arms behind his back, trying to explain to the driving police officer, Dale glances up to see his counterpart – a Slurpee-holding Saul – standing directly in front of the speeding vehicle, willing to take a hit for his friend. The slushy drinks erupt, mostly on the windshield, make the Police cruiser now both their getaway and a seemingly obvious hit-and-run homicide. Misconception…all one big misconception, but hilarious nonetheless. I wouldn't want to spoil the rest of the film for you, but bottom line: it's worth a watch if you feel like a night off from responsibility.
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subset: commoncrawl


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We would like to let you know that the IEEE 125th Anniversary website launched in September. Please visit http://www.ieee125.org and join the party!
On all IEEE Materials, until the end of 2009, please use the 125th Anniversary Mark, in place of the IEEE Master Brand. For more information please visit http://www.ieee.org/web/publications/rights/125th.html.
Also, please join the Anniversary celebration groups and networks on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.


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Zotob worm hits Windows users
A worm named Zotob has begun exploiting a vulnerability in Windows which was patched by Microsoft this month.
The anti-virus software maker, F-Secure, said in a statement that the worm could be based on exploit code released by a researcher known as houseofdabus last Friday.
The Sasser worm, which infected thousands of computers in May last year, made its presence felt two days after houseofdabus released exploit code for the flaw, which the worm attacked.
The Zotob worm scans random machines for activity on port 445. This port is used by the Server Message Block protocol which, among other things, is used for file sharing in Windows NT, 2000 and XP.
When a vulnerable PC is found, a copy of the worm gets downloaded from the scanning machine. A FTP server is set up on the newly infected machine which then begins to scan for more targets.
F-Secure said machines which had been updated with the second security pack for Windows XP and those running Windows Server 2003 would not be affected, as port 445 was blocked.


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I usually don't do "shout outs" but when one is in order, I do. And one is definitely in order in this case.
The family all got together Mother's Day weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday and while sitting outside around the pool with the girls, the youngest of the group (my 10 week old niece) got propped up for her first "tummy time" outside by the pool. I only had my iPhone with me and not my "big gun" camera. I had to take advantage of the moment because the light was great and the subject adorable.
Once I was back home, I decided to try my hand at making the casual shots look like studio shots. I turned to my handy arsenal of tools comprised of:
- Photoshop (CS3 is what I prefer although I have newer versions too)
- Oh So Posh Photography's PS Actions (the "Once Upon A Dream" collection and the Bohemian Symphony Collection)
- Kim Klassen's great textures she has shared so generously with the creative community
I cropped the shot and then started to work on getting rid of the icky background. I'm not a fan of masking in Photoshop because the edges often look unnatural. I prefer to step into the taboo world of "destructive editing" where I erase with a soft-edged brush all along the edge of the subject. Yes, I know... it's "wrong". But I always work on a duplicate layer and never the original so I'm covered.
After I erased away the background, I added two of Kim Klassen's textures as layers underneath--"Life is Good" and "Isobel" (flipped over so the dark edge was down) from her Downton II Collection. I took each layer through a Gaussian blur filter so they looked like they were naturally blurred in the background of the photo. I reduced the opacity of the "Life is Good" layer to 30% and put it on top. Then on the "Isobel" layer, I painted in some shadows in a similar shade of blue as the "Isobel" texture with a soft brush set at 10% right along the edge of the pillow and the babies elbows.
With the background taken care of, I was able to focus on the subject and making sure she was in the best light possible.
I saved my file first. Then I did "Save As..." and saved a copy of the file with a slightly different name. I worked off the "Save As..." file from that point forward. I did this because in order to use Oh So Posh's PS actions (and most others) it is necessary to flatten the file which gets rid of all the layers. This is necessary because almost all actions look for a layer named "Background" to perform their "magic" on. When you flatten a file all the layers in that file are merged into one layer and that layer is automatically named "Background". I like to retain a copy of the file with all the layers in case I need to go back and perform more edits.
So... I flattened the "Save As..." copy of the file...
... and then started running the actions I've purchased and loaded in the past.
I ran four actions in total on this particular photo. Oh So Posh's actions allow you to tweak a great deal so I tweaked where necessary. I used:
"Innocence" at 100% opacity
"Sheer Beauty" at 80% opacity
"Barely There" at 80% opacity
"Wispy Pink" at 75% opacity
I saved the file.
Then I performed another "Save As..." so I could retain a copy of the layered file and work from a copy that I could flatten in order to work with the final actions "Lovely Eyes" and "Twinkle Eyes". I flattened the new copy of the file as before, and ran the two final actions.
And that's how I turned a casual shot taken with my iPhone into a shot that looks like I had my "big gun".


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Connect with like-minded professionals and have your say on the issues that matter to you.
Don't forget to look at the how to guide.
Is it time to clock teachers' working hours?
Discussion in 'Education news' started by TES_Rosaline, Jun 5, 2018.
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Here are the directions!
- Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
- Using only the first page, pick an image.
- Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.
The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Margaux
2. What is your favorite food? chicken fingers
3. What high school did you go to? Holy Angels
4. What is your favorite color? blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Shia LeBeouf (for his acting skills!)
6. Favorite drink? gin and tonic
7. Dream vacation? deserted beach
8. Favorite dessert? vanilla ice cream cone
9. What you want to be when you grow up? full
10. What do you love most in life? relationships
11. One Word to describe you? energetic
12. Your flickr name? tentenknits
1. Chateau Margaux, 2. Chicken Fingers Bento, 3. Tattershall, Holy Trinity, I, 1a, Two tracery light angels, 4. When I'm sleeping, I slow down my breathing...Living in dreams, dreams that come true...thinking of the color blue... ZZZzzzzzz..., 5. Optimus Prime, 6. Gin & Tonic, 7. wreck on deserted beach, 8. Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes, 9. Streetlights, Fireworks and the Full Moon, 10. A True Relationship, 11. energetic brights, 12. ten things :: goldenrod
Coming soon and FO and a Big Announcement... :-) You love the suspense, I know!
meme taken from Nonnahs


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We all want our children to grow up and become strong, compassionate, responsible adults, with faith that inspires, shares, and gives life. Unfortunately, good intentions are not enough. You need a plan and a partner. You need to start with the end in mind. We want to be a part of this journey in encouraging your children to worship early and grow to express their own faith as young adults.
Our goal is to invite kids into a safe, engaging environment where they can understand the Bible in real ways and develop their friendship with God. We also desire to make every effort to equip parents by providing partnership and practical help as they pass on faith to their kids. We can't wait to meet you and join you on your faith journey!
What would it look like to give our kids and students a compelling faith? What if we challenged our kids and students to know something more than just a long list of people and places? What if our kids and students regularly encountered God? What if our kids and students learned to hear God's voice and respond? What if our kids and students brought the kingdom of God here? How would they be changed? How would we be changed?
LifeCC Family Life desires to see these questions answered. Our goal is to grow spiritually healthy families. We would like to foster a new generation that has an active relationship with God and who are looking for ways to bring the kingdom of God here.
Nursery Life is designed to be an environment in which your kids can discover God's love in a safe place, explore the world God created around them, and develop a relationship with God through engaging Bible stories, prayer and interactive play.
Toddler Life offers young children and their parents the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, celebrate God together, and discover God's Word. Children will Explore, Discover, Respond to God, and be Blessed by their leaders and parents as they learn about and experience God.
Preschool Life reveals the WONDER of who God is for preschool and kindergarten-age kids, allowing them to explore together using creative, interactive activities, responses, and storytelling. Through this ministry preschoolers and kindergarteners will have the chance to discover more about God and respond to His Holy Spirit.
Kid's Life reveals God's redemptive plan through the telling of The Big God Story. Elementary kids, grades first through fifth, will be given the chance to experience God through exciting activities, meaningful times of response and blessing, creative storytelling and more. Kid's Life includes large group teaching that helps kids explore "The Big God Story", followed by a small group environment has been created with interactive elements that encourage kids to apply God's Word to their lives.
Our curriculum is a dynamic, spiritually-forming, and family-empowered ministry philosophy that offers a vibrant weekend experience, as well as other family resources that meet the specific needs of today's generation. Our curriculum is uniquely developed to inspire, equip, and support parents and volunteer/leaders in their ministry to children.
Our Family Life Team strongly believes that spiritual development can and should begin from the earliest age with parents as the primary nurturers of their children's faith. With this in mind, our resources support both the church and home with a focus on knowing God personally, igniting a passion for Christ, learning to listen to his Spirit, keeping Biblical content true to context, and cultivating a concern for people's needs in our communities and the world.
Now that you understand our philosophy in children's ministry, here are the values that drive us every week to put on the ministry for your children and their friends. In Children's Life we have four values that we encompass every Sunday your children are in service. These values are:
Life Community Church is honored that you would trust us with the physical and spiritual well-being of your child. The Children's Life team takes this responsibility very seriously. To achieve a "Children's Safe Zone," we have established the following goals:
In order to achieve these goals we ask that parents:
Life Community Church
232 5th Ave S., Kirkland, WA 98033
(425) 827-5681


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While dining at the Ren Cen last night, I noticed that the Wintergarten has been gussied-up with RB Air Race paraphernalia, and that numerous hospitality tents have been set up outside the building. This morning and afternoon, I had the pleasure of hearing and watching the planes take practice runs along the Detroit River.
New to Detroit, the international, two-day event features 12 race pilots, 12 planes and an aerial race track that requires impeccable precision and intense maneuvers at high speeds. The race in the Motor City will take place on the Detroit Riverfront between Rivard Plaza and Cobo Hall.


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We are currently witnessing a fantastic display of confidence in self expression in this era. It is becoming more apparent that a large number of us are becoming more confident in expressing our personality through our style. It started with Geek Chic (let's face it most of us have worn glasses we don't really need) and its carrying on through body art and hair colour. Chester Guests, try and count how many different colours Sally's hair has been this year!
For those of you who might be regular festival goers looking for a hair style pick me up or for festival newbies looking for some quick ideas; do not fear Tommy's is here to offer you our Festival Hot Picks for 2014. Keep reading to find out our Top 3 Festival Styles and Hair colours for this Summer.
Top 3 Festival Hair Styles 2014
1. Boho/ Beach Inspired Waves... A common staple hair style for festivals, especially for
2.The Top Knot...The top knot is a style that we wear through out the year and during different occasions and events. It is something you can dress up or down and is one of the most versatile looks. Our funky top knot festival hot pick comes from the gorgeous Whitney Port.
3.The Braid...The braid is a versatile hair style and can be worn in a multitude of ways to suit different hair lengths. For shorter hair we are loving a braid using grown out or side fringes, plaited across the forehead. Tommy's Ultimate Festival braid style is the Dutch inspired braid using all the hair and wrapping it over the top of the head. Think Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson.
Top 3 Festival Hair Colours
1. Peacock Blue Hues... Courtesy of Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry and Demi Lavato, Blue is most certainly the new black for 2014. Chester Stylist Sally has been blue for a month now and here is what she says about this latest colour trend "Before this I was lilac for quite a while and I fancied a change. I decided to go blue as it is still a vibrant colour but I feel its more sophisticated and can be worn in different situations. I think it is going to be a popular colour through this summers festival scene"
2. Fuschia Pink... Festival Queen Vanessa Hudgens has recently been spotted with fuschia dip dyed waves and braids. This has always been a popular festival colour and is definitely one of our Hot Picks for 2014. Our favorite pink look for this year has been inspired by Little Mix's Perrie Edwards. We love the contrast of her bright two-toned pink tresses against her pale skin tone.
3. Multi Coloured... Ok so "technically" this is not one colour but it is most certainly one of our hot looks for 2014. Multi coloured slices under the hair, dip dyes etc have become more and more experimental over time. Think Cruella Deville as a nice person and you somehow end up with Kesha in the Timber Music Video. These funky out there looks are amazing, especially when they are created with non permanent colour such as our much loved L'Oreal Hair Chalk. Kesha's Latest coloured look is getting the Tommy's Team pumped for some serious Hair Chalk over load. Adam our Academy Assistant in Llandudno says "Walking through town with majorly multi coloured hair still isn't a common thing but for people who want to release their wild side and have a bit of hair excitement, using non permanent hair chalks for a Festival is a great way to express yourself without any long term regrets."
Hopefully we have inspired you for some new or updated Festival ideas for this Summer. We would love to see photos of your ideas and re-creations of any of these looks so don't forget to take a selfie and Tweet us using the hash-tag TommysFestivalStyle
Lots of Love


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The story of paq chair
This is the story of how my empty room became the inspiration for my first worldwide distributed product the paq chair as I told it at a TEDx conference in 2012:
The whole project started when I had to move to a new place without furniture and I had no money to buy a bed. I had this foam mattress but I hated it. It occupied a lot of space and never looked good. I also wanted an armchair so i tough i try to create one from my foam mattress. I was playing with non related paper folds when I found this shape. I immediately bought all the necessary items and by the end of that day I had my bed transformable into armchair.
Probably this is the world's simplest armchair transformable into bed. It consist of only three functional element. The sheetings are separated from the ground by the gray textile on it and exchangeable with bucket or a small table. It is surprisingly stable and holds your back. Siting in it feels like siting in a flexible bean bag chair with more freedom to move in it. I am testing it continuously for one year now and it works perfectly.
With some help I patented it. After two and a half year development it is finally on the market with the name paq because it is an upside down bed: Have a look.


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Christmas is everywhere! Christmas items already stocked in the stores.
Be sure to hurry and get your rubber stamps to make your Christmas cards.
I bring you another Christmas card today as Just for Fun Stamps celebrates Christmas in July.
I layered many pieces including burlap then took the stamped image colored the background and stamped another image and took the bird and popped him off the card.
I used the Just for Fun Rubber Stamp: Partridge with Pears which you can find HERE.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy making your friends and
family their handmade by you Christmas cards.
Linking to the following challenges
Hiding in my Craftroom Lots of Layers
My time to craft: Christmas in July
Daring Cardmakers: Christmas in July
Simply Papercraft Anything Goes


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We would love to hear from you if you have any suggestion, feedback, or question for us.
If it is a topic for discussion with the music community you can also start a thread on our Forum (http://songwriters.sg/forum/)
Alternatively, you can reach us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/songwriters.sg/.
Communicate with us and let us know what are some of the practical things that we can do to create more and better music. We may not have the solution to all challenges, but collectively we might be able to find creative ways to resolve them.


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MacKenzie Tartan Ribbon
MacKenzie Tartan Ribbon is available to buy in 7mm (1/4"), 10mm (3/8"), 16mm (5/8"), 25mm (1"), 38mm (1½") and 70mm (2¾") widths, on 25 metre (approx 27½ yard) reels and in 5m (5½yd) top-up packs. The MacKenzie Tartan Ribbon sold by tartan-ribbon.com is top quality, authentic Scottish tartan ribbon as certified by the Scottish Tartans Authority.
As always, we are happy to offer FREE worldwide shipping.
5m (5½yd) top-up packs also available with FREE worldwide shipping, but please note 25m reels are by far the best value.
The MacKenzie Tartan Ribbon shown here is the modern variant. The Modern MacKenzie was worn by the Seaforth Highlanders and features a single white and single red overcheck, set against the famous dark blue and green undercheck of the Government Tartan (Black Watch) on which most military tartans are based.
MacKenzie Tartan Ribbbon is almost identical to Rose (Hunting) Tartan Ribbon.
MacKenzie Tartan Ribbon is also an excellent alternative for the Cornish Hunting Tartan and the Scottish National Tartan.
A lightweight MacKenzie "Taffeta" Tartan Ribbon is also available as Robertson Tartan Ribbon.


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There's little point in re-inventing the wheel.
There is a wealth of information on the internet, just waiting to be read. All you had to do was find it.
Well, we have and here it is.
These are just some of the useful sites, articles and information about tobacco growing, curing etc., we think you will find useful.
Our Simple Guide to Growing Tobacco
Our Simple Guide to Flue-Curing Tobacco
How to germinate & start tobacco seeds (youtube video)
UK Tobacco Products Duty Act (See item # 2.9)
Pay your UK Homegrown tobacco tax here - The HMRC TP7A Form
Everything you Wanted to Know about Tobacco - but were too tired to search the Internet.
Growing Tobacco in Florida - University of Florida.
Methods of Curing Tobacco - Another old book available in digital form for you to read online. Dates back to around 1897. (United States. Dept. of Agriculture.. Methods of curing tobacco.. Washington, D.C.. UNT Digital Library.)
Book about Growing Tobacco, written in 1886!! Goes into great lengths about air curing. (28MB PDF file)
The Grow Your Own Tobacco Forum - Read what community is saying and join in the many Q & As.
Snuff - Buy Tobacco and Nasal Tobacco online at this online retail shop http://www.snuff.me.uk/


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You can never truly relax in your own home if it is unclean. Some part of your mind is always thinking about the unwashed dishes, the unclean carpet, and the dusty shelves that need attending to, which is why it is almost always better to keep on top of your cleaning before it builds up. The good news is that with a few simple and tricks, you can deep clean your home with minimal effort.
Here are some of the most useful cleaning tips to make your home sparkle:
Use Rubbing Alcohol--
If your attention is constantly drawn to that stain on the sofa every time you're trying to watch Netflix, don't just ignore it – get yourself some rubbing alcohol and a sponge and get rid of it for good!
Rubbing alcohol is also good for removing pens from the walls. Just make sure you use a white sponge or cloth as rubbing alcohol can cause dyes to transfer from one medium to another.
Sparkle with Steam--
A good steam cleaner will transform your life. Not only is steam very good at killing germs and removing all manner of grime, but it can be used on various mediums from sticky wooden floors to dirty windows, making it a must-have. To see just how much steam cleaners can do, check out Steam Insider and thank me later.
Use Vinegar--
Vinegar is cheap and natural. It is also great at cleaning everything from the kitchen sink to the dust on your furniture. In fact, using vinegar and a cloth will get rid of dust much more quickly and effectively than pretty much anything else.
Get Rid of Sticky Substances with Oil--
If you've scrubbed and scrubbed that sticky patch to no avail, try adding a little mineral oil to your sponge; you should find that the sticky substance lifts right off. Obviously, don't use this method when cleaning fabric, or you'll have a nasty oil stain to contend with on top of everything else!
De-grease the Oven--
The oven is one of the worst things to clean, and as a result, it tends to be one of the things we seldom clean, which of course just makes the problem worse. Luckily, there is a mixture that can cut through grease and make short work of the dirtiest ovens – vinegar, dish soap, and baking soda.
Freeze Wax--
If candle wax has found its way onto your favorite pillow or you simply want to clean your candle holders, pop them into the freezer for an hour or so, and you'll be able to remove the wax in an instant.
Freshen up with Baking Soda--
If your fridge is starting to smell a bit funky and your carpet is starting to smell like the dog, you need baking soda. Baking soda is a cheap and effective substance which is not only great for cleaning but also excellent for absorbing odors. To use, place an open package in the fridge or sprinkle liberally on the carpet before vacuuming to banish unpleasant odors almost instantly.
What are your time for cleaning your home quickly?


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Mazda launched its new MX-5 car in Japan, giving some parts of its appearance a makeover and altering pieces of the powertrain, and it is set to release outside Japan sometime early next year.
The MX-5 sports the Activematic electrically-controlled transmission system and now has shifting buttons reminiscent of those in the RX-8. Mazda also adjusted the front center roll for more responsive steering and reduced body roll. The gearbox for the 6-speed manual version has been modified for precision, too. The engine features new crankshafts, pistons, and newly-designed valve springs, and is capable of 168 horsepower at 7500 rpm.
The look updates feature a restyled front with a mesh grille and chrome surrounds for the top-down version, so people will be able to differentiate between it and the hard-top. The 5-dial instrument panel has been redesigned, as well. The seats have also been given sturdier support along with new designs. There is also a nice selection of colors available for prospective buyers.
While the 2009 MX-5 is basically more of a facelift than an upgrade, buyers will be happy with the fine-tuned pieces and the higher rev limit. The MX-5 is also set to be released in Europe for the first time.


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Rand Paul's 3rd Quarter Closing Update:
The Rand Paul campaign is on the verge of a groundbreaking achievement- they are about to raise $1 million in one quarter (outfundraising Dr. Paul's primary opponent, Trey Grayson for the quarter). But Rand needs your help!
The ticker on his website needs to cross $1,112,000 by midnight tonight in order to reach that goal, which means as of 12:30 PM Central we need to raise Rand Paul just $17,000 by midnight.
You think the group that raised him four hundred and thirty thousand dollars on one day last month can handle that? Me too!
Please give even just a little ($10 or $25 makes a huge difference!) right this second. Reporting over a million for the quarter sounds much better and will generate far more press than reporting "almost a million" for the quarter.
Adam Kokesh for Congress
Another Liberty Candidate- Adam Kokesh is having a "mini-money-bomb" today to push past $100,000k for the quarter in his New Mexico congressional district. At just under $90k as of 12:30 PM Central today, he needs roughly the same amount as Dr. Paul to push past his goal.
Please give even just a little to his campaign right now. If you don't know very much about these two gentlemen and why their campaigns merit your contribution, visit their websites and read through their issue pages.
They are true patriots, dedicated to preserving our liberties and rule-of-law. You can bet neither one will ever vote for a corporate bailout bill, so-called stimulus package, cap-and-trade scheme, or government take-over of your health care!
In the meantime, you can count on them to diminish the role, power, and influence of the federal government. Could you ask for a better congressman or senator?


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In case you were wondering, my real name is Peter, and I live in Wageningen, the Netherlands. I was born in 1969. I have an M.Sc. degree in Computer Science from Twente University. I do some sports, mainly volleybal and squash, but only recreational.
You can e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com (leave out the "no spam" part from the address, I added it as a protection from automated junk e-mail). Be prepared that an answer can take a while, I don't read this account daily.


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This section contains information for those who would like to learn more about Russia and Russian culture. The Glossary provides definitions of Russian words used in The Face of Russia television programs. The Bibliography and the Web links list additional sources of information, including maps and works of art. For teachers there are Lesson Plans for elementary through high school grades. And finally, for a bit of added interest, visitors can view the Cyrillic alphabet and find out about its origins.
Companion book
The Face of Russia, by Dr. James H. Billington
A sweeping new analysis from the U.S. Librarian of Congress and preeminent expert on Russian culture.
When the Soviet communist empire was overthrown by the Russians themselves in August 1991, the change was more clearly anticipated by humanistic students of creativity than by economic and political scientists surrounded by statistics and information. Does the Russian patten of creativity provide any hints as to how the Russians might solve problems today? Having borrowed the democratic political model of their erstwhile American enemy, will they be able to create a distinctive Russian variant that can endure? Or will they end up destroying their own experiement at accountable, constitutional government and returning to their long traditional of authoritarianism.
The Face of Russia addresses these questions. This is a dazzling and forward-looking history of the Russian people as told through their artform one of the worlds great experts on Russian culture. The story covers 800 years of Russian creativity, and introduces us to the new art forms that burst onto the Russian scene, and became the vehicles for expressing the creative aspirations of an age as well as the enduring Russian quest to find salvation and entertainment in art.
For bulk/institutional sales contact HarperCollins customer service at 1-800-242-7737. Individuals may purchase this volume wherever books are sold.
To order videos (single programs or boxed set of 3 programs) OR the companion book by Dr. Billington, call Video Finders at 1-800-343-4727, or write to: The Face of Russia, Video Finders, 425 East Colorado Blvd., Glendale, CA 91205.
Discussion Guide
For use in both formal and informal educational settings Available free of charge while supplies last from WETA, Educational Services & Outreach, 2775 South Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22206, or call 703-998-2827.
Russian Life Magazine
Russian Life magazine is the 41-year-old monthly magazine on Russian culture, history, travel and life. Published in English for Russophiles around the world, Russian Life is full of great color photography and intriguing feature storiesit is a monthly trip to the heart of Russian reality. Sample stories online and/or subscribe (which also automatically enters you in a drawing for a free round-trip ticket to Russia on Lufthansa!).
The June/July 1998 issue contains an article on Ferapontova and the frescoes of Dionysus, which are featured in the Interactive Timeline of The Face of Russia website.
Visit our web-site at http://www.rispubs.com.


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Travis and I have made it a point to utilize our little side yard with Goober when the weather is decent. As a kid I don't remember a day that I didn't go outside and play...even in the rain! My friends and I would build giant umbrella "forts" if the weather wasn't sunny, and being from Seattle, it happened a lot. My hope is that Goober enjoys the outdoors and being active like her parents did (and still do!). Sometimes you have to put away that iPad/iPhone/computer for a bit. Here's Goob and her dad hanging out the other day:
Now go play! :)


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Terracotta Warriors opening party at Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
The Asian Art Museum (200 Larkin Street in San Francisco's Civic Center) is hosting a party to celebrate their opening of an exhibition featuring some of the First Emperor's terra-cotta warriors. The party, beginning at 7:00 this Thursday, February 22, will feature CHERYL, an artist collective that throws "the Big Apple's most outrageous party" (Time Out London).
In other news, 7junipers has been inactive for some time dealing with nonvirtual projects. I hope to return to more active blogging. We shall see.


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Monthly Archives: March 2017
Demon Hunting
If I wasn't so invested in my druid, I would switch my main to demon hunter 'cuz this is the most fun I've had playing a melee character in a long time.
It has the crazy flashy blade thing I like, enough self healing that I don't tend to die easily, and the movement is just something else. Double jump, dash forward, jump off ALL THE THINGS and glide safely down – it's awesome. I tend to jump off any object event two inches off the ground and then glide unnecessarily six feet forward. It's so. Much. Fun.
I ran every LFR wing yesterday on my demon hunter. My DPS was probably embarrassing but I uninstalled Recount a while ago and couldn't care less.She's now my second 110 character and geared enough to run Nighthold and I'm really enjoying the whole demon hunter thing.
Meanwhile, my druid has become a PvP fiend, healed his way through his first PUG'd Emerald Nightmare, and is close to getting 250 mounts. So it's been a good run all around, I think. Hopefully after the reset on Tuesday I can get the last of my corrupted essences for the artifact appearance quest, finish getting the Lothien Prowler mount (which puts me at 249 mounts), purchase my 250th mount, and call it good.


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In the women's half marathon, Team Nebraska had 4 women place in the top-10. Shannon Suing finished 2nd in 1:21:49. Kayte Partch finished in 6th place in 1:25:01. Breelan Kear crossed the finish to claim 8th place in 1:26:20, while Megan Thomas finished in 10th in 1:27:39. Kira Vincent was close behind in 11th place in 1:27:53. Also running the half were Jennifer Freeman (1:30:05), Alissa Krebs (1:32:04), Suzanne Higgins (1:34:46), Natalie Jetensky (1:37:19), Haleigh Riggle (1:38:41), Shawna Young (1:43:57), and Christina Elder (1:44:05).
Team Nebraska had only two athletes run the Lincoln Marathon. Todd Nott finished the 26.2 miles in 3:03:26 while Jeff Ahl finished in 3:30:44.
The Berkshire Hathaway Invest in Yourself 5K was held on May 3rd in Omaha. Team Nebraska went 1-2 on the men's side, with Colin Morrissey edging out Luka Thor for the win in 15:30. Thor finished in 15:36.
Several Team Nebraska athletes ran the 119th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2015. Justin Mollak ran well to finish in 2:44:40. Michael Morrison finished in 2:54:36. Tim McGargill broke the 3-hour mark by finishing in 2:55:29. Theresa Gosnell was Team Nebraska's first female to finish, running 3:09:50. Jennifer Freeman finished in 3:14:35. Kim Jipp ran 3:32:45 in her second marathon. Shawna Young also ran well, finishing in 3:43:58.


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Publication Date
Publication Details
Kumsta, R. & Heinrichs, M. (2013). Oxytocin, stress and social behavior: Neurogenetics of the human oxytocin system. Current Opinion in Neurobiology,23(1), 11-16. United Kingdom: Elsevier BV. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2012.09.004
The neuropeptide oxytocin has had key roles throughout mammalian evolution in the regulation of complex social cognition and behaviors, such as attachment, parental care, pair-bonding, as well as social exploration and recognition. Recently, studies have begun to provide evidence that the function of this neuropeptide is impaired in mental disorders associated with social deficits. In this review, we focus on the genetic mechanisms of inter-individual variation in the social neuropeptide signaling. We discuss molecular genetic studies which identified variations in specific genes contributing to individual differences in social behavior and cognition, with a focus on the gene coding for the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) emerging as a particularly promising candidate. We conclude that molecular studies are warranted to elucidate functional consequences of variants that have shown stable associations with sociobehavioral phenotypes. With regard to the variability in individual responses to oxytocin administration, we advocate the need for pharmacogenetic approaches in order to test how the efficacy of oxytocin administration is modulated by genetic variation of OXTR or other genes involved in oxytocin signaling.
Document Type
Journal Article
Access Rights
ERA Access
Access may be restricted.


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Natural Health and Nutritional Supplements
Copywriting & Marketing
Natural Health and Nutritional Supplements
Copywriting & Marketing
I am passionate about natural health and the sustainability of our planet. Since you are visiting my site, I assume you are too. I am also a strong believer in maintaining my relationships—both personal and business—by creating trust, dependability, honesty, and clear communication. A sense of humor doesn't hurt either! I want to get the word out about how your product(s) can help make our world a better place by creating health for the people who inhabit it, and for the environment that sustains us. Let me help blast your message to the world so that your products are easy to find. Let's make the world cleaner, healthier and friendlier by creating a message that resonates with people who are truly sincere about improving their health and their lives. I can't wait to hear from you.
On his late-night tv show Jay Leno used to show newspaper clippings with ridiculous grammar and spelling mistakes. I would laugh out loud until my sides ached. That's all well and good for entertainment, but it's not a laughing matter when your business copy contains errors that can result in lost sales or misunderstandings. The […]
It's super hot everywhere this summer. What end cap do you have this month to promote products to help your customers stay cool?
The OWL turned one in April. Have you registered yet? The Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library) is an industry-wide dietary supplement product registry that helps create a more accurate and complete picture of the supplement marketplace for regulators, retailers, and industry. The Supplement OWL serves as an online resource for a variety of stakeholders to […]


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Jasmine Caro can even make a dark back room look bright and sexy and she strips and smiles and then takes a fucking!
Presented by: Bang Bros
Niches: Reality Pron, gonzo, bang bus, co-ed, milf, cream pie, interracial, ebony, Asian, Latina.
Best known for: Amauter Porn, Gonzo, Bang Bus, Big Tits, Cream Pie, anal!


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Sleaford Town Council will be holding a Town Meeting at the Town Hall, Quayside House, in Navigation Yard, Sleaford, on Wednesday November 2.
The meeting, starting at 7pm, is an opportunity for residents to go along and have their say about Town Council matters.
Following the formal business of the evening, there will be a 'meet and greet' session with councillors.
The council will be asking the public, "what can we do for you" and similarly, "what can you do for your community."
The meeting will be a chance to speak to councillors, hear what they have been doing and learn of any future plans for the town.
Light refreshments will be available.
For further information or any enquiries, contact 01529 303456 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com or message the Facebook page.


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VoltBot: A Discord chatbot written in Python.
Hi! This is VoltBot, my project on building useful and fun chatbots. Here you can find a list on fixed commands and explanations. Be sure to read the output of $help entirely though to check out the full custom commands list.
Core Commands: Usage: $<command>
- image: Searches Google for a pseudorandom image result. Usage: $image <search terms>
- gif: Same as above, but only returns GIFs. Usage: $gif <search terms>
- Both image and gif are unavailable to users that are blacklist level 1. See $permissions.
- permissions: List your Discord ID, Whitelist level and Blacklist level. Usage: $permissions
- talk: Have a conversation with VoltBot. Usage: $talk <message>
- add: Creates a custom command as long as the name does not conflict with predefined commands or commands that already exist. Usage: $add <name> <result>
- add is restricted at blacklist level 2.
- blacklist: Blacklists a user to a value between 0 (No blacklist) and 3 (predefined). Only works for users with whitelist level 1. Usage: $blacklist <@user> <value>
- whitelist: Whitelists another user to a given rank between 0 (No whitelist) and 3. Only works for users with whitelist level 2. Usage: $whitelist <@user> <value>
- help: Displays the message you probably read to get here from the Discord chat.
Custom Commands
VoltBot provides a set of custom commands that are listed with $help and can be added to with $add. Use them like a normal command. e.g. 'abc' command exists, so I can enter $abc to use it.


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In this section [under construction], we hope to synthesize -- concisely -- what we've gleaned from all the literature on climate change communication, including
- basic principles for effective climate communication
- relevant research findings
- "best practices" -- tips from top communicators
- points of dispute -- in the communications debate
Since 2009, there has been a flood of re-thinking and debate about climate communication. Many excellent new studies and analysis have been published. Some of the advice is consensual -- sometimes just common sense, really -- but often different authors stress different aspects and sometimes even contradict each other sharply.
We hope to summarize the key points that most communication experts agree on, and clarify the points of disagreement, so you can decide for yourself what makes sense for a given audience.
For other concise summaries of "best practices" in climate change communication, see Climate Talks' "Guides" and the "Tip Sheets" at Climate Access.


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The Inaugural AEC BuildTech Conference & Expo will be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, from April 30th through May 2nd of 2019: "This interactive three-day conference & expo is designed to inform and inspire today's entire building team — innovative and influential architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, owners and more. Educational sessions will include five separate tracks focused on plumbing, HVAC/mechanical systems, flooring, building envelope and roofing. As an attendee you will walk away from this event with the connections and knowledge to leverage tomorrow's building processes and construction technologies."
April 30th-May 2nd, 2019
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
5555 N. River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018


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England's best surfers will return to tackle the waves of Watergate Bay this May in the Headworx English Nationals. This is one of the biggest events on the UK surfing calendar, sifting out hot new talent to decide the national surfing champions.
Now in its 36th year, the Headworx English Nationals will see over 300 surfers competing from Saturday 3rd to Monday 5th May. As well as the prestige of being crowned a national champ, the winning junior surfers will also enhance their chances of representing England at the European Junior Surfing Championships later this year.
The Extreme Academy has been home to the English Nationals since 2002. With quality peaks at all stages of the tide, Watergate Bay's two mile stretch of beach gives organisers the option to run four sets of heats simultaneously throughout the three days of competition.
This year will also see some new categories, including stand-up paddle surf for the first time. The discipline, which combines elements of longboarding with traditional Polynesian outrigger canoes, sees surfers standing up on their boards using a single canoe paddle to power them into the waves.
Those unable to make it to the beach can watch the action unfold through video content and live results on the Headworx website.


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Washington, D.C., Feb. 23, 2010 — Securities and Exchange Commission staff will conduct a public seminar next month to help companies and preparers comply with rules that require financial reports to be filed using eXtensible Business Reporting Language, (XBRL), which can provide investors quicker access to the data they want in a format that's easily used, searched and analyzed.
The seminar will help answer frequently asked questions about the rules and technology requirements. SEC staff will present information to help corporate filers understand how to comply with the rules.
SEC staff also will provide an overview of the XBRL taxonomy — the list of tags associated with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). Staff also will discuss the recently announced role of the Financial Accounting Foundation in maintaining that taxonomy in conjunction with its GAAP standard-setting activities. SEC staff will provide guidance on other tools and information available to assist with compliance.
To ensure that the seminar is responsive to the needs of companies and preparers, the SEC staff is seeking suggested questions and topics to be discussed at the seminar. Interested parties should e-mail their questions to email@example.com and include "Public Education Seminar" in the subject line.
The seminar will be held on March 23 beginning at 1 p.m. ET in the auditorium at the SEC's headquarters (100 F Street N.E. in Washington D.C.). The event also will be webcast on the SEC Web site.
Seating for the seminar will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities attending this event in person can be arranged by submitting a request to email@example.com three business days prior to the event. Captioning will provided on the SEC webcast.
For additional information about the seminar, contact email@example.com or (202) 551-4144.
# # #


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Tips When Choosing an Electrical Contractor for Your Home
Choosing the right contractor for your home is key given the danger posed by electricity. An electrician who does a shoddy job is a liability to society given the risks posed and costs involved having corrections re-done. This article briefly sheds light on some of the qualities every electrician should have to gain the trust of their clients.
Understands the Problem
A credible electrical company has electricians with several years of experience that make up their expertise. When describing your situation and what you need to be repaired, they should be able to comprehend what is required without going through much trouble.
Is it simply a minor repair or a complete overhaul that's required? Given the situation, decide on when you want the contractor to repair. After receiving all the details of your situation through inspection, they must be in a position to give an estimate and work time frame.
Insured and Licensed
When selecting an insurance contractor, it is important to go for a service that is licensed. A service provider with a license is one who adheres to industry regulations, and safety standards thus can be trusted. Dig deeper and find out whether their staff is insured. The insurance shields you from any costs that might arise from a work-related injury while at your premise.
Experience and Credibility
Do not shy away from asking the contractor you have narrowed down to for references on their previous jobs. This request goes hand in hand with their qualifications. For instance, the best contractors have special accreditations and qualifications.
Once authenticated, you can be assured of good service from the contractor. An easy way to examine the standards of your contractors is to check the business bureau review boards. Today, it's easy to gauge the suitability of a business by simply looking at their website and other review sites.
Rates Charged
The best way of approaching this situation is to get three different quotes for any given project. Ensure your electricians provide specific price breakdowns which can be easily compared to quotes received. Ensure that a quote given will not change later on due to hidden fees and other charges. It's important to compare the quotes of different services and narrow down on that which is pocket-friendly without incurring additional expense.
Go with Your Desire
When picking a suitable contractor to go with your gut. Pick an individual who personally connects. A good relationship results in a healthy work relationship. This also gives you the opportunity to ask as many questions as you have to feel secure with your pick. Examine the attitude of the contractor to ensure that they remain open to communication in future.
If you need a quality one-time contractor who gets the job done right, then ElecSmith Electrical Contracting Services is a top pick. With proven expertise in electrical repair, electrical construction and other types of electrical related services, this is pros who know what they are doing. With no upfront payment obligations, you can rest assured our intentions are noble and career driven.…Continue Reading


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Listen to Peer Pressure, the latest track from Kevin McCall. The cut dropped on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011. Kevin McCall's future brightens with every new release, and Peer Pressure certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Kevin McCall has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more.
Check out Kevin McCall on I'm Rollin (Prod by Kevin McCall), featuring YG & Kid Ink. Check out Kevin McCall's profile page for the most recent info, news, songs, and mixtapes. Check out Kevin McCall's Twitter.
Are y'all feeling this one?


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We are students in the Master's programme on Specialized Communication. This is a class project and not a official website of the University of Barcelona.
Currently this is the third edition of this official Master's programme (2016/2017).
We come from diverse backgrounds and countries. Our main topics are: social communication, cultural communication and scientific communication.
We hope you like our blog!


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Blue Suit
Browse hundreds of fabrics during your custom suit appointment.
Double Breasted Suit
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Questions? Reach us at 872-228-9910 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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Beth's Blog: Musings & rants on books, writing & anything else that strikes my fancy...'cause it's my blog!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Let It Snow
Me. Schlepping. Christmas shopping.
I've done all the on-line shopping I possibly can. Time to join the hordes.
And this morning I am greeted with Toronto's first snowfall. Coincidence? I think not. More like my bad luck. Yeah, it's beautiful but now I have to haul out my boots, gloves, etc., scrape the snow off the car and drive amidst the crazies who fail to make allowances for snow on the road.
Where is my Christmas spirit? I'll keep you posted as to its arrival.
7 comments:
- Trish said...
You got snow? All we got was rain and wind...but then I live an hour out of TO.
Yes..the hordes...aren't they lovely? It sucks any semblance of cheery atmosphere right out the window.
And did you see the Globe this morning? There was an article about Christmas Muzak and how enough is enough. Hahaha maybe they've been reading our blogs? We should be getting a cheque in the mail any day now.
- December 02, 2006 10:26 am
- patricia said...
Awww..c'mon, lighten up! It's the first snow, honey! It's wonderful! And besides, that snow will melt in no time.
If it makes you feel any better, I'll be schlepping out shopping tomorrow...
- December 02, 2006 10:38 am
Trish - Love the way your mind works. And if we don't get our cheques from The Globe (I'm waiting with bated breath...) we can sue them for plagerism.
Patricia - Okay, okay. You're right. Most of the snow melted (after I'd scraped the car) and what remains does look lovely. Good luck tomorrow. You'll need it. Brutal line-ups.
- December 02, 2006 11:55 am
So apparently we had snow in Dallas before you got it in Toronto?! How weird is that? The temperature dropped Wednesday night by 40 degrees (F) in two hours and it was brutal even by northern standards. Snowed most of the day on Thursday. Gone by Friday afternoon - hundreds of car accidents.
As for Christmas shopping, you are a better woman than I am. I am not sure I am ready to face the crowds and the music. And if they have to play music, can't we have one real song for a change?
- December 02, 2006 1:41 pm
Lynn - Snow hit Dallas before TO? Uh-oh. Global warming...
Me a better woman? More like a desperate woman.
- December 02, 2006 1:48 pm
- Attila The Mom said...
Let me know when you find it!! Mine seems to be missing as well! ;-)
- December 04, 2006 9:10 am
"Attila" - Xmas spirit still elusive. See most recent post.
- December 04, 2006 9:27 am


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The countdown is on to this year's Staithes Festival, the celebration of art in the village which has now grown to meteoric levels.
The quaint village, noted for the renowned work of the Staithes Group of Artists, will play host to 98 galleries in cottages and other buildings, uphill and down, displaying work by 157 artists over September 9 and 10.
Mandy Wragg, one of the organisers, told the Whitby Gazette this week that the event has now snowballed into something massive.
"It has grown and grown year on year in a way that has really surprised us," she said.
"When it started off six years ago, the idea was that it would be nice to celebrate the history of art in Staithes – and it has proved to be extremely popular.
"Now we are attracting artists from all over the country, not just local people, although the emphasis is still on local artists and they will always be our main concern.
"Nobody is more surprised than we are that it has taken off the way it has – although we are delighted obviously!"
Staithes' resident sculptor Steve Iredale has been developing and building on his large installation Shoal which wowed visitors last year and will be on view in the harbour.
He has been sponsored by ICL UK – Cleveland Potash .
Light artist Mick Stephenson and his team will bring their spectacular light fantastic show to the village again; this year, a new installation representing plastic in the oceans and from Stu Langley, a sea glass installation first shown in Scarborough earlier this year.
Robin Wright is bringing his neon bikes shown previously at Lumiere Durham in 2015. Mick will be lighting the cliffs again and there's going to be a surprise show involving a group of knitters.
Look out too for a delightful family of elephants by Emma Stothard – and do check out Glass Bunting Galore – a unique installation of fused glass from glass-makers around the world.
Don't miss this year's Heritage Exhibition, Touched by Fame, which celebrates the surprising number of famous people who have spent time in Staithes.
You can also take in the exhibition celebrating the iconic Staithes Bonnet.


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What Is a Salvage-Title Vehicle? Salvage Cars Auctions
There are many vehicles out there that are involved in accidents, or they have engine repairs that are extensive. Some of them are put together with nothing but spare parts that are used. These vehicles are labeled as salvaged vehicles and they are usually not guaranteed to work for any specific period of time. The good news is that most salvaged vehicles can last for many years as long as you purchase a quality vehicle and are aware of the kind of repairs and maintenance you might need to get done.
Read more


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Print Your Own 2-up Arched Door Hangers - 250pk
Do you own a hotel and need housekeeping door hangers? We have some classic arched door hangers that are perfect for a busy hotel or a full house. Packaged on 8" x 10" paper, each sheet has two door hangers that measure 4" x 10". If your printer is designed to take smaller paper, you can customize these door hangers in the comfort of your own home. Try it out and you won't regret it! * Other paper stocks and colors are available on request
Product Details
- Sheet Size : 8" x 10" (W x H)
- Finished Size :4" x 10" (W x H)
- Quantity : 250 sheets/pack
- Total Yield: 500 Door Hangers
- Product Number: ZAPDH234
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