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As I posted back in September, I acquired an Ensoniq Fizmo that needed the factory voltage regulator replaced. I finally found time to do the replacement a couple of weeks ago and the Fiz is up and running how. Here's how it went:
Fizmo on the workbench:
To get to the CPU board, which contains the voltage regulator, you have to flip the synth over and take the sheet-metal bottom off. (Rest the edges of the top on a couple of lengths of 2x4 wood, so that the weight of the synth isn't bearing on the knobs.) Upon doing so, you are greeted with this:
There are six screws on top holding the CPU board in. (In the above photo, all but one have been removed.) There are also three that go through the back panel. All of the rear panel jacks are mounted to the CPU board, so once it is loose, you have to slide it forward, tilt it out, and then very carefully slide it out from under the two grey ribbon cables. There is one connector, just visible at the upper right, that needs to be disconnected. Like so:
With the CPU board removed, you can see the panel board underneath. The ribbon cables are going to a third board, underneath the metal shield. I didn't remove the shield, so I don't know what that looks like.
A closer view of the CPU board. The voltage regulator is at lower right:
Just for the heck of it, while I had it open, I took this shot of the underside of the pitch/mod wheels:
Here, I have already drilled out the pop rivet holding the regulator down, and removed the black heat sink out from under it. The regulator's leads are still soldered in:
Here is the board with the regulator completely removed. The silkscreened lines show where the regulator and the heat sink go:
Here is the new one, soldered in, but without the heat sink installed yet. The synth came from the buyer with the replacement regulator and decoupling caps in baggies; apparently he had gotten them from Ensoniq, but never got them installed since he didn't know how and there isn't a tech in this area. The new regulator is an RoHS part and getting solder to stick to the leads was an absolute pain.
You have to mechanically secure the regulator to the heat sink to ensure good contact. Without the heat sink, the regulator will burn up. I found some machine screws that I had left over from a cabinet hardware installation, and a matching nut. The screw was too long, so here I am cutting it to length with the screw cutting mechanism of a 3-in-1 tool:
The heat sink, ready to install. The white stuff is heat sink compound, which helps with heat transfer from the regulator to the heat sink. There was also a plastic electrical insulator between the old regulator and the heat sink (not shown here) which I re-used.
The complete installation. The board is pictured here mounted in a Panavise circuit board holder.
And from the back. There's a small metal washer under the nut. I only finger-torqued it, to avoid cracking the board. I put Permatex thread locker on the nut to keep it from backing off.
Soldering on the decoupling caps. These may not have been strictly necessary, but one theory has it that lack of decoupling encourages the factory regulators to fail. In any event, it can't hurt. Only problem is, there's no place on the board for them, so you have to improvise. Most people use tantalum caps for this, but the ones that came with the repair kit that I got with this Fizmo were polystyrenes. That's OK with me; polystyrenes are non-polar, so you don't have to worry about getting them backwards. However, they had huge thick leads which were pure heck to get soldered to the regulator's solder-averse leads. Here is the result; the white and red stuff is heat shrink tubing, ready to be shrunk.
You can't just leave those things dangling out in space, so the only alternative is to tape them down to the board. I throughly mummified them in tape, just to preclude any possibility of a short.
When I bough the synth, the little red lens that covers the alphanumeric display had come off; the owner had it in a baggie. I needed to find something that would stick it back down without damaging the display; there is very little contact area for it to adhere to. The perfect thing was electrically insulative, clear RTV silicone. I put a bit all around the edge with a toothpick, put the lens on, and left it to set up overnight. Here it is before I put the lens back on:
And finally, it's playing again! The Fizmo in action:
The wall wart power supply gets pretty warm. It's rated 1A so, with the new regulator (which probably dissipates more current than the old one), it's running right on the edge. Wall warts rated higher than 1A are kind of hard to find. I might replace it with a 1.5A open-frame linear.


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"Don't blame yourself. The Apocalypse wasn't your fault. Actually, it was just as much your fault as it was anyone elses's. Come to think of it, if you're an American, it was probably about 80-90 percent more your fault than the average human. But don't let that get you down. It wasn't exclusively your fault. Unless you're the president. Then it might be your fault. But you'll have plenty of interns to tell you it wasn't, so you'll be fine." Meghann Marco
Hello, blog followers. This will be our last exchange since the world is slated to end THIS EVENING AT 6:00 PM EST!!!! I have no delusions of Heavenly grandeur, which leads me to believe that you, my dear friends and loyal readers will, for the most part, be taken up to Heaven, leaving my sorry ass behind to go through 5 months of horrible tribulation. And thats fine, because after 15 years in call center customer service, 5 months doesn't seem so bad.
I am hopeful that I will be one of those chosen to shuffle off this mortal coil, but I'm not holding my breath. The first indication that I wouldn't be chosen came to me when I heard that the END IS NEAR, so I called my mortgage company to cancel the upcoming pre-scheduled payment. Of course they asked why I was canceling my payment.
Screw you! The world is ending on May 21 at around 6pm.....that mortgage payment will buy Kendall Jackson 'communion wine' and a buttload of junk food. I'm going out fat, happy, and loaded.
Click, dial tone, Boooooooooooooooooooooop.
Hello? Hello?
Little do they know that when I get called up to my great reward, they'll have a devil of a time selling this house....no pun intended.
So I'm here waiting for the end, and I even cleaned my house today. You might be asking why but my in-laws are coming to visit, albeit briefly, and I want things to look nice. Besides, whatever sinner buys the house, well, I want it to look nice. I haven't said anything to Jenda. No use getting her upset. Besides, I can just hear how that conversation will go....
Jenda, Sweetie, the world is going to end tonight. God is calling all of his faithful home.
"Oh jeepers, Mommy, you're going to cook tonight, aren't you?"
So I am leaving her out of this. Of course earlier today, I was searching the internet to get information about the upcoming Rapture. I learned that we should feel a catclysmic earthquake at approximately 6:00 pm EST, so I added Jerry Lee Lewis's 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' to my rapture song list. Poor Jenda is already traumatized thinking that she has to eat my cooking tonight, but while doing my research, I came across a headline on one of the news sites....CNN or MSNBC or one of those.....
"Church of the End Times Plans for the Future."
What possible plans could you have for the future if you just KNOW you are one of the chosen few? I mean, in my case, if I am one of the select, my plans for the future entail seeing my Mother, who, GOD rest her soul, passed away in 1995. And I also plan to ask GOD why kids get cancer, and can we stop that, and why do people still treat Gays and Lesbians so badly, and why are hot-fudge Sundaes bad for you but oat bran is good...? If I get called to Heaven, I damn sure have an agenda. That being said, I probably won't make it.
So I am here with my 'communion wine' and putting together my End Of The World (EOTW) playlist....here is what I have so far....
Europe- The Final Countdown
Skeeter Davis- End of the World
Elvis- Waiting for the End of the World
Iron Maiden- The Number of the Beast
The Doors- The End
Tom Waits- The Earth Died Screaming
Blondie- Rapture
and finally....Eric Carmen- All By Myself (sad but true!)
So I feel reasonably certain that I'll still be here when all Hell breaks loose. If you need me to look after your children or look after any of you, for that matter, just let me know. I expect that I'll be turning the lights off. Say your prayers, get right with your Higher Power, and know that I love you all verrrrrr............................

subset: commoncrawl


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Bristol's New £27 Million City History Museum "M Shed" Opened to the Public
M Shed exterior with the restored cranes in the foreground.
In one of the most innovative and ambitious museum developments of the last decade,
M Shed
, Bristols new city history museum, opened to the public on Friday 17 June 2011.
The museum is housed the landmark 1950s transit sheds at Princes Wharf on the historic waterfront in the heart of the city. Located less than half a mile away from the award-winning SS Great Britain and opposite the Arnolfini Gallery and Watershed Media Centre, it is at the hub of a vibrant cultural quarter of Bristol. The whole site - the sheds and their quayside - is one of the last remaining complete 20th century docksides in the UK.
The museum includes 3,000 exhibits, drawn from the world class collection of the city, telling the many thousands of stories of the people of Bristol, which have been discovered through working with experts and communities across the city, a process that will continue for the life of the museum.
M Shed, the building which gives the Museum its name, has been sympathetically restored, with the aim of preserving its historic character, while also transforming it into a 21st century museum. The work has been carried out by Lab Architecture Studios, perhaps most famous for the work they have done in Melbournes Federation Square. The development includes three main galleries, a fully conditioned temporary exhibition space, a new glazed rooftop extension with spectacular panoramic views across the harbour, workshops, a functioning train shed, a learning suite, and café, book and gift shop. Entrance to the museum will be free.
Among the unique displays are:
Models and props for Wallace and Gromit, Curse of the Were Rabbit, donated by animator Nick Park, from Bristol based Aardman Animations. Wallace and Gromit have not only established worldwide fame, but have now been officially adopted as Bristolians.
The original spray painted pink Technics record deck used by members of Bristol band Massive Attack to record their tracks in the 1980s when they were still part of the loose group of musicians called the Wild Bunch.
A 10 metre long mural of a fantasy landscape of Bristol specially commissioned for M Shed from local graffiti artists Andy Council and Luke Palmer (Acerone). Bristols rich history in graffiti including celebrated artist Banksy is illustrated in the museum.
Documents of the notorious Bristol Bus Boycott, led by a group of Bristol black campaigners, which hit the worlds headlines in 1963 and whose cause was championed by Tony Benn. The dispute was eventually to lead to the end of racial discrimination on the buses in Bristol.
Abolition campaign supporters issued tokens used as small change or keepsakes to gain support for the Abolition movement. Bristol played a major role in the transatlantic slave trade and M Shed tells many stories about those lived it, who profited and ran the slave trade in the city, those who were enslaved and those who challenged the industry.
Restored, full scale and fully functioning dockside cranes, steam locomotives and harbour boats including the 150 year old Mayflower, illustrating the important industrial past of the area, which lasted until as late the 1970s in Bristol. Access to the public to try out these historic working exhibits will be available regularly throughout the year.
M Shed will also host events including debates and discussions around the issues raised in the museum. It also includes hands-on workshops with volunteers from Bristols dock side community, who will share their skills with visitors as part of a living archive for the Museum.
The £27 million development of M Shed has been funded by Bristol City Council with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the DCMS and a range of individuals, companies and trusts.
Julie Finch, Head of Bristol Museums and Archives, said: M Shed is a world class museum. It builds on Bristols great heritage to bring experts and the community together in the joint endeavour of building a new narrative for the city. I hope M Shed will become a destination for the understanding and celebration of the history of Bristol and its people and a vibrant learning resource for the future, open to all.
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June 21, 2011
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Street Cred: Graffiti Art from Concrete to Canvas at the Pasadena Museum of California Art
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20 Years of Presence: The Big Anniversary Exhibition at MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst
New Permanent Work by Olafur Eliasson is Now on the Roof of Danish Art Museum
Bristol's New £27 Million City History Museum "M Shed" Opened to the Public
Robust Selection of Art from the Middle East Featured in The Beirut Sale at Ayyam Gallery
Art Fund Opens £600,000 Funding Scheme to Build New Collections of Art throughout the UK
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Eckart Inertias
Additional materials available (2)
Licensed according to this deed.
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Eckart Inertias: calculates effective Eckart inertias for large-amplitude torsions. The Eckart inertias are obtained by solving a system of transcendental equations using the Powell dogleg method. Since this system is highly nonlinear, analytical Jacobians have been implemented in the dogleg method to maximize computational efficiency.
This is a suite of MATLAB codes to calculate effective Eckart inertias for large amplitude torsions published by Bryan M. Wong, Ryan L. Thom, and Robert W. Field in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 110, 7406 - 7413 (2006). The zip file includes some sample input files.
Prof. Bryan M. Wong is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering Program at UC Riverside. He is listed in the Reviews in Computational Chemistry (Volume 27) as a researcher who "regularly publishes in journals that focus on computing at the molecular level." Prof. Wong received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2007.
B. M. Wong, R. L. Thom, and R. W. Field, "Accurate Inertias for Large-Amplitude Motions: Improvements on Prevailing Approximations." Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 110, 7406 (2006).
B. M. Wong, A. H. Steeves, and R. W. Field, "Electronic Signatures of Large Amplitude Motions: Dipole Moments of Vibrationally Excited Local-Bend and Local-Stretch States of S0 Acetylene." Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 110, 18912 (2006)
B. M. Wong and S. Raman, "Thermodynamic Calculations for Molecules with Asymmetric Internal Rotors - Application to 1,3-Butadiene." Journal of Computational Chemistry, 28, 759 (2007).
B. M. Wong, M. M. Fadri, and S. Raman, "Thermodynamic Calculations for Molecules with Asymmetric Internal Rotors. II. Application to the 1,2-Dihaloethanes." Journal of Computational Chemistry, 29, 481 (2008)
H. A. Bechtel, A. H. Steeves, B. M. Wong, and R. W. Field, "Evolution of Chemical Bonding during HCN ↔ HNC Isomerization as Revealed Through Nuclear Quadrupole Hyperfine Structure." Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 47, 2969 (2008)
B. M. Wong, "Nuclear Quadrupole Hyperfine Structure in HC14N/H14NC and DC15N/D15NC Isomerization: A Diagnostic Tool for Characterizing Vibrational Localization." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 10, 5599 (2008)
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:


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For those who may not be aware Russ, founder of Pro Tools Expert, has relocated from London to the sunny charms of Northern Ireland and is now based in County Down. about 30 minutes from Belfast.
Russ has been asked to explore creating a new regional presence for the Music Producers Guild MPG in Northern Ireland. You can find out more about the MPG here
"The Music Producers Guild was conceived and is supported by producers and engineers who are passionate about all aspects of making and recording music. It is a not-for-profit company and is run by volunteers from the membership.
The achievements of this creative community are celebrated through the annual MPG Awards event, and we hope to stimulate development and evolution through the discussions and debate at our events and via the website.
We see it as providing a community for us to share our collective experience and collaborate with other like-minded people."
The best way to explore something like this is to start with an informal meeting and to have a few drinks together... of course!
If you are based in Northern Ireland and would like to know more then email Russ using the form below to find out more about the first meeting scheduled to take place in the Autumn.


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The BEYOND Center of Excellence develops research and provides disaster management services addressing priorities and needs in South Eastern Europe, Mediterranean, N. Africa, Middle East and the Balkans. The Center's creation supported by the competitive framework of EU FP7-REGPOT-2012-2013-1 and costed 2,3 ΜEuros. It generated unique excellence and EO research infrastructure for the region. It maintains a fully operational and self-sustained activity, through competitive funding from Space research and operational projects supported by EU, ESA and International Funding Organisations (FP7, H2020, ESA EOEP, WB, EIB, etc.). The operational activity of the BEYOND Center serves the Civil Protection and Decision Making Process for disaster management, and the stakeholders acting in Institutional Disaster Management Authorities at International level. The Center in its activity has been validated, and is performing in compliance to European Copernicus and ESA standards (set by the SAFER project - see description below) in the provision of disaster management services. The Center's activity focuses on Emergency Response (during crisis) and Emergency Support (preparedness and recovery) (according to the Copernicus EMS standards), the protection of Sea and Atmospheric environment, as well as advanced topics relating to Agriculture and Food Security, improved Access to Renewable Energy Resources, and Climate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change. Many Institutional Authorities and International Organisations have profited from the services offered by the BEYOND Center such as The European Forest Fires Information System/EFFIS, the Global Fire Monitoring Center-GFMC, the European program for disasters Copernicus EMS, a large number of Civil Protection Authorities in countries over EU, Africa, Latin America, and Asia, as well as a number of Fire Brigade authorities, Forestry Departments, Directorates for the Protection of Forests and Natural Ecosystems, Environmental Agencies and Ministerial Bodies, Rehabilitation Services, etc. Indicatively and only in the period of 2016-2018, the BEYOND Center has been activated more than 20 times by the Copernicus EMS for the purposes of civil protection authorities worldwide, in order to address multi-hazard management needs, in cases of devastating earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, soil and coastal erosion, wildfires, floods, toxic gas emissions, duststorms, industrial accidents.
The activity of the Center is supported by a multidisciplinary team of experts comprising of more than 35 scientists (17 at M.Sc and 7 Ph.D. level).
The BEYOND Center is funded from competitive programs (EU, ESA, National Programs), as well as from International Funding Organisations amounting 1.2-1.5 million Euros per year. At the same time, it supports with its infrastructure and research, the activity of other researchers in the country, providing an additional equal inflow of research funds at IAASARS/NOA.
The operation of the BEYOND Center contributes to the production of innovative research. It has supported the production of scientific publications in peer reviewed journals and articles in international conferences with some hundreds of citation references. More specifically, this activity has already produced a number of 48 scientific publications in journals and international conference proceedings.
The FireHub services have been internationally recognized (Copernicus Masters 2014 - Best Service Challenge Award) winning the 1st prize as the Best Challenge Service among over 70 competitive proposals. Dr Haris Kontoes is the owner of the patent no. WO2016132161 issued by the Industrial Property Organization to protect the copyright of the FireHub service. Co-owner is the co-developer of the FireHub information system, Mr. Themistocles Herekakis.
The BEYOND Center's research projects and disaster management services have been recognized by the United Nations Organization, assigning to the Center the role of the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, in the area of the Southeast Europe, Middle East, and the Balkans. The aim is to assist the transfer of know-how, capacity building and training of the competent authorities, as well as the provision of natural disaster management services.
The BEYOND Center has installed and operates large scale infrastructures for the systematic reception, management and redistribution of real-time Earth Observation data acquired by satellites and in-situ monitoring networks. The coverage and usage of the monitoring infrastructure is international. It covers observational needs of a wide research community and decision makers across the Southeast Europe, North Africa, Middle East and the Balkans.


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In an interview with ABC's Pierre Thomas on Sunday, Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder said, "There's a certain level of vehemence, it seems to me, that's directed at me [and] directed at the president. You know, people talking about taking their country back. I can't look into people's hearts, look into people's minds. But it seems to me that this president has been treated differently than others. There's a certain racial component to this for some people. I don't think this is the thing that is a main driver, but for some there's a racial animus."
Wah, Wah, Wah. Someone please call the "wahmbulance" for this whining, miserable excuse for an attorney general. He and Obama couldn't follow and enforce the law if it were a train attached to the railroad tracks; they'd find some way to detach it. But, to Holder, it isn't his or Obama's blatant lawlessness that is causing vehemence; no, it's racial animus, not on the part of all of the people, just some. In case you missed it, that's code for white people. Obama and Holder both have displayed utter contempt and disdain for this country and American citizens; then, he has the audacity to claim "this president is treated differently than others." Not once has this man, and I use the term loosely regarding Holder, acknowledged that no president in the past has committed the depth of offenses against this nation and its people as Obama and his ilk.
Trending: Obama & Hillary Both Got Caught Committing Federal Offenses That Should Land Them In Jail
Not once has Holder stopped to consider that the talk regarding "taking the country back" has ensued among Americans who are tired of scandal after scandal where no resolutions or accountability have been produced; sick of lawlessness on the part of agency department heads, the White House staff and Obama; and appalled at the corruption that has escalated in government. These same Americans are angry that those sitting in government appear to want to eradicate our Constitution and individual rights and freedom. Holder fails to realize Americans have been sick, tired and appalled for quite some time but have now reached a breaking point. This has nothing to do with race; and, Holder knows it.
During his whine-fest on national TV, Holder attacked Republicans, which is par for the course with this administration. The Daily Caller reports:
Holder also spoke of what he sees as unprecedented Republican opposition.
"For whatever reason,[some] Republicans decided early on that this was a president they were just not going to cooperate with," said Holder.
"And over the past five-and-a-half years, we have seen demonstrations of that, where the president has reached out his hand, offered compromises that have simply not been met [in the way] they have been in the past by a Republican Party willing to do the appropriate things."
So for the past five-and-a-half years, Republicans have refused to work with Obama, according to Holder. Wasn't there a majority Democratic House and Democratic Senate during the first few years of Obama's "reign?" Isn't that how America ended up with Obamacare as not one single Republican voted for that monstrosity? And, has not Harry Reid refused to let hundreds of bills from the House be brought to the Senate floor for vote? It appears that Holder may have left out a few details in his baby boy whine to the uninformed public and Democratic sycophants that watch ABC.
Hasn't America been witness to the many toddler temper tantrums thrown by this man sitting in the Oval Office because he doesn't get what he wants? Isn't it a fact that this hopeful dictator has refused more times than one can count on their fingers to work with Republicans? This is the same man who will not consider any measures to take or implement but his when it comes to "working together in compromise."
Obama refuses to follow the law and enforce the laws equitably. He changes law unconstitutionally using his "pen and phone." So, when it comes down to working together and compromise, who is really unwilling to work with anyone and compromise?
Holder wants to lay the problems at the feet of the Republicans and the American people because of the tired, worn out, broken record of "racism" instead of the true reason that people don't want to bend over for Obama. There is a supreme law of the land called the Constitution that some take their oaths to protect, defend, honor and uphold the Constitution seriously blocking king wannabe dictators like Obama. Yes, the American people, but specifically white American people, are who Holder is deeming racist. After all, this administration believes that blacks are incapable of racism. Yeah, right!
White America is so racist they embrace individuals like Ben Carson, Allen West, Thomas Sowell, Mychal Massie, Herman Cain, and Glo Smith. America's founding is based on rule of law, upholding the law and limiting government not the monarchical rule of edict by one individual or rule by the elite few. If Americans are displeased with the current administration, Congress and agencies under the executive, it is because of the trampling of the Constitution and individual freedoms. None of this is a white or black issue but an American issue. Holder forgets to mention the sheer numbers of white Americans who supported and voted for Obama, not once but twice. Yes, the racism is strong in America (sarcasm).
In the interview, Holder dismissed allegations of voter fraud by saying the charges were dismissed by the facts. Slamming Republicans, once again, Holder accused Republicans of enacting voter ID laws to restrict groups from voting who would not vote Republican.
Holder said, "Who is disproportionately impacted by them? Young people, African Americans, Hispanic, older people, people who, for whatever reason, aren't necessarily supportive of the Republican party."
Eric Holder forgets that in order to participate in Obamacare, an individual has to provide identification and that person's identity has to be verified. According to many reports, Obama's identity was unable to be verified when signing up or appearing to sign up for his namesake legislation. Medicare and Medicaid are no different. To apply for any assistance program, an individual is required to produce identification proving they are who they say they are, if you are a citizen.
Holder, in identifying the groups impacted, is affirming his belief in their inferiority. What the US Attorney General is basically saying is these groups of people do not have the wherewithal to be able to obtain identification like everyone else. In other words, these groups, which Holder himself indicates aren't supportive of the Republican Party or aka Democrats, are not equal to Republicans or whites thereby requiring exemption or special consideration. Holder's thinking is racist and representative of the Democrat Party establishment thinking.
There is no alternative offered to ensure that only citizens are voting in elections since voting is considered by Democrats as a "right" applicable to all instead of a privilege afforded to citizens only. Looking at the past elections and the amount of voter fraud (which has facts to back up the claims in numerous states), Democrats can exploit illegals and the poor low information individuals into voting Democrat when ineligible to vote or to vote multiple times. To make sure that Democrats have an edge, the dead are even recruited to vote. This threatens all Americans by undermining the electoral process through dishonest measures.
Let's not forget that Holder is a criminal covering for a criminal. Holder is a liar covering for a liar. No one should forget Fast and Furious or the failure to prosecute voter intimidation perpetrated by the Black Panthers against white voters – both courtesy of Holder and Obama. Americans should never forget the IRS targeting of Obama's political opposition, Benghazi, the VA scandal, and the host of others. But, for all of his lack of enthusiasm to enforce the law and prosecute/investigate criminal behavior, Holder shows considerable enthusiasm at attacking individual God-given rights such as free speech protected by the Constitution – Americans should remember the FBI threatening residents in Tennessee should any "undesirable" speech be directed toward Islam and Muslims.
In fact, Holder, along with Obama, is so anti-freedom of speech he has plenty of time to have the "Obama Presidential Library" outhouse float investigated. The float appeared in the Independence Day parade in Norfolk, Nebraska, prompting one complaint – yes one complaint – of racism by a woman from Kenya. It appears that political satire, without any racial intent whatsoever, can now be claimed "racist" when someone "thinks, believes or feels" that it is racist, despite the claims from the float's creator that it was not and there is no proof of any intent toward racism. But wait, the float's creator was white and the smear was against a half-black, half-white man sitting in the Oval Office. Funny, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution used a similar cartoon by Mike Luckovich concerning Bush. Maybe that's where this individual got the idea.
The point remains that one complaint – one – has unleashed an investigative flurry from the Department of Justice, headed by one whiny Eric Holder. While he is complaining about Republicans, implying discrimination, and absolutely accusing the white American public of racism, this man demonstrates his contempt for freedom by investigating one complaint of racism regarding an Independence Day parade float in the small town of Norfolk, Nebraska. One would think the Department of Justice would have bigger issues to investigate than one woman's complaint; and, it does. It's a waste of time and taxpayer money but it did get the committee responsible for the parade to alter its rules on the submission of floats.
One would laugh at the ridiculousness of it all; except, this is what is taking place in America today. While Holder wants to play the race card once again, it is Holder who is demonstrating his racism by his comments along with his actions or lack of actions proving his own misconception that "blacks can't be racist" as false.Don't forget to Like Freedom Outpost on Facebook, Google Plus, & Twitter. You can also get Freedom Outpost delivered to your Amazon Kindle device here.


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Recruiting with Working Links can add extra value to your business.
Working with us can help you advance your Corporate Responsibility (CR) strategy because our talent pool encompasses many groups.
Creating a positive impact on your local reputation and helping to grow your business, you can make a social difference by having a visible employability programme aligned to your CR strategy.
Working with us can also help you financially. We can help you to access a range of national government and local council employer support initiatives and incentives.
Contact us
If you would like to work with us to make it happen, or would just like to find out more, please email email@example.com.
When you're thinking about recruiting, ask yourself who else gives you all this:
Paignton-based The Blue Sea Food Company has given new life to more than 200 long-term unemployed people.
Working Links enjoys a good relationship with Costa Coffee in locations across Britain to help fill their need for passionate workers.


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Wednesday, November 26, 1997
Eagles boys survive rally; girls fall short
PECOS, Nov. 26 -- The Pecos Eagle boys saw a big lead wiped
Pecos' girls climbed out of an 11-point hole to tie their
The Eagle boys, meanwhile, jumped out to a big first
"If we play like we did in the first quarter and the fourth
"Those little lulls right there, we've just got to keep
He said Kermit rallied behind their 3-point shooting, and
Hinojos left with about five minutes to play, after scoring
Oscar Luna also scored in double figures for Pecos,
Pecos' girls gave up 35 first half points before coming
"When that girl (Lanehart) hit that big 3 and they went
Williams said the regular officials didn't arrive until
Lori Marquez led Pecos with 14 points, while Penny
Iraan's junior varsity also won, as they beat the Eagles'
Tuesday, boys
Pecos 25 10 7 16 -- 58
Three-point goals: Pecos 3 (Chavez 2, Hinojos), Kermit 3
Pecos 11 16 14 14 -- 55
Three-point goals: Pecos 2 (Arenivas 2), Iraan 3 (Lanehart
Bears rout Eagles' JV in opener
By JON FULBRIGHT
Balmorhea opened their 1997-98 season with an easy 87-26
"We were outmanned," said Eagles' coach Tino Acosta, who
Balmorhea is going for its third straight district title,
"We're going to try more than ever to pass it down towards
The Bears controlled play against the Eagles inside, and
Both coaches substituted freely during the game, and
Mendoza would score three straight times off steals during
Along with Mendoza, Miranda and Castillo, Zane Rhyne also
Garcia was happy with his team's 9-for-14 effort from the
Balmorhea's next game will be on Dec. 2 against the
Pecos 4 10 7 5 -- 26
Balmorhea rallies to beat foul-plague Pecos
BALMORHEA, Nov. 26 -- The Balmorhea Bears were in a little
The Bears managed just nine first half points and saw
It was the second win of the season for the Bears, who
"Once we quit turning the ball over, and took better care of
"We had our fouls in the first half, and in the second half
"The second half killed us. We had a lot of turnovers, and
Katrina Quiroz' five first quarter points helped the Eagles
Pecos' foul problems meant most of the final period was
Garcia wound up going 10-for-17 from the line and had 16
"We still have a lot of work to do, but they looked much
The Eagles' next game is also Dec. 2, in Hobbs against their
Pecos 11 10 4 8 -- 33
Oilers' George may have Cowboys on run
By DENNE H. FREEMAN
The Tennessee Oilers took note of what Dorsey Levens and the
George, who has already rushed for 1,124 yards and six
``We plan to run the ball and try to keep the other team's
Dallas coach Barry Switzer knows what's coming, and it wears
``I worry about their tailback (George) because he's a great
Both the Cowboys and Oilers are 6-6 and each team figures
``We probably have to run the table to make the playoffs,''
Three of the Oilers' victories this year have come against
``We try to be physical, run the football, and stop the
It's the third time the Cowboys and Oilers have played on
Dallas' other loss to the Oilers was 25-17 in 1988.
Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair said the Oilers are
``Everybody loves to be playing on Thanksgiving Day,''
Smith said he'll have to have a good day against the Oilers
``We've got to run the ball on them,'' he said. ``We've got
Dallas, a 7-point favorite, is 20-8-1 on Thanksgiving,
Pecos Enterprise
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If you follow this site you will know I am not a great fan of cross platform tools. They tend to sacrifice performance and 'look and feel' for faster development. In cases where you can refine the look and feel, it usually becomes increasingly difficult to get screens with the correct UI idioms because most tools are based on generating html/javascript. Enterprise apps seem to be the most suitable use for cross platform tools as the look and feel of the UI tends to be less important. However, is this true?
I have recently written how anyone using app creating tools based on WebViews or using WebViews in their app needs to be aware of security vulnerabilities. Taking this further, there has been a recent presentation at BlackHat Asia 15 on 'The nightmare behind the cross platform mobile apps dream'.
The problem with cross platform is that it provides a uniform environment that offers up a large number of apps that can be hacked in the same way and, as it turns out, can also be more easily hacked. The presentation gives some sobering problems with Cordova, Adobe AIR and Titanium. For example, Adobe AIR's EncryptedStorage API doesn't do much and only stores data as Base64 encoded. Titanium's default https is broken, doesn't validate the SSL certificate and hence is vulnerable to Man in the Middle (MiTM) attacks.
If you are using cross platform tools then you are passing some responsibility for security to the framework. I am beginning to think platform tools are actually less suitable for Enterprise because that's where there are usually increased security concerns.


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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Why are there not more Sundays? I could use about a month of them, all in a row.
The more I write, the more often I begin to remember elements of dreams I've had. Long after the fact, after I've awoken from a sleep which I presumed to be dreamless, I'll be going through my day, fiddling with a phrasing or a plot development in my head, and I'll realize that my mood is being influenced by some long, complicated, and probably nonsensical chain of events that I experienced during the night, now only available to me in flashes of insight that disappear as swiftly as I grasp for them.
Maybe they're not correlated at all - the dreaming, the writing. I just notice this sensation more often these days. The dreams have always reared their heads whenever I have problems IRL that seem daunting or insurmountable. Little pseudo-conscious mechanisms running the simulation 10, 15, 100 times every night, trying to figure out which layer of reality is the one in which triumph is possible, or failure is at least properly interesting.
May you wake and remember a world that belongs to you, this week. Safe travels.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Source: Deimante Ceciene
Whew. Three more entries; that officially puts me past Feb 28th. It'll take a few more scenes to tie things up nicely, but there you go - one year worth of weekday writing. And it's been a blast. I'll try to finish up before February 28th actually gets here, and that'll be that - one year, one novel. Giddyup.
After that, I've got other projects clamoring for attention, and I'll have to turn to those for a couple of months before I take a swing at my second draft. I actually need to come up with a title, you know? Ehaema will probably remain the name of blog, where I'll continue to post new writing and musings and such, but it doesn't feel quite right for the title of the book. I expect I'll figure something out eventually (but hey, feel free to suggest something!)
Oh, also. Every day I'm tumblin':
So much for the fun part of the week. Now here comes the weekday bit. Give me strength.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
You're so close.
It's within reach. You can see it. It's right there.
You can do it.
Just breathe. Focus.
1, 2, 3...
^ me, every day. Every goddamn day.
It's within reach. You can see it. It's right there.
You can do it.
Just breathe. Focus.
1, 2, 3...
^ me, every day. Every goddamn day.
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Pulling the pieces together
one by one
flavor of the text is the skin of the thing, surface tension, what keeps the spider journeying along the surface of the piece rather than plunging downward into a fluid of broken metaphors drowned in apathy
the core succeeds, against all odds
the next phase is design. Should it be design? there is a certain amount of magic visible in the creation of something raw and unbeautiful, unstructured and free to wander, captured as it was at the moment of rude explosion onto the page. For some people that is the wonder of the creative act. You cut it off from that generative wonder and maybe it dies, maybe the polished and pretty texts are just so much glossy cadaver and weren't anything more, while we spend another year digging in the guts of the thing, embalming a smile, applying tweezers, clamps and electrodes to get it to dance a little jig, smell it burn, feel we learned. Is there a point to that? Is that the point itself?
Little gods making little lives, in many little ways.
this has been ehaema acoustic, live and uncensored, and a little bit weird
now returning to your regularly scheduled programming
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Voters, you are on the clock.
After months of hearing from political candidates and their supporters, it is now officially time for the voters to take center stage in numerous elections that impact our area greatly.
For starters, we turn our attention to Bethany Beach — the resort hub for our community — and this weekend will feature a town council election where five candidates are vying for four seats. Incumbents Jack Gordon, Rosemary Hardiman, Lew Killmer and Margaret Bogan Young, along with challenger Bruce Frye, will all be on the ballot Saturday, and this figures to be an interesting election.
A pair of significant primary elections will also take place on Tuesday, as two Democrats and two Republicans will face off for Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips' seat. Phillips will face Rob Arlett in the Republican primary, while Bob Wheatley and Brad Connor will go head-to-head in the Democrat primary. These are four well-known figures in the community, and it will be interesting to see how things fall when all the ballots are tabulated. It certainly appears to be setting the scene for a hotly-contested general election in November.
As has been our policy since starting this paper, there are no letters to the editor this week regarding elections. Our reasoning is two-fold: First, any inflammatory statements will not be able to be disputed by the candidates before the election. And, second, we offer our readers Q&A responses from the candidates themselves.
We also decided when we started the Coastal Point that we would not endorse candidates. That decision was based more on perception than reality. If we were to put our support behind a particular candidate, our basic reporting on the races could be questioned. We decided to simply remove any room for questions and just provide facts and candidate responses. It is our belief that a well-informed voter base will make decisions that best benefit the community, so we try to offer as much information as we can, and trust the people to make wise choices.
Get out and take advantage of your right to vote. It affects us all.


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Special Occasion Cruises - Photos
Birthday Celebrations, Engagement Parties, Retirement Parties, Wedding Anniversaries
A cruise on the Crystal Swan turns a special occasion into something you'll never forget! Our unique venue can be transformed to suit your planned theme and our professional team will ensure every detail is taken care of. Browse through our gallery of special event photos to see how we've helped to celebrate occasions by throwing masquerade balls, milestone birthday parties, themed parties (think 'James Bond' or 'Where's Wally'), sweet sixteens, cultural festivities, and more.
Simply click on the photo you want to see in greater detail to enlarge it!
Call us today on 0412 312 248
to book your next event aboard the Crystal Swan!


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07 Jan Shelanu: Migrating Birds
This jewellery range is inspired by the women's experiences of migrating to Birmingham and the project develops ideas of batch production developed in the Routes to Trade project.
Following individual design development Shelanu members selected their favourite bird designs to be re-worked as collective forms, which were then wire cut from copper in the Jewellery Quarter. These pieces have been hand finished, then enamelled or oxidised by Shelanu or silver plated in the Jewellery Quarter.
The Migrating Birds range was launched at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum in July 2012. Each of the ranges: Swallow, Sparrow and Wave are available in finishes of silver plate, oxidised, black, blue or red enamel. Please contact Shelanu if you'd like a bespoke version.
Prices range from £15-£22. If you're interested in buying any of the pieces please contact the women through Craftspace at email@example.com.
The range is also sold at craft fairs and in galleries. Look out for details of upcoming events. The group often sell at mac Birmingham summer and Christmas craft fairs.
Working with…
Migrating Birds was created with the support of Rita Patel, a successful contemporary Birmingham jeweller.


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You can follow your friend referral rewards via your Account Management page.
If you don't receive any Ogrines after your friend makes a purchase, there may be several explanations for this:
- Your friend isn't your referred friend. Find out more.
- Your referred friend made a purchase using Ogrines. As a friend referee, you only receive linked Ogrines if your referred friend makes purchases using real money for subscriptions or packs of Ogrines.
- Your referred friend's payment hasn't yet been confirmed.
- If the purchase has only just been completed, you may not yet have been credited with your reward. Log out then log back in to your Account Management page.
If none of these reasons resolved your issue, we suggest you contact our Support team. They will conduct manual verifications in order to identify your issue.


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'The Lobster' Theatrical Review
Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, although still relatively young and building up his career, has surely put his name in the hat with the greats with his film The Lobster. Lanthimos' first film in English, The Lobster, was released in May 2015 at the Cannes Film Festival, later in 2015 for most of Europe, and has now just been released across the pond this past May in the U.S. The film was nominated in several categories and has won numerous awards, including Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Awards and the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film is narrated by an overly monotone and dull Rachel Weisz who we will be introduced to later as the Short Sighted Woman. She guides us through the notions of the film, briefly introduces us to the world, and provides insight into what the characters are feeling and thinking.
The Lobster follows David in his search for companionship in a modern-like dystopian society that is all too reminiscent of ours today. In this society, being single has been deemed a crime and companionship is enforced by the state. If, for whatever reason, you become single, you are then promptly whisked away to a seaside resort where you must find love within 45 days. Enter David (Colin Farrell), a recently divorced, paunchy middle-aged man whose awkward demeanor and nonverbal cues scream discomfort, sadness, and fear.
At this seaside hotel for the recently separated, David is now required to find love in the next 45 days. If he fails and is unable to connect with someone, he will be transformed into the animal of his choosing and released into the wild. At the resort, David befriends other men and women, most notably Lisping Man (John C. Reilly), Limping Man (Ben Whishaw), and Nosebleed Women (Jessica Barden). Everyone at the resort is identified by a defining characteristic they possess, and each person tries to find a partner that complements, or shares, their defining characteristic.
The film's bleak comedy can be refreshing and hysterical at times, but soon takes an even darker turn when the residents of the resort are issued shotguns loaded with tranquilizers. After being loaded up and bussed out to the woods, the residents hunt down those who have escaped the hotel. This darkness turns ironically positive, for however many escapees you bag equals the number of days added to your stay at the resort and therefore your attempt to find love. The Heartless Woman (Angeliki Papoulia) has racked up quite a number of days, and after David hints interest, they connect but things quickly and painfully head south.
After his feeble and shallow attempt at finding love falters, David flees the resort. In his desperate search for an escape, he comes across a group of runaways, 'The Loners." They are former guests of the resort who have sworn off all sense of companionship and live out their days as individuals together. The leader of The Loners (Lea Sedoux) brutally enforces these rules and prepares her troupe to retaliate against the resort. Enter the Short Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz) and cue David's heart as he has quickly found the love of his life.
The movie creates a sense of urgency to find companionship and quickly. This idea of forced companionship directly mirrors modern life where life appears to make sense as a couple, rather than as an individual. The resort drives this point home in 1950's-esque infomercials, e.g., having dinner alone vs. having dinner with someone else. When eating alone, perhaps you may choke on a chicken bone or you may have a slip in the kitchen…who is going to be there to save you? This sense of urgency makes sense when the music of the film is brought in. The Lobster employs shrill and shriek-like music, almost Hitchcock-esque and creates this sense of foreboding danger and an overall tense feeling, which works nicely for the film.
Not truly a comedy, not really a drama, but definitely original and thought-provoking, after the credits rolled, I didn't know what to feel. Hell, I didn't know how to feel; the resort enforces a strict regimen of meal time, a dress code, awkward organized dances, a time to get up, a time to shower, a time to dry hump, a time for tea, etc., and directly contradicts what love is supposed to be: free flowing, overbearing, crushing, consuming, and most importantly, natural. It was as if this resort was setting people up to fail, and turning into animals was inevitable.
There was one thing I wished was delved into a bit more in The Lobster. How did the society become like this and why? There are clearly benefits of companionship, but what happened to make being single a crime? I know Lanthimos wanted to leave some room for interpretation, but he doesn't address the background of the world at all. Some would argue that this drives the focus on the characters and their relationships, but if the world is driving these relationships, it would be nice to know why.
I have very few negative things to say about The Lobster and have numerous positive things to say. Surrealistically bleak and peppered with suppressed motions of hope, The Lobster mirrors modern society as it pushes the benefits of companionship as we all push down our fear of failure. Original, highly philosophical, unpredictable and unnerving at times, the film will make you question the idea of human companionship. I greatly recommend this film to those who want to have a long discussion regarding the instinctual need for love and companionship.


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I've decided, forget Match.com, my next boyfriend will be a superhero. With this summer's crop of overly endowed gentleman protecting Hollywood, I feel like I have a lot to choose from. I have never seen myself with a Hancock type–men with superhero powers from birth aren't really my demo, always trying to reconcile their issues with someone or something from their past. The Incredible Hulk is too angry all the time. Come on, control your feelings muchacho. I haven't seen Hellboy II but I'm just guessing I won't feel the heat from him either.
Iron Man however- he is so smart, clever, and cocksure….he is seriously in the running. Yes, he has issues, and I think he might have trouble staying out of his head, but he came up with that whole suit himself, under duress! And his place in Malibu is magnifique!
Double dating is also a possibility. Iron Man and the Incredibile Hulk's nemesis just met in an LA bar (looked like the new London Hotel). If you saw IH you know what I mean. It sounds like those two will be going at it soon in the City of Angels. And, Hancock lives in LA too, a perfect trifecta.
No real girl threats either, really. I mean Liv Tyler's fake resume as a cellular bioligist will surely be found out soon so I'm not counting on her and the Hulk staying together. Hancock's girl can't even get close to him or they both become mortal, and Iron Man's Pepper Potts a.ka. Gwyneth Paltrow is likely a wet noodle in bed, I just have a feeling.
So, that leaves three potential superhero boyfriends, living in LA. Where would one hang out?
Tags: Gwyneth Paltrow, Hancock, Hellboy, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Marvel, Match.com, single, superhero


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Traveling the eastern U.S. & Canada
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Traveling for business and want to drive in style to and from the airport? Then A.J. Limo Coach is perfect for you! Charter bus companies. Serving northeast Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.Traveling the eastern United States and Canada. Some areas we service but are not limited to: Berwick, Bloomsburg, Danville, Hazleton, Drums, Conyngham, Mountaintop, Jim Thorpe, Lewisburg, Selinsgrove, Wilkes Barre, Scranton, Dunmore, Benton, Northumberland, Mount Pocono, Stroudsburg, Elysburg, Catawissa, Kingston, Nanticoke, Pittston, Dallas, Tamaqua, Pottsville, Hometown, Minersville, Orangeville, Dushore, Shenandoah, Shickshinny, Glen Lyon, Espy, Williamsport, Sunbury, Freeland. Pennsylvania's premier charter bus companies. We also serve a broad area of locations in the Susquehanna valley, Lehigh valley, and Wyoming valley. Our home office is located just next to the Luzerne county and Columbia county line. Our bus service also extends to all areas of Schuykill county.
Charter bus companies. Charter bus prices. Charter bus. Bus. Charter bus service. Charter bus rental. Charter a bus. Trolley. Mid-size bus. Shuttle bus. Wedding bus. Bus companies. Charter bus service. Wedding shuttle. Wineries. Wine trip.
Saturday May 4th
5:45 AM Danville Giant
6:15 AM Bloomsburg Big Lots
6:45 AM Berwick Kmart
Join A.J. Limo Coach Saturday May 4th 2019 as we visit Washington D.C. for the day. We will be dropping off near the National Mall in Washington D.C. where customers will have a day on their own. We will be departing at 6:45 PM to come home. Tickets are $55.00 and are available for purchase in our office at 800 E 5th Street Berwick PA or over the phone at 570-394-3352.
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Washington D.C.
Copyright 2019 A.J. Limo Coach. All Rights Reserved


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The Fun Rooms are… well, Fun
Some time ago I posted, A Room With City View, my entry into the
In the post I suggested that perhaps this summer I would spend time painting more "outrageous rooms." The feedback was positive and the mood was right. My studio is full of the quiet chuckling of a happy painter creating fun rooms.
Pictured below is number 5 in the series.
Currently "under construction" is an acrylic on canvas, Tea For Three: Van Gogh, Matisse, and Me. Just hope I can bring my idea alive in the next weeks. If I do, you will see it here.


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If you found trouble getting around in Furano/ Biei area due to the lack of public transportation system, join our photo tour! We will drive you to sightseeing spots in Biei and Furano and take your memorial pictures with beautiful scenery. We will copy the data onto a flash drive.(You can keep it!)
|30,000 yen (max 5 people, tax included, lunch fee is not included)
|Tour time
|9:00am to 2:00pm (1 hour for lunch)
This photo tour is available for our guests only.
Photo was carried out up to now shooting tour example is here.
It is a tour of 5 hours to put the lunch. We will arrange according to your wish.
● Biei hill hopping tour (May-October)
Photo points are freely set according to your request to visit; points are such as Farm Tomita, Lavender east, Sunrise park, Roller-coaster road, Shikisai hill, Tsubuseshin-kan, Farm Chiyoda, Blue pond, Waterfall of white beard ("shirahige"), Seven-stars tree, Ken and Mary tree, Mild-seven tree, Parent and child trees, Hills of Shinsakae, Platinum model ranch, etc.
● Furano's Best Selected Sights tour (year-round)
Good to visit the sights used for the famous Hokkaido TV drama "Kita-no-Kuni-kara", Flower gardens, Sweets shops, Furano's famous agricultural fields and facilities. (e.g. Ningle Terrace, Wind Garden, Cheese factory, Wine House, Furano Marche, Rokkatei, Furanoderisu etc.)
● Autumn Color Tour (end of September)
This is a guiding tour in Mt. ASahidake and Tokachidake with photos taken. Please prepare for trekking shoes and warm clothes appropriate for light trekking in mountains.
● Ski Photography Tour (snow season)
We take photos at the ski resorts area such as Kamui Ski Links, Tomamu, and Furano. Shooting for back country skiing is only available when you have a mountain/ski guide.
● Wedding photography (your choice of season)
Quotation will be made according to your requests. We will give the suggestions for location as well.


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Global fuel dispenser specialist Wayne is to supply Topaz Energy's flagship forecourt at Dublin Airport with Helix 4000 pumps.
Fuel brand Jet has announced the launch of a new standards and service programme, 'Proud to be Jet'. The programme assesses, benchmarks and continually measures site performance across all Jet-branded forecourts based on annual compliance audits and other brand-related criteria set by the company.
And so another year begins, and apart from the rather bleak weather there's definitely an increasingly positive feel coming from the industry as we head into 2014. Yes, it's still very tricky and competitive out there, and it's certainly no time to relax the strict disciplines and practices learned in recent times. But business seems to have generally been improving in the past few months, with many retailers reporting better sales over the Christmas period compared with the previous year. The economy also seems to be inching its way forward at last.
It's time to whip out those loo brushes and polish up your pans, because the competition to find the nation's best forecourt loo is back following its successful launch last year, sponsored again by janitorial supplies specialist RS Sales and Distribution.
There is a growing consensus that radical change to the business rates system is required. We have been arguing for a long time that if the government wants to see businesses investing and creating jobs, then it has to take clear steps to reduce the costs that stand in its way.
The past year has been a busy one for the PRA, and its chairman Brian Madderson expects there will be no let up in 2014.
A PRA report warns that supermarket expansion could wipe out 800 independent forecourts by 2017. Former PRA president Paul Sykes sells his five Shaws forecourts to Midlands Co-op.
New canopies for two Sainsbury's forecourts are claimed to be a world first in that the forecourt roof not only contains photovoltaic (PV) glass to generate electricity but is also transparent.
How many times can a motorist fill up, claim to have left their method of payment behind, promise to pay within a week but then fail to do so? Once, possible, twice, doubtful, three times or more suggests treatment for Alzheimers or they're behaving in a dishonest manner and should be treated as criminals.
In 2012, family-run Hockmeyer Motors in Holdingham, Leicestershire took a huge leap by turning its back on 40 years of car sales knocking through into the car showroom and extending the Spar store to 2,100sq ft.
Personal service is oft quoted as the thing that sets independent retailers apart from the 'faceless' grocery multiples, and that's certainly true at David Charman's Parkfoot Garage in West Malling, Kent where customers are definitely 'king'.
Keeping water out of underground storage tanks is just as important as keeping the stored fuel safely inside. But while modern, well-maintained tanks seldom let in water from the surrounding soil, it continues to make its way into the fuel.
Mars Chocolate UK has renewed its partnership with the Football Association in a deal that will see Mars continue its role as Official Supporter of the England Team and Official Partner to The FA's 'Just Play' programme until July 2018.
Philip Morris has introduced new price-marked packaging for Marlboro Gold Touch, its slightly thinner Marlboro Gold cigarette.
Ginsters has launched some New Year special editions which include the return of winter warmer, the steak & ale pasty. This is made with British steak marinated in Cornish ale with potato and onion wrapped in light puff pastry. There are also two new limited-edition sandwiches: smokey BBQ chicken & bacon and ham hock & spiced plum chutney. Both these sandwiches have researched really well with consumers who say they are twice as likely to purchase Ginsters' sandwiches than the nearest branded competitor.
A new Cuban-inspired electronic cigar has joined the Nicolites range. The company says it is a 'real leaf feel' alternative to traditional Cuban cigars. It boasts a real Cuban flavour and smokers can expect to get around 1,000 puffs from each e-cigar.
Kitkat has teamed up with Monarch and Aer Lingus to give consumers the chance to win a free European return flight every 30 minutes between 9am-9pm from January 27 to March 10. What's more, the Lucky Breaks promotion also gives consumers the chance to claim £10 off a European return flight by simply collecting three promotional wrappers. The activity will feature on a range of KitKat pack formats.
Popular pre-school kids character Peppa Pig is hitting the confectionery shelves with two new licensed lines from Bazooka Candy Brands.
Kepak Convenience Foods is launching two limited editions. The new Rustlers Pub Menu range comprises Rustlers beef & pepper sauce and Rustlers chicken & stuffing mayo, both available from this month. Kepak's marketing director, John Armstrong, said: "The Pub Menu range takes inspiration from traditional pub classics that our consumers know and love, delivering tasty favourites at great value.
In an exclusive licensing agreement with Dairy Crest, Burton's Biscuit Company is launching Cathedral City Baked Bites, made with real Cathedral City Cheddar.
Kettle Foods has launched a new communications programme called the Independent Retailer Community to talk directly to retailers. The aim is to build stronger relationships with those retailers who buy Kettle Chips through a third party such as a wholesaler.
United Biscuits is relaunching its McVitie's brand backed by a £12m multi-media campaign. All its sweet biscuits now come under the McVitie's name, while savouries are branded Jacob's.
Mars' '1 in 6' promotion is back, giving consumers the chance to win a free chocolate bar. Seven core best sellers feature the activity including Mars, Snickers, Twix and Bounty.
Building on the success of its McVitie's Digestive Slice, McVitie's Cake Co is launching two new Slices: Hobnob milk chocolate slice and Digestives caramel slice.
Bestway's Profit Shocker promotion gives retailers the chance to earn up to 50% profit on return on best-selling own-label lines. The activity runs from January 4 to March 3.
Forecourt Trader has been confirmed as one of the key media partners of UNITI expo, the new international trade fair for Europe, taking place in Stuttgart from June 3 – 5, 2014.
Dealer groups are now signing to the Gulf brand in significant numbers according to Ramsay MacDonald, retail director of Certas Energy (formerly known as GB Oils). The signings mean that the company will start the New Year 53 million litres stronger as a result.
In Scotland, obtaining an off licence can be a difficult task without a full understanding of the process. And with the Scottish Government having recently concluded a consultation on alcohol licensing laws, there is potential for significant change to the current legislation. Andrew Hunter, a partner in Harper Macleod and specialist in licensing north of the Border, looks at the state of forecourt licensing in Scotland and considers the key points to consider when applying for an off licence.
On the north west outskirts of Corby, at a roundabout, is the new Southern Gateway Business Park. Currently it only has three completed developments - a Premier Inn, a Beefeater restaurant and my target, the award-winning Brobot site.
This column is kicking off the New Year with some good news. It comes via Steve Vaughan, a Londis retailer who runs Handbridge Services in Chester.
Over the past 30 years Barry and Joan Raw have built up a strong business which, at its peak, sold over 15 million litres of fuel from three sites in the North East of England. Until recently, all three sites retailed under the Jet brand with what the family described as a "standard fuel and shop offering". However, in July 2013 they made a pioneering move to convert one of their sites to a full Nisa-branded operation at Redworth Service Station in Shildon on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, with fuel supplied by Greenergy. On completion of the work, fuel and shop sales increased by 20% almost overnight. "It was like turning on a light," says Joan. "People could see what we were offering and clearly liked what they saw."
When it comes to the forecourt property market, it's very much a matter of opinion as to whether 2013 was a busy year or not. Anthony Keohane, director of automotive and roadside at Colliers, says 2013 was "another busy year" with the supermarkets and oil company/supermarket joint ventures continuing their expansion trail. "BP, with M&S, has been particularly active and Sainsbury's has now opened the first of a package of sites that it acquired from Rontec, in Horley.
It's not often that you buy a packet of chewing gum then, as a result, drive off in a brand new car. But that's exactly what happened to Airwaves gum consumer Theresa Cowling from Oxford, who won a Ford Focus ST as part of the brand's Full Throttle promotion. Her prize was presented to her by two drivers from the Airwaves Racing British Tour Car Championship team Mat Jackson and Tom Onslow-Cole as the competition formed part of Airwaves' ongoing sponsorship of the British Tour Car Championship.
January is always a very busy month for accountants, dominated primarily by the need to ensure that clients' personal self-assessment tax returns (SATRs) all get filed by the 31st at the very latest.
It sounds like a cliché, but there really is no such thing as a typical day for me. That's just as well considering I've now been with Phillips 66 in its various forms for 44 years! I first joined the company (at that time Conoco) straight from grammar school in 1970, and have since held a number of roles in transport, terminals, supply, retail and wholesale in different locations throughout the UK and overseas. I think the variety of roles and the different challenges I've faced have kept me on my toes. There's certainly never been a dull moment!
Petrol filling stations will be included in a business rates discount after intervention by the PRA.
The independent forecourt retailer sector could be supporting supermarket businesses to the tune of £10 million a year by participating in loyalty card schemes, claims Ramsay MacDonald, retail director of Certas Energy.
The PRA is to follow Australia's lead in seeking a voluntary agreement to curb the fuel discounting practices of the supermarkets, which have been so damaging to the independent petrol retailing sector. It is also calling for the OFT to re-open its investigation into the UK market.
Keith Mowbray, a well-known figure in the forecourt sector, has finally found a company to rejuvenate his Maypole Service Station site in Birmingham after closing it five years ago. He has leased it to Top 50 Indie Krisco Seyon, which has spent £250,000 on it and reopened it on December 21.
Phillips 66 fuel brand Jet has announced that five new Scottish sites have joined its network of independents, taking its total number of sites throughout Scotland to 51. With these sites on board, Jet says it holds a 22% market share of the Scottish fuel market and has more branded dealer sites across Scotland than Shell, Harvest Energy, and Murco combined.
Certas Energy has announced a preferred supplier arrangement with Londis that will provide Certas-supplied filling stations with a fast track to Londis for expert business advice and consultancy as they look to grow revenues. "We see this as a very positive addition to the range of benefits already available to our dealers," said Ramsay MacDonald, retail director, Certas Energy.
A boost in profits of nearly 40% has been confirmed by Forecourt Trader of the Year winner Euro Garages, which attributes its success to a combination of strategic site acquisitions and the ongoing success of brand partnerships with Starbucks, Subway and Greggs. Reporting results for the year to July 31, 2013, the Blackburn-based company also revealed a similar increase in turnover of 40% to £439m (2012: £314m).
One year on from the launch of its workspaces at UK motorway service stations, Regus has announced the opening of a second 'Regus Express' on the M25. The business centre has opened at Roadchef's Clacket Lane motorway services in Kent, offering co-working space, ThinkPods (private workstations), meeting rooms and business support such as cloud-based printing.
Top 50 Indie Symonds Forecourts Group has announced an increase in turnover in its annual results.
Thieves attempting to steal diesel from a filling station in Carlisle were foiled after an alarm was tripped and police raced to the scene and caught them in the act. The incident occurred at Carleton Filling Station, which is owned by Top 50 Indie Hills of Corby, on the night of December 28-29.
Certas Energy (formerly GB Oils) is rolling out new card payment terminals to its network of dealers.


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Latter-day rock legend Liam Gallagher has added a north east date to his upcoming UK tour, his first in the region for four years.
The region was missed off the former Oasis frontman's original itinerary, but a show at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena has now been included, and, along with one in Belfast in Northern Ireland, it will be a month ahead of his nine other concerts.
The Manchester-born 44-year-old will return to the arena on Wednesday, November 1.
Tickets cost £40.15, and they go on sale tomorrow morning, September 8. For details, go to www.metroradioarena.co.uk or liamgallagher.com
This will be Gallagher's first solo show at the venue, though he has played there before with Oasis six times, doing two-night stands in 2005, 2002 and 1997.
His former band's last north east show was at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on what turned out to be their farewell tour in 2009, though he did return to Newcastle with his next group, Beady Eye, twice, playing at its O2 Academy in 2013 and 2011.
Gallagher, seen most recently on these shores playing second on the bill to Muse at the Leeds Festival and its sister event in Reading, Berkshire, is hitting the road to promote his debut solo album, As You Were, due out on Friday, October 6, on Warner Bros Records.
"I didn't want to be reinventing anything or going off on a space jazz odyssey," he said. "It's the Lennon Cold Turkey vibe, the Stones, the classics, but done my way, now."
Three of the 12 tracks on its standard edition have already been released as singles – Wall of Glass, a No 21 hit; Chinatown, a No 56; and For What It's Worth, a No 46. A deluxe edition will add a further four songs.
As You Were will be Gallagher's first record since Beady Eye's second and last album, BE, a No 2 in 2013.
His tour will also stop off at Leeds, Glasgow, Plymouth, London, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton and his home town of Manchester.


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Royal IHC has named and launched the pipelaying vessel Sapura Rub at the company's shipyard in Krimpen aan den Ijssel, the Netherlands.
Sapura Rub is the last of five 550t-Type pipelaying vessels that IHC is supplying to the Brazilian company Sapura Navegação Marítima, which is a joint venture between Sapura Kencana and Seadrill.
According to IHC, Sapura Rub will be equipped with a custom IHC-designed and built pipelaying spread and two below-deck storage carousels with capacity for 2,500 ton and 1,500 ton of product respectively. A vertical lay system with a 550 ton top tension capacity will be permanently installed for the deployment of a range of flexible products, and the tower orientation allows for maximum deck space.
Like the first four vessels, Sapura Rub is destined for Brazilian waters where it will develop oil fields in waters up to 2,500 meters deep for Petrobras.
Vessel Characteristics
- Name: SAPURA RUBI
- Type: 550t pipelaying vessel
- Customer: Sapura Navegação Marítima
- Builder: Royal IHC
- Length overall: 145.9m
- Breadth moulded: 29.9m
- Depth main deck: 13m
- Draught (operational): 7.2m
- Draught (max): 8.3m
- Deadweight (operational): 10,727t
- Deadweight (max): 31,402t
- Accommodation: 120 people
Photo courtesy Royal IHC


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A recent strategic wellbeing project with an organisation of approximately 1,000 employees found that 10% of their workforce were 'flourishing', 75% were 'coping' and 15% were 'struggling'.
'Flourishing' refers to employees assessed as having high to very high levels of psychological wellbeing, 'coping' describes those in the moderate range and the 'struggling' group are those assessed as having low to very low levels of wellbeing.
Within the 15% 'struggling' group, approximately 6% were experiencing clinical levels of psychological distress that warranted professional psychological assistance and the remaining 9% were classified as 'at risk', indicating the need for individual help to avoid the slide into more significant wellbeing problems.
This organisation's 'wellbeing profile' is not atypical for Australian employers. Benchmarking this organisation's wellbeing against others found that this organisation's wellbeing was typical for professional, white collar organisations. In this case, managers reported somewhat lower levels of wellbeing than other staff. Part-timers reported higher levels of wellbeing than full timers, while casual workers had lower wellbeing.
Across their organisation, their key wellbeing enablers identified by the diagnostic were:
On the other hand, the main wellbeing derailers in the organisation were:
Employees were found to be 'flourishing' for a number of reasons. The strongest factors lifting up the flourishers were, in contrast to other employees, the perception that their skills were fully utilised and continuously developing. They had managed to achieve what we refer to as the 'positive integration of work and personal life'. From a personality perspective, they had high levels of self-efficacy, a belief in one's competence and abilities.
Those that were 'struggling' had lower wellbeing as a result of various factors. Of particular note was the negative impact of having low 'activity connection' and low levels of 'personal support' from their manager. 'Activity Connection' refers to the psychological benefits of being regularly and fully engaged in an activity or interest to the point of absorption. 'Personal Support' refers to the importance of person-centred management (reflecting interest, consideration and concern) as opposed to task-focused management.
While there was generally a high level of consistency in the Wellbeing Profile across the organisation, there were organisational outliers.
In one area, low levels of operational support and in another 'non-work' personal problems contributed to lower wellbeing scores. On the flip side, employee wellbeing in one area was higher than most other areas of the organisation due to higher levels of team work and peer support.
Employee engagement here was found to be very high. Research however shows that engagement alone is not sufficient to sustain organisational productivity. Wellbeing has been identified as the missing factor that sustains engagement and productivity over time. The analyses of the results for this organisation showed that while wellbeing was at a sound level, strategies to further lift wellbeing would be necessary to sustain the current levels of engagement and productivity.
The diagram below illustrates this practice. Sustainable engagement is a result of high engagement combined with high wellbeing. Without high levels of both factors, engagement becomes either negative or unstable.
This organisation initiated a strategic wellbeing exercise to help formulate an employee wellbeing strategy. It was based on a sound, evidence based framework, their employee wellbeing profile, and identified group and individual needs.
The diagnostic data and trends were workshopped with stakeholders where a wellbeing action plan was developed, including targeted programs to address their core wellbeing issues.
Employees with low wellbeing were provided with confidential, professional help, and others were offered individual Wellbeing Reports and one-on-one debriefs. The aim was to develop Individual Wellbeing plans to further lift wellbeing.
Program evaluation is planned for 12-18 months' time to measure the personal and organisational impact of the wellbeing program.
Enquiries – Paul Flanagan (Sydney and Canberra) email@example.com; Jo Crosby firstname.lastname@example.com (Melbourne) or Susan Crawford email@example.com (Melbourne).


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Nintendo Classic 'Duck Hunt' Rebooted in VR
By Tyler Koslow
One of the most iconic and popular video games of all time, Nintendo's 1984 NES title Duck Hunt, might be a bit outdated, but who is to say that the classics can't be reborn with a little help from emerging 3D technology? After attending this year's Global Game Jam event, one 21-year-old developer from New Jersey named Joesph Delgado became inspired to take Duck Hunt, now over 30-years-old by the way, and reformat it for Virtual Reality.
I'm sure there were a lot of elements of both VR and Duck Hunt for Delgado to consider, implementing the classic Nintendo gun controller, tracking hand motions and ducks, and just making the VR experience as enjoyable as possible, for instance.…
The original post Nintendo Classic 'Duck Hunt' Rebooted in VR appeared first on 3D Printing Industry.


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PARIS, April 7 - France may be a predominantly Roman Catholic country, but it is also officially secular, with separation of church and state one of its most sacred tenets.
So while the death of Pope John Paul II has brought widespread mourning, there has also been pressure on the French Republic not to honor him officially.
For the moment, the political instinct to please voters has won out: the government is marking the pope's passing in a variety of ways across France, and President Jacques Chirac and his wife, Bernadette, will attend the funeral Mass at the Vatican on Friday.
But defenders of the country's republican tradition as well as some foes of the center-right government have charged that by doing so, the French state is violating a 100-year-old law dictating church-state separation. They contend that any gesture that gives the appearance of favoring one religion over another is forbidden.
They have even given the alleged sin a name: "papolatrie" or pope-worship.
"The law is very clear: the state cannot interfere in religious life," Yves Contassot, an adviser to the mayor of Paris and a leader of the left-leaning Green Party, said in a telephone interview. "The government is giving the impression that it is an advocate for one religion, and that religion is Catholicism. And that's an abuse of power."Continue reading the main story
Shortly after the pope's death was announced, Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin sent a communiqué ordering that France's tricolor flag to fly at half-staff on all public buildings, including schools, for the next 24 hours and on the day of the funeral.
In his communiqué, he also told all prefects, the representatives of the central government across the country, to "attend services" conducted by "the ecclesiastical authority in the memory of His Holiness" -- an order, essentially, to go to church. He urged them to pay their condolences to local bishops.
The center-right mayor of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin, reacted by giving Friday morning off to any employee who wanted to watch live coverage of the pope's funeral on television.
By contrast, Gerard Collomb, the Socialist mayor of Lyon, decided not to lower flags in his city. Senator Michel Charasse, a Socialist and former finance minister, told France-Inter radio: "The French Republic should not descend to such a level. If the Dalai Lama were to die tomorrow, would we lower the flags to half-staff?"
From the outside, none of this should seem to matter much. After all, since early Catholicism, France has been called the "eldest daughter of the church" and 62 percent of the French people identify themselves as Catholic, according to a 2003 poll.
But the country is also struggling to shore up its secular identity after banning religious symbols, including Muslim head scarves, Jewish yarmulkes and large Christian crosses, from schools. Despite its apparently ecumenical nature, the ban is widely seen as aimed at keeping Muslim schoolgirls from wearing head scarves to school.
Thus, in some quarters, the government's decision to mourn the pope officially was seen as hypocritical.
"What does the flying of the flag at half-staff in front of the schools mean in this case?" the Parents' Federation of Public Schools, a nationwide organization, said in a statement. "How can the young understand this secularism at two speeds that then forbids the wearing of the veil but authorizes political and media excesses following the death of the pope?"
François Hollande, the Socialist Party leader, described the government's actions as "excessive."
Muslim and Jewish groups have stayed above the fray. But France's powerful Freemasons have weighed in, demanding a meeting with the Interior Minister to win guarantees that the strict separation of church and state and the republican ideals of the nation will be respected.
"For the government to interfere in religion and then only focus on the positive things about the pope is damaging to France," said Hugues Leforestier, the secretary general of the French Masonic Association, in a telephone interview.
The government has defended its decisions to honor John Paul II, who made eight trips to France as pope.
Mr. Raffarin's office said that flying the flags at half-staff was customary for "heads of state who enjoyed privileged relations with France." Mr. de Villepin said that all five French republics had honored popes.
Even Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the center-right governing party the Union for a Popular Movement, and a political enemy of Mr. Chirac, has labeled the complaints "a ridiculous polemic."
The conflict, though, distracts attention from the real religious crisis, both in France and in Europe as a whole: the withering of the Catholic faith.
Only about 12 percent of French Catholics attend Mass every week. Meanwhile, weekly attendance of French Muslims at Friday Prayer is soaring.
Not a week goes by when a French Catholic cleric does not publicly call on the faithful of French to rediscover the faith.
"So many of the Catholics of France lack the simplicity of the faith," said Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, in a telephone interview. "There is so much in society that is imbalanced, with too much emphasis on the corrupting power of money. It's a shame. We have to find a way to reconnect, to make faith a living thing."Continue reading the main story


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Luton Town director David Blakeman has announced he is leaving the board at Kenilworth Road.
Writing in Tuesday night's programme against Wycombe Wanderers, Blakeman, who was appointed in 2011, said: "From my own perspective, tonight's match is a somewhat bittersweet experience, as I have decided to step down from the board.
"Apart from the poor recent run of form, the club has progressed, in almost every area, in the last few years."David Blakeman, director
"I have been thrilled to be associated with the club for the last three-and-a-half years – an association which has been the fulfilment of a boyhood dream; and I have been involved with some marvellous moments associated with the club.
"Apart from the poor recent run of form, the club has progressed, in almost every area, in the last few years and I feel our community projects, which I have been closely associated with, have also progressed significantly.
"I am also pleased to have contributed to our relocation plans, which are also progressing positively.
"Moving forwards, I do intend to remain involved with the club, in the role of a general community ambassador – but my business interests prevent more active involvement."


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How to Design Your Wedding Dress
Prior to new medicine, a good and healthy life wasn't really so simple to accomplish, but others experimented with ensure that they had outstanding chance of success by using superstition. Many superstitions grew over time around weddings, to bring about the brides happiness in her own new home and of course to assure her fertility. The colour of the wedding gown was believed fashionably to get luck on the couple.
You choose large, permit them to choose their style! This is a great way to keep everyone looking their utmost. Not everyone can accomplish a strapless dress or fill in a halter top, so allow them to decide! This way, everyone wins - you get to choose along with you like, your girls look fantastic, and they've a gown that they may ACTUALLY want to wear again!
Suits: If you want to look crisp and trendy, suits are what you need to zero in on. Suits which are slightly modified in to the wedding versions are certain to cause you to look sizzling on your special day. Suits which are created from exquisite and quite often extraordinary materials may look delicate but you are actually very tough and resilient. Opt for lighter colours like light beige or sparkling white for ceremonies which are held in the morning while darker colours would be suitable for the methods through the night.
The Roaring Twenties and Fabulous Fifties: "Flapper"- inspired dresses using its dropped hemline and silk / lace this website detailing is definitely a delicate and timeless look. The screen siren look in the fabulous fifties is a very elegant, yet sultry look which will never walk out style. This is a design of billowing skirts, ball gowns and stream-lined dresses.
Tuxedos: Tuxedos are perfect for men who are on the well built side. So if you have a frail frame, remember to steer clear from tuxedos. Black tuxedos look the top and they are teamed with satin clacks and striped pants. Wear this for ceremonies going on through the night or late evenings and add zing for a wedding ceremony!


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Fall Trend Fashion Event--
It's never too early to save a date on your calendar. Hold a spot for This event also benefits the North Suburban YMCA. Fashion and Service - always hand and hand!
Thursday, Oct. 10 at Northbrook, IL Pinstripes, 1150 Willow Rd.
TICKETS: $75/$150 VIPs. VIP pricing includes preferred seating at the runway show, a gift bag, other goodies and a VIP after-party and a chance to buy looks off the runway.
Save the date!