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I spent part of today selling Christmas trees and wreaths for West Bay Rotary. Thankfully, the day was a mild one for being outside lugging trees around. Also, most people are in good spirits when picking out their tree, especially with Christmas music blasting from the boom box. One customer even turned up the volume when the Grinch song came on the radio, and another grooved to the Charlie Brown Christmas theme song.
My favorite part of my stint was when I had to replace a sold tree with one from "back stock," cutting the twine wrapped around the tree to spring free the boughs, then fluffing them up to make the tree look full and pretty. Does any scent convey the essence of Maine woods like that of balsam fir needles? And a live tree is even better than one of those little pillows from a gift shop.
Fir boughs redolent
of Maine's boreal forest.
Christmas smells like this.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
December 4: Balsam
Posted by Kristen Lindquist at 5:56 PM
Labels: Christmas tree, haiku
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text: Search Results We have found 1 contractors listings matching your search query. Close Search Settings my location Location Show/Hide All satellite Roadmap terrain Hybrid 813-655-4663 American Dream Home Mortgage Inc #Select U.S. states American Dream Home Mortgage gives you the personal attention you deserve and treats you with the respect due a valued customer. We pride ourselves in helping people find the best solution for their h More Details 1 Page 1 of 1

subset: commoncrawl


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HUBER HEIGHTS — The Huber Heights Police Division is pleased to announce the promotion of Sergeant Brad Reaman. Sergeant Reaman has been with the Huber Heights Police Division since June 1997.
Prior to his promotion Sergeant Reaman held numerous specialty assignments to include technical accident investigator, crisis negotiator, field training officer just to name a few.
Sergeant Reaman originally began his law enforcement career in 1991, as a deputy sheriff with the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office.
Huber Heights Police Chief Mark Lightner (left) congratulates Sergeant Brad Reaman on his recent promotion.
Reach Darrell Wacker at (937) 684-8983 or on Twitter @HH_Courier.


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This past weekend we traveled to Houston to visit Rick's side of the family and celebrate the summer birthdays (of which Ethan is one). We all had fun and Ethan especially enjoyed playing with cousins Avery and Madi and swimming with MeMe. Check out how tired he looks in the cake pictures, we were wearing him out! Me too, as it was HOT and HUMID. This will be our last travel for a while, and my swollen ankles are thankful for that.
I'm a terrible scrapbooker and I haven't printed out any pictures since Ethan's 1st birthday, but this way we can share all the fun of our lives with Ethan and Lucy with all our family and friends.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Fun in Houston
Posted by Cris at 11:59 PM No comments:
31 weeks
Posted by Cris at 11:53 PM No comments:
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Big Boy Room
Ethan is spending his first night in his "Big Boy Room" tonight. It took a long time settling down, and I had to lay with him until he fell asleep, but it is just the first night. The room is by no means done yet, but it is painted (with the exception of the mural) and the furniture is there and the bed is made.
Posted by Cris at 11:22 PM No comments:
Monday, July 13, 2009
Happy Tap Ethan
Ethan, who never dances, and frequently tells me to quit dancing, seems to have found an interest in it with "Happy Tap Elmo" on the Sesame Street 25th Anniversary video.
Posted by Cris at 1:46 AM No comments:
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Big Helper
Ethan's been helping a little to paint his new "big boy" room. He really likes it, for a few minutes at least. We're hoping this will ease the transition to the new room and make him feel like he was involved in everything (instead of baby sister just booting him out of his own room).
Posted by Cris at 10:20 PM No comments:
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sleepy Head
I heard Ethan waking up yesterday morning and went in to get him. . .
M: "Good morning sweet boy. Are you waking up?"
E: "NO! Not yet I said!"
and he rolled over and slept another 45 minutes. :-)
M: "Good morning sweet boy. Are you waking up?"
E: "NO! Not yet I said!"
and he rolled over and slept another 45 minutes. :-)
Posted by Cris at 11:27 PM No comments:
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text: It's my theory on what good 3cp attack/defense should be. RED team has a shortcut to A until BLU caps it. BLU gets a forward spawn after capping A and B. It's useful to have engineers. I don't think you can avoid it in this game mode. Thanks Iikka Ravage phi A lot of the files for this are freely available.


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>Chocolate covered ants or grasshoppers anyone?
No thanks! I will admit to eating these 'back in the day'. Let me tell you right now – there is not enough chocolate in this huge country that I live in to induce me to eat one again. NO WAY. NO HOW.
My husband swears that if we were ever on Amazing Race (which is impossible since it's closed to Canadians … Hey Phil … we love you just as much too …) and this was considered a roadblock (chocolate covered anything disgusting) – we would lose. (SIGH) He's probably right.
But … chocoalte covered fruit? UM, HELLOO! I'm having a fondue with my children tonight and I can't wait. Bananas, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, marshmellows … anything else to add to the mix?
Remember that 'contest' I mentioned on Monday to celebrate National Chocolate Week? (A few of you have…) Nicole Zoltack sent in this delightful little piece. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
P.S. Thanks Nicole 🙂
Carrie covered her face with her hands. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. How could Brad be so heartless – so cruel?
I mean, who breaks up with a person through a text? They weren't fourteen!
Carrie reached for a tissue but the closest box was empty. She picked up the box and took it into the kitchen. She threw it into the trashcan.
Carrie brought the box to the couch. She turned on the TV and flipped around until she came across "Ten Things I Hate About You."
She could immediately recall several reasons why she now hated Brad.
She plopped a small dark piece into her mouth. Cherry juice exploded from the chocolate shell, and Carrie closed her eyes, savoring the delicious tardiness of the chocolate, the sweetness of the juice.
There was one thing she would miss about Brad.
He had great taste in chocolate!


text:
Miles: 22.1 - 37.7 (15.6 miles)
The rain was still pattering away but much lighter and thankfully the giant puddles hadn't seeped into the tent. Slacking just a bit we finally packed up the tent protected by umbrellas in a sea of fog and drizzle. More misty than full on rain we passed people huddled in tents and a scarce few out hiking.
As we climbed up the much hyped Blood Mountain the rain came down in a full on downpour. The climb wasn't bad at all, more entertaining was the constant rotation of my umbrella as I climbed switchbacks, that rain was determined to come at me sideways.
The views from blood mountain...
We chatted with another hiker at the shelter on top then down to Neels Gap. A rocky descent with the trail a bit of a creek, but not slick like I was worried it would be. Then it was a nice break at Mountain Crossings, a full on gear store that the trail physically walks through.
The trail goes right through the corridor
Shoe tree, people who quit or just change their shoes?
I try to be social but there's one guy over talking everyone and other than allowing me to say hi I'm quickly shut down. Having absolutely no desire for that type of conversation I'm happy enough avoiding his entourage. One of folks we knew on the CDT works at Neels Gap, bummer for us he's not working but it's fun to talk to the former thruhikers working there and we score a hot shower.
Instead of people I spend my time with a resident cat
Isn't he (or she?) handsome
We dry our gear a bit, cobble a little extra food together and we're back on trail a few hours later.
Leaving we find more and more views. A few spots of rain and looming clouds threaten. There aren't great camping options so we push on. Tonight we aren't as lucky as the night before, by the time we got to Testanee Gap its pouring. We scramble across the road and find a shelter hidden spot and get the tent up. Thunder and flashes of lightning lull us to sleep.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone


text:
Company Details
Dongyuan Syscooling Technology Co., Ltd.
|Min. Order:
|100 Piece/Pieces
|Delivery Time:
|7 Days
Model No.: AS-240T
Name: Water Cooling Radiator
Materal: Aluminum
Water Inlet/outlet:: G1/4 Screw Threads
Size: 272×120×22 Mm
Water Channels: 17 Pipes
Scale Density: 20 FPI
Net Weight: 305 G
Productivity: 2000 pieces/month
Brand: Syscooling
Place of Origin: Hebei, China (Mainland)
Supply Ability: 2000 pieces/month
Certificate: RoHS
HS Code: 87089100
Computer Water Cooling Heat Dissipation Radiator
Fully RoHS compliant.
Full electrostatic polyurethane painting finish for uniform coating with high temperature curing for increased finish durability.
Computer Heat Dissipation Radiator as the outlet in water-cooling system the status is extremely important. High performance heat dissipation always comes with the top tier material. Syscooling Heat Dissipation Radiators always use high purity aluminum as raw material, ensure excellent heat dissipation.
The design of 17 waterways, up to 20 FPI heat scales density, let our radiator has high thermal conductivity. So we have fully confidence about our radiator`s cooling performance.
Excellent material requires the same excellent manufacturing technique to achieve maximize performance. Syscooling Radiators are manufactured by using advanced lead-free soldering process. Fundamentally avoid the buckets effect brought by the low thermal conductivity of lead. Which means there is short board in heat dissipation.
AT-360 Radiator Main Specifications
|AT-240 Radiator
|272×120×22 mm
|Scale Density
|Water Channel Quantity
|17 pipes
|Thin, High Effciency, Durable
We know that you need a high performance heat sink radiator. At the same time we think the radiator should also be healthy and environmental friendly. Our radiator the first to pass the stringent EU RoHS certification, choose syscooling radiator is rest assured.
1. Q: What is the minimum order?
A: Our company mainly deals with wholesale deals, but if you want to buy one pcs as sample
for testing our product. we would be very glad to make the MOQ as 1 pcs for you.
2. Q: What payment methods your company accept?
A: We accept most of the payment methods, but mainly adopt T/T, Paypal.
3. Q: How long is the warranty time for your products?
A: Our officially promised warranty time is one whole year after delivery.
4. Q: Do you give any discount?
A: Discount price range depends on the QTY of your order, and if you plan to build
long-term business relationship with our company,
I`m willing to apply with my boss for a more favourable price for you.
5. Q: I would like to ask you if it`s possible to have my logo on the product?
A: We hope you know that our company perfectly support customized logo service.
But we also hope you know that it`s an extra service, so a little bit extra service fee is required.
Protect Bags then Carton
Product Categories : Computer Water Cooled Radiator > Pure Aluminum Radiator


text:
Gov. Scott: Naples-Marco Island Metro Area had fastest annual job growth rate in January
Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the Naples-Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all metro areas in the state in January 2014 with an increase of 6,600 jobs over the year. The unemployment rate in the MSA declined by 2.0 percentage points over the year, from 7.6 percent in January 2013 to 5.6 percent in January 2014.
Governor Scott said, "Today's announcement of 6,600 new jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.6 percent in the Naples metro area is great news for Florida families in the area. Let's keep working to create an environment where Florida's private sector continues to grow."
The industries gaining the most jobs in this metro area over the year in January 2014 were in leisure and hospitality with 1,600 new jobs, trade, transportation, and utilities with 1,500 new jobs, and construction with 1,300 new jobs.The Naples-Marco Island MSA had 3,845 online job openings in January 2014 and had 459 openings for STEM occupations. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and these jobs are considered high wage and high skill. Housing starts were up 20.6 percent over the year in the Naples metro area in January 2014.
In January, CareerSource Southwest Florida, along with the state's other 23 Regional Workforce Boards, reported more than 38,800 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a One-Stop Career Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 10,106 previously received Reemployment Assistance. In 2013, more than 479,064 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 135,384 former claimants finding employment.
Florida's statewide unemployment rate for January 2014 was 6.1 percent, the lowest unemployment rate in the state since June 2008. Florida's statewide unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate since August 2013, which was 6.6 percent in January. Since December 2010, Florida has gained 503,500 private sector jobs.
Every March, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases revised historical employment (jobs) and unemployment rates based on a benchmarking process to adjust the data. These benchmark revisions are mandated by BLS and take place this time every year in every state. The benchmark revisions represent an annual change in the level of employment or re-anchoring of survey estimates to actual employment counts from Reemployment Assistance tax records. This process also introduces new population inputs from the most recent Census and other revisions to economic data which leads to changes in the original estimates.
Employment data for February 2014 will be released on March 28, 2014. To view the January 2014 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.


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We went to the local pumpkin patch today...
We bought eighty pounds of pumpkin. That big guy in the back there will be put to use on a special project—more on that in a later post.
I took these photos with Blux Camera and edited them in VSCO Cam. All on the iPhone.


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Disney Tsum Tsum Baymax Crochet Coaster Pattern
Hi Everyone!
I am very excited about the pattern I am going to share with you today. I am obsessed with the Disney Tsum Tsum game that you can play on your phone because you can collect so many different characters. I was inspired to make up a coaster pattern with the faces of some of the Tsum Tsum characters from the game. The first one I made was a Baymax coaster since it really simple. I also made Donald Duck and Daisy Duck coasters, which I will share soon :)
Lets get started!
5.00 mm (H) Hook
White Yarn (Red Heart Super Saver)
Black Yarn (A small amount)
Black Felt
Tapestry Needles
MR = Magic Ring
HDC = Half-Double Crochet
FO = Finish Off
CH = Chain
SLST = Slip Stitch
For Coaster (make 2):
Round 1: Make MR and CH 2. Make 10 HDC in MR. SLST into top of the CH 2. (10)
Round 2: CH 2. Make 2 HDC into each stitch around. SLST into top of the CH 2. (20)
Round 3: CH 2. Make 2 HDC into 1st stitch then 1 HDC into the next. Repeat around. SLST into top of the CH 2. (30)
Round 4: CH 2. Make 2 HDC into 1st stitch then 1 HDC into next 2 stitches. Repeat around. SLST into top of the CH 2. (40)
Round 5: CH 2. Make 2 HDC into 1st stitch then 1 HDC into next 3 stitches. Repeat around. SLST into top of the CH 2. (50)
FO. Leave a long tail for one of the coasters. Attach face. Using the long tail weave the two coasters together.
Using the black felt, cut out circles equal to the size of these circles:
Using the black yarn cut a length of yarn equal to the length of this line (it is longer than what you see in the picture because the extra yarn was used to attach the yarn onto the back of one coaster):
The two vertical lines represent the actual length of yarn that will be on the face
Note: Make sure to attach the face before sewing the two coasters together.
That's it! If you have any questions feel free to leave me a comment :)
Thanks for visiting my blog!
**Please do not claim or sell this pattern as your own. Please be aware that Disney Characters are a Trademark of Disney.**


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I breastfeed. I did so exclusively until I returned to work, now I pump and breastfeed. I chose breastfeeding for all of the reasons we've all heard about: healthier for baby, increased immunity for baby, less chance of colic, decreased risk of certain diseases for me, it's free!, and "the pounds will just fall off". I confess that I love nursing my daughter and I get a huge kick out of the big smile she gets when she sees me whipping out a boob for her dining pleasure.
But there are things they don't tell you about breastfeeding. I'm not talking about how hard it is in the beginning (It is. You may know the mechanics but no one gave your baby a lesson in utero.) or cracked nipples (they exist too and they hurt). If you don't know those things beforehand, honestly, you didn't do your homework. Read an article here or there FFS.
I'm talking about this:
It's not really free. Oh, in theory it is, the earth mother brings the child to her breast, cradling him in her arms every single time he wants to eat, but the reality is you need some supplies.
Boppy or other support. Babies get heavy AND your not really going to be gazing into your infants eyes the whole time so it's nice to be able to do it one handed so you can computer, read, channel surf. These run $30-40.
Nipple shields, supplemental feeders whatever you made need some items to get things started, cheap but not free. $10
Breast pump, even if you stay at home surely you can't be there for every single feeding...EVER. Manual $30, Electric $250. I have both.
Bottles, my daughter is picky and we went through several types to find one she would take. To date we have spent about $60 on bottles.
Additional pumping supplies (storage bags, extra parts) - $40
To date (11 weeks) I have spent $410 to feed my daughter for free.
The more disturbing breastfeeding fact that is kept under wraps is: Not Everyone Loses Weight
Most people drop pounds while they are breastfeeding as it requires about 750 extra calories to make breastmilk and about 250 of those come from fat stores. But, hey, guess what. There are some lucky people whose metabolism holds onto extra weight during breastfeeding to ensure the baby can be fed during a famine. Guess who one of those lucky evolutionary jackpot winners is! That's right, me. Call the fucking prize patrol.
I weigh exactly the same as I did one week after giving birth. No more and absolutely no less. I've got my eating under control (sorta), I'm more active (the absence of 50 inches of snow helps there) but my weight is stubborn. It's so frustrating, I feel so fat and frumpy. I was counting on nursing to negate a few of those cupcakes. I knew it wouldn't be a cure all but I never expected this.
I will keep breastfeeding though. I like it. She loves it. Hopefully, we'll get a few less sick days because of it. I just have to wrap my brain around the fact that I probably won't be thinner by summer. Can I accept wearing a bathing suit while fat? Can I buy new clothes in this new size? Isn't it better to look good at the size that I am than to keep wearing maternity clothes waiting to lose weight. Can I say goodbye to the frump and be a BBW for at least a little while? I don't know if I can. It will physically hurt me to spend money on new, bigger clothes but I just can't stand how dumpy I look in my clothes right now. Not to mention the fact that my shoes don't fit (we'll address that in a different post) and that my wedding and engagement rings are too tight. Will accepting my weight help me feel a little more sexy, because right now I cringe when my hubs looks at me and sexy time is a rarity. I know he isn't crazy about the weight either though he would never say so.
Right now I am at a loss as to how to accept fat mommyhood.


text:
Readers' Blog
Who is the most beautiful person during the last 38 years?
When I was a student in junior high school, we had a lesson in Chinese. Teacher taught us a lesson about 'who is the most beautiful person', an article written by a famous author back in the decade of 1950. So I've thought a lot about what made our country strong during the last 38 years. Today, I will try to write down some of my ideas about who is the most beautiful person during the last 38 years.
Firstly, in the 1978, when Mr. Deng declared that China would open up and reform, this 5000 year old giant started to wake up after a long time of continuous dormancy. Mr. Deng is a key figure, a director who knows economy well due to the early age of studying from abroad and changes the circumstance of China at a crucial time, of course. But he is not today's topic.
Secondly, after years of staying in a poor state, Chinese people were more or less used to it, in my view. People who worked in the state owned companies did the same job day in and day out, so did the employees in some institutions. It was a bit difficult for them to feel the new tendency which would certainly change the appearance of China after a few years, for the works they did were so stable that their eyes were blocked to some extent. So they are not today's topic either.
What I am going to talk about today is those who work in factories that belong to labor intensive industries.
When talking about opening up and reform, what did China have at that time to compete with the tycoons in the western countries? One super advantage is the large number of low-cost labor. Anyone, in the West, who knows 'the supply and demand rule', knows that the invisible hand will stretch to the huge mainland of China, as there is a huge potential demand and an obviously low cost for productions because of the lower-priced labor.
Then a lot of companies abroad set factories in China along the land near sea. Why? Low cost is the only answer. Once the products are made, this is a nearest place to ship those products to the port of destination. Based on that, you could see that the west and north part of China are not as prosperous as the east and south China. One reason, which is very important, is that these places are far from sea. In other words more cost would be spent in transporting the products if the managers landed the factories there. However, generally speaking, it is impossible, owing to the rule of economy- no extra cost would spend on a project when there is a better choice.
That also led to one phenomenon-- a huge number of migrants who left their hometown mingled with the locals in large cities. If they had the opportunity to have equivalent jobs nearby, who would travel long distances for seeking jobs? The truth is they leave their heart at hometown and take their bodies to the place where they work. Don't you see in each spring festival these people run home for reunion? Nevertheless, they are the topic of today.
Each of them is the most beautiful person, because it is due to them that made the prosperity of today's China. They are the makers making the products which have the famous name of 'made in China'; every drop of sweat is the proof of the diligent work that they have done in the hot plants; every product is made out from their hands, needless to say; every dollar that flows into China has their contribution; every illness and injury pertinent to the work they did is their sacrifice. Who deserve better praise than them? None, I guess. However, they are the kind of people who are rarely seen on TV and in the Press. They just do their jobs silently changing the appearance of China and the world.
Today's China is in the process of industrial transforming and upgrading, but please don't forget what the significant work the workers have done. Please receive my sincere respect for all of you- the most beautiful people!
(Opinions of the writer in this blog don't represent those of China Daily.)
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text: Lyme Planning & Zoning Commission Survey At the time of the last update to the Lyme Plan of Conservation & Development in 2000, the Lyme Planning and Zoning Commission mailed survey questionnaires to all Lyme residents and property owners. Approximately 1400 questionnaires were distributed, and 420 were returned for tabulation by the response deadline. The 30 percent response was an excellent return for a mailed survey and shows the high level of interest in Lyme's future among its people. This update uses an online survey which is expected to result an even higher response rate.The results of this survey will be considered a strong indication of public attitudes and help identify those issues that concern Lyme's people. Further, comparison to previous surveys will result in an understanding of how the thinking of Lyme residents is or is not changing.The 2014 survey is divided into several parts. The first part is intended to find out the characteristics of those who responded. The second part asks about residential development and affordable housing. Next, the questionnaire asks about commercial and industrial development issues. Fourth, a section on natural resources is included. Open space and public facilities are addressed next. Finally, the survey form provides space for residents to write longer comments on a series of subjects. The responses will be tallied and be made available to the general public. Where a percentage is shown, it is based on the number of responses to that specific question. Next


text:
He said: "I was scooping the snow from above me and packing it down below the window, and then I peed on it to melt it. It was hard and now my kidneys and liver hurt. But I'm glad the beer I took on holiday turned out to be useful and I managed to get out of there."
I love how his first thought after being trapped under a ton of snow was to crack a beer.


text:
No. 3 Men's Ice Hockey at No. 1 Norwich
ECAC East Tournament Championship
Saturday, March 7—7:00pm
Kreitzberg Arena—Northfield, Vt.
Babson and Norwich will meet for the 65th time overall and 10th time in the last three seasons on Saturday night. The Cadets hold a 36-22-6 edge all-time in a series that dates back to the 1975-76 season, and have won five of the last six matchups between the two teams, including three by a single goal.
Babson and Norwich will meet in the ECAC East championship game for the third consecutive season and for the fifth time in the last six years on Saturday night with the winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Beavers are 4-8 all-time in the postseason against the Cadets, but have won back-to-back conference title games at Kreitzberg Arena.
Senior Gerrard McEleney scored the go-ahead goal at 19:50 of the second period, and then-top-ranked Norwich added four third-period goals en route to a 6-1 victory over Babson on February 13 in Babson Park. Sophomores William Pelletier and Nick Pichette scored just nine seconds apart midway through the final period for the Cadets, who got 27 saves from Ty Reichenbach. Sophomore Tim Searles scored at 7:52 of the second period to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead.
Nik Tasiopoulos '14 scored on the power play at 10:29 of the third period, and junior goaltender Jamie Murray made 38 saves to earn Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors as the second-seeded Beavers defeated top-seeded Norwich, 2-1, to win its second consecutive ECAC East championship on March 8, 2014, in Northfield, Vt. Troy Starrett '14 tied the game with his goal just 12 seconds into the third period for the Green and White after sophomore Tyler Piacentini had given the Cadets a 1-0 lead at 12:42 of the first period. Chris Czarnota, who had posted back-to-back shutouts against Babson in the regular season, finished with 14 saves for Norwich.
No. 1 USCHO.com/No. 2 D3hockey.com Norwich (23-3-1) advanced to the ECAC East championship game for the sixth consecutive season with a 2-1 win over Castleton last Saturday. Senior Bryce Currier scored the go-ahead goal at 16:10 of the second period, and Reichenbach finished with 13 saves for the Cadets, who moved to 14-0-0 on the season at home. Pelletier (14-22-36), the ECAC East Player of the Year, is tied for ninth in the country in scoring, while junior Dean Niezgoada (12-13-25) has three-game winning goals and has scored twice on the power play this season. McEleney (9-11-20) has eight goals and 17 points against league foes, senior Alec Thieda (3-17-20) is second among conference defensemen in scoring, and Piacentini (9-9-18) has contributed at least one point in four of the last five games. Reichenbach (13-1-1), who has started the last four games, has posted a 1.35 goals against average and a .934 save percentage to go along with three shutouts in 15 starts in between the pipes this season. Norwich, which boasts the country's top-ranked scoring defense allowing just 1.37 goals, is looking to win its 11th ECAC East Tournament championship.
No. 10 USCHO.com/No. 12 Babson (19-5-3) is making its ninth ECAC East championship game appearance in the last 12 years after knocking off second-seeded UMass-Boston, 5-2, last Saturday. Seniors Andrew Bonazza, Mike Driscoll and Joe DiPietro combined for two goals and two assists, while Murray made 21 of his 40 saves in the third period for the Beavers, who scored three first-period goals. Sophomore Bill Seligman (15-9-24) has recorded at least one point in five straight games, junior Mike Vollmin (4-19-23) is first among conference defensemen in scoring, and sophomore Michael Phillips (10-12-22) is tied for the team lead with five power play goals. Classmate Dan Casey (9-9-18) has two goals and three assists over the last three games, while Searles (6-10-16) has produced 14 points against league opponents. Murray (19-5-3) ranks second nationally in wins, third in save percentage (.941) and saves, fifth in goals against average (1.63), and is tied for the Division III lead with six shutouts on the year. The Green and White, which ranks second nationally in scoring defense and sixth on the power play, is looking to win its seventh ECAC East title.
The Beavers are 18-1-2 this season when allowing two goals or less.


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Wacom - Intuos Pro Medium
Designed for creativity
The innovative Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablet combines Wacom's finest pen capabilities and intuitive multi-touch gestures. It gives you the power to produce professional results with the precision and control you demand from your professional software. Designed for creative work, it delivers a natural and intuitive experience.
Your endless creative toolbox
As many as 8.192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition lets you create with the accuracy and precision of traditional brushes, pens and markers, while multi-touch gestures allows you to position and navigate your work intuitively.
Stay focused and enjoy the creative experience
Get the most from your creative software with your favorite pre-selected shortcuts. The Intuos Pro even detects the software you're using and offers optimal selections. Quickly access all your shortcuts through the customisable ExpressKeysTM and Touch Ring.
Technical Specifications
See complete technical specifications here.
|338 x 219 x 8 mm
|700 g
|Active Area
|224 x 148 mm
|Wacom Pro Pen 2 (pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free)
|Pressure Levels
|8.192 levels, tilt recognition (± 60 levels)
|5080 lpi
|8 customizable, application specific
|Touch Ring
|Yes - 4 customizable functions


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We all know it's important to keep ourselves hydrated in high temperatures, but when you're having to drink tepid or lukewarm water/soft drinks through the day it isn't pleasant, so having a versatile cool box is something worth investing in.
So with the recent hot weather I've got myself the latest CampinGaz thermoelectric cooler, the Powerbox Plus 28.
Powered by either 12V or mains power I plug it in at home a few hours before heading out then once my tackles packed in the car I put the cooler in and connect it up to the auxiliary power socket.
The cooler has three settings, 'Max' for the hottest days to keep everything super cool, or 'Eco' giving you an efficient but more environmentally friendly option, while 'Night' still chills your food and drink while reducing noise levels from the fan. Then of course, if there's no power available the Powerbox Plus can be used as a traditional cool box with a couple of freezer blocks popped inside.
With loads of insulation top and bottom (where research says 30% of cool air is lost) and reduced side insulation, gives it great performance without the cooler becoming to bulky, but with a 28ltr capacity you can still pack in loads of your favourite nibbles.
My other thought about the Powerbox is it could also double as a deadbait cool box during the winter, but I'll report back on that later in the year.
Supplied with all charging cables the Powerbox Plus 28 retails at £89.99, for more info click here.
Talking on a practical note, on my last few outings I've been using the Coleman Twist+ 300 Lantern I reviewed earlier this year, and it's great.
Whether you're sitting outside your bivvy and need some general background light, or for more localised lighting when sorting rods, bait, end rigs in the pitch black, the adjustable power settings work really well. And that's not forgetting the helpful USB socket for charging your phone or tablet.
Why not check out the original review!


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I came across this in Chalkbeat today:
Interesting article about extra funding that some high schools, both specialized and main round get. Interesting too that I'm quoted in it but didn't speak to anyone about this piece.
If you're interested in education in the city, think about subscribing to Chalkbeat. Great info emailed daily, culled from a variety of sources


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Minor to extreme reactions to pulsed electro magnetic field therapy may occur, and users or health professionals should understand them while using pulsed magnetic field therapy (PEMF) devices. Because PEMF therapy results in many activities within the body, many people get some discomfort, specially when the first start using it. As per our feedback from our users, some PEMF therapy side effects are felt by 5% of the users.
Do note that these PEMF therapy side effects are very minor and temporary. For users who are electro-sensive or hyper sensitive to electromagnetic fields, these PEMF therapy side effects have been observed to be more common. In very rare cases do the users of PEMF therapy have to stop the therapy. Most of the time, changing the frequencies or program mode of the PEMF device, helps resolve any issues. It's important that the users read product documentation carefully before using them. As such they should be able to receive post-delivery user support from professionals who understand how the particular PEMF device works and what are it's features.
EarthPulse is the only manufacturer of PEMF devices in India who provides on-going customer support to it's users to help them get acclimatized to the PEMF device. Detailed documentation in form of Read Me First, User Manuals and Additional Information PDFs is sent to the users automatically via email upon purchase.
PEMF therapy can result in altered blood circulation, enable cells and tissues to self-repair faster, stimulate nuerons, provide relaxation, alter BP, and improve the absorption of medications and nutrients, among many other reactions. So, for every user the experience might defer.
PEMF therapy side effects on Blood Circulation
For some users, increases in circulation, especially in tissues that have less blood flow, may lead to increases in blood circulation for a little while after a PEMF therapy session. This increment in circulation, although in many cases very beneficial to the body, can lead to a increase in oxidative stress for some individuals without proper anti-oxidants in their diet or as supplement. Thus it is recommended to have adequate antioxidants before beginning daily usage.
PEMF therapy side effects on Pain
When neurons are stimulated using PEMF therapy, pain may temporarily increase due to the improved traffic in the nerve or increased circulation to the nerves. However, when properly designed PEMF devices such as the EarthPulse are used correctly (the correct program and right amount of time), they don't just alleviate pain, but also heal the cause of the pain, specially if the user does not have nutritional deficiency. Seek a Nutritionalist's help if needed to ensure this. Also make sure the user is having enough green vegetables in diet. When the body is healing, it does need proper nutrition to get the energy to heal, it's obvious. PEMF can push the cells tendency to heal, but the cells also need nutrition.
PEMF therapy side effects on BP
Sometimes, PEMF therapy side effects may lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate, these PEMF therapy side effects are usually good for the body. They are bad only if, user is elderly, on medices for blood-pressure-lowering, are weak, or have nimble or easily alterable BP, have been on elongated periods of bed rest, or who have non-quick, compensatory vascular reflex. However, these PEMF therapy side effects disappear as the treatment goes forward and PEMF infact stablizes the body's functions.
PEMF therapy effects on Medications and Nutrients
Absorption of medicines and nutrients may change by the use of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy devices. Sometimes, blood sugar levels fall with varying degrees after starting pulsed electro magnetic therapy. It has been reported that Chemotherapy becomes more effective in killing cancer cells with the use of pulsed electro magnetic fields. PEMF therapy may have an impact blood clots, by diminishing blood platelet attachments. Persons using Aspirin, or other anti-coagulant drugs should be cautious with concurrent use of PEMF therapy and such medicines. Over a period of time, PEMF therapy can help remove the need to take such medication, thus saving the body from long term stress from using pharma drugs.
PEMF therapy effects on Sensations
Possible PEMF therapy side effects are: increased fatigue, agitation while trying to sleep, little weakness or loss of energy, change in tastes, dizziness, increased urination, and feel warm or cold sensations. Mostly, persons who feels these side effects are supposed to have systemic hemodynamic or autonomic instability and/or neurotoxicity, because of environmental toxicities or chronic infections. Many such users who report these side effects have chronic regional pain syndromes, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. The amount of PEMF therapy side effects felt will determine the approach to take with adjusting PEMF therapy to help the user.
Getting rid of side effects and continuing PEMF therapy
Most commonly, side effects can be managed by just continuing the therapy, since they are usually temporary. As the body adapts to PEMF therapy, the side effects usually diminish and halt, specially when the side effects are mild.
For deep-seated the physiological disturbances, higher amount of care needs to be taken with how PEMF therapy is used in the begining. The intensity, frequency of use, and duration of usage, has to be adjusted for best results. For healthy individuals, who are both physiologically and psychologically fit, Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy can be continued until the body gets used to the therapy. For persons who have severe chronic pain and/or physiological problems, PEMF therapy usage should be started with lowest level of intesity possible. EarthPulse comes with an intensity knob to change the intensity from 0 – 100%, thus ensuring users can easily start using the PEMF device without much discomfort in the beginning.
For some people, proper nutritional support and supplements are needed for several weeks prior to PEMF therapy. Correct minerals, vitamins, amino acids and antioxidant supplements may be required.
Few times, side effects have emerged after PEMF therapy has been used over a period of time. The usual resolution is to diminish the intensity of the pulsed electromagnetic field 1st, and if that does not reduce the PEMF therapy side effects, then change the usage time.


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We recently published a piece by Matthew Curtis about wild beers and the tensions that surround their naming when they're brewed outside of their traditional regions. It got us thinking about newer styles like Hazy IPA and pseudo-styles like Florida Weisse. Will these beers still be around in 50 years, or will trendier styles like them cycle in and out forever?
Zack Rothman: "I believe the New England IPA has cemented its place as a regional beer style. Not only was it recently made official by the Brewers Association, but brewers across the country are making it. Méthode Traditionelle is a designation developed by American brewers to signify that their beer was inspired by the Lambic and/or Gueuze styles. Likewise, many brewers outside of New England have used 'New England-style IPA' to note their inspiration from the New England brewers that first developed the NE IPA style. The fact that is has become so widespread and is now being brewed around the world tells me that it is here to stay."
Lana Svitankova: "I don't see any of new (or old, for that matter) beer styles getting an appellation status, not in the U.S. I don't see any desire in American brewers to grab something for themselves only, or keep something limited to any area. Besides all the new spreads too fast to control it or to pinpoint the exact location of origin (and this origin doesn't have anything in common with locality mostly)."
Erik Arvo: "Fifty years is hard to say. It's hard to say what will even be relevant in five years. New England IPA is a style that's not going to go anywhere, but the way it is currently made and marketed to consumers will definitely change. For a while there I thought we would just continue to climb up the IBU scale by one with each new Imperial IPA to be released. Imperial and Double IPA's are still around and delicious, but everyone is not trying to outdo each other by going over the top. Everyone right now seems to be just trying to make their version of NE IPA more cloudy, murky, or hazier than the previous person.
I think it will be tough to have another specific style represent any region. Instead, I think you will continue to see more sub categories such as West Coast or New England. While styles themselves, they are ultimately all part of a larger category with IPA. I think each region throughout the country will continue to push the style of IPA to create something that helps them stand out amongst others."
Bryan Arndt: "When looking at the traditions of other countries with rich histories (England, Germany, and Belgium immediately come to mind), there are some commonalities with styles that are either dependent on a region (raw materials: fruit, hops, etc) or have become a definitive style for that region through longevity/popularity. When looking at the U.S. and our specific resources and tastes, I think that styles like the West Coast IPA and American Adjunct Lager have (and have had) significant staying power and relevance. Additionally, as the 'pendulum' swings back from some current and more extreme styles (heavily fruited or hopped offerings), I think the American Pale Ale (with our country's significant hop diversity and style-defining resources) could have the potential for similar long-term relevance as a sort of little brother to the current NE IPA, despite (or maybe in benefit of) not necessarily being tied to a specific geographic location or set of pioneering breweries."
Caldwell Bishop: "I think that as people become more health conscious there's a chance that higher-ABV beers in particular will not have much appeal. I could see low-ABV and gluten-free beers as being the most common in 50 years because of this, assuming beer is even widely produced. I also wonder how sustainable it is. I don't know much about agriculture, but I suspect at some point the land used for hops and grains might be converted to other crops providing greater nutritional value for the land used. It seems unlikely that the world's population will decline significantly at any point, and also unlikely that people—especially in richer countries—will slow down their consumption. So land will become even more of a commodity, unless we colonize Mars, of course."
Maurice Deasy: "Speaking from an Irish perspective, our yields of barley would be not far removed from that of wheat, so in terms of food production, I think it's the same. Now I do think there is a point that the macro breweries that are chasing margin use adjuncts (corn starch, rice, etc.), so in 50 years, it might be commonplace if food prices increase. The pressure would be higher on hops and finding alternatives."
Nick Yoder: "The unique aspect of beer styles, as opposed to wine, is that certain styles are associated with a certain place only due to prevalence in that location. With the exception of spontaneously fermented beers, beer doesn't really have a terroir. There are certain elements that are integral to production that are tied to place (the soft water of Pilsen, for example), but they can all be used elsewhere. Water can be adjusted, hops and malt can be shipped. So really what creates a distinct regional style is a group of people in a geographic area doing the same thing over and over for a long time while no one outside that area does it.
But with how connected the world is now, the time it takes for ideas to spread keeps shrinking, and suddenly the geographic boundaries of a style become blurred. Consider how long it took for a style like West Coast IPA to become recognized and then compare that with NE IPA. We're still certainly in an era where a style can be associated with a region. Even with how quickly NE IPA has expanded, it still started as a New England specialty. It's just a matter of how long that lasts.
It's so difficult to look 50 years out and figure out what styles will be considered American, because the American style has changed so rapidly. Thirty years ago, an American IPA was malty and not that far from the English original. Ten years ago, it was C-hopped with no malt. Five years ago, it probably had fruit. Now, it's hazy and juicy. The safest bet is that whatever styles America is known for 50 years from now, they will likely be over-the-top, souped-up versions of what came before because that has always been the American style. We want the extreme. The highest ABV. The most bitter. The least bitter. We turn it up to 12 because 11 isn't high enough."
Which new beer styles do you think will still be relevant in 50 years? Let us know by joining the Fervent Few and hanging out with the best beer community on the internet.


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OROVILLE Hotels are booked and blues tickets are selling quickly for the Rally at the Border Blues Festival.
That was the message Vicki Hinze presented to the City Council last Tuesday during a regular meeting.
Hinze, who a festival organizer, said more tickets have been sold than the same time last year and motel rooms at the Camaray are already sold out for the May music event.
Hinze also sought council's permission for a street-parking closure from Appleway to Central Avenue, for two hours during the event.
In a similar fashion, Tina Janowicz with Run for the Border was present to give an update her event.
Janowicz said donations from the event will benefit the Court Appointed Special Advocates for children program this year. She, too, proposed a temporary road closure for her event, which was approved by council.
In other business, the council approved:
-Ordinances amending water and sewage rates. Water rates will increase by $1 per month and sewage by $2.
-Naming the new park at the north end of town Prince Heritage Park.
-Selected J-U-B Engineers, Inc. and Dan Haller Aspect Consulting for city engineering services.
-A park-use application for Joseph Enzensperger for the local chapter of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association on Aug. 8 and 9.
The council will meet next at 7 p.m. May 5 in City Hall, 1210 Ironwood St.


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Millennial Entrepreneur Devin Rector is Heating Things Up with Fireflower Hot Sauce
Is it hot in here or is it just us? We're heating things up with a SPICY interview from another up-and-coming millennial entrepreneur. Why all the puns you ask? Well, Devin Rector is the founder of Fireflower, an organic, locally-sourced hot sauce company.
His story is one that truly shows how finding your unique passion and owning it can lead to success. Inspired by the delicious Mexican food in his home state of California, he wanted to make something that was healthy and packed a punch.
Millennial Entrepreneur Feature: Devin Rector, Founder of Fireflower Hot Sauce
From Industrial Design to hotshot entrepreneur – read more about his story and entrepreneurial process in this latest interview!
TrueToast: Hi, Devin! Thank you for taking the time to interview with TrueToast Magazine. Can you tell our readers a bit about your background?
Devin: I grew up on a dairy farm in the middle of California, and moved to Seattle when I was 18. I went to the art institute of Seattle and graduated with a bachelor of science, Industrial Design when I was 20. I started exploring the Seattle food culture as soon as I moved here. I also began cooking a lot at home when I was in college, since I couldn't really afford to eat out very often. About a year after I moved to Seattle, I decided it was time to get healthy. So, I limited my diet to only healthy foods and cooking at home made it so much easier. I would often cook spicy food, since that what I was used to back in central California. I found that hot sauce would help make everything taste better, especially if it was pretty bland to begin with.
What inspired you to start Fireflower? Why hot sauce?
Devin: Well, it's sort of a culmination of a lot of different things. I love spicy food, so naturally I eat a lot of hot sauce. And I decided to grow some hot peppers and various veggies on my balcony a couple years ago and I used those to make my first batch of hot sauce. Ghost peppers, beets, onions, garlic, and basil. This recipe eventually morphed (I got rid of the basil and added a few things) into the recipe for "Local Haunt", FireFlower's Ghost Pepper and Beet sauce. I had no intention of selling it, until my friends convinced me to. I still was very apprehensive, until I made sauce at a friend's restaurant and allowed customers to sample it on their food. Everyone loved it and hardly anyone touched the other hot sauces they had in their sauce bucket. So, using my design background, I created a brand and began the legal process. Business license, LLC, and then to figure out all of the regulatory procedures with packaged foods. As it turns out, it's way more work than I expected haha.
How did you decide on the name 'Fireflower'?
Devin: I was hanging out with a friend in Minneapolis – Saint Paul area for new years 2017 and we went to one of my favorite breweries in the area, Indeed brewing company. I had been working at Taphandles in Seattle as a Senior Production Designer and had recently worked on their tap handle, so i was really excited to go there. I just love their logo, it's simple and beautiful. Radially-symmetrical line work. I thought, I want to do something that uses line work, but isn't so geometrical. Something more whimsical, more playful. Something in the shape of a flower, maybe. Then it hit me. FireFlower. We were kind of on a beer safari that weekend, and our next stop was Toppling Goliath in Iowa. So while she drove, I sketched. I still have that really poorly drawn sketch of what would become the FireFlower Habanero Pepper Sauce (now known as "Hotsy-Totsy") logo.
What makes Fireflower so unique?
Devin: From the beginning, FireFlower has been about quality first. I made it at home for myself using fresh, whole ingredients and wanted it to be more than just a hot sauce. It's meant to be enjoyed on any type of food and in any situation. Dipping sauce, dressing, marinade, condiment, you name it. The veggies that go into it are grown locally and I buy directly from farmers that I know personally. The quality of the produce really comes through, and the care that was used in making the sauce – from recipe development, to the farming, to the bottling – is what makes all the difference.
What was the first obstacle that you faced in bringing your product to market?
Devin: The FDA and USDA regulate packaged food very strictly, and the laws can be hard to understand. I also didn't know who to ask about the questions I had, so i went online and began searching. Eventually I figured out that I needed to either build a processing facility and get it licensed by the WSDA (the enforcer of the USDA guidelines for Washington state) or i needed to find a co-packer (someone who already has a licensed facility) and pay them to use their facility. Since I didn't have the money to build my own facility, I decided to start looking and eventually found a co-packer. I did a test batch at that facility, then a couple days before the first production batch; they called me and told me they were shutting down, and going out of business. Days before my first big batch. I was obviously very frustrated and started looking again. Eventually, I got setup with a new facility and began producing FireFlower there. Finally, I had enough product to start selling at farmers markets. Meanwhile, I was still working at Taphandles full time and was having to use vacation time to do production batches since the co-packer wasn't open on weekends. So I'd say the regulation and lack of readily-available information was the first big obstacle.
What kind of feedback have you gotten about your products so far?
Devin: Everything from "wow, this is the best hot sauce ever!" to "I don't like vinegar-based hot sauces". The latter is my favorite – I like crisicism. I want to know what I could do to improve my products and also to use for future products. While I think some people will give a negative review no matter what, I'll use that information to grow and expand the product line if I feel like it has merit. As a whole, feedback has been incredibly positive and a vast majority of people that like spicy food (and even some that don't) swear by FireFlower and add it to their daily lineup.
How has your background in industrial design shaped your branding strategy?
Devin: Realistically, thinking like a designer is how I got to where I am today – even before I knew that was the way I was thinking. Just being mindful of my surroundings, and creating experiences for others (and myself) to enjoy.
What skills did you have to learn or brush up on in order to market and grow your business?
Devin: All of them haha. I just kind of jumped in and did it. I'm learning every day and the more I learn the more I realize how little I actually know. So I keep learning. My interpersonal skills have certainly been crucial in the growth of FireFlower, from conversing with potential end customers at farmer's markets to searching for retail/ food business clients. This gets brought up often for good reason; networking is absolutely the key to everything. Meeting customers, bankers, accountants, food processors, business mentors, etc. I have no background in bookkeeping, so i had to research and figure that out. I thankfully found a good co-packer and a food product specialist to help make sure that my products are all in compliance with all regulations. It has been a crazy year and a half getting to this point, and I still have a long way to go.
What are you looking forward to most in 2018?
Devin: Getting back out there and meeting more people at farmers markets. Food festivals and hot sauce Expos as well. I'm also really excited to release a few new products this summer, and I think people are really going to like the updates coming through the pipeline. I don't want to give away any spoilers 😉
What are 3 lessons that you learned through entrepreneurship that may help others in starting their own businesses?
First off: Be prepared to fail. A lot. Over and over again. Learn from the imminent failure you will experience and better yourself with it.
Second: Time management. I had a consistent job, getting paid the same amount of money every month, working roughly the same amount of hours. I now have no set schedule, and have to be diligent with my time and be sure I'm using it wisely or I don't make money to pay the bills.
Third: Be kind. This is not something that is new to me because of entrepreneurship, but it is something that is incredibly important. I am fortunate enough to have been taught by my family to be kind and treat others well and that's how I operate my life. When people try to lift themselves up by putting others down, it creates a culture that is so out-for-themselves that everyone loses. When we all realize that we're in this together and that we need each other to be successful, that's when everyone wins.
To find out even more about Fireflower Hot Sauce and order some of their delicious products, check them out online at www.fireflowersauce.com or on Facebook and Instagram @fireflowersauce.


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Project Dry Hire is an innovative equipment hire business specialising in Cranes and Material Movement Equipment. They pride themselves on delivering solutions to client requirements that are either nonstandard or unusual.
Date founded: 2009
Year of investment: 2013
Block8 creates joint ventures with domain-leading companies and experts to incubate innovative applications that transform business models and disrupt industries using the unique qualities of blockchain open ledger technology.
Date founded: 2016
Year of investment: 2017
ABA Technology for the purpose of importing, distributing and operating Bitcoin ATMs, merchant facilities and digital wallets that support the real world use and adoption of Bitcoin as a currency.
ABA believes Bitcoin ATMs will massively boost the appeal and presence of Bitcoin in Australia.
Date founded: 2014
Year of investment: 2015
Date founded: 2015
FaceMe is an omni-channel digital employee platform: Designed to be the most natural, scalable and fastest learning AI powered customer interface in the world. The embodiment of Artificial Intelligence with a range of defined skillsets, ready to learn and evolve to your business needs.
Date founded: 2009
Year of investment: 2016
PlanDo is the first SaaS platform empowering individuals and organisations to frame new conversations, set goals, build skills, track and share progress, together – role to role, organisation to organisation. PlanDo is a digital career passport.
Date founded: 2012
Year of investment: 2012
Tradify is the tool of choice for over 8000 tradies to track jobs from quote to invoice and everything in between.
Tradify streamlines the backoffice by digitising traditionally paper intensive manual processes, replacing them with a mobile application and awesome customer expereince.
Date founded: 2013
The BVC CryptoFund was launched in response to the revolution in croudfunding decenralised community blockchain projects via Token Sales / Initial Coin Offerings (ICO). Our fund invest in utlitity tokens (crypto currencies) of open source projects we support.
We contribte to token presales on projects where teams and technology have already begun development.
Date founded: 2017
Manidis Roberts was a leading Australian consulting firm that advised governments and industry on the challenges of urban growth. They were a highly profitable business with over 100 highly motivated and talented professionals in the three eastern capitals. The company reached number eight on the BRW national BestPlaces to Work list and influenced every major infrastructure project affecting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Date founded: 1988
Year of investment: 2002
Exit: 2012
Inspire IT was founded to provide IT consulting and outsourcing services to mid-market corporate customers. They provided a range of infrastructure and managed services from the desktop to datacentre.
Their core capabilities were in Microsoft, Citrix, VMWare and Cisco infrastructure technologies. The businesswas a highly profitable annuity business with 75% of revenue from monthly recurring fees with a 20+% CAGR over 11 years.
Date founded: 2001
Year of investment: 2001
Exit: 2013
Nationwide Transport Solutions was a specialised transport company in the Australian logistics landscape. Through hard work, a good team and attention to detail they became a highly profitable and well respected operator according to both customers and competitors. It was through this reputation along with a solid basis of safety and systems that this relatively small company found itself on the radar of the largest logistics company in Australia – TollGroup.
Date founded: 2005
Year of investment: 2005
Exit: 2013
© Beachhead Venture Capital 2016


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Join us for this unique event! Jennifer with Cultivate Taste will be taking us on a journey to Japan to educate us on Japanese teas. We will learn about Japanese tea culture and will include six Japanese teas along with featured food pairings.
Ticket price for this event is $35. To purchase your tickets, go to the registration Link:
Jennifer's love of tea started as a young girl drinking tea with her grandmother. As a young adult, she discovered a love for loose leaf teas and continued to develop her palate. Jennifer attended the Specialty Tea Institute in New York and immersed herself in the world of tea. She is the only Certified Tea Specialist in Wisconsin and has traveled the world educating and immersing herself in tea cultures around the world.
Hope to see you at the bar(n) for this fun, unique event!


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bird feeders .pdf
Original filename: bird feeders.pdf
Title: Bird Feeder and its maintenance
Author: xp
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What is the need of a Bird Feeder, and how to maintain
your bird feeders ?
Bird Birds... Birds are the most beautiful creature God ever created on Earth. Their sweetness is
very unknowingly shown when they fly all over the world regardless of knowing that where they
are going, and where they will reach. This is the only, especially birds, have in them, they don't
know their exact destination, they even don't know where they will reach after flying but still they
fly with the hope of finding a food somewhere or the other. Most of us like birds flying in the sky,
but some of us really have a desire that beautiful birds should fly near our home, or at a window,
or in our backyard. But they rarely come there because they don't find their food in or near our
home. But as everyone knows "where there is a there is a way". So to see more and more birds
near our home and to attract them we as a lover of birds can surely provide them with the basic
necessities of life like food, water and of course a shelter for them.
A Bird Feeder is basically something that attracts a lot of birds to your own yard. It is an excellent
way to catch the attention of birds to your window and near your home. It is mostly set up during
winter. It is also good for the children to see the birds and the nature in a very close view and due
to this; they can really understand the importance of birds. Also, they will start caring for them and
will provide them with a valuable food source, especially when harsh weather causes the bird to
get injured and some of them even might become dead.
My Bird shop is one of the leading suppliers of quality Bird Feeders. Bird Feeders are stuff like
that which human demand, they come in many shapes and sizes but to simply start off with you
should provide birds with a platform or window shelf or may be a tube feeder will be helpful to
attract them. During winter season especially, you can place the Bird feeder or lumps of suet in a
wired container outside. It will surely attract the birds and will let them love the place a lot.
The bird feeder is good as it attracts the birds but along with this you as a bird Lover must keep
in mind the thought that you should have a good location that gives pleasure to the birds. You
should find a suitable place for your bird feeder that is not only near your windows but also you
can enjoy seeing different kinds of beautiful birds so close to the shelter such as trees and
bushes. Now, here comes the important fact, it is very-very important for you to regularly clean
and maintain your Bird feeder. Always use warm and soapy water and a scrubbing brush to clean
your feeder and also keep them away from the reach of children. And after cleaning the feeder
thoroughly, you must also take care of your safety and must wash your hands properly. Bird
Feeders are home for the beautiful birds flying all around, so you as a bird lover should always
keep the feeder for them so that you can always have an eye on them and you should maintain
the feeder from time to time.
At last, My Bird Shop is a place or website that offers you Bird feeders at a very affordable price.
To know more about our Client, Visit our website- https://www.mybirdshop.com/.
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Related keywords
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text:
There was no coffee this morning because John's daughter had what they thought was an appendicitis attack last night and they were at the emergency room until 2:30 this morning. It turned out to be some sort of cyst that was causing her the pain, so further (expensive) will be required.
I had coffee and breakfast in the trailer with Stella this morning. The refrigerator is working, and holding about 36-37 degrees, so soon we will have to go to the grocery store to replenish the fridge. It feels good, but it will likely be expensive...
I drove down to Texas City this afternoon to pick up Tyler and Cameron. I had been told not to be there before about 3 o'clock because the daycare group was going to Moody Gardens in Galveston and the boys wanted to go with them. It will likely be their last trip with this group. Cam called his MeMaw to tell her that they were back at the karate school earlier than they had expected, so I went on down to get them. First I had to load up some of the big items that we have accumulated here, the little lifesaver refrigerator, the two big adirondack chairs and several boxes of papers that Stella worked on for the doctors. All of that went into our storage area before I got the boys. Cam was looking out the door for me when I drove up, so I guess he is getting anxious to go. We went by their house to get their clothes and other stuff, but their Mom was working from home today and of course, wanted to be there when the boys left. The boys had folded up their clothes and put them into garbage bags to be taken to the trailer so that we wouldn't have to store suitcases or even duffle bags. We had gotten two small three-drawer cabinets for them to put their clothes in, so there wouldn't be so much clutter in the living room and it worked out just fine. Everything they had brought fit in perfectly, so now it is much neater.
The boys and I dropped off their bags of clothes at the trailer before we went to pick up Stella from work. We stopped off at James Coney Island for our supper tonight. They had sent out an email on a special 87th anniversary sale on coneys for 87 cents, so we all had cheap coney islands for supper. I took them to Chik-Filet for their dessert of a milkshake, so they were full when we got home. They didn't waste any time getting back into the swing of thing here, and changed into their bathing suits and went swimming almost as soon as they got back here.
It was good to have them back and we are going to have a great time on vacation.
So long.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
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Let's talk about Between the Buried and Me's "Coma Ecliptic": Part Two
This will continue directly on from part one of this piece.
Track 7 – "The Ectopic Stroll"
Oh my god, though. This is my shit. This main idea is just so fun and dissonant I can't help but love it, and the vocals are fantastic too! This is so far past simple cheesiness that it transcends the issues of "Turn on the Darkness" and becomes just pure revelry like many BTBAM songs can become when the intention is clear. It's a little similar to the intro of "Fossil Genera" but not enough to cause worry. I really dig the foreshadowing of the pseudochorus at 0:44 with the little countermotif at 0:22, and I also dig that pseudochorus a lot. For one, the tempo change into it is an actual metric modulation (the 8th note tempo is equal to 8th note triplets in the previous tempo), which is an often-underutilized technique that (for me) makes for immensely more justified-sounding tempo changes than sudden, noticeable changes that aren't metrically based. The higher guitar line is an interesting little permutation, and I also like the lyrics; they seem to imply a sudden realization or moment of control (supported by the music) that is quickly taken over by some madness, hence "can't get it right". Also, check out the background vocals from 1:00 on. This whole part is just an exceptional opening salvo for a BTBAM song, and I feel that they manipulated the main idea just enough (especially by adding that gorgeous guitar solo at 0:51) for the transition at 1:07 to not feel premature.
The following section is heavily reminiscent of "Bloom" from Parallax II but I'm not complaining. It works. I appreciate that they don't let the song's essence get too loose by reusing the tonality of the main idea again at 1:37, and then following the established logic by going to the tonality of the B idea again at 1:42. This caps off the first segment of the song and brings in the actual chorus at 2:09. This idea is fine and a typically dramatic BTBAM chorus, but I feel like it's just a little too buttoned-up for the sentimentality they're trying to play for here.
We then return to the A idea at 2:59 after an interesting transition. This puts a little development on it that's essentially just BTBAM revving up to take us into an instrumental section straight out of Dream Theater, but I really love it here. To be fair, I tend to like Dream Theater instrumental sections, but the thing they always stumble on is complete ineptitude at mixing their "instrumental sections" and their "songs". I mean, listen to "Outcry" for the most extreme example of this I've found yet. As I keep saying, though, BTBAM cultivate a much more laissez-faire attitude with their music and especially in this song we've heard a lot of weird, non sequitur ideas already; additionally it's actually within the scope of the song to include a weird development section like this ("Ectopic" means "abnormally placed"). This part actually reminds me a lot of the band SERDCE in that it seems like a much more well-conceived Dream Theater (though SERDCE can certainly also be guilty of sudden mood swings between self-serious "emotional" parts and absurd, slightly "wacky" instrumental stuff).
Back to "The Ectopic Stroll", the parts for this section sound related enough to the rest of the song to fit and not feel tacked on. A good example is the simple 1E+ rhythm at both 0:50 and 3:44. The timbre of everything is pretty similar to the rest of the song too. Also – more fuzz bass at 3:51!! I love the way they play with the 5/8 idea at 4:24 as well, distorting it rhythmically until we break back into "the song" at 4:34 which some of the instrumental ideas bleed into. We then get the capper for the "can't get it right" at 4:49, the crux of the whole song, and I think this moment is one of the only so far on the album that really affects me. It's just great.
Then we get some blues soloing, which is fine – it's certainly alright to include right after the intensity of the previous section. We recap the chorus again and close out the song with a hilarious, but I think massively earned, use of a humongous perfect authentic cadence that resolves with a tiny single piano note. It fits. I love this song.
Track 8 – "Rapid Calm"
Now, in contrast to the jaunty, purposeful previous song, we immediately move into what I'd lightly characterize as a lethargic, aimless mess. I'll start out by being harder on the main motif of the song than I was back in "Node": 0:47 is just a bad idea. There's no subtlety to it, there's no interesting harmonic motion inherent in it (all that is added on by the other parts here), there's certainly no groove to it, and the only interesting thing about it is that "It's in 25/8 time split into 3-3-4-3-2-4-3-3!" It could have been palindromic but the middle of it isn't even close. It's just so booooring and BTBAM use it exactly as it is literally twenty times in this song. What?! At least in "Node" this idea only played 4 times and had minor alterations to the end of it, as well as being stated in a way that sounded much less like it was trying to be capital-c Cool as it does here. I do think the guitars and vocals surrounding it elevate it, and I also appreciate the quarter note cycle Blake puts the whole thing through from 1:06 to 1:24, but I just really am not a fan of the focus of the section.
Normally I'd feel good about this song having less material in it (much less than "The Coma Machine" certainly), as well as referencing/reusing a lot of stuff from "Node", but it's so long and there's so little development I feel like this hits another bad end of the material/development graph. Too many ideas and little attention paid to each one results in something like "The Coma Machine" where there's just a lot of jumbling around. "Rapid Calm" has a good, lean amount of ideas, I think, but also pays little attention to them so that instead of sounding cohesive, it can sound monotonous and shallow.
I really like the B section from 1:48 to 3:53 though! This takes some of the same ideas from 8:34 of "Silent Flight Parliament", namely the obviously similar vocals and the hazy sunset slide guitar ("hazy sunset" is just absolutely what that evokes) and builds up a similarly affecting little piece. The little swells at 2:51 are very nice, as well as the guitar arpeggations at 3:30. I think the little 6-note runs at 2:55 are a reference to the intro of "Famine Wolf" as well; they certainly have a similar contour. Regardless, this is a very good section and lends some credibility to this song while showing how to do slower-tempo stuff interestingly, which I point out because the C section of this song does slower-tempo stuff reaaaaally poorly.
So we'll skip over the representation of the main section again and go straight to the C section at 4:39. First of all, the drum fill into this section is… well, it doesn't flow into the part very well. It's kind of high-energy and also establishes a sextuplet feel, neither of which are at all present in the following part – that following part is another idea from "Node" but I think this section really lacks personality and any kind of hook. The drums aren't very interesting (Blake plays almost the exact same part at 8:22 of "Melting City" with different cymbal selections), the vocals and lyrics are pretty stock, the actual idea from "Node" is very simple anyways, and it sound a lot like a part to play live where the crowd sings along and whatever. This part just plods along which is something BTBAM especially shouldn't be doing in a story-driven, nearly 70-minute album.
That section does end with a nice nod to "The Coma Machine" (compare 1:19 of that song and 5:39 of this one) which leads into a perfectly fine, X-Files theme-sounding calm section. Now, given the lyrics of the previous and next sections of the song, 6:25 is obviously intended to be a character moment where the protagonist tries to break out of their coma journey or whatever, but then is tempted back to it by greed & curiosity. As that, I think the heel-turn of the song works pretty well, and BTBAM have always been good at using these kinds of decadent head-banging rawk sections in their songs. This one does work. That's about all I have to say about it – of course there's cowbell in there, and the guitar solo is nice. The little cap sounds like it's referencing 4:32 of this same song, which is fine and good. Overall I find this just a quite disappointingly slapdash piece, despite it containing Important Story Material.
Track 9 – "Memory Palace"
Now, this was the first single from the album, and a pretty good choice at that. It's pretty emblematic of the album, though it is one of the most idea-saturated songs and, like "The Coma Machine", can get pretty disjointed. It begins with a very Mars Volta-sounding riff that is indeed in 11/8 to not sound cliche, as if it were in straight time it would be really noticeable how cliche it is. I do enjoy it, though, and the organ and higher guitar line added to it elevate it a little. This whole opening section is pretty stock for BTBAM, but it's functional and builds well to 1:38 where the same thing I complained about in "The Coma Machine" happens. We're on board with the groove, the blast beat part has started us in an interesting direction, and then they just take the intensity down and we get an unintentional-feeling anticlimax that considerably drops my interest.
1:38 – 1:43 reminds me of "Holomovement" (1:41) by The Contortionist a lot in that it sounds really bad and awkward (haha, but seriously). Both those moments are just so cringeworthy. They both take the musical trajectory before them and veer from it with some unimportant guitar line, stop, and then just go back to the original vector. They're both too short and seem aggressively unrelated to the rest of the song, like they were added just to have a Transition Part. But what makes both of those parts sound truly thoughtless to me is the use of absolute/computer generated silence at the end of the transition: why?? It sounds unnatural, it sounds awkward, and it only serves to separate the "before part" from the "after part" in the listener's mind even though those parts already sounded pretty similar; plus it's really lame and it makes me think they listened to a "natural" silence version (with the tracking musicians muting their instruments as best they could), heard how awkward it sounded, and said "Maybe it's the sound of the instruments being instruments that's making this part sound bad" and muted those sounds for wont of a quick fix. The absolute silence in "The Coma Machine" at 5:24 works because it's somewhat plausible that the song could end there, but the two uses I'm discussing here happen early on in the song and even happen after material that couldn't possibly be the end to any song and thus don't even have a fakeout justification behind them. They just don't work.
Anyways, the next section is quite nice. This is another classic ABAB thing, but both ideas are good, rhythmically related, and show up in "Option Oblivion", so that's nice! They then return to the little 3-note repeating line that they keep doing around the main idea, and then return to the main idea with added cowbell and background vocals. Lovely effect with the vocals at 3:09. Then we have another little transition section – this one reduces the complexity and intensity quite a bit even though we haven't quite peaked in the previous section, but there's still time to fix that downward trajectory until we hit 3:34 and all the energy just drops out of the song. Now, in a holistic view of the album, this chorus part here isn't awfully placed. Its cheesiness, like the Dream Theater part I talked about in "The Coma Machine" feels more okay when it's earned by everything that's happened in the album so far (I'm not going to even talk about what I thought about this section when I heard it in single form). However, this chorus is just too lame to really work in my opinion. Nothing's funny about it (except its corniness) and yet it's just so cliche and Pink Floyd-y that I can't take it seriously. Compounding this is the fact that the lyrics and vocal lines are (again, to me) just trash. The first phrase in particular, "focus on melody", is ironic because it sounds like something I've heard thousands of times. This entire section just seems thoughtlessly sparse for the emotional climax of the album. Also, the organ sound is really obnoxious and loud. Waaah! I don't like it!
We get a little back on track after that chorus with an interesting little riff and great vocals. I like these particular vocals because they're overenunciated just enough to get out of ambiguous territory and be a little tongue-in-cheek, especially with how Tommy pronounces "smoke". Importantly, though, the vocals aren't outright hilarious or anything, which would necessitate the music be comically contrasted as well – it's just a small joke in the vocals. By comparison, the vocals of the chorus I hate in "Turn On The Darkness" are just so overexaggerated that the other instruments (drums especially) just sound uninformed. We continue in "Memory Palace" with a functional, good example of overexaggerated lyrics: 5:03 is obviously comedic and manic in nature and the drums, the guitars, everything supports that madcap atmosphere and helps build a mini-climax before the build to the actual climax of the song.
BTBAM immediately drop down the intensity, since they just "burst the bubble", and play an interesting little progression. The two parts it seems to meld (I don't think it shows up intact anywhere else) are the 1-5-m3-5 outline from 3:13 of "The Coma Machine" and the switching between major and minor modes in the same phrase from 2:21 of "Rapid Calm". It's a cool idea, and the mood is right. We do a little transitory material at 5:43 and – holy shit, what was that?! This is like a mini-epiphany for me. What a cool as hell sound that is!! I'd love to bring in a quote from a Song Exploder episode here, but I can't find it, so I'll paraphrase. We, as humans, probably will not see an appreciably new color for the rest of our lives. We don't experience shocking new tastes that often, nor do most smells, textures, or shapes surprise us. But we hear new sounds all the time. Anyways, this continues into another really cool, interesting part that reminds me of 5:09 from "Specular Reflection" (though as is par for this album, I think that was better executed on Parallax I). This immediately goes into a big dramatic part at 6:15 that doesn't feel especially earned, and the vocal proclamations aren't especially new or exciting. Another little quirk of this section is Blake's fill starting at 6:23. He takes 8 seconds to do a big exciting drum fill and literally plays one lick 8 times in a row across different drums. This is a true Portnoy Part, but I think even Portnoy would have had taste enough to take this one again.
That big Important Drama Section then leads into a reprisal of the main idea of this song in straight 12/8 time. I like this a bit, especially since most of the "main ideas" on Coma Ecliptic tend to just get repeated a bunch without changing context at all. This is a nice change of context that develops the main idea a little. We then go into a fast exciting part to prepare for the last chorus, and oh god, is it as bad as it was four and a half minutes ago. The guitar solo is a rare misstep as well from Paul (guitarist); it's just blindingly simple and not even in an interesting way like the solo in "I Am Colossus" (2:58). This leads into an interesting, extremely classical guitar-sounding section that then cycles through the chorus again and lazily transitions back into the main idea for another four thoughtless repetitions of it, which then goes into....
Track 10 – "Option Oblivion"
...where I think some nice elements come in. First of all, this intro has an interesting blend of acoustic and electric guitars. Second, it's very clearly a reprisal of the part at 1:43 of "Memory Palace". That's pretty interesting, and stands out on this album since we don't have a lot of cross-song ideas – though, to be fair, BTBAM don't do that a lot on any other albums, either; only between paired songs like "Mirrors" & "Obfuscation" and "Astral Body" & "Lay Your Ghosts to Rest". The only big example I can think of offhand is the progression at 7:53 of "Sun of Nothing" and 13:30 of "White Walls" (postscript: also wow, forgot the even more obvious 3:52 of "Astral Body" and 5:13 of "Silent Flight Parliament"), but I really wish they did it more often in the songs that aren't Very Important Songs (i.e. not the bookends of the album).
So that first section transitions into the chorus at 1:08, which is fine, but the transition is again very awkward for very similar reasons to the ones I outlined for "Memory Palace". Additionally, the drums are really chopsy and busy for the first exposition of this chorus; it would have been okay if this were the second time we were hearing this chorus but it seems like an unintentional overload of the audience's processing. That goes into a Typical Paul Waggoner-Led End Of Album Dramatic Guitar Solo Jerkoff Time, but I don't really mind that and it's nice that they keep trimming down the length of the TPWLEADGSJTs since the 3-minute one in Colors. I really like the solos here as well, they're fluff to be sure but they're well-executed and functional fluff.
The next part is a little sudden, and seems like another idea that would make a lot more of an emotional impact if we had ever heard the damn thing before. It's a nice enough vocal/lyrical combination, though, and very dramatic feeling for the penultimate track on the album. Then we get a reprisal of 8:24 from "Memory Palace" plus vocals at 3:58, which is a nice way to cap off the "main part" of the album as "Life in Velvet" is definitely intended to be a sort of postlude/encore thing.
Overall this whole track, to me, is "well-executed and functional fluff". It exists to be dramatic and to be paired with "Memory Palace". Let's move on to the final track.
Track 11 – "Life in Velvet"
The first time I heard this, I literally thought I had accidentally queued up "The Spirit Carries On". It's not stolen or anything, just that they serve very similar purposes, both start with soft, simple piano, and they also use the same first and second-ish chords. Seriously, try starting them at the same time. It's pretty funny.
Anyways, this is obviously the main idea from "The Coma Machine". Nice. Again, at this point, I just don't get much emotionality from this album, so as lovely as the vocals in this intro are, they don't really tug at my heartstrings like "Jet propulsion disengage" from Parallax II or "I'll make my old life seem new" from "Augment of Rebirth", which, in case I haven't mentioned it enough, is one of my favorite BTBAM moments ever. Back to "Life in Velvet", we get an almost comically sudden switch to minor at 1:30 – really seems like they should have thought about that one more – that reintroduces the Dramatic Guitar Part from "The Coma Machine" to be even more dramatic. We then finally go into a really brutal, correctly built metal part at 2:57 that's similar enough to the chord outline of the previous part to feel like a logical extension, the fuzz bass comes back in!!!, the lyrics reference the very beginning of the album, and then we end the album with another really cool moment.
And that's it. I've written enough about this big prog opera but I guess I should sum it up. It's fine. Y'know? I don't think BTBAM are going to drastically change their sound or process for the next album, or perhaps ever, but I feel like they should at least keep changing a modicum per album like they did here to stay somewhat fresh. I hope next time, they really drill down and find an emotional thread to the concept, or in the end they'll just continue down the path of "a bunch of prog shit, who cares?". Regardless, they at least do prog shit more decently than most – I just find increasingly that I'm not the person who does care. I give it a Hype Index of 2.0559 mJh. Bye!


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Set amongst the leafy suburbs of River Parks Estate, this attractive single level brick rendered property offers you the ideal low maintenance lifestyle.
Families will love having 3 bedrooms, each one complete with built-in robes, and the separate study or 4th bedroom. The stylish family two -way bathroom offers a full bath plus shower.
Your family living and dining areas are open plan and tiled for easy cleaning and cool living. . The gourmet kitchen features stainless steel appliances including a dishwasher and ample storage space.
Sliding glass doors open out from the living area to the covered alfresco entertaining space, which is the ideal setting for a barbecue with friends or a quiet dinner on a warm evening. You can sit and relax as you watch the children play in the safety of the fenced, level back yard.
Extras include: Security screens on all windows and sliding doors, air conditioning and ceiling fans to all rooms, irrigated yard and an auto double garage.
There is a double side gate to store "the toys".
The family can enjoy the local river which is within easy walking distance.
The local school and shops are just 5 minutes away and Stocklands is 10 minutes away.
You're also only around 30 minutes' drive from the North Ward area, with its waterfront parklands, The Strand pier and dining options to enjoy.
Whether you're looking for the ideal family home or investment, this property should be top of your list. Call Phil Turner on 0409 211 129 to arrange your personal inspection today.


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My Audio Christmas Card 2013
CHRISTMAS IS UPON US, so it's time for me to publish my audio Christmas card for 2013. It's made up of just a handful of the many sounds of Paris that I've recorded during this year.
My Audio Christmas Card 2013:
This audio Christmas card is dedicated to all those who visit this blog regularly as well as to those who happen to drop in as they're passing by. I extend my grateful thanks to you all.
I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and all that you wish for yourselves in 2014.


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It is with great pleasure we, in close collaboration with Formuesforvaltning, present Steinar Christensen's recent works in Bergen.
Steinar Christensen [1946] has always been an artist in progress, offering many surprises in his unpredictable oeuvre. He has no clear signature and moves effortlessly and freely between various medias. He has done performance, worked with sound and music, created huge installations and objects such as Stella Maris in Artscape Nordland. In recent years he has chosen to express himself mainly through photography.
For more info - click here.


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We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident
Hat tip to Shyloh for tweeting this news.
"It was one of the worst things that ever happened to me outside of my eye accident when I lost my eyesight because I always thought the United States was a great place and police didn't act like this." Philip White
Philip White
In 2012, Philip White, then 77-years old, was at the Greyhound station trying to take a bus back home to Eagle. He was told that the bus was sold out, so he asked to speak to a manager. Philip is blind and carries a cane. After Philip spoke with a manager, the manager said it was okay for him to wait for the next bus. However, a security guard told Philip that he was trespassing and would be arrested. Philip called the police.
"I decided to call the police to see if maybe I was breaking…
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