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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73227632547105108042018-09-17T08:14:45.128+01:00Crazy HorseCrazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-28529817340700951882017-02-01T16:39:00.001+00:002017-05-01T12:47:23.887+01:00New VentureOk it's been a while - my apologies. I have been doing some content / blogging / trading at a site called Betfile - now live with updated site at betfile.com .

Content will be a bit more 'serious' and betting focussed. I will try and keep Crazy Horse going for the 'bit of a laugh stuff' but a fair bit of my time will be taken up by the new project.

I will be writing articles on betting and doing the odd trading video.

See you here again or over at Betfile.

Thanks!

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-78123617411338900292016-12-31T13:55:00.001+00:002016-12-31T16:57:36.969+00:00Liverpool v Man City...Two decent attacks on show this evening (17.30 Kick Off). Liverpool would be the bet at the prices - 6/4 on Betfair looks very reasonable. If City drifted out past 9/4 then I might consider them instead..

The papers are full of 'Aguero's return' from suspension. More importantly, in my opinion, they have Fernandinho back - although you wouldn't even know he was playing - there has been so little fuss made of his return.

City have a terrible record at Anfield in the Premier League, having won only once back in 2003! They have lost 13 and drawn 5.

The Reds have scored in their previous 19 home Premier League games against City.

Team news for Liverpool:

Coutinho out
Matip out

Team news for Man City:

Aguero returns
Fernandinho returns
Sane out
Stones questionable

Likely Teams in Fruit Pastille design:

If they don't play well you can always pop them in your mouth and chew them...

Good luck.

Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-69091086227597086232016-12-05T12:28:00.001+00:002016-12-18T11:05:19.011+00:00Small Man Complex...Great game on Saturday - Man City v Chelsea. A pity about the conclusion. Still, we've known for a while that Aguero has a 'dark side' especially when he is made to feel 'small'. It's as if he was spawned from deep within Mordor.

Mummy never bought me a trampoline...so I'll use David Luiz instead.. (2013)

Oops, I did it again... for I must destroy all mankind..especially if they're Brazilian.. (2016)

There are also 'rules' in football that players generally abide by. The fans may see a match as war but the players are usually sportsmanlike with one another, otherwise it would be mayhem. Of course not every player has the same moral code..

Cahill scores own goal.

I will taunt you, like the little shit I am, and unleash the fires of Mordor upon you Gareth..

Ha ha, now I will pat you on the head to really rub it in...and infect you with my...paw thing..

Now I will run away and let my mini Orc friend, David Silva, take over..

Cahill, Azpi and Chelsea claim victory.

"Look yonder Gary, you can see his head poking above those blades of grass. Let's catch him and put him in a jar, so you can take him home for your kids to play with."
"No Azpi, we are of the Light - the realm of proper men. Let the little one return to the Dark Lands during his four match suspension and reflect on why he has such a major character defect."

Then we had to endure the post match interviews:

John Stones' gibberish was just embarrassing - might as well have been deciphering hieroglyphics. Equally amusing was Pep's view that Aguero's tackle wasn't intentional - you've got to love him.

Anyway, all that really matters is that CFC 'mashed' them and that David Luiz' career wasn't ended.

Give Aguero the extra three match ban he deserves and be done with it.

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-90010584245851666532016-11-29T16:12:00.000+00:002016-12-06T13:08:58.264+00:00Premier League Bets Update...

So in the run up to Christmas I am just reviewing the Premier League Ante Post bets.

First apologies for not giving Arsenal a mention! It's just that I lay them every season and I have done it for so long they don't even register in my thinking anymore! That's no disrespect to the club - they've had fantastic successes - it's just that from a purely betting perspective I haven't been able to see them winning the league in the last ten years or so. Wenger insists that his team have grown from 'boys to men' and that this could be their season - we'll see. I always look to lay them 'shortish' during the season - around 4 or 5/1 but missed the boat this time around. So no back or lay.

Chelsea: The main pick - having over-staked this I will be laying off a bit now at around 2/1. The price at the beginning of the season looked generous at 13/2. At one point they went as big as 30/1. (On that basis stick some on United - now at 46/1! ;)

Liverpool: Looking good but Coutinho being out for a month or two could be a blow. He is their Eden Hazard and he is bound to be missed.

I had a bit on Spurs for a trade - but that has probably bitten the dust - they just can't seem to get it together at the moment and Kane only now seems to be waking up.

The Man City lay is sitting around 'level' for me. They usually start well so perhaps should have waited for a shorter price. May scratch at some point to guarantee decent free bet / profit with Chelsea back.

So to Manchester Utd. - what a disaster! I thought they would be up there and of course they should be - but relieved no back money went on them. The pressure is well and truly on Mourinho. The only saving grace for the 'Portuguese Conte' is that United seem to give their managers time...and too much money..

Stoke and West Ham were 'mentions' to do well - they've been pretty rubbish - but there is a bit of time to go. In West Ham's case the new stadium could have been a boost or a negative and it has proved to be the latter.

So a mixed bag but the main picks Chelsea (back) and Man City (lay) looking good and neutral respectively - so money made.

Ante Post markets are notoriously bad value, with the bookies anyway - but trading your way through a season can really reap dividends and can be a lot of fun - Lay Arsenal at 4/1 hedge at 10/1, back Chelsea at 28/1 hedge at 2/1, back Liverpool at 16/1 hedge at 4/1 ....and we're not even in December yet... Leicester might have crucified you last season (depending on how you traded) and Chelsea staying at the top of the league from start to finish the season before - might not have been good for business - but in most (recent)seasons there is volatility and you can do a lot worse than take the big prices / lay the short prices on the main contenders as they move in the market during the early months of the season.
Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-72897104508279251902016-10-31T12:14:00.003+00:002016-11-03T19:08:04.293+00:00150 000/1 Double...I'm not sure what it is about my choice of Spanish football matches at present.. I have been involved in only two La Liga games in the last week or so. In both I was hoping for a goal or two but wasn't quite expecting the final results of either!

Last night I was on the Las Palmas v Celta Vigo match in La Liga. Just like the Espanyol v Eibar game - it was a six goal thriller, a player sent off, with the away team going three goals up by half time, only to be hauled back to 3-3!

Celta scored three goals within 16 first half minutes, only for Las Palmas to respond with three goals within 16 second half minutes.

Beautiful symmetry...

I should have gone for the 3-3 result double :)

If you'd gone for the 3-3 result double - odds of around 120/1 for each game - you would have won at odds of around 15000/1.

If you'd gone for the 3-3 result double, with a sending off (in both matches) at odds of say 9/4 (remember it's La Liga!) - then you're on a 150,000/1 (approx) winner.

If you'd also gone for the away team being 0-3 up by half time in both games...well, someone else can do the maths but we're talking many many millions to one.

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-83395168320259011262016-10-24T10:56:00.003+01:002016-11-01T13:07:22.950+00:00One In a Thousand...Just going to start by saying what a great win for Chelsea, one they needed badly. At Arsenal they were all at sea - now it's three clean sheets in a row under a changed defensive system. I am not totally convinced that Chelsea's worries at the back are over but at least the Blues have Zouma to come back and Terry available.

Anyway, to another incredible match on Saturday - Espanyol v Eibar.

I traded this game and it was unreal. Eibar are mid-table, Espanyol close to the relegation zone. Espanyol hadn't won at home in four matches going into this game and are a team with low morale at present. By the end of the first half Espanyol were 0-3 down, courtesy of some shocking defending (worse than Man Utd yesterday :) only for them to launch an unlikely comeback in the second half.

At 2-3 in the 84' Caicedo was sent off for Espanyol - down to ten men you were pretty much thinking game over (again!) - only for Baptistao to score in the second minute of injury time to make it 3-3 and snatch a point.

Like an idiot I grabbed the Espanyol 'win trading chart' because they were 'in my head' at the time - when I should have grabbed the draw trading chart. Anyway you can get the general idea.

Nantucket Sleigh Ride...

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-17038532192746108702016-10-16T12:38:00.006+01:002016-10-20T18:04:50.430+01:00Clowns...
Is this the beginning of the end...?

So we've had the rise in hate crimes since Brexit. In America ethnic minorities have been abused and even set on fire in the street as a result of Trump rhetoric. The majority of people that perpetrate these crimes have no doubt always held the same views - some may have been borderline and have now been tipped over the edge. It shows how people can easily be swayed - how as soon as they feel they are supported by "the state" or by a powerful figurehead, their actions become 'justified'. Comparisons with Nazi Germany are not too far wide of the mark. If people feel marginalised or unrepresented - they can be mobilised to affect change.

It's not always a bad thing to be a contrarian.

Rebellion can seep into all aspects of life - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Change is in the air and I think it's only because we are who we are (call it being British! :) that we will not allow this 'shift' to become full blown anarchy.

Take the 'clown craze'. This happens every year in the lead up to Halloween. This year, however, it is particularly bad. It wouldn't surprise me if this was all rolled up with what has been happening politically in the US and the UK. The boundaries of what is acceptable are rolled back. Something that should be harmless fun has become something a little more sinister...

Cue - haunting song by Iron Maiden - "Tears of a Clown"

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-77818670640621665742016-10-05T18:47:00.005+01:002016-10-13T17:31:39.667+01:00Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics...

Lies, damn lies and statistics... I hate to say it but Disraeli was right! It is also an 'issue' in betting and trading for many punters.

Do stats matter in football trading (or probably any sports trading for that matter). The answer is 'Yes' and 'No'.

How many times have you researched a bet, only to find that the result is the opposite of what you predicted?

How many times have you heard phrases like: "Not betting in the French League (French League 2) ...no goals" or "Dutch and Swedish leagues produce lots of goals.." etc. It's largely irrelevant - all market prices are largely correct and most people wouldn't know value if they saw it. Is a 0-0 draw value at 8.6 but not 8.2? Are Man Utd value to win at 1.42 but not 1.36? Few can really take advantage.

In the leagues / teams with fewer goals in them, the odds on goals being scored are higher and vice versa.

The average punter may as well forget about stats.

So why bother betting or trading at all if stats offer only limited advantage and there is scant value around? Critically, most of us have the ability to watch football matches. If you can read a game - you can get your edge. (Not forgetting pre-match traders but that's another blog post..:)

Do I use stats? Simplistic answer, yes. I use stats to model (in an unsophisticated manner) the match or event. If the 'behaviour' in play is as, or close to, what I have predicted pre-event, I go with it. If not I am likely to exit. I suspect though that there are many in-play traders who don't even bother with stats and do very well - they just go by what they see. I like to have some kind of plan.

The other night I was trading in the 'Under 2.5 goals' market in Celta Vigo v Barcelona (why you might wonder! Ok, Messi wasn't playing and I know Celta can be tight in defence - but even without these stats I still would have looked at the game!) Celta's previous three La Liga matches at home finished: 2-1, 0-4, 0-1. Barcelona's previous three La Liga matches away finished: 0-5, 1-5, 0-1. Last season the corresponding fixture finished 4-1 in favour of Celta Vigo. Did I think the game would go over 2.5 goals? Almost certainly. So why trade the Unders? Simply because the odds 'decay' from kick off and I could watch the game, deciding when to enter and when to exit.

From memory the odds on offer at the start of the game were around 2.72. I watched for a few minutes and then got in at 2.6. It was all Barcelona but Celta were holding there own in defence. Then Celta started launching their own attacks - the game began opening up and I started coming out of my position. This was around the 20 min. mark and I was laying at around 1.98. A couple of minutes later Celta scored. I would have been on for about a 30% profit. The goal just game a bit soon / I didn't exit quickly enough - so it was a scratch trade 0.00. No profit, but I was able to avoid a loss by exiting when I felt things were about to go against me.

The final score was 4-3 to Celta Vigo!

The important message here is not to limit yourself by eliminating leagues or teams for one reason or another. Odds are a great leveller - pretty much every football league offers the same opportunities for profit. Choose a market that suits the match that you are watching - sit back and enjoy the game!
Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-19589813286431861362016-09-30T12:58:00.000+01:002016-10-25T13:35:31.254+01:00Traders Dream Match...Fantastic trading opportunity the other night between Celtic and Manchester City (Champions League). I won't pretend that I was 'in' it! I just chalked it off as being too much of a one-sided affair. I still had the thrashing by Barcelona in my head and even though City are no Barcelona and Celtic had the advantage of playing at home, I still couldn't bring myself to consider the game and chalked it off in favour of others.

In the event it would have been a perfect match to trade with Celtic taking the lead each time in a 3-3 draw but never really looking as if they had enough control to hang on to the lead.

When I finally turned on the TV, goals had already flown in - so I just sat back and watched the rest of the game which was hugely entertaining.

Celtic's 'tidal wave' trading chart..

Anyone wondering (which you're probably not!) why the blog is more football orientated these days as opposed to racing focused. Simply, I am trying to trade more football (especially during winter) and less racing - reversing the ratio really. There a many reasons, domestic and otherwise. There is also the fact that I really don't enjoy watching racing and love football. I will still probably do the odd big race meeting on the blog - as the posts have a good record!

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-32566002072003268932016-09-07T11:33:00.000+01:002016-09-07T12:18:15.971+01:00Stupid English Money...
Stupid English money..?

Well it finally happened - the one billion pound barrier was shattered by the end of Premier League transfer window. The good thing is that the slice of the pie is getting bigger for lower Premier League clubs, so in essence greater parity in the league should follow. Watford spending £50m says something, Palace shelling out over £25m for Benteke says something too (but I'm not sure if it's good!) The bottom placed club will still get around £80m. The bad news is that other football clubs on the continent and in the lower leagues are sure to suffer, with transfer fees going through the roof how will they be able to afford players? The German's call it 'stupid English money' and they have a point.

Perversely, the astronomical fee paid by Man Utd for Paul Pogba could yet turn out to be the best value deal of the transfer market - it's just the £20m paid to his agent, Mino Raiola, that irks - even if it did cost him a few hours of his time.

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-46042413894372182532016-08-16T10:06:00.003+01:002016-08-16T13:17:48.681+01:00Premier League...
The Right Man?

So it's up and running again - as well as the hype, the ridiculous post match questions posed to managers, revolting Sky Sports running the show...I could go on. I suppose we just have to take it. On the positive side at least Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher are reunited. I think Neville actually knows his stuff - just a pity he couldn't get the message across at Valencia.

They were at it again last night before the Chelsea game - something like:
David Jones:"Your not a big fan of defenders doing Cruyff turns in the six yard box are you Jamie?"
Jamie Carragher: "I've had five or six foreign managers and not one of them would want me - or any defender - to be doing Cruyff turns in the six-yard box."
Gary Neville: "You couldn't do them anyway (chuckles)."

Must be in the contract that they need to have a go at each other at least once a session.

So this season:

I took Chelsea at 13/2 to win the title. It's the first time I have bet on them to win the league (I am a fan so tend not to bet on my team and in previous seasons the price has been prohibitively short). I don't think you can look at last season. The players simply decided not to play for Mourinho. In a 'company' the whole lot would have been fired and replaced - but you can't do that in football, certainly not mid-season. I think that price will get a lot shorter at some point in the season for a decent trade - the price just looked ridiculous to me for a squad of their calibre with no European football.

I think Conte is a superb manager. When he took over at Juve they had finished 7th or 8th in the previous season - he then took them to three consecutive titles. He has done well with an Italian National team devoid of any real talent. He is hugely passionate but can be petulant too sometimes. Let's hope he can take the pressure of the Premier League without cracking or offending too many people.

Liverpool could be a threat, no Europe. They obviously won at Arsenal but they also let in three goals and Arsenal don't have a particularly potent attack, so that would worry me. Liverpool will be good to watch but will probably just fall short.

I had a bit on Spurs at around 11/1 - for a trade really. Based on their performance last season and barring Kane having a confidence crisis after the Euros, they could put a run together and go much shorter.

I have laid Man City because I felt the Guardiola factor pulled them in to a price that was layable. They have bought a lot of players but something still bothers me about them when I watch them play. Pep might or might not sort them out. 3.25 is not a price I would be taking for them to win the league. I might trade out of the lay if they drop a few places.

So to Jose and Man Utd (sob). You almost think 'he will win it because he has to'. Not for Man Utd but for himself after what happened last season. He has a monstrous ego that needs to feed now and that can only be good for United. I wonder if Mourinho will still be at United in five, six, seven years time. I hope not because it would mean that Chelsea didn't do enough to keep him. I have profit on them if they win because of the Man City lay - but I will just leave it there and perhaps watch them all the way to a top two finish.

Leicester: I just think the Champions League and the loss of Kante will kill off any chance of a repeat title

Best of the rest, West Ham. Stoke to do better than expected maybe.

Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-79070874002673862542016-07-28T13:23:00.001+01:002016-07-28T13:27:13.097+01:00Worthy Winners?

Portugal ended up winning Euro 2016 even though if we ran the tournament again they would be unlikely to end up on top. Were they dull? Yes. Will they care? No.

Results sequence. Draw (1-1) Draw (0-0) Draw (3-3) Win (1-0 a.e.t) Draw (1-1) Win (2-0) Win (1-0 a.e.t).

Just the one win in normal time then against Wales. Wouldn't it be great if England could manage the same kind of form!

It goes without saying that Portugal are far from the best team in Europe but they have a plan that they execute well in every game.

Renato Sanchez had to to be the highlight though for Portugal.

At least my bets didn't do too badly.

My main bet to lay Spain to win their Group at 1.67 won.

Top Scorer saver on Griezmann at 11/1 won.

Player of the Tournament - Griezmann 14/1 also won.

So good profits.
Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-84050263598513883802016-06-29T17:18:00.000+01:002016-06-29T17:51:05.578+01:00No Pain, No Gain...It's always been fun having a poke at Cristiano. I mean there is no doubt that he's an above average footballer but he does set himself up for a few...

He posted this photo of himself on Instagram ahead of the Poland game, showing off his 'muscles' after a training session - with the title 'no pain, no gain' (original or what?).

Clench...relax...insert rubber hose..

Don't be a sad, needy, little man. Take one of those rubber tubes that are hanging around your neck and give yourself a colonoscopy - it might relieve you of some of your own bullshit.

Poland must be quaking in their boots..Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-38145996048671478532016-06-28T13:49:00.001+01:002016-06-29T17:33:09.943+01:00England Out...The effects of England leaving the European Union might be talked about for a year or two...the effects of England leaving the European Championships will be talked about for the next fifty years..

Next best thing if you can't stick your head in the sand..

It was of course inevitable not just because we are England and it's a big tournament but because anyone who watched Iceland play through the competition could see that they were a well a organised team, very hard to break down, with a cutting edge on the break. England by contrast showed little composure and little self belief.

I was cringing that afternoon as our pundits were already talking about England v France, which was a great contest on paper, but no doubt would have been even worse, as France would have fully exposed us.

I have to say I got the game wrong, I thought it would be a comfortable draw for Iceland after 90 minutes - that would have been a great result for them. In the end they went one better - fantastic really. They will all be heroes in Iceland.

Some Icelandic football facts:

1. Iceland don't have a professional football league as such.
2. Their manager, Heimir Hallgrímsson, is a practicing dentist.
3. Population of Iceland around 330,000.
4. Goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, is a film director who directed the video for Iceland's entry in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest.

It's a beautiful story.
Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-8132079141444051562016-06-09T18:20:00.002+01:002016-06-10T15:48:36.878+01:00Euro 2016

Really looking forward to the next month or so. I have only had a few pre-tournament bets.

I have laid Spain quite heavily in Group D. Lay at 1.67.
I have also laid Spain in the 'Top 2 Finish' market in the group. Lay at 1.18.

Small liabilities so happy. I think Group D will be a lot tougher for Spain than the odds suggest.

I have also taken a few of the French in the 'Player of the Tournament' market - Matuidi (40/1) Griezmann (14/1) and Pogba (11/1). Not very original.

For 'Top Scorer' I took a big price on Romelu Lukaku (22/1) and have had a saver on Griezmann (11/1). Lukaku might do absolutely nothing but if the most expensive squad, in terms of transfer values, can finally put it together, Belgium might go far and you fancy him for a few goals along the way.

I'd like to fit Eden Hazard in somewhere - back to some kind of form at the end of the season but that would be betting with the heart! I think Belgium are really the value at 11/1 and Croatia would be the outside pick at 25/1.

Enjoy it!Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-18886076388847491892016-05-31T12:34:00.003+01:002016-05-31T12:38:15.964+01:00Can They Do It?

Can England win Euro 2016? Or get anywhere close?

I think 'no' has to be the resounding answer to that. I thought the Turkey game was an absolute disaster and although I couldn't face watching the Australia game the scoreline doesn't suggest that we did much better.

England have some young talent - but we've had that before. We used to have the best midfield in the world on paper with Lampard, Gerrard, Cole, Scholes and so on - and we never got anywhere in the big tournaments.

Is Hodgson going to manage to pull it all together in the time remaining? I doubt it. In the end it will probably be nerves and pressure on young shoulders that will see us exit the competition prematurely.

Let's hope I'm wrong. I would hate to see, what might turn out to be, another 'golden generation' go to waste due to poor management or preparation.

Well look on the bright side, we certainly haven't peaked too soon!Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-26774647047106532902016-05-03T12:23:00.001+01:002016-05-03T16:10:47.183+01:00Champions...
Party time for the Leicester boys

Well they've only gone and done it!

It wasn't really a surprise that it happened last night at Chelsea (see last post).

I forget the number of times Chelsea have looked down and out against Spurs at Stamford Bridge, only to rally and get a result. Spurs haven't managed to win at the Bridge since 1990.

Still, I think there is hope for Spurs, they are a young side with a good manager and he is changing the culture at White Hart Lane to a 'can do' one. One day soon they probably will win something meaningful. I just don't think they were ready to win the title this season - the last fifteen minutes of the match last night showed that more than anything. Spurs set out to have a go at Chelsea players instead of concentrating on winning the game. At least they showed a bit of spirit for once, sadly it was directed in the wrong area. To blow a 2-0 lead against a Chelsea side that aren't really playing like a Chelsea side, is not the stuff of Champions.

The last time Leicester won the Premiership

Leicester were 5000/1 to win the title. So that means they should win roughly 1 in 5000 seasons. If you imagine that Premiership football has been going on back through the ages, then 5000 seasons ago would take us back to around 3000 B.C. A long time ago. We're talking Hieroglyphic writing in Egypt, the building of the city of Troy, the constructing of Stone Henge.

In fact we know those odds are rubbish - bookmakers put them out after all. So the actual probability is probably greater. Odds of 25,000/1 might be more like it but my 'history' doesn't go back that far..

Congratulations to Leicester City.

Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-5919277886299073752016-04-26T12:41:00.003+01:002016-04-26T16:10:42.824+01:00Put The Statues On Hold...Well it was always a big ask for Spurs to beat West Brom at home to really stay in the Premiership title race...what a bunch of plonkers. Spurs may still do it of course but only if Leicester implode spectacularly, which looks unlikely.

"The players will deserve statues...really?"

There is also the fact that Spurs have to go to Chelsea, which even with London derby status would have been a 'nothing' game for the Blues, but will probably mean something now because Chelsea can end Tottenham's hopes altogether, assuming of course that Leicester haven't wrapped it up at Man Utd.

I was at the Man City game and we played like a bunch of kids at a family picnic...not a care in the world. I don't think that will be the case next Monday. If Spurs are still in the race, then I expect Chelsea will take the game more seriously than any they have played this season...and would probably get some kind of a result.

If there was any doubt in Leicester fans minds, then there shouldn't be, because Chelsea face their team on the last day of the season. If the title is still up for grabs, then it won't be for long. Don't get me wrong, Chelsea are a professional outfit, you don't win things if you're not, but there have been lapses in professionalism this season - which is why we haven't won anything. There is 'trying' and then there is 'Trying' and I don't expect there to be much of the 'capital T' variety from Chelsea, if Leicester need a result to clinch the title from Spurs.

As for Pochettino's comments about his players deserving statues built in their honour if they win the title, how would that work? I mean at the end of the day they would have challenged for the title and beaten...Leicester City (no disrespect). Were Spurs fighting off sustained challenges from other clubs...not really. Did they overcome record points deficits...no. Sorry, but even if they win the league, the last thing that should happen is to have their players cast in stone and dotted around White Hart Lane. That honour should only go to Leicester City and only if they pull off the greatest shock in Premier League history.

It's not that I dislike Spurs, even if they are London rivals, I just hate their lack of grit. They always capitulate when the chips are down and it looks as if they have done so again.

What next then for The Foxes? Champions League glory of course!

At least they play in blue.Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-48104120377495853962016-04-11T14:22:00.000+01:002016-04-11T14:23:42.323+01:00Can They Do It?
Zlatan...ready to destroy City?

A terrific game is in prospect on Tuesday as Man City take a great position into the 2nd leg of the Champions League. PSG might have goalkeeper Kevin Trapp back after a knee problem on Saturday, but they will be without Marco Verratti, who I think is a key player, as well as Pastore, Luiz and Matuidi, the latter two missing out due to suspension.

Kompany may be fit, Aguero and Silva should get over their 'knocks', so that only leaves City short of Raheem Sterling and he's crap anyway. City have a real chance of making their first ever Champions League semi-final.

Only that crazy dude Zlatan can upset the party!

Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-16557069003483160922016-03-18T11:17:00.003+00:002016-03-18T11:21:09.976+00:00Cheltenham 2016. Day Four...

Day Three Results:
Bristol De Mai 5/1 - 2nd
Garde La Victoire - 4/1 - Fell

Not the best day yesterday. As De Mee ran ok at the price. Cole Harden led but didn't really assert any authority on the race so the price only dropped a point in running.

Nothing strong for today. I am looking at the Albert Bartlett NH at 2.50pm. It's not an easy race so small stakes. I am going to mix up some reverse forecasts or tricasts with Shantou Village, Barters Hill and Gangster. Bet them individually or e/w or however you want. A few quid will get you a decent payout on forecasts / tricasts so just a bit of fun really.

I will just mention Up For Review for a few pennies each way at 20/1. The latter may not the strongest Mullins runner in this race - but happy enough with the price.

Shantou Village, Barters Hill, Gangster - forecasts / tricasts / win etc.
Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-25160808397404440982016-03-17T11:36:00.000+00:002016-03-18T10:45:11.077+00:00Cheltenham 2016. Day Three...

Day Two Results:
Yorkhill 3/1 - won
Vyta Du Roc 10/1 e/w - unplaced.

Yorkhill did the business turning over the short priced fav. It was a great ride by Ruby but I have to confess that for a while I thought he might get himself boxed in on the rail. Anyway, in the end it wasn't a problem in a small field. Vyta Du Roc travelled nicely but was disappointing at the end of the race - but at least we avoided the two short priced favs in that race, which both lost.

Day Three:

JLT Novices Chase. 1.30pm:

Four runners at the head of the market here. Bristol De Mai, Garde La Victoire, Outlander and Black Hercules. I will go against Mullins' Black Hercules - so far I have avoided Mullins when he's lost and backed him when he's won, so let's hope that continues! I am reluctantly scratching off Outlander too - drying ground will probably be against him.

I can't separate the final two, Bristol De Mai and Garde La Victoire. I'm not in love with either horse but I think one of them will win. If you wanted to take one e/w it would probably be Bristol De Mai.

Bristol De Mai: 5/1
Garde La Victoire: 4/1

I haven't found any big prices this Cheltenham and I never usually bet at the shorter end of the market. I just haven't fancied anything at bigger prices. In desperation I will mention As De Mee at 28/1, in the same race, for pennies each way.

For those of you that want an in running trade, you need look no further than Cole Harden in the 3.30pm who is highly likely to lead or be up with pace as usual. He was a winner for me last year at 20/1 and this is his race.

Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-78153978149585474302016-03-16T10:58:00.001+00:002016-03-16T11:00:31.274+00:00Cheltenham 2016. Day Two...

Day One Results: Atior 4/1 e/w - won.

Day Two:

Neptune Investment Management NH. 1.30pm: I am against Yarnworth at the prices and if you can get around 3/1 for Yorkhill that would be the bet.

Yorkhill: 11/4 or bigger.

RSA Chase. 2.10pm: I kind of wanted to be on Roi Des Franc (Mullins / Walsh) but I am not sure the ground will suit. More Of That probably wins this but he is short. No More Heroes could be the shorter price value against him especially if he drifts a bit more - but I am going to have a small each way bet on Vyta Du Roc.

Vyta Du Roc: 10/1 e/w.

That's it for today.

Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-47733359448870574482016-03-15T10:21:00.000+00:002016-03-15T10:21:35.963+00:00Cheltenham 2016. Day One...

Supreme Novices Hurdle. 1.30pm: I laid Min yesterday at 2/1. Too short. His price is now out 5/2 and I hope he drifts a bit more. I think he is one of the weaker Mullins' and I will probably keep the lay or just lay off the liability to £0.00 - but I won't be looking to profit on him for the win. If you are on at a bigger price though, obviously keep the bet.

Altior: 4/1 e/w - short price for an each way but my preference. Nothing else really for me at bigger prices.

Not really involved in anything else for today.

Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-80094916282660505252016-03-14T10:57:00.001+00:002016-03-14T11:02:17.604+00:00Cheltenham 2016...

At last Cheltenham is here! Best time of the year for me at work - not on the trading front - but in terms of letting my hair down...a whole year of constricting my emotions trading on racing and football is released during this week!

Just straight betting, watching the races and having fun - if I can make some money too, then great.

I've never had an unprofitable Cheltenham although last year could have been better.

I'll start posting my bets tomorrow and then each day through the festival.

Good luck!Crazy Horsehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7322763254710510804.post-52283262190648101832016-02-29T16:09:00.000+00:002016-02-29T16:15:27.007+00:00Never Cash Out...
Yes..'Cash Out' has just got better...for the bookies!

So the 'Cash Out' trend is now well and truly entrenched in the market place and the bookmakers must be loving it! Imagine, Mr Punter goes online to place a bet. He does it with a bookmaker and so by default is already going to get pretty poor value in most cases. Then he is offered the choice of whether or not to Cash Out his bet at a certain point in a game...he decides to do that. Not only has he been ripped off on the initial bet, he goes back in and gets terrible odds on the Cash Out bet too!

Don't do it! The fact that the bookies are so hot on promoting it should tell you something.

Of course there are situations where Cashing Out might seem like a good idea - but the problem will always be the price.

That should read...'Let us take control of your football bets'

That's not to say that I haven't used Cash Out on the Exchanges :) I have. I do a fair bit of trading in the Correct Score markets in football. Trying to come out of a trade with many sets of fluctuating prices within the same market isn't easy. So I know that cash out is probably the best option. Trying to square up manually isn't practical and by the time you have worked it all out the market has moved again - so yes, I am ashamed to say I do occasionally use Cash Out on the exchanges.

The other day I didn't like the way things were going in a match and so I got out for a small profit of £22.00. The market wasn't very liquid at that point and there were a few 'gaps' on some prices - but the Exchange Cash Out button was offering me £14.00 which is getting close to 40% less profit!

So make sure that you pick your moment to Cash Out on the exchanges and don't trust the figure in the Cash Out display.Crazy Horsehttp://email@example.com


text:
We are particularly pleased that we have been able to extend our premises as it enables us to focus on specialist packing facilities and offer a broader service. It's been an exciting 12 months for us and we launch our first contracts in February
(PRWEB UK) 13 January 2016
Alexir Co-Packers(ACP), the contract packing division of the Alexir Partnership, has set in motion some very exciting expansion and investment projects for 2016. ACP is a full-service co-packing and co-manufacturing dried food specialist working for some of the most respected FMCG companies in the UK – including Premier Foods, Nestlé and Arla Foods. Based in Sussex their facilities are equipped with automated, semi-automated and manual lines and provide a full and flexible range of packing solutions. These include high-speed flow wrapping, doy packing, blending, pot and sachet filling, labelling, sleeving and assortment packing of ambient, chilled and frozen food products.
With six segregated manufacturing rooms ACP extended their production facilities with an additional 25,000 ft² at the end of last year. With full BRC and Organic accreditations they are now able to offer full contract manufacturing solutions in a total production site of 55,000ft². The £481,000 revamp of the new facilities will include a conversion of a segregated Nut production facility solely focused on processing products that contain nuts, including cereals and snacks. Their existing facilities provide nut-free, nut-trace and allergen-control packing services.
Mr Jeremy Keable, Director of the Alexir Partnership said: "We are particularly pleased that we have been able to extend our premises as it enables us to focus on specialist packing facilities and offer a broader service. It's been an exciting 12 months for us and we launch our first contracts in February."
Further to the expansion of the site there has also been some major investment in new machinery. This investment includes a high-speed horizontal form fill and seal flow wrapping line and a Doy pack filling line. This capital expenditure further demonstrates the commitment of the Alexir Partnership to push forward and lead the way in innovation whilst meeting the needs of a rapidly changing marketplace.
The Alexir Partnership, which employs over 200 people across 2 sites in Kent and Sussex, hope that the expansion of both their manufacturing sites will help the group boost its annual turnover from £28m in this financial year to a target of £40m in three years. For the first time the Alexir Partnership will be in the Contract Pack Zone on stand G38 at the Packaging Innovations Exhibition2016 (24-25th February NEC Birmingham). This presence at the exhibition will be in conjunction with the launch of their new website which will reflect the core Alexir Partnership proposition and present equal profiles of all the different businesses within the group.
Notes to editors
Alexir Co-Packers Ltd
We are Contract Manufacturers and Packers with full BRC and Organic Accreditations working across the Food, Pharmaceutical, Medical and General Packing sectors. Serving chilled, ambient and frozen food sectors from 6 discrete independent manufacturing rooms.
We are able to offer full contract manufacturing solutions for short, medium and long term contracts including: Full pack development - structural and creative design / Packaging Sourcing and Supply / Ingredient Sourcing and Supply.
Key activities include: blending and filling into containers, pouches, bags and sachets; high speed sachet and stand up pouch manufacture and filling; weighing and filling; vertical and horizontal flow wrapping and form fill and sealing; cartoning manufacture and supply; shrink-sleeving and shrink-wrapping; promotional pack design and packing.
For more information about the Alexir Partnership:
Claire Summersby
Marketing Manager & Head of Innovation
The Alexir Partnership
01732 866681

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Star Q
Okay, it's been quite a while since I did any kind of baking. But when the urge to bake suddenly comes, it's like I'm hungry for something and anything edible that I can get my hands on, will be enough to quench my hunger.
Baking to me is, in a sense, quite similar with being hungry. Once I have the urge to bake, I'll just rummage through the pantry and get my hands on anything that I can use to turn into a cake! And this cake in particular, is an easy one (my kind of cake!) especially because all the ingredients were lying around (well, not literally!) either in the pantry or in the fridge.
So, for the sheer need to bake, I made this Coconut and Apple Cake.
Source : Food Lovers' Cakes & Bakes
- 150 g room-temperature butter
- 2 -3 tbs clear honey (I used runny honey)
- 50 g sugar (I used soft brown sugar)
- 4 eggs
- 160 g AP flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 large apple
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 80 g grated coconut (I used dessicated)
- 2 - 3 tbs icing sugar to decorate (I omitted)
Preheat oven to 180 C and grease a 30 cm loaf tin. Beat the butter, honey and sugar until thick and creamy. Beat in the eggs one by one. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir until just combined. Peel and grate the apple and add the lemon juice. Add the coconut and stir into the batter. Turn this mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 50 - 60 minutes until golden brown. Once cooked, leave to cool slightly in the tin before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if you wish, before serving.


text:
Solvent resistant PlateOne® polypropylene deep well plates are ideal for sample preparation, storage, screening, analysis, and bacteria or yeast cultures. Excellent centrifugation strength provides better performance and recovery, and laser-marked alphanumerics won't rub off.
Produced without biocides, processing additives, or other potentially bioactive ingredients. Deep well plates meet standards ANSI/SLAS 1-2004, 3-2004, and 4-2004. Certified free of detectable RNase, DNase, DNA, and pyrogens.
1 ml plates have conical well bottoms that are slightly rounded to accept a pipet tip or probe, allow full sample retrieval, and minimize dead sample volumes.


text:
Thank you for looking for Financial and Insurance in Canberra on our site.
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text:
UPDATE : FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — You had to get up pretty early to spend your Fourth of July at Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield.
The park was full to parking capacity and closed to new vehicles as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 4th, the state announced via Twitter.
And by 11 a.m. Tuesday, Indian Well State Park in Shelton was also closed.
Connecticut's state parks were proving to be popular destinations on a sunny Independence Day: The following parks were also closed to new vehicles by 11 a.m.:
- Indian Well State Park in Shelton
- Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury
- Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme
- Mount Tom State Park in Litchfield
- Quaddick State Park in Thompson
- Gardner Lake State Park in Salem
- Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union
- Miller's Pond Srate Park in Durham
- Pattaconk Lake State Recreation Area in Chester
- Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


text:
Well, here I am! Spent my first day of our new semester in Ireland. Can't get much better than that! I am going to be in Ireland for a few months and looking forward to all of the new experiences.
For church this morning, I went to the Presbyterian church. The people were so friendly! We studied the second book of Ephesians and discussed God's abundant grace. For my first Sunday in Ireland, it was awesome!
This afternoon was spent exploring. Yesterday I got a library card, and already checked out a few books ;) We explored the lovely little town of Greystones, then jumped on the DART to see Bray. Both are quaint little beach towns and tons of fun to explore.
Well, I am off to dinner! That is about all I have to update right now, but pictures are soon to follow, I promise!


text:
CRAWLEY and HORSHAM DISTRICT CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS
The " Crawley Closed " for many players is the end of Season Highlight Competition. The committee are seeking volunteers to help organise this years event.
Please contact either Maureen Hazell, Dave Edwards or Graham Barnes.
Author: David Edwards via Crawley and Horsham Table Tennis League
Article Published:
Last Updated:


text:
Turn 21: After two activation rolls without anyone activating, all activate, with the zombies acting first.
Turn 23: Only Team Whiteface is active.
Turn 24: Team Whiteface pauses to evaluate the situation. The zombie s activate.
Turn 26: All are inactive and one feast is over.
Turn 29: All feasts end and everyone (including both Rep 1 PEFs) activates. The living and breathing members of the community activate first.
All twelve zombies on the board move. Both PEFs don't move.
No new zeds are generated.
Turn 30: All are active, but the shambling horde moves first.
All zombies move closer.
Soldier #1 is getting nervous and doesn't hit anything.


text:
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text:
"That mount belongs to the Cave Master, so Brother Miao must not neglect it."
Shi Xiang pointed towards a valiant, yet exceptionally gaudy, yellow dragon steed. He watched Miao Yi's reaction as he advised him in a careful manner, thinking that Miao Yi would not be happy doing such a menial task.
But all this was nothing to Miao Yi. He had always been very interested in dragon steeds and so he was looking forward to having the opportunity to get close to them.
Seeing that Miao Yi did not show any signs of being upset, Shi Xiang secretly let out a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Miao Yi would be offended and complain to Cao Dingfeng. In his anger, he would seek both Shi Xiang and his wife for punishment.
"Actually, you do not need to let the dragon steeds out everyday. Once every five days is enough since after all, we still prioritise cultivation." Shi Xiang smiled as he consoled him.
Miao Yi nodded his head.
After chatting about dragon steeds for a while, Miao Yi found out that the role of Horse Deputy had previously been handled by Madame Shi Xiang, so this was already considered to be a handover.
After completing the handover, Madame Shi Xiang left with a straight face.
Shi Xiang then accompanied Miao Yi back to his cultivation residence, mainly explaining the Transient Light Cave's situation to Miao Yi. His explanation was a form of introduction, as briefed by Cao Dingfeng.
Inclusive of the Cave Master, there were a total of eleven people in Transient Light Cave. Cave Master, Yuan Zhengkun, had a cultivation at White Lotus Fifth Grade. Cao Dingfeng and the other two cultivators who had their cultivation at White Lotus Third Grade were Yuan Zhengkun's capable right-hand men. Even Shi Xiang and his wife had their cultivation at White Lotus Third Grade. The remaining four cultivators were at White Lotus Second Grade. Only Miao Yi alone had a cultivation at the first grade of White Lotus.
The average 'cave' level allocation has always been eleven people, mainly because there weren't enough resources to accommodate more. It was important to know that for every person accepted, they must divide the allocation of followers' incense and power of will.
Currently, both of them were conversing with each other in a courtyard pavilion. Madame Shi Xiang soon returned, with two nervous, beautiful maidens trailing behind her.
"These two servant girls are sent here from Transient Light City by Cao Dingfeng to serve your daily needs," Madame Shi Xiang uttered to Miao Yi with an expressionless face.
"Serve me…" Miao Yi glanced over at the two beautiful maidens who had their heads lowered. He still wasn't used to this kind of treatment. Mainly because he had never properly come into contact with women before this, so it was inevitable that he was embarrassed, like a lad's first time. He couldn't help but turn his attention to Shi Xiang, asking, "So every cultivator has some?"
If every cultivator had servants taking care of their daily needs, he would simply push the boat with the current and accept it, else it would be quite embarrassing.
Shi Xiang chuckled awkwardly, not saying a word.
Madame Shi Xiang sarcastically said, "We don't have the sort of life where we can order servant girls around to serve us. It's good enough that we ourselves don't get ordered around."
"...." Stunned, Miao Yi finally realized that although the husband and wife's cultivation base was the same as Cao Dingfeng, only second to the Cave Master's, yet their statuses seemed to be far apart in comparison. Cao Dingfeng still ordered the both of them around as he pleased.
Shi Xiang rubbed his nose, anxious to keep up appearances as he said, "Every cultivator in the cave will have two handmaidens. Since the two of us are married, if we keep a few handmaidens at our side, what if one day I couldn't restrain myself from being affectionate with them? Wouldn't it cause our marriage to fall apart? Thus, I gave them up to someone else."
Miao Yi chuckled, thinking to himself that it turned out Shi Xiang was afraid of his wife.
As he was about to accept the two handmaidens, who knew Madame Shi Xiang would suddenly glare at Shi Xiang, pointing and shouting in a fit of rage. "You good-for-nothing, stop putting feathers in your own cap! It was obvious that you're being looked down upon by others, so you couldn't even hold back the handmaidens who were given to us! You have the nerve to say you gave them up to someone else? If you have the guts to, then snatch the handmaidens from them! Even if you give your affections to ten handmaidens, I would pretend I never see it!"
Shi Xiang smiled weakly and didn't utter another word.
Miao Yi was shocked to hear such an inside story. Both of them had a cultivation at White Lotus Third Grade, but didn't even have handmaidens, whereas he himself with a mere cultivation at first grade was given two handmaidens. It seemed a little… He hurriedly tried to diffuse the awkward situation, "Big Brother Cao treats me with kindness. I'd rather give these two handmaidens to Big Brother Cao, instead."
Shi Xiang and his wife were both taken aback at the same time. Madame Shi Xiang's eyes flickered as she said, "Since he has already sent them to you, just accept his goodwill. Having someone by your side to help you do menial chores can save you a lot of trouble."
Miao Yi shook his head, got to his feet and said to the two handmaidens, "Follow me."
When Shi Xiang saw the two handmaidens trailing behind him compliantly, he panicked, instantly shouting, "Brother Miao, don't..."
The glare Madame Shi Xiang sent towards her husband immediately shut him up.
To Madame Shi Xiang, when others had taken away their own handmaidens, they were simply looking down on them and belittling their position, and so she was unable to stomach it. But if there were seriously two beautiful handmaidens by her husband's side, she really wouldn't feel at ease.
After Miao Yi left with the two handmaidens, Madame Shi Xiang pursed her lips and said, "He didn't want to have the two handmaidens by his side because it would humiliate us, so he sent them away. He's a good kid!"
Handmaidens who were sent to serve cultivators had to place their lives in the hands of those cultivators. Apart from doing menial chores, cultivators had the right to do what they wanted with their handmaidens, so naturally the more the better, with many hoping to have beautiful women gathered like clouds from all directions.
When Miao Yi sent the two handmaidens to Cao Dingfeng's side, Cao Dingfeng naturally declined the offer, but seeing Miao Yi sincerely insisting on it, he kindly accepted them. His perception towards Miao Yi had increased for reasons other than being acquainted with Chen Fei. He personally went to see Miao Yi out, not forgetting to urge Miao Yi to find him directly if there was anything he needed.
During his journey back to his cultivation residence, Miao Yi gradually realized that it might seriously be inconvenient in the future to be lacking two handmaidens, since he was left doing his own menial chores now. At least his cultivation had not advanced to the state that he could cast away the desire of good food. Now, it looked like he would need to deal with everything by himself, regardless of how trivial, just like when he cultivated on the island.
After returning to his residence, Shi Xiang was still waiting for him and then cheerfully dragged Miao Yi to attend a banquet at their place.
Madame Shi Xiang had personally prepared a table full of delicious delicacies to serve, for which Miao Yi naturally thanked her for.
But as the words 'Madame Shi Xiang' left his mouth, he immediately noticed that Madame Shi Xiang's expression had darkened considerably. Miao Yi naturally wanted to find out the reason why. "Madame doesn't seem to like being addressed as Madame Shi Xiang. Could it be that I have offended you by mistake?"
"You don't know the inner story so you cannot be blamed for it." Madame Shi Xiang didn't hide the truth from him, because Miao Yi would know about it sooner or later. Rather than letting him find out afterwards and being looked down upon by him, she would be better off coming clean of her own accord and reveal the truth to him now.
Apparently, 'Shi Xiang' was a completely humiliating and satirizing form of address. Shi Xiang's real name was Yan Xiu and Madame Shi Xiang's real name was Luo Zhen.
They were both the most senior members in Transient Light Cave. The Cave Master and the members of Transient Light Cave had all changed, one after another, yet only these two had always remained.
When the enemy attacked Transient Light Cave, husband and wife turned up but did not exert themselves. Afterwards, when the cave's forces suffered a defeat at the hands of the enemy, both husband and wife surrendered. And the current Cave Master, Yuan Zhengkun, had only just conquered the Transient Light Cave about a month ago, taking up all of its territory.
For the sake of saving their own skin, both husband and wife once again surrendered to Yuan Zhengkun, and already it counted as their tenth surrender.
They had made a name for themselves for surrendering countless times. No one in Transient Light Cave thought highly of them anymore. Hence, they were ridiculed and humiliatingly were called 'Shi Xiang' and 'Madame Shi Xiang'.


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Dear (former)Governor Spitzer,
Shame on you. Soliticiting sex for money is illegal, and you should know better. If you were going to partake in such socially unacceptable actions, then you should have made it legal in New York. You probably would have had the support of several of your fellow politicians, plus the Mets (well, the Yankees don't have to pay for sex, now do they?), and a handful of constituents as well. Alas, you did not, and now you can be charged for solicitation. True that usually "Johns" as they are called, a group we've now placed you in, aren't usually charged, usually it is the woman (it was a woman, correct? We never know these days) who gets slammed. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we can't quite be sure which yet, you are a political figure who is subject to more than just being thrown out of the house by his wife. Yes, were you a regular Joe-excuse me, a regular John, then the harshest reprimanding you would receive would be from your family. No, no, you are Governor Eliot Spitzer. So, every minute detail of your life that wasn't already being scrutinized is now going to be the forefront of many, many newspapers, blogs, online magazines, newscasts, radio shows, and all other forms of media. I assure you that I myself received several text messages about your scandalous activities. Bravo, sir! You have infiltrated all the forms of media. We are all saddened to see you go, sir, for you were a terrific Governor, and you have served the state of New York well. Did you think you could recover from this? Perhaps you thought, well, Bill didn't have to resign. And look, his wife still loves him, the Democratic Party still loves him, and now his wife is running for President. So, surely New York will forgive me. Eli, baby, yes, New York loves you! New York will forgive you. But the media won't. So I guess we say our goodbyes now. In closing, I must tell you. I knew Bill Clinton. And you sir, are no Bill Clinton.
Governor Spitzer12 03 2008
Dear (former)Governor Spitzer,
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Bill Clinton, Democratic Party, Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, New York, prostitution, the Mets, the Yankees
Categories : Gossip, News, Politics, Technology/Advocacy
Life in the Big City17 02 2008
And when I say the Big City, I mean The Big Apple. New York City. I know a few people who live there, and I myself travel to NYC on occasion, both for work and pleasure. Last time I traveled to NYC, I had a business meeting on Friday, and my best friend (who got engaged on Thursday, congrats!) came along for the ride. She and I decided that since I had to go for work, we'd stay the weekend, see some shows, do some shopping, the whole shebang. Little did we know that this was the weekend that the stagehands were going on strike. Oh well, we had a good time anyway. In our travels through the city, we walked past the Plaza, and thought we would stop in for a drink. We were both unaware that the well-known New York hotel was closed, and had been since 2005. Well, when we came back to DC, it quickly left my mind, until I came across an article in the NYT style section. The article, which you can find here, is about the changes being made at The Plaza. Since 2005, The Plaza Hotel has been being renovated. They've added residences, upscale condos and apartments that are now available for purchase. Not only do these luxurious apartments have all the hotel amenities available to them, but they also have a private lobby, and a flat panel screened direct line to the concierge and security services. Now, hold off on your plan to run off and purchase one of these beautifully-decorated apartments with the spectacular views. Most of the people who have bought these apartments are high-powered executive jet setters such as the top executives from Viacom, Esprit, Jet Blue, and Staples, past and present. That's right, a one-bedroom apartment at The Plaza Hotel costs a whopping $5.4 million dollars (and that's only on the 15th floor, not even the penthouse floor, number 19). According to the Times article, only a handful of people use this residence as their full time home. The others split their time between here and at their second (third, fourth, fifth, tenth?) homes. This once-lively 181-unti building can become a ghost town when only six apartments are being lived in. You know what they need? A healthy dose of celebrity. One or two celebs, a good sex scandal, and a few drunken parties hosted by an underage celeb, and the place is going to be crawling with paparazzi. Until then…Eloise is going to be one lonely little girl.
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Tags: alcohol, apartments, celebrities, hotels, New York, sex, The Plaza
Categories : Entertainment, Gossip, Servo Vos Coniecto, Travel


text: Hey all I did a search for this and cant find ANYTHING, but I know good ol Macrumors can help... I need to convert a quicktime movie (animation compression, with audio) to a MPEG1 Muxed (.mpg) file. Seems harder than I'm sure it is, but there are NO QuicktimePro/FCP settings for Mpeg1, just mpeg4. Are there any good freeware converters that anyone knows of? Thanks Agreenster


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Then as we were almost home we came across something very interesting in the paddock over the road. A mummy Sheep was feeding her babies it was very cute watching them.
Soon though we continued on Home and we were soon home so I settled down for a nice rest.


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Copy n Paste is a physics-based puzzle game, your goal is to create a platform to help your character to reach the exit by copying and pasting objects. You have limited copies.
Game Doodler, Working at Massive Monster a Boutique game making monstrosity.
When I'm in my fully caffeinated state, I'm hammering away creating weird and wonderful games. Striving to breathe life into inanimate objects, giving them the faces they have always longed for.


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How's it going folks!
I made a video review for the Murmillo Gladiators. They are quite fun to use and are quite different than the other Roman infantry available to you up to that point. Let me know what you guys think!
edit: Sorry Rowdyman_ still working on putting music into the video. It is a good suggestion but I haven't had time to look into it and make sure I'm not going to get a copyright strike :-P


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Aura Que - MITA Felt Unisex Slippers - Dark Grey
Handmade felt slip-on mule slippers, individually handcrafted, with inside sole padding for comfort and finished with hardwearing leather suede soles.
We would recommend anyone between sizes, to go for the larger size, as the slippers are comfy with socks and better roomy. Unfortunately, we cannot make these slippers in larger sizes than EU43.
Here is a size guide to help: EU36/UK3, EU37/UK4, EU38/UK5, EU39/UK6, EU40/UK7, EU41/UK8, EU43/UK9.
Each AURA QUE design is brought to life in a Nepalese factory that employs local people, some affected by disabilities, providing an income for themselves and their families according to fair trade principles. AURA QUE products are individually hand crafted in Nepal and the unique story behind each AURA QUE product enhances its charm!


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Campanula Lac Loddon Anna Perennial in a 9cm Pot
- Available for delivery anywhere in the mainland UK.
- Order for collection at Bagshot, Bybrook Barn or Shepperton.
- Returns Policy
Click here for more information on returning this product
Product Details
Campanula lactiflora 'Loddon Anna'
Common name: Bellflower
Summery and picturesque, deciduous perennial (herbaceous) has masses of pink flowers for months in Summer and Autumn. It has green foliage.
It likes part shade, well drained soil and is happy in alkaline or neutral soil. It is frost hardy.
Height & spread 1.20m x 1.50m.
Click here for plant care and more details about this plant in our Plant Finder.
Please note that you can mix and match all 9cm pots but the total number of 9cm pots must be a minimum of 6.
Please also note that these plants may take up to 7 days for delivery - we will despatch as soon as possible.
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Additional Information
Blog post: Finding The Right Perennial Plants For Your Garden
Finding the right perennial plants for your garden has just become a whole load easier thanks to our clever filters! Eventually we will roll this feature out to all of our plants categories, so watch this space!


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Vegan Hazelnut and Pecan Biscotti
Biscotti is a dry cookie, a perfect snack to have with Tea or coffee. You can try replacing the nuts with other nuts or adding dried fruits, the result would be tasty for sure.
- 160 grams whole wheat flour
- 50 grams all-purpose-flour
- 50 grams almond flour
- 7 grams Baking powder
- 120 grams Sugar (you can try replacing some of it with date syrup or brown sugar).
- 1/8 tsp salt A pinch, not more
- 60 ml Rice and Almond milk or other not-dairy milk
- 3 tbsp flax seeds +9 tbsp water/ any egg repalcer
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract Homemade or good quality
- 1 tbsp Wiskey or Brandy, or something similar
- 100 grams Hazelnuts
- 100 grams Pecans I mixed it with almonds too
Servings: cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients - Flours, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- make some "eggs" - Blend flax seeds (using a hand blender) with water (the ratio is 1:3, 1 tbsp flax seeds+3 tbsp water=1 "egg"). blending well breaks the seeds and lets out the gel inside them, if the ratio is correct and the seeds are not very old - you will get a texture that resembles the texture of beaten eggs. but it's thicker.
- Add the wet ingredients to the mix and keep kneading until the dough ball is formed (don't over-knead).
- Add the nuts and mix briefly until absorbed in the dough.
- Bake at 170 degrees C for 20-30 until golden brown. take the loafs out for a cool-down
Recipe Notes
This recipe was veganized and altered just a bit. the original recipe can be found in this excellent baking website (hebrew)
I'd love to get more feedback - questions about recipes, comments and suggestions!
Share this Recipe


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Goldman Makes Foray Into Chinese Property
Pidemco Tower Deal Marks Bank's First Big Investment In Country's Real Estate
HONG KONG -- Goldman Sachs has made its first big investment in Chinese property, paying US$107.6 million for a 24-story Shanghai office tower.
Purchase of the tower, near the city's famous waterfront area the Bund, shows the U.S. investment bank's belief that Shanghai real estate remains a good investment. Chinese authorities are seeking to cool the hot property market in Shanghai and other big cities.


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College is not right for everyone, but it is for some. I know the current climate tempts us to fear the indoctrination of our kids with the growing avoidance of free speech. However, college or high school or work or play--- all of these contexts are places we can learn to be winsome. We have five college grads who made it through and are impacting their worlds through good minds and hearts.
The key is growing independent thinkers. Students who can teach themselves, who have learned how to learn, who are independent learners. Frankly, the homeschool environment is ideal for this approach (though any home can reinforce clear and independent thought).
I've been re-thinking our approach, and so we've changed to www.independenthomeschool.com
Here are the reasons why!
Hope it helps,
Fred Ray Lybrand
If you want to get started in learning more, begin with growing and independent writer by grabbing the Free Training:
Your teaching or education mindset kind of runs things 24-7, so don't you think it might be important? Our conviction is that homeschool families really need to think through what they are doing and why (mindset), so they can stay on course. There is one way to think that is for superior than most of the notions about education out there these days... I dare you to re-think it!
Fred Ray Lybrand
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
There is probably nothing worse than having students who gripe and complain all the way through school, true? Negativity is a real problem for people becoming a success in almost any field. On the other hand, there's an advantage in there too. Why not consider both sides of negativity as a positive for life in your homeschool?
Fred Ray Lybrand
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
How much do college graduates make? What do high school graduates make? Nowadays it's en vogue to pooh-pooh (sorry) college as unnecessary, citing counter-examples like Jobs, Zuckerberg, and Gates. However, when you get down to it, college is a big-time money producer in our culture.
Although people can do well without college, homeschoolers probably need to re-think being dismissive about it. Why not get your kids ready and let them pick (even if they pay for a lot of it)?
Fred Ray Lybrand
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We're convinced aim of education should be to help the student learn how to learn. How do you pull this off, especially in a homeschooling environment? How do you raise a self-taught student who can excel in college and life?
Fred Ray Lybrand
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We way over-value knowledge these days, whether it's for game shows or to impress the crowd. The real key in the quest to become self-teachers (the only real kind of education) is to gain the skills that empower. The dictionary is a spot-on illustration. Whether you homeschool, teach, or just want to be a great parent---this is the mindset you really must have down to your bones.
Off to learn,
Fred Ray Lybrand
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Often we look at a college major in terms of the 'job we can get' rather than a specific skill we need to learn. This skill gets you ready for the multiple careers you (or your child) will have throughout a lifetime.
Off to learn,
Fred Ray Lybrand
I'd love to hear your comments or answer your questions
In this vLog we try to share why the value of college is still a good idea...but not necessarily for everyone. There is a simple test that you can use to figure out if college is right for your kid...and we share it here.
I'd love your thoughts!
Off to learn,
Fred Ray Lybrand
Having a misunderstanding about procrastination can easily create a lot of conflict and stress in parenting, especially in the day-to-day challenge of homeschooling. Identifying the issue and making a specially kind of LIST can help change everything for the better.
Video Transcription
Is the procrastination myth hurting your child? Well, I know we're all concerned about things hurting our child but you may not even be aware that procrastination is really a myth and what I mean by that is there's no such thing. Now, wait a minute, I know you can look it up in the dictionary and it says putting off something that you want to do or something like that; how it needs to be done. Well, everything could be considered procrastination that way whatever you're not doing right now you're watching this video and you're not doing something else. Is that procrastination or is that a great use of your time?
I've got a son right now who is a sophomore in college and he wants to get married someday. Is he procrastinating marriage? And the answer is no.
He doesn't want to get married. And you know, the funny thing about procrastination is that the problem is not putting off. The problem is motivation.
You don't want to. Your child doesn't want to. Let me tell you if you don't mind me sharing this, I am still to this day, as a grown fellow, rumored and understood in my family among the remaining siblings that I'm... I'm the king of procrastination. I have all the kids growing up that never was doing what supposed to be doing. I was the procrastinator in the family. And yet as it turned out I've still been able and god's kindness to get a lot done. Including successfully with my wife homeschooling five kids to college. I've got an earned doctorate and master's degree and undergraduate degree. I spent sometime in law school of written. Eight or nine books. It's tough, as a procrastinator. See, we're all procrastinators, that's why it's a myth. We are all engaged in doing things we want to do and don't want to do. That's my story once I figured it out. I could stop being weird and guilty and inducing guilt and shame and problems on the kids.
So look, just be honest. What is it that you want? You want to do the things you wanna do. What is it that your child wants? He or she wants to do the things she wants to do.
That would not be a problem. As long as long the both of you wanted the exact things. And that's why it hurts. There's pain that comes from that. There is a conflict that comes from it and there's a loss of energy. The amount of time you spend trying to get yourself to do something you don't want to do. The amount of energy you try to spend getting a child to do something he or she doesn't want to do is exhausting. That's what you want. You want everybody to be doing what they want to do and what they want to do to be the right thing. So, the solution seems to be really obvious to me and it's not to give up. It's not to say they should learn math if they don't want to or they shouldn't go to their youth group if they don't want to or they shouldn't be involved in physical activity if they don't want to and they shouldn't eat whatever they want to. I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying this, what you want to do is come up with more reasons why. For yourself, if you have something you really want to do in your fine hesitation. Spend some time on thinking through reasons why.
There's more to it than that. But there's so much leverage just there. Make a list of reasons why you want to do something. Don't do your taxes? Why don't you sit down and make a list of all the reasons you want to have your taxes completed and what it would mean positive to you. Your child doesn't want to learn his math tables? Why don't you work on thinking through all the reasons, it's going to be great to do that. And some of them may have to do with his or her own time. And how once they learn them, they get to do something else. This is where some basic parental common sense come into play. Many times we give our children reasons to do things in the way of reward and consequences. Sometimes, they just need to know what we want but that's the key.
Recognize it's a myth is just about one two's and then do the thing. Sit down and work out some clear reasons why you or they should want to do it. And you'll see things change.
Off to learn,
Fred Ray Lybrand
So, I'm going to be a lone and stupid voice…but I want to save you all the heartache in life I possibly can.
Tiringly, parents incessantly nag their kids into pursuing careers that they are suited to only mildly if it at…and mostly because of money. Now, before you think about an exception–just leave it there, it is an exception. The Grand Mistake is Pursing a Job Path in College as Your Primary Goal.
Here's the truth—when you check it out, you find that about 85% of Americans are not in the career field they studied (for) within 10 years of graduation. Do you see the problem yet? 100 folks study hard and in 10 years only 15 of them are still in that field (surely engineers are an exception!) The reasons are likely multiple, yet understandable. Industries are dying and rising before our eyes—change-and-retooling is the climate in this increasingly face-paced world. However, another reason is even more likely— most people find out they basically HATE the field they study for! They were young, they looked at where the money was, and they didn't give 'what do I want to do / what do I love?' a second thought.
That's too bad.
Here's a different viewpoint. Go get EDUCATED, don't go get an EDUCATION. What I mean here is something to do with developing a particular skill. The skill is simply 'learning how to learn'. Just think about it. If you can teach yourself anything then you are ready for everything. Need to retool? No problem. Need to advance your career by learning something? No big deal.
The point of education should really be to learn how to learn. Learning how to learn is the traditional idea behind 'Liberal Arts'. The word 'liberal' in education used to be connected to the words liberty and freedom. Once you have learned how to learn, then you are free to pursue whatever you'd like.
May I tell you the big secret about 'what to study'–it doesn't matter. OK, maybe if you are going to be an engineer it will, but for most other things it really doesn't matter. If your child will study something he loves in college, then he is likely to do pretty well at it…which means he has a shot at learning how to learn (because he was successful). It's even better if he has the goal of learning how to learn in the curriculum he chooses.
My dad wisely told me to study English (we thought I was going to be a lawyer) because, as he said, if you can read and write you can learn and communicate. What more do you need? Exactly!
My son, Tripp, finished at the University of Texas (Austin) with a degree in Studio Art. People used to ask me 'what can you do with that'? Nevermind they cool ways artists are used in the design businesses… I simply told them that he loves it and has a goal of learning, not a goal of a particular job. Also, if you learn how to take nothing (blank canvass) and make something (painting)….well, that seems like a pretty sweet skill for the rest of your life. Currently he has been employed to study public policy issues and map the causal loops in systems-dynamics presentations. He's thinking next is seminary and a Phd across the pond. Not exactly Studio Art (though he has sold a number of paintings).
Again, what does that have to do with art? You'd be surprised! He has learned how to learn.
Focus on learning the skill of learning…you'll be surprised how valuable (and FUN) that path will become for your student and your life.
Fred Lybrand


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Awesome dating profile examples
Our loyal customers include college students, business people, doctors, divorcées, sales clerks, entrepreneurs, retirees, middle managers, pastors, writers, travelers, executives, marketers, management consultants, franchise operators, boyfriends, husbands, single guys, and anyone and everyone else you can imagine (even women). People depend on us to help them change their lives in powerful and significant ways, every single day of the year - and that's a responsibility we do everything we can to make sure we're continuously earning and re-earning, both with them and with you.
People using our programs come from Turkey, Chile, Croatia, Korea, Denmark, Australia, Norway, the U. We're well known among our customers for warm, speedy, and exceptional customer service.
And while you might see them as old-fashioned, black and white photos were a huge hit, increasing likes by a huge 106 per cent.
Hinge also discovered that spontaneous snaps were more likely to get a like than posed photos.
Anyone with an online dating account will know that choosing the perfect profile picture for your page is a tricky business.
From candid photos to Snapchat selfies, it can be difficult to know what will help you bag the likes in a sea of profiles.
The best online dating profile examples for men will get the girl to think "This guy sounds really cool! And, depending on the pictures men have up, they get between one and 4 messages a day from NEW women. Best online dating profile examples for men: Let's start at the top.
You asked for online dating profiles examples for men, so I thought I would give you a few great ones. You want to invite her into, and make her a part of your life.Okay, so I know you checked out my pictures and you're back for more. 🙂 I'm going to take the dog for a walk while you find out a little more about me here. Here are some online dating profile examples that have been huge successes…Enjoy, and shoot me a message or wink or whatever when you're done so we can get to know each other. My parents always wanted me to be a doctor, but I knew Information Technology was my true calling.We're busy too - and we build our programs for people like us.There's nothing in here that's going to take big chunks of your time to master unless you want it to - everything is breakable down into small pieces you can use on the fly.This allowed them to see which tags were associated with photos with lots of likes.Images featuring sports were shown to increase the chance of a like by 75 per cent, which those featuring nights out increased likes by 74 per cent.In contrast, the biggest no-go was photos with a Snapchat filter, which decreased the chance of a like by 90 per cent.Although celebrities take thousands of them every day, selfies actually decrease your chances of getting a like by 40 per cent.Our customer service team is dedicated to making sure that we continue providing outstanding service daily. There's nothing worse than confusing, brain-stunning jargon you don't understand, concepts that don't make sense, or instructions you can't follow.We have none of that here - just clear, simple facts and directions that are easy to follow.
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"They try to be a different race, something other than the usual, because it sounds more exotic," Velasquez says. Other common countries of origin are the Ukraine (23 percent) and the Philippines (21 percent).
19, Fox News.com)(via Friedersdorf, see also Mataconis, Sullum, Balko).


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Did you know it was our last day in the garden (Kate)? First we started our observations like usual (Kara & Lily). One thing we noticed was our tree that we voted on is growing leaves (Sierra). Another new observation was the pumpkins we buried now have new pumpkins (Bhavya). We also saw a tree that didn't have any leaves and it looked like it was dying. The most exciting change we saw was a GIANT zucchini (Abby)! It came from the seeds we planted (Herath)! Wow! It was so big (Price)!
After that we made a nature web by answering questions about nature and holding a part of string if we got the question right (Rex). The nature web stands for interdependence (Kayla).
After that our teacher got to harvest the humongous zucchini (Vilina).
Ms. Bonnie cut it up and we got to eat a piece with yummy pesto (Max). It tasted AMAZING (Courtney)!
Good bye, Garden! We'll see you next year (Caroline)!


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Full steam ahead for twin-track beer and trains on superb Midlands preserved line
Added: Tuesday, September 17th 2013
So far in the Rail Ale series we've visited several rural, single track brach lines, as most preserved line in Britain are of this type. But this time we visit the Great Central Railway, Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway that connects the urban centres of Loughborough and Leicester. Why is it so rare for a double track mainline to run steam trains? The answer lies in the unusual history of the line.
It was built long before the Grouping Act of 1921 that merged Britain's railways into the Big Four companies, and many years before nationalisation. It was in the Victorian era when new railways and railway companies were springing up everywhere in the spirit of free enterprise, where utility took a back seat to profit. It's little wonder that Dr Richard Beeching ordered the dismantling of so many of these railways in the 1960s, but these tended to be small branch lines serving small communities. The Great Central, the last mainline built until High Speed 1, was different.
It seems remarkable that a line serving Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester and London Marylebone would be deemed unnecessary by the 1960s government, but Beeching's report declared the line to be a duplicate of the Midland Mainline, which served the same cities but at different stations. Great Central closed in 1966, but a group of train devotees was formed the same year with the hope of preserving the line. Trains were running again by 1973, and in the 90s large parts of the line were made double track, allowing for the sight of two steam trains passing each other outside a station, the only place in the country where this can be seen.
The line runs west of the Midland Mainline and to the east of another preserved line of the same name that runs to Nottingham. There isn't too much distance between the lines, and only a few obstacles lie between there being an 18-mile run of mainline track operating steam between Leicester and Nottingham. A bridge would have to be built over the Midland Mainline before it is electrified later this decade, but if this were achieved it would create one of the finest preserved lines in the world.
We start our journey at Loughborough Central, a short and pleasant walk along the Grand Union Canal from the Network Rail station connected to London, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield. A short walk away from this station in the centre of town is the Organ Grinder , above,(www.bluemonkeybrewery.com/pubs/organ-grinder-loughborough, 4 Woodgate), a former coaching inn taken over by local brewer Blue Monkey. With a blue exterior and interior, a wacky image on the sign and inescapable chimpanzee images it certainly makes for a quirky experience. There's a full book shelf that customers can help themselves to as they sup a pint and take in all the ape images. The bar is beautifully kept and serves Blue Monkey's own BG Sips, Guerrilla and Infinity as well as guest ales.
Loughborough station, along with Quorn & Woodhouse and Rothley, has an island platform with steps up to the main station building that sits on a road bridge, typical on this part of the line known as the London Extension. Initially named the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway, it only became the Great Central after the extension to London in 1899. The station accurately portrays how the line would have looked in the 1950s, with period newspaper stands and Ladies waiting rooms, as well as a book shop.
Having a preserved station in the middle of a large urban centre is a rare sight and it offers the opportunity to ride in a carriage hauled by a steam engine, slowly watching the town and its buildings reduce and disappear into the countryside. It isn't long before Quorn & Woodhouse is reached, a rural station between two villages. The station recreates the wartime 1940s, including line-side vegetables and Dig for Victory signs. Just 200 yards from the station is the Manor House (www.restauranteatingoutloughborough.co.uk ,Woodhouse Road), a hotel built by the Great Central Railway Company to serve passengers. There's little reason not to leave the train and grab a pint, sitting in the large and pleasant garden, watching the trains goes by. It serves Bateman's XB, Draught Bass and Taylor Landlord as well as a changing selection of guest ales.
The most spectacular part of the line comes next. The train proceeds through stunning woodlands before swinging out over Swithland reservoir. This is an enormous body of water on either side of the train that makes a memorable sight, shortly before reaching Rothley station, which is well worth visiting, with its gas-lit Edwardian architecture. The signalling is of Great Western origin, representing the former Great Western & Great Central Joint Railway.
The line ends at Leicester North. There was formerly a station at Belgrave and Birstall, but vandalism prevented it being reopened for preservation, so a new station was built slightly further down the line, serving the city of Leicester. The station is some distance out of the city but it's lofty position allows for fine views of Leicester. You could jump off to watch the locomotive run round its carriages or if you were feeling thirsty the Tom Hoskins, 131 Beaumanor Road, isn't too far away. Exiting the station take a left on Red Hill Way (A563), at the roundabout take Abbey Lane, turn left down Wade Street and a second left takes you to the pub where you can order from a choice of Banks's Mild, Brains Bitter, Greene King IPA and a choice of guest beers.
If you're able to make it into the city centre (perhaps on the mainline back from Loughborough), a short walk from the main station is the Pub (www.thepubleicester.co.uk) at 12 New Walk, an attractive building situated on the historic New Walk that dates from 1785. The Walk is a pedestrian-only passage that runs through the heart of the city, lined with trees, iron fences, old lamps and Georgian buildings. Regular beers at the Pub include Beowulf Dragon Smoke Stout and Oakham Inferno. There are 15 handpulls in operation leaving room for plenty of guests. There are also several Czech lagers, making it a good venue for beer lovers of all types.
Other recommended Leicester pubs include the Ale Wagon (above), another Hoskins' outlet (27 Rutland Street), King's Head (36 King Street), Slug & Lettuce (Market Street), Swan & Rushes (Infirmary Square) and Western (70 Western Road). Don't miss the fascinating Richard III exhibition in the Guildhall that includes an image of the demolished Leicester inn where he stayed before the Battle of Bosworth.
For more information on the preserved mainline railway, visit http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/, which includes details of the beer festival,


text: We had been using Marblelife for literally ten years until they messed up the third time so we fired them permanently and contracted with Shubert and his crew. Our floors were a mess, cracked, damaged and just in need of some serious TLC. When Shubert and his crew done, our floors looked like brand new, we were amazed at how they were able to fix the cracks to the point where you have to really struggle to see them. We will definitely use them again when our Travertine floors need to be redone. Marblelife cannot even come close to comparing what Shubert and his crew did for us!I would give them TEN STARS if I could!


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In its early days, Nung Chan Monastery was right next to an immense bamboo grove without any wall to separate it from the outside. In order to facilitate devotees to more concentrate on their practice, Master Sheng Yen adopted a disciple's suggestion and constructed the main entrance ("sanmen"), the outer wall, and the spirit screen. He named the main gate "The Way to Compassion," signifying welcoming more people to the embrace of Guanyin Bodhisattva, encouraging them to develop the Bodhi-mind and practice the bodhisattva path
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Losing Weight After Pregnancy
It is considered to be a difficult task to lose weight after pregnancy. A woman often gains weight during and after pregnancy. However, once you have delivered a baby it is very difficult to regain your pre-pregnancy figure. Each and every woman is different and therefore the amount of weight gain during pregnancy also differs. Healthy diet and exercise can help you to lose weight in a safe way.
Tips for losing weight after pregnancy
- Some women lose their weight naturally within two to three months after childbirth. But, there are some women who face a lot of difficulty in losing weight
- In order to lose weight, you must be focused on an achievable weight.
- Breastfeeding will help you to lose weight to some extent.
- Breastfeeding not only helps you in reducing weight but it is also beneficial for the health of the baby.
- Eat healthy food and maintain a balanced diet in order to lose weight after pregnancy. Avoid eating food which has more calories and fats in it.
- Avoid eating food which has sugar and excess carbohydrates in it.
- Eat fiber-rich foods as they aid digestion.
- Always keep a check on the amount of calories that you are eating on a daily basis.
- Drink a lot of water. It will flush out all the toxins from the body and help you to lose weight easily after pregnancy.
- Start doing exercises. It will help you to regain your pre-pregnancy figure fast.