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As he dragged himself from bed at six in the morning, he realized that Tationy had never rejoined him. They exchanged words and then plenty of silence. There came a point when she simply walked away and he laid there a good portion of the night wondering where he went wrong in it all. So much for that happy moment in their new apartment together. He had plenty of waking hours to think about it and a restless night as he tossed and turned wishing and praying she would return to their new bed. In the end, she never did.
Finding his way down the stairs he caught sight of her. Barely dressed and standing near the counter, it was obvious she had been doing some things around the apartment. Most likely a failed attempt at keeping busy because it looked as though she had just moved things from one side of the room to another. With apprehension he took several steps in her direction. Tationy did not even turn to look at him, so it was with some annoyance that he sighed and leaned against the counter. He did not like this feeling.
With her body just inches from his, he thought it would be easier to find the words. It wasn't. His attention drew toward her as she spoke, "We have some things we should do this morning." Really? Hiko stared at her. Was this honestly how she wanted to go about this? For a time he just looked at her face until she broke down and asked, "What is it, Hiko?"
He tried to keep his voice flat and devoid of any emotion, "Don't fucking pretend we did not have that conversation last night."
"What do you want me to say? I cannot make you do something you do not want to do."
"So, what is this? Are you just giving up on us?"
"No, never."
He did not believe her. It was almost like she was admitting defeat. Was this what she looked like when she was surrendering to a future she did not want? He didn't like that expression or the ominous aura that was surrounding her. "How many…" He paused only a moment, "How many times did you see my death?"
She seemed hesitant to answer his question, but eventually she did respond, "Far more times than our wedding."
The life she saw without him, he did not want for her. At the same time, he was not certain how to resolve this conflict. It was not as though his father had ever given him any respect. They could barely say two words to each other without it turning into an argument and the likelihood that was going to change was slim. Hiko pushed himself away from the counter as he directed is attention upon her. His mouth opened, but at first no sound came out of it, "We should probably get dressed if we are going to do those things we need to do so badly."
"Hiko," She said his name which drew his attention back to her.
"What is it?"
There was hesitation as she shook her head, "It is nothing." Even though she had dismissed it, the entire day he could not stop himself from thinking about what it was she wanted to say.
They did one errand after another, even picked up the table and despite, all that time together it felt as though something was looming over them. Why did he feel like there was more to that conversation the night before then just her seeing his death? When they finally made it home they were still barely speaking so when she said his name he was rather relieved and excited. Turning, his smile faded suddenly, "I see your father is not the only one whose expression changes when I enter a room."
As Tationy moved to stand at his side, he understood why there was an ominous aura around her earlier that day. "Why are you here?"
"Tadayoshi mentioned you had a girlfriend and you were moving into Sesiago's old apartment … "
Hiko interrupted, "Since when do you talk dad?"
She made a subtle sound of hesitation, "Every couple of years he and I speak."
Annoyance overtook his features, "Really? You can talk on the phone to a man you think is so intolerable, but you cannot pick up the fucking phone and talk to your own son?"
"Hiko, I am not here to …"
He interrupted her again, "Why the fuck are you here?"
"Perhaps, this was a mistake," His mother said as she turned to leave.
"Is that how it is Ms. Kari, you are just going to walk away from your son again?"
Tationy's words had been unexpected and they stalled his mother's departure. There seemed to be some amount of hesitation as he looked upon the woman that gave him life, "It is Yamada. I don't go by Kari these days."
Hiko snorted as he turned away, "Of course you wouldn't."
"I did not come here to fight."
"Why did you come here? What is the fucking point of you standing before me after all of these years?"
Tationy's voice was forceful. Different from every other time she had spoken, "Hiko, the groceries need put away." The sigh that left his mouth was filled with all of his anger and annoyance as he moved toward the counter. At first, he figured it was because she did not want the situation to get anymore hostile than it was. As she got his mother a drink she finally spoke, "All this way from Paris, just because the Yamada have called you. Did you intend to see Hiko on this trip or are you here because of Tadayoshi?"
His body stiffened. Was that it? Did his father push her to come and see him? He waited for some word from his mother, but he could not help noticing how she hesitated in speaking. "I have never stood before one with the eyes of the Tylo. I am overcome by the experience. Tadayoshi said you were remarkable, but his description of you lacked the depth to truly express how dangerous you are. I wondered why he seemed so concerned when we spoke, I understand now. The answer you seek, you already know. I imagine you were not asking for you though, were you Tationy? He looks just like his father, doesn't he?"
"Avoiding a direct question is not how the Yamada work," Tationy responded.
"I learned a thing or two while married to Tadayoshi. Some things are better left unsaid."
"Tadayoshi understands the importance of prudence when dealing with many situations. He is not avoiding, just cautious."
"I find it curious how you speak of him. It is as though the two of you … " His mothers words halted suddenly. What was she insinuating? Hiko tried to seem busy, but the truth was, he was just as invested in their conversation as they were.
"If you wish to know the answer to that question, Ms. Yamada, then perhaps you should answer mine."
Hiko could hear the soda can being set upon the counter as silence overtook Tationy and his mother. There was a part of him that wanted to turn and see their faces, but he did not dare. Afraid partly of what he would see in the eyes of the woman he was in love with and the mother that abandoned him. "Tadayoshi has been trying to get me to come and see Hiko for many years now. He kept insisting that Hiko needed his mother. Honestly, I am not certain what he expects."
"Yet, you came anyway."
"I suppose it was more curiosity than anything else. Even now as I stare at his back, I am reminded that he is just like his father. Even if I stayed, I would not have been able to keep that from happening. Kari boys become Kari men and Yamada women feel like their wings have been clipped." After his mothers words his heart felt heavy.
"You never call him your son, it is always Hiko this and that. Does distancing yourself make you feel better about leaving him?"
His mother avoided the question, "I answered your question. Are you sleeping with Tadayoshi?"
"It troubles you that the daughter of Chilè Yamada, is sharing a bed with your son. Knowing that Tadayoshi never got over his feelings for the woman that broke his heart, is the reason you are so bitter now. That is the only reason you are asking me that question and it troubles me that you are more concerned with the answer then you are with your sons feelings."
"Perhaps when you have a Kari child you will understand, until then, you are in no position to judge me." What was this feeling? Did she hate him because his father was Kari? He didn't understand and as much as he wanted to snap and ask her to explain herself, he just placed his hands on the counter and prepared for what would come next.
"I am Tylo, Ms. Yamada." There was a pause as Hiko considered what Tationy meant by this statement, "I have seen many things even experienced my life as I raised a Kari child. Casually tossing such a thing in my face, does not change the fact that I have already raised a Kari boy into a Kari man. I was never more proud of anyone in my life as I was him."
Hiko felt a choking feeling in his chest upon hearing Tationy's words. It took him a moment to collect himself before he turned and faced both women. It was far harder for him to keep the emotion off of his face when he was actually looking at his mother. He just kept asking himself, what would his father say or do in this situation. "So, you came all this way because of family business with the Yamada and I was what exactly a detour? Did you come to confirm you made the right decision or are you feeling guilty?"
"I do not regret my decision Hiko. Your father was…"
"Don't you dare," Hiko snapped. "Not once did he ever say anything bad about you. Even when I was treating him like shit and telling him that it was because of him that you left. He never once blamed it on you." He told himself to just stop talking as he growled in frustration, "All I want to know is why. Explain or get the fuck out."
His mother took a breath, "I wanted more. When I was a young girl, I thought marrying your father would be so rewarding. He was the head of the Kari Foundation, a well-respected individual in Aslann, but how he is perceived by the public and how he truly is are two very different things. He did not have the time for us. Even if he wanted to, there was too much expectation for him and while he was off making a name for himself I was at home smothered by tradition. Your grandfather would stop by and help me, but he was just there to ensure I raised you as traditionally as some Yamada woman could. It will be the same for Tationy. Hiko, you are going to be the head of the Kari Foundation and she is going to be trapped at home with a child. All those things she wants are just gone instantly and you will never be around."
Oddly Tationy was silent as his eyes settled on his mother, "Do you hate me?"
"I…." She struggled with the words, "I hate what you represent. The life I wanted was not the one I got at the side of your father. I had to leave for my own sanity and taking you with me was just not an option."
"Not an option or is it that you just did not want too?" Her silence was not lost on him. He laughed in frustration, "Don't come back."
He yelled, "I said, don't fucking come back."
Tationy had showed his mother out, not surprising the words were just not there. He did not know what he expected. Hiko had often wondered what it would be like to see his mother again. Always angry with his father, he realized as he leaned against the railing on the balcony smoking a cigarette that his anger was misdirected. He wasn't mad at the man that raised him, but instead at the woman that abandoned him. How long had he been standing there? Dazed as his mind wandered to her words and it was only the sound of the door closing that drew his attention back to the present.
Not surprising, there he was. Hiko did not need to ask why he was there because he was certain that Tationy had called him. Even as the rain began to pour down around him, he stood there silently staring up at the sky. He had only given his father a passing glance. Long enough to notice that he was dressed far more casually than he normally was, but not long enough to give much of his emotional state away or at least he thought as much until his father said, "Making Tationy worry is a bad start for your relationship. It is a Kari man's duty to protect the woman in his life, not the other way around. I could hear the anguish in her voice and it was enough to force me to head straight here."
"No one asked you to."
There was a pause that followed that somehow seemed awkward. Hiko did not understand why and as a sigh escaped his father's lips he responded with, "I'm sorry."
He tried to hide his surprise, "Kari men do not apologize. Isn't that what you always taught me?"
"Had I been a better husband…."
Hiko quickly interrupted his father, "Please don't finish that sentence. If you keep taking the blame, then …. then I have to wonder what is going to happen between Tationy and I. As much as I fucking hate it, you and I are just alike. If you screwed up this badly, what the fuck is going to happen to me and her?"
There was a huge amount of silence that followed. Did his father not have any answers for him? "Let us get inside out of this rain," he finally spoke and it was with some hesitation that Hiko agreed.
Once they were inside, his father had quickly directed him to get out of the wet clothing he was in. Hiko thought he was avoiding giving him an answer. He could not really blame him, how exactly were you supposed to tell your son that you might have turned him into some insensitive monster that would ultimately destroy any relationship he had particularly with the person that was suppose to be more important than any other. He sighed as he found his way to the bedroom and realized Tationy was sitting upon the bed. She seemed so sad and he knew he could have offered her something by saying anything, but he just kept his mouth shut.
Kicking his shoes off, then pulling off his shirt, he realized her eyes were upon him. He hated that look of sadness that was adorning her lovely features. He bit back the emotion as he stepped toward the bed. Apologizing, asking her if she was alright, both seemed perfectly good options. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her and it made him so happy when she reciprocated. When the kiss broke what he had intended to say was not what came out of his mouth, "It can't be like this Tationy. What happened last night will never happen again. It does not matter how angry or sad we are with each other. When it is time to be in bed, we are both in it together. Am I clear?"
As she stared at him he thought perhaps apologizing would have been the better way to go and the longer she took to say anything the more annoyed he got. Using his strength he had her pushed down on the bed, his large frame pinning hers. Holding her securely in place, yet still not even a single sound. Was she that angry at him? "Tationy, you can't just return my kiss and still be mad at me. Please say something."
Each second that past only ensured that he was losing his cool which forced an annoyed sigh from his lips. It was about that point that he heard it, a soft barely audible giggle. She was screwing with him. He wanted to be mad, but this was how she was. Sometimes, a mischievously little minks appeared that tantalized his senses and pressed all of those little buttons that got him going in every way imaginable. This time though he was not going to let her get away with it. His body pressed firmly into hers as he whispered teasingly along her neck and ear, "When my father leaves, you are going to beg me not to stop."
He felt the tension from her body, "What are you going to do to me, Hiko Kari?"
Considering his words he laid a tentative kiss upon her neck, "I think it is time for you to lose control, Tationy."
Even though the moment seemed light and playful, it was far from it. There was still plenty of things left unsaid as he forced her to roll to her back and he hovered over her. She had not said anything, but he had not really expected her to. As he stared down at her, he was sharply reminded that he never wanted to say these words because it was simply not who they were, "I love you. You know that right, Tationy?"
"We don't say that, Hiko Kari."
"I know we don't, but I need you to not doubt how I feel. I need to know that if for some reason I ever end up like … like my father that you will know that I love you." He could feel her fingers lightly teasing his skin as she stared at him. It was that same look she had given him earlier. Sometimes she was just impossible to read and he could not help wondering if the slow and methodical way she approached answering was because she was looking at their future.
"I don't think being like your father is such a terrible thing. He is a good man that loves his son greatly."
His head bowed as he thought of the question his mother had asked her, "Are you sleeping with him? Do you want to be sleeping with him?"
"Don't be ridiculous. The only man I am interested in is you, if you cannot see that by now Hiko Kari, I doubt I will ever be able to convince you."
"Then what is it with you two? He is always asking about you and you … " He was suddenly frustrated again.
Quietly she responded, "I love you Hiko Kari." His body suddenly stilled, "I want to stay here forever." She was not talking about the room or the apartment, not even Thacian City or Aslann. Tationy was telling him that wherever he was that is where she wanted to be.
As difficult as it was he forced himself to pull away. Grabbing a shirt he turned to look upon her, still lying in the bed. They had plenty of things that needed to be discussed, but he was acutely aware that they were not alone in the apartment. "Try and get some rest," he had told her.
Even as he left the room his mind was still on her words. Well, if he was being brutally honest with himself, not just her words. When he made it down the stairs he caught sight of his father. He could not remember the last time he saw him so relaxed. Scanning the room, Hiko realized his father had finished putting some things away and shuffled other things around to make room on the counter.
He had nearly forgotten that he and Tationy had not gotten a single thing done the day before which only made him inwardly sigh, "It cannot all be your mothers visit." His father was far too perceptive and Hiko moved toward the counter to grab a beer, certain that he was going to need at least one if he was going to have this talk with his father. "Our conversation yesterday was perhaps a bit rash. I think sometimes we both try so hard to be heard that neither of us listens."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Hiko responded. "Mikio Ishi can see her. Any action she takes he will be aware of it. I do not like the idea of her eyes being used to begin with, but anything she does to help us puts us directly in their field of view. She even says that his eyes are stronger than hers. I do get why you feel it would be in the companies best interest to use her eyes, but I cannot allow it."
"There are benefits to this action. Consider it a game of Bagola. Mikio is so focused on his opponent in this case Tationy that he cannot see what is happening away from the game."
"So, you wish to use her as a distraction?"
"I think, what I wish is irrelevant in this matter."
Hiko frowned as he watched his father prep food. He had not asked him too, his father had simply taken it upon himself to do so. Changing the topic, "You don't have to do that."
"I am concerned about the two of you." Despite how surprised he was by his fathers words it was the ones that would follow that would bring tension to him again, "Why are you fighting?"
As much as he wanted to say, we are not fighting, he knew his father well enough to know that he would be able to spot bullshit a mile away. "She doesn't like it when you and I fight." He set his beer on the counter a sigh leaving his lips. He did not really want to have this conversation. It was not as though father and son were exactly good at talking about the stuff they needed to, "Fuck, this is hard."
"I can count on one hand, how many conversations your grandfather and I had that did not end with me telling him where he could stick it. Growing up with him as a father was different from how it was with you. I did not lose my mother, until much later in my life. It was her gentle hand that kept me grounded, without her, I probably would have been far more difficult than I was."
Hiko scratched his head as he considered his fathers words, "Why did you ask mom to come and see me?"
The silence that followed his question was not entirely unexpected, but it lingered far too long. "Honestly, I thought it was what you needed. That perhaps if you spent time with her, all of that anger inside of you would be released. I underestimated your mothers feelings for me in this matter. It is because of me that when she looks at you all she sees is the Kari."
"I am Kari. She would have saw it no matter what."
His father had not even looked at him as he asked, "Are you alright, Hiko?"
It was the first time his father had ever asked him such a question. The fact that he had was not lost on him and he considered it a moment before responding, "I don't really know what I expected. Maybe that she would apologize and tell me how much she cared about me. All she seemed to care about was whether or not you and Tationy were sleeping together." His father noticeably tensed which instantly caught Hiko's attention, "Do you want to sleep with Tationy?"
Putting the knife down on the counter, his father turned to face him. Hiko tried to keep his wayward emotions in check as he searched his fathers face for the answer, but if there was one there he could not find it. "Yes," Tadayoshi finally answered and Hiko felt a pained feeling in his chest as he tried to catch his breath, "Not for the reasons you might think though."
Did he really want to know the reasons? Even as he asked himself that question he responded, "Explain it to me."
"There is a rather indecent part of me that sees her mother when I look at her. All of those feelings come rushing back and I think to myself if I could just have that one moment. Capture it again. It would be as it was meant to be, but I am reminded rather sharply that she is not her mother. So, many things I adored about Chilè are the very same things, I adore about her daughter. Even if my son was not involved with her, such a relationship would be nothing more than an old man trying to capture something he lost. Something that never really existed to begin with."
"Have you ever tried to talk to Tationy's mother? Try to …. I don't know, rekindle things or something?"
What was that look upon his fathers face? He felt anxious for the answer as he kneaded his hands together, "Chilè disgraced the Yamada. Eventually to the point of getting herself disowned. When Sesiago died, she became a different person. Pregnant with Tationy, she hoped from one bed to another. Even with a wife and a son, had she came to me at any point I would have helped her. She never did though. Not even once. I wondered for years, why it was that she took comfort in the arms of countless other men, but never found her way to mine. Did I remind her of what she lost? Did she hate me that much? It does not matter because the woman I fell in love with, is not the woman that exist today."
"What if she does? What if there is a part of her still …. "
Rather suddenly his father cut him off, "There isn't. The light that shined so brightly in her eyes dulled long ago. What remains is a woman that will sleep with any man to get what she wants."
Had there been any opportunity to say anything to his fathers words he might have tried, but his father just as quickly as the words left his mouth turned back to the counter, speedily finished prepping the food, and grabbed the big stew-pot that Tationy had insisted they get at the store earlier that day.
With the pot on the stove, the ingredients put into place his father spoke as he tenderly handled the sauce, "Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally, turn the heat down, and let it simmer for an hour. Anything left over can be cooled and then stored in the refrigerator. It will be good for a week. The two of you need to take better care of yourselves, so make sure you eat and get some rest. Stop fighting over things that do not matter because one day, you might wake up and realize that you lost sight of what was important."
"Wait, you are just leaving?"
"Your grandfather is expecting me besides it is the second day in your new apartment, shouldn't you be doing what young couples do? Makeup with Tationy." As his father walked toward the apartment exit he did not pause as he added, "Don't make the same mistakes made by your parents, you will regret them later."
When the door closed and his father was no longer within the apartment, Hiko rubbed his face as he groaned in frustration. "I cannot promise you that tomorrow will be a better day," He heard her say as she walked lightly toward him.
Hiko instinctively rested his hands upon her hips when she came to a sudden stop. He searched her eyes, taking a breath as he asked, "Were you eavesdropping?"
"If I was, what would you say?"
"I would ask, what is the point of eavesdropping when you can see the future?"
When her lips parted, he focused in on them. What would she say to him? "Things always seem darkest when confronted with emotions we have been burying. Even I have things I do not wish to address. It is human nature that some things no matter how much we wish them to just fade away linger within our hearts. I am sorry, I did not tell you she was coming."
"Is this another one of those, it was necessary. It needed to happen confrontations like the one yesterday with my father?"
"The reason you hold on so tightly is because of fear." She paused a moment before adding, "Hiko, you need to confront these things holding you back. Head on like a bull. These moments are important for your growth. No matter how unpleasant they are. Empowering yourself is a process that takes years, but you will never get to the man you need to be if you avoid the things and people that bring trepidation to your heart. I see a future where you can command the world. Hiko Kari, powerful and dangerous. Respected across the planet, but that man will never come to fruition if he cannot command himself."
"Will you be at my side when I become this man?"
"I suppose that depends…."
He interrupted her, "On what exactly?"
She laughed softly as she pulled away, "Whether or not you are strong enough to hold on for the ride."
To Be Continued


text:
by Chuck Sadosky
(Berlin, CT)
My hunger remains to make music that speaks to you, whatever your circumstance. My music passion started early. I began performing, writing, publishing and producing when I was 14. My first trips into the studio to record songs I had written were in 1967 at the age of 15. I play guitar(s), drums and other percussion. Most of my background has been in RNB, soul, and progressive, alternative rock, performing and producing great bands in the New England area. I love minors and dissonance wherever I can apply them in my music. I am thankful for so many who were inspirations to me in the past (Doc Cavalier, Dick Robinson, and Al Anderson) to name a few. Thanks to the web I'm back in touch with great musicians I had the pleasure to work with years before. These friends began prompting me back into writing, singing and producing again. I have more than a dozen new original songs brewing, but I put one new song' out, "The Walk", as a very raw, unmixed video, with one verse, as a feeler for some feedback. I was humbled by the positive responses. The little video continues being watched not only in the US, but in many countries around the world. Another, near complete version of The Walk is posted on- line as an instrumental. I have performed it live with vocals and plan to complete vocals in the studio in 2016. An EP with five other original songs was released on various sites such as numberonemusic (N1M), jango radio, reverbnation and chucksadosky.com with very positive feedback. Song plays and site hits have totaled more than 500K and have developed a subscription fan base of over 6,000 growing daily. I have been in and out of the music arena for most of my life and continue to love songwriting, singing and producing. My hunger remains to make music that speaks to you, whatever your circumstance. Contact information:
Chuck Sadosky
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Add YOUR Songwriter Bio!.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome to Summer Has Gone. This is an AU Game of Thrones site unlike anything you've seen before. We've added twelve new islands that are Kingdoms of their own - these will be a source of curiosity and fascination for the inhabitants of Westeros, and a source of conflict, as alliances are made and enemies are made. Also, this is JCINK Premium so certain characters have been aged up, as have events. We have also added in relatives to certain Houses, to make things more interesting.
04.12.16 // SHG has been open for a while now, and we currently have a site event going on that we hope all of you join in on! The site will be undergoing a few changes over the next few weeks, but we still encourage people to post and stay active!
05.20 // I am proud to say, that the site is now open! The staff hope all of you enjoy it here.
skin credit goes to miss texas, custom structure scripts go to black, and the toggle cbox goes to subdevo. The Toggle Code Box goes to Thunderstruck @ CTTW.
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Austin Levingston grew up watching Michael Phelps. And as a swimmer whose face is eerily reminiscent of the Olympic legend, Levingston has often been compared to Phelps.
That made it easy for Levingston to look up to Phelps as a role model. And at the end of his professional career, Levingston -- who has autism -- just wanted to read out and let Phelps know the impact he's had on his life.
Through a simple post to Phelps' Facebook page, Levingston's act of sincerity has quickly become a viral hit, and an endearing reminder of the influence athletes have on fans.
The story of Michael Phelps, a fan in Kansas and a Facebook post: https://t.co/vPiVdgC0h3 pic.twitter.com/qWFqXJf4K7
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) August 29, 2016
This is an excerpt of the post:
"My name is Austin and I am autistic. I know you may not care to read this but you are one of my biggest idols and I've been following you for a very long time. Right now, I am currently going to college and hoping to become the first person in my whole family to get a degree. I am also a swim competitor just like you and I'm hoping to swim in the Olympics just like you someday."
Levingston also included side-by-side pictures of himself and Phelps in and out of the pool, noting their striking resemblance.
The post quickly gained more than 4,000 likes, but it's unclear if Phelps has seen the post himself. If he hasn't, someone will probably point it out soon.


text:
Our groups talked about so many things, one main concern: what on earth is this novel about? You've got the first plot--the Dutch on Dejima island in Japan at the turn of the nineteenth century, based on real events--and then there's the second plot--the sisters and monks living in the mountaintop shrine. And then the British frigate, again based on true events, arrives--almost a third plot--and helps tie everything together. It's an adventure story par excellence, and it's also full of big ideas for your book club to explore.
We cover about twenty years--from 1799 until 1819 or thereabouts, yet all the major concerns of the century will be crammed in the story. Science versus superstition, tradition versus modernity, West versus East, exploration versus exploitation, and much, much more.
Several overarching themes were discussed:
- The idea of man being a complicated creature, a mix of both good and evil. Are we just the sum of our deeds? Is morality an absolute, or is it relative and dependent upon our culture?
- The idea of life being a zero-sum game, and we are all just living by the law of the jungle. It's always all about power--who has it, who can grab it, how to use it. Betrayal is pervasive throughout the story, which makes sense when it's an eat or be eaten world.
- Stories, myths, and why we tell them. And how they form who we are. Whether we realize it or not. Refer to page 244 for a great quote on this.
- How we (often times blindly) hold onto a belief or ideology that justifies any and all of our actions. How hard it is to let go of our beliefs because they form our identity and they give us power. Refer to page 205 for a wonderful quote on this.
- How very difficult it is to communicate, especially across cultural or other divides. The power that an interpreter has, and the huge consequences that can arise from misinterpretation.
- Imprisonment in a time of exploration. Think about it--lots of the characters either chose their own prison or were put in one by someone else.
There's lots more to this book, but this ought to get you started with some ideas to discuss with your book club. Happy reading!


text: I'm trying to use Unofficial CXMB v2 for 5.03 CFWE but I can't seem to get it working. The VSH txt seems to delete the plugin line every time I go to the plugin menu. Any ideas? My current VSH.txt layout is the following: ms0:/seplugins/NetUpdateFixer.prx 1 ms0:/cxmb/cxmb.prx 1 The bolded section is the part that gets deleted and I can't figure out why. I've only had problems with this plugin.


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The mcw file extension is related to the MacWrite II software for Apple Macintosh computers. The mcw file stores text document.
MCW file - MacWrite II text document
What is mcw file? How to open mcw files?
File type specification:
mcw file icon:
The mcw file extension is associated with MacWrite II and used for its text document files. MacWrite was a word processor application released along with the first Apple Macintosh systems in 1984.
It was the first such program that was widely available to the public to offer WYSIWYG operation, with multiple fonts and styles. Together with MacPaint, it was one of the two original "killer applications" that propelled the adoption and popularity of the GUI in general, and the Mac in particular.
List of recommended software applications associated to the .mcw file extension
Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open mcw file, edit mcw file, convert mcw file, view mcw file, play mcw file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).
- Import mcw file
Software that import mcw file - MacWrite II text document
Programs supporting the exension mcw on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about ABC Amber Text Converter for import mcw file action.


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LETTUCE Wow You-Tomato Herb Tart and Beet Chevre Sandwiches!
Led by Urbana's Market at the Square and The Land Connection
Thursday, Aug 27th, 6-7:30pm
$5 each
What should I buy at the Farmer's Market this week? What could I prepare with that beautiful produce I walked by last week? Local experts will walk you through what's in season right now, this week, and some delicious food you can cook up using local ingredients! Taste the freshness and get some great ideas to try at home! Attend 6 classes in the series and get the complete Farm Fresh Now! recipe box set by The Land Connection.
Date and Time:
Thursday, Aug 27th 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm


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This weeks Sunday Scribblings prompt:
Have you had a mentor in your life? Would you like one? For what? Have you been one? How? Everyone could use a little more help in their lives, can you see where you could be a mentor now?
I met a rasta man nine years ago. I spent three hours with him. My husband told me where to find him. He runs a shop in Sacramento. It is open for business twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I found him.
I asked him to turn my natty hair into dreaded hair. Three hours later, he did so. I walked out with my temples slightly throbbing and with a sense of dizziness. My hair was sticking up in all directions; it was such a wild do. I felt like pinhead. I loved it. I thanked and praised him.
He gave me so much more.
Jay didn't say too much to me. I sat, a bit nervous, in his barber chair and felt every strand of separation. He carved small squares into my scalp, pulled and twisted. The aroma was pungent. Slightly sappy, salty, pure. I never asked what he was using. I imagined awapuhi, hemp seed, olive, beeswax. Trees.
I was alone in the shop with him the entire time. He wondered what I had been wondering. I told him travel. There were no babies then. Aaron and I were recently contemplating some sort of flight. A place that we hadn't seen before, maybe it didn't exist, but we held onto an idea for a simple life, villages and islands and a quaint home with lots of land. I told Brother Jay about our anticipation for discovering a passage. A voyage. He said that I had fears. He was right. He told me not to dwell on an exact route; he told me to "go". He never gave me a sense of where, but he spoke of his time in Vietnam, of his property on an island, of his wife, freedom, Africa. He mentioned Fiji. I was beside myself, how did he know?
He said that there was no need to search for a passageway, that I was already on the journey. He told me to keep going. He was working on creating intensely tight locks. I felt dazzled. He never stopped to show me a reflection in a mirror. He worked slowly. He spoke with confidence. With ease. He said that if I kept going I would get there.
He gave me so much more.
I didn't walk away from Brother Jay with a plan. I slipped away from his shop with a lighter head and a shear sense of contentment. Confidence. I whispered to myself, "I'm already there."
Aaron had a visit with Jay the day prior. I never asked my husband what they spoke of.
The following week we were 'let go' at our jobs (we worked for the same company then). They never used the word "fired". They, simply, regarded our hair as "unprofessional". There was no use arguing, so we walked away together. This was our first month in our new apartment together. I was pregnant two months later. We were poor. A bit scared. I thought about Jay. I visited his shop a couple of times, during those days, just to look at beads. He didn't say much to me, he just looked at me. He bore the most telling gaze. And I knew, that the journey had already begun. That we were ready for our flight. That the squares had paved an undeniable path. That we would go.
His wakeful eyes, his thinning hair, his endless locks. His clever sense, witty and sound. The man with the yellow van and the discount prices is a guru.
He helped us to slip from the cracks and allowed us to let go. I wonder if he knew that we would never come back.


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Body Repair
Buick Collision Center in Sacramento, CA
Buick has a always being known for its high end affordable cars.
We have many years of experience in fixing Buicks, along with technicians that are up-to-date with current technology and equipment. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff, technicians and mechanics are here to help you with all of your Buick's service and repair needs.
Our Buick repair and service shop is located in Sacramento, CA. We proudly serve the following areas: Sacramento, West Sacramento, South Sacramento, East Sacramento, Natomas, Rosemont, Vineyard, Elk Grove, Laguna, Sheldon and surrounding areas.
We at Capitol Collision Center look forward to being your Sacramento Buick body repair center. Click here to contact us, or give us a call at (916) 383-4733.
Schedule an appointment for your next Buick service or repair today!


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City of Night
Oil derricks against a night sky with the light of California reflecting from the clouds. This sight thrilled me in the early 60s as I painted the disappearing Venice oil fields and the construction of Marina del Rey. It was a major part of my 1962 one-artist show, By the Speedway's End: a Record on Canvas of Time and Change.
I came to California from North Carolina and fell in love with the Venice skyline. There were rows of derricks along the beach. They looked like wonderful abstract sculptures. I spent the next few years painting the area, listening to the squeaky pumps and talking with residents and workmen. Then – as now – I drew on different painting techniques to show the many moods and facets of the subject.
Although my work ranges from abstraction to portraiture, the California landscape has me captivated. The golden light, a million shades of green, and an infinite variety of scene is unparalleled. But I am continually drawn back to these man-made structures…each with a character and setting of its own.
"Black Gold® the artwork of JoAnn Cowans"


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Honorary Consulate of Finland in Mahé
|Honorary Consul
|Mr. Basil John William Soundy
|Bodco Ltd.
P.O.Box 371
Victoria, Mahé
|local: 224.710
international: +248.224.710
|local: 224.065
international: +248.224.065
» Can I visit Finland without a visa?
Post a comment on this page
We invite you to share your experiences with the Finnish Honorary Consulate — obtaining visas and other services, locating the building, and so on. Your comments may be seen by the public, so please do not include private information.
This web site is not operated by the Honorary Consulate and your comments and questions will not necessarily be seen by its staff. Please note that this is not a forum for broad debate about the foreign policy of Finland, and such topics will be deleted.


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Finding Bibs and Footwear Related, TTAB Gives "BABY'S FIRST" Applicant a Section 2(d) Spanking
Like a resolute parent reining in a ranting toddler, the Board turned a deaf ear to Elegant Headwear's appeal from a Section 2(d) refusal to register the mark BABY'S FIRST for "baby bibs not made of paper" [BABY's disclaimed]. The Board found the mark likely to cause confusion with the identical mark registered for "infant's footwear" [also with BABY's disclaimed]. In re Elegant Headwear Co., Serial No. 76536426 (August 10, 2005) [not citable].
Of course, because the marks are identical, the goods need not be as closely related to support a finding of likely confusion. Still, the Board had to strain to find the necessary relationship here.
The Examining Attorney submitted website pages displaying "babies shoes and bibs sold on the same page" [There is no indication, however, that these items came from the same manufacturer or were offered under the same mark], and three third-party registrations providing "some suggestion that entities have registered a common mark for baby bibs and infants' footwear." [Mucky Duck to the rescue, again].
Evidently recognizing the weakness of that evidence, the Board triumphantly seized upon Applicant' own specimen of use [shown above]:
"More importantly, we observe that applicant's specimen of record for its baby bibs contains the wording 'Headwrap and Ballet Slipper Set' and 'SIZE: 0-3 Months.' Ballet slippers are a type of footwear and, thus, applicant's own specimen indicates that it is also the source of infants' footwear."
Noting that the cited websites at least show that these goods travel in the same channels of trade, and pointing out that these are relatively inexpensive items, the Board concluded that confusion is likely.
TTABlog comment: Did the PTO meet its burden in this case? If bibs and footwear really are "related" for purposes of a Section 2(d) analysis, couldn't something more convincing be found on the Internet? Is there not one company offering both products under the same mark?
"Baby's First" is not the most distinctive phrase in the world, and it may not warrant the broadest scope of protection. Surely, Applicant could have done a better job in pointing that out.
Text Copyright John L. Welch 2005.


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Vintaj DecoEtch Die - Handwriting Numbers
Product Code: SKU20475
Price: $8.10 including GST
Vintaj DecoEmboss Die - Butterfly Swirls
Product Code: SKU20399
Price: $15.95 including GST
Vintaj DecoEtch Die - Fairy Twilight
Product Code: SKU20398
Price: $8.30 including GST
Vintaj DecoEmboss Die - Steampunk Parts
Product Code: SKU20397
Price: $15.95 including GST
Vintaj Metal Reliefing Block
Product Code: SKU20393
Price: $7.95 including GST
Designed to cut and emboss for creating unlimited fun projects. Cut paper, chipboard and fabric for scrapbooking, card making and general crafts.
Product Code: SKU20392
Price: $149.95 including GST
Smooth burrs created when when cutting loops off charms.
Product Code: SKU20343
Price: $4.95 including GST
- per page


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The Open University is a partner in a new research project to design and deliver hospital environments that respond to our changing climate. The NHS, which manages more than 14,000 sites, is facing a particular challenge. It needs to protect patients, carers and visitors from excess temperatures, but standard mechanical ventilation solutions or air conditioning can mean increased energy use and carbon emissions.
The research team will work with four NHS Hospital Trusts to establish the resilience of existing buildings and the critical spaces within them in the light of current and future weather data for different geographical locations. The team will consider issues such as the effect of elevated temperatures on patient recovery; infection control; staff working conditions; and the impacts of extreme climate events on the operation of the Trust sites. They will develop detailed low energy design strategies for representative existing building types and will produce a catalogue of viable options which can be applied to buildings across the NHS Estate.
Dr Claudia Eckert, Senior Lecturer in Design at The Open University, said: "It is very important that patients are not affected more than necessary by refurbishment. With the tight budgets of the NHS, the proposed changes should not have unexpected effects on the Trusts' buildings or patient care."
Alan Short, Principal Investigator and Professor of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, said: "The project will investigate economical and practical strategies for the NHS to adapt its existing buildings and increase their resilience to climate change, whilst also meeting its challenging climate change goals."
Professor Kevin Lomas, Professor of Building Simulation at Loughborough University, continued: "The NHS can't simply raise its comfort temperature thresholds a little in summer and suspend the use of mechanical cooling, as to do so may compromise the wellbeing and safety of patients."
The project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of the 'Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate' programme, with additional support from the Department of Health and NHS Trusts. The project is led by Professor Alan Short. It is a partnership of the Department of Architecture at Cambridge University, the Design Group at The Open University, the Department of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University, the Engineering Design Centre at Cambridge University and the Pathogen Control Engineering Research Group at Leeds University.
Editor's Notes
· The NHS Estate comprises more than 14,000 buildings. The NHS comes into contact with more than one million patients, carers and visitors every 36 hours and employs 1.3 million staff or 5% of the UK workforce.
· The project will develop processes to make the integration of innovative, low energy interventions into hospital refurbishment projects smoother and more familiar to those who will be delivering them. It will produce guidance and worked examples in text and web form, as well as a DVD film.


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The Burbage SurgeryTel: 01455 634879
Wolvey Surgery Tel: 01455 221331
Sapcote SurgeryTel: 01455 634879
Sharnford SurgeryTel: 01455 634879
Any patient requesting On Line Access will need to complete an On Line Access Registration Form that will need to be completed and submitted to the surgery in person together with one photographic form of ID (e.g. passport or driving licence) and one proof of address that is no more than 3 months old.
On Line Acccess Registration Form
Detailed Coded Records
Patients who have access to on line services can have the facility to view their detailed coded online record and they can apply for this via their on line access. This includes all information that is held on the practice's clinical system which is held in coded form unless any of the following apply:
In the reasonable opinion of the practice, access to such information would not be in the patient's best interest because it is likely to cause serious harm to:-
Copyright 2006 - 2018 My Surgery Website | Privacy & Usage | Edit | Staff Home | Site Map | Accessibility | Site T&C's | Service T&C's


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Wedding Photography
Wedding Photography template review
name Wedding Photography developer ThemeForest software Facebook page templates categories wedding album, wedding photography price starting at $12 license non-GPL license release date February 2012 reviewed by Renée Klein
Presenting your business online is very important if you want your business to grow, and there is no better choice than creating a Facebook page because this is the most popular social network nowadays.
If you want your page to be different from all the others, you are going to need a Facebook wedding photography page template. ThemeForest presents Wedding Photography, a template created by Flash Bob.
The layout is very creative and minimal, fitting the Facebook page perfectly. As soon as they land on your page, your visitors are going to see a nice grey background with modern flashy effects.
A whole pile of your photographs is going to appear one by one, making a wonderful collage out of your work. You can add many photos so feel free to choose all the best looking ones for your landing page. This is where you want to amaze everyone, so choose wisely.
The template contains three sections: Biography, Project Links and Contact. When you click on Biography, a nice dynamic content window opens up, and you can introduce yourself to your visitors properly. You can write everything about your work, how you started, what exactly you work on, etc. and you can add photos to this post as well.
In the "Project Links" section you will be able to showcase your work, add thumbnail photos and link descriptions to each one of them. These thumbnails will be linked to any website you want, and this is a wonderful way of fully showing off with your work in an attractive, professional way. All of your projects can be listed here for everyone to see.
The last section "Contact" features a simple contact form through which your visitors can message you easily, and you will get this message on your email. Social buttons are added to this template so you won't be margined to Facebook only. They will allow you to connect to all the most popular social networks, which give you endless sharing possibilities. Facebook is a very productive way of presenting your business online, and this template is perfect for it.
features colors styles navigation
- contact form
- gallery page
- black
- grey
- dark
- neutral


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My story A Pound of Darkness, a Quarter of Dreams appears in the latest issue of Lightspeed Magazine.
- Subscribe to Lightspeed Magazine
- See the full Issue details (including an interview with me)
My story A Pound of Darkness, a Quarter of Dreams appears in the latest issue of Lightspeed Magazine.
I'm delighted to say that I'll be attending Worldcon 75 in Helsinki.
You can see my up to date program schedule on the con's rather excellent website or read it below.
Look forward to seeing you there
Wednesday, August 9 16:00 – 17:00
Tony Ballantyne, Leo Vladimirsky, Mrs Philippa Chapman
Music has been used as a tool for magic for a long time: the Finnish national epic Kalevala uses it extensively and Tolkien's Middle-Earth was sung to existence! There is a clear connection between music and magic.
Friday, August 11 17:00 – 18:00
Tara Oakes, Tanja Sihvonen, Mary Turzillo, Tony Ballantyne
Robots are often made into the image of humans. In reality, however, robots have as many incarnations and images as there are robot creators. The panelists discuss how the image of the robot has changed and developed, both in fact and in fiction.
Saturday, August 12 14:00 – 15:00
Sunday, August 13 13:00 – 14:00
Tara Oakes, Lilian Edwards, Tony Ballantyne, Su J. Sokol
With robot cars soon on our streets and with robots as caretakers questions of ethics and morals rise. How should a robot car choose to react in an accident (save passenger or save most lives)? What kinds of ethics and moral questions rise from using robots as caretakers of our children, elderly, disabled or ill. What about killer robots that are constructed by the armies of the world? Is it morally right to teach a robot to kill?
From Eric Brown's introduction…
THIS VOLUME CAME ABOUT ONE summer a few years ago when Tony came up to Scotland with his family. We were wandering around the pretty seaside town of North Berwick and talking about recent short stories we'd written. Tony happened to mention that he was working on some short- shorts, which he hoped to place with Nature, and I mentioned a short-short market that I'd recently sold to, Daily SF. I then suggested that, when we had enough tales to form a volume, we should gather them all together and attempt to find a publisher. Years passed; we wrote short-shorts between bigger projects, and Keith Brooke who runs Infinity Plus Books expressed an interest in publishing Microcosms.
Microcosms: 42 pieces of flash fiction by Eric Brown and Tony Ballantyne
Published by Infinity Plus
Buy the Paperback Edition on Amazon UK | Amazon US
But the Kindle Edition on Amazon UK | Amazon US
The Human Way appears in the March/April 2017 Issue of Analog
Fans of the Recursion series may recognise Armstrong and Joanna – as well as the Eva Rye – from the beginning of Divergence.
The story follows on from events in The Region of Jennifer and Threshold.


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Ubbink (UK) Ltd was founded in the UK in 1976, as part of the Ubbink Centrotherm Group.
They make a huge range of roofing products, including dry fix systems, lead flashing alternatives, and tile and slate roof vents.
We are proud to be Ubbink product suppliers, offering you competitive prices every day.
Ubiflex lead-free flashing is one of the brand's best known products. This easy-to-install waterproof flashing is installed in half the time of traditional lead, and has no scrap value.
Ubbink also offers a range of tile vents that will fit perfectly with Marley roof tiles.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch Ubbink installation videos.


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I initially thought it would be very simple to install the TV Server portion of the applicaiton on my WHS in order to handle the recording and streaming, but unfortunately WHS is not supported by MediaPortal and there are a few hoops to jump through in order to get this to work.
Tag Archives: windows home server
WHS Redirect My Documents with Offline Sync
In this guide I will explain how to redirect the the My Documents folder to the User share on a Windows Home Server. Also, I will set up Offline File Syncing so the computer can be disconnected from the network and still maintain access to the files. Upon reconnecting to the network the changes will by automatically synchronized.
The individual User folders are automatically created when adding a user to the Windows Home Server and it is set so only the specific user has read/write access. This is a great way to manage your files if you are working on multiple computers and/or are using a laptop that is occasionally removed from the local network and you still need access to all of your files.
Windows Home Server not Virtualized Benchmark
I tried bypassing the virtualization solution and wanted to see what kind of performance I could get running straight off the hardware kind of like a benchmark so I have something to compare WHS VM performance to. I installed WHS directly on my secondary PC and have seen pretty good results so far. File transfers have been generally ranging from 40-50MB/s and I was able to stream a 10Gb 1080p .MKV file with no stuttering and basically immediate response to FF/RW requests.
I did once see transfer speeds below 1MB/s but it worked fine before and after that. I am assuming the slow speeds in that instance were do to the storage balancer since it was shortly after I had turned on some folder duplication and it was likely moving large amounts of data. Although I have no proof, if it happens again I will try to track it down.
Install VMWare ESXi on a USB stick
Next I wanted to try to set up VMWare ESXi. I also read about how you can run ESXi off of a flash drive and I thought I would give this a try so I could dedicate the entire physical hard drive to running WHS.
I read that I could run through the installation normally and just tell it the installation destination is the USB stick, however this did not work for me as it said it was unable to find a location to install to. And after loading the installation files I was forced to restart and try again.
Hyper-V, Physical hard disk access & CPU virtualization support
A way to avoid using the virtual hard disk files would be by using Hyper-V which has the ability to attach physical hard disks directly to virtual machines. That means I can set the physical hard drive as offline to the host operating system and dedicate it to the virtual machine os, giving the vm os direct and dedicated read/write access to the drive. Using the physical disk access you can avoid using the virtual hard drive "coffins" to store your files, and instead, the files are stored normally, directly on the physical hard drive that can be plugged in and read by any computer. This allows you to reap the full benefits from Windows Home Server's Drive Extender technology that I have discussed in a previous post.
Windows Home Server Drive Extender data storage technology
One of the greatest features of Windows Home Server is its dead simple data management and replication, or what they call Drive Extender. Aside from simplicity, Drive Extender has a few storage features that you cannot find with other solutions. In fact, many enthusiasts choose to run WHS instead of Linux or full blown Windows server upwards of 20Tb for this reason.
No drive letters
In WHS you can forget about worrying about filling up individual drives and having to move files to other drives because they are too big to fit. As far as Windows Home Server is concerned your disks are combined to form a single storage pool. This is like a JBOD "just a bunch of disks" array where you have a single namespace to access the data and the disks are spanned together and appear to the end user as one giant disk. This also greatly simplifies your file access as you will not have to navigate to different drive letters to find your files, they can all be accessed via a single shared folder.
WHS on VMWare Server 2.0 with a Windows 7 host
After trying Virtual Server 2005R2 I decided to try VMWare Server 2.0, another free solution. After a quick Windows 7 reformat (to completely wipe the Virtual Server modifications/workarounds), the installation of VMWare Server went without a hitch. I had a 100Gb partition for Windows 7 and then the rest of the 1Tb drive was broken into another partiotn where I stored the WHS virtual hard drive (not pre-allocated, equal to the remaining space). Later on a second 1Tb hard drive was put in the machine and I created a second virtual hard drive equal to the size of the drive.
Virtualization, Windows Home Server, and HTPCs
Right now I'm focusing on virtualization, windows home server, and HTPCs. I will be exploring different configurations to find the optimal setup able to achieve my goals.
- Computer backup
- Virtualization – testing/experimenting
- Media streaming server
- HTPC front end – for playback of DVD rips and recorded TV
- BitTorrent machine
- Automate the process of media downloading, organizing, metadata/fanart
My primary desktop is used for gaming so I want to accomplish as much as possible on my secondary pc (complete specs). For virtualization I plan to experiment with VMWare ESXi, Hyper-V Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V, VMWare Server 2.0, and Virtual Server 2005.
I hope this blog can serve as a reference for others who are interested in a similar setup, because I know how difficult it was to find information on these topics.


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In our fast paced society today continue to see advances in technology gives us more and more great things to make our lives easier. You can not deny the simple fact that these advances have really enhance our ability to communicate around the world.
If you take the time to think about it for a little while you can really see how big of a change has occurred in a very short time. One of the best inventions we have at our disposal is a telephone. Many of us still write letters once in a while, but just think how our world would be if we did not have a phone and all we used the mail and telegrams. With the phone you can just as easily call someone on the other side of the world as you can in your next door neighbor or friend in another town.
There is no doubt that the telephone communication significantly improved the way we do things and to think that without a phone we would not have the Internet as we do now. The longer we're around the more we'll see things grow in faster and easier. Even now you can send a text to someone on the other side of the world and get a response back almost immediately.
Not only does this help us with business, but also in other areas, such as vacation planning. You can now register online information about any part of the world, book tickets, rooms and even meals while sitting at home. And to think without sophisticated communications network in we would be unable to control traffic to make this all possible.
As you look at what we can not help but appreciate the advanced systems needed to put into place to make our lives easier as well as make the world seem like a smaller place. Without advanced our relations it would be impossible to effectively communicate with other countries in the matter as we do now. Can you imagine trying to negotiate a contract with another country by snail mail? It would not work. It would be possible to think that without quick communication our lives would be much less filled with what is happening around the world. Some might argue that it would be a better place, but you can not disagree that it would not be as fun.
I know every time I use the phone to talk to a loved one abroad I'm sure happy for communication that we have in place to allow us to do it.
Source by Jack G Jones


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Even though we have a soft spot for the Rabbit pickups that were made right up the road at VW's Westmoreland plant, they stopped building (and selling) them here in 1984. Production carried on elsewhere for a long time and this 1988 model gives us a little glimpse of that continuation.Read More
Like the GTI itself, this one is pretty self explanatory. A 1983 GTI that has been in the same family for the last 30 years and looks to be remarkably original. After 150k miles this GTI still has original paint, a clean interior, and 14 inch snowflake wheels look better than our 2013 "Detroit's" in every way.Read More
Stored from 1983 until 2015, when it was purchased at an auction in Minnesota, this diesel 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit has since put on another 8,000 miles. These Western PA-bred rabbits were never the fastest, but this might be the lowest mileage example still in the wild.Read More
We love little VW pickups to begin with but this white on red caddy is a head turner.Read More


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DIY Cabinet Painting with General Finishes Products
One of the greatest parts about DIY projects is the satisfaction you get from completing a project yourself. Whatever your starting point, be it a worn cabinet or brand new wood plank, you are not limited by creative restrictions and can do anything you want to make the project turn out exactly as you hoped. Or better.
DIY Cabinet Refinishing & Painting
If you are ready to take on DIY cabinet refinishing or want to add some character to your space with distressed wood, we've got the tools for you. As much as we enjoy doing it ourselves, we also thrive on seeing others find and hone their DIY passions.
For some customers, we do the whole project. For others, we can just add texture to new wood, sell it to you and deliver it so that you can create your own masterpiece. For the DIY-obsessed, order your General Finishes milk paint, gel stain, glaze or top coat and we'll get out of the way.
For those looking to polish DIY skills, start with our videos on DIY cabinet refinishing, how to apply General Finishes milk paint and several tips and tricks to help master your craft. Our video tutorials show you exactly how we do it here at Restyle Junkie, including a full supply list.
[update your space]
Have you ever worked diligently on a do-it-yourself project, only to be disappointed by the paint job in the end? It's easier than you might think to make mistakes when painting cabinets, repainting furniture or putting the last coat on any DIY project, and you're not alone. Short of seeking…Read More
Got some shoddy looking cabinets in your house? Did you know you can DIY cabinet doors that have seen better days? Just use General Finishes gel stain. Cabinets get worn over time with normal use. And kids. And dogs. Well, you know, you live there. But don't worry: with General…Read More
This isn't necessarily a full version of a General Finishes gel stain tutorial, but we're going to answer one of our most frequent questions about one of our most popular gel stains: How many coats do you need to apply of General Finishes Antique Walnut gel stain? The "too long,…Read More
General Finishes Milk Paint Coverage by Can Size When buying paint for any project, we all want to get it right the first time. Buy too little and then you've got to drop everything and head back out to buy more. Buy too much and you spent extra money there…Read More
One of our most popular in-person cabinet painting classes teaches you absolutely everything (well, we start with the basics, but the basics of everything) about how to paint kitchen cabinets. When you sign up for our DIY cabinet painting class, you've already completed one of the two things you need…Read More
It's a popular choice to restyle light cabinets and furniture into darker statement pieces. If you own pickled pink oak, honey colored maple and golden oak cabinets, those are some of the many of the colors that are now going to the dark side. One easy way to achieve a…Read More
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Off late turning classroom teaching into eLearning is the latest fad. Training managers have realized that opting for eLearning is not only cost effective but also less time consuming. Now-a-days, converting instructor led training (ILT) into eLearning is simple. However creating the same classroom-like atmosphere can be quite challenging. One such area is replicating classroom activities in an eLearning course.
This is one area where even the best of us squander. I had a similar challenge for one of our courses where I was asked to show a classroom activity in my eLearning course. In this post, I will share a few insights on how you can carry out classroom activities in eLearning courses.
1. Comprehend: The first and foremost thing you need to do here is to go through your content and understand the classroom activity given. Jumping right into the creation of the activity will not give you a clear idea on how to go about the subject matter in the activity. One thing about converting an ILT activity into eLearning is that you first need to envision yourself in the classroom.
For instance, instead of thinking how we can present this in the course, you need to ask how this activity is done in a classroom with learners divided into groups of four or five. This helps in understanding the activity better and serves as a pillar in creating the same effect in your eLearning course.
2. Challenge: In a classroom, activities are meant to challenge the learner into doing a particular task. For example, your ILT material describes an activity on identifying the most common hazardous food. Ideally, in a classroom you would present a scenario, let's say a restaurant that serves delicious food has been shut down by the food regulation authorities and you ask your participants to form into groups and find out what would be the most likely cause of the restaurant shutting down.
Being in a classroom your learner has multiple resources such as a pen, paper, notes made in the classroom and a participant guide that contains detailed description of the scenario presented. As an instructional designer, it is your job to create the same classroom-like ambiance in your course with these very resources replicated and provided to your learner in your course. Seems difficult, but it really isn't. Let's take a look at how you can show this very scenario in an eLearning course.
3. Create: Let me break the above ILT activity into sections for an eLearning course.
- The Scenario: This is commonly shown as a case study where your learner reads and understands the scenario. Ideally, this is shown right before the activity exercise. Take a look at the example below.
Although your learner will have a fair idea about the scenario after these screens, it is better to give him a handout in the form of attachments such as PDF files, if he ever chooses to go through the case study or scenario again.
- The Description: Once you have shown the case, the next thing you need to do is explain the learner his task in the activity and describe what is needed to be done here. For example, your task is to identify the three biological hazards in the kitchen. This clearly marks what the learner needs to identify and where.
- The Activity: This is where you need to replicate the classroom resources such as a pen, paper and reference material. Note that the PDF document you have given about the scenario serves as the reference here. Now, you need to let the learner list out his observations. For this, you can provide a text box onscreen where your learner can type out his findings on the case and when he clicks submit, you can show the intended findings of the activity. This way, he can assess his own findings and compare it to the intended findings.
Having an open field text box here serves best as it doesn't need any kind of coding and can be easily created using rapid authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline.
- Reinforce: At the end of the activity, you can share the intended case findings, once again as a take away for future reference in a PDF document. By doing so, you cover every aspect of the activity right from the start to the end just like it's done in a classroom.
Commonly, we tend to assume that classroom training and eLearning don't gel well together. However classroom teaching aids such as documents, PowerPoint presentations `are great resources to create activities in eLearning.
Hope you find this blog useful. Do share your views.


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Here's the back story -- Francis sent out a press release Tuesday claiming he won an internship in a charity auction ... and plans to gift the internship to the winner of his HDNet reality series, "The Search for the Hottest Girl in America."
Francis claims the internship will take place this summer in the office of U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (D Ark.) in Washington, D.C. According to the auction website, Francis paid $2,500 for the prize.
Problem is ... Pryor is now calling B.S. ... and a rep for the Senator tells TMZ, "Our office does not sell, auction or donate internships."
"We believe someone outside Senator Pryor's office has broken the law by fraudulently impersonating a U.S. Senator, fraudulently attempting to sell a government position and using the Senate seal without authorization."
"We have asked the FBI to fully investigate who is perpetrating this fraud against the senator and the U.S. Senate."
Calls to Joe have not been returned. The auction house had no comment. more on this story
TMZ submitted this story.


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Please note: Package C goes on sale 1/10/17, and Package E goes on sale 1/11/17.
Chef Bryan Caswell, co-owner of Reef Restaurant, will host this specially-curated evening featuring Chef John Besh, with desserts from Chef Rebecca Masson.
Chef John Besh is a Louisiana native dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana. In his restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits, and public activities, he preserves and promotes ingredients, techniques, and heritage one mouth-watering dish at a time. His fifteen acclaimed restaurants August, Besh Steak, Lüke, Lüke San Antonio, La Provence, Domenica, Pizza Domenica, Borgne, Johnny Sánchez New Orleans, Johnny Sánchez Baltimore, Shaya, Willa Jean, Pigeon & Prince, Caribbean Room, and Marsh House celebrate the bounty and traditions of the region.
From the outset of his career, Besh's talent and drive have earned him continuous kudos. In 2014, the James Beard Foundation inducted him into "Who's Who in Food & Beverage." Food & Wine named him one of the "Top 10 Best New Chefs in America," and he won the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006. In 2009, he was awarded Food Arts' Silver Spoon Award for revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans. His flagship restaurant, August, is a Gayot Top 40 Restaurant and a Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Restaurant, in addition to being a 2012 and 2013 James Beard Nominee for Outstanding National Restaurant (eligible only to restaurants open for ten years or more) and 2015 James Beard Nominee for Outstanding Service. He is the host of two national public television cooking shows, based on his award-winning cookbooks: "Chef John Besh's New Orleans," and "Chef John Besh's Family Table."
Reef Restaurant is famous for expertly prepared seafood with Gulf Coast, Mediterranean and Asian influences that reflect a culinary sophistication never-before seen among Houston's high-profile restaurant scene. Reef, co-owned by Bill Floyd, is led by James Beard nominated Chef Bryan Caswell who grew up along coastal waters and sharpened his culinary skills in water-side hot spots from New York to Hong Kong and Barcelona to the Bahamas.
The evening's desserts will be prepared by "The Sugar Fairy" Chef Rebecca Masson, owner of Houston's Fluff Bake Bar! Her confectionaries have become a sweet staple in Houston and her signature style creatively marries the tradition of French pastry with homemade favorites reminiscent of childhood.


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Entry requirements
For general entry requirement guidance please follow this link.
More detailed entry requirement information will be available in due course.
DurationTwo years.
What will I study?Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the media from both a practical and theoretical standpoint. The course is designed to provide students with a broad set of production skills in a variety of contexts.
During the first year, all students will study a range of different units including Video Production, Digital Graphics, Photography and Video Games. These form the cornerstone of their media education and allow all students to experience a wide range of media.
Subjects will be studied in rotation, allowing students to develop a range of practical skills, develop an understanding of how to use a range of software and build on their theoretical understanding of media production and its applications.
In the second year, students select to pursue either TV & Film or Print Based Media. Students cover specialist units which will give them a deeper knowledge of their chosen area. During the second year, students will experience larger, more challenging assignments and work with external clients to realise more sophisticated projects.
What could it lead to?Students may progress on to university or college to take degrees or foundation degrees in subjects such as: animation, television and film production, photography and digital imaging, media studies, video game design, publishing, journalism, advertising and interactive media.
Need some help?
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this webpage, the content is subject to change where necessary.
Related Courses
- Creative & Performing Arts (Dance) Extended Diploma Level 3
- Creative & Performing Arts (Musical Theatre) Extended Diploma Level 3
- Creative Media Production and Technology Diploma Level 2
- Creative Media Production Extended Diploma Level 3
- Music Extended Diploma Level 3
- Music Performance and Production Diploma Level 2
- Performing and Production Arts Diploma Level 2
- Performing & Production Arts (Backstage Arts) Extended Diploma Level 3
- Performing Arts (Acting) Extended Diploma Level 3


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A Rock and a Hard Place: Faux Fur an Environmentally Unsustainable Replacement for Real Fur
A model walks the catwalk at the Vera Wang Collection Presentation during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Nata Sha / Shutterstock.com
In the mid-90s, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a series of investigative videos that revealed the abusive practices of fur farms around the world. The disturbing imagery, such as that of chinchillas being electrocuted and minks being injected with weed killer, led many fashion retailers to reconsider their use of fur. Companies like Tommy Hilfiger, Selfridges, H&M and Topshop turned to the PETA approved alternative of faux fur, but studies have revealed that faux might not be as sustainable as people believe. The recent shows at New York Fashion Week proved that the faux and real fur trend will continue in both high fashion and on high street, but its growing market brings about important discussions on how both materials are affecting the environment.
In 2002, PETA activists rushed the stage with picket signs reading "Gisele: Fur Scum" at a Victoria Secret fashion show. The protesters came to speak out against model Gisele Bundchen for wearing fur in a campaign for Blackglama mink coats. The protest led to Teresa Platt, the executive director of Fur Commission USA, to speak out against the animal rights protesters, telling CNS News that the faux fur was essentially an "eco-disaster."
Fake fur, or evolutionary fur as it is sometimes called, was first introduced in 1929 and was widely available by the 50s, when fur coats and muffs were a growing fashion trend. The marketing by animal rights groups since the 90s has furthered the popularity of the animal alternative, but while fake fur is often seen as the ethical choice, its production, which includes synthetic fibers and petroleum, has been attributed to pollution, child labor and ill health of workers.
According to an email from Michael Whelan, the Executive Director of the Fur Commission, "faux fur and other synthetic materials are made from petroleum and other chemical agents. They are designed to last for a year or two, then be discarded and replaced (fast fashion). Their mass production takes place in many third-world countries, where child labor and unsafe working conditions are common. When discarded, these garments can remain in land-fills for hundreds, if not thousands of years."
As Platt also mentions in her interview with CNS News, "While fur farmers are regulated by humane statutes in terms of animal care, manufacturers of Evolutionary Fur are regulated by the Clean Air Act."
The process of creating a faux fur garment requires the production of non-biodegradable nonrenewable synthetic fibers using petroleum, that are then fastened on to a polyester backing.
According to the International Fur Federation, it is estimated that this process uses three times as much nonrenewable energy than the construction of real fur and can take up to 6oo years to degrade, similar to a plastic bag.
According to a breakdown in Kate Fletcher's book "Sustainable Fashion and Textiles," producing one kilogram (approximately 2.2 pounds) of polyester requires 109 megajoules (approximately 30,278 megawatts/hour) of energy, with 46 megajoules going toward the raw materials and 63 megajoules used to turn those materials into a finished fiber."
But PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange defends faux via email saying, "Every fur coat should come with a warning label that screams, 'Toxic to animals and the environment!' It takes more than 15 times the energy to produce a farmed-fur coat than a synthetic-fur coat, and the chemicals used to prevent animals' flesh from rotting pollute the air and water near tanneries and make workers and local residents sick. PETA encourages eco-minded shoppers to steer clear of the chemically treated skins of animals who were beaten, electrocuted, or even skinned alive—and to choose natural, plant-based fabrics such as cork leather, bamboo or Tencel blends, and soy silk."
Lucy Siegle, eco-reporter for The Observer also writes in agreement that faux is the greener choice, "Fur is also less polluting than fake fur (although this argument presupposes that we're all desperate to wear any kind of fur, fake or otherwise). However, 85 percent of fur products come from farmed animals and although, according to America's Fur Commission, it takes one gallon of oil to make three fake-fur jackets, the amount of energy needed to make a real fur coat from these farmed animals is 66 times greater than that needed for a fake fur coat."
The investigations into fur farming lead to the UK passing the Fur Farming Prohibition Act in 2000 to "prohibit the keeping of animals solely or primarily for slaughter for the value of their fur." But, in a piece for In Touch magazine, Ruth Rosselson says, "More than 50 percent of (the UK)'s emissions into our air of the poisonous 'greenhouse' gas nitrous oxide comes from nylon production," which is used for the faux alternative.
Additionally, the nitrous oxide produced through nylon manufacturing is 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Some producers of faux fur have turned to cotton as an eco-friendly alternative, but according to the World Wildlife Foundation it can require 2,700 liters of water to create one T-shirt and is responsible for the contamination of local water sources. In addition, the cotton industry, especially in Uzbekistan, has been under investigation for the heavy use of child labor.
Until 2010, consumers in the United States were mostly unaware if their garment contained real or faux fur. Before President Obama passed the Truth in Fur Labeling Act, items under $150 that contained fur did not require labeling of their origin. Brands like Sean John, who advertised fake fur trim, later found out that their clothing contained real fur. Now, all manufactures require a label listing the species and country of origin.
Many of the retailers who have now made an ethical decision to only sell faux fur, are ones that have been previously associated with the use of sweatshops and child labor. Zara's parent company, Inditex, discontinued the sale of Angora this year because of animal welfare concerns brought to light by one of PETA's videos. The retail giant donated 20,000 of the remaining fur garments, approximately $900,000, to Syrian refugees.
While many praised the move to faux, Zara and similar fast-fashion retailers like Forever 21 who have outlawed fur in their stores, continue to use overseas production where worker safety and child labor laws are loosely regulated and with the threat of harmful chemicals, could put workers at risk.
According to the Daily Mail, "Pro-fur lobbies also point to the unethical working practices of some faux-fur manufacturers. It's already widely known that disposable fashion often relies on third world sweatshop labour, paltry wages and toxic working conditions. But the International Fur Trade Federation claims that the manufacture of fake fur doubles the risk of ill-health in workers due to the emissions of carcinogenic substances during production."
In addition to the use of natural resources as a pro-for animal fur, Whelan explains the benefits that harvesting mink brings to other industries like cosmetics and bio-fuels.
"Another often overlooked benefit to fur is that mink are fed the by-products of human food production. Products found unfit for human consumption are fed to the animals instead of dumped into landfills," says Whelan. "In the US, this accounts for hundreds of millions of pounds of waste product put to good use. Additionally, mink manure is a sought-after fertilizer, and after harvesting the mink remains are rendered into oils, pet foods, and other products."
Several of the pro-fur organizations have also been working against the "myths" of the fur industry that have been perpetuated by animal-rights groups, making sure to be clear that animal welfare is one of their main concerns. The International fur industry states, "animal welfare is a top priority… Over the recent years, the industry has become increasingly transparent. Many European countries, such as Denmark, now operate an "open farm" policy inviting members of the public to visit farms to see for themselves the welfare standards in force.
While the pro-fur industry has made many valuable arguments against the belief that faux is the more ethical and sustainable choice, investigations continue to expose horrifying conditions in fur farms. Although each farm is different, according to PETA half of the fur in the U.S. comes from China, which has little regulation over their treatment of animals. The images of bunnies and dogs in cramped wire cages being hanged and skinned alive can be hard to ignore when making the choice to go faux.


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A very busy-seeming day for me.
I went to a once-weekly, limited duration careers advice service in the library this morning, using an interest and work environment guided program, unfortunately the session was cut short-er by the time limit, so I'll pop back next week to finish off. Some interesting ideas so far, Marine Biologist, Agricultural/Horticultural Scientist, although I'm not too keen on Acupuncturist as a career idea.
Went to the job centre with my support worker to have them check over the paperwork for by benefit claim, always a stressful time for me. I always worry about sending important documents by post, especially ones I had to wait for!
Housegroup was very nice this evening, I was assisting with the talk on the Good Samaritan, I'd done some research about the Samartians history and read a version of the story from John Pollock's 'The Master". A very helpful book that explains some of the context of the Gospel according to John.


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Here's what they said:
BTW - Liebster is a German word for 'my love' or 'dearest' so a blog award for blogs that you love! And in the tradition of the award I must do the following:
- Thank the person who gave them the award and link back to that person's blog
- Copy and paste the award to their blog
- Reveal the 5 blogs they have chosen to award, commenting on their blog to break the news!
- Hope those people in turn pay it forward by accepting and awarding "The Liebster Blog Award" to bloggers they would like to honour


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Its all down to that old "Making bread is too difficult" thing!
Over my years as an FE Catering & Hospitality lecturer, I've found that that's been the common theme amongst thousands of my students. Folk generally run scared of making bread dough, rather than giving it a go! I have to admit that, although I taught catering for many years, it has only been more recently, since I retired and got my first Thermomix TM31 and more recently my TM5, that I have really got into BAKING. That is the word to use folks. You don't cook bread or scones, buns or biscuits etc ………. you BAKE them!
You will see, if you scan through the recipes on my BLOG, that they are mainly bakes and I hope that you enjoy trying them out for yourself.
Focaccia is one of the most popular types of bread in Italy, with a long history that reaches distant times of early Ancient Greek culture and Etruscans who lived in North Central Italy before the formation of Roman Empire. This flat bread topped with spices, olive oil and other products was in use for thousands of years, before it was gradually morphed into one of the most famous Italian meals – pizza!
Focaccia was one of the first bakes that I tried when I got my Thermomix and its one that we cook – sorry BAKE – a lot during the hotter summer months here on the Isle of Wight. We have a lovely South facing garden which gets the sun until it disappears around 8 o'clock in the evening. So, we are often to be found sat on the deck supping one of my darling wife's famous G&Ts, made with fresh lime and elderflower cordial, a Strawberry Daiquiri or a nice glass of chilled rosé from Provence. Sticks of focaccia and dipping oils or guacamole are usually a pre-requisite and sometimes, just occasionally, there's even some left when our son gets back in from his office. So, now I've set the scene, lets get BAKING!
- 350 g tepid water
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 x 7 g sachet instant yeast
- 30 g olive oil – plus extra for drizzling
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp Maldon Salt
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary and thyme leaves – coursely chopped
- Place the water, sugar, yeast, oil, strong flour and salt (in that order) into your TM mixing bowl and mix for 20 secs/speed 6. Knead of dough setting for 2 mins.
- The dough is quite wet and sticky. Remove the TM mixing bowl from your TM and turn upside down onto your work surface, lightly dusted with flour. Undo the base of your TM and allow the blade to drop inside with the dough. Scrape the blade with a pastry scraper and set aside your mixing bowl and blade ready to wash.
- Work the dough for a few seconds, until you have a nice round ball of dough. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film or a plastic bag and prove until doubled in size – this should only take an hour, but may be longer.
- Using a silicone spatula, scrape the focaccia dough out of the TM mixing bowl, into a lightly oiled stainless bowl. Cover with cling film or a plastic bag and allow to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Using the rounded end of a pastry scraper, turn the dough out into a well (olive) oiled rectangular baking tray, 23 x 33cm (9″x13″). Drizzle some more olive oil over the dough and using your fingers, ease the dough towards the edges of the baking tray. Don't worry if the dough doesn't fully cover the base at this time. Cover with a tea towel, cling film or a plastic bag and leave to rest for around 30-45 minutes.
- Pre-heat your oven to 250oC.
- Using your fingertips, make indentations in the surface of the risen dough and allow to rest again for around 45-60 minutes.
- Sprinkle the surface of the dough with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon Salt and the fresh herb mix and immediately place your baking tray into your pre-heated oven. Turn down the heat to 220oC and bake for 25-30 minutes until the surface is a light golden brown.
- Remove from your oven and turn out onto a cooling wire and brush with a little more olive oil while your focaccia is still hot.
Malcy TIPS
- To check that your facaccia is cooked, remove from the oven, give it a tap and if it sounds hollow then it's cooked.
- While it's still warm or cooled, using a serrated bread knife, cut into chunks and get stuck in.
- This is great with summer salads or the ubiquitous BBQ!