text:
I talk to numerous vapers who have only recently made the switch from smoking to vaping and It's normal to feel overwhelmed as a first-time vaper. Like all things, it's a learning curve but you shouldn't let this deter you and if you stick with it until you find the perfect setup then you'll be able to say goodbye to smoking forever.
1. Do Your Research
If you're just about to start vaping then it's good to do some research before you buy. There are lots of e cigarettes on the market and it's important you buy on that's right for you. It's a good idea to start your journey into vaping with a starter kit because it has all the components you need to start vaping out of the box. When you are familiar with all the components you can then look at maybe upgrading the tank or the mod for the next purchase you make.
2. Juice Top Tips
Did you know you should shake your e-liquid before each use? This helps ensure that the PG/VG mixture and the nicotine are properly mixed, that way you are always sure to get a quality vape. It's also vital to store e liquid away from direct sunlight. If e liquid is exposed to direct sunlight, it can decrease the intensity of the nicotine, which is not a good thing for new vapers who generally have their nicotine content higher. Some vapers also say It's good to let your e liquid breathe (like a fine wine) if it's too intense, but leaving the bottle open for extended periods of time can reduce the flavour. I would recommend that you don't leave the bottle open for more than 30 minutes for the full effect without loss of flavour.
3. Buy a Backup Battery
Always be sure to have a backup battery. I often find that vaping newbies buy the lowest cost setup they can find. This is understandable, I'm not disputing it, but the problem this can cause is that cheap batteries often don't last a full day. If you're a heavy vaper, a cheap battery might only get you through half the day. So, I would strongly recommend either purchasing a better battery or buying yourself a backup so you are never caught short.
4. Care for Your E Cig
Caring for your e cigarette can make it last for a long time. Although e-cigarettes are durable, like any other electronic device, they are vulnerable. If you don't take proper care of your vaporiser, or knock it around a lot, the internal parts can become broken. Always keep your e cig away from water and moisture and don't forget to clean the connection where your tank and vaporiser attach for the ultimate vaping experience (a dirty connection can reduce performance). A lot of the complaints we get about mods or e cigarettes being faulty are generally down to misuse.
5. Be Respectful of Others
When you first start vaping, it can be easy to forget that a lot people don't understand vaping and some don't agree with it. I always remind my customers to be respectful to everyone around them when vaping. Although e cigarettes aren't banned in many indoor places, it is good to be aware of the people around you, many of whom may not like vaping. Just be respectful of those around you, don't blow vapour into peoples' faces, don't vape in a public place if it is making people notably uncomfortable and ask permission before vaping in someone's house. It's all common sense, really, but the excitement of switching to vaping can cause people to forget themselves.
Final Words
Here at Smokshop, we're passionate about vaping and I personally love it when new vapers come into our shops. It gives us a chance to share our love for vaping, to teach and inform people, and to answer any questions newbies have. If you are thinking of giving vaping a go, leave me a comment below and feel free to ask any questions. I'll be more than happy to answer them, as after all, I was a newbie once myself!


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April 09, 2014
Horror (How to Create)
38 comments:
I used to love to read horror and watch scary movies. That ended when I had children and had to be the brave one. I'm sure I couldn't write it but your tips sound right on. Let's not even think about spiders.ReplyDelete
Nice! I would add, stretch the tension. That moment when they can hear something scraping through the blackened hallway toward them, make it last as long as possible, allowing the characters to marinade in their own fears which may be worse than the reality.ReplyDeleteReplies
Nice addition, Crystal! Tension is a great tool for horror.Delete
I particularly enjoy reading about the "silence" - maybe a clock ticking, pulse thumping (while awaiting), a drop of sweat hitting the floor. Even though it wasn't a horror movie, I loved Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and how Jimmy Stewart was terrified.Delete
Oh, the silence a writer can create for a scene is always really good. Thank you for mentioning that, Mike! :)Delete
Great post Chrys! Reading when the characters are going through these emotion if done properly- is spine chilling!ReplyDelete
Great reminder you have here to add this element into any story, no matter the genre. It's "spice" to be sprinkled for an unexpected punch.ReplyDelete
*wanders off to create some creepy fog and sighs in the dark*
I've not yet attempted horror, so your list is educational for me. While I love stories of witches, am a closet lover of Supernatural and other assorted spooky tales, I don't go in for the really dark stuff with excess blood and guts (coward). But I have recently written a story that dabbles in witchcraft, but it's a funny story. No one turns into a toad.ReplyDelete
Horror is difficult to write well and obviously even harder to film well. John Carpenter's The Thing is one of my favorite.ReplyDelete
Now I'm off to create a story about clown snakes who spit blood and invade a hospital...
Horror is hard to write comedy, but I think those will help add a bit of tension to any story!ReplyDelete
Chrys, I am very passionate about the horror genre but the terror it causes within as I am writing it leads me to only add in elements of horror, dwelling instead more in the land of the supernatural. I am a big fan of Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Stephen King and lately I have been loving Edgar Allan Poe's work. Joyce Carol Oates gets into some very spine-chilling territory at times as well.ReplyDelete
You give good advice to aspiring writers. They must love getting tips from your blog. I am not a writer but I surely admire those of you who are.ReplyDelete
Thanks for dropping by my blog today. It is very nice to meet you.
Some good tips indeed, getting into people heads can be the best part. It is hard to write thoughReplyDelete
I've not attempted to write horror--yet.ReplyDelete
Ray Bradbury wrote a few scary stories that had me turn on all the lights at night.
Horror is what I write…I started out with psychological suspense but it kept getting darker.ReplyDelete
Favorite scary movie: The Sixth Sense, because it was brilliant. Also liked that I cared about the characters. The first time I saw the big reveal, I was devastated. Never saw it coming.
Favorite scary book: Bag of Bones by Stephen King, along with about 20 others of his. :)
I haven't written horror but will try a mystery one day. Horror films used to scare the daylights out of me but my sisters and I couldn't help watching on ~ The Evil Dead, Prom Night (or Prom Queen ~ Carrie, I think), Freddy Kreuger films etc.ReplyDelete
I know Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes scared-thrilled me. I was so in awe of his imagination.
I've written horror short stories, but not sure I could do longer than that. Having to live and breathe something scary for months doesn't sound too fun, haha.ReplyDelete
My favourite horror story is The Woman In Black, by Susan Hill - chilling in all its forms. And yes, I've written several short horror stories and am currently serialising a ghost story on my blog for the A to Z. It's not a genre I'm that familiar with, I always swayed more towards paranormal than horror, but I enjoyed writing my ghost story, The Burning Web :)ReplyDelete
Thanks for the tips - I'm especially with you on that last watching and reading horror stories - I love a good scare :)
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z Ghosts
Fantasy Boys XXX - A to Z DrabbleroticReplies
I've been intrigued by The Woman in Black, but I just haven't picked it up yet. Maybe this year, in October, I'll check it out at the library and give myself a good scare. ;) I've written a short story as well but it's not scary at all. hahaDelete
You're welcome, Sophie! Thank you for commenting! :)
Hmm, favourite horror, that's hard, I love so many. For scares I think it has to be Juon - The Gruge, original Japanese version. My husband and I sat curled up on the sofa watching that scared out of our wits :). I love to write horror (short stories only so far) and your point about thinking about what scares you is such a good one. That's what I try to do when I want to freak people out.ReplyDelete
Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)
The only time I've tried writing horror was for an assignment - we had to write something in traditional ghost story style. It was a lot of fun - I'll definitely be trying it again with your tips, thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Horror is the one area where I've always had trouble. I'm definitely going to save this and try out these tips. Thanks!ReplyDelete
Random Musings from the KristenHead — H is for Hearts and Handmade
New comments are not allowed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
How to Prevent Mold In Carpets
When you think of mold, you probably think of spots on bathroom ceilings, behind toilets, or on your sandwich bread. However, more often than not, mold can find it's way into water damaged carpets. It can be difficult to know if you have mold in your carpets because typically it attaches to the carpet pad or underneath the fibers. If you have mold on your carpets, you will probably become aware of it from the smell or if you are experiencing frequent headaches or respiratory issues. If you have water damaged carpets in Shelton, contact PCS of Southern Connecticut right away to determine what your options are. If you have had excess amounts of water in your home recently, here are some ways to prevent mold from attacking your carpets.
Remove Water
The very first thing you want to do when you have a leaky roof or a burst pipe is to remove all the excess water. If you have more extensively water damaged carpets from a flood or a heavy leak, you will want to contact a water damage restoration company as soon as possible to remove the excess water. For very small spills, you will be able to use a towel to dry up what you can.
The next thing you will need to do when all the excess water has been removed is to dry the area thoroughly. You will need to use fans and open windows if available. The more ventilation the better. If you have a dehumidifier, this is one of the best options available. Most people don't have commercial fans or dehumidifiers and you should contact a water damage company if you don't because this is a crucial step in cleaning your water damaged carpets. It is very easy for moisture to become locked under layers of carpeting and not become dried completely. This can be a big problem because mold can grow basically anywhere that has moisture. A water damage restoration company has tools to find moisture through infrared tools and will be able to ensure that the area is completely dried.
Have A Professional Clean
You may think that it is weird to have a professional clean your carpets when you just barely dried them all. However, if you have had a leak from a pipe that didn't have clean water or if your water came from any dirty source, then you may have staining or other bacterial hazards in your carpet. Having your carpets cleaned and sanitized will put you at ease that you don't have anything gross growing in your carpet fibers.
Cleaning up after a water damage incident can be a huge hassle. Many times the job will require tools and technology that you don't have. To make sure you have the cleanest carpet possible after an event like this, hire a professional to clean your water damaged carpets today, even if it's been a long time since you had the water damage.


text:
Valerie Byron
© Copyright 2010 by Valerie
2010 General Nonfiction Winner
Photo by The BlackRabbit on Unsplash
"Mr Wrong" is my own true experience of trying to find love on the Internet. As an older woman (66), it was not easy being deserted by my husband of thirty years, and trying to find a true and lasting relationship. This story tells of one brief relationship I "endured" before finding real love, ironically with a man twenty-five years my junior.
The phone rang at 8 am, waking me from a sound sleep.
"Hi, sexy baby" came the deep, thrilling tones from the voice on the other end of the line.
I stretched out, smiling, loving the sound of intimacy and suggestion in his voice.
"I love you, baby," he went on.
"I think about you day and night, and can't wait to see you."
Jerry and I had been communicating by telephone and emails for over a month. We'd met on-line and although he lived in Denver, miles away from Los Angeles, we felt that it was a manageable relationship and could possibly lead to permanence.
Jerry called me several times a day, and I loved hearing his voice. He made me feel as if I were the most important woman in the world. We seemed to get along perfectly, except for our political views. He was a die-hard Democrat, whereas I am more conservative. We had had a few hearty debates over the phone about his politics, some even leading to tears on my part.
"Oh well", I thought, you can't have everything. "Maybe I can learn something from him."
"So when are you coming?" he asked.
"I can be there this weekend – my son gave me a free pass, so I'll arrive on Friday afternoon."
"I can't wait, baby" he said softly. "I'm dying to see you in person."
I wondered to myself if what I was doing was crazy. I had been married for over thirty years and my husband had left me several years before. I had tried to cope on my own, but loneliness and a desire for intimacy had led me to the Internet. I'd met a few men and had several dates, but none of them were willing to commit to a relationship, until I "met" Jerry. He seemed to feel I was "the one" and showered me with attention on a daily basis. His seductive words roped me in, and I failed to heed the warnings of my friends.
Friday finally arrived and I managed to find a seat on the plane at LAX. Traveling stand-by is always stressful, but since my son works for the airline, I was able to obtain a pass.
It was a two-hour flight to Denver and as the plane swooped down to land, my stomach dipped in anxiety.
"Please, God, make him attractive," I begged. His picture had been fuzzy on the dating site, and although he had sent me newer photos, they showed a man who was somewhat overweight. Jerry had assured me he had been dieting and exercising faithfully for the past six months, and had dropped several sizes. He phoned regularly, boasting of the runs he had taken up and down Red Rock, and reporting that his belt size was shrinking rapidly. I was expecting to meet a burly but fit man and although his photos showed him to look like a pleasant teddy bear, I felt I could live with that. I just wanted a happy, pleasant and loving man, nothing more.
The plane finally started its descent, and I reapplied my lipstick. Spritzing on my favorite scent, I grabbed my overnight bag and minutes later left the plane.
As I walked through the unfamiliar terminal, I looked around, hoping to see someone who resembled the photos I had been gazing at for the past few months. There was a line of people standing waiting at the Arrivals gate, and there he was, standing at the end of the line. My heart sank. He was obese and quite unattractive. My first instinct was to run back to the plane and go home, but he had seen me.
I walked up to him and he gave me an awkward hug. His breath smelled and I shrank away in distaste. I looked up to see a large, florid face, with two chins leading into a rather large neck.
"Oh no, how am I going to get through this weekend?" I shivered.
We picked up my luggage from Baggage Claim and walked to his car. He had told me he owned a large luxury car, but this was a small, unwashed clunker, filled with dried leaves from his garden. I looked at the car, and then at him, and mentally shrugged my shoulders in despair, staring out of the window at the passing scenery.
He totally bypassed Denver, which I had never visited, and took the freeway directly to his small town. We hardly spoke, and I could sense he felt my withdrawal. Feeling guilty, I placed my hand on his shorts-clad knee, and gave it a friendly squeeze.
"You look disappointed" he remarked, and I quickly replied "Oh no, not at all," hating myself for the lie.
We eventually arrived at his house, which was large, but uncared for. The sprawling, unmowed garden was unkempt, with furniture filling the back yard patio. Several jack rabbits hopped around the tall blades of grass, and a rusty lawnmower looked as though it had been unused for years.
I placed my bag in the spare room and looked around. I noticed the dead spiders on the window ledges and the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. It definitely needed a woman's touch and a good clean. After I had freshened up, Jerry asked if I wanted to go out for a bite to eat. Happy for an excuse to get out of the house, I agreed, and we went to a local dive for Mexican food.
As the evening progressed, I began to relax and he started to look a little better to me. Amazing what a couple of margaritas can do!! I enjoyed his possessive arm around my waist and the way people looked at the two of us. They were probably wondering what on earth I saw in him, but I was determined to get past my former shallowness and look inward to the good, kind man I knew must be inside.
After dinner, we returned home and he plonked himself in front of a very small television set, with rabbit ears. He was so large, I wondered if he would ever be able to get up again from the sofa. A football match was on, he explained, and as he was a sports fanatic, he absolutely had to see the game. I hate football, but tried to be a good companion, and sat by his side. The game went on for an eternity, and my boredom grew as the minutes turned into hours. Finally, it was over and we retired to his bedroom.
I opened my suitcase and gave him some special candies that I thought he might like, as well as some cologne and a music DVD. He had recently celebrated his birthday, so I thought these gifts would be well received, as they were.
At this point he nervously approached me, and took me in his arms for an embrace. You may be wondering how on earth I could stand being touched by such an unattractive man. Looking back, I don't really understand it myself, but it was almost a fascination of the horrible.
He wasn't a flabby man. He was extremely large, but muscled and strong at the same time. His hugeness made me feel small and feminine, and infinitely desirable. It is impossible to explain what thoughts went through my mind, but I was somehow attracted to him, feeling almost like Beauty with the Beast. Perhaps it was the words of desire that he used, or the sheer physicality of his largeness, but I felt a definite sexual pull.
We fell to the bed and proceeded to hold each other. Amazingly, he was an adept and skillful lover, and we made the most satisfying love I had experienced for a long time. When it was over, we turned out the light and prepared for sleep.
His bedroom was dark and the windows were covered with long, heavy drapes that he refused to open. I felt stifled in the heat, almost as if I were in a coffin, and asked if he would open the door and leave a night light on. He refused, telling me that it would mess up his air-conditioning system if the door was left open. I felt a panic come over me, and told him that I could not sleep in the room, and needed to go into the living room where there was air. He seemed okay with that, and immediately went to sleep, leaving me to make a bed for myself elsewhere. I grabbed a pillow and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible on the sofa.
I awoke early the next morning and made breakfast for the two of us, after which Jerry took a shower. I looked around his living room, noting the accumulation of dust and dirt on the window sills, dead insects littering the floor, and the general disarray. I quickly came to a decision.
Ignoring his instructions "Do not touch or clean anything", I deliberately took a vacuum cleaner from the corner of the room and proceeded to pull out all the furniture. I then vacuumed behind the sofa, stopping to dust, mop and sweep up all the debris that had accumulated. When everything looked tidy and bug-free, I stood with my hands on my hips, surveying my work, feeling confident that he would be thrilled with his clean living room.
Moments after I had put everything back in its place, Jerry walked into the room and looked at me, and then at his living room. To my intense distress he started shouting at me. He asked me why I had cleaned his house. Did I think he was a pig? How would I like it if he came to my house and cleaned it? Wouldn't I feel insulted?
Choking back the desire to blurt out that my house would never be in such a condition, I started to cry. My feelings were badly hurt and I was taken aback by his angry response. I thought he would be pleased. I was trying to help. After all, we don't expect bachelors to know how to clean.
We shouted back and forth, getting absolutely nowhere, and it was then that I realized I had made a mistake in coming, and went to the spare room to use my cell phone. I called the airlines and made a reservation to go home on the next flight. He walked into the room as I was making the call and shook his head. He was upset that I had decided to leave, but I was adamant, and asked him to drive me to the airport as soon as possible.
I jumped out of his car as soon as we arrived at the airport, said a hurried goodbye, and thankfully sped to my plane, glad to see the back of him.
Upon my arrival home, I was bombarded with phone calls and emails, begging for forgiveness. At first I refused, telling him that I could not be with a man with such a bad temper. Surely it was better to live alone than with a crazy man?
Jerry was determined to make it up to me and although I was absolutely sure he was not the man for me, I started to weaken. Having someone fight for me was something new, and not entirely unpleasant. I had missed his morning phone calls and the phone sex was great. Oh, how low could I sink? In retrospect, I feel such shame for thinking his words on the telephone would be enough for a fulfilling relationship.
I allowed him to continue his phone calls and the days turned into weeks. We seemed to get back into our old routine and I forgot what it was really like to be with him. Finally, he asked if he could fly to Los Angeles for a few days and I agreed. I figured I would be safer on my own turf, and that if it didn't work out, I could ask him politely to leave. We arranged for him to arrive on a Tuesday and I cleaned the house and stocked my fridge for his arrival.
On Tuesday morning I drove to the airport to pick him up. His plane was early, so when I got there, he was already waiting outside. He saw me pulling up but did not wait for me to get to the sidewalk. I saw him walking towards my car, which was in the wrong lane for loading luggage, and I signaled him to get back onto the sidewalk. The vehicle behind me started honking a warning, and Jerry started screaming abuse at the driver. This was the start of our four days together.
I had given him a free pass to fly to Los Angeles, although when I had visited him before, I had paid for my own ticket, brought him gifts, and even given him cash to pay for any meals I might have. In fact, that money was wasted because I bought groceries in Denver, and cooked all our meals, except for our dinner the first night there.
We came back to my place and I proudly showed him my lovely little house. I had the fridge stocked with good food, and made him a lovely steak dinner with potatoes, corn and salad. Afterwards we went for a walk in my neighborhood, to work off the calories we had consumed. He had previously told me in our phone conversations that he exercised daily and was making great strides in losing weight. We had barely gone a mile, when he started breathing heavily and wanted to turn back. I was flabbergasted that he could not even walk a mile, and sadly returned home, not knowing what to do next.
He parked himself in front of the television with a happy sigh, and proceeded to watch football until it was bed time.
"Jerry?" I asked. "Wouldn't you like to do something else, other than watch television?"
"What else is there to do?" he retorted.
"Well, we could sit and talk, or listen to music, or even play cards," I countered. "Surely those are more fun than watching television."
He looked at me in amazement, and flipped the channel to another football game. I gave up and retired to my bed.
The next day I made plans to take him to my local beach, trying to entertain him as best I could. I noticed that as well as being massively overweight, he was inordinately interested in all the local fast food restaurants in my neighborhood. It seemed as if he was always asking to go to Jack in the Box for their tacos, or Fatburger for a hamburger, or some such place. His interest in junk food seemed overwhelming and obsessive, causing me to wonder what on earth I was doing with this man. He told me he only liked meat – and would not eat fish, vegetables or eggs. No wonder he was so huge, I thought, with a diet like that. We never did get to the beach as he wanted to stop for lunch before we got there, and then just sit in the restaurant, eating as much as he could.
Adding to the negativity of my experience with him was the fact that he did not like the way I drove my car. According to him, I drove too fast, braked too hard, and did not take into account his feelings as a passenger. As we drove through the streets, he criticized other drivers, and constantly made negative comments about those people who had Republican bumper stickers on their car.
When we arrived home for a break before leaving for dinner, he remarked on how many photos I had in my house and how many lotions I had in my bathroom. Everything was a subtle negative critique and I was beginning to feel less attractive and worthy than I used to.
That evening we went to my favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner, and he inhaled the burrito, chips and salsa to an embarrassing degree, washing them down with numerous diet cokes. I wondered how on earth he intended to lose weight when he ate like he had never seen food before. Then I started to feel guilty about judging him. After all, no-one is perfect, least of all me. I tried to ignore the negative and focus on the positive, although it was becoming more and more difficult to find anything to be positive about.
I had been lonely for so long that I was determined not to give up on this man. After all, he was great at making love, when it suited him, so he must have some good in him! Right? After arriving home, we attempted to go for a bike ride. He managed to pedal for one block, then fell off the bicycle, panting and heaving. Hmm, what to do? Walking and bike riding were apparently out – and the only exercise he really seemed to enjoy was eating, so that just left sex. He had proved himself capable in that regard, so it seemed to me I should try and get him to work off his calories by some bedroom activity.
You may be wondering why on earth I would even consider having sex with such an unappealing, argumentative and bombastic man. I am wondering that myself. However, at the time my brain was being seduced, rather than my body. He had worked me up to such a peak over the months, that I had studiously ignored his physical appearance. You know what they say - "All cats are grey in the dark" - well I am afraid that is how I was thinking.
To my chagrin, my increasing sexual desires were never really addressed because, as he explained, "I am not twenty-five years old anymore, and cannot perform twenty-four/seven". When I gently caressed him, he told me to stop fondling him. "I just want to cuddle" he explained, which was definitely not going to do the job for me. It was then I started to wonder what on earth he was good for. He could eat, watch television and criticize quite well – but were those attributes I needed in my life? Obviously not.
The next morning we decided to take a trip to Venice Beach. On the way, we stopped at a gas station, and he said he would fill the tank while I (naturally) paid. He could not understand how the nozzle worked and when I tried to show him how to hold the handle – because the gas had stopped flowing – he started screaming at me like a banshee. He said I was treating him like a child and that he was a man and could figure it out. I looked around to see people staring at us with curiosity, and I felt humiliated and embarrassed.
We went to Venice Beach and then on to Santa Monica. I parked on the street and he said I would get a ticket if I parked there because there was no meter. I said there were no signs indicating I could not park there, but he insisted I park elsewhere – so I did. We had our second, and last meal that he paid for the entire time he was with me, at the Kings Head Pub. When the waitress brought the check, he left it lying on the table. When she came to pick it up about fifteen minutes later, he still had not paid. He remarked to me how he hated it when they kept coming back for the bill or taking away his plate too soon. After what seemed hours, he finally paid the bill. I thought we could go, but no, he asked the waitress for another refill of his diet coke. And I waited and waited. I noticed how much coke he had consumed and casually mentioned that there was a bathroom right behind us if he wanted to go before we left. Again he blew up, telling me to stop treating him like a child.
"I want a girlfriend, not a mother," he said, in a loud voice. "Stop babying me." I refused to respond and we left the restaurant.
We rounded the corner and went to my favorite British store, The Tudor House, to pick up a few English goodies. He wanted one of their chocolate éclairs and a trifle, so I bought them for him. Of course, he never offered to pay. When we arrived home, he ate the trifle, the éclair and then went through a packet of popcorn, watching television the entire time.
I was becoming more and more frantic, wondering what to do that would entertain the both of us. We finally decided to go see a movie – but when we arrived, it wasn't playing until 10 pm. So we went to another theater, and it was the same. He shouted at my driving, making me stressed out and jumpy. When I tried to park – he screamed that I was going to hit the car next to me. Again, he said I drove too fast, changed lanes abruptly, put my foot on the brake too fast and made him a nervous wreck. We gave up on the early movie and decided to go home for a few hours.
We decided to watch television until it was time to leave for the late movie. We saw "Wife Swap" and, when it was over, we discussed the people we had seen on the show. One of the men was very authoritarian and harsh, and I whispered, in a joking fashion, "Yes, I have a boyfriend who shouts at me too". I should have known better than to make that remark.
He stiffened, pulled away from me, and then let loose with full force. "You always do that" he screamed. "How many times have I told you not to do that? You never listen to me? Your driving is terrible. . . .you make me feel so uncomfortable in the car" and on, and on, and on he ranted.
I left the room and proceeded up the stairs. He kept calling me to come down and work the problem out. I stepped halfway down the stairs, and told him that shouting at me in public or private was unacceptable.
I retreated to my room, climbed into bed and left him sitting downstairs. The hell with going to a movie. I never wanted to go anywhere with him, ever again.
Eventually, he lumbered up the stairs and stood at the side of my bed, gazing at me with puppy dog eyes.
"I'm sorry" he said in a small voice. "Can't we talk out these problems?"
"No, I don't think so," I responded. "I find your behavior intolerable. How dare you say those things to me. I have treated you with kindness, consideration and generosity, and all you have done is criticize me. I'm not going to put up with it any more."
He continued to entreat me to forgive him and promised to control his shouting in the future. I decided not to break up with him at that moment, because I didn't want to go through a night and morning of silence and anger. So I pretended that all was well and allowed him to hold me close as we slept.
The next morning he was to leave for home, so I prepared him another splendid breakfast. I knew this would be the last meal I would ever make for him, and my heart sang at the thought of him leaving.
As he ate his oatmeal, telling me that this was a wonderful healthy meal, promising that he would lose 20 lbs by January, he poured on brown sugar and honey. After polishing off his "healthy" muffins, smothered with my English marmalade, he reached out for the muffin I had not eaten. He followed those with bacon, eggs and sausage and looked around for more.
It was finally time for him to leave. He gladly accepted the packed lunch I made him for the long two hour plane ride home. God forbid that he should go hungry on the flight! As I dropped him off at the airport, he lamented that he had forgotten to take a couple of sodas from my fridge. When I told him that the airline gives out free drinks he said "Yes, but they won't give you the whole can."
I gave him a perfunctory kiss goodbye and drove away with relief, and a little sadness that it had not worked out as I had hoped. What a waste of time, energy and emotion.
Several hours later he called, letting me know he had arrived safely and acting as if nothing untoward had occurred between us. He apparently had no clue that it was over, even though I was cool and somewhat distant. I knew that I would never see him again and sank down on my sofa with a sigh of relief, releasing all the stress of the past week.
It was only moments later that my phone rang again. Thinking it was Jerry, I hesitantly said "hello?". To my surprise, it was an old beau, wanting to come over that evening to take me to a movie. My spirits rose and thoughts of Jerry began to disappear fast.
Rory arrived several hours later and as we were about to leave the house, the phone rang again. This time it was Steve, whom I had gone out with a few months previously, asking to see me later in the week. Life was starting to look up again, and I realized that I had made the correct decision in saying goodbye to Jerry. When I came home from the movie that evening, I emailed him, ending the relationship for good. There were bitter recriminations on his part, more pleading phone calls and emails, but eventually they petered out, and he finally left me alone.
I am happy to report I have learned an important lesson from Internet dating. Fortunately, there appear to more fish in the sea than ever came out of it. I would advise my lovelorn sisters to beware of seductive love making over the phone. The words often do not match the man. Do not become embroiled in an "on-line" affair – meet and get to know him first, and then decide if he is the one for you. Oh, and one more thing: I discovered that I do enjoy my own company and being alone isn't so bad after all. Happily for me, I eventually met "Mr. Right" on the Internet, and he turned out to be THE LOVER of my dreams.
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What are ants?
Ants are considered to be the most successful and most abundant groups of insects on earth. For this reason, ants are the most commonly reported pest in both the home and workplace. Not only are ants the most common type of pest encountered, but they are also one of the most persistent pests. Although ants are frequently seen indoors, the majority of ant activity occurs outdoors where they forage on small insects and other small organisms. In the Dallas area, the most common ants that homeowners and businesses experience are odorous house ants, red imported fire ants, carpenter ants, Argentine ants, acrobat ants, pharaoh ants, and crazy ants.
What kinds of ants live in Texas?
Odorous House Ants
Odorous House ants are small, about 2.4 to 3.3 mm in length, and dark brown or black in color. Interestingly enough, if you squish them, they'll smell like coconut. They can be found invading homes in very large numbers and will forage for food day or night. They can nest just about anywhere and those nests can be very large in size, which can make them difficult to control. Odorous House ants like sweets (especially plant nectar and honeydew, which comes from aphids) and are harmless. You'll probably encounter odorous house ants trailing in your bathroom or kitchen. They are not known to cause damage, bite or attack humans, leaving them to be more of a nuisance than anything.
Red Imported Fire Ants
According to the Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, there are 6 known species of fire ants, five of which are found in Texas. The most common type of fire ant that you'll run into is the red imported fire ant. They were introduced to the United States in the 1930's and then spread through southern states spanning Florida to California. Once they choose a nesting site, visible mounds are created amongst moist soil. You'll usually find these mounds on your property or hidden under rocks and bricks. Red imported fire ants are aggressive and have the ability to sting, resulting in pain, swelling, and anaphylactic shock for those who are allergic.
The unique thing about red imported fire ants is that they have found an interesting way to survive flooding conditions. If rainfall is too high, red imported fire ants will form a ball shape and float like a raft until dry land is found. These ants are extremely adaptable and resilient in the face of lack of food (they will eat almost anything) and inclement weather.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects that are commonly found in Dallas, TX. These are large black ants that tunnel into wood by chewing it and spitting it back out. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. One of the easiest ways to identify a carpenter ant infestation is by finding what looks like small piles of wood shavings, called "frass". Frass is the wood they have displaced by forging new paths. Their pathways look like smooth, round tunnels and can exist anywhere they nest. Carpenter ants are typically drawn to wet wood as opposed to dry wood. This means that they can be found in places such as damp wood in decks, door frames, window frames, and occasionally insulation. Although they do not cause extensive damage like termites would, their presence can lead to greater issues if left untreated for a long period of time.
Argentine Ants
Argentine ants are an invasive species, originating from Argentina and Brazil, which now live in the Dallas & Fort Worth area. They are various shades of brown and about 1/8 inch long. Argentine ants create large colonies in soil, mulch, under stones, and tree cavities outdoors. When they cross into human made structures such as office buildings and residential homes, they pop up in high moisture areas like sinks, potted plants, and in kitchens where food is abundant. Just like humans, Argentine ants love sweets. Accessible sugary foods can include almost anything that isn't in an airtight container. These tiny pests can also cause large amounts of damage to electrical equipment when they explore outdoor electrical boxes and electrical sockets. Argentine ants are especially difficult to deal with because they rapidly multiply, with colonies that can contain 1,000,000 ants.
Acrobat Ants
Acrobat ants are not typically found inside homes, but do wander in from outside (especially if there are tree branches touching the house or utility lines). In this case, they are considered occasional invaders. If acrobat ants are indoors, you can usually find a small pile of very fine sawdust. They will not consume wood, but will chew through it in order to build nests like carpenter ants do. In this case, they are considered structural pests. Nests located outdoors will typically consist under rocks, in logs or firewood, or trees where the weakened wood is soft enough for them to form galleries. They are known to nest in abandoned termite and carpenter ant nests, as well.
Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh ants are tiny orange and honey colored ants that many homeowners in the Dallas, TX area have to deal with. Their nests can be in light switches, wall voids, baseboards or any other crack in the house, which can quickly lead to damage and dangerous situations. Most other ants may be all over the house but they do not usually invade items within the home. Pharaoh ants will be seen walking all over the walls in large numbers. Each colony contains approximately one million individuals. If you have overgrown vegetation close to or coming into contact with your home, wood mulch close to your home, fallen food crumbs indoors, or moisture problems, pharaoh ants can infest. Because they are so strongly attracted to moisture, a pharaoh ant infestation could mean you have problems with clogged gutters, poor grading, roof leaks, and wood rot.
Tawny (Rasberry) Crazy Ants
Tawny crazy ants, also referred to as Rasberry crazy ants, were discovered in Texas at a chemical plant in 2002 by pest control technician Tom Rasberry. Why crazy you ask? They're called "crazy" because of the way they move: fast and erratic. They are about 1/8 inch long and reddish-brown in color. Extremely large amounts of tawny crazy ants can enter homes through garages, cracks in the foundation of the home, and wall voids. The main concern with tawny crazy ant activity is the fact that they are strongly drawn to electricity. External AC units, electrical outlets, and electrical boxes are common areas that tawny crazy ants invade. Electrical equipment can short circuit and they can congregate in electrical outlets causing malfunction. If you find massive amounts of small, red ants around your home, call Certified Termite and Pest Control immediately to avoid dangerous situations.
Why do I have ants in my house?
Most ants create colonies where they can thrive which means they are constantly in search of a food source for survival, which can lead them into your home. A kitchen is a perfect area for ants to infest with the potential for crumbs, dog food left in bowls, penetrable food packaging, and food such as fruit left out on tables and counter tops. No one wants to find pests in their home, but it can happen to virtually any homeowner.
Ants typically live outside, sending scout ants away from the colony to search for food. These explorers are usually the ants that you find in your drain, on the floor, and around food items. Human food is also appealing to ants. Once the scout finds a food source, they signal other ants to follow his trail and continue to take food and bring it back to the colony. The number of ants following this same trail grows as their food source remains available.
Are ants dangerous?
The biggest concern with ant infestations within your home is the potential for disease. Ants are constantly moving back and forth, indoors and back out, picking up germs along the way. This means that bacteria living on the ground or in your pipes can surface and spread if ants cross your food. Odorous house ants are the most likely to cause infection because of their specific attraction to sugary and greasy foods such as cookies and chips. By crawling across your food, they can spread salmonella for you to ingest. The best way to avoid these situations is to engage in proactive ant prevention measures and professional ant control services.
Fire ants can be especially dangerous when coming into contact with humans. They are highly aggressive and will not hesitate to sting, releasing their natural venom. To make things worse, PestWorld.org states: "But rarely will someone be stung by a single ant. More likely, a person stung by a red imported fire ant will receive multiple stings from multiple ants defending their nest." Those who are allergic can be sent to the emergency room.
How can I get rid of ants on my own?
Nobody appreciates unwanted visitors, especially when those "visitors" are ants crawling along your countertops while you have guests over for dinner. With the internet busting at its seams with various DIY tactics and tricks for anything and everything, what does it take to make ant DIY remedies work? When it comes to the most common type of house invader, the odorous house ant, bait placement is critical. Where you place the bait can determine if it will be a success or not. Just like spraying repellents, bait placement along ant trails (that include lines and edges) would be the first place to start. Follow the edges along baseboards and place your bait in a corner along that baseboard. You may also find ants crawling along the edges of your backsplash, if this is the case, place bait near those edges. If you already know the ant trail, start there. For instance, if you know you're seeing ants in your kitchen near your dishwasher, perhaps start by spraying along the baseboards leading to that location. If there are any cracks or crevices, be sure to include those because they might be entry points for the ants. The most common reason DIY ant control fails is the misplacement or incorrect application of products. If you can't get ants under control, contact a pest control professional.
How can I prevent ants?
Use the following simple tips to prevent ants in your home.
- Clean your house. Start by cleaning your kitchen because according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) kitchens were found more vulnerable to ant activity 96% of the time and bathrooms were vulnerable 89% of the time.
- Ants are generally looking for a source of food and water, both of which can be found in your kitchen. Be sure to clean up crumbs and spills immediately as to not attract the ants.
- Keep an eye on any fruit that may be over ripe that can also attract ants into your kitchen.
- Trim your shrubs. Shrubs and tree branches that are close you your home can be bridges for ants so it is best to keep them trimmed so that they are not touching the home in any way.
- Consult with a Landscaper prior to landscaping. Prior to doing any landscaping, consult with a landscaper to ensure that you are not using plants that are prone to aphids, scales or other homopterous insects that will in turn attract ants. If you are including ornamental plants in your landscaping that attracts homopterous insects, you may need to treat them to eliminate the insects that attract the ants.
- Reduce moisture. Repair leaky pipes, focusing on areas including under your dishwasher, kitchen sink, and bathroom sink. Check your basement for signs of water damage that can attract carpenter ants. Use dehumidifiers in your basement to dry out the space.
Why do I have ants in my kitchen?
Your kitchen is the most common place to find nuisance ants. They are attracted to resources such as food and water to keep the colony alive and growing. Inevitably, your family will end up dropping small crumbs after snacks and meals without knowing it. Unless you are hyper vigilant about cleaning and sweeping your floors, crumbs are bound to exist. Even if you use extreme care, keeping your kitchen floor clean, ants are also attracted to other food sources that you may not realize.
Pet food bowls are a perfect way for small ants and other pests to thrive in your kitchen. Throw away uneaten pet food or lift it away from the floor into a sealed container at the end of each day to avoid this scenario. Ants and other pests can easily find pet food in poorly sealed containers such as the large paper bags that they come in. Frequently dumping water from their bowl can deter ants even further. Be sure to also clean the area around the bowls since dogs and cats aren't always the tidiest when it comes to eating and drinking, and they create crumbs and water droplets that attract ants.


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Paul Resnick.
A slightly edited version appears as Chapter 29 in "HCI in the New Millenium", edited by John M. Carroll. Addison-Wesley. 2002, pages 247-272.
Paper in MS Word format (PDF format)
PowerPoint Presentation to MOCHI, July 12, 2000
Social resources like trust and shared identity make it easier for people to work and play together. Such social resources are sometimes referred to as social capital. Thirty years ago, Americans built social capital as a side effect of participation in civic organizations and social activities, including bowling leagues. Today, they do so far less frequently (Putnam 2000) . HCI researchers and practitioners need to find new ways for people to interact that will generate even more social capital than bowling together does. A new theoretical construct, SocioTechnical Capital, provides a framework for generating and evaluating technology-mediated social relations.


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"One Who Serves"
Greetings! How is everybody?
As you are continuing to follow the guidance that is given, the wee spot of small whisper that comes to you, as you continue to do this your lives will evolve in the direction they ae meant to be. If you allow this, go with the flow as we have been speaking of many, many times. Go with the flow in so many different ways, you will find that you are exactly where you need to be in any given moment. ⇲


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SINGAPORE - A national serviceman was given 15 months' probation and ordered to do 80 hours of community service for threatening to circulate topless photos of a 14-year-old girl on the Internet.
Ng Kai Boon, 21, had sweet-talked the girl into sending him a topless picture of herself last year. He then threatened to post the picture online and managed to get her to send him more such photos. Months later in March this year, he demanded that the girl accept his friend request on Facebook. If not, he would post her topless photos online, he said.
The girl went to the police instead.
On Friday, Ng was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to criminally intimidating the girl. His parents also had to sign a $5,000 bond to ensure his good behaviour.
A community court earlier heard that Ng had gotten to know the girl in March 2013 through social media, and started chatting with her on WhatsApp after they had exchanged phone numbers. A few days later, he convinced her to send him the first topless photo.
She later blocked him from her contact list and broke off contact.
But on March 21 this year, Ng tried to add her on Facebook and sent her a message, threatening to circulate the pictures if she did not accept.
During investigations, Ng said he had threatened his victim "out of fun" and had not carried out the threats.
For threatening the girl with injury to her reputation intending to cause her alarm, Ng could have been jailed for two years and fined.


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Northeast Indians
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…because most communities used a consensus model for decision making; issues were discussed until there was broad agreement on a course of action. Any dissidents would either leave the group or continue to express their opposition until a change was made; in either case, the effectiveness of the community would…Read More
Quaker government
- In Society of Friends: The Inner Light
There must be a consensus for any corporate action. But slow as such action sometimes is, Friends have taken the lead in opposing slavery, brutality in prisons and insane asylums, oppression of women, militarism, and war.Read More
rumour dissemination
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LAWRENCE, Kan. — Schools around the metro are celebrating Black History Month in a variety of ways, but one school in Lawrence is doing something a little different, and letting kids learn from the big screen.
At South Middle School kids are learning all about Black History Month through a variety of activities, but on Feb. 28, the entire school is headed to the movies to see "Black Panther."
"This movie, where it is an all-black cast, and its a positive thing, it helps them with that self esteem, really, about themselves, and that empowerment for them to be great," said principal Keith Jones.
It's all thanks to a GoFundMe page set up by paraeducator Kim Fuller.
"Oh, that's exciting, I mean, its exciting that the community has kinda gotten behind this, and it kinda reinforces what we've been talking about here as a staff that our community supports the things that we want to expose our kids to. So, it kinda just validates where we feel like we're doing the right thing here," Fuller said.
The kids are excited as well.
"It really shows that we represent, that we love to represent Black History Month, and we really think that its important for kids to learn, and know about," said 6th grader Destiny Savannah.
"It just makes me feel good that a black role is in a really big movie," said 7th grader Kyle Watson.
The goal for the GoFundMe was $2,000 which they reached Monday evening.
Principal Jones says only seven percent of the students at South Middle are African-American, so this really opens up a conversation for students of all races.
"This movie, its more than just a movie, and I think that's what some people don't understand, because it opens the door and the conversation about more than just superheroes, but going to college, being on TV, all those different things that sometimes black kids struggle with," Jones said.
Jones says they are working at South Middle to recognize different cultures. This year is the first year they are taking time out to focus on Latino and Native American heritages.


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Brainerd Fishing Guide Report 9-15-16
Hello Fishing Fanatics-
Fall is just getting started which will bring great fishing action to the Brainerd Lakes Area.
Fall is in the air, trees are changing, and water temperatures are falling. This is some of the best fishing for big fish through November. Walleye, muskie, and crappies are the main focus right now. Muskies will put on the feed bag for the next month and a half. Big baits with a slower retrieve will start to be the norm. Finding fish is key and fishing for them when the time is right, meaning sunrise and sunset, weather changes, and moon phases. As for walleyes, their activity levels will increase with the falling water temperatures. Minnows will start to be the main focus, jig and Lindy rigs will start to produce in most situations. I found walleyes this week in thirteen feet of water in one lake and thirty-six feet of water in another lake, but once you do find them they seem to want to bite. This is the best time of year to catch a trophy walleye or muskie. The crappie bite will improve through October once they drop off the break lines into the basin. Remember to handle big fish with care, CPR (catch, photo, release).
See you on the water,
Todd Andrist MNWalleyeGuide.com


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Spotlight: PK Paperinik New AdventuresPosted by Arthur in Italy, Spotlight
Paperinik New Adventures (or PKNA) was published by The Walt Disney Company Italy from 1996 to 2001. The futuristic series followed the adventures of Paperinik, a superhero alter ego of Donald Duck.
The character of Paperinik was originally created by Guido Martina and Giovan Battista Carpi in 1969, but was revamped for this series and new friends and foes were created to form the basis of a new adventure series. The first issue of PKNA introduced a new enemy in the form of an alien race called the Evronians and two new allies for Paperinik: a very advanced artificial intelligence computer called Uno, and a journalist named Lyla Lay.
The Italian press praised Disney's capacity to renew and develop this new style while respecting the integrity of its characters. PK was first launched in an experimental phase with three test issues. Following positive results (the second test issue sold 130,000 copies), the series was officially launched in November 1996 and became very successful. PKNA was reprinted in many other countries and fans of the series called themselves PKers.


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When Apple added captions to FCPX, the most regular question about them posted on forums was 'How do I burn them in on export?' You couldn't then, but now you can with Caption Burner, a new plugin from FxFactory.
The implementation of captions in Final Cut Pro X follows Apple's normal path of making a dull and tedious job into one that can be completed quickly and efficiently. A lot of time goes into the design of the GUI and workflow. Take a look at Jason's comments below.
After Adobe Premiere - Captioning in FCP X is like stumbling out of a Djinn infested sandstorm into a palm fringed oasis of mineral water. No. Really. #FCPX— Jason Cumming (@BK2K) July 31, 2018
But there is one feature that is missing and the question of how to burn the captions in on export seems to be regularly posted on social media.
Now Caption Burner, a $99 plugin from Fxfactory has solved that problem. (Usual price $129)
Caption Burner lets you import captions from various formats, customize the appearance through an intuitive UI and then burn them into your video. Caption Burner is super fast as it uses Apple's Metal graphics acceleration. The plugin lets you work with multiple languages simultaneously, select the language to be burned into the video frame via a simple menu selection.
Supported Formats for captions and subtitles: iTunes Timed Text (iTT), WebVTT (VTT), SubRip (SRT), SubViewer (SUB), Adobe Encore Script and Adobe Premiere Pro Markers (CSV).
Now, you could say that Apple should have provided this feature from the start, but it is good to see a third party addressing the problem quickly.
Also have a look at Caption Converter an app which you can use to convert, edit and translate captions and subtitles of various formats.


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5 steps to Build Trust In the Workplace
The key to a peaceful work environment is trust, says Kalei Inn, principal consultant of Kalei Inn, Ph.D. and Associates. "Where there is trust, there will be a lower incidence of conflict in the workplace," says Inn, whose firm specializes in leadership development, diversity management, team building and work-life balance. She suggests five ways to strengthen bonds between employees and supervisors.
Use meetings wisely
Reserve announcements for e-mails and employee newsletters and use staff meetings to recognize personal and group achievements. At meetings, ask people to share experiences and work-related lessons. Company members need to know they are important. "Employees who are unsure about their value to their employers will try to keep a low profile by maintaining their status quo, rather than think of new ways to create business opportunities," Inn says.
Be respectful
Supervisors should be aware of the tone and delivery of their voices, especially when addressing multiple employees. "Disrespect shown to one person in front of another erodes the mutual respect between them and creates disrespect of the employer as a leader," Inn says. Bosses should genuinely listen to an employee's feedback, whether it is good or bad news, she adds. "Do not blame the messenger."
Face reality
In difficult economic times, successful companies ask employees for new ideas to meet challenges. Failing companies ignore their own people and, instead, solicit feedback from customers. In worst-case scenarios, managers refuse to listen to unpleasant facts about the company, "preferring to tell employees to focus on the positive and downplay the negative aspects," Inn says.
Be Fair
Employees become suspicious when company policies are biased, or when managers are unaccountable for their own actions. "This is particularly true in companies run by family members or by people who grew the business together," Inn says. Her suggestions: Agree on policies, enforce rules, and follow through in a timely manner.
When employees meet for happy hour to gripe about their bosses, it's a sign that communication lines are dead. To rebuild trust, schedule regular staff meetings. Conduct employee surveys, and follow up with action items. Inn favors one-on-one employee briefings, which provide privacy and regular, undivided attention. "Fifteen to 30 minutes win big dividends," she says.


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Werewolves aren't the only creatures affected by the moon - corals have a synchronized mass spawning just after full moon.
But how do they know the phases of the moon, scientists wonder. Turns out, they have "eyes" that watch the moon:
Today, seven scientists from Australia, Israel and the United States report in the journal Science that corals have primitive photoreceptors, if not true eyes. In experiments, they found that the photosensitive chemicals respond to moonlight as admirably as, well, human lovers.
"This looks to be the smoking gun," Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a team member at the University of Queensland, said in an interview. "It triggers the largest spawning event on the planet."
Why is the moon important? Scientists used to think it has to do with the tides, but in some places the tides are high and in others low, so now, the current thinking is that it serves a a giant clock for sex!


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Roddy Ellias Endorses Koentopp Classical Guitars
Koentopp Guitars of Chicago, Illinois has recently added Roddy Ellias to its growing list of endorsed musicians.
Roddy Ellias is one of the most well-respected guitarists in Canada. His dynamism as an artist and his consistent pursuit of harmonic and melodic adventure have made him a consummate musician. Known for his energetic performances and his thoughtful renditions of both new and existing works, he continues to surprise and delight his audiences.
Last year he set the stage on fire in a series of duets with other guitarists, including Vic Juris, Gene Bertoncini, Lorne Lofsky, and David Occhipinti, showcasing his versatility and his generosity as a performer. He has been an active performer since 1969, touring both Canada and the United States as well as Europe and Mexico. Roddy has shared the stage with artists as wide ranging as Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler, Tom Harrel, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Nat Adderley, Slide Hampton, Cleo Laine, Pepper Adams, Lew Tabakin, Michel Donato, Mel Torme, Bud Freeman, PJ Perry, Rob McConnell, the Montreal Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Michel Legrand.
Roddy is playing a Koentopp traditional spruce top classical guitar. Koentopp uses a modern and unique approach to a traditional Torres design. Koentopp constructs the sides to be very stiff, allowing the back and top to be extremely sensitive and work efficiently together. Utilizing a set neck, and a subtle top arch, Koentopp is able to achieve perfect action without any forward neck angle. As a result, these guitars are a dream to play with the right and left hand. These classical guitars are not as loud as lattice guitars but they make up for it in clarity, incredible balance, and magical sustain.
Koentopp Guitars is located in Chicago, Illinois and owned and operated by Dan Koentopp. Dan started his company in 2009 after working for four years with Michael Darnton at Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins. Dan's craftsmanship, hand-tool approach, and design are all heavenly influenced by his experience working with the best instruments in the world including Stradivari, Amati, and Guarneri violins and cellos. Koentopp's influences excel in his full line of Archtop, Classical, and Electric Guitars.
Andy Brown, Roddy Ellias, Dr. Mathew Warnock, and Thomas Clippert currently endorse Koentopp Guitars.


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30 Glory Return SE - Financial Planning Social Enterprise steering committee meeting
29 HKU SPACE Alumni Council meeting
27 Lunch meeting with Fudan University, Shanghai
26 Hon. Guest to "Community Dialogue with Jed Emerson"
25 Meeting with Mr. Paul Chan JP Legislative Councilor (Accountancy)
21 Hon. Moderator to HKU SPACE College of Business & Finance social enterprise seminar
IFA meeting
HK Poly U meeting
20 Hon. Guest to HKU SPACE Community College 9th Graduation Ceremony
Lunch invitation by HKU SPACE College of Business
HKU CEDARS meeting
19 Methodist Centre Elderly Committee meeting
40+ Awards Judge Panel meeting (Mr. John Chan GBS JP, Dr. Darwin Chen SBS, Ms. Delia Pei BBS JP) cum dinner
18 40+ Awards Selection Committee meeting
HKSEIC Global Partner meeting
15 Hon. Guest to Drucker 100 Management Forum II
14 HK Social Enterprise Summit Organizing Committee meeting
Social Enterprise Academy meeting
Patient Care Social Enterprise meeting
13 S.K.H. Community Centre meeting
12 BNI breakfast - HKSEIC Charity Ball presentation
Hon. Guest to Hong Kong China Naturopathic Medical Society HK Office Grand Opening
11 40+ / HKSEIC Charity Ball Committee Lunch Meeting
HKU SPACE Alumni SEES meeting with HKU CEDARS
9 Hon. Guest to CUHK EMBA Annual Dinner
8 Hon. Guest to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital Multi-disciplinary Ward opening
HKSEIC Charity Ball committee meeting
7 HKU CEDARS meeting
6 CUHK Shaw College meeting
IFA Council Meeting
5 Hon. Guest to Cedrus Investment Cocktail Reception
HKSEIC interviews Mr. Hugo Chan - Partner to Liau Ho Chan Solicitors & Notaries
Methodist Centre Elderly Committee meeting
4 Chinese YMCA meeting
BNI meeting
40+ / HKSEIC Charity Ball - Editorial Board meeting
2 Hon. Guest to HKU Project SEE Conference


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Kemuri Ka Tsuchi Ka Kuimono (Smoke, Soil, or Food)
BloodyGaikotsu last edited by BloodyGaikotsu
Otaro Maijo—He won the Mephisto Award in 2001.
For those who ain't familiar with Mephisto Award, it's an award for unpublished fictional, especially mystery, with focus on innovation and originality, organized by Kodansha.
The most famous Mephisto winners are:
NisiOisiN—For Zaregoto 1 (Author of Monogatari and Katanagatari)
Hiroshi Mori—For Subete ga F ni Naru (Author of The Sky Crawlers)
He also penned 2 short anime as part of Hideaki Anno's Animator Expo. :
The Dragon Dentist
His work in English:
Asura Girl (Haikasoru, 2014)
Drill Hole in the Brain (in Faust 1. Del Rey, 2008)
Kemuri Ka Tsuchi Ka Kuimono
This is the title that got him Mephisto prize!
Synopsis: (by Andrew Cunningham)
A brilliant ER surgeon gets a call telling him his mother's in the hospital, so he buys a Hanson album and hops a flight back home to Fukui, the Dakota of Japan. His mother was hit over the head by a crazy man, who is concocting some ludicrous puzzle, like something out of a cheap third rate mystery novel, and the surgeon's half-cocked quest to kick the "motherfucker's ass" (lots of English swearing riddled through the book) unearths a load of demons from his own family history. Probably the most complete of Majio's books, and also the least fun; the sort of book where you had to put it down and wait till you cool off a bit for fear of tearing pages out. Or maybe I just get worked up when I read.


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A Higher EER Rating Means a More Efficient Unit and Lower Energy Bills
EER ratings are used to describe the energy efficiency of your AC unit and in the world of air conditioners, EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio. This number represents the ratio of cooling output over the energy required (as measured in wattage) by the AC unit. Cooling is represented in BTUs, or British thermal units, which is the amount of work it takes to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
The Benefits of a Higher EER Rating
Units with higher EER ratings usually cost more to purchase. However, the benefits of a more efficient unit become apparent over time, because they typically involve lower energy costs and usage. This means that a unit with a higher EER rating will be more expensive than the other available units with lower EERs, but over time, that price difference will disappear. Proserv America offers units with a range of EERs. No matter your needs or budget, our knowledgeable professionals can help you select the perfect unit for your home.


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You might recognize the new baseball movie "Summer Catch" for one simple reason: You've already seen it. You were subjected to the same "Good-natured, MTV-styled pseudo-comedy crammed with hot chicks, cheap laughs, decent sports scenes and sex-crazed athletes" gimmick two years ago with "Varsity Blues." And if you think that formula will fade away, you're crazy.
Before we tackle the merits of "Catch," here's a quick history lesson for you …
Everyone associates the late-'70s with the Disco Era, but few remember that it was also the golden era of sports movies. After "Rocky" and "The Bad News Bears" struck chords with mainstream audiences in 1976, a predictable glut of sports movies followed … and all of them ended up being memorable in their own way. Check out seven of the sports movies released between 1977 and 1980 (in order of release):
- "Slap Shot"
- "One on One"
- "Bad News Bears in Breaking Training"
- "North Dallas Forty"
- "The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh"
- "Fast Break"
- "Caddyshack"
Eye-opening, isn't it? I've probably seen those seven movies a combined 324,591 times. And with the exception of "North Dallas Forty," each movie adhered to a specific formula which, for the purposes of this column, we'll all the CYESMF (Cheesy-Yet-Endearing Sports Movie Formula):
1. Don't take yourself too seriously.
2. Go for the emotional hook if it's there, but not for long.
3. Always go for the easy laugh.
5. Don't worry about authentic sports scenes.
6. Don't worry about being politically correct.
Inevitably, that formula evolved over the past two decades. First of all, today's sports movies place a much bigger premium on authentic-looking game scenes. Over the years, fans have become too cynical and too wise — you can't have scenarios anymore like that memorable moment in "Fish," when the camera shows Driftwood shooting a 15-footer and somehow standing underneath for the rebound in the same sequence.
The other big difference is that today's comedies sidestep any of those political correctness land mines; poking fun at somebody's sexual preference or ethnicity isn't worth the subsequent negative press and publicity. That's why a character like Tanner (the 12-year-old racist shortstop from "Bad News Bears") wouldn't see the light of day, unless somebody like Todd Solondz was directing that remake. Not likely. And an over-the-top urban movie like "Fast Break" — littered with racial jokes and drug use — wouldn't make it past pre-production without a few "friendly" re-writes.
Filling the void on that end? The overwhelmingly successful "Guys Being Guys" mini-industry, which is personified by Maxim Magazine, the "Man Show," MTV's "Spring Break," Opie & Anthony and everything else. We live in a society where everything is moving closer and closer to the edge — music, clothes, sexual standards, conversation, you name it — and the people promoting those values are younger and younger every week. And this freedom allows today's sports movies to maintain that cheesy-yet-entertaining edge.
With that in mind, here's the updated CYESMF for the 21st century:
1. Don't take yourself too seriously.
2. Go for the emotional hook if it's there, but not for long.
4. Bring in at least one recognizable star.
5. Make your sports scenes as authentic as possible.
6. When in doubt, emphasize hot chicks, partying, sex and guys being guys.
When "Varsity Blues" parleyed that formula into decent reviews and a lively box office, you knew Hollywood would start cranking out replicas even before Tweeder dumped off the game-winning lateral to Billy-Bob in the final scene. You knew it.
That brings us back to "Summer Catch," which premieres in theaters across America this weekend. The first of the "Blues" ripoffs, it's a movie that manages to remain entertaining, disappointing, likable and utterly forgettable, all at the same time.
Here's a scouting report:
The plot in a nutshell
Cape Cod native Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) has a few handicaps working against him — he has dropped out of two colleges, he's still battling residual effects from his Mom's death, he mows lawns for his Dad's landscaping company, his hometown friends are drunken screw-ups, he self-destructs during games and he's being played by Freddie Prinze Jr. — but despite all that, he's getting one last chance to pitch for his hometown Chatham A's this summer.
Will Freddie self-destruct? Will he find love with Tenley? Will he impress a major-league scout? Will he be stuck mowing lawns for the rest of his life?
Hokey Baseball Grade: Line-drive single.
Originality factor
Pretty low. We've already traveled the rowdy/raucous sports flick route with "Varsity Blues." We've been down the Pete Mitchell Memorial "self-destructive star who finds love, finds himself and finally puts it together" road a million times in Hollywood (especially with sports movies). And the "rich girl's family who doesn't like the poor boyfriend" routine has been done to death, hasn't it?
Anyone expecting a lively, original glimpse of life in the Cape Cod Baseball League will be sorely disappointed.
(All three of you.)
Hokey Baseball Grade: Called third strike.
Star power
(At least Freddie finally broke his string of appearing in unwatchable romantic comedies with three-word titles. I mean, let's face it … you know you're whipped when your girlfriend picks out a Freddie Prinze Jr. movie at Blockbuster and you find yourselves saying, "OK." There should be a support group for this.)
As for the yummy Biel, she's wildly attractive, a cross between Alyssa Milano and Keanu Reeves' girlfriend in "The Replacements," but with Ali Larter's body. How's that for a scouting report? I saw an advance screening of this movie in Boston last Monday; there's one scene when Biel and Freddie go night-swimming in the rain. And lemme tell you something, as soon as every male moviegoer realized Biel's T-shirt was potentially see-through if it got wet, you could have cut the tension in the theater with a chainsaw. Easily the most dramatic moment of the movie.
So Biel and Freddie look cute together and share some definite romantic chemistry. As for their acting … well, you won't be leaving the theater comparing them to Hoffman and Streep in "Kramer vs. Kramer." I'm not even sure you'll be comparing them to Dale DaBone and Chloe.
Hokey Baseball Grade: Groundball single up the middle.
The subplots
Lots of them, including: the goofball sidekick catcher who almost can't hack the Cape Cod League … the disenchanted father and brother who secretly root for Freddie to fail … the grizzled coach who won't trust Freddie … the Latino infielder who's staying at a promiscuous divorcee's house for the summer … the loser hometown buddies with hearts of gold … the All-American guy with a penchant for heavy chicks … Curt Gowdy doing Chatham radio play-by-play … the fact that Curt Gowdy is still around.
(Note: My favorite subplot involved Freddie's pseudo-nemesis — bonus baby pitcher Eric Van Reimer — who spends the entire movie doing a poor man's imitation of Val Kilmer in "Top Gun." You keep waiting for him to walk behind Freddie, start sniffing, glance up in the air a few times and finally say, "I'm sorry about Goose … (sniff) … everybody liked him.")
Hokey Baseball Grade: Line-drive single.
Supporting performances
Also, the always-underrated Gabriel Mann (the rat in the cult classic "Outside Providence") plays one of Freddie's no-life hometown buddies, belting out a key speech near the end (more on this later). And Brittany Murphy plays the token "local waitress/bimbo" role to a tee. You might remember her as Cher's pet makeover project in "Clueless"… she's come a long way, as they say (a potential foe for Lance Berkman and Tracy McGrady for the 2001 "Most Improved Player" ESPY next February).
Some pseudo-name actors make appearances as well, including Fred Ward, John C. McGinley, Beverly D'Angelo and Brian Dennehy (who plays the baseball coach and looks like he grabbed the role to prove that he didn't actually die during the wedding in "Tommy Boy"). Maybe the strangest appearance comes from "Iron Eagle" star Jason Gedrick, who unveils a dreadful Boston accent as Freddie's bartending brother (they should have had Lou Gossett tending bar with him, just for comedy's sake).
As an added bonus, "That Guy" plays Tenley's evil Dad. You know … That Guy. It just wouldn't be a sports movie without one of Those Guys.
Hokey Baseball Grade: Double into the gap.
Maxim magazine factor
Again, if you're looking for an enlightening, gripping movie about life in the Cape Cod League, keep looking.
Hokey Baseball Grade: Double into the gap.
Realism in sports scenes
Bitterly disappointing. The dugout conversations and mound debates were OK, but that's about it. It's one of those baseball movies where an outfielder makes a running catch, flies over the outfield wall as he's catching the ball and hops right up on the other side, like he's only been running for about 10 feet. That's the baseball equivalent of having players dunk on 9-foot rims in a hoops movie, isn't it? Drives me crazy.
As for the actors, everyone looks legitimate except Prinze; they tried to sell a Ron Guidry vibe about him, but his pitches were filmed so tightly that you could never gauge his real-life motion and delivery. Was the director intentionally hiding Freddie, because he didn't look authentic enough? Sure seemed like it. Freddie was allegedly hitting the low-80s on the radar gun during the filming. If that's true, why not provide us with one full-screen shot of him humming one over the plate, just to clear up any questions?
In retrospect, the producers should have brought struggling Red Sox reliever Derek Lowe onto the set to teach Freddie how to make his "things are falling apart and I can't stop it" face — a k a, "The Derek Lowe Face." Oh, well.
Hokey Baseball Grade: Pop out to left.
Comedy factor
Surprisingly solid. For anyone between the ages of 18 and 35, you'll find tons of little guffaws and four or five out-loud laughs. Just trust me. With that said, I'm not sure if somebody like my Dad would make it through 20 minutes without getting up and walking out. Take that for what you will.
Hokey Baseball Grade: Line-drive single.
"Chill scenes"
You know what I mean. It doesn't matter if it's a minor chill or major goosebumps; as long as you're feeling something, a sports movie is doing its job.
"Catch" has one minor chill scene, at least for me: Near the end of the movie, after Freddie's been demoted to the bullpen and he's thinking about quitting the team, he's drinking with his two high school buddies and one of them (played by the aforementioned Gabriel Mann) implores him to keep pitching, one of those "you quit on your dreams, you're quitting on our dreams, too" speeches. It's actually quite effective and literally comes out of nowhere; probably the best scene in the movie.
Other than that, nothing comes even close. Not a good sign for a sports movie.
Hokey Baseball Grade: Groundout to short.
The ending
Good God.
(Note: I'll tackle this in detail on a later date, after more people have seen the movie.)
Hokey Baseball Grade: Swing and a miss.
Sports Guy's final verdict
If this movie transformed into a starting pitcher for one game, it would have submitted a pitching line like this:
7.1 9 5 5 2 7 (no decision)
Of course, those numbers wouldn't tell the whole story; only the game summary could explain how "Catch" cruised along for seven innings before running out of gas in the eighth and allowing a game-tying home run.
Four things were most disappointing to me, in no particular order:
2. The gawd-awful ending.
3. The fact that the producers advertised this as a sports movie, when it's really more of a rowdy romantic comedy than anything.
4. The fact that there was enough good stuff in here that it could have been a quality sports movie with some tweaking.
Anyway, if you're scoring at home, "Summer Catch" is a good-natured movie about a self-destructive pitcher that ends up self-destructing in the end. But don't worry … if we know anything about this new generation of sports movies, we know that a similar movie will invade theaters within the next few months, embrace the CYESMF (Cheesy-Yet-Endearing Sports Movie Formula), strike many of those same rowdy notes and hopefully succeed where "Catch" failed.
That's Hollywood for you. As long as there's a formula, they'll keep following it … even if takes them right off a cliff.
Final Hokey Baseball Grade: A 10-pitch at-bat, followed by a swing and a miss for strike three.
Bill Simmons writes three columns a week for Page 2.


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An infographic released by Adweek earlier this week showed that online video ads are stronger than ever. The number of people in the US watching videos online has grown to 58% this year, compared to just 38% in 2008. The number of Internet users watching digital video is following the same trend, and has gone up from 56% in 2008 to 75% in 2013.
Compared to TV ads, online video has delivered higher numbers in terms of message recall, general recall, brand recall, and ad likeability which could indicate that online ads are more memorable than TV commercials.
To see all the stats and get the full details, be sure to check out the infographic at the bottom of this post.
Not using video ads yet? It's high time that you do!
If you aren't using online video yet, then you could be missing out on tons of traffic and branding opportunities. Internet video ads have a much wider reach now compared to just a few years ago, so getting in front of your target audience is easier than ever. Additionally, since online video has a higher impact compared to its television counterpart, you'll have better chances of making an impression on customers using this medium.
Two ways to take advantage of online video:
1. Pre-roll ads – These are ads that are played at the beginning of online videos. They're a good way to reach people who are already engaged and when paired with relevant content, they can significantly boost brand recall.
A best practice in pre-roll video advertising is to include a skip button if you have a lengthy ad. You don't want to annoy users by forcing them to sit through a long video. Doing so can do more harm than good and cause viewers to see you in a negative light. If your video runs for more than 30 seconds, be sensitive to the time of users and just give them the skip option.
You can work on work on minimizing skips by creating an entertaining ad that will keep people watching. Also make sure to put important messages at the beginning of the video. According to AdWeek, "on average, people streaming video watch ads for 20 seconds with and average completion rate of 87%" so you may want to take that into consideration when timing your ad.
2. FooterRoll Ads – FooterRoll appears as a horizontal bar at the bottom of the browser window and is used to play videos on regular publisher sites. It's a unique ad unit that always shows up above the fold so viewers can't help but notice it. The FooterRoll toolbar also contains links and social media buttons so it's more interactive.
Best practices for using FooterRoll include adding a skip button as well as allowing users to minimize the videos. You want to get people to notice your ads, but not at the expense of their browsing experience.
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online advertising market || affiliate advertiser || cpa solutions || online radio advertising || interstitial ads || targeted online advertising || online advertising sales || pay per click banners || text advertising || re-targeting


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Krewella Lawsuit -- I'm Being Forced Out ... For Being SOBER
Krewella Lawsuit I'm Being Forced Out ... For Being SOBER!
Mega-popular EDM group Krewella has no place for people who don't party ... because a former member claims he was kicked out for being too clean.
Kristopher Trindl says he formed Krewella back in 2010 with former girlfriend Jahan Yousaf and her sister, Yasmine ... but now says the women want to morph the group into a duo. In a new lawsuit, Trindl says the girls came up with a lame reason for kicking him out ... that he acts too depressed.
Trindl partied plenty before he went to rehab last year. After rehab, he says the women started treating him differently ... and he believes it's because he became a teetotaler.
He does admit relapsing twice and missing a major event -- the Electric Daisy Carnival. Hmmm.
Trindl says to add insult to injury, the girls put up a billboard of themselves on the Sunset Strip.
Trindl says when he came back from rehab, the sisters didn't like the new, sober Kris ... because he no longer drank and partied. He claims they even staged an intervention -- to try to force him into rehab again -- because they thought he was depressed and needed treatment.
He says it's clear ... they just want him gone so they can take his one-third share of Krewella's earnings. He is suing the sisters for more than $7M in damages.


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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are signing linebacker Daryl Smith to a one-year contract, according to Peter Schrager and Adam Schefter.
Smith is a veteran linebacker who started every game in the past three season for the Baltimore Ravens. He notched 71 solo tackles, one interception, three passes defensed and three sacks last year. Prior to joining the Ravens, he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars for nine years after being drafted in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. The first four of those years he played under then defensive coordinator Mike Smith, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter was the Jaguars' offensive coordinator for one of those years, while Bucs linebackers coach Mark Duffner was Smith's position coach for seven of his nine seasons in Jacksonville.
Smith will likely be the team's strongside linebacker, which would mark the first time in his career that he's assigned a part-time role. Lavonte David's obviously not moving to a part-time role, and second-year linebacker Kwon Alexander seems to be shoe-in for the starting middle linebacker job this year after a stellar rookie season -- though it's possible that Mike Smith sees that differently. Still, given Daryl Smith's age (he's 34) and the fact that he looked more and more like a liability in coverage in Baltimore, it's safe to bank on him coming off the field on passing downs.


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Matthews, Geoff (2010) Conservation architecture and the narrative imperative: Birmingham back to backs. In: Narrative Space, 20-22 April 2010, University of Leicester.
Narrative_Space_Back_to_Back_Matthews.pdf - Whole Document
|Item Type:
|Conference or Workshop contribution (Paper)
|Item Status:
|Live Archive
The paper uses a case study to explore how the opposing logics of conservation architecture and interpretive exhibition design were played out in the shaping of a narrative museum space. The former concerns itself with an archaeological conception of physical space, which is defined through the decipherability of traces and their layering over time. The latter concerns itself with a theatrical notion of event space defined through the mapping and programming of performances and information flows.
The contingencies of the Birmingham Back to Backs project – its incep¬tion, the in¬volvement of the National Trust, the foregrounding of community interests and the interpretive design process – gave rise to a novel resolution of contrasting interests. A particular idea of narrative was able to frame the use of, on the one hand, physical evidence to interpret what may have existed and, on the other, a combination of lived and documentary evidence to reconstruct the patterns of daily life. This can be understood as a process of recovering ordinary lives.
The research addresses the following conference themes: sites overlaid with narrative, the role of visitor-centred design in the production of museum space, and the emergence of new approaches that cut across disciplines. Analysis of interpretive design and heritage management documentation is informed by Samuel's theorization of the shaping power of memory (1994). However, overall, the approach is pragmatic, in that it engages in critical conversations, resists reductionism, and tries to point up what may be useful in helping us cope together in the world.
The principal conclusions concern the role that a focus on narrative (re)construction can play in framing cross-disciplinary collaboration and the potential of embracing radically different conceptions of space in museum design.
|Exhibitions, Architectural conservation, Narrative, museum studies, Cultural sustainability
|K Architecture, Building and Planning > K250 Conservation of Buildings
P Mass Communications and Documentation > P131 Museum studies
W Creative Arts and Design > W990 Creative Arts and Design not elsewhere classified
|College of Arts > School of Architecture & Design > School of Architecture & Design (Architecture)
|ID Code:
|Deposited On:
|30 Apr 2010 12:28
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