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A teen was hospitalized following a crash in the 200 block of Espanola Way, South Beach. He balanced on a motorbike with one knee, front wheel in the air, and flew down the road sustaining serious head and internal injuries in a wreck that ensued.
The fearless 19-year-old sped east toward the intersection of Washington Ave. He looked over his shoulder, according to a Miami Beach police officer sitting in a patrol car about a block away, and crashed into the rear of a vehicle heading east on the same road. The right rear wheel of the car dislodged from the rim. He went flying off his motorbike and sustained serious head and internal injuries, police said. Authorities said he wasn't wearing a helmet.
The victim was promptly transported to the hospital by Rescue Crews.
A Miami Beach resident who witnessed the wreck told newsmen that it was "a sad but all too frequent incident." He also cited that the riders have no regard for traffic laws. Many of the bikes are built to be ridden off-road, not on city streets, he said. In Miami-Dade County, there are scores of riders and a core group of 20-somethings who lead the county's riding scene, said another resident. It's enough to cause concern. There's a need to ride safely, he said.
In an official statement, a police spokesman appealed to riders to ride safely in the city by always wearing their protective gear. Failure to do this puts the riders and other drivers at risk. Parades of riders on motorcycles, ATVs and dirt bikes have caused headaches for Miami residents and police for years. "The stunts aren't safe," he said, adding that the bikes aren't meant to ride on the streets in the first place.
Dr. Brian Elias, from The Accident and Injury Team, comments on this crash. "It is very sad to see an accident like this that could have been avoided. Non-street legal motorcycles and ATV's shouldn't be driven on city streets. But when they are, accidents will happen eventually which will cause various injuries. If you are unsure of what to do when you've been involved in an accident, please give our team a call. We can treat your injuries and also, if you wish, refer you to a very competent attorney in case you have a legal claim. Since we are NOT an attorney referral service, we have no interest in your legal claim beyond trying to help you obtain the best attorney to help you."
The Accident and Injury Team's Chiropractic Office in the Miami area is:
Brian Elias DCM, LLC at 5803 NW 151st Street in Miami Lakes

subset: commoncrawl


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U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has ordered the Pentagon to stop seeking repayments of enlistment bonuses given to California National Guard members who served overseas.
His decision comes in the wake of angry reaction from members of Congress who demanded he relieve the burden on the Guard members.
And the White House said President Barack Obama has warned the Defense Department not to "nickel and dime" service members who were victims of fraud by overzealous recruiters.
In a statement issued during a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Carter said effort to collect reimbursement should stop "as soon as is practical" and will continue until a process to help the troops deal with the problem is worked out.
Here is Carter's full statement:
"There is no more important responsibility for the Department of Defense than keeping faith with our people. That means treating them fairly and equitably, honoring their service and sacrifice, and keeping our word. Today, in keeping with that obligation, I am ordering a series of steps to ensure fair treatment for thousands of California National Guard soldiers who may have received incentive bonuses and tuition assistance improperly as a result of errors and in some cases criminal behavior by members of the California National Guard.
While some soldiers knew or should have known they were ineligible for benefits they were claiming, many others did not. About 2,000 have been asked, in keeping with the law, to repay erroneous payments. There is an established process in place by which service members can seek relief from such obligations. Hundreds of affected guard members in California have sought and been granted relief. But that process has simply moved too slowly and in some cases imposed unreasonable burdens on service members. That is unacceptable. So today, on the recommendation of Deputy Secretary Work, I am ordering measures to make sure we provide affected service members the support they need and deserve.
First, I have ordered the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to suspend all efforts to collect reimbursement from affected California National Guard members, effective as soon as is practical. This suspension will continue until I am satisfied that our process is working effectively. Second, I have ordered a team of senior department officials, led by the senior personnel official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Peter Levine, to assess the situation and establish no later than Jan. 1, 2017 a streamlined, centralized process that ensures the fair and equitable treatment of our service members and the rapid resolution of these cases. The objective will be to complete the decision-making process on all cases as soon as possible - and no later than July 1, 2017.
Ultimately, we will provide for a process that puts as little burden as possible on any soldier who received an improper payment through no fault of his or her own. At the same time, it will respect our important obligation to the taxpayer.
I want to be clear: this process has dragged on too long, for too many service members. Too many cases have languished without action. That's unfair to service members and to taxpayers. The steps I've outlined are designed to meet our obligations to both, and to do so quickly."


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The IKS Qu' was the version of the USS Enterprise-E which existed in an alternate reality. It had previously been the United Earth Space Probe Agency vessel Enterprise and was one of the final Federation ships to be captured by the Klingon Empire.
In this reality, Jean-Luc Picard was a slave and all of his crew were executed by the Klingons who began to use his ship as their own. William T. Riker's throat was cut, Data was disassembled, Geordi La Forge was disemboweled, Tasha Yar was shot while attempting escape, Deanna Troi and Beverly Crusher were violated and then strangled and Michael Argyle was decapitated. In 2380, General Worf was in command. When the Qu' was sent to the primary universe, it opened fire on the Enterprise indigenous to that reality. (TNG novel: Q & A)
Behind the scenesEdit
Translated from the Klingon language, Qu' literally means 'duty' or 'obligation'. It is the closest Klingon translation of the English word 'Enterprise'.
|This article is a stub relating to a starship or vehicle. You can help our database by expanding on it.


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2020 Election Isues
1. Henson: The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change
2. Homer-Dixon: Environment, Scarcity, and Violence
3. Hulme: Why Do We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction, and Opportunity
4. Klein: This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
5. Scientific American: Climate Change: Planet Under Pressure
The. U.S. Safety Net
1. Colin: Hedge: A Greater Safety Net for the Entrepreneurial Age
2. Doar: A Safety Net That Works: Improving Federal Programs For Low-Income Americans
3. Newman: Downhill from Here: Retirement Insecurity in the Age of Inequality
4. Giele: Family Policy and the American Safety Net
Black & White
1. Dyson: Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon To White America
2. Hochschild: Creating a New Racial Order: How Immigration, Multiracialism, Genomics, and the Young Can Remake Race in America
3. Jones: The End of White Christian America
1. Johnston: It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing To America
2. Klaas: The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack On Democracy
3. Lee: The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President
The Decline of the Liberal World Order
1. Kagan: The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World
2. Luce: The Retreat of Western Liberalism
3. Ramo: The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It
Political Polarization
1. Hetherington: Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics
2. Kinder: Neither Liberal nor Conservative: Ideological Innocence in the American Public
3. Lakoff: Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think
4. McCarty: Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches
5. Post: Citizens Divided
1. Hoberman: Age of Globalization
2. Klein: Fences and Windows: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization Debate
3. Milanovic: Global Inequality
4. Yishai: Humanity's Global Era: A Dual Paradigm Change
Truth Decay
1. Hochschild: Do Facts Matter?: Information and Misinformation in American Politics.
2. McIntyre: Respecting Truth: Willful Ignorance in the Internet Age
3. Rand: Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life
1. Diamond: Authoritarianism Goes Global
2. Snyder: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The 20th Century
3. Stenner: The Authoritarian Dynamic


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Today I'm thirty-friggin-three, and I'm struggling with this one a bit. I woke up on my 31st and 32nd birthdays with this "I've arrived" feeling, but this year's tone is much more "Where the eff am I?"
Sara M. Lyons said it best on her Instagram recently when she wrote "OH GOD, I thought I'd have it figured out by now!" // What I thought THEN would encompass my life NOW was a true miscalculation, and when I was younger, I figured 33 was 'Official Adult Age' for sure – and that I'd be doing 'official adult' things… like, live in a house and be married and have kids and a blossoming career that highlighted my talents.
Growing up, I carried around with me this naive, overwhelming notion that as long as I did everything 'right' this fulfilling, undramatic adulthood filled with bursting moments of clarity and freedom and fun would naturally fall into place. If I went to college, said 'no' to drugs, kept my eyes & ears opened, listened to authority figures (a.k.a people who 'knew better than me'), pursued what I was naturally interested in, worked hard, stayed enthusiastic and friendly, followed rules, fell in love — all of it — if I was good, true, and did it all 'right' (this stupid idea of a 'correct formula' or 'brownie points for good behavior') then I would have a relatively problem-free grown-up existence of nothing but achievements and recognition of them.
I'm writing this post from bed on the morning of my 33rd birthday to tell you, dear reader, that this people-pleasing goodie-two-shoes with a heart too big for her own good, who doesn't have a rebellious bone in her body and 'did everything right' has failed, squandered, felt stuck, started over more times than she can count, has a permanent spot in the underdog chair, and is still trying to figure it out. I think I'm one of those people who will ALWAYS be in a state of figuring it out, and it's actually not a bad feeling. It's scary, but it's going to be okay, and I know I'm DEFINITELY not alone in feeling like this.
Time feels like it's sprinting. I am well aware of this, and I feel like Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny when she stomps her foot in that head-to-toe floral jumpsuit talking about her biological clock! Haa haa! // I don't want to pretend that these next few years of my thirties won't get swept up in this stampede of me trying to stay afloat, and figure out the next phase of my career, and make big decisions about me & John – and I have no idea where those adult milestones of house & kids will fit in or how they will get accomplished. But, I'll be trying to figure it out. I'll be trying to become the best version of myself with what I have in front of me at the time, and love my fellow humans and be at peace with the time it takes.
I need to trust more, I know this. I always say this, but I really just have to do this. It's the key to things not feeling so heavy, so today, I'm deciding to trust. Trust, get out of my head and into my environment…look left, look right, focus on something (anything!) I could do in the present to make things a little lighter for myself and for others…
…and this is what I came up with: letterboard some current facts about myself at my birthday month-marker the way new moms do with babies their whole first year. Today I am 396 months old and obviously fragile and little moody, so to swing myself the other way, here's the ridiculousness that became that letterboard creation:
It came out cute. // Lately I can't decide between being low key or lower key, and I predict this to be a recurring theme of 33. I've been doing simple, little acts of self-care that have felt like free birthday presents to myself this week, some of which have been: lighting a candle, extending deadlines and giving myself more time, reading, writing, napping, calling my Grandma, and this…ladies and gentlemen, I give you my heart & soul, in tiny party hats:
So eff it! Cheers 33! …with all your thoughts and feelings and ridiculousness at the start! You're just another number, you're just another season, and I choose to count it all in joy. // PS – me, at 29 sounds soooo similar


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There is a touching article on Bloomberg.com today that demonstrates the power of philanthropy. It's a short piece about David Robinson (NBA Superstar) and his relationship with a group of kids at Gates Elementary in San Antonio. His personal pledge to these students was to pay for their college education if they met some basic requirements such as attending some mentoring meetings, not having attendance problems and staying in school.
These students, now successful adults, are interviewed about the experience and the impact Robinson had on them. Their success is Robinson's reward. When they 'pay it forward' by helping others will help Robinson's support grow exponentially over time.
(See story link at the bottom of this post)
This article provoked some though about my own charitable contributions. By a quick calculation, I give somewhere in the range of 3% to 3.5% of my annual salary in a variety of ways. My university gets the biggest chunk, and the rest is spread among several other smaller nonprofits, most local. However, I'm not sure I'm getting the outcome I could were I to be more thoughtful about my philanthropy before making a bunch of gifts.
To make a difference, philanthropy requires careful thought and planning.
- Just what is it I want to accomplish?
- How will I know I'm making a difference and not simply taking a tax deduction?
- How do I define success?
- Is this the best nonprofit to facilitate my priorities?
The biggest question for most, and the answer "YES" is the right one, is this: Can somebody who doesn't have NBA-Superstar money really make a difference in the world?
I've decided to spend significant time setting my goals for 2011 between now and the end of the year. The first goal is simple: Increase giving to 4-5% of annual income. This is a reasonable increase and a number I can feel comfortable with at this stage in my life. That's the easy part.
The hard part is determining how to allocate those philanthropic dollars.
We often think of major gift donors having made an 'investment' in an organization. Their thoughtfulness is applauded, their objectives clear. Isn't this true for many of our annual fund donors? They're investors too. What may seem like a 'penny stock' to some is a considerable investment to others. Making wise investment choices determines a individual's philanthropic success much as an investor determines the success of his or her portfolio.
Over the next several months I'll be thinking quite a bit about where I want to focus my efforts for the next few years. My 'philanthropic roadmap' will outline the basic needs I wish to address, the financial resources I want to dedicate and, additionally, how I can personally be involved in the efforts I support. To be honest, I've been a pretty hands-off donor in the past as time is often more difficult to come by than anything else. I'm not sure if I can achieve my goals and still take such a passive role in the process. That'll be a big part of the planning process.
The funny thing is, we forget that donors everywhere have differing feelings about what a 'significant gift' is to them. Whether they give $500 or $500,000, they are thinking about the same things I'm describing here. When we ask them to contribute, we're asking to be a part of that planning process and to invest in our mission. We must meet their needs by providing careful stewardship of their contribution and by reminding them often how their investment is reaping dividends for our organization. In turn, that makes them happier about their investment. Their 'philanthropic roadmap' has plenty of detours – we need to make sure we're on the same road they're traveling if we want them along for the ride.
Take a look at Robinson's story and you might just be inspired to take some time to think about what your roadmap looks like too.


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Many people have stage fright about speaking in public. They generally get anxious when they need to perform in front of a larger audience. Anxiety in such situations is fairly common and is known as "performance anxiety". Many people struggle to overcome their anxiety and choose to either avoid such situations or they suffer through them with shaking hands. Others try to overcome their fear with long practice before their performance or choose to seek professional help or medications.
Nicholas Ross Smith, a lecturer at the University of Auckland and the Auckland University of Technology and one of the founding members of our Society is no stranger to public speaking (both at the university and in the NZ media) and to performance anxiety. We've asked him to share some of his thoughts on whether kava could be of any use in such situations.
"After using kava in a social setting for a few months, I became aware of its anti-anxiety properties. Given that I work in academia and I am required to regularly teach as well as give conference talks and seminars in front of large audiences, all of which tends to leave me rather anxious, I started experimenting with taking kava before these activities. The results of this have been remarkable. Not only do I feel taking kava prior to public speaking allows me to perform better, the routine I have developed has allowed me to be anxiety-free the night before an important lecture, something which impeded my sleep greatly and in turn affected my performance. Therefore, I recommend to any people that suffer from performance-anxiety in their professional lives to consider the usefulness of small intakes of kava as a way of managing this anxiety."
Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals. The information provided on this website is not meant to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. What we present here is the literature we are familiar with and our own experiences related to the consumption of kava as a traditional beverage. If you do suffer from an illness, take any medications, require treatment, or have any other concerns, we advise that you consult your GP whether you can safely use kava.


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For the past week and a half, my family has been ill. Not all at once, but one at a time. First Bella, then Danny, then Declan, then Bella again… and just when I thought I was going to bypass … Continue reading
Posted in Family & Home Life Tagged art, Bella-isms 2 Comments
Bella-isms: Spit Up and Green Beans
Bella has been even more entertaining that usual. A few days ago, she came from her room looking like this: At least she was wearing the hat that fit (for once!). As I was cleaning the kitchen yesterday, I heard, … Continue reading
Posted in Family & Home Life Tagged Bella-isms 2 Comments
Fashionista? Or just Bella?
Bella- "I'm a costume!"
Posted in Family & Home Life Tagged Bella, Bella-isms, costume, dress-up clothes Leave a comment
What do tigers eat? And do you own a pair of "radio ear covers"?
During a discussion on tigers, Danny asked Bella if they ate antelopes. Bella answered "Yes." When he asked her if she knew what an antelope was, she replied, "It's like a watermelon."
Posted in Family & Home Life Tagged Antelope, Bella, Bella-isms, Ear buds, Earphones, radio ear covers, Tigers, wireless ear buds, wireless ear phones Leave a comment


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If you're talking about new content on the wiki, you can check all the recent updates on this page:
Lots of stuff is updated quite regularly
If you're talking about new content on the wiki, you can check all the recent updates on this page:
Lots of stuff is updated quite regularly
I've been ranking up Time Keeper and noticed some of the data is missing.
lvl 31 = +73 Health, +73 Defense, +73 Physical Resistance
lvl 32 = +74
lvl 33 = +74
lvl 34 = +75
lvl 35 = +75
lvl 36 = +76
lvl 37 = +76
lvl 38 = +77
lvl 39 = +77
lvl 40 = +78
lvl 41 = +78
lvl 42 = +79
lvl 43 = +79
lvl 44 = +80
The pattern is every 2 levels the attributes increase by 1 point. That matches what the final lvl 79 and 80 value is in the wikia. Just need to fill in all the missing points in between.
Forum Rules | Infraction System | Informational Threads | FAQ | Gaea ToS & Privacy Policy
"The universe is already mad, anything else would be redundant" - Londo Mollari
St0liae, Gogoo, Retribution... there are several people really active (whose work we all appreciate) and I would say we have a healthy update rythm.
On the other hand, it is true that some old pages still need some love. Monster page (here) is the first in my list.
Last edited by Barathor; 02-06-2019 at 05:36 PM.
Thank you to all who work to keep the wiki updated!
So instead of just a list of the mobs name and pic (and how to summon them), we could have other interesting info about them as well? For instance the damage required for a legendary drop, the main item (1 or 2) you can get from them or their alchemies, maybe the essence they drop, etc.
I would definitely help with that btw (adding pics, links etc., among other things).
With Retribution we were thinking about creating a page referencing the the max Monster Rank Points each mob can bring (because this info is nowhere on the wiki I believe).
I'm talking about this:
"<Player name> honors their Guild, <Guild name>, by achieving victory against Vargulis and earning 70,875 Monster Rank Points!"
Do you think this could be added to the updated Monster page?
Or should I create a separate one?
If you do not wish to add all this info on this Monster page, because it would create to much clutter maybe, I'd gladly create a separate one, with one big table with sortable rows.
Kinda like there is a Master Quest List, there could be some kind of Master Monster List
The fact is that, not only I did not plan to add more info, but to cut some of the existing.
My idea was to create a chart or panel (if I manage to do one) with just the pic of each monster linked to its page; if you want more info like how to summon, loot thresholds or alike, go click on it!
I am reluctant to repeat info that can be found on specific pages.
Regarding monster rank points, I had never thought bout them, as they aren't really useful for anything (the monthly rank doesn't really add anything to the game).
All in all, I understand the wish to gather "everything" in a page. It makes perfect sense and the reference to the Master Quest List is quite appropriate. My only fear is the insane amount of time it would take.
Because if we are going to make one, it should be really nice and useful, like "the ultimate guide to what to do with each monster" hahahahahaa
Let's work together on the data the chart should have:
1- Pic of the monster
2- Name of the monster (linked to its own page)
3- Summon method
4- Threshold for 99% 1-2-3 epic drop (for more detailed info like lower thresholds, refer to its page)
5- Threshold for 99% legendary drop
6- Amount of epics needed (of each type if more than one) to fill IA / alchemies
7- Amount of legendaries needed (of each type if more than one) to fill IA / alchemies
Does it sound ok?
Maybe, just maybe, we could also add the bonuses one could get for those IA items... Or leave it as it is, displayed in each monster's page.
Edit: I will make a diagram and post it, then brainstorm, then look for someone to create a template or try by ourselves
Last edited by Barathor; 02-08-2019 at 12:10 PM. Reason: missing words
I believe the use of small templates would fix this issue. You update the template, and the value is automatically updated on all pages using it.
However I do not know yet how to create templates, and that would be a lot to create. And all of the mobs pages to be updated with the templates replacing the values.
So... idk. It's probably not worth it for most mobs, for which the values for legendary drops for instance probably won't be updated anymore in the future, or extremely rarely.
However if a new mob comes out, we should probably think about using templates.
Example: Template:varglegdmg
If you update it, the value changes on all articles.
The stuff required for alchemies / IA can be interesting.
Personally I wouldn't feel like filling this info though lol. But we can each work on different columns of the table :P
I think most of the stuff you put in the "sum up tables" at the beginning of the mobs pages can be interesting to put in this big table.
Here's what we could put:
- Summon method (and level required)
- Monster Type (with stance number if needed, cf. https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/Monster_Stance)
- Health
- Damage for max. loot
- Gold Medal (cf. https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/Monster_Medals)
- 5% Health (Conquest)
- Essence dropped (cf. https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/Essence)
- Breakpoint (cf. https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/Mo...ge_and_Healing)
- Monster Rank Points
- Divine / Resistance (not sure about that one, would probably be annoying to add)
- Top item(s)/alchemy(ies)
- IA (we could let this page cover this though: https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/St...ne-Legendaries)
- Introduction date
I like being able to sort all columns. See which mobs requires the most damage (for top loot or Gold Medal...), which were introduced first and last, this kind of things
Other interesting monster-related pages I stumbled upon while searching for info, coz why not :
Btw as can be seen here: https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/Sp...s/popularpages
The "Monster" page seems to be the most seen on the wiki.
If we want people to actually see this table (if we're actually doing it!), we should probably consider adding it on this page.
Well for now I may just create a separate page to start fresh and update it more easily, and then we could copy-paste it to the Monster page and delete the page I created.
Created the page: https://castleage.fandom.com/wiki/Ultimate_Monster_List
(had no idea for the page name but anyway we'll probably copy-paste it to the Monster page and delete it)
Last edited by gogoo; 02-11-2019 at 03:53 PM.
Can someone confirm that Orc Invasion doesn't exist anymore?
Edit: Nvm, found the info.
Last edited by gogoo; 02-12-2019 at 04:38 PM.


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The Mystery Lady That Came Out Minutes Before Mandalay Bay Las Vegas Concert Killings?
According to a concert goer from the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort, an unknown woman came out and made threats about forty-five minutes prior to the massacre. In an act of domestic Terrorism that took place on Sunday, October 1, 2017, so far leaving a total of fifty-nine killed and five-hundred and twenty-seven injured has […]Continue Reading


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- Collections
- eBooks
- Audio-Visual
- Others
- Complete Works
- A New Earth - Methods, exercises, formulas, prayers
Suggested reading
A New Earth - Methods, exercises, formulas, prayers
239 pages - 3 illustrations - 1 chart - 3 photos - Series of sketches of the exercises
22,50 € Add
A great many people today feel the need for some practical methods that will help them to grow spiritually. A 'New Earth' responds to that need. It contains a number of simple, effective, spiritual exercises taken from the thousands of lectures given by the Master Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov over a period of nearly fifty years. Some concern our everyday life: nutrition, breathing, hygiene, purification, and our relationships with nature and other human beings. Others touch on questions that are more directly spiritual: meditation and prayer, the development of our psychic centres, or chakras, the aura, the body of glory, and so on. All these methods grow out of that immense body of knowledge known as initiatic science, the principal goal of which is the advent of the 'new heaven and the new earth' announced in scripture.
1. Prayers
2. A Daily Programme
3. Nutrition
4. Actions
5. Overcoming the Evil Within
6. Methods of Purification
7. Human Relations
8. Man's Relations with Nature
9. The Sun and the Stars
10. Mental Work
11. Spiritual Galvanoplasty
12. The Solar Plexus
13. The Hara Centre
14. Methods for Working with Light
15. The Aura
16. The Body of Glory
17. Formulas and Prayers
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… A Leviathan's Lullaby & A Heart Buried at Sea.
Curator & Writer | Hakan Burcuoğlu · Venue | Thormanby Island · Gear | Leica
The boat rocks on seething, cerulean seas as he scuttles bow-side, silhouetted. It's forceful shadow play, heuristics by hatchet, a ceremonious prelude—the reason I'm here. But I'm dazed—weak at the knees—inundated by roaring winds, and the inescapable sounds of guttural sea lions that burrow into my plexus. Disenfranchised, I close my eyes to elude this constance—these forces of nature, this bearded, subsumed energumen. But suddenly, he amplifies his histrionics, gesticulating to fish and fowl—euphoric. "Eureka!" he bellows, hunched over starboard, delivering a cohort of oysters back to their provenance on a raging inferno of crackling coals. My mind's flooded. And this ark is my rapture. But who better to save me, than Noah incarnate.
I'm not one for sacrosanct—and perhaps exaggerate for effect—but find it near impossible to refrain from allegory in encapsulating Johnny's remarkable life story. With humanity blemished in every which way, it'd be easy to mistake his positivity—and clamour—for pandering nostrums. But now that I've seen the light, I understand his story to be as much nativist, as nurturist. There's no room for "versus" in this debate, and no heart of darkness he'd wish to spare. He's of this land, as much Leviathan as he is mad pirate, and we're all here, watching in awe, bearing witness to his belle époque.
But let's not let this rapturous renaissance inflect years of brutal brawn. As is with the vast majority of professionals working in in high-pressured kitchens, Johnny, too, has taken his licks. What renders him singular [having worked in over 55 restaurants] is that he's remained utterly unscathed, having garnered enough intelligence, and resilience, to belabour any powder keg. So thank you, Mr. Bridge, for allowing us into your domain, and for showing a cynical city slicker the true meaning of adventure. I've buried my heart at sea, and you know I'll be back for more.
HB: Do you remember your first eureka moment with food?
JB: It came at a local sushi joint, then called Shabusen. My parents decided to take me out one evening, and as a toddler I was like "No, I don't want to go". Obviously, they ended up convincing me. I've never forgotten the place—the tables had these little DIY grills, so you'd throw your marinated beef on there, kind of like a crossover between traditional Japanese and Korean BBQ. But something snapped inside of me when I tried my first piece of sockeye nigiri. We ordered it again and again, because I kept finishing it all. Raw fish—give it to me. I love it.
HB: Presumably it's also the hands-on aspect of it that you also enjoyed?
JB: Definitely! In fact, I'd much rather be serving than eating. Every good meal should involve some sort of participation. Being able to interact on a controlling level with the meal, like a good sommelier—it's that control factor I crave. Dining for me isn't that comfortable spot, if anything, it's more about the uncomfortable spot.
HB: It's funny your first eureka moment came eating out. Chefs usually reference a food memory from home.
JB: My parents were terrific cooks, but they worked till late, so they didn't cook a huge amount at home. Then again, we'd have these massive family dinners, mostly at my grandparents' home. They were quite extravagant, like a crossover of family and food, blending into this singular family experience. I was an only child, so there wasn't a kids table or anything. There'd be lots of adults in serious conversation, and my attention was directed towards making sense of the ongoings, which didn't allow for focusing on the food as much.
HB: So when did food start becoming the focal point?
JB: I have fond memories of my grandmother engaging me—asking me lots of questions—while she was cooking. She had a penchant for classical French cookery—she'd recreate ancient recipes from Larousse Gastronomique, and take creative liberties on Marie-Antoine Carême's dishes from the 1800s. Mostly pheasant and duck… lots of fat… very rich stuff. I loved all of it. It's an Irish family so we also cooked potatoes in every way imaginable. Regardless, her stuff was out there, which, in turn, made me more inquisitive. Questioning is the best way to learn about food.
HB: Knowing your love for the ocean, it does seem fitting that a late night sushi outing had the most instrumental, and lasting, impact on your palate.
JB: You're right. It's probably why I've always loved all of the local wild salmon. Nothing tops my love for the ocean. My relationship with the sea is my very closeness to the ocean.
HB: What's the provenance of that love story?
JB: [Chuckles] It all started here—coming up to the Sunshine Coast, to our cabin on this property. My parents brought me here when I was just three weeks old… almost the moment I entered this world. My grandparents had been coming up here since the late 70s. It's my whole life.
HB: Even for a cynical cityslicker like myself, the beauty of this place gets me all sorts of gooey. I'm quite envious of you. Has it always been this idyllic?
JB: It's changed monumentally, particularly the forests and the ocean, to the point where I'm second-guessing some of my childhood memories. It's gone through so many ebbs and flows, just like the tide. The vegetation's different—the canopies are higher, it feels like there's so much more open space. The whole island burnt to the ground in the early 1900s, so the trees have grown in unison eversince. And as a child I remember them to be much lower, even though I was lower. I do still know these parts with an intimate knowledge.
HB: You must've wandered the unknown religiously as a child.
JB: [Chuckles] It was about the escape. I learned to drive a boat before I can remember. I'd wander off into the woods with a walkie-talkie and just get lost… I'd climb trees. Now that I look back, I'd climb to terrifying heights. I was like 75 pounds, climbing 60 feet up a tree. I'd get up as high as I could, hang tight, let the tree bend on its own weight and then swing back and forth! And if the tree happened to be on the edge of a cliff, even better! The views were heart-stopping.
HB: Whenever my parents took me on vacation as a child, I'd always complain I had no friends to play with. So your childhood seems to have been quite independent, if not solitary, to me.
JB: It was mild insanity… wandering out into the woods by myself. I'm 32 years old and still talk to myself, quite regularly… Sometimes I need expert advice. Finding peace in nature was finding peace within myself.
HB: I get it, but how hectic could your life have been in the city, let alone as a toddler, for you to seek some sort of inner peace in the first place?
JB: [Chuckles] As a child living in the city, I remember looking around, and having this feeling of discontent. Things we did were clearly damaging to the world, but somehow, we kept doing them. Everything struggled to be something else. But in nature, things always sorted themselves out. If something was damaging, it got righted. The forest just ate things up. "Finding inner peace" makes it sound like I had a hectic upbringing; on the contrary, I've had a phenomenal childhood, and it's mainly due to my parents. They're idols of mine, and always took such great care of me.
HB: The word phenomenal wouldn't suffice in describing the poignancy of your provenance.
JB: It's quite the story. I was conceived in a caboose in the Yukon, by a man named Billy and a woman named Joni. Joni was a Buddhist at the time—quite the free spirit. She allowed this energy inside of her pop out into the world, and perhaps she'd thought of putting up this child up for adoption all along, but through quite the entangled process, my parents adopted me just 10 days after I was born. Joni didn't show up for again for many years.
HB: Had you made any efforts to find her?
JB: The first time I even thought about it was two years ago, in December. I'd told Kirsten, my partner, about my intentions of finding her. And before making a single effort, this woman, Joni, messaged me on Facebook, completely out of the blue.
HB: What did the message say?
JB: "I'm pretty sure I'm your mom". I never forget that day—I was catering on a film set. I'm constantly this super positive, optimistic human being, and I remember going "Oh fuck". I messaged her back in the hopes of meeting her later that night. I headed over to Kirsten's sister's after work—she'd just had a baby, and I'd promised to cook them a Côte de Bœuf to relieve them of their exhaustion. All night long they're like "What are you still doing here?! Go meet this woman!".
HB: I'm getting goosebumps.
JB: So I went to her house. There were two kids playing in the front yard, and I guess she'd told them I was coming… my half-brothers. They just froze as soon as they saw me. I said "Is Joni home?". And out came this woman with the same eyes, who walks, talks and moves just like me. We locked eyes in silence. I gave her a big hug, and we sat down for some tea. We hashed it for three hours, which felt like the blink of an eye.
HB: No awkwardness, nothing?
JB: [Chuckles] Completely organic. In spite of this 30 year gap—and absolutely no reference—it was so seamless, like scary easy. It's that feeling you get when you meet somebody for the first time, but it feels like you've known them for an eternity.
HB: Did you always know? Or was this something your parents had to tell you years later?
JB: It was always a fact of life. I can't remember ever not knowing. To be honest, it never concerned me much—maybe more of a concern from the parental side, that I, perhaps, deep down, harboured things. But here I am in my 33rd year of life—the year of enlightenment—harbouring nothing but positivity. I just introduced my biological mother to my parents last week. It was a beautiful experience, breaking bread… combining worlds.
HB: Was it some sort of closure for you, combining worlds?
JB: Closure would insinuate that there was an ending to it. But it's very much an opening—a new beginning. I'm getting married in July to this amazing wolf mother of my world, and felt that this connection needed to happen. It's crazy to even think about.
HB: They perhaps disguised it well, but both sides were probably quite nervous before that meeting.
JB: You mean all three sides! I was terrified. But we all got along swimmingly, it was beautiful. And it was so interesting to see my parents' reaction. My mom is this accepting, perennially optimistic woman. But she's also all business, always getting things done. My father, Maurice, is a conversationalist—a seasoned storyteller and notorious risk taker. Although I'm a product of my parents, there was always this part of me that wanted to get lost in the woods. And now I know why, after meeting Joni.
HB: And she's very much a part of your life now I assume.
JB: We see each other quite regularly. She's just like a close friend of mine, it's very cool. Joni's this beam of light in the world, essentially a healer—it's what she does. Change makes people uncomfortable, not me. I'm so happy to have met her. The whole thing is just remarkable.
HB: It strikes me that you don't possess a modicum of negativity in your being. The stories of adoption I've witnessed usually carry a heavy burden of abandonment.
JB: It's what we think, the first thing our brain goes to. But where would you get that sense of abandonment from? Could it be from a lack of love? I've received love all my life—from both my family and from her, in this short period of time that we've known each other. We celebrate December 13th with my parents—the day I was brought into their lives. And they got me with such short notice that they hadn't yet even shopped for baby paraphernalia. Like zero baby essentials.
HB: So you arrived, and they drove to the baby store?
JB: Right?! They made it work.
HB: Was being adopted somewhat of a marker in your school years? Kids are ruthless.
JB: Certainly not around adoption. But if somebody ever tried to make it a problem, I'd say "Your parents had to have you, mine picked me, so what else you got?" Anyone in their right mind can have a kid in a bad situation, but if you want to adopt a child, the process is insane—DNA samples, background checks, bank checks, surprise visits… But if you're 14 and have a kid at the back of a Wendy's, nobody gives a shit.
HB: You've worked in over 50 kitchens. And I'm sure Wendy's wasn't one of them.
JB: [Chuckles] It was perhaps my parents who pushed me into cooking; my first gig was at a restaurant on Granville Island. It had rats, the food was horrible and the staff wasn't happy. It was not a sexual experience, in fact, it was very much a turn off, like "Get the fuck away from me". I was 16 and my grandma, the proud woman that she is, was like "We're coming down for dinner". I was like "Please don't". For real, just don't come. Not because I'm embarrassed my grandma's showing up, but because we have rats. And shit food.
HB: What were you doing there?
JB: Pizza. I was the forno cook and manager. But my first real experience was at Sauci's Bar & Grill—owned by the rock star couple, Bruno & Sally. He was one of the more forefathery oldtimers in Vancouver, back in the 80s and 90s. I'd applied for a bartending job, but was only 17. So Bruno's like "You have zero bartending experience, and you're underage. What are you, crazy?!". But they were desperate for a cook, and I had a little experience so Bruno gave me a go.
HB: Is it weird that I can totally picture this place?
JB: It was a relic with a cigar smoking room and all! And Bruno cooked everything, from start to finish with maybe 2 other kitchen hands. His food was phenomenal, it was so old school. There was a lot of yelling. I was scared shitless—my hands would shake before going into work. I still think the place was hugely underappreciated. Bruno loved to host and entertain—he'd have his friends in all the time.
HB: And presumably demanded "only the best" for his friends.
JB: I had no clue about the things he asked me to cook; I hadn't even been to culinary school and lacked any real cooking experience. There was this Sri Lankan cook who'd let me in on the secrets—telling me how shit operated. I wouldn't know a Mother Sauce if it'd crawled up my ass. But it really was the ultimate learning experience. I went from knowing absolutely nothing to having a pretty extensive knowledge of that world.
HB: So, in a sense, that was your schooling.
JB: My first taste of it, surely. I enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Vancouver Community College after leaving Sauci's. But I'd learned so much more at Sauci's. That place changed it for me—all of a sudden, cooking was inspiring. My parents had bought me a copy of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, which I read, and perhaps grossly misinterpreted. I decided sex, drugs and rock n' roll was the way for me. I hadn't quite figured it out at the time. But it was exciting, pure focus. Eureka! I finally gave a shit about something.
HB: It's funny because that book had the adverse effect on me. It dissuaded me from ever pursuing a career in the cooking world, like big time.
JB: It may have been meant to deter, but instead turned me onto it. I loved every moment of it—I was taking out library books on Escoffier and Marco-Pierre White, had an interest in all of these people, and methods, all of a sudden. Everybody in my life noticed it pretty quickly. I was actually interested in something and wasn't blasé about it.
HB: That's some hardcore food literature. Were you applying the methods in these books to your cooking?
JB: Not nearly as much as I wish I had. But certainly soaking it up. I entered culinary school with a tremendous ego, at 18 years of age, thinking I had a clue about cooking because I'd worked in a few "fine dining" establishments. Essentially, I cleaned fish and deboned lots of birds. In hindsight, I realize I knew very little about the important things in the industry.
HB: It always looks so glamorous from afar. Then again every industry is pretty much the same after you step into it. Lots of grunt work before you can even think about shooting for the stars.
JB: Exactly. It's never glamorous to begin with—in fact, it was really grimy. One of my first jobs was scrubbing mussels—I'd pay so much attention not to pull off the beard because that'd kill the mussel. Thousands of them, one at a time. And the next day, same shit all over again. The chef—who's not you—is creating masterpieces, which is meant to be a graceful process. But somewhere in the back there's a sleepless guy peeling carrots on a milk crate.
HB: And that, my friend, is what Kitchen Confidential will do to you! No sex, drugs and rock n' roll at the bottom of that food chain.
JB: But at the time, you're young—you have no clue! It's tough to think about how you're going to get to that end result. And I'm not there by any means—I don't call myself a Chef—but that so-called glamour comes when you've done your time in the trenches. It's a military brigade and they don't make you a General overnight. You need to get shot, lose a little blood, and a bunch of friends. Everything's on fire, the world's coming to an end, and you need to fight. You become stronger through it, and you move forwards.
HB: I'm sure you even saw some good in the bad.
JB: Absolutely. People's worst impressions of it are some of my favourites; There's something so zen about working in a dish pit—if you have cooked for years it reminds you of your roots, where you came from. To step into that loud and, at times, messy place, and to make peace of it, to make everything spotless, is in itself a little glamorous. A famous phrase once uttered to me was "Hey boy, you're sweeping too hard", which was followed by, "Friday you're working the line with me". So the glamour comes from putting in the time. Nothing in this industry gets handed to you on a plate, unless you're a paying customer.
HB: So what is it then, that keeps you going, wanting more?
JB: It's the thrill of being in a crazy busy kitchen—the board's covered, the restaurant is buzzing, there's a line-up outside… those things. Everything's constantly changing, and that thrill is just exhilarating. It's a very primal thing.
HB: And the ability to work with the finest ingredients, I'm sure.
JB: The perfection is always in the ingredient. We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and have access to all these "nice things". My approach has always been to glorify the ingredient without altering it too much. And also to make it accessible for people. I don't know a lot of people in Vancouver who'd drive, and boat, just to get an oyster. They don't want the trials and tribulations to get to that end result, they just want it handed to them. So the sexiness comes from me handing it to you. [Chuckles]
HB: Which is quite the Italian way of doing things. Perfect, untampered ingredients that are in season.
JB: I spent some time in Tuscany. It's literally just "take the food into your hands, in all its natural glory, and then put it in your mouth". What a joy it was to work in a restaurant where we mostly ate just one massive, beautiful cut of beef. Only thing on it was salt. Served with the humble tomato, pressed in salt and scored on top with tons of olive oil. Unadulterated. Heaven. It just works. Pure perfection.
HB: Dead romans in the soil make everything taste delicious.
JB: "Dead Romans" taste great from my experience! Making a Glace de viande for a "French instance", takes days. Simmer, skim, strain, reduce, put in your bouquet garnis, and do it again. The whole point is to extract, and isolate, what that cow's story tastes like. But with so many stages, it's so easy to get so lost in it. A chef of mine, once said "Johnny Blaze, what's with all the fuckin' sauce? You've drowned the steak in it. We're not selling sauce, we're selling steak… back off with the sauce". Touché, Chef Carter. He had it right.
HB: You've travelled to many places—Italy and Thailand, amongst others. Of course, at the end of the day, we all come into our own. But those experiences must've been instrumental to your outlook.
JB: The more I travelled, the more it calmed me down. I realized that maybe I didn't know all that much. The best cooks, from my experience, are the elderly women who haven't really left their place of origin—they have that generational knowledge, and rarely fuck with it. Watching a Tuscan nonna fold pasta with her frail, arthritic hands—which barely look like they could pick up a glass of wine—is like watching a fucking ninja. So strong, so efficient… so perfect.
HB: Better not fuck around with Nonna, Mr. Blaze!
JB: [Chuckles] I got yelled at once for using a knife on herbs! And when the locals spoke, you didn't need the context of words—the hand gestures and the vulgarity of the emotion would suffice. I dropped that knife so quick. But it makes so much sense—why would you use this piece of Damascus steel to chop herbs that grows on the side of a hill? You're fine just without it.
HB: It's a bit passé, but what's your take on overcomplicating things, like all that molecular stuff?
JB: All the power to it. I get the market and interest for it, what the public appreciates about it—the sex appeal. But if you can't cook a raw piece of meat that, presumably, you've butchered to perfection, what are you doing with foam?! You can't find a flat spot to build a house on, and here you are trying to build a pagoda yoga tower. Back off, take a couple steps back. Yes, sous-vide is fantastic, but it shouldn't be your point of origin. Use your finger tips, touch things, smell them, and put them in your mouth. Taste.
HB: And do you think we're doing taste properly here in Vancouver?
JB: Our multicuralism is a key agent, but the defining factor should always be our resourcefulness—"sustainability" which comes with living off the land. I'd also love to see more respect, time and credit given to indigenous food, something we don't see much of. Vancouver's acting like it's on the global stage, but it's still a young city. It's a stupid thing to have to say, but if we aren't paying cooks fairly, this city's future food scene is not going to turn out well. Fancy techniques and expensive proteins will just drag a restaurant into the ground without taking care of the team.
HB: You're the most resourceful cook I've ever met. Just the things we've had over the last two days here were mind blowingly good.
JB: Our climate in British Columbia is phenomenal. How come we don't make use of that anymore? Vancouverites may laugh, but our seasonal changes aren't that drastic. We can grow so much, but need to get out shit together to take better care of our surroundings. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of care for our ocean. It's this massive thing that provides for us, and we completely trash it.
HB: Enlighten me.
JB: Vancouver's a port city. Shipping tankers with large quantities of goods, major international traffic, maybe a little proposed addition of unprocessed petroleum. We are asking for disaster. I understand, oil's a driving commodity, but we're completely surrounded by a crazy sensitive natural balance. You need to be aware that our terroir, the land we live on, is very fragile and its elasticity is at the end of its threshold. If we keep letting huge dams or massive pipeline projects destroy agriculture and aquacultures so that we can build a bigger city; but when we actually get that bigger city, where will all of the beauty have gone? It's a Winston Churchill moment of "If we don't have art (Johnny motions with his hands at the woods around us), then what are we fighting for?"
HB: Mankind wants it all.
JB: We're creatures of excess, we fucking love it. I love that I can get my hands on a box full of Hokkaido scallops within a day of them leaving Japan. But we have so much more here, such easy access to better product. If we hadn't polluted the ocean we'd have easier access to Qualicum scallops—huge, buttery, sexy, bivalves.
HB: Thankfully the conversation on farmed salmon has gained proper traction.
JB: It's amazing to have the elders, legit Chefs, signing off on the negativity of farmed salmon. It's awesome that the restaurant industry can say "We've been fucking this up, stop." Our futures depend on it. If you have a large demographic of the most talented people in the trade standing up to say something's wrong, and that they won't partake in it, people will pay attention.
HB: That sense of solidarity is surely there when we're talking about the future of our oceans. But do you honestly feel that sense of comradery transcends environmental concerns?
JB: I do feel there's lots of comradery. The middle generation of chefs in Vancouver seem to be very accepting of new ideas. They're not gunning for the promise of money as much, which is refreshing. I don't really live in that industry bubble, or drink the kool aid of the upper echelon. But I try to be a part of our community as much as I can. Regardless, I see a positive future for Vancouver. Even if we don't all decide to be on the same team, we have the collective strength to dig ourselves out of any mess.
HB: Shake hands, and be friends.
JB: Always be open to ideas, but don't give in because the industry pushes you to do something. That's when you lose. I was young and stupid, and went through unhealthy processes. But personally, the bridges I've burnt have lit my path.
HB: The industry pushes you regardless. If not, you push yourself. It's normal for younger cooks to miss the big picture. But the problem is that they do give in, and don't realize it until much later. So it ends up feeling exploitative.
JB: Sure, if something I created becomes somebody else's marketable product, it can make you second guess yourself. But I wouldn't have been able to come up with that creation if it wasn't for the support of that restaurant and its established chef. It can either make you jaded and unhappy, or appreciative, and stronger. I'm thankful for any dish I created, and stoked for those who ate them. Those creative processes serve as the roots to a tree of branches now growing out of my career. If I bitched and moaned about something I did a while ago, well, shit, I'm doing things now that required those steps to be taken. "I should've really cashed my bitcoin in December instead of September", said some fucking Vancouverite socialite motherfucker. You did what you did, be happy with it. You made some money, and learned.
HB: Do you harbour similar feelings for those socialites on Instagram?
JB: I know people look at me and think I'm batshit crazy. And I am a little crazy. But if you're passionate, and walk people through it, perhaps they'll think "Shit, I might want to try that for myself". If you're using #bigadventure to describe going out for a slice of pizza, that's different. But if you're using that same hashtag, getting on a float plane to go to an island no one's ever been to, jumping into ice cold water and lighting shit on fire—that's social media, and more of a positive direction, for me. Sharing is caring. We're not trying to be better than somebody else, it shouldn't be a popularity contest.
HB: But it is. You know it is.
JB: Everyone loves the attention, it's great. But what if I started filming myself strolling down Robson Street, clad in Gucci, gargling wine and being like "Cheval Blanc 47" or whatever. You'd be like "Johnny, you chop wood… and never wear shoes, let alone underwear, the fuck is this?". I've met people with thousands of followers who can't even hold a normal conversation in real life. Something's wrong with this picture. It's become all about branding.
HB: That gets 5 stars from me! I wonder what an Elite Yelper, or whatever the fuck, would give you.
JB: I'd happily invite anyone to a one-star place, if I loved it. Food critics, I'm sure, have taken flack for years before social media existed for similar reasons. It's whose opinion you value. The onus falls on us for caring. If bubble tea girl gives it one star and says this gyoza is better than the other, why is it that you value their opinion? Is it because they have 40 thousand followers, so they must be right?
HB: It's "street cred", to quote the venerable Dumpling King.
JB: If internet attention is credible, Stormy Daniels has a fuck load of street cred then man! Fuck, sweet! You go girl! Bet she can't make as good a dumpling as Matt though. [Chuckles]
HB: Matt's dumplings are great. But I also know how backbreaking it can be for him, folding hundreds of these things every single day. And these are the sacrifices we make. I'm sure you can attest to that.
JB: It comes down to sanity and health. Like most, I've overworked and slipped into the darkness—it's ruined relationships, my health, my long term goals, and at times, dragged the life out of me. But a happier cook is always a better cook. If you don't have yourself, your food's not going to be on point, your peers aren't going to be happy and your homelife starts deteriorating. If a young cook says "I'm going to give you my all 7 days a week, cause I don't give a fuck about anything", chances are he's not going to "give a fuck" about the food either after 12 months. But I don't have any more darkness left in my heart. I'm loving my life.
HB: I'm curious whether you've sensed any resentment from your peers in the industry, especially now that you've signed onto more of an institutional cooking career?
JB: Initially, it was my horrendous fear, stepping into a career choice like that. But your job is going to be whatever you make of it, no matter where you are. We're responsible for feeding 65,000 people, multiple times a day, and if someone thinks that gives me less access to make change, I stand to correct them. On the contrary, I've never been able to affect more people. If I was able to go down to the docks and feed people sustainably caught dungeness crab at this scale, I would. But I can't, yet. So I have to find another way to get there. If you give a fuck about your job, and the product, and respect the process—you'll take that anywhere you go.
HB: So where's this boat headed?
JB: You can make such a difference in someone's life just by cooking a grilled cheese sandwich, if it can remind a person of the one their mother used to make after a rainy soccer game. That's the dream of all of our cooking careers—making people happy with what we serve them. None of us got into this career to be rich. As for the future, we should take pleasure in caring for the environment… for the kids. Just think about the influence we could have, collectively, as an industry. What are we going to leave to our children, to Keith Richards? Bet he'll still be around. The dream is just to create a better place.


text:
The Dogs Of East Preston Village Dog Show by Photographer Scott Ramsey
Doggy Portrait Photographs from the East Preston Village Dog Show
The East Preston annual fun novelty dog show was held on the last day of the village festival week. This year it seemed like the entire village attended with their dogs with nearly every breed represented. The show was held on the village green and had been organised by the village festival committee, who did a great job. Mike, a local vet, had his work cut out to judge the dogs across 10 different classes which ranged from The Best Pedigree Dog to the Dog With The Happiest Face! With cream teas, locally brewed ale, a barbecue and even doggy ice cream being served the event was a great success. Further info about the East Preston Festival can be found here.
Luckily for my home village of East Preston the weather looked great for the annual dog show. The sun was shining and with only a few white clouds in the sky the outlook looked good. Having said that ask any pro photographer and we will often prefer a dull and overcast day to take photos. The reason is because its much easier to control when the light is flat and even. The people (or dogs in this case) don't squint and you don't have the problem of trying to control the contrast. However, I have picked up some tricks of the trade along the way so I was confident it would be fine. Anyway it was June and the thought of a spending the day doing what I love in the summer sun sounded good to me. With weather like this, I knew it was going to be busy and a slight challenge for me, so I quickly loaded my camera gear and left the house. I first heard about the show a few weeks beforehand and since then had been planning how I would create my photos. I had a couple of options but decided in the end to create a set of doggy portraits!
I wanted to create a set of fun dog photographs of as many of the attending dogs as possible. The only proviso, No Humans Allowed. I just wanted to concentrate on the dogs and try, if I could to capture their characters in my photos. In the end I decided to keep things as simple as possible. I knew that I would not have a lot of time to take each photo so (as is often the case), I opted to travel light so that I could work quickly. Occasionally there was cloud cover so I left my sun diffuser (ideal on a sunny day) in the car deciding instead that a flash should do the trick and soften any harsh shadows if needed. And so armed with the following kit (Nikon 28 - 70mm zoom lens, a single Nikon speed light on an extension lead and a Nikon D800) I started taking my photos. In the end the light was perfect and I took most of the photographs without any flash at all. The colours were vibrant, the dogs were happy and although I soon learnt to check the grass for wet patches before kneeling down to take a photo is advisable, I had a great day and I am really pleased with the photos.
I hope you enjoy my Dog Portrait Photographs. If you like my work please subscribe to my newsletter. I am professional photographer and along with assignments for my clients, I often work on my own photography projects. I publish these story telling photo essays here on my blog and joining my e-newsletter allows you to keep up to date with my work and the stories I am working on. Till next time, Scott the photographer.


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In 2005, the Association's Board of Directors approved the creation of a leadership development program. The seventh iteration of this offering will occur in 2018. Part I will take place March 14-15 at the Charleston Marriott in South Carolina. Part II will take place at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 8-9, immediately prior to the 2018 Annual Conference which takes place October 10-12.
Individuals who are accepted for the program also will be expected to participate in both the Spring and Fall components, as well as pay the full registration fees to attend the Annual Conference.
The program will feature outstanding guest speakers who possess significant expertise and experience in various aspects of higher education administration. The period between the Spring meeting and October will be devoted to a combination of team and individual projects. Participants will have the opportunity to pursue issues of interest while also developing personal leadership skills.
·No fewer than 10 and not more than 15 participants will be selected. Normally, no more than one person will be chosen from any single member institution.
·Eligible applicants: Priority will be given to department chairpersons/directors, associate/assistant deans, and new deans (appointed within the previous 24 months at the time of applying). Others would be considered based on space availability. Self-nominations are permissible.
·The registration fee for each participant is $1,500. Expenses for lodging, travel, and meals will be the responsibility of either the individual participant or the institution.
·Applications must be submitted electronically by the close of business on Thursday, December 21, 2017 to email@example.com
The application may be accessed at https://asahp.squarespace.com/leadership-development-program/


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First, an update on NOAH, the movie...
After doing more reading about the movie and it's atheist director and and reading a few reviews of NOAH, I made the decision not to go see it. It turns out this movie is a fantasy story more along the lines of Lord of the Rings than the real story of NOAH. I decided to go see Captain America instead. You can look at the Box Office numbers on these two movies to see which one the public has chosen as the best movie to go see...
Now on to Cliven Bundy and the showdown in Nevada.
I have been following this story for a week or so and it looked as if the FEDS were going to kill that rancher and his family. They had him surrounded with two hundred agents or more, including snipers but then the MILITIA showed up and the FEDS decided to back off. This was very curious to me as I was waiting to see an ending like Waco Texas or Ruby Ridge, Idaho incidents of years past. I then read that Harry Reid, senator from Nevada and senate majority leader, had been linked to this story by a shady deal to acquire that land for a solar company his son was connected to. The very next day the feds backed off.
Here's a link to that story. Harry Reid's connection!
Honestly, I still don't understand this story completely. I think I may have the gist of it though and if what I think is correct this is a VERY IMPORTANT story that we all as Americans need to pay attention to!
First of all the BLM - Bureau of Land Management, a dept. of the Federal Government, was or is still trying to take this land from a rancher, Cliven Bundy, who free grazes his cattle there. His family has been doing this for generations but he DOES NOT own the land. From what I understand it belongs to the State of Nevada, NOT the Federal Government or Cliven Bundy. Mr. Bundy takes the stance that since it is state owned land, the FEDS have no rights or jurisdiction to be on the land or to be trying to drive his cattle off the land.
I'm not sure where all the militia who showed up to support him were from but I am glad they did show up and I am also glad it ended peacefully. Now the question is WHY did the FEDS back down?
I think the answer is simple. It is an election year, Harry Reid wants to be re-elected along with many other democrats and they are already looking at a potential landslide by the republicans. If the FEDS would have went in and killed this rancher and his sons for not complying with their terms, the backlash would have been on Obama, Holder, Reid and the democrat party. It seems they have enough scandals on their plates already and this one might be one too many! This was nothing more than a political decision to try and save their butts in the upcoming election. Had this not been an election year I think it would have escalated until someone was dead!
Here's a link to a video that will tell you more..
We need to keep and eye on this. Like I said before, it is a Very Important story. We the People are sick and tired of the government trampling on our rights and this was a small test of the resistance. We won this battle but the war is not over. In fact, it has only just begun. Let's try to peacefully make it through the coming elections and then see where we stand....
America needs Hero's, I found one this past weekend.


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America's sweethearts Ana Camp and Tyler Astin tied the know in a winery wedding that came out of a fairy. We had the honor of creating their wedding design. What a thrill it was to work with a couple who was so in love and allowed us freedom to make their design dreams come true.
Featured in California Wedding Day Magazine
2017 has started with a bang! If you got engaged over the holidays we want to congratulate you wholeheartedly. We're celebrating the new year with a feature in multiple blogs and publications, and we'd like to share this one with you. California Wedding Day Magazine printed one of our lovely weddings in their latest issue. Our couple Deva and Alexander chose Wedding Planner Kristeen LaBrot Events and myself to help with the design of their wedding. It was a beautiful labor of love that took place at the most exclusive mansion in Los Angeles called Paramour Mansion. Seeing this wedding in print, it give us great joy! PIck up a copy today and see it for yourself. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to design a wedding that reflects your style!
Featured The Knot - Calamigos RanchWedding
This wedding has become one of our favorites from last year for so many reasons. First of all because of our dearest couple Ashley and Jonathan who were so much furn to work with. Second we love working at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. Each time is a treat and this one was a bit more special because we got to transform the ceremony space. And last but not least working with planner Carol Grogan of Bright Blue Events makes our day! All of this together with the stunning imagery of Gloria Mesa Photography made this wedding a shoe in for a feature on The Knot! We're so proud that our work is showcased and happy for everyone involved. Check out the full feature and see more images here.
Fall At The Farmhouse - Triunfo Creek Vineyards
Tucked away in a beautiful valley in Agoura Hills you'll find a beautiful gem that is tailored to special events and weddings. It's Triunfo Creek Vineyards. We're happy to be on the preferred vendor list at this beautiful property. As you enter the driveway you see the charming white farmhouse that serves as the entrance to the venue. Once in the back yard, you find an expansive lawn that is a picturesque spot for a wedding ceremony. The surround hillside has grape vines that serves as a beautiful backdrop for any event. To showcase the venue, they hosted an event called Fall At The Farmhouse to show off the vintage venue and it's peferred vendors to the event industry. We were honored by being asked to be the event designer.
With the vintage farmhouse as our inspiration, we set about creating a rustic feel with a few modern touches to keep the design fresh and interesting. We used a mix of traditional blossoms and tropical flowers to create something fresh and exciting. It was so much fun to work with the creative team that made this event spectacular. Many are colleagues, but so many are also friends. The photos by Brian Leahy Photography show the beauty of the property and all of the possibilities it offers.
Venue: Triunfo Creek Vineyards | Photography: Brian Leahy Photography | Coordinator: Ilana Ashley | Catering: Contemporary Catering | Rentals: Premiere Party Rentals | Lighting: Images By Lighting | Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens | Bar & Beverage: Cocktail Concierge | Wine Sponsor: One Hope Wine | Desserts: Fantasy Frostings | Candy Buffet: Hollywood Candy Girls | Donut Bar: The Fry Girl | Coffee Station: Longshot Coffee | DJ: Vox DJs | Live Music: The Replicas Music | Calligraphy: Calligraphy Katrina | Photo Booth: Smile Lounge | Valet: So Cal Valet | PR Sponsor: Be Inspired PR
We loved how Calligraphy Katrina used the farmhouse doors to write all of the sponsors names and social media handles in calligraphy.
We used glass containers and urns, as well as a few metallic containers for the table decor and filled the with an abundance of lush flowers and greenery. We kept the colors light with blush tones, but added a touch of burgundy to give the arrangements a rich fall feel.
My team mate Malcolm and I got finished with set up in enough time to have a nice glass of red wine before the guests arrived. We were very proud of how the event turned out and we hope you enjoy the images of the event. We'd love to show you around this amazing property for your next event. Give us a call and let's meet!
Bachelor House Wedding - Modern Love
Being a floral designer in Southern California offers us many opportunities to work at unique venues. Recently such an opportunity presented itself at The Bachelorette House in Malibu. This house is famous for it's presence on the wildly popular television show The Bachelorette. Our dear friend, colleague, and wedding planner, Tessa Lyn of Tessa Lyn Events asked us to design the florals for this beautiful wedding. The house itself is modern and contemporary, with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop. With the couple's color scheme of white and ivory in mind, we created a sleek and modern ceremony design to match the property. We're happy to share some of the photos of our designs. The focus for the ceremony was clean modern lines, allowing the ocean to be the star the show. We achieved it through the use of White Calla Lilies, Ivory Roses, and White Orchids, in a pave' style, place in interesting angles in glass vessels. The arrangements themselves sat atop mirrored columns in varying heights. For a romantic feel, petals defined the aisle in a clean and compact style. We hope you enjoy the images by Viera Photographics as much as we do. It was a magical day. As far as the eye could see, was blue sky and blue water. Our white palate was a stunning contrast.
Metallic Pink & Mint Sparkle
Creativity is our life blood. We live and breath design. Every event that we do, whether a wedding, a corporate event, a social event, they all allow us to create something new and different. There are no cookie cutter events in our arsenal.
When colleagues in our industry stand up and take notice of our design work, it's so fulfilling. Remember when Sally Field won the Academy Award, and she said "you like me, you really like me"? Well that what industry recognition feels like. Allow us to share that moment with you through these stunning images from Krista Mason Photography.
Our friends at Luxe Linen asked us to design a tabletop using a linen from their new collection. They hosted a party at the spectacular Bel-Air Bay Club, presenting their new collection to the event industry. Teams were chosen to create design themes based on a specific linen. We were partnered with Nam Lam of Modern LA Weddings, who we work with often. Together we designed a luxurious atmosphere that would be fit for designers who inspire us, such as Coco Chanel and Oscar De La Renta. Only the finest would be suitable if these two icons were sitting down to dinner together.
The basis for the entire design was the linen. It's a mint green sequin linen that has characteristics of metal and fluidity. The statement screams high fashion, glamour and drama! Softness was required to tame that strength. Our centerpieces were in elongated, gold, footed vessels, to span the width of the table. We wanted them to feel lush and romantic, so we filled them with flowers in shades of blush and pink for a soft contrast against the sequin linen. We chose roses, rununculus, tea roses, dripping onto the table itself.
When Nam and I design together, we like to do "the unexpected". For instance we used several styles and colors of vessels on the table and surrounding pieces. Gold, sliver, grey, white, all come together to compliment the overall look. These items don't compete with each other, instead they compliment each other. For height and drama we filled vessels with dogwood and cherry blossom branches. To frame the tables, white columns were filled with gold sprayed willow, eucalyptus, and magnolia branches. Final touches included pearls and chains. And what about those chairs? They were silver engraved chairs, from none other than Cristofle....adding that final touch of ultimate luxury to the table.
We enjoyed seeing all of the tabletop designs, but we can't deny that magic happened that night. Our table stole the show. The design was featured in the Xaaza Blog, and we hear that a publication or two may feature it as well. When we look at the table in it's entirety, it evokes a table for French nobility in Versailles, but with a modern, fashion forward flair where Coco Chanel would feel right at home.
A special thank you to Luxe Linen for choosing us to be part of your beautiful event. It was a pleasure to be inspired by your amazing linen. Also my love to Nam Lam. We love making magic with you!
Creative Partners: Host/Linens: Luxe Linen | Concept + Design: Modern LA Weddings & Lotus and Lily Floral | Flatware & Rentals: Christofle | Photography: Krista Mason Photography | Venue: Bel-Air Bay Club
An Enchanted Garden
Earlier this summer, we had the joy of creating an enchanted garden for Ashley and Jonathan. The couple's wedding planner Carol Grogan of Bright Blue Events brought us together with this wonderful couple. We were excited from the first meeting. Although we work at Calamigos Ranch often, it was the design that we couldn't wait to sink our teeth into. The property is a lush oasis that feels like a private enclave. However the ceremony area is a complete blank space that needed to match the rest of the property. We can't thank Gloria Mesa Photography enough for capturing the beauty of the design we gave our hearts and souls to.
We constructed a wooden arbor and attached thousands of stems of fern and hanging amaranthus, to create a walkway that felt like an overgrown forest pathway. An added touch of flair came from hanging glass bulbs filled with white blossoms. For the altar backdrop, we used an antique patina cabinet and created an archway bathed in million star babies breath. Yes that's right, babies breath is making quite a comeback. We've used it several times this year. On this arch, it's quite possible we bought out the entire flower mart!
The reception decor included lace linens, glass cloches with vibrant blossoms underneath, that were reminiscent of a whimsical botanic garden. The dining tables were draped in gorgeous textured linens, and the chairs were a mix match of antique wood styles. Our centerpieces complimented the unique feeling of elegance meets sass! We used metal candelabras dripping in roses and wildflowers in colors of white, ivory, blush, and lavender. The florals felt like they were picked from lush garden.
Carol put together a great team that gave their all to this wonderful couple. If you're planning a wedding, you should consider these fine professionals:
Venue: Calamigos Ranch | Wedding Planner: Bright Blue Events | Catering: Calamigos Gerson | Lighting: Pacific Event Lighting | Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens | Rentals: Archive Rentals | S'mores: The Hollywood Candy Girls | Officiant: Elizabeth Oaks | Transportation: Jocoby Limo | Hotel: Four Seasons Westlake Village | Cake: Joanie and Leigh Cakes
Featured: The Knot Blog - Vibiana Wedding
Vibiana in Downtown Los Angeles is one of our favorite venues in Southern California. When we have the opportunity to design here, we are always thrilled. Our lovely clients Stephanie and Ken had a WINTER WONDERLAND themed wedding at this impressive location. To achieve the contemporary winter theme we used an abundance of white florals including baby's breath, hydrangeas and orchids. For a warm glow we used glass containers and tons of candles. Stephanie's bridal bouquet was a feminine cascade style that matched the history of the venue.
We were pleased to work with wedding planner Annette Hoegner of A Classic Touch Events. Everything that went into this wedding, attracted the attention of The Knot, and they have featured it on their blog. We're so happy to be featured again. Here is the LINK to the full feature. We've shared the images from Georgia Yeh Photography for your enjoyment.
We were honored to be part of this vendor team that included:
Venue: Vibiana | Planner: Annette Hoegner of A Classic Touch Events | Beauty: Erica Holly Make-up | Wedding Gown: David's Bridal | Menswear: Men's Wearhouse | Bakery Crumbelievable Cakes | Entertainment: Music Works DJs |
Terranea Resort Wedding
High on a bluff in Palos Verdes with the beautiful Pacific Ocean in the distance, sits the stunning ceremony site at Terranea Resort. Wedding planner Carol Grogan of Bright Blue Events and our couple Layla and Robert wanted a luxurious design, that would reflect a contemporary sophisticated aesthetic. The ceremony space has it's own natural beauty, so we kept the ceremony design simple and classic. In addition to adorning the existing lattice structure with and abundance of flowers, and the grooms Talit , we draped it with billowy white fabric that blew gracefully in the breeze. After all the couple are the star of the show.
In the ballroom we utilized tables in a mix of round and long. The long tables had mirrored glass tops, and we used a combination of tall and low arrangements. Some were in glass containers and others in mirrored containers. The arrangements were fresh and lush with hydrangeas, roses and orchids in white, cream and champagne. A pop of hot pink livened up the entire design.It's always a pleasure to work with Bright Blue Events and the staff at Terranea. Every time we look at these images, we're reminded of what a perfect day this was.
Vendor Love
Venue: Terranea Resort | Planner: Bright Blue Events | Photography: Lulu Photo | Videography: Susan Metcalf Videography | Linens: La Tavola Linens | Rentals: Town and Country and LM Event Productions | Entertainment and Lighting: 90210 Entertainment | Bakery: Vanilla Bake Shop
Eqyptian Design Challenge - WIPA SoCal
The Wedding Industry Professionals Association of SoCal is a group of the elite of the wedding industry. Annually they put together a luncheon and design challenge showcasing the latest trends in design for their guests to experience in a live setting. When asked to be a designer The event was titled "Somewhere In Time", and the challenge themes included Old Hollywood, Roaring 20's, and Garden of Eden to name a few. I was hoping to challenge myself to think outside of the box and do something complete unexpected. For that reason we chose Egypt. Our inspiration was the Nile River with it's lush vegetation and regional plants and flowers. It was important to bring the land of the Pharaohs and all of it's riches to life.
Another reason I loved this theme is because the Nile River was home to native plants that included The Lotus Blossom and Lilies. Hence our name and the reason why this challenge was so appropriate for us.
Thanks to the amazing sponsors who shared in my vision and worked so hard to bring my dieas to life:
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel | Rentals: Archive Rentals | Menu: Kristeen LaBrot | Linens: La Tavola Linens | Specialty Dessert: Lovesome
Loft Seven Wedding - Contemporary Design
Los Angeles has unique contemporary spaces for weddings, and event designer and planner Nam Lam of Modern LA Weddings has a talent for find them and the clients who love them. We worked together to provide Lauren and Mitch with the modern, minimal and colorful style they desired. Having the palette of loftSeven Penthouse matched our style to perfection. Our couple wanted a lighthearted approach to their wedding. It was important for them to make it urban, casual, yet beautiful.
The photography of Justin Element Photography showcased the architecture of this unique venue. We enjoyed creating with a vibrant mix of orchids and other tropical flowers that gave the entire design an interesting edge.


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Listen to this article
This FT competition is aimed at every child who is potty about Harry Potter. The prize? A once-in-a-lifetime chance to review JK Rowling's latest blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, for the FT and to question her at a news conference.
The winning child - who must be aged between 8 and 16 - and a parent or guardian will travel to Edinburgh on Friday, July 15, arriving in the grounds of Edinburgh Castle in a horse-drawn carriage. Along with around 70 other youngsters, the FT's representative will be taken to the Great Hall - a dead ringer for the one at Hogwarts - where on the stroke of midnight, as the new book is officially published, Ms Rowling will read extracts and hand each child a signed copy.
On Saturday evening the winners will gather for a banquet at the Castle while the accompanying adults are entertained elsewhere. At 11am on Sunday the children will be able to put the questions they have devised to Ms Rowling before filing their stories.
So how to unlock the magic? We have published three questions to which only the truly Hogwarts-savvy will know the answers and then a 400 word review of their favourite Harry Potter book must be submitted.
The closing date for entries is June 13 and our distinguished judges, David Cameron, Shadow secretary of state for education and skills, Martin Stephen, High Master of St Paul's School, London and Andrew Gowers, editor of the FT, will select the winner who will be notified by June 20.
To enter by post fill in the application form below and submit your 400 word review, which may be handwritten or typed. Send to Shannon Lindsay, Financial Times, 1 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HL.
To enter by email, please send all the information requested on the form, the answers to the three questions and the review to firstname.lastname@example.com. By entering, the child and his/her parent or guardian indicate their willingness to abide by the competition conditions listed below.
Question one: Who did Harry rescue from the lake?
Question two: What did Dumbledore do in 1945?
Question three: Which member of the Black family has a child at Hogwarts?
(To accompany 400 word book review)
Date of Birth:
Parent/guardian's daytime telephone number: …
Please fill in the answers to all three Harry Potter questions:
1. Children must have parental consent to enter the competition.
2. Children must be aged between 8 and 16 on July 16 2005 and resident in the UK. Children with relatives employed by the FT or its parent company Pearson are excluded.
3. Children must have a parent/guardian chaperone to look after them for the duration of the Harry Potter Children's Press Conference Weekend.
4. Bloomsbury, the publisher, and the Financial Times have organised this competition in good faith but do not accept any liability for the non-fulfilment of the prize due to events or circumstances outside their control.
5. Children must have parental consent to be filmed for a television programme about the Harry Potter Children's Press Conference Weekend.
6. Bloomsbury will pay for all the activities at Edinburgh Castle over the Harry Potter Children's Press Conference Weekend. The FT will pay for transport to Edinburgh for the winner and parent/guardian, two nights hotel accommodation in Edinburgh, and meals (apart from the banquet at Edinburgh Castle for the children and dinner for the accompanying parents/guardians on the night of July 16.)
8. The judges' decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.
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Understanding Mobile First Indexing
If you've made the move to a 'mobile-friendly' website, then you've scored yourself a huge tick in Google's eyes. However, there's more to mobile optimisation than you might think. Here's a list of technical SEO elements you need to bear in mind, specifically for mobile first indexing.
What is mobile first indexing?
Simply put, Google crawls results using a mobile user agent. It still serves its results from the same index, but the user agent looks for mobile friendly sites, instead of desktop friendly ones.
Your website can be mobile-friendly in one of two ways:
Responsive web design
If you have embraced responsive web design (RWD) and you're generally good at optimising your site, your SEO performance is probably fairly reasonable. RWD is something all webmasters should have embraced. It's Google's preferred design pattern and means that your site simply adjusts to the screen resolution of different devices.
Mobile versions
An alternative to RWD is dynamic serving. This is having a separate version of your site for mobile, with different HTML code that is displayed to users when the mobile user agent is detected. This can sometimes present some issues with SEO performance.
RWD is recommended as you only need to do one lot of optimising to your site as there is only one version, which adapts according to device.
With dynamic serving, you essentially have two versions to optimise. If you opt for having a mobile version of your site, then you will need to consider the following technical SEO elements:
Structured data
Structured data a way of marking up important information on your website, that drives rich snippets in Google's search results pages. It's considered an essential part of SEO, so not only must you do it for desktop version, you must also do it for your mobile version. You will need to ensure your structured data is similar across both versions for consistency and make sure you verify it so it's valid.
Don't neglect to put 301 redirects in place on your mobile version. If you're redirecting an old page that's got a 404 error, to an alternative page on your site with relevant content, be sure to do the exact same on your mobile version, otherwise your mobile site will not perform as well as your desktop version.
Internal linking
Your internal link structure is what indicates how relevant you are to a user search. It's a signal to Google of online relevance, which indicates your page rank (PR). You should aim to keep the page rank flowing. Page rank is an important rank factor for Google determining where you should appear in the SERPs. If PR is distributed across your site, your website performs better. Many webmasters have a tight internal link structure for their desktop site, but neglect their mobile site. Whilst it is more difficult to show links to deeper pages on a mobile site, you should aim for a manageable internal link structure that still distributes PR across your site, that's as close to your desktop version as possible.
Need help with your business's SEO? Whitefish Marketing agency in Kent work with businesses in the south east to improve their online visibility. Call us on 01303 720 288.


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At Cinemas 28th November
Mick Goss
Summerhill CEOAnant Singh's masterpiece is not only powerful theatre, it's a considerable work of scholarship. This movie will travel, and while I can't claim to be a critic of any stature at all, I must say it's up there with the most memorable I've seen. Besides Anant's genius in condensing what could easily have been a ten part mini-series into a couple of hours of riveting entertainment, the cinematography was outstanding, and of course, there was abundant sentiment for those of us who live in the Midlands, in the beautiful Drakensberg scenery. Any South African who cares about this country and searches for an explanation for our complexities, has to see it. You know us as proud South Africans, but it should be said, South Africa can be really proud of the Videovision team; nothing of this calibre has seen the light in this country before. The Summerhill team takes great pride in knowing you, Anant and Vanashree, and in being able to call you our friends.
Barry Ronge doesn't give "tens", but at 9/10, he came close enough. Our score, unbiased and untainted by precedent, is an unqualified ten!
Cheryl and I have been lucky in our lives. Not only for what we do and where we do it, but especially for the friends we have, the people we work with and the creatures we're privileged to raise. Among our good friends are the Singhs, high-flyers, movers-and-shakers and above all, movie-makers extraordinaire.
The word's out that I've been down with a bit of tick-bite fever, but for "Mandela" (the movie,) there could be no pretence about "death beds". Whatever it took, we were going to make the premiere of our pal's magnum opus, even if that meant risking the most dire consequences; at least I can say now, "I was there!"
For more information, visit :


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Artistic representations and interpretations in kiln-cast glass…
An assortment of cast glass work that doesn't necessarily fit a specific theme
glass quilts
Glass Quilts are created from fabric that has been stitched, embellished and treated to be used as an original model. The fabric quilt becomes the base for the plaster mold, and is often destroyed in the process. The resulting glass piece picks up the original hand of the fabric and details, including folds and depth… Continue reading glass quilts
meditation gardens
Based on desktop Zen rock gardens, Meditation Gardens invite you to run your eyes and fingers to get lost in the imagery…
Buddhas are created using hand-built molds and a variety of glass powders and pieces…
out of this world
Inviting the viewer to interact with the art to look for the unexpected…
equestrian delights
Horses, Horseshoes and even the elusive Unicorn


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Web Offset Shifts To Flex Pack Printing Part II
Web Offset Shifts to Flex Pack Printing, Part II
Food and beverage manufacturers are after a couple of things when it comes to the printing of their products: one, compliance with their own set of standards, and two, creating a process that is more cost effective, safe, and environmentally conscious.
In Part One of this blog we talked about the importance of printers complying with the company's own set of industry standards. "We always keep our suppliers updated about those requirements," said Dr. Stephane Papilloud of Nestle.
Part Two will focus on what changes and new technologies can be implemented to bring about the goal of a better printed product for less money.
Electron beam (EB) inks have revolutionized the flexible packaging industry. GelFlex-EB from ESI, for example, doesn't require photoinitiators, thus eliminating migration. GelFlex-EB and eBeam curing is also better for the environment as emissions are reduced by 90 percent compared to conventional solvent based inks.
CI Flexo printing operations that implement GelFlex and similar electron beam inks have less regulatory and insurance costs to deal with as well. The extensive and demanding exhaust air treatment, explosion prevention, and similar regulations won't concern your operation when you use EB inks. Lower insurance costs soon follow these process changes to your operation.