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Budget Funerals
For The Impoverished or Generally Tight-fisted
Life, nobody survives, so plan your funeral early to avoid disappointment.
Our Budget cemetery has been designed to offer great value for money, and not just for us. Starting at only £500 for a simple loculus with a 10-year lease, you can't go wrong. Beautifully hand-crafted cement crypts start at just £1800 for a 5-year lease.
Visitors have been seen here walking around open-mouthed (we guess at its beauty), kids love to peek into any small gaps in graves, and pets are welcome dead or alive.
This Budget facility was opened in 1984 and named after the Aboriginal God of lethargy Wotachytole.
Many older chambers become available daily. due to the popularity our cemetery it's filling up faster than we can empty it, the newly built chambers, therefore, come without sea views.
Why not insist that you too join 75,000 others who have chosen the exclusive Wotachytole cemetery as their chosen place to rot in peace, reserve your plot today.
You can reserve your interment chamber or guarantee a family area by just leaving a £45 non-refundable deposit on each chamber required, this deposit will secure your choice for one year, and can be renewed annually.
Our skilled craftsmen are adding new prefabricated vaults every night when we reach 100,000 units that will be the end of construction on this very unique site until we start another around the back.
Don't forget the green certificate from the registrar, or we're not going to be able to bury anyone, it would be a shame to miss out.
Remember we now offer Ultra Budget burials for the tight-fisted. Just £150 buys six months burial in the Wotachytole cemetery.
We offer a rolling one year contract, not only does it free up some valuable space for us but it's also a bargain price for you, however, it does have its downfalls, read further. We hold disinterment day every August bank holiday when those at the end of their contract are invited to collect their relatives cadaver. Anyone being so cheap as to go for only one year will find their relative a little less decomposed than they'd hoped, but that's their fault for not doing a bit of homework.
Whatever the state of decomposition we expect the cadaver to be gone on the day, what you do with it is up to you but please don't put them out by our bins, that counts as not collected, all uncollected cadavers will be DHL'd to their nearest living relative at their cost.
Disinterment day 2019.
We had a quieter than usual day this year with only
bodies removed from their Wotachytole resting places.
grieving relatives agreed to have their loved ones reburied on our new long term 10 year agreement.
were cremated at cost on our budget funeral pyres.
had premium green burials after the relatives realised they had profited from the deceased.
were taken home this year, which was the fewest ever.
went to the pig farm, which was a poor result.
was not in her grave, Hampshire Police are investigating.
Thanks to all those who turned up, we have decided to cancel the mobile burger van in future as it stunk up the place.
See you next year!
You may have elected to donate your own or your loved one's cadaver for medical research, this could include forensic research at the Tenpasenta body farm.
These cadavers are located next to the Wotachytole cemetery behind a high fence, some decomposing bodies are visible through knot holes, as for the terrible smells, they'll have to get used to you.
This body farm is run in conjunction with Southampton University and you should contact them for full details, we just rent them the field.
Progress on our new high rise burial chambers is going very well.
This facility is aimed at those not wishing to pay for a woodland burial, but are not prepared to be laid to rest in our Wotachytole above ground bargain cemetery.
For a limited time, we are taking reservations exclusively for Tenpasenta Afterlife plan holders, with a special introductory rate of only £5,000 for a 30-year lease instead of the standard 25 years.
Our burial chambers are built over three levels:
Level G is for heavy or large bodies*.
Level 1: is for normal-sized bodies*.
Level 2: for small or elderly frail bodies*.
You can choose a top-level 2 chamber for a large or heavy body, but you'll have to carry it up there yourself.
Check out our range of facing "stones" selected for you from the Wickes kitchen range.
Open to the general public from mid-2018 or late 2020.
*Weight and size including coffin.
To keep within Budget we have teamed up with Wickes D.I.Y. to provide you with an exclusive opportunity to front your loved one's burial chamber at an affordable price.
We have worktops in our kitchen that date back to 2009, and the idea came to us of using Laminate Kitchen Worktops as chamber fronts, we expect them to be as durable as real stone* and at a fraction of the cost.
*Not tested.
Our latest and best state of the art crypt has its own radio room in the case of burial when still alive. This does happen, and the picture here shows one poor unfortunate cheapskate who was interred while alive, he did reach the radio room but unfortunately it wasn't yet wired up. Nobody was more surprised to find him locked into his grave than him, but we were quite shocked to find him sitting there when we popped open his crypt to retrieve a packet of cigarettes mistakenly left in there.
It is very rare to be buried alive at Budget Funerals, maybe less than a 10% chance, so choose your resting place carefully.
New for 2018 is our beautiful and functional new memorial headstone The Grenfell.
Moulded from plastics only usually seen on beautiful inner-city tower blocks, these weather-hardy headstones offer the ideal marker for your dearly departed ones charred remains.
The ultra impoverished may be interested in our bulk grave system.
The dearly beloved will be stacked into one of our unique bulk grave vaults. Every month or two these delightful resting places are then put on a local container ship to sunnier climes.
The trick here is that we insist that all bulk burial vault be placed on the highest point on the outside of our chosen container ship. So far 156 bulk graves have unfortunately been lost at sea resulting in a nice insurance payout, and 46 reaching landfall at our North Korean Soylent Green rendering plants.
Only £500
Many people are unaware of the fact that you can bury a body in your garden, a loophole used by many if not all Green/woodland burial sites.
The rules are:
1, a lawful certificate of the cause of death, they must register their death with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
2, a body comes within the definition of "clinical waste" and as such cannot be disposed of except under the provisions of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the Environment Protection Act 1990, in other words not within certain distances of water sources etc...
3, you must own or have permission to use private land, it must also be added to the title deeds of the house, better to shock a prospective buyer in writing before they buy than scare them shitless as they dig their new swimming pool.
Of course, digging a six-foot deep hole can be a nuisance, especially for the bone idle or elderly. We offer a domestic grave-digging service if your garden has good access we can use one of our fleet of grave excavators for only £150. If you require a hand-dug grave this can be arranged for only £350 or so, depending on the soil, you really can't go wrong, you will even get the chance to meet sub under vicar Brian and find out why we can't stand the twat.
If you wish to erect a headstone larger than a standard garage you will require planning permission from the council, they like any excuse to get your money, so that'll bugger up any ideas of getting a lodger in.
During the visit to your loved one, why not take an amble around the estate. You can cut through from Wotachytole budget burial plots to the pleasant surroundings of the Premium Matsushitty drive through viewing system, a marvel of Japanese technology and a twisted mind.
Be careful when using this pathway once known as Gaseous Clay Way, renamed in 1964 to Muhammad Alley.
Copyright M. Collyer
Disclaimer: All products and services promoted on this site are fictional, and once purchased are non-refundable..


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News Group
Afraid of competition, Dongtai packaging machine with you hand in hand
From fragile to grow rapidly, from obscurity to fame abroad, the original long road, China packaging machine industry just a few short decades, the Chinese people's wisdom in making the most of this road, really beautiful thing. However, it is undeniable that, in the rapid development, the emergence of competition, which is an indispensable part of the process of development of the industry. Practitioners should be able to understand the psychological fortunes, with the development of enterprises, will inevitably produce on a larger scale and greater market share demands, coupled with the early stages of market development, the emergence of competition is inevitable. Shopping is both battlefield, nor is the battlefield. Only life and death battle, and shopping malls can be a win-win, or even win. Guide the healthy development of the industry, which is more important, and must eventually return to reason. China's economy is growing so fast, the whole progress of society we are all to see, but also the quality of life has been greatly improved, and all this without packaging machinery. If it does not, we are now society is impossible to have the scene now, and this is no exaggeration. Because the economy to develop, we must rely on products, and products in order to get good sales if no one good packaging is not, it is because of packaging, the product can only be rapid development. Packaging machinery development also requires long way, in fact, just now in its infancy, any course there will be more challenges await. Let us join hands in the competition, together forward.
Company Profile
Dongtai machinery is a professional packaging machinery manufacturer. Provide the user the best solution, through long-term customer service has set up a perfect sales service system. Dongtai machinery is located in Lingang Economic Development Zone in Jinan, and the world 500 strong enterprises as neighbors continue to learn the international advanced production technology, relying on the country's economic macro-policy support, combined with local conditions to develop a series of advanced packaging machine products. Filling machine, labeling machine, filling and sealing machine, combination weighing packaging machine has entered the European markets. Uphold the QSP's business philosophy, quality-oriented, service first, we sincerely hope that users from around the world friends, build long-term, friendly, pleasant, mutually beneficial win-win partnership!

subset: commoncrawl


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Construction ManagementBack
Construction Management is a construction delivery system where a construction manager is used to assist the owner and owner's architect in planning, scheduling, developing and monitoring the budget, and ultimately building the project. While the project owner still holds separate contracts with his architect and his CM, the arrangement does offer early collaboration between the design side and the construction side of the process. Kiefner Brothers, Inc. has a wealth of experience performing under this arrangement at both SoutheastHealth and Saint Francis Medical Center. We work as a Construction Manager at Risk (CM-At-Risk), whereby the cost of the work is always guaranteed not to exceed a certain dollar without changes to the scope of work after the guaranteed maximum has been established. Our track record of delivering complicated, healthcare related construction on time and under budget over the last two decades as a CM-At-Risk is second to no one in our region.


text: In Memoriam: Michael Diamond of Division #17 Long Beach September 20, 2018 by Kevin Ellis Michael was a Past President of Division #17 Long Beach Visiting: Friday 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Funeral Mass: Saturday 10:00 AM St. Ignatius Martyr R. C. Church Long Beach, NY Private Cremation In Lieu of Flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Long Island Crisis Center 2740 Martin Ave. Bellmore , NY 11710 In Loving Memory of Jenea Diamond. Irish Day will never be the same without you. That big Smile and laugh will be missed forever. Your Family and friends are heartbroken knowing you are gone. But I know the Flower up above has called you home. Rest in Peace, Rest my brother.


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I knew in early October I wanted to write something special for my 30th birthday. But the specifics only became clear to me when something somewhat dangerous happened. Let's just say I was lucky to survive…
While hiking through a misty mountain near the Appalachian Trail, I stumbled over what I thought was a big rock. When I looked down I noticed an old stereo with a white cassette tape in the deck. It must have been lodged for quite some time. With the hope of listening to some jams, I picked up the precious stereo and hit play. "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)", by AC/DC came blaring out of the old dusty speakers. That is when this great idea, along with some dust, hit me square in the face – 30 albums for 30 years. While I stood there, entranced by this brilliant idea (an idea Fishman also took advantage of… read his 30 for 30 here), Gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with that stereo. I just kept on ramblin'.
Actually, none of that is true. The idea popped into my noggin while I was at work one day, but I felt the hiking story was way cooler.
For as long as I can remember, music has been huge part of my life. Many of my memories growing up are intertwined with music, so to celebrate the big 3-0 with a major rock & roll salute seemed like a no-brainer. 30 albums that rocked, inspired, and shaped my musical taste. And my life…
Initially, my thought was to do a list of 30 albums without putting them in any order, but that wouldn't make this post worth anyone's time. It definitely wouldn't have any intrigue or rock & roll flare that way. Some albums are more influential than others, so I decided my list had to reflect that. I only have one rule – No Compilations.
Very honorable mentions:
- KISS – All albums from the 70's not mentioned below
- The Doors – The Doors
- Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge Of Town
- Def Leppard – Hysteria
- Meatloaf – Bat Out Of Hell
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
- Weezer – Weezer (The Blue Album)
- Frank Zappa – Joe's Garage
- The Rolling Stones – Some Girls
- The Police – Synchronicity
- Hootie & The Blowfish – Cracked Rear View
- Rush – Signals
- Dave Matthews Band – Crash
- Billy Joel – Glass Houses
- Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
- The Beatles – Rubber Soul
Drumroll please……………………….The moment we've all been waiting for. Well, the moment I've been waiting for. This post has been in the works since 10/12. (And I only applied the finishing touches yesterday.)
Let it begin!!
30. Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic – 1975
The first riff I play whenever I come across a bass guitar is the opening groove of "Sweet Emotion". I love it. When I got my bass, it was at the top of my to-do list of songs to learn. Same can be said for the intro to "Walk This Way" when I eventually got my Squier Tele. It was a must learn. Why? Because this album was, and still is, embedded in my head. That's why. I've tried to perfect the Steven Tyler leg kick while rocking out to these songs countless times. Looking back, I'm just glad I never pulled a muscle. Toys is the first of a few albums on my list that fall under the infamous third album theory – A band's third album is their breakout album. "Sweet Emotion", and "Walk This Way" are so huge, the other tracks tend to be forgotten. But not here, I won't allow it! Now is the time for these other jams to stand up and be recognized. "Toys In The Attic", "Big 10 Inch Record", and one of my personal favorites "Uncle Salty" are rocking too. How many fans can say they've seen Aerosmith play "Salty" live? I can!
29. The Beatles – Abbey Road – 1969
Two of my absolute favorite songs were released on this record. Neither of which were penned by Lennon/McCartney, rather by George Harrison. "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun" are more than just classics to me. I have a hard time finding a description for the way I feel when I hear either of them other than to say it's good energy. They instantly boost my morale. George is an inspiration to so many, including me. That's why he, with these two songs, needed to be recognized on my list. By far my favorite Beatle. RIP George. ***Side Note – My high school chemistry teacher (the one and only Mr. Charlie Reinhart) loved The Beatles. One time, I didn't know an answer for one of his tests so I decided to leave a note saying I liked the original Beatles version of "Come Together" more than the Aerosmith cover version. It paid off, he gave me 1/2 a point! It's also rumored that Chuckles broke both of his knees in a sky diving accident. That story is for another day***
Most fans know Hall and Oates' first album as the silver album. I was literally a baby when I was introduced to these songs. My Dad had a mixed tape of Hall and Oates' debut that a friend of his made for him when he was in college. This record is the first of many on this list can be traced back to my dad. For as long as I can remember he had that tape in his car (when cars still had tape decks). "Sara Smile" might be the most famous track, but I can't pick a personal favorite off this album. If I listen to the silver album, I listen to the entire thing 9 out of 10 times. Matt Riggleman, Nate Fischer and I listened to the silver album a million times driving back and forth to our summer job at Dart in my Oldsmobile Station Wagon. Pretty sure the three of us still know all the lyrics by heart. If I'm not mistaken, I believe we each have our own copies of the silver album now. Hall and Oates' debut record should be heralded more than it is – very underrated.
27. Live – Throwing Copper – 1994
Throwing Copper was one of the very first CD's I ever owned. That prestigious group of CD's included Throwing Copper, Green Day's Dookie, Aerosmith's Big Ones, and… wait for it… Boyz To Men II. I remember watching the video for "Lightning Crashes" on MTV before going to the pool everyday during the summer of 1995. Only later did I find out that Live was formed in York, PA. Across the river, just minutes away from where I live in Columbia. I'm not a big fan of York. It makes me laugh every time I hear "Shit Towne", knowing York was the inspiration for the song. My big question and I still can't believe this – How did I not ever make it to a Live concert with them being a local band? Maybe if they do a reunion tour I'll catch a show. I feel like this album is a staple for humans who like music that are my age.
26. Judas Priest – British Steel – 1980
This was a great album to jam when I was delivering pizza a couple of years back. With the pedal to the metal and my radio cranked, I always got where I was going a bit faster and the customers could hear when their pizza arrived. British Steel is one of the few metal albums I have. It solidified Judas Priest in rock lure forever. "Breaking The Law" is easily their most recognizable song, and one of the greatest songs of all time if you ask me. I would love to play it live if I ever get another band together. Songs like that make me regret parting ways with my Gibson Flying V. Rob Halford is a living legend due to his vocals on this album. "Livin' After Midnight", "United", "Rapid Fire", "Metal Gods", and "Grinder" along with "Breaking The Law" are all dynamic. Legendary album.
25. Frank Zappa – Sheik Yerbouti – 1979
I don't know much about writing, that's why I got this blog… Don't mind my improv, just thought "Dancin' Fool" could apply to me in other ways. Another mix tape my Dad had – a Zappa tape that included a lot of Sheik Yerbouti. Even though people assume fans listen to Zappa because of crude and unusual lyrics, I think his songs are catchy. Plus, to say he knew his way around a guitar is almost an insult, dude was an amazing player. It's just a bonus to crack up laughing when you hear the unusual stuff. I still laugh every time I hear Zappa ask, "Wanna buy some Mendys, Bob?" during "Flakes" (to a guy [Frank Zappa] posing as Bob Dylan). One thing is certain, there will never be another Frank Zappa. This record is 72 minutes long and it contains some of his most recognizable work, including "Dancin' Fool", "Jewish Princess", "Bobby Brown", "Baby Snakes", "Flakes", and "Yo Mama" to name a few.
The first time I heard "What I've Done" was during the credits of the movie Transformers. I had no idea what it was called or who sang it, but it gave me a huge adrenaline rush. I really didn't listen to Linkin Park beforehand so I wasn't familiar with their sound. When I eventually discovered the who, what, when, and where I bought the album. This CD got a ton of play in my car driving back and forth from Columbia to Allentown to see Christina. "What I've Done" and "Bleed It Out" aren't the only tracks worth noting. The roster of songs on Minutes To Midnight is deep. "Given Up", "Shadow Of The Day", "No More Sorrow" are just a few others. Not only does Minutes To Midnight fall under the third album rule, it was also produced by the legendary Rick Rubin! A recipe for success.
Bob Helm (my second cousin) gave me a burned copy of this album right before I went to college in 2001. At school my buddy Doug Nilsen and I listened to it at least 100 times while playing Mario Kart 64 battle mode. Doug and I were familiar with "Feed My Frankenstein" from one of our mutually favorite movies, Wayne's World. Once we started listening, we quickly discovered that Hey Stoopid was probably Alice's best album since Billion Dollar Babies. It led us to Virginia Beach so we could see AC in concert Halloween of '01 and '02. Proud to say we were in the third row both times! And yes, I wore classic Alice Cooper face paint and both of us had blood splattered on us after Alice's decapitation. Who wouldn't love that?
22. The Cars – The Cars – 1978
There is an unwritten rule when chatting about a certain song on this album. I believe it goes something like – You cannot mention "Moving In Stereo" without acknowledging Phoebe Cates' hotness in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Boom, consider it acknowledged! You know what? I'll do one better than acknowledging it since they pretty much go hand in hand. Enjoy!
Written by Ric Ocasek, The Cars is an all-time classic. Must be awesome when a debut record can double as a greatest hits collection. If I had to describe rock & roll to somebody who never experienced it before, this would be one of the first albums I would refer them to. The Cars are a very underrated band, especially bassist Ben Orr, who is one of the most unheralded rock singers ever. That said, unheralded or underrated, their sound is undeniable! I own this album on CD and vinyl. "You're All I've Got Tonight", and "Bye, Bye Love" are tunes that need to be turned up whenever they come on the radio. Add in "Just What I Needed", which I was lucky enough to play live when I was in Vinyl, with "Good Times Roll", and "My Best Friend's Girl" and you have a pile of songs I would expect to hear if I got the chance to see them live.
Wasting Light would easily be higher on this list if it didn't have to compete with the music I grew up on.With this album, which was recorded in Dave Grohl's garage (on tape, not digitally), Foo Fighters proved that rock & roll is not dead. This stuff is literally the best music I've heard in years. "Rope" is just flat-out hard rock at it's very best. Love the lyrics, love the energy, but not just "Rope", the entire record! Listening to Wasting Light makes me want to put a band together, yell into a mic, and just play. Foo Fighters have rock & roll in their souls and it seems to me they are the only current band carrying that rock banner. I will take this moment to echo THE question: Is there anything Dave Grohl can't do musically? This is a must have album for any rock fan, literally every song is great.
It's time for a bathroom break as we've reached our first stopping point. Albums 30-21 are officially in the books. Any surprises so far? I have to say I had a fun time putting this list together with all these songs as my writing soundtrack. Experiencing the music while spelling out all my memories, it's an awesome feeling I didn't expect. Marching on to the top 20!
My Dad had this CD (told you it'd be a recurring theme) and he eventually bought me a copy of my own. I can remember listening to Excitable Boy while sitting in front of the wood stove fireplace at my dad's house. "Werewolves Of London" is epic, and easy for a 13-year-old, like I was, to enjoy with the wolf howls throughout the chorus. Like the Hall and Oates album at #29 on my list, this is another album that I ALWAYS listen to in full. I eventually went out and bought a vinyl copy too. As a not-so-good song writer myself, I really enjoy it when I get a chance to listen to awesome song writing. Make no mistake, Warren Zevon is a great writer. When I was playing in a cover band years ago, I got the chance to sing "Lawyers, Guns, and Money", which is one of my favs. Dec 30th, 2004 was the first time we played it. I stepped up to the mic but forgot the lyrics to the first verse. Proving that stage fright (in this case singing fright) can happen to the best of us. At the New Year's Eve show following night we played it again and I nailed it.
19. The Who – Who's Next – 1971
Question: Does any other band sound like The Who?
This question has a very simple answer – Absolutely not.
Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon's sound on Who's Next formed their quintessential album and forged their legacy.For me, this album is my view of their identity.The style, the loudness, it is The Who. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song everyone should get to experience at a live show. "Baba O' Riley", and "Bargian" are among my favorites. "Behind Blue Eyes" and "My Wife" are mainstays also. Unfortunately, when I went to see The Who, it was the first show they performed after bassist John Entwistle died. Entwistle wrote and sang "My Wife". A song I was very much hoping to see before word of Entwistle's passing dropped. This album is the gateway that allows me to hear the original four members of The Who since I only had the chance to witness 2/4 of the band live.
18. Guns N' Roses – Appetite For Destruction – 1987
I often think about playing bone crushing rock songs to huge crowds. What wannabe musician doesn't? "Sweet Child O'Mine" is one of the songs that fits the bill. The thought of rocking that riff and especially the solo gives me chills. When I eventually play it live, wearing a sweet top hat of course, I guarantee it will blow the roof off the place! This album is loaded with great rock & roll, as a fan of rock, it's impossible not to love. From the start of "Welcome To The Jungle" to the end with "Rocket Queen", Appetite is an attitude-fueled rage-monster. It won't be contained, nor should it be. Matt Riggleman grabbed me a vinyl copy a couple Christmas' ago. I must say, there's nothing like listening to fresh vinyl. Maybe I'll track down Slash and have him sign it for me? Now that I think of it, I think Rigg also gave the burned CD I listened to since high school. I almost feel bad, not mentioning each track by title, giving them the proper recognition they deserve, but what about Guns was ever proper??? I just read that Axl Rose hates poodles. Well, maybe there is something proper about him after all…
16. Green Day – Dookie – 1994
Out of the prestigious group of CD's I mentioned when discussing Throwing Copper, I listened to Dookie the most. I must admit, I had no clue what these songs were about at 12/13 years old. "Basket Case", "Longview", "Welcome to Paradise", and "Pulling Teeth" were among my favorites and I had no idea what Billie Joe was actually talking about. The quick hitting, drum infused style were enough for me. I always felt the bass line in "She" was awesome too, which is probably my #1 jam of this album. I know Green Day got crushed by the inner circle that is punk rock for releasing this record, but when you have songs like these and an album like this, you release it.
15. Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies – 1973
Alice's second entry on my countdown. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is the best album I never hear anyone talk about or praise. Alice is a showman, we know this. What most people have a hard time grasping is that Alice Cooper is a talented songwriter too. This was the last album the Alice Cooper band recorded together. To say they left the best for last would be a huge understatement. Alice still performs the classics off this record – "I Love The Dead", "Elected", "No More, Mr. Nice Guy", "Sick Things", and "Billion Dollar Babies", you know, no big deal. I only listed half the album. That's not even including some of my personal favorites like "Generation Landslide", and "Hello, Hooray". The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame should be ashamed of themselves for only inducting Alice Cooper in 2011. He easily should have been elected at least 15 to 20 years earlier.
14. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin – 1969
I instantly envision and hear Robert Plant scream, "We're gonna go walking through the park everyday!" whenever somebody mentions Led Zeppelin. "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" is so, so good. A top 5 Zeppelin track in my book. Luckily, my good friend Mark Hagan and I got to see Plant perform "Babe" live at the Tower Theater in Philly. **One of the best shows I've seen** Led Zeppelin packs a punch with power-infused blues. I first listened to this album in my early high school days after listening to Zep II and IV. When I heard "Good Times, Bad Times" my first reaction was – Wow! Then, "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" played, and I thought – What just happened? I was enthralled and mesmerized. It only took the first two songs for me to realize Zeppelin is indeed the benchmark when it comes to rock & roll. Every track is proof that Led Zeppelin is a heavy hitter. And to think, this album was only just the beginning for Zep.
13. Van Halen – Van Halen – 1978
My Dad got me this CD for my birthday like 12 or so years ago. So if by some chance I didn't say thanks then, I'll say it now – Thanks, Dad. Eddie & Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and Diamond David Lee Roth certainly delivered the goods with their debut record. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" is awesome beyond description. Eddie's raw rock riffs, power chords, and solos are stuff of legend. I've seen Van Halen at Hershey Park with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals. (Watching Eddie play from the 3rd row: mind-numbingly awesome.) I've also seen David Lee Roth open for Sammy Hagar at Hershey, and they both played a ton of material from their Van Halen days. The concerts were great, but I believe these songs, this album, with the original line-up is how Van Halen is truly meant to be heard. Diamond Dave played almost the entire first album during his show. Getting to see him perform "Ice Cream Man" live is one of my all-time prized concert moments.
12. Tom Petty – Damn The Torpedoes – 1979
"Refugee" has always been a top 3 Petty jam for me. Constantly rotating with "American Girl" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" as my favorite. Torpedoes is the Heartbearkers defining album. Another record backing the 3rd album theory and the highest ranking Petty album on my list. What's not to love? "Even The Losers", "Here Comes My Girl", and "Don't Do Me Like That" along with "Refugee" still get air time on any radio station worth listening to. Even the B-sides on the record are great. It's not hard to fall in love with this album. Listen to it once and you're a fan. I've listened to it hundreds of times and I still get a surge of energy when the initial drums kick in on "Refugee". It's just a bonus that Doug Nilsen, a close friend of mine from college, looks like Petty and plays like Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch in this video…
11. Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. – 1973
When I'm 63, I hope I can write as well Bruce at 23. Which was how old he was when this record, his debut, was released. But deep down I know, regular people just don't write songs like these. Bruce is one-of-a-kind talent. Greetings is filled with his youthful, poetic, and raw adventurous energy. I got this CD when I was in 9th or 10th grade and I ate it up. I fell in love with the energy first, and later came to appreciate the depth of these songs. This album is truly great because the songs are straight from his heart and each song delivers a different experience. "For You" was my favorite Springsteen song for a long, long time, but now I think maybe "Spirit In The Night" or "Growin" Up" has been tabbed as my favorite off this album. Cut me some slack, it's hard to pick a favorite when all of the songs are great. I almost died when Bruce played "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" when he opened Lincoln Financial Field. Just thinking about the times I spent listening to Greetings brings a smile to my face. This album grabs you… I know it grabbed me and still hasn't let go after all this time.
"The flag of piracy flew from my mast, my sails were set wing to wing. I had a jukebox graduate for first mate, she couldn't sail but she sure could sing"
Stand up, stretch out, and grab a snack because it only gets better from here on. I will admit one thing, the hardest part of making this list was identifying which albums would be in the top 10. The order actually switched up a few times once I started writing about them, but the top 3 specifically are permanently entrenched and it would take something Herculean in order to move them out of the top 3. If you take anything away from this post, I hope its that these albums and songs are the soundtrack to Matt Horn's life, and its what my voice and guitar aspired to sound like whenever I listen, play, or sing.
I give you the final ten of my 30 for 30 countdown…
10. Michael Jackson – Thiller – 1982
I feel like this entry on the list should be broken up into two tiers. 1) The videos that MJ produced for the songs on Thriller will always be the best video's of all-time. The songs were great by themselves, but the grand scale of these mini-movies took the impact of "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" to another stratosphere. Helping MJ claim the throne as the King of Pop.
2) Thriller is something that I will always identify with Mongi (my grandmother), and the closest group of friends I have (Rigg, Fish, SB, Hagan). Who will all be groomsmen in my wedding this coming September. We spent many hours playing pool at Mongi's house after school, on the weekend, basically any free time we had. And this record was spinning on the record player most times. Mongi welcomed my group of friends up to the house even when I wasn't there. She also let us have parties at her house each summer, which is something I don't hear very many, if any, other grandparents doing… When Mongi passed away in October of 2010 she willed both her copies of Thriller to me, CD and record.
9. KISS – Alive! – 1975
No compilations. That is the one rule I set for this post. But rules were made to be broken, right? Any legitimate rock & roll inspired post has to ignore the standard, that's what rock & roll does. It's fitting that Alive! is the album on my list to break that rule. When the members of KISS decided to make this album, most in the industry didn't think it was a good idea. Why put out a greatest hits album for a band that didn't have any? Well, I'm glad they did. This record is the reason I love listening to live albums. It's why I love going to shows. These 16 tracks are loud, and fierce. Alive! instilled the belief that rock & roll is more than just music, and bands are more than just people playing instruments. Every aspect and element was larger than life. The songs didn't get much notoriety when originally released on their respective studio albums, but when charged up and electrified on Alive!, they turned heads. KISS has a grocery list of great songs to their name now, but I still regard these songs as their bread and butter. If only Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, and Gene Simmons could celebrate 40 years of KISS by playing a show in 2013 with the set list from Alive! And then play that show somewhere near where I live… that would be the perfect 30th birthday gift.
8. Led Zeppelin – (Untitled) (Zoso) (4th album) – 1971
Zep 4 was my introduction to Led Zeppelin. I got it for Christmas many moons ago from my dad along with The Doors first album, and AC/DC Back In Black. I remember having a pretty big dilemma on my hands – not knowing which CD to listen to first? I realized years later it was the single coolest dilemma I ever faced. I listened to each of the Christmas gifts many times in those following weeks. Out of the 3, this album spawned my intrigue the most. Some songs were flat-out rocking, others had a mystical feel, and a couple had both. Most importantly, the part I couldn't get over, was that there were only 8 tracks. It made me wonder what else they had done? The tune on Zep 4 that always gets overlooked in my opinion is "When The Levee Breaks". I remember Robert Plant playing "Levee" at the Tower Theater and feeling like the air I was breathing suddenly got thick because the song is so heavy. Crazy bass and thunder drums will do that to ya. I can only dream what it would feel/sound like with John Paul Jones on bass and John Bonham behind the kit.
7. ZZ Top – Eliminator – 1983
My love for this album runs deep. As legend goes, when I was an infant my parents would sit me in front of a television and I would watch MTV for hours. That means I was watching "Gimme All Your Lovin", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs" during the first months of my life. Maybe after seeing the beards of Billy Gibbons, and Dusty Hill, I subconsciously decided that shaving wouldn't be my thing? This also must be said: I've never been a huge car guy, but I hope I have the chance to drive the car featured on the album cover before my driving days are done. Anyway, as a teen, sifting through some old cassette tapes that Bob Kline (now step-dad) had in the mountains I found Eliminator. And I kinda took as my own. Maybe a year later, as fate would have it, a twin bill featuring ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd would be my very first concert courtesy my aunt Jody. Based on all this info, I'm pretty sure I was destined to have this album make the top 10 of my 30 for 30 blog. "Sharp Dressed Man" is a surefire top 30 song if I had chosen to do a 30 songs for 30 years. Steve Moore, the drummer in the video below, nails the awesome vibe this song has.
6. KISS – Destroyer – 1976
Bob also had an old, tattered cassette tape called Destroyer. It would be my first experience listening to the band that would become synonymous with me during high school. Little did I know I'd be wearing the t-shirts and sewing patches on my shorts, rocking face paint to the concerts, and making batches of fake blood to spit out. My room was filled with blankets, posters, CD's and even a KISS phone (before cell phones). The only thing I have yet to attempt is to breathe fire… 🙂 Maybe I'll save that for my wedding this September? Anyway, I didn't know it when I first stuck that tape in my stereo, but Destroyer was KISS' biggest album. It was the album that paved the avenue for all the merchandise that I would soon covet. So many songs that are considered classic KISS were released on this album – "Detroit Rock City", "God Of Thunder", "Shout It Out Loud", and the surprise hit that was the B-side to "Detroit Rock City", "Beth". Destroyer is awesome, definitely one of my favorite albums, but I can't sit here and tell you that I fell down the KISS rabbit-hole solely due to Destroyer. The KISS train took some time to get rolling. It wasn't until I got a certain album yet to be mentioned that it became clear to me KISS was my favorite band.
5. Aerosmith – Get A Grip – 1993
Easter '94 – My mom hands me an Easter basket just a few days before I turn 11. That basket contained I what believe to be the first tape I could officially call mine. This is way before I found Eliminator or listened to Destroyer, before I had any CD's or musical preferences. I only had a few mixed tapes of songs that I heard on the radio, and the only station my stereo got was the "popular" stuff on FM97. It's somewhat unbelievable looking back, there was actually a time when I had no music passions. Get A Grip was revolutionary for me because it ended that nonsense. It was the first time I remember listening to something over and over again. That, combined with the trio of videos with featuring Alicia Silverstone – "Cryin", "Crazy", and "Amazing", playing on MTV all the time made it all the more exciting. Loved Alicia Silverstone in those videos (Oh yeah.. Liv Tyler in "Crazy" isn't all that bad either). I remember only listening to my Get A Grip tape with headphones on for a bit. I was fearful my mom might take it if she heard Steven Tyler say "ass" in a few of the songs. I still have no idea if she heard the cuss words before I realized them, thankfully she let me keep the tape.
4. AC/DC – Back In Black – 1980
This is one of the greatest rock albums ever, period. I remember opening Back In Black and putting it in my stereo after receiving it as a gift Christmas night from my dad. It took less than 5 minutes for my dad and/or my step-mom Jayme to tell me to turn it down. In my defense, who listens to "Hells Bells" and doesn't turn it up? Nobody! Back In Black was Brian Johnson's debut as AC/DC's frontman after the passing on Bon Scott. Along with Angus Young's crunching guitar riffs, Johnson and the band delivered big time. Angus made me want to own a Gibson SG even before I knew what a SG was. This album is littered with rock classics – "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Back In Black", "Shoot To Thrill", "Hells Bells", "Givin' The Dog A Bone", and "What Do You Do For Money, Honey?". During my Chowan College years, Doug Nilsen and I each made a top 250 favorite songs list. Each of us revised our list numerous times, but "Back In Black" never found itself outside the top 5 songs, always rotating with "Born To Run" by Springsteen and "Who Are You" by The Who to occupy the top spot. It always makes me feel powerful, like a driving force that can't be stopped. It's just raw rock & roll. AC/DC has evaded me to this point, but I will see them in concert before they stop touring. I can promise you that.
3. Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run – 1975
Born To Run flows together better than any album I've heard. It's truly seamless. In my humble opinion, I believe this record might be the best album ever. I love it with all the madness in my soul. Bruce was finally able to combine his epic story telling style and a radio friendly medium with, now legendary, songs like "Thunder Road", and "Born To Run". For those who somehow aren't familiar with the rest of the Born To Run album, let me fill you in. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Night", "Backstreets", "She's The One", "Meeting Across The River" and "Jungleland" are in fact JUST AS GOOD as "Thunder Road" and "Born To Run". Hence my reasoning for Born To Run being the best album ever recorded. I have this album on vinyl and CD, and at this point, the CD has been played so much, it actually skips like my record does. Doug Nilsen and I put the 9 minute 34 second epic "Jungleland" on repeat once and listened to it around 20 times in one sitting. Born To Run possesses a magic that I can't begin to describe. I just know that it's there, and that is why I can listen to it at any time and place. There is not a better song writer than Bruce Springsteen and this record is, and will be, the everlasting proof of that.
"Show a little faith, there's magic in the night. You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright. Oh and that's alright with me."
2. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II – 1969
I can honestly say with zero doubt in my mind that the guitar tracks on this album made me want to (need to) play guitar. Jimmy Page's infamous "Whole Lotta Love" riff changed how I listened to songs and what I listened for. If I had to choose one sound that I felt embodied rock & roll with its mystery and power combined, it would be that violin bow draw across the electric guitar strings in "Whole Lotta Love". I think Page is the greatest guitar player ever and he is THE reason I own a Gibson Les Paul. I know people will always say Page was sloppy and cite Clapton, Hendrix, etc… as the best players, but I will always stand by Page. I feel he is light years beyond all the other legendary guitarists because of all the riffs/songs he wrote, since he crafted the most original and potent rock songs ever.
When I played in Vinyl, Mark Hagan and I pushed the band to learn "Heartbreaker/Livin Lovin Maid". Which were two of the first three songs the band learned. I know we played them at our first show which was an 11 song set. I'm no Jimmy Page by any means and remember being terrified because I played the first solo in "Heartbreaker", a part where I was literally the only member in the band playing. So if I flubbed anything up, everyone in the crowd would know who the culprit was. "Ramble On" is another one of my Zep favorites, well, all of the songs from Zep II among my favorites. Led Zeppelin II stands tall and casts a very big shadow. A shadow so big that only one album made its way past to sit atop Matterhorn's 30 for 30.
I didn't realize it when I started listening to this CD in high school, but I can say now without question, KISS is the purest rock sound that the band ever produced. I love that rawness. KISS' approach didn't require fans to be well versed poets or orchestra conductors to understand what the hell was going on, they just rocked, period. As I look back, I believe that is the reason this album grabbed my attention. The entire record is just a touch longer than 30 minutes, with exception of a few, all the songs are quick hitting gems. KISS' self titled debut features four guys: The Starchild, The Spaceman, The Demon, and The Catman, each with their musical weapon of choice and a vision of dominating the world. No fancy producers, no Auto Tuned lead vocals (and even if they wanted them, they couldn't afford either at this point in their career). The members of KISS were solely armed with good old rock & roll. The foundation of their now 40 year career is featured on KISS with "Deuce", "Strutter", "Cold Gin", "Nothin' To Lose", "Firehouse", "100,000 Years", and "Black Diamond". I'm not wandering too far out on a limb by proclaiming "Deuce" and "Black Diamond" have been played at close to 99% of all KISS' shows since 1973. My opinion, "100,000 Years" is a song that is too often overlooked, by far the heaviest track on KISS, and deserves way more recognition. "Firehouse" has been a staple for KISS' live shows since the earliest days of the bands existence, it's the perfect song for The Demon to spit fire at the crowd. To say that I listened to all the KISS albums released in the 70's a bunch is a gross understatement and almost laughable. During high school, it was not uncommon for me to listen to 2 or 3 KISS CD's (definitely this album) a day. In between football two-a-day practices, after long hacky sack sessions with Matt Riggleman, during bus rides to varsity baseball games, and eventually on trips to and from Chowan College (a 5 hour 30 trek for me) KISS was playing somewhere, somehow.
KISS, along with the rest of KISS' music, has been with me during the highest and lowest points of my life. Each song contains a memory. Which is why this is the only album capable of holding down the number one spot on my 30 albums for 30 years celebratory salute.
A video of some early KISS just seemed like the perfect birthday send off.
The list is complete! If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed my 30 for 30 musical journey. I would very much appreciate hearing any thoughts (if this post jarred any loose), personal album discoveries, and/or music memories of your own in the comment section. Think of a comment as a birthday gift to me.
In closing I will say this: I'm 30, and I'm spectacular. **Gray hair and all**
Figured I'd take that little section of the post to let everyone know how I'm doing.
All joking aside, I want to leave everyone with one final thought. During the brainstorming and writing of this post I discovered some words of wisdom… words to live by:
30 is still young and a great album never gets old.


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Airlines not referring to the waterway between Iran and the Arabian peninsula as the Persian Gulf will be banned from Iranian airspace, the transport minister told local media Monday.Iran is facing sanctions on its Revolutionary Guard Corp., a possible embargo on gasoline, and the possibility of a devastating military strike from Israel. It's good to know that their priorities are clear.
The warning was directed specifically toward the airlines of neighboring Gulf Arab countries who have a history of referring to the body of water as the "Arabian Gulf."
"The airlines of the southern Persian gulf countries flying to Iran must use 'Persian Gulf' on their flight monitors," Hamid Behbahani told the IRAN daily.
Airlines ignoring the warning would be banned from Iranian airspace, while repeat offenders would have their planes grounded in Iran and "the companies' flight permits to Iran canceled."
The report said Iran expelled a Greek flight attendant from the private Iranian airline, Kish Air, for using "Arabian Gulf" on a monitor over the weekend.


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"Cookies with Santa" is for families. Bring your pets and come join Essex County 4-H for a family picture with Santa. Hot cocoa and cookies galore. Meet in Garibaldi Hall. Cost is $10 per family.
For information, contact Chrystine Gaffney at firstname.lastname@example.com. To register, visit tinyurl.com/4hcookieswsanta. Cookies with Santa will be held as follows:
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2018
Time: 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Place: Essex County Environmental Center
Garibaldi Hall


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The designer's aesthetic from interiors to jewels, is simply stunning: Sculptural, modern, and completely original… At any scale, his work is both revolutionary and inspirational.
A-cero is a Spanish architecture and urban design studio established by Architects Joaquín Torres & Rafael Llamazares, with offices in Madrid, La Coruña and Dubai. They were first recognized for their use of clean lines and sculptural forms in single-family residential projects in Spain, but have recently been involved in more complex international projects.
With a background in Architecture and Historic Preservation from universities in Spain, Mexico City, and New York City, Carlos Huber has taken his longtime love of fragrance, applied his other loves: history and art, and merged them together to form Arquiste Parfumeur, his new line of luxury fragrances. With an immaculate attention to detail, Huber joined with two top Givaudan perfumers to create a range of six unisex perfumes. Each scent is an olfactive interpretation of an exact moment in history that is meticulously researched and finely tuned. Arquiste's debut collection of six distinct scents take us from Aztec temples (circa 1400) to a 17th-century encounter between European royals.
– Mark David Boberek, The Perfume Magazine
"I've always been very connected to my nose and every time I would do research on a building or city for work I would come across an anecdote, a part of the story, where I would think "What did it smell like?" – Carlos Huber
Time Travel in a Bottle: 6 Transportive Scents from ARQUISTE
The cities we live in are shaped by many components that come together through time, forever changing with the passing of each decade and century. They shape the way we carry out our daily lives and have a direct impact on our quality of life. Urbanized, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit, goes deep into the root of what makes up the modern city and where this concept is headed, exploring both the challenges and promises facing some of the world's important cities. Featuring Sir Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas and Oscar Niemeyer, this film is definitely worth checking out.


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By Obi Egbuna Jnr Simunye
For those Africans residing on the homefront, who are analysing the mood, sentiments and exact political temperature of their extended kith and kin languishing in the Diaspora, by their kneejerk reactions to the every move of current US President Donald Trump had better think twice.
Let the historical record show that this humble warning is rooted in love, but at the same time is a word to the wise that we do not have the luxury of forgetting our relationship to US-EU imperialism even for a split second.
When President Trump recently defined a nationalist as one who loves their country while at the same time emphatically stating he is not a globalist and that he wants to take care of the US first, the concept of smoking mirrors was on full display.
Those amongst our ranks who will remain obedient and loyal to the annals of history, who are blessed to have same rather unique platforms at our disposal, are obligated to remind the masses of our people at home and abroad that every atrocity US-EU imperialism has committed past and present, had been done in the name of not only God but nationalism.
The trick in this instance is to realise first and foremost that our daily tug-of-war with the captors and colonisers of our ancestors, means holding firm to the values and principles that best define our genuine resistance past and present.
We can only imagine the rhythm and volume of President Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF's laughter the moment they heard President Trump declaring undying loyalty to US nationalism, since they wake up every single day fighting to lift US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe that were imposed in the name of this brand of imperialist and white supremacist brand of nationalism.
If President Trump's hidden desire is to have a place in history next to Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, and the first leader of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Forrest, in the final analysis, that is his prerogative.
We remember the Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh telling the world that it is patriotism not communism that initially inspired him to fight for his country's liberation. The North Korean revolutionary Kim Il Sung developed the Juche philosophy through Korean nationalism.
At Caribbean festivals our people, due to intoxication, wave the flags of Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, the Bahamas, etc, by the time they sober up, they remember we got there after being snatched from Mother Africa.
President Trump's grandstanding on the question of nationalism is a harsh reminder that Mother Africa's daughters and sons are entirely too casual and consistently inconsistent in expressing African nationalism.
We call to the carpet those so-called African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa but only scream Kujichagalia (which means self-determination) at the top of their lungs between December 26 and January 1 or those who only educate African children about our collective experience during the month of February, who are functioning from the illusion that this pseudo-political expression is in harmony with the contributions of Maulana Karenga and Dr Carter G. Woodson, the father of African History.
When former US president Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus declared war on former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF, the masses of Zimbabwe, we expected Africans inside US borders to stand and defend them in the name of nationalism.
The deceased national heroes and their modern day incarnations in Zimbabwe remind the African world, they represented the revolutionary minority in the SADC region who had indigenous battle cries during their liberation struggle, when everyone else shouted "A LUTA CONTINUA!"
We are eternally grateful to both ZANU-PF and the PAC for screaming "Pamberi neChimurenga" and "Izwe Lethu iAfrika" everywhere they travelled and generated support and defence for their historic efforts.
This is the brand of African revolutionary nationalism that even the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China weren't ready to digest, because at that juncture in history nationalism had been polluted by imperialist and neo-colonialist forces.
The nationalism we speak of forced Dr King and SCLC to recognize that Kwame Ture and Mukasa Dada, on behalf of SNCC evoking the concept of Black Power, first articulated by Frederick Douglass and Richard Wright, was exactly what the doctor ordered.
We suggest those who seek to turn our revolutionary expression, that highest expression of African nationalism, is pan-Africanism, therefore calling yourself a pan- African nationalist is the equivalent of wearing your shirt and pants inside out. We thank the pan-Africanist giant Ahmed Seku Ture for stating pan-Africanism is class struggle, meaning nationalism and pan- Africanism in the African context are not a deviation from scientific socialism.
President Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF must be saluted and embraced for reminding us that our wealth is rooted in defending our land and people.
Obi Egbuna Jnr is the US correspondent to The Herald and External Relations Officer to the Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association (ZICUFA).


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PAUL PERREAULT is CEO and Managing Director of
CSL Behring. Previously having served as its president,
he was responsible for overseeing operations in more
than 25 countries, including major manufacturing
sites in the United States, Switzerland, Germany and
Australia, and an extensive network of plasma collection centers throughout North America and Germany.
Prior to this, he was Executive Vice President, World-wide Commercial Operations with responsibility forall commercial and business development activitiesglobally for CSL Behring.
Mr. Perreault has also held several executive positions at
Aventis Behring, including Vice President and General
Manager of Plasma Operations at Aventis Bio-Services,
and Vice President and General Manager for Aventis Behring Hospital Products in North America and
Puerto Rico. Click on the image for audio of his keynote
address at eyeforpharma Philadelphia on May 2, 2016.


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A Tantric approach to Life Counselling and Relationship Harmony
Established in 2006
Crying tears of joy and gratitude today for the honour and privilige of teaching this amazing group of people the life changing journey of Tantra.
As a group we embodied "harmlessness" an important and essential practice to any spiritual path of transcendence. In harmlessness we own what is ours, we have the will and courage to look into the mirror and we don't harm or blame another when we see our own personality failings if someone triggers our wounds. What this creates in... a group atmosphere is unity and "loving understanding" a feeling of being seen warts and all and still be held and loved for who we are. In just five short days (and there is no such thing as time on the spiritual path) we remembered we have always been family, we are bonded together as souls of light and our earthly journey will be forever cherished in our hearts.
Thank you to all the amazing students of life who stepped up in anticipation, enthusiasm, some in fear and nervousness, only to find your courage and your strength. For tantra is a journey that lifts the veil of glamour and illusion of fear and sabotage into liberation and freedom of unconditional love.
Tantra is liberation, liberation from the human kingdom of bondage and suffering and offers a passageway into the Divine.
What I offer in my teachings is an opportunity to learn a path that I trust and know as life changing. There are many paths to the "light" some quick ones some slow ones but ultimately they all lead us "back home" to Divinity.
A special thank you to Dave for holding the space for all and supporting me in my capacity to be the best teacher I can be. Thank you to my son Kale for sharing your wisdom and meditation skills in the training, at just 20 years old, you embody more wisdom, love and harmlessness than any one I know. I love you dearly Kale, you are my son in the human world and mentor in the spiritual world. Thank you to Nicky and all the beautiful people who volunteered their time and "bodies" to give the Practitioners an opportunity to practice "in the real world" their new found skills and last but not least my trusted dear friend and Administration Manager Donna, you are the wind beneath my wings. Your help and assistance is the back bone of the Sanctuary Don and I appreciate you more than you will ever know.
So for anyone considering learning Eastern Tantra, I will be teaching another training on the 4th November in Perth, we only have 2 places remaining. I consciously choose to teach small groups to ensure maximum learning exposure and to create a deeper bond and connection with each person who trains with me.
Always In loving gratitude,
Catherine xox
4th November 2017 Accredited Practitioner Training Please click on the link here for further info


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So this happened yesterday, and I was losing my mind trying not to run to my van to get the Omni. I only swam due to my back injury, but I still aggravated my back a little swimming. I lost myself for an afternoon in the Ocean, and it was the best I've felt since I've stopped to rest. Just to be in the Ocean again was a Magical Experience!
Thank God for photography, I don't know how well I would do if I couldn't stay immersed in and connected to the Ocean. Stay Stoked!
I had a Chiro appt this morning and he said I'm still making progress but will need more work. I called to ask them about the swim yesterday and the whole office listened to the message. I was Frothing like a Grom hooting and stammering into the answer machine as I watched these Dreamy lines filter in. They where all laughing about the message this morning and asked if I had pictures. I showed them the water shots and they where all digging them. Pretty Stoked on that!
I can't wait to surf the Omni again! These waves where sooooo Beautiful!
Positive Vibes and Healing Energy, Much Love from Florida!
Super Stoked,


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Let me start off by saying, I'm not a professional photographer (Note: Professional photographers: LOOK.AWAY!), but what I am is a mom who loves capturing happy, momentous, goofy, serious, fun, cute, beautiful memories of her children, as I think we all do! But I think that because digital memories are so easily made, we sometimes just shoot from the hip and take our pictures for granted. What we are often left with is a hard drive of photos that are, as the kids say, "Meh."
While taking pictures "because you can" is fun and has its place, wouldn't it also be fantastic if you could capture moments on the camera that make people go, "Wow," and that you will want to keep in a photo album or put up on the wall? You will also be giving your children a great gift of beautiful memories that they can cherish forever!
When we first started our (then) little family, my husband was the sole photographer. He had been given a camera by my grandmother, and he read books (you know, the kind made with paper) about photography, and learned all the ins and outs of professional photography. He even won an international photography contest way back when. Impressive, I know. It's great having a photographer for a husband, and I'm so glad we have such lovely pictures from when the big kids were the little kids. But here's the thing: Like most dads, he works a lot of the time, and there were so many moments that I wanted to share with him, so I started asking him questions about cameras and photography, observing, and even reading up on my own, so that I could capture memories as well.
I'm still an amateur, but I think photography is officially my favorite hobby now. I have been inspired by incredible mom photographers such as Katherine Heise and Niki Boon , and learned a lot, mostly by just taking a heap of photos, aka, trial and error. Speaking of inspiration and beginner's tutorials, you'll find plenty of that over at Clickin' Moms.
Some friends have seen some of my photos that I've taken of my kids and said that I should write a tutorial, so I figured, well, why not? Whatever I say should be very easily understood since I speak "mom" and not "photographer." I don't use reflectors, lights, or even a flash. I have a fairly good camera and 2 lenses.
Today we're just going to talk about "point and shoot" photography, and I'm not going to use any fancy photography jargon like "aperture," "depth of field," "shutter speed," "ISO," etc. (Note: If you want to really improve your photography, you should totally learn about all that eventually. Don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds! Here's a fantastic article on DSLR guide for beginners, as well as an awesome CHEAT SHEET if you want to take a peek.)
Seriously though, when you've got kids running and jumping around, usually the best thing to do is just put your camera on automatic , get in position, and shoot a bunch of pictures! Hopefully one or two will turn out. When taking pictures of kids especially, the more the better. Hooray for the digital age!
Before we start talking photography, let's get one thing out of the way. If you truly want to take better pictures of your kids, you kind of need to get a good camera and lens (es). True, you don't have to have the best of the best to take great pictures, but a good camera makes a WORLD of difference. Even if you have a phone camera, it still needs to be a fairly good one, otherwise there really is no way that you're going to get the look, crisp focus, depth of field, mood lighting and vibrant coloring that you see in other pictures that make you look twice. Here's a great article on how to choose a DSLR camera for beginners.
Side note: What if you can't get your hands on a good camera right away? I've actually taken some fairly decent shots with some not-so-fabulous cameras, namely, phone cameras. If that's what you've got, then by all means, use it! There are a few things you can do that will make your pictures better a) Make sure there is plenty of light b) Get in closer c) Try to avoid strong light from behind Here are a few examples of pictures that I took with my phone camera.1. Use natural light. Nothing inspires me to pull out the camera like gorgeous light. I love natural light–and I especially love what photographers refer to as the "golden hour." It's the hour of golden light, which is approximately an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. If you can plan on a photo shoot outdoors, this is generally the best time to do it. Check out this article for a more thorough explanation and tips for shooting during the golden hour.
Here are some examples of pictures taken during the "GOLDEN HOURS"
Here's an example of a picture where I couldn't escape the direct sunlight, but thankfully the sun was behind them and they are looking away from the camera, so it actually has a pretty nice effect. In essence, they are shading their own faces.
If you can find even shade, such as under a tree, this is a lovely option for natural light as well.
P.S. If you've got enough light and your picture is in focus, turn off the flash! A picture without the harsh light of a flash is much softer and the colors are richer and less washed out.
Something I've been experimenting with more is using shadows in my pictures. It can have a pretty neat effect, I think.
2.Get down on their level. Many times we're in a bit of a rush and just take photos from where we are, even if we're standing far away and the child is on the floor. This dwarfs the child and makes them look a bit distorted. Get down on their level. This makes you feel like you are there in the picture with the child and is much more personal and engaging .
Move around! I've taken pictures lying down on the floor, standing up on a couch, squatting, hanging out a window–anything to get the right light and angle. Sure, people might look at you sideways (literally!) but you're the one who's going to get that amazing photo and you will know that it was worth it! If there are too many shadows, or something is in the way, don't be afraid to change positions.
3.Get up close I personally love taking focused pictures of my kids' faces, hands, feet, etc. You get to zoom in on details and it gives you insight into their minds and character that I just absolutely adore! Unless the surroundings are part of the art, they can be distracting and take away from the subject, so cut out all that noise, and get right in their faces.
4.Try a different angle. Sometimes looking at things from a different perspective gives it a whole new feel. Be original. Try something different! From the side? Up above? Down below? You never know! 😉 (Yes, I've been told I have cheesy humor. Isn't it grate? :-))))
5.Use props and actions. Kids love dress up, and they love DOING stuff, not just sitting and smiling at you like a frog on a log. Try giving them some props or new toys to play with and just let the magic happen.
Here are a few ideas: Playing with balloons, throwing streamers, twirling with scarves, holding stuffed animals (or real pets if you're brave!), jumping, bubbles, hats, playing with or in water, running, at the park, holding flowers, telling each other jokes, using umbrellas, dolls…so many ideas!
6.Don't say cheese! Looking at the camera and smiling is fine for family portraits, but for capturing real life and candid shots, let your children be free to look and play naturally. Let their own energy and personality shine. Sometimes I will sit them by a window with their toys or books, or ask them to move facing the light, etc., but then I will let them play as they normally would and I will be the one that follows their movements, not the other way around.Be silly and let them be silly. Photographing children laughing and having fun is magnificent!Conversely, if they want to be serious, let them be serious. Some of my best photos are the ones of my children deep in thought.
7.Learn about composition One of the biggest mistakes people make when taking pictures is leaving too much extra space around the subject, and consequently the photo looks boring or vague. The viewer doesn't really know what to look at, or it's too far away to see anything clearly. Sometimes you just can't get in close enough, in which case, you can take to photo editing to crop your picture to the desired size.In photography, like anything else, there are general guidelines. One of the most well known is the rule of thirds. I'm no pro, but here's something that makes sense to me: If the subject is not in the middle of the frame, try to place it (generally speaking) somewhere near one of the 4 corners of your photo frame. Here's a fantastic article explaining the rule of thirds in layman's terms, and here's another article that talks more in depth about the general composition guidelines for photographers and artists alike.
When studying photography composition, one thing I like to do is look at professional photos and really analyze what it is I like about it. What is the subject? Where is it placed? Where is my eye drawn? Sometimes I will take a few shots of the same thing using different compositions and then ask my husband which one he likes best and why. Practice, analyze, get better. That's my modus operandi.
8.Be aware of your background. It's easy to focus on your subject and forget about the background. Many a picture has been ruined by what appears to be a tree coming out of someone's head, an unsightly garbage can or an untimely photobomber, etc. While we CAN edit some of these things out (usually with a bit of difficulty) sometimes just being aware of the background and moving slightly can improve the photo dramatically.
Here's a good example of a BAD example 😉9.Use natural framing Look for natural and interesting ways to frame your picture–a doorway, window, an overhanging branch, even hands or arms around a face or each other can make for a fun frame.
10.Post edit I know a lot of people say that modern pictures are ruined by too much editing and that it takes away from the natural feel, etc. What I say is, you can never capture 100% of the raw beauty that you see with your naked eye onto a small, rectangular-shaped flat piece of paper/screen, so if you can fix that up afterwards, go for it! Also, photography to me is like art, and we know that artists use rough drafts, erasers, they sometimes paint over their pictures again and again until they get it just right. As with everything in life, just find a good balance.
The best FREE online photo editing program I've found is PicMonkey. I edited these photos in the free version. They also have tons of tutorials for beginners. Picmonkey is very user friendly and easy for a beginner with no editing experience whatsoever. Always remember, especially when taking pictures of children, be patient, give it time, and take plenty of pictures! I don't always take pictures of my kids, but when I do, I take over a thousand in one day! Heh heh.
Getting good pictures of your kids will take time, patience, and it will take many pictures before you get one that is good enough to put up on the wall.
If your camera has the option, you might want to try "continuous shooting" mode so that you can just click away and choose the best one out of the bunch.
Have fun, take a lot of pictures, and you will get better and better with each shot!


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Hoover Athletics is launching at Hoover Bucs store. You can go here to get tons of Hoover Gear. Please visit https://goo.gl/Meih1V Coupon gives you 20% off any order over $100 through 11:59pm on 8/26/17.
Multiple Teams · Hoover High School Varsity Softball beat Fort Payne High School 9-7
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 5:00 PM Fort Payne High School AWAY 7 Hoover High School HOME 9 Game Recap Hoover Varsity got out to a seven-run lead in the sixth inning and held on for a 9-7 victory over Fort Payne on Wednesday. Hoover Varsity grabbed an early lead. Hoover Varsity scored on a double
Multiple Teams · Hoover High School Varsity Softball beat Central Phenix City 11-1
Thursday, April 20, 2017 5:00 PM Central Phenix City AWAY 1 Hoover High School HOME 11 Game Recap 4-Hit Day For Tissier Leads Hoover Varsity Past Central Phenix Four hits from Abby Tissier helped lead Hoover Varsity past Central Phenix 11-1 on Thursday. Tissier singled in the first, doubled in the second, doubled in the
Multiple Teams · JV Recap
Hoover JV went 3-0 this last week and will finish the season next Thursday on the road at Sumiton Christian. The team currently sits at 23-10-1. Below is the recap from last week. 04.11: Hoover JV Takes Some Time To Pull Away From Hayden Hoover JV had trouble putting away Hayden on Tuesday, but eventually Hoover
Multiple Teams · Hoover High School Varsity Softball beat Oakland High School 5-4
Friday, April 14, 2017 12:00 AM Oakland High School AWAY 4 Hoover High School HOME 5 Game Recap Hoover Varsity Holds Off Oakland For Ravenwood Tournament Championship Hoover held on for a 5-4 victory over Oakland on Saturday in the championship game. Madeline Harris earned the win for Hoover Varsity. She pitched three innings, giving
Multiple Teams · Hoover High School Varsity Softball beat Vestavia 6-5
Wednesday, April 12, 2017 4:30 PM Vestavia AWAY 5 Hoover High School HOME 6 Game Recap Hoover Varsity Holds Off Vestavia Hills For Victory Hoover Varsity built a four-run lead in the fourth inning and then held off Vestavia Hills's charge for a 6-5 victory on Wednesday. Vestavia Hills scored three runs in the failed


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I recently acquired a Focus 727/747. The condition is fairly good. What's peculiar however is that the date label reads 19.3.1976!!! Is that even possible?
I was under impression that the earliest blue Alps were not even made until the early 80s. There are no other date markings on any other components. The back label sticker is no longer present.
Odd date label on a Focus 727/747
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First unread post • 3 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Blue, Neon Green, Striped Amber, Cream Alps, Topre
- Main mouse: Logitech
- Favorite switch: Alps, Topre
- DT Pro Member: -
The date label here is using the Taiwanese date system, which why it seems so strange. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_ ... a_calendar
It would appear that this is from 1987 going by the table on the wiki page. That fits far better.
It would appear that this is from 1987 going by the table on the wiki page. That fits far better.
- User101
- Location: South California
- Main keyboard: IBM 3278
- Main mouse: Kensington pro trackball
- Favorite switch: BeamSpring
- DT Pro Member: -
Think of it this way, the IBM AT is almost ten years away in 76, so theres absolutely no chance of this being made in 76. They just have a different year system, I think the Japanese have one too.
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3 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Create Your Dreams Workshop is an interactive, reflective workshop with writing exercises and step-by-step techniques to help you "get out of your own way" and manifest your deepest desires. This workshop is based on the Law of Attraction and spiritual principles of manifestation.
Here's what you will learn in this insightful workshop:
- Identify your deepest desires and goals
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FACILITATOR Nicole Maxali is an international motivational speaker, actor, producer, and a personal growth mentor. Nicole's incredible life story and experiences reflect the power of using manifestation to turn dreams into reality!
Click Here to Watch the Facebook Live Interview with Rev. Marquita
1. Thursday, August 1 from 7:00-9:00 PM
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Cost: $20 in advance, $25 day of the event
(Click Register Button to Sign Up)
Contact CSLSN by phone at 702-485-5050, or Email Nicole: email@example.com


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Before our first granddaughter was born, my husband and I contemplated what we wanted her to call us. His choice was "Poppy", which is what he called his own grandfather. I called my grandmothers "Grandma", differentiated by their first names, Grandma Manya and Grandma Marian. But the name "Grandma" made me feel old, so I decided that Molly would call me "Grammy". We would be Grammy and Poppy.
However, as has proved true over the years, Molly had her own idea. Somehow Grammy and Poppy became Abby and Bob.
To me, it sounds like a comedy team. In some ways, being a grandparent is a little like being part of a comedy act. We often work together to make our granddaughters laugh and smile. Bah-da-da-bum.
The first time I was really aware of it was a day when my husband and I were at the playground with Molly. She was probably about one and a half years old then. My husband had gone to the car to get the sand toys and Molly called to him.
She said, "Bob! Bob!"
Another grandma, who was standing near to me, gave me a funny look, as if to say, "You let your little granddaughter call her grandfather by his first name?"
So I said to her, "Oh, his name isn't actually Bob."
Which made absolutely no sense.
Over the years, Molly has begun calling my husband Poppy, except when she is referring to both of us. Then we still are AbbyBob. The day we babysit each week is AbbyBob Day. And I had to laugh when we took her to her swimming lesson and she pointed us out to the teacher saying, "There's AbbyBob." I don't think the swim teacher had any idea what Molly was talking about.
But I'm still Abby. I kind of like it. It's unique. I don't know if it will last, though. Our giggly little Hannah is fifteen months old now, and may have her own name ideas. Whatever it is, I hope the comedy act continues.


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Dr. Jill Smith is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine in the Gastroenterology Division of the Department of Medicine, Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University. Over the course of her twenty two years at Penn State University she has mentored thirty eight post-doctoral fellows and students, thereby ensuring continuing excellence in medicine for future generations. Simultaneously, in her role as Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology she has taught and conducted basic science research in the graduate school. As a physician, she also treats patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
Dr. Smith has a long track record of conducting pre-clinical scientific research and translational clinical trials in patients with a focus on disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. For over two decades, she has conducted industry-sponsored trials and investigator-initiated research involving inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Smith was the first ever researcher to carry out a clinical trial of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). The results of the successful trial in patients suffering from Crohn's disease has spearheaded ongoing clinical trials by other researchers at several institutions worldwide.
Dr. Smith was elected as the first woman President of the American Pancreas Association. For three years, she served as the Chairman of the American Gastroenterology Association's Research Committee and she currently serves on National Institutes of Health review panels for research grants. Dr. Smith has chaired a National Cancer Institute workshop on pancreatic cancer and her expertise in pancreatic cancer and translational research has made her a sought-after international speaker in these fields.
To view her bio, click on Dr. Jill P. Smith's profile
To view her published articles, click on Dr. Jill P. Smith's Work


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6 eggs-cellent egg facts
Eggs are brilliant for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even make for a quick, hearty snack. Plus, they can be enjoyed a variety of different ways and can easily bulk up family meals.
Whether you prefer your eggs scrambled, fried, poached, boiled, these round and inexpensive protein-packed delights seem to be one of the most versatile and needed ingredient in the kitchen.
But it also turns out that eggs are quite interesting in their own right…
In this clever page from our 30 Minute Meals Cookbook, these fascinating egg facts are certainaly ones to remember.
So if you now feel like an egg eggs-pert we don't blame you.
Have a look at these awesome family-friendly egg recipes below to try.
Easy egg recipes to try
*DISCLAIMER – Australian Eggs is a contributing recipe Partner at myfoodbook.com.au. This feature includes a mix of content sourced from Australian Eggs and our own opinions. Find more about Australian Eggs.


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This blog has moved to http://multiculturalmelbourne.com/
"And now, for the theme ingredient on which our chefs will offer their succulent variations... BUTTERNUT!!!!!!!!!!"
And thus began my very own "battle" in "kitchen stadium," AKA, cooking dinner on an otherwise uneventful Friday night.
Allow me to backtrack a little... 20 months ago, I had surgery to repair and remove some torn cartilage from my hip, which I damaged while training for taekwondo. I was stuck on the couch for the first week post-surgery, having been told to just sit still and heal. Easier said than done for a girl with the attention span of a gold fish. So, I began my couch-bound first week of recovery, and started channel surfing my way through Foxtel, to land upon a show entitled "Iron Chef." I like cooking, this sounds ok. I watched battle... actually, I can't for the life of me remember, it was some type of fish... anyway, I watched it, I loved it, and from then on, no one was allowed to speak to me from 12 - 1pm while it was on for the rest of the week. Fast forward 20 months, and not only am I still hooked, I also have Sous-Jeff sucked into the show's theatrics and deliciousness too! That's also where his nickname, Sous-Jeff, originated from. He loves nothing more than the watch the orange Croc-clad Mario Batali battle it out beneath the chairman's watchful eyes and amusing comments. And so, after a trip to the Queen Vic market, it was decided that our humble little kitchen would transform into Kitchen Stadium for a night, and I would be given as much time as I wanted to create three dishes (luckily Chairman Sous-Jeff decided that without an actual sous chef, five dishes and a time limit may be a little extreme), and butternut pumpkin would be my secret ingredient. Fortunately, this was revealed while we were still at the market, enabling me to pick up some more special ingredients as we went. And with that, my three dishes were produced, as follows...
ENTREE: Butternut Pumpkin Soup
For the soup, I quickly read a recipe that I had in a Donna Hay cookbook, then mostly made it up as I went...
I cut the butternut in half and scooped out the seeds, put the halves cut side up with a few small onions on an oven tray and drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled a bit of sea salt. Into the oven until they were soft - this was around an hour on about 180°C.
Out of the oven they came, and I scooped most of the flesh out of the pumpkin, leaving enough in there to create a "bowl" - I needed a bit of "wow" factor to score points for plating and creativity, after all!
Into the blender went the roasted butternut and the onions (I just squeezed the flesh out of the skins)...
... and I just blended them until they were well combined and thick and smooth.
Here's where the Donna Hay "Fast, Fresh and Simple" inspiration came in... I added about a cup of pouring cream and about a quarter cup of honey to the mixture, and put it all in a pot over medium/low heat, stirring it continuously as it all combined and warmed up.
And here was the result of my first Iron Chef course!
Aaaaand here's what was left of Sous-Jeff's "bowl" after he decided to start eating it, too! I certainly achieved the shock factor I was after, with my adoring husband hailing me as his favourite chef ever! I was chuffed, and steamed back into the kitchen, head held high, ready to plate up the entree!
Taste: 9 /10
Plating: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
MAIN: Butternut Pumpkin Stuffed Pasta
For my main, I couldn't go past a pasta, stuffed with pumpkin, sage, ricotta and some sort of meat. It's not tooooo heavy, but just filling enough to be an actual main dish. And although I'd never made proper, filled pasta from scratch on my own, I was ready and willing to give it a try!
First up, I diced the butternut into tiny, little, 1cm cubes, and roasted them in the oven drizzled with olive oil, salt and sage.
Next, I heated some oil in a fry pan, added some garlic and some sausage mince. I thought sausage mince would be a good option as it's not too chunky, so it wouldn't take away from the butternut, which was meant to be the star of the dish.
Then, in with the pumpkin...
... out of the pan, and in with the ricotta, mixing it all together.
Pasta dough next - just a super basic (but effective) flour-and-egg dough, made and left to sit in plastic wrap for an hour or so.
I rolled it out in my little pasta machine, into long strips (with a bit of help from Sous-Jeff!)...
And made tablespoon sized balls of mixture to place in intervals along the pasta strip.
I "painted" around the edges with some egg wash, and placed the other strip on top, pressing down firmly. Unfortunately, there was still a bit of air bubble action going on, but hey, live and learn!
They went into a pot of boiling water for around 3 minutes...
... then went onto a hot pan with some butter and sage leaves, to crisp up a little around the edges.
And here's what ended up on the plate!
The pumpking and sage really stood out and complemented each other perfectly, with the ricotta and sausage working in beautifully. The pasta, while it didn't look amazing or was put together perfectly, did taste great and soft. The recipe itself is (for me,) perfect as is, I just need to work on stuffing the pasta a bit better!
Sous-Jeff's absolutely favourite meal that I make is pan fried butter and sage gnocchi, so I thought I'd be on a winner here, and I was. He really loved the extra little bit of crispness that was added, and the soft pasta dough beneath that crisp shell.
Taste: 7/10
Plating: 3.5/5
Originality: 3.5/5
DESSERT: Butternut Pumpkin Pie
You just can't go wrong with pie, really. I've never made it before, never had any inclination to either, to be honest. But as soon as Sous-Jeff revealed my secret ingredient, I straight away thought of pumpkin pie as my dessert. I couldn't really find a recipe I liked, so as usual, I kind of just made it up as I went along.
First, my easy pie pastry - around about a cup and a half of plain flour, plus around 80g of butter (rub together to make little crumbs), then 2 tablespoons of ice cold water. Mix it together, wrap it up in plastic wrap, and let it sit in the fridge for at least half an hour.
For the filling, I roasted some more pumpkin (no oil or salt, just plain), and scooped out the flesh and put it in the blender, with about half a cup of cream, a quarter cup of brown sugar, an egg, and I blended it till it looked like this:
I also decided caramelised pecans were in order to really make this desserty, so I put about 50g of pecans and 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar in a pot, with a splash of water, and cooked them (stirring continuously) on medium heat for 5 minutes or so.
The pie shells were blind baked for about 10 minutes, then the filling went in...
... and they were baked for another 30 minutes or so, until the top of the pie was firm to touch.
We were getting pretty full by this point, so we decided to share one little pie for dessert instead of eating one each, as we a) wouldn't be sick, and b) we'd have another one for the next night.
It was creamy and smooth, with perfectly buttery, browned pastry, and the fantastic sweetness and crunch of the caramelised pecans. I was pretty impressed with myself actually, can't believe I actually made a pie from a vegetable with success! As for Sous-Jeff's verdict? You remember that other pie we were saving for tomorrow? Yeah, that got eaten less than 30 minutes later...
Taste: 7/10
Plating: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
With a total score of 44 of a possible 60, I was pretty happy with my efforts, especially considering they were all dishes I'd never attempted before! Can't wait for my next Iron Chef challenge :)
Over to you lovely people: ever tried your own version of something you've seen on TV?! How'd it go?!


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The policy summary (formally known as a Insurance Product Information Document) is a digestible summary of the policy wording. Over a couple of pages it explains in plain English the coverage you get. Take a look at our summaries below:
- Commercial policy summary
- Trainee policy summary
- Recreational policy summary
Fly Unlimited
- Fly Unlimited policy summary
Have a question?
If you want to talk through anything about our policies, just get in touch! You can chat to us by clicking on the yellow circle on the right-hand corner of this page, or by giving us a call on 01234 480260.


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The Uganda Diaspora and other civic society organisations in Netherlands are organising an "International Conference on Uganda" scheduled from 23rd- 26th February 2017 in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The three days' convention aims at arriving at a consensus on the roadmap for a; United, Decisive Constitutional Reforms, Electoral Reforms, the Peaceful transition of power in Uganda, and vulnerable minorities.
The three days' convention will bring together stakeholders in the political, social and economic development of Uganda e.g. but not limited to members of the ruling government party, opposition leaders, Members of Parliament (MPs), Representative from Uganda's: Judiciary, Civic Society Organizations (CSOs), Religious Leaders, Cultural Leaders who form the nexus of Uganda's peace, stability and development.
In addition, we have invited distinguished international, local and Diaspora based pro-democracy and pro-human rights intelligentsia as well as a representative from International Criminal Court (ICC) European Union (EU) the Dutch government. and Uganda's strategic development partners.
Under the Conference theme the following shall be the main areas of discussion:
a. The Role and Unity of the pro-democracy and good governance activists (tools of change – drivers of change)
b. Consensus on the benchmarks for sustainable political stability and democracy.
c. Consensus on whether Uganda is a democracy or the country needs political reforms and free and fair elections
d. The Role of Uganda Diaspora Uganda's in the Political, social and economic development of Uganda Diaspora in the development of democracy and good governance in Uganda with particular emphasis on the Uganda Diaspora Right to vote and direct representatives in the Uganda Parliament.
e. The Ruwenzori Crisis; focusing on prevention of genocide, military conflicts and demilitarising Uganda's politics once and for all.
f. Uganda's strategic role to stability in the Great Lakes and IGAAD and Great Regions.
g. The human rights situation in Uganda with particular emphasis on the right to choose leaders in free and fair elections, freedom of assembly and demonstration.
h. Good governance. Zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of public resources and affairs, a sound and steady economic growth with clear agenda.
Your knowledge, experience and expertise in one of the discussions prescribed above will add great value to the objectives of the issue and results convention!
You are free to mention or name which topic in relation to the theme you will prefer to discuss and how much time your presentation take.
We look forward to your confirmation of participation and guidance.
Our obligations:
Ø Issuing invitation letters to the delegates.
Ø Coordinating Transportation from the airport to the hotel and the conference venue.
Ø Arranging for your accommodation at a fee while in the Netherlands.
Ø Meals & refreshments at the conference venue.
Your obligations;
Ø Remit $ 100 administration fees
Ø Paying for the Visa application fee
Ø Processing your visas
Ø Meeting the cost of air ticket and health insurance while in the Netherlands
Jackie Oloya
The organising committee
The international Convention of Ugandans 23rd- 26th February 2017
Attached is the Convention project overview


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1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
We've been jamming and taking things kind of slow.
2.You have a new album coming out in 2018, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Soundwise the album is more melancholic than our previous release and has more of a bitter touch to it.
We've also tried to mix things up a bit, but still staying heavy and repetative.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
We learn from history that we never learn from history"
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Throneless'?
There isn't a throne.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance/
We often fuse our songs together as one long ongoing piece when we play live. This way the audience gets a chance to really sink into the music.
Usually the soundguy working at gigs goes " No way! Turn it down now! This isn't possible!" However, when we played in Berlin the soundguy went "JAAAA!". That night was one of our best ones for sure.
Also playing Rome (Heavy Psych Fest) and Babel (in our hometown Malmoe) with Conan was a great experience.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We've got a setlist ready and should be back on the road soon.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner, sludge and doom metal?
It's been overwhelming! The response has been really good. We're truly grateful that people listen to our music and we enjoy playing it.
8.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Johan and Johan are currently working on a new project with guitarplayer Magnus (Satanic Surfers) and Mona (Vile Act) on Bass. Johan Burman also plays drums in the melodic Death/Black band Oberion.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Heavier and slower.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening t nowadays?
Electric Wizard's "Dopethrone" has definitely scarred us all, that's pretty much the start for us.
In Malmoe, we have a good Hardcore/Punk scene that's been giving us alot of great inspiring shows to attend.
Bandwise we also want to mention Hårda Tider and Suma from Malmoe. Boris and Entombed have also been important for all of us.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We've know eachother for years before starting to play music together, all through skateboarding.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We like to express our gratitude to the people in Malmoe that's helped us from the start.
Now we begin a new chapter in our career. That wouldn't be possible without Jon Davis and Black Bow Rercords.
We're excited and grateful over the oppertunity to work with Jon and the crew at BB.
Last and certainly not least, we want to thank all the people that's been supporting us and heavy music!