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Literacy in a classroom context includes;
Reading - including narrative and informative texts. This goes beyond the children being able to decode the text and say the words on a page and includes being able to predict meaning, interpret an author's intent, understand inferred meaning, make connections and draw conclusions which can be applied to their own lives.
- The children need to develop their reading skills to make the shift from learning to read, to reading to learn.
- In our classroom, your children will be engaged in guided reading sessions where they use a variety of writing genre to demonstrate understanding. The program allows for many different abilities and levels of interest. It is essential that your child is continually involved in reading a novel of their own choice and suited to their own ability and that they bring it with them to school every day.
- In order to allow them to choose a novel, the children have been instructed on how to conduct a simple test, called the 'Five' test. They use the fingers/thumb on one hand to count the number of errors they make reading one page of a novel. They begin will all fingers/thumb extended and put it away if an error is made. An error can be;
1. stumbling over a difficult word
2. having to reread a passage because meaning has been lost
3. substituting an incorrect word when reading through a passage.
When finished the page, if they have no fingers left - the text is too difficult, if they have all five digits still extended - the text is too easy, if they have two or three fingers extended - it should provide an appropriate level of challenge, without compromising their confidence.
- Writing - in both narrative and informative genres.
The children write poems, stories, lists, plays, procedures, descriptions, diagrams, songs, reports, explanations, persuasions, essays, ........... and many more. They can produce these texts using pen and paper, computers, calligraphy brushes, cameras, tape recorders, or even using video.
- The functional elements of writing, such as spelling, phonics, punctuation, grammar, handwriting, proof-reading and editing, are all an essential part of our learning program and will be treated using explicit teaching.
Our spelling program is focused around examining the phonic structures and commonalities of words and identifying patterns and sound groupings in words. There will a spelling list sent home for them to learn. Tests will be conducted at appropriate developmental times, dependent upon the children's understanding and mastery of the identified spelling conventions. Daily lessons, as well as game based activities will also be conducted. Weekly homework sheets, including the focus phonic sound, will be sent as homework, for your child to independently record words to bring home and learn. This will need to be returned to school, in the assigned folder, every Friday.
Handwriting - A consistent standard of handwriting is expected at this level of schooling. We will be continuing to work on their control and presentation skills by means of a variety of lessons. Speed and fluency also become extremely important at this level, due to the increase in required written work.
- Viewing, Listening & Speaking - this also includes both narrative and informative texts. Communication of information has evolved swiftly over recent years. Students now have access to many channels of information and entertainment. Modern classrooms need to include this evolution in their programs. The students will view movies, documentaries, posters, packaging, advertisements, websites, pop-ups, and even YouTube clips. This is a part of their future and we need to help them to predict meaning, interpret an author's intent, understand inferred meaning and draw conclusions which can be applied to their own lives.


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European watchdog finds no link between HPV vaccine and abnormal symptoms
A European watchdog has found no causal link between the anti-cervical cancer HPV vaccine, which is given to millions of teenage girls including Ireland, and abnormal symptoms such as chronic pain and seizures.
The findings of the investigation arm of the European Medicines Agency followed reports of abnormal symptoms suffered by girls after getting the HPV vaccine.
At least 110 parents in Ireland have reported their daughters suffered severe effects after getting the vaccine with several unable to attend school as a result.
The European review looked at two conditions, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in young women given the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.
These vaccines are given to protect them from cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers and pre-cancerous conditions.
The review concluded that the evidence does not support a causal link between the vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil/Silgard and Gardasil-9) and development of CRPS or POTS.
Therefore there is no reason to change the way the vaccines are used or amend the current product information.
CRPS is a chronic pain syndrome affecting a limb, while POTS is a condition where the heart rate increases abnormally on sitting or standing up, together with symptoms such as dizziness, fainting and weakness, as well as headache, aches and pains, nausea and fatigue.
In some patients they can severely affect the quality of life. The syndromes are recognised to occur in the general population, including adolescents, regardless of vaccination.
PRAC thoroughly reviewed the published research, data from clinical trials and reports of suspected side effects from patients and healthcare professionals, as well as data supplied by member states including Ireland.
Read more: 27 girls report abnormal symptoms after receiving the cervical cancer vaccine
It also consulted a group of leading experts in the field, and took into account detailed information received from a number of patient groups that also highlighted the impact these syndromes can have on patients and families.
Symptoms of CRPS and POTS may overlap with other conditions, making diagnosis difficult in both the general population and vaccinated individuals.
However, available estimates suggest that in the general population around 150 girls and young women per million aged 10 to 19 years may develop CRPS each year, and at least 150 girls and young women per million may develop POTS each year.
The review found no evidence that the overall rates of these syndromes in vaccinated girls were different from expected rates in these age groups, even taking into account possible underreporting.
The PRAC noted that some symptoms of CRPS and POTS may overlap with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME).
Many of the reports considered in the review have features of CFS and some patients had diagnoses of both POTS and CFS. Results of a large published study that showed no link between HPV vaccine and CFS were therefore particularly relevant.
The PRAC concluded that the available evidence does not support that CRPS and POTS are caused by HPV vaccines. Therefore there is no reason to change the way the vaccines are used or amend the current product information.
The review recognised that more than 80 million girls and women worldwide have now received these vaccines, and in some European countries they have been given to 90pc of the age group recommended for vaccination. Use of these vaccines is expected to prevent many cases of cervical cancer (cancer of the neck of the womb, which is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in Europe each year) and various other cancers and conditions caused by HPV.
The benefits of HPV vaccines therefore continue to outweigh their risks. The safety of these vaccines, as with all medicines, will continue to be carefully monitored.
The PRAC's recommendations will now be passed to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for adoption of the Agency's final position. The evidence supporting the PRAC review will be published in an assessment report following the CHMP opinion.
The findings have been met with disappointment by the group R.E.G.R.E.T which has over 110 families which has been campaigning for recognition of the condition.
Pierce Cullen from Wexford whose granddaughter Ava has been affected said families are coming up against obstacles in getting a diagnosis,
"We want medical assistance and we are not anti-vaccine. We need help.We are just meeting bureaucrats who are sending us around in circles.
"All we are looking is for kids to be taken care of."
Online Editors

subset: commoncrawl


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As the owner and founding principal of Grounded, Anna Boeschenstein combines 18-years of experience with an affinity for art and design. Anna started Grounded to pursue the finely-crafted details that appeal to her aesthetic background in art, art history and biology. She loves working closely with her clients, uncovering their tastes and realizing their desires in transformative site design.
Anna received her master's degree in landscape architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and her bachelor of art in visual arts from Brown University. Anna worked with both landscape and architecture firms in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aspen, Colorado and Charlottesville, Virginia. Her previous work experience ranges from high-end residential, to equestrian facilities, master planning and public parks. Anna has also taught art classes at Colorado Mountain College in experimental media and drawing and continues to paint and draw as part of her process. Anna is a licensed landscape architect in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Anna's work has been featured in many shelter magazines including Dwell, Metropolitan Home, Luxe, Colorado Home and Lifestyles, Abode and has been included as a chapter in the book Wooden Landscapes. In 2017, the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects granted the Award of Honor to Grounded LLC in Residential Design for the project Bridge House: Spanning Generations.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys working on her small farm in Esmont, Virginia with her husband, Jesse, and their twins, Henry and Charlotte. They share their household with two dogs: Mathilda and Stanley, two horses: Bernie and Peppy, and two cats: Archie and Tito. Apparently everything is better in pairs.
Jenny cox
With over 17 years in the field of landscape architecture, Jenny Cox has worked at all project scales from urban planning, academic and educational environments, community master-planning and design, to carefully detailing private residences. Jenny's background includes significant campus and master site planning work including project management for the Washington and Lee Campus Master Plan, Lenawee Michigan Integrated School District Sustainability Plan, and the Rockefeller Park Master Plan Study, which won an ASLA honor award in 2009. She has worked on residences in Florida, South Carolina, Maine, Cape Cod, and throughout Virginia, including the Bridge House with Grounded, which won a Virginia ASLA Honor Award in 2017.
Jenny loves the integration of site systems--planting, circulation, landform, and the less tangible qualities that comprise a site's essence and make it a wonderful place. Jenny has volunteered extensively with City Schoolyard Garden and the International Rescue Committee's New Roots Garden which both provide communities with outdoor productive space.
Jenny's background includes a bachelor of arts in anthropology from Wake Forest University and a master's of landscape architecture from the University of Virginia. Jenny is a registered landscape architect in the state of Virginia.
Gabrielle sabri
Gabrielle joined Grounded LLC after several years in the Southwest and is excited to get to know her new Piedmont home. She comes most recently from Tucson, Arizona, where she completed her Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona. She then worked at a large corporate-focused landscape architecture firm as a project manager before relocating to the east coast to be closer to family. She enjoyed living in the desert but missed ferns, mosses and shifting seasons.
Gabrielle especially appreciates designing with native plants. She also feels strongly about designing for alternative modes of transportation and is an enthusiastic pedestrian or bicycle commuter whenever possible.
Gabrielle was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar from 2012-2014 and has an undergraduate degree in Earth Science from Wesleyan University. She enjoys hiking with her husband, Brian, spending time with her horse, Calvin, and trying out different breweries and vineyards around town.
Grounded offers services ranging from hourly site consultation and conceptual sketches to full-service master planning, construction document packages and project construction oversight.


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There was a fleeting moment of consternation in the run-up to the Windows 7 beta as it was rumored to lack support for Windows Mobile. The definitive answer: Fugetaboutit.
Speaking as a longtime Windows XP user who had avoided Vista at all costs, I've had nary a problem using Windows 7 with my Motorola Q9h, though I did have to download Microsoft's Windows Mobile Device Center -- aka WMDC (for you anti-Vista folks, that's basically Activesync with a nice UI on the front end). Hopefully we'll see WMDC built in to the final release of W7. For now, you can get it here.
If you're already used to WMDC, you should have no problems in Windows 7. If you're still looking to get in on the beta program, go download it here (at least through Feb. 10, when the official download ends).
Granted, we were hoping for a little more functionality with Windows 7 and Windows Mobile — Microsoft has this whole darn ecosystem it's working on, it'd just be nice if we could do more than simple sync, install, and file transfer. But, hey: working's working, at it appears to be a step up over ActiveSync.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.


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This is just one of several straight-to-video films featuring the 'Puppet Master' set of sinister, living dolls. The wicked owner of a toy company wants to get her hands on a secret formula that can bring toys to life, held by the great grand-nephew of the original Puppet Master. With the help of a demon who speaks in a bizarre Shakespearean manner, she plans to mass market her toys as widely as possible, so that on Christmas Day they will 'wake up' and kill huge numbers of children.
The movie is classed as a horror comedy, and isn't particularly frightening. One or two of the toys are pretty creepy (the Jack-in-the-box in particular) and there is a small amount of gore (mainly one scene where a characters eyes blow out). Despite sharing a similar theme to Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch (1982) this is mostly played for humour and campiness. The cheesy script, the cartoon-like scenery, the bright costumes, and the bonkers story - this has b-movie written all over it, and it clearly revels in it. After all, you wouldn't find a film like Silence Of The Lambs featuring a fart-propelled flying baby doll.
The performances are far from Oscar worthy. Corey Felman looks way too young to be the father of a teenager, even with his unconvincingly greyed thick mop of hair, and Vanessa Angel's accent seems to wander between American and English. But both clearly have a lot of fun in their roles, which is quite infectious. As for the puppets themselves, they are brought to life through stop-motion animation and puppetry, rather than CGI. This makes a refreshing change, but also adds to the overall cheesy tone.
I would have liked the evil dolls/puppets to be given more to do. They are the most interesting part of the film, and the main draw after all. But the best of the puppet violence is mostly kept to an early scene, and a climactic one near the end.
Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys certainly has its faults, but I don't think it's pretending to be anything more than what it is. And that is daft, light-hearted entertainment. Yes, some of the humour made me groan out loud, but on the whole the movie entertained me and I enjoyed it. 3.5/5


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Floral Patterns and a shit-ton of feathers - Plus a $100,000 wedding dress
Steven Khalil did not disappoint with his collection, showcasing white, grey, black and lilac/lavender looks with floral patterns and a shit ton of feathers - not that we are complaining. The strong silhouettes and translucent fabric was complemented by a more comprehensive idea of what is considered to be beautiful than what many Australian designers had to offer during MBFWA. Click through the shots below.
Andre ThillaiSteven Khalil, MBFWA, Resort 17, wedding dress, sydney fashion week, mercedes benz fashion week australia, brisbane, brisbane blogger, brisbane fashion blogger, sydney fashion, sydney fashion blogger, Perth, perth fashion blog, Perth Fashion Blogger, tamil, tamil fashion blogger, tamil blogger, tamil fashionComment


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Hello, my name is Odis Garrett, and I am a facilitator (Discovery Guide) at the Children's Museum of Houston. 21-Tech has come a long way and I have been able to witness its development first hand. When the 21-Tech initiative was first introduced to us, I was eager to learn more about it, and to incorporate it in my daily facilitation. It seemed as if it was a plan for the future, maybe in a year or two's time, but within months, the scripts and iPads were in our museum, and we were beginning to use this new approach for museum engagement with visitors. We were told to read over the 21-Tech script packet, and were given time to familiarize ourselves with the functions of the iPad. Then we were tested on the meaning, approach, and overall functions of 21-Tech and how we were to use the iPads for visitor engagement. However, once we began carrying iPads on the museum floor, interaction with visitors became a difficult and sometimes forced task. Along with our regular sharing of museum information, and insight we were required to integrate the iPad in a way which seemed forced.
Fortunately 21-Tech has shifted gears so to speak, and is now fulfilling a great need that the museum and staff have benefited from. Our approach has changed drastically to where we are not required to take the iPad when we are facilitating, but rather we have the opportunity to voluntarily engage with the iPad for a month and then we rotate for the next consecutive months. This allows us the chance to interact as much as we can, share experiences with one another, and analyze what we could improve on while not getting burned out. Our approach now when engaging with visitors is less strained and is simply dependent on our desire for each visitor to experience every facet of knowledge the museum has to offer.
The 21-Tech initiative has allowed me as a Discovery Guide to push myself further on how much information I can process and share with each visitor I encounter. 21-Tech can do nothing but improve, and I hope that each museum would get a hold of this initiative in order to reap all the benefits it has to offer.


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From the manufacturer
About Graco
Graco is one of the world's most recognized and trusted baby product companies, providing thoughtful, practical, and dependable parenting solutions for over 60 years. Our innovation is rooted in safety, durability, and the best intentions of loving parents.
Give Your Big Kid a Boost
Loaded with features for style and comfort
The Highback AFFIX Backless Youth Booster with LATCH System provides a secure connection to your vehicle seat. The LATCH system keeps your booster in place, while the front adjustment tightens the booster to the vehicle seat.
- LATCH connection keeps booster seat secure while unoccupied
- Booster easily tightens to the vehicle seat
- Cup holder keeps beverages or snacks handy
- Removable, machine washable soft goods are easy to clean
Washable Fabrics
Removable, machine washable soft goods are easy to keep clean.
Storage Compartment
Hide-away storage compartment holds your child's favorite things.
Cup Holder
Cup holder allows for your child's beverages or snacks to be close at hand.
Committed to Car Seat Safety
Engineered & crash tested to meet or exceed U.S. standard FMVSS 213.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommend that children should use the built-in harness system for as long as possible, until they reach the maximum forward-facing weight or height for their car seat, and after reaching the maximum forward-facing weight or height, that children 4 feet 9 inches tall or under should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.


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A double 2016 RITA Finalist for Best First Book and Paranormal Romance!
When Loki's forces descend
Immortal Vikings are humanity's only protection against the dark
Under attack from Loki's minions, immortal warlord Leif is shocked to encounter a dark-haired beauty who fights like a warrior herself. Wounded and feverish, the Viking kisses her, inadvertently triggering an ancient Norse bond. But when Naya Brisbane breaks away and disappears before the bond is completed, Leif's warrior spirit goes berserk. If Leif doesn't find her fast, he's going to lose himself to permanent battle fury.
But Naya doesn't want to be found...and they're both running out of time.
2016 HOLT Medallion Winner for Best Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic/Fantasy!
Viking Warriors Series
Viking Warrior Rising (Book 1)
Viking Warrior Rebel (Book 2)
Praise for Viking Warrior Rising:
"Strong world-building, and a hero that will make you want a Viking of your very own!" -Paige Tyler, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the X-Ops and SWAT series
"Move over Highlanders...the Vikings are coming!"-Rebecca Zanetti, New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Protector series


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It's an interesting look, to say the least.
Some of us were still in pajama pants.
One of my absolute favorite episodes of "Sex and the City" is the one when Carrie attends her friend's baby shower. Upon
Make smart choices and your feet will thank you. Always try conservative treatment first because once you have foot surgery
It is difficult to make a shoe with the perfect slope or the exact amount of arch support that will accommodate everyone's
The reason why the prolific, legendary shoemaker is taking on this project with the Cuban Olympic team is simply because he's enthusiastic about it. It's not because he's concerned with drumming up more business.
These days sobbing passengers and running stewardesses don't exactly inspire a feeling of safety and security. I was a little spooked about being on a flight with someone with such sorrowful and confused vibes.
The Daring Tom Moore on the Flying Trapeze: 'The Flight Fantastic' and the Story of the Great Gaonas
On returning to Los Angeles, I immediately began to search for someone to teach me "to fly." I went up to the San Francisco
A soft thin insole placed in your heels will provide instant comfort and cushion for your feet and may be all you need.
"Not just a shoe, but the result of the Mallorca family dream. Making shoes since 1877, the Mallorca family dream combines
All crafted by the maniac "that's a compliment" of hand crafted shoe design, Mr.Christian Louboutin. I know you're wondering
They upped their game to seven shades instead of five.
New York's 2015 holiday windows are as festive and fantastical as ever! People come from far and wide to witness the spectacular scene and the ornate window displays carefully curated to show off holiday spirit and the latest merchandise.
Let Your Shoes Make the Fashion Statement This Holiday Season! A Holiday Guide to Keep Your Feet Happy in Shoes in 2016
There will be hours of standing, walking and dancing which can affect your legs and feet and tire you out by the end of the night.
When choosing the proper arch support make sure they are not too bulky, can fit in most if not all your shoes and do not change your shoe size.
From North America to Asia and the Middle East, the hotels, restaurants, retail stores and residences Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu have designed, from Ian Schrager's new Edition Hotel in Miami Beach to the Louis Vuitton store in Hong Kong, are experiences that are transcendental.


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the devoted artist, Ocean Springs MS
"Big Daddy" Jason in Fairhope told us about Walter Anderson and his museum in Ocean Springs. Anderson had been so committed to his art that he once tied himself to a tree on an island in a hurricane, so that he could paint the storm. He would disappear for weeks, rowing to deserted island strips and becoming part of the natural habitat, which he religiously documented through incredible paintings, drawings, blockprints, sculptures, pottery and texts. If you are in the area, we really really recommend visiting there. Afterwards, we walked around, took in the sunset with many pelicans and one Blue Heron, left a heart, and moved on.


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This wedding season has not been the easiest with the weather conditions this year for my KPbrides but you know what? Not one of them have let it stand in their way to have the most amazing days! Stacey and Josh's wedding day started with great weather but as the day went on it did start to rain. After Stacey made the decision to bring the ceremony inside the weather did not show any mercy and continued to rain. I love that all my brides have just made the best out of what they have and enjoyed the day and let me handle the timeline. And if you have been following all of the couples have just changed a few things around and waited out the rain and still were able to get amazing bride and groom portraits like below. Now the Fenton Wine and Brewery is just a gorgeous venue with amazing flowers so I am so glad that the rain broke for a few minutes and we were able to use their amazing venue! I hope you enjoy the portraits below!!
Vendors: Dress: Bridal by Viper Tuxes: President Tuxedo Flowers: Diane Klump Flowers DJ: Black Tie Productions Linens: Special Occasions


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Janice (Jan) I.. Andersen
Credentials: PT
Certification: IDN Foundation Training
Banner Boswell Outpatient Rehab
Location & Map
10503 W. Thunderbird Road Suite 263A Sun City, Arizona 85351
Summary BioJan has been a physical therapist since 1982 and is considered a specialist at her outpatient clinic in orthopedics, in particular for spine patients. She has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association since she was a student in 1980. She has received numerous honors and awards throughout school years and her career. She has practiced in a wide variety of settings and treated a wide variety of types of patients with problems from head to toe, literally.
Education1982 B.S. in PT from St. Louis University, magna cum laude.
Certifications & Specialties2012 Credentialed Clinical Instructor
2013 Level I Hippotherapy through American Hippotherapy Association
2016 Foundations of Integrative Dry Needling


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Blythe Danner, the surviving widow of a Madoff style financial collapse, moves to Florida condo where her two daughters converge for a reckoning. Sarah Jessica Parker strong as middle-aged Becca. A straight ahead realistic drama that grows increasingly complicated, affecting, memorable. Well constructed, current. Perfect Sunday night at MTC.
80 mins with no intermission.


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Tony McMichaelBMJ 2014; 349 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g6397 (Published 03 November 2014) Cite this as: BMJ 2014;349:g6397
- Amy Coopes, Sydney, Australia
- coopesafp{at}gmail.com
A public health visionary whose pioneering work on climate change was recognised with the Nobel peace prize, Tony McMichael combined academic rigour with political skill to cement his place as one of modern epidemiology's great minds.
McMichael, the son of an architect and a homemaker, graduated from the University of Adelaide's medical school in 1967, at a time of intense global concern about population growth. A summer in Delhi's leper colonies and a trip to build a hospital in Papua New Guinea's Tari highlands had been formative experiences for the sheltered young medical student, opening his eyes to the injustices and health impacts of poverty. "I was impressed by his generous nature, his quiet leadership and his intellectual curiosity," his wife, Judith Healy, said of the man she first met in Tari.
Instead of following classmates into clinical practice—although he spent a brief period as a general practitioner—McMichael was drawn into politics as president of Australia's National Union of Students (NUS). During this time he forged lifelong connections that would …
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'Pretty Little Liars' Really Ending After Season 7? Brendan Robinson Spills What He Knows
Lucy Hale recently said 'Pretty Little Liars' is definitely ending after Season 7, but executive producer Marlene King once said she could see the series going past that. So when's it really wrapping up? Brendan Robinson revealed what he knows to HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY.
If we had it our way, Pretty Little Liars would go on forever, and we'd see Emily (Shay Mitchell), Aria (Lucy Hale), Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) get married, have children, and get stalked well into their elder years. But alas, all good things must come to an end. So when is Freeform's flagship series wrapping up? Lucy recently said after Season 7, but that may not be true. Find out what Brendan Robinson had to say about it!
"I actually don't know [when the show will end]. I think that if people are still wanting more to the story… I think that personally, as a viewer, it's always my pet peeve when a show ends and you want more out of the story, or they leave things up in the air. I don't think they'd ever do that with this show. I think that whenever they decide to wrap it up, everything is definitely for sure going to get wrapped up. It's been the flagship series for the network and I don't think the network or the studio would let it end without every plot line being tied up. I think as long as everything gets resolved, if there is more story to be told past Season 7, I think it's great to continue. But if everyone feels that's where the story ends, then that's when it'd be time to wrap it up and put it to bed. At the moment, it's all been speculation, but there's nothing official," Brendan told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY, when we caught up with him on the set of a video shoot for AXE Black Body Wash.
Brendan might not know when the show is ending, but at least nothing is "official," despite what Lucy recently revealed.
As HollywoodLife.com previously reported, Lucy appeared on the Feb. 25 episode of The Late Late Show, and she told host James Corden that "[PLL] is ending" after Season 7. "We've been doing it for six years… and I think that all good things must come to an end," she said.
On the bright side, executive producer Marlene King would rather have the fans decide the fate of the show. "I think we'll let the fans tell us what they want," she told our sister site Variety in Aug. 2015. "I think we're open to [a Season 8]."
What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Should Pretty Little Liars ends after Season 7? Tell us below.


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I expect to live in the Bay Area long-term. It's the only place I've yet found that has weather I can stand year-round, and it feels like home.
I expect to keep writing software documentation indefinitely. I mostly enjoy the work, and am reasonably good at it, and it pays well.
I have ideas for a bunch of fiction-editing projects that I'd like to work on: various themed anthologies, a free online library of classic sf short stories, a collaborative hypertext game/story, and more. All of those will have to wait until I finish departing from Strange Horizons.
I hope and plan to keep writing fiction. Some day maybe I'll finish the novel-like thing I've been working on for some time, and/or various short stories that are in progress.
I have no interest in getting married or in raising kids, but I hope to continue being at least somewhat involved in the lives of various friends' kids.


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A Cumbrian LED and componentry specialist has received an award recognising its work to double turnover in five years.
Oxley Group, in Ulverston, was given the All STAR best practice award by organisation Sharing in Growth.
A not-for-profit organisation, Sharing in Growth is supported by the regional growth fund and by more than £150 million in private investment.
Over 60 companies have taken part in the Sharing in Growth programme across the UK.
Each company participates in a training programme which focuses on leadership, culture and operational capability.
The programme is delivered by the organisation's 100 strong team of business coaches and world-leading experts including The University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing, Deloitte, Industry Forum and the National Physical Laboratory.
At an event last Thursday Sharing in Growth awarded Oxley Group its Inspire trophy.
This was in recognition of its growth strategy which includes work to encourage its team to drive changes that will double turnover in five years and treble it in ten years.
Oxley has also carried out work to encourage people into aerospace and STEM careers by supporting the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter and other programmes.
Sharing in Growth chief executive Andy Page said: "The best practice case studies demonstrate the unrivalled effectiveness of our programme in creating sustainable growth for advanced manufacturing suppliers.
"We've now supported over 60 beneficiaries to secure more than £4 billion in contracts two years ahead of schedule. This is equivalent to over 7,000 jobs so we are well on target to safeguard 10,000 UK jobs by 2020. We are, without doubt, beating the productivity challenge."


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Wanderlust Creates A Festival Supergroup: Wanderlust House Band
Eric Krasno, Danny Mayer, Louis Cato, Mary Corso, Jesse Murphy & More Will Perform Together For the First Time at Wanderlust Festivals in Stratton, VT and Squaw Valley, CA!!
Wanderlust, producers of the largest yoga lifestyle events in the world, is known for its four-day festivals which gather together yoga enthusiasts, adventurers, foodies and, of course, music lovers. Now, festivals goers will experience a musical convergence for the first time of Grammy award winners, funkmasters, soul sisters and blues kings under the umbrella of Wanderlust House Band. The band will perform at Wanderlust festivals in Stratton, Vermont (taking place June 21-24) and Squaw Valley, California (taking place July 19-22, 2018.) Tickets are now on sale.
Wanderlust has assembled a supergroup unlike any other. Eric Krasno, Danny Mayer, Louis Cato, Mary Corso, and Jesse, Murphy will comprise the core band at both festivals. Marc Broussard, Jennifer Hartswick, James Casey, and Eric Finland will complete the band in Vermont, while Allen Stone, Robert Randolph and Steve Swatkins will perform under the banner of the Wanderlust House Band in California.
Members were handpicked for group by Soulive and Lettuce co-founder, Eric Krasno, who chose musicians that he felt would connect with the spirit of the festival as well as partake in all the transformative experiences it has to offer. Similarly, he sees the House Band as another way for guests to feel enveloped into Wanderlust itself, by involving attendees in choosing the songs that will make up the set lists. Krasno will be dropping in on the Stratton Facebook event page and the Squaw Valley Facebook event page to engage personally with festival goers, and collect requests and suggestions. The sets for all performances will be entirely unique.
In addition to the Wanderlust House Band, the festival will feature a full roster of musicians, bands, and DJs. Music is the drumming heartbeat of every Wanderlust festival; DJs spin throughout the day at classes, and at night at silent discos, acoustic stylings accompany mountaintop meditations, and our electric main stage performances feature multiple performers that appeal to a wide range of musical tastes.
For more information, full talent lineup and all ticket pricing, please visit:
Stratton, VT: wanderlust.com/stratton.
Squaw Valley, CA: wanderlust.com/squawvalley.
The Wanderlust Festival tour will also stop in Snowshoe, WV, June 8-10; Whistler, British Columbia (Canada), August 2-5 and Tremblant, Quebec (Canada), August 23-26.
About Wanderlust:
Wanderlust Holdings, LLC is a global yoga lifestyle company founded in 2009. Our mission is to help you find your true north—to live a healthy and inspired life. Wanderlust's events encompass Wanderlust Festival, the largest multi-day yoga and music festivals in the world, Wanderlust 108, a one-day "mindful triathlon" taking place in urban parks across the world, and Wellspring, a first-of-its-kind wellness gathering featuring the world's leading innovators, teachers and socially-conscious companies in Palm Spring, CA. In 2012, we opened the first Wanderlust Yoga studio, a re-imagination of the yoga studio experience and began offering Wanderlust Teacher Training, a yoga teacher-training program inspired by the Wanderlust festival experience. In 2015, we launched Wanderlust TV, a media platform connecting viewers with inspirational teachers and wellness experts and Wanderlust Hollywood, a 10,000 square foot center in Los Angeles, CA offering yoga and meditation classes, a world-class organic restaurant, and a full-featured performance venue. In 2018, we earned B Corporation Certification, meeting rigorous standards for of social and environmental performance, ethics, accountability, and transparency in business.


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text: teabag259 12 Report post Posted June 7 The Ned Rig has morphed into my go to set up on the lake where I fish usually. So I want to get some specific equipment that will make me ideally as successful as possible using it. I'm looking for a medium light rod and a decent reel to go with it. I figure something around $50 for the reel. I'm not sure what brand or length of rod. I just want something good that won't break the bank. Can someone steer me in the right direction so I know what to get when I shop this weekend (at Field and Stream)? Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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When receiving weather fax, it is important to have a very clear and good signal. The image is generated via a series of pitches. One pitch for white, another pitch for black. If the pitches are not distinct or there is a lot of background noise, your image will be distorted.
A relatively clear signal will produce an image like this. Few hiccups and a generally legible image of the weather systems at work around us.
Wind noise, conversations in the boat, or just bad reception will produce something like this. You can still make out the general context of the fax, but it is not as clear or legible as when you have good signal.
Now, bad reception and no time to calibrate your image as it prints onto your tablet will generate something like this. The image is offset, and it is barely legible. All you can really make out is that it's supposed to be a map!
Be sure to calibrate your setup and take advantage of the test run that NOAA sends out at the start of the weather fax transmission. If you get a clear image at the beginning, then all the subsequent faxes will be clear as well.


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TOP 10 searching results for Lamp Shades Wholesale as seen on September 19, 2019
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Juventus midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah has revealed he has never discussed his contract which runs out at the end of the season.
Asamoaha��s future has been speculated this season.
There are reports of him leaving as a free agent this summer with Inter Milan.
He was previously linked with Turkish side Galatasaray.
a�?For six years Ia��ve been playing in this great team,a�? Asamoah said after Wednesdaya��s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.
a�?We work every day to help the group, I do it and my teammates do it. We achieved a win against a young and quality team, I could see from the bench that we were too hurried looking for a goal.
a�?What the boss [Max Allegri] asked from me also changed the formation, we managed possession better with four at the back.
a�?My contract? Ia��m happy here in Turin, Ia��ve never had problems with anyone. I just want to work, Ia��ve never talked about my contract because I dona��t want distractions.
a�?This team allowed me to win important things and gave me everything


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I just got back from the All Baby & Child Expo in Louisville, KY. This is the big show for the baby products industry. Thousands of vendors, thousands of buyers, millions of square feet of showroom space.
This was the first time the show had been anywhere other than Las Vegas. Louisville was a big risk. A little harder to get there for those flying. Not the same level of entertainment options. Not the same international cache. Add in the not-quite-stellar economy and the buzz was...
Would there be good attendance?
Apparently not. I lost count how many times I had to listen to vendors complain how the lack of attendees was hurting their business and it was all the fault of the board of directors choosing this location.
Fortunately, I also heard from a fair number of vendors who were having an awesome show, meeting new people, opening new accounts, writing serious orders. It wasn't Vegas, but it was business, and they were doing it.
The difference? Attitude.
At one point, after listening to a lengthy rant about the show location and poor turnout, I looked at the person across the table and said rather indignantly, "I'm here and I'm writing an order. I don't care about all that other crap."
The point is that you can complain about the lack of customers for your business or you can embrace the customers that do show up. Complaining will not drive a single extra person through the doors. In fact, it will drive the few customers you have away. But if you focus on the positives of having a customer in front of you, she will bring you more business.
That is true at both trade shows and retail stores. We like to do business with happy, friendly people. Period. Keep your complaints to yourself.
When the attendance/traffic is not there, you have to maximize the business you do with the customers you have. You do that by being positive and upbeat. You do that by being friendly and helpful. You do that by making sure you focus on the customer in front of you. Make her feel special and welcome. Transfer confidence to her that your since your attitude is good, your business must be good, too.
Yeah, Retail 101. Amazing this past weekend how many people did not get it.
-Phil Wrzesinski
PS Is it any wonder that the people with the best attitude were having the best show? Your attitude is everything. You set the tone for your employees and your business. Make sure you put your best foot forward every day.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Customer is in Front of You
Posted by Unknown at 8:58 AM
Labels: Customer Expectations, Customer Service, Leadership
2 comments:
So true! I found the same thing and, in fact, choose not to place orders with a few vendors who show little interest in being there or their product. Their loss. Lots of others who were present and engaged and ready to help.ReplyDelete
The lesson being... Your customers will do the same with you if you show little interest in being there and being engaged.ReplyDelete
Thanks, Janet
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"Smovey Rings" are a general health and wellness tool that combine exercise and vibration, which have particular beneficial applications for Parkinson's Disease. Indeed, these hand held "rings" were invented by Johann Salzwimmer, an Austrian Tennis player and a person with Parkinson's, who actually initially designed them specifically to help himself. So it is not hard to understand why these are proving beneficial now with many other people who also have neurological conditions.
They consist, at the most basic level, of corrugated plastic tubes with some steel balls inside. As one swings the rings, the balls move up and down in the tube, causing significant vibrations that travel up the arms into the brain and body. While the idea is simple, the care and attention with which they have been designed is rather interesting: the color, weight, hand grip material, frequency of vibration, etc., are all supposed to be optimal.
My set of Smovey's were donated to the Out-Thinking Parkinson's project back in October 2016 by Irene Treacy of Smoveyhealth. Here is my video diary entry, in which I recorded my first day of playing/dancing with them:
I have been using them almost daily ever since, and have been exploring their use in my own "Curiosity and Play" movement recovery programmes. Below I've included another short film from my video diary, in which my set of rings feature. I hope these demonstrations speak for themselves on how beneficial I have found these versatile tools?
Recently, I was visited by my friend David Spry of Parkinson's Disease Fighter's United, a fellow person with PD. I showed David my set of Smovey's and after playing with them, he did seem to feel they could be beneficial too - I even got him walking with them in such a way that he could swing his arms while he was in an "off" state. So I am now satisfied that the benefits I've personally found will translate to other people with PD (PwP).
A week later I was visited by Irene herself, who showed me how I could more optimally use the rings for my Parkinson's symptom relief, especially the concept of keeping the vibrations going by swinging the arms in such ways that the balls don't collide with the tube ends. Here is a very nice instructional exercise video which Irene made especially for PwP.
However, the most important use that Irene demonstrated to me, which I was, until then, totally oblivious to, is the fact that these also make amazingly therapeutic massage tools. By rocking them back and forth and moving them across the surface of the body, the vibrations are incredibly soothing! I get my caregiver (mum) to rock them on my shoulders whenever I have my flare ups of rigidity and pain.
However, perhaps one of the most important applications of Smovey's in "massage mode", for PwP in particular, is their use in overcoming constipation. In the next video, I explain and demonstrate more about this.
Also, and again particularly for PwP, Irene has demonstrated that applying the Smovey's for massage can have positive benefits on reducing Dyskinesia (the uncontrolled movements which can be a side-effect of PD drugs).
Another application, I discovered for myself, is their use in helping with finger and hand exercises, such as making "yoga mudra" hand shapes, practising which I believe is very important in maintaining, and even recovering, hand and finger functionality with PD.


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Beijing Normal University 2019 Confucius Institute Scholarship Application Procedure
For the purpose of cultivating qualified Chinese language teachers and facilitating the promotion of Chinese language and culture, the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) launches "Confucius Institute Scholarship" (CIS) to support outstanding students, scholars and currently employed Chinese language teachers recommended by Confucius Institutes, independently operated Confucius Classrooms as well as some HSK test centers (hereinafter to be collectively referred to as "recommending institutions") to study in Chinese universities and colleges (hereinafter referred to as "host institutions").
This year, Beijing Normal University Confucius Institute Scholarship categories are: Scholarship for Students of Master's Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL), Scholarship for One-Academic-Year Students, Scholarship for One-Semester Students.
I. Applicants
All applicants shall be
a) Non-Chinese citizens
b) In good Physical and mental condition, well performed both academically and behaviorally
c) Aspired to take future careers on the teaching or international promotion of Chinese language.
d) Between the ages of 16-35 on September 1st, 2019. Applicants currently worked as Chinese language teachers shall not exceed the age limit of 45, while undergraduate students shall not exceed the age limit of 25.
II. Eligibility
1. Scholarship for Master's Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) Students
Commences September 2019 and provides scholarship for maximum two academic years. Applicants shall be Bachelor degree holders, and have a minimum score of 210 in HSK Test (Level 5) as well as 60 in HSKK test (Intermediate Level). Applicants who are able to provide notarized document of the employment agreement or related proofs upon completing study in China are preferred.
2. Scholarship for One-Academic-Year Study Students
Commences September 2019, and provides scholarship for maximum 11 months. International students currently studying in China are not eligible.
i. TCSOL
Applicants shall have a minimum score of 270 in HSK test (Level 3), while HSKK test score required.
ii. Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History, and Chinese Philosophy
Applicants shall have a minimum score of 180 in HSK test (Level 4) and 60 in HSKK test (intermediate level).
iii. Chinese Language Study
Applicants shall have a minimum score of 210 in HSK test (Level 3).
3. Scholarship for One-Semester Study Students
Commences either in September 2019 or March 2020, and provides scholarship of maximum 5 months. Applicants withholding visas X1 or X2 are not eligible.
i. TCSOL, Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy
Applicants shall have a minimum score of 180 in HSK test (Level 3), while HSKK test score required
NOTE: Chinese Bridge Competition Award winner with 2019 "Confucius Institute Scholarship Certificate" can log on the Confucius Institute Scholarship website and apply for admission according to the scholarship category specified on the certificate. For inquiry, please contact email@example.com .
III. Application deadline and Resumption date
Master's Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) Students
Resumption date: September 1st, 2019. Application deadline: May 20th, 2019.
One-Academic-Year Study Students
Resumption date: September 1st, 2019. Application deadline: May 20th, 2019.
One-Semester Study Students
Resumption date: September 2019 or March 2020. Application deadline: May 20th, 2019. November 20th, 2019 (Resumption date: March 2020)
IV. Admission Procedure
Applicants, recommending institutions and host institutions can log on the Confucius Institute Scholarship website (http://cis.chinese.cn) to find the admission procedures and scholarship recruitment results.
1. Online registration will be available from March 1, 2019. Applicants should please log on the Confucius Institute Scholarship website (http://cis.chinese.cn), create a personal account, fill out the "Application Form for Confucius Institute Scholarship", submit the application form online and upload the scanned copy of all relevant supporting documents.
2. Applicants must long on BNU International Student Office website (http://apply.bnu.edu.cn/), create a personal account, complete and submit the "Beijing Normal University International Students Application Form" online, and print the application form. Applicant and guarantor should sign on the application form.
3. Online application should be completed before the deadline. All application documents should be mailed to BNU International Students Office.
4. After the review and validation of application materials by host institutions, then admission list of eligible applicants will be submitted to Hanban.
5. Hanban will complete the scholarship review and notify the results two months before enrollment of the admitted students.
6. After confirming with the successful applicants, host institutions are required to post the "Admission Notice", "Visa Application Form for Foreigners to Study in China" (JW202 Form), copy of the scholarship certificate and other relevant documents, by mail, to the students within 15 working days.
V. Application Documents
1) Application materials for all applicants
1. A scanned copy of the passport photo page. Applicants under 18 years old shall submit relevant documents of entrusted legal guardians in China.
2. Scanned copy of HSK and HSKK Tests reports (valid for 2 years).
3. Recommendation letter signed by the head of the recommending institutions (please provide objective comments on the applicant, including whether the applicant is a student of Confucius Institute or other identity. Chinese language teachers shall submit an employment proof and a reference letter provided by the institutes they work for.)
2) Application materials for Degree scholarship program applicants
4. Authenticated certification of the highest level of education (or proof of expected graduation), and an official transcript.
5. MTCSOL applicants are required to provide 2 reference letters from professors or associate professors. Priority will be given to applicants who can provide an authenticated employment agreement or related documents with the designated teaching institution.
3) Other documents required by host institutions
6. Application Form for Confucius Institute Scholarships.
7. Beijing Normal University International Students Application Form.
8. Applicants' personal statement form (only for MTCSOL applicants), please download the form, fill it by hand and sign.
9. Physical Examination Record for foreigners. The form is uniformly printed by the Chinese health and quarantine department. This form is only required for applicants who will study in China for more than 6 months.
10. Application fee: CNY 600 for master's degree program; CNY 450 for language students (Please pay online through your personal account on BNU application website).
NOTE: Corresponding notarized documents (in Chinese or English) of the above application materials in other languages should be provided.
VI. Scholarship Coverage, Criteria and Academic Assessment
1. Scholarship Coverage:
The Confucius Institute Scholarship provides full coverage on tuition fee, accommodation fee, living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance expenses.
2. Criteria:
Living allowance: CNY 2,500 monthly for One-Academic-Year Study and One-Semester Study students; CNY 3,000 monthly for MTCSOL students. Living allowance will be granted by host institutions on a monthly basis.
Accommodation fee: Host institutions provide scholarship holders with free dormitory rooms (usually double rooms). Those who live off campus with the permission of host institutions can get accommodation allowance from host institutions monthly or quarterly. The standard allowance is CNY 700 per person/month.
Comprehensive medical insurance: Is purchased by the host institutions in accordance with the relevant regulations relating to International students stipulated by the Chinese Ministry of Education. For One-Semester Study students, the insurance fee per person is CNY 400 per year. For students studying for One-Academic-Year and above, the insurance fee per person is CNY 800 per year.
3. Academic Assessment
Degree students are required to participate in the annual review. The results of the review will include full scholarship, partial scholarship, and scholarship suspension. For details, please refer to the Confucius Institute Scholarship Annual Review Method.
VII. Disclaimer
1. Incomplete application materials or unqualified applications will not be processed.
2. Applicants will be disqualified from application in case of fraudulent application materials or if application materials are completed and submitted by someone else.
3. Scholarship will be canceled for students who do not register in the school on time, who do not pass the admission physical examination, who quit school, or suspend schooling during their study.
VIII. Contact
1. Mailing address for application materials
The Office of International Scholars and students' Affairs, Beijing Normal University.
Jingshi Plaza 9910, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China (Postcode: 100875)
2. Beijing Normal University
Tel:+86-10-58807986 Fax:+86-10-58800823
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website:http://iso.bnu.edu.cn
3. Division of Scholarships, Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban)
Address: 129, Deshengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China (Postcode: 100088)
Fax : +86-10-58595727 E-mail : email@example.com
Confucius Institute Scholarship website: http://cis.chinese.cn
Chinese language test website: http://www.hanban.edu.cn/tests/


text:
April 2013
Dear Vic 7T8 Grad,
Congratulations on your 35th anniversary! Spring Reunion 2013 will take place from May 30 to June 2 and you are one of the honoured years. We invite you to attend the President's Reception and Dinner on Friday, May 31, at 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall of Old Vic.
If you are unable to attend, please provide us with any information you would like to share with your classmates from 7T8. These messages could be read out at the tables designated for the class of 7T8. If you have any questions regarding Spring Reunion weekend, please contact the Vic Alumni Office at (416) 585-4503, or e-mail email@example.com. Please register online at http://my.alumni.utoronto.ca/vicsr7T8. I look forward to seeing you in May!
Stef Rosar Vic 0T5
Alumni Affairs Officer


text:
Written by Tim Parsons
Wilson was a rock and roller as a youth, fortuitously located in the Bay Area. He frequented Bill Graham's shows at Winterland, the Filmore Auditorium and Oakland Coliseum shows called Day on the Green.
"If you were going to come to see Thin Lizzy, he was also going to put Muddy Waters or Freddy King on the bill," Wilson said. "A blues artist so the audience would understand the roots of the music that was influencing these artists.
"I'd go up there and be right at the front of the stage when Muddy Waters would be just ripping it up or Freddie King would just be tearing it up and I'd actually come there for Thin Lizzy or Humble Pie. Bill Graham would make sure that these artists were on the ticket so you could experience them. After seeing Mike Bloomfield and Freddie King, I immediately went home and asked if my parents could help me out with guitar lessons, which they did."
After he became a professional musician, Wilson found work in Los Angeles. He made soundtracks for the John Carpenter movies "Vampires" and "Ghosts of Mars" and was music writer for the soap operas "Passion" and "The Days of Our Lives."
That led to touring opportunities with Coco Montoya, Walter Trout, 38 Special and Cheap Trick. And that's when he decided to move to centrally located Visalia, where he can easily travel to both Los Angeles and the Bay Area and the Northwest.
He is working with new technology on what would be his fourth album: software by Fishman that allows communication between a guitar and laptop computer, which creates sounds such as a grand piano, Hammond organ, a violin or an entire string orchestra.
"You spend so much time messing around on the guitar, inevitably it leads you to something fun and new," Wilson said. "It's not going to replace just plugging a guitar into an amp stuff but it gives you another color to paint with. It's the future of the guitar. I am going to try and make traditional roots music with this technology. It's something that will introduce kids in their teens and 20s to guitar in a different light."
Power Blues Guitar Live
"A Hit with our listeners!"
"Diamond-hard blues rock and powerhouse blues that strike like a lightning bolt!"
"Rock-solid blues rock a great guitarist!"
"This album shows how Brad Wilson sounds live. Let's get the man himself to Europe to really see him in it."
"Great guitarist, this recording is a good example and truly reflects his quality as a musician."
Blues in the Northwest
The latest release from Californian blues-rocker Brad Wilson, "Blues Thunder", is a very polished and enjoyable affair, with all twelve songs penned by by Wilson himself, who is a fine guitarist and has a really nice voice ? and is also backed by a most sympathetic and capable band. The new album follows up the successful "Hands On The Wheel" release, and it's easy to see why he is demand on the club and festival circuit.
Accompanying Brad Wilson's vocals and guitar are: Brian Beal (bass), Amrik Sandhu (drums), Kirk Nelson (keyboards) and Tumbleweed Mooney (harmonica) ? Adam Guest features on drums also, playing on two cuts. "Blues Thunder" was also produced by Wilson, and recorded at three different studios.
If anything, the cover may be a little misleading for those expecting a bona-fide blues rock affair, as there is plenty of 'light and shade' on offer, with the opening "Is It Any Wonder" being a very melodic ballad with some tasteful guitar work and a sweet vocal; and "Blue Shadows" has some jazz tinges, mainly courtesy of Kirk Nelson's piano.
The pace is lifted for the bouncing shuffle, "Step By Step", with some blistering guitar leads and the harmonica of Tumbleweed Mooney; and the title cut, "Blues Thunder" is a crunching rocker, driven again by Wilson's guitar and the forceful rhythm section of Brian Beal and Amrik Sandhu. The Bo Diddley-inspired beat of "Let's Go Barefootin' It" is a stand out, with more tasty harmonica fills; but it's then back to a gorgeous ballad in "My Faith Has Been Broken".
Elsewhere, the acoustic guitar leads off the pretty "Home", before the song builds momentum; the swinging "Black Coffee At Sunrise" fairly rattles along with rockabilly guitar leads and sounds like a 'doff of the cap' to the great American rock 'n' roll music of the 50s. This most enjoyable album ends in fine style with the rolling blues of "Sugar Sweet" and the tough, but melodic, rocker, "Never Again".
Well worth checking out for all lovers of melodic blues rock ? fine original songs, and beautifully played and recorded.
— Grahame Rhodes of Blues in the Northwest Magazine
Canada Online News
BLUES THUNDER Brad Wilson (Cali Bee Music) *** +
Wilson is a blues/ rock guitarist from California, following up his successful Hands On The Wheel album (featuring the hit The Ballad of John Lee) with Blues Thunder, a disc that rocks and rolls, but sometimes struggles to live up to its name.
It seems that to survive in the blues world today you gotta be able to rock out too, and that is something the Brad Wilson Band does with ease. Wilson is a soulful vocalist and a prett ... y smokin' guitarist, and the band aren't slouches either; Brian Beal on bass, Amerik Sandhu on drums Kirk Nelson on keys and Tumbleweed Mooney on harmonica. Songs like My Faith Has Been Broken certainly has that blues vibe, but it's an attractive mid-tempo pop tune too. Though the blues are all over this disc, I can hear many of these songs existing outside of that rigid framework as well.
You may have already heard some of Brad's music without realizing it; it's been featured in soap operas on NBC and CBS, while Regis & Kelly were known to use it too, and filmmaker John Carpenter added it to his films Vampires and Ghosts Of Mars. Roots Music Report gave his last album a 5 out of 5 rating, and the aforementioned The Ballad Of John Lee made it into daily rotation on BB King's Bluesville, my favourite channel on Sirius XM.
Blues Thunder is my first encounter with Brad Wilson's music, but it's not the balls out blues experience the title led me to believe it would be, along the lines of perhaps Stevie Ray Vaughan. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying this a great deal, but if any other song on this disc might've been a better title track, I'd suggest Blue Shadows. There's blues, there's 80's style pop and old time rock & roll here too, a very entertaining mixed bag of fun.
Ultimately Blues Thunder is pretty good company, the sort of album you want to throw on and get some stuff done- absolutely nothing wrong with that.
ESSENTIALS: Sugar Sweet, Black Coffee At Sunrise, Let's Go Barefootin' It
— John The Rock Doctor Kereiff Canada Online News
Blues Bytes
California blues rocker Brad Wilson returns with Blues Thunder (Cali Bee Music), a disc that proves his talents go well beyond that particular genre. A guitarist of impressive range and depth, and a great, soulful vocalist to boot, Wilson penned all twelve tracks on this new release, and he's backed by Brian Beal (bass), Amrik Sandhu (drums), Kirk Nelson (keyboards), and Tumbleweed Mooney (harmonica).
The opening track, "Is It Any Wonder," starts the disc off on an almost quiet, reflective note, Wilson turns in a nuanced vocal and some crisp guitar work," and "Blue Shadows" is almost jazz-like in its approach. "Change It Up" is a rocker with a slight Latin tempo. The shuffle "Step By Step" has some tasty harmonica from Mooney and fierce fretwork from Wilson. The title track is a pure hard-driving blues rocker with more standout string-shredding guitar.
Next up is the Diddley-esque "Let's Go Barefootin' It," a fun track teaming Wilson with Mooney's harmonica, followed by "My Faith Has Been Broken," a classic rock-styled ballad. There's also "Cool Runnin'," a pop-flavored mid-tempo groover, and the acoustic rambler, "Home," that slowly builds in intensity. "Black Coffee At Sunrise" finds Wilson in jump blues mode with highly satisfying results. The album ends strongly with the jazzy blues of "Sugar Sweet," which has a funky rhythm and some hot guitar, and the powerhouse rocker, "Never Again."
Based on what's heard on Blues Thunder, it sounds like Brad Wilson is branching out from the scorching blues rock of his previous release (2013's Hands On The Wheel) and showing his listeners that he's capable of much more. There's a lot of great music here that will appeal to fans of multiple genres.
— Graham Clarke Blues Bytes Magazine
Sound Waves
Brad Wilson Blues Thunder
Cali Bee Music, Inc.
If you haven't heard of Brad Wilson?it's time you did! With fifteen previously released albums (eight recorded in the studio and seven live) and touring California all year performing over a 100 shows each year, he's a very busy man. I might add that all the tracks on this disc were penned by Wilson. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, he currently lives in Central California in the town of Visalia. He also lived in Los Angeles for years and provided music for two John Carpenter movies; "Ghosts of Mars" and his biggest movie, "Vampires." Wilson also provided many songs for TV shows; Passions and most recently The Young and The Restless.
Reflecting the plethora of musical virtuosity in his career, Wilson's sixteenth disc displays a rainbow of styles. Who knew there were so many different colors of blues, though the influence of the California sound comes shinning through on much of this recording! The first cut, "Is It Any Wonder," is a gentle country blues ballad with musical stylings that echo bands like The Eagles and is the tale of a woman who, basically lacks the ability to know how wonderful she really is; "There's a disconnect when she looks in the mirror." The second track, "Change It Up" does just that; bringing the tempo up and making a declaration of independence in the lyrics! Wilson makes the statement that, "Everybody, oh yeah, they want a piece of me, it's my life?change it up!"
Speaking of changing, track three, "Blue Shadows" is a torchy, bluesy ballad with vocal inflections reminiscent of classic Tony Bennett; smooth and sweet! The combination of the romantic piano riffs of Kirk Nelson, old school solid bass line of Brian Beal, and Wilson's guitar create the air of authenticity. Drummer, Amrik Sandhu comes in for the final verse to seal the deal. The fourth cut, "Step By Step" is a pure blues, up-town shuffle featuring trade-off riffs between Wilson and harmonica player, Tumbleweed Mooney. This tune ends with Mooney fading out, and then suddenly ceasing. The fifth cut, "Blues Thunder" is the title track and a real rocker incorporating spoken word! Adam Gust steps in on drums for this number including of a very unique instrumental reprise and Wilson shredding on guitar to close this tune. Track six, "Let's Go Barefootin' It" could be described as Bo Diddley meets the bayou. I felt like flippin' my kicks off and dancing to this one!
The seventh cut; Wilson shows off his versatility again in, "My Faith has Been Broken" an up-tempo rock ballad. He declares that he has been duped by a lover who, "Has broken another heart?you've got this down to a fine art!" Returning literally to California rock 'n' roll, "Cool Runnin" Wilson makes references to Sunset Boulevard and L.A. on track eight. Opening with folk-style guitar riffs, the ninth cut, "Home" breaks into an Americana sound. John Cougar Melloncamp could cover this song and people would easily think it was his composition. Track ten, "Black Coffee At Sunrise" is a jump/blues format. I had to chuckle when I heard Wilson sing about his "brand new used Cadillac." If I were able to "tag" someone in this song, it would be my friend Ray who has a serious passion for classic Caddy's.
The eleventh cut, "Sugar Sweet" is a lazy meter shuffle. The intro sounds as though it is being recorded from a phone call, then breaks into studio quality. Wilson flaunts his vocal ability, lifting his voice to a lofty sensual quality; then the ending returns to a flat sound as it fades away. The final cut, "Never Again" is another up-tempo rock ballad. The chorus repeats the title; shifting from major to minor key giving this tune an eerie quality not present in any other tune on this recording. Wilson layers his guitar in the solo, once again shredding on top of power chords. He sings of the "Healing of this heart of mine is gonna take just a little more time. Tears sometimes can melt the pain."
Despite the title of this disc, I beg of you, don't pigeon-hole this recording. This isn't just blues; it's just great American music. Well worth the listen!
— Ms Marci of Soundwaves Magazine
Bman Blues Report!
Cali Bee Music Inc. artist: Brad Wilson - Blues Thunder - New Release Review
I just received the newest release, Blues Thunder, from Brad Wilson and it's a mix of pop and guitar stylist. Opening with Is It Any Wonder, Wilson, who takes lead vocal and guitar, sings smoothly in quiet pop form but with tasty guitar riffs throughout. Backed by Brian Beal on bass, Amrik Sandhu on drums and Kirk Nelson on keys, this is a perfect radio track. Up tempo, Change It Up has an almost Latin rhythm and Wilson's riff, although not really Spanish in origin, have a kind of Santana feel. Moody blues ballad, Blue Shadow, features Wilson on vocal with really clean piano work by Nelson. This is a pretty classic 50's style jazz track executed in cool form. Taking a page from Robben Ford's book, Wilson rips some pretty nice riffs in contrast to this otherwise subdued track. Very nice! Blues rocker, Step By Step has a nice rhythm to it and Tumbleweed Mooney adds some real nice harp work as well. Title track Blues Thunder is a definite fist pumper throw back to arena rock. Wilson steps out of the box on this one throwing out every riff a good shredder holds. Let's Go Barefootin' It in sharp contrast has a Bo Diddley rhythm and is almost devoid of guitar. Mooney helps to emphasize the already prominent rhythm on harp. My Faith Has Been Broken has a classic rock styling with dominant vocals and a solid melody. Cool Runnin' has an understated feel and a straightforward melody. This track could easily get cross radio play with is easy rhythm and nice melody. Home has a rambling rhythm with rolling tom tom and acoustic guitar. With an almost Bruce Springsteen feel, this track has a nice feel. Rocker, Black Coffee At Sunrise, gets the band hopping with a jump kind of feel. Possibly my favorite track on the release, Wilson spits out some nice fluid hot riffs. Sugar Sweet is a cool jazzy track with an easy rhythm. A real likable track it shows the strongest construction on the release with a tapestry of instruments tightly woven together and a hot guitar solo to boot. Wrapping the release is another straight up rocker, Never Again, with a concrete bottom and solid vocals. Wilson lets out the dog on his fretboard showing that he's not just another guitar player for a nice conclusion to an evenly paced release.
"The back cover of Brad Wilson's new CD, Hands On The Wheel (Blues Boulevard Records) reads that the California guitarist "plays high-octane rocked-up Blues." Yeah, and Moby Dick was a big fish. That statement is the only understated item about this electrifying CD. Brad Wilson rocks the house, y'all.....pure and simple. If you're looking for a disc to plug into your car stereo, crank up to 11 with the windows and top down, look no further. "
—Graham Clarke, Blues Bytes Magazine
"When the opening riff of Hands On The Wheel begins, it will be hard to put down Brad Wilson's album, a driving Blues/Rock hybrid that beckons people to lean in closer to the speaker and listen carefully to this unique mixture of tasty guitar riffs that need to be noticed, and the wailing vocals represent all that that sounds cool. In fact, this album should be wearing its own pair of sunglasses!"
— Michael Brasier, American Blues Scene
"I want a new generation of ax men (and women) who are every bit as sharp as Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera and Concrete Blonde's James Mankey, to name just three of my favorites....Wilson is indeed one of those guys."
Germany/ Austria & Switzerland
"Wilson is in Germany more or less unknown. This should change listening to 'Hands On The Wheel'. Brad Wilson convinces not only as a singer and songwriter but also as a guitar player and just burns down a firework with his six string guitar doing Roadhouse and Bluesrock."
Brad Wilson featured on the cover of the Choices entertainment section of the Visalia Times Delta.
Thank you to the California Visaila Times Delta and Tulare Advance Register newspapers for my interviews with them and the support of my shows!
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Tour Dates 2019
Official Store


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Labor contractions are the periodic tightening and stress-free of the uterine muscle, the biggest muscle in a girl's physique. Only a sidenote; Peppermint oil was God sent throughout the delivery of my 4th child, saving me from vomiting fully, and lavender eo in slighly warmed water helped immensely for my DR to use for compresses to maintain me from tearing and he was blissful to do so. Nurses and my physician would grasp -out in my room, because of the beautiful scents of oils and everybody was in such a terrific mood!
Early contractions started like intense menstrual cramps, but as labor progressed, the ache began radiating down my thighs and finally felt like somebody was using pliers and pulling my hips aside (for twenty-four hours!) My body was vibrating with ache with every contraction – it was excruciating and literally the worst and most physically challenging experience of my life.
The important distinction between prodromal contractions and common contractions is that prodromal contractions do not enhance in frequency or intensity like labor contractions do. They could get nearer together or a bit stronger all through the day, but they're rarely ever within 5 minutes of each other and do not progress into real labor or dilate your cervix.
Yesterday i had sharp pain within the center part of my bump when i attempted to stand up after the toilet in the toilet and i couldnt stroll correctly I sat down on couch for practically 20 minutes and i could really feel the muscle tightening and no movement of child My husband rubbed my hand and coated me with a blanket as i was getting chilly However quickly i felt better and can feel the newborn shifting and the ache gone away Anyone is aware of what it means ????
A typical labor for a primary time mom is eight-to-fourteen hours, and is usually shorter for a second or subsequent birth. On the blog Giving Beginning with Confidence , women share their experiences with how contractions in energetic labor feel. Braxton hicks felt like Charlie horses in my stomach…they'd get really tight to the point of taking a breath away, not being able to walk or drive…lively labor contractions have been like operating a dash really fast with a Charlie horse, accompanied by numerous stress down there as if I just wanted to let out an enormous poop.


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Join us on January 11th at 3pm or 5pm for a whisky tasting session.
Come 11 January 2014, La Maison du Whisky will be doing a Whisky Tasting Session with City Nomads. Themed as The Barrel Effect: How the barrels shape and change a whisky, participants will get to savour up to 4 different expressions of Whiskys.
Event Date: Saturday, 11 January 2014
Time: 3pm (first session), 5pm (second session)
Conducted by: Joseph Ricketts (Retail Manager of La Maison du Whisky)
For more information, please contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
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basketbal kleding kopen


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Phase 1 - Community Education (ongoing)
There is a lot of opportunity for Solar installations in Jersey City. On rooftops big and small, parking lots, empty lots, sides of skyscrapers. Right now there are almost 100 buildings with solar panels in Jersey City, but that's less than 1% of what is possible - and it can be a profitable return on investment !
Know what RECs are ? More about Renewable Energy Certificates, your green energy revenue stream here.
So how do we make deployment of more Solar happen faster in Jersey City? By educating more community stakeholders - we've begun to do this and will continue to do so into 2018. If you are interested to work on this project initiative, drop us a note here.
What Community Solar Is & ISN'T - from our friends over at EnergySage
The Importance of Low & Moderate Income Participation in Community Solar
Also check out our old but still very relevant blogpost on Annandale, NJ - we can do a District Solar Project here in Jersey City and should be creating municipal incentives to deploy more Solar, particularly if officials are serious about lowering the City's carbon footprint (gentle reminder :-).
New State level incentives recently legislated and support by our Governor Phil Murphy + the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) - LEARN MORE HERE. Think about our municipal buildings, business districts, schools, neighborhoods, industrial and brownfield sites - we can do this!


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It's been said that you buy a Golden Globe, but you win an Oscar. That may or may not be true. I'm not naive enough to think that there isn't a big political game played with the Oscars. I know there are huge amounts of money spent by producers (Mr. Weinstein) campaigning for their films. They want votes and they will make sure they get them.
I know all of that and I don't care. I still love watching the show, being super judgmental about who is wearing what, and of course, being right about who will win. It's usually pretty easy to figure out who's gonna win. But this year, this year is a little different. The way I see it, there are two movies which could take the big award, and possibly sweep. '12 Years a Slave' and 'Gravity'. Below are my predictions (and hopes) for who will take home the coveted, eight pound, Golden Man.
Best Picture: '12 Years a Slave'
Both 'Gravity' and '12 Years a Slave' have a great chance of winning best picture. Academy voters adore historical biopics, and especially one with this much weight. '12 Years a Slave' wasn't an easy movie to watch. It wasn't supposed to be. It was supposed to make you hurt and feel. It did both.The acting was superb, and Academy voters have a history of rewarding films like this one. On the other side of the coin we have "Gravity", a film that showed real cinematic vision and originality. Some people found the script to be far-fetched, but whatever. Have you been to space before? I doubt it. So keep your totally unsubstantiated opinions about what is or isn't possible about space to yourself. Oh, and remember it's just a movie.
Although "American Hustle" is gaining momentum at the moment, the votes have already been cast, and I look at it as a long shot. Too bad there isn't an award for best hair piece in a film. It would totally win. Both 'Nebraska' and 'Philomena' were better movies than Hustle, but unfortunately they are not sexy and not many people saw either. I did. I saw them both in the theater and said, "Those movies are going to get nominated." And they did. They just won't win.
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey – 'Dallas Buyers Club'
Oscar voters love nothing more than someone who gains or loses an insane amount of weight for a role. There is a long list of actors (Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, Christian Bale, Charlize Theron, Adrien Brody, Natalie Portman …) who have used this to their advantage. Some people say, "It's not acting", but they are wrong. It's called "Method Acting". It's been around since Dustin Hoffman actually ran miles before filming scenes in 'The Marathon Man'. This year I think it's safe to say Matthew McConaughy will be added to the list. He gave a great performance as the straight guy who saved the gays in Texas from The Aids. His character was despicable at first, but after he met a drag queen with a heart of gold (Leto) he softened just enough for Academy voters to love him. I think he's a shoe in. He seems to have stepped away from his Rom/Com roots and wants to be taken seriously now. I can't believe that I live in a world where Matthew McConaughy will have an Oscar.
The runner-up would be Leo DiCaprio. He's been working hard at playing crazy, and he got it right in Wolf. Too bad he didn't lose forty pounds in the process. Better luck next time, Leo. Personally I'd love to see Bruce Dern win. It was a great and subtle performance that deserves more than just a nod from the Academy. But the chances of that happening are slimmer than McConaughy's waistline.
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett – 'Blue Jasmine'
For me, it's a tight race between the always incredible Blanchett and Ms. Bullock. Both women star in films centered around them. For Sandra Bullock especially. I mean, without her there would be no movie at all. She IS 'Gravity'. And as amazing as her performance was (and it was), I still think the little golden dude will end up in the hands of Cate Blanchett. I saw 'Blue Jasmine' in the theaters and left saying, "She's going to win for Best Actress". And I still think so. Her role as a wealthy divorcée suffering a meltdown is a Master Class in acting. Every breath she takes is deliberate and spot on. She played a very unlikable woman who you couldn't help but feel a little sorry for. If the recent Woody Allen scandal doesn't disrupt voting, you can be assured she'll walk away with the statue.
And then again, there's always Meryl Streep.
Supporting Actor: Jared Leto – 'Dallas Buyers Club'
There is no one in the world who I want to punch in the face more than Jared Leto. I can't stand him. He's pretentious and obnoxious and a poor excuse for a rock star. But He'll probably take home the prize this year. It makes me crazy to say it. He's going to win for playing a sympathetic composite character designed to make McConaughey's dirt bag character look like he has something resembling a heart. Big whoop. It's been done before and better than Leto. But I think he'll win anyway.
I'd love to see Fassbender walk away with the award, but that won't happen. The Academy rarely gives awards to villains unless the guy was a cute villain like Christoph Waltz in 'Django Unchained'. There was nothing cute about the bat-shit-crazy slave owner played flawlessly by Fassbender. And that's why he won't win. If Leto somehow manages not to win, you can expect to see the statue go to Barkhad Abdi for 'Captain Phillips'.
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o – '12 Years a Slave'
I know that all of America is in love with Jennifer Lawrence at the moment. I get that. I am too! But I still think Lupita Nyong'o will walk away the winner tomorrow night. Her performance was heartbreaking and pretty much perfect. Lawrence won last year for 'Silver Linings Playbook' and I didn't think she deserved it. And I don't think she deserves it for her portrayal of a manic house wife in the 70's. She might win, but it will be due to her popularity as a celebrity more than for her performance. If we are giving acting awards to women playing angry wives, then I think June Squibb ought to win for her perfect portrayal of a bitter, mean-spirited wife in 'Nebraska'. The chances of her winning are slim, but I'll be damned happy if it happens.
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón – 'Gravity'
I love his films, and he deserves to win. 'Gravity' was a masterpiece. He already took home the Directors Guild award, so I think this one is in the bag. His vision came to life on-screen, and he used some new techniques that raised a few eyebrows in the film world. Steve McQueen is the runner-up in this category, but I don't think it's his year.
Best Screenplay, adapted: '12 Years a Slave'
But don't count out Jeff Coogan's touchingly funny 'Philomena', a movie based on another horrific true story. '12 Years' might have an all around sweep and take everything it is nominated for, but this category might be one that upsets it. Weinstein has been making the rounds with this film, making sure Oscar voters don't forget about the little movie that packs a huge emotional punch. Don't count it out just yet. It stars Dame Judi Dench, after all. She won for 'Shakespeare in Love' and was on-screen less than eight minutes. Total.
Best Screenplay, original: 'Her'
I know that's not the popular choice here, but it is in fact the right choice. It really is an original idea. And that should be rewarded. Most folks are giving it to 'American Hustle', but I feel like I've seen that movie before. And more than once. It reminded me of 'American Gangster' and 'Casino'. I didn't find it to be very original at all. This might be the only award given to the wonderful Spike Jonze film. It deserves it. I'd love to see Woody Allen take home the prize, but considering the recent news and scandal, I don't see that happening.
Best Animated Feature: 'Frozen'
I don't see much of a race here. Disney is back in full force with this pro-female cartoon. Everyone loves it, and the lovely and talented Idina Menzel will be on hand to sing "Let It Go" from the film. If for some reason it doesn't win, expect to see 'The Wind Rises' take the prize.
Best Documentary: 'The Act of Killing'
Another category where I am going against popular opinion, but that's just how I roll. The odds on favorite to win is 'Twenty Feet From Stardom' about the backup singers (like Judith Hill) and legends (like Darlene Love) who sang lead but were never given credit. It's one of the only nominated films that folks actually saw in theaters, and it made more money than the rest. It will probably win. But I'm still holding out for the incredible film, 'The Act of Killing' in which American director Oppenheimer contacted the paramilitary thugs who in the 1960s killed thousands of Indonesian civilians. Nearly 50 years later, he persuaded them to reenact their own crimes, in the form of the Hollywood movies they loved. Yeah, it should totally win.
Best Documentary, short: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Just trust me on this one.
Best Foreign Language film: 'The Great Beauty', Italy
I haven't seen any of the nominated films, so I am guessing here. All of the folks who know about these things agree that 'The Great Beauty' will take home the prize.
As for the rest, you're on your own. Expect 'Gravity' to take home editing and cinematography awards, and probably 'Gatsby' for costume design. Make-up will go to 'Dallas', and you can never go wrong with picking John Williams to win for Best Score. Although 'Gravity' might be a solid bet.
I hope my predictions have helped you in your own Oscar pool. But don't blame me if I'm wrong. There's a first time for everything.