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Where The Meat Meets The Music: Famous Barbecue Meets Texas-Style Country
Posted by John on September 4th, 2012
When it comes to barbecue, there are a lot of variations; a lot of regional flavors and local traditions. When Shawn Boedecker of DFW Food Group went looking for the right sound to play in his Dickey's Barbecue Pit restaurants, he had a difficult time at first in finding the right flavors. No ordinary background music fit. That's why he turned to Custom Channels to cook up a mix of Texas country artists, with some Nashville country and a little bit rock. It's the local flavor that makes these Dickey's restaurants sound unique.
Boedecker runs his Dickey's Barbecue Pit restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. You'll hear the custom Dickey's Texas-style music mix, powered by Custom Channels, playing when you eat ribs and brisket at Dickey's on Blue Mound Road in Fort Worth, and in Bedford, Hurst, Roanoke, and North Richland Hills, Texas.
CC: First the food, then the music. Why is Dickey's barbecue better than the rest?
SB: At Dickey's we stick to what we're good at and we do it better than the others. Our seasoned meats are slowed smoked on-site daily with pride and tradition that dates back over 70 years. We have the best selection of fresh side items that use recipes straight from the Dickey's family.
CC: Your Dickey's Texas Music Channel is a blend of styles, not just straight modern country we'd hear on FM radio. Describe the styles of music that get played.
SB: Our music is derived from the Texas Country music flavor which varies drastically from the traditional Nashville music. We also blend in a little bit of good 'ol rock 'n roll and a little bit of the fun music from Jimmy Buffet. We've pulled a lot of the fun upbeat songs that you'd expect to hear if you were at a Texas country club enjoying an ice cold beer.
CC: Tell us some artists or songs that we'd typically hear if we visited one of your restaurants.
SB: Jerry Jeff Walker, Ed Burleson, Pat Green and Kenny Chesney to name a few. Some of the more established guys from the days of yesterday and some of the up and coming Texas music artists.
CC: Most people only know about the big Pop Country artists, like Taylor Swift or Rascal Flatts. Why aren't the many other Texas country artists more well known?
SB: Great question. In Texas, a lot of these other artists are known but as you venture further from the Lone Star state, they are less common. Nashville music is more well rooted across the country and Texas music artists have more of a grass roots approach which probably keeps them from being quite as mainstream.
CC: Can music make a customer's visit to a restaurant a memorable experience?
SB: You bet! I'll never forget the story of one of my managers, Lupe, that told me about an older gentleman that broke out with some dance moves and a big smile for the employees right in front of our meat carving block. The customers really enjoy the music and many have asked what station we are listening to or if there is a CD of our music that they can buy.
CC: What's the reaction from employees to your custom music mix?
SB: Our employees have responded well. They are the ones that listen to the music over and over day in and day out. They like the new upbeat approach. Since we've customized the tunes, we've removed the slower songs that generally get mixed into the playlists.
CC: Would you recommend that other restaurants and business owners pay more attention to the music?
SB: Business owners definitely should give their music the attention it deserves. The low cost that we incur to customize our music and know that the music royalties are covered is well worth the benefit we gain. You might not think much about it, but the background music really sets the tone for the overall atmosphere in the business. We've seen a huge difference at our locations.
CC: There are lots of ways to get music; what other methods did you try at your Dickey's restaurants before connecting with Custom Channels for your custom music service?
SB: I've seen others try a local radio station and that never works well. You can't control the commercials or DJ's talking. In fact, I was in a restaurant once that had a competitors ad on the local radio station that was playing.
I've used a one regional and a couple large providers of music channels in the past. I had no control of the music and never liked the slow or depressing country songs that were on the playlist. Then I had to deal with incremental price increases.
I love the personal relationship I have with the entire team at Custom Channels. There's something to be said about having a Co-Founder of Custom Channels personally reach out to me when I first inquired for information. I love that I can pick up the phone and call these guys anytime. For the price I pay, the service and product just can't be beat.
CC: What musician or singer would you most love to have eat at your Dickey's Barbecue Pit and what would you recommend to order?
SB: There are lots of great artists out there. The late Chris LeDoux would top my list. He was an original pioneer for the kind of music we play and I have great memories of watching him perform his Cowboy Country music when he opened for Garth Brooks back in the early 90's. For Chris, I'd recommend our three meat plate complete with ribs, brisket, sausage and a side of baked potato casserole and barbecue beans.
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Marvel's Iron Fist (Netflix) Official Trailer!Fifteen years after being presumed dead in a plane crash, Danny Rand (Finn Jones) mysteriously returns to New York City determined to reclaim his birthright and family company. However, when ...
Timeless (NBC) Full Episode - "The Lost Generation"Season 1 Episode 14 "The Lost Generation" With Wyatt under arrest, Lucy, Rufus and their new team member join forces with Ernest Hemingway to fight Flynn back in 1927 Paris.
The Wall (NBC) Full Episode - "Nathan and Erica"Season 1 Episode 7 "Nathan and Erica" Husband and wife Nathan and Erica take on the Wall.
Emerald City (NBC) Full Episode - "Everybody Lies"Season 1 Episode 5 "Everybody Lies" West interrogates Dorothy to get answers about East's death, while the Wizard asks the Kingdom of Ev to build him an arsenal.
Grimm (NBC) Full Episode - "El Cuegle"Season 6 Episode 4 "El Cuegle" Nick, Hank and Wu search for a Wesen suspect after a baby goes missing, while Renard has a surprising run-in with an old friend.
This Is Us (NBC) Full Episode - "Three Sentences"Season 1 Episode 13 "Three Sentences" Toby helps Kevin with a grand romantic gesture; Kate gets a new plan; Randall helps William with his bucket list; Jack and Rebecca have ...
Timeless (NBC) Full Episode - "The Murder of Jesse James"Season 1 Episode 12 "The Murder of Jesse James" Back in 1882, Flynn gets help from Jesse James while the team recruits the Lone Ranger and Tonto to track them ...
The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) Full Episode - "Scissors and Some Creativity"Season 8 Episode 4 "Scissors and Some Creativity" What do dancing models and healthy snacks for on-the-go moms have in common? Not much! Also, the celebs whip up wonder for ...
The Young Pope (HBO) Watch the Series Premiere!Season 1 Episode 1 "First Episode" While Lenny Belardo begins his pontificate as Pius XIII, he calls on Sister Mary, his childhood guardian for help, and begins to familiarize himself ...
Saturday Night Live (NBC) Full Episode - "Aziz Ansari"Aziz Ansari hosts Saturday Night Live with musical guest Big Sean.
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Well, here's something a bit different. Pen makers have been casting pen blanks for years, traditionally from coloured acrylics but more recently also using images applied to tubes, then sealed in a clear resin
Our thanks to Patrick R for allowing us to share his photo, which shows a pair of Beaufort Mistral pens, made from oak, then covered in gold leaf.
His method was to turn the oak to a size smaller than the bushes, apply the gold leaf – one of them here is yellow gold, the other is white gold, then cast them in clear resin which he then re-turned and finished to size. The result is a gold leaf pen which is fully encased and protected, that also shows the grain of the wood underneath.
We think they look great, but even if the finished result isn't your cup of tea, you have to admit it's an innovative idea. What clever customers we have!


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Wed 7 Mar 2018
WEEKLY READ: "How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety" by Zachary Auburn
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In our troubled times is good to have a respite from the real dangers we and our families face every day. Which is why this week's read is most welcome: How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety: And Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism, and Other Dangers That Threaten Their Nine Lives by Zachary Auburn.
About How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety by Zachary Auburn:
"Long gone are the good old days when a cat's biggest worries were mean dogs or a bath. Modern cats must confront satanists, online predators, the possibility of needing to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and countless other threats to their nine lives. For over four decades, the American Association of Patriots have stood at the vanguard of our country's defense by helping to prepare our nation's cat owners for the difficult conversations they dread having with their pets. Written in a simple Q&A format, How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety answers crucial questions such as, 'What is the right age to talk to my cat about the proper use of firearms?' and 'What are the benefits of my cat living a lifestyle of abstinence?' and especially 'Why does my cat need to use the internet? Can't he just play with yarn like cats used to do?' Our country—and our cats—stand at a precipice. It will take courage, and it will take hard work, but armed with the knowledge within these pages, we can make our cats—and America—great again!"
One would hope that this is brilliant satire, but while reading it some times seems serious – which means it is quite brilliant.
How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety by Zachary Auburn is available from Amazon and other fine booksellers.


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Sir Chris Hoy MBE is one of Great Britain's most successful Olympic athletes of all time, with six gold medals and one silver.
Chris won his first Olympic gold medal in Athens 2004 in the Kilo – an event that was dropped from the programme for Beijing 2008. Chris took this in his stride and switched his focus to three other track sprint events – the Keirin, Sprint and Team Sprint. He went on to win a gold medal in all three at the Beijing Olympics, cementing his name in the history books.
Following his historic hat-trick of gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, Chris was voted 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He was also awarded a Knighthood in the 2009 New Year Honours list, capping an extraordinary year for the track cyclist from Edinburgh.
In 2012 at his home Olympic Games in London, Chris won his fifth and sixth gold medals – in the Keirin and Team Sprint – becoming Great Britain's most successful Olympic athlete of all time with six gold medals and one silver.
Chris retired from competitive cycling in 2013 and his achievements throughout his career make him Scotland's most successful Olympian, the first Briton since 1908 to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games, and one of the most successful Olympic cyclists of all time.
Following his retirement, Chris remains passionate about bikes and has successfully made the transition into the business world following the launch of his bike range HOY Bikes, cycling accessories and clothing. He has published a series of children's books – Flying Fergus – and is currently working on a second series.
In June 2016, Chris added to his record list of achievements when he finished the world's most demanding motorsport endurance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, on his debut.
Chris has become a polished public speaker and media presenter, and he was a key part of the BBC TV's commentary and punditry team covering the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.


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this post, I showed you a style I was playing with, inspired by some one-knotted pictures I've seen through wrapunzel and its associated facebook group. This variation uses three knots, close together, which creates a sort of setting for a horizontal pin, and maintains a low-key but visible asymmetry.
It is definitely a style to do with a sash/thin rectangular scarf, not with a full scarf- the knots, at least on me, get too big rather quickly with the sort of scarf that would cover my whole head unless it is Very, Very thin. So far, I've been most successful with stretchy dollar-store scarves as my knotted scarf. We'll see how less stretchy ones work. Then, when I can find the time, perhaps a tutorial.


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Erik Ortvad : 1917-2008
'The Toad - 1944
Even though he then was one of the youngest abstract surrealistic painters, he allready then had a past:
He has painted pictures, that are mirrors, that easily deforms what surrounds us, and which deforms even the reality, pictures that visions the reality almost without retouchings of that kind that habits bring along. He has given up the habit and mania to the unaccustomed, he has removed the varnish, the make-up, and has discovered, that the reality behind the burgeois aesthetics has more colours than you may find on the palette. In this way he found himself, because the varnish, make-up, the colours does not only deprive us from our body our veins, the pulse of the universe and the orgasms, but also our own life. One has to tear down the optical wall, which the ambigous burgeois has set up, then there will be no more seperation between us and the universe, than between
Ortvad has not been afraid of immediatly to paint the panoramas, which was behind and in front of the wall. He paints without blinkers, he paints globally, and one might dare to say that he is a landscape painter in the universe which people inhabit. But what landscapes the universe presents us to, like letters that open inwards ? Which landscapes do we force on the universe with great expences, like architecture, or with a glance ?
He paints forests of fables and mountain rivers, which is the serpentines of of the universal party, houses that stick to your eye, the blink of the eye caused by the sun, the voices, the sound in the sky, the knives, the scars and the prick of the light. He paints, while he gets close to something, that advance, the way that you may experience by running on a winding road on a mountain, over the villages, the towns and the time.
He denies to fold up these panoramas, to match the burgeois pockets, in the contrary he unfolds the visible - even worse to the burgeois, that goes down on their knee to the Japanese garden.
Erik Ortvad paints with the sun after having painted with a torch. He is right. We are not anymore in a theatre, We are by our selves.
Christian Dotremont
Ortvad on DSD
About other Cobra artists
Piere Alechinsky
Else Alfelt
Karel Appel
Mogens Balle
Ejler Bille
Christian Dotremont
Sonja Ferlov
Stephen Gilbert
Svavar Gudnason
Henry Heerup
C. O. Hultén
Egill Jacobsen
Asger Jorn
Erik Ortvad
Carl-Henning Petersen
Max Walter Svanberg
Anders Österlin
Back to Start
Cobra Bibliotheket 16 - 1979


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Ubisoft has released two new trailers for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood showcasing two of the multiplayer pre-order pack characters, The Officer and Harlequin.
Also, the pre-order packs include two extra singleplayer missions, The Aqueducts (packed with Harlequin) and The Trajan Market (The Officer). Check out the two trailers below.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is set to release November 16 in US, November 19 in UK.


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With so much talk about the new "Confession"app, it would be easy to overlook some other fine Catholic apps. Jesuit Jack McLain, a self-confessed technophile gives us the lowdown on the best ones.
During a recent discussion with a brother Jesuit about the inherent goodness or badness (I believe the terms 'Luddite' and 'Borg' were trotted out during the conversation) of smart phones, I asserted that there were plenty of Catholic-centric uses for such devices. In the great Jesuit fashion, my confrere asked me to prove it. So I began combing through Apple's App Store in order to find the best Catholic apps I could.
From the beginning, I left a few things off of my list, most notably digital rosaries. I am not opposed to rosary apps; I have one actually, but trying to separate the sheep from the goats in this particular instance proved to be a little too bandwidth intensive. Most rosary apps had free versions so you could try them before you invest your 99 cents. My other criterion was one I alluded to above, namely, I wanted to find apps that were applicable to the non-techno person who was looking to use their device to add to their faith life. I focused exclusively on iPhone apps because of its userbase and because I don't have access to an Android-based phone.
Here are some of the better apps:
iBreviaryPro (Free): This app, which I've been using for over a year, can be a life saver. Last year my campus minister, seated next to me at a student Mass, whipped her head around and turned white as a sheet. "I forgot to put the Gospel in the binder!" She whispered during the Psalm. I calmly fished under my alb, pulled out my iPhone, fired up the app and had the Gospel ready by the time I made it to the lectern. It includes the Office readings for the day and, as a bonus, all the parts of the Mass for a presider. Plus, all the readings update automatically when you turn the app on—in five different languages, no less! The only downside is that it requires a data connection. If our chapel had been a signal dead spot, I would have been sunk.
Universalis ($24.99): This is from the super-useful Universalis software house, whose goal is to "harness computer technology to help enrich the spiritual lives of Christians." The app contains all the readings within the app itself, so it doesn't matter if you are on top of Mount Everest (although I read recently they have 3G coverage there now), you can get your daily readings and pray the Office with out a wireless connection. Exceptionally well organized and easy to navigate, this is best of the daily reading and Office apps I reviewed. Two caveats about the app: First, the price. In a world of 99 cent apps, $25 will give some people pause, but this is clearly a case of getting what you pay for. The app replaces both a lectionary and a breviary (not to mention being much easier to carry) so the price tag shouldn't be a sticking point, in my opinion. My second quibble is a priest-centric one: I wish the app also provided the parts of the Mass.
Divine Office ($14.99): This app has all the functions of the apps above, automatically figuring out the date and bringing up the readings for the time of day. The feature that sets it apart is that it will also download audio files of the prayers of the hours so that you can listen to a group of people praying, and pray with them. Ideal for quiet time on a train or bus or even over your car audio system during your commute. Another neat feature: by tapping on a globe icon you see a map showing where other people are using the app around the world. This gives you a real sense of praying with universal church.
iCatholicRadio & Radio Vaticana (Free & $3.99 cents respectively): These apps stream audio from Catholic radio stations. iCatholicRadio streams from Holy Family Communications, which features shows ranging from Catholic call-ins to the recordings of Bishop Fulton Sheen. The user interface needs work—it doesn't have the buttery smoothness usually associated with Apple—but it works fine. It can also stream the audio in the background so you can listen while you navigate to another app. Radio Vaticana does the same thing, only it offers a direct line to the broadcasts of the Vatican Radio in several different languages. Good for a change of pace.
3-Three Minute Retreat (99 cents): The Irish Jesuits started a Web site several years ago that leads you through a quick reflection for your day. Loyola Press has taken this idea and applied it to the portable world. Each day it supplies you with a brief reflection set to placid music in either English or Spanish. It follows the Ignatian arc of settling down to pray, reading Scripture, reflecting and deciding act. It is a simple, straightforward app that does exactly what it says.
Mass Times (Free): For sheer useful simplicity, this app was probably the best one I reviewed. It uses your location to find the nearest parish and gives you the Mass times at those locations. You can also search for a particular church and bookmark your favorites. A sponsored banner pops up every once in a while, but that's how they make the app free. This is a must-have for Catholics on the move who like to find a Mass wherever they go.
CatholicTV (Free): This app allows you to watch the Mass of the day along with much of the other programming of CatholicTV from Boston on your iPhone. The catch is that you need to have a WiFi signal. An excellent app for someone in an isolated place who wants to enjoy tons of quality Catholic content.


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ENCINITAS — City Council voted unanimously to approve three new firefighters for the recently opened mini-fire station on Rancho Santa Fe Road.
It's a reversal from a month ago, when four out of the five councilmembers declined the request for additional firefighters.
At that time, they argued the city was previously told the new station wouldn't require fulltime firefighters.
Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar said that she changed her mind after getting a clearer picture of how the station operates. Namely, it was explained that the station will be transitioning from providing 12-hour coverage to 24-hour coverage in the next two weeks.
"We don't have any personnel allocated to (just) that station," Gaspar said. "So I think that's really important to understand."
The City Council voted about a year ago to approve a lease to establish a fire station at an office building in Olivenhain. The shifts at the station were covered by overtime hours from firefighters who are assigned to other stations. But Deputy Fire Chief Mike Daigle said that's led to "employee burnout."
"Fire season is coming up," Daigle said. "We have to anticipate that. We have to look at the condition of our fire personnel."
Before the vote, nine Olivenhain residents said the geography of the area — known for windy roads, dead ends and a lack of streetlights — necessitates dedicated coverage.
Resident Tom Swanson maintained GPS navigation systems are practically useless in the area. But he said that full-time firefighters would be given the chance to learn Olivenhain's road system.
Another resident, Tom Ford, said that a fire station serving Olivenhain has been a longtime coming.
"We now want you to finish the job," Swanson said. "The last part is manning the station with at least three fulltime firefighters."
Ford said that three firefighters would go a long way toward bringing down high emergency response times in the area.
City Manager Gus Vina said some overtime hours would still be necessary to fill the shifts at the station. He noted that City Council might want to consider more firefighters down the line.
"I would even submit to you that as we move forward we continue to evaluate this," Vina said.
The hiring of three fulltime firefighters will add $24,000 to their operating budget; the remainder of costs will be offset by the reduction of overtime hours. Most of the $24,000 will go toward purchasing new safety equipment.
The operating budget for the Olivenhain station is $883,000 for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in July. Compared to the current fiscal year, that's an increase of $163,00 due to personnel expenses going up with the move to 24-hour staffing.
City Council also adopted a citywide budget for the approaching fiscal year. Revenues are expected to total $55.2 million, with expenses at $50.6 million. The projected revenues are $2.7 million higher than the current fiscal year. Expenses are expected to rise about $700,000.
Revenue for the 2011-12 fiscal year amounted to $52.3 million, while expenses came in at $48.5 million.
Councilmembers also agreed to dedicate $100,000 to develop a plan for enhancing beach access and stabilizing the bluffs at Beacon Beach.


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Recent Posts
Tag Archives: Finding your voice
How I found my voice and fell in love with blogging
All good stories start at the beginning… My beginning was when I'd been blogging for a few months and I was boring myself senseless. It was yawny yawn yawn. And when you are bored with something, you grown to hate … Continue reading
Posted in My story, What I know so far Tagged Finding your voice 25 Comments
If you speak in the middle of a forest, does it make a sound?
Okay, I'm back on the voice thing. It's one of the things I've struggled with the most with this whole blogging adventure. And I think a lot of us feel the same way. How do we write without sounding like … Continue reading
Posted in Learning Tagged Finding your voice, Learning 2 Comments


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on January 3, 2007 at 12:00 am
Story: Wapsi-Archive
DANG, I think hit the nail on the head with that guess earlier.
On this reread, I'm constantly surprised at how Shelly keeps calling them Monsters. She has a real hard time looking at them as people, eh? True, clay ultimo-destructo golums, but they're people too!
Let's start a "Clay ultimo-destructo golums are people too!" rally…


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The issue is liberty, not procreation
SAN ANTONIO — The state's argument on banning same-sex marriage amounts to this: Texas need not prove benefit or harm in gay marriage one way or the other.
The state argues that it is enough that there's societal good in opposite-sex marriage — children. So, an appeals court should let stand the state's ban on gay marriage, approved by voters in 2005.
This is puerile sophistry in defense of discrimination. For here is the bottom-line of Attorney General Greg Abbott's appeal of a federal judge's rejection of the state's ban on same-sex marriage: Gays are unequal when it comes to marriage because they are not heterosexual and cannot produce children in the "traditional" way.
Many opposite-sex couples also can't or won't — and still marry. No matter. Those who can and do set the good example and should be encouraged, the state argues in a brief to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Abbott is looking at the wrong example. The right one is simply loving another person in a committed relationship.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled the state's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional in February. He was right. The 5th Circuit should affirm his ruling.
But marriage to procreate is rooted in history and tradition, argues the state.
Slavery, banning interracial marriage and Jim Crow laws were also part of state and national tradition.
Would any of these have been any less unconstitutional if voters approved them at the ballot box? And, yes, folks were also using biological, not to mention theological, arguments back then.
It's a circular argument in any case. Gay marriage would be part of a state's history and tradition — had it not been irrationally banned by history and tradition. And bias. Being gay and wanting to be free to love who you want is as old as being heterosexual.
This case is not, as the state argues, about "who decides" — voters and democratically elected legislatures or the federal courts. The roles and limitations of each are governed by our system of checks and balances. It is about what's constitutional. Courts have a role in deciding.
Abbott should simply consider what would still be legal in Texas were it not for the federal courts.
How laughable is the state's argument? Gay people are not being discriminated against, the state says, because they are as free to marry someone from the opposite sex as any other Texan.
There is indeed a societal good in producing children. Gay marriage does no harm to this. And there is much good, as a matter of liberty, in getting the state out of the business of telling people who they can love in marriage.
More Information


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How Can the Franchise Disclosure Document Help You Make a Good Buying Decision?
By: Doug Smith, Franchise Attorney
The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is an informational prospectus that gives information about the franchisor, the franchise system, and the franchise agreement. Prospective franchise buyers should use the FDD to help them make an informed buying decision.
The franchisor must deliver to a prospective franchisee a full copy of the FDD and all of its exhibits at least 14 calendar-days before any franchise agreements are signed or any money changes hands. Some states require different waiting periods. Prospective franchisees should take advantage of this "cooling off" period. It is intended to give prospective buyers time to review franchise documents and investigate the franchise before buying.
The FDD is divided into 23 separate sections. Examples of important issues outlined in the FDD are the following:
* The franchisor's business history and experience;
* Work experience of owners, officers and other individuals in the franchisor's organization;
* Litigation history for the franchisor and related entities;
* Bankruptcy information for the franchisor and related entities;
* Initial and ongoing franchise fees;
* Initial investment estimates;
* Restrictions on sources of products and services;
* Information about the franchise agreement and related agreements, including provisions related to renewal, termination and transfer of the franchise business and dispute resolution;
* Franchisor's training, advertising and other obligations;
* Sales area protections (if any);
* Status of franchisor's trademarks;
* Franchisor's representations about financial performance;
* Information about existing and past franchisees; and
* The franchisor's financial condition.
Unfortunately, many people buy a franchise without thoroughly reading the FDD and the franchise agreement. Later, they are surprised by negative information about the franchisor, the franchise system or the franchise contract that was available to them before they bought. Prospective franchisees who carefully review the FDD both individually and with experienced advisors (such as a franchise lawyer, accountant, or franchise business consultant) are better prepared to make a good investment decision.


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Gallery Home
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Nathaniel Hone
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Reproductions: 21
Anne Gardiner with her Eldest Son Kirkman reproduction
Anne Gardiner with her Eldest Son Kirkman 1776 reproduction
Benjamin Cole reproduction
Captain the Hon Robert Boyle Walsingham MP 1736-80 reproduction
Colonel Thomas Aubrey reproduction
David Garrick reproduction
General Lloyd reproduction
Irish Coastal View with Boy and Cattle reproduction
Mrs Benjamin Cole reproduction
Portrait of a Boy reproduction
Order custom, handmade oil paintings on canvas from www.1st-art-gallery.com!
Portrait of a Gentleman reproduction
Portrait of a Gentleman 2 reproduction
Portrait of a Lady reproduction
Portrait of a Lady 2 reproduction
Portrait of Catherine Maria Kitty Fisher reproduction
Portrait of Charles Lee Lewis 1740-1803 reproduction
Portrait of Jane Roberts Duchess of St Albans reproduction
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Lighthouse Night - Limited Edition Signed Print - Framed
This panoramic print captures Mclir, the lighthouse and the mainland in one image.
Limited edition fine art studio print, signed by the director, 100 copies only. The print is delivered ready to hang, beautifully framed in deep white timber and set on a floating mount.
The image is printed using Epson Ultrachrome HDR archival quality pigment inks on museum quality Canson Cotton Rag 320gsm fine art paper.
Throughout the printing process each step is carried out in a fully colour managed workflow thus ensuring that each print produced has the highest colour accuracy of any fine art reproduction. Framed in a beautifully crafted deep, black, timber.
Framing and delivery is included in the price quoted, there are no extra costs involved.
Print size: 1040mm x 280mm (41" x 11")
Size of Frame: 1245mm x 460mm x 55mm (49" x 18" x 2")


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Do You Know What These Rhymes Have In Common?
"Leaves of three, let it be"
"Berries white, run in fright"
"Hairy vine, no friend of mine"
They remind us how to spot Poison Ivy and Poison Oak! All of these are useful rhymes which have certainly helped many a hiker escape painful exposure. Itchy red rashes, swelling, even blistering- an innocent hike in the forest can have very uncomfortable consequences if you don't know what to avoid.
Here are some characteristics shared by Poison Ivy and Poison Oak:
- Found in nearly every State in the United States
- Grows at altitudes below 5,000ft
- Deciduous
- Grows as a bush or vine
- Stems do not have thorns
- Usually grow clusters of three 'leaflets'
- Leaflets can range in size from the length of your thumb to the length of your hand
- Middle leaflet has a notably longer stem than the two side leaflets, though more obvious in Poison Ivy than Poison Oak
- Depending on the season, leaf color can range from green to orange and even a dark purplish-red
- Inconspicuous white spring flowers which usually produce clusters of small white blueberry-sized berries that turn red in late summer
- Produce a rash-inducing oil called Urushiol
- Toxic to humans but harmless to animals
- All parts of the plant contain the toxins (leaflets, stems, and roots)
The most tell-tale characteristics of poison ivy are:
- "Hairy" vines
- Though Poison Ivy is not really an ivy, it's often viney growth pattern can resemble ivy
- Smooth or subtly toothed almond shaped leaflets that are sometimes irregularly lobed
The most tell-tale characteristics of Poison Oak are:
- Leaf shape resembles an oak leaf, but it's not a member of the oak family
- Leaflets are duller green and usually more distinctly lobed or toothed than poison ivy
- Mature leaflets are typically duller green than young ones
- Leaflets have hairs on both sides, unlike poison ivy
Even a slight brush against theses plants can result in a skin reaction. The toxin is easily transferred from one surface to another and will remain potent for years if not thoroughly cleaned (imagine your exposed dog running through your house!). Also, symptoms can take 24-48 hours or even up to a week to show up, particularly if its your first exposure! We recommend that you keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs to avoid contact!
Urushiol: Poison Ivy and Poison Oak's Oily Toxin
Poison ivy and poison oak have one very essential thing in common: urushiol. This sinister substance is an oil secreted from the leaves, vines, stems, and roots of both plants. Upon contact with your body, urushiol immediately forms a chemical bond to the skin and causes an almost unstoppable allergic reaction. A fraction of the populace is unresponsive to the irritating resin, but don't count on it: even an initial natural resistance to urushiol will eventually break down after repeated exposure from too many careless treks off the beaten path. Caution: Smoke inhalation from burning Poison Ivy or Poison Oak can send you straight to the emergency room, avoid burning these plants at all costs!
To The Rescue: How to Treat Exposure
If you come into contact with either plant, the sooner you take care of it, the better. As the chemicals rub off your clothes onto other surfaces you run the risk of exposing yourself and spreading the oil. Urushiol is not water-soluble, so if you can, use rubbing alcohol or strong soap to cleanse the area of contact within the first ten minutes, then rinse off with cold water. As urushiol can remain active for years, you'll want to wash any clothes, items, or furniture that may have come into contact with the invisible oily residue.
If you don't catch the exposure immediately, your only choice is to treat the resulting itchy rash and blisters as best you can. While there are countless home remedies to relieve itching and pain, standard treatment options include oatmeal baths, baking soda pastes, calamine lotion, aloe vera, and a number of commercial products designed specifically for Poison Ivy and Oak. Of course, the best remedy is always prevention, so if you're able to recognize and avoid poison ivy and poison oak, your experience in the mountains will feel the benefit!
Still not afraid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak?
Click the links below to see just how bad these rashes and blisters can be…. (Warning! These graphic images are pretty disgusting!)
And if those two photos weren't enough: Poison Ivy Rash Gallery
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The Players: Me, Matt, Alyce, Shira, the Kia*
1. No matter what I have said in the past, I want a minivan. There, I said. We have two young kids, we're thinking about having some more. Since the law requires that each be strapped into their own huge, protective bubble, there is no other option. I wish it weren't so. But more than driving a hip, non-minivan car, I want my legs not to touch the dashboard, which they did, for eleven hours yesterday. So I'll make the minivan hip if it's the last thing I do.
2. It's best not to start your trip having to turn around because you forgot Alyce's purple milk cup. We'd only driven a few blocks, but it was six-thirty in the morning and it really hurt morale.
3. Whining sounds even whinier from inside the Kia. We tried our best to ignore the whining, but trapped inside the car, we were weak. Alyce could smell our vulnerability.
4. That even in the middle of an exceptionally hard day, it's fun to steal a moment in the car with Shira. Matt and Alyce were inside the service center finding dinner, while I breastfed Shira in the darkened car. She was delighted to be released from her seat, I was happy to turn on NPR (oh how I'd missed you), and we both enjoyed some peace.
them take Alyce to the potty.
I could live my whole life without ever seeing another automatic flush toilet. I know, we've all said it before, but this time I mean it.6. Knitting helps to take the edge off.
7. All those times, long before having children, when I'd looked down my nose at the notion of DVD players in cars? We didn't need those when we were kids. Why can't people just read or listen to music--or maybe even have a conversation--instead of turning on TV yet again. I'd like to go back in time to kick myself, hard, for thinking I had any idea what it is like to take a long road trip with kids. It's shocking that no one ever beat me up.
9. It turns out, I'm not above calling my three year old insane. While I didn't say it to her face, I said it near her face.
10. I have never loved Delaware more than I did last night. We have our differences, but last night me and Delaware were alright.We made it home. FINALLY.
*the Kia is a teeny tiny hatchback we purchased when we lived in Toronto. We thought a small car would be perfect for city driving (it was) but we failed to consider that Alyce's car seat would take up 96 percent of the car. We certainly weren't thinking about Shira. To be young and stupid.


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ENVIES Flavor Shot for Beer, Vodka, Tequila & Wine
Product Description
Envies is a flavor shot for all adult beverages – beer, vodka, gin, tequila or wine. Available as a single-serving liquid stickpack in 4 flavors – Citrus Peel, Amber Apple, Autumn Spice and Kiwistrawberry. Squeeze a Citrus Peel into a mainstream light beer for a fruity, citrus beverage. Makes cocktail parties at home super-simple with any liquor, ice and Envies – no fancy bitters, sliced fruits, etc. Comes retail packaged 4 stickpacks to an envelope, one of each flavor. Multiuse mini-squeeze bottle coming Summer 2017.
For Wholesale Distribution Opportunities Contact:
Terry Peterson
Peterson Limited Co
2245 C. Ashley Crossing Dr, Suite 323
Charleston, South Carolina 29414
Email [email protected]
Website http://enviesflavorshot.com/
Phone Number 803-348-9974


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Local Impact
- Ensured that you can do business in Reno/Sparks and Washoe County without obtaining three individual business licenses.
- Worked with City of Fernley officials to ensure a Fernley business license is not required if the brokerage does not have a physical location in Fernley.
- Supported the City of Reno Business Increment District.
- Worked with Washoe County to define regulation size and placement of "for sale" signs.
- Working with Truckee Regional Planning Agency and Truckee Meadows Health Community on a strategy to address workforce housing and assessment of housing programs, policy and needs in the future.
- Engaged in conversation to protect private property rights as they apply to short term rentals.
State Impact:
- Saved brokerages thousands by ensuring that commissions were considered pass-through income and not considered income for calculating the state commerce tax.
- Protected and clarified independent contractor status in the relationship between a broker and agents.
- Worked to change statutory language dealing with the execution of HOA super priority foreclosures.
- Excluded Property Managers from the requirement of notarized leases.
Please click on the State Logo for a link to learn more on current issues.
National Impact:
- Working with regulator to the owner-occupancy and streamlining re-certification for condos.
- Legislation preventing "patent trolls" from frivolous lawsuits against real estate brokerages.
- Extended the national flood insurance saving homeowners insurance premium programs
- Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - While NAR remains concerned that the overall structure of the final bill diminishes the tax benefits of homeownership and will cause adverse impacts in some markets, the advocacy of NAR members helped NAR to gain some important improvements. Through NAR's efforts it saved the exclusion for capital gains on the sale of a home and preserved the like-kind exchange for real property.
Please click on the National Logo for a link to learn more on current issues.


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I'm an uber-nerd when it comes to learning esoterica.
Case in point: the boating term "ELF" for extremely low flow.
I've had my eye on Escalante Creek for the past ~3 months, hoping for boatable flows as the snowmelt began. Because it is ungauged you have to make some educated guesses based on differences between peak flows on two other gauges as well as several other ungauged tributaries.
It is an inexact science, so eventually you have to stop guesstrapolating and head out to have a look.
Last week Greg and I did just that.
What we found was probably not considered 'boatable flows' by most kayakers that'd be considering this run. But it *was* a neat little slice of low volume creeking in an empty (and gorgeous) canyon. What we did was ELF Escalante.
Best we can tell, we put in just below the upper IVish (Rib Ripper et al) drops and took out just above the (currently unrunnable) slides that lead into 57 Chevy.
A lack of winter moisture on the Uncompahgre Plateau combined with the, um, odd way that our spring has warmed means that Escalante never really "ran" this year. Near as I can tell, we hit it maybe a day past peak and it has dropped significantly since. Which is probably for the better--we've got a lotta learning to do and experience to acquire before we're ready (if ever?) for this entire run at any reasonable flow.
Biggest surprise? Guidebooks and internetsperts all warned that it'd be really, really cold water. We wore the bare minimum under our drysuits and roasted, probably because there wasn't any snowmelt left in the creek.
Great day out.


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Kibblestone Outdoor Activity Centre aims to deliver high quality residential educational experiences that encourage young people to positively develop self-confidence, citizenship and good life skills. Through a range of adventurous activities and play, our well trained, approachable staff motivate visitors to have fun, become friends and learn about themselves in our stunning outdoor environment. Every experience aims to inspire people to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, and a positive approach to life, whilst creating memories that shall last a lifetime.
We are a 98 acre Scout campsite located in the midlands, we have several accommodation blocks ranging in size and price with enough camping space to accommodate 2,000 campers. We provide a wide range of adventurous and team building activities to suit groups of all ages and abilities. We are located close to many great tourist attractions including Alton Towers and Splash Landings. We also provide regular organised events for your troop, pack or colony. If you want to know more have a look at our events section.
To get in touch call us on 01785 813407 or email email@example.com


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Open Mon - Fri from 8am - 4pm (EST/EDT) | Open Saturdays by Appointment Only
Family-owned and operated, we cater to your recycled auto parts needs. We have over 1000 cars on our lot and plenty more parts on the shelves of our warehouse. We carry everything from BMW to Hyundai to Alfa Romeo!
- Nationwide shipping with UPS, USPS, and regional freight carriers
- Local delivery to repair shops
- 30-day and 60-day warranties available


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Hanbleceya operating legally, DSHS investigation closed
by Jack Mayne
Hanbleceya's Normandy Park treatment center is operating in compliance with Washington state law and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services investigation has been closed, as we reported from a news release published here on March 29.
Kerry Paulson, managing partner of Hanbleceya, said in a news release Tuesday (April 23) the DSHS investigation was both thorough and fair:
"DSHS was in a difficult position." Paulson said. "Having to respond to outspoken community members yet at the same time keep in mind that the overwhelming demand from families looking for treatment solutions had to be balanced for the sake of our community at large.
"They (DSHS) asked important questions, thoroughly reviewed documents and interviewed numerous people. We were impressed with their levels of professionalism and review and are pleased with their determination that Hanbleceya is not operating – nor has it ever operated – in violation of state law.
"In conclusion we thank the residents of Normandy Park for their widespread support as we come together as a community in serving those on the path to recovery in the Pacific Northwest."
In the letter to Hanbleceya we posted on March 29, Lori Melchiori, assistant director for residential care services, said DSHS based its decision to end the case after a "review of documentation related to your operation" had "verified your assertion that the four homes are not operating as unlicensed adult family homes." And that a fifth home "is currently being prepared to operate as a state-licensed Adult Family Home."
Read our extensive previous coverage of this issue here.


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Precedentemente l'usanza era quella di accompagnare tutti i visitatori intenzionati a lasciare la casa verso la porta d'ingresso e lì prendere da loro congedo; ma la società moderna, che ha superato in gran parte questo tipo di cerimonia, ora si limita a prescrivere che la padrona di casa debba alzarsi da dove è seduta, stringa la mano, o s'inchini, a seconda di quanto detta l'intimità che ha con i suoi ospiti, e suoni il campanello per chiamare il servo al fine di invitare lui ad aprire l'uscio ai visitatori. 1
Oggi tutto ciò è andato quasi totalmente sfumando, anche perché le nostre vite e le nostre giornate sono decisamente mutate, poche sono le signore che possono concedersi di trascorrere interamente le loro giornate tra le pareti domestiche, e quasi tutti noi agli svaghi non possiamo che dedicare il tempo libero che ci concede il lavoro, tempo che varia spesso da persona a persona... e poi nel frattempo sono giunte la comunicazione telefonica, prima, la telefonia mobile e la comunicazione virtuale, dopo, ad aiutarci nel mantenere vive le amicizie.
Isabella Beeton, Book of Household Management, EDITED by Mrs.Isabella Beeton, Volume 1, Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009;
Pamela Horn, Life as a Victorian Lady, Sutton Publishing Limited, 2007;
1 - Isabella Beeton, Book of Household Management, EDITED by Mrs.Isabella Beeton, Volume 1, Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009, pag.89.
- picture 1
The 'Calling Cards' of a Lady was larger than that of a Gentleman, to whom it had to stay in his vest pocket, could be glazed, while the men's ones had be more sober, the incision was quite simple and smal, even if it became more elaborate with the Victorian period: a simple 'Mr.' or 'Mrs.' before the name was enough, except in the case of recognition of rank (Earl, Viscount, etc.).
- picture 2
- picture 3
- picture 4
- picture 5
- picture 6
- picture 7
- picture 8
The first Victorian cards bore only the title and the name of a person, with the name of the home or of the neighbourhood that was sometimes added together with the day when the Lady was available to receive.
The 'Calling Card Cases' were made of various materials, including silver, mother of pearl, ivory, tortoiseshell and wood (these last three materials were the much more favored by the Victorians, while during the Regency period people did prefer watermark and skin), their covers often depicted landscapes or views of castles such as Warwick or Winsdor, and only after the purchase by the Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort Albert of Balmoral Castle in the Highlands, the Scottish views became all the rage.
- picture 9 - Victorian Sterling Silver Call Card Case, Webster
- picture 10 - Victorian tortoiseshell Call Card Case
- picture 11 - Victorian Silver Call Card Case, Birmingham, 1865
When a Lady was moving to a new town had to obtain herself with a large number of 'Calling Cards' to give to the members of the new neighborhood for announce the arrival of her family; then, on a carriage together with her husband, she went to deliver them: one by one, she gave them to her spouse who in turn gave them to the servant who was in charge of handing them to the butler, who, if said that 'Mylady was not at home' it meant that the newcomers were clearly rejected; otherwise the new arrived Lady waited in turn to receive 'Calling Cards' from her new neighbours, and then the good manners would have suggested her to invite them at her home.
The 'Calling Cards' were placed by the butler on a silver tray by the raised edges,
- picture 12
located in the entrance room - the most important and considerable names were to appear for the first - while poorer households possessed a ceramic plate on which to place them.
By the mid of the century was granted to a wife to leave her 'Calling Card' and that of her husband, indeed, those of the husband had to be two, one for the Lady and one for the Master while she could leave one or three of that belonging to her; the name of the older daughters could appear on the 'Calling Card' if them would have accompany their mother during her visits: if the card had the corner at the top right folded down meant that it had been delivered in person, rather than by a servant.
The 'Calls', or courtesy visits, had to take place only on the days and in the times indicated on the 'Calling Card', to be sure that the Lady was at home and the call won't have disturb her and it had to last no more than 15 minutes ... do not forget that we are talking about a time when the phone didn't exist yet and it was writing the only means of communication.
'Formal Calls' were those following ceremonies such as a childbirth or a wedding, and also those that were made in recognition of hospitality; those concerning condolences and congratulations had to follow of one week the date of the event, while the 'Ceremonial Calls', that were those who had the function of gratitude, had to be made the day after a ball, within a day or two after a dinner, and within one week from a party.
- picture 13 - After the Visit by Victor Gabriel Gilbert (1847 - 1933)
Each type of 'Card' had its time slot: the 'Morning Calls' must be held from 15:00 to 16:00, the 'Ceremonial Calls' and those of a semi-ceremonial acception between 16:00 and 17:00, and the intimate visits between 17:00 and 18:00, but never on Sundays, the day reserved to friends and relatives; if a visitor interrupted a visit already in place, the guest immediately stood up and interrupted his own for the newcomer within a minute or two.
If a family was temporarily leaving the area, had to write PPC (Pour Prendage Conge) on its own 'Calling Card' when paid its visit.
Needless to say, if the visits interested the hostess, she received in the drawing room which was placed on the ground floor in the Victorian British House and at the first floor in the American ones, and while the Ladies had to leave their parasols in the hall, the Gentlemen had to bear the just whip and hat with them.
To each call it had to be returned a call, to a 'Calling Card' a 'Calling Card', within a week, or at most, ten days.
I hope I haven't forget anything ... so as I hope not to have bored you!
As you could see, there was a certain formal rigor in the code of conduct of the Victorian age and many were the very specific rules to follow to make of one's own a conduct that didn't hurt the others, but everything was simplified by the essential Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton, which did not miss any field of social and family life, indeed, to finish this writing I'd love to quote a step from it that I find interesting: if the costume of 'Callings' had gone defining during the Regency period, that is during the first few years of the XIXth century, during the Victorian times are already introduced some subtle nuances in the formal rigor, if you want, more permissiveness ... let's read together:
Formerly the custom was to accompany all visitors quitting the house to the door, and there take leave of them; but modern society, which has thrown off a great deal of this kind of ceremony, now merely requires that the lady of the house should rise from her seat, shake hands, or courtesy, in accordance with the intimacy she has with her guests, and ring the bell to summon the servant to attend them and open the door. 1
Today all this is almost faded or lost at all, partly because our lives and our days are definitely changed, there are few women who can allow themselves to spend their entire days between the walls of their homes, and almost all of us can spend the free time that the work leave us for entertainment, time that often varies from person to person ... and in the meantime has come the telephonic communication, the mobile phones and the virtual communication to help us in keeping alive friendships.
With sincere affection and gratitude, it reaches you my warmest hug,
see you soon ♥
Isabella Beeton, Book of Household Management, EDITED by Mrs.Isabella Beeton, Volume 1, Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009;
Pamela Horn, Life as a Victorian Lady, Sutton Publishing Limited, 2007;


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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
And one input we had was to break down the video into segments so people can just choose what part they need to watch! So this is exactly what we did.
Friday, November 9, 2012
The final Babywearing Event for the year was held last October 20th at Renaissance 3000. I missed the fourth Babywearing Event held last March, and I think that this one more than made up for it!!
Look at the picture above and see how many people went!!!
And here there are, listening intently to the talk that Jenny Ong and I were giving.
Next9 Baby Sling Video
Next9 instructional video from Next9 on Vimeo.
This is the new Next9 Instructional Video.
Parts of the Next9 Baby Sling
Threading the Sling
Fixing the Tail
Front Carry and Side Carry
Hip Carry and Back Carry
Breastfeeding in the Sling
Tips and Tricks
Thank you to the following people who made this video happen:
the mamas and their babies -- Jenny Ong (www.chroniclesofanursingmom.com) and E, Eliza Santiago-Ypon (www.painterswife.com) and B, Momoko Miyata and S, Cai Sio (applesanddumplings.blogspot.com/) and R (and their hubbies and yayas)
the director/editor -- Alia Vargas (www.aliavargas.com)
my indispensable asst forever -- Melanie Palce
my driver
special mention goes to Denise Sehwani Gonzales-Bernardo (www.indigobabyshop.com)! Thanks for the picture!
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|Foreknew is a Scrabble word. Scrabble point value for foreknew: 18 points.
|Foreknew is a Words with Friends word. Words with Friends point value for foreknew: 18 points.
Above are the results of unscrambling foreknew. Using the word generator and word unscrambler for the letters F O R E K N E W, we unscrambled the letters to create a list of all the words found in Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist. We found a total of 96 words by unscrambling the letters in foreknew. Click these words to find out how many points they are worth, their definitions, and all the other words that can be made by unscrambling the letters from these words. If one or more words can be unscrambled with all the letters entered plus one new letter, then they will also be displayed.
|Definition of "foreknew" found in the Merriam Webster dictionary
|Definition of "foreknew" from The Free Dictionary
|Definition of "foreknew" from Dictionary.com
|Words that start with foreknew
|Words that end with foreknew
|Words that contain foreknew


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Asus G74S, is the latest variant of the family of the Republic of Gamers that is intended for the gaming enthusiast. So no wonder, if this product is reinforced with top-class specifications.
Despite carrying the advanced spec, but the product in this class do not usually give priority to the display. Call it the appearance of large, heavy, with colors that seem stiff.
Shown Large and Sturdy
Talk about the display, Asus G74S does have a large enough size. 17.3-inch screen size 1920 X 1080p resolution, weighing nearly 4kg including battery 8 cell 5200mAh Li-Ion battery that drives his life.
All parts of the body color of the product is wrapped with black, with the Asus logo on the top that looks so shiny. The combination of the right, to give the impression of elegance.
In addition, this notebook also has a hinge made from aluminum of other metal materials combined edge section to give a solid impression. That is what led to this notebook feels heavy, but strong enough to accompany gamers.
Asus Notebook G74S is not only optimal for gaming. This product is equipped with a Blu-ray drive, HDMI port, and a brilliant screen that adds pleasure when watching High Definition (HD).
High Class Specifications
Asus G74S has the innards that spelled out pretty awesome. Intel Core i7 processor 2630QM 4 cores 8 threads running at a speed of 2GHz, while the chipset is reinforced by the Mobile Intel Express HM65. Strong enough to play all the latest games.
Gamers also need not worry about going out of memory. Because, Asus G74S has 16GB of DDR3 1333 MHz RAM that is optimized with wondows 7 64bit. As for the graphics card of this product have a Nvidia GeForce 500 series with a capacity of 3GB DDR5 GPU GF116. So how about performance?
Tests performed using application 3DMark vantage detikINET product is able to carve the figure of 41,283 for 7893 for the CPU and GPU, overalls reach 9893 in Performance mode.
To play some gamers like Bulletstrom or Spiderman Shattered Dimensions of this product is still very easy to handle, but when trying to play COD: Black Ops at a resolution of 1920 X 1080 3D mode this notebook looks a bit overwhelmed.
But the regrettable is the sound quality dimiliknya. There was a 'sober' enough without the bass boom, or a high tone of detail, all standard. Though innards diusungnya already very sophisticated.
More and Real with 3D Display
In addition to a robust physique, upper-class specifications, there are other things that are very interesting from Asus G74S, which is capable of displaying images in three dimensions. This is one feature of the Nvidia 3D Vision.
To enjoy these features, users are required to wear special glasses and also some applications that support. Until now there were hundreds of game titles, movies, and even 3D images that support the Vision.
The result? Simply amazing. Images as if he wanted out of the monitor, just like the 3D technology used in theaters. Just because it uses active glasses, it will show symptoms of flicker when dirungan filled lamp.
Judging from the spec, features, and the price of $ 2309 or about USD 19.7 million so obviously if this product is targeting the deep-pocketed gamers. Interested in having them?
+ Spesifkasi upscale
+ 3D Support
Picture + brilliant
Body + solid
- Weight
- Sound is not good


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From Concrete to Framing the Building Continues!
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Trees come down in the east to make room for the expansion.
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Hello Burlington Friends and Neighbors!
It has been a long time since I have written with news about our expansion. We are moving along quite nicely with our plans now that we have worked out all the compliance issues associated with renovating a public space. … Continue reading
Posted in building plans, construction, excavating, expansion, site plans, Uncategorized Leave a comment
Construction Manager Hired!
Exciting news! The New Building Committee has hired Downes Construction Company, from New Britain, to be our Construction Manager. We hope to break ground in May 2016. We have been working with the architect and their consultants over the last … Continue reading
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Our first "Friends" of the Library donation to the NEW Teen Room by Andrew Ouellette!
Andrew Ouellette, a 15 year-old Burlington resident, spent this past spring volunteering to work at the Burlington Little League "snack shack" on Library Lane. With his Mom's help he purchased and stocked the shack with beverages and snacks, then volunteered … Continue reading
Posted in community support, expansion 1 Comment


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If you're an RV beginner and hardly know how to go about your trip, I'm going to give you several pieces of advice that you can come back to in the future. The first thing you should do, in my opinion, is to decide whether or not it is a good idea for you to pick a tent. If you're prepared to take a longer trip, you might have had it with sleeping in your motorhome. After all, that's what you have been doing while on the road.
You can either rent or buy a tent, just like you can do the same in the case of the RV. Obviously, since these things don't come cheap, they might require you to make an investment. Whether you decide on one or the other, the fact of the matter is that you're likely to need an RV GPS at some point. This might be even more important in the case of rentals, because there's no way of knowing beforehand the exact dimensions of the vehicle.
Something that sets RV GPS units aside from the rest is the fact that you will be able to customize the interface in accordance with the size of the automobile you are driving. What this means for you is that the device will then show you only routes that go with your RV. This way, you won't have the nasty surprise of having to go back and pick another road because your type of vehicle isn't allowed on the one you're trying to take.
Another tip that I personally recommend to all campers and RVers is to bring some tools and spare parts along. This could mean jumper cables, bolts, connectors, extra fuses and light bulbs, but also a variety of gadgets that can get you out of a tricky situation. There are power banks that can provide you the juice you might need when you're trying to make a call, and there's even a portable antenna nowadays that can be used for cases when you have no service.
Something else that I feel the need to emphasize is that you have to make a strict plan and stick to it. Don't wing it. Bring enough money with you, but don't exaggerate with your shopping just because you have plenty. Jot down all the stops you are going to make and create an extensive list of the foods you can bring along. Consider the campgrounds that you will come across so that you know where you are going to spend the night.
Once you have reached the campsite, make sure to locate all the water and electrical hookups. Even if you're tired or if it's dark, you're better off with this plan at the beginning.


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Intel and ARM have announced plans to make Intel Authenticated Flash technology work with ARM's TrustZone technology, a combination that promises to bring platform-level security to mobile devices. The combination of TrustZone, which is embodied in a collection of software, APIs, and processor extensions that have been around for a few years now, and Intel Authenticated Flash will give mobile devices capabilities that look more than a bit like the parts of vPro that were formerly called LaGrande.
In brief, TrustZone gives an ARM CPU a secure state that can run a sealed-off software stack—kernel, drivers, network, I/O, applications, etc.—that can't be seen or modified by any applications that are running in the parallel unsecured state. Intel's Authenticated Flash technology will extend and enhance TrustZone by giving this secure software stack a pool of off-chip nonvolatile storage that supports secure reads and modifies via an encrypted link.
As is the case with LaGrande, adding protected flash storage to the security mix gives TrustZone a mechanism for securely booting the OS, for key storage and management, and for securing protected data from unauthorized reads and modifications. Intel supports this by embedding security hardware into the flash module itself. Specifically, the Authenticated Flash module contains hardware for SHA-1 and RSA encryption, as well as a random number generator.
A joint whitepaper from Intel and ARM lists a number of reasons why security is important for mobile devices. Among these, e-commerce, virus protection, and DRM stand out as larger, over-arching usage scenarios for the capabilities that TrustZone provides. In respect to DRM in particular, TrustZone tries to secure protected audio and video even when running through non-secure drivers by "integrity checking the relevant parts of the OS infrastructure." (I'm not precisely sure what this means, but it doesn't sound very crack-proof.)
The following diagram from the whitepaper shows you the general idea behind TrustZone, which uses a dedicated set of extensions to support the implementation of what is essentially a security-oriented hypervisor. (Like I said, shades of vPro.)
As the diagram illustrates, applications can take advantage of TrustZone in one of two ways: either by running in TrustZone's walled-off "parallel world," or by talking to that "parallel world" via a set of APIs that provide an interface to a secure driver that in turn links to the hypervisor.
TrustZone was first introduced with the ARM1176-JZ and is a default with ARM's Cortex-A8 and an option with ARM7 and ARM9. The company's newly unveiled successor to the A8, the multicore Cortex-A9 that now sits atop ARM's lineup of embedded processors, also features TrustZone support.


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Four months in and I'm still working hard on maintaining the goals from the previous months and adding in a new one for the month of April: meditate.
We're 17 days in and I'd say my success rate is about 25% at this point. Work has been supremely busy and stressful, especially at the end of March and into April. I had a few freak out days when meditating would have been the answer to the crazed feeling I had. I have a hard time quieting my mind when I am just sitting still– all the thoughts of all the things come barrelling into the quiet space and it's hard to shoo them away.
To try to focus myself, I've taken to two different methods for meditating that are working fairly well for me. On the weekend mornings when I have no schedule or anywhere to be, I take the time to sit with either my coffee or tea in quiet. This past weekend it was pretty amazing to do that in the warm sunshine. I really just focus on myself and don't even write or make notes on thoughts in my head, instead dismiss them to be dealt with later so that I can have the quiet time to get focused on myself and mentally prepared for whatever is ahead that day.
I've also done meditative walking which has been just pure awesomeness. Even when the weather has been less than gorgeous I am forcing myself to walk as soon as I get home from work. I walk in silence with no iPod and really allow my eyes, nose, ears do absorb what is around me. This has been so incredibly calming and energizing at the same time. After an hour long commute home, I am wiped out by the day and tired, but giving myself that time to walk and relax- even if only for twenty minutes- has been incredibly restorative. When I'm walking, it's my time and by not having the iPod, I really focus on what's around me. I've noticed things about houses that I drive by everyday that I haven't seen before, smell the budding flowers, and listen to TVs, music, conversations of houses, cars, and people that go by me. I can definitely see that this change ( along with drinking more water) will be one of the easiest to continue long term in my life and definitely one of the ones that is making me feel better about myself tenfold.


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In the Vienna Workshops, Josef Hoffman and his peers strived to create a national decorative arts and a sustainable model for makers, lifting domestic items to the status of art. Halycon's fitter, with its diamond perforation in metal, is reminiscent of their patterns and textures.
Chic Vintage Industrial Polished Nickel 3-D rendering is not an exact replica of the fixture
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Product Specifications
- Item CodeCR178056
- ManufacturerHudson Valley Lighting
- ConditionNew
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- FinishPolished Nickel
- Number of Lights1
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Its Fashion week & I'm looking at how fashion & Interior trends come together
Its Fashion week & I'm looking at how fashion & Interior trends come together
Take a look at our dedicated blog for all things interior
We lost a great talent when Zaha Hadid passed away above is a link
to some of her stunning projects.
Click on the link above to see how to use Greenery the pantone colour of the year 2017
Click above to view the most expensive house in America.
Situated in Bel Air this stunning Mansion has everything even a
helicopter landing pad
Christmas is the time that you can really bring out your creative side
and decorate your home with colour and warmth.
Here are some ideas to inspire
Have a beautiful and peaceful Christmas from QMC
Click on the link below to go to our design specific blog
Check out some samples of our work on the link above to our design dedicated blog
Posted by Susan on 19th April 2016 in Portfolio with 0 comments
Silver and Mirror – A luxury new build interior in West London by award winning Quirke McNamara Consultancy
We were commissioned by our client to create a luxury interior in this new build house. The client wanted quite a neutral palette so light ash timber flooring and neutral biscuit carpets were chosen throughout. The games room was an exception where we used dramatic colour and finishes to add a sense of fun to the overall space, which created a perfect chill out room.
In the master bedroom we installed wallpaper and curtains in light brown shades, and bespoke designed a window seat with storage to maximise the views. A mirrored dressing table area softens the room and matches with the other mirrored furniture that we sourced throughout. A luxury crystal chandelier hangs over the bed. The bed itself has a bespoke upholstered bedhead in a soft taupe colour, adding a feminine touch to the room.
In the bathrooms bespoke storage in white lacquer with crystal handles to match the chandeliers, allows for everything to have its own place.
Wallpapers in subtle grey with silver shimmery tones, along with different tones of grey paints create a relaxing luxury interior throughout the house. Crushed velvet blinds and curtains soften the space and are added in different tones of silver and grey.
The living room is designed using crushed velvet fabrics with white lacquer and glass furniture. Shimmer silver wallpapers accent the walls and beautiful crystal chandeliers add to the sense of glamour and luxury in the space. Feature mirrors are hung throughout the house.
Each bedroom has a different feel using subtle greys and browns, as well as black lacquer and leather. The clients wanted to have a high end show home style feel.
A white leather sofa and white lacquered tables complete the space along with sports themed artworks.
Many thanks to Susan Quirke Managing Director of Quirke McNamara Consultancy for her contribution.


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At each of our companies, we understand that competent and reliable service is an important cornerstone to the relationships we build with our customers. When it comes to installing and servicing any of our products, you can count on the skills and experience of each of our technicians as they complete rigorous factory trainings, certifications and accreditations. The safety and security of your home is our top priority when sending out our technicians.
Our customer service representatives are in the office to take your call at 419-476-7811 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm and Saturdays from 9am – Noon. Our 24-hour, on-call technicians can be reached after hours at 419-539-2264 to handle any issues that can't wait overnight.
Please note, our 24-hour emergency service is for garage doors only.
Schedule a Service:
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We are confident in our ability to exceed your expectations as a flat commercial roofer in Seattle, WA. For over 30 years in the waterproofing industry, flat roofing has been our main focus as service provider. In fact, many of the buildings you drive by in Seattle everyday are protected by a low-pitch roofing system we installed for one of many general contractors we partner with. When you hire Tacoma Roofing & Waterproofing you are hiring an experienced and trusted contractor that has earned the trust to handle high profile projects in our region. Schedule a free consultation and project estimate today by filling out our quick estimate form below or call today at 253-472-3484
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As a building owner or property manager your first priority is to have a qualified company install a new roof that will protect your assets for decades to come. Included in that protection you need a top notch warranty that ensures the roofer and manufacturer will back up the integrity of both the material and workmanship of the roofing system. Tacoma Roofing & Waterproofing carries special certifications with the nation's leading manufacturers such as Polyglass, Versico and Soprema that allow us to install "no dollar limit" warranties. We are able to provide you with the most comprehensive warranties available on the market today.
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Trawling the depths of forgotten fiction, films, and beyond, with yer pal, Joe Kenney
Monday, March 26, 2012
Mace #2: The Year of the Snake
Mace #2: The Year of the Snake, by Lee Chang
February, 1974 Manor Books
I've been taking my time getting back into the Mace series. After reading the first volume, The Year of the Tiger, I felt about as beaten as one the opponents of hero Victor Mace. The action onslaught whipped me but good, and we have of course Joseph Rosenberger to thank, posing here once again as "Lee Chang."
Thankfully The Year of the Snake is slightly better than its predecessor. Whereas the first novel followed one single plot -- some Mafia thugs wanted to use a boat which belonged to Mace's uncle, and Mace kept beating them up -- this one opens things up a bit, but not much. Mace is now in New York City's Chinatown, called here by one Tong leader to handle the problems caused by the Blue Devils, another Tong...one which has connections to the Chinese mob. Not that the mob or its soldiers or anyone poses much of a threat for Mace, who again is presented as a superhero, incapable of being harmed, let alone defeated.
Rosenberger dispenses with character development or plot development, and it goes without saying that the reader gets little feel for Chinatown or its inhabitants. He does however sprinkle the narrative with a host of goofy characters and also doles out an endless array of WTF? metaphors and analogies. If a case were to be made that Rosenberger's novels were parodies of the men's adventure genre, then his Mace books would make for Exhibit A.
There is absolutely no way the man intended this book to be taken seriously, and the nonstop fighting is just the first clue. Rosenberger even manages to insert slapstick into the book, sometimes going in and out of the perspectives of various minor characters (usually right before they're killed by Mace), taking the opportunity to write in a goofy POV-style (ie, It was like, Death, man -- far out!).
And you'd never think that in a book about a kung-fu master Rosenberger would be able to indulge in his own metaphysical interests, but he does; in the obligatory flashbacks to Mace's training at a Shaolin temple in Hong Kong, his teacher even finds the opportunity to discuss how the Egyptian pyramids were "really" constructed, via esoteric sound-manipulation techniques!
But for the most part The Year of the Snake is just fight scene after fight scene after fight scene. It's my opinion that martial arts combat doesn't make for an easy transistion to print; it's much easier to read (or write, I'd guess) gun-blazing action scenes, but how many different ways can you write about one guy kicking or punching other guys?
As usual though Rosenberger steals the show. For one, his enthusiasm is contagious. Whereas the other writer might back off on the fights a bit and work on the plot, Rosenberger instead barrels full steam ahead. I can almost see him hunched over his typewriter: "All right! I'm gonna write another action scene!" And then pounding away at his keys as he launches Mace into another pages and pages and pages-long kung-fu fight sequence.
In another "you'd never believe it" moment, Rosenberger also delivers a straight-up sex scene, featuring a heavyset Chinese gangster and his black American concubine. The scene is written from the lady's perspective, complete with description on how the gangster likes to "service" her and etc, and what's hilarious is that Rosenberger writes it all exactly like one of his action scenes, with exclamation points ending every other sentence.
And again Rosenberger puts his all into the book. It's 190 pages of tiny print, each page packed from top to bottom with copy. In other words, the man never shirked on his writing duties -- no big copy, no "white space" for him. But as usual, a whole bunch could have been cut from the novel and it would have benefited from it. Especially Rosenberger's strange fetish for explaining incidental things -- usually in flashback -- that don't even need to be explained. (For example, how Mace planned to escape from "oriental" Chinatown into "occidental" Manhattan.)
Another staple of the Mace series is the endless battery of racial slurs. I'd say the only other book that might use the word "chink" more than The Year of the Snake would have to be a manual on how to repair medieval combat armor or something. As in the previous novel, Rosenberger breaks out the slurs while writing from the perspectives of various of Mace's enemies, but what's strange is that most of them are Chinese themselves. It would be like a white character blasting away at another white character while thinking to himself: "I'm gonna waste that honkey!"
But then, the politically-incorrect vibe embraces a host of ethnicities in The Year of the Snake, not just Asians. Again it could all be a sign of spoofery, but moreso it's just a sign of its times. Like many of its men's adventure brethren, The Year of the Snake is a kind of book that couldn't be published today.
Which admittedly makes for part of its charm, at least as far as I'm concerned, but still. You need more than a non-PC vibe and goofy analogies to make for a good book. The Year of the Snake just left me feeling as beaten and exhausted as its predecessor did.
5 comments:
- Zwolf said...
I still haven't read 'em yet, but I've got a couple of Rosenberger's "Murder Master" books, which were his bid at blaxploitation. Seeing how crazily he handles Asian characters, I'm almost afraid to see what he'll do with Black ones...
Rosenberger's fascinating... dunno if that's for the right reasons or wrong ones, though! :)
- March 26, 2012 at 5:18 PM
- Karlos said...
Books 3 & 5 are the best of the Mace series, I think, but yeah, the racial epithets are unfortunate.
I think Rosenberger hated everyone equally though, so it's kinda alright!
BTW, this might be right up your alley, Joe:
You'll need to hit the "CC" button to get the subs up.
GREAT men's adventure flick you may not have seen!
- March 31, 2012 at 3:42 PM
- Joe Kenney said...
Karlos, thanks for the link. That's a Shaw Brothers movie I've never heard of! I'm definitely going to check it out.
The Mace I'm most looking forward to is the sixth volume, which is the only one by Leonard Levinson. I asked him if he knew anything about Rosenbgerger, by the way, and he told me he'd never even heard of the guy!
- April 2, 2012 at 10:54 AM
- Karlos said...
Hope you enjoy it, Joe – I think you will!
It's a shame Shaws only made the one modern day war flick before they folded as a film making co. – but at least it was a good one!
Regarding Rosenberger, it's somehow apt that the two main accounts I read of him as a person totally contradict one another.
One guy online said he lived near him back in the 70s. Claimed he wore a gold jogging suit all the same time and lived with his sister. Very friendly guy, too, he says.
Another said he was an ultra paranoid, vehemently racist misanthrope who seldom spoke to anyone at all. Think this account was from someone who worked with him in some capacity.
Of course, both could be completely made up - I guess we'll never know – although the second one does chime in a lot more with other things I've read about him over the years.
So, Mace #5 was his last book in the series? Make sense, as he goes out with a bloodbath – even by Mace standards!
- April 3, 2012 at 8:09 AM
- Matt T. Dalldorf said...
A little off-topic, but the video is no longer available; could someone tell me what the movie is?
- August 9, 2017 at 12:21 AM


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